Types of Coffee in the United States
Coffee varieties available in the United States
In the United States, there are more than a hundred distinct varieties of coffee available for purchase and sale. Every one of them is a member of the same botanical genus, and almost all of them are members of the same species, the Coffea arabica; yet, each has unique qualities that define its economic worth in the eyes of the coffee importers, roasters, and distributors.
In the United States, Coffea arabica is nearly primarily traded, but in the later years of World War II, increasing numbers of robusta and liberica growths were imported, partly as a result of the paucity of Brazilian stocks and the advancement of processing techniques in the region.
All coffees used in the United States are split into two main categories: Brazils and Milds. Brazils are the most common kind of coffee consumed in the United States. Brazils are comprised of coffees farmed in So Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Victoria, and other Brazilian states, as well as other countries. All coffees produced in other countries are included in the Milds. In 1921, Brazils accounted for over three-fourths of total global consumption, according to the United Nations. They are referred to as “price” coffees by American dealers, while Milds are referred to as “quality” coffees by the same traders.
Brazil coffees are divided into four major groups, each of which is named after one of the ports via which they are exported: Santos, Rio, Victoria, and Bahia. Santos, Rio, Victoria, and Bahia are the four major groups. So Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Victoria, Espirito Santo and Bahia are the major growing regions for Santos coffee, with the rest of the country following suit.
All of these groupings are further categorized based on the qualities of the beans they produce as well as the regions in which they are grown.
Types of Coffee in the United States
Taking the whole group of characteristics into consideration, it is safe to say that Brazil is the best-growing country for coffee production. Rios are the second most popular, followed by Victorias, who are third, and Bahias, who are fourth most popular. One of the most well-known of the Santos cultivars is
One of the most popular coffees in the world is Bourbon, which is made from trees that were initially cultivated from Mocha seed that was imported from the French province of Bourbon (now Réunion) in the Indian Ocean. When the first few harvests of Mocha seed are harvested, the real Bourbon may be extracted.
During the third or fourth year of fruit production, the fruit begins to alter in shape, eventually generating flat-shaped beans in the sixth year, which are marketed under the brand name Flat Bean Santos. It had by then lost most of its Bourbon qualities, and the coffee is no longer good. This little bean, which resembles the Mocha in appearance but produces a far more attractive roast with fewer “quakers,” is found in the first and second harvests. The crimson center of the Bourbons cultivated in the Campinas area is common.
When it comes to the characteristics of Milds, there is a considerably bigger range in features than when it comes to the characteristics of Brazilian growths. In part, this is due to the disparities in temperature, altitude, and soil, as well as the distinctions in the cultural practices, food processing and preservation techniques applied in the widely distant locations where Milds are grown and harvested.
The body, acidity, and scent of mild coffees are far better than those of Brazils. They are significantly more appealing in the cup than they are in the bowl, based on quality. Due to the greater care used in selecting and preparing the higher grades, they often have a more appealing look, or “style,” both in the green and in the roast, as well as superior flavor and aroma. When it comes to blending, milds are essential, with the majority of them exhibiting different specific qualities that improve their worth as blending beans.
Coffea avanzada
Although it has long been believed that green coffee improves with age, and there is no doubt that this is true in terms of roasting merits, the issue has recently been raised among coffee specialists as to whether aging enhances the drinking qualities of all coffees in the same manner.
The innate strength and earthiness of Rio coffees should allow them to improve with time. They and others with similar features can be anticipated to soften and mellow over time. The question is if, in the first place, the coffee has a low cup quality T and will not get weaker as a result of ageing, leading to the conclusion that it will become very insipid over time. The same thing occurred to Santos coffees, according to a New York coffee specialist who pointed out the problem some years ago.
In his opinion, the new crop was always a more pleasant and satisfying drink than the previous crop, owing to the stronger presence of mild coffee flavor in the cup with each new harvest.
In order to determine the quality of the coffee bean, it is rated according to the amount of flaws it has inside it. Black beans, broken beans, shells, immature beans (“quakers”), stones, and pods are some of the flaws that may be found in the beans they produce. All faults, no matter how little or severe, are measured in terms of black beans according to a scale that is basically as follows: a) 1 black bean = 1 imperfection; b) 2 imperfection; c) 3 imperfections; d) 4 imperfections
Damaged Coffees Renovated
Frequently, charlatans have turned to complex procedures in order to apparently “fix” damaged or inexpensive coffee. Until the technique of glazing, dyeing, and polishing green beans was outlawed, it was done publicly and discreetly by a variety of people. Although the procedures used did not truly enhance the coffee in any way, they did prepare it for more readily available sales in the future.
Using an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid with a density of 10.5° Baumé, Feedeeick Evans made an apparent serious attempt to restore damaged coffee to its original condition. After being agitated in this solution, the beans were rinsed to remove any acid and dried in a dehydrator. Discolorations and impurities were eliminated from the beans, and the beans were given a fuller look as a result of this process.
A technique of certain coffee growers is to add sugars like glucose, sucrose, lactose, or dextrin to green coffees in order to give “hard” coffees a moderate taste and powerful scent. The addition is achieved by impregnating the beans with a moderately concentrated solution of the sugar, either with or without the use of a vacuum, and then extracting the sugar from the beans with a little amount of the liquid remaining. It is necessary to remove the kernels and dry them when the solution has been entirely dissipated through them. A significant improvement in taste is achieved with successive roasting.
The softening of the outer layers of the beans with steam, cold or warm water, or brine is another process discovered by Gebrüder von Niessen. The beans are then surrounded by an absorbent paste or powder, such as china clay, to which a neutralizing agent such as magnesium oxide may be added.
Clay may be removed by brushing or allowing the beans to go between two damp towels that are oppositely reciprocated after they have been allowed to dry. Von Niessen plainly stated throughout the creation of this procedure that the so-called “caffetannic acid” in coffee is the “harmful” element in the beverage and that it is concentrated in the outer layers of the coffee beans. In the event that these were his doctrines, the issue of their validity and the efficacy of his technique become irrelevant points of contention.
Julius Thum’s approach, which attempts to clean and refine raw coffee and has been the subject of much contentious controversy, is a method of cleaning and refining raw coffee. A thorough brushing for 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the grade of coffee being treated, is required after the green beans have been placed in a perforated drum and have only been covered with water or a solution of sodium chloride or sodium carbonate, both at 65° to 70° C.
Due to the fact that it seems to do little more than basic cleaning, the effectiveness of this procedure is rather debatable. In reality, the technique is undesired since some of the extractive matter inherent in the coffee, notably caffeine, would be lost as a result of the extraction process. Due to the doubtful nature of the experimental results for this approach, it is not recommended that this method be implemented.
Coffee Tasting and Evaluation
Prior to the turn of the twentieth century, the quality of almost all coffees purchased and sold in the United States was determined only by the look of the green or roasted bean. Since then, the necessity of evaluating the drinking characteristics of coffee has been widely acknowledged, and today, every progressive coffee buyer has his or her own sample roasting and testing setup, which he or she uses to do tedious cup tests on every batch of coffee.
The cup test is used by both buyers and sellers, with the former using it to judge the qualities of the coffee he is purchasing and the latter using it to establish the right value of the crop under discussion. Frequently, a test is conducted to determine the relative usefulness of distinct growths when regarded as a whole, and composite samples are used to do this, with the goal of representing a whole crop.
A sample of known standard value for that specific type of coffee is used to compare the look of a crop’s green bean to a sample of known standard value for that particular kind of coffee. The next stage is to compare the look of the two after they have been roasted. After that, the liquid is subjected to an appearance and scent test after it has been ground; and ultimately, the most difficult of all, the liquid is subjected to a taste and aroma test.
Naturally, the tester takes great care to ensure that the items under examination are properly roasted. Light, medium, dark, Italian, and French roasts are among the varieties of roasts that he knows. Each of these roasts has a distinct flavor in the cup, and each of these roasts is distinguished by the shadings of color that it exhibits. The meticulous tester meticulously monitors the roasting process to see if the beans have a dull or brilliant finish, as well as whether there are any “quakers,” or off-color beans, present.
When the right roasting temperature has been attained, he smells the beans while they are still hot to assess their scent and roasting time. He will regularly sniff them as they cool down, since the character of certain growths and grades alters as the heat leaves them, as is the case with several Maracaibo grades, for example.
Following the roasting process, the real cup-testing process starts. There are two procedures used: the blind cup test, in which there is no indication of the kind of coffee in the cup, and the open cup test, in which the tester knows in advance the specific coffee he is going to check.
The former is the most often used way by buyers and sellers, however a big number of professionals who do not allow their expertise to interfere with their judgment prefer to utilize the open method.
When using either approach, the quantity of ground coffee that is poured into the cup is meticulously weighed to ensure that the intensity is consistent. In most cases, the cups are tagged on the bottom so that they may be identified after the inspection.
In order to determine if the scent of freshly ground coffee is up to standard before pouring on hot water to produce the brew, the aroma of freshly ground coffee is carefully noticed and recorded. When pouring the water, care must be taken to maintain a consistent temperature in the cups, ensuring that the strength in one is the same as the others.
When water is poured directly over the grounds, a crust or scum will develop on top of the grounds. Before the crust cracks, the tester sniffs the scent that is released; this is referred to as the wetsmell, or crust, test, and it is believed to be of major significance in the testing process.
The most crucial test, of course, is how the brew tastes to the consumer. Approximately the same quantity of coffee is drank from each cup, with the tester merely keeping each sip in his lips for as long as necessary to taste the full richness of the flavor. The coffee is spat out into a big brass cuspidor that has been specifically created for the purpose, and the expert never consumes the beverage.
When it comes to cup-testing, it’s important to have well-developed senses of sight, smell, and taste, as well as the ability to recall subtle differences in each sense. The coffee man evaluates the size, shape, and color of the green and roasted bean based on their appearance, which are all crucial variables in establishing the market worth of the bean. His ability to distinguish between cleaned and unwashed coffee, as well as the presence of several flaws such as quakers, beans with stones in them or broken beans with a different color than the rest, is equally impressive.
As shown by his sense of
He evaluates the scent of the roast and the brew and determines the intensity of the aroma, which is included into the calculation of the value. Several characteristics of a coffee brew can be discerned by the taster’s palate: whether the beverage has body and is smooth, rich, acidic, or mellow;
whether the beverage is winy, neutral, or harsh; whether it is musty, groundy, woody, or grassy; or whether the beverage is rank, sour, muddy, or bitter. These are trade names for the many shades of taste that may be found in the various coffees that are being imported into the North American market; and each has an impact on the price at which they will be sold in the market.