Find A Local Roaster: A good local roaster has fresh coffee for you, two hundred times better than what you can find at the grocery store. A great local roaster will also help you find a type of brew that’s perfect for your taste buds.
Buy Your Coffee From GoCoffeeGo: Don’t have a local roaster near you? Check out my friends over at GoCoffeeGo. They’re connected with some of the best roasters across the country and can have coffee shipped directly to your door.
Buy Whole Bean Coffee: Just do it! I’m not going to say it again (okay, I probably will). Don’t buy pre-ground coffee. Coffee goes stale and starts to lose it’s flavor within fifteen minutes of grinding.
Buy Only The Coffee You Need: Buy only enough for the next one to two weeks. Even whole bean coffee starts to go stale two to three weeks after it was roasted.
Store It Properly: Remember in the preview paragraph where I said coffee goes stale within 2-3 weeks. Well, improperly stored it can go stale even quicker! Store yours in a cool, dark and dry spot, preferably in an air-tight container.
Freeze Your Coffee? This one is still up for debate. However, if you decide to freeze your un-opened coffee, don’t put the opened bag back into the freezer. An open bag will let in moisture and aromas that are out to ruin your coffee.
Use Clean Water: Do you drink your water straight from the faucet? Yeah, me neither. I use a filter, you should too! Don’t be lazy because a water filter will go a long way to better tasting cups of joe.
Use A Coffee Grinder: Now that you’ve bought a whole bean coffee, you’re going to need something to grind it with. By the way, only grind it before you’re going to brew. Don’t grind it all at one time, only what you need. Please! Do it for my sake.
Invest In A Better Grinder: A cheap blade grinder will get the job done, but you’ll be able to taste the difference with a quality burr grinder. A blade grinder doesn’t grind your beans evenly, plus it can add a not so desired burnt flavor to your grinds.
Clean Your Grinder: A dirty coffee grinder is going to negatively affect your brew because there’s all sorts of oils and left over scraps of beans inside of it. Clean it out with rice, it’s simple and quick to do.
Use The Right Grind: There is not one grind that’s perfect for everything. A quick, simple guide is that espresso needs fine, drip coffee maker needs a medium grind and a french press needs a coarse grind.
Buy A French Press: It’s relatively cheap and a huge upgrade in the taste department over most drip coffee makers. My French Press is my go to method of brewing coffee and what I use when I’m reviewing coffees.
Try A Chemex: Want a little bit more adventure in your life? Try a Chemex for great flavors, a smooth sip and it’s looks will impress your friends.
Check Out An Aeropress: Need to make one great tasting cup of coffee at a time? The Aeropress has your name written all over it.
Clean Your Coffeemaker: If you’re set in stone in using your drip coffee maker, at least clean it once in a while. All you need is some vinegar and water. Do it!
Don’t Boil Your Coffee: Boiling water is too hot for coffee grounds. It can turn even world class beans into a bitter brew.
Don’t Let Your Coffee Sit In The Coffee Pot: Brew only what you need. Please don’t just leave your coffee in the pot after you pour your cup, especially if it has a heat plate. The heat plate can cook the coffee and even if you don’t have one, your brewed coffee will go stale within and lose it’s flavors in less than an hour.
Don’t Re-use Grounds: I know there’s some of you out there that still do this! Stop it! Now. It’s just not worth the pennies you’ll save.
Measure Your Coffee: I’m not one of those geeks that weighs their coffee, but I do recommend measuring it so that you know you’re using close to the right amount of coffee.
Get A Good Travel Mug: Nothing makes me sadder than a travel mug that leaks and doesn’t keep my coffee hot. That’s why it is important to choose a good coffee thermos.
That’s my suggestions. What would you add to this list?