Preparing not just natural, but the same delicious coffee as in a cafe in your kitchen is not at all as difficult as it might seem. In this matter, it is important to know a few professional subtleties and simple rules. Daria Soboleva, a barista-trainer from Paulig, a certified SCAE judge, winner of the WBC Russian Barista Championship will help us to understand them.
Roasting
The taste of the finished drink strongly depends on the correct choice of the degree of roasting of the beans (as well as the size of grinding ─ of the second category, which we will consider). In total, there are five degrees of roasting. It is recommended to choose your own, focusing on your own preferences.
The first degree of roast is the lightest and is often called "cinnamon". The finished grains look different from the ones we are used to: they are light brown, even greenish. The coffee tastes sour and is absolutely not suitable for making espresso. For those sensitive to sourness, it is recommended to add a little warm milk to the prepared coffee: the sour taste will be neutralized, and only a pleasant coffee and milk will remain.
The second stage of roasting gives the beans a chocolate brown hue, and the finished coffee has a soft caramel flavor. This roast level is suitable for freshly brewed turkish coffee. A nice moment: lovers of coffee with sugar should not worry about their figure - the drink itself is sweetish, so you can exclude additional sweeteners.
With a stronger third degree roast, a coffee with a pronounced rich aroma is obtained. It contains a few "singed" notes and a slight bitterness. The grains themselves are glossy, dark brown in color. By the way, this particular roasting option is mainly used to prepare classic espresso.
The fourth degree of roasting neutralizes sourness, this method gives the finished coffee a rich, pronounced taste and strength. The beans are dark and oily and make an excellent base for any coffee drink.
Black, almost charred grains with a shiny surface from oil are obtained at the strongest fifth degree. This option is the best choice for those who prefer tart coffee with bitterness.
Grinding
Before you start brewing your perfect cup of coffee, you need to choose the right grind. The grinding degree depends on the coffee preparation method.
The legendary French press uses the coarsest grind. The coffee particles are up to 0.8 mm in size, and the process itself takes about 10 seconds if you use a classic electric coffee grinder.
For a 5-minute method of brewing coffee in a cup, the same coarse grind will work, which will take 11 seconds of your time.
For a drip coffee maker and a coffee maker with a paper filter, a medium grind is required. The size of the coffee particles here is up to 0.5 mm, it will take about 12 seconds.
For a geyser coffee maker ─ a must have for homemade coffee among Italians ─ you need a finer grind, the duration of which slightly increases (grind the coffee for an average of 15-20 seconds).
The coffee machine uses a fine grind. If your coffee machine does not have an automatic coffee grinding function, use an electric coffee grinder: it takes about 30 seconds to finely grind the coffee beans.
For Turks, a particularly fine grind is used, and it is advisable to use professional-type coffee grinders for it. If this is not possible, carefully observe the crushed beans while working with an electric coffee grinder: the grinding duration should be more than 30 seconds, but it is important to ensure that the crushed beans do not heat up too much ─ small particles may simply burn out.
The amount of ground coffee in a serving depends on the selected method of preparation, but there is a standard formula for preparing one portion: 200 grams of water for 6-8 grams (1 tsp) of ground beans.
There is a simple rule of thumb to help you choose the right grind for your brewing method: the longer the ground coffee is in contact with water during extraction, the larger the coffee particles need to be. The exception is the Turk, where a fine grind helps to create that very famous coffee grounds, a pleasant consistency (just take it for granted). And yes, you got it right: the ideal option is to grind the coffee just before preparation.
On the other hand, if you don’t (yet) have a grinder or time, ready-made ground coffee will work as well. Carefully study the information and labeling on the packaging: most manufacturers indicate the type of coffee, the degree of roast and grinding of the beans, separately noting for which brewing method it is most suitable.
Coffee begins to lose its taste and quality immediately after the beans enter the grinder, so you should start preparing the drink immediately. Also, do not make strategic stocks, grind as many grains as you need for one or two servings of the drink. The amount of ground coffee in a portion depends on the preparation method you have chosen. However, there is a standard formula for preparing a serving of coffee - 200 grams of clean, fresh water for 6-8 grams of ground beans.
Storage
Another nuance of the guaranteed quality of the drink "at the exit" is the correct storage of raw materials (in this case, we are talking about coffee beans). The main enemies of natural coffee are oxygen, light, moisture and heat. It is best to store coffee in its original, tightly closed packaging and not pour it into other containers, as this gives oxygen additional access to the product. Summary: you opened the package ─ remove it by pinching it, for example, with a paper clip, into a tin can with a lid and put it in a dark, dry place.
Photo: Getty Images
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