It is not always possible to go to a cafe or the nearest coffee shop. And I want to drink delicious and aromatic coffee. What to do? Choose the right coffee for home brewing.
It seems there is nothing easier than buying a capsule coffee maker, putting a capsule of your favorite latte or cappuccino in there and enjoying the taste. But such coffee will be significantly different from the good coffee made in a coffee shop. It will taste bitter and less intense.
Therefore, it is better to choose the right coffee beans and the necessary equipment for brewing coffee at home. Honestly, it's not as difficult as it sounds.
How to choose coffee
1. Grain or ground
If there is such a choice, then of course choose grain. Such coffee retains the taste and aroma of coffee longer. You can buy it at any good coffee shop. Usually they are sold from 250 grams to 1 kg. This way you can gradually pick up exactly the variety or mixture that you like best. And the barista will help you make a choice by talking about the type of coffee, its taste and how you will feel after drinking it. For example, he will pick up something fruity, or, conversely, sweet and sour, or a little more berry, with notes of chocolate, cherry, nuts.
2. Information on the packaging
This is the main criterion when choosing coffee. Bright taste lasts for 1–1.5 months after roasting. Then it starts to fizzle out and after 3 months it becomes "flat". For the same reason, it is better to buy small packages and not stock up. The most delicious coffee is considered to be roasted less than 2 weeks ago. You are very lucky if there is a roaster company in your city. They always have the freshest roasted coffee.
Best of all - arabica of the highest category (the pros call it "specialty-coffee"). These grains have been properly harvested, processed and roasted. The quality is monitored by the international Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).
Arabica is sweeter, more aromatic and gives a variety of flavors when brewed. Robusta (the second most popular type of beans) contains 2-3 times more caffeine and does not have a bright taste. It is cheaper than Arabica, but the coffee made from it will be bitter and strong. Often, blends are made of these two types - grains are mixed to reduce the cost of the product.
But this does not mean that such hoods are always bad. The common 80 to 20 blend, with 20% robusta beans, produces an excellent tasty coffee.
Country
The taste of coffee is influenced by the climate of the country in which it was grown. For example, grains from Latin America have a sweeter taste, while grains from highland Africa have a sour-citrus hue. Try different options to see which one is right for you.
Roasting
There are three types of roast: light inherent in specialty coffee, gives a bright, rich taste, medium - less pronounced taste with light bitterness, and dark - such coffee will be bitter. Most often, the latter type of roast is found in ground coffee from well-known manufacturers. It is characterized by a taste of bitterness and astringency.
Taste
Pay attention to how the manufacturer describes the flavor and aroma of the beans. This item will help you choose not only high-quality, but also suitable coffee. Berries, chocolate, raisins - coffee can have many flavors. Someone wants to feel the caramel taste in a cup of coffee, while others want to feel the sweetish taste of chocolate …
3. Appearance of grains
The last step in the selection is to look inside the selected coffee. Ask for an open package from the same issue to check the grains: there should be no traces of oil on their surface. If it comes out, then the bean is overcooked and the coffee will taste rancid. Also note the grain shape, Arabica has a smooth surface with a curved line, while Robusta has a straight, crisp line and smaller grain size.
You can also pre-order a cup of coffee of the type you have chosen. They will cook it for you and you can make sure that you chose exactly what you wanted.
