Propagate by seed - Do not start seeds inside. Beans do not like to be transplanted. Germination temperature: 70 F to 80 F - Germination is slow and poor when soil temperatures are below 60 F. Days to emergence: 8 to 10 - Germination may take two weeks or more if soil temperatures are below 60 F. Seed can be saved 5 years. Maintenance and care: Do not plant until…
Coffee beans are not really beans but the seed of a cherry like fruit that is produced by a flowering shrub commonly referred to as a coffee tree. There are two main varietals of coffee trees, Arabica and Robusta, most of the specialty grade coffees sold today are from trees belonging to the Arabica family. Coffee trees grow in the equatorial zone all around…
Propagation / Planting For hundreds of years, Arabia strictly controlled coffee production, making it virtually impossible to export viable seeds outside of the Arabian Peninsula. Indeed, the very first fertile seeds were smuggled out by Baba Budan during his pilgrimage to Mecca in around 1600. The seedling that made its way from Paris to Martinique traces its…
Specialty coffee chain Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf abruptly closed all of its Manhattan locations last week. West Side Rag reports that the LA-based company decided to shut down operations at all of the 12 locations in New York last Saturday, October 1. The outposts were all franchises, not company-owned. A spokesman told the Upper West Side blog that Coffee…
Hand Harvesting Ripe Coffee is an Art by Les Drent Hand harvesting Kona coffee cherry. A ripe coffee bean - plump and red - signals harvest. Each year in Kona, where hand picking is the norm, one by one, the coffee beans come off the tree. Red coffee cherries must be picked without disturbing the unripe coffee beans on the coffee branch. This is a critical step…
I worked as a professional coffee scientist for several years and sometimes people ask me for coffee advice. I’ll briefly share some tips here. We’ll go over the process of coffee-making, from start to finish. There are four main parts: bean quality, storage, preparation, and brewing. For the best cup of coffee, you want the freshest coffee beans, ground right…
My little bio is brought to you by the letter C: I’m a copywriter, card maker, and coffee drinker who just so happens to be a big fan of all things cake, chocolate, and cats. Born and bred in Switzerland (cheese, anyone?), I’ve spent most of the 21st century in North America (eating burgers). Even though I’m scared of flying, I never pass up the opportunity to…
You probably know this already but don’t think about it often: Coffee is a fruit that grows on a tree. Even though we call them coffee “beans, ” they are actually the seeds of the red, juicy, cherry-like coffee fruit (and not beans at all, technically). During the harvest, the entire fruit is picked and either sent through a “pulper” to remove the fruit, or the…
We always loved roasting coffee for ourselves. Producing batches for sale started because our local farmers’ market had none to offer. When we saw the need was the same in other markets, we were compelled to bridge the gap. Within a year, we found ourselves in the middle of a flourishing coffee roasting business, complete with professional roasters and a new…
There are some great answers here but I have seen that besides the main branches of the coffee family tree there s plenty more to talk about in regards to this fascinating subject. I ll try to avoid digging into ethnobotanist details, or generalizations since a coffee bean s taste depends on as much factors as a wine grape does (eg. sunshine, rainfall, day and…
As with wine, the “terroir” a coffee is grown in – that is, the soil, topography and climate – has a strong effect on its taste. Coffee grows best near the equator, in warm, humid climates. Of the two main types of coffee, arabicas thrive at altitudes of 1, to 2, metres; robustas at between 100 and 800 metres. Key growing regions include Brazil, Colombia, Costa…
Andrew Oakes had no idea the perks of being a speciality-blend coffee producer when he launched the Selinsgrove-based Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC in 2011. “I didn’t think I’d be hanging in Colombia, ” said Oakes, looking through photographs he took during his weeklong trip in late July to rate and purchase coffee directly from growers. In five years, he’s grown…
Yesterday we shared a story with our staff titled “Are You A Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean”. It is a story about perspective, adversity and how you view the things that are happening in your life. In a business that requires you to understand that there are two sides to every coin, that everyone has their story to tell, that your perception is your reality, I found…
Many home brewers share the common struggle of not being able to use every single coffee bean purchased. It’s nearly impossible. Whether the beans go stale or just aren’t any good, there always seems to be leftovers. Thus, I’ve compiled this list of 10 uses for old coffee beans, whole and ground, in order to put those leftovers to use and free some counter space…
Coffee is considered to be one of the most soothing types of beverage. It is very popular with people of all ages, especially to those who require an energy boost. Coffee is also one of the most common produces of many different countries all around the globe. Nowadays, coffee is available in many different varieties, with variations in terms of quality, taste…
Does it matter if they’re from Sumatra or Guatemala? While certain regions cultivate distinctive flavors, geography isn’t everything. Growing at higher altitudes is what produces the better bean, says Katie Carguilo of gourmet roaster Counter Culture Coffee, in New York City, and the winner of the 2012 U.S. Barista Championship. Before you buy, scan the package…
Growing Coffee Beans at Home Growing coffee plants at home is a rewarding experience that will help you learn and appreciate the work involved in producing coffee. It is a very easy plant to take care of and is a great conversation piece, especially during flowering or cherry development. When home growing coffee beans, you should start with a freshly picked…
Green coffee beans are raw, unroasted coffee beans. The roasting process seems to destroy some of the healthy, natural chemicals in the beans. Because of media attention, green coffee has become a popular supplement for weight loss. Why do people take green coffee? Some research shows green coffee may help with weight loss. A few small studies found that people…
The coffee fruit can be divided into two main parts, the pericarp and the seed. Pericarp The pericarp is the outer three layers of the fruit: the exocarp (skin), mesocarp (mucilage), and endocarp (parchment). Exocarp (Skin) The exocarp, also referred to as the peel, skin, or epicarp, is the outermost layer of the coffee fruit. It is formed by a single layer of…
Did you know that the same plant that grows coffee beans also makes a great houseplant? Considered to be among the easiest and hardiest of houseplants, coffee plant is great for both experienced or beginner gardeners. Not only is coffee plant care easy, but the plant itself is lovely and makes a wonderful addition to the home. How to Grow Coffee Plant Coffee…
This year s batch of R.I.P. coffee is in. Overall, we think the cup quality is improved over last year: incredible body, with a really unique flavor profile. This year s batch roasts quite differently from last year s, as illustrated below: Okay, this is about as wacky as it gets; roasting coffee in it s parchment shell, grinding it up, parchment and all, and…
× Whole bean or ground coffee can be quite the debate among coffee connoisseurs, with both sides of the story having some positives and negatives. Most people buy and use ground coffee, mainly because that is the easiest to use and the form that is found on the shelves of every local supermarket. It s ready to brew, and won t require any extra time, skills or…
Before people learned to brew coffee as a beverage, they ate coffee beans to get a boost of energy for hunts or while farming. Eating coffee beans has the same effects as drinking coffee. However, the effects are magnified because eating the beans provides all of the caffeine and other chemicals in coffee, not just what manages to drip through the filter. In…
Re-worked, a non-profit design company that specializes in green technology, found an ingenious way to make furniture from coffee waste. Coffee grounds are combined with recycled waste plastics to create a composite material that is incredibly durable, waterproof, and easy to form into a variety of useable home furnishings including chairs, bar stools, and (wait…
