Coffee Education
COFFEE CLUB LOGIN
Order Coffee
Everything you ever wanted to know about Coffee.
The Arabica and Robusta Coffee Plants.
While there are several different coffee species, two main species are cultivated today. Coffee Arabica, known as Arabica Coffee and Coffee Canephora, known as Robusta Coffee. Arabica Coffee accounts for 75-80 percent of the world's production while Robusta Coffee accounts for about 20 percent and differs greatly from Arabica coffee in terms of taste. Robusta coffee beans are more robust than the Arabica plants, but Robusta Coffee produces an inferior tasting beverage with higher caffeine content. Both the Robusta and Arabica coffee plant can grow to heights of 10 meters if not pruned, most producing countries will maintain the coffee plant at a height reasonable for easy harvesting.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica Coffee plants. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin Robusta.
The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica Coffee, which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures and usually the better and more expensive the coffee. Higher altitude gives the coffee plant time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.
Vassilaros Coffee uses only premium Arabica Coffee in their blend. Most commercial coffee roasters use a percentage of Robusta coffee in their blend as it greatly reduces the cost of the coffee but unfortunately it also reduces the quality and the taste. Most large retail coffee chains use a high percentage of Robusta Coffee in their blend simply to increase their profits.
Back to Home Page
High Altitude = Quality.
There are four primary coffee growing regions in the world.
Latin American Coffees
Latin American coffees grow in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama. The acidity in these coffees is medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and light body. These coffees are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and make great breakfast coffees.
African/Arabian Coffees
African/Arabian coffee beans are grown on in Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have medium acidity and a syrup like body. Their flavor is described as spicy (like wine) wtih hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roasted coffee and these coffees pair well with desserts.
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees
These coffees are grown in Asia, Indonesia, and the pacific islands. They have low acidity and bold, heavy body. Their coffee flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, floral, and hearty. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
Exotic Coffees
These coffees come from Hawaii and Jamaica. The finest are the Certified Hawaiin Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. They are highly sought after and for a good reason. They have amazing flavor and body!
However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica Coffee plants. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin Robusta.
The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica Coffee, which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures and usually the better and more expensive the coffee. Higher altitude gives the coffee plant time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.
Back to Home Page
The Coffee Bean is the pit of the Plant
The coffee bean originated in Yemen, somewhere around 850 B.C. Planting and harvesting of coffee soon spread to the rest of Arabia where it first shows up in writing around 900 B.C. The Yemenites guarded coffee as best they could but plants eventually were smuggled out by the Dutch who kept plants for gardens in the Netherlands.
The coffee plant made its way to South America around 1723.
Central and South America is now responsible for approximately 65% of the world's total coffee exports.
The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, it's the pit inside the plant referred as the cherry. All though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' due to their resemblance to beans. The fruit referred to as coffee cherries or coffee berries commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. With-in a harvest of coffee a small percentage of cherries contain one single bean instead of the usual two. These beans are called Peaberry coffee beans and usually demand higher prices.
Eighty percent of the world's coffee production is Arabica and with the remaining twenty percent being Robusta. Arabica beans consist of .8-1.4% caffeine and Robusta beans consist of 1.7-4% caffeine. Coffee is one of the world's most widely consumed beverages (Three Hundred and Fifty Million Cups a Day just in the USA); coffee beans are a major cash crop, a true commodity and an important export for many countries. Coffee counts for over 50% of some developing nations foreign exchange earnings. The United States imports more coffee than any other nation as the average person in the United States consumes 10lbs of coffee a year.
Back to Home Page
The Hand Picking Method.
Coffee plants grow between the two tropics, in an area where there are no seasonal climate changes. Coffee plants are therefore evergreen and bear fruit in a continuous cycle. They also rely and depend on rainfall. This means that about two weeks after a good rainfall coffee plants will usually start to flower. This explains the importance of climate and rainfall in the cultivation of coffee. It also explains why several weeks of drought in the worlds largest producer of coffee (Brazil) in a time when rain is normally expected can cause coffee prices all over the world to rise.
In certain countries like Brazil and monsoon countries, rainfall is concentrated in certain months of the year and harvests can somewhat be predicted. In other countries rain may fall at any time. The importance of this factor can be better understood this way: after flowering, it takes Robusta 9 to 11 weeks and Arabica 6 to 8 weeks before the fruit is fully ripe. So if the rainfall is distributed throughout the year, you find plants simultaneously bearing flowers, ripening and fully ripe fruit. This means that there are as many crops as there as been flowerings, so the rainfall influences not only the quantity of the harvest but also the regularity with which the fruit comes to maturity. Combine rainfall with temperature, altitude and soil conditions and it all makes for the quality of the coffee.
All this in turn affects the growers in their choice of the most suitable method of harvesting.
After the flowering period, which lasts only a few days, the ovary of the fertilized flower rapidly develops into a fruit that is initially green in color; in six to ten weeks the berry will reach its full size.
During the final weeks the berries change color, becoming first yellow and eventually bright red. If they are not harvested at this stage, the drupes become garnet red and eventually turn brown, while the pulp and the skin dry out and become hard they sometimes fall to the ground. At times when the market is depressed this can be an economical way of harvesting in certain countries. Dry berries are simply gathered from the ground where they fell.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
At the opposite extreme there is the most painstaking and expensive method of harvesting and picking. This method of harvesting entails passing repeatedly among the plants at intervals of a few weeks, handpicking only the red ripe berries, leaving the others to continue too ripen. This is the method used in many countries that produce coffee of the Arabica plant; farmers who use this method of harvesting are very particular about the quality of their crop. It is from such farmers that Vassilaros & Son purchase their green coffee.
One other method used to harvest coffee is the stripping method. The stripping method means waiting until most of the fruit is ripe, then ALL the berries are stripped from the tree at the same time. This is done by grasping the branch at a point close to the trunk and drawing the hand down the branch stripping the berries that are allowed to fall into baskets or onto the ground to be collected at some point. Unfortunately this practice is widespread, it can lead to the pulp of the fruit being contaminated by microbes, bacteria and fungi present in the soil, often causing fermentation or other forms of infestation that can affect the overall quality of the coffee.
There are now machines invented with two special vertical large brushes that, by rotating in opposite directions, strip the fruit from the branches, together with a lot of leaves. At present only a handful of large commercial farms employ these machines. Their use is restricted due to the damage they do to plants.
Only the hand picking method guarantees that all the berries are perfectly ripe; with the stripping method or the mechanical method, the berries are not equally ripe. This means that while many of the berries are fully ripe, there is always a percentage that is under-ripe or over-ripe, which gives rise to two kinds of problems.
The first results from the fact that a percentage of imperfectly ripe berries is variable: the flavor of different consignments, even though they come from neighboring areas and from plants of the same species and variety, can differ in quality and taste according to the quantity of imperfect beans they contain.
The second problem is connected with the increased likelihood of finding rotten fruit among the over-ripe berries. Whilst the problem caused by under-ripe fruit is only that the coffee is sharper and bitterer and noticeably less aromatic, rotten fruit can cause a very unpleasant smell as it can contaminate hundreds of other beans. In recent years other machines have been invented that can sort and pick out rotten fruit but in the end the only true method for harvesting coffee that can somewhat guarantee quality is the hand picking method. Although this method can add cost to a pound of coffee John Vasilaros feels it's the only coffee worth purchasing, roasting and selling to his customers.
Back to Home Page
From Green to Your Cup.
Only the seeds of the fruits of the coffee plant can be used for consumption. Once these small nuts (Coffee Beans) have been extracted, the rest of the berry is discarded and generally used as fertilizer. There are basically two methods for processing green coffee, the wet process and the dry process.
The Wet Process:
For this method it is essential that the coffee berries are harvested by handpicking, the berries must all be at the desired stage of ripeness, so the pulp is soft and the beans easily extracted. They should also be of the same size because any smaller berries would escape having their pulp removed. The Wet Process begins with the fruit covering of the bean being removed before they are dried. The wet method requires large quantities of water and the use of special equipment.
The coffee cherries are immersed in water, bad or unripe beans will float to the top and the good beans will sink. The skin of the berry and some of the pulp is removed by pressing the fruit by machine in water through a screen. The bean can still have a significant amount of pulp clinging to it that needs to be removed. This is done by machines with rotating drums or discs. In either case the berry is squeezed between the rotating part and/or a fixed blade until the skin splits liberating the two beans cover by the parchment, the beans and pulp are then separated by the machine. After this the beans go through a process of sieving and washing to remove any excess pulp and skin.
From here the beans go through a process of drying. Coffee is dried from approximately 60% moisture content to 11-12% moisture content. Coffee is typically dried on large patios made of cement and can then be transferred to mechanical dryers for further drying. Coffee beans drying on patios are constantly raked to increase airflow and even drying. Next to each row should be open space, which is warmed and dried by the sun. The coffee is then raked onto the dry space and the section where it was previously is now allowed to dry in the sun. This helps to speed up the coffee drying process and prevents fermentation and moldy beans from developing. Washed coffee takes about 6 to 7 days to dry using this method.
Storing Green Coffee:
Coffee must be stored in dry and cool conditions. Exposure to the sun or moisture rapidly deteriorates green coffee. Burlap bas are often used to store green coffee beans due to the fact that they allow airflow. Burlap bags also help preserve the coffee longer than plastic or paper bags. Burlap bags are usually aired out before storing coffee to prevent a baggy flavor or burlap scent from transferring into coffee. Green coffee beans can be stored for up to two years if properly stored, cool dry dark spaces.
Storing Roasted Coffee:
Storage for roasted coffee is not as long. Roasted whole bean coffee maintains its freshness the longest. Ground coffee will lose its freshness in a matter of hours when exposed to air, the protective cellular structure has been broken and the volatiles have been exposed to the environment which undergo oxidation. A gas such as nitrogen can be used to help preserve the whole beans for an extended time. After opening coffee it is of the utmost importance to store the coffee in a sealed container. Vassilaros Coffee sells small two-ounce packages of ground coffee. The coffee is sealed immediately after grinding and thus assures freshness for an extended period of time.
At Vassilaros Coffee we take our coffee roasting very seriously. If you purchase a pound of ground coffee make sure you seal the coffee immediately after opening in a sealed container. The coffee will keep for a week as any longer will greatly reduce the quality of the coffee. If you plan on purchasing ground coffee and do not plan on consuming that coffee with-in a week consider buying the small pre-packaged ground coffee. Each package will brew approximately 10 cups of coffee and the shelf life is up to a month.
Back to Home Page
The Art of Blending.
There are four primary coffee growing regions in the world.
Latin American Coffees
Latin American coffees grow in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama. The acidity in these coffees is medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and light body. These coffees are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and make great breakfast coffees.
African/Arabian Coffees
African/Arabian coffee beans are grown on in Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have medium acidity and a syrup like body. Their flavor is described as spicy (like wine) wtih hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roasted coffee and these coffees pair well with desserts.
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees
These coffees are grown in Asia, Indonesia, and the pacific islands. They have low acidity and bold, heavy body. Their coffee flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, floral, and hearty. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
Exotic Coffees
These coffees come from Hawaii and Jamaica. The finest are the Certified Hawaiin Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. They are highly sought after and for a good reason. They have amazing flavor and body!
However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica Coffee plants. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin Robusta.
The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica Coffee, which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures and usually the better and more expensive the coffee. Higher altitude gives the coffee plant time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.
The Coffee Bean is the pit of the Plant
The coffee bean originated in Yemen, somewhere around 850 B.C. Planting and harvesting of coffee soon spread to the rest of Arabia where it first shows up in writing around 900 B.C. The Yemenites guarded coffee as best they could but plants eventually were smuggled out by the Dutch who kept plants for gardens in the Netherlands.
The coffee plant made its way to South America around 1723.
Central and South America is now responsible for approximately 65% of the world's total coffee exports.
The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, it's the pit inside the plant referred as the cherry. All though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' due to their resemblance to beans. The fruit referred to as coffee cherries or coffee berries commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. With-in a harvest of coffee a small percentage of cherries contain one single bean instead of the usual two. These beans are called Peaberry coffee beans and usually demand higher prices.
Eighty percent of the world's coffee production is Arabica and with the remaining twenty percent being Robusta. Arabica beans consist of .8-1.4% caffeine and Robusta beans consist of 1.7-4% caffeine. Coffee is one of the world's most widely consumed beverages (Three Hundred and Fifty Million Cups a Day just in the USA); coffee beans are a major cash crop, a true commodity and an important export for many countries. Coffee counts for over 50% of some developing nations foreign exchange earnings. The United States imports more coffee than any other nation as the average person in the United States consumes 10lbs of coffee a year.
Hand Picking Method.
There are four primary coffee growing regions in the world.
Latin American Coffees
Latin American coffees grow in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama. The acidity in these coffees is medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and light body. These coffees are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and make great breakfast coffees.
African/Arabian Coffees
African/Arabian coffee beans are grown on in Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have medium acidity and a syrup like body. Their flavor is described as spicy (like wine) wtih hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roasted coffee and these coffees pair well with desserts.
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees
These coffees are grown in Asia, Indonesia, and the pacific islands. They have low acidity and bold, heavy body. Their coffee flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, floral, and hearty. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
Exotic Coffees
These coffees come from Hawaii and Jamaica. The finest are the Certified Hawaiin Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. They are highly sought after and for a good reason. They have amazing flavor and body!
However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica Coffee plants. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin Robusta.
The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica Coffee, which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures and usually the better and more expensive the coffee. Higher altitude gives the coffee plant time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.
The Coffee Bean is the pit of the Plant
The coffee bean originated in Yemen, somewhere around 850 B.C. Planting and harvesting of coffee soon spread to the rest of Arabia where it first shows up in writing around 900 B.C. The Yemenites guarded coffee as best they could but plants eventually were smuggled out by the Dutch who kept plants for gardens in the Netherlands.
The coffee plant made its way to South America around 1723.
Central and South America is now responsible for approximately 65% of the world's total coffee exports.
The coffee bean is actually the seed of the coffee plant, it's the pit inside the plant referred as the cherry. All though they are seeds, they are referred to as 'beans' due to their resemblance to beans. The fruit referred to as coffee cherries or coffee berries commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. With-in a harvest of coffee a small percentage of cherries contain one single bean instead of the usual two. These beans are called Peaberry coffee beans and usually demand higher prices.
Eighty percent of the world's coffee production is Arabica and with the remaining twenty percent being Robusta. Arabica beans consist of .8-1.4% caffeine and Robusta beans consist of 1.7-4% caffeine. Coffee is one of the world's most widely consumed beverages (Three Hundred and Fifty Million Cups a Day just in the USA); coffee beans are a major cash crop, a true commodity and an important export for many countries. Coffee counts for over 50% of some developing nations foreign exchange earnings. The United States imports more coffee than any other nation as the average person in the United States consumes 10lbs of coffee a year.
Hand Picking Method.
There are four primary coffee growing regions in the world.
Latin American Coffees
Latin American coffees grow in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Panama. The acidity in these coffees is medium to high. They have a sweet, tangy, well-balanced flavor and light body. These coffees are commonly roasted to a mild-medium roast and make great breakfast coffees.
African/Arabian Coffees
African/Arabian coffee beans are grown on in Africa, in the middle-east, and in Arabia. They have medium acidity and a syrup like body. Their flavor is described as spicy (like wine) wtih hints of cocoa as well as citrus and berries. They are usually a darker roasted coffee and these coffees pair well with desserts.
Asia-Indo-Pacific Coffees
These coffees are grown in Asia, Indonesia, and the pacific islands. They have low acidity and bold, heavy body. Their coffee flavor is typically described as robust, earthy, floral, and hearty. They are roasted dark to very dark and they compliment dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate, weather conditions and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. High elevation volcanic soil rich in nitrogen offers premium conditions for growing coffee.
Exotic Coffees
These coffees come from Hawaii and Jamaica. The finest are the Certified Hawaiin Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. They are highly sought after and for a good reason. They have amazing flavor and body!
However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica Coffee plants. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin Robusta.
The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica Coffee, which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures and usually the better and more expensive the coffee. Higher altitude gives the coffee plant time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.
