Module 6

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Coffee

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Known what is coffee;

2. Identified the types of coffee;
3. Understood coffee roasting differences;
4. Known the different grinds of coffee; and
5. Known what an espresso is.

Coffee
Coffee is prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of
berries from the Coffea species. The plant is native to tropical Africa – specifically
in the areas of Ethiopia and Sudan – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and
Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

When brewed the drink is dark, bitter and slightly acidic with a stimulating
effect from the caffeine content. There are some who brew green coffee resulting
in a drink with a fresh, green flavor with a slightly floral aroma. Coffee is served
with cream, milk, butter, egg, salt or sugar according to taste and preference. It is
usually served hot, although iced coffee and even room temperature coffee has
also become popular lately.

Types of Coffee Beans

Coffee beans are classified into four main coffee species: Arabica, Robusta,
Liberica, and Excelsa. Of the four, Arabica coffees and Robusta bean are the two
most popularly used in the world.

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1. Arabica. Coffea Arabica beans account for about 60% of the coffee
consumption in the world. Arabica beans are considered to be of higher
quality compared to the other varieties. It is also more expensive. It has
more acidity than other coffee varieties.

2. Robusta. Robusta beans are second in popularity and consumption.

These are the coffee beans usually sold in groceries. People who brew
their coffee at home most likely use this variety without them knowing it.
Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica coffee. This coffee
variety is easier to grow than Arabica and is widely grown in Indonesia and
Africa. It tends to be more bitter but is great for making espresso shots
because of the deep flavor.

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3. Liberica. This variety is quite limited in availability as it is grown mainly in
the Philippines. The coffee plant is a relatively tall tree which can grow to
more than 9 meters, or 30 feet. Liberica beans have a fruity and floral
aroma, with full body and smoky, woody flavor. Liberica have distinctive
coffee beans which are larger than those of other species.

4. Excelsa. Excelsa beans represent only about 7% of the coffee

consumption in the world. This variety grows only in Southeast Asia and is
considered a genus of Liberica beans. It has a fruity and tart flavor.

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Coffee Roast
One important factor that determines the taste of coffee is the degree to
which the beans are roasted. Green beans are soft, tasteless, and a fresh smell.
The roasting process changes the raw beans into the flavorful, aromatic, crunchy
beans that people recognize as coffee. Roasting coffee breaks down the beans
to release its oils, and subsequently its aroma.

Coffee roast levels may be commonly described based on the color, which
ranges from light to dark. While the age of the coffee, the grind, the processing

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method, and the brewing method affect the taste of the coffee, the roast level
provides the baseline for the coffee taste that drinkers expect.

1. Light Roasts – This roast is light brown. It has a light body with no oil on
the surface of the beans. It has a toasted grain taste and pronounced
acidity. Light roast retains most of the original flavors of the bean. It also
has the most caffeine from the coffee bean. Lightly roasted beans reach an
internal temperature of 356°F.
2. Medium Roasts – Medium roasted coffee beans are medium brown. They
have more body than lightly roasted beans. Medium roasts do not have the
grainy taste of the light roasts, has balanced flavor, aroma, and acidity.
Medium roast beans reach an internal temperature of about 410°F.
3. Medium-Dark Roasts – They have darker, richer color, with some oil
beginning to show on the surface of the beans. A medium-dark roast coffee
has a heavier body than lighter or medium roasts.
4. Dark Roasts – They are dark brown that looks like chocolate, or sometimes
almost black. Dark roast beans have a sheen of oil on the surface, which
is seen in the cup of brewed coffee. The coffee has a bitter and burnt taste.
The caffeine content of dark roast coffee is substantially decreased. Many
dark roasts are used in making an espresso shot.

Variations to roasts include the city roast, American roast and the Vienna roast.

Coffee Grinding

The coffee beans need to be ground before they can be used to brew coffee.
There are different equipment to produce different grind levels for the type of coffee
or coffee brewing method you are using.

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Generally, there are six grind levels of coffee beans:

1. Extra coarse grind – Extra coarse grind is usually used for cold brewing of
coffee. This type of grind is usually used in a French Press pot.

French Press Pot

2. Medium-coarse grind – This level of grind is used for Café Solo Brewer or
the Chemex Brewer, both specialty coffee devices.

Café Solo Brewer Chemex Brewer

3. Medium grind – This ground level of beans is used in making coffee using
the drip brewing methods.

Drip Brewer

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4. Medium-fine grind – This ground level is mainly used for pour-over cones,
vacuum pots, and siphon brewers.

Pour-Over Cone Vacuum Pot/Siphon Brewer

5. Fine grind – This type of grind is used for making an espresso shot.

Espresso Brewer/ Machine

6. Extra fine grind – This type is used for brewing Turkish coffee.

Turkish Coffee

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Brewing Coffee

Home preparation of coffee is one of the amazing things about this drink.
While most beverages are manufactured in a commercial facility, anybody can
prepare coffee at home. A little work and some tools are all that you need to enjoy
a cup of this brew instead of instant coffee in the morning.

Brewing coffee is the process of pouring hot water onto ground coffee
beans, then allowing it to brew. Several methods may be used to make coffee
such as using a percolator, a filter, a French press, or an espresso machine.

Brewing coffee is taken for granted by most people. What many do not
understand is that there is a lot more science and technique involved in the brewing
of coffee. Failure to understand the techniques is the main reason why people are
not satisfied with the coffee they brew at home. It is also the main reason why they
get their coffee from coffee shop chains.

There are a few things that coffee lovers need to learn to produce coffee-
shop quality coffee:

1. Extraction and solubility – Brewing coffee refers to the extraction of the

soluble material in ground roasted beans. As the coffee brews in hot water,
hundreds of compounds unique to coffee are extracted from the ground
beans to create brewed coffee. The compounds extracted from the coffee
beans contain caffeine, acids, sugars, lipids, and carbohydrates. Solubility
and extraction depend on a range of factors such as genetic characteristics,
mineral content, grind size, roast degree, and the method of brewing used.
2. Immersion – Brewing by immersion requires coffee grounds to be fully
submerged in water. Over time, coffee is extracted by the water. This
method uses different tools such as the French press, the vacpot siphon,
the AeroPress, and more. In the immersion method, just add water and

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 wait for about 5 minutes to get your cup of hot coffee. Immersion brews
need to be filtered.
3. Infusion – Infusion brewing calls for water to constantly flow through a bed
of ground coffee and a filter. The commonly used drip brewing method such
as the auto-drip machine is an infusion.
4. Espresso – An espresso is a form of infusion, the only difference is that the
flow of water in espresso-making is pressured or forced.

Espresso

Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong shots and

is the base for many coffee drinks. It's made from the same beans as coffee but is
stronger, thicker, and higher in caffeine. However, because espresso is typically
served in smaller servings than coffee, it has less caffeine per serving.

Espresso (ess-PRESS-oh) is a full-flavored, concentrated form of coffee that

is served in “shots.” It is made by forcing pressurized hot water through very finely
ground coffee beans using an espresso machine. The result is a liquid stronger
than coffee topped with a “crema,” a brown foam that forms when air bubbles
combine with the soluble oils of fine-ground coffee and sits on top of a properly
pulled shot of espresso. The crema adds to the rich flavor and lingering aftertaste
of espresso.

Espresso is made using the exact same plant as coffee, and is grown,
processed, and roasted the same way. Any origin and roast coffee can be used to
make espresso. The difference between coffee and espresso is in the grind and the
treatment of the beans. The beans are ground to a finer consistency than coffee
and firmly packed before hot water is forced through using an espresso machine.
This results in a shot of espresso, which can be enjoyed as-is or used to make a
long list of drinks including a cappuccino or Americano.

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 Espresso has all of the same flavors of coffee but amplified—bitter, lightly
sweet, acidic, toasty. The exact flavor profile will vary depending on the coffee roast.
It has a thicker, creamier texture than coffee.

Uses of Espresso

Espresso is especially loved in its home country of Italy, where it is frequently

enjoyed plain, fresh out of the machine. Espresso shots are served in specially made
espresso cups, called demitasse cups. The one-ounce shots are a quick and
intense pick-me-up. Espresso can also be served as a two-ounce double shot.
Some coffeehouses only serve double shots, or doppio, to help keep quality
consistent. Espresso can also be made lungo or "long" using the same amount of
coffee but twice the amount of water. Espresso is drunk throughout the day but is
especially popular in the morning and after a meal.

How to Drink Espresso

Though a serving of espresso is called a shot, it is not meant to be drunk in

a single gulp. Instead, espresso is meant to be sipped slowly so you can take in its
full, rich flavor. Most enjoy a shot or double shot of espresso as is, but sugar or
another sweetener can be added. It is sometimes served with a sweet biscuit like
biscotti.

Espresso is also used to make a number of popular coffeehouse drinks:

1. Caffé Americano: A shot of espresso combined with hot water.

2. Red-eye: Filtered coffee combined with one shot of espresso.
3. Caffé latte: A double shot of espresso topped with steamed milk.

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 4. Cappuccino: A single shot of espresso topped with steamed and frothed
milk.

Guide Questions

Answer the following to check what you have learned from the discussion
so far. Check your answers from the provided answers at the end of this unit.

1. What is coffee?
2. What are the types of coffee?
3. What are the different roasting of coffee?
4. What are the different grinds of coffee?
5. What is an espresso?

Answers to the Guide Questions

Question 1: Coffee is prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds
of berries from the Coffea species.

Question 2: There are four different types of coffee, the Arabica, the Robusta,
the Liberica and the Excelsa.

Question 3: There are different roasting intensities for coffee beans and as the
beans roast the coffee drink they produce also vary in taste. These are light
roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and dark roast.

Question 4: There are also different ways of grinding coffee based on how they
are brewed. The different coffee grinds are extra course, medium-course,
medium grind, medium-fine grind, fine grind, extra fine grind.

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 Question 5: Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong
shots and is the base for many coffee drinks. It's made from the same beans as
coffee but is stronger, thicker, and higher in caffeine.

Key Points

1. Coffee is prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of
berries from the Coffea species. When brewed the drink is dark, bitter and
slightly acidic with a stimulating effect from the caffeine content. Coffee is
served with cream, milk, butter, egg, salt or sugar according to taste and
preference. It is usually served hot, although iced coffee and even room
temperature coffee has also become popular lately.

2. There are four different types of coffee: the Arabica which is considered
to be of higher quality compared to the other varieties, more expensive
and has more acidity than other coffee varieties; the Robusta are second
in popularity and consumption, have twice the caffeine of Arabica coffee,
and tends to be more bitter; the Liberica is quite limited in availability as it
is grown mainly in the Philippines, have a fruity and floral aroma, with full
body and smoky, woody flavor; and the Excelsa represents only about 7%
of the coffee consumption in the world, grows only in Southeast Asia and
has a fruity and tart flavor.

3. There are different roasts of coffee which vary the flavor of the drink once
brewed. These are light roast, medium roast, medium-dark roast, and
dark roast. The darker the roast the bitter the coffee gets.

4. There are also different ways of grinding coffee which are extra course,
medium-course, medium grind, medium-fine grind, fine grind, extra fine

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 grind. The flavor and taste of coffee vary on the type of grind used in
brewing.

5. Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee served in small, strong shots and

is the base for many coffee drinks. It's made from the same beans as
coffee but is stronger, thicker, and higher in caffeine. Often used in popular
coffee-based mixes such as cappuccino and latte.

References and Supplementary Materials

Online Supplementary Materials:

1. Convergent Coffee. (2020). What is Coffee?

https://convergentcoffee.com/coffee/

2. Goodwin, Lindsey. (2020, March 4). What is Espresso? Benefits, Uses, &
Recipes. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-espresso-765702

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