Roasting the coffee beans brings out the vibrant flavor of the beans. The heat from the process causes the coffee bean's carbohydrates and fats to transform into aromatic oils. Roasting changes the flavor of the beans from something that is unpleasant into the wonderful coffee flavor that millions of people around the world enjoy every day.
There are also different roasting times that coffee beans experience. Each produces a different type of coffee. Light roast produces a light flavor, medium roast is sweeter and more full-bodied, and dark roast produces a deep taste that is fairly spicy and sweet.
The longest roasting time produces the really dark coffee. In those beans the natural sugar content of the beans will start to carbonize and caramelize, resulting in a smoky and full flavor.
Buying the Best Coffee Beans
Most coffee plants rely on the climate of the region where they are planted, and this produces the distinctive flavor found in the coffee cherries. For the very best beans, buy arabica coffee that is considered gourmet. Robusta beans have more caffeine, less flavor and are cheaper to make.
Your Own Coffee Grinder - A Must
People who want the best flavor in their coffee use coffee grinders. If you'd like to get the most flavor and nutritional benefit you can, buy whole coffee beans and grind your own as you use them. In order to enjoy the full flavor of the coffee, you should grind only the amount you intend to use just before brewing.
Keeping the Coffee Beans Fresh
For the best flavor you should purchase whole coffee beans from specialty shops only. After making your purchase, the whole beans should be used within a week of purchase in order to enjoy the full flavor of the coffee. Coffee beans are like sponges, soaking up the flavor of anything in their environment, which is why you want to make sure they are sealed in a air-tight container and used up within seven to ten days.
Coffee drinkers also advise against buying pre-ground coffee since pre-grinding diminishes the coffee flavor and aroma. By purchasing whole beans, grinding the fresh coffee beans and making only enough that you will drink immediately you are preparing a beautiful, intense flavor and aroma.
It wasn't long ago that people had to depend on percolators and ground coffee. Hardly anyone had their own grinder, and few people had their own percolator. Percolators were for the church potluck or the local coffee shop.
Today we are spoiled to have available the best coffee beans for a reasonable price. In many kitchens there is a roaster, or at least a grinder and coffee maker, and often an espresso machine. This is a great time in history for coffee lovers everywhere.
There are many factors that go into making a perfect cup of coffee. While many people focus on choosing the perfect brewing method the perfect model of brewer, the correct roasting equipment, grinding method, even the type of water used in making the coffee, most people will go out and buy cheap or inferior coffee beans. This has been one fact that honestly never ceases to amaze me.
All of the things mentioned above really are moot points unless you are using good quality beans for your coffee drinking delight. Not only do the beans need to be good quality to ensure the best possible cup of coffee, they also need to be of adequate freshness. Coffee beans are rather delicate creatures. The beans once opened are only at their best possible freshness for at most a week. Once those beans have been ground the maximum freshness only lasts for a matter of two or three days.
Freshness is monumentally important when it comes to the flavor of your coffee. It is better to use an inferior quality of coffee in its prime than it is to use a superior coffee that has outlived its freshness. The truth about supermarket coffee is that you have no idea how fresh your coffee really is by the time it makes it to the shelves in the stores, much less to your pantry at home. This coffee is by far the most questionable as far as quality goes.
Your average supermarket can of coffee will by no means match the quality, freshness, or flavor as beans that you purchase from your local gourmet coffee shop. Not only do you have no idea of how long it's been since they've been ground, you are also left to wonder about the actual quality as many of these brands are made with robusta beans rather than prime quality Arabica coffee beans or a blend of the two.
This doesn't mean that all coffee house coffees are going to provide the maximum freshness either. For better odds, it is wise to choose varieties and blends that are popular and sell rather quickly. There never is an honest guarantee for freshness unless you're getting your beans from the field, but for the most part the odds are better in a place that deals in quality rather than quantity (unlike mass merchandise supermarkets) and that really educates themselves in the finer points of coffee. This is something a small shop that specializes in coffee is far more likely to do than some minimum wage supermarket clerk.
Another way to increase your chances of getting a fresh and tasty cup of coffee is to buy whole beans rather than pre ground coffee. There are no guarantees when shopping, however the steps mentioned above will drastically increase your chances of getting your best possible cup of coffee each and every morning whether you have gone through specialized study about coffee beans or not. You really shouldn't have to have a degree in this in order to get a great cup of coffee in the morning.
Both Carol Stack & Melvin Ng are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Carol Stack has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Fishing and Fitness. Carol Stack has written numerous articles about and coffee-related topics. She lives in the United States with her husband, three children, and various dogs. Carol Stack's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
Melvin Ng has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mesothelioma Lawyer, Speed Reading and Bad Breath. For more info on coffee and coffee beans, please visit our website. . Melvin Ng's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.