Author Mark Pendergrast (left) looks down at his half-filled canasta, which he picked in the same time it took his caporal Herman Gabriel Camel (right) to harvest a full basket on Finca Oriflama in Guatemala.
APPENDIX
Despite the mystique, brewing a good cup of coffee is relatively simple. Grind recently roasted whole beans of a high-quality arabica blend. Bring cold, pure water to a near boil. Let the not-quite-boiling water remain in contact with the ground coffee at the proper ratio—two tablespoons of coffee per six ounces of water—for four or five minutes. Pour the filtered coffee into your cup. Add sugar or cream if you prefer it that way. Drink immediately. Sigh contentedly.
That really is all there is to it. Having said that, I have to admit there are finer points that true coffee aficionados discuss endlessly. What is the best grind for what kind of brewing method? Which is the best brewing device? How dark should the beans be roasted? Is it preferable to store roasted coffee in the freezer or the refrigerator? Which are the best beans for after-dinner enjoyment? Are paper filters okay to use? And God help you if you want advice on espresso, which is treated as if it were an esoteric art best performed by Leonardo da Vinci on speed.
When I began writing this book, I thought I appreciated good coffee. Now I’ve slurped, swirled, and spat at cupping sessions, tried beans from Antigua to Zimbabwe, and own various brewing systems. Sometimes I even roast my own beans in my kitchen oven at 450°F using a Palani Plantation roasting pan—an aluminum pie plate with holes punched regularly in the bottom that set me back around $20, including a supply of green beans (fax/phone orders to 650-327-5774). In my oven, it takes about seven minutes until the first pop, when I can hear the beans crackling and expanding. With the oven fan on, I take them out at eleven minutes for a medium roast, then toss them in a colander outdoors to cool them. I blow on them to remove most of the brown chaff—the silver skin that pops off during the roast. It’s magic. Hard green beans that look something like peanuts come out of the oven nearly doubled in size and looking like roasted coffee.
They taste like it too. The heat has caused a chemical alchemy inside the beans, caramelizing sugars and carbohydrates, producing chlorogenic acids, and releasing volatile aromatic oils. I grind my fresh-roasted beans in a burr grinder. Then I measure the right amount into my preheated press pot (sloshing hot water around in it does the trick). In the meantime, I’ve put a tea kettle on the stove until it’s whistling. I take it off the burner and let it sit for a few seconds, then pour the water in. Because the beans are freshly roasted, they still have a lot of carbon dioxide, and they foam up. I stir them down, add more water until the pot is full, cover it with the little piston, and read the paper for five minutes. Then I slowly press the plunger to the bottom and pour my cup.
I like the press pot because it is so basic—it makes a real infusion, just the coffee and hot water. The drawback is that it’s annoying to clean, and the coffee cools off pretty quickly. Regardless of your brewing method, you should pour it into a thermos to keep it warm once it’s made. A paper filter system makes cleanup easier. For a superb, dramatic brew, use a vacuum system, if you can find one in a specialty shop. Or you can use an automatic electric brewer, but beware—only a few models get the temperature (should be 195°F) and brew time right. And don’t leave the coffee on the hotplate, where it will turn bitter quickly. You can even make a decent cup of coffee in a pumping percolator if you carefully regulate time, temperature, and grind, but I don’t advise it.
If you’re not keen on coffee smoke in your kitchen (or setting off your smoke detector), and if you want professionally roasted coffee, you should find a local specialty roaster. Ask questions, and you’ll get suggestions for different blends and roast styles. For that bright wake-up cup, try a high-grown Guatemalan Antigua. For after-dinner coffee, how about a rich, full-bodied Sumatra? I cannot advise whether to purchase dark-roasted beans, since this is a matter of preference. I don’t like beans roasted just this side of charcoal, but many people love them. The main point, regardless of what roast or origin you choose, is to get freshly roasted coffee at frequent intervals, buying only what you plan to use in the coming week or so. Otherwise, your coffee will get stale, no matter how great it was to start with.
If you don’t have a local roaster, order through the mail. I can’t recommend specific suppliers, but there are plenty of them. Or try your local supermarket. The choices have gotten better. If you buy bulk whole beans, ask the manager how frequently they are rotated. You don’t want to buy beans that have been staling for a couple of weeks. If you buy packaged beans, make sure they are all-arabica and that they come in a one-way valve bag.
If you have to store your beans, put them in your freezer in an airtight container (with as little air in it as possible). You can grind and brew them straight from the freezer. It’s best to buy a superior burr grinder, but one of the blade whackers will do. The longer you let it whine, the finer your grind will be. Generally, the proper grind is determined by how long the grounds remain in contact with the hot water. For drip methods, a medium grind allows the flavorful solubles to be dissolved in five minutes. Longer contact with water just extracts bitterness. For my press pot, I use a slightly coarser grind, since the water remains in full contact with all of the grounds for the entire brewing time. For espresso or vacuum brewing, you want a fine, powdery grind owing to a very short period of contact.
If you’re into espresso, there are many kinds of expensive machines. And if you really want great espresso, go to your favorite coffeehouse and buy it there. Or buy one of the single-serving machines from Keurig, Nespresso, illycaffé or others.
If you want to flavor your coffee, try easy-to-find natural additives first. The Ethiopians and Arabs used cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, citrus rinds, or ground nuts. They didn’t know about cocoa or vanilla. Various forms of liquor work well. Whipped cream is nice. If you must, use flavoring syrups after you’ve brewed the coffee, or buy preflavored beans. Remember—whatever you like is okay.