Life begins after coffee. If you ask us, life is just too short to drink average coffee.

The journey to reach us is long and filled with care. The journey between the coffee seedling that is germinated and the shot of liquid espresso has so many stages you will appreciate your little hero. You can love coffee even more than you do now!

Where was coffee originally produced?

In the 15th century, coffee and coffee plants were first mentioned in Yemen. Within a century, it spread to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It became a global sensation in a period when the spreading of new ideas took much longer than it does today. The spread of coffee in just one generation is nothing short of meteoric when you consider how long it took to travel around the world in the 15 century. It has a rich history that is full of myths and legends.

Which type of coffee plant produces the best coffee?

The coffee plant that we love and know belongs to the species Coffea. This is a plant genus in the family Rubiaceace. There are more than 100 different types of coffee plants within this species! Coffee shares its lineage and ancestry with the sweet-scented Gardenia, a plant that most people are familiar with. The similarities between their jasmine-scented flowers and leaves are astounding. Robusta and Arabica are the two most popular species of coffee consumed today.

ROBUSTA

Robusta is a hardy coffee plant with lower susceptibility to disease and higher crop yields. The Robusta coffee plant is easy to grow, as it requires less shade and grows well at lower elevations. It is much easier to harvest a crop that has been produced in direct sunlight at ground level.

This convenience is at the cost of taste. Although Robusta beans have less acidity and more antioxidants, they also have a harsher flavor and are much better than their smoother cousins. They also have higher caffeine content, and caffeine is known to be painful.

Robusta is mainly used to produce freeze-dried instant Arabica coffee. However, it can be added as a flavoring agent in Arabica-dominated blends and as a filler for ground coffee blends. Robusta, which tastes like burned popcorn on its own, can add a very complementary flavor to Arabica blends when used in small amounts. Robusta beans are added in small quantities to coffee blends, which adds more caffeine and oil. They also give the blend a stronger flavor. This can produce a creamier, richer brew, which many describe as earthy and Italian espresso style.

ARABICA

The Arabica species needs more shade to grow and is higher in altitude than its robust Robusta counterpart. It prefers to grow amongst the natural vegetation of high altitudes, such as on plateaus and slopes in mountainous or volcanic regions. This is good for the environment but makes it more difficult to harvest and care for. The plants produce fewer fruits than Robusta, but the higher-quality beans make up for the lower yield.

Arabica is the most popular type of coffee bean for fresh brewing. It accounts for around 60% of the global coffee supply. Arabica beans are favored for their high acidity and smooth, sweet, and delicate flavor profiles. The higher acidity content makes Arabica coffee beans a more popular choice among coffee lovers. This increases the demand for and price of these beans.

Where does coffee grow?

The coffee is usually grown at the origin, which means that the farm will dry the beans and process them before selling them to brokers or directly to roasters.

Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Honduras, and Guatemala are the main coffee-producing countries. The ‘beanbelt’ is home to a variety of smaller coffee-producing countries, as well as some larger ones.

The Bean Belt refers to the area of the world that has the ideal climate for coffee plants. It is tropical and mountainous. High altitudes and heavy rains are what keep coffee plants happy. They produce high-quality beans. The Bean Belt lies between the Tropics of Capricorn & Cancer, just on either side of the Equator.

After the coffee beans are processed, they can be sold directly to roasters or brokers. They will then be shipped around the world and roasted in thousands of coffee-roasting shops.

How is coffee harvested?

Coffee fruits, also known as cherries, are only picked when they reach ripeness. When ripe, most cherries are a deep pink, red, or purple color, but some varieties can also be yellow or orange. Coffee cherries, unlike many other fruits, do not continue to ripen after they are picked. They also tend not to ripen all at once. The result is that coffee growers have a choice to make: strip their branches of cherries and risk losing an important portion of their harvest because many cherries were still green when they denied them, or pick the cherries by hand at different stages of ripening.

Selective Picking

Workers pick only the ripe cherries and leave the ones that need more time. The workers will return to the plant every 8-10 days to pick up the next batch of cherries. This process continues until the entire tree is harvested. It is more labor intensive than stripping but is most common for Arabica coffee. Arabica coffee is highly valued, so every cherry that ripens becomes valuable. Selective picking will remain the primary method of harvesting for many years to follow.

STRIP PICKING

Strip picking can be done by hand or with machinery on larger farms. The method is called strip picking and involves removing all the coffee cherries from the branches of the trees, regardless of their ripeness. While it is true that this method consists of waiting until all cherries are ripe before harvesting, the crop loss will always be substantial. Robusta beans are more likely to be used for this method due to their lower production costs, higher quality, and intended use.

How does coffee get processed?

Coffee can be processed in three ways: washed, honey, natural, and decaffeination (for decaf). There are also lesser-known coffee processing methods, such as wet-hulled or fermented.

Each processing method will produce a unique flavor profile for the coffee bean. Often, coffee processing is customized to target specific flavors. Sometimes, however, the type of processing that is done to coffee has less to do with flavor and more to do with the equipment and amenities that are available for farmers. The type of processing coffee goes through is usually determined by a combination of these factors. The green beans are turned and raked frequently during the drying process, regardless of the method used. This is to ensure an even drying and avoid the formation of mold. To be able to store the beans for a long time safely, they need to reach a moisture content of 11-12%. This usually takes 14 days to dry out. The beans are dried and then placed in large vats for 60-90 days rest before they are shipped to the roasters.

Washing process

In a “de-pulping” machine, the pulp and skin of whole coffee cherries are removed during the washing process. The green beans stripped of their mucilage are then soaked for up to 24 hrs in water vats to break down the mucilage. Mucilage is a slimy substance that surrounds the coffee bean. The farmer will decide when the mucilage is sufficiently broken down. After that, the beans are thoroughly washed with fresh water. This stops the fermentation and removes any remaining cherry pulp. The beans are transferred to raised beds, concrete patios, or threshing mats to dry in the sun. Wet-processed or washed coffees have a clean taste and lower acidity, making them easy to drink.

Natural Process

In the dry natural process, the cherries are dried in their whole form. After reaching the desired moisture level, the beans are sent through machines, which remove the dried fruit flesh and skin from the beans before they go into storage. This style of coffee processing, which involves drying the bean with the flesh of the cherry and its skin wrapped around it, produces a coffee with a complex and full flavor, usually with pronounced fruity notes. These coffees tend to be heavier in mouthfeel, and the flavors linger after every sip.

Honey processing

Honey-processed coffee is where the cherries are de-pulped but not soaked in order to remove any mucilage or extra fruit pulp that may have been left on the bean. The beans are moved directly from the de-pulping beds to the drying beds. This means that the cherry fruit is still on the beans as they dry. This style of processing is classified based on how much flesh remains on the bean after drying. This style of processing gives the coffee a slightly acidic zing due to the extra fruit that dries on the bean. It also has a more buttery mouthfeel and more fruity flavors than washed coffee.

Decaf process

Decaffeination is possible for all coffees, no matter what processing method was used (washed or natural, honey, etc.). The decaffeination of coffee is done after the initial processing in specialized facilities.

The marketability of caffeine-free beans is driving genetic research in this field.

There are water and chemical processes that are used to remove caffeine from coffee. However, the Mountain Water Process and the Swiss Water Process are the two most popular methods. The process involves soaking the green coffee beans for around 4-5 days in large vats filled with water. Water is removed from the vats and filtered to remove caffeine molecules. The decaffeinated coffee must then be dried to between 11 and 12 percent moisture before it is ready for export.

The caffeine molecules that are captured in this process are then sold to companies that make caffeine-based products, such as energy drinks and pre-workout products.

The green beans are stripped of some of the natural coffee oil and caffeine during the soaking procedure. This is why the decaffeinated version of coffee doesn’t have the same robust flavor or creamy mouthfeel as regular coffee.

What is the effect of processing on flavor?

It is not surprising that the processing of the coffee will affect its flavor. Each process adds or subtracts something to the final flavor. Processing will influence the types of flavors – chocolatey, fruity, nutty, or earthy. The base flavors of coffee beans are their own, but how they are processed can either enhance them or reduce them.

Certain processes can increase acidity, while others will reduce it. Acidity in coffee is essential – it gives it that zing in the mouth. Acids stimulate the taste buds and enhance flavors.

The acidity of the coffee will determine how well it pairs with a drink based on milk. This is important for those who prefer a latte over a long black. We like coffee with milk in Australia, and therefore, coffee that has a higher acidity is also good.

What is the best type of coffee?

When choosing the right coffee, you should first consider what kind of beverage you will be making. You can select a lower-acidity coffee if you want to make a black cup of coffee. Low-acidity coffees are also better for cold brewed or cold drip coffee. High-acid coffees are often a good choice for those who like milk coffees, particularly those made using hot brewing methods, such as French Press stovetop filter or espresso.

When making a choice, it is important to consider both the acidity and the flavor. Don’t pick a coffee just because it has a high acidity level if you dislike earthy or dried fruit flavors! There are always coffees that offer the best of both worlds. Asking the experts at Crema Coffee Garage can help you find the perfect blend.

There is no such thing at the end of it all as “the best coffee.” It’s important to find a coffee that you enjoy. The easiest way to do this is by taking advice from others and trying out new blends and single origins. Call us to find out more, or visit our store for a delicious tasting!