Coffee Tasting eCourse is Underway
At the Gourmet Coffee Zone, we offer ongoing coffee education across a variety of gourmet coffee subjects. Consider this a fun version of online coffee school.
Our current “Coffee Tasting eCourse” is now underway. This eCourse is a step-by-step coffee tasting education delivered by email to our Gourmet Coffee Zone newsletter subscribers.
Over the course of the next several weeks subscribers will be receiving coffee tasting lessons covering the following subjects:
- Why develop your coffee tasting palette?
- The fundamentals of coffee tasting characteristics.
- Coffee tasting vocabulary.
- Coffee origins and the many different taste and flavor qualities of different coffees from the finest growing regions around the world.
- Coffee roasting and the different roast levels and roast characteristics.
- Coffee tasting defects and taints.
- We also include a basic brewing tutorial, specifically designed for tasting and sampling coffee.
- Then we put it all together and walk through applying everything you’ve learned by actually tasting three or four specific coffees that we’ll recommend to you.
If you would like to participate in the “Coffee Tasting eCourse”, sign up for our Gourmet Coffee Zone newsletter today.
For our subscribers participating in the coffee tasting course, the comments to this blog post serve as a interactive area to post questions, share coffee tasting experiences, and learn from the community.
Taste some great coffee today!
Mark Harris
Posted in Coffee School | 29 Comments
April 14th, 2008 at 8:01 am
[...] the way, are you stuck on one and only one coffee? If so, I recommend our “coffee tasting course” now [...]
May 20th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I’m looking forward to learning new coffee tastes. I’ve found that strong (excessively strong) coffee has a bitter after taste, personally unexceptable to the palette. Just as fine wines are selected for the proper foods, I feel that fine coffees must be matched to the occasion. I do truly believe that a good cup of coffee should bring a “Ohhhhhhh” and a pause. There are much better roasters then mass produced mega coffee giants.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:18 am
Shawn,
Nicely put.
One of the big rewards for me with our coffee tasting program is the simple opportunity to introduce folks to new and different coffees.
It’s great fun!
Yes, yes … a special coffee should evoke “a coffee pause” moment.
And there are those coffee tasting “ah ha” experiences too. The first time you taste a classic Ethiopian Harar and you’re able to detect that trace of “blueberry” fruit, you just have to stop and say … “oh my”!
There’s a much broader range of coffees and tasting experiences than most people realize. We see more and more folks every day showing a genuine interest in exploring the coffee experience in more depth.
Judging by the number of people just like you that join us here, I think a lot of people are ready for taking coffee to the next level.
With a little bit of palette training, learning about the coffee tasting vocabulary and what to look for in great coffee, I think you’ll be surprised and pleased with what you discover.
The roasters do play a very significant role introducing and bringing great coffee forward. It always amazes me how much depth and knowledge the premier artisanal roasters like 49th Parallel, Paradise, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture Coffee, Ritual, and others bring to the table.
We’ll be talking about many of these roasters and their coffees. It’s a great way to learn about some very special coffees.
Thanks for sharing, glad to have you on board.
Mark
June 6th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Hi Mark, thank yo very much for the first letter of the coffee tasting ecourse, I enjoyed it al lot. I have never been in Starbucks but now I will go there to taste good strong international coffee or may be double lot of esspreso coffee. I am impressed about the information you mentioned in your text I did know that coffee had 800 different componets, it is incredible!. I am sure that I am going to learn pretty much with your coffe tasting ecourse.
Best regards.
FSCL
June 7th, 2008 at 5:40 am
FSCL,
Great to have you join us for the coffee tasting course.
If you don’t mind sharing, tell us where you’re from? We have many international coffee fans from countries all over the world in the Gourmet Coffee Zone community.
I’m assuming you have a Starbucks in your town? Probably a pretty good chance, there are over 15,000 Starbucks stores throughout the world today (with about 7,000 or half of the stores in the US).
Not sure you’ll find the strongest coffee at Starbucks these days. At least no longer in the US. See http://blog.gourmet-coffee-zone.com/2008/05/26/starbucks-pike-place-roast-update/
Starbucks has replaced the everyday bold strong brew with something a little milder called Pike Place Roast. Be interesting to find out if the same is true in the international stores?
You definitely won’t find the best espresso in your local Starbucks. But, by all means, give it a try to find out and establish a basis for comparison. Then, see if you can find or track down a specialty coffee house or store in your town where they have a passion for great coffee and skilled baristas on board that really know how to pull a great shot. You might have to hunt around a bit.
Cheers, and thanks for the comments.
Mark
July 28th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Mark,
Great job in making coffee talk understandable and interesting. Most coffee books and articles talk down to the reader or have a trendy geek approach that puts off the average joe that coffee businesses rely on. Thanks!
October 24th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Mark,
Its great to be part of the ecourse. Me, when i tasted coffee for first time, i was mad. It was bitter. I had passion for coffee, but i never knew about coffee tasting. Later on, i felt great, unknowingly, i developped a passion to taste coffee.Day by day, i started to feel excited to know more and more about coffees. You know, Indian coffees are wonderful. Am not exposed to coffees all around the world. Indian coffees are wonderful. Indian coffees are high grown, shade grown coffees which are grown at 5000-6000ft high. India grows Arabica as well as Robusta. Most Indian coffees are used as base coffees for different blends. They have a characteristic flavor, amazing body and wonderful acidity. As the coffees are high grown, they are well balanced. India has got three speciality coffee, Monsooned Malabar, Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold and Robusta Kaapi Royale, each are unique in its own characteristics. I guess you should be knowing about Indian Coffees….!! But its like, how great the coffee is, how good the coffee is, its in the hand of Roast master who has to bring out its characteristics… There is much and more about Indian coffees…. Its really great feeling to be part of the coffee world. Thanks Mark.
October 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Actually mark, in India there is no star bucks and i have not travelled out of India. I want to taste star bucks, but i have not got opportunity to taste their coffee. India, has got big coffee chains like Cafe Coffee Day, Barista coffee, Coasta Coffee and few other small coffee shops. To taste a very good coffee, basically, i feel its in the hand of each of every one from seed to cup….!!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:04 am
hi mark,
I have a question for you.. There are lot of espresso machines in the market right…A blend is it designed or developped according to the machine or machine is designed according to the coffee? Is all the machines available in the market of different categories, are they one and the same ? if not where they differ from each other exactly? In regarding to capacity or software used or technology or where exactly?
October 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Anupama,
So glad you’re enjoying the coffee tasting course so far.
You have terrific enthusiasm, and when it comes to espresso, you’ve hit on a particular coffee passion of mine. You ask a number of good questions about espresso machines, blends, technology, … more than I have room to answer here in a single response, actually.
In fact, once you get going, you almost have to write a book about the subject, there is so much to say and learn.
But let me take your first question about blending beans suitable for great espresso. And I’ll also steer you to several pages on our web site that talk about espresso machines in a little more depth.
First, you’re on the right track about espresso blends. Many people have the misconception that there is a special or specific coffee bean produced to make espresso. Not really the case.
In fact, you can make espresso from many different coffee beans (some will be great, and some will be awful).
More accurately, espresso refers to the method of extracting a strong, concentrated pour of coffee by forcing very hot water (close to boiling temperature) under high pressure (9 to 10 atmospheres) through a lightly compressed bed of finely ground coffee. The result is accompanied by a unique phenomena called “crema”, a layer of tan colored rich foam that is indescribably great when it’s done right.
And while we’re on the subject, let’s dispel the misconception that there is something called an “espresso” roast. There are dark roasts, Italian and French, and medium roasts, and light roasts, but really nothing officially called an espresso roast, although how often have you seen a package of roasted coffee beans labeled “espresso roast”.
Darker roasts are popular for making espresso, but the truth of the matter; you can achieve some spectacular espresso results with medium roasted beans and medium/dark roasts.
Which brings us to the blends. Some of the best and most popular espresso products offered by the premium coffee roasters are blends. This is actually where the mastery of the artisan roaster comes into play.
The roast master blends several coffee beans together (sometimes even beans roasted to different levels) to create the best combination for espresso. For example, in our coffee tasting course, I mention a typical espresso blend often starts with a Brazilian for the base (yellow or red bourbon) for good crema, and adds a Central American to raise the acidity and brightness, and an Indonesian (Sumatra or a Sulawesi) for extra body and richness.
You can certainly try your hand at espresso with single origins, and I encourage everyone interested in espresso actually do so. It’s part of the learning experience.
In fact, it’s become somewhat of a fad in recent years at a number of premium specialty coffee houses to offer single-origin espressos.
But, in my humble experience, I think the better espresso results come from the masterful blends – both a combination of beans and roast levels that best compliment the espresso process.
As for the espresso machines, let me point you to a few pages on our site.
http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso.html – a bit of espresso history and background
http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-technique.html – how to make great espresso
As for an espresso machine recommendation, yes there are hundreds of options available from the low $200 USD up to $10,000 USD or more for commercial grade equipment.
With all of the choices, we still like to recommend the Rancilio Silvia. It’s up to almost $700 USD today, but still makes a fantastic entry level espresso machine that will push you to learn the proper technique, and understand how to control the espresso process. As with all espresso machines, there’s a learning curve. It takes practice. But that’s half the fun!
The rest of the fun is enjoying a great shot of espresso you pulled yourself!
http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-machines.html – Rancilio Silvia
And remember, it’s all in the grind. Achieving great espresso results is almost impossible if you don’t get the grind right. But that’s another discussion …..
Thanks for your comments, keep ‘em coming.
Mark
October 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
@Jim Gortner,
My bad, I missed your comment a while back. Thanks so much for the nice words.
Really, with millions of folks enjoying coffee these days, and making the effort to expand their enjoyment, why wouldn’t we want to bring everyone into the conversation?
After all, it really is interesting stuff!
BTW, Steeple Gallery looks like a charming place to visit. http://www.steeplegallery.com … an art gallery, coffee house and live bluegrass jam sessions. Now that’s a coffee combination!
I’ll make an effort to stop by if I get to that neck of the woods.
Mark
October 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Dear Mark, actually i could not get exact answer for my question. What ever you have said, is perfectly right. Like about espresso machines, espresso roast. blending part etc. But my actual question is, for example lets take rancillio silvia, or any other machine, is it some thing like blending is done according to machine and its technicalities or according to market or whether machines are done to suit a particular coffee or blend? And is it some thing like, blend will differ depending upon each and every machine? All the espresso machines, work on similar mechanism, i.e., pressuirzed extraction… There are different categories of machines in the market…like single group, double group, three group, four group etc. There is again a astoria and lamorzacco, which are both two group or three group..the later one is costlier than prior one..so what makes the difference…?
October 30th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Anupama,
OK, let me try and answer a few more of your questions directly. I think it really does take a book
Is blending done for the machine or are espresso machines designed to suit a particular coffee or blend?
Answer: Espresso machines are not designed for a particular coffee bean or blend. Nor are coffee blends designed for a particular espresso machine. I think this will only confuse you to try and make this kind of connection or correlation between coffee beans and blends and espresso machine design.
I hope you took a look at the page on our web site I provided – more details about espresso machines. This should give you a better idea about the different classes and category of machines.
http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-technique.html
If I can help a bit more with your questions about the different classes and categories of espresso machines.
Consumer level machines.
Prosumer machines
Commercial level machines
So to net it out a bit more. The primary characteristics that separate the different categories of machines mostly deal with the following:
Hope that helps.
So, the big question. Are you in the market for an espresso machine?
October 31st, 2008 at 10:45 am
No, am not in the market for espresso machine. But am basically interested about espresso machines and techincalities. To say, research kind of thing about machines which are in the market. Me, rather than pulling the shot, at this point of time, interested to understand internal features of the machines. So, in that enthusiasm happened to ask you this particular question… Can you just brief me, about roasters too…! Like what are the main parts of a roaster, difference between commercial and a house hold roaster… Who are the big players right now in the market? Where can i get the detailed information about roasting machines and technology?
November 13th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I just signed up for the Coffee Tasting eCourse and am excited about it. I want to be able to add my own evaluations to my website. I’m anxious to start, but I want to be prepared. What kinds of coffee will I need to have in order to complete this course? I appreciate your answer.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Hi Diena,
Welcome aboard. Glad to have you join our coffee tasting course. We cover the characteristics of various coffees, single-origins and blends throughout the course, learning about tasting vocabulary, roasts, and the differences between coffees from the different regions as we go.
Let me refer you to this page on our site about coffee bean varieties. I’ll give you a hint. We start with a South American, an Indonesian, and an African to show some the differences and contrast between these regions.
Mark
November 14th, 2008 at 11:58 am
[...] Here’s a great question about coffee temperature and brewing coffee with a hand drip coffee maker from one of our subscribers to our Coffee Tasting Course. [...]
November 17th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Just read the newsletter on basic coffee characteristics. I’ve heard of these terms before, just as I’ve heard about wine tasting characteristics. I’m hoping that, the further I get into this course, I’ll understand a “fruity” flavor, etc. At this point, I know the terms, but can’t really define or distinguish them by taste.
November 18th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Diena,
I think you’ll find there are a lot of similarities between the practice of “tasting wine” and “tasting coffee”. In either case, there is a “tasting vocabulary” that we collectively try to agree on, and reach a consensus on what these terms mean.
The best approach is just to practice “tasting” coffee. That’s what we try to do with the coffee tasting course. I think you’ll find that the more you “taste” coffee, exploring and looking for the characteristics you’re reading about, the more it will open up for you.
Some of the coffee tasting aspects will literally jump out at you with a certain coffee, and others are more subtle, like the hint of “blueberry” fruit tones in a good Ethiopian Harrar.
Enjoy the coffee, and thanks for your comments.
Mark
January 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 am
is the coffee tasting course done?
January 10th, 2009 at 12:42 am
I’ve been wondering about that too?
March 3rd, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Mark, Thanks for the great info so far in the coffee tasting course. After trying some kona in my old starbucks espresso machine and liking it, it was nice to find your article about using single origins for expresso.
As a result of your course so far, I just bought some samples of Java Estate, Costa Rican La Minita, Yemen mocha, and Java mocha! I’m going to try some Ethiopian and Sumatra Mandheling when I finish these. Anyway, thank you again for what you’re providing for the coffee community and those of us trying to better understand the “black as night, strong as sin, sweet as love” beverage!!!
March 4th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Grover,
So glad you’re enjoying the coffee tasting course and finding the information useful.
Sounds like you’re right on track. Just keep exploring the different coffees.
You hit on a particular favorite of mine. I’m big on the Central American origins and Costa Rica in particular. The volcanic soil, climate, and coffee producing excellence in this region really stands out.
Costa Rican Terrazu should be on everyone’s list to try. And Hacienda La Minita is one of the finest coffee farms in Cost Rica, a pioneer of “single-estate” coffees.
The 2008 La Minita crop was one of the best. New 2009 crop should be coming in about now, late March, early April. Definitely on my list to check out.
Coffee from Sumatra is another must and at the top of my favorites. The classic Indonesian coffees including Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, and Papua New Guinea should be on everyone’s list to explore.
Always an interesting experience to try Java and Yemen Mocha separately, and see how the different characteristics of these coffees taste. Then you gain a better appreciation of how the classic “Mocha Java” blend works.
Keep trying those coffees, and let us know what you find.
Mark
April 10th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Dear Mark,
I have a question for you. For a super automatic espresso machine, especially in the case of coffee for breakfast…what kind of blend, roast are suitable so that espresso comes out with good crema, body, sparkling acidity..within 6-10 seconds of time. Because the contact time between water and coffee is very less, when we compare with traditional espresso machine..and grind size too will not be as finer as we use in traditional esp machine…I need your valuable suggestion. Thanks..
July 5th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Hi there Mark,
I was reading on your site about the importance of freshly roasted coffee beans to achieve a great cup of coffee. I’m curious to know whether you can take a freshly roasted coffee bean purchase and prolong the “shelflife” by keeping it in the freezer. Is it better to keep the beans in the refrigerator rather than freezing? Do you have to bring the beans to room temperature before grinding? Or can you grind the beans straight from the refrigerator or freezer? How does the temperature of the beans affect the burr grinding and ultimate brewed coffee flavor? Thanks for your input.
July 5th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hi Deborah,
Great question. There are a lot of opinions out there whether or not it’s a good idea to keep coffee beans in the freezer. In my experience, it’s definitely not a good idea. Without getting into the tedious physical details, the best method is to store coffee beans in an airtight container. But not in the freezer or refrigerator.
Store your beans in an airtight container and keep in a cool dry place. The kitchen counter is fine as long as you keep away from any direct light (and definitely stay away from direct sunlight). Or better yet, keep in the cupboard.
Immediately after roasting, beans will continue to throw off higher volumes of carbon dioxide (hence the one-way release valve in a good coffee bean bag). Freshly roasted beans are best consumed about 2 to 3 days after roasting, and will stay at an optimum freshness for another week or so (OK, 10 days at the most). So if you can, it’s better to buy your fresh roasted beans as you go. Try not to stock up on big batches that you can’t comfortably consume in a reasonable amount of time. Of course, if you’re a coffee fanatic like we are, it doesn’t take much time to go through a pound of beans.
If you like to keep a few different coffees on hand (after all, variety is the spice of life), try buying smaller quantities of fresh roasted beans. 1/2 pound bags, or even 1/4 pound instead of the full pound. Your favorite specialty coffee store should accommodate as well as some of the online stores.
And just be sure to use the beans in a reasonable amount of time (or try inviting more coffee drinkers over for your great coffee).
Here’s a link to a few coffee storage solutions we recommend.
BTW, if you do insist on freezing your coffee beans (ouch), you will want to bring the beans up to room temperature before you put through the burr grinder. It’s just not a good deal to put the coffee beans through this stressful process.
Hope that helps. And thanks for your great comments.
Mark
January 27th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Well, I like the way the terms in the coffee tasting course are broken down, easy to understand. I have been drinking and sampling a wide variety of coffees the past year. Sumatra, Kenya, Indonesia, Gratemale, Mexico,Bali Blue, Kona, Blue Mountain to name a few. I think that it will be usefull to engage in conversation using the common terms described in your coffee tasting course. This is just what I have been looking for, and i just stumbled on to it on the web. What a lucky day for me. Thanks for doing what you are doing!
January 29th, 2010 at 8:25 am
@roger dodger,
Glad you’re finding the coffee tasting course information helpful. Good for you, nothing beats just tasting the coffee and getting familiar.
Do you have any specialty coffee houses in your area where you might be able to find like-minded folks interested in talking about coffee? Not so much the franchise operation where the owner is absent and just hires college kids to crank out lattes. Not to malign the hired help at some of these coffee houses. Of course there are plenty of truly passionate young baristas out there who know their stuff, you just have to find the right place. If you have a coffee house in your area where they have passion for specialty coffee, hang out. I’ve found people in the right coffee establishment want to talk about coffee as much as you do.
Another idea to track down fellow specialty coffee enthusiasts is a barista competition. If you’ve never attended a barista competition, you’re in for eye-opening experience. Start here (US Barista Championship – click on your region on the US map at the top) and see if you can find something close by. You might have to travel a bit of distance to get to a regional competition, but if you poke around a little (just search online), you might even find something more local in your area.
I post videos from the WBC – World Barista Championships on this blog, have a look at World Barista Championship – Have You Seen These Baristas.
So, of the coffees you’ve been tasting, do you have any particular favorites or leanings?
Mark
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I have found that some of the medium roasts make a super expresso. Not so much of the creama is present but the flavor of the coffee is outstanding. I like the Sumatra and Bali Blue for a great flavored expresso.