Consumers Choice Coffee

Coffee 101

The History of Coffee
Where Coffee is Grown
How Coffee is Grown
How Coffee is Processed
Decaffeinated Coffee
Coffee Intelligence
The Science of the Brewing Process
Two Primary Species
Harvesting Methods
Criteria for Classifying Coffee
Why Roast Coffee?

The History Of Coffee

Although coffee was "born" in Ethiopia, it wasn't until the very late 1800's that coffee was introduced into other parts of Africa. Today Tanzania and Kenya grow some of the best tasting coffee on the planet.

There is a legend that a long time ago (some have it around the year 800 BC, others around 500 AD), an Ethiopian goat herder by the name of Kaldi, noticed that some of his goats were frolicking about much more than they normally did. He saw that they had been eating something from a bush with dark shiny leaves. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they had been eating the red berries from the bushes. Kaldi ate some of the coffee cherries himself, and, being amazed at the stimulating effect that they had, brought some to the local monk.

The monk boiled the cherries and made a beverage that was strong and bitter. Like Kaldi, the monk felt the effect of the caffeine in the drink and liked it very much. The beverage soon became popular as the monks found that it helped keep them awake during long hours of prayer.

In coffee's early history, it was not consumed in the same way that we do today. Since the pulp of the coffee cherry was sweet, it was first eaten alone or with the seeds (beans). In some places, the green unroasted coffee beans were ground up and mixed with animal fat. This mixture was then pressed into small lumps and was used by travelers for energy. The Arabs were the first to use the green coffee beans alone. After removing the pulp and skin, they would crush the green beans and mix them with water to make their coffee drink.

It was not until the 14th century that the current method of roasting coffee became popular. And even then, for many years, the drink and the grounds were consumed together. By the early 1500s roasted coffee was traded all over Arabia - from Turkey to North Africa. During the latter half of the 17th century, coffee became very popular in Europe. Since the Europeans had to buy their coffee from the Arabs, the Arabs were very protective of their coffee plants. In fact, in Arabia it was a crime punishable by death for a European to have a coffee plant in his possession. Eventually some plants were smuggled out. The coffee plant, however, does not tolerate frost and would not grow in the colder European climate.

Because of the dramatic increase in demand for coffee, around 1700 AD, the Dutch managed to get coffee plants and started to grow coffee in their colonies in Indonesia. Java, Sumatra, Timor and Bali were all Dutch colonies in which coffee was introduced and grown. The French and the British soon followed suit, by establishing coffee plantations in the French & English colonies in the Americas and in India. Coffee soon spread to the Spanish colonies throughout all of Central and South America.

Where Coffee is Grown

Today, coffee is enjoyed in every country in the world. In terms of trade, coffee is second only to oil in dollars traded.

It is grown in more than 50 countries world wide with about 30 of those countries producing more than 5,000,000 tons of coffee each year. For many of these countries their economic success pivots on the success of their coffee crops.

Brazil is by far the largest supplier of coffee today. Columbia is second with about 2/3rds of Brazil's production.

Americans consume more than 1/3rd of the total coffee grown in the world. The green coffee beans come in to our country through New York, New Orleans and San Francisco and from there are shipped to coffee roasters around the 'States.

Hawaii is the only place in the USA where coffee is grown.

All coffee is grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. These names represent two imaginary "lines" that circle our globe approximately 23 degrees north and south of the equator. Here in the "middle of the world", the climate is warm and humid - necessary conditions for growing the sensitive coffee plant.

Although there are more than 60 varieties of coffee that grow in the world, only two are commercially cultivated. These are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica coffee is a higher quality coffee. It is naturally lower in caffeine than Robusta and grows at elevations of 3000 to 6000 feet and above, where frost is rare. The Arabica tree is not as hardy as the Robusta, and a single Arabica tree typically yields only 1 - 1 ½ pounds of green coffee beans per season. Gourmet coffee companies purchase the highest grades of Arabica beans.

Robusta coffee plants are more resistant to disease and drought than the Arabica and are grown from sea level up to 2000 feet. Robusta trees yield twice as many beans per tree per season, but produce a coffee that is of lower quality. Most Robusta beans are blended with Arabica coffees and used by large commercial coffee companies for canned and instant coffees.

How Coffee is Grown

Coffee is really a fruit. Coffee branches form delicate white, jasmine-like blossoms that last for a little more than a day. These blossoms give way to coffee "cherries" that are red and round and very much resemble our own native cherries

It takes 3 to 5 years for the plants to begin producing and that is possible only with the proper combination of climate, rain, sunshine and shade.

Arabica coffee plants do best in rich, volcanic mountain soil. The higher elevations cause the coffee bean to grow more slowly, which in turn leads to a more aromatic and flavorful coffee.

Harvesting is done either by handpicking or by machine stripping. When done by hand, cherries are picked off the tree or from the ground. Since only the ripe coffee cherries are picked, each tree can be picked numerous times during a season. The stripping method strips the tree of all its cherries at once and is done when most of its cherries are ripe. Most coffee is still picked by hand.

But the cherries are not what the coffee farmers are seeking. Rather, the prize is the twin coffee beans inside the coffee cherry. Sometimes there is only a single bean and when that happens, the bean is called a peaberry. The outside of the ripe coffee cherry is covered with thick skin. This skin can be red, or yellow or even brown and it encloses a layer of sugary, jelly-like flesh or pulp.

The coffee beans are under the pulp, covered by a thin protective layer called the parchment. Inside the parchment there is yet another covering over the beans called the silver skin.

To be able to harvest the beans, the pulp, parchment and silver skin must be removed

How Coffee is Processed

Coffee cherries must be processed soon after harvesting to prevent the pulp from fermenting around the bean. There are two types of processing known as dry and wet processing.

Dry processing is sometimes called "unwashed" or "natural" processing. Cherries are spread outside for 15 to 20 days. The cherries are exposed to the sun and stirred regularly to help them dry evenly. The dried cherries are then hulled by hand or by machine, removing the dried out pulp and parchment. This is the way coffee has been processed for centuries.

The other type of processing is know as wet or "washed" processing. A few hours after the cherries are harvested, the pulp is removed from the cherries. The beans are then washed in a process that involves cycles of fermentation and rinsing. Small amounts of fermentation don't hurt the bean but softens the remaining pulp and skin, making them able to be easily rinsed off. This is a better type of processing because it causes less damage to the bean than dry processing.

Once the coffee beans have been processed, they are sorted by size and looks, then bagged ready for shipment. Coffee beans that don't make the "grade" for export are normally used on a local basis.

The most important step in getting coffee into your cup is the roasting. Roasting coffee is both an art and a science, requiring years of experience and the right type of roasting equipment.

Green coffee beans are roasted at temperatures ranging from 370 to 450 degrees for up to 20 minutes. During this time they lose 18 to 23% of their weight and increase in size by 35 to 60%. They change color from a light straw green color to medium brown or dark brown, depending upon the degree of roast. The bean splits open and brings out the rich aroma of the coffee.

Roasting is merely the "cooking" of the bean. How much the bean is roasted is what is called the degree of roast. The less it is cooked, the "lighter" or "milder" the roast. There are different terms used for the degree of roast. Some use the words Mild - Mild-Medium - Medium - Medium-Dark - Dark.

Today, another common naming of roasting is after countries -- American roast, French roast, Italian roast, Turkish roast. These all go from light to dark, from mild in taste to down-right burnt tasting.

Decaffeinated Coffee

Caffeine, which is found in coffee and other foods (cocoa, tea), is that substance that keeps us awake, both when we need it and when we don't want it. Unfortunately, to some people this and other side effects of caffeine are not welcome.

Decaffeinated coffee or "decaf" is coffee that has had most of the caffeine removed. By weight, the amount of caffeine found naturally in coffee is only about 1% for the Arabica and 2% for the Robusta coffee beans.

When you read "97% Caffeine Free", 97% of that 1% or 2% has been removed.

There are currently two methods used commercially that remove caffeine from coffee:

European Process
Most decaf coffees are made using a chemical process first used in Europe. This process involves soaking the beans in water and then "washing" them in methylene chloride to absorb the caffeine from the bean. After this, the beans are rinsed clean of the chemicals, dried and shipped to the coffee roasters. The advantage of this method is that it provides decaf coffee with more flavor than the Swiss water processing. Although there is virtually no trace of any chemicals left in the bean after roasting, some people are uncomfortable knowing that the coffee they are drinking was chemically processed.

Swiss Water Process
The second method is known as "Swiss water processing". This process uses no chemicals, but rather hot water and steam to remove the caffeine from the coffee. The "life" of the bean is taken into the water, and then the water solution put through activated charcoal filters to remove the caffeine. Once the caffeine is removed, these same beans are then put back into the decaffeinated solution to re-absorb everything except the caffeine. The beans are then dried and shipped to the roasters. The disadvantage is that the water processing removes more than just the caffeine. Some of the oils from the coffee bean are removed as well, making it less flavorful.

The best thing to do for those who really want this kind of decaf is to start out with a high quality, Arabica bean. Even though some of the flavor will be lost, there will still be a lot left to enjoy.

Coffee Intelligence

Coffee is 98% water
2% extracted coffee oils
Fresh great tasting water is essential to make good coffee
Mineral content can affect taste for best results
Ideal 50 to 100 PPM or 3 to 6 grains of hardness
Acceptable 300 PPM or 18 grains of hardness
Brewing perfect coffee starts with clean equipment
Make sure your brewer is clean
The 3 “T’s” to Perfect Coffee: Time, Temperature, Turbulence
- Time: The brewing time or time the water is in contact with coffee grinds determines the amount of coffee oils extracted and is a major component affecting the flavor
- Temperature: The temperature of the water during brewing affects flavor and extraction of coffee oils - Ideal Water Temperature is 195F to 205F
- Turbulence: Turbulence is created as the water passes through and over the coffee. It should cause the coffee particles to separate and create a uniform flow of water around every coffee particle creating proper extraction. A visible check will show a distinct star pattern and evenly saturated grounds.

The Science of the Brewing Process

Understanding the brewing process is essential to controlling the qualities that create the ideal coffee drinking experience.

Wetting
The grounds begin to absorb the hot water from the spray head and release gasses from the coffee. For consistent extraction from all parts of the coffee grounds, you must evenly wet the entire bed of coffee in the first 10% of the brew cycle time.

Extraction
The water soluble materials coffee oils dissolve and move out of the coffee grounds and into the water. The best flavors and the largest portion of the coffee oils are extracted at the beginning of the process. These first extracted oils contain the majority of the flavor for the entire brew.

Hydrolysis
Through this chemical reaction, the combination of materials created during extraction break down further into water soluble proteins and sugars.

Two Primary Species

Arabica

75% of world production
Grows at altitudes of 2,000 - 6,000 ft. above sea level.
Primarily grown in Central and South America and in eastern Africa.
High aroma
Sweet and acidic
Seeds are more consistent in shape and color.
More expensive because of higher production costs.

Robusta

25% of world production
Grows from sea level to 2,000 ft.
Primarily grown in west Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam
Twice the caffeine content than arabica
More disease and insect resistant
Heavier body
Twice the yield of arabica

Harvesting Methods

Selective Picking

hand picking
select only the ripe cherries
Visit the same tree up to 5 times to get all of the fruit
Each picker can harvest about 200 lbs. of cherries per day
It becomes approximately 40 lbs. of roasted coffee

Strip Picking

Used in areas where seasonality causes cherries to ripen at nearly the same time
Cherries are allowed to dry on the branches.
One rapid movement strips the dried cherries from the branch
Each tree yields approximately 1-2 lbs. of roasted coffee each season.
Green Coffee Processing Methods

Wet Method

used primarily for Arabicas
Cherries are broken to expose parchment-covered beans
Beans soaked in fermentation tanks to remove mucilage coating
They are washed until clear
Then sun dried for 2-3 days
Hulling machine removes parchment and silver skin
Characteristics of washed coffee
clean flavor
free from undesirable elements
greater acidity

Dry Method

Cherries that are partially dried on the tree are dried again in the sun for 2 to 3 weeks
Husking machine removes dry pulp and parchment
Characteristics of dry processed coffee
heavier body
can develop off-tastes
Strip picked

Criteria for Classifying Coffee

Three Criteria for Classifying Coffee:

Botanical variety (arabica or robusta)
Processing method (wet or dry)
Altitude of growth

Five Taste Characteristics

Aroma
Body (Mouth feel)
Flavor
Color
Acidity

Why Roast Coffee?

Roasting

Coffee in the green state does not possess the flavors we know as coffee.
Roasting produces over 700 flavor compounds.
Color or degree of roast greatly effects coffee flavor.
Blending different coffees allows the roaster to maintain a consistent flavor profile year round.