How to Make Coffee Stronger

Wake up with a stronger cup of coffee.

Drinking coffee in the morning before heading off to work is an American tradition. Many households have an automatic drip coffee machine to brew a pot of coffee, while other coffee enthusiasts grab a cup from a coffeehouse. A cup of drip coffee contains a good deal more caffeine than an espresso. If you want to brew an even stronger cup of coffee with a heavier flavor and higher caffeine content, you can change some variables such as the bean grind and water amount.

Instructions

1. Grind up the coffee beans into a finer grind. If at home, allow the beans to grind for a longer time in your home grinder. Grocery store and coffee store self-grinders have a grind level adjuster that allows you to select a finer grind. If you are buying a pre-ground brew and not the whole beans, choose a finer grind offered. A smaller grind allows the water to extract more out of the bean.

2. Use more coffee and less water than you normally do. If you normally use two scoops per 8 oz. of water, instead use 6 oz. for the same two scoops. Gradually increase or decrease the water to coffee ratio until you find the desired strength.

3. Allow the water to soak longer in the coffee before being filtered out. This increases the extraction of oils and flavors from the bean and will also increase the caffeine extracted. Some coffee makers let you designate the amount of time before filtering the brew. If you do not have this option, you can also plug up the drip opening in your coffee maker with some thick paper towels. Force the water and coffee mixture to soak a minute longer before allowing to strain.

4. Increase the temperature of the water. The standard water temperature is usually around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but increasing this by five degrees or so will increase extraction. Be careful using this method as too high a temperature can cause a bitter flavor from the over-extraction and can also burn the coffee and result in a charcoal taste. Use a thermometer to gauge the water temperature before adding it to the coffee grind.

5. Buy a lighter roast to get a more caffeinated cup of coffee. In the roasting process, the bean is roasted until a desired level is achieved. How long this lasts depends on the roaster and the bean. Lighter roasts have a milder flavor but more caffeine per scoop, while darker roasts are less caffeinated.

References

• Bunn: Measuring Great Coffee
• Boyds: Coffee Brewing Guide
• Green Mountain Coffee: Decaffeination Process