National Coffee Week: How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee
It’s National Coffee Week, a very important week for those who swear by coffee to get them going on a daily basis.
Morrisons’ in house coffee expert, Marion Muir, has given us some tips on making the perfect cup of coffee, enjoy!
The Beans
Coffee is grown in more than 72 countries in the world, which is a lot of origins to choose from. However, the perfect cup of coffee should be a blend of origins whose taste profile fit in perfect harmony. The best coffee is grown in volcanic areas where the soils are mineral rich, and at high altitudes where the thin air leads to the beans maturing at a slower rate.
The Roast
Each blend should be roasted to a precise time and temperature to bring the best flavour out of the beans. Light roasted coffee brings out the original character of the coffee bean (e.g. fruit, citrus, floral), whereas dark roasted creates a bold, rich, chocolatey flavour, such as our M Signature Intense Rich Ground Guatemalan. Medium roasts are often a compromise that can bring out a greater variety of flavour from the origin, with some of the depth of a darker roast.
The Grind
The grind should be not too coarse and not too fine. You want to be able to extract every delicate note from the coffee bean, but you also need the grind to perform well in your coffee maker, so it’s a fine balance.
The Weight
This entirely depends on whether you like your coffee weak or strong, but in our opinion, two grams of coffee per fluid ounce of water will give you a well-balanced tasty cuppa.
The Water
Temperature is important. Add water that has just come off the boil, as this helps to avoid scorching the beans, while the heat helps to get the best extraction. For optimum flavour, the water should not be too hard or too soft, as this can affect the taste. Very hard water will make the coffee taste dull, whereas if the water is too soft it can lead to sharp and sour flavours developing.
The Mug
In my opinion, coffee tastes better drunk from a porcelain mug. The mug ensures that the coffee doesn’t cool too quickly – coffee is best tasted at around 60°C when all the aromas are working in harmony.