‘Cuppers’ (coffee contest judges or professional tasters) and company buyers share the barista’s goal of finding beans which produce a great drink. But it’s the barista who stands in front of the final consumer every day and receives immediate feedback on the success or failure of those efforts.

So, let’s take a look at what the barista needs to know about a bean and its product…

Nowadays approximately 70 countries grow coffee from which beans are produced, from Africa to the Middle East, from South America to the Caribbean and over to Hawaii – all within a band about the equator of roughly 25 degrees north or south.

Considering the differences in climate altitude, equipment and techniques – and many other factors – it’s not a surprise that beans from different countries have quite a few differences. Even different plantations will often have drastically different products.

Despite the wide variation, there are actually two main categories of coffee plants – arabica and robusta. Arabica, which has half the caffeine of the robusta, is used almost exclusively for the finest coffees. Its beans have more flavor and are full of aroma.

Since coffee tends to grow better at higher altitudes, arabica beans called the Milds -made from plants grown at 3000 feet (915m) or above – are to be preferred. ‘Brazils’ by contrast are arabica beans grown in Brazil, but at a much lower altitude.

Beyond that, judgements will depend on whether the consumer intends to roast the beans themselves or not. Unroasted beans are green, soft and have a vegetative odor, which is normal.

For those who are seeking roasted beans, the categories broaden. There’s a light or ‘cinnamon’ (got its name after the color of the spice; it has nothing to do with the flavor). These are acidic and highly caffeinated.

The medium or ‘American’ roast is slightly darker and highly popular since it’s the degree used by the major coffee vendors (Folger, Yuban, etc). Not considered as a quality cup by most baristas’ standards.

Dark or ‘City’ roast can be seen in many specialty shops, where the process has reduced the caffeine and acid taste. The outcomeis a less bitter, often sweeter cup. This is the roast that is generally used for the average espresso.

Next in line is the ‘French’ roast, called this way because the French often prefer their coffee more full-bodied. The beans will appear very dark brown and have an oily texture or sheen. Look carefully and sniff so as not to confuse these with beans that have simply been burnt.

Darkest roast on the drinkable scale is the ‘Italian’, often used in specialty espressos. The deep brown color and pungent aroma are distinctive and make a fine cup.

As one goes down the scale of color, the coffee made from these beans will be increasingly less acid and more sweet. This is a consequence of the caramelization (browning and thickening into syrup) of sugars resulting from the roasting process. At the same time some of the caffeine – a bitter chemical – is burned away, producing a mellower cup.

With this article we really have only covered the tip of an iceberg. As you can see, a good barista has to know a lot of different factors and characteristics when it comes to coffee beans and roasts. Every day they have a wide array of choiches and a whole arsenal of machines, so they can make that perfect cup of coffee that the situation demands.

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The word ‘beans’ in single-quote marks with a purpose, since the thing that gets roasted and ground to make the drink isn’t really a bean at all, it’s actually a seed.

In particular, it’s the seed of a fruit that grows on trees that can easily reach twenty feet or more. Some wild varieties grow to over 45 feet or 15m. Most of those seeds come in a pair, though there is a variety that produces only one (the peaberry). The berry (also called cherry) resembles a cranberry, with a sweet pulp covered by a membrane called a silverskin. Coffee beans are removed from the coffee cherries, which is either discarded or used as fertilizer.

Main species of coffee plant include Coffea arabica, Coffea benghalensis, Coffea canephora, Coffea congensis, Coffea excelsa, Coffea gallienii, Coffea bonnieri, Coffea mogeneti, Coffea liberica, and Coffea stenophylla. Coffea arabica (arabica) and Coffea canephora (robusta) are most grown species of them all.

There is approximately 25 degrees north or south zone around the equator, where from comes most of the world’s coffee output. Temperatures of between 60F (15C) and 70F (21C) are best as is rainfall of six inches per month or more.

Loamy, good-draining soil is needed and also helpful is high humidity – plenty of mist and cloud at the high elevations, over 3000 ft (915m) for the good stuff. At these elevations the oxygen content is lower, so the trees take longer to mature.

The robusta (a species of coffee which has its origins in western Africa) makes approximately one third of the coffee produced in the world because it can be grown at lower altitudes, is more disease resistant and cheaper to produce. But it’s the high-altitude coffea arabica that forms the base of a gourmet cup.

Diffuse light and moderate winds are helpful, both of which are sometimes produced by deliberately growing in the shelter and shade. By contrast, wine grapes like hot sun and lots of it.

Once planted, the tree starts to produce flowers after 3-4 years and the first crop can be taken 5 years after planting. In most countries where coffee is grown, there is one major harvest a year, however there are also countries (like Colombia) with two flowerings a year which result in a main and secondary crop.

A single tree will only make enough for about two pounds (1 kilogram) of coffee. Those two pounds equal about two thousand beans, (correct or not, it’s the standard term), usually hand-picked by manual laborers. Manual they may be, but ignorant they are not. Coffee bean harvesting is a skill developed over time, where the picker learns to select good beans and discard the bad. Bean by individual bean. That’s only one reason coffee is high priced.

The trees have broad, dark green leaves and produce a flower that resembles Jasmine. Some – in Brazil and Mexico, for example, – blossom over a six to eight week period. In countries that lie along the equator such as Kenya and Colombia, though, a tree can have mature berries growing alongside still ripening ones. That’s part of what makes picking such a specialty.

Blossom to harvest may cover a period of up to nine months depending on the weather and other factors and the cycle will be carried out for the life of the tree – about 20-25 years. With the best cultivation technology, a good harvest will be between 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg) and 8,800 lbs (4,000 kg) per hectare. (One hectare equals approximately 2.47 acres.)

From these inaccessible regions, where conditions are harsh, the berries are brought down and processed to make up the world’s second largest commodity (by annual dollar volume).

That’s quite a journey it takes for a coffee to reach from a tree to a cup, isn’t it?

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There are a number of traits that beans need to be examined for.

They need to be fairly uniform in size and similarly shaped. It is important for helping to ensure an even roast. Beans roast differently depending on their size. When the size of the bean differs the roasting time can’t be adjusted properly, since some will pop and brown before others.

Graders also look for similarity of color. Uneven coloring normally means that beans have dried at different rates. It also indicates that beans may have been mixed from different cultivars, which in return leads to inconsistency in roasting and flavor.

To achieve the proper final results beans have to be separated by geographic region grown and by cultivar. It’s essential that they are harvested, processed and dried separately for the final product to be a fine brew.

Beans retain the best quality when they’re processed soon after harvesting. Coffee beans undergo a kind of fermenting process that will initiate after harvesting. The process is not like fermenting wine – where sugars turn into alcohol, but it nevertheless produces unwanted compounds. Drying prevents this from beginning.

Many processors will float the beans in the water in floatation tanks to separate out defective beans, since different density beans will float at different levels. This is also one of the ways to detect potato defect, which we have written about previously.

Finer beans, however, result from a more time-consuming process called ‘dry processing’. Dry processed beans have a brown ’silverskin’, called a fox bean in Brazil. If the silverskin can be removed by simple rubbing, it’s not a defect, but evidence of this dry process. Under ripe beans, though can also have a silverskin, which can’t be removed by rubbing. Such beans will result in a coffee with a sour taste.

Drying beans is not an easy job, it’s an art all by itself. Estates often boast proudly of the skill and care taken during the process. As well they might. Improper drying often shows. Every now and then economics encourages processors to use harsh mechanical drying techniques. Drying the beans too rapidly or failing to turn them often enough can result in beans with an uneven, mottled appearance.

Properly dried beans will first spend some time on a ‘patio’, to dry the skin, before they’re fed to the mechanical dryer. Truly superior beans will have spent several short stints in the dryer at around 40°C (104°F), rather than one long one. The result is an even color and just the right moisture content.

But that’s not all that graders need to look for.

As the result of inadequate drying or being stored in too humid conditions beans can have a white edge, which will result in a bland cup and graders are on the lookout for it.

Good Arabica coffee beans, the type used in fine coffees, will have an even, bright appearance.

Lastly, they smell the beans. Good beans will have a fresh aroma, but they also try to detect what’s absent along with what’s present. Any improper processing will add a smoky or musty tinge that you don’t want in your cup.

So before you sip that fine brew, take a moment to sense the fine aroma and lift a cup in thanks to bean graders.

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A variety of roaster types are available, but in worst case scenario even a frying pan or popcorn popper can be used. Be sure to start with ultra-clean equipment, though. It’s essential, nothing spoils the taste of coffee like left over fish oils or butter.

Dark roasts contain a little less caffeine than lighter roasts, but they lack the acid taste of the latter. Of course you should start off with quality beans!

The beans will need to heat to between 460F (223C) and 530F (262C), so be prepared for some smoke. That’s easily taken care of with a small room fan or stove top exhaust. In addition to smoke there will be an odor that’s not necessarily the pleasant part of the process, so your first experiments should probably be done with the windows open and no one home.

Put the beans in the roaster and turn up the heat! (Take care to be ready to temporarily disable those over-sensitive home fire alarms. Don’t forget to switch them back when you’re done!)

Some of the roasters have the thermometer built into them, but you might want to have an extra for when it’s open, or for those frying pan experiments. Candy making thermometers will be fine for this purpose.

During the process those green beans will at first turn yellow, then brown. How brown depends on how dark you like your roast, which is always an individual choice.

As they begin to heat up, moisture – both oil and water – will put pressure on the bean surface and you may hear a loud crack when it bursts. Not to worry, this is normal. Stirring every 30 seconds or more, you’ll hear this somewhere around four to seven minutes of heating.

The sugars inside will begin to caramelize (turn brown and ‘burn’ slightly) as the roasting continues. Again the degree is a matter of taste. Check the color every 30 seconds or so.

Roast long enough and sometimes a second little less loud crack will occur. At this stage the beans will be quite dark and for some palates a little overdone. Beyond the second crack you’re really just burning the beans and boiling away the sugars. The results will be too harsh for most people.

Pour into a metal colander to cool, then agitate. Since the roasting process produces chaff (a fine skin that detaches from the bean as they’re agitated), you’re going to need some method for removing it. Mesh cooking screens are one option.

Try a few batches with different degrees of time or darkening. Experiment to get the flavor you like. Keep in mind that the heat trapped in the bean will continue to cook it for short period of time, so try stopping a little bit before your desired end goal.

For the popcorn popper style roasting, you should get one that allows you to stir up the beans to keep them moving around and not sticking to the surfaces. For the stove top style, a cast iron skillet will work just fine. And remember that roasting happens quickly, so be ready for lots of stirring and viewing.

When you’ve done your share of practicing and start to get hang of the whole roasting nuances you can create your own kind of roasts for different occasions or even for different times of the day. Good luck in your roasting adventures!

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There are different ways to process beans. Some bean processors use the wet process method where they use a wash to remove the fleshy fruit from the bean and to separate different kinds of beans. Density differences in the bean will cause some to float higher, making for easier removal or separation.

Others use a slower, more expensive dry-process also known as unwashed or natural coffee. In dry process coffee cherries are dried in the sun and then the dried skin, pulp and parchment are removed from the beans. It may take up to 4 weeks before the cherries are dried to the optimum moisture content. Beans, processed this way will have a more subtle acid profile, while the acidity of wet-processed beans is more striking. Some acidity in coffee is desirable. The alternative is a flat, lifeless cup and who wants to drink coffee like that?

Now let’s take a look at what happens to beans as they heat up during roasting?

During the bean roasting process aromatics and acids, along with other flavor compounds, are produced in different concentrations.

In the first stage the beans absorb heat and the green beans are slowly dried to a yellowish tinge. ‘Green’ doesn’t necessarily refer to the color as such, but simply to the beans that are unroasted or raw. If done properly, the beans will have an odor that is similar to a toast or popcorn.

From about 170°C-200°C (338°F-392°F) sugars in the bean will begin to caramelize, aided by the increase in temperature of the moisture enclosed by the skin. That’s just one reason why it’s important for beans to have the proper moisture content, which comes from correct drying. Caramelized sugars are less sweet, so reaching the right amount is important for the final brew.

At about 205°C (400°F), beans will expand to approximately double their original size and become light brown and at the same time lose about 5% of their original weight. As the temperature rises to about 220°C (428°F), beans will lose about 13% more weight and release some carbon dioxide (CO2).

When the temperature increases to around 230°C (446°F), the roasting beans become medium-dark brown and take on an oily sheen. Oftentimes there will be a loud pop as the beans enter the ’second crack’ phase.

Here roasters have to be very careful not to overdo it. Volatile aromatic compounds are boiled off and the oils on the outside of the bean can combine with oxygen in the air. That process can strip the bean of desirable flavors and lead to a burnt taste.

The goal is to reach proper balance of bitterness, acidity and a host of other attributes making up the final flavor profile.

In tasting guides coffee connoisseurs will sometimes see the term ‘body’, as if its meaning were self-evident. ‘Body’ despite what it suggests, does NOT refer to the actual thickness or viscosity of the liquid. That attribute is the result of the kinds of proteins and fibers in the brew.

Used as tasters do, it refers to the feel on the tongue when rubbed on the roof of the mouth. It’s the result of the fat content in the drink and that – apart from growing conditions that home roasters can’t control – is determined largely by the roasting.

Too light a roast will leave too high a concentration of bitter compounds in the final product. Too dark will produce an excessively chocolatey, burnt taste. You have to do a little bit experimenting here to find the right balance that suits your taste. That is also the main benefit of roasting the beans yourself – you can get them exactly the way you want them. As the saying goes – practice makes perfect. So practice and experiment – it’s worth it.

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