I’m a coffee drinker. I make it at home, drink it in coffee shops and end every dinner in a restaurant with a cup of coffee. Somewhere along the coffee drinking trail I came to realize that the vast differences in the quality the coffee I was drinking was worth figuring out.
The .25 cent cup of coffee that I used to drink in a diner on the way to work was simply a caffeine boost to get me rolling. The enjoyment was often only minimal. I got to thinking seriously about coffee after an excellent cup I had after dinner at a friend’s house many years ago. I thought that if this is Maxwell House or Folgers they must have a brewing secret about which I didn’t have a clue.
I asked about the coffee and my friend went into a rhapsody about his insistence on Arabica beans and his current find of genuine Mocha from Yemen which were the beans he ground, brewed and served to us that night. My dumb look stimulated a brief explanation of the difference between Arabica and Robusta beans and why I should only think Arabica.
My experimentation and reading started after that dinner and it seems in recent years much of America has had a similar stimulus to upgrade the quality of coffee being consumed. I found with just a little attention, great coffee can be prepared at home without the intense detail that my friend followed in his coffee preparation.
The coffee beans of the world are similar in their diversity of flavor as the nuances found in wine. Storage, roasting and grinding methods are all important in defining the flavor and body of the cup of coffee. The flavor is produced by the combination of acidity, aroma and body. Body is the weight or thickness you feel on your tongue when drinking your coffee.
There should be a taste test opportunity with coffee like there is with wine at the vineyards. I have spent years doing my own taste tests and have switched favorites often.
My current favorite is from Kenya. This is the second or third period that I have decided I prefer Kenyan coffee. My Kenya coffee preference has been interrupted from time to time and often it is Guatemala that interjects it’s acidic flavor into first place in my coffee bean list.
Find an independently owned coffee shop that also retails coffee and features different coffees as the house coffee during the week. This is a good way to get a sense of diversity available and which bean you prefer.
In a pinch Medellin from Columbia makes a good balanced non- controversial cup of coffee. The coffee from Columbia is all Arabica and hand picked, which is an important part of the process. If you are a regular at one of the famous coffee chains, coffee experimentation would be worth pursuing. Learning about the drink is fun and the a good cup of coffee at home can be a big money saver.
Making a good cup of coffee for yourself or for dinner guests need not be a complicated affair . An automatic drip coffee maker produces excellent coffee without much problem. Braun, Krup and Melita all make drip coffee makers that do an excellent job. I have a Krup which has been working well for several years. Krups 10-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker FMF5
There are a few steps that will help make your coffee special
Step 1. When you select your coffee buy the beans
Step 2. Grind the beans just before making the coffee
Step 3. Measure 2 level table spoons of the ground coffee per cup
Step 4. Add fresh spring water (6 ounces per cup)
Step 5. When the coffee is done filtering serve promptly
Details: At a dinner party I brew the coffee and place it in an air pot which keeps it hot without further cooking. Leaving a coffee pot on the heat deteriorates the quality rapidly and it becomes bitter in taste.Stainless Steel Airpot, 2.5 Liters
It is important that you add water that tastes good. Municipal water with chemical additives might be good for your safety but often is not so great to make coffee. Remember coffee is mostly water.
Using freshly ground beans is important. Once ground, coffee loses quality much more rapidly than if stored as beans.
I do not use sugar with my coffee. Sugar detracts from a well brewed cup of coffee.
Coffee Grinders are inexpensive and a useful addition to your kitchen equipment cabinet.Krups Burr Grinder GVX212
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Two years ago while vacationing in the Dominican Republic,Punta Cana to be specific, my wife friends and I raved about the coffee. We purchased 5 1 lb bags to bring home. the brand name was Santo Domingo and it was one of the best coffees we have ever had anywhere.
I believe it is available only via internet and Not sold in U.S. stores as far as I can determine.