Turkish Coffee FAQ

Turkish coffee is the oldest way of making coffee. This is a short article answering frequently asked questions about Turkish coffee. You can also post your question as a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.

Questions are in bold.

What kind of coffee must I use for Turkish coffee?

Turkish coffee nowadays is usually made of Latin American blends. Usually the blends contain two kinds of coffee: Arabica and Robusta. Except for the Latin American coffees the blends may also include coffees from Asia or Africa. Some of the best coffees for Turkish blends come from Brazil, Ethiopia and Yemen.

Should I use a coffee particularly made for Turkish coffee or can I use any blend?

Turkish blends are created in a special way to be optimized for Turkish coffee making. Most people that drink the popular Turkish coffee brands are used to a special characteristic taste. This doesn't mean that you cannot use another coffee blend to make Turkish coffee. For example you can use an espresso blend. The only requirement is that it must be ground very fine like powder. If it isn't ground fine enough there will be no foam on top of the coffee after you make it and the taste will be weak.

So, in other words you can experiment with any blend you want if you grind it fine enough for Turkish coffee. The taste will be different than the usual though.

Is it healthy?

Turkish coffee is as healthy as any regular coffee. Actually according to some some researches a quantity of two small Turkish coffee cups (demitasse cups) can be beneficial for the heart. If you exceed this amount then it may become bad for your health like any other coffee. Bear in mind that Turkish coffee is made almost as quickly as instant coffee but it's far better for your health.

What is this thick thing on top of Turkish coffee? Is it like espresso?

When you make Turkish coffee properly you will notice on top a layer of dark, thick and homogeneous foam. This is also known as kaimaki in Greece. If the coffee doesn't have kaimaki then something is definitely wrong with the coffee making:


small quantity of coffee used
not properly heated
ground coarser than required
very stale coffee


In some Eastern countries it is an insult to serve Turkish coffee without this special foam on top.

Kaimaki foam is looks similar to the espresso crema but it very different in terms of physical properties. The espresso crema is formed not only due to heat but also because of high pressure so it's quite different.

Do I need any special expensive equipment for Turkish coffee?

Making Turkish coffee is very easy and very fast. All you need is a small coffee pot and a heat source. You can use a small stainless steel pot and your electric stove top but it's preferable to use a traditional copper or brass Turkish pot. Regarding the heat source it's better to use low fire to make the coffee. A gas burner or an alcohol burner is my favorite heat source for home use.

What size coffee pot do I need?

This is a question that creates a lot of misunderstandings. Basically it depends on how much coffee you are going to make each time.

First, what you need to know is that you will need a coffee pot that holds approximately double the amount of coffee. This is because coffee must have enough room in the pot to foam up and furthermore because of the so-called "oven effect".

Let me explain...

Traditional Turkish coffee pots have an hourglass shape. This special shape creates an oven-like effect when making Turkish coffee. The oven-effect is highly desirable for better taste. The only requirement for this "oven-effect" is to fill the pot till the point where the pot diameter is smaller. Usually this means a half-full pot.

So, If you want to make two demitasse cups, for you and your friend, you will need a 4 demitasse-cup size coffee pot.

Please note that sizing differs among manufacturers. So instead of looking for a 4-cup size coffee pot look for a coffee pot that holds 4*60ml which equals 240ml. 60ml or approximately 2oz is the size of a demitasse cup.

What about a coffee pot for just one cup?

In this case you will need a coffee pot that holds 2*60ml=120ml coffee.

What about one normal cup?

One normal cup is approximately 250ml so you will need a 500ml pot.

These numbers are not exact. They are just guides to help you. Most of the times buying a bit smaller coffee pot will also be adequate.

Can I grind Turkish coffee with my coffee grinder?

Turkish coffee is ground at the most fine grind setting. Most grinders for home use are incapable of grinding so fine. If you have a blade grinder consider upgrading to a burr grinder. This doesn't mean that every burr grinder can grind Turkish coffee. So if you are in the market in research of a burr grinder make sure it has a Turkish coffee setting. Some burr grinders don't have a Turkish coffee setting but they can be modified very easily to grind fine enough for this coffee. This information can be easily found if you make a couple of searches in a search engine.

Another solution are manual-operated Turkish coffee grinders. These grinders are much cheaper than burr grinders and because of their low speed coffee is ground gently without getting heated. In cheap burr grinders because of the small burr dimensions the rotating speed is higher. This way the friction is bigger and the heat generation is higher. More heat means more coffee taste destruction! So in other words small grinding speeds of manual grinders are better for your palate! The big drawback is that this sort of grinding can remind you of manual labor sometimes...

Is there any special way to serve Turkish coffee? Any special tradition?

If you have guests and you want to impress them with your coffee making mastery and your hospitality you can do some simple things. First use a big traditional looking serving tray and put some glasses of water for your guests. Water is used to clean the mouth before tasting the coffee. Prepare the coffees immediately before serving time so that they keep their kaimaki foam and their temperature. You can pair the coffee with some cookies or muffins.

For dessert after the coffee you can offer traditional Turkish delight or baklava. Your guests will be grateful!

If you have any questions about Turkish coffee please post your comments. Enjoy!

Karolos Tsiligirian is the author of the "Fresh Coffee Encyclopedia" and the founder of FreshCoffeeShop.com

Melitta Coffee Maker - A New Level of Coffee Making

The market for a coffee? Only coffee machine Melitta can give you the experience of coffee you are looking for. Melitta coffee makers are strong and effective workers who aim to make your solid and effective as well by providing your coffee instant and essential corrections, whenever you need. This is why coffee fans and many coffee with heavy reliance on coffee drinkers have a strong bias towards Melitta coffee makers.

Melitta is a large company based in Florida, which is part of the Minden Melitta Group based in Germany. But it has a base of operations in New Jersey, USA, in the form of a seat of roasting coffee. This setup of the company that spans borders is testament to the values which Melitta pays in their production of coffee makers. This company stops at nothing to give you the best and most functional coffee makes it around. And this objective made their great celebrity in coffee appliance industry.

Excellent products of Melitta

Coffee machine Melitta is one unspoken jewel among all the other coffee makers autour. While other companies offer a wide range of products covering various industries and uses, Melitta mainly focuses on the production of coffee, which gives them an approach more focused and specialized in the manufacture of solutions of coffee to consumers.

Melitta produces excellent coffee makers and coffee, gourmet coffee and accessories filters making coffee. But they concentrated most of their energy in offering consumers great options when it comes to coffee makers. Rather than offer general fair coffee makers, electric and non-electrical product Melitta, as well as machines pod of single - serve very unique and innovative.

These different types of coffee makers are designed to meet the various needs and preferences of different consumers. Their non-electric coffee makers are very attractive for people who have an inherent love for coffee and want to take their coffee, brewed the conservative way, entirely natural. Their electric coffee makers are those who can not simply live without coffee patches throughout the day. And their single pod machines - serve for those who want to take coffee and beverages to drink to a whole new level. These pod machines are highly efficient machines that can brew a cup of coffee just for you a few minutes.

For your convenience, these machines do not require allows you to measure water and coffee grounds. All you need is the machine and a simple press of a button. Pod machine comes with a 28 oz less than recharge water tank. And, apart from saving time and energy, you can also save your precious coffee. Multiple-use coffee makers end generally with excess coffee which eventually go to waste, mainly in small families or drinkers solo. Machines for single - use can eliminate this particular problem. This shows that more that a manufacturer of coffee, Melitta also aims to provide solutions various just to make your coffee drinking experience the best ever possible.

A Melitta masterpiece

There is also a manufacturer of Melitta coffee that stands out even among all the exceptional products of the company. It is the Melitta special Smart Mill and Brew model. This coffee maker has already been coffee grinding right before brewing. It comes with an integrated coffee grinder. And, true to its name, this product is very intelligent in that it can even report the time while it serves you great coffee.

With the help of MSN Direct, the coffee maker can give you weather updates, innovation only Melitta was courageous and creative enough to continue. It is your companion perfect morning. Made with stainless steel and structure design, this product claims attention inside and outside. So if you plan to buy a coffee maker, coffee machine Melitta is strongly recommended.

You can find more of the coffee machine Melitta on our website best coffee makers .

Copyright 2008 coffee-maker-guide, all rights reserved.

Mark is the editor of coffee-maker-guide that provides you with the best reviews of the coffee maker and ratings. You can find the Melitta coffee maker on our website the Best coffee makers.

Comment reconnaître le meilleur café aromatisé

Flavoured coffee is more and more popular every day, despite the negative reactions of the classic coffee drinkers. In this article, we cover:

-Is the only coffee flavoured

-It is only mode or a new habit taste and the market?

-What are the key factors that influence the quality

-Tips to recognize if we are in the face of "best flavoured coffee" or not.

THAT IS-FLAVOURED COFFEE?

In its definition simple, coffee flavoured is coffee with additional flavors added to beans to give a flavor specific, different from the classical Organic flavour offered by coffee "only". Flavoured coffee is made by adding oils flavored beans after that they were roasted and before they were on the ground.

USUALLY JUST NEW TASTE OR FASHION?

You can like it or not, but the flavoured coffee is today synonymous with gourmet coffee.
Coffee aroma is not just a "new mode", and it's a very old habit as well. Aromatised coffees have been used for centuries: centuries began flavoured their coffee with cardamom for hundreds of years; Africans experimented with flavors citrus; and South Americans have a hint of cinnamon in their sections.

Flavor coffee as we know that today ' hui began its development in the 1960s, with the spread of flavoured tea to Europe. But it was with the rise of specialty coffee in the 1990s that the general interest in exotic flavors so remarkably increased.

The flavoured coffee is controversial among the coffee roasters and retailers. True coffee connoisseur do not like it all. But business is business, and despite a sometimes less-than-home enthusiast, coffee flavoured continue to penetrate more deeply in the market, following an exhibition of great cafés, restaurants and retailers of all kinds.

Today we can choose among a wide range of flavoured coffees, with attractive names such as "Amaretto", "French Vanilla", "Hazelnut", "Swiss chocolate", etc.
Flavoured coffee becomes a drink very connected, so popular that some estimates one in four Americans (25%) drink a coffee flavoured at least twice a month!

KEY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE QUALITY

Three key factors influence the quality of the best flavoured coffee:

-the selection of coffee beans

-the quality of the flavours

-the process used.

Coffee beans: the type of beans used to make coffee flavoured greatly impacts the flavor of the finished product. Arabica beans are more frequently used to create the best flavoured coffee, because of their low level of acidity and bitterness.

Flavours: the coffee roaster must choose between the 100% natural flavours, artificial flavouring "identical Nature". Although the name of flavor on the packages of the same ('French Vanilla'), the product inside is obviously very different.

The process involves the amount of spices to use, the chosen roast level, and when and how the flavors are applied. More in depth view of how the best flavoured coffee is produced will be covered in another article, "how better Flavored coffees are produced.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE BEST FLAVOURED COFFEE

To help you make the most of the aromas of coffee, here are some final tips to help you buy only the best flavored coffee beans.

Make sure that you want to buy a good reputation roaster, to ensure that your beans and aromas are of high quality. First, check that the coffee beans are of high quality. Second, checks if the flavor is made with 100% natural ingredients.

Some coffee roasters can be adding flavour suggests that their low quality will be disguised by the aroma of low-quality beans. Approximately 75 per cent of the flavour is experienced by the nose, so the aroma is a large part of the experience of coffee flavoured, but better flavoured coffee should she not exaggerate: flavor should complement your coffee, and rather than it submerged. The ideal taste must hide some of the severe notes of coffee but not interfere with its aromatic characteristics.

The degree of roasting determines the depth of flavour: dark, already roast flavor. If aroma is added to the beans that were too mild a roast coffee has no important characteristics of flavor and a tasting of dishes drink results. If the roast is too dark, the added flavour is covered by the flavor of the beans. For example, a Vanilla flavor can be lost on a French roast, because the robustness of the bean may crush soft cream tones of flavour.

Finally, flavoured coffee must be stored as close as possible to the temperature of the room.

CONCLUSIONS

Coffee Black much like not flavoured coffees, because they can fully enjoy the taste of coffee "native". Then that of estimators, coffee aroma is just make coffee even more appealing, by adding free flavors.

Many coffee drinkers turn their nose at the thought of adding flavour to their beloved black drink. In the other direction, the habits of taste of those who love the flavoured coffee are not much different from those who say "no, thanks" to taste, but then drink their coffee in milk or sugar (or two...).

In fact, if you are a connoisseur of black or amateur of flavoured, better flavoured coffee is there to stay.

For two simple reasons. Consumers like her. And professionals of the coffee as it even, since they saw the possibility of creating new niches of profitable market, with higher margins than traditional coffee.

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Since the 1940s, Coffee'IT (http://www.)CoffeeIT.com/Flavored-Coffee.html) is a roaster Italian of rare espresso and coffee mocha, marketed by importers, wholesalers, distributors, agents and coffee professionals.

For the best of the coffee makers

Coffee may be the most popular beverage in the world. Recent statistics indicate that over 50% of the American population are coffee drinkers and this number would more than likely hold true in many other countries as well. This more than any thing else helps to explain why there is such a wide range of coffee makers available for purchase today.

With such a diverse range of coffee machines, there is more choice for the coffee drinking public than ever before. Main stream popular styles include the Automatic and Manual Drip, Pod, Automatic Espresso, French Press, Percolator, Stovetop Espresso and the Vacuum. Each one of these styles has some unique characteristic that are sure to appeal to a certain segment of the coffee drinking public.

Automatic and Manual Drip Coffee Machines

The most popular style of coffee maker continues to be the automatic drip coffee maker. The basic design is very simple and efficient. Add fresh water to the built-in reservoir, insert a filter in to the handy filter holder, measure your favorite coffee grounds and pour into the filter and then press the start button. Within minutes your senses are excited by the smell of freshly brewed hot coffee! Most models also have a built-in timer and a pot warmer included so that you can set your coffee to brew and be ready at any hour of the day or night, and kept constantly warm as well.

Manual drip coffee brewers do take a bit more work since you need to boil the water using another heat source, but after that it is basically the same coffee making process of putting coffee grounds in the filter and pouring the hot water through the filter so that the coffee liquid is collected in the pot or container below. One great advantage of the manual drip coffee machine is that is can go most any where with you as it is not dependent upon having electricity to operate so it is great for camping and other outdoor activities.

Pod Coffee Machines

These are becoming very trendy and popular in recent years. Working similar to the automatic drip machines, they feature the ability to use pre-packaged containers or pods of specialty coffees to brew great tasting coffee. With many reputable coffee chains such as Starbucks now selling their most popular coffee blends in the pod format, consumers can get the same tasting cup of specialty coffee at home that they had to go out and purchase before at a much higher price.

Automatic Espresso Coffee Brewer

Espresso coffee makers have become much more affordable in recent years and because of this, they are gaining in popularity amongst serious coffee drinkers wanting something more than just a normal cup of coffee. There are currently three types of espresso coffee brewers to choose from, namely semi automatic, fully automatic, and super automatic. As a rule, the more automatic the espresso maker is, the less you need to do to brew your coffee, but unfortunately the more expensive it is to purchase. For example, where a semi-automatic model will tamp the coffee grounds, brew the coffee, fill your cup and eject the old grounds, an entirely automatic model will also grind the coffee for you as well, and the super automatic espresso coffee maker will do all of the above plus having additional features such as built-in water filters and self-cleaning.

Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker

The stovetop espresso coffee brewers are basically a manual method for preparing espresso coffee when you do not have access to an automatic version or an electrical source of energy. This makes it an ideal coffee maker for taking outdoors on camping or fishing trips if you feel the need to make an espresso cup of coffee. First water is placed inside the underside boiler and then a cone filter is situated inside the boiler and filled with coffee grounds. Next the top is lightly tightened and the brewer is place over the heat source. After a few minutes, once the top of the boiler is filled with the freshly brewed coffee it is removed from the heat supply and the coffee is ready to be served. Here again, the absence of any warming feature means the coffee has to be served immediately.

French Press Coffee Maker

Also known as "press pots" or "plunger pots", the French Press coffee makers are not as common as they once were. Preparing coffee is more work than it would be using any of the coffee makers already discussed as it is a manual coffee machine. The pot is actually a glass or porcelain tube consisted of a stainless, mesh plunger that acts like a filter. To make the coffee you must first measure the coffee grounds into the pot, then pour in almost boiling water. After allowing the coffee mixture to steep for a few minutes, the plunger is then pushed downwards and the liquid beverage is forced into the waiting cup or container. As there is no built-in heating plate or element beneath the coffee container, you must serve the coffee beverage immediately or place it into an insulated container to keep it hot for later.

Percolator Coffee Maker

At one time percolator coffee makers were the standard type of coffee brewers in most households, a role now held by the automatic drip machines. Although not as popular today, they still have their place when a coffee maker is required that can brew large volumes of coffee rather than the 10-14 cup limit or less in most other popular coffee machines sold these days. Modern percolators are available as stove top models and electric and can be programmed like other automatic coffee machines. The coffee making process is based on running water continuously over the coffee grounds, held within a metal filter, as the water is boiled. One drawback of this method is that the coffee often gets stronger and more bitter tasting the longer it goes through the brewing cycle.

Vacuum Coffee Maker

Perhaps the strangest looking type of coffee machine is the vacuum coffee maker. Looking like something from a science fiction movie, the apparatus is made up of two overlapping containers connect by a siphon tube. The filter is located in the bottom section of the upper container. To brew coffee, the user first adds coffee grounds to the upper container, then pours water into the lower container. Next the brewer is placed on top of a stove where the water is then boiled and the resulting steam is passed along through the siphon tube into the upper container. After about 3 minutes the container is removed from the heat source and the steam condenses back into liquid water which is forced through the filter and back into the lower unit. Your fresh pot of coffee is now sitting in the lower unit. An interesting way to brew a cup or pot of coffee!

Needless to say, coffee lovers can select from a wide variety of coffee makers. From cheap stove top coffee pots to high end super automatic coffee machines, there is a coffee machine for every inclination as well as for every budget. Fantastic news! Now here is the unpleasant news. With all the many coffee machines to choose from today, even knowing the style you favor is not enough. Within each of the coffee maker styles noted above there are numerous different brand names and models to choose from.

Fortunately the Internet gives you a quick and really helpful way to unearth what's presently accessible at what price. With a bit of time and investigating it's also possible to weed out the junk from the best coffee makers. Merely go online and visit some coffee maker review websites. Please keep in mind that all coffee brewer review websites usually are not created equal, so you must take what you read with caution. For myself I'd look for coffee review sites where the reviewers include independent test data together with buyer feedback to provide unbiased and truthful information about the coffee makers being reviewed and rated.

Feeling confused about what brand or type of coffee maker to buy? Before you buy some junk, visit the new best coffee makers available website to see top 3 coffee machine ratings for drip coffee makers, pod, and espresso coffee makers based on independent testing results and consumer feedback surveys. Save your money! Join the hundreds we have already helped find the best coffee brewer and visit us now.

Coffee Brewing Methods: Is Your Coffee Brewer Just a Drip?

For most of us, brewing up our morning cup of coffee is more than just a necessity, it is a matter of convenience. Each night, millions of us coffee lovers pile heaping tablespoons of our favorite gourmet coffees into those paper filters, fill the tank of our coffee makers with water and set the timer so that our coffee is ready and waiting first thing in the morning.

But why would anyone spend good money on the finest gourmet coffee beans or fresh ground coffees and gourmet use just any home coffee maker.

So if you are like me and you enjoy the finest gourmet and specialty coffees available, then you must also believe that they deserve the best and most reliable coffee brewing equipment available.

Here is a quick list of the most popular coffee brewing methods & equipment starting from the best:

French Press

The French press coffee maker (or press pot) is universally recognized as the best brewing method, allowing for the truest coffee taste and aroma. This method actually brews the coffee in the hot water (as opposed to drip machines which only pass the water through the coffee and a filter). After a few minutes of brewing, a metal filter is pressed through the brew catching the coffee grinds and then trapping them at the bottom of the jug. What is left over is full-bodied coffee with all its aroma and essences.

One of the main advantages to using a French press, other than great coffee taste, is the amount of control you have. You can control the water temperature (which incidentally should be around 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that drip makers do not achieve), you can control the amount of coffee you want to add, and you can control the brew time. Four minutes of brew time and 30 seconds of "plunging" time is considered best.

Another great feature about the French press is that it is extremely portable and only requires hot water. You can take it camping or use it in places with limited kitchen space, like a boat or an RV. Some press pots can also be used to brew loose leaf teas in the same manner.

As an aside, you shouldn't can't leave your brewed coffee in the press-pot with the grounds after you brew it! Either burn it or transfer it to a carafe, preferably a thermal carafe.

Vacuum Brewer

Vacuum brewers can't aren't very common, but they make coffee just about as well as a French press since the coffee and water are brewing together. A vacuum brewer has an upper and a lower chamber connected by a tube with a small filter inside. Coffee grounds are placed in the upper chamber, and water is placed in the lower chamber. As the lower chamber is heated, the water rises up to meet the coffee in the upper chamber where the brewing begins. After brewing, the water (now coffee) cools and seeps back down into the lower chamber leaving the used coffee grinds behind in the upper chamber. Ideally, the upper chamber is removed and the lower chamber is used as a decanter for the finished coffee.

Vacuum brewers can be electric, stovetop, or even used over a sterno can for dramatic tabletop brewing!

The Toddy Maker

The toddy maker or Cold-Brew Coffee Maker uses an unusual cold-brewing method that creates a coffee concentrate. This concentrate is then mixed with hot water to make coffee. The concentrate can be stored in a refrigerator and used to make one cup at a time if you so desire. This method produces a low-acid coffee, which is doctor recommended for coffee drinkers with stomach conditions.

Although this method of coffee brewing is sounds a bit odd, the result in taste is pleasantly surprising. One drawback is the amount of time it takes to brew. A good idea is to brew the coffee overnight. Once brewed, the concentrate can produce more than just one pot of coffee, so it's not a nightly event for a great cup of morning coffee!

Drip Grind Coffee Makers

Drip Grind coffee makers are the most common and usual coffee brewing method that we are familiar with.

In this method, water is dripped over and passes through the coffee grinds and a filter and is caught by the coffee pot below. Despite being the most common brew method it also happens to be the one which produces a coffee brew with the least amount of flavor and aroma.

There are generally 2 filter options for the drip grind coffee makers.

Permanent filters: are just what they say, permanent. They are usually gold-plated so they don 't add any unwanted metallic taste to your coffee, resistant to corrosion so they are dishwasher safe and economical because they don' t need replacing. Permanent filters are preferred because they allow for better coffee taste as opposed to the second filter option, paper filters.

Paper filters are the most common filter choice for the drip grind coffee makers. Unfortunately, paper filters can filter out more than just coffee grinds. Flavorful oils can be left behind in the filter and not make it to the finished coffee brew resulting in less coffee flavor and aroma. Since permanent filters allow for more liquid to pass through, the end result is a more flavorful cup.

As you can see, the most common brew method happens to be the one which produces the least amount of coffee flavor and aroma. Since, mornings usually need to be made quick and simple, most people have never had their coffee brewed any other way. If you are one of these people, don't just splurge on gourmet coffee's, get a small French press maker, start experimenting and experience the truest coffee flavor & aroma in each cup.

Dr. Vince Manzello is simply a coffee lover. His search for a quality coffee distributor led to the development of http://www.WeBeJava.com. We Be Java is not only the distributor but they are affiliated directly with the roastery! Why is this so important? By dealing directly with the roastery, your coffee order is roasted in small batches right before it is shipped. Your coffee order is not sitting around on a shelf just waiting for you to order it! We Be Java's affiliated roastmaster hand picks beans from around the world, blends, flavors & roasts your order so you get the finest coffees available. Our gourmet & specialty coffees have even been featured in Time Magazine! We Be Java's roastery is also certified Organic Coffee Handler and Processor. Check out http://www.webejava.com for yourself and see if you don?t agree with Vince.

Specialty Coffee - A Vibrant Industry, Or The Future Of Coffee At Crossroads Of Change?

Seattle; the home of Boeing, software giants, grunge music and...specialty coffee. Well, not quite. Contrary to popular belief, while Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Boeing and Oracle do indeed hail from the Pacific Northwest, modern specialty coffee has its roots much further south.

When Alfred Peet died in his sleep a few weeks ago he was a sprightly 87. He passed away peacefully hopefully dreaming of coffee trees laden with ripened cherries. While most people have never heard of him, Peet is widely recognised as being the father of modern "specialty coffee" in the industry. He was a Dutchman who became an American. He had traded tea for Lipton's in Java, lived in Sumatra, worked in the business in New Zealand before, finally, settling down (somewhat) in the University suburb of Berkeley, California. It was at Berkeley where he founded his roastery in 1966 and Peet's Coffee was born. Alfred Peet was passionate about coffee. His roasting exploits legendary and his ability to commentate, roast and put out fires simultaneously are famous. His experiences while living in Indonesia had given him an affinity with farmers who grew coffee, as well as a thorough understanding of the origin, the place where coffee was grown. This background, combined with his love of roasting, resulted in a place where coffee was not just a cup of Java, but something exotic, living and with a story.

From Alfred Peet's inspirational example came many of the coffee cultures that now are household names today in America and around the world- Starbucks being the most famous of these of course. The original founders of Starbucks- Baldwin, Bowker and Ziv Seigel originally leant their roasting trade from Peet, in fact Peet roasted for them in their early years. Many others in the industry in America today also passed through the Peet's Coffee experience. In fact when Howard Schulz purchased Starbucks, Bowker and Baldwin moved across and purchased Peets Coffee- Alfred Peet retiring to a role of Coffee Mentor for the Industry as a whole.

Today most coffee drinkers, from Surabaya to San Francisco, recognise Starbucks and its logo, but the name "Alfred Peet" often draws draws blank looks.

Specialty Coffee today is at a crossroad- an important junction in deciding which direction coffee will be heading over the next decade. In the last 10 years many new comers have entered the business. It is estimated that the global coffee sector today is valued at over US$80 billion. It is no wonder that with these revenue numbers, the industry attracts a mix of business people with mixed agendas- who often see the potential bottom line rather than education and passion as being the driving force in what they do. Traditionally the specialty coffee industry has been built on the strong foundation of sharing knowledge and experience- with the supposition that by helping each other the industry will be strongly quality focused. However a number of the more recent arrivals in the market are perhaps choosing coffee for the perceived easy profits, rather than for a real passion for coffee or its heritage. As a result many of the traditional methods of exchange are not as effective, or used as frequently as they have been in the past.

Globally Coffee is in a position where consumption is beginning to slow down and opportunities to grow coffee are becoming more difficult to find in the traditional coffee consuming markets- Europe, USA, South America and Oceania. The easy answer if to look at new emerging markets- China, India, Pakistan and Indonesia are prime targets. These countries either have low coffee consumption (Indonesian's, for instance, consume 500gm per person per year vs. Norway's 12kg per person per year), or have reasonable consumption, but historically are tea consumers (India). The new markets are also very suggestible to western branding- in many cases the strength of branding has been shown to be more important than the product itself. This presents a number of opportunities to strong western brands and of course new local brands to emerge. However it does not necessarily equate to long-term longevity of specialty coffee in these new frontiers.

In the more mature markets, the patterns of consumption have changed markedly over the last 15-20 years. The traditional, lower quality coffee products such as instants, are being replaced by roast and ground coffee (drips, plungers etc) and of course Espresso Based Drinks (cappuccino, latte, espresso etc). Fresh roasted coffee has many advantages over the instant coffee. It is more flavoursome and more importantly has a greater link back to where it originally came from. This means that customer awareness is also on the increase- bringing into the spotlight the actual paper trail of where the coffee comes from, who picked it, what price the grower get from it etc. To consumers in countries such as New Zealand this is very important- as generally there is a linkage between quality of coffee and the return the farmer or grower gets. The correlation is the better the return to a farmers, the better the coffee will be. Higher returns means more time can be spent in the origin country looking after the crop, pruning, selective harvesting, proper intensive drying and packing/storing the coffee once it is dried.

The role the specialty coffee industry plays in all this is very important. Retail shops that source and supply only the best coffee help to sustain the industry both upstream and downstream. This means the farmers and workers will be rewarded and the consumers will have access to quality coffee, hopefully growing the business further.

Unfortunately the reverse is gradually becoming more often the norm. Cafes, coffee shops and roasters entering the market all over the world tend to look for short-term cost advantages to try and fuel their business models. To achieve this they either buy poor quality coffee, as cheap as possible or average quality coffee...likewise as cheaply as possible. Cheap coffee equates to, at the best, very average finished product. This in turn means generally a poor perception of the place selling the coffee. This would perhaps be OK if there were not so many cafes now selling poor quality coffee. As it is it means that poor quality coffee is often accepted a being the norm- hence having the result of putting people off drinking coffee.

In many ways the industry can be seen as having come almost full circle back to where it was in the early 1970's when instant coffee and coffee sitting on hotplates for 10 hours were seen and accepted as being normal coffee. This is what pioneers like Peet worked so hard to change. It is also why the crossroads the industry now stands at are so important.

The choices are really quite simple. For coffee to evolve and grow further there needs to be education of the retailer and the customer. The global industry is built around national organisations that play a varying role in providing advice and education to those in retail or wholesale. The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Association of Europe) are two such organisations. However to become members of these organisations is as simple as filling out a form and paying a fee. Often the motivation of the people joining is just to get a sticker to put on their shop door, knowledge is a secondary motivator. There is talk that membership should involve some form of basic enter test and then continuing education via the internet- which would at least help to provide tools to pass information on to those drinking the coffee.

Looking at those in the industry who do things well, is also a great way of building and planning the future for specialty coffee. In the USA quality roasters and café operators such as Allegro, Blackstump Coffee and Intelligensia have taken industry standards to a new level. Buying quality coffee, hiring quality staff and imparting quality knowledge to customers buying their morning coffee has proven very successful for these companies. So much so that it is an unquestionable part of their corporate culture. All of these companies also practice something unique- they regularly visit their growers in countries such as Indonesia, Guatemala, Kenya, Brazil and Colombia. To take this one step further, they do not just visit and spend a few nights- taking photos of a grower's coffee trees, they maintain regular contact with those growing the coffee. This approach must be seen as the future for coffee in competitive, quality driven markets. It is true relationship coffee where the roaster becomes by default part of the farmers extended family.

Passing knowledge on to those who buy a coffee everyday, and arming them with information on what type of coffee they drink, how it is grown, who grows it, when it is picked, how it gets to them gives all power to the customer. It is a very important, yet lagging piece of the future of coffee globally. Being able to learn the differences in tastes/cupping qualities has some snob quality, but more importantly it helps the buyer to differentiate between good, average and poor coffee. Here lies the problem. A successful café founded on the principles of sustainability and true coffee culture has nothing to fear from education. A café selling poor quality coffee is unlikely, or perhaps unable, to want to educate clients about quality.

A failure to address quality, education and sustainability in the business sector (from the farmer to the retail customer) will ultimately result in consumption patterns falling further. Quality issues- especially over the counter and in the cup, need to be addressed. If not unfortunately those to suffer will be the grower or origin country, rather than the retailer. With current economics a grower in Indonesia receives only around 2-5% of the cost of the average cup sold in America or Europe. If demand drops off, the Arabica business ultimately will fall back into a cycle of commodity pricing rather than specialty pricing that many quality origins now enjoy. Competition from other beverages, and lifestyle choices, compete with the disposable income that coffee comes from.

If Alfred Peet was still alive, undoubtedly he would just carry on doing what he did well and loved, roasting coffee and sharing his knowledge and experience with anyone willing, and wanting to learn and listen- a model to all of us in the industry today.

© Alun H.G Evans, Merdeka Coffee, 2007. The writer reserves all moral rights to this article. May only be reproduced.

Alun Evans is a coffee roaster based in West Java, Indonesia. His company Merdeka Coffee, is pioneering relationship coffee with farming communities throughout the country. He can be contacted day (or caffeine fuelled night) at alun@merdekacoffee.com

Grain de café, méthode de traitement touche finale saveur

How do you take your coffee? Two creams, a dozen sugars? Nine splendas? Lots of high fructose corn syrup in that latte? Or are you more of a purist that loves the delicate nut and chocolate notes of a Guatemalan? How about the sweet caramel finish of the best straight espresso shot in town? Well, before you can drink up Joe in any method, coffee beans have to be removed from the cherry. Even organic coffee. That is done in a couple of ways depending on the country of origin and it is called processing. In addition to the growing region's effect on cup taste, each method of processing helps to give the bean a distinct flavor profile in the overall final taste of the coffee.

The wet process is the process in which the fruit is removed from the seeds (beans) before they are dried. The wet process method is also called washed coffee. In this method the fruit is removed in water and the beans are usually dried on patios in the sun.

Wet processed coffees are like those from South America, Colombia and some from Ethiopia. Most Central Americans like Guatemalan and Costa Rican are wet-processed as well. These coffees are cleaner, brighter, and fruitier. Most countries with coffee valued for its perceived acidity, will process it using the wet-process.

The dry process is another method, also known as unwashed or natural process. It is the oldest method of processing green coffee beans where the entire cherry is cleaned and then placed in the sun to dry on tables or in thin layers on patios, completely intact and the dried cherry is removed after it has dried. This will give the coffee a sweeter taste due to the fruit drying intact.

Most of the coffees produced in Brazil, Ethiopia and India use the dry method. In rainy areas however, it is not practical. However, there are many characteristics that are directly related to the way these coffee beans are processed as well. Dry-processed coffees are like those from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Yemen. The dry-process (also known as the natural method) produces coffee that is heavy in body, sweet, smooth, and complex. This processing method is often used in countries where rainfall is scarce and lots of sunny days are available to dry the coffee properly.

Another method used in Brazil mainly but also used on some farms in Sulawesi, Indonesia and Sumatra. These are known as semi-dry processed coffee (aka pulped natural or semi-wet process). The coffee is prepared by removing the outer skin of the cherry and drying the coffee with the sticky mucilage and the inner skins still clinging to the bean.

As for the pulped natural method of processing coffee beans, eliminating the fermentation stage that removes the silver skin allows for a coffee that has both wet and dry characteristics. Therefore, more sweetness than wet-processed coffees, some of the body of dry-processed and some of the acidity of a wet-processed coffee. This type of processing only happens in countries where there is relatively low humidity and the coffee can be dried rapidly without fermenting. The country that has made this process famous is Brazil. FYI fermentation occurs when the inner slimy mucilage is removed before drying. Pulped coffee beans are put into cement fermentation tanks with water where they are allowed to ferment for 16-36 hours.

Usually re-passed cherries, or floaters as they are also called are discarded but some particularly have a flavor profile that is sweeter than most pulped coffees. These particular cherries float in the water during wet-processing because they have dried too long on the tree before being collected allowing the bean to stay in contact with the mucilage for a longer amount of time before fermentation begins. These are sometimes called raisins as well. This method may be considered a fourth method of processing coffee. However, these coffees are usually very limited.

Now before you go gaga and pull up to the local Starbucks for a taste test, get real! You won't find anything near cupping quality at the green giant. You have to go to a quality independent coffee shop or roaster of gourmet coffee beans. Most of these places are your local independent coffee house. And if you drink your coffee black you are ready to go! You can really pick out the flavor profiles of any coffee when you drink it in its natural state. If you are one to drown your brew in cream and sugar or are a vanilla latte junkie forget about it! You won't taste anything but sugar. Drowning the coffee will not let the natural flavors be enjoyed and savored.

There are natural sugars inside coffee beans just waiting to come alive. This is what the roasting process does. As the bean heats from the inside, the sugars naturally caramelize and permeate the surface. The degree of sweetness and other flavors are directly related to the length of the roasting period. That is why dark (French) roasted coffees usually taste burnt. Dark=burnt coffee sugars. Get it? In order to get every nuance and note out of a coffee, it must be cupped. That is, 'slurped' from a spoon. By doing this, the coffee has a chance to literally cover the inside of your mouth and tongue therefore engulfing your taste buds. There really is not a better way to test coffee.

Basic coffee tasting terminology is:

Acidity - This is a pleasant tartness that is you can taste on the back of your palate. It should be distinguished from sour, or an unpleasant sharpness. An acidy coffee is almost like a dry wine.

Aftertaste -The sensation that is experienced after the coffee is swallowed. It is also known as the finish.

Balance- It means that no one quality overwhelms all others, but there is enough complexity in the coffee to arouse interest.

Body- The overall mouth feel. This is the sense of heaviness, richness, and thickness at the back of the tongue when you swish the coffee around your mouth.

Flavor -Acidity has something to do with flavor, and so do aroma and body. Some coffees just have a richer, fuller flavor than others, whereas other coffees have an acidy tang that tends to dominate everything else

Even if you are not planning to 'cup' coffee as we professionals do, you will get more out of your cuppa Joe by drinking it black. So, give yourself a treat sometime and try coffee black if you never have. If you have and didn't care for it, chances are you did not have high quality Arabica coffee beans for your brew! You can't find the true flavor characteristics of a coffee bean unless you use the high quality stuff! Go to your local independent coffee shop and ask to talk about their whole bean selection. They may just have some amazing coffees. Some local coffee houses are doing coffee tastings (cuppings) nowadays. It seems to be an in thing. Try it sometime!

Tony DiCorpo is a coffee roaster, barista and coffee business consultant. He has authored many articles on coffee and the coffee business. Tony has extensive experience in business and collectively more than 20 years experience in sales, business management, entrepreneurship and the coffee business.

He is a partner in The North Coast Barista School and sells coffee equipment and wholesale coffee beans at Troubadour Coffee.