How to Brew Very Good Hot Coffee

What could be better than a cup of full- bodied, good, hot coffee? Just in time for the cool weather, here's how to make wonderful coffee at home.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good coffee, ground for your filter type
• Good tasting water
• Cream, sweeteners, or flavorings as desired

1. Make sure you are using good quality freshly ground coffee. I love Starbucks coffee, especially Ethiopia Sidamo and Kenya. I find the bold, African coffees smoother and less acidic than many of the milder or South American coffees but those may be the ones you love. Experiment.

2. Grind the coffee, or have it ground, according to your filter type. The most common filters are either flat-bottomed or cone shaped. The grind is important because it affects how long the water takes to drip through the coffee and this makes a real difference in the quality of the cup.

3. Use good tasting water. Filter it if necessary or use spring water from the grocery store. Starbucks uses triple-filtered water. If you have sulfur, iron, or other mineral tastes in your tap water, guess what the coffee will taste like? I'm lucky - my tap water is great.

4. The ratio of water to coffee I use is 2 rounded scoops (4 to 4 1/2 TBS) ground coffee to 16 ounces of water. This makes a perfect cup in my ancient and much-loved Mr. Coffee in about 2 minutes. It's so easy - I fill my Grande (16 ounce) cup with water, put it in Mr. Coffee, and fill it right back up with the coffee.

5. If you want hot milk in your coffee, put the desired amount of milk in your cup and microwave it for a minute. Be careful not to overheat and scorch the milk. Add flavor, sweetener, or cream as desired. A touch of vanilla extract, orange peel, lemon peel, or cinnamon powder are wonderful additions!

6. Enjoy!

[Magentaslb]

on 10/26/2009 Great tips! 5*s

[mskris]

on 10/26/2009 This is the Starbucks way to brew. Get some good Starbucks coffee and have it ground for your basket shape. I love Ethiopia Sidamo and Kenya. The Thanksgiving Blend is almost here, too, and the Christmas/Holiday Blend. Yum!

[motherNN]

on 10/26/2009 Thanks, you just saved us all 6 bucks! 5*

[respectfully]

on 10/23/2009 I live on coffee, but I never had it your way. Tonight is the night for a wake up and brew a very HOT pot of COFFEE. Great coffee article!!! My friends will want to know my new secret. I will share it after they say I make the best coffee. Ha Ha 5* recommend

[sbarry77]

on 10/23/2009 Great tips on brewing coffee!!! 5* and recommended