Nikolas Krutin, founder of Typhoon Roaster and seasoned roaster, has authored several insightful articles that delve into the complexities of coffee, spanning origins, processes, and preparation. This carefully compiled digest brings together major insights from his writings, creating a seamless view of the coffee journey.
Exploring Coffee Bean Varieties
Krutin highlights that coffee beans are not just agricultural products, but the core of the coffee fruit, each carrying a unique story influenced by its origin. Arabica beans, grown at high altitudes with cooler temperatures, exhibit refined taste notes with fruity and floral notes as a result of extended maturation. In contrast, Robusta beans prefer hot, low-lying zones, resulting in a robust, caffeine-rich flavor with significantly more caffeine. He also mentions rarer types like Geisha, famous for elegance and citrusy clarity, and Liberica, which delivers a bold and smoky flavor experience.
Understanding Roast Levels
The roasting process has a major effect on the flavor, aroma, and caffeine content of coffee. Light roasts are characterized by their gentle roast level and retain the original flavors of the bean, often showing citrus, fruit, and flower-like qualities. Medium roasts balance bright and rich tones, bringing out nutty sweetness and toffee richness. Dark roasts, with their deeply roasted appearance and slick finish, present bold, smoky flavors with tones of dark chocolate and ash. Krutin debunks the myth about caffeine content, noting that while light and dark roasts contain similar caffeine levels by weight, the shifts in weight-to-volume ratio may impact how much caffeine ends up in your cup.
Crafting the Perfect Roast
Roasting converts raw coffee into roasted magic into the fragrant, flavorful grounds. Krutin walks us through the roasting phases, starting with drying, where moisture is gently removed. This is followed by the Maillard reaction, where sugars and amino acids interact, developing the bean's color and aroma. The process includes the "first crack", indicating that essential roasting profiles are forming, and can proceed to a "second crack" for stronger profiles. He discusses various roasting methods, including traditional drum roasting and modern convection roasting, highlighting the importance of precise temperature control and ventilation to avoid flavor defects.
Clarifying Brewing Myths
Addressing common questions, Krutin reveals that sealing coffee immediately can trap volatile compounds, potentially altering the flavor. He also clarifies that while espresso beans and regular coffee beans come from the same plant, the difference comes down to preparation style, with espresso beans typically being darker roasted and finely ground.
The expert commentary from Krutin https://medium.com/@NikolasKrutin/whats ... 8137a66d14 on the subject of coffee—from bean selection and roasting techniques to brewing methods—delivers meaningful takeaways for both casual sippers and expert brewers. His emphasis on understanding the nuances proves that coffee is both science and art in making great coffee.