About coffee
Coffee is a widely consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans of the coffee plant. Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and by the 15th century had reached Armenia, Persia, Turkey and northern America. From the Muslim world coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, and the Americas. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are Coffea Canephora (also known as Coffea Robusta) and Coffea Arabica. These are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to various degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented by a variety of methods.
Turkish coffee is coffee prepared by boiling finely powdered roast coffee beans in a pot, possibly with sugar, and serving it into a cup, where the dregs settle. It is common throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans, and in their expatriate communities and restaurants in the rest of the world. Coffeehouse culture is highly developed in the former Ottoman world, and this is the dominant style of preparation.
Romantic, alluring and intoxicating, coffee is the drink of choice for millions. As the second-largest traded commodity in the world, it plays a role in the lives of more than 12 billion people every single day. People come together over coffee no matter where you are in the world – at your kitchen table, or in an unfamiliar city or country, neighborhood, restaurant, or café – you can share the joy of a good cup.
Coffee originally grew wild in Ethiopia. Legend has it that a herder named Kaldi discovered it while searching for his missing goats. He found them prancing a bush from which they ate red berries. In the time-honored tradition of what’s good for my goats is good enough for me. Kaldi ate some of the fruit and soon he too, was dancing and frolicking in high spirits. A passing abbot spied this merry scene and brought some of the coffee berries back to his abbey. There they were dried, roasted and brewed.
Freshness Factors
There are many different theories on the shelf life of coffee. For as many articles that you read, you will most likely get just as many opinions. We would like to give you our recommendation on the shelf life of our coffee. The most important factors in determining the "best when used by" date of coffee are: prohibiting exposure of the coffee to oxygen or light and whether the coffee is in whole bean form or ground. Both light and oxygen attack coffee and cause it to lose its flavor/aroma. By grinding the coffee, you greatly increase the surface area of the coffee and thus increase the rate at which the degradation process occurs. The sealed bags we use protect the coffee from both light and oxygen. Our sealed bags include a one-way degassing valve, which allow the carbon dioxide gases of fresh roasted coffee to escape the bag, while prohibiting oxygen from entering. Our roaster packages our coffee as soon as it reaches room temperature and then seals the bags in order to minimize this degradation. This combination ensures the freshest coffee possible.
With all of this being said, our recommendations are that a sealed bag of our ground coffee will maintain it’s freshness up to 3 weeks after roasting and a sealed bag of our whole bean coffee will maintain it’s freshness up to 5 weeks after roasting. This is merely a recommendation for experiencing the peak flavor of the coffee, not to define the point at which it is "undrinkable". We don't think our coffee ever gets to that point! Each time a bag of coffee is opened, however, the coffee is vulnerable to the atmosphere and loses some of its flavor and aroma. Once the seal on the bag is broken, the coffee should be consumed within 7-10 days to in order to experience the maximum taste. Just make sure that you store the coffee in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. If you keep your coffee in our bags, squeeze out all excess air while rolling the bag down before using the tin-ties to close it securely.
Flavor
We understand that coffee taste is very individualized and nearly everyone has a different preference in the strength of his or her coffee. Many things can affect the final cup flavor including coffee freshness, water quality, extraction rate and grind size. Since our coffee is freshly roasted and full of its original flavor, less coffee is required than with the usual store bought brands. Therefore, our brewing tips are just a baseline for brewing and can be adjusted accordingly to meet your unique taste.
The standard cup size for a coffee carafe is 5 oz (unlike the more commonly used 8 oz. for other fluid measurement). For a medium strength coffee, we recommend about 1 ½ level tablespoons of ground coffee for every 2 cups of cold water. For a 10-cup carafe, we recommend using about 7-8 level tablespoons and for a 12-cup carafe, we recommend using about 8-9 level tablespoons.
Again, if you like your coffee milder or stronger, then adjust these numbers accordingly. Also keep in mind that as your coffee ages more will be required to maintain the flavor you enjoy. Keep all unused coffee in a cool, dry and airtight space.
