Hamilton Beach 40132H Use & Care - Page 9

840141700 ENv00.qxd 10/25/05 9:55 AM Page 9 Tips to Brew Good Coffee Quality coffee comes from quality ingredients. For the best coffee, you should start with freshly ground coffee from freshly roasted beans. The beans can be purchased and stored in an airtight container. Just prior to brewing, remove the amount needed and grind the beans. Once the bean is broken, the intense, rich flavor begins to deteriorate. If the beans are ground too finely, it will produce a bitter taste. If ground too coarsely the coffee will taste weak and watery. Some specialty coffees recommend using more than one tablespoon of ground coffee per cup. Your new coffeemaker is designed to brew good quality coffee using less amounts of ground coffee. One level tablespoon of ground coffee per cup is recommended. Of course, the amount of ground coffee used depends upon your personal preference. The quality of your drinking water will affect the flavor of your coffee. If you do not drink water straight from the tap, do not use it to make coffee. If your water has an off-taste or smell, or if you have extremely hard water, use bottled drinking water or filtered water to make coffee. If the water is from the tap, it should be freshly drawn and cold for the best coffee flavor. The amount of coffee to water depends upon personal preference. One tablespoon of ground coffee per cup is recommended. Automatic coffeemakers generally use a 5-ounce (150 ml) cup size. The coffeemaker's Carafe and Reservoir are marked in "cups" for easy measuring. Try different flavored coffees and flavored creamers available at supermarkets or specialty coffee stores. Regular coffee can be flavored at home. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon* or a drop of a pure extract-like almond, vanilla, or mint-to the ground coffee before brewing. For a mocha flavor, stir a spoon of chocolate syrup or instant cocoa mix to each cup of brewed coffee. * (Too much cinnamon may clog the filter causing Filter Basket overflow.) 9