Posted on 08/02/2022 12:25:50 AM PDT by LibWhacker
Researcher Addis Alemayehu with collected coffee cherries drying on a wire mesh. A research group in Ethiopia studied production methods and bean processing methods of Arabica coffee to determine which factors influenced the flavor the most. Credit: Fikadu Ejigu But is it the type of bean, the way it is grown—or the way it is processed that makes the most of every last drop of coffee?
Researchers recently published a paper about this question in Agrosystems, Geosciences and Environment journal. The journal is a publication of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
Addis Alemayehu and a research team at Southern Agricultural Research Institute in Ethiopia studied Arabica coffee. Ethiopia is Africa's leading country for coffee bean production, and Arabica is the leading variety.
"Arabica coffee is an integral part of the southwestern Ethiopian tropical forest agroecology," says Alemayehu. "The forest ecosystems create conducive conditions for producing distinctive quality coffee. They also are a good source of income for farmers."
"Coffee production and processing systems are the primary factors that determine the overall quality of coffee produced in a specific environment," says Alemayehu.
Many factors influence the growth and development of coffee plants, including:
altitude, rainfall pattern, temperature, relative humidity, light, moisture, and soil nutrients These factors then influence the quality of the bean, and of the biochemicals inside the bean that influence the coffee quality.
Coffee cherries grow in various systems within the Kaffa Zone, in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. This photo shows coffee growing in semi-forest coffee system. Researchers collected the red coffee berries and studied various processing methods and how they influence coffee quality. Credit: Addis Alemayehu The research team studied coffee crops from three different regions. All the regions were within the Kafa Biosphere Reserve in Kaffa Zone, in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. The growing regions ranged from over 1,500 feet high (comparable to Arizona's Camelback Mountains) to over 11,000 feet (similar to the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah). The temperature and rainfall varied at each site, as did some of the growing practices. This gave the team data on production and growth habits that may influence coffee bean quality.
To study bean processing's influence on bean quality, the team collected the ripe cherries (unprocessed beans) at study sites from October to December 2018. Each sample was divided into three equal amounts to apply the three processing methods: dry, semi-wet and wet processing:
Dry processing means coffee cherries were sundried. Wet processing means coffee cherries are pulped with machine. The beans are then fermented as part of the wet processing method. Semi-wet processing means coffee cherries pulped with machine and hand washed, then parchment coffees with mucilage cover were sundried. Professional coffee testers participated in the testing phase of the research. They participated in the physical, raw, and cup testing procedures.
"We need to keep bean moisture content high within the recommended range to get better cup quality, specifically coffee acidity," says Alemayehu. "The study confirms that better quality coffees come from selective hand-picking of red-ripe cherries. In addition, it is better to use the dry processing method within the recommended range of green bean moisture content."
Because of deforestation, the genetic material of Arabica coffee is stored in a preserve, called the Kafa Biosphere Reserve which was established in 2010 as a UNESCO site. The United States preserves both seeds and genetic materials in seed banks. In addition, some sites, like the Wild Chile Botanical Area in Arizona preserve live plants, similar to Ethiopia's UNESCO site.
Pure 100% Kona is rather expensive, though.
So a Kona BLEND is a reasonably priced option.
I like Don Francisco - good, reasonably priced and available:
(This isn't a commercial - it's just what I drink.)
Now I’m confused. When did coffee beans turn into coffee cherries?
I also drink Kona, but 100% pure Kona Volcanic Estate, at $79/lb. There’s also Jamaican Blue Mountain at $92/lb, which is mild compared to Kona. I have both but drink Kona 95% of the time.
Me too (coffee aficionado). I'm not quite as far out on the scale as you, though. I have experimented with all kinds of specialty coffees. I always buy medium roast whole beans and grind them as needed. I usually buy a 10-day supply and keep the beans in an airtight container. My water pot heats to about 200 degrees, and I use a pour-over. My 2+ daily cups go into a handheld thermos for heat freshness. This all works great for me. The coffee taste is preserved and is excellent.
By the way, this is done every day and takes about 5 minutes. One of my few splurges and worth every bit of the effort!
Now, the beans. My current favorite is Brazil. There are many regions of Arabica coffee production in Brazil, but this coffee is from Minas Gerais. I do change beans from time to time as beans come and go, but this one is one of the best. Another favorite is Yukon Gold, but it is a little more difficult to find.
Good luck to those who take this route -- and even to those who pop a k-cup house brew into a Keurig machine.:-)
“Study shows top ‘ingredient’ to good-tasting coffee”
Hot water?
I use Chock full O’ Liberals (sorry, Nuts) Coffee.. I have some in my Thermos cup... Keep it hot for 8 hours...
My nephew recommended it a couple of years ago, and now it's the only thing my wife and I drink.
In younger days, we like Bokar Columbian. They don't make it any more.
Starbucks is pure puke. Avoid like the plague!
CA....
I only am able to drink decaf.
there is a roaster that not only has decaf, but has several different decafs. Not decaf flavors but decaf beans. Swift River Roasters
Very nice coffee, reasonably priced
I buy the beans grind them and use a French press, believe it or not, the old Mr. coffee French press works for me. 12 dollars each
I’m with you here. I built my own coffee roaster using a modified flour sifter and heat gun from Harbor Freight. I used Ecuadorian coffee beans when I lived there but now use Costa Rica and Colombian. I take my roast about 30 Seconds into second pop. I only roast seven days worth of beans and use an espresso machine to make my Americano.
After many years of trying many different ways to master coffee brewing (percolator coffee pots are the best), I finally got to a point where I can’t drink much of it anymore without feeling jittery, on edge. Just thankful I’m not a wine expert!
What really improved our coffee was starting with a better filter for our water.
There’s some store brands tho’ that melt-water from Himalayan glaciers won’t save. I think those beans are picked under ripe and sold cheap.
I’m with you guys. I’ve learned (as you have, too) that such a headline is usually a tease and I quickly skim the article to see if the true “secret” is revealed. It almost never is.
I like the McDonalds sludge.
My brother in-law has a coffee roasting business and he gets his beans from all over the world. Each country has it's own flavor. Coffee from New Guinea I like the best for flavor. If I want coffee with a rich flavor with some "kick" I drink Ethiopian.
Pay less and try the blue beaned Sidamo from Ethiopia. It is hard to find because it is very popular in Europe.
The MOST expensive coffee I’ve ever drank was called Kopi something and it wasn’t any better than the discount Dollar General Maxwell house I drink every morning… it actually had an extra aftertaste I didn’t care for.
That is also good stuff - I have had it several times.
A lower cost 'almost' approximation is 'Jamaican Me Crazy' from Wolfgang Puck.
I can close my eyes, drink it, and pretend it's Blue Mountain.
I read somewhere that the half-life of caffeine is around 5 hours. If you are letting 5 or more hours elapse after your last cup it should not keep you awake. 5-Hour energy drinks have about the same caffeine as coffee, hence the name.
Starbucks is made from over-roasted, burnt beans.
Yes, it is gross.
It's like the coffee you get at a gas station that's been sitting on the warmer for 8 hours.
Stale, bitter, oxidized, undrinkable.
I was a coffee technician in the Folger Products Research Group in 1967-1968. Folgers bought almost all of the Ethiopian coffee production and was preferred in blind testing to all other brands.
I think Black Silk is a remnant of the legacy blend from Folger’s past.
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