Coffee roasting
Coffee beans we find in retail shops are not green in colour, but rather
black, and this is the result of the roasting process. Coffee roasting
typically takes place in horizontally rotating drums heated from below
to very high temperatures. The heating process itself must be kept short,
and quickly cooled. After the roasting, coffee beans’ original shades
of green turn are transformed into shades of brown and black, characteristics
which are very familiar and easy to distinguish to the experienced eyes
of coffee experts. Temperature does not just affect colour but also
brings out the typical coffee aroma, because oils which are released
during roasting appear on the surface of the bean, and thus make them
a bit shiny. It is worth mentioning that a dark roast may reduce both
acidity and aroma, and that freshly roasted coffee tastes much better
than stored coffee as a result of time and slow evaporation of the oils
in the bean, thus affecting the resulting flavour and aroma.
Home-made coffee roasting is also possible, however it requires a great
deal of caution and constant monitoring.
Coffee grinding
When buying coffee, the golden rule is to purchase it in small quantities.
The same applies to air-tight packages: once opened, coffee has its
best used flavour and aroma, but the flavour and aroma decline quickly
over a short amount of time. Indeed, coffee is at its best immediately
after grinding when its flavour and smell are still intact. Once in
contact with oxygen in the air, oxidation of the coffee begins, and
the resulting quality of the coffee begins to deteriorate. Moreover,
it is worth mentioning that finely ground coffee looses its aroma more
slowly than coarse-grained coffee. The degree to which coffee is ground
depends on its use: the powder-like coffee is ideal for preparing Turkish
coffee, the fine-ground coffee is more ideally suited for espresso,
the medium-ground is well suited for coffee pods, and lastly the coarse-grained
coffee is intended for espresso machines.
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