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In recent years, the coffee market has undergone a real transformation. Coffee has become the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and is becoming an increasingly qualitative product. It is therefore urgent to get informed to know everything about the exceptional coffee. After the frenzy of coffee in pods and other capsules, a new trend has emerged in recent years: coffee beans.
And in a global market worth 3.14 billion euros in France, the share of coffee roasted from beans is 200 million euros, an increase of 38%, according to a study conducted by NielsenIQ, in 2021. But how is coffee bean produced? What are its different flavors and varieties? How do you choose, prepare and store it? These are all legitimate questions to ask in order to understand the current craze for coffee beans.
When we buy coffee beans, we must choose the form that will allow us to enjoy the maximum freshness of coffee. The coffee bean is the form that allows you to prepare a cup just after grinding its beans, more or less finely depending on the preparation method chosen. But basically, what is coffee beans?
Before arriving at the home of coffee lovers, coffee beans are subject to various manipulations to make them suitable for the preparation of a good cup. Harvested in the form of a small red or yellow fruit, called a cherry, coffee goes through several stages before being presented to us in the form of a small black and fragrant bean. After the drying phase, the beans are roasted. They are then heated until they change from green to brown and then black.
This change in color is due to the caramelization of the sugars in the beans under the effect of heat. At the end of the roasting process, the coffee beans release CO2, which is why they must be left to rest for a while before being packaged. This is also why coffee bean packages are equipped with a freshness valve. This valve allows to evacuate the gases that could have been released after the packaging of the beans. A 1 kg package of coffee beans can produce up to 6 liters of gas!
To prepare a quality espresso or filter coffee, there is nothing like grinding the beans yourself before you start preparing it. This grinding, prepared on demand, allows us to take advantage of the best aromas of your coffee. Indeed, freshly ground, it restores all the aromatic nuances of our favorite Arabica to the passage of hot water. To obtain this grind, you will have to buy a coffee grinder, manual or electric. It is important to buy a model that allows you to adjust the fineness of the grind according to the chosen method of preparation. A piston coffee maker, for example, requires a rather coarse grind. A percolator, on the other hand, requires a very finely ground coffee.
It is this freshness and the quality of the aromas that it promotes that explain the ever-growing popularity of coffee beans. Coffee lovers are not mistaken, which is why they prefer coffee beans to ground coffee. Note that today there are coffee machines that can be loaded with coffee beans. The desired dose will be ground just before the preparation of your coffee! A must for the most demanding among you.
Even though you are a coffee lover, would you know what the different flavors in coffee beans are? It is not easy to find your way through the 800 aromatic compounds present in coffee. As a comparison, you should know that there are about 400 for wine. So to help you find your way around, here is a brief presentation of the four main flavors of coffee.
Thebitterness of a coffee is felt on the tongue and in the back of the throat. This aroma comes from a thorough roasting of the coffee that releases more caffeine and a particular acid, chlorogenic acid. Often defined as unpleasant, bitterness can also represent the very typicity of a coffee, especially robusta. But beware, because this bitterness generally takes precedence over all other aromas, resulting in less complex and nuanced coffees.
Novices usually confuse acidity with bitterness. The former is perceived on the sides of the tongue, similar to the sensation felt when drinking lemon juice. Of course, theacidity of coffee is less than that of citrus fruit, but the sensation can be identical. Some Arabica coffees, grown at high altitudes in South America, have this type of flavor. This aroma is also the result of a so-called light, blonde or amber roast. This acidity is often coupled with fruity or floral notes.
Here, there are no tense taste buds or any trace of acidity when you drink your coffee. This flavor is recognized by the sweetness of the beverage in the mouth, its pleasant and tasty side. Taken to its extreme, this sweet aroma can be transformed into a caramelized or burnt aroma.
Unexpected when we talk about coffee, this flavor is quite real when we drink an espresso. At the first sip, you may have the feeling that your mouth is drying out. However, this feeling will diminish with each successive sip. It is the carbon dioxide released during the extraction of the espresso that causes this surprisingly salty sensation. The presence of this gas is also indicated by the slight foam on the surface of the beverage. Perhaps it is because of this sweet aroma that espresso is often served with a glass of water?
In addition to the freshness it guarantees, coffee beans also allow us to immerse ourselves in a world of flavors, from two main species: Robusta and Arabica. They constitute the bulk of the world's production. But how to recognize the different varieties of coffee beans?
Coffea arabica represents more than 70% of the coffee consumed in the world. This species is at the origin of more than two hundred varieties, some of which are highly prized, such as bourbon. The bean is oval and has an "S" shaped groove in its center. After extraction, it gives a light drink, with a great aromatic complexity and a touch of acidity. It owes its wide range of flavors to the different soils in which it is grown.Arabica is also distinguished by its low caffeine content: between 0.8% and 1.5%.
Richer in caffeine, robusta offers less sophisticated flavors than arabica. Its bean is much larger than its cousin's and has a straight groove. Some robusta cherries are red in color and can have up to two seeds. This species produces a strong, full-bodied coffee with little nuance. It contains up to 3% caffeine, which is why it is used to prepare an Italian-style espresso, i.e. tight, black and full-bodied.
Coffee bean blends allow for unique flavors. Depending on taste, it is possible to create a blend that will please everyone. You should never hesitate to talk to your coffee vendor. Depending on the preferred flavors, he will be able to advise about the terroir of the coffees, their species and their roasting.
To know how to choose the right coffee bean, we must first ask ourselves aboutour tastes in coffee:
To best answer these three points, you must first of all pay attention to the degree of roasting of the coffee, but also to the date of this roasting. A coffee that has been thoroughly roasted, for example, is ideal for an espresso. Moreover, in order to preserve all its aromatic qualities, a packet of coffee beans should not be kept for more than one month.
To enjoy a quality coffee with complex flavors, it is preferable to choose a perfectly traced origin. On the package, it is advisable to check the origin (country, region) and the processing of the coffee. The terroir will influence the taste of your beverage:
Finally, an espresso, a cappuccino or a long drink will not require the same type of coffee. And the method of preparation will also influence the choice of your coffee beans.
Once the choice of the coffee bean is made, there is still the question of its preparation. To obtain a quality beverage, this phase should not be neglected. So, how to prepare coffee beans?
The advantage of coffee beans is that they are suitable for all types of preparation: espresso, filter coffee, infusion coffee. The only requirement is to grind the coffee beans just before extraction. This way, it is possible to enjoy a perfectly fresh grind that will reveal the full aromatic range of the caffeinated drink.
Depending on the extraction method chosen, a certain size of grind must be prepared:
In addition, the amount of grind required to prepare your coffee must be adapted. For an espresso, allow between 7 and 10 g of grind, and for a filter coffee, about 12 g of grind per cup.
Another essential point to take full advantage of the benefits of coffee beans: how to store them? As we know, coffee is a fragile product that does not like light or contact with the air. Be careful, because it will oxidize if exposed to these two elements.
So how do you go about storing your coffee beans properly? Simply by storing it in an airtight and opaque box in a cupboard. It is better to avoid storing it in the refrigerator, because the cold will solidify the oils contained in the beans and neutralize the organoleptic characteristics of the coffee. The aromas will then deteriorate and the tasting will possibly be disappointing.
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