Posted by the author on June 25th, 2010
Fresh Coffee
There’s truly nothing like a fresh cup of joe in the morning. Millions of people all over the world look forward to this every morning. When we wake up, we need some time to gather ourselves for for another new day, shake off the grogginess and get ready for the days work. For a lot people, a cup of instant will do the trick. For others, nothing but a freshly brewed cup will do the trick. For those of us that are just a little more choosey, fresh coffee entails more than opening a can of pre-ground coffee or even worse, a ready made packet you drop in the basket.
The gourmet coffee drinker is well aware there’s way more to fresh coffee than the average coffee drinker knows. This professional puts emphasis on the “fresh” when speaking of fresh coffee.
There are basically just two parts that are really important when producing a cup of truly fresh coffee: the coffee and the water. Well, so what, you say. Put the two together in hot water and drink. Not exactly, says the coffee connoisseur.
First, you have the coffee. The quality must be superior. This means the coffee beans must be 100% Arabica. The other species of coffee is called Robusta and is most often used in cheaper coffees and at best, contains a mix of Robusta and Arabica. Robusta beans do not have the complexity of flavor offered by Arabica and usually has a hint of bitterness to it.
Once you’ve got your 100% Arabica, you then have to decide between whole beans that you grind yourself at home, or a bag that you had already ground. Which is better? You guessed right. Whole beans always retain flavor the best.
Even the bag the beans come in matters. Like spices, coffee quickly loses its essential oils, which contain both flavor and aroma, when exposed to air. Therefore, choose a bag which is airtight, made of foil with a shiny surface, over a paper bag with waxed lining.
Storage of the beans is also necessary in flavor retention. Keep the bag in the freezer. Heat causes loss of the essential oils, derailing your mission for a cup of fresh coffee.
Now we’re ready to actually make that fresh coffee. Start with very cold water in the pot. Grind just enough coffee for the pot. Brew as usual. This is a very simple method and produces a cup of fresh coffee that will please even the most picky gourmet.
Or will it? It depends on just how hard core a gourmet you are. Some people turn their nose up at even airtight, foil bags of beans, claiming that just a couple of days after roasting, the coffee has been diminished. The bag at the store was probably roasted at least two weeks ago and therefore is no longer up to snuff. Can you imagine? “This is not fresh coffee!”
This connoisseur insists on buying unroasted beans and roasting them at home just enough for a few days. Only then is it considered fresh coffee. Some people are hard to please!