From Seed to Cup, Volume 3
Step 7: Cupping the Coffee
As we mentioned in previous steps, coffee is continuously checked throughout the sourcing process for quality. In step 7, we once again test for quality as well as taste by cupping the coffee. The taster evaluates the beans for their overall quality in a very specific way.
Instead of taking you through the cupping process in detail, check out Ask the Roastmaster where we asked Patrick to walk us through the process of cupping.
Step 8: Roasting the Coffee
Roasting coffee transforms green coffee into aromatic brown Cameron’s Coffee beans! Most roasting machines maintain a temperature of about 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The beans continuously move throughout the entire process to keep them from burning.
When they reach an internal temperature of about 400 degrees, the beans begin turning brown and a fragrant oil called caffeol that is locked inside the beans starts coming out. This process is called pyrolysis and produces the flavor and aroma of the coffee you drink. After roasting, your Cameron’s Coffee beans are immediately cooled by water.
Step 9: Grinding Coffee
The objective of grinding coffee is to get the most flavor in a cup. There are different coffee grind levels, from fine to very coarse, depending on how you’re brewing. The length of time the grounds come in contact with water determines the ideal grade of grind. Generally, the finer the grind, the more quickly the coffee should be prepared. That’s why coffee ground for an espresso machine is much finer than coffee brewed in a drip system.
Read here for a quick guide on how coarse you should grind your coffee!
Step 10: Brewing Coffee
There are many ways to brew coffee and in our “Better Brew How-To” series we covered pretty much every method!
- Drip Brew Coffee
- Espresso (latte, macchiato, mocha, etc)
- Pour Over
- French Press
- Cold Brew
We hope you learned a bit more about the sourcing and producing process from Seed to Cup in this three part blog series!
