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| The Art of Coffee | ||||||
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Bean BasicsRoastingLight Roast: Sometimes called Cinnamon Roast, American Roast or City Roast or Light City Roast. The characteristic color of the beans will be light to medium brown without any of the coffee's natural oils appearing on the surface of the bean. These Coffee's are usually mild Medium Roast: Sometimes called Breakfast Roast, Vienna Roast, American Roast, City Roast. A medium dark brown color. The oils of the bean are just starting to surface causing small spots to form. This roast usually has a full, rich flavor. Dark Roast: Sometimes called European Roast, Vienna Roast, full city roast or French Roast. Dark brown in color with more oils on the bean. This roast has a heavy rich flavor. Espresso Roast: Sometimes called Italian Roast. This is Burnt black coffee with very heavy oils and a bittersweet, burnt taste. Note: Every roaster has their own definition of what a Light, Medium or Dark Roast is. So a Medium Roast from one roaster may be a Dark Roast to another Roaster CharacterAcidity: (Not the PH kind associated with heartburn). This term reflects the crispness, fruitiness, tartness, snap, twist or winy taste, combined with an underlying sweetness of the coffee. usually bright with a dry taste that adds life to the coffee. Examples would be: Costa Rica: Powerful and Transparent with dry notes, Kenya: rich and wine or berry toned with sweet notes. Sumatra: deep toned and muted Body: Or mouth feel, Light, Medium, Full, buttery, or syrupy, heaviness, richness, thickness and associated texture all describe the body of your coffee. Examples are: Costa Rican or Sumatra coffee are the heaviest and Kenya is medium to light. Bitterness: Caused by poor quality beans or improper brewing methods such as over extraction, beans to finely ground or the coffee sat to long after brewing. GradingTypes: By size, density, altitude the bean is grown and defects SHB: Strictly hard bean. Grown at high altitudes above 4,500 ft. Beans with this grade are usually your better coffee's. Some of the best SHB's are from Guatemala, Costa Rica HB: Hard Bean. Grown between 4,000 - 4,500 ft The 2nd best SHG: Strictly High Grown: The best grade of coffee from El Salvador HG: High Grown, The best grade of coffee grown above 3000ft AA: The largest most expensive beans. From Kenya and Tanzania Altura; Also High Grown These are the best beans from Mexico Peaberries: Result when the coffee fruit develops a single oval bean rather than the usual pair of flat sided beans. These beans are usually lighter in body, slightly more acidic and brighter Bourbon Santos: The finest grade from Brazil Santos: The 2nd best from Brazil Mocha: The best grade from Yeman Shortberry (Harrar): Small beans from Ethiopia Longberry (Harrar): Large bean from Ethiopia Mocha (Harrar): Peaberry from Ethiopia Mysore: One of the best from India StoringAsk 3 people how to store coffee and you will get 3 different answers. It only takes a few days for coffee to degas so by the time you get your coffee delivered, you should be able to vacuum pack or at least keep it in an air tight container. Unless you vacuum pack, your coffee will start to go stale within two to four weeks, so drink up. To ensure freshness never grind your beans until your ready to brew. Tip: If you have to grind your beans ahead of time, vacuum pack the grinds. Why? because ground beans start to go stale within hours of grinding. I highly recommend getting the Food Saver. BrewingHow to brew the best cup of Coffee?
Use fresh filtered water or bottled water and heat it to 195-205 degrees. Formula
If you use to little coffee, you will under extract and your cup will be bitter. You can always dilute your coffee with fresh hot water if it's to strong but still retain the flavor Brewing methodsDrip: Almost impossible to meet the above formula. So adjust the best you can. I highly recommend a different brewing method to fully enjoy your beans. Manual: Boil your water first, then grind your beans. By the time you are ready to use your water it should be at the correct temperature. I use a #2 oxygen white non-bleached filter. Brew for 4 minutes. Coffee Press: Boil your water first. Grind your beans. Pour half your water in and stir, then add the rest of the water, Wait 4 minutes. Gently press the plunger straight down. Download this PDF file to learn how to use a French Press Vacuum Pot: Fill the lower chamber 3/4 full. Add the proper amount of coffee in the top globe. Ensure a tight seal. Place over medium-high heat. When the water enters the grounds stir. When all the water is in the top globe remove from the heat. The coffee will flow back to the lower chamber. EspressoEspresso: Coming soon Home Espresso MachinesPressure Machines: Water is boiled in a chamber which builds pressure and steam. The boiling water is forced, by the pressure built up, though the ground coffee to make espresso. The steam generated is also used to steam and froth the milk. The DISADVANTAGE.. The water gets to hot to make authentic espresso as it is at the boiling point. The steam is usually inadequate for large servings of cappuccino and you have to wait for the machine to cool down before you can release the pressure in the chamber. These machines are very popular in today's market because they are cheap and portable but it's impossible to make a true authentic espresso like you get at your local Cafe. Pump Lever Machines: These machines have a separate water tank that can be accessed at any time to make large cappuccino's. It also has a boiler used to heat the water to around 180 degrees, which is the ideal temperature for espresso. The water is then sent through the ground coffee at a pressure of about 8-10 bar which is about the same used in the Cafe's, which produces a perfect cup of Espresso. Semi-Automatic Machine: You must press a button to both start and stop the brewing process. Automatic Espresso Machine: You have to press a button once and the machine starts and stops the brew process on it's own. Super Automatic Machine: The machine will grind, tamp, brew and dispose of grounds all with a push of a button.
Hawaiian Coffee FactsWhat is Peaberry Grade 100% Kona Coffee? Peaberry Grade Kona is the champagne of Kona coffee! This is the most exclusive of all the beans with only 5% of the crop producing Peaberry. Instead of 2 beans to a cherry, Peaberry is produced when only one oval compact bean is produced. Peaberry is highly prized for its smooth, full flavor and low acid content. The flavor in these small beans is simply more concentrated so the Kona flavor jumps right out at you! What is Private Reserve Kona Coffee? Take a scoop of Extra Fancy Beans (the highest Grade of Kona Coffee), mix in a handful of Peaberry Beans (bursting with flavor) and discover the smoothest, full-bodied cup of coffee you've ever tasted! So flavorful, we name it our Private Reserve Kona What is Estate Grade 100% Kona? The Estate grade is made up of a combination of the top three grades...favoring the largest. The best of the best! A smooth, elegant and perfectly balanced rich flavor. When you grind and brew these big beans, you'll experience an aroma and flavor that are pure paradise What is Prime Grade 100% Kona? Prime grade is made up of somewhat smaller beans than the Estate, but still has a very rich taste. It has a full, smooth flavor and is also great for every day drinking
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Start
with freshly roasted beans. Use a high quality burr grinder like a Bunn
or Braun adjustable grinders. I prefer to hand grind my beans with a
Zassenhaus hand grinder.
