One of the most popular types of beverages in the world is coffee. Coffee is available from most cafes, restaurants and shops worldwide. You can even produce high-quality coffee from the comforts of your own home. Before rushing into making coffee, there are some key things that you should be aware of. This article will explain the different types of coffee beans that exist, what sort of coffee you should be drinking, and what equipment you may need. Let’s dive in.
There Are Different Types Of Coffee Beans
Before we delve further into the details of different types of coffees that you can drink, it’s worth being aware of the different coffee beans that exist. There are a few variations, all of which offer different flavors, aromas and uses.
For example, you have Arabian coffee, which is also known as coffea arabica. This mountain coffee was one of the first cultivated species of coffee and is responsible for the majority of worldwide coffee production. You will find that this type of coffee bean is grown mainly in Latin America. This bean has a sweet and soft taste, infused with hints of fruity flavors. Arabica beans grow at high altitudes and aren’t the easiest to harvest, often taking a few years to be fully developed.
The other main type of coffee bean in the world is the Robusta coffee bean, also known as coffea canephora. This coffee bean can be grown mainly in Africa and Indonesia and has a slightly different texture and taste. The taste here is stronger, and usually contains almost double the amount of caffeine. This can be an acquired taste for many individuals, with the taste being harsh and nuttier for some. It’s important to note that this type of bean is easier to grow and cheaper to produce. This bean is often used to make instant coffee, and it is common in the US.
The most uncommon type of coffee that you should be familiar with is the coffea liberica. Liberica coffee beans are responsible for only 3% of the world’s coffee production. This type of bean has a fruity aroma and smoky flavor. It’s important to be aware of the different coffee beans that exist so that you can experiment with them and find a type of coffee that works for you.
Best Coffee For Beginners
Now that you understand a bit more about coffee in general, you may be wondering what you want to start with. It all depends on what you’re looking for in coffee. For example, if you want to savor the texture and flavor found in coffee, then you will want to look into black coffee. This type of coffee is more bitter and has a slightly burnt taste. For this reason, many are often put off this type of coffee due to the intense taste.
If you’re looking to try a popular type of coffee, then you may want to look into a latte. A latte can help counter some of these intense tastes by adding milk into the equation. Cup & Bean have an excellent guide on coffee for beginners, including giving your more information on the customization options that exist for lattes. You can have this milk hot for a hot latte, or you could serve it cold over ice to have an iced latte. You can add further flavor into the mix by adding some sugary flavored syrup, such as caramel. Otherwise, you can add some sugar or honey to get the coffee slightly sweeter.
Once you are used to a latte and all the different variations, then it could be a good idea to try a cappuccino. This type of coffee is slightly stronger than a latte, as it has less milk inside. Not only does it have less milk, but it is also often served in a smaller cup. A cappuccino is often paired with some sugar inside before being topped off with some chocolate sprinkles or cinnamon to add to the flavor.
For a type of coffee that gives you the chance to explore the flavors of the coffee bean, you should explore the americano. An americano adds hot water to your coffee, meaning that you don’t dilute the flavor with milk. Water will allow you to taste pure coffee without anything else interrupting it. However, if you are still finding that the taste is too strong, then you could look to add some milk or sweeteners to make it less harsh.
It may take you some time to get used to the taste of coffee, which is why many people ease into it with the help of hot chocolate. Mixing coffee and hot chocolate creates something known as a mocha, and you can also add whipped cream if you fancy it.
You May Need Some Coffee Equipment
If you want to produce coffee from home, you will need some useful equipment to make it effectively. Depending on what sort of coffee you’re hoping to produce, there can be a wide range of gear you may need and some equipment that can make the process easier.
If you want to brew coffee yourself, then a kitchen scale will help you measure how many beans you need per cup. It will also help you produce various coffees, but it is not needed for the most basic of coffee-producing needs.
To produce the freshest coffee possible, you will need to grind your coffee on the day you’re looking to make the coffee. This will require you to purchase a coffee grinder. A coffee grinder can be used to grind your beans right before you brew, allowing the grounded coffee beans to retain all the flavors and aromas.
Of course, you will also need a vessel of some kind that can make your coffee. There are a few different types, from an espresso machine to an auto-drip coffee maker. The espresso machine will force a tiny amount of water through finely grounded coffee beans, leading to excess steam. This generally leads to thicker and more highly-concentrated amounts of dissolved solids in coffee.
A French press is a device that has a plunger and filter inside. Ground coffee is placed inside with hot water in a beaker for a few minutes before the plunger presses down and separates the coffee grounds. The end result will be smooth and rich flavored coffee, a popular choice for restaurants wanting to be more continental.
Turkish coffee can be prepared with finely grounded coffee beans. Interestingly, this type of coffee is left unfiltered inside the Turkish pot. This allows the flavor to sit longer in the mix and can be brewed with a mix of spices. Turkish coffee is usually brewed in a pot with cardamom and sugar to give it a unique flavor.
You could also use a Moka pot or an AeroPress to make more defined coffee. If you are looking for other equipment, you may want to consider a steamer that can heat up your milk to add to coffee yourself. You can also purchase a temperature gauge to measure how hot the milk is heating up and look into various stirrers too. There is a wide range of coffee accessories that you should consider looking into if you want to get into coffee.
