Some Little Known Coffee Facts
16 February 2010 in Just Coffee Stuff
Today’s featured coffee: Whole Bean 100% Kona Coffee. Hand-picked, sun-dried and micro-roasted to ensure the finest quality and the winner of the Hawaii Governor’s Export Award & New & Innovative Product at SIAL, the world’s largest gourmet show. This stuff is good!
Moving along, I thought it might be interesting to deal with some facts which many of us may not be aware of in the brewing and – more importantly – the storage of coffee. The storage issue reveals that ground coffee becomes “stale” long before beans. The assumption is that air is an enemy of freshness which, come to think of it surprises no one at all, although we so often conceive of coffee as somehow indestructible. Far from it, in fact. The essential thing to remember is that our storage systems pay when they are vacuum packed or at least less liable to the intrusion of air and its spoiling qualities. There are ceramic or glass containers designed to be airtight. These are available from kitchen stores for spices, beans, and many cooking ingredients. That have a metal latch that creates the airtight seal, which should consist of a rubber hand underneath the lid in place to seal with the container when the latch is closed.
Another under-reported fact is the water quality of what we use as our mediums. Since coffee is 99% water, it obviously matters – and far more than we suspect. Purified water makes the most excellent water for brewing.
Overheating coffee is the single most destructive element to its taste. While sitting on a platform where the coffee maintains heat, it actually burns in place. After 20 minutes of coffee sitting on the coffee machine’s heat plate, consider that coffee to be beginning to burn. After 40 minutes, the difference in taste will be noticeable. Some coffee makers have adjustable heat settings on the plate itself. Try and find those which have a “low” setting which will make the good coffee last a bit longer.
I am positive there are no surprises here. Yet, taken together, these little tips can improve that coffee making skill. With particular regard to the coffee-making machine and some emphasis on storage in air-tight containers, you will have already upgraded both knowledge of the process as well as the taste.
For some cool information about our featured coffee, and to buy – click here.
I have a bad habit of reheating my coffee in the microwave since the coffeemaker has usually shut off by the time I get to it. I really miss my thermal carafe. Once the coffee was done brewing it was kept warm by the carafe with no bottom burner. The taste was better, too. Now I know why.
What is your take on keeping coffee in the freezer as opposed to in a container on the counter or in a cabinet? My sister keeps her coffee in the freezer. Of course she grinds her own beans and uses a French Press, but she’s a bit more hard core than me.
Anne´s last blog ..Coffee Deal & JCPenney Savings Newsletter
I looked it up and found this study about freezing vs. not freezing –
http://www.home-barista.com/store-coffee-in-freezer.html
It’s one long article – doesn’t sound very conclusive. I don’t freeze my coffee – I think if you’re really concerned about freshness, you should simply not wait for more than a few days after roasting and grinding.