Coffee in the USA used to be very simple. There were a few major roasters and everyone generally drank the same beans roasted and brewed the same way.
At the same time coffee had different forms all over the world. There were Espresso style drinks from Italy, Turkish and Arabic coffees in the Middle East/Europe, and many more.
Today we have access to beans, brewing methods, and marketing jargon from all over the globe. This complicates things when just getting started!
It is our intention to trim the fat, demystify the bean, and get you started with a firm foundation.
Short Version:
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A “good” cup of coffee is the one that YOU enjoy.
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Coffee is as complex as you make it.
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All you need to make coffee:
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Ground Coffee
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Hot water
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A container to mix the two
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Dark coffee is more bitter than light coffee.
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The difference between light and dark coffee is how long it is roasted for.
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Don’t force yourself to drink coffee plain if you don’t like it. We started with cream and sugar too!
History shmistory. Teach me what makes a coffee “good”
A “good” cup of coffee is the one that YOU enjoy. It really is as simple as that!
Everyone has different preferences and that’s ok. Someone that grew up drinking traditional American coffee which is roasted extremely dark will prefer that coffee over someone who grew up drinking traditional Bosnian coffee which is roasted extremely light.
The only way to find out what you find good is by trying different coffees. That’s part of what makes it so fun! You’re able to explore different cultures, traditions, and flavors all from the comfort of your home.
REMEMBER : A “good” cup of coffee is the one that YOU enjoy. Don’t let someone bully you into thinking your taste is “bad” just because you don’t like the same things they do. Life is too short for that.
Ok so I have to try some beans first. Don’t I also need some other equipment?
The 3 main components of brewing coffee are:
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Ground Coffee
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Hot water
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A container to mix the two
As long as you have those you’re 80% of the way there!
The other 20% is your method of brewing. Simply put, brewing is just how you combine your coffee grounds and water.
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A beginner friendly brewing method is with an automatic drip coffee machine.
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You or someone you know may already have one.
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If you need to buy one there are very affordable options at your local retail store.
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For a detailed guide on brewing with an automatic drip machine, click here.
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You can check out all the different methods on brewing coffee in our blog, click here.
This is making sense. I still don’t like bitter coffee though.
Coffee is naturally bitter… to an extent. Some of that bitterness comes from the type of coffee. Robusta beans are inherently more bitter than Arabica beans. Most of the bitterness comes from the way the coffee is roasted. Dark roasted coffee is more bitter than light roasted coffee.
Robusta? Arabica? Roast? What on Earth are you talking about?
Time for a little vocabulary. Coffee can come from 3 species of plants.
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Arabica (Coffea Arabica)
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Robusta (Coffea Canefora)
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Liberica (Coffea Liberica)
The part that interests us is the bean. The bean is actually the seed found in the fruit of this plant, known as the coffee cherry.
This bean isn’t ready for human consumption just yet! First it must be roasted.
Roasting is how we prepare the bean before we we can grind and brew it.
The most popular method is using a drum coffee roaster. The beans are put in a metal drum that spins over flames so the beans can slowly roast. The longer the bean is heated this way the darker it becomes. This is how you can have light and dark versions of the same bean!
I. Still. Don’t. Like. Bitter. Coffee.
Ok, I get it. Sorry about that rambling. Back on track now.
The best ways to reduce bitter flavors are the following:
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Use a lighter roasted bean. Dark coffee spends more time in the coffee roaster and has a greater opportunity to develop these bitter elements.
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Mix your coffee with some cream. Popular choices are Oat milk, Almond milk, half and half, heavy cream, and good ole’ regular milk.
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Add your favorite sweetener. Sugar, Stevia, Splenda, etc. If you like it, use it.
Notes:
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Don’t force yourself to drink coffee plain if you don’t like it. We started with cream and sugar too!
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Soooo… What beans should I get?
To help you narrow down a good coffee we’ve created a quiz for you. Click here and you’re a minute away from a coffee you’ll love!
Final Notes
By now you should have a firm grasp of the basics of coffee, what it is, how it is made, and how to find your favorite!
We’re sure you will have some more questions so please do not hesitate to comment below, DM us on social media, or shoot us an email! We'll be more than happy to help :).