The 5 golden rules to have good coffee
Time to read 6 min
☕ Are you making these coffee mistakes? ?
Table of Contents
Getting good coffee requires several parameters. You already need a good coffee that we love, certainly, but not only that!
To help you, Ma Caféine offers its 5 golden rules, which will allow you to obtain a good cup of coffee.
1 - A good fresh coffee
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 shouldn't be too fresh either. 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 - Une bonne mouture
Pourquoi avoir la bonne mouture est-il si important?
Et bien avoir un bon café en tasse, ça demande plusieurs étapes. Et l'une des plus importante, c'est d'avoir la bonne mouture, adaptée à sa machine, afin d'obtenir la belle extraction. Vous aurez ainsi le meilleur rendu en tasse possible.
Par exemple, une mouture trop fine pourrait boucher votre cafetière, alors qu'une mouture trop épaisse noiera totalement les arômes de votre café, le rendant fade et sans intérêt.
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 navigate it.
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 - Le bon contenant de conservation
Afin de garantir la fraîcheur de votre café, il faut qu'il soit bien conserver.
Oubliez tout de suite le mythe de le conserver au réfrigérateur ou au congélateur! En faisant ça, vous allez au contraire abimer vos grains. Soit parce qu'ils vont prendre les odeurs de votre frigo, soit parce que vous allez choquer vos grains en les congelant puis en les décongelant, ce qui va dissoudre les arômes.
Si votre sac de café a une valve de dégazage de CO² et peut se fermer hermétiquement, vous pouvez conserver votre café à l'intérieur du sac, et placer celui-ci dans un placard à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière.
But the best thing is to have a suitable container.
Here are some examples of containers. You can also read our article on conservation.
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 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.
🎯 And you, are you well equipped to apply these rules? ?
Before leaving empty-handed, let's take stock together👇
Now you know the best practices... but do you have everything you need to implement them on a daily basis?
Find out by checking what you already have:
🛠️ Build your perfect coffee kit
Check what you already have at home.We'll tell you what you need to turn your morning coffee into a barista moment. ✨
In summary
There are, of course, other factors that can cause your coffee to taste bad. Is your coffee machine clean? Has your coffee been roasted properly?
But overall, if you follow these 5 rules, you'll be sure to put all the chances on your side to have a good time with your favorite coffee:
Freshly roasted coffee
A good grind
Filtered water
A good storage container
A preheated cup
FAQ – The Little Questions We Hardly Dare to Ask About Coffee
Can I store my coffee in the fridge or freezer?
🧊 No ! Humidity is the enemy of good coffee. Placing it in the fridge or freezer exposes it to condensation and odors (garlic, cheese, and coffee = not the ideal trio).
👉 An airtight container at room temperature is best.
What is the best water for coffee?
💧 Good water is like good coffee: not too hard (limestone) , nor too soft.
Ideally:
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Filtered (Brita, charcoal, osmosis, etc.)
Temperature around 92–96°C , not boiling!
Can I use the same coffee for a French press and an espresso?
🎯 Technically yes, but… no.
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Espresso needs a very fine grind
The piston requires a coarse grind
Using the same one is like putting bicycle tires on a Formula 1 car: it rolls... but not well.
Do you really need to preheat your mug? Or is it a myth?
🔥 It is not not a myth , it's a barista tip A cold cup steals the heat from the extraction. The result: lukewarm coffee with weakened aromas.
A quick rinse with hot water, and your crema will thank you.
Can I grind my coffee in advance to save time?
⌛ You can... but it's like cutting an apple 3 days before eating it.
The grind quickly loses its aromas (within 15 minutes!).
Solution : a small manual or electric mill at home = a leap in quality!
Is a “strong” coffee a strong coffee?
💥 No. “Strong” means nothing without context.
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Full-bodied= intense taste, often dark roast
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Concentrate = higher coffee/water ratio
High caffeine = Robusta variety or large quantity
An espresso can be strong but contain less caffeine than a light, long filter. 😉
Gaelle, store manager & marketing
Has a big weakness for espresso, but also cappuccino with Sproud pea milk.
