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There’s a whole universe of equipment out there right now. It can be dizzying. And coffee is a complex process, with several important variables that can change the completion of what ends up in your cup.
那里有全宇宙的设备，让人头晕目眩。而且做咖啡步骤繁杂，多种因素决定了你最后杯中的成品味道如何。
I’ve spent the past few years growing increasingly intense in my own coffee consumption and preparations, all in the search for that perfect cup of coffee.
我在过去几年越发激烈地在自己的咖啡消费和准备上花时间，都在这篇《寻找一杯最棒的咖啡》中。（The journey for that perfect cup译者注）
But here are five quick and easy steps to making yourself a better cup:
但是这里又5条简单快速的贴士帮助你做出一杯更棒的咖啡：
1. Grind your own beans
1、自己研磨你的咖啡豆
When buying beans, some baristas may ask, “Would you like these ground?” Resist the temptation. And when you’re at the local grocery store, ignore that large grinder in the coffee aisle. For a good cup, invest in a grinder. And for the best, make sure it’s a burr grinder. Basically, a burr grinder is in more of a conical shape and it ensures the beans are ground evenly (rather than grinders that have a blade that chops up the beans at random). Burr grinders can be expensive. But a hand grinder will only set you back about $35. And grinding by hand each day will build your muscles.
当你购买咖啡豆时，咖啡师会询问你“是否需要已经研磨好的?" 抵住诱惑！ 当你前往当地杂货店时，无视掉走廊上放置的大研磨机。为了一杯醇香的咖啡，投资买一台磨豆器吧。而且最好买一台盘式磨豆器。基本上，盘式磨豆器呈圆锥形，并且能保证磨出的成品质地更加均匀（远甚于研磨机刀片粉碎出的随机形状）。这或许很贵，不过也只需要你35美金。而且每天研磨咖啡豆也能帮助你锻炼肌肉。
2. Buy fresh beans
2、购买新鲜的咖啡豆
There are a lot of variables in making a cup of coffee, and you can go wrong in any number of ways. But none are more important than the beans you buy. And a crucial factor is freshness. I’ve gotten more and more picky on this. You want beans several days after they’ve been roasted. And if it’s been more than a few weeks after they were roasted, forget about it. Some places are better than others at listing this (one pet peeve: some roasters will list an expiration date rather than the date they were roasted — or when the beans were freshest).
制作一杯咖啡的影响因素有很多，而且你每一步都有可能产生错误。但是没有比选择咖啡豆更重要的一步了。新鲜程度是关键，我对此越来越吹毛求疵。你需要的豆子应该刚经过烘焙没几天。如果是那些烘焙完几周的那就果断别提了。（一个忍无可忍的地方：有些烘焙者会标注有效期而不是烘焙时间。）
3. Don’t store them in the freezer
3、别把咖啡豆放进冷藏库
The idea that storing beans in the freezer is a way to preserve their freshness is one of the biggest misnomers about coffee. Put those beans in a freezer, and they will start to absorb the flavors of whatever else you’ve got stored in there. I don’t know about you, but I’m not eager to have my Sumatra mixed with flavors of chicken, ice cream, and frozen vegetables.
把将咖啡豆放进冰箱作为保证新鲜程度的措施是对咖啡最大的误解之一。咖啡豆被放进冰箱后会吸收周围不管什么的味道。我不知道你是怎么认为的，反正我不想让我的苏门答腊咖啡混合着鸡块冰淇淋和冰冻蔬菜的味道。
4. Step away from the machine. Buy a French press. Or something.
4、别用机器 买个弗氏压碎器或其他可以代替的
Machines are great, and they’re getting even better. They can ensure consistency, there’s little mess, and — crucially, for some — you can set a timer to wake up with a fresh cup. But at least for me, working with coffee manually has helped immensely in understanding what makes a good cup. There’s experimentation. You have control over almost every step in the process. There are tons of ways — maybe too many ways — to make coffee. But the easiest way to get going is with a French press. They’re inexpensive and easy to use.
机器能出色地完成任务并在变得更出色。它们可以保证一致性并很少出差错，最关键的是你还能定时在睡醒时让其为你呈上一杯新鲜咖啡。不过至少对我而言，手工制作一杯咖啡能让我更好得理解怎样造就一杯出色的咖啡。这是一个实验的过程。有数以千计的方法可以做出咖啡，但是最简单的莫过于弗氏压碎器。而且不贵又好用。
5. Get a digital scale.
5、用电子天平
Yes, I realize this sounds extreme. The first time I saw someone using a scale to make my cup of coffee — during a trip to Pavement in Boston a few years back — I thought it was completely over the top. Does brewing coffee really need to be that precise? Then I tasted the cup. And a few weeks later, I was online reading about digital scales and ordering one for my home. Most of us have regular coffee habits, so you learn how many scoops you want and how much water you need. But as I’ve gotten a little more discerning, I’ve found that the scale helps eliminate some of the room for error.
没错，我知道这听起来很极端。当我数年前在波士顿旅游时初次看到别人为我用电子称做咖啡时我也认为这太夸张了。只是烧一杯咖啡而已用得着那么精确么？直到我尝了下味道，然后数周之后我上网仔细阅读了如何使用电子天平并往家中订购了一台。绝大部分人有着固定的喝咖啡习惯，我们知道该加多少勺加多少水。不过我比常人更懂一些，所以有一个秤更能减少我犯错的余地。
