How to Make the Perfect Coffee

Espresso

Derive 30 ml Espresso shot from 7 gm (+/- 0.5 gm) of fresh ground coffee.

Extraction time should not be more than 18 – 30 seconds.

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Cappuccino

The proportion of milk and coffee should be right which are roughly 1/3 Coffee, 1/3 Hot Milk and 1/3 foamed milk.

For frothing always start from cold milk and the temperature reached should be 65° – 70° C (Above 70°C, sugar starts to be released which changes the flavor of the milk in turn affecting the flavor of the coffee).

Café Mocha

Do not use dip-brewed coffee. Instead use a brewed espresso as chocolate compliments espresso well.

Specialty Coffee

If you grind the coffee beans too fine and are using a plunger to brew the coffee, it will result in over extracted and bitter sludge.

If you grind it too coarse, then your coffee will be weak and watery.

Café Au Lait

Use filter coffee over an espresso shot and steamed milk will taste better.

There are no absolutes here. You can try different variations of milk to coffee proportion.

Irish coffee

Warm the glass under running hot water before you make your coffee as it assists in creating distinctive layers. It will also not absorb the heat from the ingredients.

Never use whipped cream for Irish coffee. Use a high quality cream which has to be poured from the back of a spoon till you get an almost 1½ inch thick layer.

From the May 2012 issue of FHM India.