How to Choose Gourmet Coffee
Many factors influence the taste of brewed coffee, from where the beans were grown to how long they were roasted. How beans are stored can affect the strength of coffee. For gourmet or specialty coffees, the best and most flavorful beans are used. Sometimes gourmet coffees include a mixture of beans from different regions. Gourmet coffees may be prepared at coffee houses, restaurants or at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select coffee that includes only Arabica beans. Blends using Robusta beans have a stronger, bitter taste that is not appropriate for gourmet coffee.
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Select whole beans over ground beans for preparing coffee at home. Grinding beans just before their use preserves the most intense flavor. Whole beans should be purchased in an airtight container so the natural oil in the beans is not exposed to air.
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Select beans that are fresh-roasted. After roasting, flavor is lost as more time elapses. The most flavorful coffee is a result of beans that have been freshly roasted.
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Experiment with coffee beans from different regions. Coffee beans take on flavors particular to where they are grown. For example, coffees from Africa may have floral undertones, whereas coffee grown in Latin America may taste nutty.
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Grind your own coffee at home just before use. Grinding beans just before use retains flavor. Grinding at home allows you to control the strength of the coffee; a finer grind produces stronger coffee.
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Brew coffee to your taste. Using more water produces weaker coffee; less water makes coffee taste stronger.
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Tips & Warnings
Try coffee beans from different regions to determine which tastes appeal to you. Blends using beans from various regions can be purchased from specialty stores or coffee houses.
Do not purchase coffee beans from self-serve bins because they have been exposed to air and have lost flavor.
