How strong do you usually like your coffee? Some people based their coffee strengths by how black their coffee is. If it is plain and black, people would assume it is strong and has lots of caffeine. Coffee enthusiasts know that it all depends on different coffee types and you will also see here what it is all about.
Caffeine Content
Coffee is something we can’t categorize the strength because it depends on how it is brewed or extracted.
Technically, we can define coffee strengths by the bean’s caffeine content. Here comes people’s preference for wanting dark roasted coffee. On the contrary, roasting the beans darker reduces its acidity and increases the bitter taste.
You can conclude that light roasted coffee has much more caffeine than you would think. Light roasting maintains its density and natural caffeine. But dark roasted can break the beans—making it less dense and lighter.
Dark roasted coffee has a shorter shelf life and got ashy taints. It is not strong in terms of caffeine; it just has a rougher edge. You can think of toasting bread, and you forgot it on the toaster. You can see that as dark roasted coffee. It gives a dirtier cup because of this.
Also, coffee can be strong and bold, but both depend on the brewing process of the coffee beans regardless of its type.
Some coffee drinkers classify their coffee as strong based on how bitter it tastes, but the strength of the coffee can be subjective. We have different taste buds and what is strong for you, may not be that intense to others. What you find sweet may already be too bitter for some.
Types of Coffee Beans
Two major coffee types are widely used across the globe, and those are Robusta and Arabica. Under these two, there are other more varieties of coffee beans you may have heard of.
Robusta can be more resilient to pests thanks to the lower altitudes where it is grown and harvested. It is also supple when it comes to adverse weather conditions. India, Vietnam, and Uganda typically produce this type of coffee. It has a lower price with high yields.
If you want a strong coffee, you can be sure of Robusta. It has three times the caffeine sustenance found in Arabica. It can make anyone feel very dizzy if you take double shots of it. It is also the reason why it is part of the components for instant energy drinks. It gives that boost you need for an active lifestyle.
Italian coffee also uses Robusta to add on to their blend. It has that kick, but with lower price selling in the market.
Meanwhile, even the best graded Robusta beans can have a burnt rubber taste in it compared to Arabica that is clean and has a pure and sweet taste on it.
In contrast, Arabica has lower yields, so it has quite a higher price than Robusta. It also has higher risks of damage by frosts, pests, and droughts since it is grown in higher altitudes. Due to this, Arabica beans are hard and dense with more acid composite. It is much enjoyable in countries of Australia, especially partnered with all their milk-based espresso.
Strong Coffee Flavor
Now, we have coffee flavors as not known to many because some drinkers are used to just referring to the coffee’s strength.
Coffee flavor, unlike the coffee strength based on the coffee types, actually lies on the hand of the barista who does your blend. It is the oil extract through the balance of pressure and heat during the brewing process.
Perfect extraction of this oil would give the highest level of coffee flavors.
For the brewing methods, you can have a filter, espresso, plunger, or stovetop. It does not matter whichever method you use to get the rich flavors because they all operate the same way with dose, temperature, grind, and time.
If you want to make your coffee at home, though, this extraction and grading can be a problem. Home espresso machines usually have no adjustment for the grind unless you have those models with micro-fine adjustments and settings.
Also, take note of age of the coffee beans you have because as it ages, you need to grind the does and the way it should be grind also change.
If you notice as you open a new pack of coffee, the beans are behaving differently because the pressure in the bag has a different atmosphere. It will equalize the oxygen balance after a few hours.
During grinding, if it is too coarse and there is a low dose, the shot takes 20 seconds to complete. It is called under-extraction due to the short time of the procedure. It leads to weak coffee, lacking flavor and has that thin tang and sweetness with various bitter notes.
Moreover, if the grind is too fine and the dose and temperature is high, it can be an over-extraction. In this scenario, the coffee beans can burn because of prolonged contact with the hot water.
Over-extraction has baked flavors, bitter taints, sourness and lacking sweetness. You may also notice dark oily masks on the crema’s surface.
It is all about perfect timing for wonderful flavors instead of the type of the coffee beans.
Other Brewing Method
Meanwhile, a non-espresso method like filter and plunger should have the right ground type according to its apparatus.
It may take lots of coffee beans and frustration when extracting, but once you got the hang of it, you can produce strong coffee with a rich flavor that will please your taste.
Besides from the types of coffee beans and the way it is prepared through brewing or grinding, there are lots of various drinks that try to catch everyone’s preference. Whether it is with a milky and foamy texture like lattes and flat white, you can find it in your local coffee shop.
Though, it might be best to make your own as you study and learn more about the aspects of coffee. Hopefully, you get lots of informative insights from here.
References:
https://www.mycuppa.com.au/coffee-strength-explained
https://www.roastycoffee.com/coffee-types/
https://camanoislandcoffee.com/little-known-facts-about-coffee-strength-vs-roast/