You have no items in your shopping cart.
Coffee 101
History
◊ Coffee traces its early origins to Ethiopia.◊ It was formally introduced to the Americas in the 1700s.
◊ In the pre-revolutionary United States, Congress declared coffee the “National Drink of the
United States” in protest of the taxes on tea.
◊ Today, over 400,000,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed each year and the global coffee
industry employs more than 20,000,000 people.
Growing Coffee
◊ The coffee “bean” is actually the seed of a berry, which grows on a tree.◊ Most of the world’s coffees are grown between the tropics, from sea level up to 6,000 ft.
◊ It takes approximately 4,000 roasted beans to produce one pound of roasted coffee.
◊ Each tree is capable of producing between one and two pounds of coffee.
◊ There are two species of coffee beans: Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta.
◊ About 80% of the coffee grown is Arabica.
Orphan Helpers Coffee is grown between 3,000 and 5,500 feet and must be harvested by hand. The coffee is also fairly traded - the money made in the sales of coffee is reinvested in the communities in which it is grown.
Roasting Coffee
◊ The roasting process causes caramelization of the sugars in the bean, which produces theflavor.
◊ The temperature and duration of the roast determine the unique flavor development. The
lighter the roast, the more you taste the coffee bean’s natural flavors.
◊ The flavor and characteristics of coffee varies greatly according to the distinctive growing
regions. Latin America produces coffee known to be aromatic and well-balanced in flavor.
Orphan Helpers Breakfast Blend and Orphan Helpers Mountain Harvest coffees are both lightly roasted. Dark roasts have a bittersweet tang, such as in the Orphan Helpers El Salvador Dark Estate. Orphan Helpers Coffee Blends are created by roasting several types of beans to create a fuller flavor by combining their individual characteristics.
Storing Coffee
◊ Coffee should be stored in a cool dry place, preferably in an airtight container.◊ Do not refrigerate or freeze—this will absorb the moisture and diminish its flavor.
◊ Coffee is at its best if consumed between 3 to 45 days after roasting. It will maintain its
freshness best if stored whole bean and then ground just before brewing.
Grinding Coffee
◊ When preparing coffee, grind only as much as you need for brewing.◊ The best flavor extraction will come from coffee ground in a burr-type grinder (standard
blade grinders can cut the bean and close the pores, making brewing less effective).
◊ When finished, the ground coffee should be about the consistency of regular table sugar.
Brewing Coffee
◊ Coffee is 99% water, so if you start with bad water you will brew bad coffee!◊ We recommend using filtered or bottled water.
◊ Depending on strength desired, use between 2.5 and 3.5 ounces of ground coffee for 64 ounces
of water.
◊ To achieve the best flavor extraction, aim for a water temperature between 195 and 205
degrees.
◊ The brewing cycle should take between 4 and 5 minutes.
◊ When finished brewing, the coffee left in the brew basket should be uniformly wet and have
climbed the sides of the filter. Be sure to dump the grounds as soon as the brew is completed.
◊ Finished coffee will maintain freshness on a warmer for about 30 minutes and will remain
fresh in a preheated thermal container for up to two hours.
Tasting Coffee
The flavor, or the overall perception of our coffee in your mouth, is made up of acidity, aroma, and body. The definition and characteristics of the three are individual to every coffee.◊ Acidity is the sensation of dryness that coffee produces on your tongue. Acidity should not be
confused with a sour or bitter taste.
◊ Aroma is the component added by our sense of smell.
◊ Body is the feeling of the coffee in your mouth, or its viscosity or richness. Coffee without good
body will seem thin or watery.
Your Friends at Orphan Helpers Coffee
My Cart
Compare Products
You have no items to compare.