Brew you perfect cup

When we say the word coffee most Indian people think of Nescafe or Bru  which they drink by sprinkling over their syrup like sweetened milk which is more like satisfying your sugar cravings with coffee flavoured sweetened milk but for the people who love the drink for its - aroma, which comes from the seven hundred ingredients, caffeine- which gives you focus and energy you need or for the rich taste which touches your soul through the palate I am going the discuss the basics coffee.

1st a little history: coffee is believed to have originated in Ethiopia around the same region where humans are believed to have originated. By the 16th century, coffee was the beverage of choice in Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey, its reputation as the ‘wine of Arabi’ boosted no end by the thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the Muslim world. Yemeni merchants took coffee home from Ethiopia and began to grow it for themselves. It was prized by Sufis in Yemen who used the drink to aid concentration and as a spiritual intoxicant. They also used it to keep themselves alert during their night-time devotions. From the Middle East the popularity of coffee soon spread through the Balkans, Italy and to the rest of Europe, east to Indonesia and then west to the Americas, largely through the Dutch.

There is basically two types of coffee plants Arabica and  Robusta, there are some major difference between the two, the Arabica coffee usually has a much better taste when compared to the Robusta, its has a smooth taste while the Robusta has a bitter taste but the Robusta has almost double caffeine when compared to Arabica so it completely depends on what you are looking for in your coffee if you looking for nice taste you go for Arabica and if caffeine is what you are looking for Robusta is the way to go moreover Arabica coffee is much more expensive then Robusta. We can also get Arabica-Robusta blends in the market if we want smooth taste as well as the caffeine.

Now let’s talk about the different roasts. Coffee beans are actually green in colour until they roasted to our preference the roasts can go from light to medium to dark. Now the question is how do you choose the perfect roast.

Light roasts are light brown in colour, with a light body and no oil on the surface of the beans. Light roasts have a toasted grain taste and pronounced acidity. The origin flavours of the bean are retained to a greater extent than in darker roasted coffees. Light roasts also retain most of the caffeine from the coffee bean.

Medium roasted coffees are medium brown in colour with more body than light roasts. Like the lighter roasts, they have no oil on the bean surfaces. However, medium roasts lack the grainy taste of the light roasts, exhibiting more balanced flavour, aroma, and acidity. Caffeine is somewhat decreased, but there is more caffeine than in darker roasts.

Medium-dark roasts have a richer, darker colour with some oil beginning to show on the surface of the beans. A medium-dark roast has a heavy body in comparison with the lighter or medium roasts.

Dark roasts are dark brown in colour, like chocolate, or sometimes almost black. They have a sheen of oil on the surface, which is usually evident in the cup when the dark roast coffee is brewed. The coffee’s origin flavours are eclipsed by the flavours of the roasting process. The coffee will generally have a bitter and smoky or even burnt taste. The amount of caffeine is substantially decreased.

We can experiment with different roasts and find out what suites us perfectly but it depends, sometimes we are in ta mode for stronger coffee, sometimes we are in the mood for a smoother one.

Now that you have figured out your perfect roast it’s time to understand the grind size and brew method as your brew method will determine your grind size, the wrong grind size can make you coffee overly bitter or very weak.

Coarse Grind: These are about the size of kosher salt, and feel a lot like it, too. The particles are very distinctive looking, and that’s what separates this grind from others. This is the coffee grind size you want when using a French Press, if you want the full earthy rich taste French press is the way to go.

Medium Grind: A medium grind is a common standard for coffee you buy pre-ground in grocery stores and supermarkets. It’s similar in shape and size to table salt and has an even texture when you feel it on your hand. Medium is what you want for brewing coffee in drip pots.

Medium Fine: A lot of people can’t discern the difference between medium fine and finer grinds, but there are plenty! It’s smaller looking than table salt, although it feels much like the medium grind unless you’re a true coffee connoisseur. It’s very fine, although not quite as fine as espresso grind. But if you’re a fan of pour-over coffee makers, this is the coffee grind size for you.

Fine: Finely ground coffee looks finer than refined sugar It’s not a powder, however, because you can still distinguish one particle from another. This is the coffee grind size for you if you love strong, bold coffee and have a home espresso maker.

Now that you have figured out you perfect plant, perfect roast, grind and brewing method its time you time you ditch instant coffee that you been drinking with insane amount of cream and sugar and enjoy this century old exquisite drink with the most unique taste aroma and flavours.

-Hanif Mohammad
Amity University