18 Mar Common Coffee Brewing Mistakes to Avoid
Coffee lovers know: there is nothing like a freshly brewed cup of coffee to get you out of bed, rejuvenate your afternoon, or relax after dinner with friends. Have you ever wondered, though, why Dublin Roasters coffee always tastes so perfect? Your favorite coffee shop knows common coffee brewing mistakes to avoid! If your coffee is hit or miss, or just kind of blah, here are some of the top coffee brewing mistakes you might be making.
1. Improperly Storing your Coffee Beans
Many coffee drinkers give in to the temptation to purchase large amounts of coffee grounds and store them in the fridge or freezer. This can lead to coffee grounds full of condensation, damage to the grounds themselves, and grounds taking on the tastes and odors of other foods stored nearby. We recommend canning it, keeping it in the original bag, or vacuum sealing bulk coffee grind purchases.
2. Using Stale Coffee Beans or Grounds
Consider joining a coffee subscription service, like our Java Luv Coffee Club, to ensure fresh coffee beans or grounds are delivered to your door on a weekly or monthly basis. This means fresh coffee for consistently fresh cups!
3. Using the Wrong Ratio of Water-to-Coffee
Guessing gets you nowhere in the world of precise, delicious coffee. Two tablespoons for every six ounces of coffee is the perfect ratio for a well-balanced brew. Too much water means weak coffee, but using too many grounds will mean a pot full of bitterness.
4. Your Coffee Maker is Dirty
One of the top coffee brewing mistakes is failing to properly clean your coffee maker. From cleaning the carafe thoroughly to making sure to clean the machine itself, every part should be routinely cleaned. Run vinegar and water mixture through a cycle, then make sure to run several cycles of clean water to remove all traces of the vinegar.
5. The Grounds You’re Choosing are the Wrong Size for Your Machine
The size of the grind matters for your machine. A medium grind, for instance, is a great option for a drip, but a french press requires a coarse grind and an espresso maker needs very fine grinds. If the grounds are too coarse, your coffee may be weak. Too fine, and the coffee will be bitter. If you’re unsure about the proper size of your grounds for your specific machine, check the owner’s manual or ask a friendly pro here at Dublin Roasters.
6. You’re Using Tap Water
The perfect cup of coffee starts with the perfect water. Fill your machine with filtered or bottled water rather than tap water, and make sure it’s cold. The finished temp for that perfect cup of coffee should be around 200° Fahrenheit.
7. You’re Not Using Dublin Roasters’ Blends!
Of course, our perfect coffee relies on perfect grounds. We have a large selection of grounds and beans to choose from, so try them all.