Secrets to a perfect cup of coffee

Many of our customers say we have the best coffee in Barcelona. Also, very often, they ask us what we do to make it so good, as they have tried a few of the same brand we use (Illy) and it was not the same.

Our secrets for how to brew the best cup of coffee are simple and we are happy to share:

Best coffee beans: 100% Arabica medium roasted Illy coffee blend, which specials containers ensure beans are maintained as ready roasted.
Ready ground coffee: Coffee starts losing quality almost immediately upon grinding. We never grind coffee beans in big quantities, just the needed quantity for every service. Also, before opening, we calibrate the burr mill to make sure the grind will brew into the best coffee, as this may vary every day depending climate humidity. A grind that is too fine will trap water and result in a bitter, unpleasant brew. A grind that is too coarse leaves coffee weak and without distinguishing characteristics or flavours.
Best water: the key to good cup depends on the hardness of the water used. Hard water had the best results. We filter our Barcelona tap water to low bicarbonate levels and to maintain other chemicals levels which increase the extraction of coffee into water.
Proper brewing temperature: Water that is too hot will extract compounds in the coffee that are bitter rather than pleasant. The proper brewing temperature is 90º C.
Clean equipment: A part of everyday machinery cleaning and weekly expert maintenance, for every coffee we brew we clean filters to avoid any rest of previous brewed coffee.
Perfect coffee ratio: The resulting cup of coffee is determined by how the water extracts the flavours of the coffee beans, which is influenced by roast profile, grind, and temperature, pressure and brew time. Brewing time for every cup is 30 seconds. Every day, we measured the grind, pressure and temperature to make sure we get the desired results.
When combining with milk, the quality off the milk is as important as water. We use the best fresh organic milk in the market.

As you see, even they are simple rules, it will be almost impossible to do an exact copy of our coffee at home. Even though here are some of our tips to make your own best cup of coffee:

Always choose 100% Arabica coffee. Origin could vary but by all means avoid Robusta unless you like harsh flavor.
When brewing your coffee on traditional way: buy coffee on vacuum-sealed bags and store it in an airtight container. Never refrigerate. A coffee press or drippers are the best option. Invest in a good grinder and grind beans just before brewing.
Keep your coffee-maker clean and in case of being needed use always new filters.
Find a good water: either if you choose to use filtered water or bottled water, look for the good minerals on it.
Beware The Heat: 90ºC are the ideal temperature

We hope these tips will help you to improve your morning coffee. In any case we will be allways happy to receive you at Art i Sa (www.artisa.es).

ART i SA · Carrer Colom n 2 (Plaza Real) · 08002 Barcelona · www.artisa.es