Gourmet Coffee Beans Beat The Norm
Gourmet coffee is better. Always has been better. Always will be better.
Anyone who has had a cup of Folgers, and then tried a cup of Starbucks knows there is a difference. Part of the problem lies in the Maillard reaction.
What’s the maillard reaction, you ask? I’m so glad you did.
The Maillard reaction is the reaction that takes place when coffee is roasted, which releases the flavor that we’re all familiar with. Unroasted coffee is quite bland indeed.
The Maillard reaction, however, comes at a trade-off. It reduces shelf-life, and that means that the further you have to ship coffee… the worse it will taste. What does this mean?
The closer to home you can get your coffee roasted, the better. There are, however, some brands which are shipped with a greater level of freshness, and since I’ve already nominated myself the connoiseur I’ll take this opportunity to list out a few of my favorite brands that you might try checking out if you can’t get your hands on some local roast (try farmers markets):
- Magnum Exotics – Kona Blend, in particular
- Lavazza – Whole Bean, of course
- Cafe Altura
The last one, cafe altura, may be the best because it is both whole bean, and organic… meaning you get to stay healthy.
