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Eat Drink Magazine article March 2008
Dave The Roaster
16 posts
Mar 17, 2008
3:49 AM
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The Perfect Cup of Coffee....(unedited version)
“It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity.”
-Dave Barry
What is the #1 coffee trend of 2008? The perfect cup of coffee. There has never been a more perfect time. Now you are probably saying "well, the perfect cup of coffee will mean something different to each of us or at least it should…right?" That is the exciting part that it should mean something different to each of us. Why should we drink the same cup of coffee that 300 + people are drinking each morning? We have so much available to us today with the increased number of local roasters, small batch roasting, single varietal coffees, phenomenal coffee beans from various countries all over the world available to us, new coffee equipment, coffee makers that allow us to grind just before we brew, grinders and simple but perfect bodums. We have never had the opportunity to have fresher ever. Or maybe we have and are just realizing how good it is...to have it so fresh. Once you have it fresh, you never go back. We have so much available that once we have it the way we love it, why would we go back. Then there is the social aspect to all of this, sustainability, fair trade, organic and localization of food. We are all just becoming so aware of what we do and what we can do for others.
So let me take the opportunity to go through the top new coffee trends which will ultimately lead you to your perfect and freshest cup of coffee.....
Local roasters and Cafes
"Ah, that is a perfume in which I delight; when they roast coffee near my house, I hasten to open the door to take in all the aroma."
Jean Jacques Rousseau
At one time everyone roasted their own coffee at home. The downside was the grinding and brewing methods that were employed never really cultivated what we consider today’s specialty coffee, but it was always fresh. Early in the 20th century when mass manufacturing took over it was often perceived as backwards to roast your own coffee when a cup of the "perfect roast" was available on the counter at the local grocer. The art was lost. Then the eternal race started on how best to preserve coffees fresh flavor in a state of perfection for months on a shelf.
It was never really mastered and you would agree upon having a cup out of the local roaster against any packaged brand. Small roasters are popping up all over the place much the same way that bakeries and butchers used to dot our land we now see independent coffee shops and roasters. This is amazing due to the simple fact that coffee should be thought of as bread, best eaten fresh. So how fresh can you get when it is roasted locally.
While visiting your local roaster or café buy small amounts of how much coffee you would go through in a week. Grind it just before brewing or at most a couple days worth. The mantra to repeat is, buy fresh, grind daily and enjoy!
Single Varietal Coffees, learning what you like and how you like it roasted
“I want to shake off the dust of this one-horse town. I want to explore the world. I want to watch TV in a different time zone. I want to visit strange, exotic malls...I want to live, Marge! Won't you let me live?”
-Homer Simpson
The days of one coffee being available on tap are gone. The trend now is to have many different profiles of coffee available to consumers particularly focused on at least a dark roast, medium roast and a decaf. If you truly want to love the coffee you are having, then try a dark profile coffee and a medium profile coffee… what do you like? This is where the adventure begins. Ask the salesperson what other dark/medium roasts they have start to try the different countries. Some general palate trends you will notice are:
South/Central America: Smooth Rich medium clean tasting coffees with a pleasing acidity. Ones to try Mexico, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Brazil
Asia: Powerful full bodied bold coffees that are naturally low in acid and love to be roasted darker. Ones to try Sumatra (The new Colombian!), Sulawesi, and Java
Africa: Earthy coffees with rich flavor generally bold, can sometimes display a strength that is wrapped around a heavy fruited core. Ones to try are absolutely anything Ethiopian (it’s the motherland after all!), Kenya, and Yemen
The ability of the small roaster/cafe to carry an increased assortment of coffees is what makes them special. Most small scale roasters roast in the 5-20kg range. This makes it possible to roast small amounts more frequently of a greater range of taste profiles within the dark, decaf and medium ranges.
Equipment-Grind and Brews, Grinders and Bodums
“To curb the machine and limit art to handicraft is a denial of opportunity.”
-Lewis Mumford
The equipment market much like the brewed side is going crazy and very specialized. The market is segmented in that you have many people pursuing the ultra high end fully automated espresso machines for home such as Saeco, Delonghi and Jura and these can run as high as $2000. The beauty of these machines is that if you put in good quality coffee, you get a perfect cup every time of whatever you feel like, be it drip, espresso, or cappuccino. These machines being highly technical sometimes put a cramp in your caffeine style when they go down and have to be sent away for repairs. One of the most approachable lines of Grind and Brew coffee makers is the Cuisinart Grind and Brew line at about $180.
The other side of the market is moving towards classical caffeinating approaches such as the French press (Bodum), Italian style moka pot (make your own espresso! Hmmm…) and vacuum brewers. During every craze there is a time when nostalgia sets in to remind us of how an industry used to be. Hey I can’t argue with people wanting to kick it "Old Skool" on Sunday morning. These have the added benefit of being portable to go were ever you go, hotel room coffee? Just Say No!
From a coffee shop perspective watch out for a machine called the "Clover" it is essentially an automated vacuum brewer that will brew a single regional coffee on a cup by cup basis. It is creating quite a buzz in the industry. It won’t be long before one is here
Fair Trade Coffee
"Fair Trade supports some of the most bio-diverse farming systems in the world. When you visit a Fair Trade coffee grower's fields, with the forest canopy overhead and the sound of migratory songbirds in the air, it feels like you're standing in the rainforest."
-- Professor Miguel Altieri, Leading expert and author on agroecology
Fair Trade awareness is at an all time high. There has been much media coverage on the aspects of the program and people are starting to request Fair trade products in their workplaces, churches and local businesses. Availability has been increasing within the industry growers, wholesalers, roasters and coffee purveyors are scrambling to get certified and start to fill this demand.
Many in the industry have held back in joining Fair Trade with claims of lower quality and inconsistent supply or with programs which address the problem from a different angle such as grower partnerships. The situation is still the same though coffee prices are at historical lows and the farmers who contributed more towards that fantastic cup of coffee you had this morning than anyone, get the smallest piece of the pie. Innovative ideas, grower relationships, and Fair Trade have given hope in a very dire time for growers.
What sounds really interesting as well is a current push for Fair Trade Towns within Canada by Transfair Canada the certifying arm of Fair Trade. According to www.transfair.ca the six goals of a Fair Trade Town are:
• Support from the local city council
• Fair Trade Certified products available in shops & cafés
• Fair Trade Certified products used and promoted in workplaces, faith groups, and schools
• Demonstrated interest in the Fair Trade Town campaign from media and public
• A steering group is created to ensure continued commitment
• Promotion of other ethical and sustainable initiatives within community
Organic Coffee
“Many organic practices simply make sense, regardless of what overall agricultural system is used. Far from being a quaint throwback to an earlier time, organic agriculture is proving to be a serious contender in modern farming and a more environmentally sustainable system over the long term.”
-David Suzuki
Organic coffee just one small example of what is occurring in the food marketplace. Organic products have finally found their place. It is a matter of pride now on when you got involved with the movement. The quality is exceptional and the explosion will do nothing but benefit all of us. How do you say? Well according to the Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com. It benefits in the following ways:
Organic Coffee Growers:
• Improve and maintain soil fertility through composting and other natural methods such as the planting of nitrogen-fixing tree or applications of animal or “green” manures.
• Use ecological methods to control pests and disease rather than chemical pesticides or fungicides.
• Provide much needed refuge for migratory birds and other wildlife.
• Protect plant diversity by propagating different species of native trees.
• Minimize soil erosion and compaction by “reforesting” or maintaining forested areas.
• Provide economic security in rural regions by offering jobs at labor-intensive times such as harvest, and by growing a variety of useful food crops.
• Minimize pollution from coffee processing wastewater by reducing water use, recirculating water whenever possible, and employing anaerobic digestion systems to clean water after use.
• Follow stringent organic standards in order to produce a quality crop and to meet organic certification requirements.
• Protect and further a traditional agriculture, building on centuries-old knowledge of farming in harmony with nature.
When You Buy Organic Coffee:
• You’re supporting farmers who are committed to maintaining the long-term health of our environment.
• You’re supporting family farms and marketing cooperatives which help to ensure economic independence in rural areas.
• You’re helping to preserve biodiversity- the variety and multitude of plant and animal species on the planet.
• And don’t forget- you’re getting a great tasting cup of coffee, too!
The Yummy DECAF trend
“I bought a decaffeinated coffee table, you can't even see a difference.” ~Author Unknown
If you haven’t been able to tell from above people are really digging coffee right now. So much so that some of us are over doing it perhaps? No names need to be mentioned you know who you are. Decaf is a great alternative to heart palpitations and the quality as with the rest of the offering has improved greatly. What really does decaf mean anyway? Here is a quick overview of what it all means:
Swiss Water: This is something we are famous for. The world’s only Swiss Water facility is near Vancouver. In this method the beans are immersed in hot water and the coffee solids and caffeine are removed into the liquid. The first batch of beans is discarded. The liquid is then filter and the caffeine separated. This flavor charged liquid is then applied to the following batches to remove the caffeine. As a chemical free method this decaf is the most in demand. It is also usually tied to a Fair Trade or Organic certification. Good ones to try are Sumatra, Peru and Mexico
Methyl Chloride or MC: This method produces the best decaf in the opinion of many decaf afficiados all it is definitely not a chemical free method. In Methyl chloride process the beans are steamed for 30 minutes and then rinsed repeatedly with either Methyl Chloride or Ethyl Acetate which removes the caffeine. The beans are then steamed for 10 hours to remove the traces of chemicals. Some good ones to try are Costa Rica, Colombia and Ethiopia
Co2: The beans in this method are given the space age treatment of being bathed in highly pressurized Co@ or oxygen which attaches to the caffeine. The liquid gas is then filtered and the caffeine removed. Try any you get your hands on not commonly available.
The no caffeine coffee plant coming soon? Scientists have discovered a naturally caffeine free plant growing in Ethiopia. It is of the same strain as the famous Coffea Arabica but reportedly tastes awfully. It is currently undergoing genetic breeding programs to improve the flavor characteristics.
Specialty trends such as Espressos
"Espresso is to Italy, what champagne is to France."
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
The espresso culture has only begun to touch us in London. What do we have to look forward to? Well the world of gourmet blended and single varietal shots displaying thick gooey crema, that’s what. Typically what you see currently in most cafes is a selection of ONE espresso done 17 ways, folks one flavor option of anything is a bad thing. As the coffee culture intensifies in London greater emphasis will be placed on diversity and uniqueness and this will ultimately lead to an improvement of the offering. Some neat single varietal espressos to try are, Sumatra Mandheling, Ethiopian Harrar, and good quality Brazilian coffee.
If you happen across one of the fine coffee purveyors in our city that offer espresso ask them about their machine. These are usually a source of major pride and in some businesses we are starting to see some very fancy and expensive machines that deliver out of these world artesian coffees. Go London Barista’s!
Coffee tastings
“No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils.”
~Henry Ward Beecher
As mentioned the scene around London is getting interesting. We have several new openings coming up this year for new cafes. Half the battle for people selling coffee is getting people in to try their product. Many roasters and retailers host coffee samplings where they go through a flight of coffees and also dole out healthy doses of brewing tips and coffee lore. Make a note to attend one this year and get to be a part of an exciting industry that is exploding much the same way Canada’s wine industry did a couple decades ago. Coffee is Wine to the palate. There are an endless array of flavors produced by the growing conditions, terroir, harvest methods and finally roasting style. A guided tour goes along way in helping you to find YOUR perfect cup of coffee. Start the journey today!
David Cook is a local coffee roaster and owner of The Fire Roasted Coffee Company. He has roasted coffee in ovens, frying pans, open fires (very scary), popcorn makers, BBQ’s, and electric coffee roasters but currently roasts on a 10kg Gas Fired Roaster. You can reach him at fireroastedcoffee@hotmail.com
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