Baleful Brewers of the Bitter Black Bean

Greetings Dear Readers,

I place great value on a good cup of coffee. I buy good beans, grind them myself, and carefully prepare the fresh brew often. I used to drink way too much bad coffee. I have been told that I make coffee that tastes like coffee smells. I think this is the best one can hope for in the world of the brotherhood of baleful brewers of the bitter black bean.

There is a secret that many miss in brewing coffee that I feel makes a huge difference. It is having the proper equipment (a decent coffee maker) that is properly maintained. I often hear of people complaining of a coffee maker that is a year or two old and no longer producing the luscious coffee it once did. More often than not people assume the coffee maker is dying and replace it. They quickly give up on an old friend that has served them well even though they have not truly cared for it, but rather for what it could do for them.

Rescuing a slow, sputtering coffee make is simple. All it takes is a little love, patience, and vinegar. Scale and oils from past brews build up and will eventually kill the coffee maker. Cleaning the brewer with vinegar can revive and save it. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Dump out any leftover coffee from the carafe and empty the basket of the old filter and coffee grounds.
Step 2: Rinse the carafe in cold water then fill with one part white vinegar to two parts water.
Step 3: Pour the vinegar and water solution into the coffee maker’s reservoir and turn the maker on to brew a pot. Once the brewing cycle is complete, shut off the coffee maker.
Step 4: Allow the vinegar solution to sit in the carafe for about 15 minutes .
Step 5: Rinse out any vestiges of vinegar by brewing water only through the coffee maker twice more, again shutting of the coffee maker and letting it cool about 15 minutes between cycles.
Step 6: Wash the carafe and filter basket in warm, soapy water. Rinse and get ready to enjoy great-tasting coffee once again.
Step 7: Brew you favorite coffee and site down to enjoy it
Step 8: Consider how easy it will be to keep that good taste in your coffee if you put just a little regular effort in maintaining your coffee maker
Step 9: Ask yourself if there are more important things in your life that you are about to throw away that may last if you just maintain them more regularly.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn