The Best Cup of Coffee For Your Best Life!

No matter where you find yourself in life, there is one thing that links us all together…and that is the way we like to start our mornings. From a big company CEO, to a stay at home Mom, a dog-walker to a player in the NFL, everyone wants to start their day with the best cup of coffee, so we put together some tips and tricks on how you can have a perfect cup of coffee, every single morning!

Whole Bean or Ground?
There is always the debate – do I buy whole bean or ground?! And no matter what you hear, it is all based on your preference. We at Door County Coffee do believe that grinding the beans yourself each day right before you brew, will give you the most flavorful cup of coffee. We also understand the convenience and ease of using ground coffee - we get it! The best part about all of our coffees here at Door County Coffee, is that we roast them in small batches, so that the coffee you are getting in our café or online will always be the freshest when you open up the bag. So really, chose whichever you like. If you like the smell of grinding your own in the morning, go for it! If you need to quietly open a bag, and not wake up your 2-year-old, who finally went back to sleep at 4 AM, then pre-ground coffee is perfect for you!

Storage
After picking out your favorite coffee, flavored, non-flavored, decaf, whatever you chose, the first priority is to store your coffee correctly! The most important part is that you store the coffee the right way! We recommend in an air-tight container and in your freezer, because air, heat and light are the biggest culprits of ruining the freshness of your coffee. There is no need to thaw your frozen beans or ground coffee, use them as is, right out of the freezer, then put them right back when you are done! If you prefer to keep it in the cupboard, just make sure it in an air-tight container and that it is kept dry!

How Much Coffee do I Use?
After you open that delicious smelling bag for the first time, make sure you are using the correct amount of grounds to the amount of water! Nobody wants a watered-down cup of coffee, so we recommend using 1.5 ounces, or a 1/2 cup - like our Full Pot Bags (that make a perfect pot of coffee per bag!) - to a 10-12 cup pot, the size of a typical home brewer! You can always go stronger or lessen it to your liking, but this is the ratio we recommend for the best cup! You also want to make sure you are using the right grind for the type of maker that you are using. Here at Door County Coffee, we use a medium grind, that works the most universally in all style coffee makers. Or, if you are looking for a finer grind for a French press or an Espresso maker, you can always run it through your home grinder one more time. Make sure you keep your coffee pot clean too, as that will allow for the freshest pot every single time!

Love the Mug You’re With
The final piece of advice we can give you, is to use the right kind of mug! That’s right, mugs make a difference! Your coffee will stay the best temperature for the longest amount of time if you use ceramic or glass mugs, or stainless steel for travel mugs! This will keep your coffee hotter longer, and make sure that even if you forget about your cup of coffee, because your 2-year-old threw her waffles all over the dog, you can come back to that perfect cup of coffee and escape the madness for just a few minutes longer.

Enjoy each and every perfect cup you make!