Making Perfect Coffee

There are several factors that lead to a good cup - it’s not just the espresso machine. Your coffee has to be fresh (ground coffee loses flavour and body quickly), it has to be ground correctly for the extraction method you are using, the correct amount of coffee must be used - too little gives a thin flavour without balance and your equipment must be cleaned regularly. Water quality is important, use filtered water if possible.

That perfect cup in the cafe is due to the fact that the cafe turns its coffee over quickly so it is always fresh and the Barista making the coffee knows how to get the best from the equipment. Now you can too!

Beans

For the perfect cup, use nothing but the best quality Arabica coffee beans. Arabica beans are also known as 'specialty coffee' and 'gourmet coffee'. Bay Coffee Roasters only use carefully selected Arabica beans from the world over.

Water

If you notice any traces of chlorine, iron, or other minerals in your water, use a quality bottled or filtered water. Softened or distilled water should not to be used to brew coffee as they will affect the flavour of the coffee.

For the perfect water temperature, bring the water to a boil and let it cool a few seconds. Known as 'off the boil', the water is between 90 to 95 degrees Celsius. Water any cooler will not capture the full flavour of the beans. Boiling or reheating coffee literally boils away flavour.

Grind

The type of grind depends on the brewing technique: if the water is in contact with the coffee for a long period of time e.g. when using a plunger, the grind should be coarse.

If the water is to be in contact with the coffee for a short period of time e.g. when using a drip filter, the grind should be fine. Be sure your coffee beans are correctly ground for your brewing method. Click here to read more about grinding fresh coffee.

It's said the best water-to-coffee ratio is 1 tablespoon of ground coffee (2 tablespoons of whole beans) for each 180ml of water.

Click on the icons below to select your brewing method and get specific advice on how to achieve the perfect cup.

	Drip Filter		Stove Top
	Plunger		Home Espresso

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