Coffee - from bean to bean

Amore per il caffè

Arabica e Robusta

Coffee is a plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family (coffea group), that lives in the tropics at altitudes varying from 200 to 2000metri. The plant reaches a height of 3 to 13 meters (the plant is however cropped when it reaches the height of about 2 to 3 meters, in order to easily allows the harvest of berries, cherries or also called drupes;

Arabica
it grows at an altitude above 900 -2000 meters and is the finest quality and most cultivated. It covers almost three-quarters of world production. It needs temperature from 15° to 24°. It is more aromatic and less bitter, astringent and delicate, with a caffeine content lower than the Robusta.

Canephoraor better known Robusta: it grows between 200 to 600 meters and can grow up to 13 meters tall. It is a variety very resistant to diseases and withstands to temperature changes ranging from 24° to 29°. It tastes more bitter, but thicker with more cream. It has more caffeine than Arabica.



Quality of coffee

Experts of coffee or the exponents of Cup of Excellence, evaluate some parameters considered essential, such as the Aroma, Sweetness, Flavor, Acidity, Lack of defects, the Aftertaste.
Essentially the quality is in relation with the environment for growth, with the practices adoperate in the crop, with the type of processing of berries (the degree of their homogeneity) and the place of origin.

THE FIVE M
To get a good espresso, 5 are the key points that a good operator must practice constantly


THE BLEND: The preparation of the blend is obtained from the combination of different qualities and species of coffee beans; this operation is needed to realize blends with organoleptic properties balanced and constant in time.

THE GRINDER: the grinder is the tool that transforms the coffee from beans to powder and supplies the doses to beput in the filter;
   • Burr: toothed rings that grind the beans at high speed; they are in pairs and can be flat or conical and are the most important part of the tool.
It is important that the coffee is ground according to the amount of consumption of the moment to avoid dispensersion of the aromatic characteristics in ground coffee.

COFFEE MACHINE: at the end of '700 we had two systems for making coffee: the Turkish and Venetian. The Turkish system was to boil the coffee powder with the water and serve all in a cup. The Venetian system was to boil the water and pour it on the coffee powder, producing an infuso. La Neapolitan coffee made its appearance in the mid-1800s, using the system at the Venetian.

The parameters for the success of a quality espresso are the following:
• The infusion time: about 5 seconds
• Water temperature: 90°
• Pressure: 9 ATM
• The blend:doze 7/8 gr
• Brewing time: 25 seconds of time (approximately)
• The pressure in the boiler of about 1atm
• Clean daily tools for service
• Check the water level (70% water and 30% steam)
• Regenerate the cleanser once a week


HAND OPERATOR: (Bartender) The ability of the bartender is fundamental for the success of coffee and coffee-based beverages.

Basic Operation:
1. Store the blend properly (in a cool and dry place);
2. Check that the machineries are in perfect working order;
3. Adjust theright grinding;
4. Weight control of the dose;
5. Leave the filter holder attached to the group;
6. Drain the filter from coffee grounds;
7. Press down firmly the coffe powder with tamper


MAINTENANCE
It is duty of the bartender the maintenance of equipment. There is a maintenance Ordinary and Extraordinary one.

Ordinary
• cleaning the shower and the seals of the brewing group / daily;
• Cleaning of filters and filter holders / daily

Straordinaria
• Rebuild the DEPURATOR when due;
• Clean the inside of the bell of the grinder;
• Every week clean the GROUP with the blind filter (not to be used in case of using the lever machines);

General notices
• Before starting to work in the morning, drop off plenty of water and heat well groups from the filter holder;
• When you turn the machine (even after the occasional lack of tension) take care to venting steam when opening the tap has come under pressure (0.8 to 1.3 atm);
• The pump pressure during the coffee brewing should be between 8 and 10 atm (see gauge).