What is the best temperature to brew coffee?
- According to the SCAA, the optimal water temperature for coffee is 92 - 96C (197.6 - 204.8F) for 90% of the contact time.

Is water important?
- It is quite simple: Coffee is at least 98% water. The higher the quality of water, the higher the quality of the resulting cup of coffee. If your tap water tastes good at room temperature tap water is probably fine for making coffee. If your tap water has off flavors then your coffee will have off flavors. Many people use filtered or bottled water for their coffee. There is a difference. Some of the newer more expensive coffee pots come with replaceable charcoal filters built into the machine. If at all possible don't use distilled water. It is missing minerals that makes water pleasing to drink. Please note that your taste buds are more acute when tasting warm liquids so it is important to taste your perspective water at room temperature since you will be drinking your coffee warm.

Quality of coffee
- The quality of a brew depends on the following factors:
1. Time since grinding the beans.
2. Time since roasting.
3. Cleanliness with brewing equipment.
4. Bean quality.
5. Water quality.

How many Preparation Coffee Methods exist?
1. Drip: This method essentially pours near-boiling water over medium-course coffee grounds to produce coffee.
2. Press Pot aka French Press aka Cafetiere aka Bodum: A French Press is a glass container with a wire mesh attached to a plunger. Some French Presses will also have an optional nylon fine filter that will help to catch dust produced while grinding. The press should contain approximately the same amount of very coarsely ground coffee as you would use for drip coffee. Let it brew for 2-3 minutes or until it is easy to press the plunger down.
3. Espresso: Brewing method consisting on: steam water (197 degrees Fht) is forced under pressure (9-10 atmospheres) through 7-11 grams of finely ground and tightly packed bed of coffee so that 1.5 to 2.0 oz of brew are delivered into small cup in 20 to 30 seconds. Follow these steps:
- Preheat your cups; it makes a big difference.
- Make sure the type and roast of coffee beans are for espresso.
- Make sure the coffee is ground for an espresso machine.
- Make sure the filter basket is full, and tamped correctly.
- Turn off the machine or move the cup away as soon as you see the streams of coffee coming out of the machine have become thin.
- Espresso should be served immediately.
4. Vacuum: First let me say that vacuum pots not only produce some of the best coffee you are likely to ever be fortunate enough to drink but they also look really cool while they are producing coffee. How do vacuum pots work? The buildup of steam in the lower bowl forces the water up into the funnel, where it mixes with the ground coffee. A quick stir may be needed to wet the grounds into the water. A small amount of water is left behind in the lower bowl. This keeps the steam coming and the temperature constant. Brewing continues for 1-3 minutes. Then the siphon is taken off the heat. With no more steam being produced, a vacuum forms in the bowl, which sucks the brewed coffee down through the filter.
5. Percolator: Percolators work by taking coffee and reheating it and throwing it over the grounds over and over and over again. Never reheat/boil coffee. This destroys the flavor. For best flavor, boil the water, pass it over the grounds and retain the heat.
6. Ibrik: (Turkish coffee): Put the coffee on the heat for 1-2 minutes before adding powdered coffee. There are special grinders for grinding Middle Eastern coffee (aka Turkish or Greek coffee) although a whirly blade grinds will do a decent job. If you want sugar, cardamom or other spices you will add them with the coffee. Raise the heat so that the coffee rises to a near boil-over in about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat for about 20 seconds when the coffee rises to the rim to allow it to settle. Repeat this rising and falling process 2 more times.
7. Mocha pot: The moka pot is how coffee is prepared in many Italian homes, they use "la moka" which is a 3 piece metal contraption. To brew coffee using a moka pot you will follow the following steps:
1 . Place water in the bottom section of the pot to the level of the valve.
2. Fill the filter basket with ground coffee. Do not tamp it. As the water reaches the grounds they will expand effectively tamping your coffee for you.
3. Put the unit together and place on a medium heat. Brewing should take approximately 5 minutes. If it takes longer use a slightly higher heat.

How to store coffee?
- One should always store coffee beans in a glass, air-tight container. Air and moisture are coffee's principle enemies. Glass is best because it doesn't retain the odors of the beans or the oils, which could contaminate future beans stored in the same container. A mason jar with a good lid works well. If you use glass, make sure the container is not exposed to light, as sunlight can also reduce freshness. Do not freeze coffee for regular storage. There are two key problems here: one, the freezing will damage some of subtle tastes in the coffee and two, when the coffee is taken out the container will sweat, exposing your coffee to moisture. If you must store coffee for an extended period of time divide it into small portions that you can use in a week or less. For long term storage freezing is better than storage at room temperature. One last item to be cognizant of when freezing coffee is to make sure that is stays dry in the freezer.

How much caffeine is in decaf?
- In the United States federal regulations require that in order to label coffee as "decaffeinated" that coffee must have had its caffeine level reduced by no less than 97.5 percent. Decaf should range somewhere in the 2-4 milligrams of caffeine per cup range. Currently used solvents for decaffeinating coffee include, H2O (water), CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), Meth. Chloride, Ethyl Acetate. Note: A relatively new method called Swiss Water Decaffeinated uses "flavor-charged" water in the decaffeinating process.

Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?
- Yes and No. An espresso cup has about as much caffeine as a cup of dark brew. But servings for espresso are much smaller. Which means that the content of caffeine per milliliter are much higher than with a regular brew. Moreover, caffeine is more quickly assimilated when taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.