Thank you for joining us as we celebrate National Coffee Day this entire week! Today on the
blog, Kahvi Bean Roasters is joining us to talk about the journey of a coffee bean, from plant to
cup. This blog will be best enjoyed in a cozy spot with a cozy cup of coffee – so settle in and get
ready to learn some incredible things about coffee!
A Little Bit About Kahvi Bean Roasters
Hello plant and coffee lovers! We are so excited to partner with Green Valley to celebrate
National Coffee Day for an entire week! We are a locally owned coffee roaster located in
Ramsey, Minnesota. We specialize in freshly roasted, small batch coffee, sourcing beans from
all across the globe. We believe that there is so much potential in a cup of coffee. You deserve
beans that are full of flavor, and with over 8 years perfecting our craft, that is what we strive
for. We have studied the journey of a coffee bean for many years, and it has been a
key tool in perfecting the art of roasting. We encourage you to check out our website
(https://kahvibeanroasters.com/) to learn more about what we do. Let’s get into today’s blog!
The Journey of a Coffee Bean
Stage 1: The Coffee Plant
Coffee, like many food sources, begins its life on a plant in the form of a shrub or bush.
Coffee plants produce fruit called coffee cherries. Inside the cherries are little seeds, which is where we get coffee beans from! Most coffee cherries produce exactly two seeds per cherry. If a cherry produces only one bean, we call that bean a peaberry. The coffee beans are harvested from the cherries and eventually, will become the bags of coffee you see at local grocery stores or can purchase from local roasters, like Kahvi Bean!
There are 4 main species of coffee plants: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. Each type of
plant grows in a different part of the world and boasts of different flavor profiles. The Arabica
species is the most common, with nearly 60% of global coffee production centered around this
type of plant. It is well known for its deep, rich and complex flavor profiles, making it a highly
sought-after coffee. Besides the species type, factors such as altitude, climate, and soil type
make a major impact on what a coffee bean will taste like when harvested and roasted.
Stage 2: The Green Bean
Once a coffee cherry is ripe, it is ready to be picked and the beans harvested.
Unfortunately, many coffees lose their high quality due to a commercial process of harvesting
where pieces of fruit are machine-picked at the same time, some ripe while others are not. The
benefit of this practice is cheap labor and a product that is inexpensive to produce. The
consequence is a great loss in the quality of the beans. For the best quality and flavor of beans,
it is crucial to pick when the cherry is ripe. When we order beans from our distributors, we aim only to seek out the best quality beans so we can move one step closer to providing you with the best cup of coffee you've ever had.
Once the ripe cherry is picked, the seeds are ready for processing. The term processing simply
refers to the method by which green coffee beans are prepared for transport, storage, and
roasting. There are 3 main types of processing green coffee beans: natural or dry processing,
washed or wet processing, and semi-washed processing. Let’s take a look at each type before
we continue.
Natural Processing
In this method, the bean is dried within the coffee cherry. The cherries are left out to
dry, protected from the sun, for 2-3 weeks. This long drying process gives the beans the
opportunity to soak in notes of citrus and berry from the coffee cherry.
Washed Processing
In this method, the fruit of the cherry is removed from the beans in a matter of days
after picking. Once the fruit has been removed, the beans get washed with water and
then dried. Washed processing gives the coffee beans a cleaner flavor profile.
Semi-Washed Processing
In this method, only the first layer of fruit is initially removed. Once the outer skin is
removed, the inner layer remains intact and is dried with the seeds inside. Once the
seeds are removed, they go through a second stage of drying. These beans will be rich
with medium acidity and a higher level of sweetness.
After processing, the beans will go through a step of milling, in which they are hulled,
sometimes polished, graded, and sorted. From there, the green beans are ready for export!
Stage 3: Roasting the Bean
Here at Kahvi Bean, we are highly passionate about this aspect of coffee production because
roasting coffee is a crucial step in the life of a coffee bean and the enjoyment of the consumer.
It is the part of the process that transforms green beans into the delicious, aromatic brown
beans that ultimately turn into coffee. To make this transformation happen, the beans are
placed in a roaster and heated in a spinning motion to maintain consistency. As the heating
takes place, the beans will start to change color and release moisture. Around 385°F, the beans
go through their “first crack”. This step tells us that the beans are starting to roast and expand.
After the first crack, the person roasting the coffee controls the grade of the roast by adjusting heat and time. The longer the roast and greater the heat, the darker the roast will become. At Kahvi Bean Roasters, we have found that a medium roast brings out the best and brightest flavors that are accompanied by incredible aromas.
Step 4: Grinding & Brewing Coffee
Before coffee can be brewed, it must go through the grinding process. There are many types of
grind sizes that are determined by your end goal. If you want to make a shot of espresso with
your coffee, you need to grind the coffee more finely. If you want to make coffee with a French-
press, you need to grind the coffee more coarsely. Grinders will come with instructions on how
to change the grind size to best suite your coffee needs.
There are SO many ways to brew coffee! There are drip coffee makers, percolators, espresso
machines, pour-overs, French-press, Moka Pot, AeroPress, Turkish Pots and many, many other
types. Each method extracts flavor from the coffee in a different way and will influence the
flavor you get from the coffee. Try a few and see what you like best! There is no right or wrong
brewing method, but! We have developed a few key tips to brewing an amazing, rich cup of
coffee no matter the method you use.
1. Use freshly roasted coffee beans
For optimal flavor, it is best to use your bag of beans within 2 weeks of opening. It is even better if you can use your bag of beans within 2 weeks of roasting. The longer beans sit on the shelf, the more flavor they will lose.
2. Use the correct temperature of water
According to the National Coffee Association, the perfect temp for brewing coffee is between
195°F and 205°F. If you are using an automatic coffee maker, make sure to purchase one that will heat the water to this ideal zone. If using a manual brewing method, make sure to heat your water to the correct temperature.
3. Use the correct ratio of water to coffee
The National Coffee Association considers the “Golden Ratio” to be 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6oz of water. This ratio will ensure the perfect cup of coffee.
4. Grind your coffee beans just before you are ready to brew
This helps ensure freshness. Buying your coffee beans already ground can cause they flavor and aroma to deteriorate much more quickly than buying whole beans to be ground before brewing.
What a wonder it is to observe the process of making coffee! From a coffee cherry to a freshly
brewed cup, beans travel a long way and undergo a lot of change to become the end product so
many of us love. We have so enjoyed studying this journey and are honored to get to share a
small sneak peek of it here with you today. Thank you for taking the time to walk through this journey with us.
We just launched two new coffees and can’t wait for you to try them! Visit our website to learn more and to see what coffees we’re brewin’ up right now. You can also visit our booth at Green Valley’s Fall Fest THIS SATURDAY! We hope to see you there!
Happy brewing,
Your friends at Kahvi Bean
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