Big advice book for coffee lovers: To prepare the green coffee bean for brewing, it must first be roasted. Coffee beans are roasted with dry heat and with constant agitation to ensure even heating. The range of roasts varies from light golden brown all the way to a dark, almost black appearance. Varying the roasting time has a significant effect on the flavor, aroma, and color of the brewed coffee. Although there are several levels of roasting, they can be grouped into three main categories: light, medium, and dark.
Lungo – Lungo is often confused with Americano, but it’s not at all the same. Lungo is a long shot prepared by extracting double the amount of water with same amount of coffee grounds. In figures, it means, 50 ml of water is extracted with 7 grams of coffee. This results in extraction of more caffeine, but with dissolved off-notes of coffee. It’s a less popular drink but it’s a preferred drink for people who demand more caffeine. Caffe Crema – An extra long espresso drink served in Northern Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It has different flavor profile than related drinks like Lungo and Americano due to different extraction process. Rough brewing ratios of ristretto, normale, lungo, and caffè crema are 1:2:3:6 and the average water part per shot is 6 oz (180ml). Cafe Zorro – This is a double shot of espresso that is added to water in a 1:1 ratio.
Let’s talk about electric percolators. Another De’Longhi creation is the 15 Bar Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker. It is a bestseller in the field of semi-automatic espresso machines. What sets De’Longhi’s model EC155 apart is its 15 bar pressure pump. This means optimal brewing pressure is used to make your espresso. It comes with a small built-in tamper and a frothing wand. This model is suitable for those who want to experiment on getting an espresso machine, but are not serious or knowledgeable enough to get a more expensive automatic machine.
There was a time when Liberica coffee was incredibly popular. Near the end of the nineteenth century, a plant disease now known as “coffee rust” had set in and eliminated almost all of the Arabica plants across the entire planet. Because coffee was such a huge commodity, even at that point, farmers and government bodies both set out to find suitable substitutes. The Philippines were the first to harvest and sell the Liberica plant at a noteworthy volume and as the sole supplier the nation saw its economy grow tremendously. At this point, the Philippines was a U.S. territory but as its economy grew the nation declared its independence. As a result, the U.S. imposed steep economic sanctions and cut off supplies to the country. This ultimately led to the downfall of the Liberica coffee bean in the global marketplace, as no other nations were ever able to step up and match the production that the Philippines had once pioneered. Read more details on Learn more about coffee.
Typica is your “typical” Arabica. It’s a variety that encompasses a number of the most popular and most sought after regional coffees including Kona, Java, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and more. This variety started in Yemen before being spread far and wide through trade. It first made it to Malabar India and Indonesia before eventually reaching the West Indies. Some subvarieties of Typica include Sumatra, Bergendal, Rume Sudan, Amarello de Botancatú, Blawan Paumah, and Java Mocha. Also, there are a number of Typica mutations, including Mokka*, Pluma Hidalgo, Creole, Ethiopian Harrar, Blue Mountain, Villa Sarchi, Ethiopian Sidamo, Ethiopian Yiragacheffe, San Ramón, and Sidikalang (just to name a few). Bourbon is probably one of the most common sub varieties of Typica. It got its start in the early 1700s when the French brought an Arabica Typica plat to the island of Bourbon (now Reunion). A slight mutation occurred and the variety eventually spread across Central and South America. These plants are popular because they produce more coffee cherries than other Typica varieties. Sub-varieties of Bourbon include French Mission, N39, Mayaguez, Arusha, Jackson, K20, Kenya Selected, and SL35 ; and Pointu, Semperlorens, Caturra, SL34, Tekic, and Pacas are mutations from this variety.