PODcast Newsletter, Issue 12

Coffee Primer
A little elementary knowledge of the different types of coffee will help you to find just the right coffee for you. Let's start at the basics: The coffee plant is a shrub of the genus Coffea. We are concerned with only two of the dozens of species of the genus: coffea canephora (Robusta) and coffea arabica (Arabica). In the wild, coffee plants grow to a height of 8 to 10 meters, but on coffee plantations they are kept at a height of about 2.5 meters. The fruit is bright red in color and resembles a cherry. They are, in fact, called cherries. Each cherry normally contains two green seeds.

Here are some comparisons between the two types of coffee:

• The Arabica bean (seed) has 44 chromosomes but the Robusta bean has only half that number.
• The Robusta tree is more resistant to parasites, disease, and heat than the Arabica bean.
• Robusta plants are generally grown near sea level whereas Arabica is usually grown in a narrow altititude band in the mountains.
• The Arabica bean contains from 1 to 1.7% caffeine whereas the Robusta bean is about twice as strong, containing 2 to 4.5% caffeine.
• Robusta beans contain more of the acids that can cause indigestion.
• A cup of Arabica coffee is milder, more aromatic, and less astringent than a cup of Robusta coffee.
• The Arabica bean is flatter and longer and has a sinuous groove on the flat side. The Robusta bean is more convex and rounder and the groove is almost straight.

Most coffees sold are blends of Arabica and Robusta beans, the Robusta being added for fullness to the flavor. Also popular are the coffees that are 100% Arabica.

From the above, it may sound that Robusta beans are inferior and undesirable. It is true that fine coffee is made from Arabica, whereas food-service grade coffee is predominantly Robusta. But Arabica by itself can be bit one-dimensional. Blending Arabica with Robusta enhances the flavor and body. One should realize that as there are high quality and low quality Arabicas, there are also high quality and low quality Robustas. A roaster of fine coffees will choose the high quality Robustas for blending.

Most roasted coffee is a blend of beans grown in different regions. To begin with, it is most often a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans — those coming from different regions. Beyond that, both the Arabica and Robusta components themselves are blends from different growing regions. Take for example, Miscela d'Oro, which is a blend of Arabicas from Santos Brazil and Central America with the Robusta coming from Uganda and Colombia. By blending coffees from different regions the roaster achieves a more balanced coffee with a wider appeal.

Single Origin coffee, on the other hand, is composed of strictly one type of bean from a specific region. As far as I know, single-origin coffees are always Arabica beans. Single-origin coffees present the unique flavor of the beans grown in the particular region: Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Jamaica, etc. The individual-region coffees each have their own unique qualities which are both their strength and their weakness. By blending, the roaster can achieve a roast that will be enjoyable for many coffee lovers. Single-origin coffees, in sacrificing balance and wide appeal, offer the discriminating coffee aficionado a valuable flavor experience. One is able to enjoy the pure flavor and aroma characteristics peculiar to a given region. You may find that a particular region's coffee is your "cup of tea," so to speak. Or you may simply enjoy sampling the variation of the world's coffee growing regions. One might compare single-origin coffees to single malt whiskeys vs. blended whiskeys. Hausbrandt specializes in Single Origin coffees of extradinary quality.

And finally, there is Single Estate coffee. This is single kind of bean from a single plantation. These are truly specialty coffees. Generally a single estate coffee would be a premium product from a boutique grower. One such single estate coffee is the exclusive Aloha Island Kona. The plantation owner controls all aspects of planting, growing, harvesting, washing, roasting, etc.

Two new products have been placed on our virtual store shelves this month.

Every time we add a new product, I say something like "PodMerchant is please to carry...", and it's true. But this time, it's even more true! We now have inventory of the FrancisFrancis! X6 espresso machine. I think this machine is very special. The X6, with its Trio brewing system has raised the bar in espresso "bang for the buck." The espresso that comes out of this machine is nothing like that I've had from any other machine in its price range. The X6 is currently offered at $400 (scheduled to go up soon), and through the end of the year, FF! will send you 3 Months of illy — 12 tins (216 pods) of illy Caffe medium roast coffee with your purchase. We also have free UPS Ground shipping and a coupon for $25 of pods on these machines. Subtract your PODcast 10% discount, and you've got a real bargain.

I would also like to remind you, that if you are interested in the higher end FF! X1, the PODcast 10% coupon still applies, and so does the 3 Months of illy promotion. We only have a few colors left in stock.


 
Pod users of machines with commercial size groupheads have reason to rejoice. We are now carrying a special pod-only portafilter handle made by Rancilio made to optimally use E.S.E. espresso pods. Most filter baskets on these larger (58mm) groupheads just don't properly hold the pod and thus allow water seepage around the pod. This adjustable pod-only portafilter contains the pod in an ideal manner and also has a pressurization feature to get additional crema. Though made by Rancilio — obviously for their machines — I have tried it on a few other brands with this common grouphead size and have had success in each case.
 
For those of you that missed last month's PODcast, I want you to know about this superb coffee, Aloha Island 100% Kona espresso pods. This coffee is single estate, 100% Arabica, low acidity and pesticide free. Aloha Island produces hand-crafted products from cherries grown only on their plantation in Kona on the island of Hawaii. All phases of production — growth, harvesting, washing, drying, sorting, and roasting are controlled by this small company dedicated to extreme quality. The result is a truly exquisite — and justifiably expensive — cup of coffee. Note that the Aloha Island is ground finer than most. Please adjust your portafilter tightness accordingly to allow proper flow through the pod.
 

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