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There are many steps and people involved in making sure you receive the finest coffee. From the people in the field to the production people in our warehouse, there is a lot of hard work involved in every cup. However the process does not stop once the coffee leaves our warehouse. You are part of the process as well! There are several critical components that you are responsible for that will determine the level of enjoyment you will experience while drinking your Mayorga Coffee.
The first and most important factor in the quality of your drink is the freshness of the coffee beans. Once coffee is roasted at our warehouse it is shipped to the person who ordered within four days. You will notice the freshness as soon as the sweet coffee aroma hits your nose. It is up to you to keep it fresh. We suggest that you store your coffee in a cool, dry place that is out of direct sunlight. You will also want to keep the coffee in an airtight container. A kitchen cabinet is an example of a good storage space.
Another important factor to keep in mind is that you should only grind your coffee beans as you need it . Coffee will begin to lose flavor after it is roasted. This is a natural process and happens with all coffee beans. The more oxygen that is exposed to the beans, the more flavor can be lost. When you grind your coffee beans, you are exposing more surface area to oxygen, thus leaving the potential for more flavor to be lost.
It is also important to pick a specific kind of grinder when grinding your coffee beans. There are burr grinders and blade grinders. In order to get the best flavor out of your beans your grinder needs to provide a consistent grind size. Burr grinders are built for consistency. This is important during the extraction process when the coffee grinds are exposed to hot water. Extraction occurs when the water washes the soluble solids out of the coffee grinds and into the brew, giving the water its coffee smell and taste.
Blade grinders are built more like a helicopter propeller. The grinds from a blade grinder will range from powder to large chunks. This will negatively affect the taste of your coffee. You will also want to make sure that the grinder does not produce heat. The only time you want your coffee grinds to be exposed to heat is when they are being contacted with hot water during brewing.
One of the most overlooked quality aspects in making sure your cup of coffee is perfect is the quality of your water. The quality of coffee will not mean anything if you do not have clean water. Water that has not been treated properly can turn a well balanced coffee into a sour nightmare. Make sure to compliment your specialty coffee with filtered water.
Lastly, don’t leave your coffee sitting out for too long once it has been brewed. Not only will your coffee get cold, but you will lose flavor. Coffee will retain its heat best if it is placed in a thermal container. It is never a good idea to reheat your coffee in a microwave. This will “recook” your coffee, which will give it a bitter taste. So remember, you are part of the process! Follow the steps above and together we will all enjoy high quality coffee.
Check back next week when we will cover grinding coffee for specific brewing methods.
