Growing up, that lovely aroma of coffee was what I woke up to every morning. My day doesn’t start until I get my coffee. Like me, you’re probably not functional without your morning mug. If you’re looking for an extra kick in the morning to start you off, you might want to make your coffee stronger. Here’s how you can brew stronger coffee.
What does strong coffee mean?
It’s important to first know what strong coffee means before we get into how you can brew it. For a lot of people, strong coffee means either two things:
- That it has a bolder flavor
- That it has high caffeine content
- The last option is that it has either of the two characteristics.
Bolder Flavor
For coffee diehards, a bold flavor makes all the difference. It’s important to mention that a strong flavor doesn’t necessarily mean a bitter taste. If your coffee is too bitter, it probably means that you’re doing something wrong. A bold flavor is normally a smoky taste or a woodsy flavor in your coffee with coincides with the aroma of your coffee. Plus a boldly flavored mug will have a full-bodied feel when in your mouth. Really, it involves several of your senses and has less to do with bitterness.
Moving on to how you can make the perfect strong cup, there are several things that you will need to consider in order to bring out that flavor:
Choose a darker roast
A nice dark roast is the best bet to getting that wonderful strong flavor. Take care to use just the right amount of ground otherwise the taste may come out too harsh and no one wants that! Also, a finer grind will bring out the best results only when used with an espresso maker. A coarser grind will be needed if used with a French press or the drip coffee maker.
Change your brewing method
There are a lot of brewing methods out there. But the most suitable for stronger brews are press methods. The French Press and Aero Press are good examples. They may be a bit pricey but it wouldn’t hurt to invest in one. The length of time will also significantly affect your brew, so try 4 minutes if you’re using a French Press. Remember that longer brewing time lengths increase the amount of caffeine in your coffee.
Increase the coffee to water ratio
This is the simplest and probably the most pocket-friendly way of getting a stronger brew. No need to buy a French Press, your drip coffee maker will be just fine. Simply increase the amount of coffee you use while keeping the amount of water constant. Start slow, add an extra half spoonful. You can increase steadily after this until you get the desired strength. Make sure not to use too otherwise, your coffee will be ‘under brewed’ and taste too bitter.
Some suggest that it would be better to work with medium roasts because the darker roasts give off such as harsh flavor when you increase the coffee water ratio.
Higher caffeine content
If stronger coffee for you means higher caffeine content, then you might consider the following to get your desired cup:
Mix up the coffee variety
Robusta generally has more caffeine content than Arabica. Robusta is used in a lot of instant coffees while Arabica is what you’ll mostly find in coffee shops. You might not enjoy the taste of instant coffee, I know for sure that I don’t so go ahead and look for brands that have just the right mixture of Arabica and Robusta. You’ll be getting the best of two worlds, flavor and extra caffeine.
Go for lighter roasts
Yes, contrary to popular belief, lighter roasts do actually have higher caffeine content. This is because less caffeine hasn’t been burnt out during the roasting process as compared to darker roasts.
All these are just guidelines for getting a good strong cuppa. But for all those DIYers out there, we’ll share one method of brewing some strong coffee at home.
A step to step guide on how to make strong coffee at home
Make sure to buy fresh dark whole Arabica beans that are well-packaged and don’t open until the time you plan on brewing them.
Grind until coarse
For those using drip coffee makers, add an extra half-spoonful to increase your coffee to water ratio. A pinch of salt may also reduce chances of any bitter taste.
Brew for 4-6 minutes
Lastly, pour yourself a cup and enjoy! Remember to experiment. It should be enjoyable to learn how to brew a stronger cup of coffee until you make the perfect cup.