Coffee is probably one of the most universally enjoyed beverages on the planet. You can get hundreds of types of coffee from all over the world, each with a unique characteristic and flavor.
Think of a coffee bean like a cut of meat. There are different types of meat and different cuts of meat depending on what your tastes are. Pork is different than Lamb or Beef or chicken, and the way you cook them depends on whether you prefer rare, medium rare, or well done. While you might enjoy a rare beef steak, you probably would never eat a rare pork chop or piece of chicken. The same principle applies to different types of coffee.
Each bean contains sugars and oils and the taste of the bean when brewed is radically affected by humidity, atmospheric pressure, and the temperature and time the bean is roasted. Expert roasters like my friend Barto, will have on hand a thermometer, barometer, and relative humidity gauge. If you cook a bean too fast, or at too high of a temperature, then the sugars burn and can create a bitter flavor. If you cook the bean too low, or not long enough, the bean, depending on it's type, won't release that robust flavor that you enjoy.
The roaster actually puts the roasted bean in a laser type instrument and experiments with different cooking recipes for each type of bean. The instrument reveals if the bean is cooked properly and apparently measures the sugar content and "wellness" of the roast.
After the bean is roasted, it's ground in different textures, from fine ground to coarse ground, and a sample of the coffee is brewed, again with different temperatures and the flavor is sampled, much like you would see at a wine tasting. Once the roaster finds the flavor he is looking for, the recipe is carefully recorded so the exact steps, temperatures and process can be duplicated to get the same results again and again.
Once you find the coffee you like, they here are some tips for brewing the perfect cup of coffee that you'll love!
Buy whole bean coffee. Buying and storing coffee in whole bean form keeps delicate oils and aromas where they belong -in the bean- safely locked away from their primary enemy, oxygen.
Store unopened bags of coffee in a cool, dry place. Quality suppliers of coffee eliminate most of the oxygen in the bags by flushing them with nitrogen, an inert gas that won't cause staling. After you open the bag, store unused beans in an air-tight canister.
Don't buy more coffee than you'll use in a two weeks. If you sign up for a coffee of the month club you can have fresh coffee delivered to your door when you choose, so you don't need to worry about running out! And this way it will always be fresh.
Grind your beans just before brewing... and be sure to choose a grind appropriate for your brewing method. Grind coarsely for use in a coffee press, less so for a vacuum pot. Grind fairly fine for auto drip.
Use fresh, good-tasting, cold water. Brewed coffee is about 98% water. If you use ordinary tap water, your coffee will be greatly affected by chlorine, and the hardness or mineral content of the water. Use filtered or bottled water when possible.
Measure your coffee. Tastes vary widely, but a good place to start is between 1 and 2 tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water. Too little coffee won't make a weaker brew... it'll make a bitter brew. If your coffee is stronger than you like, you can always dilute it with additional hot water.
Use clean equipment. Whatever your method of brewing, start with sparkling clean equipment. Here's a tip for you. Once a week, put half a cup of white vinegar in your coffee maker, and turn your maker on. The vinegar is an excellent cleaner and will insure you have a clean brewer every time.
Enjoy your coffee immediately... or store it for an hour or two in a thermal carafe. Don't let your coffee sit on a warming plate. It will burn after only half an hour or so.
