What Is Instant Coffee?

Does it come from the same plant as regular coffee?

Masters of the Bean

Today’s coffee connoisseurs want to be on a first-name basis with their roaster. They want to know not only which country the beans came from but which region, or even which “estate.” They obsess over freshness and brew time and...

No expensive beans, no expensive machines.

I bought a 500g box at the T&T in Mississauga a few months ago. You may want to check out their locations in Toronto to see if they carry it too. The ingredients listed on the box are: Arabica, Robusta, Cherry and Catimor.

ARABICA beans primarily, but the include a percentage of ROBUSTA beans to increase crema production. Almost NO Pacific NW roaster will include ROBUSTA beans at all because they are not politically correct in the NW coffee...

Vietnam is the worlds largest producer of coffee beans. Unfortunately it is also the lowest level of quality. Most of the beans grown and commercially sold is 100% Robusta. And not a high quality robusta at that.

Judging from what I’ve seen in stores, for Vietnamese coffee, Cafe du Monde in is a popular one. There is also common Vietnamese brand, that starts with something like ‘Ng’. These use robusta coffee. By itself...

of Vietnamese coffee and my fave so far is Trung Nguyen’s House Blend, which I found in Chinatown – very full-bodied, almost mocha-flavoured. The label says it’s a blend of "Arabica, Robusta, Chari, Catimor" -...

always been disappointed in their roasts. When I did buy my roasts off-the-shelf, I only went there as a last resort. BTW if you are an espresso/ristretto fanatic and believe in robusta as part of an espresso blend (as I do!), I...

either pass through the holes in the filter, or clog them. Brands like Trung Nguyen are listed as being a mix of arabica and robusta. Robusta is usually regarded as being inferior, how I think it works in the Vietnamese style. It...

of approximately 7 different beans – it is a recipe that has a fine balance between robusta and arabica beans. It also has a very particular roast. The Italians have been at this a very long time and have perfected this...

I think the key to Viet coffee is that flimsy tin four-piece coffee maker that sits atop a cup. The filter is tin with holes punched in it. Somehow the strength of the coffee using one of these is just right—and using...

complex, but less stable. The caffiene content is dictated by how a roaster or retailer chooses to blend beans. Arabica beans are considered to have superior flavor. Robusta beans, although less desirable for their tase, have...

different blends. Ignore any coffee that’s packed as “espresso roast” - there is no such thing. Only espresso blends, and that’s far from a set formula. Try at least one espresso blend that bravely uses...

THAT in your Funk & Wagnalls.) Almost all specialty coffee beans, and perforce, the beans used to make almost all espresso, are arabica, though skilled blenders will sometimes include a bit of robusta in a blend to achieve a...