SIX COFFEE QUESTIONS

Posted by TTN Palawan on Oct 18, 2016

You are too afraid to ask at a coffee shop
What's the difference between light roast and dark roast

Light roast

a light roast brings out the character of coffee. It's more like eating a filet mignon cooked medium rare. A dark roast would be like eating a filet mignon well-done.
A sweet, floral flavor

Dark roast

a dark roast is not necessarily "stronger," it's just different. It's like comparing an IPA to a stout - the two are not compared just by their "strength," but in terms of richness, complexity, and how they're prepared.
Has a bittersweet flavor

The beans are roasted for a longer period of time and at higher temperatures in a dark roast.

Arabica:

half as much caffeine as Robusta
70% of the world's coffee is Arabica
sweeter and softer taste

Robusta:

twice as much caffeine as Arabica
30% of the world's coffee is Robusta
stronger, harsher taste

Arabica and Robusta are two different species of coffee, and all the coffee you drink falls into one of these two categories. Robusta coffee plants can grow at lower altitudes and produce fruit more quickly than Arabica. Robustas mostly come from Africa and Indonesia, while the more-expensive Arabica beans primarily come from Latin America.

Espresso:

Made by forcing very hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee
Higher concentration of caffeine, ounce for ounce
This high pressure produces a "crema," which is the creamy, golden layer floating on the top of an espresso. Combining the cream with steamed milk is what creates the texture and flavor of a latte.

Drip:

Made by pouring boiling water over medium-coarse grounds. This passes through a filter and winds up in a coffee pot.
A lower concentration of caffeine than espresso, ounce for ounce, but you typically wind up drinking more of it, so you buzz really depends on your intake.

Espresso - fine grind, high pressure, has a crema.

Drip - coarse grind, no pressure, no crema