HOW TO MAKE STRONG COFFEE?

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HOW TO MAKE STRONG COFFEE?

Making coffee at home can be difficult, especially if you want to make a strong, bold-tasting brew of coffee. A lot of people just throw some beans into their grinder and hope for the best. This is your chance to learn what you’re doing wrong and how to make more flavorful coffee with higher caffeine levels.

This guide will help you understand the best way to make strong, flavorful cups of coffee at home by covering everything from choosing beans and roasts to grinding size and brewing methods. The type of bean used, roast level, grind size, and brewing method all play important roles in determining the strength and flavor of your java jolt!

  • Buy fresh, whole beans
  • increase coffee-water ratio
  • use finer ground
  • brew with boiling water

WHAT TYPE OF BEANS MAKE THE STRONGEST COFFEE?

When we refer to coffee as being strong, it can mean a few different things: the level of caffeine or the flavor. In the world of coffee, Arabica is considered to be the best tasting bean, while Robusta has twice as much caffeine. If you want intensely flavored coffee beans, then you will want to use 100% Arabica beans. If you want a robust and caffeinated coffee, then go for a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans.

More Caffeine: Choose an Arabica Robusta blend. Choosing a pure Robusta bean coffee will likely taste too bitter. So look for a mix of 85% Arabica and 15% Robusta. To start with, I highly recommend a brand like Death Wish Coffee. This coffee brand touts itself as the world’s strongest coffee. It’s guaranteed to give you a super jolt of energy.

Strong Flavor: Go with 100% Arabica. When you want strong, flavorful coffee, choose 100% Colombian Arabica beans.
 

WHAT TYPE OF ROAST MAKES THE STRONGEST COFFEE?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that dark roast coffee is stronger than lighter roasts. This isn’t necessarily true, though the flavor of a darker roast is bolder than that of a light roast. However, there is less caffeine in dark roast coffee because most of the oils have been extracted from the beans.

Lighter roasts actually have more caffeine than darker roasts. The difference in caffeine between light and dark roast coffees varies depending on who you ask. Still, it can be anywhere from 5mg to 20mg. This may not seem like a big deal, but if you are drinking coffee to stay awake, the extra 5mg can be very beneficial.
 

BUY FRESH, WHOLE BEANS

If you think about it, coffee starts to lose its flavor the moment it’s roasted. Recently roasted beans will always provide you with the freshest, most flavorful coffee. If you buy whole beans and grind them yourself before brewing, your coffee will be as strong and fresh-tasting as it can be.
 

INCREASE THE COFFEE TO WATER RATIO.

By simply adding more coffee grounds to your coffeemaker, you can make your coffee stronger. This is the simplest way to strengthen your coffee. If you have a standard coffeemaker, try adding one more tablespoon of grounds per cup. For example, if you typically use three tablespoons for a 12-ounce pot of coffee, use four tablespoons next time. Once you find a ratio you like, you can tweak the amount of coffee to water even further to be more or less powerful.

WHICH BREWING METHOD HAS THE MOST CAFFEINE?

Drip coffee, French press coffee, and espresso are the three most common ways of making coffee. The French press has the highest caffeine concentration (80-100mg per cup). The steeped grounds constantly contact hot water with a French press, extracting more caffeine with this brewing method. Espresso has a high caffeine concentration. But since it requires many ounces of water to produce one ounce of espresso, the caffeine content per cup is lower than drip coffee or French press. Drip coffee has moderate levels of caffeine (60-80mg). With the drip method, hot water extracts different compounds from the grounds at a slower rate, and there are more coffee filters involved.

Brewing Method: Average caffeine concentration per cup (mg)
1. French Press: 80-100mg
2. Pour over and Drip: 60-80mg
2. Espresso: 60mg
 

PAY ATTENTION TO THE GRIND SIZE OF YOUR BEANS.

While the brewing method you choose will largely dictate the size of the grinds you use, a grind too large for your chosen method will result in weak coffee. Finer grinds steep more quickly, which allows for more contact between the water and the coffee. The increased contact time contributes to a stronger flavor in your cup of joe. But be careful not to go too fine, or your coffee may end up tasting gritty and bitter.
 

USE THE CORRECT WATER TEMPERATURE

To make your coffee strong, you need to use the proper temperature of the water. The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is between 195°F and 205°F. Your water must be boiling before it hits the coffee grounds. Never simply leave tap water on top of a heating element or microwave it until it boils. You can also use an electric kettle which keeps the water at the ideal temperature.
 

TRY DOUBLE BREWED COFFEE

Double brewed coffee is a type of coffee that has been brewed twice to make it stronger and more concentrated. The first brew extracts the caffeine and other flavor molecules, while the second brew concentrates those flavors for a deep taste.

To make double brewed coffee try this:

  • Brew your favorite ground coffee as you usually would.
  • Then for the second brew, instead of using water, use the same coffee and brew with an additional two tablespoons of coffee.

The result is a super-strong double brewed cup of joe that will get you going in no time!
 

HOW TO MAKE STRONG COFFEE WITH A KEURIG

One of the most common issues with Keurig coffee is that it can be too watery or weak. If this sounds like you, there are several ways to make your cup stronger without changing any other components in your machine. Read on for five easy tips to improve the strength of your next Keurig brew!
 

BUY A UNIVERSAL MY K-CUP.

Try to buy a universal K-Cup rather than one explicitly designed for Keurig machines. By doing so, you will have more control over your coffee. A regular Keurig K-Cup can hold between 10 and 12 grams of coffee, while a universal one can hold between 14 and 16 grams. Make sure to experiment with the amount of coffee you put in your cup, as too much could result in a very strong brew!
 

GRIND YOUR OWN BEANS.

How you grind your beans is also an important factor in how strong the finished product will be. If you use pre-ground coffee, your Keurig machine may not reach high enough temperatures to extract all of the flavors and oils from your grounds. This can result in a weak cup. Investing in a standard coffee grinder or purchasing whole beans and grinding them yourself can make your next cup of Keurig coffee stronger.
 

USE FINER GROUNDS IN YOUR UNIVERSAL K-CUP.

If you’re using a universal K-cup but are still unhappy with the strength of your coffee, try grinding your beans even finer. Just be careful not to overdo it because the finer grinds may end up clogging the machine’s needles.
 

BREW TWO K-CUPS INSTEAD OF ONE.

Try to brew two K-Cups at the lowest ounce setting instead of one. In other words, brew two K-Cups at the 6oz setting to make an extra-strong 12oz cup of coffee. Doing so will ensure that your Keurig machine extracts all of the flavors and oils from each cup, making for a more potent brew overall!
 

INCREASE YOUR MACHINE’S TEMPERATURE.

One of the biggest problems with Keurig machines is that they don’t get hot enough to extract all the flavors and oils from your coffee grounds. To fix this, try making sure you use boiling water when brewing your next cup or using a machine with an increased temperature setting. Luckily, some of the newer Keurig models have a feature that allows you to adjust the machine’s temperature.
 

CONCLUSION

So, now that you know the secrets to make a strong, flavorful cup of coffee at home with your favorite brewing method, it’s time for one last thought. If you’re looking for a stronger caffeinated coffee, look for a mix of Arabica and Robusta beans as well as fresh ground whole beans. You should also consider increasing the ratio of ground coffee to water to produce more caffeinated cups per pot. To get the most robust flavor, use dark roasted beans. For higher levels of caffeine and a little weaker flavor, use light roast beans that have more caffeine relative to their volume.