2009-01-23
Until recently, Starbucks was bustling in the morning,
with moms in workout gear and workers headed to the office stopping in to
get their caffeine fix. But thanks to the slumbering economy, the crowds
have thinned a bit.
Starbucks reported in November that its profits had fallen
97 percent during its fourth quarter.
If you're one who can no longer justify a daily cappuccino
run, there are ways to improve the brew that comes out of the old automatic
drip pot at home.
Be warned: Brewing coffee correctly is tougher than it
sounds. Coffee snobs – rather, connoisseurs – are a bit like wine snobs,
detecting notes of citrus, flowers and chocolate in their java. So don't let
them catch you dumping Sweet'N Low or creamer in your cup. To them, it's as
blasphemous as pouring white zinfandel from a box.
1. Making a great cup of coffee starts with the beans.
Coffee experts are dismissive – even contemptuous – of any coffee sold in a
grocery store tin. Instead, they recommend buying small quantities of fresh
beans from coffee houses supplied by local roasters or micro-roasters,
usually small retail shops that roast the beans on site. Coffee, grown
mainly in equatorial countries, is harvested at different times in different
regions. Roasters try to buy beans harvested at their peak.
There are two major coffee bean classifications: Robusto
and Arabica, which tends to be the higher quality of the two. However,
quality varies widely in both categories, so neither is a hard and fast
measure, Patton said.
Coffee tastes best made from beans roasted two to 10 days
prior. Afterward, the beans begin to lose flavor, said Matt Milletto,
director of training at the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland,
Ore.
With grocery store coffee, there's often no way of knowing
when the beans were roasted, Milletto said.
2. Grind just before brewing. It's a pain, but coffee
experts recommend buying whole beans and grinding before each pot. Grinding
breaks down the bean and exposes the coffee to air, which can speed up
flavor loss. Use about two tablespoons of ground coffee for every cup.
3. Use the correct water temperature. Coffee's flavor
comes from extracting the oils in the beans, which is best done at
temperatures between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, or just below the
boiling point. The problem is most automatic drip pots never get above about
170 degrees, coffee experts say.
Milletto recommends a French press for home brewing. A
French press allows you to boil water, cool it slightly, then add it to the
coffee and precisely control the amount of time the water and coffee are in
contact (about 3-1?2 to 4-1?2 minutes). Coffee made with a French press
should be ground more coarsely than for automatic drip pots.
What if you can't be bothered to French press while you're
half-asleep at 6 a.m.?
In its January issue, Consumer Reports rated 34
coffeemakers, including trendy models that brew single cups using sealed
packets of coffee, models with built-in grinders and automatic drip makers.
Several of the top-rated automatic drip pots did reach the
optimal water temperature. Models included: Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200,
Michael Graves 40304 and Oster Counterforms 4281, which range in price from
$100 for the Cuisinart to $40 for the Michael Graves model.
4. What about decaf? Let's say you love the taste of
coffee in the afternoon but do not enjoy watching “MacGyver” reruns at 3
a.m. It is possible to make a good cup of decaf, coffee enthusiasts said.
Just buy good beans and follow the same brewing methods as for caffeinated
coffee.
5. Store beans correctly. Do not put coffee in the freezer
or the fridge. Moisture causes the beans to lose flavor, and refrigerators
can be humid. Coffee also has a tendency to pick up refrigerator smells,
Patton said. Instead, store coffee in an airtight container in a cool spot.
Ideally, you'll buy fresh beans at least once a week. If not, still avoid
the freezer or refrigerator.
Jenifer Goodwin writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Contact her at jenifer.goodwin@uniontrib.com.
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