John Myers
The coffee in the morning, the espresso at noon, the cappuccino for breakfast – rituals that we have come to love and sometimes desperately need to counteract tiredness. The bean saves and promises enjoyment at the same time. Find out everything you need to know about coffee here.
Things to know about coffee
No coffee, little chance of a good morning. No coffee, little chance against the midday low. Such equations regularly apply, even if coffee substitutes are becoming increasingly popular. If tiredness threatens, coffee helps. So it’s a good thing that Venetian merchants brought the bean from the Arab world to Europe. According to tradition, he had been known there since the 14th century. Today, however, the largest areas under cultivation for espresso, americano, latte, or cappuccino are in Latin America. Southeast Asian and African countries also cultivate coffee plants whose seeds are dried and peeled after harvesting. Fermentation is followed by roasting, which nowadays mostly takes place in the importing country almost immediately before the sale. Smaller roasting plants in particular are becoming increasingly popular. Two types of beans are best known in this country: the less sensitive Robusta with a little more caffeine on the one hand, and the sensitive Arabica with a fine aroma on the other. This bitter, spicy aroma that is so typical of coffee serves as the basis for both, although different varieties bring different tastes. The roasting also contributes to the aroma. If you want to spice up your coffee, you should try Scottish coffee or our Irish coffee. And apart from that, you can do a lot more with coffee than just drink it. You can find our coffee recipes here.
Shopping and cooking tips for coffee
You can get your coffee either as beans or already ground. If you don’t have your own mill, choose variant number two. The type of machine you use to brew coffee is also important. If you’re using a mechanical Italian stovetop espresso machine, such as a Bialetti, make sure the type you choose is suitable. Do the same with the French press. The advantage of buying whole beans is that the coffee lasts the longest, and the aroma unfolds more intensely with freshly ground beans. Powder, on the other hand, can quickly lose its aroma when opened. It is, therefore, better to store it in the refrigerator in light and air-protected box. This keeps the coffee fresh. Tip: The quality of the coffee, the pressure during preparation (it should be at least 9 bar), and the degree of grinding (fine, but not too fine) are decisive for the crema of an espresso. Good capsule machines also manage a crema.
