A new year, a new… coffee brew? Start 2010 out right by committing to a better coffee experience and changing up your worn-out coffee bean routine. Here are five New Year’s resolutions you can make to ensure that 2010 will be brimming with better tasting coffee.

1. Experiment with new coffee brands.

Just like it’s fun to try different wine blends, mixing up your coffee brand of choice is a great way to add some excitement to your brewing routine. But when looking for new coffee options, don’t only pay attention to the brand name. An easy way to explore new brands is by focusing on a single roast type, then testing out different brands until you find your favorite. For example, if you are a French Roast feign, try a new coffee brand each month that carries this flavor profile; in January you can test out Bucks County Coffee French Roast, February dabble in Green Mountain French Roast K-cup, and so on. Soon enough you’ll find your ultimate coffee flavor, and the experience along the way will be well worth it.

2. Take better care of your beans.

We all know how easy it is to skimp on properly storing our coffee beans: You haphazardly seal the lid to your coffee grounds, you shove the package in the back of your cupboard, and you forget to heed the “drink by” date, casually sipping off the same coffee package for months. Taking care of your coffee beans is essential to maintaining its flavor and freshness. In order to get the biggest bang out of your coffee beans, make sure to always store roasted whole bean coffee in a cool, dark place in an airtight container (ceramic is best). Even when properly stored, roasted coffee beans only last one to two weeks after the package has been opened, so avoid letting the beans sit around any longer. If you can’t use up your coffee beans in two weeks or less, place the extra in the freezer, which will prevent the beans from going stale for about a month. Roasted ground coffee is even more likely to go bad in a short amount of time. Again, use an air-tight and light-proof container to store grounds, but keep in mind that this type of coffee usually doesn’t last for more than a few days. The cardinal rule to follow when it comes to coffee storage: Only buy what you can drink, and buy smaller packages to prevent exposing the excess beans to air and light.

3. Try a new method of brewing.

Unlike popular belief, you can brew coffee in more ways than one (i.e. drip coffee machines are not the be-all end-all of brewing). There are a variety of ways to make coffee, and many of these lesser known methods can actually produce better tasting coffee. For example, the French Press is a simple coffee maker that allows you to brew coffee by hand. Many people say that French Press brewed coffee tastes richer and offers a stronger brew. Keurig coffee machines are a new take on the typical drip maker. Using single serving k-cups, which contain pre-measured amounts of the coffee of your choice, you can make a perfectly brewed cup of gourmet coffee in less than a minute. This New Year, try something new: new coffee brands, new coffee makers and new ways to better protect your beans.

Cheers to a better coffee experience in ‘10!


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