Freshly roasted coffee beans guarantee the best coffee.
Tips for coffee grinding
Never grind more beans than you use up at once. Once the beans have been ground, air gets to the aroma-generating oils. As these oils fade away, the coffee aroma also fades away. Ground coffee starts losing its taste almost immediately after grinding. Different coffee making methods require different grinds. The coffee that is brewed by dripping needs to be ground so that it looks similar to granulated sugar. The dripping process should take four to six minutes. If the coffee has dripped faster than in four minutes, the beans need to be ground finer. If the dripping takes more than six minutes, the beans need to be ground less. Espresso needs an especially fine grind; the coffee must almost look like powder, only slightly grainy. The secret to a decent espresso grind lies in its preparation time. One ounce of espresso should be ready in about 25 to 30 seconds. Just like for drip brewing, coffee needs to be more finely ground here as well when the espresso is ready in less than 25 seconds. If it takes more than 30 seconds, the beans must be more coarsely ground.
Tip for coffee preservation
Never keep coffee in the refrigerator. Coffee takes on the aroma and taste of other foodstuffs in the refrigerator. Freezing may also produce a spoiling effect and is not recommended unless you do not use your coffee up over a longer period of time (in two or more weeks). Coffee must be stored in a clean, dry and airtight container, in a dark and cool place.
Tips for using a French press
The beans must be kept coarse for the French press. If the coffee is too fine, it may get bitter and it is hard if not impossible to push the plunger down. Below, we will teach you how to use your French press in a way you've probably not even heard about before. Heat up a cup of milk on a stove or in the microwave (non-fat milk is the best). Heat it up to the point where you cannot put your finger in it. Do not bring the milk to a boil. Next, pour the milk into a clean and empty French press and move it up and down for a few minutes. The quantity of milk gets 3–4 times bigger and is great for making cappuccino and latte.
Tips for making caffé mocha
Use a coffee filter suitable for your funnel. Bleached white paper filters are the most common, but brown paper filters are also available. Reusable mesh filters which are environment-friendly are also good.
Making espresso
If you want to buy a coffee maker, choose one with a pump that pushes water through the coffee. Do not buy a machine that uses vapour pressure. A decent coffee maker with a pump costs around 300 to 1100 Euros, but if you wish to have delicious espresso, the investment will be worth it. If you only have a limited amount to spend on your coffee maker, we recommend buying a moka pot. You can make milk froth for cappuccino with a French press (see tips for using a French press).