Looking for coffee FAQS? browse though our frequently asked questions
A great question!! What defines best? There are various ways of scoring coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association rates every coffee with a score out of 100. There are also other grading systems. Jamaican Blue Mountain (not to be confused with Kenyan Blue Mountain), Hawaiian Kona and Kopi Luwak civet coffee are famous coffees. Here at Real Deal Roasters we sell Peruvian Tunki organic coffee which has won awards for best coffee in the world. But really the best coffee is simply down to your personal preference. Why not order one of our World Selection Super 7 boxes and find your own best coffee?
These are the two main species of coffee, arabica and robusta. Arabica coffee is superior, producing all the world’s finest coffees. It is popular because it has a more complex and desirable taste profile than robusta. It has a wide range of flavours including fruit, berry, nut and chocolate. Robusta has a stronger, more bitter taste with earthy or woody flavours. Robusta coffee contains almost twice as much caffeine as arabica, which contributes to its rougher taste. Arabica coffee is almost always more expensive, due to its higher quality and need for more delicate growing conditions. Robusta is the cheap alternative, often used to make instant coffee. If you want an extra caffeine boost then try our high grade Indian cherry robusta but beware it comes with a health warning!
There are several ways to remove the caffeine from coffee beans. Cheaper methods use solvents or gases which can affect the flavour of the coffees. We use the Mountain Water method (or Swiss Water method). First the coffee beans are soaked in hot water to extract the caffeine. This water then passes through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine. The resulting water still contains the flavour and aroma compounds of the coffee. It is then used to soak a new batch of coffee beans, which will absorb the flavours and aromas but not the caffeine. This method is more expensive but retains all the lovely flavours of the coffee. Why not try some of our great mountain water decaffeinated coffee from Mexico?
Keep your coffee beans in an airtight container: Oxygen is what causes coffee to go stale so keep it out. It’s also a good idea to store coffee beans in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a pantry or cupboard. Don’t bother freezing your coffee beans as this makes the moisture in them expand and can affect their flavour.
Generally coffee is at its best within two to four weeks of being roasted. This can vary depending on a variety of factors such as the roast level and storage conditions. This is why we like to roast to order.
After coffee is roasted, it begins to release gases and oils that contribute to its flavour and aroma. Over time, however, these gases and oils will gradually dissipate, and the coffee will lose its freshness.
To ensure that your coffee is as fresh as possible, we recommend that you get whole bean coffee and grind it just before brewing.
Yes, you can use coffee grounds as natural fertiliser or mulch. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, essential nutrients for plant growth. They also contain other beneficial minerals and trace elements that can improve soil quality.
You should mix the coffee grounds into the soil rather than sprinkle them on top. This will help to prevent the grounds from clumping and forming a layer that can prevent water from reaching the roots of the plants.
Coffee grounds can also repel certain pests such as slugs and snails. Sprinkle a ring of coffee grounds around the base of plants to deter these pests from reaching them.
Because it takes skill and experience to roast coffee really well. Artisan coffee roasters use sight, sound and smell to know when the beans are ready. Hand-roasted coffee offers a better level of craftsmanship, attention to detail and quality control to give you a superior coffee drinking experience.
Degassing is an important step in the coffee roasting process as it helps to ensure that the coffee beans reach their optimal flavour and aroma potential when brewed.
Degassing is when freshly roasted coffee beans release the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas that is produced during the roasting process. This gas needs to be released to prevent the coffee from becoming overly carbonated and tasting “fizzy” when brewed.
During the degassing process, we rest our freshly roasted coffee beans for 24 to 48 hours in an open container to allow the CO2 gas to escape. After degassing the coffee beans are packaged and sealed to preserve their freshness. The length of the degassing period can vary depending on factors such as the roast level and bean origin.
Raw, green coffee “beans” are actually cherries that have been picked and dried. These are very hard, tasteless and could break your teeth! We roast them to develop their individual flavours after which they are of course edible. We occasionally try them for fun! They are lovely if coated in chocolate but they are best ground up to make a great cup of coffee.