Your Guide For Choosing (and Brewing!) the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Updated on March 31, 2016 at 6:00 AM

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Coffee is one of those things. It's what starts your day, gets you through long afternoons, and is deliciously sipped after a good meal. If you're an afficionado or just starting a new relationship with the delectable drink, there are so many ways to prepare a cup at home or on the go that make it the best for sipping. Certain drinkers swear by different methods, but there might be one that's a better fit for what you're drinking. Check out the following tips for making an aromatic and satisfying cup to savor anywhere.

Pour-Over Coffee

You might laugh, but I always travel with my drip cone. It's the best for brewing single cups and works with your favorite ground beans. Here are a few tips to take into consideration when brewing:

The general rule is two tablespoons of coffee for every six ounces of water. Not enough can result in a bitter flavor and too much can leave your coffee under-extracted. And filtered water works best anytime you're making coffee at home.
You can moisten the paper with hot water before adding the grounds for a purer flavor.
Start the process by "blooming" the coffee, which means pouring enough near-boiling water into the filter to saturate all the grounds and let it set for 10-30 seconds.
Finish with the rest of the water, pouring in a circular motion.

The Result:

Pour-over coffee only takes minutes to make and offers a really rich cup. You can experiment with different beans, but a medium roast coffee offers a great, full flavor.

Coffee Press

Using a coffee press is perfect if you're wanting more than one cup at a time — or love a second one later. This method offers big flavor with any type of roast and works with ground beans. When brewing, think about:

When making at home, make sure to stick with the proportion of two tablespoons of coffee per six ounces of water.
Use water that has just come to a boil, making sure to saturate the grounds.
Let rest, then press after four minutes. The coffee is best within the next 20 minutes.

The Result:

Using a coffee press eliminates the need for a coffee filter, allowing all the oils from the beans to permeate the flavor. If you haven't tried this method, it's really a must if you want to savor all the nuances that come with fresh coffee.

Instant Coffee

Most purists might pass on sipping instant coffee, but when made correctly, you get a really good cup. What's so awesome about this process is that it's literally instant, which makes it perfect when you're on the go. Tips for making the best instant coffee include:

Go with a premium instant coffee for best results.
Pour the instant coffee into a cup and add 8 ounces of hot water.
Stir and you're ready to sip.

Grinding Beans

If you want to master the art of grinding your own beans, it's important to always work with freshly ground beans. When grinding:

It's important to determine how fine or coarse your beans should be based on the brewing method being used. Knowing the proper grind will bring out all of the flavors of the roast — minus the bitterness — which is what makes a cup of coffee so delicious.

More From Starbucks

Brewing with a coffee press retains the precious natural oils that paper filters absorb, and extracts the coffee's full flavor while giving it a consistency that's thick and rich.

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