Coffee: A nation going against the grain
It's instant rather than ground coffee for most, but experts say we just don't know enough about the bean. Tina Leonard reports
Caffeine fix: Irish barista champion Colin Harmon tries out some varieties of instant coffee
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David Letterman said "I drink way too much coffee. But if it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever". You know that feeling; you're not fully awake until you have that first cup and then you journey from sleepy cave man to wide-awake 21st century boy or girl in minutes -- but is it freshly ground beans or any old instant granules that does the trick for you?
In the last 10 years, haven't we come over all continental with our espresso, cappuccinos and skinny lattes? Or, as it seems as though we are re-living the '80s; in fashion, music and in our economic woes, will we return to instant coffee?
In fact, despite the cultural coffee revolution in Ireland, instant coffee never went away. According to the Irish Coffee Council it accounts for a whopping 70pc of Ireland's total coffee market which, it is estimated, will grow to reach a value of €114.2m by 2013.
Compare this to a US market share of just 7pc for instant coffee and you see why Starbucks has rolled out a new instant coffee there, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, which they claim is made with micro-grinding technology that finely grinds the beans for a fuller flavour. But so far Starbucks has no plans to launch the product here.
Drinking instant coffee will certainly save you money.
The average price for a 100g jar is €4 which will get you about 11 cups. That works out at 36c a cup, compared to approximately €2.50 for one take-away cup of ground coffee.
But will it satisfy your taste buds? Colin Harmon, Irish Barista Champion 2009, says it's like comparing chipboard to mahogany. Colin, who is Operations Manager for Coffee Angel, maintains that poor quality beans are often used in the process of making instant coffee while the best beans are usually kept to be sold whole.
Irishman Stephen Morrissey, World Barista Champion 2008 and just appointed Director of Training an Education for Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago, agrees. He explains that most methods of brewing coffee yield 20pc of the coffee used but methods used for instant coffee yield 35pc, taking in elements that wouldn't be included in other coffee. "The process," he says, "which includes aggressive freeze or vacuum, values volume over quality."
Both coffee experts would love to see us better educated about the bean.
So here is a mini-lesson from maestro Colin Harmon. Take a kettle, scales, a grinder and a French press. Boil the kettle, then take the lid off and leave it for a minute so the temperature reduces (94 degrees is what you're aiming for). Grind the coffee beans so that the coffee will be at its freshest.
Add 8.5g of ground coffee to 125ml and leave to steep for four minutes. Then pour, sit back and enjoy.
