Coffee Knowledge for Everyone

Become a coffee connoisseur by understanding better each step from coffee seed to your cup.

 

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dark roast vs light roast

In short...

  • Typical roasting temperatures used for specialty coffees do not affect caffeine content.
  • The physical changes of the coffee bean (volume and weight) define the concentration of caffeine in the bean.
  • Caffeine content also depends on the variety, the species and the brewing technique.

freshly roasted coffee beans

In short...

  • Physically, coffee beans do not expire and thus it can have an extended shelf life, especially if stored appropiately.
  • However, the intensity of coffee flavors decline with the time.
  • To get a good brew, coffee needs to rest for a couple of days so that coffee flavor compounds can be properly extracted.
  • The rest time of coffee after roasting can be as long as 4 to 12 days. It is not recommended to prepare coffee directly after it had been roasted.
  • Knowing the roasting date allows you to assess the days it need to rest to get a better extraction.

Chemex serving coffee in coffee cups

In short...

  • Coffee flavors are composed of the taste, the aroma and the texture.
  • The design of the brewing equipment, the brewing method and the type and porosity of the filter have an impact on coffee flavor.
  • If you know the main cues (e.g., filter porosity, shape of brewer, etc.), you will be able to understand any brewing method, even if you have not tried it yet.

coffee beans in spoon

In short...

  1. Get all the equipment and accesories for coffee cupping.
  2. Set-up the cupping table.
  3. Prepare the coffee samples.
  4. Cup the coffee(s).
  5. If you want to cup at home, you can follow the SCA cupping protocol, but without scoring the different flavors. Focus on tastes and aromas and put your impressions and descriptions down on a blank sheet. That's how you will train your palate and become more confident during the process.

Fruit basket

In short...

  • Coffee gets its flavors in each step along the value chain, from origin to the brewing process.
  • Humans perceive tastes through the taste buds located on the tongue.
  • Different areas on the tongue perceive the 5 main tastes: sweetness, saltiness, acidity, bitterness and umami.
  • In order to cup or taste appropiately coffee, focus on just one taste at a time and on the corresponding area on the tongue. Especially beginners should follow this technique to get uses to the process.

Coffee cup on table

In short...

  • Coffee cupping is a standardized evaluation system, which is used to assess green coffee quality and the quality of a roast.
  • During the cupping process only roasted coffee and water is used, no filter.
  • Coffee tasting refers to the evaluation of flavors after coffee was prepared in a brewing method. It is used to assess the quality of the brew and detect potential errors which might occur during extraction.
  • Coffee cupping and tasting should be used together to get a broad view on coffee`s sensory properties.

coffee plantation

"Organic coffee is not healthier and doesn't taste better than conventionally grown coffee."

“So why should you buy it if it's even more expensive?”, you might ask.

home coffee brewing with Chemex

In short...

  1. Prepare your brewing equipment and working area so you do not have to interrupt the brewing process.
  2. Depending on the brewing equipment you are going to use, pre-heat the water or the equipment.
  3. Weigh and grind the coffee you are going to use.
  4. Start with blooming (pre-infusion) the coffee if you use a drip or immersion brewer. In espresso you can also make a pre-infusion if the machine has this feature.
  5. Brew the coffee according to the method.
  6. Serve the coffee directly or store it in a well-insulated server so it will not lose aromas.
  7. Enjoy your brew!

Coffee brewing equipment

In short...

  1. Use a scale to weigh your coffee and brew water (or beverage weight in case of espresso) in order to match perfect brew ratio.
  2. A coffee bean grinder: a burr grinder is recommended to adjust grind size according to brewing method and coffee quantity.
  3. A brewing method: this fullly depends on your preferences.
  4. For drip or immersion brewer, use a kettle with gooseneck.
  5. If you brew for more than one person and you want to drink the coffee over time, a coffee server is recommended.