How to brew coffee in a coffee maker?
Coffee has long and very firmly entered our daily lives, and today there are not so many people who would not love this fragrant drink that helps to wake up and be cheerful throughout the day. The original technology of brewing coffee is quite complicated, therefore, in our time, it has been simplified with the help of technology. At the same time, for some people, even in a primitive car, the drink turns out no worse than in the world's best specialized establishments, while for others, even an expensive car does not help make coffee really tasty.
As is often the case, the technique only simplifies the process, but for the perfect result, you still need to know some secrets.
Peculiarities
The difficulty of brewing exemplary coffee lies in the fact that no single factor affects the result. You need to find the perfect combination of the right coffee, choose the type of coffee machine that works best for your favorite variety, and just know exactly how the desired drink is brewed. Professionally, this is probably not taught anywhere these days, because all that remains to be done is to look for instructions on the Internet and not be afraid to experiment, carefully remembering successful moves.
It should also be understood here that there is no single way to make coffee. Anyone who has been to a popular coffee shop at least once knows that there are at least a good dozen varieties of coffee.In fairness, it should be clarified that there are several “coffee” countries in the world where this drink has become literally a cult, and each such country has its own coffee traditions that are not at all represented in our coffee houses.
From this we can draw two conclusions: firstly, there are no universal cooking recipes, but there are your favorite ones, and secondly, the drink itself can open up to you in a new way even after many decades of its active use. However, some people in all cases brew coffee very mediocrely, therefore it is worth delving deeper into the reasons for such permanent failures.
Equipment types
If coffee doesn't always come out, even though only the highest quality raw materials are used for brewing, don't give up trying right away - you may just be using a coffee machine that is designed for anything but your favorite kind. In the end, it is not in vain that such equipment is fundamentally different - naturally, the result also differs. For a better understanding, consider not only typical coffee makers, but also any modern appliances designed specifically for brewing coffee using a special technology.
- Drip coffee maker - probably the most recognizable coffee machine on a global scale, which came to us from America, where it practically does not face competition. Ground coffee is poured into a special filter, and water is boiled in a separate tank, after which it is passed drop by drop through the coffee mass, picking up its taste and smell. Advanced models may include a built-in coffee grinder and many other technological devices, but the principle of brewing a drink remains the same.The ease of preparation contributes to the huge popularity of this technique, but, as you know, there is no mass elite, so do not count on anything more than ordinary coffee here.
- Geyser coffee maker is familiar to many not as an electrical appliance, but as a kind of teapot, shaped like an hourglass, although an electric version also already exists. It is this design that is insanely popular in Italy - the most "coffee" European country. In principle, the essence of coffee brewing is very similar to that of drip coffee makers, just the individual parts are arranged in a different order in relation to each other. Brewing here is carried out due to the fact that boiling water reaches a special compartment with coffee protected by filters, which is located above the water tank.
If the "waist" of the product is narrow enough, the coffee is very tasty. However, you should not count on the foam of such a drink.
- Purchasing a carob coffee maker can be a real salvation for those who love strong espresso or consider themselves to be connoisseurs of thick coffee foam. Again, the coffee brewing scheme resembles a drip coffee maker, however, instead of a typical filter in which ground coffee cannot be rammed, a special metal or plastic horn is used here, into which coffee is not only possible, but necessary. For an even brighter taste, the container into which the finished drink is poured is advised to preheat.
- Automatic cezve - this is a relatively recent invention, which so far has practically not been found in our country.Such a device is designed to prepare real coffee in an oriental style without complex technology with heating sand, however, there is a suspicion that true connoisseurs of Turkish coffee would not appreciate such a trick, preferring the classic cezve.
Choosing raw materials
It happens, of course, that a person does everything right, and the coffee maker is suitable and of high quality, but the drink still turns out so-so. This is the time to remember that the coffee itself can be of completely different quality. To begin with, you should understand that the cheapest solutions may not even smell like real coffee, because various extraneous ingredients like chicory are often added there, and it’s good if it is at least mixed with natural coffee, and not presented in its pure form.
From advertising, everyone must have heard that there are two main types of coffee - Arabica and Robusta. It is generally impossible to find the latter in its pure form, since its taste will not greatly please gourmets - such grains are grown solely because, when mixed with relatively soft Arabica, they give the drink a fortress. At the same time, the best coffee is usually made from 100% Arabica, but you should not think that the absence of Robusta impurities already indicates the high quality of raw materials. A good blend of two varieties is often better than a mediocre, albeit pure, Arabica.
Coffee lovers have probably noticed that the ground version is cheaper than the grain one, although it is the first one that provides for more processing. This happens for a reason - the fact is that no one will grind really good coffee.
Traditionally, coffee beans are ground just before brewing - this way they retain a maximum of taste and aroma, therefore ground coffee is less preferable, and in this form they sell not varietal raw materials, but a mixture of different varieties and crops.
If the choice nevertheless fell on ground coffee, you need to pay attention to the fact that the thoroughness of the grinding affects the choice of a particular type of coffee maker.
- Most coarse grinding may contain particles with a diameter of almost a millimeter, such coffee will reveal its benefits only in a geyser coffee maker.
- Medium grind It is considered universal, not putting forward special restrictions on the type of coffee machine.
- Coffee fine grinding appreciated for the fact that it retains its aromatic and taste characteristics for quite a long time, it is well suited for drip-type coffee makers. In the East, it is customary to grind coffee beans almost to the state of dust, and here no filters will help, because such a drink, which also has an excellent taste, can only be prepared in a cezve.
How to prepare a drink?
There are no special secrets regarding how to properly brew coffee in a coffee maker. More precisely, they exist, but they mainly concern the choice of raw materials both in the context of its quality and in strict relation to the type of coffee maker. All other details of the preparation of a fragrant drink are usually described in detail in the instructions for a particular unit.
In order to brew coffee in a drip-type coffee maker, you need to select raw materials of relatively fine grinding and pour it into a special filter based on the proportion of 2-3 tablespoons of powder per cup of drink. Remember that you should never tamp the coffee - you just need to carefully level it, otherwise small particles can seep through the filter.Based on a similar proportion, which, by the way, is approximately the same for all coffee makers, water is poured into a special tank.
If the equipment was bought at a high price, it can be equipped with all sorts of interesting features, such as adjusting the strength of the drink - set it the way you like. Otherwise, there is nothing complicated - you need to turn on the device and wait until the cup is filled with a ready-made drink.
It is necessary to prepare an invigorating drink in a geyser coffee maker in an absolutely similar way, with the only difference being that coffee is poured into the filter located in the middle (in the “waist” of the device), and water is poured into the lower part.
If the tightness of the vessel during operation is simply important for a drip, then this condition is fundamental for a geyser coffee maker, otherwise coffee cannot be brewed - it is thanks to steam that the water reaches the coffee powder.
Brewing coffee in a carob coffee maker follows the same pattern as in a drip device, however, the powder poured into the horn must, on the contrary, be carefully tamped. Due to this, the water in the process of passing through the coffee grounds is more actively saturated with smell and taste.
Real gourmets strongly recommend preheating the dishes, otherwise the main point of such a device - the strength of the drink and thick foam - will be completely leveled.
As for the automatic cezve, here, unlike the classic cezve, there are no secrets at all - you just need to fill in the coffee of the finest of all possible grinds, pour in water and press the button.
How and with what to drink?
Although coffee is certainly an invigorating drink, in any "coffee" country they will look with surprise at a person who drinks such a drink in one gulp.Coffee is drunk to make quick decisions and act quickly, but the procedure itself is a moment of relaxation that should not be neglected. Always and everywhere it is consumed slowly, in small sips, but the accompanying ingredients or snacks depend on personal preference.
For us, of course, the French tradition is closest, according to which the day should be started with a cup of hot coffee with a fresh crispy croissant. Italian coffee additives are also popular - the most famous include milk and cream, hot chocolate, nuts.
In the East, a very popular solution is to drink coffee brewed with the addition of numerous spices, among which cardamom, cinnamon and cloves are especially popular. Often such a recipe can be found in Europe, however, oriental proportions suggest a double or even triple excess of spices. It should be noted that this drink is drunk here very hot, so it is simply impossible not to cheer up from such a drink. Often, sugar is not added to the drink here either, preferring to serve traditional oriental sweets with coffee.
The strongest varieties of coffee, popular mainly in the Arab world, are distinguished by significant bitterness, while they are not flavored with sugar, therefore they are often served immediately with a glass of water, designed to make up for the disturbed water balance.
Finally, it is popular to add certain types of alcohol to coffee - cognac, rum or Irish whiskey. The exact variety of such a supplement depends on the specific country and the personal preferences of each person.
For information on how to brew coffee in a geyser coffee maker, see the following video.