Me and my team did it to inspire and, more importantly, to create the tactics and details around how you, your organization, your startup  can know more about start working on coffee business.

However this deck continues my tradition of training step-by-step guides that give you the exact information I’ve used to run my introduction to coffee class. That includes references like :

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The blending of coffee is as old as coffee itself. Although the techniques vary, blending is used to optimize aroma, body and flavour: the goal is to make a coffee that is higher in cup quality than any of the ingredients individually, and, extremely important, maintain consistency in the final roasted product.

Each batch has it own personality in terms of taste, smell, body, chemical resilience to the hydrolytic action of water, etc., and blending can complete it and round it up or level it off.

Most espresso blends are based on high quality Brazil arabicas, some washed, some dry-processed. They often involve some African coffees for winey acidity or flowery fruitiness, or a high-grown Central American for a clean acidity. Some roasters add a little robusta to increase body.

Dry-processed coffees are responsible for the attractive ‘crema’ on the cup, among other mechanical factors in the extraction process Wet- processed Central Americans add positive aromatic qualities. Robustas are used in cheaper blends to increase body and produce more foam.

Besides subjective quality , blending also assists in maintaining objective quality, because the more complex a blend, the easier it is to maintain constant quality when some ingredients change.

With the exception of a few countries that pay considerable attention to quality, the majority of producer countries often add up small batches produced by different growers to form larger ones of a size required by roasters. Although care is taken so that only batches of equivalent quality are blended, the result of this deplorable practice is often a quality downgrading to a level below that of the best fractions.

Coffee history records a number of popular blends that are published and available for public consumption. Other ‘proprietary’ blends tend to

be closely guarded, with the information staying within a company structure. Proprietary or signature blend leads consumers to equate a particular coffee profile with a particular brand image. Blending requires the expert skill of knowing each ingredient coffee, having in mind a clear cup profile as the goal, and knowing how to achieve it.

Blending may be done before or after roasting. Blending before roasting is traditionally used by retail and institutional roasters. In this method coffees with similar characteristics are combined and roasted to the same development. Generally, professional in-house ‘cuppers’ evaluate the results of the blend, adjusting components if necessary to satisfy taste requirements and standards.

Advantage: Consistency of product.
Disadvantage: Inability to optimize the character of each coffee.

Blending after roasting is the method traditionally used by many specialty coffee roasters. The flavour profile development requires that each individual coffee used in the blend be roasted separately to optimize flavour. In other words, each coffee will have a different time and temperature setting. Consequently, the final roast development will be different for each coffee used in the blend. After roasting, each component of the blend is individually tasted (cupped), as is the final blend composition.

part of ESPRESSO COFFEE book by Andrea illy

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When asked “what does caffeine look like?” most people tend to answer that they have not actually seen caffeine, but that it is probably a brown substance. This is understandable but this wrong assumption shows the association be- tween caffeine and coffee.

A handful of people may answer that they remember something in chemistry laboratory class in high school. That there was something about the term sublimation. Besides these aspects just about everybody knows that caffeine has a stimulating and awakening effect when consumed, well known not only from coffee and different teas but also from caffeinated soft drinks.

Summarizing, caffeine is a well-researched chemical substance with interesting properties and at least its name is widely known.

Caffeine was first isolated from coffee beans in 1820 by the chemist F. Runge at the request of the German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. At room conditions, pure caffeine is a white, odorless crystalline powder bitter in taste. It exhibits two different crystal forms in pure state and when crystallized in presence of water very typical whiskers are formed.

shows caffeine crystals extracted from coffee. Caffeine crystals can also be found frequently as sediments in coffee pro- pressing factories especially around roasting machines.

This is due to the previously mentioned effect of sublimation: at elevated temperatures caffeine can change from the solid to the vapor state directly without liquefaction as intermediate step. The name caffeine does not give any information about the chemical nature of the substance. It belongs to the group of methyl xanthine’s and carries the name 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione. The chemical structure

shows the high content of nitrogen in the caffeine molecule. The physiological effects of caffeine have been investigated for a long time and research is ongoing. Simplifying matters, positive and negative health effects have been declared, obviously depending on individual condition and consumed quantities. Important is, that the US Department of Health and Human Services classifies caffeine as a GRAS substance (generally recognized as safe).

Recently, the European Food Safety Authority stated, that “habitual caffeine consumption of 400 mg/day does not give rise to safety concerns for non-pregnant adults” . This amount corresponds roughly to five cups of regular drip coffee. Nevertheless, consumed quantities must be observed as the lethal amount in man is estimated as 10 g. Further information on the effects of caffeine on health refer to Chapter 20 in this book.

Caffeine content in green and roasted beans is roughly the same: mean values are 1.1 wt% for Arabica and 2.2 wt% for Robusta beans. It is often believed that caffeine content is reduced in roasted coffee due to sublimation. However, as weight of the bean decreases the total concentration in the bean remains roughly unchanged. Caffeine content in coffee beverages is dependent on the blend composition (% Robusta), the water to coffee ratio and extraction yields. Typical values (Arabica) are 80 , 120 mg per cup of drip coffee (150 mL) and 50,100 mg for espressos.

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Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree. It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans. All commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded sun.

Botanical classification

Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffea.  Within the genus there are over 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs. Experts estimate that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 species of coffee plants. The genus was first described in the 18th century by the Swedish botanist. Botanists have disagreed ever since on the exact classification, since coffee plants can range widely. They can be small shrubs to tall trees, with leaves from one to 16 inches in size, and in colors from purple or yellow to the predominant dark green.

In the commercial coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta.

Coffea Arabica — C. Arabica

Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo, Tico, San Ramon, Jamaican Blue Mountain

Coffea Arabica is descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia.  These trees produce a fine, mild, aromatic coffee and represent approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production. The beans are flatter and more elongated than Robusta and lower in caffeine.

On the world market, Arabica coffees bring the highest prices.  The better Arabicas are high grown coffees — generally grown between 2,000 to 6,000 feet (610 to 1830 meters) above sea level — though optimal altitude varies with proximity to the equator. The most important factor is that temperatures must remain mild, ideally between 59 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 60 inches of rainfall a year. The trees are hearty, but a heavy frost will kill them. Arabica trees are costly to cultivate because the ideal terrain tends to be steep and access is difficult. Also, because the trees are more disease-prone than Robusta, they require additional care and attention.

Coffea canephora — C. canephora var. Robusta

Variety: Robusta is a one canphora variety

Most of the world’s Robusta is grown in Central and Western Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Brazil. Production of Robusta is increasing, though it accounts for only about 30% of the world market. Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean. The Robusta tree is heartier and more resistant to disease and parasites, which makes it easier and cheaper to cultivate. It also has the advantage of being able to withstand warmer climates, preferring constant temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which enables it to grow at far lower altitudes than Arabica. It requires about 60 inches of rainfall a year, and cannot withstand frost. Compared with Arabica, Robusta beans produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine.

The Anatomy of a Coffee Cherry

The beans you brew are actually the processed and roasted seeds from a fruit, which is called a coffee cherry. The coffee cherry’s outer skin is called the exocarp. Beneath it is the mesocarp, a thin layer of pulp, followed by a slimy layer called the parenchyma.  The beans themselves are covered in a paper-like envelope named the endocarp, more commonly referred to as the parchment. Inside the parchment, side-by-side, lie two beans, each covered separately by yet another thin membrane. The biological name for this seed skin is the spermoderm, but it is generally referred to in the coffee trade as the silver skin.

In about 5% of the world’s coffee, there is only one bean inside the cherry. This is called a peaberry (or a caracol, or “snail” in Spanish), and it is a natural mutation. Some people believe that peaberries are actually sweeter and more flavorful than standard beans, so they are sometimes manually sorted out for special sale.

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Finding the good green coffee in any field (specialty or non) is always my concern and also I had problem always for finding what I need but the answer is so simple , I didn’t know what I need , first decided about price, cup profile and target market, then start sending email to all the coffee importers and take their price list and find what you like.

Purchasing coffee is no easy task – although it’s certainly an exciting one. From selecting your origins to managing inventory, there are endless considerations. But your green coffee importer doesn’t just have to be your supplier. They could also be an important resource as you brand yourself and grow as a business. How do you build your partnership with a green coffee importer? What questions should you be asking them? And what do they need to know about you? This is other point of view.

The cuping way is so important.  Cupping: it’s how you decide if a coffee is worth adding to your profile and it’s how the importer determines its cupping score, flavor notes, and ultimately, price. However, not everyone cups in the same way. “It is important to rule out any variable that makes the experience of tasting coffee different from importer versus customers. So, it’s a good idea to understand how your importer is cupping in order to replicate that yourself and to get an idea of what they are tasting under the same conditions,” says Caitlin. Additionally, you should ask about the kind of cupping feedback the importer provides. Will you just get a number or do you receive more information about the coffee? “Not every coffee is going to be a 90+ Geisha, but that doesn’t mean that the coffee is not a really good representative of a certain region or a certain profile. So, what we try to do when we communicate with our clients is go a little past the number score and more about what may be the use for this coffee. Is it going to be a pour over or is it going to be a piece of a blend?”

Servicing Provide is really important for keeping the quality, Don’t make assumptions: a lot of importers will do more than just sell you their coffee. Find out about the scope of services that they offer. Do they provide logistical support? Are freight costs included? Do they have a warehouse facility where you can store your coffees and, if so, for how long? Do they offer financing options? “It’s an absolutely important question, For Royal, for example, if customers pay up front for their coffee, we offer five months of free storage in the warehouse. Some of these options may be included in the pricing while some might be extra. Make sure you understand exactly what everything costs – and how that might vary as your purchases change in the future. you can also offer financing options that will depend on the pricing of coffee and the nature of the account. These services can potentially save you money and help you have better cash flow, so it’s good to understand exactly what you get”. Other issue is about asking the right questions (and at the right time).

As a roaster, your business identity – and your customer’s loyalty – will often revolve around which kinds of coffee you provide. You don’t want to lose customers who love your coffee’s flavor, only because can’t provide them with a suitable replacement when it goes out of season. So, ask your importer about seasonality and coffee substitutions. What are some origins that you can purchase all year round, and what are their unique characteristics? How should you organize your purchases from your favorite origin, depending on the seasonality? When you start to run out of a particular component coffee for a blend, can they offer you a suitable substitute? I recommend  asking these questions in the planning stage of your roastery, even before your roastery is open. If you tell an importer that you’re “looking to open a roaster in six months or eight months,” he tells me, they can recommend origins that are going to be in season in that period. They can also walk you through the timeline of how and when to start purchasing coffee. Another thing that you can ask your importer is how they source. Do they buy from single farms, cooperatives, or both? What kind of impact will your purchasing decision have in the coffee-farming communities? You can ask these questions is vital for building your brand identity and mission, especially if ethically sourced coffees and sustainability feature in that. Yet it’s not always as simple as single origins are better. He says that while a single farm may offer traceability, buying from cooperatives could help hundreds of community members. He recommends having a conversation with your importer to gain a bigger picture of the effect of your purchasing decision.your Purchasing Options & The Receiving Process is about If you know the kind of coffee you want to buy and the origin, how should you move forward? Is spot purchasing an option? What about forward contracts? Is it possible to benefit through your importer trading in futures contracts?

This is an important question,particularly for roasters that are starting out.while various importers offer different buying options, the one you should pick will depend on your roastery and its size. if you’re just starting out, he explains,you can start spot purchases from a warehouse at that time and, as you grow, you might say, ‘I want to do forward contracts.’… That can be beneficial to having a more long-term sense of what your cost may be for a coffee, but keeping in mind that your cash flow and working capital are very important as you grow then nnce you have decided on the coffee and the contract, you should ask your importer about the receiving process. Check the available freight options, as well as how long it will take from the moment you place an order until you receive it. Knowing this will make inventory management easier. Now you can ask importers for the realistic time from the date of order to delivery to your door, and then “backtrack when you need to place the order, and add a few more days to that, just to be sure. additionally, roasters can treat importers as a source of knowledge. Think about us as a resource not just for the green bean itself, but sometimes to give you a picture of any other aspect of the market that may affect the transit time for origins and may affect pricing for certain origins, whether it’s port strikes, currency movements, or unexpected weather, importers keep close tabs on anything that could affect the coffee trade. As a result, they can be a valuable aid when you’re trying to plan ahead. No-one knows more about these coffees than the importer themselves.Finally find out what services they offer. Ask them about these basics and figure out what you need. And make sure they also know a bit about you.

This will help you to select the right green bean supplier and then build a strong relationship with them, one that will support you in making the best purchasing decisions, managing your cash flow, and reinforcing your brand. For traders, it’s their job to sell coffee, But at the same time, I want to have anyone that I work with and their business to succeed.

Saeed abdinasab

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But what actually is this drink? What is it made of?

The name “coffee bean” is a lie: coffee is a seed. You’ll find two (normally) of these seeds inside each cherry-like fruit of the coffee plant. The coffee plant could also be categorized as a tree since it has the ability to grow up to about 9 meters. But on coffee farms, it tends to be cut short to make it easier to harvest. As a result, it often looks more like a bush. From the main trunk of the coffee plant, you’ll see primary, secondary, and tertiary horizontal branches. From these, dark green, waxy leaves grow in pairs. “The leaf is fundamental for the plant since that is where photosynthesis happens.” In other words, no leaves would mean no energy. And without energy, the plants would never be able to grow the delicious cherries that contain our coffee beans. Once the coffee plant is about three or four years old, it will flower for the first time. Small, delicate, white flowers will grow where the leaves and branches join, releasing a sweet aroma. “The flowers are where the sexual organs are located.” In other words, the leaves and flowers help the coffee plant reproduce and sustain itself. Six to eight weeks after pollination, a cherry-like fruit will appear where the flowers were located. The unripe cherries are green; over time, they turn red, yellow, orange, or even pink, depending on the variety. And as they ripen, they will grow increasingly sweeter and the caffeine content in the cherries? That actually works as a deterrent against – most – predators. Within the cherry, you’ll find multiple layers. Alvarez says that it has “an exocarp, which is the actual cherry, then we have a mesocarp which is where the mucilage is.” And within the mucilage lies the seeds we can’t face Monday morning without – coffee beans!  Inside every cherry, you’ll find two small seeds – unless it’s a pea berry or otherwise defective, of course. A pea berry is when the seeds are joined: instead of two almost peanut-like ones, you’ll have a larger, rounder, pea-shaped one. This happens to around 5% of seeds. These seeds are the coffee beans. They go through extensive processing to remove the fruit and mucilage, before being dried, roasted, ground, and finally turned into our favorite beverage.

But not all coffee plants are the same…

The Different Kinds of Coffee Plants is about Coffee has over a hundred different species, and each species can be further divided into varieties. And all of these have an impact on how the coffee tastes, how much caffeine it has, and how it grows. The 2 Main Coffee Species: Arabica & Robusta which Arabica is the most commonly consumed coffee in the world, accounting for about 70% of the industry. It’s known for its quality flavors and aromas; “In the specialty market, you go with Arabica.” Compared to Robusta, it:

• Is more sensitive to the weather 
• Is more susceptible to pests
• Thrives at lower temperatures (which often correlate with higher elevations or being grown in the shade)
• Usually produces fewer cherries
• Has less caffeine content
• Tends to be sweeter, more complex, and more aromatic

Robusta, or Canephora, is a more durable, robust tree. It accounts for about 30% of the coffee industry. Compared to Arabica, it:

• Is more resistant to diseases and pests
• Has a higher caffeine content
• Thrives at slightly warmer temperatures
• Has a higher yield, with more cherries and therefore more seeds; however, this means the individual cherries don’t get as many nutrients and so the coffee is often of a lower quality
• Tends to be bitter 

The Great Big World of Coffee Varieties is Unlike species, we consume numerous coffee varieties. Next time you buy a bag of specialty coffee, look at the label: it may tell you which one you’re drinking. Some of the most common ones include Typica, Bourbon, and Caturra. And then there’s Gesha/Geisha, which is probably the most famous variety of all. This exquisite coffee is known for its delicate floral flavors and aromas, along with a tea-like body. The coffee industry also sometimes creates hybrid varieties. these are created when the industry “sees the necessity, or the market, for fusing coffees together.” And the aim? Disease resistance, higher productivity, and better flavor. Pedrotti tells me that a coffee plant could live for up to 80 years. But on a commercial farm? that you might expect them to last for 20 to 30 years, depending on how they’re cared for.  For the first few years of a tree’s life, you shouldn’t expect great productivity. Remember, it won’t flower until it’s three or four years old. All coffee trees started life as those very same seeds that we roast and brew every day. As it grows, you’ll see its distinctive shoots and bright green leaves. Most producers keep young coffee trees in nurseries until the seedlings are ready to be planted on the farm. Once a coffee plant is mature, it will produce flowers; this normally happens shortly after heavy rainfall. And then, after the flowers, comes the cherries. In some countries, such as Colombia, the climate means that the trees flower twice a year – something that, in turn, leads to two harvests a year. that the producer and farm staff must learn to identify when coffee is ready for harvesting. For Arabica coffee, the time from flowering to harvesting is approximately nine months  , Robusta coffee can be harvested two to three times each year, depending on climate and soil. The coffee plant, with its bright cherries and delicate white flowers, is a beautiful sight. Perhaps it’s a strong low-altitude variety or a delicate but flavorsome high-altitude one, a young seedling or an old giant, full of ripe fruit or simply dark green leaves. Either way, it’s thanks to this tree that we can enjoy our daily brew and millions of people around the world have a living.

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