The Daily Grind
The Daily Grind
Get the most bang for your bean with tips from Coffee Planet roastmaster Matt Wade.
By: Eve Thomas
1. Start fresh
A cup of coffee can only be as good as what goes into it, and that means buying high-quality beans. Wade recommends 100-percent Arabica “purchased as soon as possible after roasting”– and cleaning
your machine or French press regularly to remove any buildup of coffee oil.
2. Heat things up
As with tea, temperature can make or break a good brew. After bringing water (bottled or filtered, ideally) to a boil, let it rest for about a minute, but not much longer. “If the water is too cold, you will be left with a flat and under-extracted coffee,” cautions Wade.
3. Sip like a star
What tasting is to wine aficionados, “cupping” is to coffee fans and professional baristas. Different roasts are coarsely ground, specially infused, served up in a spoon then sipped in deeply. “Finish by rolling the coffee in your mouth while thinking about its flavors.”
Matt Wade is the resident roastmaster at Coffee Planet, a Dubai-based roaster and retailer found at select Fairmont properties in the UAE. The UTZ-certified company buys beans directly from farms in more than 20 countries around the world, with a focus on sustainable production and supporting local communities.