How coffee makers deceive: We choose high-quality raw materials

If you prefer to start the day with a coffee ritual, then this article is for you. There is nothing more insulting by casting a spell over a Turk or switching on a coffee machine, instead of a drink of Arab sheiks, get a cup of brown slurry. From this material you will learn what determines the quality of coffee, how it is forged and how to find the best product among hundreds of bright packages.

"Crazy hands" - how to make a surrogate coffee

A real coffee is not cheap, as the coffee tree is capricious, and its grains are ripening for more than six months. How can manufacturers and sellers not succumb to the temptation to increase the volume of the product through ingenious counterfeits !? The most common types of falsifications are:

• substitution of arabica cheaper Robusta;
• The molding of coffee beans from flour, starch, sugar and dyes;
• use of extraneous raw materials - malt, chicory, ground acorns, barley, rye and even millet.

A low-quality drink will show itself with an unpleasant taste, an extraneous smell, or in an unexpected way behave during cooking. To avoid disappointment, you need to determine the authenticity of the product even before buying.

Choosing the right coffee - the first look at the packaging

Coffee beans are sold either on the side or in packages. Weighted will always be worse than quality, because under the influence of light and oxygen, it slowly oxidizes, losing essential oils, and with them most of the fragrance. When choosing pre-packaged grains, we pay special attention to the tightness of the packaging. The best product is available in three-layer bags with an inner layer of foil, a reusable buckle and a valve working in one direction - to the exit. The valve does not let the oxygen, harmful for their quality, pass to the grains, but it allows the buyer to estimate in advance the shades of flavor. Coffee medium roast will resemble the smell of bread, dark chocolate.

Coffee medium roast will resemble the smell of bread, dark chocolate.

By studying the label, we must find the date of roasting. The most delicious will be that coffee, which is fried no more than two weeks ago. The maximum allowable time between roasting and consumption is two months. And then coffee rumbles and becomes not just faceless, but also unsafe for health.

The most delicious will be that coffee, which is fried no more than two weeks ago. The maximum allowable time between roasting and consumption is two months.

For ground and instant coffee the same rule applies: the more technologically the packaging, the lower the probability of deception. We estimate it according to the following parameters:

• material - give preference to glass or sheet metal, we leave plastic unattended;
• the quality of the design - no blurry inscriptions, excessively bright or too pale colors;
• quality of marking - expiry date, a clear barcode that coincides with the name of the country of manufacture.

Ground coffee is often sold with pressed "bricks". The bundle must have perfectly smooth ribs - only the genuine manufacturer takes care of the aesthetics of the appearance. It is desirable that any packaging does not have transparent "windows" through which ultraviolet rays enter the grains. If coffee is packaged in tin cans, there should not be labeled on them: all necessary images and inscriptions are applied to the jar.

How to visually assess the quality of coffee

To verify the authenticity of coffee beans, we will evaluate their appearance. They should be:

• of the same size. If the manufacturer claims 100% arabica, the presence of fine grains indicates the addition of robusta;
• whole. The fragments are fried more strongly and subsequently give a distinct bitterness;
• matte. The gloss of the surface and the feeling of its oiliness indicate that the coffee has become stale and began to emit essential oils;
• not have spots. Unevenness of color indicates the presence of mold or admixture of grains that are molded from starch; The exception is made by special melange mixes from grain of different degree of roasting.

If possible, bite one grain. It should crunch and tickle the tongue with a pleasant taste. The slightest softness and tangible bitterness give off the raw materials. If the grain is scattered in the mouth, it is overcooked.

Coffee in powder or granules should be absolutely uniform in color. The grains of a different shade are impurities, but if you find white crystals - before you a synthetic caffeine from the pharmacy, which is put in a counterfeit for an invigorating effect. The last test for authenticity is already at home: we put a few grains or a pinch of ground into cold water and wait a few minutes. Absence of buoyancy and brown divorces will give out "artistic modeling" and impurities.

Can I talk about the quality of coffee from bags and sticks?

This is a very convenient packaging, which can be kept ready in a handbag. However, the powder contained in such a sachet will never become an authentic drink. It is a mixture of low-quality instant coffee with ground chicory, sugar, milk powder and flavorings. And that such a "pseudo-coffee" gave foam, it adds modified starch. Good coffee deserves the money spent on it. But do not give them for an expired or falsified product. Carefully refer to the purchase of the package and its contents, and every day will begin with the aroma of an amazing drink.