Coffee Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup

Enjoying a perfectly brewing the perfect cup of coffee at home is easy and affordable. So don’t worry about getting dressed and jumping in the car for a cup, we’ve got you covered with easy tips for brewing the perfect cup of your favorite brew.

Simple Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup

Avoid Reheating Coffee in the Microwave

We all like to drink our coffee hot, but this is one tip you can easily understand. There are a couple reasons reheating your coffee in the microwave is not recommended.

• Microwaves do not evenly heat items.

• It is best to drink your coffee as soon as it’s ready. The longer you let coffee sit out, the more bitter it becomes. And re-heating coffee also results in a bitter taste.

If enjoying your coffee while it’s hot is a problem for you, consider investing in a nice thermal mug instead of reheating in the microwave.

Keep your Coffee Beans Fresh

The richest, tastiest coffee comes from the freshest beans. You need to take steps to preserve your beans since they start to lose their “freshness” in a week causing the coffee to lose its unique character. Be sure to store your coffee beans in air-tight containers to prevent oxidation after opening.

It’s all about the grind

Buying whole bean coffee is always best, but not always possible. If you choose to grind your own coffee beans – you will need a quality grinder. We recommend burr grinders.

At Simpson and Vail we use a Ditting grinder that can grind coffee for a wide variety of uses ranging from a Percolator (coarse) to an Espresso or Turkish method (extra-fine).  Inexpensive blade grinders will produce inconsistent grinds that won’t result in a good cup of coffee or they may not be able to grind the beans the best way for your coffee machine. 

We offer a wide variety of coffees in either whole bean or ground. If you enjoy the convenience of pre-ground coffee, all our coffees are ground to order and shipped to you the same day.

Start with Filtered Water

Water is VERY important – whether you’re making tea or coffee. If your water tastes bad so will your brewed cup.  Since an average cup of coffee is 98.75 % water you should think about the quality of water you use choose. Filtered water is usually a better option than tap water, if you have access to it. You can get filtered water from a refrigerator filter, a sink filter, or even a pitcher filter.

As with tea brewing, the temperature of the water when you make your coffee is also important. Drip Coffee manufactures have created their machines on the assumption that you will be using cold water. If you’re using a coffee press you will want to have the water just under boiling, at about 195 degrees Fahrenheit (any hotter and the additional heat could spoil the taste of the beans). For best results, invest in a kitchen thermometer.

Consider Trying a New Method

A majority of adults have only had coffee made one way, typically in a drip coffee maker. More recently single cup coffee maker, like a Keurig, have become the coffee maker of choice. Unfortunately for as simple as the Keurig makers seem, they require maintenance that most people don’t perform. Did you know you are supposed to run the water holder out daily and clean weekly? And did you know that Keurig recommends descaling your brewer at least every 3 to 6 months (depending on your water source) with vinegar or descaling solution? Most often these cleaning guidelines are not performed as often as suggested and your morning cup of coffee suffers.

Break out of your habits and try other coffee brewing methods to see what you actually prefer. I used a Keurig for a couple of years since the allure of a quick hot cup of coffee drew me in every morning. I don’t like the environmental consequences of the K-cups so I always filled my own reusable basket. Even with a dark roast the taste wasn’t exactly what I wanted and so finally one morning I brought out the French press again.

Soon after I was at a friend’s house and they used a pour over. The coffee was so delicious that I rushed out and bought a ceramic pour over and filters from a local kitchen store. A few months later I brought out the drip coffee maker again to test that. Most days now I use the drip maker or the pour over.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with other brewing methods if you’re searching for the perfectly brewed cup of coffee from your home kitchen.

The moral of the story … by sticking with the same old brewing methods you may be missing out on a best cup of coffee in your life!

Try Different Coffees from Around the World!

Fresh roasted specialty coffees are part of the history of Simpson & Vail. S&V actually started in 1904 as Augustus M. Walbridge, Inc. The focus of the business in the early days was as a green coffee importer, roaster and distributor. Although we no longer roast our own green beans, we do purchase our delicious coffees from two local roasters as well as three other nearby roasters. Coffees are brought in every week for maximum freshness. We’re pleased to be able to continue the tradition of offering high-quality Arabica coffee beans to our customers!

Not sure which coffee might be right for you? Try our coffee sampler gift box that features eight 2 oz packages of coffees from around the globe.

To learn more about the most common types of roasts, coffee terminology, storage information and more, visit our coffee information page.

Enjoy your journey to the prefect cup of coffee. We look forward to serving you along the way with the freshest and highest quality beans available on the market today.