WWW.ROMANCECOFFEE.COM
Shopping Cart powered by:
Keep your equipment clean!!!
This is perhaps the biggest killer of coffee flavor.  Electric brewers should be cleaned with a vinegar water solution about once a month and the filter holder should be cleaned after every brew.  The coffee oils will deposit on the plastic and ferment.  Run a 10:1 water to vinegar solution through your machine (without coffee grounds) and then run about 5 more full runs through, or until the vinegar smell is gone.

Use cold, filtered water. 
Coffee is about 2% coffee and 98% water so you need to be using quality water in order to get the best out of your coffee.

Choose the right amount of coffee. 
Start with 2-3 table spoons per eight ounces of water and adjust to your taste.

Grind your coffee just before brewing! 
We cannot stress enough the advantages of grinding your coffee!  It only takes about 30 seconds more time and the benefits are tremendous!  The coffee will begin to deteriorate within a day or two of grinding.  Picture the outside of the bean as an egg shell, as you as you break it open, the inside isn  going to last long!

Transfer sitting coffee into a thermos or carafe.
Leaving it on the hot pot will continue to brew the coffee and make it taste bitter.


METHODS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FRENCH PRESSThis method is considered the best method by many.  The coffee does not come in contact with any plastic or paper so the resulting flavor is full and untainted.  Grind a tiny bit coarser than usual and put the grounds in the bottom of the beaker.  Pour water just under boil (205° F) over the grounds.  Place the top on and wait about a minute, stir, and replace the top.  After a total brew time of about 4 minutes, slowly press the plunger down and pour out your coffee.  If the coffee tastes bitter, try a 3 minute brew time.  One can experiment with longer brew times also, but it tends to bring out some unwanted characteristics. 

ELECTRIC DRIP TYPEIn order to extract all of the flavor oils out of coffee, the water needs to be AT LEAST 195° F!  If your coffee brewer does not do this, you are missing out!  You can buy a high quality coffee brewer or a more economical route would be to buy a french press.  French presses are only $12-$20 at the "big" stores.  Paper filters can also soak up your flavor oils, robbing you of your coffee!  This is an easy fix and supermarkets sell a "gold" reusable filter for only $5.  We use one here at Romance Coffee and it works great!

ESPRESSO
Espresso makers make a dense brew great for adding frothed milk and flavored syrups or for the hardcore coffee drinker who wants the aftertaste to linger for hours!  Grind your beans between the consistencies of sand and flour.  Darker roasts are better for this; we have a special blend designed especially for espresso.  Degree of Roast.
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS