Do you really know coffee?
Do you know? There are around 22.5 cups of coffee are consumed every day globally. When it comes to coffee, many people think of Australia. It is true that Australia is a big coffee consumer. Most of my Australian friends told me they would drink at least a cup of coffee every day, and coffee is certainly a necessity in every Australian household. During my past few years living in Australia, I have tried various kinds of coffee from instant coffee, capsule coffee, coffee powder, and coffee beans, and taken some coffee-making-related courses. Today, I would like to share my knowledge about them and to teach you how to choose some good coffees that suit you.
Coffee usually can be divided into different categories, instant coffee, canned coffee, capsule coffee, coffee powder, and coffee beans. Different coffees are roughly going through three steps, planting, roasting, and grinding. Coffee beans are generally divided into two types, Arabica and Robusta. Generally speaking, Arabica has better quality than Robusta. It would be a wise option for us to choose 100% Arabica coffee beans rather than Arabica with a touch of Robusta. Robusta beans are not very picky about their living environment and their high caffeine content helps them withstand the environment. On the contrary, Arabica beans are pickier about their environment, they have less caffeine, more sugar, and more fat, which makes them generally with some other flavor, so their taste, flavor, and aroma are a bit more advanced. We usually hear about Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, Mandheling Coffee, and Kona Coffee are all Arabica beans.
The second step in coffee making is roasting. The coffee roasting is divided into three levels, light roast (or Blonde), medium roast, and heavy roast (or Dark). Light roast coffee beans will contain more of an herbal flavor and will have some fruit acidity. As the temperature rises, the water in the coffee beans gradually evaporates and the sugar in the coffee gradually caramelizes, the color of the coffee beans gradually becomes darker, and the coffee gradually turns into a charcoal roasted look. (Tips: Generally, a professional barista will choose lightly roasted coffee to taste, because it is better to feel the other flavors of the coffee).
Extraction is the last step in the production of coffee. We usually hear pour-over coffee, hanging ear drip coffee, and French press coffee are all examples of coffee extraction. But for us, we simply divide it into brewed and espresso. The most classic brewed coffee is instant coffee. While French press coffee is mainly extracted with semi-automatic coffee machines, which generally go through 9 atmospheres of pressure, 92 degrees Celsius, and extract 30ml of coffee with 25ml of water. Generally, coffee extracted in this way will have a layer of foam on top, while the flavor will be a bit more fragrant. We also have written some articles to help you find your coffee machines.
Of course, I have some coffee recommendations for you. If you like the direct and simple intake of caffeine, Starbucks Dark Roast Premium Instant Coffee Tin and Starbucks Medium Roast Premium Instant Coffee Tin will be a good choice. I prefer medium because the flavor of the coffee can be better reflected. As for the coffee capsules, I recommend the L’OR brand, this brand of coffee capsules has a variety of different flavors. Generally speaking, the higher the intensity, the higher the caffeine content, while the coffee tends to be more heavily roasted and has some bitterness. L’OR Espresso Coffee Ristretto Decaffeinato and L’OR Espresso Coffee Papua New Guinea are two of my favorite coffee capsules, they are not that strong bitter but with nuts or fruit flavors! (Probably because I’m not a heavy caffeine lover, I tend to prefer lightly roasted or fruity flavored coffee capsules). Of course, for coffee beans, my own pick is the Lavazza brand, the Lavazza Qualità Oro with 100% Arabica Medium Roast Coffee Beans, which are heavily roasted with some fruity flavors. Their Lavazza Qualità Rossa Coffee Beans are also good, but please note that this one contains Robusta beans, even though the intensity is only 5, the taste will be more bitter, but with slight chocolate and nutty taste. By the way, please feel free to let me know if you have some good coffee to recommend.
Drinking coffee properly has some benefits. But if you have sleep problems, try not to drink coffee 4-6 hours before sleep, because the normal metabolism of caffeine needs to go through 4-6 hours. If you have bowel problems, try drinking a cup of coffee in the morning.