3 bad habits to break.

Want to make sure your every cup of coffee is a good one? 

There are 3 habits you need to break to enjoy a better cup of coffee.  

1.  Not using clean brewing equipment.

Always wash your equipment immediately after brewing according to the brew method manufacturer's instructions.  Coffee oils can build up and alter the flavor of your coffee.  If you brew with espresso be sure to wipe our your portafilter and dry it thoroughly.  Be sure to check your water tanks too.  Water left standing in the tanks for several days risks encouraging mold growth.  

2. Adding cream and/or sugar before you taste your coffee.

You might be used to ordering sweet coffee drinks from your local coffee shop.  These coffee drinks are often blends of origins and roasted quite dark.  Milk and sugar cover a multitude of sins. (a bit burnt or inferior beans that are used.)  Your taste buds might need to get used to specialty grade, single origin, light or medium roasted coffee, but drinking it black first before adding cream and sugar is the best way to drink it.  The only way to know if your brewing recipes are good is to drink them black first.  Several parameters could be changed to dial in the recipe and yield a delicious cup.  Once you know that the recipe is good, then you can add milk and sugar to your preferred taste. 

3.  Pre-grinding your beans.

Pre-grinding your coffee beans is convenient it's true, but the moment you grind your beans, it exposes more surface area to oxygen.  It also releases the oils and other compounds in coffee that are also exposed to oxygen.  This process is called oxygenation and it is responsible for staling coffee.  The best way to keep your coffee as fresh as possible is to grind your coffee just before brewing.

Specialty coffee is superior in quality and comes with a higher price tag because of that.  By avoiding these mistakes, it will help to ensure a delicious cuppa.