You’ve probably experienced this scenario: you brew a pot of coffee at home with what you think are high-quality beans, but it doesn’t come close to the robust flavor of the cup you get at your favorite coffee shop. It seems like a simple endeavor, but brewing a cup of coffee that rivals commercially brewed coffee can be a complex undertaking. So what’s the secret to the superior taste of commercially brewed coffee? Let’s dive in.
1. The quality of the coffee beans
The journey to the perfect cup of coffee begins with the beans. The quality of the beans has a significant impact on the resulting brew. Commercial coffee shops often have access to a wide variety of premium, single-origin coffee beans that are carefully selected and sourced from the best coffee-growing regions around the world.
From farm to cup
Commercial coffee shops often work directly with farmers and have strict standards for their beans. They know the farms, the farmers, and the specific growing conditions. This means their beans have traceability and are often ethically sourced, which can contribute to a better tasting cup of coffee.
2. The art of roasting
Once quality beans are sourced, the next step in the process is roasting. Roasting is both a science and an art, and it drastically affects the taste of the coffee. Coffee shops often have professional roasters who understand the delicate balance of time and temperature to extract the perfect flavor profile from each type of bean.
Roasting to perfection
Coffee shops frequently roast their beans in small batches, ensuring that the coffee you drink is always fresh. Home brewed coffee, on the other hand, can often sit in storage for months before making its way to your cup. The freshness of the roast can make a big difference in the taste.
3. The precision of grinding and brewing
Each type of coffee brewing method requires a specific grind size. The grind size affects the extraction process – too coarse and the water will flow through too quickly, resulting in under-extraction; too fine and you risk over-extraction, which can result in a bitter taste.
It’s all in the details
Commercial coffee shops have high-quality grinders that produce consistent grind sizes. They also have trained baristas who understand the nuances of brewing and can adjust grind size, brew time, and water temperature to match the beans and brewing method. These parameters are often overlooked at home, but are critical to making a great cup of coffee.
4. Water matters too
Water makes up about 98% of a cup of coffee, so its quality is a significant factor in the taste of the brew. Commercial coffee shops typically use filtered water to ensure that no unwanted flavors are introduced into the coffee.
The perfect brew
The temperature of the water also affects the extraction process. Most coffee shops brew their coffee at around 200°F (93°C), which is considered the optimal temperature for extracting the flavors from the coffee grounds. At home, it can be difficult to maintain this exact temperature, which can affect the taste of your coffee.
Conclusion: The Pursuit of the Perfect Cup
From the farms where the beans are grown, to the roasting, grinding, and brewing, each step in the process of making a cup of coffee is an opportunity to enhance or detract from the final flavor. Commercial coffee shops have the expertise, equipment, and high-quality ingredients to control these factors and consistently produce excellent coffee.
So next time you savour a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop, remember the journey of those coffee beans and appreciate the art and science that goes into each sip. And remember, while it’s a challenging endeavor, you can also improve your home-brewing skills by paying attention to these same details. Happy brewing!
FAQs
Why does commercially brewed coffee taste so much better?
Commercial filtration ranges from simple taste and odor systems to more intense stuff like reverse osmosis, and because your finished cup is roughly 98% water, you better believe that makes a difference.
Why does store bought coffee taste better?
The turnover of beans in the store is pretty fast, which means they are probably using coffee that has been roasted just days or even hours before they use it to make your coffee. While the coffee in bags may sit on the shelf for weeks before you get it home and use it. Fresh ground beans do make a difference to taste!
Why does coffee at home not taste as good?
Homemade coffee can taste different because the coffee beans are stale, the wrong blend, the wrong roast, or just the wrong grind size. It could also be the water you’re using to brew the coffee or even faulty equipment causing the issue.
How do restaurants make such good coffee?
Most fine restaurants use a press pot, also known as the French Press, which produces an extremely rich cup of coffee. Press pot coffee is coffee steeped for 3-4 minutes between °F. It produces a thicker and much richer taste than an auto-drip machine can produce.
Why does my coffee taste different every time I make it?
Some differences might seem minor, yet they can make or break your coffee. The culprits for a bitter coffee are normally time, temperature, coffee quality, ratio, grind, and cleanliness. Any small change in any one of these factors might drastically change how your coffee tastes and even affect the smell.
How can I make my home brewed coffee taste better?
11 Tips for Brewing Better Coffee at Home
- Use Fresh, Whole Bean Coffee. …
- Use A Scale. …
- Use The Right Amount of Coffee. …
- Use A Burr Grinder. …
- Grind At The Correct Coarseness (Or Fineness) Setting. …
- Use Filtered Water. …
- Make Sure Your Water is the Right Temperature. …
- Pre-Heat / Pre-Wet Everything.
Does a better coffee maker make better coffee?
Most cheaper coffee makers barely get that hot, and over time burn out. A larger brew head showers the ground coffee more evenly. This leads to better extraction which results in better flavor.
Does expensive coffee taste better?
The contenders: cheap deli coffee priced at $1 a cup versus fancy gourmet coffee coming in at $3.25 per cup. The taste test went on for hours, with dozens of people sampling the competing brews. And when it was over, there was a clear winner, preferred by 67 percent of the testers.
Why does Starbucks coffee taste burnt?
The most likely reason for the bitter/burnt taste is that Starbucks roasts their beans at a higher temperature then most roasters in order to produce large quantities of beans in a short time.