1. What is specialty (or gourmet) coffee?
Sometimes called "gourmet" or "premium" coffee, Specialty Coffees are made from exceptional beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates. They tend to feature distinctive flavors, which are shaped by the unique characteristics of the soil that produces them. The term Specialty Coffee was first used by Erna Knutsen in a 1974 issue of the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Knutsen, then a coffee buyer for B.C. Ireland in San Francisco, coined the term to describe beans of outstanding flavor produced by special microclimates. With the proliferation of cafes and gourmet coffee retailers in the 1990s, Specialty Coffee has become one of the fastest growing food service markets in the world, netting $8.4 billion a year in the U.S. alone.
2. What makes Just Coffee Beans coffee so special?
We start with the best beans, grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soil in the lush mountainous regions of the world’s coffee growing countries. Over the years we have explored these areas and have developed personal relationships with plantation owners, administrators, farmers, pickers, and exporters. This has allowed us access to the finest, first-quality specialty coffee beans available. We roast these beans in small batches to fill your order, and ship them out to you the same day. This ensures that you receive the freshest, most aromatic, most delicious gourmet coffee possible. If you’ve ever had coffee fresh from the roaster, then you know it tastes totally different from the usual stale coffee that’s been sitting around in warehouses or on store shelves. Connoisseurs know that the shorter the time between the roaster and the cup, the better the coffee tastes.
3. What is Espresso?
Espresso is a coffee beverage prepared using water under pressure and served in a preheated demitasse cup. When made correctly, espresso has a top layer of golden foam, known as crema. To enhance the quality of espresso you should consider the following:
The Machine: Because the espresso machine controls the temperature and pressure of the water as it passes through the coffee, it is important that it be clean and in good working order.
The Blend: A blend is any combination of "single-origin" coffees. Because few single-origin coffees provide all the flavors and aromas necessary for good espresso, blending several coffees together to achieve the desired taste is necessary.
The Grinder/Doser: The coffee grinder/doser crushes the beans into small particles for brewing. However, there is no "ideal" particle size; you must decide how course to make the ground in order to achieve the flavor you desire.
The Hand: The skill of the operator is of great importance in espresso making - even with today's technically advanced machines.
Our Espresso: Just Coffee Beans has excellent espresso. We regularly do taste tests in Miami where we are located, and consistently surprise people who have been drinking espresso all of their lives with our lively taste and golden crema.