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Are you one of those people who have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning?
Are you a real morning grouch?
Then, without a cup of coffee, little or nothing will probably work for you at first.
Everyone has their own recipe for the perfect extra portion of caffeine: some like it quick from the fully automatic coffee machine, others prefer simply filtered or extra strong from the espresso maker.
Whatever - so that your morning pick-me-up tastes even better in the future, we'll tell you what to look out for.
Here are nine common mistakes in preparation:
Source of error number one: You don't clean your coffee maker regularly
Well, with an espresso pot for the stove or a French press, things are done quickly: Remove the coffee grounds and rinse them with hot water.
Finished.
Proud owners of a fully automatic machine or a filter coffee machine, however, know the misery: Limescale deposits, the cleaning symbol lights up.
At some point you pull yourself up to clean the machine.
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If you did this more regularly, your hot beverage would definitely taste better.
Because without limescale deposits and coffee oil residues in the machine, the brewed coffee can develop its full aroma and taste.
To do this, you should not only clean it on the surface, but in all corners - especially the places where the coffee flows through the filter or the nozzles.
You don't need any special cleaners for this, a simple home remedy serves its purpose just as well: just mix a little baking powder with vinegar and water.
You can use it to get the outside of the machine sparkling clean again and to clean the inside.
Mistake two: you're using the wrong brewing method
In 1941 the chemist Peter Schlumbohm invented the Chemex coffee pot.
In 1958 it was accepted into the Museum of Modern Art in New York as “one of the best designed products of the modern age”.
Source: Getty Images / Anastasiia Krivenok
Do you think your coffee tastes weak and not intense enough?
Then you may be using the wrong method of preparation.
To find out which one is the right one, you have to try your hand at it.
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An espresso pot or a French press bring you a full-bodied and intense coffee experience. With an Aeropress, a manual coffee machine with a brewing cylinder, a plunger and an integrated coffee filter, you can prevent coffee grounds from ending up in your drink. If you want very little bitter substances, the Chemex is ideal. In the photo above you can see a filter machine made of glass, the shape of which is reminiscent of an Erlenmeyer flask.
Most baristas agree that all brewing methods, in which the ground coffee beans are slowly poured with hot water, ensure an overall smoother taste experience.
Depending on how much you prefer your pick-me-up, the grind and the water hardness and temperature also play a role.
For most forms of preparation, it is between 92 and 96 degrees Celsius.
So you should let your freshly boiled water stand for a moment before pouring it over your ground beans.
Number three: You buy ground coffee instead of whole beans
Source: Unsplash.com/Christina Rumpf
Ready-ground coffee is practical and convenient - but it doesn't give you the best taste.
If you buy your favorite variety in bean form, your drink will taste fresher and more diverse.
The reason: When the beans are ground, some of the more than 800 aromatic substances evaporate fairly quickly or change if they are in contact with the air for a long time.
Then the coffee tastes less like vanilla, for example, but more earthy or sour.
Mistake number four: There are more than two weeks between roasting and brewing
Source: Unsplash.com/Gregory Hayes
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Coffee is a natural product.
Before we can make a delicious drink out of it, the green beans must be roasted.
Only then do they take on the brown color that we know.
The lighter a bean is, the less heavily it has been roasted and the more caffeine it contains.
The time between roasting and boiling is crucial for optimal taste.
Roasted coffee never goes bad, but its aromas vary widely.
The beans achieve their best taste two weeks after roasting.
Then he picks up.
Of course, it is difficult to check the roast date of industrially produced coffee.
This is more likely to happen at a small local roastery.
In order to preserve the ideal taste for a long time, optimal storage is also important: Coffee is best stored in a dark and dry place.
You should never keep your coffee in the refrigerator.
Source of error number five: You don't own a good coffee grinder
Source: Unsplash.com/Coffee Geek
After we have already clarified that whole beans provide a better taste experience, the coffee has to be freshly ground.
Choosing a good coffee grinder depends on your individual preferences.
Depending on which brewing method you prefer, you should grind the coffee differently coarsely.
For an espresso pot you need roughly coarser coffee than for a filter machine.
If the powder is too fine, the stimulant often tastes bitter and dry.
If it is too coarse, it will taste sour and watery.
It's best to buy a grinder that gives you several options.
Whether electrically or manually operated is a matter of taste.
The sixth mistake when making coffee: You have ground too many beans
Source: Unsplash.com/Eiliv Sonas Aceron
Just keep the following rule in mind: Only grind as many beans as you need directly.
Otherwise, the same thing happens as with pre-ground coffee from the supermarket: It loses taste and complexity.
Mistake number seven: your water is too hard for your type of coffee
Source: Unsplash.com/Imani
It sounds so simple, but it has a huge impact on the taste.
After all, your cup of coffee is 98 percent water.
Depending on which type of bean you use, it tastes best with a certain degree of water hardness.
Depending on where you live, your tap water may be too hard or contain too many other taste-affecting substances, such as calcium.
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You can check how hard or soft your water is with pH test strips or you can find out from your local water company.
If it's not ideal, you can filter the tap water beforehand.
Source of error number eight: You don't preheat your cup
Source: Unsplash.com/Ana Itonishvili
You will see what a difference that makes.
Because if you put your fresh, hot coffee in a cold cup, it will firstly get colder - and cold coffee only tastes good as a cold brew or iced coffee - and secondly, it will not do your dishes any favors.
This is because mini-cracks appear in the ceramic.
Mistake number nine: You are using too little or too much water
It might sound a little crazy, but if you want the perfect coffee, you should use scales when pouring it.
This is the only way to find out the optimal ratio between the amount of coffee and water.
If you prefer a coffee that is light and clear in taste, you should choose a ratio of one to 18 - one part coffee to 18 parts water.
If you want your coffee to taste a little stronger and heavier, a ratio of one to 14 is better.
What is your favorite way to drink your coffee? Let us know in the comments!