Friday, January 20, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Keep it fresh
So, you’ve bought your favourite blend or single origin coffee, opened the bag, released pleasant aromas into your kitchen and brewed a tasty cup. Now what? Well, to ensure that your coffee beans or grounds stay as fresh as possible, you need to ensure that you store them correctly.
No fancy equipment. No expensive storage containers. Just remember the four enemies of coffee you intend storing are:
No fancy equipment. No expensive storage containers. Just remember the four enemies of coffee you intend storing are:
- Moisture
- Heat
- Light
- Oxygen
Essentially you need to protect your coffee from these elements to ensure that it lasts longer. Keep your coffee in an airtight glass, ceramic or plastic container – this will keep the moisture and oxygen at bay. Storing in a cupboard away from all heat sources (ovens, direct sunlight) will also help keep its flavour and aroma.
Once you’ve opened the bag of coffee, it’s best to finish it within 14 days. Coffee has a limited shelf-life and is best consumed as fresh as possible. Coffee beans tend to lose their flavour slower than pre-ground coffee and you might consider investing in a coffee grinder which will allow you to grind as much coffee as you need when you need it.
Some brands and websites recommend storing coffee in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh. There are a number of opinions on the matter but I believe it is not advisable. Removing coffee stored in the fridge or freezer causes condensation on the beans or grounds and as moisture is something you are trying to protect coffee from while storing it, this is exactly what you don’t need.
To summarise, here is my advice:
Keep your coffee fresher for longer - store in an airtight container and in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate. Use within 14 days after opening.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
As you like it
Everyone has their preferences and this is not limited to how they may enjoy their coffee. Not only the taste but their ritual of how they prepare their morning pick-me-up but also how they like it served and ultimately how they like to enhance its flavour to suit their taste.
Some of these preferences may make a coffee connoisseur squirm and want to retaliate with a barrage of educational facts and expert advice on how it SHOULD be done. And with good reason. There is a science to coffee (believe it or not). Research papers have been written on the subject and published in scientific journals with careful analysis to grind size, water quality, brew temperature, degree of roast and a plethora of other parameters that influence the taste of coffee. There are research papers on the science of milk and how it affects the taste of filter coffee and espresso based drinks. Important stuff - to the coffee industry. There is a place for this advice and it does make a difference – to the budding and expert connoisseur and those who wish to listen.
But it is important to remember (at least I have to remind myself) that everyone likes their coffee the way THEY like it.
My wife likes her coffee piping hot, so much so that I have to heat it further in the microwave oven after it has brewed. This is a big no-no in the coffee world - brewing temperature between 92 and 96°C and should not be reheated as this spoils the flavour. My Mother-in-law likes to make a pot of coffee which will sit on the hot-plate for hours before the final cup is consumed. Another no-no – coffee should be served fresh and consumed within 20 minutes after brewing after which it starts to get bitter (if left to warm on a hotplate). My father adds many spoons of sugar to his coffee (far more than he should for a number of reasons), adds a block of ice to it and will let it stand and come back to finish it off later. People may dose less or more coffee than is recommended, prefer chicory based “coffee” or couldn’t care less if their cappuccino is one third espresso, one third steamed milk and one third micro-foam - as long as it tastes good. I should be the last one to criticize because I was one of them. But now I know better...
There I go, wanting to educate and change the way people enjoy their coffee. And so I should because I believe that changing certain habits is good and should leave the person to whom I have dispensed this wisdom with a better cup of coffee. But I must concede that sometimes I need to let it be. I can make the coffee my way when I make it but when you make it you should make it to your taste. After all, it’s your cup of coffee.
Visit my Facebook page for more information on Connoisseur Coffee
Some of these preferences may make a coffee connoisseur squirm and want to retaliate with a barrage of educational facts and expert advice on how it SHOULD be done. And with good reason. There is a science to coffee (believe it or not). Research papers have been written on the subject and published in scientific journals with careful analysis to grind size, water quality, brew temperature, degree of roast and a plethora of other parameters that influence the taste of coffee. There are research papers on the science of milk and how it affects the taste of filter coffee and espresso based drinks. Important stuff - to the coffee industry. There is a place for this advice and it does make a difference – to the budding and expert connoisseur and those who wish to listen.
But it is important to remember (at least I have to remind myself) that everyone likes their coffee the way THEY like it.
My wife likes her coffee piping hot, so much so that I have to heat it further in the microwave oven after it has brewed. This is a big no-no in the coffee world - brewing temperature between 92 and 96°C and should not be reheated as this spoils the flavour. My Mother-in-law likes to make a pot of coffee which will sit on the hot-plate for hours before the final cup is consumed. Another no-no – coffee should be served fresh and consumed within 20 minutes after brewing after which it starts to get bitter (if left to warm on a hotplate). My father adds many spoons of sugar to his coffee (far more than he should for a number of reasons), adds a block of ice to it and will let it stand and come back to finish it off later. People may dose less or more coffee than is recommended, prefer chicory based “coffee” or couldn’t care less if their cappuccino is one third espresso, one third steamed milk and one third micro-foam - as long as it tastes good. I should be the last one to criticize because I was one of them. But now I know better...
There I go, wanting to educate and change the way people enjoy their coffee. And so I should because I believe that changing certain habits is good and should leave the person to whom I have dispensed this wisdom with a better cup of coffee. But I must concede that sometimes I need to let it be. I can make the coffee my way when I make it but when you make it you should make it to your taste. After all, it’s your cup of coffee.
Visit my Facebook page for more information on Connoisseur Coffee
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