When I was preparing to write this week’s post, I set myself the task of thinking about the kitchen in a different way. What are the other things we do in the kitchen? Other than cooking, that is. Here’s my top five list of fave things to do in the kitchen:
5. HOMEWORK (I always hated being isolated in my bedroom when I was in school, now I help my kids do their homework at the kitchen table).
4. READ THE MAIL (Have you ever read your mail anywhere else? It would just somehow feel wrong to me to read it anywhere other than the kitchen table).
3. CRAFTS (probably the same logic as above, or maybe it’s just got better lighting, but I love to scrapbook in the kitchen, and it’s the #1 location for my kids to do their own crafts, as well).
2. PHONE CALLS (of course in the old days, you had to take your phone calls in the kitchen…it was the only room with a phone! These days it’s still the most-used phone in my house).
But my absolute, favourite NUMBER ONE activity to pursue in the kitchen is sharing a cup of coffee with friends. Setting out a plate of banana bread, muffins or cookies and smelling that delicious hot bevvie brewing…nothing makes me feel more relaxed and generally satisfied with life!
Even when I didn’t enjoy drinking coffee, I loved smelling it. Maybe it started with my mom, who used to kiss me good-bye in the mornings with the smell of coffee on her breath, or maybe it was fond memories of all-nighters with friends in university – pots and pots of java to keep us awake. Or maybe coffee just smells that good on its own.
But whatever the reason, I have developed a very, very strong affinity for drinking coffee. And over the years, that affinity has developed into a passion for truly fine coffee. My husband also shares this passion, and we’ve spent years researching everything from the origins of coffee drinking to the many subtle taste differences inherent in each region’s beans to the incredible importance of roast quality. For us, coffee is the new wine.
So I thought we’d focus on coffee this week in Kitchen Party. And not just your average humdrum cup of joe, either. No, this week I’m going to give you tutorial in fine coffee – once you’ve tasted it, you’ll never be satisfied with less!
Lesson One: Yes, There is a Difference
First of all, there are two types of coffee beans: coffea arabica and coffea robusta. Arabica beans are generally agreed to be superior, but by far the majority of beans grown and sold on the world coffee market are the robusta variety. The arabica bean is considered to be better for several reasons. First, it has a milder, less bitter taste. Secondly, it has a lower caffeine content than robusta. The problem is, as a plant it’s a bit less, well, robust than its cousin, the robusta bean. Arabica coffee beans are harder to grow and produce a superior cup of coffee, so on the world coffee market, green (unroasted) arabica beans sell for a lot more than robusta beans.
COFFEE TIP 1: Always buy 100% ARABICA. You can taste the difference.
Lesson Two: Get In On The Daily Grind
There are two huge reasons to stop buying pre-ground coffee and grind your own whole beans. (I won’t even TOUCH the topic of instant coffee *shudder*)
Reason One: By law, up to 30% of ground coffee can contain "non-coffee" ingredients. These would include small stones, twigs, leaves, etc. that are so small they slip through during the sorting process. That means when you buy your big bucket of Timmy’s, not only are you getting a lower quality bean and higher caffeine content (robusta vs. arabica, see above), but it’s entirely possible that only 70% of that can actually contains coffee. Now you know what the "secret ingredient" is that everyone is addicted to in Timmy’s. Blech.
Reason Two: Most of the over 200 different flavour compounds in coffee are released as volatile oils when the beans are ground. Within 20 minutes of grinding, most of those oils have off-gassed. That means that your coffee will be left tasting flat. If you grind it yourself right before brewing, your cup will runneth over with remarkably complex coffee flavour.
COFFEE TIP 2: Buy a grinder – and use it! As a bonus, coffee grinders can do double-duty as spice grinders, too. Just be sure to wash the interior before switching…both coffee and spices pack a pretty concentrated taste whollop that you wouldn’t want to overlap. Check out these Cuisinart grinders – both are excellent, but a true coffee conoisseur will recommend the burr grinder.
and here’s a cool idea, a grinder/coffeemaker in one…
Lesson Three: Fresh is Best
As I mentioned above, most of coffee’s flavour comes from volatile oils in the beans, much of which off-gases immediately when the beans are ground. So always be sure to brew immediately after grinding for the freshest coffee. But a fact that often goes overlooked is that a lot of the best flavour compounds fade over time beginning immediately after roasting. Coffee is therefore best enjoyed about from 48 hours after roasting until 2 weeks after roasting. More than that, and you will have lost a great deal of the more subtle, complex flavours in your bean. And at around $15-$20 (or a lot more!) per pound, that’s a real waste.
COFFEE TIP 3: Buy freshly-roasted beans from a local roaster. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds! With a little googling, you should be able to find a local coffee roaster in your area, or even one that will deliver coffee to your doorstep within a few days of roasting. Mostly these local roasters are small businesses with an ethical business philosophy who sell organic, fair-trade beans in order to provide the grower cooperatives with fair prices for their coffee.
Here are two that I can personally recommend: