Everyone knows that cigars and Cuban coffee complement and bring out subtle nuances in each other and none better than where cigars were born. In Cuba, people have been drinking the dark and potent brew known as espresso or ” Cuban Coffee” for over a hundred years, and it is very well-known that “un cafecito” (cafe-see-toe) completes the authentic smoking experience.

History of Coffee

According to legend an Arabian goatherd named Kaldi found his goats dancing joyously around a dark green leafed shrub with bright red cherries in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Kaldi soon determined that it was the bright red cherries on the shrub that were causing the peculiar euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned of their powerful effect. The stimulating effect was then exploited by monks at a local monastery to stay awake during extended hours of prayer and distributed to other monasteries around the world. Coffee was born.

Despite the appeal of such a legend, recent botanical evidence indicates that Coffee arabica originated on the plateaus of central Ethiopia and some how must have been brought to Yemen where it was cultivated since the 6th century. Upon introduction of the first coffee houses in Cairo and Mecca coffee became a passion rather than just a stimulant.

Coffee Bean Preparation

After the buyer has received the green coffee there are three major steps needed to prepare the green beans for consumption. First the beans must be roasted to just the right level to highlight any outstanding characteristics of the coffee, then the coffee must be ground relative to how it will be brewed, and lastly the freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee must be brewed at the right temperature for the correct amount of time.

Blending Coffee

Blending Coffee Some coffees are prized for their acidity though they may lack other qualities and others for their body though they may not have a desirable taste. Blending and roasting has to achieve a balanced coffee experience, often out of coffees which have so-called flavour imperfections. To accommodate particular tastes, the three key characteristics of aroma, body, colour and acidity are be emphasised.

Finer Arabica beans are often well suited to being consumed ‘pure’, without blending, for instance most of the beans we offer. Many coffee enthusiasts search out their favourite origins, whose flavours they can then enjoy unadulterated. Others prefer the roundness and complexity of a good blend.

Roasting Coffee

Different blends work best with particular roasts (strong, medium, light). It is the roasting which brings out that wonderful aroma and rich taste that coffee lovers seek. Wander down Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London, and you’ll be lured by the swirling smoke escaping from the drum roaster at the tea and coffee plant. These small, gas-fired horizontal drum roasters are normally used by the smaller coffee specialists who need a great deal of experience and even instinct to attain the exact desired roast, using sight, taste, smell and the sound of the beans crackling as they’re tossed in the revolving drum.

Temperatures for roasting range from about 193 degrees Centigrade (about 380 Fahrenheit) for a light roast, through about 205 C (about 400 F) for a medium roast, to about 218 C (about 425 F) for a dark roast. Once the roasting is completed, the beans are transferred to mesh trays for rapid cooling which halts the roasting process. Small electric home roasting machines are now obtainable – have fun perfecting your unique, personal roast, but be warned that they can set off your fire alarm!

The Different Roasts

Light roasts retain more fruitiness and the subtle more complicated aromas. Because they have a weaker flavour they can be made very generously for a creamy cup, provided they are not too acidic. A medium roast is more general purpose, producing a stronger coffee flavour. Acidity becomes tang (or bite depending on your choice of language) while the smoother types of coffee gain a general strength without becoming bitter.

A continental roast produces still stronger coffee with a burnt taste to those who dislike it. It is often drunk very strong and black or with lots of hot milk , e.g. latte, `milky coffee`, when extra strong flavour is necessary. Continental roast used to be called city roast, perhaps because people’s palates in the city deadened, under assault from smoke and other forms of air pollution.

In the UK it is sometimes thought that espresso coffee has to be made from continental roast coffee, but with a good domestic electric espresso machine with a pump even light roast coffee can taste delicious. Professional espresso roasts are usually pretty strong however, if only to save on coffee use.

Blends can be of different varieties and origins of beans but also different roasts. Such blends are unusual in corporate produced coffees, as there is an extra mixing process. Our popular medium continental blend consists of medium and continental roast beans, a mixture that is very prevalent in Spanish coffees.

Preparation Methods

Grinding
It is important to get the right grind for the method used. Courser grinds are used where the coffee stands longer in a pot or on electric filter machines where the water is slowly passed through the coffee. Finer grinds are used where the coffee is extracted faster and there is paper or espresso filtration to retain the particles. Finer grinds tend to be more flavoursome, so that poorer quality supermarket coffee is often quite course to mask potential off flavours. Here the grinds specified refer to our standard grinds. these are a little finer than most other specialist suppliers. Supermarket `for all methods` grinds are generally medium fine to medium.

Jug method

One of the oldest and most accessible methods, it produces coffee with lots of body. Use an earthenware jug or pot, preferably with a lid, even a teapot will do the trick, though not as well as a taller purpose made coffee pot. Put in medium/fine, medium or coarse ground coffee, add water just off the boil and stir well. Allow to infuse for 3 to 4 minutes then pour through a strainer.

Cafetiere/Plunger

A sophisticated version of the jug method. The coffee (medium/fine, medium or coarse ground) and boiled water should stand in the jug for 3 to 4 minutes before the plunger and mesh filter are pushed down slowly. In our experience this is the most popular method. It has the benefits of filtered coffee with most of the particles removed, and the body of jug coffee due to the courser grind and longer infusion. It can be used with all roasts although the milder roasts can be overwhelmed by the body that the method imparts.Even with the gauze filter this coffee retains a fairly high particle content and over a period can upset people with sensitive digestions.

Filter method

This is a very satisfying way of brewing as it produces a clear, flavoursome cup of coffee with no sediment. A paper filter is placed in a (usually) plastic cone-shaped holder. Fine or medium/fine ground coffee is put into the filter and the holder sat on top of a jug or pot. Boiled water is poured into the filter and allowed to seep through. Gourmets will first dampen the coffee grounds to avoid burning the coffee with boiling water. Electric filter machines apply the same principles, and as they let the water through slowly, medium fine ground coffee can be used, often leading to a smoother cup. It is best to use filters made from unbleached paper.

Espresso method

‘Manual’ stove-top espresso pots work by steam and water being forced under pressure through the pot to the grounds. Unscrew the lid and base and remove the filter funnel. The base is filled with water and the filter container with medium/fine or finely ground coffee. Screw the top and base together and place over the heat. A bubbling noise will indicate that the coffee is ready. To avoid burning the coffee, reduce the heat as soon as this begins. These machines are not suitable for mild roast coffee as they burn up the delicate flavours and acidity Electric espresso machines look like miniature versions of the real coffee bar machine, but in some cases this is a con.The better domestic machines (e.g. the Gaggia which we sell) have a pump to drive the water below boiling point through the coffee. Cheaper machines simply use steam pressure and are no different in principle from the stove top variety.

Professional and Domestic Electric Espresso

The principle here is the same as the humble stove-top with the crucial refinement that the water is pumped through the coffee at below boiling point. This preserves flavour and avoids burning lighter roasted coffee, so that more delicate and acidic coffee’s can be used. Coffee bars normally use the stronger light continental roasts as they go further. Such cusp roasts have full strength, low acidity and only a slightly burnt taste.

Turkish Method

The Turks have always ritualised the drinking of coffee. Traditionally, the very finely ground (pulverised) coffee is placed in an ‘ibrik’ with water and a spoonful of sugar and brought to the boil. The moment it boils, it is taken off the heat then put back until it has just boiled again, then removed and the process repeated, usually three times. The coffee should be served very hot and frothy. Some drinkers enjoy sipping from the thick grounds at the bottom of the cup. In some people this can irritate the digestive system.

Percolator Method

This method uses the pumping action of steam to boil and recirculate the coffee liquid. This continuous boiling tends to cause bitterness and percolators are best used with milky coffee and with higher roast coffee where there is less acidity to stew into bitterness. However the better modern percolator systems seem to avoid stewing the coffee so badly. Fill the percolator with water and the basket with medium or course ground coffee. Place it on the heat or switch on, allowing it to percolate gently for no more than 6 to 8 minutes.

Important information for all coffee lovers

1. The flavour of coffee starts to decay within days of roasting.

2. It happens because the fine aromatic oils break down.

3. This happens however the coffee is packed.

4. Thousands of people have found the answer

5. The solution is to buy your coffee freshly roasted and store it in the fridge or freezer.
The Perfect cup of coffee

Use a good grinder.

Use fresh, cold water as the perfect coffee is over 98% water, filtered and bottled water is preferable. Some mineral content is desirable although this will depend on the quality of the water in your area. Harsh chemicals in your water source can seriously affect the quality of your cup of coffee.

Use “oxygen bleached” filters. Not only do regular chlorine type filters pose a risk to the environment, they don’t make for as good a result in the cup. We do not recommend using brown filters as they tend to add a “card-boardy” taste to the coffee. We do recommend the use of “gold” permanent filters, strongly favoured by many coffee aficionados.

A percolator will not brew good tasting coffee. Firstly, the brewing time is far too long. Secondly, there is constant conflict of temperatures: the first blip of the percolator is cold by the time it reaches the coffee grounds, which, in turn, are cold. After a few minutes, the grounds are super saturated with cool water, which starts dripping through the mesh into the cool water below, where temperatures are constantly changing. The whole percolator process is really quite awful, producing an over extracted foul tasting cup of coffee.

Try using a Cafetiere (French Press). This is the perfect way to brew coffee for those of you who drink their coffee black, and like it in small quantities. However, it’s quite important to drink the coffee immediately after brewing. With the amount of grounds in the liquid coffee, and the micro fine particles of coffee fogging up the brew, it can great if consumed immediately, but iniquitous tasting if allowed to just sit there. The other drawback is the rather fast loss of temperature as no heat is applied whatsoever. Use a Cafetiere wrap or which will help to keep your coffee hot for up to 45 minutes.

Then simply sit back light a cigar and enjoy your coffee.

We offer a range of delicious Cuban coffee. To see our range visit Simply Cigars.