36 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MARCH 2019
We asked coffee grower and
roaster, Darron “Don Pablo”
Burke of Don Pablo Coffee,
what he thought the difference was
between the larger, more well-known
brands of coffee, and the smaller
specialty-type coffee roasters, and
he was quick to give us a list of 10
surprising things:
1. Type of Bean: There are two main
types of coffee beans; Arabica and
Robusta. Arabica grows at a higher
altitude than Robusta, resulting in
a longer maturation process, which
gives the coffee more depth of avor.
It is also much less acidic, smoother,
and has less caffeine. Robusta beans
trade at half the price of Arabica, so
the big brands often use Robusta to
increase margins.
10 Things You Didn’t Know
About the Coffee You Are Drinking…
and boy will you be surprised
2. Quality of Bean: Coffee varies in
quality from region to region, farm to
farm, and crop year to crop year. Big
brands may use lesser quality, or past
crop beans, to achieve a lower price
point and/or higher margins.
3. Fillers: You can’t hide anything in
whole bean coffee, but some big brand
coffee companies compress the skin of the
coffee bean or “chaff” (a natural byproduct
of coffee roasting) into disks, and then
grind that back into their ground coffee.
4. Chemicals and Processes: Some
solvents when decaffeinating coffee.
Four large
corporations control 90% of the global
at-home coffee, and these big brands
are roasted in massive batches, using
heating elements in their hoppers,
essentially baking the coffee before it
hits the drum, so it roasts in 12 minutes
rather than a much longer period that
6. The Quench: Big brands spray water
on the beans after roasting to cool them
down quick, otherwise the heat build up in
such large batches would burn the beans.
This washes the oils off the coffee, robs it
of its body, and also adds water weight to
7. Level of Roast: Some big brands
roast very dark to mask the off avors
of the Robusta or lower quality Arabica
beans (and to ensure consistency),
while others roast very light to reduce
the moisture loss that results in lower
margins.
8. Long Supply Chain: Big brands
roast on a production schedule, lling
multiple distribution centers with
coffee that just sits around waiting
for an order. They also require large
minimum orders from retailers, and
the coffee ends up going stale before
getting to the customer.
9. Distribution / Marketing: Big brands
have exclusive distribution agreements
that keep competition out of their markets,
and they also have the advertising dollars
to continually keep their name in front of
consumers. This seems to be an effective
substitute for actual quality and value.
10. Equipment, Preparation and
Storage: Even purchasing the best
quality coffee can result in a less than
satisfying experience if the preparation
instructions on the package are not
followed. Water quality and temperature
are critical, as is grind, ratio of coffee
to water, storage, and even things like
removing a glass carafe from the heating
element immediately after brewing.
Burke goes on to say that a small batch
specialty-grade coffee that is roasted to
order, and ground immediately before
brewing, is a unique and memorable
achieve with a big brand, and it often
surprises people who have spent their
entire lives drinking something else. He’s
send free samples to anyone who requests
it: (custom e-mail address).
For more information on Don Pablo Coffee Growers & Roasters,
contact Darron J. Burke, President & CEO at dburke@burkebrands.com
Our coffee is available at www.DONPABLOCOFFEE.COM and Amazon at www.amazon.com/cafedon_pablo
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