From the Bean to your cup Ц the story of Coffee

You would not think it when you look at your frothy cappuccino or smooth dark Americano, but the coffee bean that is the key ingredient to your delicious drink comes from a bright red juicy berry. The coffee beans are the seeds of this fruit from the coffee tree, and they are what go on to be roasted, ground and filtered to make your perfect beverage. The caffeine packed and flavoursome beverage is popular with office drinks suppliers and is ever present in quick, convenient beverage vending machines in offices, retail outlets and other venues.

Coffee is a very work intensive crop to farm and grow, in either large or small plantations. Coffee supplies come from a variety of countries, predominantly in South America and Africa, as the plants enjoy cool, frost-free, moist climates found at high altitudes in the tropics. To select only the ripe red cherries, they must be hand picked and harvested, although some farmers now use machines for harvesting. If unripe cherries are harvested the final product is of a lower quality, but time and resources may have been saved. Once harvested, the outer layers of the bean are removed, and the beans are dried in the sun, dried mechanically or processed with water, which strips away the outer skin and cleans the beans, only then are the beans dried.

The beans need to be roasted to bring out their flavour, and during the roasting process they can reach temperatures of 400F in their interior. At this temperature the beans produce aromatic oils which are what gives coffee its distinct flavour and fragrance. Coffee beans can be roasted for a different length of time, depending on what depth of flavour needs to be achieved. The longer the bean is roasted for the darker in colour it is, with a stronger and richer flavour.

Once the bean has been roasted it needs to be ground. This is to increase the surface area of the coffee and means that the hot water will absorb the flavour quicker. The grinding should not be extreme though, as this will evaporate the oils and leave you with a bitter tasting coffee blend. Once the beans are ground they immediately start to be damaged by the air, losing their flavour, so only grind what you will be brewing immediately to avoid wasting your beans. Coffee makers require different types of grind, from fine, to medium to coarse, make sure you have the correct grind for your filter coffee machine, Espresso machine, Cafetiшre or jug.

Next time you reach for your coffee vending machine, or go into your local coffee shop, or make yourself a coffee in the comfort of you own home, youТll understand the long process the bean has been through to reach you and make your sumptuous beverage!

About the Author:
The author has previously worked with beverage suppliers and coffee vending providers. She has a wealth of experience in coffee and tea supplies and is a big fan of the coffee machine.