Elements to have a good cup of coffee

There will be many people who think "excess" when reading through the title of this article. Why? Because in many people's minds, to have a good cup of coffee, there must be a place to provide good quality coffee. Where are places like that? Simply go to Hanoi's old, famous coffee shops (Nhan, Giang, Hung, etc.) or emerging names like Caribbean, Reng Reng, etc. Buy a packet of powdered coffee, go home, make a filter, add milk, that's it.

That's not the case. And even more even if you buy pre-roasted coffee from a reputable and best quality place, and take it home to prepare it, it does not mean that you will have a delicious cup of coffee "identical". like at the shop. The same coffee, but the taste will be very different. Apart from the barista skills that I don't want to talk about here, what's the reason?

Here are some factors from our experience:

1/ Type of coffee beans

This is the first element. At Seed to my soul, we always try to buy and try every time we know about a new roastery or coffee in Vietnam. From Highland to Trung Nguyen, or the lines of Starbucks, VPresso, Shin cafe, Klasik, etc… we have bought and conducted cupping to find the one that best suits our taste. Over time, I no longer like to drink dark roast coffee, but only focus on coffee lines from Central Africa or South America with a medium roast.

Why does the type of coffee bean affect a good cup of coffee? The answer is it depends on your taste. For example, coffee in Vietnam, the taste as well as the taste will not have as much acidity, floral, or citrus as the coffee of the highlands of Guatemala or Indonesia. In contrast, Vietnamese coffee has more rubber flavor if it is Robusta, or cocoa and a sweet taste if it is arabica. To choose the type of coffee you love, the only way is to try many varieties and over time you will find the right coffee for you.

Another explanation is that the origin of coffee beans gives you different special tastes due to the soil, climate, humidity, and the care process of the region that produces it.

In seed to my soul, we choose Kenya, Starbucks Da Lat (Vietnam), Ethiopia, and especially Sumatra blonde roast.

2/ Arabica is there Robusta?

Choosing which coffee line between Arabica and Robusta is no longer controversial. It is a fact that Arabica coffee tastes better than Robusta and also gives a richer flavor. Therefore, if you are not someone who likes bitter coffee and the strong taste of rubber and red earth, and if you like the natural flavors of coffee, then Arabica is a reasonable choice.

At Seed to my soul studio, we only use and refer to Arabica coffee.

3/ Freshness of coffee beans

Many coffee packages of roasters in Vietnam state that the shelf life is… 1 year. This is not entirely wrong, because coffee can be kept for a long time without spoiling. However, coffee after grinding (coffee powder) is only delicious within the first week. Fresh roast coffee (freshly roasted 1-2 days) will be delicious in the first 2-3 weeks and the flavor will fade away. Industrially roasted coffee has the best shelf life of about 2-2.5 months (eg Starbucks, Coffee beans & tea leaves). Therefore, if the coffee has been stored for a long time, or when buying roasted coffee beans, but you forget to pay attention to the date of roast / roasted date, the coffee will not be fresh and delicious when it is prepared. as expected.

4/ Water Quality

According to SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America), water - including water source, water quality, and water "cleanliness" - is one of the most important factors in making coffee. Because when the water "passes through" the coffee (with drip method) or "soaks" the coffee (with the French press, Siphon method), the chemical components in the water will participate in the reaction with the release of chemicals. composition of coffee powder (also known as extraction). Therefore, if the water is too "hard", or too alkaline, the brewed coffee will not be as smooth and balanced as when brewed at the shop.

Did you know, that at Starbucks, Coffee bean, or professional espresso coffee shops, they always have a separate (or attached) water filtration system for the espresso machine?

5/ Water Temperature

The SCAA's recommended water temperature is 92 degrees Celsius -over ever, it is more suitable for North American weather than in Vietnam. I usually mix at a temperature of 75 - 80 degrees Celsius with the weather in Hanoi. If the water is too hot and the coffee is roasted at a "dark roast" or "city" level, your coffee will have a very high body (light/dark) and will be bitter. Because coffee is out of balance due to the process of “winter days, you can use boiling water at a temperature of 85 - 90 degrees Celsius because the cold weather will make the water cool down quite quickly, so if you choose a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius, after making the coffee, will cool down quite a bi-extraction.

On cold winter days, you can use boiling water at a temperature of 85 - 90 degrees Celsius because the cold weather will make the water cool down quite quickly, so if you choose a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius, after making the coffee, will cool down quite a bit.

6/ The ratio of coffee and water

This is something you need to pay attention to after you have had time to practice mixing (at home or the office, because at a cafe, it is mandatory to follow the ratio) for a few months. Personally, for the first 6 months I don't care much about the ratio, just approximate and then mix with a french press or pour-over. Therefore, some days the coffee will be delicious, some days the coffee will be pale, or some days the coffee will be strong and bitter.

To make coffee more accurate, we need to appreciate the ratio, the ratio is something that has been studied for a long time by professional baristas, experienced baristas draw and give a "ratio area" to Coffee to achieve the most optimal balance. Thereby having the best aroma (aroma) as well as the most delicious taste (flavor).

SCAA is the American standard, they have research on balance in coffee making, however, Americans and Western European tastes often drink a little thinner coffee than Vietnamese.

The SCAA recommends a ratio of 1:18 (meaning 1g of coffee corresponds to 18g of water), and I usually use a ratio of 1:15 to 1:17 depending on the type of coffee and depending on the roast level. For blonde roast or medium coffee, 1:15 or 1:16 is reasonable (more will be pale for Vietnamese taste – personal opinion), and for dark roast, 1:17 is more suitable.

7/ Grinding level of the whole coffee (Grind and ground)

Along with the amount of water and the ratio between water and coffee, the degree of coffee grinding should also be considered. For example, if you make a drip and grind it too coarse (coarse), the process of dispersing (aka spreading) coffee (also known as extraction) will not be as desired because the time the water "goes through" the coffee is too fast. . On the other hand, if you make it with the french press and grind it to a fine / super fine level, the coffee will be bitter or too strong.

When brewing with different types of coffee and different preparation methods, you should choose the appropriate level of coffee grinding.

8/ Method of preparation and preparation time

After all, dif-makingferent methods have different brewing times that also yield different flavors (considering the same coffee type and grind level). The way of preparation also directly affects the "output" of the coffee. For example, with a french press is 4 minutes, coffee soaked in water will have more extraction, stronger coffee, clearer body, coffee will have more balance and smoothness (smooth) than pour over. Meanwhile, when brewing with pour over like V60, the water passes through the coffee and then through the filter for about 1-2 minutes (or more than 3 minutes), the coffee is not soaked in water, so when tasting it will " cleaner”, the aroma is more recognizable, the sour, sweet, and bold flavors are also easier to recognize.

There are many methods of making coffee like using an espresso machine, V60, Aeropress, French Press, Siphon, or Moka pot. etc. Each of these blends combined -to-water with the water quality, temperature, and processing time will result in different flavors and aftertaste, and that's what's interesting taste of coffee.