Coffee

Dark roasted coffee is more popular than ever, and the odds are that you may have enjoyed a dark roasted cup of Joe a time or two in your lifetime. However, as a coffee lover, it is important to understand the difference between dark and light roasted coffee because they are two diverse coffee styles.

Interestingly enough, mass marketing and commercial appeal has presented dark roasted coffee as the best quality and choice. Dark roasted coffee is popular on the market, especially when you consider that the coffee industry is the second-largest exporter next to oil worldwide. This gives the coffee industry the opportunity to market dark roasted beans as the number one choice available. A dark roast is actually made of coffee beans roasted for a longer period of time at a higher temperature, which causes many flavor molecules within the beans to burn away. This is both good and bad because bad flavors can be burned away in the roasting process, but that can include good flavors as well. When a coffee is roasted very dark, it is difficult for the drinker to tell if it is made from good or bad quality beans because it has a smoky and charcoal flavor overall.

Many coffee companies are attempting to dark roast all of their coffee to mask the type of beans that they are using, which is why dark roast Java is presented as the more popular variety on the market. This does not always mean a dark roasted coffee is a bad choice because there are many wonderful beans used to create dark roasts of Java. However, it still pays off to be a savvy customer and choose a roast made of flavorful and quality beans, whether it is light or dark.

A light roasted coffee is roasted for a shorter period of time, and it will have more flavor characteristics from the region that it is grown in. Some of these flavors may include those influenced by weather and soil, and some examples of light roasted coffee beans are Java and Kona. Light roasts are for coffee drinkers who want more specific flavors and characteristics within their brew, native to the region that the beans were grown in. Oftentimes, the coffee drinkers that choose a darker roast are not focusing necessarily on where the beans came from but the flavors that the roasting process provided as a result.

The lightest roasted Java available is called the City Roast, and the beans will normally look light or medium brown. These beans are roasted after the first crack in the roasting process, and the second lightest roast, Full City Roast, will be roasted until the second crack.

If you are a dark roasted Java drinker, it may be worth your while to try a lighter roast if you want to experience flavors and tastes from each specific coffee growing region. This is an excellent way to sample premium varieties in your cup of Joe!

Another popular accessory for coffee is commercial coffee makers! For a great selection, check out Mark Ramos website, The Coffee Bump.

Author: Mark Ramos
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I have to say this right away before starting roasting coffee that only just by using this guideline about color of roasted coffee coffee beans is not at all adequate enough to prepare coffee roast of your own. There are several elements taking part.

Now, I must inform you of that the development coffee beans go through when roasting them are divided up in to a number of degrees or stages you might call it. The best degree of coffee roast I’d say is once the coffee coffee beans nonetheless retains exactly the same aroma and originality as it was as green, fresh coffee coffee beans. Nonetheless, this is a harmony regarding the genuine aroma along with the roast coffee. Specifically in a dark roast espresso the aroma right from the origin green coffee coffee beans grow to be secondary for the origin green coffee. If for example your coffee is relatively dark roasted it won’t really matter what the origin of the coffee tends to be like, it’ll taste the same anyway. Determining the right roast for your coffee is about testing and researching, however in the list below I will highlight a guide the way the coffee coffee beans undergo the various stages of roasting.

Understand that every roasting equipment work in different ways and can also use different time to go from one degree to the other. Thus, it really is important that you keep watch over the color of the coffee beans also.

Degrees of roast, temperatures and texture

* Green unroasted:00 – 75 f/24 C

Here is the level prior to we put them in to roasting. The coffee bean is green, or seed which it is. This really is after the wet process along with color of the bean is normally white.

* Starting to pale 4:00 minutes 270 f/132 C

If you utilize a drum roaster with this procedure you’ll need to keep in mind that it requires longer time period to heat up the beans when compared with an air roaster. An air roaster is really a lot quicker and also the total warming up procedure can be achieved in about 2 minutes.

* Early yellow-colored degree 6:00 min – 327 f/163 C

Only at that phase the beans continue to losing water by steam however there isn’t any indication the fact that the beans increasing in proportion. This is the stage where initially you certainly will notice the roasting and at this stage you’ll see the very first crack in the coffee beans.

* Yellow-colored-Tan level 6:30 min – 345 f/174 C

When it reaches this grade the beans change darker as well as the surface area may have dark and light brown surface. It is going to still lose some water and today you will probably smell the earliest phase of roast coffee which actually smells like bread.

* Light Brown level 8:00 min – 370 f/188 C

The coffee bean is actually beginning to expand within the middle crack and in addition it is losing some silver color skin covering the bean.

* Brownish Phase 9:00 min – 393 f/200 C

At the brown stage the bean has color significantly to dark brownish color because of the browning of the glucose in the coffee bean.

* Very first crack will start 9:20 min – 401 f/205 C

Only at that stage the very first popping sound may be heard and this can be a sign how the very first crack has started.

* First crack under way 10:00 minutes – 415 f/213 C

During the time the very first crack continues, the color of the bean will appear uneven and mottled. As well at this grade the bean starts to increase in size since the crack increase.

* 1st crack is accomplished 10:40 minutes – 426 f/219 C

As of this stage the very first crack is completed and also the bean has come to the level named City Roast. The surface is practically even throughout however it continues to have some darker spots as well as the edges remain hard. From now the coffee beans begin to release co2.

* City 11:05 minutes 435 f/224 C

As of this period the bean has accomplished the first crack and also the surface actually starts to look more even. The time period between this grade and this phase is quite short-term simply 15-30 seconds, but many things are taking place during this time period. The temperature from the bean begins to elevate and the bean starts to fracture this means it’s gotten to its 2nd crack.

* Total City 11:30 min – 444 f/229 C

Currently, the coffee beans has achieved the level of Full city roast, this means it’s at first on the second crack. For anyone who is a novice at this it may not be an easy task to determine at what phase it’s, however once you try a few times you’re going to get the hang of it. The surface of the coffee bean has a layer of oil and the edges are much softer.

* Full City 11:50 min – 454 f/234 C

Whenever you notice the second snap of the second crack signifies that it has arrived at Full City and roast grade. If you cool off the beans only at that degree the best is to try to cool it down instantly since you then will better stop the roasting at the stage you want.

* Vienna, Light French 12:15 minutes – 465 f/240 C

As soon as the second crack is taking place it means it is in the Vienna grade, a light French roast. This kind of phase is additionally known as Continental. This is also the level when roast character is overtaking the origin character. The reason being the carbon roast flavors have taken over. Nevertheless, some coffee beans taste great when they reached this phase.

* Full French 12:40 minutes – 474 f/245 C

From this level and longer the coffee beans have passed the phase of being ready and correct for using the coffee roast as blended coffee. The beans are burned and also the flavor elements, oils and soluble solids are coming out of the beans as smoke. Only at that phase the temperature is at 474 f/245 C which is far above what’s suggested temperature and that is 465 f/240 C.

Remember that this phase just takes 30 sec so the change is quite significantly. If you choose to buy a coffee roasting device, keep in mind that the roasting time might be different from what’s defined earlier on.

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Author: Joelotto Lamar N Nickson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When you walk into a coffee shop, or even if you make coffee at home, the smell of the brewing coffee is tantalizing, the clink of the cups and saucers reassuring, and then, the coffee is sitting in front of you and you are taking the first sip… There is NOTHING more disappointing than a mouthful of bitter coffee. It does not matter whether you drink French Press, Espresso-based, Filter based or Extract-based coffee: bitter coffee is a downright “slap in the face”.

And, for some reason, more often than not we seem to think that bitter is normal, that we should accept it, that we are just not “coffee-aficionado ‘ enough to appreciate that bitterness. Since we get served bitter coffee so often it MUST be the norm! People, you cannot be more wrong! Coffee, made with fresh coffee beans, roasted to a great flavor profile by a master roaster, and brewed with the right temperature of water in the right way is NEVER bitter!

And yes, ALL these things can go wrong, from roaster to cup.

The Roast:

Coffee beans can be over-roasted, to the point that the sugars, which are present in the beans, get carbonized instead of caramelized… it is one thing to roast coffee to a darker profile, but the blackened lumps I have seen in shops marked as “Italian” or “Full City ” roast will surely do a better job as pot-scourer than as the base for a good cup of coffee. A good coffee roaster knows how to preserve the flavour nuances, as well as retain the inherent sweetness of each bean variety.

The Water

Similarly, a good barista should know what temperature the beans currently int eh grinder need to get the best coffee out of them. Before a new variety is added to the range in the shop, the coffee should be tasted and tasted again, until the perfect temperature settings for that bean have been found. Naturally, if you make coffee at home you can only do so much testing and adjusting, but it pays to check if the water which comes out of your espresso machine is too hot and burns the coffee, which would result in a bitter flavor (it should be 92 degrees Celsius). If you use a filter machine, the same thing can happen, although in most filter machines it is not the water going IN the coffee which is the problem, but the hot plate UNDER the coffee… it is often way too hot and cooks the coffee like an old-fashioned coffee pot on a stove!

And, then there is “false economy”!

Of-course, coffee is expensive and you should be trying to get the most out of it, but please: that should be “the most flavour”, not “the most brownish, bitter liquid”!! When you start extracting coffee from coffee grinds, the first few millilitres of thick brown liquid have most of the flavour-oils ( and comparative very little caffeine!) As you flush the grinds out further and further, the content of flavoursome coffee oils gets less, but the bitter component remain, resulting in weak, but bitter coffee.

So, if you try to make more cups of coffee than the quantity of grinds can produce you end up with bitter coffee! If you use a French Press and choose to let the coffee sit on the grinds “to get a bit stronger”, you get the same result… the bitterness will increase. So, in short, the rules for sweet, flavorsome coffee are:

1. Fresh coffee beans
2. Properly roasted by someone who knows what he/she is doing
3. Ground to suit the extraction method
4. Extracted with the right water temperature
5. Not over-extracted
6. Kept on a hotplate only for a short time

For more information on how to improve the taste of your coffee, check out this article about coffee-crema: http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm?articleid=1773843

Robert Booth owns and runs “Good Coffee at Home” ( http://goodcoffeeathome.com/ ) where you can see that making good coffee at home is very possible; it gives simple, informative descriptions of coffee styles, ways to make coffee and the various coffee making equipment currently on the market.

Author: Robert Booth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There’s no questioning it, most of us have Coffee during mornings. Well this might have become a habit but then, the credit must still be given to the value of coffee to man.

Thanks to the goatherd who noticed his goats jumping after eating the coffee beans, coffee was born into earth. Nowadays, there are literally thousands of coffee variations to accommodate the various individual tastes of coffee drinkers worldwide.

The two main species of coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta and the three most popular variations of coffee are Turkish coffee, Cappuccino and Espresso. To top these, it is good to mention that there are various types of roasts that give more accents to the taste of coffee beans. Among the most famous ones are Continental roast, French roast, Full City roast, Viennese roast, New England Roast, breakfast roast and American roast. From these emerged some of the best tasting coffees in the world.

Judging coffee can be very subjective. For some people, the bitter ones are the best coffees in the world, but to those who prefer it sweet and smooth, the tasty ones are better. Whatever line you stand on in this argument, for sure, you have your own preference of coffee which for you remains to be the best.

Both species of coffee beans, Robusta and Arabica, are grown in the equatorial regions. Robusta thrives best in lower regions while Arabica at the higher regions.

Robusta consists of 30% of all coffee production worldwide. It has a stronger flavor and is normally used as ingredients for instant coffee. It has a woody after taste and full body flavor.

Meanwhile, Arabica is considered to be the more superior breed than Robusta. It consists the 70% of all coffee production despite of having a lower yield per plant. It has relatively low caffeine content and has more acidic flavor with caramel aftertaste.

Both of these species are blended into various coffee products. More expensive blends have more Arabica content while cheaper blends normally have higher proportion of Robusta beans.

Turkish Coffee is made of Arabica beans and is characterized by very fine powder grind. Often, the aromatic spice cardamom is added for flavor enhancement. This coffee has 6 levels of sweetness which range from sweet down to black. Spoons are basically not needed when drinking this coffee since there is no sugar added into it.

Cappuccino, on the other hand, is a coffee with frothy cream and chocolate powder as toppings. The name came from the coffee brown robes that Capuchin monks wear.

Espresso Coffee is an Italian coffee that is made through forcing steam into the roasted coffee beans. The result is a strong black coffee. The brewing is done through an especially dedicated coffee brewer which works by pressurizing the beans to release flavor.

The most controversial coffee though is the most expensive. This is called the Kopi Luwak.

This coffee comes from cat shit. Yes, you heard it right. No one knows how this coffee came to be but the truth still remains to be the truth, the beans come from Luwak feces that were collected and brewed. The taste is said to be exotic and earthy with hints of caramel and chocolate flavor. Certainly not the best coffee in the world but apparently, people spend outrageous amounts of money just to have a cup of Kopi Luwak.

Read more advice about Coffee at the online guide at http://coffee.advice-tips.com

Author: Celia Namart
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Having difficulty choosing the “best” coffee roast? Are the coffee roast names confusing you?

The assigning of names to coffee roasts can seem a bit illogical if not confusing at times, but when coffee roast names first began to emerge within the coffee industry, their application was based, to a small degree, on fact. For example, both the French and Italians had (and still have) a tendency to roast their coffee very dark, thus the emergence of the French and Italian Roasts. But, in today’s marketplace, standard coffee roast names (if you can call them standard) seem to be giving way to individual roasters offering catchy, private label, brand names that don’t really communicate to the consumer what the actual roast style is. And to throw more confusion into the mix, often times the roast style names vary by geographic region. An American roast in one region of the U.S. may not be of the same degree of roast as in another region, or the same degree of roast in one region may have a totally different name in another region. Are we confused yet?

The variety of names used to describe coffee roasts include: French, Italian, Viennese, Turkish, American, regular, regular city, half-city, full city, cinnamon, light-cinnamon, just to name a few. It all seems soooooo confusing — how does one make sense of it all? Simply by associating the flavor of the coffee, with the color and/or appearance of the coffee beans, rather than relying on the roast name alone.

High-grown Arabica beans are chock full of complex, aromatic flavors that are just waiting to be released by the roasting process. Other than the origin of the bean, the degree of roast is the next most important factor in the flavor of a high-quality, gourmet coffee. The degree of roast is determined by the roaster, based on the origin and type of bean. Roasters try to emphasize those qualities of the bean that they feel are most desirable. But since everyone has different perceptions and tastes, including roasters, coffee roasts can vary to a large degree even when using the same coffee beans. Thus, the end result is that you wind up with a variety of very different tasting coffees.

When choosing a coffee roast, there really is no such thing as the “best” roast. Many factors affect one’s choice in a coffee roast, the most important being your own personal taste preferences. What time of day you intend on drinking your cup of joe, or what type of food you will be eating it with, are other important considerations. A good rule of thumb is to follow the sunlight in your day — lighter roasts go well in the morning with breakfast, medium roasts in the afternoon, and darker roasts in the evening, especially after a rich, spicy meal. But again, your own personal taste preferences will prevail!

Light Coffee Roasts

Light roast coffees are of course light brown in color and the beans’ surface is dry. Light roasts often preserve a coffee’s origin or flavor characteristics specific to that coffee’s growing region. Light roast coffees tend to emphasize the more subtle, complex flavors of a coffee, often floral and citrusy or fruity notes that denote a high acidity. These roasts are light-bodied, somewhat sour, and are characterized as “snappy.”

• Light Cinnamon — the beans are very light in color and dry with no coffee oils visible on the surface. The coffee usually has little body and there are noticeable sour notes. There’s also a baked or bready taste to the coffee.
• Cinnamon — the beans are still light brown and dry with no coffee oils visible. The hints of toasted grain remain and there are distinct sour, acidic notes.
• New England or Half City — the beans are a little darker than the cinnamon. The taste is still sour but not bready. This style is not as frequently used as other roast styles, but is common in the eastern U.S..
• American or Light — the beans are medium light brown in color. This is the roast used mainly in the eastern U.S. and is the roast style most often used for cupping or professional coffee tasting.

Medium Coffee Roasts

Medium roast coffees are a dark brown color and may have some oily spots on the surface of the beans. The acidity factor, or sour-citrusy flavors are decreased in this roast and the more caramel-like, spicy and or nutty notes are accentuated. Most coffees reach their peak of flavor and complexity with this roast, and it is probably the most common roast used by today’s roasters.

• Medium or City — the beans are a medium brown color. This roast style is most common in the western U.S. and is the recommended degree of roast for tasting the different origin flavors in a coffee.
• Full City — the beans are medium dark brown in color and show some coffee oils on the surface. This is also a good roast for tasting origin characteristics of the coffee. The taste is slightly bittersweet with caramel and/or chocolate undertones.
• Light French, Viennese, Light Espresso or Continental — the beans are a dark brown color and are shiny with light surface oil. There’s less acidity in this roast and the taste is more bittersweet. There are caramel-like flavors with burnt undertones. This roast is often used for espresso.

Dark Coffee Roasts

Dark roast coffees have slightly less caffeine and are less acidic than lighter roast coffees. In dark roasts, the oils within the beans have been driven to the surface making the beans appear quite shiny. Some of the more subtle, complex flavors of lighter roast coffees are significantly reduced and/or destroyed with dark roasts. These flavors are replaced by more pungent, bittersweet sometimes tangy, dark roasted flavors that include chocolate and caramel notes.

• French, Espresso, Turkish or Dark — the beans are dark brown in color and they are somewhat shiny with surface oil. They have burnt undertones and their acidity is quite diminished. This is the most popular roast for espresso.
• Italian, Dark French or Heavy — the beans are a very dark brown color and the surface is very shiny or oily. There’s a stronger burnt flavor to the bean and the acidity is almost gone.
• Spanish — this is the darkest roast of all. The beans are nearly black and very shiny. Burnt undertones dominate and the flavor has been reduced to a few weak, sweet notes. The taste can sometimes be flat, and the body of the coffee thin.

This plethora of roast names just scratches the surface, and often times some of the darker roasts included in the light and medium categories could easily fall into the subsequent category. There’s a very fine line that separates one roast category from another — and again, it’s all very subjective, and we can only approximate the categories and the roast names that fall within them.

So if you’re still not sure which coffee roast to choose — take the plunge! Purchase a few coffee samplers from your favorite gourmet coffee retailer and start testing. Look for the degree of roast that brings out the best flavor and aromatic characteristics of the coffee bean. Also keep in mind the type of brewing method you will be using on your coffee — select darker roasts for espresso, and light to medium roasts for your automatic drip.

While there are many factors to consider when selecting the “best” coffee roast, once you understand the differences in the degrees of roast, and the flavor characteristics associated with each roast style, and you try to ignore those catchy brand names, you will have a much easier time choosing that perfect roast.

Mary E. MacDonald is the owner of The JavaPot, an online tea and coffee shop that offers a premium line of gourmet tea and coffee, with an emphasis on organic products. You will also find more great articles, some unique coffee and tea -related gift items, delicious recipes, and product reviews.

Check out The JavaPot for more details about current gourmet whole bean coffee and specialty loose leaf tea offerings.

Author: Mary E. MacDonald
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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