Coffee 101: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Enjoy It

Coffee. It’s more than just a drink—it’s a cultural cornerstone, a daily ritual, and for many, an essential part of life. But have you ever stopped to ask: What even is coffee? In this post, we’ll demystify coffee, exploring its origins, how it’s made, and how to enjoy it to its fullest.

What Is Coffee?
Coffee is a brewed beverage made from roasted seeds of the coffee plant, commonly known as coffee beans. Yes, these beans aren’t technically beans—they’re the seeds found inside the cherries of coffee plants. Two main species dominate the global market:

Arabica: Known for its smooth, nuanced flavors, Arabica accounts for about 60% of coffee production. As much as 80% of coffee imported to North America is Arabica, and nearly all "specialty coffee" is Arabica.
Robusta: Stronger and more bitter, Robusta is favored for its high caffeine content and resilience in farming. In North America, Robusta was popular during the early to mid 1900s, rising in popularity with instant coffee during wartime.
Yes! There are other species, but these two dominate the world. You may be wondering, then...

Where Does Coffee Come From?
Coffee most likely originated in Ethiopia, where legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered the plant’s invigorating effects. It's worth reading this fun story sometime. From there, coffee spread across the Arabian Peninsula, Asia, Europe, and eventually the Americas. Today, coffee is grown in what is called the "bean belt" near the equator, thriving in tropical climates at higher elevations. Let's keep going!

How Is Coffee Made?
The journey from coffee cherry to your cup involves several key steps:

Growing and Harvesting: Coffee cherries are typically hand-picked at peak ripeness, with seasons like any other crop.
Processing: The seed is removed from the fruit through methods like washing (wet process) or natural sun drying (dry process).
Roasting: Beans, once exported/imported are cooked to develop their flavor profiles. Roast levels commonly range light (preserving acidity and origin flavors) to dark (highlighting caramelized and smoky notes).

These "roast levels" are simply how much you cook a bean - at Joe, we focus on a bean's natural flavors. Some beans taste more flavorful very lightly roasted, whereas others really pop off at higher temperatures. For example, our Brazil is what we call a "modern roast," but it's a traditional medium roast. It's super chocolatey and caramelly by nature, so when we roast it a little darker than, say, our Ethiopian fruit-forward coffee, it's natural caramel flavor BURSTS forth with splendor. We roast each bean to it's own specific taste.
Brewing: Simply put, the resulting roasted coffee is ground and mixed with water, extracting it's flavor and resulting in a cup of coffee. This final step is where we'll spend the most time, since it's what finally affects the flavor the most, and it's what we all do every day.

How to Enjoy Coffee
Enjoying coffee begins with understanding your preferences. Do you like it rich and chocolatey, or bright and fruity? Here are a few tips to get started:

Explore Brewing Methods: Try pour-over for clarity of taste, french press for a fuller body, or espresso for intensity. Mix espresso with milk and sugar for a nice creamy latte, or brew your coffee cold for a smooth ready-to-go drink.
Experiment with Ratios: Start with 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio and adjust to your taste. What that means is, say you're brewing drip coffee at home: for every 16oz (or gram) of water, at 1oz (or gram) of ground coffee. If that's too weak for you, move that to a 1:15 ratio. Or, if you'd like it a little lighter, try a 1:17 or 1:18. Being this specific at the start will allow you to easily figure out how to brew consistent coffee exactly how you like it in the long run.
Consider Freshness& Quality: Use freshly roasted beans and grind them just before brewing for the best flavor. Likewise, get to know your roaster. Do they try to intentionally roast their coffee for flavor, or do they just sort of cook 'em?
Just keep experimenting! Follow along here, and we'll keep giving you tips, but also, just go try stuff! Go to a local roaster, order a bean from us you've never tried, buy a $20 V60 pour-over or a french, and just experiment! Learn, play, enjoy!

FAQs

1. What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta coffee?
Arabica has smoother, sweeter flavors, while Robusta is stronger, more bitter, and has more caffeine.

2. How long does coffee stay fresh?
For the best flavor, use coffee within 1-5 weeks of roasting and store it in an airtight container away from heat and light (some coffees can last even longer, and cold brewed coffee can often taste great even with old beans - brewing cold doesn't extract some of those stale flavors).

Surprisingly, you actually want to wait 2-3 days after roasting to start drinking coffee, because it's off-gassing lot's of CO2 from being cooked! From day 2 onward, it will really start changing and showing lots of neat flavors that will continue to subtly change over the next several weeks, until it begins to stale at week 4 or 5.

3. What grind size should I use for my brew method?

Here's the principle: the longer it brews, the more coarse you want your coffee, and vice versa. Coffee that's ground finer will brew quicker, and if you brew a fine grind too long, it will get bitter. Likewise, if you brew a coffee not long enough, it may taste thin and/or more sour.

Here are a few examples:

French press: Coarse grind (like coarse sea salt)
Pour-over: Medium grind (between table and sea salt)
Espresso: Fine grind (like fine sugar)

Beyond this, a quick google search should be able to steer you right.

_______________________________________________________________
Citations

International Coffee Organization (ICO) - Coffee Statistics
National Coffee Association (NCA) - Coffee Processing Methods
Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) - Brewing Guidelines

Back to blog