Making good coffee – how does it work?

For many people, daily coffee is an integral part of life. One or two cups are always part of it, for some even more. Although so much of it is drunk, many consumers are satisfied with average taste. They use a cheap coffee machine and not necessarily the best beans. Yet it would be so easy to go the extra mile without incurring the expense. We show how to make good coffee without making it so much more expensive than before.

Why are there such big differences in coffee taste?

Without going too deeply into the subject of chemistry and biology, you should consider the following things: Coffee, as we all know, is made from beans. They contain a gigantic range of aromas and flavours. When consumed, these are absorbed and processed by both the nose and the taste buds in the mouth. This is why the drink is so rich and varied in taste. The problem with these substances is that they are easily volatilised or destroyed. That is:

• the same coffee tastes different when prepared in different machines
• there are huge differences between coffee beans in terms of aroma and quality

Making good coffee – what to look out for?

Aromas are destroyed, for example, by too much humidity or temperatures that are too high or too low during preparation. It is precisely this point that makes high-quality coffee machines stand out. They have countless controls and setting options. With their help, the consumer can exert immense influence on the taste. If you want to experience a real leap in quality, you should at least buy a machine that allows you to make these settings. The simpler devices cost only a few hundred euros. But they last for many years and raise the standard considerably. In many households there is only a better kettle with a coffee pot attached.

The choice of beans is also important. Of course, this depends on the individual taste. Our recommendation is to try out many different varieties. Then you can get an idea of which one tastes best. Now, you might say that this would be an expensive affair if, of all things, your favourite coffee is really expensive. But there is a remedy. If you take a look at the brochures of the grocery stores, you will see that coffee is one of the products where one shop always has the finest brands on offer. Sometimes price reductions of over 50% are possible. If you follow these promotions, you can always pick up three or four packs right away. This lasts for weeks or even months.

If it is somehow possible, it would be ideal to grind the beans yourself. In the past, that’s how it was done in households. If fresh beans are ground whole and then put straight into the machine, most of the aromatic substances are contained. This increases the enjoyment to a maximum.