Making the perfect cup of coffee isn’t simple, but it is a whole lot easier than most people realize. And, once you taste an excellent coffee, and see just how quickly and inexpensively you can create one, you’ll never settle for grocery store coffee again.

As a kid, and all the way through into my early adulthood, I really didn’t enjoy coffee much at all. It was bitter, and it gave me an upset stomach most of the time. As I grew older, though, I acquired more and more of a taste for coffee, enjoying the benefits for my alertness, and for the simple enjoyment of a cup. But for a long time, I wasn’t experiencing coffee to the fullest.

Most often, I would brew a pot of some cheap store brand coffee that I made in a free coffee maker from a mail order coffee supply. And I got a mediocre cup of coffee. I just didn’t know it was so bland. Occasionally, I splurged, and bought a cup of something better from Starbucks or some other coffee house. But I continued to settle for second rate coffee.

And then I traveled to Costa Rica. While there, I experienced for the first time just how great coffee can really taste. I toured a coffee plantation and saw first hand how coffee comes to me. But even more importantly, I sampled some of their very own coffee. Instantly, I was in love with the flavor of Cafe Britt coffee. I took several bags home, and proceeded to order from them regularly.

It didn’t take long however, before I realized I needed to purchase coffee as whole beans instead of pre-ground. Of course that meant buying a coffee grinder. From there, I experimented with brewing coffee through a specialty coffee maker, to a French Press, to several varieties of a pourover coffee method.

Once I had perfected my process, I realized that there were two other key elements I had to consider: the quality of my water, and the quality of my coffee. That lead to learning how to roast my own coffee beans, and create my own blends.

Through this series, I will examine each of these elements in turn, taking a look at the specifics of each. By the time we cover them all, you will be able to make the perfect cup of coffee as well.

• Selecting the right beans
• Roasting your own beans
• Grinding the coffee
• Water quality
• Brewing methods – French press
• Brewing methods – pourover
• A brief coffee history
• Helpful benefits of coffee

But why the perfect cup of coffee? Because there are few things better than enjoying the incredible taste of a cup of coffee that leaves you breathless.

A few years ago, I was well into my own coffee journey, but my wife wasn’t convinced that there was much difference between what I made and store brand coffees. How wrong she was! And she soon found out.

When she drank coffee, she drank what I fixed, gradually becoming accustomed to the taste of a quality cup of coffee. We were invited to the wedding of some close friends, and at the reception, Heather grabbed a cup of coffee from the big 50-cup stainless-steel coffee maker, made with a cheap, store brand. As she took her first sip, she was so overcome with the awfulness that she spit it out right then and there.

It was quite amusing to me, and embarrassing for her. But she was acutely aware of the difference a quality cup of coffee has from what the vast majority of people settle for.

As a result of our passion for quality coffee, some have called me a “coffee snob.” I much prefer the term “coffee revolutionary.” And you will soon see why. You’ll wonder why you haven’t made the change before now. Stick around and see how to make the perfect cup of coffee.

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