A SUCCESSFUL COFFEE

Several parameters are important in making a good coffee and these are sometimes neglected.

WATER AND LIMESCALE

Good quality water is essential to obtaining a good coffee. Hard water will produce a hard and bitter coffee. Mineral water with a low calcium content is therefore recommended or tap water if it has been through a softener. Another important principle is that boiling water should never be used, it should be simmering at 92-95°.

THE GROUNDS AND THE DOSE

Fine, medium or large grounds… it all depends on the type of cafetière.
The finest grounds are those used for making Turkish coffee. Then espresso which is still quite fine. Other filtering methods use more or less the same size grounds .Wrappings generally indicate the calibre of the coffee grounds.
For filter coffee, the recommended dose is 10 grams of coffee per cup, which is roughly a heaped dessert spoonful.
To make an espresso, a dose of 7 grams per cup is ideal. This dose is used in the manufacture of 123Spresso pods.



THE CUP AND SUGAR

It is always preferable to use a tulip-shaped cup, made of porcelain, with a thick rim and if one takes sugar, it should be caster sugar.