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Keep
it under wraps
There are many
opinions on the best method to store roasted coffee. However, experts
seem to universally agree that exposure to oxygen stales coffee.
Staling accelerates rapidly once beans are ground.
Therefore,
for the most flavorful, fresh-tasting coffee, we recommend
that you:
- Buy fresh,
whole-roasted beans from a top-quality specialty coffee roaster,
such as Motley Brew Coffee Co.
- Purchase
beans packaged in a quality bag with a one-way valve so that damaging
gases may escape but not re-enter the bag.
- Further
remove air from an opened bag by rolling the top of the bag as
far down as possible and securing it with a kitchen bag clamp
or tape.
- Store the
whole
beans in an airtight container put in a dark place. If you
will not be using the beans within two weeks, store them in the
freezer, also in an airtight container. Never refreeze thawed
beans.
Following
these steps will greatly reduce staleness and contaminating odors.
Brew's Clues
Coffee preparation
and brewing techniques are as critical to coffee flavor as roasting
methods. Again, we recommend that you first buy only freshly-roasted,
whole beans. We further suggest the following steps so that every
cup of coffee you drink tastes fresh and delicious.
- Grind fresh
whole beans at home using a good-quality grinder, following the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
- A
good quality coffee or espresso maker can make or break
your coffee experience. While the best coffee/espresso makers
tend to be expensive, they’ll greatly enhance your
coffee’s flavor and body. If you use a drip coffee
maker, use a quality gold tone filter. Paper filters not
only remove the oils essential to flavor and body, but they
may introduce chemical processing tastes from the paper
itself.
- Allowing
the coffee to sit on a burner is a no-no because it literally
continues to cook. Ongoing chemical changes in the coffee
then diminish flavor and introduce highly disagreeable flavors.
Putting a freshly-brewed pot of coffee into a carafe or
airpot will maintain its freshness and taste for up to one
hour.
For an in-depth
discussion of various brewing techniques and how they complement
different coffees, we recommend two books:
Coffee Basics,
A Quick and Easy Guide
By Kevin Knox and Julie Sheldon Huffaker
The World
Encyclopedia of Coffee
by Mary Banks, Christine McFadden and Catherine Atkinson
We found these
books informative, easily understood, and fundamental to our continuing-education
of coffee.
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