The Pursuit of the Perfect Cup
What is it about coffee that makes us go to extremes in pursuit of that perfect cup? We seek out the prefect green beans selected from hundreds of varieties from around the world, perform tedious scientific investigations to discover the perfect temperature profile to roast the beans, spend hundreds of dollars to crush the beans into the perfect particle size, argue over the merits of various ways of wetting the beans, obsess over a few seconds of soaking, or whether to wet the beans from the outside or inside of the pile. With hundreds of products to make coffee, and thousands upon thousands of specialty coffee shops, this is no mere fad. Just what is it that inspires so many of us to such extreme measures?
What is Coffee?
Coffee comes from a flowering evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Coffea. There are over 100 species within the genus Coffea. Of these, the most important are Coffea arabica (arabica) and Coffea canephora (robusta). Arabica is the species used in all the best coffees and has the best flavor. Robusta is hardier plant that grows in soils arabica can't tolerate. It has more body and more caffeine than arabica, but tends to be bitter and less flavorful than arabica, so it's used mainly in blends. Coffea liberica (Liberica) and Coffea dewevrei (Excelsa) are also cultivated in a few places, as are (apparently) a few engineered and cross-bred species. There are also decaffeinated and self pollenating species.
Coffee beans are actually seeds, not beans. Coffee trees produce a fruit (drupe) similar to a cherry or peach, with a fleshy outer part surrounding a pit containing a seed. The coffee drupe is usually called a cherry, which it resembles in size and color. The coffee cherry typically produces two seeds. A small percent of the crop will yield a single seed, called a peaberry, which is usually separated from the rest of the crop.
Coffee fruits need little processing, aside from removing the seed from the fruit. Processing is either wet or dry. Wet processing involves removing the fruit, and then fermenting the seeds to remove any remaining pulp. The seeds are then washed and dried. In dry processing, the fruit is dried and the pulp removed afterward. The wet method is more expensive, but produces a cleaner end product. It's typically used with better coffees or in countries that have better facilities.
At this point, it's green coffee. It still needs to be roasted before making the beverage.
Further information
Coffee beans are actually seeds, not beans. Coffee trees produce a fruit (drupe) similar to a cherry or peach, with a fleshy outer part surrounding a pit containing a seed. The coffee drupe is usually called a cherry, which it resembles in size and color. The coffee cherry typically produces two seeds. A small percent of the crop will yield a single seed, called a peaberry, which is usually separated from the rest of the crop.
Coffee fruits need little processing, aside from removing the seed from the fruit. Processing is either wet or dry. Wet processing involves removing the fruit, and then fermenting the seeds to remove any remaining pulp. The seeds are then washed and dried. In dry processing, the fruit is dried and the pulp removed afterward. The wet method is more expensive, but produces a cleaner end product. It's typically used with better coffees or in countries that have better facilities.
At this point, it's green coffee. It still needs to be roasted before making the beverage.
Further information
Coffee Varieties Around the World
Coffee grown in different area have different characteristics. This is due to soil, climate, and the use of different species, as well as different processing used in different areas. In some countries, the coffee from different farms might be mixed together at a factory, city, or port. In other areas, coffee from one farm might be distinguished and sold separately. At the simplest level, most of the coffee grown in a geographical region has has similar characteristics. The principle regions are Africa, Indonesia, and Central & South America.
Africa
Coffee from Africa & Arabia is medium bodied, complex, with dry and fruity or spicy flavors. They hold up well in medium to dark roasts.
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Ethiopia: Harrar
- Ethiopia: Djimmah
- Ethiopia: Sidaro
- Ethiopia: Yergacheffe
- Kenya
- Malawi
- Rwanda
- Tanzania
- Uganda: Bugishu
- Yemen: Marrari (Mocha)
- Yemen: Sanani (Mocha)
- Zimbabwe
Indonesia (and East Asia)
Indonesian coffees are earthy, spicy, full bodied, bold and strong, and only mildly acidic. They fair excellent in dark roasts.
- India: Monsooned Malabar (Karala)
- Java
- Papau New Guinea
- Sulawesi (Celebes)
- Sulawesi (Celebes): Toraja
- Sumatra: Mandheling
- Sumatra: Lintong
- Sumatra: Gayo Mountain
- Thailand
- Timor
America
Coffee from Central America is typically clean, sweet, and acidic, with bright taste notes, and a light to medium body. They tend to fair well roasted on the light side. They feature prominently in espresso and other blends for their bright notes.
- Brazil: Santos
- Colombia
- Colombia: Narino
- Costa Rica: La Minita
- Costa Rica: Tarrazu
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala: Antigua
- Guatemala: Coban
- Jamaica: Blue Mountain
- Mexico: Chiapas
- Mexico: Oaxaca
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Peru
- Puerto Rico
- Venezuela
Other Regions
- China
- Hawaii: Kona
Roasting
Coffee Grinding
Brewing Methods & Equipment
Methods
Cowboy Coffee
French Press
Drip Machines
Manual Pour Over
Notes of a Homeroaster Part 2: Manual Pour-Over Brewing
- Clever Coffee Dripper
- chemex
- coffee sock
- percolators
- moka (stovetop espresso)
Vacuum
Turkish & Greek
Vietnamese Coffee Cha Phe
Cold Pressed
Aeropress
Nespresso, Keurig
Espresso
Miscellanesous
- Iced
- Moka
- Instant
Poll: Your favorite Instant Coffee?
Coffee Storage
- Green
- Roasted
How do you keep your (roasted but unground) coffee fresh? - Ground
