Coffee Talk

Acidity – The sensation often displayed by coffee; pleasantly lively, tart or winy.
Aroma – The odor or fragrance of brewed coffee.
Barista – An individual who makes coffee drinks as a profession.
Bitter – Not to be confused with sour, this adjective often describes a coffee with a strong, pungent characteristic.
Bland – Pale, insipid flavor often resulting from a cup made with too little coffee or too coarse a grind.
Blend – A mixture of two or more coffee varieties.
Body – The impression given by the weight of the coffee on the palate; from light to heavy.
Bouquet – The odor or fragrance of coffee grounds.
Briny – A salty sensation caused by the application of excessive heat after brewing.
Café Latte – Referred to by the French as Café a Lait and the Spanish as Café con Leche, this favorite coffee drink is produced by combining a double shot of espresso with steamed milk.
Caffeine – A drug that is found in coffee & tea.
Cappuccino – This popular beverage is typically made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk & frothed milk- with the frothed milk added last to float on top.
Cupping – Taste-testing brewed coffee.
Earthy – A term often used to describe the spicy, “of the earth” taste of Indonesian coffees.
Espresso – A beverage resulting from a method of brewing coffee that involves forcing very hot water through finely-ground beans very quickly.
Exotic – Refers to a coffee with unusual aromatic qualities; floral, berry, spicy-sweet.
Flavor – The total impression of aroma, acidity and body.
Froth – Milk which has been made thick and foamy by aerating it with hot steam.
Mellow – This term ideally describes a well-balanced coffee of low to medium acidity.
Mild – This coffee trade term is used to describe any Arabica coffee (other than those from Brazil); also denotes a coffee with a harmonious, delicate flavor.
Soft – A quality of low acid coffees.
Sour – A characteristic of light roasted coffees.
Stale – A description of coffee exposed to oxygen for too long that becomes flat with a cardboard taste.
Sweet – A smooth and palatable coffee that is free from defects and harsh flavors.
Tone – The appearance or color of coffee.
Winy – Possessing a flavor reminiscent of fine red wine.

Brewing the Perfect Cup

1) Keep your coffee maker clean!

Sounds fairly simple, but residue from both water and coffee can build up in your machine and detract from the natural characteristics of the coffee. Since this generally happens at a slow pace, from pot to pot, it's not easily noticed - but it can, and certainly does, happen.

2) Use fresh, clear and clean cold water that is free of impurities.

Remember the old adage “coffee is 99% water”? Well, we believe it’s true and the quality of your brew is heavily dependent upon the quality of the water that you use. Your own freshly drawn tap water is fine; however, if you're not happy with the flavor or color of your tap water, you should consider filtered or bottled water for brewing.

3) Use the right amount of freshly ground coffee.

We recommend grinding your fresh, micro-roasted Ocean Coffee Roaster’s coffee right before brewing. Use 2 Tbsp. of this freshly ground, top quality coffee for every 4 oz. of water (adjust to taste).

4) Remove your coffee from the burner promptly after brewing is complete.

Brewed coffee ages quickly when it's exposed to air. The flavor and aroma loss starts immediately after brewing and becomes noticeable after as little as 15 minutes. If your freshly-brewed coffee is not going to be used promptly, transfer the contents of your pot to an insulated airpot, thermal server, or carafe. This will ensure your coffee will remain hot for several hours, while maintaining its rich aroma and freshly-brewed taste.

Espresso Tips

1) Choose the appropriate grind.

The important thing to remember is that the coffee MUST be ground very finely. Steam is forced through the ground coffee and if it isn’t ground finely enough, the steam does not properly absorb the flavor of the coffee.

2) Use fresh, clear and clean cold water that is free of impurities.

The quality of your espresso beverage, as with all brewed coffee, is heavily dependent upon the quality of the water that you use. Your own freshly drawn tap water is fine; however, if you're not happy with the flavor or color of your tap water, you should consider filtered or bottled water for brewing.

3) Tamp your doses accordingly.

Tamp your grinds flat with 30lbs. of pressure, rotating the tamper to ensure a level surface for even distribution of water.

4) Timing really is everything.

For a double shot of espresso, which is what is most often brewed, 2 oz. should be brewed in 25 seconds. If it takes over 30 seconds, the coffee will be over-extracted and bitter. Start over by tamping the grounds a little less or coarsening the grind a bit. If your espresso brews in less than 22 seconds, the taste will be thin and uninteresting. Start over by tamping the grounds a little firmer or increase the fineness of the grind.

5) Clean your equipment after every use.

Coffee oils quickly build up and, over time, become rancid. These rancid oils will taint your coffee's flavor, and possibly damage your machine.

Storing Ocean Coffee Roasters Coffee

Store your whole bean coffees in a cool, dark, dry place – and always in an opaque air-tight container. Because coffee beans are porous, they act like a sponge and absorb odors. They are also a perishable item and naturally lose their qualities of aroma and flavor over time. We suggest you buy an amount of coffee beans that you plan to consume within 60 to 90 days. That time frame maximizes the aroma and flavor you get from your gourmet Ocean Coffee Roasters beans.

Storing your beans in the refrigerator is okay, but not your best option. Why? Because air and moisture are primary enemies of coffee. When you open your cold container of coffee beans, the cold air inside mixes with the warm room-temperature air and produces moisture. Although you may not be able to see it, small amounts of moisture can form on your beans. Every time you open your container, your coffee beans will absorb any moisture that has formed, thus decreasing the shelf life of your beans.

Storing your beans in the freezer is a mistake. Why? Because the oils your coffee beans will congeal when frozen and may never return to their original consistency, thus harming the overall quality of your finished brew.

For ground coffee, the shelf life for maximum freshness is only about two weeks. Keep in mind, that's two weeks from the day the coffee is originally ground. We recommend you use Ocean Coffee Roasters, the finest micro-roasted coffee that money can buy - purchase whole beans and grind as needed, just before brewing.