Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
No Result
View All Result

How to take control of your morning cuppa

Jono Le Feuvre by Jono Le Feuvre
October 1, 2020
in Drinks
0
How to take control of your morning cuppa
0
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

While the world may seem chaotic right now, at least you can control one thing – your morning cup of home-brewed coffee! Luckily for us, scientists have broken down exactly which groups of chemicals have the biggest influence on flavour in coffee. And it’s as easy as remembering “A B C D E”.

A is for acid

Roasted coffee has at least nine organic acids in it. A group of compounds called chlorogenic acids are the most prevalent and are generally quite bitter. But there are also other acids that each contribute their own versions of what we might call “sourness”. For example, citric acid contributes a lemony-type sourness. Malic acid contributes flavours reminiscent of tart green apples; while acetic acid is essentially vinegar.

For coffee lovers who hate “sour” or “fruity” coffee, the bad news is that organic acids are highly soluble and dissolve very quickly, so you can’t really avoid them in your cup. The good news is that you can make them less noticeable by extracting other flavours, balancing out the more undesirable flavours.

B is for baked bread

Don’t you love the smell of freshly baked bread? Or perhaps pan-roasted almonds? These aromas come from a reaction called the Maillard reaction. In coffee, the Maillard reaction contributes savoury/umami flavours and aromas akin to fresh bread or roasted nuts. Like organic acids, Maillard compounds dissolve quite easily and often contribute to a fuller, richer mouthfeel.

If one of your common complaints is that your daily coffee tastes a little sour or savoury, it probably means that you’re only managing to dissolve flavour groups A and B. To solve this, you’re going to need more – not more coffee grounds, but rather more time, more temperature, or more turbulence (read: stirring). If you have a grinder, you can also try grinding your coffee finer. The more of these elements you can introduce, the more energy your brew water has to extract those trickier, less soluble compounds. Compounds like…

How to take control of your morning cuppaC is for caramels

It’s the sweetness that (almost) everybody loves in their morning cuppa. These compounds are formed during the roast process as the natural sugars in the bean are heated. The trouble with some of these caramels is that they’re tricky to dissolve. More heat, more time, or a finer grind are all ways to extract more caramels into your cup, but you have to be careful. Those same things can also increase the bitterness if pushed too far. Which leads us finally to…

D is for degradation compounds

Strecker degradation compounds are largely responsible for bitter and smoky flavours – like those you might find in a peated whisky. Traditionally, they are also associated with the idea of a “strong cup of coffee.” The good news for those who love a strong, bitter cuppa is that you don’t need more coffee to make it taste “strong”. Instead, use a lower dose, but just brew for longer, with hotter water and with more stirring. Doing this will bring out more bitterness without needing to use more coffee. A win for the household budget.

For the rest of us, though, these flavours are unpleasant and are associated with “burnt coffee”. Luckily these degradation compounds don’t dissolve easily and you can avoid them almost entirely if you brew your coffee for a shorter time or use slightly cooler brew water.

How to take control of your morning cuppaE is for experiment

Not all coffees are equal. Some are naturally sweeter and may taste of chocolate, rainbows and unicorns; while others are roasted to ash. To find coffees you enjoy, you may have to venture beyond just one brand. And be sure to check the roast date on the bag before you buy!

Tags: coffeeDrinksFeatures


Related Posts

4 surprising and totally bizarre uses for rooibos tea
Drinks

4 surprising and totally bizarre uses for rooibos tea

January 10, 2023
Great tips on how much booze to buy for a party
Drinks

Great tips on how much booze to buy for a party

January 5, 2023
5 exotic iced teas you’ve probably never thought to serve this summer
Drinks

5 exotic iced teas you’ve probably never thought to serve this summer

December 15, 2022
Next Post
Monday to Sunday: A week of quick and easy healthy meals your kids will love

Monday to Sunday: A week of quick and easy healthy meals your kids will love

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Food24 Team Loves

Tips on how to pack the perfect picnic

Tips on how to pack the perfect picnic

January 14, 2023
How to easily peel boiled eggs: We tested 7 hacks and there’s only one way that really works every time

How to easily peel boiled eggs: We tested 7 hacks and there’s only one way that really works every time

January 2, 2023
roast-pork-leg

6 tips for making the crispiest pork crackling

December 21, 2022
Light and healthy recipes that simply scream ‘summer’

Light and healthy recipes that simply scream ‘summer’

November 19, 2022
air-fryer-dos-and-donts

9 Do’s and don’ts when air-frying at home

October 24, 2022

Recent favourites

  • burger and fries

    It’s true – Hellmann’s Mayonnaise will be discontinued in SA

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Cracking open the myths about canned food – and why they’re great for load-shedding meals

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Secrets to making the perfect tart case

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Oh, grate! Turns out all four sides of the grater serve a useful purpose

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 12 wallet-friendly ways to save with lamb mince this year

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get weekly access to our best recipes, tips and tricks

Sign Up
Footer

Quick links

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Win

Collections

  • New Recipes
  • Festive
  • Baking
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Braai Recipes
  • Lunchbox
  • South African Recipes
  • Pasta Recipes

Other links

  • Advertise with Food24
  • Editorial Policy
  • How to Pitch
  • Contact us

Not in the mood to cook?

Visit eatout.co.za to find the perfect restaurant near you.

eatout.co.za

© 2020 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • New Media
IAB
No Result
View All Result
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Air fryer recipes
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Fish and Tips
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Load shedding lifesavers
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Drinks
      • Non-alcoholic drinks
      • Wine
      • Beer
      • Cocktails
      • Coffee
    • Win

© 2019 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms below to register

Subscribe to Newsletter

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Close
Food24
Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.
Close
Food24
Get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox weekly
Promotional Newsletter

Be the first to receive information about competitions and special offers from Food24 and it's partners.

You have successfully been subscribed!
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Make sure you have completed all required fields.
I don't want to see this again