HOW TO BREW A BETTER CUP OF COFFEE For the hard-core coffee lover, here is some advice from Richard Gregory, owner of Prescott Coffee Roasters. Gregory recommends paying attention to water filtration first, followed by the coffee grinder and brewing method. He firmly believes filtered water and the quality of the coffee grind have more to do with making a good cup of coffee than people give them credit for. Gregory also recommends trying different coffee bean varieties, blends, and roasts to find out what you like. “I really feel what is “good coffee” is subject to one’s own opinion, so play around and find your own level,” he said. “So what if you like it “weak” or somehow out of the norm? It is your coffee, right?”
Use Filtered/Scale Inhibited Tap Water
According to Gregory, “our city’s well water is a little on the “hard side.”’ He recommends using a high quality water filter in your home to cut down on the lead, chlorine and hard water minerals that can slowly damage your coffee maker.
Use a Burr Grinder
A burr coffee grinder crushes beans to a uniform size, allowing the water to consistently make contact with the coffee through the brewing process. Not only does burr ground coffee make a better tasting cup of coffee, it avoids clogging the filter, and gives you the flexibility to grind beans to the fineness suited to the type of coffeemaker used.
Coffee Maker
Gregory recommends two types: a coffeemaker certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (the same organization that sets the standards for most restaurant drip coffeemakers) or, for the best budget brew, a version of a French press. Adjusted for our altitude, Gregory recommends 1 oz. of coffee for every 16-18 oz. of water heated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re using a French press, he recommends four to six minutes for steeping.
Choosing Your Coffee
Gregory points out that coffee sold in supermarkets tend to be older and a lower quality than coffee from a specialty roaster, which is why most don’t have a roast dated on the bag. This means that the coffee is typically stale, although it does make for a consistent taste, where every cup of supermarket coffee tastes like the one before. For best taste, buy your coffee within a week of roasting and brew it all within two weeks after roasting. Finally, bear in mind that brewing great coffee is an art, not a science. While he understands that people would like more precise answers, Gregory noted that “very little in life is precise. This is why the good coffee at cafés is worth paying the $$ for.”
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