Making great coffee for 12!?!
Answers: Hi there. I am having a party this Saturday, and I bought a Mr. Coffee 12 cup. I have NO idea how to use it, since I don't drink coffee. I experimented this morning with a package I got from work. I made only 4 cups, and it tasted TERRIBLE! Help - what's a guaranteed great 12 cups of coffee recipe!! I need direction......thanks!
There are four steps to making great coffee:
First, you need to use the right proportion. I use 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 oz of water. If that is too strong for you(which it might be since you don't like coffee), use 1 tablespoon to 6oz.
Next, you need your coffee ground the proper way. What kind of filter do you have? If it is flat bottomed, it should be about halfway between fine and corse. If it is a cone shape, it should be ground a little bit more finely than a flat-bottom grind.
Good water is the next step. After all, coffee is 98% water. Filtered water is the best, but if you can't get a hold of that use bottled water. I guarantee your coffee will taste better than using straight tap water.
Finally freshness in the coffee makes a big difference. Generally, coffee diminishes its flavor drastically over the course of a week. Whole bean coffee stays fresher much longer, so avoid grinding it as long as you can, if thats possible. If it is already ground, I recommend you buy an air-tight container as exposure to oxygen kills the flavor. NEVER put coffee grinds in a fridge or freezer.
Also, you say that you don't drink coffee, so maybe your coffee wasn't terrible after all. You just don't like coffee so what may be good to one person who loves coffee, may not be good to you.
best of luck!
half to 3/4 cuo of coffee for 12 cup pot...I prefer the old purculator method it makes the best coffee
I really like Dunkin Donuts brand coffee...our local grocery store sells it, but I think you can also buy packages of it from Dunkin Donuts. It has a nice smooth taste (they sell both whole bean and ground though, so make sure to get ground).
Then, fill up the coffee maker with the full 12 cups of water. Did your coffee maker come with a scoop? If it didn't, I think a coffee scoop is a tablespoon...but I would search online to double-check. Then I would use slightly less than 12 scoops of coffee grounds (maybe 11), just so that it isn't too strong. All set!
Word of advice though!...a 12 cup coffee maker doesn't really make enough coffee for 12 people. A typical coffee mug holds 1.5 to 2 cups of coffee...so plan on brewing more than one pot of coffee.
I'm not sure why your coffee tasted bad...but since you aren't a coffee drinker lets make sure the basics are covered - you used a filter right? Or, maybe it just tasted bad since coffee is kind of an acquired taste.
Enjoy the party!
1 scoop = 2 cups