It's Good For You, It's Bad For You! Coffee

By Veronica Carrillo

I have been making coffee at home for most of my adult life. Some days the results are good and other days... not so good. Try as I might, finding the right formula for a really good cup-o-Joe has eluded me all this time. Some days, after pouring the first cup, I thought I had it, but the next day... nope, something is different.

A short list of methods I tried: Percolator - I had a friend that served some excellent stuff made with one of these, so i bought the percolator and the exact same grind. Results were OK, but not consistent. Grinding my own beans - bought many different blends from inexpensive to gourmet, but, again, no consistency.

So why does it make any difference? It's to do with what happens when you attach the portafilter to the machine and turn it on. The water (as steam) will be forced through the layer of coffee that is sitting in the porta filter. It follows the path of least resistance; any unevenness in the layer of coffee provides a route for the steam to move through that bypasses a lot of the coffee that you have paid for and placed there so lovingly. What a waste!! By tamping you foil the steam's sneaky attempts to find an easy way through; it has no choice but to work its way through all of the coffee. This way you maximise the potential of all of the coffee that you have placed into the porta filter.

What about convenience. If you are a one or two mug a day consumer, this is the perfect brewer. Think about all the wasted or burned coffee that has gone unconsumed. If you leave your normal pot on the heat for more than an hour, the result is an unwanted, ill-tasting beverage.

Since that brewer has arrived at work, I have had consistently excellent coffee. I am totally sold. And although I am not an expert by any means, I know what I like. Here is my take on what makes this a consistent way to get your home made brew. The beans are roasted and ground and put immediately into those little one-cup containers. At that point they are sealed and are never again exposed to air and humidity again until they are pierced by the little device as the hot water is introduced to make the brew.

Make sure you tamp as evenly as possible. If you want you can rotate the tamper to give a smoother surface to the coffee. And that's it! Your coffee is now properly tamped and ready to make you great espresso with a rich flavour and fantastic crema! - 30241

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