Everybody loves a good cup of coffee (especially if it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to make it).  The problem is, most of the awesome and delicious coffee that you enjoy costs money.  Whether that is in the form of new coffee gadgets, burr grinders, or just high quality coffee beans – it ends up being more money for you.  So let me show you how to make coffee in a coffee maker without investing in any new technology.

Rinse Out Your Filters

This is a very easy step you can take to increase the overall extraction that you are getting out of the brew.  By rinsing out the coffee filter prior to brewing you are allowing for more of the distinct oils and flavor notes of the ground coffee to seep through the filter and into the cup.  It only takes a moment to do but will allow a very distinct increase in taste (and less of the bitterness that the paper filter will add to the cup).

Use the Right Water

You don’t want to use room temperature tap water if you are interested in making great coffee – you want to use cold, filtered water.  This is because if you use cooler water it takes slightly longer for the coffee to brew.  This allows for a better extraction and sets you on the right track towards learning how to make coffee at home.

Don’t Let it Sit On the Burner

What do you do when your coffee is finished brewing?  Do you just let it sit on the burner until everyone has had some?  Does it sometimes end up sitting there for quite a while?  This will have a very bad impact on the flavor of the coffee – and it is very easily remedied.  Use a thermos.  Once the coffee has completely finished brewing, pour the coffee into the thermos, turn off the pot, rinse it out and dump out the coffee grounds.  The coffee will stay warm for several hours in a good thermos (so you can take your time drinking it), and it won’t end up tasting burnt.

When coffee sits on the burner it doesn’t just burn – the actual chemical consistency of the brew changes and it becomes a pretty nasty thing to try and imbibe.  So just move it to a thermos where you won’t have to worry about it.

That’s it!  Just follow these basic steps and you can be making really good coffee at home without any further investment and without having to learn any new methods or techniques.

Happy Brewing.