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YOU DON'T KNOW BEANS!
Most of us blissfully sip our steaming brew without thinking
about the origins and types of coffee beans. I hope to help
educate all my fellow caffeine aficionados and you can help
educate me by
emailing me with any tidbits of information
you may have concerning coffee beans.
There are many types of coffee beans, as well as a variety
of grinds. There are blended beans, flavored beans and
chocolate-covered beans.
Arabica beans grew wild in Ethiopia, where, until the 10th century,
tribesmen rolled them in animal fat and ate them on long journeys.
This type of bean is low in caffeine, while Robusta is a strong
coffee with a high caffeine content with an inferior quality.
A more prolific bean is Liberica, but its taste is rather ordinary.
Bean Descriptions
COLUMBIAN COFFEE, (the kind our friend, Juan Valdez grows)
A low-acid, full-bodied coffee bean.
JAMAICAN COFFEE is an arabica with a mild taste.
KENYAN COFFEE beans are pale green in color, an African
arabica coffee
which imparts a rich liquor and a sharp
taste when roasted.
MOCHA COFFEE, one of the world's finest coffees, is an arabica bean.
SANTOS COFFEE beans are from Brazil and impart a smooth, mellow liquor.
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BEAN ROASTS
HIGH ROAST beans have a strong, bitter taste and have lost their sweetness. This is caused by the oils being dried out. This coffee should be drunk black.
LIGHT ROAST Beans have a delicate taste and aroma and are good with cream or milk.
FULL ROAST Beans have a sightly bitter taste, but not the "burnt"
taste of high roasted beans. There is a strong distinctive taste that blends well with milder beans.
COSTA RICAN UNROASTED Beans can be stored for 2 or 3 years unroasted. Roasting them gives them aroma and caramelizes them. Always roast coffee fresh for best flavor.
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DIFFERENT GRINDS
REGULAR GRIND is a coarse grind best used in a percolator. Use light roasts for breakfast and high roasts for dinner.
DRIP GRIND is the best texture to preserve the delicate taste and aroma. Medium grinds used for percolators, drip pots and carafes.
FINE GRIND is ideal for espresso machines and electric coffee pots that use paper filters.
DECAFFEINATED COFFEE is treated after the coffee is ground. A solvent is used in the treatment and the grounds are then dried. Most of the caffeine is lost during this process.
INSTANT FREEZE DRIED is made by freezing a brew of good coffee, then grinding it into particles and placing it into a vacuum with a small amount of heat. This is the most successful method for aromatic instant coffee.
INSTANT COFFEE is made by brewing freshly roasted or ground coffee to obtain a strong concentrate. It is then passed through an atomizing spray and heat-dried. It is not as rich flavored or smooth as freshly brewed but it is convenient.
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For books about coffee beans,
click on the titles below, then to learn about coffee,
enter the keyword "coffee" in the search box.
Coffee: Botany, Biochemistry,
and Production of Beans and Beverage
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Background by Shirley
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