There is nothing like gourmet flavored coffee to finish off any meal any time of the day. If a cup of gourmet flavored coffee has the capability to fix an otherwise mediocre culinary experience, how much more if the meal was fantastic to begin with? It would be the proverbial icing on the cake.

Ah, but first we need to learn how to make a cup of gourmet flavored coffee. If you think it’s easy, then think again. For to make a perfect cup of gourmet flavored coffee is to pay attention to the finer details.

Below are some tips to help you get started:

Buying and Storing Coffee

For true gourmet flavored coffee, buy beans or coffee grounds only from small specialist retailers. Sure, you may get lucky if you shop for gourmet coffee in supermarkets but quality is the name of the game and quality you can find in specialty shops.

Also, if you grind your own coffee from gourmet flavored coffee beans then so much the better. That way, you can always be certain of fresh product. However, if you don’t have a grinder, you can also do well with a vacuum packed blend, but be sure the pack is sealed tight to ensure that all the wonderful aromas and flavor of freshly ground coffee stays inside.

That said, here are some more tips to help you make sure that your gourmet flavored coffee beans stay fresh as long as possible:

• Coffee deteriorates easily once exposed to air so be sure not to leave your coffee container open. Better yet, use only vacuum packs or airtight containers for storage.
• Store coffee in a cool, dark place that is other than the fridge.
• Strongly aromatic foods shouldn’t be stored near gourmet flavored coffee beans as the latter are easily tainted. * Consume coffee within days or two weeks at most. Anything longer than that may not guarantee the best tasting coffee.

Water

Coffee gourmands say that the best water for gourmet flavored coffee is refrigerated bottled spring water. However, tap or faucet water is acceptable so long as it does not have any odor or pronounced taste. Also, let the faucet water run for a few minutes until it runs cold because the colder the water, the more oxygen it contains. And water with more oxygen yields better gourmet flavored coffee.

As for the coffee to water ratio, the usual recommendation is 1 tablespoon of gourmet flavored coffee per cup capacity of your coffee maker. If you like stronger coffee than that, then use rounded or heaped tablespoon measures of gourmet flavored coffee. Conversely, if you want weaker coffee, use dessert spoon measures or reduce the measure by 1 cup at a time – i.e., 4 tablespoons in a 5 cup capacity coffee maker.