Unfortunately, not all residents of our country know how to brew coffee. In Russia, coffee culture is not as developed as, for example, in Brazil. But still among the Russians there are true connoisseurs of a fragrant drink. Food lovers know how to brew coffee beans at home. Every morning they pamper themselves with a cup of strong freshly brewed espresso.
In this article we will reveal all the secrets of making coffee, and you will learn how to brew grain coffee.
Coffee story
Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee. Initially, coffee beans were used to make a drink that tastes like wine. For Muslims who, by religion, should not drink alcohol, the drink has become an excellent substitute for alcohol. Then the Arabs tried to grind the grains and cook them. And so the drink turned out, which is still drunk.
In Russia, grain coffee was not so popular. In the USSR, people were more likely to drink a soluble drink, which was considered a curiosity. Now gourmets have tasted the taste of the energy drink and drink it exclusively.
How to make coffee before
Almost all the coffee that was prepared before was terrible in taste, and it was almost impossible to drink. Some fried it at home in pans, which completely spoiled the taste of this drink.
Before selling, the owners of coffee plantations always boiled coffee beans in boiling water, and then roasted them: this attitude also spoiled the taste of the drink.
True gourmets prepared a fragrant drink almost in the same way as we do now - grind grains by hand and cook on fire.
Varieties of coffee
There are three types of invigorating drink on the market:
More recently, a view has appeared that includes instant and ground coffee.
To make coffee in a Turk, a coffee machine, or in any other way, you should buy exclusively coffee beans or, if you do not have a coffee grinder, ground coffee.
Methods of roasting grains
Coffee beans can be of different degrees of roasting. The final taste depends on how the grains were fried. The following degrees of roasting grains are available.
- Strong Cracks on coffee beans are bright and deep, the grain has a dark brown color. From grains of heavy frying, a very strong drink is obtained. A high degree of roasting is most popular; it is used to maximize caffeine release from grain. From the beans fried by this method, a very tonic drink is obtained. Just be careful with this type of roasting. It often happens that unscrupulous producers hide the low quality of grains behind a strong degree of roasting.
- Medium. This degree of frying is done especially for espresso. This roasting is ideal in order to free some of the oily resins from the grain.
- Weak Cracks in the grain are almost imperceptible, the color of the grain is light brown.
- Initial. This degree of roasting is used for elite arabica. The taste of the drink is revealed only slightly, the aroma is light and barely perceptible.
There are several intermediate degrees of roasting coffee beans. Typically, the name of the roast depends on the area for which this method of processing coffee beans is characteristic. For example, there is American, French and Mediterranean roasting.
It is worth paying attention: there is a separate type of coffee beans that are not roasted. A drink from such beans was called "Green Coffee". Recently, unroasted grains have become especially popular due to their tonic and fat-burning properties.
Recommendations for proper grinding
To make coffee aromatic and pleasant to taste, you need to grind it well. The basic rule for grinding coffee beans is: "The faster you want to brew coffee, the finer you need to grind the beans."
For example, espresso does not boil for more than a minute, which means that the grains must be ground finely.
In a coffee pot with a piston, a refreshment drink is prepared for more than 6 minutes, which means that grinding is necessary for coarse and coarse.
In order for the coffee to be aromatic, you need to choose the right coffee grinder. Usually everyone buys coffee grinders with two propeller blades. Unfortunately, they cannot provide high-quality grinding. If you grind the grains for more than a minute, then such a coffee grinder will heat up, and with an increase in temperature the coffee aroma will go into the air, and not into a cup.
The result of a good grinding is cold and equal particles of ground mass. The ideal coffee grinder is a hand mill with millstones and with two blades. In such a coffee grinder, the position of the blades can be changed and thereby control the degree of coffee grinding. This method is rather slow, but only it will provide a good result - a fragrant drink.
Before starting the grinding procedure, carefully read the instructions of the manufacturer of the coffee grinder, which indicates how long it takes to grind the grains.
For the most popular coffee grinder-propeller, the following grinding rules apply:
- grains must be crushed larger than necessary;
- do not grind for more than 10 seconds at a time to prevent overheating of coffee beans;
- You need to grind no more than 4 tablespoons at a time.
How to cook coffee beans in a Turk on a stove
Turk is a small vessel with a narrow neck and a thick bottom. The technique of preparing a drink in Turk came to us from our ancestors. What is necessary in order to make coffee in a Turk at home?
You will need only three things: a Turk, coffee beans and a coffee grinder.
The grinding of grains should be coarse and coarse. In this case, it is better to use a manual coffee grinder.
As soon as you have ground the coffee beans, start making coffee. Below is a short recipe with a photo "How to brew coffee beans."
- Pour 200 milliliters of pure water into the turk.
- Add two teaspoons of ground coffee (per serving).
- Add sugar to taste.
- Cook on low heat.
- How much to brew coffee beans? Before boiling. As soon as the contents of the turkish boil and give foam, remove it from the heat and let it stand for a while.
- Once the foam has settled, put the Turk on fire again and wait for it to boil.
- Repeat the procedure three times.
- Pour coffee into cups.
- If desired, add cream or milk to taste.
When making coffee in Turk, you should pay special attention to water. It is better if the coffee is prepared in pure spring water. Chlorinated city liquid will spoil the whole taste of this wonderful drink. Distilled water for coffee is also not suitable - the taste of the drink will not be so saturated.
Coffee Experiments
Already knowing how to brew grain coffee in a Turk, you can start experimenting with a drink. Every day you can choose which drink you will drink. For example, today at breakfast you will drink a delicious Italian blend, and tomorrow - an extraordinary Ethiopian monosort or indescribable plantation coffee from Jamaica.
You can add some seasonings to the drink. Food lovers typically use the following flavors:
- ground cloves;
- sea salt;
- lemon;
- black pepper;
- vanilla;
- honey;
- ginger root;
- star anise;
- ground walnut or hazelnut;
- cinnamon;
- garlic;
- cocoa.
But frankly, real coffee does not require any additives. Its taste is inexpressible, and the aroma is delicious.
Varieties of coffee machines
Real fans of a fragrant and invigorating drink prepare it in a coffee machine. There are three types of coffee makers:
- carob coffee machines;
- automatic devices;
- capsule coffee makers;
- coffee makers with a filter.
Next, we will talk about how to make a drink in coffee machines of various types.
Automatic coffee machines
They will do all the work themselves. You only need to enjoy the aroma and taste of the prepared drink. Automatic coffee machines are equipped with built-in coffee grinders, a temperature controller, a coffee grinder, and some models even contain a cappuccino machine.
An automatic coffee machine has only one drawback - its cost, otherwise it is perfect. The coffee machine does not require any manipulation from a person. All that is needed is to pour coffee beans into a special container and set the cooking parameters.
Horn coffee machines
Horns are similar in size to automatic coffee machines. But there are exceptions. There are carob coffee machines of a rather large size, which are usually used in restaurants, bars and cafes.
Massive carob coffee machines are equipped with a large tank under water - from 10 liters or more. Small carob coffee machines (for home use) have a water tank with a capacity of about two liters.
The coffee machine for home use differs not only in the capacity of the tank under water, but also in the number of horns. For a home, a coffee machine with one horn is quite suitable, but for a cafe - with two or more.
Some horn units are equipped with a special device that whips milk with steam.
How to make a drink in a carob coffee machine?
- If necessary, beat the milk in a cup using a special device located on the coffee machine.
- Grind the grains with a manual coffee grinder.
- Place the ground grains in the horn. Compress the contents of the horn.
- Pour water into a special container.
- Place the horn in the coffee machine. Secure it tightly so that it cannot fly off during cooking.
- Set the cooking mode.
The principle of operation of the horn coffee machine is as follows: due to the pressure created, hot steam is in the horn. Here it passes through the ground grains, and the finished drink is sent to a cup.
The cost of such a coffee machine directly depends on its performance, brand and volume. The most popular are Italian coffee makers.
Capsule Coffee Machines
Now capsule coffee machines are no less popular. It is only worth noting that the cost of one serving of a drink prepared in a capsule coffee machine is much higher than the cost of coffee made in a carob coffee maker.
How to cook in a capsule coffee machine?
- Insert the capsule into the special compartment in the coffee machine.
- Click the button.
- The capsule will pierce, and water of a certain temperature will enter the resulting hole.
- An invigorating drink is poured into the cup.
Filter coffee makers
Using coffee makers with a special filter is another way to make a fragrant drink at home.
This device is quite easy to use. The coffee maker contains a cone-shaped filter, into which it is necessary to fill the previously ground grains.
Filters for such coffee makers can be disposable and reusable. The latter are made of nylon and equipped with plastic frames. Reusable filters can be used more than 60 times.
A coffee maker with a filter will be affordable for any gourmet - this device is quite cheap.
The principle of operation of the coffee maker with the filter is as follows: the water is heated in a special tank, then it enters the filter, where ground grains are located. The finished drink already flows out of the filter into a special bowl.
Cooking in such a device is simple:
- Fill a special tank with water.
- Place ground coffee in the filter.
- Press the power button.
It is worth noting that coffee made in a coffee maker with a filter is significantly inferior in taste to a drink made in a Turk.
How to brew coffee beans without a turk and coffee maker
By the way, don’t be upset if you don’t have a good Turk or a coffee machine in your home. You can brew coffee beans in a pot on the stove. How to do it? Just as if you were making coffee in a Turk. The pan is worth choosing small sizes.
The second way to make coffee without using a turk and coffee machine is to make a drink in the microwave. How to make coffee in this way?
- Pour cold boiled water into a small mug.
- Add ground coffee to water (approximately 2 teaspoons per 200 milliliters of water).
- Add sugar to taste and other seasonings if necessary.
- Mix the contents of the mug well.
- Cover with a saucer and place in the microwave for one minute (the microwave must be turned on at full power).
As you can see, it takes a lot of time to make coffee in the microwave. Just one minute - and you will enjoy aromatic and mouth-watering coffee. A drink prepared in a microwave oven does not differ in taste from coffee made in a Turk or a coffee machine.
There is another way how to brew coffee beans in a Turk without a coffee machine - this is brewing coffee in the sand. This method is quite sophisticated and is hardly suitable for average Russian cuisine. The drink is prepared in the sand in the same way as on the stove, only the Turk is not set on fire, but on hot sand.
Finally
Delicious and aromatic coffee will always help to cheer up in the morning, give strength during a hard day's work or will be an elegant addition to any meeting. But in order for the drink to be saturated, you need to properly prepare it.
To summarize, I want to note all the main points in the preparation of a fragrant drink:
- use only coffee beans;
- grind coffee in a manual coffee grinder (in an electric coffee grinder, grind no more than 10 seconds at a time);
- adjust the degree of grinding of coffee depending on which drink you want to prepare;
- do not rush while making coffee in Turk;
- pay attention to the degree of coffee roasting;
- when brewing coffee in a coffee machine, carefully read the instructions for the device;
- if desired, add flavorings to the coffee or a pinch of salt, which will soften the taste of coffee;
- Calculate the serving of coffee as follows - two teaspoons of ground coffee per 200 milliliters of water.
Now you know all the secrets of making coffee and you can delight yourself and your loved ones with this delicious drink daily.