Q: How should I store my coffee?
A: In a cool dry place rather than the
freezer or refrigerator. There is water vapor
in the atmosphere surrounding your beans. If
you put your coffee beans in the freezer, the
water vapor crystallizes and expands, shattering
the beans cellular structure
and increasing oxidization.
The refrigerator is cold enough to inhibit oxidization
but the odorous environment of most refrigerators
will contaminate coffee. If coffee is to be stored
beyond 3 weeks the freezer is preferable.
Q: Should I grind my own beans?
A: Yes. Freshness is everything, and
pre-ground coffee stales much more quickly than
whole bean coffee.
Q: Do I have to use espresso coffee in my espresso machine?
A: No. Most espresso blends are formulated
for brewing under pressure, which is why they
taste great in an espresso
machine. But other coffee, such as Arabian Mocha-Java,
also tastes great in an espresso machine. The
key is to experiment
and have fun testing what coffee you like the
taste of in your espresso machine.
Q: What
is the difference between “SWISS WATER® Process” decaffeination
and other decaffeination methods?
A: Most decaf coffees are decaffeinated using
a chemical process. Those chemicals then go into
your body when you drink the coffee. Water process decaffeination
uses
only natural water pressure to remove caffeine
from coffee.
Q: How
much coffee should I use per cup?
A: We recommend using two (2) level measuring
tablespoons of coffee per five (5) ounces of
hot water. Using this coffee
to water ratio brews a full strength cup, to
which you can add hot water if the taste is
too strong. Remember, you
can always make coffee weaker by adding hot water
to your cup, but you can’t make it any stronger
once its brewed.
Q: What’s the best way to
brew coffee?
A: There are lots of ways to brew coffee,
some of which taste better than others. You
definitely do not want
to perk your coffee as this method over extracts
your brew. Cone drip is fine, but a paper filter
can impart some flavor
to your coffee. We like to drink press pot coffee
because its direct infusion seems to produce
fuller flavor. In addition,
press pot coffee allows the dissolved coffee
solids to remain in the brew, which also contributes
to flavor.
