We love our coffee!
Nothing gets us energised for the day more than a nice cup of coffee in the morning. Luckily, here at The Westport Club we have the privilege of enjoying a barista-brewed cup at Hastings Coffee Co. every day. We understand that not everyone has the time to visit their local coffee shop first up, but we can’t leave our fellow coffee lovers brew-less! We’re giving you some tips on how to brew coffee (almost) as good as Hastings Coffee Co. right in the comfort of your own home.
Five tips on how to brew coffee
At home coffee-brewing tip #1: Buy the right type of coffee
The most important, yet mostly overlooked step for brewing your own coffee. More often than not, pre-ground packages you buy on the shelves have been sitting there for a while. If you’ve ever wondered why most coffee manufacturers only stamp the package with a ‘best before’ date, that’s why. It’s still drinkable, but not at its best. Coffee only keeps its flavour for about two weeks, and that’s when stored airtight in the fridge. For peak flavour, the beans should be enjoyed a few days after being roasted.
The easiest way to avoid these troubles is to buy fresh, whole beans and grind them yourself. Most local coffee shops will sell their favourite packs, but you decide what you like! Stock up each week on your favourite beans and drink your coffee how it’s meant to be enjoyed. Fresh, newly roasted beans and a whole lot of love!
At home coffee-brewing tip #2: Use quality water
This tip for how to brew coffee may sound a little ridiculous, but it can make a huge difference! If you use hard water full of minerals, then the particles from the coffee won’t bond well as it travels through your coffee machine or plunger or drip filter. Then you’re left with weak-tasting coffee, and who wants that? Plus, the extra minerals can build up and create lime deposits if you don’t de-scale it often.
However, using water that’s too filtered can lead to just as many problems. The lack of minerals can cause the water to break down the metal components in your coffee machine. Since there’s more room for bonds, the over-distilled water can lead to over-extraction of your coffee, making it too strong. The key is to use water with a balanced mineral count. Using filtered water (either via a filter fitting on your tap or a filtered jug) should do the trick.
At home coffee-brewing tip #3: Keep an eye on brewing temperature
Optimal brewing temperature is another factor in how to brew coffee to perfection. Coffee experts say this temperature is anywhere between 90 to 96 degrees Celsius, but nothing over. Anything higher can actually ‘burn’ the coffee. And trust us, that will make it really bitter. You can test your coffee machine’s temperature by using a test run with no coffee and measuring the water temperature at the end with a kitchen thermometer. If the temperature is lower, think about pre-heating your water to ensure your brew reaches its maximum potential!
At home coffee-brewing tip #4: Be careful when adding milk
This one’s an optional step in how to brew coffee, but it can be oh so delicious! There aren’t too many ways you can ruin your coffee with milk. But it’s still worth mentioning just in case! In terms of temperature, it’s up to your discretion. If you want to add a lot of milk, warm it up slightly. If you’re drinking your cuppa joe right away with just a little milk, feel free to pour in your milk cold. The thing you need to be careful of is adding in milk that’s too hot. Milk that’s too warm can cause a skin to form on your coffee, which is icky.
At home coffee-brewing tip #5: Store your beans properly
Once you’re done sipping your marvellous, barista-quality coffee, be sure to store your leftover beans correctly. Obviously, a vacuum-sealed container would work best, but any airtight jar that doesn’t let any light in will do the trick just fine. Keep it in a cool, dark place. Preferably in the fridge if you tend to use your coffee slowly. Be quick with the lid, too. Don’t let any of that valuable flavour go to waste by letting it oxidise.
It’s also good practice to downsize your containers as you use your beans. Using the same-sized container as the jar gets emptier leaves more room for air and other nasties, and therefore more space for your coffee to lose its potency. Treat your coffee the way you’d want to be treated – nice and snug.
Coffee at The Westport Club
Hopefully these tips on how to brew coffee will help lift that boring morning routine and transform it into a brewing experience! But if brewing your own cup isn’t your thing, visit our very own Hastings Coffee Co. for a barista-brewed treat and our menu of sweet and savoury treats. We roast our own coffee and take pride in every cup we make! Come relax at The Westport Club with the best coffee in Port Macquarie right on the banks of the beautiful Hastings River.