Some of you may not knowit, but not all coffee is the same. People walk up to the “black pot of caffeine” and pour a cup, never knowing what kind of coffee is inside, or how long it has been on the burner. Known to us, there are two types of coffee: one is Arabica and the other is Robusta. Many people never give a second thought to the differences between the two. But I’m about to tell why this difference is so important.
The Robusta coffee bean is the cheapest of all coffee beans. It often has a higher content of caffeine, yet is also a harsher tasting cup of coffee. This is the same type of coffee that is often found in cafes, supermarkets, gas stations, and many other places of employment. Yes, I promise everyone in the world that drinks coffee has had a cup of this kind of coffee. This type of coffee is harvested with machines, thus making the bean inconsistent in maturity from one bean to the next. Many of you will see this in the super market with slogans such as “freeze dried and fresh.” The truth is that once the coffee is ground, it starts to go stale within 20 minutes.
The flipside to the Robusta bean is the Arabica bean. Arabica coffee beans are the coffee beans that Flavia and Alterra use to make there blend. Arabica is the gourmet choice of coffee. It is often hand picked for the finest and ripest berries. The Arabica bean has a little less caffeine than its counterpart, the Robusta bean. Plus, Arabica bean is sought around the world because its bean has a more balanced taste and is less bitter after it is roasted. This coffee is higher in price only because of the extended length of time they spend making sure the quality is the highest.
Flavia and Alterra is so picky about the beans they use; only 8% to 10% are chosen to go into there blends. Once they receive the coffee, they put it through a taste-sampling process. The coffee is taken from huge bags and only a small part of each bag is tested. Then, Alterra will grind this green bean and do what is called “cupping.” It works like this: First, they place the coffee beans on a Lazy Susan. Then, each “cupper” will use a spoon to literally suck the coffee beans into their mouths very quickly. Then, equally as fast, they will spit them out. This is done so they can evaluate the aftertaste–whether it was it bitter, acidic, fruity, etc. They also evaluate the smell. It takes years for a “cupper” to learn what a good coffee is before it is roasted.
Flavia and Alterra work hard to make sure that every cup that goes into your single cup brewer is the finest cup possible. They keep it fresh just as if it was ground right there at your home. You know, the secret to great coffee is to keep oxygen from the coffee, because oxygen makes the coffee go stale within minutes. Flavia patented a system that drives out the oxygen and is packed with nitrogen, which keeps the coffee fresh until you put it into your single cup coffee system.
Until next time, try telling the difference in blends.
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