How To Tell If You’re Drinking Good Coffee

Just like art, you might not be an expert on what makes a coffee great, but you know what you like. 

Brilliant, but have you thought about what you might be missing?

Challenging your taste buds to a little road test is easy and you may find that what you once thought good now pales in comparison.

Never underestimate the bean. Fresh is best, and there are some great quality Arabica blends and roasts from around the world to choose from.

You’ll soon get to know what you like, but to extract the best from the humble bean, no matter how fresh or how good, rests on the broad shoulders of your barista.

It’s up to the barista to get the balance between the roast and the grind just right. And, just because they have a great big shiny machine to help them means little if they don’t treat it with TLC and clean it regularly to avoid any tainting or yuck factor.

When it comes to the milk, think Goldilocks. Your barista has to get the temperature just right as, along with how they aerate it, this will also affect taste and texture.

Next is the pouring, an art in itself, after all that lovely marbling on the surface doesn’t happen on its own.

So do yourself a flavour, and start testing coffee’s finest today.

Sarah Murray, Citysearch