The comprehensive guide for coffee lovers: To prepare the green coffee bean for brewing, it must first be roasted. Coffee beans are roasted with dry heat and with constant agitation to ensure even heating. The range of roasts varies from light golden brown all the way to a dark, almost black appearance. Varying the roasting time has a significant effect on the flavor, aroma, and color of the brewed coffee. Although there are several levels of roasting, they can be grouped into three main categories: light, medium, and dark.
Lungo – Lungo is often confused with Americano, but it’s not at all the same. Lungo is a long shot prepared by extracting double the amount of water with same amount of coffee grounds. In figures, it means, 50 ml of water is extracted with 7 grams of coffee. This results in extraction of more caffeine, but with dissolved off-notes of coffee. It’s a less popular drink but it’s a preferred drink for people who demand more caffeine. Caffe Crema – An extra long espresso drink served in Northern Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It has different flavor profile than related drinks like Lungo and Americano due to different extraction process. Rough brewing ratios of ristretto, normale, lungo, and caffè crema are 1:2:3:6 and the average water part per shot is 6 oz (180ml). Cafe Zorro – This is a double shot of espresso that is added to water in a 1:1 ratio.
Let’s talk about latte machines. Another great De’Longhi machine is the Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso and Coffee Machine. It is a combination product and works just like the Nespresso Pixie. However, you can use any coffee beans/grounds with this machine. You can also make both espressos and cappuccinos with it. The De’Longhi Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso and Coffee Machine has its own built-in burr grinder where you can adjust the beans’ fineness to your preference. It is classified as a super-automatic machine, but it does not have electronic displays.
When it comes to global production, Robusta coffee beans are second on the list and the most popular in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Its name does this bean justice, as it is known for its strong and often harsh flavor profile. Robusta coffees have extremely high levels of caffeine, which makes the plant far more resilient than the Arabica species. That’s because the caffeine acts as natural insect repellent, eliminating a major threat to the tree. The coffee caniphora species is also particularly tolerant of its environment, so it can be grown in any number of altitudes and climates. Because of its reputation for tasting burnt or rubbery, robusta is not generally a very popular coffee commodity, except where very strong coffee is a cultural norm. However, because it’s so much easier to grow and harvest than Arabica beans, many farmers do tend to reap higher profits when they can sell Robusta. So where is it going? Robusta might be used for discount lines like instant coffees and is sometimes used as a filler in dark roasts. By using 3 parts Arabica to 1 part Robusta in a given batch, a roaster might save up to 20% on the cost of raw beans. However, if this looks to you like sacrificing product quality for the bottom line, you’d be right. Discover extra info at Edmond Hui.
Typica is your “typical” Arabica. It’s a variety that encompasses a number of the most popular and most sought after regional coffees including Kona, Java, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and more. This variety started in Yemen before being spread far and wide through trade. It first made it to Malabar India and Indonesia before eventually reaching the West Indies. Some subvarieties of Typica include Sumatra, Bergendal, Rume Sudan, Amarello de Botancatú, Blawan Paumah, and Java Mocha. Also, there are a number of Typica mutations, including Mokka*, Pluma Hidalgo, Creole, Ethiopian Harrar, Blue Mountain, Villa Sarchi, Ethiopian Sidamo, Ethiopian Yiragacheffe, San Ramón, and Sidikalang (just to name a few). Bourbon is probably one of the most common sub varieties of Typica. It got its start in the early 1700s when the French brought an Arabica Typica plat to the island of Bourbon (now Reunion). A slight mutation occurred and the variety eventually spread across Central and South America. These plants are popular because they produce more coffee cherries than other Typica varieties. Sub-varieties of Bourbon include French Mission, N39, Mayaguez, Arusha, Jackson, K20, Kenya Selected, and SL35 ; and Pointu, Semperlorens, Caturra, SL34, Tekic, and Pacas are mutations from this variety.