Coffee How To

Coffee from around the world, delivered to your door is…

Make sure you get what you pay for!

Pound of Coffee’s coffee price comparison chart helps ensure you are getting the best coffee for the best price. We already know we offer some of the best coffees in the world, but many companies try to offer “competitive pricing” but by offering less coffee for that price.

This is why you see a variety of sizes in the coffee aisle. There is no standard size, only a standard “what they think you will pay price”. Therefore, we have created this simple little coffee prices chart to make it even easier to visualize the relationship between price and quantity.

The most typical weight for coffee is by the pound (16 oz). Most good organically grown coffees run about $12-$15 for a pound of coffee. So when you see a nice Organic Colombian coffee for about $11 you grab it off the shelf, not even paying attention to the tiny 12oz marking at the bottom. You just bought 25% less coffee!

Coffee is often sold in packages less than one pound. If you see a 12oz package at your local shop, this is what 16oz would cost. Now that we are on the same page, compare our prices!

Now the only question left is, “Is their coffee as good as ours, hmmmm – NOT!”

Have any questions? Feel free to call us to ask about any of our coffees or even coffees you would like to see added. Our toll free number is 1-866-879-4266 or email us using our contact form.

Happy brewing... Express Coffee dot com

The best place to learn about coffee roasting!

There is a very in-depth science to coffee harvesting and roasting. For that explanation of the chemical process we will refer you to CoffeeResearch.org. For our purposes we will briefly cover the roasting process.

When coffee beans are harvested they are green in color. You do have the ability to buy beans at this point if you own a home roaster. Decent home coffee roasters run about $500 and you can even add in your own flavoring. For us, we rely on the pros to roast beans to perfection as the process is an art form.

As the green beans are dried they begin to gain a yellow color and smell like popcorn. The next step is to bring on the heat. At approximately 400 degrees the coffee bean grows and becomes a light brown color at which point it cracks – this is usually referred to as the “first crack”.

From here the coffee beans are brought to a medium brown color by increasing heat to approximately 435 degrees. At this point the beans release carbon dioxide, become lighter and are almost ready. One more increase in heat, approximately 450 degrees, and the coffee beans become a nice medium-dark brown and once again, crack – usually referred to as, you guessed it, the “second crack”.

This is what you would normally see as the mildly oily, rich brown coffee beans which are ready to buy. So why are there so many coffee beans to choose from and why should you be picky? This is where the art form comes in – choosing the exact time when to complete the roast reflects directly on the acidity, aroma and taste left in the beans. When to add certain flavors to the roasting coffee beans also play an important role in the final product.

It has become somewhat of an American tradition to roast the beans too much. This displays as a dark black bean and a strong bitter taste, what most folks just refer to as “coffee”. The over roasting is usually done to mask the bitter taste of poorly harvested beans of a lesser quality than the imports. This is why you see so many Colombian, Ethiopian, Jamaican, and Kenyan high quality coffees boasting their rich, bold taste and aroma.

There is always an exception to the rule. For American coffee, it is the rich flavor of Hawaiian Kona. In that example, we are not saying all American coffees are over roasted, nor to say you can’t get poorly harvested bean crops from Colombia. It is just to state that there is a selection out there and as usual, you get what you pay for.

We have to close with saying that here, at Pound of Coffee dot com, you can rely on the fact that we only sell beans of the highest quality from roasters they have been in the business for years and have a reputation they can boast about.

Happy roasting...

A great place to learn how to properly store coffee!

Here are a few tips on storing coffee:

Store your coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This is not necessarily the fridge or freezer. The kitchen counter sometimes is the easiest place, and if storing whole bean, a nice container full of fresh beans is a great decorating piece for any kitchen.

So why not the freezer? Well, the reason here is condensation. When pulling the coffee out of the freezer, the beans are immediately going to start to thaw. Very quickly, condensation will appear on the beans and they will begin to absorb the water, possibly altering the taste.

Of course, if you just find that the freezer is the most convenient place to store your coffee, keep the condensation factor in mind by quickly transporting the beans you are going to use to the grinder or coffee maker right away. Then put the remainder of your coffee back into the freezer quickly to avoid any unwanted condensation.

There are several airtight containers on the market with some complex in their mechanism to ensure air will not affect your coffee. These options are usually, as expected, more expensive. The key to storing coffee is simply to monitor your drinking habits and know how much coffee you go through in a given week. With this information you can properly purchase, grind, and store your coffee to guarantee a fresh taste in each cup of coffee you enjoy.

More tips on choosing a grinder.
And even more tips on why to buy whole bean coffee versus ground coffee.

Here's to fresh coffee!

A great place to learn about gardening tips?

Get the most from your pound!

You have just enjoyed your favorite cup of coffee and boy was it tasty (because you ordered it fresh from us of course!). Before you think your coffee is done, or the grounds at least, keep reading.

We have read quite a bit on the effects of spent coffee grounds on your gardening soils. It appears by spreading the spent grounds in your garden, compost or household plants, it enriches the soil. The nitrogen within the coffee releases into the soil increasing the overall balance allowing the plants to really thrive. We heard they really like Kona blend…

Here are a few more tips:

• Sprinkle the spent coffee grounds around outside plants right before a good rain for a “nitrogen enhancement program”.
• Mix it right into soil when repotting plants.
• If composting, just throw the filter in too. The filter will break down rapidly and the grounds will enrich the soil.
• To repel pests such as ground gnats, add in crushed eggshells to the coffee grounds and create a circle barrier around the base of the plant.
• Take a half pound of coffee grounds per 5 gallons of water, sit the bucket outside to reach outside temperature. You now have a perfect liquid fertilizer!

Coffee – Roasting Beans

To achieve a good roast you have to start with beans that have been skillfully selected and dried.

Some bean processors use a wash to remove the fleshy fruit from the bean and to separate different kinds of beans. Density differences in the bean will cause some to float higher, making for easier removal or separation. Others use a slower, more expensive dry-process.

Dry-processed beans will have a more subtle acid profile, while the acidity of wet-processed beans is more striking. Some acidity in coffee is desirable. The alternative is a flat, lifeless cup.

What happens to beans as they heat up during roasting?

During the process aromatics and acids, along with other flavor compounds, are produced in varying concentrations.

During the first stage the beans absorb heat and the green beans are slowly dried to a yellowish tinge. ‘Green’ doesn’t refer to the color, per se, but simply to the beans being unroasted or raw. Properly done, the beans will have an odor reminiscent of toast or popcorn.

From about 170°C-200°C (338°F-392°F) sugars in the bean will begin to caramelize, aided by the increase in temperature of the moisture enclosed by the skin. That’s just one reason it’s important that beans have the proper moisture content, which comes from correct drying. Caramelized sugars are less sweet, so reaching the proper amount is important for the final brew.

At about 205°C (400°F), beans will expand to about double their original size and become light brown, simultaneously losing about 5% of their original weight. As the temperature rises to about 220°C (428°F), beans will lose about 13% more weight and release some CO2.

When the temperature increases to around 230°C (446°F), the roasting beans become medium-dark brown and take on an oily sheen. Often there will be a loud pop as the beans enter the ‘second crack’ phase.

Here roasters have to be very cautious not to overdo it. Volatile aromatic compounds are boiled off and the oils on the outside of the bean can combine with oxygen in the air. That process can strip the bean of desirable flavors and lead to a burnt taste.

The goal is to arrive at just the right balance of bitterness, acidity and a host of other attributes making up the final flavor profile.

In tasting guides coffee connoisseurs will sometimes see the term ‘body’, as if its meaning were self-evident. ‘Body’ despite what it suggests, does NOT refer to the actual thickness or viscosity of the liquid. That attribute is the result of the kinds of proteins and fibers in the brew.

Used as tasters do, it refers to the feel on the tongue when rubbed on the roof of the mouth. It’s the result of the fat content in the drink and that – apart from growing conditions that home roasters can’t control – is determined largely by the roasting.

Too light a roast will leave too high a concentration of bitter compounds in the final product. Too dark will produce an excessively chocolatey, burnt taste. Experiment until you find the balance that suits your taste.