Nov Blog

Washing and Processing: Coffee Bean Basics

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Have you washed your coffee? If it isn’t washed, it is dirty? Those of us who work professionally in the coffee roasting field know these terms well, but for those new to the coffee industry, the different types of washing and processing that a coffee bean goes through before it reaches your cup can be confusing. Today, we’re sharing our expertise on the coffee roasting process so you can make the best choices for your best taste!

Washing
When one processing coffee by “washing” it, otherwise known as “wet processing,” the coffee bean goes through a lot before you drink it! The bean, or cherry as it is often called at this stage, goes into a machine that removes its outer skin and allows the seeds and the surrounding substances to ferment in water for about 2 days, releasing the flavorful sugars and acids that give coffee its distinct taste. Longer fermentation results in stronger-flavored coffee. Washing is the most-frequently used processing technique and is often used for high-end coffees.

Unwashed
If washing gives coffee all those benefits, why skip it? A natural or “dry processing” has been used for centuries, far longer than the “wet” method, and produces equally delicious results in a different way. These coffee beans are laid out flat in the sun and rotated regularly for two to six weeks, allowing the flavors to develop. The seeds are then removed. This strategy requires less complex equipment, and is well-suited for desert regions where water supplies are poor.

Happy Hybrid: Semi-Washed
For those seeking the best of both worlds, semi-washed coffee starts off like the wet method, with machines removing the skins, but then the beans are allowed to dry in the sun, like the dry method. This process provides some of the benefits of each, and is often easy for farmers. The flavor tends to be somewhere in the middle as well.
Ready to experiment with your new knowledge? This is the perfect opportunity to host a coffee sampling party—for one, or for friends! Don’t forget to check out the best selection of bulk green coffee beans, café kopi luwak, and fresh-roasted beans from Lavanta coffee roasters!

Have you washed your coffee? If it isn’t washed, it is dirty? Those of us who work professionally in the…
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Oct

The Life of the Coffee Bean

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While most people are aware that coffee comes from beans, few people realize the many steps it takes to go from a plant to the delicious green coffee beans you can buy in bulk from our online store! Read on to find out the humble life of the coffee bean and how it plays a role in your coffee roasting process!

Coffee Beginnings
The coffee plant is versatile, able to grow from seeds, cuttings, or shoots. However, only some climates work for this sensitive plan, requiring a careful range of temperatures and plenty of water. A coffee plant takes about 5 years to grow from seedling to mature plant, at which time it can produce enough coffee beans to make a pound of roasted coffee!

The Fruit
Coffee beans are actually hidden inside of the fruit of the coffee plant. Often referred to as cherries, this fruit looks like a crabapple or very small cherry, and ranges from green to red. The best-quality coffee is handpicked to ensure that only the best and most ripe cherries are selected for roasting.

Cherry Processing
To get to the “beans,” the fruit and husks of the coffee cherries must be removed. This can be done in the traditional dry method, laying the coffee cherries out in the sun or another hot, dry place, turning them regularly, and ensuring they reach about 11% moisture content. Another method uses water to soften the outer fruit, then the beans are put through a pulping machine. After that, they are submerged into an enzyme solution that removes the outer layer and dried. These can be dried naturally, like the dry method, or dried in special drying machines for a faster process.

Quality Assurance
While these processes can be automated, having a human being involved in the process ensures the best quality. Those coffee roasters with the highest standard source their coffee beans from supplies who hand-sort and check for quality, such as discarding damaged or broken beans. Once the beans are ready, they are packed and shipped to coffee roasters around the world. Lavanta Coffee Roasters in New Jersey works to find the best-quality coffee producers around the world so we can share them in our store and sell those high-quality green coffee beans online!

While most people are aware that coffee comes from beans, few people realize the many steps it takes to go…
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Oct Blog

Decaffeination and What it Means for Your Cup

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For some, the thought of decaffeinated coffee is heretic! Isn’t that what this delicious brew is for? But for those with health conditions, sleeping issues, or those who just don’t like that caffeine jitter, a cup of decaf can be just the thing. How is coffee decaffeinated, and how does it affect your cup? Read on to find out!

Decaf Basics
Coffee beans are a natural source of caffeine, which means that all decaffeinated coffee is processed at least a little bit. Before roasting, however, careful processers can remove the majority of the caffeine, leaving you with a drink that won’t keep you up all night. All processes use water or steam to extract the water-soluble caffeine molecules from the coffee, but carefully balance this process with a potential loss of flavor.

Traditional Decaffeination
The oldest and most typical method of decaffeinating coffee is done using methylene chloride, a chemical that helps the caffeine molecules “stick” to the water by increasing the chemical bond. Thanks to the chemical boost, your coffee beans are only quickly in contact with water, keeping flavor loss to a minimum. 80-90% of coffee is filtered this way!

Swiss Water Decaf
The second most common method for decaf uses charcoal filtration and flavor-charged water for a reliable, organic decaf process. This can add some costs to the processing, but produces delicious flavors.

CO2 and Ethyl Acetate
While the two methods above are most popular, other coffee roasters use carbon dioxide and ethyl acetate to extract caffeine. These are sometimes referred to as “natural” decaffeination processes because these are naturally-occurring compounds, but the ingredients are actually usually manufactured.

Wondering which type of coffee or decaf is best for you? Try out the wide selection at Lavanta Coffee Roasters in New Jersey to see which you like best!

For some, the thought of decaffeinated coffee is heretic! Isn’t that what this delicious brew is for? But for those…
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kopi luwak

What is Kopi Coffee and Why is it So Good?

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If you’ve visited our online store to buy green coffee beans online, you may have noticed that we offer kopi luwak coffee—and that it is a bit more pricey than our regular Arabica or Columbian blends. What is kopi luwak, where on earth did it start, and why is it so good? We’ll try to answer these questions today!

What is Kopi Luwak?
There’s no way to put it gently—this coffee is made from coffee beans that have been eaten by the Asian palm civet, a small animal that reminds many people of a cat or a raccoon. These creatures eat the coffee berries and they pass, undigested, through their systems. Once the animals defecate, the coffee berries can be gathered and processed.

Why…?
Most people wonder why and how people found out that café kopi luwak was so good. After all, it comes from a waste product! Back in colonial times, the bigger countries that colonized local spaces prohibited the locals from harvesting or making coffee. But people love coffee so much that they would go to any lengths to get it! Civet homes are filled with waste that is rich in tasty coffee berries.

Taste Benefits
First of all, have no fear—your kopi luwak coffee has been cleaned, processed and roasted by the best coffee roaster in New Jersey! Through the washing and roasting process, any contaminants are eliminated, leaving only pure, delicious coffee. Further, since the coffee beans went through a chemical process in the stomach of the civet, the favor is smooth, rich, and delicious. This specialty coffee is pricey, but well worth the cost if you are a true coffee lover!

To start your journey with the best café kopi luwak today, stop by and visit your local coffee roaster! At Lavanta coffee roasters, you can always count on a delicious cup of coffee, whether that is coming from our coffee shop or roasted and brewed at home with our fresh green coffee beans.

If you’ve visited our online store to buy green coffee beans online, you may have noticed that we offer kopi…
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Coffee Varieties and What They Mean in Your Cup

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Arabica or Robusta? Faced with these different terms, many consumers simply take a guess—Arabica sounds… Arabic, perhaps, like it comes from a hot climate, where Robusta… will be robust? For those in the coffee industry, however, there is far more to it than just what those names can suggest. At Lavanta Coffee Roasters in New Jersey, we make sure to carefully select the best green coffee beans and roasted coffee to send to our customers, and part of that includes spelling out the differences between our most popular products. Get ready to find out about the differences, benefits, and distinctions between the Arabica and Robusta varieties of coffee!

The Classic: Arabica
If you travel back in time before the 1900s, coffee was of the Arabic variety. Even today, Arabica varieties of coffee make up 75-80% of the coffee produced around the world! Many of the best coffees in New Jersey are of the Arabica variety, which is grown at high altitudes, producing a moderate-sized crop yield. Arabicas are known for a sweet, mild taste, with plenty of variety available as this variety has been cultivated for many decades. The flavor is more acidic than bitter, and typically has less caffeine than a Robusta variety—up to half the amount of caffeine.

The Up and Comer: Robusta
Since the mid-1900s, there has been more interest in the Robusta variety. Originally, this variety of coffee was criticized and considered subpar to Arabica coffees—and no wonder, when Arabica coffees had a headstart of many centuries! A crop disease increased interest in the Robusta variety, which is able to grow at lower altitudes and is generally more resistant to pests and crop diseases, making this hardier variety more available and affordable when the bigger Arabica farms were struck with disease. Over time, smaller coffee growers have taken interest in the Robusta variety, improving the quality and flavor to the point that some connoisseurs prefer Robusta! The beloved café kopi luwak is actually a Robusta variety, and the best coffee roasters know that this coffee is prized by many! Plus, as Robusta varieties can be grown in more climates and produces a higher crop yield for the same resources, some suggest that this could be an environmentally sustainable option into the future.

Bonus Varieties
While most coffee produced and sold around the world is either Arabica or robusta, there are other varieties in existence! One of the better-known specialty varieties is Café Baraco (Barako coffee to some), and a variety from the Philippines called Liberica.

Ready to try some of the best coffee varieties today? Our online store features the best-quality green coffee beans in bulk, as well as fresh-roasted coffee. We even have a rewards program! Or, if you’re local to NJ and want to try a cup, visit our coffee shop in Hackettstown!

Arabica or Robusta? Faced with these different terms, many consumers simply take a guess—Arabica sounds… Arabic, perhaps, like it comes…
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