Those Elusive Coffee Beans!

Home
>
Coffee
>
Those Elusive Coffee Beans!

Those Elusive Coffee Beans!

With the spread of various coffee beans into our lives, it can be more and more difficult to discern what you're buying at the market. And that's not surprising given the sheer numbers game.

From what we know, there are more than 6,000 types of coffees beans in the world, with at least 25 major types of beans underneath that. When it comes down to it, though, the three most commercially important types of beans are Arabica, Robusta, and Kona.

Kona is extremely small commercially compared to Arabica and Robusta, but is extremely expensive and therefore important economically. Kona beans are grown in Hawaii.

Kona offers average bite and body but is in high demand worldwide because of its powerful aroma. These coffee beans are rarely blended with others because of their high desirability in and of themselves.

Arabica coffee beans account for over 60% of coffee production worldwide. The Arabica plant is a large bush and is very susceptible to frost, disease, and pests. Because of this, its beans are more expensive.

Arabica can be used in its pure form or used as the base for coffee blends with Robusta. Arabica has a delicate flavor and is used to add body to the coffee when used in blends.

The flavor of Arabica beans varies widely according to the region of the world where they are grown. Indonesian beans produce the richest, most full-bodied cup of coffee. Hailing from Java and Sumatra, the brew is a good dessert coffee and very suitable to flavoring with cream and sugar.

Arabica beans grown in Central and South America offer moderate body and aroma. Most breakfast blends are made with American coffees, as are most flavored coffees.

By contrast, Robusta coffee accounts for almost 40% of world production. Robusta differs from Arabica in that it's much easier to grow and is resistant to disease and weather and is therefore cheaper.

However, this does not necessarily mean that a coffee blend with Robusta is lower quality than pure Arabica - coffee blends are designed to bring out the best in different flavors. Robusta has a strong flavor and is used to give 'kick' to coffees.

Robusta doesn't vary in flavor as widely as Arabica does. It was first discovered growing naturally in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Growers in Africa produce a coffee of medium aroma and body. If you like very flavorful coffees, you will like those from Kenya and Tanzania.

Now that you understand the basics of coffee beans, the question turns to which type of beans are right for you. It really depends on with what you're planning to serve the coffee. If you're serving with breakfast or a dessert of fruit and sorbet, beans from East Africa (particularly Kenya and Ethiopia) or Mexico will best complement the food.

If you're going to offer your guests light desserts like cakes, cookies, or pie, the beans of Guatemala and Cololmbia will warm up the food with their slight acidic tendancy. With rich desserts like truffles, trifles, and tiramius, Indonesian coffee beans are full-bodied and smooth enough to perfectly offset the dessert.

Another key point to consider is how much coffee you'll need. These high quality beans shouldn't be bought in bulk and should instead be purchased so that you have just enough for your immediate need.

They should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

To discover what beans are best for your daily cup of joe, conduct a taste test. Brew several types of beans seperately. Pour each in its own cup.

Pick up each cup individually, smell the coffee, and then slowly sip and taste the coffees. Later, take a sip or two when it's cooled, as many coffees change flavor as they cool.

Randy has more articles on coffee such as Colombian Coffee, Coffee and Alzheimers, and Coffee Breaks.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Automakers face skeptical senators on aid plan (AP)

AP - U.S. automakers drew fresh skepticism from lawmakers Thursday in a rocky confrontation over their pleas for an expanded $34 billion rescue package they say they need to survive. Congressional analysts said one bailout plan under consideration would fall short of what the carmakers want.

India names Pakistani masterminds, date plot to 07 (AP)

AP - A Pakistani militant group apparently used an Indian operative as far back as 2007 to scout targets for the elaborate plot against India's financial capital, authorities said Thursday, a blow to Indian officials who have blamed the deadly attacks entirely on Pakistani extremists.

Suicide blasts kill 17 as Iraqi council OKs pact (AP)

AP - Suicide bombers killed 17 people Â— including two American soldiers Â— and wounded more than 100 in a string of blasts in two Iraqi cities Thursday as a timetable for withdrawing all U.S. troops won final government approval.

Calif. couple charged with torturing, abusing teen (AP)

AP - A California couple has been charged with kidnapping and torturing a 17-year-old boy police say they sometimes kept shackled in their home.

US mulls unusual tactic as Blackwater charges loom (AP)

AP - Blackwater Worldwide guards involved in the deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting of Iraqi civilians could face mandatory 30-year prison sentences under an aggressive anti-drug law being considered as the Justice Department readies indictments, people close to the case said.

Minn. teen girls charged in nursing home abuse (AP)

AP - Two teenage girls who worked at a nursing home have been charged with abuse, accused of taunting, spitting on and groping residents who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

Gun club, police chief indicted in boy's Uzi death (AP)

AP - Three men, including a small-town police chief, were indicted Thursday on involuntary manslaughter counts in the gun-fair death of an 8-year-old who accidentally shot himself in the head with an Uzi that a prosecutor said he never should have been allowed to handle.

Erik Estrada returns to Muncie for police patrols (AP)

AP - Erik Estrada has returned to Muncie to take part in overnight police patrols in the city where he starred in the short-lived reality series "Armed & Famous." The former star of the 1970s motorcycle cop drama "CHiPs" is a reserve officer on the Muncie Police Department.

NJ woman sues Pa. sports bar for toilet seat break (AP)

AP - A New Jersey woman is suing a Pennsylvania sports bar and restaurant, saying she got stuck inside a toilet bowl for 20 minutes when the seat broke. Kathleen Hewko, of Delran Township, said she was in the bathroom at Starters Pub in an Allentown suburb when the handicapped toilet seat she was sitting on cracked and dumped her into the bowl.

Avery has 3-hour hearing with NHL commissioner (AP)

AP - Sean Avery surged past camera crews and reporters Thursday, choosing to save his comments this time for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during a three-hour disciplinary hearing. The Dallas Stars forward was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday just hours after he used a crude expression to describe former girlfriends now dating others while speaking to reporters.

Automakers face skeptical Congress on cash plea (Reuters)

Reuters - The top executives of the major U.S. automakers faced skeptical questioning on Capitol Hill as they pleaded for $34 billion in federal aid and warned of a possible collapse that would jeopardize millions of jobs.

AT&T cuts 12,000 jobs (Reuters)

Reuters - Top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc said it will eliminate 12,000 jobs, or about 4 percent of its workforce, in a fresh wave of cuts to cope with an economic downturn that has exacerbated a decline in traditional phone sales.

Europeans make big rate cuts to fight recession (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Central Bank, Britain and Sweden all made big cuts in interest rates on Thursday to shore up economies across Europe in the face of ever-bleaker financial news.

Pakistan vows to hunt Mumbai attack plotters (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Pakistan had given assurances of its commitment to root out terrorism and round up anyone connected to last week's attack in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Iraq Presidency Council approves U.S. troop pact (Reuters)

Reuters - Iraq's Presidency Council has approved a security pact with the United States that paves the way for a complete U.S. troop pullout by the end of 2011, a spokesman for the council said on Thursday.

Russia's Putin makes warm overtures to Obama (Reuters)

Reuters - The United States will quickly feel a change in attitude from Moscow if President-elect Barack Obama transforms Washington's policies toward Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Thai king ill, misses much-anticipated speech (Reuters)

Reuters - Thailand's revered and influential king missed his traditional birthday eve address due to illness on Thursday, a speech many Thais had hoped would provide short-term relief to the country's intractable political crisis.

Arab-American hate crimes down since 9/11 (Reuters)

Reuters - Hate crimes against Arab Americans have decreased steadily since the September 11 attacks but are still more common than they were before the hijackings, a civil rights group said on Thursday.

European central banks slash interest rates to tackle recession (AFP)

AFP - Leading European central banks took historic action Thursday to ward off spreading recessions, slashing their key lending rates to boost businesses and consumers.

Bombers hit Fallujah as Iraq-U.S. pact endorsed (AFP)

AFP - Car bombers killed at least 15 people in a former rebel bastion on Thursday as Iraq's security pact with Washington won final approval before its launch at the end of the month.

Those Elusive Coffee Beans!

Coffee Coffee