Coffee Guide: Demystifying the Types, Blends and Brewing Methods of Coffee
The world of coffee is varied and diverse. While coffee aficionados find exhilaration in delving into the intricacies of coffee-making, it might feel overwhelming for the layperson to explore the depths of coffee craftsmanship. However, it is within this exploration that the opportunity arises to enhance your appreciation of coffee. Empowered by an understanding of the unique characteristics of various coffee techniques, you can elevate a regular cup of joe into a personalised indulgence, allowing for creative control over your entire experience.
This quick guide aims to navigate the nuances of coffee, enriching your enjoyment of this rich and diverse beverage. Armed with newfound knowledge of coffee-making, elevate your morning ritual to the next level today!
Part I: Main Types of Coffee Beans
If you trace this invigorating beverage back to its origin, you’ll find yourself marvelling at its coffee beans, particularly the well-known and widely available varieties, Arabica and Robusta, alongside the scarce and elusive Excelsa and Liberica. Here’s a rundown of the four primary types of coffee beans:
Arabica: Arabica presents the flavours we are most familiar with. Accounting for about 55% of the world’s coffee production, these beans are subtle but flavourful, and contain lower concentrations of caffeine compared to Robusta. Arabica is known to be sweet, smooth, and sometimes fruity or nutty.
Robusta: Distinguished by its robust and intense flavour profile, Robusta stands out as a bold and bitter alternative that is commonly used in espresso drinks. While delivering a more powerful kick, Robusta beans exhibit lower acidity, resulting in a comparatively flatter taste. However, they are described as earthy, their distinct profile adding depth to various coffee blends.
Liberica: Boasting floral notes contrasting against a bold flavour profile, Liberica beans offer a rich and uncommon taste experience that tends to be polarising among coffee enthusiasts. While some proclaim the coffee to be at once sweet and woody, others consider it an acquired taste and unconventional.
Excelsa: Excelsa is often perceived as an independent coffee bean variety despite falling under the Liberica genetic group. Tart, dark, and potent, this full-bodied option also showcases undertones of fruity acidity and a spicy aroma, separating the adventurous cup from the palette of traditional Liberica beans.
Part II: Coffee Blends vs. Single Origins
The coffee that we consume can be further split into the composition of their beans. Namely, this comes down to coffee blends and single origins. Coffee blends involve beans sourced from two or more locations, resulting in a taste that is often balanced and varied. On the other hand, single origins emphasise beans harvested from one specific location, offering a stronger and more exotic and unique flavour profile due to their unaltered nature.
Part III: Roast Profiles
Coffees derive much of their flavour from their roast profile, which refers to the conditions in which their beans are roasted. This includes factors such as duration, temperature, and the roasting process itself, all of which inherently impact the resulting profile. Roasting also helps to eliminate undesirable flavours and improve the aroma and taste of the beans.
While lighter roasts preserve more of the bean’s original flavours, giving way to a more complex profile, darker roasts tend to be bolder, richer, and more caramelised. These attributes contribute to the overall flavour of the drink, alongside other coffee preparation techniques such their grind and brew.
Part IV: Possible Brewing Methods
Now that you’ve got the components, how do you extract their flavours? Infusing coffee grounds in water allows these soluble compounds to dissolve and develop the beverage we know as coffee. There are several methods for brewing coffee. While some have stood the test of time, others have been lauded for their innovation and bringing a new dimension to coffee-making. Here are some of them:
Pour-Over or Drip: This is a classic and time-honoured approach to brewing coffee. By pouring hot water over coffee grounds suspended by a paper filter, liquid that drips through the filter collects in a pot or a cup, resulting in a smooth and rounded serving of coffee.
French Press: The French press steeps course and even coffee grounds in hot water before separating both elements from each other with the press of a plunger. When done right, this method produces full-bodied and well-extracted coffee, allowing precise control over the brewing process.
AeroPress: The AeroPress is a trademarked coffee-making device that also describes immersing a grind of choice in water then pressing the mixture through a filter. In this hybrid method, the amount of force applied to pressing the coffee can significantly alter the strength and flavour of the final brew.
Vacuum or Siphon: This method of coffee-making involves an elaborate apparatus that is sure to impress. The process begins by heating water in the lower chamber, generating pressure that drives it into the upper chamber, where coffee grounds are added and brewed. Upon the removal of heat, the brewed coffee is drawn back into the lower chamber, passing through a filter that separates the grounds. Although not as common, the siphon method is renowned for its unique brewing process and is reliable for a clean and flavourful cup of coffee.
Coffee Percolator: The coffee percolator is a pot that is specifically designed for brewing coffee, featuring an in-built metal basket to hold coffee grounds. It operates by continuously boiling water through coffee grounds to extract their flavour.
Part V: Common Types of Coffee Drinks
By skillfully combining different coffee beans, thoughtful blends, and precise brewing techniques, coffee lovers can craft an extensive array of coffee beverages with distinctive flavour profiles, varied mouthfeels, and different strength levels. These rich and personalised coffee experiences have led to a rise of countless brewed concoctions that, besides the aforementioned components, combine additional ingredients like steamed milk, brown sugar, whipped cream, and more that enhance their complexity and appeal.
From latte, americano, to espresso, macchiato, and mocha, these creations boast a symphony of flavours, textures, and aromas, building a delightful and diverse range of coffee creations for enthusiasts to indulge in.
Part VI: Summary
Coffee is universally cherished for its capacity to warm, rejuvenate, and energise us, yet delving deeper into its craftsmanship can elevate our appreciation to new heights.
In this concise guide, we took a closer look at the intricate facets of coffee preparation, commencing with the selection of beans that shape their individual profiles, navigating through complementary blends and meticulous roasting processes that refine their flavours, and concluding with the art of brewing and final steps that transform them into the irresistible beverages we savour. Now that we have established what’s needed for a robust and balanced drink, there’s just one final thing left to do – to experience good coffee itself!
Daily Ground is the home of specialty coffee, defined by high-quality coffee beans and masterful brewing techniques. From depth of flavour to nuanced tasting notes, coffee aficionados and novices alike can find the perfect match to their one-of-a-kind palates at our artisan Brunch café.
Uplift your mood with a refreshing morning coffee with us today.
