The secret to a great coffee?

[vladguzman]

Hello guys, i found this news in a facebook page, i wanna share withh you

The secret to a great coffee? It’s all in the water: Scientist says minerals are key to release of flavour
Forget luxury machines and expensive beans, scientists have uncovered the secret behind the perfect cup of coffee - reasonably hard tap water.
Coffee-loving experts used different types of water to find out how coffee flavours differed.
They found water composition made a ‘dramatic difference’ to coffee from the same bean - with certain types of hardness boosting the taste.
High magnesium ion levels were found to increase the extraction of coffee into water, though high bicarbonate levels were bad for flavour.
Sodium rich water - such as that produced by water softeners - was also not beneficial to taste, according to chemist Christopher Hendon of the University of Bath.

:coffeemug::coffeemug::coffeemug::coffeemug:

 

[CoffeeJunky]

We all knew the water was one of the important key factor to the perfect cup. That is simply well documented and normal practice in coffee industry. But I don't think everyone knew magnesium and Sodium level was that important.... thanks

 

[mark2014]

using a coffee maker with water filtration option also give a good coffee in term of taste

 

[champagnesyrup]

Well, a friend told me it's in the stirring. The longer your stir the coffee the better the flavor will be. It sounded crazy and I think he's crazy but yeah I tried and yeah it actually tasted better than before, there's no harm in trying :decaf:

 

[Bob_E]

Softened water makes crap coffee. Hard water makes good coffee.
I could have told you that. No science necessary.
:coffee1:

 

[FinnFelton]

Important thing which make good coffee are Fresh beans, Ground before brewing, Fresh cold water. The perfect ratio of ground beans to water (typically 1 tablespoon ground coffee for each 6 ounces of water). Quick brew. A pot of coffee should take 3 minutes to brew.

 

[PinkRose]

A pot of coffee should take 3 minutes to brew.

Only 3 minutes? What size pot are your brewing?

 

[inventicoffee]

Thanks for share, Secret to a great coffee... :coffee1:

 

[jwiley86]

Right, I just read that somewhere too! It was a great read and definitely one of the things people new to making coffees don't consider right away when brewing their coffee. Thanks for sharing it here. It's a great reminder.

 

[ensoluna]

not whole lot of secrets, but just common sense to have a good cup of coffee.

1. choose right roasters to buy freshly roasted coffee. (I just bought 3 completely different coffees from Jumpinjakjava (forum member). very good coffee beans and great pricing)

2. grind them right before you make coffee. (try to use all roasted beans in 5 days or less)

3. use burr grinder instead of blade kind. Also, you need to know what kind of grinds needed for each different types of coffee.

4. of course, use better water and right temp for certain time.

5. try not to put any sugar / splenda / cream (specially flavored cream....well some people do ! and I know some of them)

6. Dont drink them too hot (you wont be able to taste the flavors or aromas sometimes). and please notice flavor changes as coffee cools down. (not all beans, but mostly all good beans does this)

Enjoy !

 

[mmm_Coffee]

After extensive personal research ( I am a research engineer by occupation) I have stopped using coffee makers.
The best cup of coffee I can produce, regardless of water or bean, is made on the stove in a sauce pan.
Heat the water to boiling, then back off to just below the boiling point.
Coarse grind fresh beans of choice.
Add to water and brew for about 4 minutes, stirring slowly but continuously.
Pour into cup through a fine strainer (not a paper filter).

I know this is sort of a combination of cowboy coffee and the French press but it gives you the best of both worlds.
You have complete control over the brewing process.
It is a little more work but I am now spoiled by the smooth, full bodied taste

 

[monstro18]

Only 3 minutes? What size pot are your brewing?

I do agree, but you need to remember that it is not just the size of pot but also the method of brewing that determines the amount of time for a brew. 2 extreme examples: espresso produces a brewed coffee in about 25 seconds and a drip brewer 5-8 minutes for a pot. Another example is a Bunn or "fast brewer" brews in 2-3 minutes (I only do a half pot in these, so 2 minutes) because of the fast brew time you need a slightly finer grind to extract what you need out of the coffee just like you need a really fine grind for an espresso to extract what you need because of the fast brew time.