Raise your hand if you’ve got a big container of coffee in your pantry that’s been sitting around for a couple of months. It will get you by in a pinch, but next time you reach for the big container at the grocery store, consider these tips: To maximize the flavor, it is always best to buy coffee in whole bean form and grind it just prior to brewing. If you don’t have a grinder, buy only enough ground coffee to last a week or two. Store coffee in a tightly sealed jar, preferably glass with either a screw or clamp top. Coffee can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated in an airtight container. Do not freeze coffee unless...
The taste of a coffee should not be confused with the strength of the brew. Generally speaking, any coffee can be brewed strong, making flavor the primary way that coffees are distinguished. Frequently, lightly roasted coffees are brewed too weak and tend to be perceived as thin. Consider trying lightly roasted coffees without cream or sugar, and you might be pleasantly surprised. The following is a list of recognized terms and their meanings that are widely used in the coffee trade: Acidy: A favorable expression that suggests a pleasant sparkle or tang often attributed to the altitude at which the coffees are grown. Typically, as coffees are roasted longer, acidity and many of the other favorable flavor components that are...
Coffee roasting is a chemical process by which aromatics, acids and other flavor components are created, balanced and/or or altered to augment the flavor, acidity, aftertaste and body of the coffee. Drying Cycle: In the first phase of the roasting process, the temperature of the beans rises to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bean color changes from a bright green to a pale yellow. First Crack: When the beans reach 320 degrees Fahrenheit, complex chemical reactions begin to occur, causing a cracking sound. Roast Initiation: The beans swell to 140–160 percent of their initial size. Elements within the beans begin to caramelize, giving the beans their brown color. Pause: In this phase, the audible cracking ceases, but the chemical reactions...
Many people have been wine tasting, but not many can say they’ve been coffee cupping! Coffee cupping is an effective way to evaluate aroma and flavor profiles of a particular coffee. Cupping can also be useful in checking a coffee for defects or for creating blends. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to cup. What we want to do is pass along the textbook method. At first glance, this may seem like an extremely scientific process, but cuppers have their own variations that work best for them. The more experience you gain as a cupper, the easier the process will become! Perhaps most important is to remember practice and humility—the best cuppers are always eager...
