Category: Blog

Coffee hygiene

Posted on by Sara Walker

flasksWhile coffee has many great qualities, one disadvantage it’s known for is staining. While it’s easy to see the effects of this if you spill your drink on a white tablecloth or shirt, the staining building up on your coffee equipment could be more subtle. Over time though, your equipment could become tainted with stale coffee which could start to affect the taste of the drink.

Every so often, it’s a good idea to give your equipment a thorough clean and overhaul to keep your coffee tasting fresh.

For a filter coffee machine:

At least once a week, and more often if you drink a lot of coffee, take the plastic lid off the jug and clean both elements thoroughly with hot water and washing up liquid. Wipe the filter basket and outside of the machine with a damp cloth soaked in hot, soapy water then squeezed out. Rinse the cloth, wipe the machine again then dry it with a clean cloth. If you have a particularly bad build-up of residue, you can run the coffee machine through with hot water with two tablespoons of vinegar added. Afterwards, run it through again twice with water only.

For a cafetiere;

Disassemble the cafetiere completely, including unscrewing the plunger and removing the mesh filters. Wash everything thoroughly in hot soapy water, and dry it all thoroughly before reassembling.

If you’re using the same mug to have a second cup of coffee, it’s better to rinse it out with hot water and washing up liquid before pouring, to make sure there’s no stale residue.

Performing this simple maintenance regularly will stop coffee deposits building up, and keep your favourite drink tasting fresh. For a full range of coffee beans and coffee accessories all at great wholesale prices, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

A coffee treat for Pancake Day 2014

Posted on by Sara Walker

pancakesThis year, Pancake Day is on March 4th 2014. We’ve put together the perfect recipe for coffee lovers with this rich chocolate and coffee sauce for your pancakes.

 

 

 

You’ll need:

For the pancakes:

  • 110g flour
  • 2 freerange eggs
  • 275ml milk
  • 25g butter

For the sauce:

  • 340g granulated sugar
  • 570ml water
  • 2 good tablespoons ground coffee
  • 180g cocoa powder
  • 60g good quality dark chocolate

Start by turning the oven on to a low heat. Break the eggs into a measuring jug, and whisk them lightly. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Pour in the eggs, and beat them roughly together with the flour. Carefully pour in the milk, a little at a time, whisking the mixture together until it’s the consistency of pouring cream.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, and add the butter, shaking the pan until the fat covers it evenly. Add a small quantity of batter, and rotate the pan to spread it out evenly. Fry for half a minute, then use a fish slice to flip it onto the other side. Fry until cooked through, then slide it onto a heatproof plate, cover with a square of greaseproof paper and put in the oven to keep warm while you make the next one. When you’ve made all the pancakes, move onto the sauce.

Put the sugar and a third of the water into a pan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts, then continue to boil until the sugar takes on a golden tinge and thickens to syrup. Carefully add the remaining ingredients, and allow to boil for a minute. Remove from the heat, and pass through a fine sieve before serving with the pancakes.

For a wide range of coffee beans at great wholesale prices and suitable for use in all recipes, please visit our coffee beans page.

 

 

What is coffee cupping?

Posted on by Sara Walker

800px-Coffee-Beans“Coffee cupping” isn’t, as you may expect, the art of putting coffee in cups. It’s actually the art of tasting coffee, and experts train their palates in the same way as wine tasters to pick up nuances and overtones in the drink.

Coffee buyers and blenders use cupping to evaluate different coffee beans, and to understand what goes into making the perfect blend. It’s also used to help decide what beans will be suitable for what type of brew or drink, for example to differentiate espresso beans from a milder tasting bean.

As with any type of evaluation, consistency is key so it’s important you use the same approach each time. As coffee changes according to geographical region, climate, season and a range of other factors, commercial cuppers taste the coffee beans from each crop to ensure consistency in their blends.

Professional cuppers prefer all their samples to be roasted lightly, so that the taste isn’t masked by strong flavours, and may also insist on having samples of green, roasted and ground beans to help assess quality.

The tasting table will look similar to a wine tasting table, with samples of beans set out in individual bowls and glasses of water to clear the palate between tastings. Tasters will often brew the coffee by the simplest method possible, infusion, then taste the fresh coffee sparingly and take detailed notes before moving on to the next sample.

Although few of us need to go to such lengths to find out what we enjoy, this method of comparing coffee encourages thought and may help you appreciate the more subtle qualities of what’s in the cup.

If you’d like to try something a little different, we offer sample packs of all our coffee beans. For more information, visit our coffee beans page at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

 

Why buy coffee online?

Posted on by Sara Walker

beansThese days, it’s possible to buy more or less anything online from jewellery to houses. When it comes to coffee, though, why should you buy online rather than from a local retailer?

Often, as online retailers don’t have the same overheads, they’re able to offer better prices and higher grades of coffee than conventional wholesalers. One of the most significant advantages, though, apart from the convenience factor, is that online wholesalers tend to have a high turnover of stock. This means that the coffee you buy is likely to be as fresh as it can be, which is important from a taste point of view.

Once roasted, coffee quickly degenerates and should be drunk no more than two to five after roasting, so any time in storage will impact on flavour. Coffee beans last longer than ground coffee, which should be used immediately after grinding. Unroasted coffee has a longer shelf life, but is still better enjoyed fresh.
Online retailers often have less well known brands for sale. This is no reflection on the quality of the coffee, as it’s often the produce of small exporters without a huge output. This coffee is usually well-priced, and you’ll be able to try different types and blends of coffee that aren’t available elsewhere.
Lastly, buying from a specialist online coffee wholesaler rather than a general wholesaler means you’re also buying expertise and knowledge. A specialist retailer will normally offer a range of peripheral accessories including flavourings, cups, lids and milks for all your coffee needs, making them a one stop shop – and you can be sure you’re dealing with people who know their business, and are happy to advise.
At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’ve got a great range of blends for you to try, both roasted and green. For more information, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Flavoured coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

cafetiere 2Flavoured coffee beans are not perhaps as popular in the UK as they are in the US, but you can sometimes find them on the shelves of speciality shops or on cafe menus. The flavouring’s been added to the beans after roasting, and the more common variations beans include vanilla and spiced flavours.

Pre-flavouring the beans in this way has several disadvantages. One is that the strong flavours have a tendency to taint storage jars, coffee grinders and coffee machines, leaving a hint of flavour behind when you’re preparing plain coffee. Another is that pre-flavoured coffee beans can be of poor quality, the manufacturers relying on the added flavour to mask any weakness in taste.

Probably the safest way to get a great cup of flavoured coffee is to brew it first then add the flavouring afterwards, so that you can be sure of the quality of the beans. The easiest way is to use a small quantity of flavoured syrup, such as chocolate, caramel or mint. Add the flavouring after the coffee has been brewed and is in the cup, and if possible add it before the milk so so that it dissolves properly.

Another alternative is to make your own natural flavourings. Store vanilla pods with your roasted coffee beans, add a little ground cinnamon to a cappuccino or add dried orange zest and ginger to the beans before grinding. Add the spices a little at a time, and increase the amounts to your taste.

Certain coffee beans lend themselves more to flavouring than others. Very strongly roasted beans, such as those intended for espressos, will overpower any flavouring, so a mild to medium blend and roast would be a better choice. The exception to this is chocolate flavouring, which works with strong coffee flavours and can be used to enhance espresso.
Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’ve got a great range of beans suitable for all uses, all at wholesale prices. For more information, please visit our coffee beans page.

Top tips for coffee grinding

Posted on by Sara Walker

beans and groundsHere at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we have a great wholesale range of coffee bean blends to suit all palates and budgets. Our expertise and experience mean you can be confident of our coffee beans – but the next step on the journey to achieving the perfect brew is down to you.

The variety of bean and type of roast make a big difference to the taste of the finished drink, but just as important is how the beans are ground. Here are our top tips for the perfect grind.

  1.  Whenever possible, grind the beans at the last minute just before use. It’s tempting to pre-prepare ground coffee to save time, but what you save in time you’ll lose in flavour. The problem is oxidation, a natural process that starts as soon as the beans are exposed to the air. Ground coffee has more surface area than the coffee beans themselves, so the oxidation process will be faster. The best solution is to use an all-in-one machine that grinds and brews as part of the same process. If you’re using a separate grinder, get that coffee into the coffee machine as soon as you can.
  2. Keep your grinder clean. If you’re working in a cafe or other busy environment, there may not be time to clean it properly during the day, so make time for a proper clean last thing.
  3. If you use pre-flavoured beans, such as vanilla or cinnamon, use a separate grinder to avoid tainting.
  4. With an electric coffee grinder, timing is crucial. If your machine doesn’t automatically select the programme, allow 5 – 10 seconds for coarse grind, 10 – 15 seconds for medium and 30 seconds for fine.

To browse our full range of coffee beans, please visit our website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

The perfect apple cake for your coffee break

Posted on by Sara Walker

bramley-apples2nd to 8th February 2014 is Bramley apple week, and we’d like to celebrate this brilliant fruit. Apple is a perfect ingredient for cakes, as it keeps the consistency moist and adds a slightly sharp flavour that helps combat too much sweetness.

This delicious apple cake with its rich, crumbly topping is the perfect partner for your mid-morning coffee break – serve with a large mug of your favourite coffee, made from freshly roasted coffee beans.

You’ll need:

For the cake

  • 150 g butter or margarine
  • 2 large Bramley apples
  • 150 g sugar
  • 3 freerange eggs, beaten
  • 200 g self raising flour
  • 150 g pot soured cream or creme fraiche

For the topping

    • 50 g butter or margarine
    • 50 g brown sugar
    • 75 g plain flour
    • 50 g ground almonds

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease and base line a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin.

Peel and core the apples, and cut into thin slices. In a large bowl, beat the butter or margarine and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, beating between each addition. Stir in the soured cream or creme fraiche, then fold in the flour until you have a smooth batter.

In a separate bowl, prepare the crumble mixture. Melt the butter for a few seconds in the microwave, then rub in the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the brown sugar and almonds.

Spoon half the cake mixture into the cake tin, smoothing it out over the bottom of the tin with a spoon. Layer the Bramley apples over, as evenly as possible, then scatter over a third of the crumble mixture. Add the final layer of cake mixture, then top with the rest of the crumble mix.

Transfer the tin to the over, and bake for around an hour until the cake is cooked all the way through. Allow it to cool in the tin for a few minutes which you put the coffee pot on, then serve warm in wedges.

For a range of great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, please visit our coffee beans page.

Jacu bird coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

konaWe recently blogged about Kopi Luwak coffee, a rare and apparently sought after delicacy famous for being processed through the intestinal tract of a palm civet, an animal which looks a bit like a racoon. The civet eats the whole coffee berries, digests the sweet, pulpy outer layer and excretes the coffee beans themselves, which apparently emerge with a mellower, less acidic flavour. The beans are then thoroughly cleaned before being packaged for sale.

Very much in the same vein, we’d now like to introduce you to the Jacu bird. This native of South America looks a little like a pheasant, and has a penchant for picking the sweetest, ripest coffee berries, even flying between different coffee plantations to do so. This differentiates it from the palm civet, who loves coffee so much it’s happy to eat any quality of berry.

As the Jacu bird is so discerning in its appetites, when it excretes the coffee beans it leaves a pile of pre-sorted, top quality beans that are then just collected and cleaned ready for processing. Aficionados say that the coffee bean’s bizarre journey leaves no lingering flavour or aftertaste, and just results in a smooth, high quality brew.

If you’re feeling brave, the best way to try Jacu bird coffee is to order it online. It’s available for sale in small quantities, at prices that match its rarity value.

If you don’t fancy the thought of your coffee beans passing through some form of wildlife before they reach your cup, but you are a fan of great quality coffee, then why not take a look at our coffee bean range? We’ve hand picked the best varieties and blends from a range of countries, all at great wholesale prices – and no wildlife in sight.

For more information, please visit our coffee beans page.

 

 

 

Vietnamese iced coffee

Posted on by Sara Walker

veitnamAlso known as ca phe da, meaning literally ‘ice coffee’, this drink is a traditional recipe in Vietnam. Although it’s normally served black, there’s also a version with milk known as ca phe sua da.

Coffee was introduced into Vietnam in the late 19th century by French colonists, and has since gone from strength to strength due to the favourable growing conditions. It’s particularly well-suited to the Vietnamese highlands, and Vietnam is now one of the major players in the world coffee market.

As fresh milk is limited, traditional Vietnamese coffee is made with sweetened condensed milk, which produces a thick, rich drink.

If you’d like to recreate Vietnamese coffee yourself, you’ll need a Vietnamese coffee filter, available from online retailers. This little metal cup sits on top of the coffee mug, and has dozens of tiny perforations in the bottom to act as the filter and remove the grounds.

Put three good tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into a measuring jug, and add some crushed ice. Put a few teaspoons of coarsely ground coffee, made from freshly roasted coffee beans, into the top of the filter, sit the filter on the jug and add boiling water. Wait for the water to drip through, then stir vigorously to mix the thick condensed milk and the coffee together. Pour into a glass or mug, and drink. If you like, you can also pour the mixture through a sieve to remove the crushed ice.

This makes a great cooling drink for hotter days, and works perfectly with our Super Forte coffee beans, a blend made from 100% Vietnamese beans. This intense, full blend is already roasted to perfection, but when you grind it, choose a coarser grind that usual for the most authentic results.

For more information about our range of coffee beans and coffee accessories, please visit our main website at www.wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

Valentine’s Day coffee and chocolate truffles

Posted on by Sara Walker

chocolate-coffee-trufflesStuck for what to give your other half on Valentine’s Day? These chocolate and coffee truffles are simple to make and will be enthusiastically received by coffee lovers. As there’s no real cooking involved, even kitchen novices will be able to whip up a batch without too much trouble.

You’ll need:

  • 2 tablespoons very strong fresh coffee, made from freshly ground coffee beans
  • 140ml double cream
  • 200g good quality plain chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids. It’s worth buying the best chocolate you can find for this recipe.
  • 20g unsalted butter
  • 100g good quality cocoa powder

First, break the chocolate into as small pieces as possible. You can do this by chopping it with a sharp knife, or by breaking the chocolate into chunks and blitzing it in a food processor for a few seconds.

Put the coffee and cream in a pan, and heat them together gently until the mixture is just boiling, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the chocolate and butter. Keep stirring the mixture continuously until it’s completely combined and the chocolate has completely melted. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl, then put it in the fridge for about half an hour until it’s set but not hardened.

Sieve the cocoa powder onto a plate or chopping board. Carefully run a teaspoon over the surface of the truffle mixture to collect a roughly oval-shaped piece. Roll the truffle in the cocoa, then put it on a plate. Repeat until you’ve used all the mixture. These can be made up to a week in advance, and kept in an airtight box in the fridge. When required, transfer to a gift box or decorative plate or bowl.

To buy great-quality coffee beans online at wholesale prices, please visit the coffee beans page of our website.