For all you out there who love real, fresh-roasted coffee and don’t want to settle for anything less, you will appreciate this article. For the person who thinks they are fine buying their coffee pre-ground or in instant mini-cups in which the coffee grinds are way past due and the flavor is almost non-existent, we hope to enlighten you today. Of course, it really all comes down to what your objective is – are you drinking coffee just for the energy boost it may give you, or are you actually drinking it to appreciate and indulge in the wonderful flavors that come from a real, fresh cup of coffee? (the caffeine high is a bonus!) Here’s a few reasons why you should re-consider drinking coffee for the right reasons, if not already:
- One of the biggest factors that determines fresh coffee is when you grind it. Once you grind the coffee, the freshness and flavor immediately diminishes, and oxidation accelerates. I wonder how long ago that pre-ground coffee sitting on the store shelf was roasted…
- There are different types of coffee beans, arabica and robusta. Robusta beans are usually lower in quality grade and are generally used by coffee companies that sell instant or pre-ground coffee. If you’re buying the pre-ground store stuff, you’re obviously missing out on the good stuff…arabica beans. These are much better candidates for that fresh-roasted artisan cup of coffee.
- Single-origin coffee does exist. This type of coffee is specific and “purebred” from its unique origin, which means it will reflect all the unique flavors specific to its area of origin. If your coffee beans (or coffee grounds) aren’t fresh, how will you be able to distinguish these unique flavors?
- Coffee has been profiled with over 800 flavor characteristics where wine only has up to 400! Another reason to not miss out on the flavors!
- Because coffee has so many flavor profiles, it can be paired with different types of food to create great flavor combinations! Bon appetit!
You may be wondering, how then can I get some real freshly roasted and ground coffee? Well, here’s a few ideas:
- If buying from a shop, get to know the roaster and observe their roasting and packaging methods. The best practice is to store fresh-roasted coffee in a closed container to minimize the effect of air circulation, and away from heat and moisture.
- If ordering coffee online, find out how soon they ship the coffee after roasting it, and how long it will take to get to your address. At Parcel Coffee, we ship the same day we roast so it can arrive at your address within 1-2 days, the perfect time to use the coffee.
- Observe the coffee roast date.
- Buy the coffee as whole bean, not pre-ground.
- Roast your own coffee – you can make a small investment and buy a little roaster if you really want control over your coffee freshness and roast type. You can also go cheaper and use a popcorn popper!
