National Coffee Week
The 10th – 16th of April is National Coffee Week, a nationwide celebration of coffee, that fundraises for coffee growing communities. 100% of the donations received from National Coffee Week goes to Project Waterfall, which is a fantastic initiative, providing clean water facilities to coffee growing communities. If you’d like to find out more about National Coffee Week, follow this link. To celebrate, this week, we’re bringing you a special coffee related blog.
Now, the coffee machine may be a central component in your office, providing, not just a source of energy, but a place for workers to socialise and relax – but do you know the importance of providing the perfect water to complement, and create your coffee?
Coffee and water
It may surprise you to know, the average cup of coffee is a massive 98.75% water. This means, that the quality and composition of the water used to brew your coffee is of the utmost importance.
The signature coffee flavour is contained in the oil of the coffee beans themselves, this is bought out when coffee grounds are mixed with hot water, as the heat and minerals work together to extract the flavour.
Two people, using the exact some coffee beans, can make very different tasting cups of coffee, how? It’s all in the water. Water in different locations, or being dispensed from different devices, have very different mineral contents. If the mineral content is too low, your coffee will be bitter tasting, if your water contains too much bicarbonate or sodium, your water will be unpleasant to taste. The perfect mineral content for coffee can be found in water that is rich in magnesium and calcium, as this brings out the best in coffee flavouring compounds.
Asides from the quality of the water you use to brew your coffee, other components of the coffee making process contribute massively. The water you use to brew your cup of coffee must be at the correct temperature. If the water is too hot, you will burn the coffee grounds, if the coffee is too cold, the flavour will not be extracted properly. Ideally, your water should be between 91 and 96 degrees Celsius.
Another important factor, is how long you allow your coffee to brew. If you cut the coffee brewing time too short, the flavour compounds found within your coffee won’t be dissolved properly, and your cup of coffee will lack a flavourful punch. If you allow your coffee too much time to brew, and too many undesirable compounds will be dissolved within your drink, this is because bitter alkaloids dissolve more slowly than other compounds. 90% of the solubles in your coffee are extracted during the initial phase of the brewing process, therefore, the ideal brewing time to allow for this is between three and five minutes.
If you only take one rule from this coffee themed blog, let it be this; When you’re making coffee, fresh water is always needed. If water is left out for too long, or it is heated and cooled, it will lack the dissolved air that is so important to the taste of your coffee. To create the ideal cup of coffee, utilise filtered water that has been freshly dispensed.
The coffee machine
To accomodate the above, and provide the ultimate workplace refreshment choice, complement your coffee machine with a Borg & Overström water dispenser. The provision of fresh, chilled water will allow your staff to cleanse their palates prior to consuming their coffee, alllowing a more impactful and robust coffee flavour. Contact us today to discuss upgrading your workplace with a Borg & Overström water dispenser.
