How To Make Coffee In A Coffee Maker

Ten Steps To Brewing A Perfect Pot of Coffee

Making Drip-Filter Coffee in an Automatic Drip Coffee Maker can be done a right way and a wrong way making the difference between fine coffee and something unrecognizable.

Here are the steps to follow to make sure you brew a perfect pot of coffee every time. Follow these steps on how to make coffee in a coffee maker as well as making simple drip coffee using a filter placed above a cup or coffee pot.

Prepare Your Coffee Maker

Make sure it is clean because coffee oil deposits turn rancid and taint the taste of the coffee. Clean every part of the coffee pot, filter and filter basket thoroughly. See a full description on How To Clean A Coffee Maker.

If you don't have a coffee maker yet and are considering which one to buy then first of all consider that the drip coffee maker is the United States' most popular small kitchen appliance and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Do you want all the frills - a machine that will wake you up in the morning with the aroma of fresh-brewed premium coffee having actually just ground the beans as well as brewed the coffee?

Or do you just want a very simple machine you can use to brew the coffee you prepare each time? Either way it will be easy to fine tune the process to produce the optimum premium coffee.

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Grinding the Coffee - How To Make Coffee in a Coffee Maker

If you are truly seeking a fine premium gourmet coffee experience then you need to purchase a quality Coffee Grinder which you will appreciate with each cup of aromatic coffee.

The best coffee grinder to use is a Burr Coffee Grinder because it won't generate the excess heat that can actually re-roast the beans, as may happen with a blade grinder.

A burr grinder also produces a more consistent particle size of the ground coffee, improving the brewed coffee's qualities. A Wheel Burr Grinder is preferable to a Conical Burr Grinder, especially if you will be grinder some very rich, dark and oily coffees as some of the more heady and robust coffees from exotic locales tend to be.

If you buy your coffee already ground you are losing out on some of the finest qualities of the premium coffee experience. The aromas and flavors begin to degrade soon after grinding so you will lose the subtle flavors and aromas if you don't brew just after grinding.

Fresh Roasted Coffee Is Best

Of course it is also important that the coffee is fresh-roasted so try to find a source where you can acquire the whole beans within days of roasting. Then make sure the beans are stored properly in a cool, dark and dry place in an airtight container, and not in the refrigerator or freezer.

Okay, now you have the coffee and the grinder and the coffee maker and we can get going on brewing the perfect pot of coffee.

If you are buying your coffee beans off the supermarket shelf then walk right by any open bins of coffee beans, which have clearly been overexposed to air and light as well as moisture, and search for the finest coffee sold in valve-sealed bags, which are preferable to vacuum sealed bags as the valve will release any harmful gases that are still emitting from the beans after roasting and bagging.

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The Coffee Filter - Making Coffee in a Coffeemaker

While some automatic drip coffee machines have the option of using a permanent coffee filter made from nylon or other material, these will generally be inefficient in regards to cleaning and you may not be able to fully avoid the build-up of rancid qualities that can taint your coffee.

In this sense a paper filter is preferable, and make sure to get a high quality paper filter and use a fresh filter for each pot of coffee.

Acquiring Your Specialty Coffee - How To Make Coffee

To find premium gourmet coffee. If you want to make the perfect cup of coffee you can't mess around make sure you locate the finest Arabica coffee beans and also make sure they have been cultivated and harvested with great care and then processed properly before being roasted right before shipping to you.

Make sure they are shipped in a valve-sealed bag so any gases that continue to emit from the beans in the two days after roasting are not trapped in the bag harming the quality of the coffee beans.

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Measuring the Coffee

A good standard is to use about one tablespoon of coffee for each eight ounces of water. Don't make it any weaker than this or it will taste watery and bland, and that is not a good thing!

If you prefer make it stronger for a rich and hearty cup of coffee. You can use up to two tablespoons for eight ounces if you like your coffee really strong.

Filling Up the Coffee Machine with Water

If you can use spring water or filtered water this is best, though not distilled water. Tap water is also fine. Make sure the water is fairly cold to begin with.

Once you begin the brewing process let it finish to the end without using a brew pause button (if available) or sneaking a cup out before the brewing is done.

This can mess up the quality of the whole pot so make sure to let the brewing completely run its course before taking any coffee.

Removing the Coffee from the Coffee Machine

When the coffee is done brewing it is best to completely remove all of the coffee from the coffee heating element as it will quickly degrade in flavor if left to keep “cooking” on the machine.

Pour whatever coffee you need into your mugs, and then pour the rest into a thermal pot with a vacuum seal to preserve the fine flavors and aromas.

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Some Tips and Tricks on How to Make Coffee in a Coffee Maker

Before brewing begins, wet the coffee grounds with a few tablespoons of water and let them soak for a few seconds. This will allow the coffee flavors to be extracted easier once the coffee starts brewing, and will extract more flavors and aromas.

If you want to go the extra mile to try to produce the perfect cup of coffee, you might also remove the carafe from the coffee machine just before the end of the brewing. Makes to replace it with another carafe to catch any flowing coffee.

By not taking the last of the coffee that is brewing you may avoid some of the bitter end of the brewing including any potentially over-extracted coffee.

Some people like to put a pinch of salt on top of their coffee grounds with the idea that this removes any bitterness that is created during brewing. Others add a few eggshells, or finely ground cinnamon. We only recommend these tactics with very inferior coffee which might need some assistance.

Maybe try some organic coffee or Fair Trade coffee, perhaps something for Kenya, Brazil, Nicaragua or Ethiopia. Maybe some fine beans from Sumatra or Costa Rica or Guatemala. Make sure and store the coffee in a cool, dark and dry place, and never store it in the freezer or refrigerator.

As your love of coffee progresses you may want to try a French Press coffee brewer and make yourself some French Press coffee.

Best Coffee Machines and Best Espresso Machines

Read about all of the different types of Coffee Makers including Automatic Drip Coffee Makers and Single Serve Coffee Makers. Also very popular are Pod Coffee Makers which brew Coffee Pods.

Other ways to enjoy your coffee include Coffee K-Cups and T-Discs, and French Press. You may also want to try Decaffeinated Coffee.

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