The 5 golden rules for making good coffee
Getting a good cup of coffee requires several factors. You need a good cup of coffee that you like, of course, but that's not all!
To help you, Ma Caféine offers its 5 golden rules, which will allow you to get a good cup of coffee.
1
A fresh coffee
At Ma Caféine, we always recommend buying your coffee beans and grinding them as you go. This keeps your coffee fresh.
In fact, ground coffee loses its freshness and aroma in just one week, whereas with well-preserved whole bean coffee you can go up to three weeks.
But it also shouldn't be too fresh. Freshly roasted coffee isn't good to drink right away. It may even have a strange smell, which comes from the CO2. Coffee is generally left for a week, simply so that the CO2 has had time to release as much of the beans as possible. The valves on the bags are there to evacuate this CO2 without putting your beans in contact with oxygen, which could accelerate the aging of the coffee.
Then we grind it 5 minutes before infusion.
You can definitely keep your coffee for several months before opening if the bag is tightly sealed.
To remember
- Buy freshly roasted coffee (ideally at least 1 to 4 weeks old)
- Store coffee beans in an airtight container at room temperature (see our article How to properly store your coffee)
- Grind as you go, maximum for a week's worth of coffee.
2
A good grind
Why is having the right grind so important?Well, getting a good cup of coffee requires several steps. And one of the most important is having the right grind, adapted to your machine, to achieve a perfect extraction. This will give you the best possible result in your cup.
For example, a grind that is too fine could clog your coffee maker, while a grind that is too coarse will completely drown out the aromas of your coffee, making it bland and uninteresting.
Each type of machine therefore requires a different grind size, adapted to its brewing system. You will therefore not have the same grind for an espresso machine and for a French press.
But don't worry! We've created a guide to help you find your way around.
Grinding Guide
Check out our article to help you get the best grind for your coffee machine.
3
Quality water
Probably the most important criterion, since water is the main ingredient in your coffee.So you have to make sure it's of good quality. And for that, we think about filtering and freshness.
Water filter for automatic or espresso machines, and filtered water for other systems. Because unfiltered tap water is much too hard or chlorinated, which will alter the taste of your coffee.
We also think about freshness, just like we do with coffee beans. Water that has been sitting in its reservoir for a week is not a guarantee of quality for your coffee.
Forget distilled water, which will lack the minerals that help transport soluble nutrients. While your machine won't be scaled, the quality of your coffee won't be as good as it used to be.
The best option is tap water, filtered with a Brita jug or a water softener, for example, and left to stand to reduce the chlorine smell. Mineralized bottled water is also an option, but it's definitely not the most environmentally friendly.
To remember
Your water should be fresh, clear, odorless and mineralized.
Therefore, prefer filtered water.
4
The right storage container
To ensure the freshness of your coffee, it must be stored properly.Forget the myth of storing them in the refrigerator or freezer right away! Doing so will actually damage your beans. Either because they'll absorb the smells of your fridge, or because you'll shock your beans by freezing and then thawing them, which will dissolve the aromas.
If your coffee bag has a CO2 release valve and can seal tightly, you can store your coffee inside the bag and place it in a cupboard away from heat and light.
But the best thing is to have a suitable container.
Here are some examples of containers. You can also read our article on conservation.
Hario - Bona 800ml
Fellow - Atmos 1.2 liters
Nektar - 340gr Box
OXO - 4.2 liter container
5
Preheating your cup
A hot cup is the guarantee of good coffee.And it’s the professionals who say it!If you serve coffee in a cold porcelain cup, you will lose some of the tasting qualities, since the hot coffee will be "shocked" by the contact with the cold of the cup, and you will prevent your coffee to properly release all its aromas.
Just like it will cool down faster. This is because cold porcelain immediately absorbs the heat from freshly brewed hot coffee (up to 10°C cooler!), which causes its temperature to drop more quickly. Just add cream or milk, and the temperature drops even further. 10℃, giving you an unpleasant coffee to drink.
Also note that a hot cup allows you to keep a nice crema for longer.
To quickly preheat your cup, if you don't have a cup warmer, use very hot water, using a steam nozzle or a kettle, fill your cup and empty it just before making your coffee.
In summary
There are of course other parameters that can cause your coffee to not be good. Is your coffee machine clean? Has your coffee been roasted properly?
But overall, if you follow these 5 rules, you're guaranteed to put all the chances on your side to have a good time with your favorite coffee:- A freshly roasted coffee
- A good grind
- Filtered water
- A good storage container
- A preheated cup
Good coffee!
