Brewing fundamentals

Brewing great coffee doesn’t happen by accident. For the best results use these simple guidelines:

Only use fresh coffee

The longer coffee is exposed to oxygen the more flavor and aroma it will lose. Coffee is best stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry location—not in the fridge or freezer, as cold temperatures will dry out the flavor oils and the coffee may pick-up unwanted odors.

Only cold, fresh water

Do not use mineral water. The minerals will coat the heating element of the coffee brewer and eventually ruin the machine. Neither should you use distilled water, as some mineral content is required for proper flavor extraction.

Remember to keep it clean

Coffee oils can collect on your brewing equipment and can, over time, leach a bitter taste into your daily ritual – so it‘s important to regularly clean your brew basket and pot or thermos with warm soapy water and carefully rinse to remove any soapy residue.

Use enough coffee

The minimum coffee to water ratio is 1/4 oz (7 g) of coffee per 6 fl oz of water—though many coffee lovers prefer a ratio of 1/3 oz (10 g) to 6 fl oz of water. In a commercial machine, 2.5 oz (71 g) of ground coffee to 64 fl oz of water is the standard brewing ratio.

Let it go

If using a glass pot machine with a burner, the coffee will only be good for a maximum of one-half hour. After that, the burner will have cooked off the flavors of the coffee and it will start to taste thick and muddy. If using a thermos, the coffee will only stay fresh for a maximum of an hour.

Coffee & caffeine

Caffeine is a mild central nervous system stimulant, which is found in over 60 plants and trees. Many people drink coffee because of the impact of caffeine—increased awareness, alertness and energy. Caffeine takes approximately 5 minutes to enter your system after ingesting coffee and peaks after 20 minutes. It is cleansed within 3-6 hours thereafter.

In the average cup of coffee, there are 200 mg of caffeine. The darker the coffee roast, the less the caffeine. Espresso coffee has only 70 mg in a shot. The primary reason espresso has less caffeine than a cup of coffee is because caffeine isn’t very water soluble therefore in a 25 second shot of espresso caffeine does not have time to dissolve from the grounds. Coffee must have 97% of its caffeine removed to qualify as decaffeinated. Decaffeinated coffees are more expensive as there is more labor involved in the preparation.

Coffee refrigeration & freezing

CoffeeMarvel does not recommend refrigerating or freezing coffee. When chilled or frozen beans are re-warmed, they will immediately form a layer of water on the bean through the action of condensation. In addition refrigeration and freezing removes the internal moisture content of the bean. CoffeeMarvel recommends storing coffee products in an airtight container in a cool, dry location.