Things that Make Coffee a Great Experience

It was a night out of their own. No boyfriends tagging along and no suitors following them around, just the girls meeting regularly on a Wednesday night after work.

Arlene, a brand manager in the leading beer company in the Philippines, prefers to have white chocolate mocha coffee. Anne, a marketing manager in an international chocolate company, loves latte without sugar. Sharon, a Dermatologist, who has a different taste of coffee depending on her mood, feels like having a cappuccino tonight. There are two things that bring them together on a Wednesday night. Coffee and the weekly novena at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

They are all at the top of their games. They are contemporary, yet religious women. They know how to enjoy the pleasant moments in life, such as having a girls' night out, catching up with each other's lives, and sharing some laughs with a great cup of coffee - their choice!

These girls are all too familiar in making a cup of coffee. To summarize, there are a few key components. These are; ingredients, equipment, and technique.

Ingredients

Always use the best ingredients available. The water should either be filtered or bottled. The temperature should be around 109 to 204 ^oF (43 to 96 ^oC) for maximum extraction.

For best results, use whole coffee beans. Place the beans in an opaque vacuum-sealed container stored in a cool dry location in the house. For longer storage time, you may place them in the freezer.

Equipment

Coffee grinder

The freshness of whole coffee beans will only be processed by using a coffee grinder. The duration of grinding will determine whether you want a course or a fine finish.

Invest in a French coffee press. The director of Starbucks, Scott McMartin, and the master cupper at Folgers Gourmet Selections, Rich Bertagna, both agree that French presses make the richest cup.

Technique

Grind

Place the whole coffee beans in a coffee grinder then "grind as you desire." This is something that you will develop and would initially range from fifteen seconds or so.

Use the French Press

Place two generous scoops of ground coffee in the French press. You may want more, or less. A secret ingredient is a dash of salt to bring out the flavor. Add water with the described temperature. Put the lid on. Let it steep, then, when the coffee is ready, push the plunger. Pour the coffee into a cup.

Drink it fast

The freshness of the coffee lasts within twenty minutes once prepared.

The girls' are about to finish their coffee and they are ready to go to church for their novena. Wherever the girls are, they know how they like their coffee. What makes a coffee great is sharing it with the company of good friends.