That morning cup of coffee, something many of us take for granted, has copious amounts

of potential. Here are some factors that affect the taste

of your home-brewed coffee, and some tips for achieving

the perfect brew.

8 FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE TASTE OF YOUR HOME-BREWED COFFEE

1. Origin of Coffee Beans

Typically, beans from Latin America are balanced, with a light body, sweet, and with a high acidity. Beans from Africa and Arabia usually have a medium body, medium acidity, and with wine, citrus, or chocolate flavors.

Beans from the Pacific Islands and Indonesia typically produce beans that have a high body, low acidity, and with flavors that are umami, earthy, and herbal.

SOILALTITUDECLIMATEare a few of the regional factors that significantly affect the flavor of the coffee beans. Consider your personal preferences in flavors, acidity, and body.

2. Arabica Vs. Robusta 1. Origin of Coffee Beans

The best coffee is made from arabica beans, grown in the shade at an altitude above 600 meters. Rather than for the concern of economics, arabica beans are grown with quality in mind.

Many coffee producers use robusta beans because their plants are easier to grow. Although robusta beans are much less expensive and have more caffeine, they yield harshly-flavored coffee.

When you are buying your coffee, check the label to see if it is made from robusta beans or arabica beans.

ARABICA ROBUSTA

3. Freshness of Beans

Coffee is best within days of being roasted. Buying from a local roaster or even roasting your own beans will help get your freshest cup of coffee. The flavors found in coffee beans can also be distorted by light and oxygen, so make sure you buy from roasters who sell coffee in sturdy, vacuum-sealed bags. For the freshest cup of coffee, try buying only a week’s worth of whole coffee beans at a time from your favorite roaster.

STORE your beans in an air-tight container, away from light, and at room temperature. Coffee beans are porous, and storing them in a refrigerator or freezer can cause them to take in moisture and food odors.

4. Cleanliness of Water

5. Water Temperature

If you do not love the taste of your water as-is, it might not be the best for your home-brewed coffee. Water that has traces of chlorine and other chemicals can hurt the coffee’s flavors. Even distilled water is not ideal, for it does not contain some of the minerals essential for the perfect cup.

Try using either filtered or spring water instead.

Many of us coffee-drinkers are used to bringing the kettle of water to a boil, and going from there. However, too-hot water destroys some of the amazing flavors of coffee and extracts the bitter ones instead.

In order to get the ideal 200 degrees Fahrenheit, use a quality coffee maker or let the water sit 45 seconds off a full boil.

It is easy to justify using less coffee for a brew. In fact, a lot of people will use less coffee and hotter water to extract more flavor. On the other hand, we know that this can yield a very bitter cup. The best outcome of skimping is just a weak cup.

Just be kind to yourself and follow the standard measure:

Yes, you might need to use an extra scoop of coffee, and no, you will not regret it.

It is common to buy beans pre-ground, or even to grind them all at once at home. However, coffee beans have flavor compounds in them that can deteriorate if exposed to oxygen. Grinding increases the surface area of the coffee beans that are exposed to oxygen. For the perfect cup of coffee, try grinding the appropriate amount of beans just before brewing.

Depending on the brewing method you use, there is a perfect grind size that will give you maximum flavors. A french press might need a coarser grind, a pour-over a medium grind, and Turkish coffee a fine grind. However, uniformity of the grinds is important. A quality grinder will keep the grinds the same size, to keep larger grinds from under-extracting and finer grinds from over-extracting.

2 3/4 tablespoons for an 8-ounce cup.

6. Amount

7. Grind

In addition to having quality equipment, keep it clean! Every week or two, make sure grinders, coffee canisters, and whichever equipment you use for your brewing method are ridded of oil build-up.

8. Equipment

The type of equipment you use is just as important as the quality of the beans you use.

Different brewing methods will yield different flavors: a French press will better extract the oils of the beans, whereas a coffee cone will help you achieve more clarity of flavors.

High-quality equipment will help you achieve the best brew.

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