Over the years many people have told us they store their coffee in the freezer to keep it fresh. We set the record straight about where you should store your coffee and we resolve other common myths. We also have some fun facts about coffee for your enjoyment.
Myths
Keeping your coffee in the freezer or refrigerator exposes your coffee to moisture. Coffee is extremely porous and may absorb smells from food in your freezer or refrigerator. The best way to keep your coffee fresh is storing it in an air tight container.
Some coffee roasting companies sell the hype that their coffee is “Mountain-Grown” when in fact all specialty coffee is Mountain Grown. While “Mountain-Grown” coffee does not denote quality, in fact, all Arabica beans must be grown at mountainous altitudes. There are more detailed classifications such as, Strictly Hard Bean, Supremo, AA, etc. that specify coffee quality.
Yes. But only if you live in Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Hawaii and Puerto Rico are the only regions in the United States that have a coffee growing climate. Typically, high quality coffee is grown in high altitudes on mountains in warm tropical regions with rich or volcanic soil.
The decaffeination process starts with green unroasted coffee. Coffee can be decaffeinated by one of three different methods, Methylene Chloride, Swiss Water Process, or the CO2 process. Regardless of the decaffeination process the coffee undergoes, there will be a very small amount of caffeine left in the coffee. To be sold in the United States as 'decaffeinated', 97% of the caffeine by weight must be removed, typically 99% of the caffeine by weight is removed.
All coffee is not the same! The two main species of coffee is grown on Arabica and Robusta trees. Robusta has 30% more caffeine, more oils and less aromatics. Arabica grows high on the mountain and produces a more desirable bean. Arabica is more delicate and yields less fruit. Arabica beans are the source of the world's best and most coveted coffee by connoisseurs. In addition to the two species, every growing region has its own unique qualities that flourish in its coffee beans. Finally, once coffee is harvested, coffee beans go through a grading classification system. The system grades and classifications are determined by the size of the beans, amount of defects in the bean, and overall quality of the green bean. Larger, blue-green, more developed beans are desirable and more expensive.
In addition to the classification of the green coffee, roasting and packaging are extremely important to quality and freshness. Non-specialty coffee beans are still able to attain a classification of specialty if the brewed cup of coffee attains a high enough score. Occurrences such as these are generally due to the differences in how the coffee has been roasted.
Espresso roasts do not contain more caffeine than the average cup. In fact, espresso contains as much caffeine as coffee, if not less. Due to the fact espresso roasts are generally roasted longer and darker, more caffeine is burned off during the roast.
Fun Facts
There is an ancient fable that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat farmer named Kaldi. He was looking for his herd when he found them dancing excitedly around a bush with red cherries. Curiosity got the best of him and he ate the bright red cherries himself. When it had the same effect on him he took some back to his village and shared the bright red cherries with local monks. The local monks found these bright red cherries helped them stay awake and attentive during prayers.
The story goes...During World War I, the Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Joe Daniels, banned serving all alcoholic beverages on ships. Coffee then became the drink of choice. The term 'cup of Joe' was coined in reference to him.
Did you know?
* Coffee Basics, a Quick and Easy Guide. Kevin Knox and Julie Sheldon Huffaker.
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