Let's find out about the different beans...
Organic Green Coffee Beans
A coffee bean is actually the seed of a coffee cherry. Once the red ripe cherries are picked from the tree, they are dried (usually in sunlight) and then the outer portion of the dried cherry is removed. This leaves the coffee bean which is then sorted either by hand or on a conveyer belt. They are sorted by size and density (lighter beans – not so good to heavier – which is a quality bean). These unroasted beans are green coffee beans which are shipped around the world to become our light, medium or dark roast coffee.
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Light Roast
The green coffee beans are roasted in a large drum for about 5 to 7 minutes. It smells a bit like popcorn. The beans double in size and crackle as they get bigger. After the first pop, the roasting process is stopped for light roast beans. During the roasting process the beans have changed color from green to yellow to a light cinnamon brown. The beans still have a bit of a sour or acidic taste; however, the sharp flavor and origin is apparent. Many good quality beans are only lightly roasted.
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Medium Roast
The beans continue in their roasting process and start shrinking in size. After about 9 to 11 minutes the roasting is stopped. At this point the sugary flavours of the beans start to come out. Medium roast coffee is a bit sweeter with hints of milk chocolate. The coffee has a slight smokiness and the original bean’s bright flavour can still be tasted.
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Dark Roast
Dark Roast coffee takes about 12 to 13 minutes and the sugars have fully developed in the dark beans giving the coffee a rich deep chocolate caramel flavour with a hint of spiciness. It is more difficult to tell which part of the world or coffee region that dark roast beans come from as the smokiness and sugars of the bean have become more predominant.
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Espresso Roast
Espresso Roast takes about 14 minutes and, at this point, the sugars in the espresso beans are starting to burn and caramelize. This produces a smokier bean and a smoky rich tasting espresso coffee.
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Shade Grown Coffee Beans
Most coffee farms now grow sun-tolerant coffee. This produces more plants quickly; however, this type of farming means more chemicals are used and it increases soil erosion. It also means that birds and wildlife are losing their homes.
Shade Tree Grown coffee is grown under a canopy of trees that filter the sun. This is the original way that coffee was grown. The plants mature slower and require more farmland. This maturing process ensures that the sugars of the coffee fully develop and that means a better tasting cup of coffee. Shade grown coffee also provides homes for native birds and local wildlife. The birds provide insect and pest control which means less chemical sprays and the trees provide rich soil which means fewer fertilizers are used. It is the natural way to grow coffee and produces a high-end smooth tasting brew.
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Gourmet Flavored Coffee Beans
Most coffee drinkers won’t readily admit that they drink it. Before making any hasty decisions, let’s take a look at the history of flavored coffee. Middle Eastern countries have been adding flavor to their ground coffee for years with things such as: cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, nuts and many other yummy items. Westerners have added cream, sugar, chocolate and liqueurs to a brewed cup as well. Guess what? That is gourmet coffee. It has come a long way in terms of flavor additions and quality of beans used. A variety of natural (vanilla beans, cocoa beans) and synthetic flavors (developed by chemists) are added to the whole beans during the roasting process. This means that there are lots of new flavor combinations to choose from.
Have you ever tried Blueberry coffee?
How about Fair Trade Pumpkin Spice?
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Decaffeinated Coffee Beans
Decaf comes from regular coffee beans and around 10% of coffee drinkers purchase it worldwide. Decaffeinated coffee has come a long way. The process originally started using salt water (brine) and Benzene (possible side effects: vomiting, irritation of the stomach, dizziness, sleepiness, etc.). Yikes!
Today, there are some other options used to decaffeinate coffee. One method uses chemicals like methylene chloride or ethyl acetate and either directly soaks the beans in hot water or indirectly steams the beans. By the end of the process almost 100% of the caffeine is removed.
The preferred environmentally friendly method uses water. Yes, just water and a carbon filter to remove the caffeine. It is 100% chemical free and also removes almost 100% of caffeine from the bean. This is called the SWISS WATER® Process and was developed in the 1930's in Switzerland. Today, the only plant that currently uses this process is located in Vancouver, Canada. This sounds like a winner and a better tasting cup of decaf coffee.
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Take a look at the recommended sites below that are the top picks for getting that right flavor of coffee bean:
Coffee For Less![](http://www.awltovhc.com/image-3992632-10359849")
The rich, aromatic scent of gourmet coffee beans can lift spirits and calm moods all year round. Whole bean coffee can be ground to your preference and specification in a Grindmaster Coffee Machine. They have an incredible selection of coffee beans and wholesale coffee beans.
Next > Fair Trade Coffee
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