There are those who enjoy a cup of coffee on Saturday morning. Those who think of coffee as a nice social beverage to linger over during a workday break.
And then there are the rest of us, the caffeine fiends who make it our mission to seek out the highlights of the gourmet coffee experience wherever we go.
Looking for shops that pull the best ristretto shots; hunting for beans that produce the best crema from our home espresso machines; and seeking the most refreshing cold-brew processes. But how do we know we are really getting the best coffee?
The trouble with that question is that your individual palate has a lot to do with which coffees are “best” to you – but as seasoned coffee gurus, we are happy to offer this list of important factors in what makes gourmet coffee great.
Fresh is best
There is absolutely no disputing the fact that fresh coffee is better. Whether you like to brew your coffee in a French press, use a simple pour over setup or prefer to go full retro and make your coffee in a percolator, the freshness of the beans you start with is the number one factor in whether your cup of gourmet coffee is mediocre or phenomenal.
Most people understand that you will get the best results from freshly ground coffee beans, but “fresh coffee” is more than just grinding the beans a minute before you throw them in the coffee maker.
Fresh coffee should be made from beans that have been exposed to the air for less than 10 days. Whether you purchase your coffee beans in a grocery store or at a local coffee house, pay attention to how the bag of beans is sealed – once the seal is broken, you have about a week to use the coffee before its flavor begins to weaken and change for the worst.
Vacuum-sealed coffee will generally remain fresh for six months. If you are able to purchase gourmet coffee beans directly from a local roaster, the odds are great that you are about to enjoy the freshest coffee possible. Most roasters are very conscientious about dating their coffee so that patrons receive the best-quality product available.
The right roast
Surprisingly, there are people out there who do not like coffee – but if you really discuss their coffee complaints, one of the things you will realize is that, rather than disliking coffee, they have been using the wrong roast in their brewing method. So, our second tip for making sure you get the best gourmet coffee possible is simply: pick the right roast.
A crash course in coffee roast names and characteristics goes like this:
- Light Roasts – generally light brown in color, light in body with no visible oil on the beans, lightly roasted coffee has a toast-like flavor with more “origin” characteristics and a more acidic profile. Common names for light roasts include Cinnamon Roast, New England Roast and Half or Light City Roast. Light roast coffee has the highest caffeine content.
- Medium Roasts – medium brown color, more body than a light roast, minimal visible oil on the beans, a balanced flavor with moderate acidity and a pleasing aroma. Medium roast coffee has slightly less caffeine than light roasted beans. Popular names for medium roasts are Regular or American Roast, City Roast and Breakfast Roast.
- Medium Dark Roasts – darker color than medium roasts, light oil appearing on the surface of the beans and a heavier body than the lighter roasts. Common names for medium dark roast coffee include Full City Roast, Vienna Roast and After Dinner Roast.
- Dark Roasts – rich chocolate or nearly black in color, the surface of these beans will glisten with oil. Flavor characteristics of dark roast coffees include a smoky, bitter flavor and a robust body. Generally, the “origin” characteristics of the bean are eclipsed by the roasting process, which may leave its own distinct flavor marks on the brew. French, Italian, Continental and Espresso Roast are common names for dark roasted beans, also sometimes called New Orleans Roast or Spanish Roast coffee.
Specials
One of the best treats to seeking out the best gourmet coffee in your area can be found in the special roasts and blends that each coffee roaster creates. Because locally roasted coffee is not made for the mass market, your local coffee roasters have the ability to be inspired by unique quirks that weather variations or seasonal changes may have had on the particular crop of beans from one of their partner estates.
This means they are able to develop specialty roasts to bring out those characteristics in a way that a mass-market roaster might not have the freedom to explore. Similarly, roasters in a given locale are able to produce blends that highlight local produce – like Hawaiian roasters who incorporate macadamia nuts into their roasting process – making for a truly unique gourmet coffee experience based on the palate of the marketplace.
We hope this guide to gourmet coffee helps you make the most of your next taste adventure. For more information about how you can bring the best flavors of the area into your world, contact the team at Corporate Essentials, we’re happy to help.
