How To Make A Better Cup Of Coffee The Easy Way

There are a few simple and easy-to-do steps I've learned over the years on how to make a better cup of coffee.

1. Let the water stand over night. Especially if you have municipal water. Even if you have filtered water, letting it sit over night in the glass carafe (not a plastic container) allows the chlorine to degas from the water and it makes much better tasting coffee.

2. Grind your beans. Innuendo aside, you really should buy a coffee grinder and whole beans if you want to experience the best of the best in homemade coffee. Coffee grinders are very easy to use, inexpensive (around $20) and the difference in quality is astounding.

3. At least pinch the grounds. If you don't have a grinder, or you're a die-hard preground coffee consumer, you should at least pinch a couple of teaspoons of the grounds as you fill up the filter. By pinching them, rubbing some between your fingers, you release some of the nonoxidised particles underneath the outer layer of ground coffee. The same concept as activating old seasonings by pinching them between your fingers. You don't have to do all six scoops this way! Just one or two pinches will go a along way to adding a lot of flavor to your coffee.

4. Stir your pot. This is the most recent improvement I recently learned. Once the coffee's done brewing, take a spoon or other such stirring device and insert it into the carafe and stir. The finer bits of brewed coffee tend to settle to the bottom so by stirring you get a much more consistent cup. Do this every time you go to refill you and your friend's cups.

5. Don't burn your coffee! Although this is last on the list, it is probably the most overlooked step in making better coffee. For many years I brewed coffee and let it sit on the burner for hours! It tastes terrible once it starts to burn which is only after about ten minutes or less on the burner. If you're not in a coffee clutch where there are enough people to drink the whole pot within ten minutes, it's better to turn off the burner once it's done brewing. You can microwave the coffee if it gets cold, it retains better flavor this way. Or you can invest in a separate insulated carafe, like the kind you see at diners, to pour all the coffee into after it's been brewed.

When I think of all the years I drank terrible burned coffee, it makes me wonder if I still have any taste buds left. I hope these steps help you avoid such a brewed awakening, and lead you to a better tasting cup of Joe.