5 Things You Need to Know for the Perfect Cup of Coffee: We all have our favourite way to make Coffee. But that doesn’t mean we’re doing it right. At De Inspecteur, barista Sophie Boonen gives tips for a tasty, affordable cup of Coffee with the least possible impact on our planet.
Tip 1: Rinse the Filter
Do you pour your Coffee at home with a filter, or do you use a traditional coffee maker? Then rinse the paper filter beforehand, says Sophie Boonen.
“In the past, the main purpose of this rinse was to remove the glue residues from the paper. But it also has another advantage: a wet filter better absorbs the oil and fats from the Coffee. As a result, rinsing greatly increases the taste and also makes the Coffee more beautiful because there is no longer an oily layer floating on top.”
In the best-case scenario, you rinse the filter with hot water when it is already on the jug so that it is also preheated immediately.
Sophie also advises not to pour too much water into the filter at once: “Little bits are better. Otherwise, you will bring up the coffee grounds, and the water will run past them. That way, you also have to use fewer coffee grounds, which means you waste less and therefore save money .”
“Count on about 60 grams of coffee per litre of water. So if you pour only a little bit of water at a time, you have less waste.”
– Sophie Boonen, barista
Tip 2: Store Your Coffee the Right Way
One of Coffee’s biggest enemies is oxygen, says Sophie Boonen: “Coffee oxidizes quickly. When you open a package, the first volatile aromas have already disappeared after fifteen minutes. It is, therefore, best to store your Coffee in a vacuum as much as possible .”
This also applies to Senseopads, for example. “Once the package is open, it is better to repack the pads in an airtight box. That way, they stay as fresh as possible.”
Sophie also strongly advises against storing your Coffee in the refrigerator. “I know that some producers recommend this on the packaging, but it is only possible if the Coffee is 100% hermetically sealed. If not, it will absorb all the odours from your fridge .”
“Only keep Coffee in the refrigerator if it is 100% hermetically sealed. Otherwise, it will taste like the camembert or half an onion in your fridge.”
– Sophie Boonen, barista
Tip 3: Don’t Pour Coffee Grounds Down the Sink
Even Jeroen Meus does it, he once said on television. But pouring coffee grounds down the drain is not such a good idea, according to Sophie Boonen. “It’s an old habit, and the grit indeed sands your pipes. But there is always some grit left behind in the siphon under your sink, which sooner or later leads to blockages. You can scrub your hands with it now and then, but the little grit you use will flush through.”
Coffee grounds are quite an underestimated substance, Boonen knows. “98% of all the minerals and nutrients of the Coffee are still in the grit, only 2% of that ends up in the Coffee itself. Coffee grounds are a valuable fertilizer for (flowering) plants, both indoors and in the garden. You can also colour dark hair or grow mushrooms on it. The industry has already discovered coffee grounds as a basis for plastics .”
“People still pour away Coffee too often. A shame if you know how much time and energy it takes: the whole process from berry to bean takes nine months.”
– Sophie Boonen, barista
Tip 4: Recycle Your Cups
Coffee cups in aluminium or plastic have become immensely popular in recent years. “They also have a lot of advantages,” says Sophie. “They are user-friendly, you always have a cup of fresh coffee, and you never make too much .”
The aluminium capsules, in particular, guarantee good quality, says Boonen. “Sooner or later, plastic lets moisture through, which is detrimental to the taste of Coffee. Hence, you will find aluminium in just about every coffee container. That keeps the coffee dark, dry and sealed off from oxygen .”
But the metal is scarce and expensive. “Fortunately, it is endlessly reusable, and many producers make a real effort to collect and recycle the cups. But that system can only succeed if the consumer also brings in or sends the cups in .”
“It is good that cups are recycled, but the entire system stands or falls with the consumer: if we do not bring the cups in, they will not be recycled.”
– Sophie Boonen, barista
Tip 5: This Is How You Make One Cup With as Little Waste as Possible
If you only want to make one cup of coffee at a time, you don’t necessarily have to use coffee cups. Nowadays, there are many coffee machines with a built-in coffee grinder, with which you can make a fresh cup. “Don’t pour too many beans into the reservoir because that’s where they also start to oxidize,” advises Sophie.
She also advises not to opt for one of the cheapest devices on the market. More affordable materials are often used, which means they break down faster. “But an expensive top device is not a must. The most important thing is that you maintain your device as prescribed by the manufacturer. Because many coffee machines break down prematurely because people don’t clean them properly.”
In the long run, such a device with coffee beans also pays for itself. “We don’t think about it, but coffee cups are sometimes insanely expensive. For example, a Nespresso capsule contains 5.5 g of Coffee, which costs about 68 euros per kg. So coffee beans are a lot cheaper,” says Sophie.
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