Fresh Coffee..
There’s truly nothing like a fresh cup of joe in the morning. Thousands and thousands of people worldwide look forward to this every morning.
When we wake up, we need to collect ourselves for a new day, shake off the grogginess and prepare for the day’s work. For a lot people, a cup of instant coffee will do the trick. For others, a great cup of espresso will work it’s magic.
For those of us of the more picky persuasion, fresh coffee is much more than opening up a can of ground coffee or worse yet, a instant packet you drop in the basket.
The gourmet coffee drinker knows all to well there’s more to fresh coffee than the average coffee drinker knows. This professional puts emphasis on the “fresh” when speaking of fresh coffee.
Fresh Coffee
There are basically just two parts that are really important in producing a cup of truly fresh coffee: the coffee and the water. Well, so what, you say. Combine the two and drink. Not quite, says the coffee connoisseur.
First, you have the coffee. The quality must be superior. This means the coffee beans have to be 100% Arabica.
The other species of coffee is called Robusta and is often used in cheaper coffees and at best, contains a mix of Robusta and Arabica. Robusta beans lack the complexity of flavor afforded by Arabica and often has a hint of bitterness to it.
Once you’ve got your 100% Arabica, you then have to make a decision between whole beans that you grind yourself at home, or a bag that you had already ground. Which one is better? You guessed right. Whole beans always retain flavor the best.
Even the bag containing the beans matters. Just like spices, coffee quickly loses its essential oils, which incorporate both flavor and aroma, when exposed to air. For that reason, opt for 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 essential in flavor retention. Store the bag in the freezer. Heat causes loss of the essential oils, derailing your pursuit for a cup of fresh coffee.
Now we’re ready to actually brew that fresh coffee. Start with very cold water in the pot. Grind only enough coffee for the pot. Brew as usual. This method is simple 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 sneer at even airtight, foil bags of beans, claiming that just a couple of days after roasting, the coffee has deteriorated. 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 in quantities sufficient for a few days. Only then is it considered fresh coffee. Some people just can’t be pleased!
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