The age-old question, what constitutes a ‘good’ coffee? For all coffee lovers out there I’m sure many things come to mind; body, aroma, bitter taste, maybe a sweeter taste, how it’s roasted, origin of the beans. Regardless of personal preference of your favourite flavours, there is one thing in common which can determine the result of your morning cup of joe. The brew itself.
“The more you know about coffee, the more fascinating the adventure becomes"
GORAN HUBER, Coffee Sommelier
First, the beans…
Does it really matter where the beans have been grown? Absolutely! Here’s a quick run-down of where, what and why:
Africa:
Proud birth place of coffee. The distinct flavoured beans from Keyna have a unique berry flavour to them, giving them a huge following of loyal drinkers. However, coffee from Africa (Eastern African especially) is not every coffee lover’s favourite. The intense body they yield is unique and definitely not for everyone.
Indonesia:
The delicate acidity gives a very different taste to African coffees, with rich and deep flavours. Sumatra’s thick, lively bodied coffee attracts numerous fans across the globe. The pleasant earthy flavour, with the coffee’s musty sweetness, contributes to its popularity.
Americas:
Providing the most coffee in the world, Central and South America are most well known for their crisp acidity and ‘ideal balance’ of flavours. The coffee’s mellow body makes it agreeable to most coffee drinkers. There are many variations here as you can imagine from such a large area:
- Costa Rica: crisp, earthy, hint of butterscotch, medium body
- Columbia: clean, sweet, alluring caramel notes
- Guatemala: chocolatey, sweet but dry, snappy flavour
Hello there, how do you brew?
The amount of time that the water is in contact with the coffee grounds is another important flavour factor.
In a drip system, the contact time should be approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a French Press, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. Espresso has an especially brief brew time — the coffee is in contact with the water for only 20-30 seconds. Cold brew, on the other hand, should steep overnight (about 12 hours).
Even before you think about the times above, do you have the right grind for your machine?
So, what do you need to look out for in coffee machines?
So now you know which coffee to look out for and the best way to brew, you need to find a machine that you can trust to do all this for you, and to do it consistently.
All WMF coffee machine have a high level of consistency meaning you get the perfect cup every time. No need to try think about the brewing process or the timing when you are stumbling around half asleep, desperate for the first coffee of the day. Just load up the machine and you’re ready to go.
To see which coffee machine is best for you, look through our brochures here:
