It has long been said that coffee is the second-most traded "commodity" in the world, only oil surpassing it, and though recently the soundness of that statement has been questioned, I cannot help but think it is in fact somewhere high in that list. Regardless, one thing is true: people enjoy coffee. Some people enjoy it a lot. Yet, sadly, many of these people who enjoy coffee, don't really know what good coffee is.
This former statement is one that often causes confusion for some people, and anger in others. The usual logic is, "But if I enjoy something, how can it not be good?" I would argue that while many people enjoy a McDonald's hamburger, it is not the best example of what a true hamburger, or even what food can be. Like many things in America (I'll limit this blog to my country of residence. Jim Hoffman, Mark Prince and so many others have websites and blogs so full of excellent information regarding coffee culture in their countries, I'd be a fool to attempt to try to comment on what I think goes on outside the continental U.S.), coffee has gone through many changes throughout the years, and not necessarily for the better. I'll spare the history lesson on how and why, as many books and documentaries cover this in more detail than I ever could, but the fact of the matter is that what you likely drink in the morning is a far cry from true, good coffee.
Now that I have danced around the subject enough, what makes coffee "good?" In my opinion, there are a few qualifiers:
1) The coffee is a specialty coffee.
What is specialty coffee? Again, one could write a book on the subject, but a brief definition would be: Coffee that is grown in an ideal environment with considerations for elevation, soil and climate, harvested at a precise time of ripeness, processed in a caring, attentive manner, shipped safely to a roaster, and then roasted in small batches with again, great attentiveness and care. A very small percentage of all the coffee produced in the world can be considered "specialty."
2) The coffee is fresh.
I'm not here to get into debates about what freshness is, or if a coffee can be too fresh, I'll leave such arguments to the experts. I'll set out easy to follow parameters in which most people will find little to argue with. From the second coffee leaves the roaster, it has a shelf-life. That coffee needs to be consumed within a 14 day period. You may notice changes in the taste as the coffee ages in general, but after two weeks there is going to begin to notice a sharp drop-off in terms of the flavor you get out of your cup.
3) The coffee beans remain whole until brewing.
While there is science that explains this, I'll keep it brief: Ground coffee loses flavor faster. This isn't just from a coffee geek standpoint, normal people notice this. If you brew a cup of freshly ground coffee next to a cup utilizes grounds that had been sitting out for an hour, nearly anyone can tell a difference.
Hopefully this answers some questions. Coffee friends, if there is anything that you feel I have gotten horribly wrong in my attempt to summarize, please leave me a note in the comments section.
Next post: Where should I buy my coffee?
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