How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee

So many of us need a good cup of coffee to provide us with the inclination to get out of bed and deal with the day. Whether you stick with good old instant, opt for a French press or have a fancy coffee maker with more buttons than you know what to do with, the need for coffee should never outweigh the desire to create the perfect cup.

You may not be a trained barista and have the skills you need to make your coffee foam look like a leaf, but that’s no excuse for a bad cup in the morning. Even if you’re running out the door and hastily pouring hot water into a thermos, you can still ensure that that cup of coffee is the best it can be.

People may sneer at instant coffee, but it’s a hard worker and has become the backbone of the British household and office. It’s there when you need it and can be ready in moments, helping you avoid looking like a caffeine-deprived zombie in the mornings.

However, there’s more to instant coffee than just whacking it into a mug and boiling the kettle.

For starters, you can guarantee the best cup possible by simply filling your kettle with fresh water every time you boil it. This means only putting in enough for the number of cups you need to make. You should also aim to turn the kettle off just before it reaches boiling point in order to get the best taste.

You may be tempted to add the milk after the hot water, but this is a sure fire way to burn the coffee, making it taste bitter. Instead, add milk to your mug first – if you drink your coffee black, add a splash of cold water – and then pour on your hot water, stirring as you do.

Finally, wrap your hands around your mug, take a good sip and sigh in pleasure knowing that your coffee is the best it can be.

A good cup of French pressed coffee starts with the beans. It may be easier to buy your chosen coffee ready-ground, but a true connoisseur of caffeine knows that grinding them yourself is the way forward.

However, we know that grinding your coffee can take time, so if you do buy it ready to go, make sure you seal the bag after each use, pop it in a sealed container – the less air that can get to it, the fresher is stays – and store it in the fridge or freezer.

Next up, just as with instant, your water needs to be hot but not boiling, so turn the kettle off early. You don’t want to scorch the coffee but you still want to extract a lot of flavour so keep an eye on your kettle.

After pouring your water into your French press, give your coffee a vigorous stir before leaving it to steep for four minutes. Once it’s steeped, pop the plunger and drink up the sweet nectar that is the perfect cup of coffee.

Whether you use a fancy machine or prefer the classic stove-top espresso maker, the same thing results in a great cup – the grind of your coffee. Coffee beans for espresso should be fresh – again it’s best to grind them yourselves but you can get good coffee good to go – and should be kept as fresh as possible as with French press.

The ground of your coffee should be fine but not too fine, as this can result in a burnt a flavour. However, you also don’t want to go too course or your espresso will be far too watery. Your coffee should clump a little when you squeeze it without being sticky.

But the real key to the perfect espresso is tamping, which is when you compact the coffee into the basket of your chosen espresso maker. This means that your coffee fills the basket evenly and that the water steeps it more thoroughly.

Whether you drink it straight or add milk, you’ll get the perfect cup of espresso every time – just don’t do too much experimenting in one day or you won’t be able to hold your coffee cup!