Coffee Preparation: A primer
Coffee is the elixir of life for many people and the best way to get the day started. We have come a long way from the old days of percolated ‘Folger’s in your cup’ and have today so many different brewing methods and types of coffee. Just as diverse as the new phenomenon of microbrews, coffee has transcended the Yuban or Folgers that our folks drank, becoming a diverse pallet pleasing experience. This article will discuss the different coffee brewing methods, so you can make the choice which is the best way to enjoy your cup of joe.

Espresso

A method by which hot water is pushed through a port-filter full of compressed ground coffee. This method produces a strong, very complex version of coffee, filled with oils and aroma. Espresso shots are comprised of three layers (top to bottom): Crema, Body and Heart, and to be able to pull a shot of espresso takes training. I strongly suggest going to one of the many local artisan coffee shops and trying straight espresso shots, in order to fully understand the complex nature of pulling an amazing shot.

Chemex

Where beauty and simplicity meet in the middle and brew an exceptionally clean cup of coffee. Coarse grind, hot water and a thick filter is all you need to have a French press style of full flavor. The filter is the true key to the Chemex, using the wrong style can cause the water to run through too fast, thus creating a weak cup of coffee. The filter acts as a flow regulator and aficionados of the Chemex prefer adding just enough hot water to cover the grounds and then repeat until desired amount of coffee is brewed. Chemex seems like a messy way to make coffee, but it truly is simple and easy once you get the hang of it.

Drip Coffee

This is the most popular method in United States for its ease and the ability to set it and forget it–the true lazy man’s style of coffee. This is one of those times that spending a little more for your drip coffee machine will yield a better cup of Joe in the morning. Utilizing ground coffee, a filter and water, you simply flip a switch and a few minutes later, voila, you have coffee.

French Press

French Press, or press pot, is a simple brewing method using a beaker and plunger. By pouring hot water over your coarse grounds, allowing the grounds to soak up the water for a few minutes, press and you have a full bodied rich cup of coffee. Anyone that has had a French press cup of coffee know that you will have a bit of sludge in the bottom of your cup, but that is part of the flavor of using this method.

Aeropress

Relatively new to the coffee scene, this one cup coffee-maker, is a huge hit and gaining ground as a viable method to brewing a great cup of coffee. It is a two-step process that resembles a small French press–soak the grounds in hot water for a few minutes and press. This has become a traveler’s dream for coffee on the road, because, let’s face it, hotel coffee is less than satisfying.

Cold Brew

If coffee and your stomach aren’t on the same page, then cold brew is the best option for brewing coffee. This is a slow 12-36 hour process, where you use cold water to soak the coffee grounds and allow all the oils and caffeine to escape and make a concentrated coffee. The reason that this method is great for anyone with issues with coffee is that hot water brings out the acidic properties of coffee, and the cold method does not shock    the coffee and allows for low acidity. Once you make your concentrate you can store it in the fridge and have coffee at any moment by just adding water–this can be done both cold and hot.

About the Author: Ryan Mitchell With a number of years of barista work in high-end coffee shops, Ryan brings a unique and valued perspective to the preparation and enjoyment of coffee. As a native of Texas, he enjoys his coffee strong and lives for the outdoors where he spends a lot of his free time hiking with his dog Lincoln.

Commercial coffee roasting machines are used to heat the green coffee beans between 370 and 540 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re heated anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. The time and temperature determine the level of roast from light to dark.

Roasting Levels
A majority of coffee drinkers have a range of preferences when it comes to the coffee’s roast. Whether the drinker desires a lighter or darker roast, a favorite is always just a sip away.

It should be noted that a dark roasted coffee does not necessarily mean it contains higher caffeine content. On the contrary, lighter roasted coffee tends to have slightly higher caffeine quantities than medium to dark roasts. This is due to the roasting techniques utilized that directly impact the flavor profiles and caffeine levels.

Light Roast
Light roasted coffee beans are light brown in appearance. They also express lighter, more acidic flavor profiles. To achieve a lighter roast, the bean is heated until the “first crack” at about 375 – 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The appearance of the beans is not shiny or oily. That is only developed when a bean is roasted longer releasing the oils it contains. Lightly roasted beans also express greater origin flavors that exist from the parent soil it was grown in. Additionally, concurrent weather conditions and location next to other crops will directly affect its flavor profile.

Medium Roast
Medium roasted coffee has a slightly dark-tan/brown appearance. Medium roasted beans provide for a sweeter, more balanced profile with less acidity than darker roasts. Caffeine levels are less than light roasted but higher than the dark roasted varieties. Medium roasts are met at temperatures between 410-430 degrees Fahrenheit. This occurs between the first and “second crack.” A shiny appearance will be really subtle as some oils are released during this process.

Dark Roast
Dark roasting will allow the coffee bean to release most of its contained oils, giving it an shiny appearance with a less acidic taste. Dark roasted coffee beans are processed around 460 degrees Fahrenheit near the end of the “second crack.” Flavor profiles will be slightly bitter or smoky from the length and heat in this roasting process. The dark roasted flavors may overwhelm the origin/source flavors of the coffee.

The four primary characteristics of coffee are: Acidity, Aroma, Body, and Taste.

Acidity
Acidity in coffee is expressed through sharpness of flavor profiles found around the edges of the tongue and towards the back of the mouth. The acidity of a coffee may be assessed as lively/active, mild/moderate, flat to dull, and should not to be confused with bitterness.

Aroma
Aroma is found through the nose and lands on the taste buds. The smell or bouquet of the bean shows from coffee when ground or while in liquid form. Coffee aromatics can be expressed as sweet to dry, complex to simple, floral to tropical, sweet to sour.

Body
This known as the “mouth feel” or how thick or thin you perceive the coffee to be. Specifically deals with the “depth of the liquid”, expressed through lightness or intensity of the weight the flavors you experience.

Taste
In addition to the “flavor” in a flavored coffee, there is also coffee taste. Taste refers simply to the taste of the coffee. Coffee can range from one-dimensional (as in a “straight” or single varietal) to rich and complex (as found in some blends). Look for specific taste elements described as winey, earthy, sweet, nutty, smoky, or spicy.

Everyone recognizes a roasted coffee bean, but you might not recognize an actual coffee plant.

Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree.

It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans.

All commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded sun.

Botanical classification

Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffea.  Within the genus there are over 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs.

The genus was first described in the 18th century by the Swedish botanist, Carolus Linneaus, who also described Coffea Arabica in his Species Plantarum in 1753. Botanists have disagreed ever since on the exact classification, since coffee plants can range widely. They can be small shrubs to tall trees, with leaves from one to 16 inches in size, and in colors from purple or yellow to the predominant dark green. It has been estimated that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 species of coffee plants.

In the commercial coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and canephora (more commonly called Robusta).

Coffea Arabica — C. Arabica

Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo, Tico, San Ramon, Jamaican Blue Mountain

Coffea Arabica is descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia.  These trees produce a fine, mild, aromatic coffee and represent approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production. The beans are flatter and more elongated than Robusta and lower in caffeine.

On the world market, Arabica coffees bring the highest prices.  The better Arabicas are high grown coffees — generally grown between 2,000 to 6,000 feet (610 to 1830 meters) above sea level — though optimal altitude varies with proximity to the equator.

The most important factor is that temperatures must remain mild, ideally between 59 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 60 inches of rainfall a year. The trees are hearty, but a heavy frost will kill them.

Arabica trees are costly to cultivate because the ideal terrain tends to be steep and access is difficult. Also, because the trees are more disease-prone than Robusta, they require additional care and attention.

Coffea canephora — C. canephora var. Robusta

Variety: Robusta

Most of the world’s Robusta is grown in Central and Western Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Brazil. Production of Robusta is increasing, though it accounts for only about 30% of the world market.

Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean.

The Robusta tree is heartier and more resistant to disease and parasites, which makes it easier and cheaper to cultivate. It also has the advantage of being able to withstand warmer climates, preferring constant temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which enables it to grow at far lower altitudes than Arabica.

It requires about 60 inches of rainfall a year, and cannot withstand frost. Compared with Arabica, Robusta beans produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine.

The Anatomy of a Coffee Cherry

The coffee cherry’s outer skin is called the exocarp. Beneath it is the mesocarp, a thin layer of pulp, followed by a slimy layer called the parenchyma.  The beans themselves are covered in a paper-like envelope named the endocarp, more commonly referred to as the parchment.

Inside the parchment, side-by-side, lie two beans, each covered separately by yet another thin membrane. The biological name for this seed skin is the spermoderm, but it is generally referred to in the coffee trade as the silver skin.

The coffee bean follows an amazing process to reach your mug — check out the entire process of Coffee Production: 10 Steps from Seed to Cup.

Image credit: Lilibeth Serrano – USFWS via Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Michael C. Wright via Wikimedia Commons

Story taken from: http://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/What-is-Coffee