We will be discussing brew methods and flavour profiles.
We believe
There isn't one specific best way to brew coffee. Coffee has evolved from a technical stance, resulting in many beautifully different flavour profiles around the world. From bean to cup, from Moka pot to Aeropress, coffee is a pure art. Routed by the heart of the soil at the location and the atmosphere of the altitude, coffee builds itself a canvas on which we depict our passion and soul.
But if you're not happy with our conclusion.
We're going to run you through a few brew methods invented around the world and how they extract different flavours out of the coffee.
We'll begin with understanding the flavour profiles of coffee, what is acidity in coffee and how does bean type, roasting type, and grind size relate to the type of apparatus used and it's flavour.
"Defining “Acidity” in the Coffee World For example, the presence of citric, malic, or tartaric acids in the bean is associated with flavors like citrus, apple, and wine. These flavors more commonly stand out in single-origin, light-roasted coffees, and help make drinking coffee such a pleasant experience."
"How does acidity affect coffee taste?
"Phosphoric acid and malic acid can make coffee taste sweeter. Other acids, such as citric acid and acetic acid, add tartness in low concentrations but can produce sour-tasting coffee in excess. It's all about the right balance of acidity."
Now that we understand how acidity affects the taste of coffee and what acidity means with reference to coffee. We understand the different benefits to having different roasting profiles for your coffee beans allowing for coffee lovers to get a true variance of experience in the flavours of coffee.
Coffee beans with separate locations, soils, climates, and altitudes, with different drying processes leads to a different flavoured coffee bean.
The coffee beans are dried in 1 of three processes, wet process, dry process (unwashed or natural process) and the honey process. Each with their own resulting flavour profiles. Different types of coffee beans get roasted at a specific heating profile to enhance further certain tones of flavour. Once the roasting process is over we now arrive at the grind size matching the type of coffee apparatus used, which effects the final flavour that lands in your cup.
A little detail on how the different drying processes lead to different flavours of been.
Natural process:
"Common Flavor Profiles: Diverse, bold, fruity flavors inherited from coffee cherry pulp and skin. Generally produces a heavier-bodied cup. Regions: Ethiopia, Brazil"
Wet or washed process:
"Common Flavor Profiles: "Clean," meaning more flavors inherent in the seed. Well-balanced, complex, pronounced acidity. Silky, delicate, tea-like body, featuring a wide range of notes from starfruit tartness to deep, dark chocolate. More commonly floral. Regions: Latin America, Africa"
Honey Process or pulped natural:
"Common Flavor Profiles: Approachable sweetness, jammy, sugary notes. Creamier body than Washed, texture closer to Honey. Not as acidic as Washed, or as high quality as Natural. Regions: Brazil, Central America"
Different Cofffee brewing techniques from aroun the world.
The standard coffee filter, patented in 1802 in France.
"Filter-specific roasts are much lighter, which preserves the acidity in the bean; while espresso roasts are usually much darker, giving them a richer flavour that allows them to retain their flavour profile when combined with milk. Filter coffee uses a coarser grind compared to espresso coffee."
"What is a Vacuum pot and how does the Vacuum Pot effect the flavour of the coffee?
A Vacuum Pot (Syphon) is a two chambared vacuum where "water heats, vapor pressure forces water into the upper chamber where the water immerse with coffee grounds. When the heat is turned off, the vapor pressure disappears and the water drops back with pure and clear coffee with no coffee sediment through the filter placed at the bottom of the upper chamber. It uses phenomena of gravity and vacuum and therefore is also called vacuum brewing. This immersion coffee brewing method produces one of the best-tasting coffee and a coffee with full aroma."
The flavour of the coffee is considered to be "smooth, full-bodied, crisp, clean and rich in flavor" based on the concept that the coffee gets oxidised and extracted under less pressure and a longer time than today's standard espresso, which is extracted under a lot of pressure under a short amount of time."
The classic espresso.
The espresso has it's origin in Italy where coffee was brewed under high pressure with a small amount of water just under boiling temperature, to create a concentrated coffee syrup. Its flavour is generally very strong and rich, and in a way balanced if pulled correctly.
The Aeropress.
"Aeropress coffee has a clean taste with clearly defined flavor notes thanks to the paper filter that stops any oil and sediment from getting in the cup. The Aeropress can even make coffee concentrate similar in taste to espresso. It is the perfect brewing device for curious coffee drinkers and experimenters."
Conclusion
We believe, whatever method you use to brew your favourite coffee, if you take the time to understand the roast you are working with or the flavours you are looking for, whether its dark bold and punchy, or light and florally acidic. If you accept that the final product is a blend of science and style, you are bound to find yourself that great cup of passion.