What Is African Coffee
Africa is filled with coffees rich history and offers a variety of flavors. Coffee enthusiasts around the world find African coffee quite exotic, but are they wrong? With that in mind, here are the answers you need to answer the question what is African coffee?
According to the World Economic Forum, African coffee accounts for 12% of the worlds coffee production. But what is it? African coffee is a type of coffee grown, harvested, and found in the African continent. The major countries that supply African coffee are Kenya and Ethiopia.
African coffee has a deep history rooted in politics, colonization, African tribes, etc. Of course, this article will touch on some of the rich histories behind coffee, but it will also give you the information you need to know about African coffee.
Youre welcome to take a seat, brew a cup, and keep reading.
What Are The Types Of African Coffee
Now that the history and geographic points of coffee are in order, its time to start delving deeper into the topic of African coffee. As shared, Africa is a massive continent.
Not only that, but coffee differs according to the climate, soil, etc., that its grown in. This article will cover more on that below.
Scientists have this long concept of naming plants. Its called Binomial Nomenclature. In a nutshell, scientists provide all living organisms a genus and a species name.
Coffee is a plant, and thus scientists consider it a living organism. The genus name of the coffee is Coffea. Any name that comes after the word Coffea is known as the species name.
Why is this important? According to the NCA, the National Coffee Association, experts estimate between 25-100 coffee plants worldwide.
Does this mean that this article will cover over 100 coffee plants? Fortunately no. There are four leading coffee plants found in Africa.
The different coffee-growing areas have also led to different types of African coffee.
Here are the primary coffee plants that you can find in the African coffee category:
- Coffea Arabica
- Coffea Robusta or Coffea Canephora
- Coffea Liberica
Coffea Arabica
Coffea Arabica is the leading coffee plant in the world. It constitutes up to 75%-80% of the worlds total coffee production. Not only that, but its the descendant of the original wild coffee plants found in Ethiopia.
Coffea Robusta Or Coffea Canephora
Coffea Liberica
Nd Drop Coffee Roasters Stockholm Sweden
Fika culture is alive and well in Sweden, and if youre interested in seeing what its all about, head to Drop Coffee Roasters. Upon entering the cafe, youll be welcomed by the delectable aroma of freshly-brewed coffee. They sell beans on-site here and run courses as well, so theres no doubt that the baristas know exactly what theyre doing when theyre pulling your shots. Consistent quality across the board ensures theyre easily amongst the best of the best.
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Factors To Consider When Choosing The Right Coffee For French Press
French press brewing is one of the simplest brewing methods that produce great tasting drinks for coffeeholic. The method involves adding hot water on the ground coffee beans in the French press and then simply pressing the plunger.
However, as simple as the method may say, if you use the wrong beans, you will not be able to achieve the rich and smooth brew. To help you pick the best coffee for French press, here are some of the important factors to consider:
1. Whole bean coffee vs pre-ground coffee
If will use French press, the grind size matters. Coarse ground coffee is whats ideal for French press. To save you the hassle and time of grinding, you may consider getting pre-ground coffee.
Its important to note though that theres a big difference between buying whole beans and pre-ground coffee. More often, the two may differ in flavor, freshness and aroma. With fresh beans, you can get the freshest and most aromatic coffee possible.
When buying pre-ground coffee, you just have to be careful to go with a trusted brand. You would want to avoid a pack of ground coffee for French press that contains a lot of additives and impurities.
2. Type of roast
Each pack of the best coffee beans indicates whether it is a light roast, medium roast or dark roast. The type of roast greatly affects the flavor of the coffee.
3. Flavor notes or sensory profile
4. Freshness and quality
5. Cost
Costa Coffee Vs Starbucks
Costa Coffee and Starbucks are the two biggest coffee chains globally, and both have a delicious menu of coffees and many chains across the globe. There must be a reason that these two coffee shops are so popular. So, is Starbucks better than Costa Coffee, or the other way around?
Starbucks, the first largest coffee chain globally, is superior to Costa Coffee, the second-largest coffee in the world. Starbucks, home to the delicious Frappuccino, has a more extensive coffee menu, a variety of coffee types available, and more shops worldwide.
Although both Starbucks and Costa Coffee are great coffee chains and deserve to be the top two most prominent chains worldwide, one is, unfortunately, superior to the other. This outcome of ones superiority came from how Starbucks and Costa Coffee came to be, their menu variety, their coffee options available to customers, and their worldwide availability. Below I elaborate on Costa Coffee and Starbucks, which is superior, and why they come out as superior.
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Africa Takes Top Three Spots
Ethiopias coffees, as a group, fell higher on the scale than those of any other country. Two other African nations, Kenya and Uganda, rounded out the podium.
The chart excludes the coffee-growing regions that had fewer than 20 coffees graded, and we also discarded one coffee from Honduras that somehow earned a score of zero.
As you can see, the dots get a little bit crowded for those countries that had a lot of coffees tested. To let you see more easily how the scores were distributed, weve broken out separate charts for each country below, listed in order. Again, each dot represents one coffee. The vertical red dotted line indicates the mean grade for all coffees from that country.
Th Pikolo Espresso Bar Montreal Canada
Single-origin coffees, outstanding latte art and some retro-industrial vibes lure you into Pikolo Espresso Bar, without a doubt one of the best coffee shops in Canada. The trendy coffee bar is home to some of the friendliest staff you will ever come across. They work with local roasters, pairing their world-class beans with some of the tastiest homemade pastries. In short, theyre perfected the delightful pairing of superb coffee with delicious eats.
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Know How To Read Coffee Packaging
The best coffees in the world can be spotted by the packaging or coffee ecommerce page – if you know what to look for. Here are some elements that let you know that the coffee roaster is highly concerned with freshness and quality.
Roasted On Date – Roasted coffee has about two to three weeks of peak freshness before the nuance, crisp flavors begin to decline. A clear display of the exact date the coffee was roasted lets you know that the roaster is highly concerned with transparency and freshness.
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Flavor Descriptors – Roasters that provide specific flavor descriptors for their coffee are roasters who are confident and not afraid of being called out for fake flavors. These roasters want to empower you to taste the nuance in coffee.
Origin Transparency – Roasters that pull you into the story of a coffees origin are proud of their sourcing practices, farmer partners, and coffee. The more transparent a roaster is, the more likely they are buying very high quality coffee.
Of course, these three items dont guarantee that a bag of coffee holds true liquid gold. Some roasters provide this information before they develop the roasting skills that lead to the worlds best coffee. Always look for these items anyway!
Here are a few things you should avoid. If a roaster includes these items on his coffee packaging, I guarantee you: it wont be among the worlds best.
For more information: How To Read Coffee Packaging Like A Pro.
Th Roemar Koffie & Thee Deventer Netherlands
From your own personal favourite to something new and exotic, this Deventer coffee shop notes that theyve got something to please any palate. They regularly offer 13 different coffees from all over the world for tasting and rotate them often. They roast them in small batches themselves, ensuring that they dont lose any flavour in the process. The result? A wonderful cup of coffee each time you visit.
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Puroast Low Acid Ground Coffee Coffeehouse Columbian Supremo Medium Roast
Puroast boasts of having seven times more antioxidants than green tea, and five times more than popular coffee brands. This claim is supported by published research by UC Davis.
Apart from that, this French press medium-roast coffee is also 70% less acidic compared to most coffee in the market. This makes it a perfect choice for those coffee enthusiasts who are suffering from acid reflux, heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems.
From the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the coffee are roasted in small batches. No additives are added during the process to preserve the quality of the blend.
PROS:
- Best coffee for French press
CONS:
- Has a bitter aftertaste which is common among strong coffee
Buy it now:
Th Tim Wendelboe Oslo Norway
Ask any European coffee expert where to get some of the worlds best coffee and theyll absolutely drop Tim Wendelboes name. Hes single-handedly revolutionised Oslos coffee scene and helped drive the entire culture to a new level. Online ordering for take-home beans is a huge part of what they do here. But, its impossible to resist visiting the Oslo coffee shop. Theyve even got a unique on-site micro-roastery.
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Bunn Bt Velocity Brew Coffee Maker
As you might expect from Bunn this 10 cup home coffee machine is as thoughtfully engineered as it is tastefully designed. It doesnt waste any time in the performance of its duties, brewing a full 10 cups of delicious, robust coffee in just over 3 minutes. When it comes to brewing coffee Bunn has been at it a long time and theyve poured just about everything they know into this outstanding value product.
The Bunn BT is as solidly dependable as any coffee machine on the market. Some purists may object to the stainless steel carafe but we found it kept the coffee warm longer was generally easier to maintain and removed the threat of breaking or cracking glass. Most importantly though this coffee machine makes a superb cup of coffee.
No more sitting around for 20 minutes while the coffee drips.
Stainless steel, vacuum insulated carafe means no worries about broken or cracked glass.
Limited 3 year manufacturers warranty.
Th Satans Coffee Corner Barcelona Spain
Satans Coffee Corner sure is modern and trendy for a place that evokes images of the depths of hell. Barcelonas cool culture seeps into the corners of each and every one of this coffee shops locations and combined with hellishly good coffee to create a fantastic caffeine-filled experience. Theyre brewing some of the best coffee in Spain, too, Right Side Coffee. So, its just spectacular from beginning to end.
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A Brief History Of Starbucks
When writing this article, Starbucks, like Costa Coffee, has been running now for fifty years. In 1971, Starbucks opened their first shop in Seattle on Pike Place Market by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl, who met as students at the University of San Francisco. The shop offered a variety of coffees and teas from around the world. A significant change soon came that turned this small coffee shop into a coffee chain.
In 1981 Howard Schultz, a New York businessman, visited Starbucks and became entranced with Starbucks and their lovely variety of coffee and teas. He joined the company in 1982. Howard Schultz began to expand its coffee menu even further in 1983 after being inspired by the combination of coffees offered in Milan after a visit there. After this event, Starbucks began to expand significantly.
New Starbucks coffee shops soon opened across the United States. In 1996 a Starbucks coffee shop first opened in Japan and continued to expand across the world from there onwards. Over the next two decades, Starbucks continued to expand globally, and today a Starbucks coffee shop is available almost everywhere across the globe.
Today Starbucks is the single biggest coffee chain in the world.
Organix Medium Roast Coffee By Lifeboost Coffee
This kind of coffee bean is really great also it is good for health too. The companys goal and vision is to provide healthy, organic coffee that benefits farmers, drinkers, and the environment. And it also tastes fantastic.
They sell a whole range of coffees, but this medium organic roast is where youre meant to stand. It has an impressive number of certification statements and tastes fantastic when brewed with most brew types.
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Lifeboost Pacamara Luxe Gourmet Coffee
Lifeboost is known for its healthy, sustainably-grown coffee the beans are certified Kosher, Fair Trade, Organic, and pesticide- and mycotoxin-free, as well as being low-acid. The Pacamara Limited Collection has all of that, plus something more unusual: the rare Pacamara bean is one of the largest in the world.
What does it taste like? Expect a creamy mouthfeel and strong-but-sweet flavor, with notes of chocolate, nuts, and even flowers.
Like the Volcanica beans, this coffee isnt inexpensive. If you have the budget, though, youll be rewarded with a truly special cup of coffee.
The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel-Aged coffee from Coopers Cask is another delicious gourmet coffee. Made from single-origin Colombian beans aged for two months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this coffee is an aromatic treat.
As for flavor, this medium-dark roast coffee has a pleasing sweetness, mixed with notes of chocolate and fruit. And just wait until you taste the bourbon finish!
This variety isnt as unique or rare as our top two picks, but it has an unusual, delightful flavor, and its available at a more reasonable price. And if you dont love it, Coopers Cask offers a satisfaction guarantee.
- Not as unique or rare
Th Eighthirty Coffee Roasters Auckland New Zealand
Eighthirty is slowly but surely taking over the city with their perfectly roasted coffee. With five stores in Auckland, these espresso bars are a shining light in the citys coffee scene and never let you down. They take their sourcing seriously and provide guests with some of the finest imported beans in the entire country. Stop by for a morning coffee and relax amongst the laid back settings.
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Peerless Whole Bean Coffee Direct Trade Organic French Roast
Enjoy the deep, lingering, smoky notes in the French Roast from Peerless. It uses direct trade beans from small farmer-owned co-ops that are also USDA certified organic. Each bag is roasted, packaged, and shipped from Oakland, California, so it arrives on your doorstep as fresh as can be. If you like this coffee but also drink tea, Peerless has a range of teas that you can also browse.
How Much Does The Roast Date Matter
- Save
You know that freshly roasted coffee is better. But do you know the ideal number of days to consume after your beans have been roasted? Theres a lot of debate over this topic, but a safe range is anything between 8-20 days since roasted is best.
The best roasters include a roast date for their coffee, which lets you know how long its been since it was roasted.
Most coffee experts agree that whole bean coffee retains its freshness between one week and one month after roasting..
To make the most of the short time your coffee is at its freshest:
- Buy only what you know you can use in a few weeks
- Brew within 30 minutes of grinding.
- Keep your whole beans in a cool, dry place
And yes your coffee may actually be too fresh. You should allow at least 4 days after roasting because a buildup of C02 can negatively affect brewing.
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Coffee Bean Box Gourmet Coffee Sampler
Not one but four flavors! Thats what youll get when you buy this bean box. It comes with 4 handpicked gourmet coffees from the leading small-batch roasters in the Seattle area.
Each box contains freshly-roasted beans that are carefully crafted for coffee lovers. The box also includes roaster profiles, tasting notes and coffee brewing tips.
When you buy a Bean Box, you are also supporting a good cause as the company works exclusively with the local artisan roasters. Its more like farm-to-cup sourcing for every cup of coffee youll drink.
PROS:
Spanish Cafe Con Leche
Fun fact: if you order cafe con hielo in Spain, they will serve you cafe con leche and a small glass with ice.
Basically, cafe con leche is the coffee drink in Spain, so dont expect to find a Starbucks on every corner.
This is more or less the Spanish version of the cafe au lait only this usually has a touch more foam on top.
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The Top Rated Coffee Producers
Like I have mentioned before, comparing countries and varities is a bit like comparing apple pies and oranges.
So lets try to be a bit more specific in our analysis. Lets look at the producer level. While there are many famous coffee farms in the world, there are two coffee estates that tower above the rest:
- Hacienda La Esmeralda
Coffee Contains Lots Of Antioxidants:
Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants, coffee beans are rich in antioxidants which you can think of as the good guys that battle free radicals or unstable molecules that can damage your body cells.
One recent study showed that coffee is the single greatest contributor to total antioxidant intake in adults. One key antioxidant in coffee is called chlorogenic acid- a beneficial plant-based compound thats been shown to reduce inflammation dial down blood pressure and potentially play a role in protecting against chronic diseases.
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