Want to be your own coffee barista? Maybe you love the coffee you buy out but your home-made version leaves much to be desired? Even if you use the best ingredients, make your coffee the wrong way and it will taste more dishwater than delectable.
But help is at hand!
Check out our tips and tricks for getting it right and ensuring that your coffee at home scores 100% every time!
Find the coffee taste you like best
Not all coffees are the same. Where it comes from affects the flavour. If you like fruitier and more acidic, go for African grown beans. South American coffee is far nuttier and fuller bodied. Try a few, find your ‘sweet spot’ and then stick with it!
Freezing coffee is a no-go
Once coffee is roasted, water remains in the beans. If you freeze it, you get ice which badly affects the aroma and flavour. The coffee will also soak up the smells of other stuff in your freezer hence the end result will be something mighty unpleasant! Keep your coffee beans in a cool dark place, such as a larder, to keep it pristine. Once your coffee jar is opened and air seeps in, the flavour begins to leak out. Make sure your container is airtight and that you only open it up just before making a brew.
Whole beans are best
If you really want to savour the wonderful smell of fresh coffee, then grind whole beans just before you make yours. Whether you grind them finely or coarsely depends upon your choice of drink; espresso requires a fine grain. Buy the best grinder that you can afford and then you can experiment with the sizes.
Check your water
If your tap water has an unpleasant aftertaste or is very hard, this will transfer through to your coffee. If you want to really impress, use filtered water. Not only will the taste be dramatically improved but you will have no nasty scum on the top.
Adding milk to your coffee
Depending upon how you take your coffee, if you are going to add milk, cream or soy, this will also make a tremendous difference to the taste. Again, if you are not
restricted due to diet, experiment with what you like best. If you adore rich tastes, then full-cream milk will go down a treat. If you want to really go to town, try out almond, hazelnut, coconut or even goat’s milk. Coffee curdling when you add soy? Let the coffee cool a little or warm the milk a little, gradually adding the coffee after the soy.
Make it frothy
You can also froth your milk to make your coffee look and taste beautiful. If you don’t have a steamer or milk frother, improvise by using a jar with a lid and a microwave. Fill the jar halfway, put on the lid and shake well. Now take off the lid and pop into the microwave for about
30 seconds – this stabilises the foam. Holding the foam back, tip the hot milk into your coffee and then carefully spoon the foam over the top.
Whether you love to drink it in the morning, late at night or continually, you will now have the perfect coffee to suit you, no matter your taste!
If all of the above seems like too much work you can always - just light our Coffee and Walnut Cake candle without the added bonus of the gorgeous smell of cake without the calories.
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