Coffee and Tea Making Essentials: Accessories to Enhance Your Brewing Pleasure

In order to brew coffee you need a coffee maker and coffee, but did you know there are many gadgets and accessories that can make your life easier, while helping you brew the perfect cup? In this guide we're going to take a look at coffee and tea making essentials and learn what they are, how they are used, and why you need them.

COFFEE FILTERS:
If you have ever brewed coffee in an automatic coffee maker you are probably familiar with coffee filters. A coffee filter is important because it brings out the best flavor in your coffee by catching grinds and some of the bitter taste, while allowing the flavor of the beans to flow through.

The most common coffee filter is the paper filter. Paper coffee filters are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, with the most common being a cone or round shape. White coffee filters are made from paper pulp which has been bleached. Some coffee drinkers feel that bleached filters have a negative affect on coffee flavor and recommend using unbleached brown coffee filters instead.

Paper coffee filters are available in different grades. You can alter the taste of your coffee by using a different grade of filter. Paper coffee filters are disposable and generally inexpensive. They can be found in most grocery stores, convenient stores, and drug stores.

An option to paper coffee filters is the permanent filter. Permanent coffee filters are wire mesh, made from stainless steel. These reusable filters are formed into either a basket or cone shape.

Many coffee makers are now being sold with permanent coffee filters. Permanent filters are easy to clean and can be washed by hand, or placed in a dishwasher. Permanent coffee filters are not as effective in filtering out bitterness as paper filters and can be somewhat messy to clean. However, they can save you a bit of money; you never have to worry about running out of filters; and they are environmentally-friendly.

Coffee and Tea Accessories

Credit: Public Domain

Copyright: Public Domain