BREAKING IT DOWN-COFFEE'S SIX ESSENTIALS

1-Correct coffee to water ratio. The finished brew is a balance between strength (solubles concentration) and extraction (solubles yield). Shifting the balance either way greatly affects the final product.

2-A coffee grind that matches the brewing time. Once you've established a coffee brewing formula, the method of brewing and the operation of the equipment come into play. To prevent under-development or over-extraction of the flavoring compounds, you must match the correct particle size (grind) of the coffee to the brewing method and type of equipment used. As a general rule, longer brewing times should be paired with larger (coarser) particles, and shorter brewing times should be paired with smaller (finer) particles.

3-Proper operation of brewing equipment. Brewing equipment normally controls three variables.

*Time of contact between the coffee grounds and water
*Temperature of the water. Water that ranges in temperature between 195F and 205F liberates aromatic materials more rapidly and permits proper extraction
*Turbulence.

4-Optimum brewing method. using the same type of coffee in different brewing equipment will create coffee beverages with different taste and body characteristics.

5-Good water quality. When preparing a coffee beverage, water is just as important as the coffee. In fact, water represents more than 98% of the beverage.

6-An appropriate filtering medium. Unless something separates the extract from the coffee grounds, the resulting beverage will be murky and difficult to drink.

Ultimately, the coffee beverage's quality depends on your ability to follow the steps outlined above. Even if you start with the world's finest coffees you may end up with a less-than-ideal beverage!!