Tips

 

BREWING TIPS: 

  1. Start with fresh roasted high-quality coffee from Al Gusto Coffee Company.
  2. Use good water. Brew with bottled, filtered, or reverse osmosis water. Brewed coffee is 98% water, so fresh tasting water definitely will make a great difference in taste.
  3. Brew coffee with hot water at a temperature between 185° F to 200° F.  If the water temperature is not hot enough, your coffee will be poorly extracted and weak.
  4. Select the proper grind. The method you use to make your coffee changes what kind of grind you need. If your grind is too fine, you will get bitter, over extracted coffee. If your grind is too course, you will have weak, under extracted coffee. A drip or auto drip brewer requires a medium or auto drip grind. For a french press or percolator, use a course grind. Espresso machines need a fine espresso grind. (See grind chart below) 
  5. Use the correct amount of coffee. As a guide, use one tablespoon per cup and adjust to taste.



GRIND OPTIONS EXPLAINED

Whole Bean - whole bean coffee tends to be more flavorful, fresh, and aromatic. For the best coffee experience, you should buy your beans whole and grind them yourself right before brewing. 

Medium is what you typically see when you buy ground coffee from the grocery store. The pieces are small and this grind is best used for pour-over and drip coffees.

Fine, Espresso is the smallest grind we offer. This grind is used mostly for  espresso machines and moka pots.

 

STORAGE TIPS:

Coffee degrades over time depending on the storage method (see shelf life chart below). Coffee in whole beans will keep longer than ground coffee.  You should only grind coffee before brewing and only the amount you plan to use that day to avoid unnecessary exposure. Proper storage will keep out moisture and other contaminants and preserve freshness.

  • To preserve freshness, keep the coffee bag in a resealable zipper storage bag, or place coffee in a airtight container.
  • Coffee may be stored in the freezer. Use of an air-tight container is recommended. Simply remove the desired amount of coffee from the freezer and brew. 
  • Not sure you want to freeze your coffee? Freeze half your coffee, and store the other half at room temperature, then brew each after a week or two and taste the difference.

COFFEE SHELF LIFE:
Coffee, if stored properly, can last for months and even years. This table below represents the shelf life of coffee: 
 

HOW TO TELL IF COFFEE IS BAD?

The best way to tell if it has gone bad is to use your sense of smell. If coffee has gone bad or old, the pleasant aroma will be gone and with it much of the taste. Using bad/old coffee will not harm you, but will just not have much flavor and no aroma. Bad/old coffee also tends to appear a lighter brown than normal even in darker roasts.

COFFEE ACIDITY Vs. BITTERNESS: