MEET THE BEAN — Brewing

The best way to make coffee is such a personal question. I don’t mean personal like who was your first kiss, I mean personal as in everyone’s situation and tastes are different. I’m both a coffee snob and a caffeine junkie. I feel I bridge that gap pretty well when talking to either group and exchanging advice and ideas. Let me explain. There are times in my life where I just need an easy solution to wake up in the morning and get the day going. After all, that’s why I started drinking coffee in the my first firehouse in...

A varietal and a blend are 2 different things To start, there are 2 coffee species which work well for consumption . . .  Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is high quality in the cup where Robusta is easier to grow and more pest resistant.Arabica has many names given to its varietals. Examples are Typica, Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Pacamara etc. Some varietals are original like the Typica, others are mutations or hybrids. Some hybrids occur naturally and sometimes they are developed purposefully in a lab for various reasons such as being more pest resistant or more drought resilient. “Blends” can be...

My first thought is   . . . Any brew style done while peacefully listening to Kenny G and his sax in the background  . . . ( Ok, so that is a bit corny ) My second, and more serious thought is . . . to ask what you meant by smooth. Both cold brew and French press have a silky body mouthfeel and can lead to what most would describe as a smooth cup. I think any brew method where you are using the appropriate coffee to water ratio and the correct water temp can produce a wonderfully...

While coffee doesn’t ever go bad like milk, it tends to begin losing peak flavor after a short amount of time, about 3-4 weeks.  The closer to the roast date you can brew, the tastier your cup will be and the greater the aroma. Always look for a roast date on your coffee bags. The best way to extend your coffee freshness is to: Purchase freshly roasted coffee. Again, look for a roast date. (If you can’t find one . . .  that may tell you something.) Own a burr grinder, purchase whole bean and grind immediately before brewing.This is the...