Put your hand up if you’re a mom and both hands if you love coffee? Okay, jokes aside, but you probably smiled because you know just how difficult your day can get without waking up to your morning cup of Joe, right? This is not to forget the numerous benefits of caffeine on your health and overall wellness!
But do you depend on the café across the street or do you brew your own coffee? Well, the latter is definitely cheaper, and way much more convenient if you get things right when making your favorite brew.
This is not to say that you need to sit in a class with prospective baristas to know how to make the perfect cup. If you’re a coffee mom, here are some common coffee-brewing mistakes to always avoid so you can get a quality cup each time you brew.
Mistake 1: Not Having the Essential Brewing Equipment
Brewing a great cup of coffee starts with having the right equipment in your kitchen (or home office). Of course, the types of equipment you need will depend on the brewing method you want to use.
If you’re a fan of drip coffee or espresso, an electric kettle is one of the crucial tools you need. You can check out the various designer kettles from Fellow at SSENSE on this front. Apart from the pour-over kettle essential brewing tools and accessories include the following:
- Coffee making machine –options include Nespresso, espresso machine, Aero Press, and French Press among others.
- Coffee grinder
- Milk frother
- Kitchen scale
Mistake 2: Not Ensuring the Ideal Water Temperature
The strength, flavor, and aroma of coffee largely depend on water temperature when brewing. It determines how much caffeine and other compounds are extracted from your grounds, thus affecting the overall quality and taste.
Using water that is either too hot, or not hot enough could ruin your coffee, and you won’t like the taste. This makes it crucial to have a kitchen thermometer if your brewing equipment doesn’t have automatic temperature settings.
Mistake 3: Not Using Fresh-Grounds
Have you been using coffee grounds that have been stored for too long? If so, you’ve most likely been sipping poor-quality coffee. This is because pre-ground coffee has a low desiccation tolerance, so the flavors get diminished gradually once exposed to air.
This is all the more reason to invest in a coffee grinder. This way, you can buy whole coffee beans and grind them at home for a fine-tasting cup of ‘jo each time you brew.
Mistake 4: Failing to Get the Coffee-Water Ratio Right
More than anything else, a great brew also depends on the proportion of coffee and water. If there’s too much water, or the grounds are not enough, your drink will taste really weak.
The best part is that different people have different preferences when it comes to caffeine strength, so it’s a matter of trial and error before you determine the best coffee-to-water ratio for your needs. For starters, you can try 2 tablespoons of coffee for each cup of water, making modifications from there.
Mistake 5: Overlooking the Importance of Water Quality
Water quality is a crucial element when brewing coffee. Believe it or not, coffee brewed from tap water will have a different taste compared to the drink made using purified water. If you’ve been using unfiltered tap water, you may want to consider rethinking your choices.
Mistake 6: Not Keeping Your Brewing Equipment Clean
Finally, do not forget to clean your coffee machine regularly if you use one. Those sediments left after each brew can mess with the taste when mama needs her coffee next. Moreover, the machine could accumulate bacteria and other microorganisms. The last thing you want is to end up in the ER with diarrhea or food poisoning.
If anyone can make a wild guess, they would tell you’re a coffee aficionado mom – or at least an upcoming one – if you read this. Hopefully, you noticed a mistake you might have been making or learned what to avoid when brewing coffee for you (and your family) at home.
