Coffee Tips
Coffee perishability
As it contains up to 0.1 percent volatile flavor, roasted coffee is one of the most aromatic foods available. Coffee is very delicate in both whole bean and ground bean forms.Coffee must always be protected against oxygen, the major enemy of coffee aroma. For this reason always store your coffee in a dry, dark and cool place in a tightly sealed container.
Once exposed to air, ground coffee keeps its freshness for around two weeks. After this time the taste of the coffee degenerates rapidly and the coffee becomes tasteless and stale. The fats and oils coffee contains can also quickly become rancid. For this reason coffee should be used up quickly. For your favorite coffee select whole, fresh coffee beans to enjoy the full coffee aroma. The aroma preservation cover on the bean container of the JURA fully automatic coffee machines optimally safeguards the flavor of the coffee beans.
The fineness of grind
The grind setting determines how finely or coarsely the coffee beans are ground. This affects the flow-through time of the water, the so-called extraction time.
If the coffee is coarsely ground the water will flow through more quickly than with the same coffee at a finer grind setting.
A longer extraction time results in more flavours being extracted. If your coffee isn’t strong enough for your taste, you can select a finer grind setting and therefore extend the extraction time. On the other hand, if it tastes too strong or too bitter, select a coarser grind. Please note: For darker roasted beans we generally recommend a coarser grind.
For maximum enjoyment, prewarm the cup!
Coffee served in cold porcelain cups offers a taste experience of inferior quality. The smaller the portion (for example an espresso or ristretto), the more important it is to use a prewarmed cup. The cold porcelain instantly takes away heat from the hot, freshly prepared coffee, reducing its temperature by up to 10°, and makes it cool faster. If you add cold cream and sugar to your espresso, and stir it with a cold spoon, the temperature falls by another 10°C, and it will be much less of a pleasure to drink.
In addition, the delightful coffee aroma is inhibited from developing and the coffee will have a less intense fragrance than if served in a prewarmed cup. A warm cup will also retain the crema for longer.
Porcelain cups can be prewarmed very quickly with hot water or steam. However, the most convenient and professional solution is to use a cup warmer.
The difference between Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica beans contain much less caffeine and fewer chlorogenic acids than Robusta beans. Instead they contain more oils, which gives them a more intense yet much milder flavour. Most premium coffees are made from Arabica beans, but not every Arabica coffee is a premium coffee.
After the beans are hulled, they go through a final classification process. Once any remaining residue has been removed, the beans are sorted according to size, density and colour. This process results in a range of different qualities on the market. Both Arabica and Robusta varieties may be available in different qualities.
To add to the confusion, the names used for different quality grades vary from country to country.
Coffee and Chocolate
It's no secret that coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Each product enhances the unique qualities of the other. That's why coffee is often served together with chocolate in bars and restaurants.
Coffee beans and cocoa beans have a lot in common. For example, both types of bean share many of the same aromas. Roasting is a key stage in the preparation process, as this unlocks the aromas. Naturally, the growing region, soil conditions and climate all have an effect on how a particular bean will taste further down the line.
However, not every type of chocolate is equally well suited to every type of coffee: only complementary aromas in the two products will enhance one another, resulting in the more intense taste experience that comes from enjoying coffee with the right chocolate.