What is coffee?
What we commonly call coffee is a stimulating hot drink consumed daily by a large part of the world's population, we're not telling you anything new a priori.
The fact that this dark-hued beverage comes from ground coffee beans mixed with water shouldn't be a revelation to you either. However, what's generally less well-known is the botanical aspect of coffee and its processing.
Coffee Botany - nf
Coffee beans come from the coffee tree, a shrub measuring between 2 and 12 meters depending on the variety. This subtropical or tropical shrub with large leaves appreciates some shade and grows naturally in certain forests between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Coffee trees grow at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2400m and withstand temperatures between 15 and 30°C.
Whether in the lush forests of Ethiopia, on the slopes of volcanoes in Guatemala or in the humid microclimates of Colombia, coffee adapts and reveals its uniqueness depending on where it is grown, its botanical varieties , the fermentation methods applied and the know-how of the producers throughout the process.
Coffee production - nf
Initially, a seed is planted. It will take 3 to 5 years for the tree to bear its first fruit and be ready for harvest. The tree's life cycle is then punctuated by the dry and wet seasons, from flowering, which can last between 6 and 9 months, to harvest. The fruit, called a "coffee cherry," resembles the cherries that grow in France. They are edible and change color over time: green, then yellow, and finally red when they reach full maturity.
Then, they are picked and begin a fermentation and drying process that the producers master to perfection to extract the "core": the two coffee beans that interest us. These beans are green/yellow and rather flexible, it is possible to bite into them, revealing vegetal aromas (chickpea, asparagus, etc.) that are not very tasty.
Then the grains are cleaned, sorted and bagged to be exported to the four corners of the world, including the Celsius workshop.
Roasting - nf
It is only when heated that these green beans reveal their true potential.
They are cooked using a roaster, a machine that allows roasting (yes, it's the same word used for the profession of roaster, sometimes leading to confusion). This roaster is, to popularize, a mixture of barbecue and washing machine that allows for gradual and uniform cooking.
Roasting allows the sugars naturally present in green coffee to caramelize thanks to the Maillard chemical reaction (we'll come back to this, not too much information at once!) and to evacuate their water by evaporation. Pushed to more than 200°C and for a duration of between 8 and 14 minutes, the green beans will therefore take on the brown color that we know them for. Properly controlled, roasting acts as a true flavor revealer, in the same way that vinification does for grapes. It will, depending on the directions taken during heating, allow certain attributes to be accentuated more than others. A more pronounced acidity or, on the contrary, the search for more sweetness in the cup. The same is true for the aromas which can vary considerably compared to the parameters.
When roasted, coffee has no fewer than 800 different aromas (compared to 400 in wine).
Coffee extraction - nf
Finally, after a few days of rest, the coffee can be consumed. Be careful, extraction is the last crucial step in this long process from bean to cup. It is responsible for extracting the right amount of aromatic components present in the coffee to establish the perfect balance. It can transcend the work done by producers and artisan roasters or, on the contrary, destroy their efforts if it is not well mastered.
Indeed, unlike a bottle of wine, where the only concepts that come into play are the serving temperature, possible decanting and the correct evaluation of the moment of opening, coffee has not said its last word and can be capricious if we do not take into account a certain number of criteria. Water temperature, grind size, water / coffee ratio, monitoring of the recipe, are parameters to adapt according to the different extraction methods (espresso, filter, French press, Italian coffee maker, etc.) and the composition of the coffee (origin, density, freshness, etc.). Don't worry, the beginnings can be discouraging but the work is rewarded, believe us!
Suite - nf
All of these topics, which cover botany, production, roasting, and extraction, are equally interesting and complex, and deserve in-depth explanations. We invite you to explore these themes in future Celsius articles.
Our mission at Celsius is to select exceptional coffees and, through roasting, reveal the best of what a coffee tree can produce, interpret it in our own way, and do our best to ensure optimal extraction in order to serve a cup of coffee full of flavor and emotion.
What we commonly call coffee is a stimulating hot drink consumed daily by a large part of the world's population, we're not telling you anything new a priori.
The fact that this dark-hued beverage comes from ground coffee beans mixed with water shouldn't be a revelation to you either. However, what's generally less well-known is the botanical aspect of coffee and its processing.
Coffee Botany - nf
Coffee beans come from the coffee tree, a shrub measuring between 2 and 12 meters depending on the variety. This subtropical or tropical shrub with large leaves appreciates some shade and grows naturally in certain forests between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Coffee trees grow at altitudes ranging from 600 to 2400m and withstand temperatures between 15 and 30°C.
Whether in the lush forests of Ethiopia, on the slopes of volcanoes in Guatemala or in the humid microclimates of Colombia, coffee adapts and reveals its uniqueness depending on where it is grown, its botanical varieties , the fermentation methods applied and the know-how of the producers throughout the process.
Coffee production - nf
Initially, a seed is planted. It will take 3 to 5 years for the tree to bear its first fruit and be ready for harvest. The tree's life cycle is then punctuated by the dry and wet seasons, from flowering, which can last between 6 and 9 months, to harvest. The fruit, called a "coffee cherry," resembles the cherries that grow in France. They are edible and change color over time: green, then yellow, and finally red when they reach full maturity.
Then, they are picked and begin a fermentation and drying process that the producers master to perfection to extract the "core": the two coffee beans that interest us. These beans are green/yellow and rather flexible, it is possible to bite into them, revealing vegetal aromas (chickpea, asparagus, etc.) that are not very tasty.
Then the grains are cleaned, sorted and bagged to be exported to the four corners of the world, including the Celsius workshop.
Roasting - nf
It is only when heated that these green beans reveal their true potential.
They are cooked using a roaster, a machine that allows roasting (yes, it's the same word used for the profession of roaster, sometimes leading to confusion). This roaster is, to popularize, a mixture of barbecue and washing machine that allows for gradual and uniform cooking.
Roasting allows the sugars naturally present in green coffee to caramelize thanks to the Maillard chemical reaction (we'll come back to this, not too much information at once!) and to evacuate their water by evaporation. Pushed to more than 200°C and for a duration of between 8 and 14 minutes, the green beans will therefore take on the brown color that we know them for. Properly controlled, roasting acts as a true flavor revealer, in the same way that vinification does for grapes. It will, depending on the directions taken during heating, allow certain attributes to be accentuated more than others. A more pronounced acidity or, on the contrary, the search for more sweetness in the cup. The same is true for the aromas which can vary considerably compared to the parameters.
When roasted, coffee has no fewer than 800 different aromas (compared to 400 in wine).
Coffee extraction - nf
Finally, after a few days of rest, the coffee can be consumed. Be careful, extraction is the last crucial step in this long process from bean to cup. It is responsible for extracting the right amount of aromatic components present in the coffee to establish the perfect balance. It can transcend the work done by producers and artisan roasters or, on the contrary, destroy their efforts if it is not well mastered.
Indeed, unlike a bottle of wine, where the only concepts that come into play are the serving temperature, possible decanting and the correct evaluation of the moment of opening, coffee has not said its last word and can be capricious if we do not take into account a certain number of criteria. Water temperature, grind size, water / coffee ratio, monitoring of the recipe, are parameters to adapt according to the different extraction methods (espresso, filter, French press, Italian coffee maker, etc.) and the composition of the coffee (origin, density, freshness, etc.). Don't worry, the beginnings can be discouraging but the work is rewarded, believe us!
Suite - nf
All of these topics, which cover botany, production, roasting, and extraction, are equally interesting and complex, and deserve in-depth explanations. We invite you to explore these themes in future Celsius articles.
Our mission at Celsius is to select exceptional coffees and, through roasting, reveal the best of what a coffee tree can produce, interpret it in our own way, and do our best to ensure optimal extraction in order to serve a cup of coffee full of flavor and emotion.
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