Coffee Hypothesis

I wanted to write some basics of what I have learned about coffee in my, give or take, two years of coffee making. We get a lot of customers (friends) that ask us why our coffee tastes so good. Others, that want to make better coffee at home. Some that want to work here but can not for X reason. Um, and basically this blog is for people who just want to know more about making a better cup of coffee or espresso. Note, I free and openly admit, I am no pro at this. Nor am I always right (although I am). But I can feel secure and confident about the why and the how on what I do know. And that is what this is about. So please write me back on all your thoughts. I am open to receive and sort of criticisms or anything. eduramos13@yahoo.com All in all, I hope this all helps.

So here I go in no particular order.

Espresso notes to people wanting to know basics on pulling a shot.

If I settle too much…my shot is typically slower because I have encouraged the grinds to fit and become more compact in the basket thus slowing the water whilst pulling or brewing an espresso.

If I settle less…the shot will be faster because I have encouraged water to flow faster through the basket when the shot is brewing.

If I distribute/level for a good 30 seconds on an evenly routine…my shot will be on the slow side because I would have used more of the dosed grinds and water restriction will be slower.

If I distribute/level for a good even 4 seconds (back forward back forward motion)…the espresso will be on the faster side because there will exist an easier/lighter path for which water will travel through.

If I turn the dial on the grinder to the right…my shot slows down because the cut of the grind is smaller.

Left, my shot speeds up because the grinds are bigger and tend to allow for more space in the basket and then the water flow is quicker.

I keep in mind always that coffee has the upper hand on me. And that I have to adjust to weather(cold, hot, humid,windy,etc…). Age of coffee is so important always!

Lets assume you have fresh coffee to work with.

Note the biggest misconception is that the word ‘fresh’. For us it means fresh from the date of roast. So if I have fresh coffee to play with, I will by default brew fresh coffee. Freshly brewed coffee doesn’t input that the coffee is always fresh from the roaster. Make sense? Don’t be fooled. Example, I buy coffee beans today and make a cup of coffee with these beans three months later at home. My coffee is freshly brewed, yes, but not ‘fresh’ coffee. Get it? There is a big difference between freshly brewed, old, staled coffee that will generally encourage the usage of half and half or some flavored creamer and freshly brewed coffee within three to four days of roast where you can smell sweetness, brightness, earthy-ness, nutty, perhaps even floral or berry like aromas that will encourage you to drink it without dairy and if you add dairy then hopefully thats enjoyable too and brings out different notes and/or depth to your coffee.

Another misused coffee vocabulary word is bitter or strong. Bitter means that the espresso could have been a darker roast and/or pulled longer than the 30 second rule of thumb. What makes coffee taste bitter? Not all coffee is bitter. What makes it bitter again is either a darker profile on the roast or simply put…old coffee. Coffee ages quickly. Quickly meaning that 2 weeks after roast the beans not only look a bit more oily in some cases but also loose more of there personality and thus taste burnt or bitter or flavorless. Now lets substitute the word beans in the previous sentence with the words ground coffee. A lot of the flavor of coffee lies within the bean. So when you grind it and brew it right away you have taken advantage of what the bean has to offer. On the other hand, brewing coffee beans that have been pre-ground and have sat around your house for a few days or in the grinder at the shop, will lack a certain taste that once was had. Basically what I am getting at is that coffee that has been exposed to air (a bean thats broken) will be stale and can taste bad.

What to do and what not to do as far as buying coffee and taking it home?

Well, when you buy coffee to take home from a shop or some market, make sure that its date of roast is giving or provided to you. Also buy only what you feel you will use withing 10 days or less (again this is only my advice and remember I am always right). Try to grind it at or nearest to home. It’ll most rewarding. Basically what I am getting at is that the more intact or the longer the bean is a bean the better the coffee will taste. Buy half pound bags of coffee as opposed to 1 pound bags. Buy the amount of what you will use quickest. Now for storing. Store it in your cupboard at home or on your table top, in your pocket, I don’t care where as long as its not in the freezer or outside on the porch. Coffee that is exposed to extreme temperatures will kill your beans, simply put. The person who trained me once said that coffee beans should be treated as tomatoes. Keeping them for a short period of time and enjoying them as soon as you can. I concur.

Sigh. That is it for now. Oh and one last note that may help you appreciate your coffee is…while you drink it, think about the farmer that spent his/her time in the outdoors picking/selecting the best beans for you, the (hopefully) few agents and buyers in between (fair trade or direct is always the best), the roaster who has roasted your beans 2 days ago, the barista that has spent months and months of training to make you the cup you will enjoy, um just appreciate it all for what it is. Enough said. Go drink some good coffee.

If your in the bay area here is what I recommend: (in no particular order) Bellano Coffee, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, EON Cafe, Ritual Coffee Roasters, Blue Bottle (of course), us and oh if you are in Santa Cruz, Verve Coffee. See ya addicts later.