| Are you a coffee fanatic? Or, are you just an | | | | coffee. Purchasing whole bean coffee and grinding |
| average joe who likes a good cup of joe? Either | | | | them as close to brewing as possible will give you the |
| way, you probably have definite opinions as to what | | | | best tasting brew. Clean machines and quality water |
| kind of coffee you like. Everyone has different | | | | also will be important in how your coffee will taste. |
| tastes. Strong, weak. Dark, light. How do you know, | | | | All of the above factors contribute to how a coffee |
| then, which coffee is the best? | | | | tastes: beans, regions, growers, roasting and brewing. |
| Most coffee is made from one of two types of | | | | No wonder there are so many different varieties and |
| beans - Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered a | | | | opinions. So what is the best? The answer is that it |
| high quality coffee bean and produces almost 75 to | | | | depends on your taste. Here are some helpful |
| 80 percent of the world's coffee. Robusta has a | | | | guidelines: |
| much lower quality of beans and produces 20 | | | | 1. Dark Roasts. Dark roasted coffee is exactly what |
| percent of the world's coffee. The primary growing | | | | it sounds like - it is coffee that is roasted longer so it |
| areas for coffee are Africa, South America or the | | | | tends to be darker, smokier flavored and sometimes |
| Pacific. Beans from different countries or regions can | | | | spicy. If you are the type of coffee drinker that |
| usually be distinguished by differences in flavor, | | | | loves a deep, dark, and rich roast, look for names |
| aroma, body, or acidity. | | | | such as French, Espresso or Italian roasts. Some |
| Roasting coffee transforms green coffee beans into | | | | French roasts also can be classified as medium to |
| roasted coffee products. The roasting process is | | | | dark roasts. |
| what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by | | | | 2. Medium Roasts. These roasts are typically |
| changing the beans in color, taste, smell, and density. | | | | complex, full flavored and with balanced acidity. |
| As the bean absorbs heat, the color shifts to yellow | | | | Usually referred to a Viennese, American or City |
| and then to varying shades of brown. During the later | | | | roast, this is the most preferred of all of the roasts, |
| stages of roasting, oils appear on the surface of the | | | | especially in the U.S. You will also find most Breakfast |
| bean, making it shiny. The roast will continue to | | | | Blends in the category. |
| darken until it is removed from the heat source. If | | | | 3. Light Roasts. Lightly roasted coffee has more |
| roasted lighter, you will be better able to taste the | | | | caffeine but less taste and body than the above |
| flavors created in the bean by the soil and weather | | | | roasts. They sometimes will also be called American |
| conditions in the location where it was grown. Coffee | | | | but are more commonly known as New England or |
| beans from famous regions like Java, Kenya, | | | | Cinnamon roasts. |
| Hawaiian Kona, and Jamaican Blue Mountain are usually | | | | No one can tell you what coffee is the best except |
| roasted lightly so their signature characteristics | | | | for you. Some people swear by Kona coffee, |
| dominate the flavor. As the beans darken to a deep | | | | produced in the Hawaiian islands, or by Jamaican Blue |
| brown, the origin flavors of the bean are | | | | Mountain. Some people prefer the African or |
| overpowered by the flavors created by the roasting | | | | European blends. However, there are many different |
| process itself. In darker roasts, the roast flavor is so | | | | producers, roasters and retailers out there with a |
| dominant that it can be difficult to distinguish the | | | | wide variety of roasts and blends for you to try. All |
| origin of the beans used in the roast | | | | you can do is experiment and choose which one is |
| And, let's not forget the importance of brewing. | | | | the best for you! |
| Fresh roasted coffee is essential to a great cup of | | | | |