While 2k22 was ending, I discovered a few new things. One of them is Speciality Coffee. It has become integral to my life in the last 6 months. I have a dedicated journal in which I note my coffee experiences.
I have been a regular coffee person and rarely miss my coffee. For most of my life, I have been drinking instant coffee. My favourite instant coffee brands are "BRU Gold" and "House Of Coffee". I was just surfing youtube, and I discovered a video of Aeropress. While I found that video of making coffee using AeroPress oddly satisfying, there was a bunch of stuff I didn't understand, like what "brewing" means, what are "coffee grounds", why don't people just drink grounds with coffee, what's the need to have such brewing equipment, just mix coffee & water and drink for god's sake.
So, coffee grounds are just coffee beans ground into powder, and unlike instant coffee, ground coffee doesn't dissolve in water; that's why brewing equipment is needed to extract coffee from grounds without thoroughly mixing them in water. I learned that the hard way by drinking grounds that taste very bad. Since then, I have dived into the world of coffee, studying and exploring the fascinating world of this seed. In layman's terms, speciality coffee is just good quality coffee. But to achieve that quality, the process is quite tedious. The farm-to-cup includes picking the right cherry, processing them to get the beans, and roasting and brewing them.
So, coffee grounds are just coffee beans ground into powder, and unlike instant coffee, ground coffee doesn't dissolve in water; that's why brewing equipment is needed to extract coffee from grounds without thoroughly mixing them in water. I learned that the hard way by drinking grounds that taste very bad. Since then, I have dived into the world of coffee, studying and exploring the fascinating world of this seed. In layman's terms, speciality coffee is just good quality coffee. But to achieve that quality, the process is quite tedious. The farm-to-cup includes picking the right cherry, processing them to get the beans, and roasting and brewing them.
There are mainly two different species of the coffee plant, Arabica & Robusta. Furthermore, the species are divided into different varieties and the atmosphere and altitude in which the plant is grown results in very different-tasting cups of coffee. The processing also has different methods, mainly Sun-dried, washed and honey(pulped natural).
Then comes the very crucial part, roasting. There are three roasting levels, light, medium, and dark. Lightly roasted coffee is higher in acidity and tastes fruity. While dark-roasted coffee is more elevated in bitterness. Coffee beans are roasted to extract the best flavours depending on the seed. You need to try different types of coffee to find your taste. Most speciality coffee roasters mention "Taste Notes" on the beans along the roast degree. Taste Notes are descriptions of the aroma, flavour and taste of the final product according to the person tasting(taster). Taste Notes like "strawberry", "orange", "grapes", and other citrus keywords indicate a sour experience. In contrast, "Roasted Almond", "Cocoa", "Caramel", and "Hazelnut" type rich keywords mean a well heavy-bodied bitter-tasting coffee. (Note: It doesn't taste like having the actual fruit or description product in your cup)
Speciality coffee beans are roasted after you place the order to deliver the freshness of the coffee. Once you get the beans. It's finally time to brew a delicious cup of coffee. There are many brewing methods; AeroPress, V60, Espresso, FrenchPress, MokaPot, etc. Each has its unique equipment and its own taste and flavour of coffee. But that is not it. After you decide which method to brew your cup comes the recipe, there are many recipes on the internet for each brewer. In this step, you can control the flavours in your cup and which one you would like to elevate over the others.
I brew a V60 using James Hoffmann's single-cup V60 recipe. I choose medium roasted coffee beans and brew a balanced sour and bitter cup that is slightly acidic. I have tried many different kinds of coffee from BlueTokai Coffee Roasters. It took a while to master the recipe, but it was worth it.
Nothing is better than a nice-tasting cup of coffee just as you like your flavours.
You might want to check this out:
1. James Hoffmann's YouTube Channel
1. James Hoffmann's YouTube Channel
That is a brilliant summary of the specialty coffee journey! It takes true dedication to go from "why don't people just drink grounds?" to mastering James Hoffmann's V60 recipe—that's a serious upgrade. I completely agree, nothing beats a cup brewed exactly to your preference.
ReplyDeleteThe detailed breakdown of taste notes (fruity vs. cocoa/caramel) is spot on. After putting so much effort into brewing the perfect, balanced cup, you need the right companion snack to go with it. When I'm looking for a quick, quality pastry or snack to pair with my V60, I usually check the menu at starbucksmenue.us for easy options.
Keep that coffee journal going! I'd love to know what beans you try next.
What an incredible and detailed journey into the world of specialty coffee! It’s fascinating how you transitioned from instant coffee to understanding brewing methods, roast levels, and flavor notes like a true enthusiast. Your breakdown of Arabica vs Robusta, processing methods, and different brewing techniques really shows how deep your interest has grown.
ReplyDeleteI also recently came across XBloom Coupons while exploring coffee gear deals, and they can be quite useful for anyone looking to upgrade their brewing setup without spending too much.
Your experience with the V60 and refining your own recipe sounds really rewarding — that perfect personalized cup of coffee is exactly what makes specialty coffee so special.
https://www.reecoupons.com/view/xbloom