What To Look For When Purchasing The K-Cup
The Keurig coffee maker is quickly rising in popularity across North America. Gone are the days of purchasing the old fashion coffee brewer, with separate filters to purchase and a glass pot to wash. The coffee is made in very few steps. You put a new K-cup in the reservoir and press a button and watch your coffee be brewed. Within 30 seconds, you have a freshly brewed cup of your favorite gourmet coffee or tea.
If you do not know the flavour of coffee you want? Keurig provides nearly 200 different coffee, tea and hot cocoa K-Cups from which to choose! Because there are so many varieties and types of coffee, it is very important to understand the descriptions and type of coffee. If you aren’t an expert at “coffee jargon” and aren’t up for endless flavor experimentation, then it is best to do a bit of research before you buy. People like to get their coffee with very little time to make it.
One of the biggest factors in the flavor of coffee is the roast. Before you choose between popular brands and specialty flavors, it helps if you understand the flavor differences created by the roasting process. By using a high temperature over a long period of time will create a dark roast coffee. By understanding the roast you will understand the richness,bitterness, and smoothness of the coffee.
Milder tasting coffee is the light roast coffee. Coffee beans look like a golden brown dry surface bean. May lack body or may be too acidic in taste. To allow the drinker to taste the different beans, one should choose a light roasted bean or coffee.
Less acidic taste is created by the medium roast. Medium roasting may create a slightly sweeter taste than a light roast. The beans look like a chocolate-brown bean. Compromises between the natural bean flavor and the flavor produced through the roasting process.
Dark Roast: Full-bodied coffee with a smoky or spicy taste. Beans are characterized by a dark brown hue and shiny, somewhat oily surface. Some of the natural bean flavour will be lost during the roasting process.
Knowing the different roasts of coffee will help with the decision making. For instance, if you enjoy a light roast, you may want to try Van Houtte Costa Rica Coffee or Timothy’s Morning Blend Coffee. The Tully’s Full City Roast or the Green Mountain Coffee -Nantucket are a good choice of medium roast coffee. Caribou French Roast Coffee is a good dark roast coffee to try for that flavour of bean.
There may seem to be an unlimited number of factors that go into the creation of a type of coffee. Because of the coffee varieties and tastes, do not become confused with you coffee possibilities and tastes. But, if you put your taste buds to the test, you will soon figure out which roast is right for you. You will become an expert at coffee making with the use of the k-cup! And then you can wow your friends with your new knowledge of the gourmet coffee world.
Iowa City Roast at Prairie Lights – July 18, 2010
