Did you click on this article never having drank a cup of coffee before? Oh, you're in for it. Perhaps you've tried many different kinds of coffee, but you want to see what else is out there. Keep reading to find out more information on the different varieties of coffee that you can try.
If you want great coffee at home you have a couple choices. You can invest in either an espresso machine, or one of the new single serve coffee makers. The espresso machine will require a bit of a learning curve as you learn to properly brew espresso and steam milk, but can be a great way to impress your friends.
Make sure that you make your coffee in water that you would have no problem drinking alone. This is important because the taste of the water will affect the way that it makes your coffee taste. If you live in an area where the water quality is not that great, use spring water to brew your coffee.
Coffee should not remain in your freezer for longer than three months, even though freezing most things extends their shelf life. If your coffee has been in the freezer for longer than three months, it will not be as good.
It is very important to properly clean your coffee making equipment. If you do not clean the equipment frequently, the taste of your coffee may suffer. You do not have to clean the equipment fully after ever use, but if you start to notice a slight odor or buildup of any kind, it should be fully cleaned.
Always store your coffee beans or grinds in a dark, cool, airtight container. Even better, use a vacuum container. Storing your coffee in such a container helps keep your coffee smelling and tasting fresh for a long time. Store the container in the fridge or freezer to maximize freshness.
If you are planning on bringing coffee into work or to a friends house, always bring alternative flavors to inject a sense of variety in your presentation. This will give others the ability to make a choice as to which drink they prefer, which will make the most amount of people happy.
Avoid using pre-flavored and packaged coffee beans. These beans are sprayed with extra oils that are very difficult to clean out of grinders and coffee machines. That oil stays in the machines and mixes with later batches causing strange-tasting coffee. They also tend to make the coffee smell better than it tastes.
Sometimes, you may want to treat yourself to coffee from a specialty store. A wide array of great options exist, and it is fun to add a bit of chocolate, caramel or whipped cream to your drink.
If you brew a large pot of coffee that will not be consumed quickly, take it off of the burner. Place it into a pre-heated storage device. When coffee is left on the burner, the taste will deteriorate quickly. A nice carafe or other storage device will eliminate this concern.
Never drink coffee in the eight hours prior to going to bed. The half-life of caffeine can range from 30 minutes to 8 hours, so this is the only sure fire way of having it out of your system when it is time to rest. Otherwise, you are going to need even more caffeine the next day. A coffee habit can be a little healthy, but caffeine dependency is bad news.
When brewing your coffee, use bottled or filtered water. Doing so, you will obtain maximum flavor for your brew. However, you do not want to use water that is too soft. The flavor will not be extracted as well. Look for a nice balance. Compare the flavor of your coffee with different brands or types of water.
To ensure that your coffee stays fresh as long as possible, avoid grinding all your beans at once. Once ground, heat and humidity will rob your ground coffee brands coffee of the fragrant oils that provide much of its flavor. Instead, only grind the amount of coffee you will use for a day or two. Doing so will help you maximize the flavor of your beans.
You can use coffee to bring the shine back to hair that looks worn and dull. Brew some extra strong coffee then allow it to cool. Place it on hair that is clean and dry and leave it on for 15-20 minutes. After that, rinse your hair and style it as you normally would.
When adding syrup to your coffee, add it to hot coffee before you add anything else. After pouring a cup of hot coffee, add the syrup before adding other items like cream or milk. The heat from the coffee helps the syrup dissolve quicker. This helps boost the overall flavor and smell of your coffee.
Do not leave coffee, in the pot, sitting on the burner for a long time. The heat from the burner can scald the coffee very quickly. This so affects the flavor of the coffee that reputable coffee shops pour out any coffee that has been sitting on a burner for 20 minutes.
Why settle for a boring cup of coffee when there are so many different options available? Coffee flavors in French vanilla; Hazelnut and A tickle your taste buds. If you do not care for flavored coffee beans, you can always opt from a wide assortment of fun flavored creamers to liven up your cup of coffee.
If you are a fan of flavored coffees, buy coffee syrups. These are used after the coffee has brewed. After you pour your coffee into your mug, use the flavors as you wish for taste. This keeps your coffee machine and grinder free from hard-to-clean flavor oils that don't really flavor your coffee anyway.
Remember that coffee does have calories. While it is true that a good jolt of caffeine right before a workout can enable you to exercise more intensely and hopefully burn more calories, that is not carte blanche to drink as much coffee as you want. Each cup still adds up to your total caloric intake.
Do you know more about coffee now than before you read this article. Hopefully, you are now more prepared to go and buy that next cup of joe. Whether you make it yourself or purchase that special cup from a business, you're sure to enjoy that fresh tasting blend.
