Speciality gourmet coffee more important than coffee makers?

Speciality gourmet coffee is in an chicken and egg situation. All coffee aficionados look forward to good coffee, but should they be spending more on the beans or the machine? Good coffee beans but lousy coffee makers cannot give you that good cuppa and vice versa.

Just as I mentioned that there is no ONE best coffee makers,I do not think that there is one great speciality gourmet coffee, it is really a matter of a coffee that suits your palate.

That being said, I think that the beans are important, coupled with great roasting and a correct grind. Coffee makers need not be the most sophisticated, but have to be able to meet the basic coffee making requirements.

It is this basic requirement, that I have tagged this speciality gourmet coffee article to vacuum coffee maker. This is a coffee maker that although basic, is theatric.

Imagine getting a packet of some exotic coffee from a far corner of the world, would you want to dispense it using just bunn or awe your friends with the theatrics of a vacuum coffee maker? Food for thoughts right?

Taste of speciality gourmet coffee varies according to the region which they are grown. So, if you are seeking for a particular taste, look for the region and see if the body, acidity and flavor 'excites' your palate.

South America:

In South America, the attention would be on Brazil, a major coffee producing country. And the coffee we get here is mainly mild, soft and smooth. These coffees are best used for blending, although some of the range of speciality gourmet coffees grown recently, are being consume on their own.

And In Colombia, we would get fUll bodied, gentle acidity and slightly nutty flavor, from beans grown at high altitude

Central america:

Coast Rica grow coffee at high altitude and it produces a mild, fragrant coffee with delicate acidity.

In Guatemala, with its' mountains and volcanic soil comes versatile coffee.

This flexibility is shown in the coffee roasting. When lightly roast, it is mild and full in body. And if it is dark roast, it becomes smoky and powerful

Caribbean

From Jamaica, you would get 'Blue mountain', one of the most famous speciality gourmet coffee.

This famous coffee, is produced in very small quantities at 1525 meters above sea level. Although very expensive, it is a very subtle coffee with great finesse.

East Africa

Kenya produces what industry called the 'The king of the East African coffees'.This exotic coffee is noted for its aroma and pleasant sharpness.

Folks from industry say that this coffee is best drunk black, top with some milk, which would see it retains its lively character

In Tanzania, you would get coffee that is closer in flavor to the rich, delicate coffees of central America, it is less acid than its Kenyan neighour.

And from Ethiopia, which is the homeland of Arabica. You would be spoiled with many choices. Mocha has a strong, gamey flavor, while Yirgacheffe has a strong wild taste with a unique tang.

Asia

India offers a range of speciality gourmet coffee flavors. Starting from the soft, rich Mysore, with low acidity, fused with a light and winy taste. For folks that want to go for a stronger taste, it would be the Monsooned Malabar, a flavor which is used widely to make espresso.

From Indonesia many islands, it presents a range of tastes from the heavy, mellow, flavor of Java to the rich body and delicate acidity of Sumatra.

Papua New Guinea offers speciality coffee that is very fruity with an unusual acidity.

So, choose the beans that best suit your taste then a coffee maker that meet your requirements (I am biased -vacuum is just so drama mama!:) and enjoyed the coffee experience.

Some says drinking coffee from a region would be akin to being in that place -imagine drinking Java coffee in cold winter of New York, and feeling the Sunshine from Indonesia...