When making coffee, I rely on all my senses to create an end product: a delicious cup of coffee. Coffee engages my sense of touch and taste, my ability to discern with my eyes and ears, and even my nose, which can distinguish good from bad shots. Because our five senses guide so much of the coffee-making process, it can take years to understand the true art of it. But also, to me, this is what makes the discipline so fun.
How can I rely on my senses to guide a cup of coffee?
When crafting the perfect cup of coffee, there are parameters to follow to ensure consistent results. These can include the coffee’s freshness, the temperature of your water, the weight and size of your grinds, even the texture of your milk. Using your senses is one of the easiest ways to maintain consistency and enjoy your morning coffee ritual.
Here are some tips from a barista:
Let your nose lead
When you buy a fresh bag of coffee, buy whole beans to ensure freshness over a longer period of time. When you open that bag of beans for the first time, take in a long deep sniff of those beans. Try to bring to mind any notes or flavors you're experiencing. Mentally categorize the smell of fresh coffee in your mind.
Coffee has an average lifespan of two to four weeks once opened. Week by week, continue to smell your coffee, and note the difference as it ages. As your beans begin to oxidize they will lose their potency, and your nose will pick up on this. As the beans lose their potency the smell and taste of your coffee will also begin to change.
Feel the perfect temperature
You can calibrate your touch to the ideal temperature of milk. If you are making espresso at home and frothing your own milk, teach your hand what 140 Fahrenheit (60 Celsius) is. This will save you time when making your morning cup of coffee, but will also help you hone in on the consistent temperature of your milk. You can do this by buying a cheap thermometer and using the thermometer to steam your milk to 140 degrees. Once this temperature is reached, calibrate your hand to your pitcher. *Heat warning, do this slowly, if your hand isn’t used to holding hot liquid in a steel pitcher the temperature may surprise you. In time, your hand will become your thermometer, helping you save time and recognize your ideal milk temperature.
Let color be your guide
Your eyes can let you know if you brewed your coffee correctly. How you would do this is take a metal spoon and dip it into your black cup of coffee in the morning. Upon extracting the spoon take a look at the color and texture of your coffee. Depending on your roast type, you want to see a rich brown color that is semi translucent, but not too light as to look like colored water, and not too dark to be considered the color black.
Coffee is a symphony of sounds
Coffee has so many sounds, believe it or not, and tuning into the buzz of a coffee shop in the morning is a wonderful way to have a moment of presence first thing. You can hear the conversations of patrons in the shop. The greetings of baristas and the clattering sounds of making coffee. But my favorite sound to hear is that of steaming milk. Done correctly, your milk will sing. Done incorrectly, it will scream.
Being able to tell the subtle differences in sound will let your ears know if your milk is going to have a smooth rich texture, or be on the dryer side. Nothing wrong with either, coffee is how you like it which makes it a fun interpersonal experience.
Sip and savor
And finally – tasting the end product. It’s important to note that coffee flavor depends on the brewing method and how the beans were grown. In my time working in coffee, I’ve had espresso made from beans fermented in watermelon, to natural geishas where the flavors are extracted from how the coffee plant is fertilized.
These notes come alive as the bean is extracted and turned into coffee. Let your tongue enjoy that first sip of coffee, hold the coffee in your mouth and as your sip, see what notes or flavors you can discern from your morning brew. Most coffee bags have note directions, and most baristas would be happy to discuss the coffee’s profile with you.
Not a black coffee drinker? That’s okay! Slow sip on your morning latte or cappuccino and taste the combination of sweet milk with slightly bitter coffee. Enjoy the texture of your handcrafted beverage.
Taking a moment to let your senses create a ritual with your morning cup of coffee is one of many ways to slow yourself down first thing. Don’t immediately launch into your day, but really lean into your morning cup of coffee. Stop – what can you see? Hear? Touch? Taste? And feel? Give yourself over to the pleasure and joy of having another day, and having a delicious cup of coffee.