How to choose coffee beans for espresso. Advice for those who want to open their own business.

There is no arguing about tastes, even if it is the taste of a coffee drink.

You may not like the light creamy notes of latte and consider the taste of raf coffee too cloying, preferring the pronounced coffee taste of cappuccino.

. You can, like the Italians, call Americano coffee dirty water, preferring double espresso.

However, when it comes to which coffee beans are better, which coffee to choose for a Turk or geyser coffee maker, or which instant coffee

closer in taste to ground, there are objective evaluation criteria.

It is these criteria that will be discussed in this article.

How to choose bean coffee

Check the grain type

Coffee beans are divided into two types: Arabica and Robusta . Coffee Like recommends and uses exclusively 100% Arabica coffee. It contains more aromatic oils that affect the taste of coffee. Imagine a bitter drink to which you want to add sugar - it is probably made with robusta. Arabica coffee is more interesting and varied; it can reveal notes of chocolate, fruit, nuts, ripe berries and even tea. Arabica plantations require special care; farmers collect almost 5 kg of ripe berries from one tree, and after roasting, approximately 1 kg of grain remains. This is why good coffee beans cannot be cheap.

Decide on the cooking method

How will you prepare coffee at home: using an espresso machine or an alternative method? The latter includes:

• drip coffee maker
• Turk
• French press
• aeropress
• pour over
• Chemex

Select roast level

For each method there is a bean of different degrees of roasting: for an espresso machine - medium, for an alternative - light. We do not recommend using dark roasted beans because they produce excessive bitterness.

Pay attention to the freshness of the grain

Ideally, if from the moment of roasting a week to 1.5 months have passed, during this period it is at the peak of its potential. However, the grain retains its excellent taste for 6 months.

Follow your taste preferences

Some people like a smoother and more understandable taste with chocolate and nut notes, others are more interested in grains, where acidity is manifested in various ways: green apple, orange, etc. If you choose bean coffee, grind it immediately before cooking, so the grain retains taste and aroma longer.

How can I find out more about the coffee shop?

If you want to determine whether your chosen establishment is worth continuing to visit, order a regular black coffee first. This is what Garrett Oden, a former barista and cafe owner and now a teacher at JavaPresse Coffee Co., advises.

When visiting a new cafe, he always orders a regular cup of black coffee, prepared in a coffee machine. Garrett believes that if a barista can qualitatively prepare this simple drink, not embellished with foam, powdered sugar and cream, then this cafe takes the preparation of all dishes and drinks seriously and responsibly.

How to choose coffee for a drip coffee machine

For a drip coffee maker, all you need to do is choose good coffee beans and the right grind; the coffee machine will handle the rest. That is why it is popular among coffee lovers. Due to the fact that the human factor is minimally involved here, the coffee always turns out consistently tasty. Light roasted grains are ideal; the grind is coarse or larger than average (let’s take the particle size of cane sugar as a guide).

For AeroPress, Chemex and pour-over, we also choose lightly roasted, medium-ground grains.
Guests are often interested in how the Chemex differs from the Purover: the pourover has ribs inside the funnel, so the filter does not completely adhere to the walls and the coffee is brewed differently.

Coffee rating

It is worth highlighting a number of the world's most popular coffee brands that have earned the trust of coffee lovers. Knowing which brands produce quality products will make the choice much easier.

In beans

True gourmets prefer to purchase natural bean coffee products. To choose good coffee, you should study the rating of the best manufacturers:

• Jardin. Domestic brand. The grains are grown in Indonesia, Guatemala, Colombia and Ethiopia. The products are presented in a wide range. Everyone can choose the appropriate option for themselves, taking into account the strength and degree of roasting;
• Paulig . Produced in Finland. The products have earned popularity due to careful selection of beans and high-quality roasting. When using it, you can get tasty and aromatic coffee;
• Kimbo . Italian brand. The fruits are fried evenly, do not become sour or bitter. The drink is invigorating and has excellent taste;
• Lavazza . Also shipped from Italy. It has a mild taste and moderate strength. Enjoys enormous popularity in Russia;
• Black card . Domestic coffee products, for the production of which beans grown on plantations in South America are used;
• Malongo . French brand. This brand produces a huge amount of coffee with a piquant taste. The drink has fruit, vanilla, chocolate and even caramel shades.

Lavazza

Malongo

Paulig

Black card

Jardin

Kimbo

Soluble

Coffee producers produce instant products in several forms:

• granulated;
• sublimated;
• powdery.

To choose the most delicious coffee, you should give preference to proven brands. The following are popular in Russia:

• Carte Noire. Sublimated products are produced under this brand. The drink has a pleasant, pronounced aroma; characteristic coffee notes with a faintly noticeable bitterness are clearly visible in it;
• Egoiste . In addition to the freeze-dried product, a mixture of instant coffee and ground coffee is also produced. The granules are smooth and light. The drink is strong, balanced, with a pleasant aroma and chocolate aftertaste;
• Bushido . Among the range of products, granules containing gold deserve special attention. The granules are large and dissolve well. Coffee has a rich aroma and refined taste;
• Jardin . Domestic brand. The taste is rich, with unobtrusive bitterness and sourness. The aroma is deep, pronounced;
• Jacobs Monarch . Medium strength drink. The smell is rich, and the taste is sour, but pleasant. The product line includes a mixture of ground coffee and instant coffee.

Jacobs Monarch

Bushido

Carte Noire

Egoiste

Ground

To choose the best ground coffee, you should study the rating of the best manufacturers:

• Hausbrandt . Produced in Italy and is of high quality. This is real coffee, which is suitable for true connoisseurs of coffee drinks. It has unique taste and unsurpassed aroma;
• Jardin . This product is characterized by an excellent taste with almond-chocolate bitterness and a relatively high strength. Several blend options are presented. Thanks to this, it will be possible to choose a blend that suits personal preferences;
• Kimbo. Made using traditional Italian technology. Therefore it is considered one of the best. The unique aroma and exquisite taste do not leave any coffee lover indifferent;
• Live coffee . It is relatively inexpensive, but at the same time it is characterized by excellent taste;
• Illy . An Italian brand that produces high-quality coffee products. The drink contains fruity tones and has a long chocolate aftertaste. The only drawback is the high price.

Hausbrandt

Illy

Kimbo

Live coffee

In capsules

The TOP of the best coffee produced in capsules includes the following brands:

• Tassimo . A high-quality product produced for coffee machines of the same brand. There is a large assortment of capsules. Regardless of the chosen option, you will be able to get the perfect combination of aroma and taste;
• Nescafe . With the help of capsules of this brand you can prepare not only espresso, but also latte and cappuccino. The packages are divided into a couple of parts. One contains a coffee product, and the other contains milk. The line also includes flavored varieties. There are 20 varieties produced under this brand;
• Nespresso . There are 4 types of capsules available. There is even a decaffeinated version. The coffee is rich, dense, incredibly aromatic.

Tassimo

Nespresso

Nescafe

How to choose ground coffee

The optimal solution if you do not have the opportunity to grind beans at home is to buy ground coffee or ask them to grind the beans at a coffee shop. To understand which ground coffee tastes better, look at the factors we described above: bean type (Arabica or Robusta), roast level, freshness and grind. Ask your barista or check the package to see what preparation the grain is ground for.

Coffee Like has put together a line of coffee beans that are suitable for different brewing methods. For example, we recommend using the single-origin Brazil Cerrado for an espresso machine and geyser coffee maker. This is coffee without excess acidity, aromatic and balanced, with notes of roasted nuts, dark chocolate and caramel. All other single-origin coffees are suitable for filter coffee, and the barista at any Coffee Like coffee bar will introduce you to the flavors, grinding and subtleties of preparation.

Delicious coffee everyone!

Best before date

Sometimes they try to deceive us on this issue. They buy coffee that is expired, package it and put a new date on the package. So what to do? We squeeze the vacuum packaging and bring the release valve to our nose. Fresh coffee has a strong aroma, while stale coffee has a noticeable rancidity in its aroma. This is because the natural coffee oils in the coffee have already begun to break down.

Coffee with impurities

So we selected and bought ground coffee and brought it home. Let's try to determine by appearance whether we purchased a quality product. Sometimes they sell us a chicory drink under the guise of coffee. In addition, often ground and roasted grains can be added to coffee “for weight” - oats, wheat, acorns, even chestnuts and some other products.

How to detect a fake?

Pour the coffee onto a white sheet of paper and examine its consistency. The coffee should be the same color and should be uniform. An unusual, rancid smell indicates that the coffee is made from old, stale beans. To determine if there are any foreign impurities in the coffee, pour a teaspoon of ground coffee into cold water. The coffee itself will remain floating on the surface, and any impurities - they are much heavier than ground coffee beans - will settle to the bottom. Also, if the cold water begins to color, it means that dyes or burnt barley grains have been mixed into the coffee.

Flavors

Since people like to add cream or milk, cognac or brandy, as well as spices to their coffee to suit their taste, manufacturers began to produce coffee with flavors and fillers. The most common flavorings are cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, pepper and even alcohol-containing drinks, such as cognac, liqueur or confectionery alcohol. Also, chocolate, fruits, pine nuts or almonds are added to coffee.

Expensive, good coffee contains natural additives, while inexpensive varieties of coffee contain artificial flavorings and aromas that replace them. However, true connoisseurs of real coffee traditionally drink it without any additional additives, even without sugar. So that nothing interferes with enjoying the true taste and aroma of this divine drink, so that the taste has the opportunity to fully reveal itself.

The most common varieties of coffee are Arabica (Arabian) and Robusta (Congolese) .

• Arabica has a stronger taste and bright aroma, in which a slight sourness is noticeable.
• Robusta is stronger, has a sharper taste and contains more caffeine.

Quite often these two varieties are mixed together. Robusta itself is less aromatic, but it is cheaper than Arabica and adds strength to Arabica. If the package of ground coffee says o, it means the package contains 50% Arabica and 50% Robusta. There are also ratios: 70/30 or 60/40. True, there is not always confidence that the manufacturer has honestly indicated the ratio.

Types of grinding:

• Coarsely ground coffee. Grind for about 10 seconds and this coffee is well suited for a piston coffee maker or for making in a pot. Leave for about 6 or 8 minutes.
• Medium grind coffee. It grinds a little longer - 13-15 seconds. It is called universal, so it is suitable for preparation in a Turk and in any type of coffee machine.
• Finely ground coffee - grinds in up to 20 seconds, it cooks faster than other types of coffee. This type is used in coffee makers that have filters. Finely ground coffee lasts the longest.
• Ultra fine grind coffee or dust. This type of grinding is considered the best for making Turkish coffee.

Happy shopping!

Light roast

Light roasting has several degrees:

1. Scandinavian. The grains are simmered at low temperatures. In this case, the beans do not open, but increase slightly in size. As a result, the grains have an aroma somewhat similar to that of fresh bread. This roast is suitable for Arabica beans from Kenya, Nicaragua and Jamaica.
2. American. The grains have a light brown tint, and the drink turns out to be inexpressive in taste.
3. Urban. Coffee made from such beans turns out darker, and the taste of the drink is dominated by sourness.

The simpler the better

So says Felton Jones, coffee roaster at PJ'S Coffee. You should not place the most expensive order, especially in a cafe you are unfamiliar with. Ask for regular strong black coffee to understand the quality of raw materials used to prepare it.

Unsung heroes: Alexey Malakhov spoke about the everyday life of an “infectious diseases” doctor

Valya Karna.val and Yegor Creed are dating – the girl officially confirmed the rumors

The long-awaited meeting took place: Vlad Stashevsky met with his son

If you feel the aroma and taste of coffee in all its “glory” and are convinced that it is really high quality, then you can add milk and sugar or other ingredients that you like to it.

Only a pure drink, not spoiled by sweeteners, will tell you about the quality of the coffee brewed in a cafe.

Types of coffee beans

Interesting fact: on our planet there are about 90 plants classified as coffee. However, only two of them produce beans for the drink: Robusta and Arabica.

However, only two of them produce beans for the drink: Robusta and Arabica.

According to some data, Arabica occupies approximately 2/3 of the world coffee market. Most likely, this figure could be 100% if not for the susceptibility of Arabica to many diseases. This is precisely why farmers are forced to cultivate other types of coffee.

According to some data, Arabica occupies approximately 2/3 of the world coffee market.

The Robusta variety is naturally more disease resistant. In addition, it ripens faster than Arabica. And yet, its share of the global market is much lower. This is also due to taste. True connoisseurs of the drink claim that Robusta is not as refined as Arabica.

The Robusta variety is naturally more disease resistant.

In total, Arabica and Robusta left the remaining varieties no more than two percent of the world coffee market. This means that when purchasing beans in a store, we most often have to choose between Arabica and Robusta. Liberica and Excelsa are also found. However, according to sellers, they are exotic.

In total, Arabica and Robusta left the remaining varieties no more than two percent of the world coffee market

When choosing a drink for home preparation, gourmets prefer a mixture of Arabica and Robusta. In this case, you are guaranteed to get a rich taste and unique aroma. It is the mixture that will give high foam and strength in the espresso beloved by many.

When choosing a drink for home preparation, gourmets prefer a mixture of Arabica and Robusta.

Labels

Good and high-quality packaging is not all that is worth paying attention to. Experts in this matter recommend looking at the label. On it, the manufacturer must indicate the maximum amount of information about the grains, indicating the country of origin, type of grinding and roasting. The degree of grinding can be indicated schematically. The presence of such information allows us to hope that the manufacturer cares about customers and provides information about production technology.

It is also worth paying attention to data on shelf life, packaging and frying. You can recognize low-quality goods by deadlines. If the packaging has a non-return valve, you can smell the grains. If you notice a rancid aroma, you should not take the coffee as it is stale. Knowing how to choose coffee beans, you can approach the purchase thoroughly, paying close attention to all the nuances.

Have a calorie-free holiday

There are many coffee-based drinks with the addition of incredibly tasty ingredients, such as whipped cream, all kinds of syrups, chocolate, caramel and others. This composition is very high in calories, so many visitors rarely add it to their order. It turns out that there is a drink that will delight those with a sweet tooth and will not add centimeters to your waist.

Emily Teels, a former barista at Starbucks, recommends the holiday iced coffee, which has become incredibly popular this summer. It includes:

• Two servings of sugar-free peppermint syrup.
• Low-fat mocha sauce.
• A small amount of vanilla sweet cream as a topping for the drink.

This composition will satisfy your sweet tooth while providing a minimum of calories.

Trust a professional

Another way to get a quality drink is to trust the advice of your barista. So says Ellie Karen, a barista herself and director of Partners Coffee, a coffee business training company that has both its own online coffee store and a caffeine chain.

Yegor Creed visited a restaurant with a dark manicure, and Timati told about it on the Internet

Electric eels were once thought to be solitary hunters

Roskoshestvo tested cottage cheese in stores for the third time in 4 years

She herself prefers black filtered coffee, but in an unfamiliar cafe she always orders the drink that a professional recommends to her. The trick is that the employee, as a rule, offers the type of coffee that he either likes to drink or makes it well. This way you will get a truly excellent cup of drink, made with love and inspiration.