The Art and Craft of Coffee: An Enthusiast's Guide to Selecting, Roasting, and Brewing Exquisite Coffee

238 Pages·2010·5.26 MB·English

by  Kevin Sinnott

The Art and Craft of
Coffee
An Enthusiast’s Guide to Selecting,
Roasting, and Brewing Exquisite Coffee
Kevin Sinnott
To Larry McManus, 1941–2009, whose encouragement and creativity
started my involvement in the world of coffee.
CONTENTS
Introduction
1
The Beans
Chapter One: Knowing Your Coffee Beans
The History of Coffee
Coffee Plants and Botanical Classifications
Coffee Varieties by Grade (or Marketing Scare Tactics)
Worldwide Guide to Coffee
Additional Coffee-Buying Considerations
Chapter Two: Selecting Coffee Beans
Coffee Characteristics
Green Coffee Bean Basics
Buying Fresh Roasted Beans
The Basics of Blended Beans
Cupping
Chapter Three: Coffee Roasts and Roasting
Commercial and Micro-Roasting
The Science of Roasting
Coffee Roasts Defined
Home Roasting Techniques
2
The Brew
Chapter Four: Grinding
Grinders and Grinding
Chapter Five: Brewing
The Well-Equipped Brewing Kit
Brewing Temperature and Contact Time
Water
Filters
Illustrated Brewing Techniques
Chapter Six: Espresso
The History and Science of Espresso
Espresso Maker Guide
Espresso Grinders and Grinding
Pulling the Perfect Shot
Espresso Troubleshooting Guide
Chapter Seven: Coffee Serving and Recipes
Coffee Presentation and Serving Equipment
Coffee and Food
Serving Temperature
Sugar and Milk: Coffee’s Complements or Nemeses
Flavored Coffee
Steaming and Frothing Milk
Coffee Recipes: Brews, Cocktails, and Beyond
Odd but Interesting Brewing Methods
Resources
Index
About the Author
INTRODUCTION
It is possible to taste the volcanic lava from Sumatra and to smell the spice
fields of India. I know of no better way to travel the world than through a
passion for coffee.
Do you remember your first cup of coffee? Mine was on the first date I had
with a young woman who is now my wife. We saw Romeo and Juliet one
crisp, autumn evening, and her oversize college sweater and the aroma from
the chain coffee shop are sensual memoires I can still conjure today.
My next most vivid coffee memory came after my first son was born. We
had no money, and we drank House of Millar Mocha Java from the grocery
store. I also ground it at the grocery store because I didn’t own a grinder. I
brewed it in a basic brewer we’d gotten as a wedding present. I remember it
tasting rich and elegant.
One day, I noticed the House of Millar wasn’t on the neighborhood store’s
shelves anymore. I was devastated. I drove to a nearby store, and I bought
all of the bags left on their shelves. I stored all but one in the freezer.
Meanwhile, a dedicated coffee bean store opened nearby. The store’s
owner, Guy, seemed like a laid-back artsy sort, who liked nothing more
owner, Guy, seemed like a laid-back artsy sort, who liked nothing more
than to spend his days sampling the various coffees. I became a frequent
customer.
Trouble was, as much as I liked Guy’s coffee at his shop, I could never get
it to taste the same at home. My wife even started questioning whether we
should spend the extra money on Guy’s beans. While I stood my ground
(grounds?) on buying good beans, I privately realized the coffee was better
when Guy brewed it in his commercial equipment.
I knew it was time to upgrade my home equipment. I bought a burr grinder
on clearance and discovered a Chemex at a thrift shop. Each time I
improved my brewing equipment, the coffee tasted better. I have never
looked back, and I have spent decades mastering the brewing process to
ensure the best possible cup of coffee is brewed every time.
This book taps into my decades of coffee brewing experience and teaches
you how to make café-quality coffee at home in direct, easy-to-follow
instructions—without dogma.
Coffee and wine are more alike than coffee and tea. As with grapes, every
nuance possible can be affected by the earth and climate from which coffee
comes. These differences can last all the way to the final flavor and aroma
from your cup.
A few key themes are explored in these pages:
• Grinding is critical to the brewing process. The job of any coffee grinder
is to divide the beans into same-size pieces. This might seem simple, but
grinders are the Achilles’ heel of many a home-brewing station. Here, you
will learn how best to achieve proper grounds at home.
• Brewing coffee is half art and half chemistry—or alchemy. The exact
portions of ground coffee to water, the water temperature and the water’s
contact time with the grounds all affect the flavor of the final coffee. It is
possible to make two very different tasting beverages from the same beans
using different brewing methods or using two identical brewers and simply
altering the variables with each brewer.
• Espresso shares many qualities with brewed coffee, but there are some
differences that affect the selection of beans, roasting, grinding, and
(certainly) brewing that grants it its own chapter.
(certainly) brewing that grants it its own chapter.
• We treat coffee botany lightly becuase the topic could fill a book in itself.
Just note that most coffee in the world comes from three or four original
plants, and there are a number of variations designed mostly to allow coffee
to flourish in a range of climates. While consumers have little control over
these variations, I predict they will become more important as they discover
the flavor effects each species has on the final cup. Some higher-quality
coffee roasters are starting to list the coffee species (such as bourbon,
typica, and caturra) on their packaging.
If there’s one thought I hope you come away with after reading this book, it
is that coffee should be consumed for pleasure. I used to joke that I’d prefer
the worst cup of coffee with my wife to the best cup with her mother. (I no
longer say this because my mother-in-law and I have become very close.)
Remember, coffee gives you the chance to travel the world, exploring
culture, history, and terroir through a culinary lens. After you read this
book, your coffee will taste better than ever and possibly better than you
even thought it could.
PART ONE THE BEANS