How to make the perfect coffee

There are many coffees, and they can be made in many ways. But if we are looking for the perfect coffee, then we must put aside our appetites and stick to a set of rules and fixed amounts.

To make the perfect coffee in a coffee maker, there is no single methodology. It depends on the type of coffee maker that we are going to use and, consequently, the kind of coffee that we make. So, we’re going to tell you how the perfect coffee is made depending on the extraction method used.

How to make the perfect espresso?

What do you need to make the perfect espresso?

The time needed: 1 minute.

The total time should be 25-30 seconds, plus whatever it takes to prepare.

1. Turn on the coffee maker

It sounds like a truism, but we must make sure that the coffee maker heats the water enough, and that takes time.

2. Finely grind the best coffee beans you have at home

You can use pre-ground coffee, but it is not advisable if you want to get a quality espresso. Remember that for an espresso, the grinding must be excellent.

3. Put the cup to heat

Yes, the cup you are going to serve the espresso in must be hot if you don’t want the coffee to lose all its temperature by falling into a cold cup.

4. Dose 7 grams of ground coffee into the filter of your machine

Yes, you can do it with more or fewer grams, but if we talk about perfection, you must use seven.

5. Press the coffee into the filter

This step is difficult to quantify, but it should take about 25 seconds to extract the coffee when the machine is started. If it comes out faster, you should press the ground coffee a little more. If it takes longer than 25 seconds, you should compact it a little less. Taste until you find the right spot to make your perfect black coffee.

6. Make the coffee

Turn on your machine and make sure that the coffee takes 25 seconds to extract. If it doesn’t come out, make small adjustments in the (excellent) grinding and pressing until it does. The volume of the espresso should be about 25 millilitres.

Then you only have to add it to your taste to make the perfect latte, or a cut coffee, etc.

How to make the perfect Americano coffee

What do you need to make the ideal Americano coffee?

  • An espresso.
  • A kettle (or hot water boiled on your own).
  • A large cup.

To make the perfect Americano coffee, you must dilute the espresso (as we have done in the previous section) in hot water. Take the espresso and pour about the same amount of hot water over it. The ideal ratio should be 50%-50%. Another thing is the taste and the palate of each one, of course.

Perfect coffee with an Italian coffee maker

To make a perfect coffee with an Italian coffee maker (which will still be espresso, but different from what we do with electric coffee makers), you must take care of the following details:

  • The grinding must not be excessively fine (yes, okay, but not extra fine), because otherwise excessive pressure can be generated. Slightly coarser than you would use in an electric espresso machine.
  • Always put hot water under the safety valve. Yes, you read correctly: the water should already be a little hot. That way, you’ll need less time for it to rise.
  • Don’t press the ground coffee into the filter. Instead, tap it (e.g. with a spoon on the outside edge) so that it settles and spreads evenly over the entire surface, which should be completely smooth and flat. But in an Italian mocha machine, the ground coffee does not compact.
  • Don’t forget to keep an eye on it: remove the coffee maker from the heat immediately as soon as it rises.

This video explains it perfectly:

How to make the perfect coffee with a drip coffee maker

On the Internet, there are two main aspects or preferences in terms of coffee production: espresso or filter coffee. In this section, we refer to the latter, the drip coffee so appreciated by Americans and that in our country also has many followers.

What do I need to make a perfect filter coffee?

How to make the perfect drip coffee step by step:

  • First, grind your favourite coffee beans to medium fine. The grind should not be beautiful at all. You can use pre-ground coffee that you buy at the supermarket, of course, but if we’re talking about perfection, we need the freshness of freshly ground coffee.
  • Pour the freshly ground coffee into the filter and start the coffee maker. The amount should be approximately 60 grams for each litre of water. Do not compact or press the coffee in the filter: we leave that for when we make espressos.
  • This last part no longer depends on you but the machine, but the best results are achieved when the coffee maker pours the water evenly over the entire coffee cone (spraying system) and not always at the same point.

To obtain different nuances in the taste of the coffee, make slight adjustments in the grinding until the desired result is achieved. But remember that it must always be medium, neither very fine nor completely thick. The total filtering time should not exceed 6 minutes for a tank of approximately 1 litre.

How to make the perfect instant coffee

Soluble or instant coffee seems to have less work than others because it already comes in an envelope or jar, and we think it is enough to pour water over it and stir it. However, there are two crucial details that we must take care of to make a perfect instant coffee:

  • Use preferably freeze-dried coffee, and not merely spray-dried. These are two different ways of dehydrating coffee, and freeze-drying usually offers a better taste. If you’re not sure, you’ll distinguish it because it often comes in larger granules, while spray-dried instant coffee looks more like ground powder.
  • Wet the coffee slightly before pouring it in hot water. Pour a few drops or a small stream of water into the cup and stir it a little, just like the pre-infusion system that some espresso machines have. Then add the hot water and milk to your liking.

Is there such a thing as the perfect coffee? How many kinds are there?

Are there more types of coffee? Yes, there are almost as many types of coffee as there are different coffee makers, but we’re not going to cover all of them. For example, capsule coffee machines or super-automatic machines focus on comfort and automation, so they give the user everything done. There is little room for manoeuvre, and the consumer has to “settle” for the result they offer. There are nuances in this statement, of course, but so that we understand each other.