Beans and Brewing

History of Coffee and Coffeehouses

Course 1 · Chapter 7 · Beans, Roasting and Brewing

Behind the drink is a chain of choices: which species, how it is processed, how it is roasted and how it is brewed. Many familiar methods date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This chapter sets out the basics and the history of the main brewing methods. Dates and inventors are flagged "check".

Key Ideas

Species

Two species supply most coffee: arabica, usually considered finer, and robusta, hardier and higher in caffeine (check the details). Varieties and growing conditions matter as well.

Processing and roasting

Cherries are processed by washing, drying in the fruit or other methods to free the seeds, which are then roasted. Roasting develops flavour and darkens the bean; the degree of roast changes the taste (check).

Brewing

Methods differ in how water meets the grounds: boiling (cezve), steeping (French press), dripping through a filter, or forcing hot water through under pressure (espresso).

At a Glance

MethodNotes (check dates and names)
Cezve / TurkishOld method of boiling finely ground coffee.
Paper filterAssociated with Melitta Bentz of Dresden, who patented a filter in 1908.
EspressoEarly machines in Italy from the 1880s to the early 1900s (Moriondo, Bezzera, Pavoni); a lever machine by Gaggia in the 1940s made the modern espresso with crema.
Instant coffeeDeveloped in the early twentieth century and made widely popular by Nescafé from 1938 (check).
Who invented it? Brewing histories name single inventors, but most technologies had many contributors and patents may not reflect who made the first working device. Check patent dates and later claims.

Further Points

  • Caffeine. A mild stimulant; effects and health findings vary and should be checked against current medical sources.
  • Grinding. Particle size matters for each method.
  • Water. Temperature and quality change the cup.
A British comparison British readers will recognise the cafetière (French press), the filter machine and the instant jar; the flat white is a modern import from the Australian and New Zealand café scene (check).
Check the details Dates, names and figures here are from general knowledge and flagged "check". Verify them against specialist histories and primary sources, and label unproven stories as "claimed".

Exercises

Exercise 1

Explain how arabica and robusta differ and why the choice matters to growers and drinkers.

→ Solution
Exercise 2

Describe the key change that made modern espresso possible.

→ Solution
Exercise 3

Pick a brewing method and list what would have to be true for you to say it was invented by one person.

→ Solution

Quick Reference

  • Species: arabica and robusta (check)
  • Filter: Melitta Bentz, 1908 (check)
  • Espresso: Italian machines, 1880s to 1940s (check)
  • Caution: "invented by" claims