Coffee-So Darn Expensive

I always cringe when that is the first question from a
restaurateur, and my response is always the same - "Is price
more important than taste"?

I always cringe when that is the first question from a
restaurateur, and my response is always the same - "Is price
more important than taste"?

Consider the following - restaurants usually sell a cup of
coffee for about one dollar. And when they pay $6.00 per pound
for coffee, their cost per cup is about ten cents, (which means
their profit is ninety cents). So the difference in their profit
between $6.00 per pound and $3.00 per pound is the incredible
sum of five cents per cup. However, the real difference will be
in the taste of the coffee.

The taste difference is even greater with coffee brewed in an
espresso machine since an espresso machine is an amplifier. It
will highlight a really good coffee, but conversely, it will
also amplify any faults with that coffee.

Remember, espresso is not a type of bean, but is a method of
brewing coffee. Espresso coffee is tightly packed (7 grams),
through which hot water (198 degrees F) is forced at high
mechanical pressure (132 psi). The resultant one and a half
fluid ounces is the elixir known as espresso, and many countries
could be conquered before 9:00 am if their population were to be
deprived of this magic "elixir"!

A commonly mistaken thought is that coffee used in espresso
machines should be dark roasted - WRONG! When beans are darkly
over-roasted, all the oils come to the surface giving the
impression that the roasted coffee has been coated with grease.
These oils contain much of the flavor of the coffee and when
brought to the surface by over-roasting, they will be lost when
handled, stored, and of course, when they are ground. Since
coffee is really "cooked" three times, (the first during
roasting; second when ground since the grinder creates heat; and
thirdly when brewed), over-roasting will produce a bitter/burnt
taste when brewed as an espresso.

Let me return to my original point as to why better coffee
beans cost more. Coffee beans are an agrarian product, and like
all crops they are subject to climate, soil, and growing and
harvesting methods. Coffee plants that are treated better will
produce a better crop.

Coffee harvested by hand will produce a higher quality product.
A mechanical harvester only goes through once plucking ripe and
unripe berries simultaneously. Manual harvesting takes place
over a period of time and the pickers only pluck the ripe fruit,
avoiding the unripe berries.

Sorting takes place at the plantation AND at the roaster. The
better the sorting, the better the coffee. This process begins
with the removal of stones (which can ruin your grinder),
branches, leaves, poisonous spiders, (just joking, I think), and
continues with the removal of broken, misshapen, and bad beans.
This is critical since a broken or misshapen piece could roast
quicker than the other beans, and will affect the quality of the
finished batch.

Blending must take place after roasting. Different batches of
beans from different plantations and countries will roast at
different times and temperatures. Throwing different green beans
together will result in some beans being under-roasted while
others are burnt. Expert blending (or cupping as it is known) of
roasted beans will ensure the best and most consistent flavor.

Packing the perfectly roasted and blended beans will ensure
that you are sold the product in peak condition. Coffee begins
to oxidize and lose its flavor and aroma as soon as the roasting
process is finished. It's essential that the coffee is packed in
lightproof and airproof bags that have been nitrogen flushed
and/or vacuum packed. The bag should also have a unilateral
valve to allow carbon dioxide to escape.

From the rambling monologue above, it's easy to see that
short-cuts can be made to the coffee preparation process, but
quality will only cost a few pennies more per cup. And remember
- your coffee may be the last item that your customer tastes
before leaving your restaurant.

About The Author: JH Reynolds is a coffee enthusiast who
travels around the world in search of the best beans and exotic
flavors. To find out more about the exquisite art of coffee,
please visit http://www.coffeeki ngsite.com

Article Source:  http://www.camelotarticles.com