Roasted Coffee – ‘Fresh is Best’
The late 20th Century saw the world embrace espresso coffee in unprecedented numbers.
Cafe espresso bar numbers grew, spread nationally and for some, internationally. At the same time the increase in affordable domestic espresso machines, has prompted a new growth industry sector, while the consumer strives to replicate the cafe experience in their own life-style environment. This espresso consumption growth has also driven an adjustment by coffee roasters, to develop coffee blends that ultimately suit this form of coffee infusion.
There is no doubt that the quality of the finished coffee beverage has increased, as all elements of the complete process have fallen under intense scrutiny. Here, freshness became a critical element in the delivery of a premium cup of coffee. Once the green coffee has been roasted to its brown and aromatic state, the ‘freshness factor’ immediately relevant and critical. Roasted coffee, within 24 – 48 hours after roasting, discharges a lot of carbon dioxide and settles its flavour profiles ready for infusion. Interaction with oxygen very quickly reduces the freshness of the coffee, with resultant loss of positive flavours in the cup.
Due to the intense pressure applied to the ground coffee during the 
espresso machine process, freshness or lack of, becomes critically obvious. Advances in packaging have helped dramatically, so too has the growth of ’shop roasting’ or ‘in-house fresh’ coffee roasting. Cafes now roast according to consumption / demand and utilize their coffee within the week after roasting. This new responsive step in coffee roasting, not only ensures fresh coffee for your enjoyment, but also has led to the growth of the smaller community – based coffee roaster for easy consumer access to fresh product.
