Normally when making coffee, the stronger the coffee, the more bitter it becomes. So, what’s the trick behind making stronger coffee that’s also smooth with no bitter taste? That’s what we’ll talk about in this post.
Defining Terms
What is strong coffee? You’d think that would be obvious, but it’s not. I’ll admit that what most people mean when they say they want strong coffee, what they really want is a very strong “burnt and bitter” flavor. Why would anyone want burnt and bitter? Well, because that’s pretty much been their only option for the last 100 years. Industrial coffee companies have convinced us that burnt-n-bitter is good. I’ll bet that most coffee drinkers in this country wouldn’t know the difference between industrial burnt-n-bitter coffee and ground up charcoal.
It wasn’t always this way. In the old days, prior to WWI, coffee was smooth and flavorful. So, for our discussion let’s define strong coffee as coffee with a very strong “coffee” flavor, that’s also NOT bitter and NOT burnt. Now that’s the trick isn’t it? Here’s the solution to making stronger coffee.Good Beans
First, start out with good coffee. That means 100% Arabica beans, preferably from Central America, and better yet from Costa Rica. Why? Good Arabica coffee is not bitter. Central America coffee is generally sweeter. And Costa Rican coffee is the smoothest coffee on the planet.
Gently Roasted
Next, make sure that your coffee isn’t over roasted. Good luck on that. In the US, we’re notorious for over roasting our coffee.
Fresh Roasted
As a Spokane Coffee Roaster, I can confidently say, make sure that the coffee was roasted less than 30 days ago. Old and stale coffee is bitter. All coffee goes bitter in 30 days. So, make sure the coffee is fresh.
Brew For Strength
Next, change the way you brew your coffee. The two brewing methods that make stronger coffee are very similar; espresso (undiluted) or the AeroPress. I think the AeroPress gives you a smoother and stronger coffee. Besides the AeroPress costs $29 and a good espresso machine $229. AeroPress Review Click Here.
More is Better
Lastly, to make stronger coffee, use more coffee. I typically use double the recommended amount of coffee. I also grind the coffee a little more course than what’s typically recommended. This gives a stronger and smoother cup of coffee.
Why Stronger Coffee?
I’ve always equated stronger coffee with more bitter coffee. When you follow these steps, I think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I have been. Try stronger coffee. I think you’ll like it.
You have given me a great idea. The AeroPress would be great for traveling. I’m going on a cruise and hate paying $7 per cup for specialty coffee on board the ship. If I pregrind Lake City Coffee, bring the AeroPress in my luggage (it doesn’t look too large), and get hot water from the ship’s dining room, I could make my own coffee which would taste much better and save myself (at 2 cups per day on a 14 day cruise) $196. I could then use that money to buy myself a nice pair of fine jewelry pearl earrings in Hong Kong. Thanks, Russ.
Oh, this idea of yours gets better than that! Now you need a kick ass manual grinder. Go to our Shop / Brewing Equipment page. You’ll find a hand grinder that was actually made to fit inside the AeroPress! Not only does it save on space, but this is one awesome grinder. I won’t say it’s easier than an electric, but it’s close. Then you can grind, brew, and drink in about 2 minutes!
Great idea. Next you will have me making fresh gourmet coffee with my door open to entice all the other passengers with the wonderful aroma. One of two things will then happen, I will either go into business in competition with the ship’s specialty coffee cafe or they will want to hire me as a barista.
I always said that you’d make a better businessman than me!