3 ms·

What makes good coffee?

• manicdee 7y ago
  The essentials of good coffee are a pleasant flavour profile served at the right temperature. The flavour profile will be changed by bean selection, roasting, grind coarseness and pressure, the “dose” (volume of ground coffee placed in the portafilter), the compaction of the dose into the portafilter, the temperature/pressure/duration of the steam used to espress the coffee, and even the temperature of the cup the coffee is prepared in. That is before considering the treatment of the milk (or substitute) during the preparation of the coffee: warmed correctly and foamed just right, that milk will taste completely different to plain milk straight out of the fridge. All along this process are the essential flavours from the coffee bean that are selectively enhanced or suppressed. The variables are so numerous that you can take the same roast beans to two neighbouring cafeterias using the same tap water and the same espresso machines, and the baristas will produce completely different coffees. Baristas are important to a cafe, to the point that I would say the one key ingredient to a good coffee is finding the right barista.
• cm2012 7y ago
  Time since roast date and grind quality, mostly.