Every financial advisory business is dependent to some extent on coffee. You may rely on a fresh cup of “Joe” to get you started in the morning, and you may offer a cup to clients and prospects who visit your office. Getting coffee just right can set the tone for a better day for you and a more enjoyable meeting for your clients and prospects.

Making and drinking coffee is a subjective and personal experience, says Colin Newell, Victoria-based senior editor of CoffeeCrew.com.

If you like to serve fresh coffee in the office, here’s Newell’s advice for brewing that perfect cup:

> Use coffee beans
For a fresh-tasting drink, buy whole beans instead of ground coffee.

“If you’re buying your coffee ground, it’s practically stale by the time it gets into your coffee pot,” Newell says.

Even better: the real secret to the best cup of coffee is to buy whole beans from a local roaster.

Grind the beans yourself a few minutes before making the coffee.

> Keep it sealed
Coffee is a food item and, like vegetables or meat, should be stored properly.

“Coffee’s biggest enemy is oxygen,” says Newell. Whole beans kept in an airtight container at room temperature will stay fresh for two to three weeks.

It’s best to avoid placing coffee in the freezer or fridge, he says. If, however, you must keep coffee for longer than a few weeks, place the beans in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. Frozen coffee beans keep their flavour for roughly a month.

> Grind the beans properly
The degree to which you grind your beans will depend on the type of coffeemaker. Filter coffeemakers work best with a fine grind.

When using a French press, the grind should be a little coarser. In a press, only a thin metal plate lies between the grounds and the coffee, says Newell. A coarser grind will help prevent extra material from ending up in your cup.

> Use a high-powered coffeemaker
If you prefer to use an automatic coffeemaker, find a machine with a high-wattage heating element.

Coffee should be brewed with water heated to a couple of degrees below boiling, says
Newell. “That’s where the food chemistry kicks in and you get the best-tasting cup of coffee.”

Most of the power in a coffee machine is used to heat the water, Newell says. Most home coffeemakers have an 800-watt heating element, but some have at much as 1400 watts.

The higher the wattage, the better the machine will be at heating the water and thus brewing the coffee.

> Keep it simple
If you don’t want to shell out for a fancy coffeemaker, Newell offers this inexpensive, alternative brewing method for smooth, flavourful java:

Place a paper filter inside a plastic cone and set over a carafe. Spoon the appropriate amount of freshly ground beans into the filter. Boil water in a kettle, remove it from heat and let it sit for about 10 seconds before pouring it over the coffee.

The paper filter is more effective at removing extra material that might get through a French press, he says, which improves the taste. Cheers.

IE