Topic: organic

Espresso 101: The art of coffee

By Ray Huot | October 5, 2007 |

The art of making a great cup of coffee comes not just from choice of bean, but how it is roasted and ground, as well as how much water is used in the brew. Each of these factors have an effect upon the taste, body, acidity, aroma and balance of each cup.

Definitions of Characteristics:

Acidity: this is a tart fruity, almost “lemony” sensation on the tip of your tongue. Also called brightness, it is a highly desirable flavor characteristic. Usually the acidity is best evaluated once the coffee has cooled slightly to a warm/ lukewarm temperature.

Body: this is described as the thickness or the way the coffee feels in your mouth. Some common terms used to describe body include rich, creamy, full, thin, watery, light, heavy, and syrupy.

Aroma: the smell of gases released when the coffee is brewed. Terms used to describe aroma include spicy, wine-like, grassy, musty, earthy, floral, nut-like, or acidic. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Business | No Comments

How well do you know your coffee?

By Ray Huot | September 28, 2007 |

There are two types of drinkable coffee in the world: Arabica and Robusta. They are commonly referred to as gourmet and truck stop. Industry insiders call them specialty coffee and canned coffee. There are several reasons why specialty coffee is more expensive.Arabica coffee naturally has more flavor than Robusta coffee. Surprisingly, it also has about one-third less caffeine than its cheaper cousin. (Yes, that truck stop brew does have more caffeine.) Specialty coffee tastes stronger because it has more natural taste not because it has more caffeine. Also, specialty coffee tends to be roasted darker, which adds more flavor to the beans.

Arabica sells for a premium not only because of its taste, but because of how it is grown and processed. Arabica plants take longer to start producing crop, are more susceptible to disease, are grown at higher altitudes and use much more hand labor, all of which add to production costs. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Business | No Comments