It is very simple to make a great cup of coffee, you just need to learn a couple a thing to move your process from just an average cup to great. Here are some tips on how to make coffee so that you will get the most enjoyment out of your gourmet coffee.

Coffee Storage
Protect your coffee from heat, light and moisture. Transfer the coffee to an airtight container, or keep it in this bag rolled tight. Store in a cool dark place or in the freezer for the best preservation.

Grinding Your Coffee Beans
Grind only as much coffee as you will need just before brewing, otherwise it will oxidize and lose its flavor. We recommend a burr coffee grinder over a blade grinder since it has more consistency. Use the proper grind for your coffee maker. Use a coarse fine for a French press, a medium grind for a vacuum pot and a finer grind for a manual drip method. For further instructions please visiting our grinding coffee beans page.

Fresh Water
Use only fresh water as the water you use can make a great gourmet coffee bad. Do not use distilled water as it produces a flat cup of coffee. Use only fresh cold water. Bottled or filtered water is recommended.

Measure
We recommend using two level tablespoons of ground coffee for each six ounces of water. Adjust to your particular taste and don't trust the measurements markings on your drip coffee maker as they are often wrong. Some coffees are naturally weaker than others.

Brewing
Poor brewing methods has a greater impact on the flavor of coffee than does the quality of the beans. The best cup of coffee is brewed using the manual drip method, a French press pot, or a vacuum pot. Traditional electric drip coffee machines do a fine job but check out which ones are the best through tests such as the ones found on Consumer Reports.

Coffee can be kept warm on a burner for only 20 minutes before the flavor becomes bitter. We recommend that you only brew your coffee 5 minutes before your are ready to drink. An airtight thermos will preserve the flavor and many coffee pots come with thermos carafes. For more information visiting our how to brew coffee page.

Preparing your Java
Many people prefer a straight black cup of coffee which gives you a full taste of the coffee variety. Using half & half creamer adds a nice rich dairy taste. Using skim milk works but requires a large amount to affect the flavor. We do not recommend using coffee flavor additives with your gourmet coffee as it disguises and greatly alters the taste. Save the coffee flavorings this for the cheap grocery store coffee since it requires help to boost the flavor. However, be careful as most of these type of coffee flavors are loaded with hydrogenated oils.

If you prefer a sweetener use raw sugar over the white granular to give it the full rich sugar flavor. If your are watching your calories then use Splenda. Equal and Sweet & Low are also good but in our opinion adds a bitter taste to your cup.

For more on coffee go to: http://www.volcanicacoffee.com/