Over the years, studies claim that drinking a coffee can give health benefits which includes reducing the risk of diabetes, heart ailments and it reduces inflammation related to aging-problems like Alzheimer’s disease. It is also known as an antioxidant that can prevent cancer-causing oxidants. Now, what is that perfect cup? Here are things that are nice to know.
Quality
High-quality coffee is described by a balanced sweetness, acidity, and of course, bitterness in one sip. It should also have a smooth flavor, with no burned, charred or raw taste. Other coffee types can have an earthly or a fruity flavor. This is also a good one because it has a different variety of coffee beans. What is important is, it should not taste overly sweet or bitter, instead it makes you want to have another sip after the first one.
Freshness
Fresh coffee is one that is brought from a local roaster. Local roasters are real experts in preserving and ensuring the freshness of the coffee. To be sure of the freshness that you get, finding a supplier who is an expert in keeping coffee’s peak flavor all year round is the safest way to maximize the coffee shelf life. If coffee is exposed to oxygen it starts to lose its flavor and freshness, so when you get a bag of beans, make sure it is sealed airtight. The coffee flavor comes from the volatile oils it has and they gradually evaporate when they are exposed to open air. Always keep mind that your coffee should be consumed within two weeks after the roasting date to keep its freshness.
Roasting
There are four basic types of roasts for coffee and they are:
01. Light Roast
This roast is usually light brown and it has a mild taste and pronounced acidity. This is roasted for a short period and it does not have any oil on its surface because it is not roasted for a long time, which cracks the bean and makes the oil that is usually seen in other types. Light roast is also known to retain the caffeine content of the coffee.
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02. Medium Roast
This is slightly darker than the lightly roasted coffee, but far from the darkest type. Medium roast coffee has a slightly oily surface, giving it a rich flavor and a bittersweet aftertaste. It has a more balanced flavor and a richer aroma. It has decreased caffeine content, but more than the darker roast.
03. Medium-Dark Roast
A medium-dark roast is rich in flavor and it has a semi oily surface. It is darker in color compared with the medium roast, but lighter than the dark roast color.
04. Dark Roast
It has a mildly bitter taste that distinguishes it apart from the medium roast. It is usually darker brown like chocolate and it has a smoky bitter taste and caffeine amount is also decreased.
So these are the four variants of roasts from light to dark. Notice that as the coffee roast gets darker, it loses its original flavor and takes the new roasted flavor, the caffeine level decreases as it gets darker, and lighter roasts are more acidic than darker roasts.
Brew
To enjoy a good cup, you should have a proper brewing ratio. You can follow the brewing ratio of your press to get the perfect blend and flavor. There are some blends today that make use of a greater combination of brews, to give a rich and darker taste, and some newer espressos are lightly roasted and taste milder than the traditional espresso brews. Here are some popular methods of brewing.
01. Pour-over Coffee
This coffee brewing method involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a coffee filter. This is also known as drip coffee because the water is drained into a cup. This method makes the flavor and aroma very strong compared to other brewing methods. To achieve this, the coffee filter should be clean to allow the water that extracted coffee oils to pass through it consistently.
02. French Press
This is considered to be the best and easiest method to brew. It can efficiently extract more intrinsic flavors compared with other methods. This method uses a press pot where the ground coffee is soaked, pressed, and strained in hot water, making the coffee oil extracted and caffeine antioxidant comes out.
03. Percolate
This method uses steam pressure from boiled water from the lower section of a percolator. It passes through the coffee grounds located in the middle section, and coffee is collected at the topmost part of the percolator.
With any type of brew, always start with clean and cold water, freshly roasted beans, and do not over boil water, as well.
That cup of joe may be a source of energy and happiness, but there is more to it. Having a rich and flavorful cup will make you enjoy each cup and benefit from the health benefits it can give. Just drink in proper moderation to avoid getting the consequences of too much caffeine.
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