Specialty Coffee Brewing Tutorial: How to Brew a Perfect Cup with Coffee Beans

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Understanding Coffee Fundamentals

Understanding how to use coffee beans and how to brew a perfect cup of coffee is like an artist knowing how to use their paintbrush, or a scientist understanding how to apply scientific equations.

Once you have mastered the above professional knowledge, you can create various elaborate coffee drinks from simple Espresso.

Essential Materials for Coffee Brewing

1. Water

Water can generally be divided into soft water and hard water. Based on the content of sodium, manganese, and other minerals dissolved in water, soft water contains less while hard water contains more.

Regular water is typically hard water containing sodium, manganese, calcium, and magnesium. Hard water can reduce the extraction of caffeine and tannic acid, significantly diminishing the flavor of coffee.

Regular tap water can be used as soft water, but avoid using the first tap water in the morning, water left from the previous day, or twice-boiled water.

Therefore, to brew fresh coffee, readily available tap water at home can still produce rich and delicious coffee. You can use water purifiers and activated carbon filters to avoid impurities and odors in water.

2. Sugar

Different types of sugar—such as cube sugar, granulated sugar, fine rock sugar, brown sugar, and coffee sugar—add various sweet flavors that enrich the coffee tasting experience. You can find the perfect sweetness level according to your preferred coffee style. The purpose of adding sugar to coffee is to balance bitterness, and different amounts can create completely different flavors.

(1) Powdered Sugar:

This is a refined sugar with no special taste, dissolves easily, and is usually packaged in 5-8 gram portions for convenience. The price is slightly higher than regular sugar.

(2) Cube Sugar:

Made by adding water to refined sugar and then solidifying it into blocks. Cube sugar is convenient to store and dissolves quickly.

(3) White Granulated Sugar:

White granulated sugar is also a refined sugar, appearing as white, coarse crystalline solids. Most commercially available versions come in 8-gram packages for single use.

(4) Brown Sugar:

This is a brown sugar with a slight caramel flavor, commonly used in making Irish coffee.

(5) Rock Sugar:

Appears as transparent crystals with a milder sweetness and dissolves slowly. Usually ground into fine particles for convenient use in coffee or flavored teas.

(6) Coffee Sugar:

Sugar specifically designed for coffee, available as coffee-colored granulated sugar or cube sugar. Compared to other sugars, coffee sugar leaves a longer-lasting sweet taste on the tongue.

Homemade Delicious Rich Coffee

1. Mocha Coffee

Mocha coffee served in small cups exhibits a rich New York flavor.

Preparation Method:

Add 20ml of chocolate syrup and very strong dark roast coffee to a cup, stir well, add 1 large spoon of cream floating on top, garnish with some chocolate shavings, and finally add some cinnamon.

2. Mocha Mint Coffee

Pour hot coffee over cold cream, allowing the cold cream to float and create a sweet cold layer. The coffee beneath remains hot. Don't stir to maintain their different temperatures, making it very interesting to drink.

This is an American favorite chocolate-mint flavored coffee, where the mint flavor and coffee are harmoniously blended.

Preparation Method:

In a cup, add 20g of chocolate, dark roast coffee, 1 small spoon of white mint, then add 1 large spoon of cream floating on top, garnish with chocolate shavings, and finally decorate with a mint leaf.

3. Cappuccino

The color resembles the hood worn by Italian monks, hence the name Cappuccino (coffee with cream). Served with cinnamon and drizzled with lemon juice, it displays complex flavors.

Preparation Method:

Preheat dark roast coffee, pour into a small coffee cup, add 2 small spoons of sugar, then add 1 large spoon of cream floating on top, drizzle with lemon or orange juice, and insert a cinnamon stick instead of a small spoon into the cup.

4. Mixed Coffee

Mix equal parts coffee and milk together to create a Vienna-style milk coffee.

Preparation Method:

First add slightly dark roast coffee to a cup. Pour equal parts milk into a milk pot, bring to a gentle boil over low heat, add cream before it foams, and pour over the coffee before the foam disappears.

5. Coconut Cream Coffee

A fragrant coffee with coconut aroma, where the coconut flavor is very pronounced.

Preparation Method:

First add 2 drops of coconut essence to a cup, pour in dark roast coffee and 60ml of boiled milk, then add a spoon of cream floating on top, and garnish with some toasted coconut flakes.

6. How to Brew Delicious Instant Coffee

For regular instant coffee, extra care is needed. In a pot with warm milk, add the appropriate amount of coffee powder (about 2-3g per person), then pour in boiling water (140cc per person), and heat over flame. After a brief boil, immediately turn off the heat. This can eliminate the peculiar taste of instant coffee and make it more enjoyable.

If you need to add sugar or milk, add sugar first to enhance the coffee's texture and flavor.

About FrontStreet Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online shop services: https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473