Coffee is the ultimate staple drink for many people, and it gives you the energy you need to start the day, stay productive, and even relax. Whatever you use coffee for, many agree that it’s a wonder drink that everyone loves! However, whether you are a newbie at coffee-making or a long-time connoisseur, you can sometimes overlook a few mistakes that you may still be making.
In this post, we are covering the top seven mistakes you should always avoid when preparing your morning Joe. Sure, it would help if you have the best coffee percolator money can buy, but your coffee won’t taste better if you fail to avoid the following mistakes. So, keep reading to learn more!
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1. Forgetting to bloom your grounds
It may seem pretty simple to brew coffee with a French Press or coffee maker. However, you should know that there is an important step that people tend to forget: blooming. Blooming is the process of letting the coffee grounds expand before you start brewing. This step applies to brewing with a coffee maker, a french press, or a pour-over dripper set.
Blooming is simple. Just enough water should be poured over the grounds to moisten them. When using a coffee maker, start it up and stop it five seconds after you notice water dripping into the carafe. The ideal amount of time for blooming coffee is 30 seconds, so set a timer for that length of time. Voila! After 30 seconds. You might start brewing coffee or start pouring the hot water.
2. Stocking up on too many coffee beans or grounds
Unlike salt and pepper, which can last in your kitchen for as long as you want, coffee grounds and beans can only be fresh for quite some time. If they aren’t in an airtight container, they can be fresh for only a week; if you store them properly, they can last several months. That doesn’t mean you should buy too much, only to regret having stale coffee later; it would be a waste of storage space and especially money. So, don’t be afraid to buy enough beans for a month; if you brew regularly and want to ensure the freshness, you may purchase them weekly.
3. Using stale grounds
Stale coffee isn’t something you want to drink because even though it would indeed still have its caffeine content, it will also come with extra acidity. Coffee using stale grounds will be hell in a drink, especially if you’re suffering from acid reflux. When you ever catch a hint of rancidness or acidic smell, you would quickly tell if your grounds are good or not.
4. Serving coffee that is more than a day old
Here’s another risk you wouldn’t want to take. It may seem relatively harmless to drink coffee that is more than a day old. However, it will be problematic if drinking old coffee becomes a habit.
It may seem economical to finish the coffee you made, but even if you store it in the fridge, there’s a risk of catching mold spores. Much like eating any food that has gone stale, the same goes with coffee. Don’t drink it if it’s more than a day old, especially if it’s more than two or three days old. Otherwise, you could get sick!
5. Using too much or not enough grounds
It may come down to preference, but it’s always best to use the right amount of grounds for your coffee. You can always dilute the batch with water if you accidentally put in too much ground. And if you don’t put enough grounds, you would have to start a new batch altogether to achieve the strength you want. It may take a while to figure out how much grounds they wish for their coffee to be strong for some people. You may try to make time to do a trial-and-error to see how much is the right amount for you.
6. Keeping the grounds brewing in a french press
It’s easy to make coffee with a french press. However, try to avoid this mistake when you do! Some people tend to leave the remaining coffee in the french press after pouring the first glass. What happens to the coffee is that it will continue to extract all the extra acidity and bitterness from the grounds.
So, whenever you brew with a french press, always pour the coffee into a different container to keep the grounds from continuously brewing. Even your second mug would be just as strong and delicious.
7. Buying the wrong size of grounds
Ground coffee has a unique size for every method or machine. For coffeemakers, the best is the beach sand or medium-sized coffee grounds; french presses and percolators would need a coarse sea salt size.
So, if you’re not grinding the coffee yourself and are planning to get ground coffee, it would be best to request the size you need for the method or machine you’re using. Brewing coffee with the wrong ground size will under-extract or over-extract the batch. And if buying from the supermarket, double-check by reading the labels!
Takeaway
Making coffee at home can sometimes look easier than it seems. But with the right tips and pointers, it’s always possible to achieve delicious coffee. Which of these mistakes would you like to avoid next time? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks for reading until the end, and make sure to visit Recipes.net for more guides and recipes on everything food. Happy brewing!