How to brew coffee correctly?

As many know, the taste of coffee depends on how you brew it. But before we start learning how to brew coffee properly, let's take a look at its varieties. After all, taste is also determined by the types of coffee ...

What coffee to brew

• Arabica. This type of coffee can be recognized by its elongated beans and a certain sourness in taste.
• Robusta has round grains and is slightly bitter. It contains more caffeine than Arabica.
• Liberica, it's hard to find. It does not have such a bright and rich taste as the two previous varieties.

How to brew natural coffee correctly

To begin with, it is ideal to buy natural coffee beans. And just before making coffee, you only need to grind the required amount of beans. True coffee connoisseurs know that this way the leftover coffee retains its original aroma and does not fizzle out.

You also need to decide on the method of making coffee that will be convenient for you. It is generally accepted that nothing beats coffee brewed in a Turk. But people who do not have Turks at their disposal cope with improvised means. Some cannot refuse the convenience of a coffee maker. Let's get into the art of making coffee in a Turk: read our instructions and watch a video on how to brew coffee correctly.

How to brew ground coffee in a Turk

1. We put a clean, empty Turk on the stove to warm up its bottom. Then we remove it from the fire.
2. Pour ground coffee into it. We calculate the amount of coffee in this way: for 150 g of water, you need 2 teaspoons of ground coffee.
3. After pouring coffee into the Turk, add sugar there. Each person determines its quantity for himself.
4. Then pour cold water into the Turk. Make sure that the water level does not exceed the narrowest area of \u200b\u200bthe Turk's neck. Thus, you will ensure minimal interaction with the air, and this allows the drink to get the most from the aroma of coffee.
5. it's time to put the Turk back on the stove. Please note that ground coffee in a Turk must be simmered.
6. We advise you not to leave the stove while the coffee is brewing. The drink is capricious, it can run away while you are doing extraneous business. After a crust (foam) forms on the water, and bubbles appear on the sides, the process of boiling begins and the crust rises. It is necessary to remove the Turk from the fire before the crust has collapsed, try to prevent this. After all, our crust can be compared to a cork that prevents the air from taking away the taste and aroma of the drink. There should also be no violent boiling with large air bubbles.
7. So, you took the Turk off the fire. Now you need to wait for the crust to settle. Repeat lifting it again.

How to brew Turkish coffee properly

By tradition, Turkish coffee is brewed exclusively from Arabica coffee. Spices and cardamom are often added to it. Some people sometimes brew whole coffee beans, but they will float on the surface. Turkish coffee is frothy coffee! If not, then the coffee was brewed incorrectly. We invite you to familiarize yourself with one of the ways to brew Turkish coffee.

1. Mix the ground Arabica coffee with sugar in a special container (preferably in a Turk). Usually Turkish coffee is very sweet. You can put the same amount of coffee and sugar in a Turk (for example, two teaspoons per 150 grams of water).
2. Pour coffee and sugar with water. Let them sit in this way for 5 minutes to allow the flavors and aromas to drain.
3. Put the Turk on low heat. Let the coffee boil very slowly and create as much froth as possible.
4. Bring coffee to a boil, but don't boil it. Remove from heat and put back immediately, bringing to a second boil.

For many people, coffee is essential for starting a new day. But for most of them, the whole process of preparing this aromatic drink is to pour instant coffee and sugar into a cup and pour boiling water over it all. But, unfortunately, many do not even know how to brew natural coffee correctly. And not at all because this is a complex science that requires special skills and abilities - a person simply may not have time in the morning to make himself a cup of coffee.

But there are also weekends when there is no need to rush anywhere and you can relax. Then our tips on how to brew coffee at home will come in handy.

What do we need? To brew coffee at home, you will need to have a boiling pot, a long-handled spoon, coffee, sugar, and other ingredients that you plan to add to your coffee. Now let's say a few words about coffee. For beginners, it is better to buy already ground coffee, so it will be easier for you to navigate what should be the correct grinding of the beans, if next time you do it yourself. If you haven't found such coffee, or basically want to buy coffee beans, then you will have to grind them before brewing. Use a coffee grinder or hand blender with a container. This completes the preparatory stage.

How to brew ground coffee in a Turk? Step-by-step instruction. Method one

1. Boil some water in a kettle. Then pour a little warm boiled water into the Turk, in which we will brew coffee.
2. Pour ground coffee into a Turk with water. For a standard coffee cup, you need to pour 1.5-2 teaspoons of ground coffee without a slide, but take into account your taste preferences, because someone loves coffee stronger, and someone is weaker.
3. Now pour boiled water from a teapot into the Turk. The total amount of water in the turk should be approximately equal to the volume of your cup. But at the same time, the maximum water level in a Turk is the level of its narrowest point (isthmus). We draw your attention to the fact that you need to pour not boiling water, but only warm water, otherwise you will ruin the drink before you start directly cooking.
4. We put the Turk with water on the fire and wait. You need to watch out for the moment when your coffee is almost boiling. That is, it has not yet boiled, but just about. It is at this point that you need to remove the coffee from the heat. You also need to monitor the level of foam. As soon as it starts to rise, the coffee is ready.
5. Do not rush to immediately pour the finished drink into a cup, let it brew for a couple of minutes. Then pour coffee into a cup, add sugar to taste.

How to brew coffee correctly? Second recipe

Quality coffee

Arabica and Robusta are the most popular coffee varieties. It is the varieties, since these coffee trees are also divided into subspecies, so two different packages with an attractive inscription "100% Arabica" will have different tastes.

Arabica has a noble taste with a slight sourness, robusta is coarser, astringent and strong. In its pure form, Robusta is never used, only as an admixture to Arabica. It gives an excellent dense foam in espresso, for which baristas love it.

The taste of coffee depends on many factors: the place of growth, the degree of roast, the combination of varieties (if it is a mixture), storage conditions.

Correct coffee is sold in an opaque package with a degassing valve that removes carbon dioxide outside and prevents oxygen from entering. After roasting, coffee emits several liters of carbon dioxide during the day. If you see a package in a store without such a valve, it means that the coffee was not packed immediately after roasting, it was degassed for some time and has significantly lost its taste. Essential oils partially volatilize during degassing.

Look at the roast date. The closer it is to today's date, the better. Ideally, no later than two weeks, but this is difficult to achieve even for stores specializing in coffee and tea only.

Take coffee beans. There are several reasons for this.

1. Self-ground coffee eliminates the presence of impurities in the cup. It is easier for unscrupulous producers to mix cheaper robusta varieties and even chicory, malt, barley, rye into ground coffee. It is better to grind yourself, even in the simplest coffee grinder.
2. Essential oils are the basis of coffee taste. As we now know, oxygen is the main enemy of the right taste. Grinding before direct brewing will maximize the aroma of the beans.
3. You have more opportunities to experiment. Coffee for espresso machines requires a medium grind, for a French press - coarse, and for a Turkish coffee should resemble flour.
4. You will be able to evaluate the shape of the grain itself, make sure that the grains are the same size, matte and whole. The homogeneity of the grains excludes the addition of cheaper robusta. The shine indicates that the grain is stale and has already begun to release essential oils. The shards will give bitterness as they roast harder than whole grains. Of course, you can understand all this only when you open the pack and draw conclusions about the manufacturer for the future.

Water

Ideally - spring, but you can do with filtered. The main thing is not to take water directly from the tap and do not use boiled water.

Spice

Some coffee lovers add a little salt during preparation, which helps to better reveal the taste and aroma of coffee and reduce bitterness. If you decide on salt, then take the most common cooked coarse grind. With the extra variety, there is a risk of oversalting, and iodized salt will give an unpleasant aftertaste.

We pass from theory to practice - brewing coffee.

Making coffee in a Turk

Choosing a Turk

The Turk has been known since the times of the Ottoman Empire, and, in fact, the name of this tableware speaks of its origin. In its historical homeland, it is called a cezve, and both names have taken root in the Russian language.

Today the Turks are made from a variety of materials: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass and even ceramics. There are both small Turks for a 100 ml cup, and large ones for a solid mug.

Among coffee lovers, preference is given to the copper little Turks.

The copper heats up evenly, and the small volume allows you to maximize the taste of the grain.

Aluminum cookware heats up quickly, but in principle it is undesirable to use it for cooking any food, since this material reacts with food when heated. The stainless steel warms up unevenly, which is why a hotbed of the highest temperature appears in the center of the dishes, the coffee begins to boil, although the temperature has not yet reached the desired level at the edges.

Ceramics and clay also heat up, but these materials continue to give off heat, even when you have already removed the dishes from the stove: the foam will continue to rise, and there is a risk that you will flood the table or stove. Due to the porous structure, clay cezves absorb odors well, so over time the taste of coffee will only get better, but you can only use it for preparing one variety.

If you have an induction cooker, then it makes no sense to take a ceramic Turk: it simply will not heat up. In the case of buying a copper one, pay attention to the fact that there must be special inserts in its bottom, on which induction will be induced.

The most regular shape of the Turks is the traditional conical one with a funnel-shaped socket. The cone will not allow the thicker to get up, and the bell will prevent the foam from rising too quickly, which is especially important for those who have not had experience using this dish before. The handle can be of any length, but the longer it is, the more convenient it will be for you to remove the Turk from the fire.

Cooking in turk

We rinse the Turk, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground coffee and add 75 ml of cold water. Add sugar or a few grains of salt before we put the Turk on low heat. These components slow down the boiling process somewhat and make the foam more dense.

We put on fire, heat, but do not bring to a boil. Your main task now is not to be distracted and wait for the moment when the foam rises. Remember the funnel-shaped bell? It will increase your chances of catching this moment and preventing coffee from pouring over the stove.

We remove the Turk from the fire, let the foam settle and put it on the fire again. The foam should rise three times and you should lower it three times. The process is clearly shown in this video.

Using a Turk is not easy, it requires attention and certain skills. But it is this method of brewing coffee that has many followers, since a minimum of equipment is required: only the right dishes and a stove.

Making coffee in a geyser coffee maker

Choosing a coffee maker

The first geyser coffee makers appeared in the 1930s. By the way, the company that designed them still exists today - the Italian Bialetti. Today coffee makers of this type are produced by different companies.

When buying, you should focus on the material from which the coffee maker is made. You should definitely not take aluminum copies. But stainless steel or ceramics is a matter of taste.

Pay attention to the number of cups that the coffee maker prepares at a time.

In the case of a geyser coffee maker, it will not be possible to pour less water and put a spoonful of coffee in order to make one for yourself instead of six cups. You should always prepare the full volume. Moreover, different manufacturers may interpret the volume of one cup differently. For someone it is 40 ml, for someone - 100. Find out this point before buying.

Cooking in a geyser coffee maker

We choose medium-ground coffee, put it into the filter. If later it turns out that coffee particles are floating in your cup, it means that the grinding was not coarse enough. Pour water into the bottom of the coffee maker.

As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat. In this case, there is no need to be afraid of boiling, since the coffee itself will not heat up to 100 ° C. The water under the pressure of the steam generated during the boiling will pass through the filter with the coffee and settle on the top of the coffee maker. With an electrical device, it's even easier: as soon as the coffee is ready, it turns itself off.

The whole process is shown in detail in the video instruction below.

If water leaks from the sides during use, it means that you have not tightened the parts tightly or have exceeded the maximum mark for water.

Making coffee with an air press

Choosing an airport

Aeropress is one of the newest ways to brew coffee. The device was invented in 2005 by the Aerobie company and has become so popular that since 2008 annual championships have been held on brewing coffee in the airport.

There are no difficulties with choosing an airport: the device is quite simple, the complete set of goods may change slightly from year to year, the manufacturer adds additional stirring spoons, replaceable filters, funnels. The reason why it became possible to hold coffee brewing competitions is in the intricacies of using this simple device.

Cooking in the airpress

Grind 1.5 tablespoons of coffee, pour into a flask. The grind should be slightly coarser than for the Turk. You need to prepare 200 ml of hot water - not boiling water, the temperature should be around 90 ° C. If you have one, then you can find the exact temperature. If not, wait three minutes after the kettle boils.

Fill the coffee with water. And from this moment the magic begins. The taste and strength of the drink depends on how long you keep the coffee in the flask and when you start stirring. It is no coincidence that a special application was released for iOS that tells how long coffee should be kept in the air press.

Owners of Android smartphones are a little less fortunate: they can only use a universal application that covers different ways of making coffee. There are also tips for the owners of air presses.

After the coffee has matured from one to three minutes, put the filter on the flask, turn the aeropress over and slowly push the coffee through the filter into the cup. If the piston is running hard, use a slightly coarser grind next time. The cooking process is shown in detail in this video.

Aeropress is very convenient to use, compact, easy to clean, coffee is brewed very quickly, and fine-tuning opens a truly limitless field for experimenting with the taste of your favorite drink. The only drawback is that there will be no coffee crema with this brewing method, since the water is heated separately from the beans.

Making coffee in a French press

Choosing a French press

Traditionally, a French press is made of glass. The material, albeit fragile, is neutral, which does not react in any way with the contents. More expensive models have more reliable springs and a strainer that is resistant to frequent use. But in general, it doesn't really matter which model you choose. The main thing is to decide on the volume of coffee that you plan to brew in it.

Cooking in a French press

On the intricacies of using a French press for brewing coffee Lifehacker. Let's add only video instructions.

For those who like to experiment with the taste of the drink, we also recommend taking a look at the articles on making coffee and which are worth trying.

Modern society is so good that a lot of household appliances have been invented that make life easier. Thanks to coffee machines and coffee makers, you can prepare a cup of aromatic coffee in the shortest possible time. But there are still true connoisseurs who recognize only cooking exclusively in the Turk.

Cooking technology

Some people like to make medium-ground coffee. Others, on the contrary, like to grind the grain to a state of dust, while claiming that it tastes best - strong and aromatic.

So, in order to brew delicious coffee, you need to choose it correctly - this is one of the important points. It is better to buy high quality expensive grains and grind them at home yourself. The water used is also very important. It must be cold, purified (it is better to pass it through a filter in advance), tap water cannot be used.

It is better to choose a copper Turku for cooking. This is the best option. It cannot be washed with soapy detergents. Best of all, rinse it with water and laundry soap. It is better to take a silver or wooden spoon for stirring.

Coffee is prepared over very low heat, stirring constantly. To prepare 100 milliliters of an invigorating drink, take 2 teaspoons of ground coffee beans and 120 milliliters of water. Before adding ground grains, the Turk needs to be slightly warmed up. Then pour in coffee and pour cold water (you cannot use hot or boiled water). The taste of such water will definitely deteriorate.

As soon as the water boils, the Turk must be immediately removed from the fire. The coffee must be brought to a boil, but never boiled. After boiling, remove from the stove, wait 5 minutes, and then put it back on the fire and bring to a boil again. After that, let the drink brew for 5-10 minutes, it is almost ready. It remains only to pour it into cups and add sugar, honey, cream if desired.

Every morning true coffee lovers start with a cup of this invigorating drink. Someone prefers to use instant coffee, someone likes to buy grain coffee and make it according to their favorite recipe. However, if we talk about the benefits of the drink for the body and obtaining the desired effect of vigor, then naturally it is better to use natural freshly roasted coffee. Let's talk about it, or rather, why can't you boil ground coffee, which is used to make a drink in a Turk?

Myths and real-life information about making coffee

Finding a reasonable answer to the question posed above is a rather difficult task. This is largely due to the fact that professional baristas are very reluctant to reveal the secrets of the preparation of the drink. In addition, not everyone knows exactly what processes occur during the boiling of the mass and how the boiling process affects the quality and taste of the finished drink.

• - So, some argue that after boiling, the drink acquires a pronounced taste of bitterness... However, this is debatable, since many coffees already taste bitter from the start.
• - There is also an opinion that during the boiling process the mass releases acids, which then very strongly affect the taste of the drink, regardless of whether the price of coffee was high or the cheapest raw materials were bought.

These statements are rather vague, but there is a more reasoned reason why ground coffee should not be boiled:

• - The fact is that some essential substancesthat determine the rich aroma of the brewed drink, volatilize during boiling... Moreover, most of them simply decompose at temperatures above +100 degrees.
• - Also at high temperatures tannins and caffeine pass into solution much more actively... As a result, we get a "semblance" of brewed coffee, which, in addition to the loss of taste, puts a very heavy load on the heart. Wherein the drink acquires a pronounced bitter taste, which is due to the "work" of tannins. Essential oils give coffee an enriched, pleasant aroma, so less of them leads to the fact that the coffee loses its characteristic aroma.
• - You cannot boil coffee even if you want to prepare a drink with foam. During boiling, the foam is destroyed, and it is the foam that "closes" the neck of the Turks, preserving the wonderful aroma of the drink.