It’s part of the morning grind for 83 percent of Americans in 2013 and comprises a $30 billion industry, according to a March 2012 study by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. It would appear that the quest for a good cup of coffee, or perhaps any coffee, is a daily endeavor.
Stopping by the local coffee shop during the morning commute is still considered a staple, but consumption is hardly confined there. The National Coffee Association of USA says home preparation is up 4 percentage points at 86 percent of coffee drinkers polled.
So just how can one make the best quality cup of coffee when brewing at home? Paul Kemerling, owner of Relax, It’s Just Coffee located at 105 North Main Street in Mansfield, may have the answer.
“There are basically four components to a good cup of coffee: quality of the coffee, quality of the grind, quality of the machine, and the hand of the barista,” said Kemerling. “Those four things come together to make an exceptional cup of coffee. You don’t have to be a trained barista to make a good cup of coffee at home, but you do have to have good coffee, good grind, and a good process even if you don’t have a machine.”
The first component, quality coffee, starts with the smallest element: the coffee bean. Kemerling said there are three major coffee-growing regions: Africa, Indonesia and Central and South America.
“Each of them has distinct characteristics related to coffee shrubs that are cultivated there, the environment, and the soil, all of that comes into the mix,” explained Kemerling. “In Central and South America, coffees tend to be lighter, brighter and fruiter. Indonesian and African coffees tend to be a little darker, a little earthier. Each of them cultivates distinct flavors based on the type of coffee shrub, where it’s from and how it’s processed. Those variables are almost infinite.”
A standardized tasting and aroma wheel is published and updated annually by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, allowing roasters and buyers to classify coffees.
The bean itself is not the only thing that affects the taste of the coffee bean; it also depends on the roast. Kemerling noted many people have a hard time getting their mind around the differences between a dark roast and a light or medium roast coffee.
“What’s interesting though is that cup of coffee actually has less caffeine in it than a light or medium roast,” he said. “The longer a bean is roasted, the less caffeine remains in that bean because the caffeine is actually roasted out. If you’re looking for a caffeine kick you’re actually going to want a light or a medium roast as opposed to a dark roast, but if you’re looking for a strong, rich flavor, you’re going to want a dark roast.”
Kemerling recommends buying whole beans for at-home roasting before moving to the second component: the grind. While brewing coffee, Kemerling noted the consistency of the grind can depend on the method of brewing. With a French press, Kemmerling recommends a coarse grind, whereas with a pour-over he recommends a medium grind.
“We’re looking for a timed extraction (when using a pour-over),” said Kemerling. “If it takes too long the coffee is probably ground too finely and it might end up tasting a little strong. If it goes too fast, the coffee was ground too coarsely and you probably won’t get a full coffee flavor. What we like to do is find that happy medium.”
With the brewing methods comes the third component: the machine. Kemerling demonstrated two techniques for brewing at home, the Chemex pour-over pot and the French press.
“Chemex is basically a way to do a pour-over in a pot as opposed to one cup at a time,” explained Kemerling. “The French press is something a lot of home brewers have.”
Both brewing methods require one trade secret for a truly great cup of coffee – an initial soak of the coffee grinds to let the coffee “bloom.” After wetting the coffee grinds to let them bubble and expand, Kemerling explained the chemistry behind the coffee.
“Coffee is very high in carbon dioxide (Co2); the Co2 is naturally occurring as the coffee shrub pulls Co2 out of the air for it’s process, and that Co2 is actually stored in the coffee beans,” said Kemerling. “When the coffee bean is roasted, what you’re actually doing is you’re creating both an internal and an external chemical reaction in that bean. Part of what’s happening is the chemicals within the coffee bean are translated into coffee oil – that coffee oil is where we get the flavor and the aroma. What remains in the coffee is Co2 gas.”
Kemerling noted in a normal auto-drip coffee maker, the coffee grounds actually get drowned as the Co2 then works its way into your coffee pot and into your cup.
“Co2 is actually what makes coffee taste bitter,” he explained. “By brewing this way, what we do is we actually allow the coffee to ‘bloom’ by doing an initial soak, releasing that gas so then as we’re brewing into the pot what we’re actually getting is more coffee oil, less Co2, less bitter and more flavor.”
Using the Chemex pot, Kemerling pours hot water over coffee grounds, which then passes through the coffee and drips into the pot.
“We’re creating a funnel that’s going to channel the extracted solids from the coffee and the coffee oils into a place that will be concentrated and filtered down into a cup,” he said. “This particular method I like to use for Central and South American coffees that are a little bit lighter and brighter.”
The French press, on the other hand, brews by actually immersing the coffee grounds in water for a darker, richer coffee. Kemerling recommends Indonesian and African coffees when using a French press.
“In this process the coffee is actually moving within the water,” said Kemerling. “Once the oil has released from the grind, you’ll see the grinds start to float up towards the top. Based on your preference, in three to five minutes you’ll be ready to plunge this and pour a cup of coffee.”
When it comes time to pour, Kemerling said it’s best to warm the brewing machine as well as the coffee cup to produce the best cup of coffee.
“You never want to brew in a cold vessel and you never want to pour into a cold cup,” he said. “What that will actually do is shock the coffee. We’re brewing at high temperature, we’re extracting the oil, and we want to pour into something that’s hot.”
Kemerling emphasized much of home brewing is about personal preference, which brings about the fourth component: the hand of the barista. The key being the “barista” may not always be found in a coffee shop.
“It really isn’t complicated even though we inside of coffee like to let people know how much we know, and we to have the opportunity to share our passion,” he said. “It really is about quality coffee, a quality grind, a quality process, and then your own hand. It doesn’t have to be ‘the hand of the barista,’ it can be your hand, because at home you are the barista.”
Ask the Expert is a series, in which, we will look to local businesses for things they do well and can share with our readers. We hope to gather practical tips, behind-the-scenes-insight and a greater appreciation for the talented professionals right here in our community.
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