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Determining the Perfect Cup

Before we begin, the perfect cup is relative to what is right for you.  Many misconceptions for coffee exist. 

But first:  The Perfect Cup question reminds me of Cheryl's answer to "Describe your Perfect Date" from Miss Congeniality​ Released Dec 22, 2000.  In that vein my Perfect Cup is 16 to 24 Ounces, Insulated, with a Snap Top to lock in flavor and lock out everything else. 

Interesting Note: Coffee pot sizes are based on "cups" per pot.  A coffee pot "cup" is typically based on a standard tea cup size and therefore 5.5 oz. 

The Specialty Coffee Association of America states that the perfect cup is 10 grams of coffee per 6 ounces of water.  

Coffee Maker directions read: ​Use two level tablespoons of ground coffer for each 6 ounce cup of water. If you are making mugs of coffee, their capacity is likely to be more like 8 ounces each. In this case, you'll want to use 2 or 2 1/2 level teaspoons of coffee for each mug of water you add to the brewer. If you like your coffee strong, you can use a little more coffee.

Johnny Randolph, Fellow’s coffee education lead and former coffee trainer  .... , tailors his coffee-to-water ratio depending on if he’ll be adding “extras” to his brew.
If you add milk and sugar, Randolph suggests brewing a denser 1:15 ratio because the body and flavor will hold up better to the added dairy and sweetness.  If you’re drinking your coffee black, Randolph suggests his personal favorite ratio of 1:17. “This ratio gives the different compounds more room. Extra water gives the flavor more space, and it’s easier to notice subtleties in the brew,” Randolph says.

By weight: 1 part coffee, 16 parts water for the perfect cup.  Less 1 part water if adding dairy, 1 part more if drinking it black.  Or just 1:16 for a mixed audience. 
If you find a coffee-to-water ratio you like, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. Your “Golden Ratio” can and should be fluid and ever changing as your preferences, taste buds, and brewing methods evolve.  

The Best Bean / Best Coffee

"Specialty coffee" was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Knutsen used this term to describe beans of the best flavor which are produced in special microclimates.  

Specialty coffee can consistently exist through the dedication of the people who have made it their life's work to continually make quality their highest priority. This is not the work of only one person in the lifecycle of a coffee bean; specialty can only occur when all of those involved in the coffee value chain work in harmony and maintain a keen focus on standards and excellence from start to finish. This is no easy accomplishment, and yet because of these dedicated professionals, there are numerous specialty coffees available right now, from BFFJava.com.

Meet the People Whose Lifework is Specialty Coffee

The Coffee Farmer
Great coffee starts with the producer whose family likely has spent generations perfecting their approach to farming the highest quality coffee possible. Grown in select altitudes and climates and nursed for years before the first harvest, the producer who creates specialty coffee devotes his or her life to refining and perfecting the highest quality coffee on the planet. For them, it is quality not quantity that is the most important consideration. Only coffees free of defects and picked at their peak of ripeness will continue on to the next hands that will shape them. For the farmer, being able to connect with quality-minded buyers ensures a higher profit option which supports individuals, families and communities around the world.

The Green Coffee Buyer
Green coffee is next transferred to the green coffee buyer who may be certified by the SCA as a Certified Coffee Taster or the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) as a Licensed Q Grader. They have a palate as distinguished as a sommelier and can keenly identify coffee quality via cupping, or systematic tasting of brewed coffees. Through cupping, the coffee taster can assess a coffee's score and determine whether it is specialty grade quality, make decisions on which coffees they will include in their offerings, and often develop tasting notes and descriptions for the coffee on its final packaging. The green coffee buyer has a large role in communicating the information about a coffee to the roaster and café staff.

The Roaster
High quality coffees are next transferred to the coffee roaster who may be certified by the SCA as having completed numerous hours of coursework and hands-on training to skillfully roast the specialty bean. Coffee roasting is an art that requires a high degree of knowledge and experience to produce specialty level roast profiles. Coffee must be closely monitored during the roasting process and scientific principles of heat transfer, thermodynamics and coffee chemistry must be applied to ensure the highest standard of quality and flavor come through in the final roasted bean.

The Barista
Once the specialty coffee beans reach the retail environment, they have already passed 3 levels of inspection to ensure an extremely high level of quality control, however the process in not yet complete. The barista, who may be certified by the SCA as having completed numerous hours of coursework and hands-on training, is the final coffee professional to guarantee the lifecycle of the specialty bean is completed. Specialty level Baristas are not only highly skilled in brewing equipment operations; they routinely are deeply informed as to the origin of the coffee bean and how it's flavor profiles will be revealed in brewing. If the specialty bean is not brewed properly it is possible that its true flavor potential could be lost; the Barista ensures each bean reaches its full brewed promise.

The Consumer
​Not expecting to see yourself in this list? In fact, it is the consumer who completes the lifecycle of the specialty coffee bean by actively seeking out and choosing specialty coffee options. When you take the time to find a local coffee bar or roastery that is dedicated to quality, or take an extra moment to learn from your barista about the people whose hands and passion produced the cup you're enjoying so that you can make more informed choices, you demonstrate not only a commitment to a higher standard of quality of taste and flavor but also a commitment to a higher standard of living for every person who contributed along the way

BFFJava.  We have had 100's of hours of Barista Training at schools in North Carolina and Ohio.  And we have been brewing specialty beans for the last 20+ years.   Our Roaster has had many, many hours of training from schools in California and Arizona.  We are still learning.  We are, forever, teaching.

Bottom Line: Specialty Coffee is the Best 3% in the world.  The best is only the best if the entire life cycle from grower to consumer is done correctly.  We promise to do our part in the life cycle!

Arabica or Robusta which bean is best?

Summarized from Coffee Facts and the National Coffee Association:

• Arabica coffee beans originated from the mountainous and indigenous areas of Yemen right in the Arabian Peninsula.   It is also grown and produced from the southeastern regions of Sudan as well as the southwestern highlands and mountains of Ethiopia.
• Arabica beans are a little larger than Robusta.
• Robusta beans are more circular;  Arabica beans are elliptical.
• Nowadays, arabica coffee plants are grown  everywhere.  Arabica coffee beans are known for their mild flavour & delicate aroma, generally they produce a lower yield of beans than the robusta plant, therefore tend to be more expensive. 

So....
Based on the quality of coffee, Arabica is better than Robusta coffee as it has lower caffeine, higher sugar content and a better flavor compared.
Based on cost, Robusta is cheaper as it has more yields per acre and it more resistant to diseases, so it’s less troublesome to produce.  Specialty Coffee is all Arabica.