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| A large scale drum roaster in Panama, this place did everything. |
Once the coffee arrives here, it's sent to a roasting house. Most of the coffee arrives here green, so when you hear the term "green coffee", it's not that it was environmentally friendly, rather, it just wasn't roasted. Very few cafes actually roast their own coffee anymore. Rather, they are sent to these big roasting houses, the largest roasting over one million pounds annually.
What do all those roasting terms mean?
French Roast? Cinnamon Roast? Vienna Roast? what all does it mean? Serious coffee drinkers have a certain roast that they prefer, and the industry itself has designed different levels. The style of roast is determined by the temperature and duration of roasting. Another indicator that is used is often the "cracking" of the bean. The first and second crack separate out varieties. Each type of roast gives the coffee a unique flavor, whether it's a caramelized hint or a charcoal blast. To learn more about the roasting phases, and to figure out what all those roasting styles are, I've found that this website has a nice pictorial of the phases. (everyone loves pictures).
Onto grinding and blending
Once the coffee "bean" has been thoroughly scorched, it's onto be pulverized into a coarse powder. It's in this grinder that different blends are made too. Many coffee experts believe that a single roast style isn't complex enough for our taste buds. Blending is also done to balance the flavor profile, to make for a smoother drink. Some people like a comprehensive breakfast blend, that hits on hints of chocolate with a burnt cherry wood. For me, I simply don't have that refined a palate, but it is an interesting science behind it.
One distinct memory I always had in college was going to Manndible Cafe and I never knew what kind of coffee to get. I would read descriptions about them, and I could never decide what sounded better. And after agonizing over what tone, balance, taste, and finish I wanted, I would undoubtedly go with what I knew, either a coffee from Panama of Guatemala.
Home roasting, a new trend
Home roasting is trend that is growing in the US. People can actually buy in green coffee and roast it in their own home. This can become a serious hobby for some, including some doctors my mother works with. You can buy specialized equipment, or in many cases, you can use household items to complete the roasting, including a popcorn air popper and even a skillet.
A quick recap
Starting in the fields of South America, or Africa, or Asia, coffee is handpicked, pulped, dried, and bagged. Then, it's shipped to the final destination, in this case the US, roasted, ground, and blended. Needless to say that the journey of coffee has a lot more stops than meets the eye.
I am a big fan of coffee! I have a certain roast that I do enjoy. I've always wondered if it is possible for me to grow my own beans though. It would be a lot cheaper than $2 a cup.
ReplyDeleteHi Steven, thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, growing coffee isn't as simple as it may seem. Coffee is a tropical plant, so it would have to be grown indoors. A typical coffee plant doesn't start producing until year 3, but it's fully productive in year 5. Then an average arabica plant produces 1-1.5 pounds of green coffee annually (which yields about 30 cups of coffee). So, to feasibly sustain yourself on your coffee addiction, you'd have to clean out the garage and install growing lamps. Which may seem cheaper, but growing lamps use a lot of energy. So, it's actually cheaper to grow it down there, and ship it up here.
At every point in the process, the coffee gets a value added cost. And the US adds a lot more than the producing country, mostly for roasting and retail. This is the best way to cut costs.