Coffee roasters are unabashedly opinionated, and we are no exception. Sometimes we may sound bitterBitterness is one of 5 basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter and Umami (savory flavors). There are many types of bitterness, hence not one avenue to tracking down..., but our coffee is always sweet. Anyway…
Specialty coffeeSpecialty coffee was a term devised to mean higher levels of green coffee quality than average "industrial coffee" or "commercial coffee". At this point, the term is of...<coffee roastingThe application of heat to green coffee seeds (beans) to create palatable material for brewing a great cup!: Coffee roasting is a chemical process induced by heat, by... by a neighborhood shop was revived in response to the poor quality, factory-roasted, pre-ground (stale), instant coffees that were swilled in offices by the gallon. Unfortunately, former “mom and pop” roasters expanded into franchised operations with centralized roasting facilities, and venture capitalists mined the specialty coffee market for potential profits, distorting some of the facts to fit their product descriptions. The Millstone and Brothers brand coffees at a nearby supermarket claim to fresh. And you can buy CappuccinoAn espresso-based beverage with steamed silky milk on top, averaging 150-190 ml: Cappuccino is an espresso-based beverage with steamed silky milk on top, averaging 150-190 ml. in a little foil packet, or gurgling out of a machine at a truck stop.
Packaging technology has made possible the return of the corporate coffee empire in new clothing. There’s a whole hierarchy of the different foil-wrapped gas packing techniques, but I’m not very knowledgeable in this area. Our opinion is that vacuum-packed whole bean coffees are not fresh. Period!
If anything, vacuum packagingSealing coffee in an airtight container, with the air removed via vacuum. Green coffee and roasted coffee can both be vacuum packed to extend shelf life. In our... allows big businesses who can afford the equipment (it is very expensive) to treat coffee as any other type of inventory. Packaging prevents financial loss by preventing inventory from becoming unsalable, and allows big roasting plants to keep a large supply of roasted stock on hand to cover any surge in demand.
Of course there are chains who have capped their growth to maintain the quality of their product and respect the integrity of their customers. And there are chains that roast coffee in every location. While false varietal claims have caused recent scandals in the market, we think its scandalous that businesses who make high claims to quality aren’t more forward about the freshness of their roasts.
Now the caveat: some vacuum packed coffees are very, very good. Illycafe is wonderfully blended and results in an outstanding cup of coffee. Bad roasting, blending and poor storageGreen coffee can be stored much longer than roasted coffee: Roasted coffee starts to lose its aromatics in 10 days after roasting. Green coffee can be stored months... conditions can ruin even the freshest roast. I roasted coffee in a shop that did half their roasting in the morning and half at night. The guy who roasted at night couldn’t judge the degree of roastDegree of Roast simply means the roast level of a coffee, how dark it has been roasted.: Degree of Roast simply means the roast level of a coffee,... accurately under the dim incandescent lights, but he didn’t care much about roasting. (Incidentally, I was the guy who roasted during the day, and I quit soon after.) And among small shop roasters you may encounter a place that offers 15 flavored coffees, 20 varietals, ten blends and 8 decaf; it really can’t all be fresh.
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