| Type Coffee is 98% water, so the water that you use will have a large effect on the coffee that you make. If your local tap water has no unpleasant favors, feel free to use it. Otherwise, make your coffee with filtered or bottled water. Avoid water from a water softener, city water that tastes like chlorine, well water that tastes like iron or sulfur -- or any water with a strong flavor. The temperature of the water changes the flavor that comes from the beans. Water that has just been boiled extracts just the right amount of flavor from ground coffee. If it is any cooler, it can't adequately extract the coffee's complete range of flavors. If you use an automatic coffeemaker make sure that the one you buy gets the water hot enough. (See our Gift & Accessories section for an excellent selection of brewing machines.) When using a pot or kettle to heat water, bring the water to a boil. Then remove it from the heat and wait a few seconds before you pour it over the ground coffee. Proportion Use the right proportion of coffee to water. This is the most important stage of brewing coffee, because the ratio of coffee to water is the most critical element in the taste of the brew. We recommend 2 tablespoons of ground coffee to every 6 ounces of water. But, if you really like strong coffee be sure to experiment and try being generous in your measurement. Take note, most coffeemakers come with a measuring spoon, but they usually only hold one tablespoon. |
