Sunday, April 3, 2016

Three Steps to a Great Cup of Coffee

When talking about a quality cup of coffee there are three main steps that I can think of to produce a great cup. These three steps are broken down into: 1. Roasting 2. Grinding 3. Brewing. Many coffee lovers only pay attention to the final step of this process when the three together are all of equal importance.

Roasting
As you already know from my previous blog post, here at Jennings Java we have 4 different types of roasts available: light, medium, medium-dark, and dark. One of the most important facts to know about your coffee is when the coffee you are consuming was roasted. A general rule of thumb is that coffee should be consumed within a three-week period of being roasted. One perk of buying from a small business is that you know that you are getting the freshest roast possible.

After the coffee has been roasted, it is recommended to allow the beans to sit for a 24 to 48 hour time period before grinding the bean and brewing your coffee. This time period allows the oil that is in the center of the bean to spread to all parts.

Grinding
The best way to ensure that your coffee stays fresh is to only grind the amount of coffee that you are going to brew for that same day. It is important to note that there are different levels of grinds used for the brewing process. The three main grinds are course, medium, and fine grinds. A course grind is often used for a French press. A medium grind is one of the most common grinds, and is used for drip coffee makers and k-cups. It is also the predominant grind that is sold in grocery stores.  A fine grind is primarily used for espresso machines. At Jennings Java, we have the ability to sell our coffee whole bean, course ground, medium ground, or fine ground.

Brewing
Brewing coffee can be as simple or as difficult as you want to make it. There are endless ways to brew a great cup of coffee, but the key is to find which method works best for you. In the Jennings’ house you will find a wide variety of brewing methods for coffee, including espresso machines, a French press, a basic drip coffee maker (for when Grandma comes to town), a cold brewer, and a Keurig. It is possible to brew a great cup of coffee using any of these methods, however, it can get expensive. If you are on a tight budget, I would recommend using a French press. A French press gives a full flavor to the coffee because the grounds saturate directly in the water.



In future blogs, we will give you a more in-depth look at how exactly we use each brewing method. Let us know what you think of the article and what way you prefer to brew your coffee!

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