MEDFORD, Mass., Feb. 1 — Krups, a leading manufacturer of premium home espresso and coffee machines, and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) have created a bevy of beverage-brewing tips to help turn your brewing blahs into brewing ahhs with the perfect cup of coffee at home.

Before preparing any type of coffee beverage, evaluate your machine. A clean and properly calibrated machine is essential in brewing the perfect pot of coffee or making the best cup of espresso.

• For optimal flavor, grind your coffee immediately before brewing.
• In order to preserve the flavor of the coffee bean as long as possible, it is important to keep coffee away from excessive air, moisture, heat and light.
• Coffee should be stored in an opaque, airtight ceramic or glass container and not refrigerated or frozen.  The moisture of the refrigerator or freezer will deteriorate your coffee.
• When grinding your beans, remember, larger grinds for coffee and smaller grinds for espresso.
• A good rule of thumb for making coffee is two rounded tablespoons of coffee per cup of water.
• The optimal water temperature for brewing coffee is 92 – 96 degrees.
• After coffee is brewed, the filter should be removed immediately.  The coffee that continues to drip from the filter will be bitter and can ruin your fresh pot of coffee.
• Never re-heat a cup of coffee.  To keep coffee hot, brew using a coffeemaker with a thermal carafe.
• Once brewed, coffee begins to loose its flavor within 15 – 20 minutes, so drink up!

For these and other coffee-related tips, visit http://www.krupscoffee.com.