Coffee Bean Storage

Coffee Bean Storage

In your house is coffee bean storage important to you, if so how do you store them? Do you store them in the refrigerator or freezer? Perhaps you keep them in the heat sealed bag or do you store the coffee beans in a jar?

To give you the right storage techniques we have put together this guide to help you understand the importance of good coffee bean storage. By adopting these storage techniques you’ll maintain the flavor and freshness of your coffee. Along the way you’ll discover that green coffee beans and roasted coffee beans will require different coffee bean storage processes and what’s needed to prevent them from going stale.

Unfortunately coffee beans do have a shelf life and this is why it’s so important that correct coffee bean storage maintains the coffees original flavor. When coffee beans are exposed to air and moisture or are roasted the coffee starts to deteriorate and loose it’s flavor. This is what is referred to as coffee going stale. To slow down this process you can adopt good coffee bean storage techniques as well as roasting, grinding and brewing your coffee in small quantities. It’s always best to roast or buy roasted coffee beans in a small enough quantities that you can use over a 10 day period.

This is why coffee beans that haven’t been roasted tend to have a longer shelf life when they’re stored. These type of coffee beans are also referred to as green coffee beans. Green coffee beans can stay fresh up to a year or more under perfect coffee bean storage conditions.

To maximize freshness and shelf life, green coffee beans should be stored in a tightly sealed jar and preferably in a cool spot. Even after long time in storage a fresh and full flavored coffee can still be made without altering the original flavor of the beans.

If you would like to try out roasting your own green coffee beans you can purchase them online or from selected coffee shops that sell quality coffee beans. If this sounds like to much work forgo the roasting process and buy whole bean coffee that’s been roasted already for you. Read more »

Coffee Bean Grinder

In order to choose the right type of coffee bean grinder or coffee machine with a built in coffee grinder we need to take a look at the different types of coffee grinders that are available on the market. Generally there are three types of coffee bean grinders to grind coffee, the automatic blade grinders, automatic burr grinders and manual burr or blade grinders.

Each type of coffee bean grinder has it’s own advantages and disadvantages in the grinding process which you’ll soon discover. In this article I’ll be covering Blade coffee grinders and in another article I’ll be covering Burr coffee grinders.

Blade Coffee Grinders

Coffee Bean Grinder

This type of coffee bean grinder is known as a coffee blade grinder because it uses a cutting blade action to grind. When grinding the coffee beans the blade acts like a mini food processor, by cutting the coffee beans up into small pieces.

Blade coffee grinders whether they be an electric blade grinder or a manual blade grinder require you to monitor the grinding process. Basically the longer you grind the coffee beans for the smaller the coffee grounds become.

In order to achieve different sized coffee granules for your type of coffee machine you’ll need to alter the amount of time you spend grinding. When you use a coffee bean grinder to grind coffee for an espresso machine you can use a blade grinder but it will take about 1 minute or even longer to reach a fine ground. In this instance a burr grinder is better suited for espresso coffee grinding.

If you prefer making coffee with a drip coffee maker you’ll need to use coarser granules of coffee which can take up to a forty-five seconds to process the coffee beans through the coffee bean grinder. A good rule of thumb is the longer you use the grinder for the finer the coffee granules will become. Read more »

Espresso Machine Help Guide

Coffee from an Espresso Machine

Want to buy a Espresso machine by find it a little daunting because you don’t know the first thing about them. There is no need to worry as this coffee post will help unlock the mysteries of these machines.  Below you’ll  find a guide of terms that will be explain things in a readable language.

Each definition will give you insight into how the coffee is processed, what the mechanical parts do and how they used in each process to make the end product, an espresso coffee.

Basket

When brewing an espresso coffee the most important part of the espresso machine is the basket. The shape of the basket will determine the taste of your espresso in the brewing process. Brewing with the right shaped basket will give you an even flavor every time.

Make sure the espresso basket is straight-walled and not curved. The curvature of the walls will cause the coffee to brew unevenly, which will detract from the overall flavor of your espresso.

Boiler

The boiler is what is needed to regulate the water to generate the pressure to froth up the milk. If you’re milk isn’t foaming up correctly you’ll need to adjust the pressure valve. Use the manual as a guide or call an expert using one of the phone numbers provided.

Brewing & Brewing Time

Brewing is the process of the water being forced through the ground coffee. It is this process that gives coffee making it’s distinctive aroma. Usually it takes around 30 seconds to brew a flavorsome espresso shot.

Brush

You should get into the habit of brushing out the espresso machine after every espresso you make. A brush will make it easier to clean out the sediment and coffee ground deposits in your machine. Regular maintenance will prolong the machines life span and it will produce an exceptional tasting espresso.

Burr Grinder

There are two types of Burr grinders that you can use to crush and shred coffee beans, a Wheel Burr and a Conical Burr grinder. Both grinders will mill the coffee beans by crushing them between a grinding wheel and a stationary surface.

Milling the beans with a burr grinder will give the coffee grounds consistency, and reduce the chances of  burning and will improve the overall experience of drinking espresso.

Both burr grinders serve their purpose but they do have their Pro’s and Con’s. Wheel burr grinders might be more cost effective but they tend to cause more mess and noise in the kitchen. The reason there so noisy and messy is they have a higher rotation speed than the Conical burr grinder.

The Conical burr grinder might be the best grinder on the market but they can be quite costly. With slower spinning action they create less noise and mess in the kitchen. Because the conical burr sins slower it is perfect for flavored or oily coffee beans. The slower spinning will aid the beans not being clogged as they retain more moisture.

Crema

When you order an espresso coffee it usually comes with a creamy foam layer on the surface of your coffee, this is known as crema. Crema will only appear on an espresso that has been properly brewed.

The color of the crema will depend on two things the brewing process and how strong the espresso is.  Less espresso and brewing will produce a pale color while darker and longer brewing will make the cream almost red brown color.

Descaler

A descaler is what is used to remove calcium and lime deposits that build up and can clog your espresso machine. Descaler can be bought from most supermarkets and you can choose from a powder, tablet or liquid to clean down your machine.

Descaler is what breaks down and loosens the deposits that form inside the boiler and brewer. With regular descaling this will maintain your coffee machine to ensure its efficiency.

Doser

A doser is like a measuring spoon for the grinder. This is the part that releases the measured amount of coffee grounds to the brewer. Some machine won’t be equipped with adjustable dosers. One dose or shot of coffee usually averages around 8-9 grams while a double shot is double these measurements.

Froth

This is the process of the milk being aerated by steam which makes the milk froth and forms a nice head of foam. This foam is what sits on the top of an espresso, latte macchiato or cappuccino.

Group Head

A group head is the main section of the espresso machine that forces steam through coffee and distributes the coffee into more than one cup, hence the name group head.

Long

When someone asks for a long espresso it usually means they want a two ounce measure of coffee grounds.

Portafilter

This the part of the espresso machine that holds the basket. The basket is placed inside the portafilter and a little force is needed to snap it into place. The coffee grounds are placed inside the basket then the portafilter is fastened to the espresso machine. The handle helps maneuver and lock the portafilter into place to form a tight seal whilst brewing.  It’s always a good idea to  keep this part clean and the metal shiny to avoid problems.

Pump

For an espresso machine to operate at correct pressure it needs to pump out between 8-10 bars of pressure. The pump is what creates the pressure and moves the pistons.

Seal

This seal insulates the Espresso machine to stop water from leaking in to the machines components or into brewed coffee.

Steam Wand

The steam wand is used to froth milk and also to release excess hot water if the espresso machine gets to hot. The steam wand is usually silver in color and looks like a silver arm on the front of the espresso machine.

Tamper

Is a mechanical process used to compact or force the coffee grounds into the filter basket. For high quality tamping you need between 20-30 pounds of pressure

Water Filter

Toe ensure the longevity of your espresso machine always use filtered water to prevent scale. Some espresso machines will have their own water filter whist others won’t. It’s always best to ask.

Water Temperature

Water temperature can fluctuate depending on the brand of Espresso machine but for a good rule of thumb around 93 C is the optimum temperature for an exquisite tasting espresso.