More and more people are enjoying the spirit of coffee. Coffee has a jargon uniquely its own. We generally drink an instant coffee, but there are too many varieties of coffee like Arabica, Robusta, etc. The world of coffee is dark and mysterious, much like the drink itself. Don’t be overwhelmed, arm yourself with the knowledge of some coffee basics, and you will discover that brewing your own or trying new flavors in a café can be a delicious experience.
The journey of coffee: The coffee plant produces bright red cherries. The coffee bean is the stone of that cherry. Machines cannot tell a ripe cherry from an unripe one, and that is why the coffee must be picked by hand. This is a blessing for millions, who earn their bread working as coffee pickers. Once picked, the coffee bean is separated from its pulp by soaking the cherries in water and stripping off the pulp with a machine called a huller. The pulp is then discarded and the bean is processed either by hand or the machine and then loaded for shipping. The key to coffee bean’s flavor is in the degree to which it is roasted. A good brewer knows exactly which intensity would suit which bean and therein lays the difference between good and great coffee.
How coffee works? If you are having too many cups of coffee during exams or while working on any presentation or doing some other important work, its a fact that coffee can keep you awake. How does it do that? The answer we all know is through the action of caffeine only, the same caffeine that is found in sodas, and to a lesser extent, in tea. Caffeine stimulates the heart; kick starts the mind, and triggers chemicals that bring about a feeling of pleasure. But it’s an addiction if you cannot function without caffeine.
How to brew the perfect cup of coffee? To brew coffee at home, you will need one of the following: An automatic or manual drip coffee maker, a coffee press or plunger pot, or a vacuum pot, although you can also buy lightweight espresso machines for home use, experts advice against them, because that they cannot do justice to the true rich flavors of espresso. Experts from the world’s leading coffee seller, suggests a four point checklist when brewing coffee:
• Proportion: At the cafe, they have a simple rule of thumb; use two tablespoons of ground coffee for every cup of water. You can, of course, adjust this proportion according to your taste.
• Grind: You can choose a fine or course. How you grid your coffee depends on how quickly water passes through it. If the water slides off too quickly, the coffee will be weak and watery. If the water stays too long in contact with finely ground coffee, the beverage will taste bitter. Your best bet is to try different grinds until you get the flavor just right.
• Water: The quality of water you use can make a big difference to the taste. Chlorinated tap water will yield an unpleasant flavor, while fresh cold water will reward you with a great tasting cup.
• Freshness: The law of coffee making is never, ever reheat coffee or let it sit around for more than 20 minutes. Doing so will leave a dull, stale, acrid taste in your mouth. The best coffee is always brewed fresh very time you serve it.