Random Coffee Tips

When you drink as much coffee as we do in our house on a daily basis, you tend to learn a thing or two about coffee. Here's just a rambling sampling of some of the coffee-wisdom that we've culled over the years.

• Always, always, always use COLD water to fill your coffee pot. And keep in mind that the taste of your water will affect the final taste of your coffee. We have well-water that has a bit of a bite to it, so our coffee tastes a little different then coffee shop coffee. But our tastebuds have adjusted accordingly.
• Grounds in your coffee doesn't mean you have to pitch the whole pot. Place a clean coffee filter in the top of your coffee mug before you pour. The filter will catch any of the grounds and the remaining coffee will be just fine. You can also a fine mesh strainer or reusable coffee filter.
• There is nothing worse then burnt coffee. Turn the coffee pot off within an hour of when it brews, and even sooner if the pot is not full.
• We make a full pot of coffee in the morning and nurse it throughout the morning. Reheated coffee is not that good though. Microwaved coffee especially changes in flavor. In the past we have used a carafe, but Eric doesn't really care for the "plastic-y" taste that imparts to the coffee. So what we do instead is turn the coffee pot off as soon as we pour our first cups. Then, when we are ready for our next cup, we turn the pot back on for 5-10 minutes, just long enough for the coffee to warm back up. We repeat this procedure until all of the coffee is gone. With this method, our last cup of coffee tastes as fresh and hot as our first.
• Don't throw away the remaining coffee in the pot at the end of the day. Instead, use it to fill up an ice cube tray. Then, use your coffee ice cubes to help cool off that first cup in the morning to get your instant boost.
• Want to add some flavor to your coffee that's all-natural and tastes great? Sprinkle a little cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, or a combination of the three on your coffee grounds before brewing.
  

Stop by Tammy's Recipes for more kitchen tips and Blissfully Domestic for more I Am Blissfully Domestic.