Almost every major city in this country has at least one coffee shop that people go to consistently for their morning pick-me-up. These establishments usually feature an assortment of beverages, mostly characterized as either brewed or hot tea, espresso, plain old regular coffee, iced drinks, and sometimes yogurt or milk. They are typically very cost effective since they’re not expensively made and servded in fancy settings.
Most importantly though, is the quality of the beverage itself; how well it tastes and if it makes you feel better after drinking it! Many have said that there’s a reason why Starbucks is so popular – they offer quality products and encourage customers to try new things. A lot of people have also mentioned how much more comfortable they feel while drinking their drink because of the size of the cup.
All of these reasons make having a good pot of coffee before work or home extremely important. Luckily, with technology today, making your own coffee doesn’t need to be too difficult or expensive! Read on to learn some easy ways to make the best tasting coffee at home.
Research your location
The best way to use a new coffee machine is by doing some research first! Before you invest in any equipment, make sure it’s fully compatible with your system and that there are no warnings about it not working with certain types of milk or sugar.
Make sure to also check out whether the manufacturer has their own recommendations for how much water the machine needs to be filled with and if this information changes from year to year. Some companies will put up an advertisement telling people to only buy theirs because they don’t have these guidelines.
There can be many reasons why different machines require different amounts of liquid depending on what type of beverage you want, but the general rule is that more liquids means better quality brewed beverages. That is, the longer the brew time, the higher the acidity which gives your drink taste and helps preserve the flavor.
Some types of drinks may even suffer due to too little liquid being used, making the finished product overly watered down and possibly giving you diarrhea since they contain less fiber.
Research the brand of coffee machine
The next step is to do some research on your coffee maker! There are many different brands that make great machines so it does not matter which type you have as long as they have good reviews.
Some things to look into are whether there are any compatibility issues before buying, how easy it is to use, and if the manufacturer has an online store where you can find additional settings and tips.
It is very important to be confident with your new purchase, know what functions each one has and how to use them. Some manufacturers may offer free technical help or at least quick support through their social media sites.
You should also check out if there are any user manuals or videos for the device. This way, you will not need to search for answers as much because someone else has done it before.
Buy a coffee machine
Having your own espresso or cappuccino maker is a nice way to start exploring different types of beverages and machines. Most people begin by buying a simple pour-over brewer, then advance to automatic drip brewers, before moving onto more advanced designs like sycnronized pumps and solids frothers.
There are many great brands that offer a wide variety of machines at affordable prices. Many have easy to use interfaces and feature basic functions such as time brew modes and auto-dosing systems.
Most manufacturers include freebies such as a milk frother bottle, whiskers, cups, and/or tongs. Some even throw in some coupons too! It’s not always the most expensive product out there, but looking through their collection can find something good for around $50 – $100 depending on how much you buy and what add-ons you want.
Whatever type of brewer you choose, make sure it works with readily available supplies! Some models may require hard plastic tubing or metal pots and mugs which could potentially cause trouble later if you don’t have them.
Organize your coffee machine area
Now that you have your machines, what next? You’ll want to organize them so you can easily access each one! There are several good ways to do this.
You could put trays or baskets under the drink making units to hold loose supplies such as filters, k-cups, and milk froths. Or, you could use plastic tubs or bags to store all of your used up supplies.
Set up your coffee machine
The next step in having perfect espresso is choosing how you want yours to make its drink! There are two main types of machines: plunger-type and pour-over. Plungers use water that has been pre-filtered, so they can run more efficiently. However, this also means that their length must be limited as there is not much room for excess liquid.
Pour over systems allow for longer brewing times, and they have a wider mouth opening than plungers. This gives you more time to do other things while the brew cycle completes!
If you would like both types of consistency, then we suggest using a dual function brewer. These have both functions built into one device, making it easier to switch back and forth between the settings. Some examples of these are the Bonavita BV6000DS or the Nespresso Vertisimo. Both cool down the coffee after extraction, which some people prefer over hot beverages.
Coffee machine maintenance
When it comes down to it, there is no way to use your coffee maker without using water! This makes sense because what would you drink without liquid? So, how do we make sure that our machines work properly and are efficient in extracting all of the flavor and aroma from the beans?
First, let’s talk about why water is such an integral part of making a great cup of coffee. The three main components of a good quality coffee extract are dry matter (the dried bean flakes), soluble matter (dissolved caffeine and chlorophyll) and fat content (oils).
Water helps to dissolve both of these two things and thus contributes significantly to the overall taste and feel of the beverage. That being said, too much water can actually dilute the intensity of the flavors in the brew and so most manufacturers include a setting for this.
Many newer models have an “over-waterproofing” feature which will only allow very small amounts of water to run through the process before shutting off. This cuts down on wasted beverages but also requires more frequent manual intervention when using the equipment.
Costa has addressed this with their new Verismo series of espresso makers! These have a second use for drinking liquids due to its dual purpose spout.
Roast your own
If you are more passionate about coffee than buying pre-made beverages, then there is an easy way to start making yours. Most cafes have their machines for customers to use, usually free of cost!
Mostly what people don’t realize is that these machines contain very fresh ground espresso powder. All they need to do is add water and milk, mix together and enjoy your drink.
There are even some companies who will let you roast your own coffee at home! You can buy all the components online or in most big grocery stores. It is totally affordable too!
To give your drinks that perfect flavor, it is important to know how to make good quality espresso.
Choose your beans wisely
The type of coffee you use makes a big difference in how your espresso or cappuccino tastes! There are two main types of ground coffee that can be used for drinks: caffeinated and decaffeized.
Coffee with no caffeine is known as decaffeinated coffee. These coffees may taste better than regular coffee because they have less acid which some people do not like.
However, most brands of decaf coffee contain too much sugar to make it worth drinking. Therefore, we cannot recommend them unless you really enjoy very sweet beverages.
Regular coffee has more acid content so it will be more pleasing to those who prefer strong flavors.