This year, I had the privilege of traveling to Colombia. Colombia is known for its coffee, so we went on a tour of a coffee farm located just outside Medellín. We learned a lot about the coffee-making process and what goes into making good coffee vs. average coffee.
Some would say the highlight of this tour was the farm dog, Sombra. She was a close second.
The most useful thing to learn was how to select quality coffee and make the perfect cup at home. Here are four simple steps to great coffee:
- Put hot water in the drinking cup before making the coffee. Let stand for about five minutes
- Put hot water in the apparatus (french press, chemex, etc.) before making the coffee
- Use fresh beans
- 1:10 ratio coffee to water
A note on #3: Single origin whenever possible—that means all the beans come from the same place. If you cannot grind your own beans, go somewhere where they will grind fresh beans for you. My neighborhood coffee shop grinds my beans for me—most independent ones will. Many grocery stores will also have bean grinders available. Do not freeze coffee grounds. Put them in an airtight container, like this one.
I’ve tried this method for my morning coffee ever since (unless I use the Nespresso). 100% of the time, it works every time.
