The principles of brewing great coffee

The principles of brewing great coffee are always the same, no matter which
type of equipment you use:

• Always make sure your coffee maker is clean


• Use fresh water to brew the coffee


• Rinse the coffee pot well before you start


• Use fresh coffee. After opening the packet, keep the coffee in a tightly-sealed container


• Buy the correct grind for your machine


• Use the same amount of coffee each time, in order to gain as consistent a flavour as possible


• Make sure the coffee is evenly distributed within the filter bag


• The best drip filter and French press coffee is brewed at around 96 degrees Celsius. Moka express and Espresso coffee is ideally brewed at 90 degrees Celsius. The ideal temperature to serve it at is around 80 to 85 degrees Celsius.


• Coffee is at its most delicious directly after being brewed.


• For a uniform flavour, the coffee in the pot should be stirred before pouring.


• Do not leave coffee standing on the hot plate for too long, or the fine aromas will be lost. If you wish to keep the coffee longer, use a thermos flask.


• Remember to de-scale the coffee machine every so often. How often you need to do this depends on the hardness of the water in your area.


• Use clean crockery