Happy National Coffee Day! Top 10 Tips for Brewing the Perfect Cup (Compliments of Melitta (TM))

Melitta Celebrates National Coffee Day on September 29

Coffee powerhouse offers 10 tips for brewing the perfect cup of coffee


CLEARWATER, Fla. — One of America’s favorite beverages is finally getting its day! September 29, 2010 is National Coffee Day, and for a nation that consumes over one-fifth of the world’s total coffee production, this is a day worth celebrating! In observance of National Coffee Day, Melitta USA, Inc. – best known for its premium line of coffee, coffee makers and coffee filters – is honoring the woman who revolutionized coffee consumption and disclosing secrets to brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

For starters, we’ll be lifting our cup to Melitta Bentz, a German housewife who revolutionized coffee consumption by inventing the coffee filter and drip method of coffee brewing. With the singular goal of making coffee taste better, she devised a filter lined with blotting paper that would remove all the grounds from the brew and eliminate the bitterness caused by over-boiling. Now, 102 years later, her cone filtration system is still considered a superior method of brewing.

So, what’s the key to a really great cup of coffee? That age-old question never seems to go away. Melitta offers the following 10 tips for selecting, storing, brewing and serving the perfect cup of coffee.

1. Buy coffee weekly or bimonthly as ground coffee begins to stale 24 hours after the package is opened.

2. Buy an extra fine grind coffee to get the fullest flavor. Finer particles expose more surface area of the coffee to the water, intensifying flavor extraction. With an extra fine grind, less coffee is needed. Melitta recommends 2 level teaspoons per 6 ounces of water, but obviously one should experiment with the amount that best fits their taste.

3. Think of coffee as fresh produce. Oxygen, light, heat and moisture all reduce the freshness and flavor of the grounds and beans.

4. Do not store coffee in the freezer! Freezing will coagulate the natural oils found in coffee, and ice particles will adversely affect both flavor and aroma.


5. Much like wine, the flavor of coffee is carried in part by the aroma, and cups or mugs that “deliver the aroma” to the nose will make your coffee taste better. Thick porcelain walls hold in warmth.

6. Coffee is roughly 98% water, so water quality plays a critical role in the ultimate taste of your coffee. Start with cold water. Filtered water is best.

7. Use paper filters. Paper filters effectively trap bitter sediments and produce no bitter aftertaste.

8. Cone shaped filters are preferred over basket shaped filters, as the design ensures water saturates more grounds, improving flavor extraction.

9. Adding natural ingredients (ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, vanilla bean, nutmeg, citrus peel, etc.) provide a uniquely flavorful coffee experience. Add to ground coffee just before brewing.

10. Drink coffee as soon as possible after brewing. If left on a burner, the coffee will continue to cook and starts to degrade in as little as 20 minutes.



About Melitta
For over 100 years, Melitta has dedicated itself to providing the ultimate coffee experience with its premium line of coffee, coffee filters and high quality coffee makers, bringing European indulgence to life. The company was founded in 1908 by Melitta Bentz, after receiving a patent for her two-part coffee filtering system consisting of a filter and filtration paper. The filter system was the first to successfully remove coffee residue in the brewing process, revolutionizing the way coffee was brewed. Melitta USA, Inc., part of the privately held Melitta Group in Minden, Germany, is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. Melitta USA produces coffee and filters in North America and markets the line in the U.S. For more information, visit:
www.melitta.com