As you know, taste is everything, and it's hard to find one type of coffee that hits the bull's eye in everyone's taste buds. That's why it's a good idea to do some testing to find your favourite.
In essence, a coffee cup consists of two ingredients: Water and coffee, and although the most crucial to the taste are the coffee beans, the water has a big impact on the end result.
- The quality of the water and the mineral content of the water used is of great importance and is thus an important factor on the way to a well-brewed cup of coffee. For those of us who live in Norway/Sweden/Finland/Denmark, we are nevertheless fortunate that the water in the vast majority of places is of very good quality and is well suited to brewing coffee. That's what CEO of Wilfa Morten Hoff says.
The properties of coffee beans
With good water in place, it's time to delve into the second and slightly more exciting ingredient: coffee beans.
We usually distinguish between three main types of coffee beans:
- Coffea Arabica: Makes up 75-80 percent of all coffee. It has a mild, fresh and acidic flavor, and is used in most coffees in the Nordic countries.
- Coffea Robusta: Makes up 20-25 percent of all coffee. Tastes full-bodied, with a woody flavor. Mainly used in espresso and is considered a less exclusive coffee than Arabica.
- Coffea Liberica: Is hardly to be reckoned with in prevalence. The taste can be reminiscent of Robusta, but is more full-bodied and powerful.
Within these types, there is a sea of different flavors, qualities and degrees of roast. But with a little vigilance in the store, it's easy to distinguish between good and bad beans.
- The more information there is on the bag in the store, the greater the chance that the coffee is of good quality. Look for information such as farm name, variety, process, harvest date, roast date and degree of roast. "If the only information provided is that the beans are grown 'high above sea level in volcanic soil', the chances of the coffee being of the highest quality are slim," says Hoff.
The barista also points to the country from which the coffee originates as a good indication of taste.
Generally speaking, coffees from East Africa are often fruity, intense and have a lot of freshness and acidity. Coffees from India and Brazil are often more rustic with flavors of nuts and chocolate, while coffees from Colombia and Central America are often sweet with some freshness and fruitiness.
Burn rate and roast date
How long and at what temperature the coffee beans are roasted during production also has a major impact on flavor. This is often referred to as the degree of roasting, and we usually distinguish between dark and light.
- Dark roast tastes bitter and strong, while light roast often has more acidity and fruity and floral flavors. Dark roasts are also often perceived as stronger than light roasts, even though strength is not about the degree of roast but about the mixing ratio," says Hoff.
In addition to the degree of roast, you may want to check the roast date on the beans, as roasted coffee has a limited shelf life. If the coffee is left for too long, the oils and fats that give it its great taste will oxidize, and you run the risk of losing a lot of that great taste.
- Coffee is at its best within five weeks of roasting, but will also taste a little strange in the first few days. That's why it's important to buy as fresh as possible," says hoff, before making a general recommendation:
- Go to a small distillery near you and ask for tips and advice. At these places you have a much wider selection and the chances are greater that you will find your personal favorite coffee.