Fresh beans make the best coffee.

Fresh beans make the best coffee.

400 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide each year. That’s a lot of coffee. I know that I do my part, as do the almost 80% of Americans who report enjoying at least an occasional cup of joe. If you haven’t been satisfied with the cup you brew at home, you may want to review the basics of how to brew good coffee. Start with fresh beans, grind them with a burr grinder immediately before brewing, brew them in a coffee maker that gets the water hot enough to do a good job extracting the coffee, and drink it right after brewing in a thick ceramic mug. If you’d like to try a different brewing method to celebrate the holiday, you might want to experiment with cold brewing or learning how to use a French press. I think that I’ll celebrate the day by making a batch of pumpkin spice syrup that I can use to flavor my coffee all season long.