When something is considered to be a high quality food or drink, with perhaps exotic ingredients, then it is usually referred to as a gourmet product. This description is sometimes applied to coffee as well, but gourmet coffees are not the ones purchased from the local grocery store; rather they are a blend of the most perfect coffee beans that have been picked at the precise moment for optimum flavor.
In other words, these are not the brands of coffee that you will find in your local grocery store.
gourmet coffees
After being picked, the beans are normally processed in one of two ways; they can either be soaked or washed to remove all of the chaff from each bean or a more natural drying method may be employed. Both methods have their own advantages and will produce great coffee if done correctly.
Once the beans have been cleaned they are normally roasted at high temperatures and then cooled very quickly to different individual tastes. Normally, the darker the coffee looks the longer the original roasting process took and the darker the coffee bean, the stronger and more full-bodied the gourmet coffees will be.
Of course, there are some exceptions and your best bet, if you are truly interested in the process, is to write to the manufacturer. It is a good idea to choose darker beans to start with.
Generally, there are two ways to get your morning fix of java. You can be one of those morning commuters that rush to get in line at their local coffee shops for that cup of regular or gourmet coffee, latte or espresso, or you can brew your own cup at home with your own coffee machines where you can leisurely drink it, read the paper and then get ready to leave for work.
Of course, another added bonus of brewing your own is that wonderful aroma that just seems to say that it is going to be a great day.
coffee machine
Many believe that the secret to making good coffee is choosing the best coffee beans, and there are two major types the Arabica and the Robusta. The Robusta is hardier and more resistant to diseases but is not considered a gourmet blend.
Instead, it is often used in commercial blends. The Robusta is hardier, more resistant to diseases and produces more coffee cherries; however, it is normally used by retailers that use commercial blends rather than the more elite gourmet retailers.
