How to Make Better Coffee, Not Bitter Coffee

Millions of people drink coffee every day. The coffee habit is an American way of life.
Many folks don’t even leave the house until they have had a cup, (or two cups) of invigorating java.
Lots of folks enjoy a flavored sweet brew, while others, like me, are coffee purists, and prefer a good strong black brew. If you are like me; a purist, only a high-quality coffee will do. You want flavor, not bitterness. The secret to an excellent brew, is not grinding your own beans. Although grinding your own beans is classy, it is also time consuming, and in my humble opinion, does not yield a substantially better brew.

The particle size of ground coffee, used for particular coffee-makers, is very important. Most brands of ground coffee, are perfectly ground, and taste as good, or even better than many whole-bean coffees. Companies that market whole-bean coffees, want consumers to believe that grinding your own, makes for a better cup of joe. This is true for cappuccino, and espresso coffee. American coffee, however, is better brewed from commercially ground beans.

If your coffee is too bitter, you may find the following fact ironic. Using more ground coffee, rather than less, can yield a less-bitter brew. The “bitter” tannins in coffee are less soluble than the more flavorful, rich components. When more coffee is used, more flavor is extracted, and more bitterness is left behind, in the grounds. Simply using more coffee, will make a better cup of brew.

In recent years, coffee companies have stopped using highly caffeinated, robusta beans. They have pretty much all switched to 100% arabica beans. Robusta beans have more caffeine, and less flavor, than arabica coffee. Modern consumers are better informed about coffee these days, forcing coffee purveyors to produce a higher quality product. Robusta beans are still grown, mostly used for instant coffee products. Even discount ground coffees, now have the words “100% Arabica,” or “100% Columbian,” on the label. Just about any ground coffee, is of good quality. The brewing process is the likely disparity, if you get a bad cup of coffee these days.

Often coffee sits on the warming plate in the coffee-maker far too long. It tastes burnt, bitter and downright horrible. A new type of machine, with a thermal caraffe, rather than a hot-plate, solves this burnt-coffee scenario. These machines can keep coffee hot for several hours, without “burning” it. They waste less, while keeping the brew hot, and tasty for much longer. If you cant afford one of these, pouring freshly-brewed coffee into a thermos bottle as soon as it is brewed, is an excellent way to keep it hot without burning it.

The French press is somewhat of a novelty item for most, but makes an excellent tasting brew. It is harder to use, but makes a great conversation piece when you are serving a small number of guests. Heated water from a tea-kettle is poured in, along with ground coffee, and allowed to infuse for few minutes.The piston is then pushed through, which strains out the grounds and yields a foamy, aromatic brew. This isn’t a device for making coffee early in the morning, but it is a nice addition to any kitchen.