Coffee should be stored in an airtight container in the freezer: any contact with air causes loss of flavour. Experiment until you find a blend you like then buy whole beans and delay grinding until the last moment. The finer the beans are ground, the more rapidly the flavour becomes stale and bitter.
- Heat water to just under boiling point, about 95°C (203°F), or bring the water to a boil and then allow it to cool for 2–3 minutes before pouring it over the coffee. A higher temperature will extract too much of the coffee solids, giving a bitter taste; a lower temperature will not extract enough flavour, resulting in a weak coffee. The coffee should
be in contact with the water for about 2 minutes only. Strong coffee is achieved not by allowing the coffee to brew longer, but by using more ground coffee per cup. - To make medium–strong coffee, allow 2 heaped tablespoons of ground coffee per 3?4 cup (180?ml) of water. If you want weaker coffee, use the same measure of coffee but add more hot water.
How to Make Good Coffee
There are many ways of brewing coffee: in filter pots, plunger pots (cafetières), and electric drip coffee makers, to name but a few. You can make consistently good coffee whichever method you choose if you observe the following rules.