From Seed to Cup
Planting → Harvesting → Processing → Grading and Exporting → Quality Testing → Roasting → Brewing
These are the main steps for coffee processing. The flavor of the coffee can be affected by each step of the coffee process. It will be good to know the whole process when we want to master the flavor of our coffee. In the following, I will briefly introduce each stage.
🌱 Planting
Coffee beans are an essential part of the coffee-making process. They are the seeds that give rise to the coffee trees. These trees are grown in different environments across the globe, resulting in various types of coffee. From the tropical regions of South America to the highlands of Africa, the climate and soil of each region influence the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans. As we delve deeper into this section, we will explore the unique characteristics of these different coffee varieties and the environments that give them distinct qualities.
🫘 Harvesting
Each variety of coffee requires a different time to bear fruit, which affects the harvest season and timing. Additionally, ripe cherries can be picked by hand or machine, and the harvesting method varies by location and farm. This section provides a thorough introduction to harvesting.
⚙️ Processing
A cherry consists of multiple layers. However, only the seed is required for coffee brewing. Therefore, the cherry must be processed first. There are many ways to do this, and each method can cause the same variety of coffee beans to taste or smell different. Also, after the cherry being processed, the coffee beans have to be dried. The moisture content in coffee beans need to be lowered to avoid mould forming.
📦 Grading and Exporting
Before exporting green coffee worldwide, the beans will undergo an examination. Beans with visible defects will be removed, and the green coffee will be sorted by color, size, or weight.
🏆 Quality Testing
The process of tasting and evaluating green coffee is known as coffee cupping. Cuppers assess the beans based on a list of metrics. Cupping is not only done to check the characteristics of each coffee varietal, but also for the purpose of blending different beans to produce new flavors in the future.
🔥 Roasting
Before roasting, coffee beans are green and their flavors are locked inside. There are different types of roasts - light, medium, and dark - depending on the method of roasting. Each type of roast is suitable for different uses.
☕ Brewing
This stage includes coffee grinding and using different brewing techniques. Each parameter can affect the final taste of your coffee, such as the granularity of grinding, water temperature, brew ratio, and so on.
References: