The BEST Kona Coffee – Brewing Tips!
Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
Caffeine and coffee!!!
The roast has a tremendous effect on the amount of caffeine that is going to end up in a cup.
Most people think that the darker the roast, the deeper the taste, there is more caffeine in a darker roast. Actually, that is not true. The longer you roast coffee, the less caffeine it has. The heat of the roasting process breaks down caffeine while it’s still in the bean. So, a medium roast has the most caffeine, a dark roast has less, and a French roast has the least of all! The other determining factor in the amount of caffeine a cup of coffee has is the variety of coffee bean.
Most people enjoy the milder taste of Arabica much more than the harsh flavors of the Robusta. Arabica has about 1 to 1.5 percent caffeine, as opposed to 3.2 to 3.5 percent for Robusta. The ‘label’ I really like is Buddha’s Cup which is a ‘sipping coffee’ with beautiful textures and flavors, meant to be savored on a lanai, watching a golden Kona sunset with a ‘green flash’.
Of course, if you want a little extra caffeine, just make your coffee a little stronger. And what I mean by that is to use more coffee-to-water when you brew it. I use two-thirds of a cup of ground coffee to 35 ounces of water. I say go big or go home!
But to me, Kona coffee is all about taste. It is a premium coffee, with a premium price. Robusta is more for the lower grades of coffee found in the supermarket. Arabica gives you both mildness and a depth of enjoyment you just can’t get with the other varieties. If you want a little more caffeine in your coffee, but still want superior taste, go with a lighter roast of an Arabica from Kona, and you have the best of both worlds.
If, however, you want the minimum amount of caffeine in a really premium cup of coffee, you probably want a ‘peaberry‘ coffee.
Buddha’s Cup can be purchased through the grower or through the Green Flash Café on Alii Drive.
Now, just imagine sipping that great cup of coffee from one of my oceanfront units here at the Kanaloa-at_Kona resort. I have two units available; one is unit 3702 which is a 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom (sleeps 6) – has A/C and all the accoutrements you could possibly imagine and the other is unit 3403, a 1 bedroom / 2 bathroom (sleeps 4) which is fully loaded as well.
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Many Thanks!
Al
808.333.8977
