How much do you know about the different forms of coffee?

Every discovery on Earth goes through stages of development. Coffee is no different. Coffee was discovered by Ethiopian goat herders who noticed the effect caffeine had on their goats as they got very excited after having eaten the beans from a coffee plant. Isn’t it amazing how far we’ve come since then? We now not only have various forms of coffee in the markets, but we also have different flavours, endless varieties, and numerous ways we can consume it.

Let’s look into the different forms of coffee

Coffee Beans

A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant. When the seed is harvested, dried, roasted and ground, it’s used to brew coffee.

Coffee seeds are planted, watered frequently and protected from bright sunlight. Planting often takes place during the wet season as the soil remains moist which helps the roots to be firmly established.

The next step is to harvest the coffee cherries. The way to find out if the fruit, called the coffee cherry, is ripe is to notice the bright, deep red colour. That is when it’s ready to be harvested.

After harvesting, begins the long method of processing these cherries, bringing the bean to life which is then dried further. The next step is milling these beans, the end product of which is called green coffee. Unroasted or green coffee beans comprise one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world.

They are most commonly packaged in 60 kg bags, ready for export. The green coffee is then exported to roasteries, to be roasted, in order to provide us with the most delicious, aromatic brown coffee beans.

Roasting is generally performed in the importing countries as it’s best for freshly roasted beans to reach the final user as quickly as possible.

Ground Coffee

Once the coffee beans are ready, the next step is grounding them. The objective of grounding is to enhance the flavour of the coffee.

Ground coffee is what brewed coffee is made of. Just like maize is made of corn, ground coffee is made up of ground coffee beans.

There are several grind sizes of coffee, depending on your liking and sometimes also upon tradition. Some of these are very fine, medium-fine, medium, medium-coarse or coarse.

Depending on the time and patience you have, you can ground your own coffee too. This is also recommended as fresh grounds are better than pre-ground coffees.

Instant Coffee

People often think instant coffees and ground coffee are the same. While in reality, the differences between the two are many.

One of the biggest differences is that instant coffee is made from the already brewed ground coffee. Whereas, ground coffee is actually made from coffee beans by grinding them to a specific size. It can be easily differentiated through taste, instant coffee will often taste flatter and weaker, while ground coffee will be richer in taste.

Instant coffee, while poorer in taste when compared to the other forms, is a favoured form for many coffee drinkers. It allows people to quickly prepare coffee by adding hot water or hot milk as it is easily dissolvable. This reduces the preparation time vastly, why was cleverly given the name ‘instant’ coffee.

Some of the other advantages of instant coffee are the lower prices brought by low shipping costs associated to weight and volume. When compared to traditional coffee beans or ground coffee and instant coffee is also said to have a way longer shelf life, if it is kept dry.

Instant coffee accounts for about 50% of coffee consumption in some countries and 13% worldwide. At least one study has found that, interestingly enough, it has a lower environmental
mark than other preparation methods, making it particularly eco and climate friendly.

Coffee Pods

Coffee pods are one of the variations of a single-serve coffee container which is a method of brewing coffee, enough for a single shot.

Coffee pods have transformed the coffee industry, providing a barista-style experience at the click of a button. It has made it possible for us to enjoy the full taste of ground coffee instantly’ too. Did you know that Europe has been recorded as the holder of the highest market share of coffee pods?

Coffee pods are good for one-time use and are easily disposable when done. There are many types of coffee pods, which range from soft pods to espresso pods. With our Dolce Gusto compatible coffee pods, you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee at your comfort and
convenience.

Not only do coffee pods let you buy smaller packs of different flavours according to your taste and mood but they are also very affordable for the level of convenience provided. There are also so many assorted flavours for you to explore what kind of coffee suits you best.

In Conclusion

Coffee has evolved tremendously over time as advances have been made in coffee making, preparation, ways of consumption, and even culture. Coffee has become widely accessible.
Businesses are still inventing new and improved ways to enjoy one of the most beloved beverages in the world. Even with the new invention of pods, many people still prefer to enjoy their coffee in more traditional forms. How about you?