Getting Better Coffee from a Drip Coffeemaker

A drip coffeemaker is a convenient, affordable way to get a morning cup of coffee, but is your coffee flavorful. The type of drip coffeemaker you use is not as important to brewing good tasting coffee as quality beans, fresh water and a clean machine. 

Step 1: Good Taste is in the beans

Buying good quality beans and grinding them yourself right before coffee making is the ideal way to give the coffee a good taste. 

Step 2: Coffee Making Needs Cold, Fresh Water

Pour cold, fresh tap or filtered water into the coffeemaker. Do not use distilled water, since it is not only stripped of impurities but also minerals. The taste of the coffee is changed without the minerals in the water. 

Step 3: Storing Coffee

How you store coffee beans or ground coffee can change the flavor. Keep coffee in an airtight container and away from direct sunlight. Coffee loses its flavor when it is exposed to oxygen. Never place coffee in the refrigerator or freezer because the cold temperature gives it a stale taste. 

Step 4: Brewing Coffee

Using enough coffee in the coffeemaker can make a difference. Add one tablespoon of coffee to 8 oz. of water for good taste. Paper coffee filters make it easy to dispense coffee grounds and they keep the filter basket from collecting residue in hard to clean nooks and crannies. Do not stop the coffeemaker during coffee making to pour a cup of coffee. The first cup of brewed coffee is the strongest while each succeeding cup gets weaker. Leaving the coffee until the coffeemaker is done gives the coffee a balanced taste. Once the drip coffeemaker is done, take the pot off of the burner. Transfer the coffee to a thermal carafe to keep it warm. Coffee that is left on the burner becomes overheated, making it bitter. 

Step 5: A Clean Coffeemaker Equals Good Taste

Oils are present in the coffee and they are left behind after coffee making. If you don’t routinely clean the coffeemaker, the leftover oils can become rancid. 

To continue having good tasting coffee, the pot and filter basket should be washed in soapy water every time you use the coffeemaker. Once a week, wipe down the entire coffeemaker, including all of the parts, with water and baking soda. Every month clean the inside of the coffeemaker with vinegar and water. Pour ¼ cup of vinegar into the reservoir of the coffeemaker and add water until it is completely filled. Turn the coffeemaker on to run the solution through the machine. After the vinegar cycle is done, run only water through the coffeemaker. Continue running water through the coffeemaker until the vinegar smell dissipates.