Coffee Processing Methods And How They Taste Different
The ways coffee cherries are processed at the farm have long been unheard of by coffee lovers. Only recently have regular folks cared about thisand we care a lot. The flavor differences between these three methods can be very dramatic .
Note: The information below is made up of generalizations. The exact steps change from farm to farm and country to country when we get down to the fine details, but they almost always align with one of these three main categories.
Strawberries Spices And Flowers In Your Coffee
Specialty coffee beans, because theyre the highest grade of coffee and theyre roasted by craftsmen instead of factory workers, are amazingly flavorful. Its not uncommon to taste subtle notes of fruits, flowers, and spices.
Ever tasted sweet honey in your coffee? What about the tang and flavor of a red apple? The rich aromas of blueberries? The deep, satisfying notes of milk chocolate or cinnamon?
Read: Learn How To Taste Coffee
No. Im not talking about flavor oils that are sprayed on during roasting. Im talking about naturally-occurring, fascinating flavors that are the result of skilled farming, careful roasting, and mindful brewing.
These rich, exotic flavors really draw you in. They help you get out of your head and focus on a moment of peace and gratitude. They give you a chance to appreciate something amazing that was hiding right under our noses all along.
Check The Roast Date Before You Buy Coffee Beans
No coffee beans will retain its flavor for life, forget about what the advertisers say. The difference in taste between fresh coffee beans and six-month-old coffee beans will easily prove this point.
Bean roasting plays a role in reducing shelf life. Coffee beans undergo degassing after roasting. In degassing, carbon dioxide is released from inside the bean. It usually takes place within one week of roasting.
Carbon dioxide in water is acidic so its release oxidizes the oils in your coffee and this will change its flavor.
Theres no perfect roast date but you should make sure you dont brew with coffee beans thats been sitting for more than two weeks after roasting.
The dates differ with the type of coffee too, pour over coffee requires that you use coffee beans that are closer to the roast date cause theyre still fresh at that point.
Espresso coffee works best with beans that are closer to two weeks after the roast date.
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Caffeine Cravings By Type
Arabica and robusta are the two main types of beans for all coffee. Robusta beans are less expensive and easier to grow. Arabica beans tend to make better coffee. Roasting is what turns green beans into coffee that is ready to grind and brew. The type of roast is often listed on the label–you may have to experiment before finding the one you prefer. And different brands may characterize their roasts differently. Here are the types of coffee to consider.
Light RoastLight roasting produces beans that are light brown and have a more sour taste.
Medium RoastMedium roast coffees have medium brown beans. The beans do not have an oily surface in this roast. The coffee beans can have a bright acidity, but specific varietal aromatics of the coffee are still apparent.
Dark Roast The beans in this roast have some oil on the surface and the color is rich and darker. The characteristics of the coffee are complemented by caramelization notes such as nutty, bread or baked goods, or chocolate, and the acidity has faded somewhat, bringing out a slightly bittersweet aftertaste. French roast is a good example.
Darker RoastsThe darkest roasts have shiny black beans with an oily surface. In a good/well done dark roast, there is still some good acidity to liven the cup. Dark roasts run the gamut from slightly dark to extremely charred. Italian roast and French roast are darker roasts.
Commodity Coffee Aka Commercial Coffee
One market that coffee is produced for, is known as commodity coffee, or commercial coffee. This is the original coffee market, which is linked to what is regarded as the first wave of coffee. For more on the waves of coffee see waves of coffee explained.
Commodity coffee beans are priced by the stock market, and traded purely as a commodity like wheat or oil, meaning that quality doesn’t impact the price. The market sets the price, and a bag of coffee beans is simply a bag of coffee beans quality doesn’t come into it.
Commodity coffee is traded and roasted in huge batches, and it’s usually roasted darker, not because that’s the roast profile that brings the best out of that coffee bean, but because roasting dark hides a multitude of sins and ensures batch consistency.
This kind of coffee ends up in jars of instant, disk capsules or pods , and in bags of pre-ground or whole bean sold via the FMCG industry . It’s just coffee, there’s really not much other than the brand name and the packaging to distinguish this kind of coffee, other than the mix of Robusta and Arabica.
Many people think they’re buying high quality coffee beans because of clever marketing by the FMCG industry, but most of the coffee you’ll pick up in a supermarket or buy from a big online retailer is going to be commodity coffee. I say most, not all some supermarkets do now carry some speciality coffee.
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What Are The Best Coffee Beans In The World
The best coffee beans in the world are considered to be Kopi Luwak beans, which is coffee passed through the digestion of the Indonesia Civet Cat. Its also known as poop coffee and its an extremely controversial industry. The question surrounding the best beans in the world, however, is debatable since the best coffee is purely subjective. The best coffee in the world is organic, sustainably sourced beans that taste good to you.
The Nation Of Source Just How Essential Would Be That The Country Of Source
Properly, to java enthusiasts, that can be an essential element. Certain java growing regions often create top quality java thanks to the climate, the temperament of lands, etc.. Stakeholders from the coffee-growing industry of such states stop at nothing to ensure just quality java trees grow of their jurisdiction.
Lavazza Caffe Espresso can be a fantastic example. It sources high-quality legumes out of virtually every significant coffee-growing region on the planet. No surprise, a lot of men and women adore the flavor of this java. The way that it Requires Some legumes grind for a long time until they generate a fantastic taste. Is it true that the feel thing? It will.
If youre a coffee enthusiast, odds are you prefer your coffee brewed and functioned without difficulty. To begin with, sieving java to eliminate large particles is essential. In the event you dont need to have the misery of sifting java every single time that you wish to drink it, then the ideal alternative is to select Volcanica Coffee Jamaican Blue.
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How To Choose The Best Wholesale Coffee Beans For Your Coffee Shop
Thinking about opening a coffee shop? Congratulations! Owning an independent coffee shop can be both personally and financially rewarding.
One of the first questions many coffee shop owners ask is, Where should I get my wholesale coffee beans?
Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has been supplying the highest-quality wholesale coffee beans to coffee shops, colleges & universities, grocery stores, food-service operators, and restaurants for 30 years. Here are some of the selection criteria we recommend for finding a wholesale coffee supplier.
What Type Of Coffee Maker/brewer Are You Using
This is a simple, yet overlooked fact about choosing coffee beans. Which coffee brewing method are you going to use? This will greatly influence which beans you can choose.
You should get familiar with your coffee brewing style of choice, and learn which beans are the best match. Here are some places to start:
- Brewing with a french press? Look for something medium to dark roast for a full bodied brew. We have a list of the best coffee beans for french press here.
- Whipping up some cold brew coffee? light roasted, higher-acidity beans single origin beans are gold class here. Heres a great article about the best coffee for cold brew.
- If youre brewing with an espresso machine, you need to be extra careful in the beans you choose. Some, like Italian coffee, will taste great, others will taste terrible! Here are the best espresso beans.
- Pour over coffee lover? Since you wont be adding milk, look for a nice, exotic single origin bean with flavour notes that excite you. This list of the best pour over coffee beans is a great place to start.
- Are you an Aeropress fan? Heres our list of the best coffee for Aeropress.
- Love the convenience of K-cup coffee makers? Heres where we listed the best tasting K cup flavours.
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The Rich Rewards Of Specialty Coffee
Coffees always given us a way to slow down and enjoy life, but the specialty coffee movement has enhanced that in powerful ways. Before, it was just about sipping a simple mug. But these days, coffee can be so much more.
For us, coffee is a way to embrace happiness in the now.
Opening that bag of freshly roasted beans and breathing in the vibrant aromas. Feeling the beans give way as you grind them by hand. Watching the grounds swell and brew as you pour hot water over them. Sipping that mug of coffee with a rich, complex flavor.
Read: What Makes Specialty Coffee Special?
All of these steps give us a chance to slow down, focus in on something that we care about, and reap the rewards of a mug well brewed. Theres something about brewing coffee by your own hand and savoring the final mug that you just dont get with low-grade, stale commodity coffee.
In the end, theres one thing that makes it all worth it
Q: How Long After Roasting Are Coffee Beans At Their Best
A: Its difficult to say exactly how long it takes for roasted coffee beans to reach their absolute peak. It depends on the variety of green coffee, the roast level , and how fresh it is when ground. But most 20-pound bags are roasted within about 10 days of shipping off the roaster.
A perfect cup of coffee starts with high-quality green beans that have just finished roasting. Roasted coffee can be stored for up to four weeks if stored properly in an airtight container away from light and heat.
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Best Overall: Water Avenue
Portland, Oregon, knows coffee, and Water Avenue has long been a model roaster in the caffeine-addicted city. The outfit reigns supreme in all facets, from flavor and variety to presentation and packaging. The beans the most important part are roasted so deftly that you can recreate the quintessential coffee shop experience at home with ease.
How To Roast Coffee Beans In An Oven
How it Works
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and spread your green beans out evenly on a baking sheet.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then take out and stir. Put back in the oven and roast until the desired roast is obtained, taking out to stir about every 2 minutes.
Pros
- Requires the least specialized equipment
- More downtime than other methods
Cons
- Most fickle way to roast beans, some roast faster than others
- Smoke trapped inside the oven
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Arabica Vs Robusta Coffee Species
There are hundreds of coffee plant species grown around the world , but we really only see two of them grown commercially: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora . These two species produce very different coffee, and its important to know which youre getting when you buy a bag of coffee.
We Wholesale Coffee Beans Online Especially For The Uk And The World
We at Discount Coffee supply online an enormous variety and range of the best quality coffee beans available in the UK. One of our top-selling coffee beans is the world-famous Blue Mountain Coffee Beans from Rio Coffee and Chiswells of London Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. Rio Colombian coffee beans are available in three different roasts, Mild, Medium and Dark. Our Spanish Coffee Beans Torro are amazing alongside Swiss Coffee beans including Davidoff coffee beans which are 100% Arabica. Naturally, we sell real Italian coffee beans including a big variety from Lavazza, Italy’s No1 Lavazza coffee company and Mokarabia coffee beans from Milan. Big selling Rio Ethiopian coffee beans are considered to be the world’s oldest coffee beans and these taste delectable.
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Look For The Roaster Identity
When youve been buying coffee beans for a while, you can spot a pattern if youre attentive. You can get to know the roasters that are good and avoid the bad ones.
There are many roaster competitions around, so if you can get one thats highly rated it usually guarantees you a better experience.
Coffee terms like light-roast coffee and dark-roast coffee are very important so if you can identify a roaster that actually produces light-roast coffee it helps you cut through the fluff.
Light-roast coffee beans have a higher acidity, more flavors, more caffeine and little oil on the surface of the beans.
Dark-roast coffee beans have more oils on the surface of the beans so oxidation is increased and the flavor is diminished.
Good roasters will specify the technique they used while roasting.
What Is The Best Form To Buy Coffee Beans
This is a very good question, and there’s one very simple answer: whole beans.
You can buy most coffee beans either pre-ground or whole bean, and of course, it’s easier to buy pre-ground, but what you have to remember is this:
As soon as coffee beans are roasted, their goodness is no longer locked in. There’s a degassing period which beans are arguably better enjoyed after, but after this period coffee beans are just getting staler by the day.
With whole beans, this deterioration is slower, as not as much surface area of the coffee bean is exposed. With preground, so much more surface area of the coffee bean is exposed to the air, that the coffee goes stale a heck of a lot quicker.
If you filter brew your coffee or are brewing via Aeropress or other manual brew methods including cafetiere, then if you must buy pre-ground, I’d recommend that you buy it from someone who grinds it on the day of dispatch.
For example, if you order pre-ground coffee from The Coffeeworks, we grind it for you on the day of dispatch, so it’s as fresh as it possibly can be when you get it.
Still, I highly recommend that you buy whole bean coffee and grind it yourself. In my humble opinion, nothing beats the taste and the aroma of freshly ground, freshly roasted, freshly brewed coffee.
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Best Colombian Coffee: Merit Andino
Depending on the brew method, Colombian coffees present varying levels of dark cocoa, brown butter and sweet cherry, says Boni. Merits Andino roast highlights the countrys versatility in both the farmers economic sustainability and the flavors in the cup.
Like many Colombian producers, the independent farmers under the Andino mark grow their coffee under shade trees, Boni says. This intercropping with tall canopy trees creates an ideal nutrient balance in the soil, helps to prevent erosion on steep mountainsides and enriches the ecosystem for birds and insects. The end result? Better and more-diverse coffee.
After Roasting: Waiting Shell Removal And Grinding
Waiting
As we discussed earlier in this article, roasting coffee beans creates a certain amount of gas.
The gas produced in this process can affect the taste of the coffee, so it is best to leave the beans out at room temperature for at least 4 hours to allow the beans to degas.
We generally roast beans in the evening and allow them to rest overnight so they are fresh in the morning.
Shell Removal
When roasting coffee, you will notice a thin, papery shell is produced when the beans are finished. This comes from the bean expanding and shedding its shell upon the release of gasses.
These must be separated from the beans before grinding and serving. There are many ways proposed to remove these shells, but we have found using a blow dryer is the most effective.
To do this, simply place the beans and shells in a colander or other perforated bowl, and run a blow dryer over the beans.
This will stir up the shells and shoot them up out of the bowl while leaving the beans inside.
Be careful, this is extremely messy and will leave shells everywhere! It is best to do this step outside.
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How To Buy And Store Better Coffee In Three Easy Steps
Whether you’re brewing on a French press or a Chemex, a tricked-out espresso machine or a workaday Bunn Automatic, the best coffee always starts with the freshest, highest-quality beans. Unfortunately, good beans can be hard to findmost supermarket varieties are stale before they reach the shelves, and even gourmet shops often bungle their inventories. That said, there are some keepers out there, and we’re here to help you find them.
Go Whole Bean
One of the surest ways to up your coffee game at home is to buy whole beans and grind them yourself just before brewing. Because ground coffee is fragile, it quickly oxidizes and rapidly loses flavor, making preground packaged coffee taste like cardboard compared to the fresh stuff.
Shop Small
Like getting house-baked bread from a bakery, purchasing beans directly from a high-quality roaster goes a long way toward guaranteeing freshness. And since beans reach their peak within about 10 days of roasting, buying small quantities at regular intervals means you’ll always have fresh ones on hand.
Most roasters will ship directly to your doorsome of our favorites are Blue Bottle, , and Intelligentsiawhile websites like Craft Coffee ship beans from multiple small-batch roasters, including Portland’s Coava, New York’s Gimme! and Asheville’s Mountain Air.
Hold ‘Em Tight
Speaking of storage, now that you’ve found fresh beans and brought them home, you’ll want to protect them from air, direct sunlight and temperature fluctuations.