What is coffee? We have collected 30 frequently asked questions. The answers should help you gain a comprehensive understanding of coffee, its history and future, the coffee plant, different machine types, preparation methods, common mistakes, its origins, and how to enjoy it.
History and Distribution
1. What is coffee?
The term “coffee” often means different things: On the one hand, coffee is a caffeinated stimulant, and on the other hand, it's a plant genus that includes more than 120 species. Depending on who you ask along the coffee chain, you'll get a different explanation of what coffee is. In cultivation, coffee is a fruit that is picked when ripe. In processing, known as preparation, coffee is technically a seed that is dried to 10-12% residual moisture. In trade, coffee is a commodity, a raw material, a merchandise shipped from one port to another. For roasters, green raw coffee is the raw material that releases its existing aroma precursors during the roasting process. And for consumers, coffee can be the reason for a meeting, a ritual, an experience, or even an addictive substance.
2. Where does coffee come from and how was it discovered?
Coffee originates from the area south of the Sahara, which is now attributed to Ethiopia and South Sudan. The catchment area extends into the Congo Basin. Coffee originally grew in forests and is accustomed to the proximity of trees.
Where coffee originally comes from: between the Congo Basin and present-day Ethiopia, the highest genetic diversity of coffee species can still be found.
Only later, when coffee was cultivated for economic use, did intensive cultivation in densely planted plots begin. The conversion from mixed to monoculture favored the spread of plant diseases, such as the notorious coffee leaf rust, or roya. Many myths surround the discovery of coffee – whether it was goats that first ate coffee cherries and then danced, whether it was a monk, a prophet, or someone else, will never be conclusively proven. Most legends agree on the region where coffee was discovered.
More about Roya, the devastating coffee disease: to the blog
3. Spread of the coffee plant
Today, coffee is produced in more than 60 countries around the globe in the so-called coffee belt (approx. 23 degrees latitude north and south of the equator). In the coffee belt, a relatively stable, subtropical climate prevailed – until a few years ago – which the sensitive coffee plant needs. In all countries, except present-day Ethiopia and South Sudan, coffee was originally not a native plant but was imported by administrators and missionaries of the colonial powers. Coffee did not spread on its own but was actively transported through the "new world" by the colonial powers. The primary goal was the economic exploitation of coffee. This also led to the botanical exploration of the coffee plant, which was foreign to the European colonial powers. Primarily scientists from Great Britain, Holland, and France analyzed and typified the coffee plant.
More on the spread and colonial history of coffee: to the blog
Botany and Agronomy
4. How much coffee is produced worldwide?
In 2022, 171 million 60kg bags of coffee were produced worldwide (ICO.org). Of this, 58% is Arabica and 42% is Robusta (Canephora). Since coffee grows in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, it is subject to different growth cycles.
While, for example, coffee is just blooming in Mexico, it is already being harvested in Peru, and vice versa. We see that some countries like Brazil, Vietnam, or Honduras produce more coffee annually, while other countries gradually produce less. The reasons are socio-demographic and climatic. In Nicaragua, for example, more and more young people are leaving the country to seek their fortune in the USA. Since coffee – except in Brazil – is picked manually, but labor will be scarce in the medium term, there will be less and less coffee in many parts of the world.
5. What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta?
Arabica and Robusta (botanically more correctly: Canephora) are the two best-known and most widely cultivated coffee species. As of 2021, 124 different coffee species have been cataloged. Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora are only two of them, but they are the ones that occur globally today and together account for more than 99% of the global coffee supply. Both species are further divided into varieties – for example, Coffea Arabica var. Caturra, or Coffea Canephora var. Robusta.
"Robusta" is therefore a variety of the Canephora species - when we say Arabica and Robusta, we are actually comparing apples and oranges. However, the designation has become firmly established in everyday language. "Robusta," as its name suggests, is significantly more robust against diseases, has twice as much caffeine, and a different aroma than Arabica. Arabica grows in cooler climates, develops brighter and more floral aromas, and is more susceptible to diseases and pests.
More on the coffee plant and taxonomy: here
Cultivation and Processing
6. Where is coffee grown?
Today, coffee is grown and processed in about 60 countries. However, the five largest growing countries (Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia) produce more than 75% of the global coffee supply, resulting in a highly consolidated coffee production. The majority of producing countries export coffee, but almost always the highest qualities. The lower qualities often remain on the farm or in local markets. In the meantime, however, the demand for high-quality coffee is also increasing in producing countries, which often goes hand in hand with a country's economic development and changing consumption patterns. Climate change has a huge impact on coffee-growing regions - Brazil and Central America will be hit hard by 2050: in some places it will be much hotter, in others drier or wetter.
More on the future of coffee: here
7. How is coffee grown?
Coffee is primarily grown in three different systems: without shade, in partial shade, and in full shade. Shade in this case implies the presence of trees. In Brazil, for example, a large portion of coffee is produced without shade. Based on the concept of sun grown coffee, a distinct industry has developed: coffee is planted in precise rows so that it can be harvested mechanically. Shade trees "interfere" with this. In mixed systems, trees provide shade and thus lower the plants' metabolism, which causes less stress and requires less input (fertilizer). The soil is less exposed to UV rays and more covered by organic material falling from the trees.
Coffee in partial shade cultivation, Honduras
In the agroforestry system, i.e., planting coffee plants in forests, the coffee plants benefit from high biodiversity, natural barriers against diseases, and a high humus content. In this full-shade system, harvesting is done exclusively manually.
8. How is coffee harvested?
In the shade-free system described above, which is practiced in Brazil, machines can be used. Both pruning branches, applying fertilizers and pesticides, and harvesting can be mechanized using specially designed harvesting machines. This increases efficiency and lowers production costs. Wherever coffee is hand-picked, production costs are higher. Manual harvesting is the only method for picking coffee in hilly topography and in mixed forest systems. Pickers are close to the plant, quickly see what a plant needs, and can individually assess the point of optimal ripeness visually and for each tree.
Which red is the right red?
Both harvesting systems have their advantages. For uniform ripeness of the cherries, either a perfectly planned and uniform ripening stage of the trees that can be picked mechanically is needed, or trained pickers who can assess the color of the cherries.
9. How is coffee processed?
As soon as the coffee cherries are picked, the clock starts ticking. By detaching the coffee fruit from the tree, the metabolic activity in the coffee seed, the future bean, increases. The coffee must now be processed quickly to avoid off-notes. We generally distinguish between two fundamentally different processing methods: either the pulp remains on the seed and is dried in this way. This method is known as dry processing or natural. If the pulp, together with the pectin-containing mucilage (mucilage or miel), is removed by friction with a depulping machine, we are talking about depulped coffees.
A depulping machine at Santa Rita, Nicaragua
Between these two extremes – leaving all the pulp on or dissolving all the pulp – there are now hundreds of different intermediate stages that work with more or less fermentation, thus creating aromas that were not present before.
Coffee, Climate, Sustainability
10. Climate Change and Coffee
Coffee is subject to climate change. Where and how exactly it can be grown in the future is difficult to say. A study from 2022 by ZHaW shows where climate patterns are constantly shifting.
The crux of the matter: coffee relies on stable weather patterns so that the plants are not confused and can simultaneously nourish fruits and develop new blossoms. Coffee trees planted today will face increasingly adverse conditions in the future. Producers are already facing the decision of whether coffee cultivation makes long-term sense or whether they should abandon their farms. The general coffee taste will also shift aromatically - on the one hand, there will be more Robusta because it copes better with high temperatures. On the other hand, it will become aromatically more adventurous, because new fermentation techniques allow aromas to be introduced into the coffee that would otherwise not be present.
More about the coffee of the future in this video
11. What is sustainable coffee?
The probably simpler question would be: which coffee is not sustainable? These are coffees that are sold too cheaply. If you think something is too cheap, it's probably not sustainable, because someone else will have to bear the cost. But if we assume that sustainable coffee should create a long-term livelihood for all involved, including the environment, the soil, and the actors involved in the chain, then we can ask coffee roasters the following questions: exactly where does the coffee come from? How was it grown? Were the prices set by the producers themselves? But we can also ask ourselves at the preparation level: do I boil exactly the right amount of water for my filter coffee, or too much? Do I let my espresso machine heat up for 30 minutes for one espresso in the morning? Sustainable coffee has many faces - by critically examining our own actions, we can constantly question ourselves.
12. How can I consume coffee sustainably?
As a rule of thumb, we like to say: whoever buys double-certified coffee, i.e., FairTrade and Organic (FTO), is doing little wrong. More and more roasters are buying double-certified coffee, and it is now also available in supermarkets. The cooperatives that offer such coffees are controlled by two different auditing bodies. So, with double-certified coffees, good intentions are being pursued. There are always flaws in the system, such as with the illegal excesses of the so-called Combos, where Fairtrade coffee is sold too cheaply. However, it is even more sustainable when buyers – i.e., traders and roasters – take responsibility themselves and address individual challenges in the respective coffee-producing countries. It is therefore worthwhile for consumers to ask coffee roasters exactly where the coffee comes from, how the price came about, and whether the coffee was grown close to nature.
Coffee and Quality
13. How is coffee quality assessed?
Coffees are sensorially evaluated using the infusion method, known as cupping. They are rated on a scale of 0-100. The current rating system dates back to 1984 and will be replaced by a new system on October 1, 2025. We have extensively discussed and analyzed the Coffee Value Assessment, or CVA, here.
The hundred points are divided into 70 points for positive qualitative attributes and 30 points for the intensity of sweetness, uniformity, and a clean and clearly structured cup profile. Attributes examined include aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, and the balance of the various attributes. It is also checked whether a coffee is free of sensory defects. A bean with a strong defect, such as phenol, can make a liter of coffee undrinkable.
More on tasting and specialty coffee: to the article
14. What is good coffee?
Short answer: the coffee you like is good. In a slightly longer answer, we need to consider three different perspectives: that of the producers, that of trade, and that of the roasters. From the producers' perspective, defect-free coffees and those with a good balance of sweetness and acidity are rated better by buyers and thus rewarded with higher prices. From the trade's perspective, higher-quality coffees sell with the so-called differential and are priced higher – a special aroma and uniformity in the coffee are highlighted. Roasters, in turn, often opt for quantity or quality. Those who want quality, therefore, buy those coffees that producers, quality labs, exporters, and importers have identified as good coffee. The roasting style of the respective roastery emphasizes the character of the coffee or adapts it to suit its own clientele. And in the end, it is the clientele who decides what is good – even if everyone else has done their best beforehand.
One thing is crucial for us: good coffee is not only sensorially good but also includes people and the environment.
Read more about how we understand sustainability here.
15. Do coffee varieties from different regions differ?
Yes. But: there are no “best coffee beans from the best growing regions in the world” – as with any food, there is both good and less good coffee everywhere. Crucial are cultivation, uniform ripeness, clean and detailed processing, and then the sorting of the coffee. If these factors are given, you already have a fundamentally solid coffee. After that, it's about the subtleties.
Coffee drying at BridAzul in Ocotal, Nicaragua
And the more small puzzle pieces like varieties, local growing conditions such as altitude, temperature and shade, post-harvest processes such as targeted fermentations, and then slow and monitored drying come together, the more complex the coffee becomes. In addition, one can – somewhat cautiously – speak of general flavor profiles. Nadja Schwarz records here information about coffees from various countries. In her blog articles, she also discusses the respective flavor profiles.
Trade
16. How is coffee traded?
The buying and selling of green coffee is largely conducted through the coffee exchange, where exporters, importers, and trading houses enter into business through futures contracts. The reference price in this trading system is the coffee exchange price, the Coffee C Futures, which primarily balances supply and demand. The exchange price is further influenced by harvest outlooks and currency fluctuations, especially for the US Dollar and Brazilian Reais. Speculation, in which more coffee than necessary is bought or sold, is the third factor influencing the formation of coffee prices on the exchange. These "reference prices" do not reflect production costs and therefore remain fictitious, but are binding for more than 90% of coffee producers, unless they can establish their own sales channels and partnerships.
17. Coffee and Fair Trade
In 1994, the first green coffees were imported under the TansFair label. Other labels and organizations were to follow, and in 2022, 17 organizations agreed on a common logo. Since then, Fairtrade has guaranteed a minimum price, which increased from 140 cents per pound to 180 cents per pound in March 2023. Previously, the 140 cents per pound for Arabica coffee had been valid since 2011. For a long time, these 140 cents were considered production costs - however, this price did not account for real living costs and inflation. At the same time, the minimum price postulated a slightly higher income from coffee, because with few exceptions (price increase due to frost or Roya outbreak), the coffee exchange price was lower. Unfortunately, however, the Fairtrade label does not guarantee 100% protection that the Fairtrade price was paid. There are repeated cases of combos, a reprehensible practice by buyers who haggle down the price of Fairtrade coffees. Furthermore, the market for Fairtrade-certified coffee is still far too small: in Germany in 2021, only 5% of total coffee consumption was Fairtrade-certified coffee, although communicated awareness of the problem seems to be high.
Roasting
18. How is coffee roasted?
A green coffee bean, or green coffee, is the dried seed of the coffee cherry. Depending on its origin and regulations, the coffee arrives at the roastery with 9 - 12% residual moisture.
Juan Boillat from the roasting team
The green coffee is heated in a roaster - temperatures in the roaster typically range from 200 to 450 degrees. The residual moisture in the coffee bean transfers the heat into the bean's interior. During the roasting process, chemical and physical reactions occur: the bean turns brown due to so-called browning reactions, it grows by at least 100% in size, loses weight (water loss), and flavor precursors are converted into aromas that we can then detect in the beverage through Maillard reactions. Shorter roasts (+/- 10 minutes) primarily emphasize the coffee's origin character. Longer roasts of 15 minutes and more give the coffee more roasted notes. The signature and intention of a roastery can be deciphered in the selection of green coffees and the roasting style.
19. What is a gentle long-term roast?
The gentle long-term roast is primarily a marketing gimmick. The term symbolizes a reaction against past days when large roasteries roasted large quantities in a very short time. These green coffees were of mediocre quality, and the often too-fast roasting could not add anything positive to the final product. So, those who roasted more slowly, in smaller batches, and thus "more gently," would do much better than the large roasteries.
To this day, this David vs. Goliath interpretation that smaller roasteries have a qualitative advantage sometimes persists. But there are several arguments against it.
Roasting for a longer time than the often-scorned "industrial roasts" of earlier days theoretically makes sense, but practically, with long roasts, we homogenize the coffees. While we reduce bitter chlorogenic acids, the texture, sweetness, and balancing acidity also suffer. From an economic and ecological perspective, long-term roasts should also be questioned, as more coffee could be roasted in the same amount of time.
20. Roasting coffee at home
Since coffee roasting is not an art, but a craft, you can also achieve good, not just drinkable, results at home. Roasting coffee at home is a small adventure: it crackles, a lot of smoke is generated, and you should ventilate the kitchen well. The basis for a good roasted coffee is good green coffee.
We have a small selection in our webshop where you can purchase our green coffees. Popcorn makers, stove-top roasters, bread machines, or even small home roasting machines are suitable as roasters. In this blog, we summarize that roasting is primarily about time and energy. We add a certain amount of energy to the green coffee over a specific period. It is important that the coffee always stays in motion, otherwise, regardless of the roasting system, it will burn unevenly. Instructions, tips, and plenty of motivation can be found here.
Beverages
21. What is the difference between an espresso, a long coffee, and a filter coffee?
The size of the cup and the volume of the beverage seem obvious. Less obvious is what is in the brewed coffee. And since Nespresso redefined espresso - 5.3g of coffee powder to 40ml of water - various interpretations have emerged as to what exactly an espresso is and what a longer coffee is. We define espresso as a coffee beverage in which we relate 1 part coffee powder to 2 to 2.5 parts brewing volume in the cup.
An overview of coffee beverages and their strength
For example, we take 18g of finely ground coffee powder, tamp it, and prepare it in an espresso machine. We measure the beverage in the cup with a gram scale. For an intense espresso, we stop the extraction when we have 36g of coffee in the cup. 1:2.5 would then be 45g brew volume and slightly milder. For a long coffee, we standardly use 12g of coffee and brew it to 120ml brew volume in the cup, which corresponds to a ratio of 1:10. We often brew filter coffees in a ratio of 1:16 - we pour 290ml of water over 18g of coffee powder to get a balanced beverage.
22. How much caffeine does a cup of coffee contain?
Arabica beans consist of approx. 1.2% caffeine, while Canephora/Robusta beans contain 2.2% caffeine. So, if you want to drink as much caffeine as possible, you would brew a large pot of filter coffee made from 100% Robusta beans. However, this is not about the type of beverage - espresso and filter coffee have almost the same amount of caffeine, as it is very soluble and ends up in the coffee during extraction. The amount of powder used is crucial. Those who brew a coffee capsule with 5.4g of coffee, a double espresso with 18g, or a filter coffee with 40g of powder, consume different amounts of coffee. Conversely, it can be calculated as follows:
three coffee capsules, each with 6g of powder (=18g of powder), have the same caffeine content as a double espresso, which was also brewed with 18g of coffee powder.
And those who brew a filter coffee with 18g will also find a similar caffeine content there.
23. Do dark roasts and strong coffees have more caffeine?
No. Caffeine degrades only minimally during roasting. The coffee beans themselves, whether light or dark roasted, have the same caffeine content. However: darker roasts occur when the final temperature in the roaster is high and the bean is already in a slight combustion process. Matter is burned, and the bean loses weight. If we now want to pull an espresso with 18g of powder, we need more dark beans to reach the desired 18g of coffee. Lighter roasts pyrolyze less during roasting, meaning we burn less matter, and the coffee retains more of its original weight. Thus, we need fewer light coffee beans to reach the desired 18g of coffee powder. Darker roasts have more caffeine in the coffee beverage because more coffee beans are needed for brewing.
24. Is coffee healthy?
In moderate amounts, coffee is harmless to the human body. We'll let Chahan Yeretzian, the coffee professor from ZHaW Wädenswil, explain it himself.
Coffee at home
25. How and where to store coffee?
At room temperature, not in direct sunlight, in its original packaging, and sealed. We do not recommend storing coffee in the refrigerator. Michel vividly explains in this video where the
26. What are the most important tips for preparing the perfect coffee at home?
Making good coffee is like putting together a 100-piece puzzle. The more pieces are correctly placed, the more a complete picture emerges of what the coffee can achieve. There are some puzzle pieces that you can determine yourself at home. The most important thing is to determine the intended use of the coffee beans (not ground). Is it for filter coffee, automatic machines, or espresso? Here we advise you to check the roasteries' websites to find out which coffee is recommended for which type of preparation. If the coffee is dark roasted, it makes a strong espresso, but not a balanced filter coffee, and vice versa. To gain control over the preparation, we recommend always working with a gram scale. Soft water helps to bring out the aroma of the coffee. Hard water makes the coffee dull.
Information on the correct amount of coffee powder: Blog
For the article on perfect coffee water: Article
27. What are the most common mistakes in coffee preparation?
The best way to make good coffee is to follow a recipe. Anything else would be left to chance – which is often what happens. “One to two spoons of ground coffee” would not be a precise recipe for filter coffee. “18g of polenta-fine ground, light roasted coffee” is more precise.
If we follow a simple recipe for brewing coffee, just like baking a cake, we get much more consistency in the quality of the beverage.
Without a recipe, no consistency. Just using a scale to measure the coffee and the extraction amount helps a lot. The right water temperature (for example, from a kettle with temperature settings) and a coffee grinder that delivers a homogeneous grind do the rest. It is important to always change only one parameter of the recipe, so that we are not dealing with multiple moving targets.
28. How does coffee from different coffee machines taste?
It feels like a new machine is launched monthly, claiming to brew coffee even better. Essentially, each process involves hot water being pressed or passed through ground coffee. Sometimes with more, sometimes with less pressure, and more or less temperature, with coarser or finer grind – what sounds like nuances, however, results in a completely different beverage.
Lots of crema from freshly roasted coffee from an espresso machine
Coffee pod machines are primarily intended for longer coffees, as the ground powder is quite coarse. Automatic coffee machines can brew short and long coffees, with their strength clearly lying in longer extractions. Portafilter machines can theoretically do everything well, but only if all other parameters are tuned - there is a lot of potential for error here. Filter coffee machines are available in every price range. The better machines differ in that they drip water of constant temperature evenly and at different points on the coffee bed. Capsule machines deliver significantly better short beverages than long ones - this is mainly due to the fact that the amount of powder in the capsule is limited to rarely more than 6g. The espresso maker or Moka pot is for many the epitome of coffee or even espresso - in high concentration, the drink has a dense texture and high intensity, but has little to do with an espresso from a portafilter machine. Manual brewing methods allow us to playfully interact with coffee and try out different recipes. The vast majority of these methods are intended for filter coffee, some can also make good espresso - albeit with some effort - as well as for on the go.
29. Which coffee beans are best for automatic coffee machines?
As a coffee roastery, we differentiate and give recommendations on which types of coffee we use for which purpose.
Automatic coffee machines vary extremely in their construction - the grind differs from machine to machine. The brewing groups are not the same, the brewing temperature is set differently, the path from the thermoblock to the brewing group is of different lengths. These are all factors that the specific coffee roast must contend with.
So, an all-purpose coffee is needed that can still show more aroma than just roast notes. Here, it is worthwhile to look closely at roasteries to see exactly which coffee is recommended. We recommend lighter roasts for longer cups, darker roasts for shorter extractions. We enjoy fruity coffees in longer automatic machine coffees, and nuttier and more chocolaty coffees more as espresso. We have also set out to develop a specialty coffee for automatic machines, but see for yourself in the video.
30. How can you enjoy coffee while traveling?
Of course, good coffee can also be brewed on the go. However, this requires suitable equipment. A hand grinder is a prerequisite for anyone who doesn't want to do without good coffee while traveling. Benjamin has made a video about this, in which he found his three top methods on the go.
