What is Better Coffee? Use this metrics.

by chee Leng (on coffee makers)
(Singapore)

I probably have not written stuff about best coffee, best machine for a couple of months. Think it's about time to add in another article.

Folks who follows this column knows that I am not a coffee snob and all coffee is good if the environment is good.

However, the fact also remains that certain coffee beans done on certain coffee machine taste better. I refrain from using the term best or even coffee, but better.

So what is a better coffee?

Here is my S$0.02 on what it is (bearing in mind that the environment in drinking it have to be good as well).

1. No Blend

There is nothing wrong with blend, and some blend can actually taste quite good. But, once you try 100 % Arabica then you compare one that is blended with Robusta, there would be some differences.

Some folks might not realized, but the bitterness you taste in the coffee might actually be coming from the RObusta.

Most coffee companies add in Robusta because it is cheaper. They are more Robust, able to grow easily, thus the price is lower.



No Machine

Arabica is good, but even within Arabica, there are grades. Forget about the grades, it gets pretty confusing.

If you want good Arabica, go for hand picked instead of machine picked coffee beans. Only people and by sight are we able to identify ripe or unripe coffee beans.

And of course, drinking unripe coffee beans just doesn't taste so good.

Right Roast

This is tricky, and one have to try various roast before deciding on the profile that suit them best. A general guide is, the lighter roast would give you an acidic but aromatic taste.

A darker roast would give you a strong coffee and a coffee that is more aromatic than a lighter roast.

So, which is better -it is really personal taste.

Right Grind

Choose the right grind size for the machine or coffee maker that you would be using. This would ensure that there would be over or under saturation.

The above are probably stuff you have read before, but for a better coffee, try that, and that cuppa should taste better!:)