Why is coffee bitter?
Every coffee has the potential to be bitter, some more, others absolutely minimal. It is an integral part of their flavor profile. What actually makes some coffee more bitter than others?
- A type of coffee
- Roasting style
- Method of preparation
The most naturally bitter coffee is robusta
There are two main types of coffee - arabica and robusta. Arabica coffees are considered higher quality and much more interesting because they offer a wide range of flavors from sour to sweet to bitter. On the other hand, there are coffee lovers who prefer robusta.
Robusta has taste profile in bitter tones . Typical are descriptions of flavors like earthy or woody . However, quality coffees of the Robusta variety can please sweet bitterness of roasted nuts or dark dark chocolate . Such coffee is usually without acidity .
How to roast coffee to make it hot?
During the few minutes that the coffee stirs in the roaster, a number of chemical reactions take place in each roasted bean. This changes its appearance from green to brown. Also the smell of raw grass to the beautiful smell of freshly roasted coffee. And tastes change too. As long as there is during roasting the temperature is very high or the process will take a very long time, the coffee will be bitter . Finally, with very dark roasting, smoky and burnt flavors are felt.
The rule for choosing coffee according to roasting is that we expect acidity and, above all, a sweet-sour taste profile for lighter coffees. A darker roast is then typical for a more bitter cup of coffee and is usually used for espresso coffees.
How to make hot coffee
If you are a lover of hot coffee, then definitely you reach for darker roasted grains with an admixture of robusta . By mixing arabica and robusta coffees, you get a full-flavored cup of coffee. In order for the resulting coffee to be absolutely perfect for your particular taste buds and preferences, adjust your own method of coffee preparation. The following will contribute to the hot coffee:
Is there a hot decaffeinated coffee?
I have yet to address the hot coffee and caffeine content. Since robusta is coffee with roughly 2-3 times the caffeine content unlike the Arabica variety. If you want decaffeinated coffee, robusta will not be what you are looking for. But not even Arabica by itself, it also has to go through the decaffeination process. Such is ours, for example decaffeinated Colombia . It is naturally decaffeinated using sugar cane. In our country, it is then traditionally roasted for espresso. Adjust the preparation method to strengthen the bitter taste of the coffee . Simply use the advice from the previous paragraph.
How to choose hot coffee
You might think that the traditional bitterness of robusta and its coffee blends you are not searching at all. You're more about simply so that the coffee is not sour . That is why we provide descriptions of the taste profiles on each of our coffees, and at the same time you can choose from the filter on the left side of the screen in our e-shop displaying only less acidic coffees or coffees without acidity at all . Another guide for choosing bitter coffee can be the country of origin.
Where is the hot coffee from?
Although it is impossible to say exactly the specific taste profile for a given growing country, so we know certain typical features in the taste of coffees from individual regions . Of course, each coffee growing micro-region imparts its uniqueness into unique coffee flavors. In general, however, it can be assumed that coffees that tend to have a more pronounced bitter taste come from:
- from Indonesia,
- from vietnam
- from Brazil,
- from India
- and some African coffees, e.g. from Congo or Cameroon
