How To Become A Coffee Connoisseur

About 64% of adults have coffee every day in the US. Most of us need a Cup of Joe to kick-start our day. At roughly 400 million cups daily, American adults drink about 146 billion cups of coffee every year! The average American spends about $1000 every year. If you’re putting that kind of money in coffee, you should definitely make it worth it. To do that, you must become a coffee connoisseur. You can even turn your knowledge about coffee into a job that pays you well.
I assume that if you are willing to follow this path you already know the different beans. You need to understand what beans are best for the kind of coffee you like. For example, you’d better use dark-roasted Robusta beans in a Latte. Similarly, it’s best to use Arabica Beans to make a Frappe.

1. Arabica
   Arabica beans are widely used in iced coffee because of their soft and sweet flavor profile. These are the least acidic of all known coffee beans. So, if you start experiencing heartburn after having any of the other coffee beans, consider switching to Arabica.

2. Robusta
   Robusta beans are used in espresso and espresso-based coffee drinks like cappuccino and latte because of their ability to produce a better creamy layer (crema) than Arabica beans. Robusta beans have a bitter flavor profile with a grain-like flavor and a peanut-like aftertaste. Since they are high in caffeine, you should have them when you need a shot of energy.

3. Liberica
   Yes, Arabica and Robusta aren’t the only types of coffee beans. Liberica beans are pretty rare in America and Europe and have a mildly bitter and wooden flavor.

4. Excelsa
   Excelsa is the rarest type of coffee bean, and it has a fruity flavor. You’ll have to go to Southeast Asia to taste coffee made from these beans.

Now to To call yourself a Coffee Connoisseur, you must:

1. Know the various roasts

The four main types of roasts are:

• Light Roast: It is characterized by light brown color and high acidity and caffeine levels.

• Medium Roast: It is characterized by medium brown color and moderate caffeine levels. The acidity, aroma, and flavor are balanced.

• Medium-Dark Roast: It is characterized by a medium brown color. It’s full of flavor and is low on acidity.

• Dark Roast: It is characterized by a dark brown color and an oily gloss. It has the lowest caffeine levels and tastes bitter with a smoky aftertaste.

2. Know the types of coffee drinks

   You may love espresso, but to become a true coffee connoisseur, you must experience all the types of coffee tastes. The man types of coffee drinks are:

• Americano

• Espresso

• Cappuccino

• Latte

• Macchiato

• Mocha

• Café au Lait (Coffee with milk)

3. Understand the grinding methods

   For the brewing to be done right, you need to grind the beans appropriately. A coarser grind is a must for brewing methods in which the ground coffee is exposed to heated water for longer. The four ways of brewing coffee are:

• Burr-grinding

• Chopping

• Pounding

• Roller grinding

4. Understand the brewing methods

   The taste of brewed coffee may be ruined if brewed coffee is kept hot for a long time. Depending on the coffee you’re making, you may have to use one of the following brewing methods:

• Boiling (Decoction)

• Steeping

• Filtration (Drip-brewing)

• Pressure

5. Regularly have coffee at your local coffee shops

   A wine connoisseur has to develop a palate for wine by tasting various wines. A coffee connoisseur must do something similar. No, Starbucks doesn’t count. You need to try out coffee at independent coffee shops. Some of these shops also organize cuppings. You get to taste and smell the coffee at different stages of brewing.