That certainly is a major factor.
Jimmy, think of making coffee as an equation with various factors. I'll even (intentionally) over complicate this a bit just to irk PIEMMA
1. Water quality - A commercial machine will have a water filter, so use filtered water at home. Remember coffee is 99.9% water.
2. Proper water temp - Get a machine that brews at the proper temp, there are reviews online that will often indicate this. It's not always a function of price.
Insulated carafes work great, but you do need to pre-heat the carafe before the brew. If the machine has a hot plate, don't let the coffee sit and bake...drink it quickly.
3. Grind size - Make sure the coffee is ground to the proper size for your filter configuration or brew method. If you're grinding at home you may need to play around to get it right.
4. Grind consistancy - Ideally the grind should be as uniform as possible. If it's uneven you will have smaller particles that will release too much bad stuff and larger particles that won't release the good.
Burr grinders are best, and I've found I like to just let the coffee shop do the grinding. They keep things tweaked properly and sharpened. As long as you consume the coffee quickly (< 1 week) there's not that much loss in flavor, assuming you're having a cuppa and not
cupping.
Blade grinders are evil, unless you're grinding spices
5. Storage - Coffee likes to be sealed up cool, dark and humid. Since you really don't have anywhere in your house like this, just keep it in a sealed container. Don't put it in your freezer.
6. Good beans - Freshly roasted good quality coffee beans really do make a difference. There are a lot of global politics in coffee production. Buying
Fair Trade coffee from a specialty roaster isn't just eco-friendly, it will ensure there's good coffee at a reasonable price for the future.
Assuming you hold things as consistant as possible, there's still plenty of tolerance to ensure it comes out great every time. Pay attention to what you're doing and note what works...then do that!
But hey, if you like cheapo coffee made over a camp fire...by all means do what feels good.
-spence
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