In the early days of the coffee craze, before the first\rStarbucks arrived in my town, I owned a tea and coffee\rhouse for several years. At the time, espresso was\rsomething new for most people, and a lot of my customers\rhad questions. I decided to teach a class on coffee at the\rshop, and learned in the process that there are several\rmisunderstandings about buying, storing, and grinding\rcoffee that when corrected can lead to a much more\renjoyable cup of coffee.

True coffee connoisseurs know that buying coffee beans in\rsmall amounts that allow you to brew your coffee within a\rday or two of being roasted will result in the closest to a\rperfect cup of java. If you keep the beans in an air-tight\rcontainer the flavor will remain strong for seven to ten\rdays. Contrary to popular belief, storing beans in your\rrefrigerator or freezer will actually diminish the flavor.\rThere are two reasons for this. First, the beans will soak\rup the flavors of other stored items. Secondly, moisture\raffects the oils in the roast. Better to store that\rcontainer on the counter (in a dark, cool place, if\rpossible). If you can't smell an aroma or it's unpleasant,\rthe beans are past their prime.

Soapy water can leave a residue, so when cleaning your\rcoffee storage, use a dry cloth or paper towel to soak up\rthe oil. Clean the container regularly because oil can get\rrancid over time. Also, frequently clean the equipment you\ruse for brewing. Again, don't use soap because of the\rresidue. Instead use vinegar and salt and rinse\rthoroughly.

Always grind only the amount you will use immediately.\rOnce exposed, the oils in the beans disperse, affecting the\rcoffee flavor. If you grind your beans the night before you\rbrew your morning cup, you will be losing flavor. Switch to\rgrinding in the morning, unless you don't want to wake your\rsweetheart with the noise from the grinder. How fine or\rcoarse the grind should be depends on how long the hot\rwater will be in contact with the coffee grinds. The\rshorter the length of time, the finer the grind so that the\rsurface area is maximized. Here are the consistencies you\rwill want for the different methods of brewing:

Drip Brew: Grind to a character similar to table sugar if\rthe drip cycles range from four to six minutes. Grind to a\rfiner consistency if less.

French Press: Use an extremely coarse grind.

Espresso: Very fine, powder-like. The extraction time of\respresso should be between 25 and 30 seconds. If a one\rounce extraction takes longer, use a coarser grind; if it\rtakes less time, grind finer.

How much coffee do you grind? For brewed (and French\rPress) coffee, three tablespoons for eight ounces of water.\rFor espresso, an ounce (7 grams) for a single shot. Double\rthat for a double shot.

Time and again I heard from my customers that they had no\ridea what a good cup of coffee really tasted like until\rafter they had followed these easy guidelines. Try it. It's\rthe small things that will make your coffee drinking\rexperience sublime.

Professional writing coach Marilyn J. Schwader writes on a\rrange of topics. Her articles about coffee are published\rin The News at QY Coffee\rthe single on-line resource for a world of news about\rcoffee. Be sure to refer to all Marilyn's articles at\rhttp://www.qycoffee.com/