One of the great things about being a coffee drinker is the sheer variety of experiences that coffee can offer. There are so many different types of coffee itself, and then there’s the expansive world of specialized coffee drinks. Discovering them one by one makes for a delicious cultural education, but where do you start? We’ll walk you through the maze of coffee options so you can know exactly what to expect when you order coffee or purchase a bag of beans.
Different Types of Coffee
1. Arabica – Arabica coffee beans have a flatter and slightly longer shape. It has a mild coffee aroma and taste. Arabica coffee beans have crisp acidity and sugary sweetness that makes it a great cup of coffee to drink in the morning.
2. Robusta – Robusta coffee beans have higher caffeine content and a stronger and nutty flavor profile. Most of the time, the beans are dull, harsh, and bitter which makes them cheaper than Arabica beans, and are typically used in low-quality coffee blends and cheap instant coffees.
Types of Coffee Roasts
1. Light – Light roast coffee beans are lightly roasted to preserve their unique characteristics of coffee beans. Since they are roasted for a shorter period of time, there is no oil on the surface of the bean, which is something that is commonly found in coffee beans that have been roasted for longer. They have a slightly acidic and tangy taste and feel light on the tongue. It has a light coffee taste and light brown color.
2. Medium Roast – Medium roast coffee beans are roasted for longer than light coffee beans, but not too long to keep their original flavor and aroma. They have a non-oily surface and a smoother and stronger flavor profile. It feels heavier on the tongue and has a medium brown color. It is commonly known as the “American Roast” in the US.
3. Medium Dark Roast – Medium dark roast coffee beans are roasted a bit longer so it has some oil on their surface and has a brown color. It has a stronger flavor profile with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
4. Dark Roast – Dark roast coffee beans are roasted longer which gives them bitter, dark, woodsy, and chocolate notes that most coffee beans have. It has an oily surface and comes in dark and rich brown color. It does not contain any acid content and has a deep coffee smell and feels heavy on the tongue.
5. Other types of coffee roasts such as French, Italian, and Vienna – These types of coffee beans are roasted for long periods of time, which give them a dark color and they taste like carbon and ash. The coffee beans have oily surfaces and are considered low-quality coffee beans.
6. Specialty Coffee – Specialty coffee means the coffee beans have the highest grade. They are perfectly made and have a high-quality flavor profile with amazing aromas. They belong to the top 1-3% coffee beans in the world, taste delicious and are expensive.
What are the Different Types of Espresso?
1. Americano – This drink is made by adding hot water to espresso. It tastes like regular black coffee.
2. Cappuccino – It consists of 33% espresso, 33% dense foam, and 33% steamed milk. This drink allows you to taste the strong flavor of espresso but its flavor profile is smoothed by steamed milk.
3. Espresso – This drink is made when hot water is introduced to coffee grounds. It is a thick, strong coffee taste, and has a syrup-like consistency.
4. Latte – This drink is made by mixing two shots of espresso, microfoam, and steamed milk.
5. Macchiato – This drink is made by mixing a shot of espresso and a dollop of milk foam.
What are the Different Types of Black Coffee?
1. Drip Coffee – This is made by using your coffee pot and pouring hot water over the coffee grounds. It produces a thin, smooth, and strong coffee.
2. Cold Brew Coffee – This drink is made by mixing coffee grounds with cold water at a temperature lower than 40 degrees and letting it steep for 12 hours or more. It tastes different, it is quite aromatic, and smooth and it lacks the bitter note and acidic content that regular coffee does. It is commonly used for creating cold brew drinks and cold brew soda.
3. French Press – This is made by pouring hot water over coffee grounds and let it steep for at least 3 minutes and 30 seconds and is then filtered with a metal filter. All the aromatic oils and minute coffee grounds will give the resulting coffee a strong flavor profile.
Coffee From Different Parts of the World
There are different types of coffee available from around the world. Check out the list below.
1. Brazil – There are a lot of coffee plantations in Brazil. It has the biggest coffee production in the world, producing huge quantities of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans yearly. Brazilian coffee has a medium body and tastes sweet with low acidity.
2. Colombia – Colombia is considered the second-biggest coffee producer in the world. The landscape and terrain in Colombia are rocky and difficult for workers which makes it quite hard for them to harvest and transfer the coffee beans. Colombian coffee tastes good with well-balanced acidity and a milder flavor profile.
3. Ethiopia – Ethiopia is the seventh-largest coffee producer in the world. The coffee Arabica originated in Ethiopia. Ethiopian coffee has a full-body, bold, earthy flavor profile.
4. Hawaii – Hawaii is known for producing the famous Kona coffee. Since the area has rich black volcanic soil, this makes it a great place to grow coffee beans. Kona coffee has a medium body with a rich, delicious aroma that makes it a great cup of coffee. If you want to try and taste the world-famous Kona coffee, you must check out Dr. Paulo’s Kona Coffee and Macadamia Nut Farms.
5. Indonesia – The Dutch introduced coffee to Indonesia. The large islands of Indonesia, Java, Sulawesi, and Sumatra are known all over the world for their excellent coffee beans. Indonesian coffee has a full body with a rich flavor profile and mild acidity.
6. Yemen – The Arabian Peninsula is known for being the first to grow coffee beans commercially using ancient varieties of Arabica beans. Yemeni coffee has a distinct taste, it has a rich and deep flavor profile that makes it unique compared to other coffee beans.
7. Vietnam – Coffee production has been a major source of income for Vietnam since the early 20th century. They are known for being one of the major producers of Robusta coffee beans. Vietnamese coffee has a strong and flavorful taste.
What are the Important Facts About Coffee That You Need to Know?
1. Coffee is good for you – According to different studies done from 2014 to 2016, these show that coffee offers different health benefits. It is good for your liver, and lessens the risk of heart disease and colon cancer. Coffee has been found out to reduce the possibility of multiple sclerosis among individuals who drink coffee regularly.
2. Cold brew coffee has less acid content – Cold brew is prepared by using filtered cold water with a temperature lower than 40 degrees. Since hot water is not used to brew the coffee, the oil content on the coffee beans is not pulled through, making the cold brew coffee less acidic.
3. Decaf coffee has caffeine – Decaf coffee has caffeine, if you drink five to ten cups of decaf coffee in a day you can get the same amount of caffeine as when you drink two cups of regular coffee. Also, the process of decaffeination uses an organic chemical called methylene chloride, which is used to wash off the dissolved caffeine that rises from the beans when they are steamed.
4. Caffeine can lessen pain – When you drink coffee regularly, caffeine can help reduce pain. A study done in 2012 showed that office workers who drink a cup or two of coffee experience less shoulder and neck pain compared to those who do not consume coffee regularly.
5. Coffee taste depends on the roasting and brewing process – To achieve a great coffee taste and flavor, you must roast and brew your coffee properly. During the roasting process, the oil inside the bean is released, and the more oil that is released, the stronger is its taste. Dark roast coffee contains more caffeine. The caffeine content in coffee increases the longer the coffee grounds are brewed in water. If you prefer higher caffeine content, you must go for a regular coffee.
