About coffee beans: how to preserve flavor?

It would seem that coffee is such a common product. But there are only two varieties that are used to make the drink: Arabica and Robusta. If you are a lover of mild, sour-sweet coffee flavor, look for pure Arabica, but if you prefer coffee with a bitterness, look for a mixture of Arabica and Robusta.

Consultant: Denis Davydov, Representative of the company “MagicTest.

Arabica plus Robusta

The more bitter coffee you like, the higher the proportion of Robusta should be, but remember that this variety has 2-3 times more caffeine than Arabica. When buying ground coffee you have to believe what is written on the package, but when buying coffee beans you can be guided by the shape of the bean.

Robusta beans are round, while Arabica beans are oblong. Specialists advise not to buy cheap ground coffee, which is labeled “100% Arabica”, because unscrupulous producers often add to such “Arabica” not only Robusta which costs less, because it is less demanding to grow and is exported mainly from India and Vietnam , but even coffee waste products.

Geography of roasting

In the process of roasting coffee beans the secretion and caramelization of special aromatic oils on the surface occurs, while the beans themselves change color – from green to brown, the volume – increased almost twice, and weight – about 20% of it escapes with the evaporated moisture.

The choice of roast is largely a matter of taste and often a national preference, but not all roasts are suitable for making real espresso, just Viennese, French and, of course, Italian roasts.

Roast is indicated by the word “Roast” on coffee packages. Light Roast is called Light Roast, strong roast is called High Roast, and medium roast, also called City Roast, is called City Roast. Very often also the traditional “geographical” name for the roast, such as “French Roast” or “Vienna Roast.

Fine grinds

Only ground specialty coffees marked “fine espresso grind” are good for espresso, very fine grind – finer only for making drinks in a turk.

If you prefer to grind your own coffee, take a look at the grinding method in the coffee grinder.

Surprisingly, but innovations do not take root here, and the best coffee grinders have millstones, which means that they use the method used by our great-grandmothers. Millers do not grind coffee, but grind the beans, because the purpose of grinding is not only to grind, but also to bring out the aroma of essential oils in every particle of coffee powder!

Grinding coffee with knives is a sure way to get most of the beans to be commonplace dust, which has lost a fair amount of flavor, coffee in rotary grinders overheats and tastes like burnt coffee.