What is Coffee?
Coffee is a flowering plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family and the Coffea genus. The seeds are roasted and ground into powder to obtain the famous drink by infusion (or other types of extraction). Coffee is one of the most important commodities and beverages consumed in the world. It is grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In the commercial coffee industry, the two main species are arabica and canephora commonly called robust.
What is B corp?
For Costadoro, values are not only central to the definition of company objectives, but they represent one of the fundamental levers for planning future activities, with the guarantee of pursuing the creation of value for the years to come in favor of the new generations. The B Corp certification falls within this perspective. B Corporations are companies that undertake to measure and consider their environmental and social performance with the same attention traditionally reserved for economic results and that consider business as a positive force that they are committed to producing value for the biosphere and society.
what is the strength of the coffee?
For each consumer, the strength of the coffee has a different meaning. Some refer to the body, others to the aromatic complexity, bitterness and still others to the percentage of caffeine. What do we mean? We are referring to the body of the coffee, i.e. its texture and structure. To better understand, let’s compare a drink with little body to water and a drink with a lot of body to a syrup. Furthermore, the body of our blends is directly proportional to the perception of the bitter taste. If you love a lighter and more aromatic drink, we therefore recommend the Cento blend with intensity 3, if you prefer a syrupy and bitter coffee, the Cinquanta blend is for you.
What are Arabica and Robusta?
Arabica and Robusta are the two most important coffee species in the world in commercial terms. Arabica is a self-pollinating plant native to Africa and Arabia, it is a precious but at the same time delicate species. Robusta is an allogamous plant, therefore it needs cross-pollination. There are other genetic differences between the two species: Arabica has in fact 44 chromosomes, while Robusta has 22. Arabica beans have a flattened and elongated shape, are greenish in color and have an “S” shaped central cut. Robusta beans, on the other hand, tend to be rounder and smaller, with a straight central cut.
The Robusta tree is more resistant to disease and pests, which makes it easier to grow. Its resistance is due to the high caffeine content (2.4-2.5 g/100 g), about 50-60% more than arabica. Caffeine is an alkaloid naturally produced by plants to protect themselves from insects. Additionally, chlorogenic acid is believed to act as an insect and animal deterrent. Both components contribute to the bitter taste typical of Robusta. Robusta also has the advantage of being able to withstand hotter climates which allows it to grow at much lower altitudes than arabica, which is generally grown between 610 and 1830 meters above sea level. Both species are frost resistant.
The differences are not only limited to genetics and botany, but also to taste. In fact, the Arabica is sweet, fruity, acidic and with floral notes, while the Robusta is bitter, with hints of wood and tobacco, cocoa and dried fruit.
Which one do you prefer? Costadoro declares the percentages of its blends to help you choose the right product for you.
How to make the perfect mocha?
First of all it is important to always wash your moka well, in fact thinking that the moka should be left dirty or with coffee inside to obtain a more aromatic drink is a false myth. Cleaning and drying are essential to prevent the coffee oils from becoming rancid in contact with the oxygen present in the air, creating an unpleasant smell and taste in the final drink. The moka must therefore be washed with degreasing products, preferably natural and without perfumes, leaving each component to dry before closing the moka.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
PREPARATION
Fill the boiler with water, taking care not to cover the valve to avoid problems in case of excessive pressure.
Fill the filter to its end (no volcanoes and mounds of coffee powder) without pressing the coffee, rather settle it with light taps on the filter or by gently slamming the support base of the boiler. This operation will facilitate the passage of water through the coffee so that it will not risk being burnt.
Carefully screw the two parts of the moka together, place the coffee pot over a flame that is not too high and, after dispensing, remove the coffee pot from the heat leaving the lid open.
Slowly mix the coffee inside the coffee pot to mix the first and last extractions together, thus obtaining an excellent coffee without the need to add sugar.
What does medium roast mean?
The roaster roasts the raw coffee transforming it into the product we all know. Depending on the times and temperatures used, different levels of roasting are obtained: light, medium and dark, also known as “Italian Roast”. The medium roast is the one that guarantees the best balance between aromas, sweetness and acidity. Each Costadoro blend is roasted with a dedicated cooking curve. The roasting time varies from about 15 to 17 minutes, depending on the type of blend, to cook the beans evenly. The cooking curve takes into account the origins used and the organoleptic profile to be given to the final blend. They are frequently updated and checked to ensure the consistency of the final product. Costadoro roasts the coffees slowly respecting the raw material, allowing the beans to have homogeneity of cooking both internally and externally.
Where do I dispose of the bag?
Costadoro coffee is packaged in premium packaging, in fully recyclable plastic. The bags and one-way valves ensure high oxygen barrier properties, absence of odor and comply with European legislation on food contact, furthermore they guarantee high conservation standards. The coffee, always packaged fresh, naturally releases gases which preserve the perfect aroma.
HOW TO STORE COFFEE?
Always store your coffee in a cool, dry place. Being a product containing fats, it is the enemy of light and oxygen. Store it in an airtight container in your pantry.
What is decaf?
Decaffeinated coffee is a coffee from which, by means of an industrial process, the caffeine has been removed, bringing it from 1.2-1.5% for an arabica or from 2-4% for a robust to a level that is always no higher at 0.1%. The current decaffeination processes are however able to maintain a high quality level of the processed product.
How do I find out more?
Costadoro organizes roasting visits for all customers who want to experience roasting to show and touch what really differentiates us.
