QUESTION: What makes Ethiopian coffee special? I see coffee described as Ethiopian in advertising pretty frequently and would like to know why Ethiopian coffee is notable. — Lucy M.
ANSWER: You’ll often see coffee on store shelves or in online storefronts categorized by where it was grown. When coffee hounds see beans described as Ethiopian, there are a few assumptions they can make about what the coffee will be like once it’s ground and brewed. This article will delve into just what it is that makes Ethiopian coffee so special, so you can count on knowing exactly what it means for coffee beans to come from Ethiopia on your next shopping trip.
When trying out single origin coffees from roasteries and coffee farms from all over the world, you will no doubt run into quite a few Colombian and Ethiopean roasts along the way. Colombia and coffee are practically synonymous, and many people around the world think of coffee when they think of the country of Colombia. That is because Colombia is one of the top three coffee producing countries in the world, and has been in the top three for several decades.
Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee, and thousands of different varieties of coffee grow there in the wild. Ethiopia is the only country where coffee grows in the wild, which is why the coffee from Ethiopia has such a wide diversity in flavor and style.
QUESTION: How long does it take for coffee to kick in? I have been working a lot of late shifts lately and it’s hard to get up the next day. – Wade F ANSWER: To feel the effects of the caffeine from a cup of coffee, it generally takes about 10 minutes until you can … Read more
A little coffee company from Seattle opened their doors in 1972 to serve their own coffee roasts to the good people of Seattle. Just a few decades later, Starbucks coffee has become a behemoth in the coffee industry. These days, no matter where you live in the United States, outside of the smallest country towns, there seems to be a Starbucks on every corner. In bigger cities, it is not even an uncommon sight to see a Starbucks right across the street from another Starbucks. Comedian Lewis Black even has a joke about the phenomenon.
Starbucks became the kings of the fast-food coffee world seemingly overnight by offering what other fast-food coffee shops couldn’t possibly offer in terms of selection. At Starbucks, you can get any kind of coffee you could possibly want, served any way you like it. The other fast food places who simply offered regular coffee couldn’t possibly compete with the selection that Starbucks offered.
QUESTION: How long does coffee stay fresh after it is brewed? I brew a pot at home and want to know how long the coffee will stay good for me to drink throughout the day. — Sam B.
ANSWER: How long your coffee stays fresh depends on factors like how you store the coffee. That said, coffee is at its freshest immediately after it’s brewed, and a pot is only considered “fresh” for 30 minutes or so sitting on the counter. So if you like to drink coffee over the course of a day, it’s better to brew it multiple times in smaller amounts when you’re ready to drink some than to brew a giant pot and just leave it on the burner or in the carafe.
How long it is safe to drink is another question. Coffee brewed up to 12 hours ago and stored on the counter may not taste fresh, but it is safe to drink. In this article, we’ll discuss the different ways to store your brewed coffee and how long each method keeps coffee fresh.
Here’s where I’m also going to backtrack a little bit. If you’re currently leaving a pot of coffee on the burner all morning and drinking a cup six hours later and it tastes fine to you, then it might not be worth the trouble of brewing a fresh pot each time. But if you are the kind of person who likes high quality coffee, you’ll probably be able to taste the difference and it might be worth the hassle.
QUESTION: Why is Brazil famous for coffee? Is there anything actually special about it, or is it just some myth?- Meagan M.
ANSWER: Brazil is quite famous for its large-scale coffee production. South America is responsible for a great deal of the world’s coffee, but Brazil leads the way as the world’s most prolific coffee producer. Around 32% of the world’s coffee is produced in various locations around Brazil. With over 300,000 coffee farms within the country’s borders, and enough land dedicated to coffee farming to fit 2 million soccer fields, it’s safe to say that Brazilians know a thing or two about coffee.
Folgers coffee has been on the market since the 1850’s, and Maxwell house has been around since 1892, so both of these budget coffee corporations have been around for quite some time, providing American households with ready-to-brew, freshly roasted and ground coffee. Maxwell House has enjoyed superiority over Folgers as the number one coffee in America for nearly 100 years, but became the runner-up to Folgers in the 1990’s. Folgers has held the title of America’s number one budget coffee brand ever since.
In 2007, Maxwell House decided to use nothing but 100% arabica beans in their coffee blend, which gave them a noticeable edge over Folgers in taste, aroma, and overall quality. However, using 100% arabica beans is pricey, and in order to maintain competitive prices with Folgers and other budget brands, Maxwell House eventually had to go back to using a blend of both arabica and robusta beans to the detriment of their product.
QUESTION: How long is roasted coffee considered fresh? Does it make a difference if it’s an opened bag or not? – Nico K.
ANSWER: The key to getting the freshest cup of coffee is to buy beans that have a very recent date printed on them for when they were roasted so that you know exactly when the beans you purchase will be at their freshest. Coffee beans come into their prime freshness just three days after roasting. If you want truly fresh coffee, the window to brew it after the roast date is actually pretty small. Most sources will tell you that coffee beans are considered fresh for five to seven weeks after they are roasted. However, coffee aficionados will probably argue that the window is really more like two to three weeks maximum, and that coffee beans will begin to lose their flavor after just two and a half to three weeks time.
by Matt Gibson When shopping for some of the best single origin coffees you can find, you will doubtlessly come across several choice single origin roasts from Costa Rica and Ethiopia that demand consideration. Costa Rica is not one of the world’s biggest coffee producers, but the coffee that they make in Costa Rica is … Read more
QUESTION: How much coffee do I use for 8 cups of water? I don’t want watery coffee, but I don’t want to waste it either or make it gross. – Sharla F.
ANSWER: To make eight cups of coffee, we recommend using 14 to 18 tablespoons of ground coffee, using six ounces of water per cup. If you have a kitchen scale and like to use exact measurements when making your coffee, use 72 grams of ground coffee and 40 ounces of water to make an eight cup carafe of joe.
