Coffee is not all coffee and connoisseurs who do not want to leave the taste of their favorite drink to chance, should take a closer look at the coffee bean. A basic knowledge of coffee helps to distinguish good from inferior coffee and to discover completely new aromatic delights even before the store shelf. This coffee beans Guidebook explains the influence of origin and type of coffee bean on the final product in the cup and how the roasting of the beans affects the coffee aroma.

Cultivation and special features of coffee beans

Worldwide, coffee plantations grow more than 40 varieties of dark brown beans, which are actually the cores of the coffee cherry. However, most coffee farmers are limited to the cultivation of coffee varieties Arabica and Robusta. With a share of 70 percent in world trade, the Arabica coffee bean lands most often in the coffee cups of the Germans. Its main growing areas include areas in the highlands of Central America, Kenya and Colombia. The higher the growing area, the better the coffee beans – so the simple rule. At altitudes of between 1,300 and 2,000 meters, Arabica beans have a long ripening period and can develop their typically fine taste with their fine acidity. The addition „highland coffee“ is therefore the purchase of coffee beans to be regarded as an additional quality criterion.

The second most cultivated coffee is Robusta. It is particularly productive, resistant to pests and grows at altitudes from 300 meters. The taste of the Robusta bean is not as fine as that of the Arabica bean and is best described as earthy. In addition, their caffeine content is about twice that of coffee beans the variety Arabica. People who are sensitive to caffeine should consider this when buying coffee beans. As their cultivation is less expensive and their taste less finesse, it is often considered a bean of the second choice. In a composition with Arabica beans, however, the variety Robusta provides an inviting crema layer on the coffee or espresso. In addition to these two coffees, the varieties Excelsa and Liberica are cultivated in some countries, but their share of the world market is negligible.

The roast

Roasting helps the coffee bean to develop its various aromas of, for example, chocolate or nut, and has a great influence on the later digestibility of the coffee. The type of roasting plays a big role. Cheap coffee beans from the supermarket are often roasted for cost and time reasons by hot air process. The beans are exposed to temperatures of 600 to 800 degrees Celsius for a few minutes. The result is often uneven roasts. The beans are over-roasted on the outside, while they are still „raw“ inside. Due to the short roasting time, the fruit acids (chlorogenic acids) contained in the beans can not completely decompose. They irritate the gastric mucosa and make the coffee less well digestible.

For aromatic and wholesome coffee, it is recommended to grab beans from drum roasting. The coffee beans are heated for example for 20 minutes at temperatures of about 200 degrees Celsius in a drum and then cooled to stop the roasting process. Beans roasted to this more elaborate principle include Coffee Buna Dimaa 100% Arabica and Coffee Sierra Nevada 100% Arabica each from Coffee Circle.

Coffee blend or single origin coffee

Anyone looking for coffee beans for the Siebträgermaschineor the automatic coffee machine, you can choose between 100% Arabica, 100% Robusta, coffee blends and single-origin coffees. Espresso makers, in particular, like to use a balanced mix of Arabica and Robusta beans, such as the 70% Arabica LaSelva bartender mix and 30% Robusta. The blends combine the advantages of both coffee worlds and offer the connoisseur a great variety of flavors.

Also, many coffees that are advertised with 100% Arabica or 100% Robusta are strictly mixtures. They often consist of beans from different countries of origin. However, because of the particular climate and the unique composition of the soil, the region gives off different flavors to the beans, making Single Origin coffees very popular. Here, the coffees are made up exclusively of beans from a growing area. For example, the Coffee Yirgacheffe 100% Arabica from Coffee Circle. This product is a forest coffee from Yirgacheffe, a region in southern Ethiopia known to connoisseurs for its particularly aromatic coffees.