What is the Water-to-Coffee Ratio for Nicaraguan Finca Mamamina Natural Process Pacamara Pour-Over Coffee?

Coffee is one of the world's most widely discussed beverages, and all that attention has produced more than a few myths. Today FrontStreet Coffee clears up some of the misconceptions that come up most often when people talk about drinking coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Discusses Several Misconceptions You Must Understand About Drinking Coffee

Are Fresher Coffee Beans Always Better?

By and large, yes - we still believe fresher is better, and there is a sound reason for it. Roasted coffee beans contain a large number of volatile aromatic compounds, and the longer they are stored, the more of those aromas escape. It is an irreversible process that no packaging can completely prevent.

That said, "freshly roasted" does not mean "brew it the moment it cools down." Coffee can be too fresh as well.

Most coffees need a short rest - usually 2-3 days - to finish degassing, releasing the gases that were driven into the bean during roasting. Roasters call this stage "resting" or "curing."

Only once a bean has completed its curing is it in peak condition, carrying the fullest aroma and flavor it has to offer.

Is Hand-Poured Coffee Definitely Better Than Machine-Brewed Coffee?

This is one of the most persistent misconceptions.

There is no denying that hand-pouring expresses a coffee's essential character beautifully. But when you want a cup with rich, full-bodied flavor, or a drink that offers many variations, machine-brewed espresso is the tool that delivers that intensity. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses.

What espresso leans on most heavily is the skill of the barista - and the same is true of hand-poured coffee. Neither method is inherently superior to the other; the only real difference is whether the person brewing it knows what they are doing.

Is Drinking Black Coffee Harder on the Stomach?

Most coffee experts hold that black coffee is the best way to appreciate coffee, which is why they advise against burying its original flavor under sugar or milk. Even so, some people believe that black coffee easily irritates the stomach.

When people feel gastrointestinal discomfort after drinking coffee, caffeine is usually the cause. Caffeine relaxes the sphincter at the lower end of the esophagus, which can allow "gastroesophageal reflux," or it prompts excessive gastric acid secretion, producing that familiar discomfort.

The culprit is caffeine, so whether you add milk makes little difference. In fact, some people actually feel worse after drinking coffee with milk. Anyone with a digestive condition such as a stomach ulcer or a duodenal ulcer, or who secretes a great deal of stomach acid whenever they drink coffee, should still limit their intake or avoid coffee altogether.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If myths have been keeping you from exploring real flavor, the most rewarding place to start is a clean, controllable setup. The Hario V60 - designed by Hario of Tokyo, the glassmaker founded in 1921 and refined into its familiar form in 2004 - uses a 60-degree cone and a single large hole, so water must travel to the center of the bed and the flow rate stays entirely in your hands. That fast, responsive extraction is exactly what lets delicate aromatics and lively acidity come through.

For the flower-and-fruit style that shines in a V60, FrontStreet Coffee suggests FrontStreet Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedingding, a washed G1 coffee with white florals, citrus and a green-tea finish, or FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui, a natural-process coffee bursting with strawberry, passion fruit and other tropical notes. If you want the benchmark of the style, FrontStreet Panama Emerald Estate Red Label Geisha brings jasmine, citrus, bergamot and black-tea finesse with remarkable clarity.