Mutenyi brewing coffee
A lot of recent research done on coffee suggests that coffee offers a host of potential health benefits. This incredibly complex beverage contains more than 1,000 compounds that can affect the body.
Some of the health benefits of drinking coffee include; Improves overall health, Protects against Type 2 Diabetes, Controls Parkinson’s disease symptoms, Slows the progress of Dementia, Safeguards the liver, Promotes heart health and Reduces melanoma risk.
While coffee has a number of health benefits, many people have misconceptions about this beverage. For example, many people don’t drink coffee in the evening on unfounded grounds that it affects sleep. Many others don’t drink coffee completely due to myths. In this article, we explain the best ways to brew and drink coffee for health living.
Derick Mutenyi, a barista and coffee consultant at Jango Barista, a company that focuses on sensitizing people on how best to brew and drink Uganda coffee, says everyone can drink coffee but one must know how to take it.
Mutenyi says many first timers (people tasting coffee for the first time) have had a bad experience mainly because they lacked information on how to brew and drink it. This explains why he is teaching people how better to brew coffee at home, offices and coffee shops/cafes.
He notes that there are cheaper equipment to make good coffee at home. For example, he says,a French Press/Plunger can be acquired for as low as Shs20,000 in most supermarkets.
“ It’s also easy to use,” he says, adding that some people have bought expensive equipment but don’t know how to use them at home.
He adds that Aeropress coffee maker can give one the best coffee experience and costs about Shs150,000.
“It’s a portable and mobile equipment that doesn’t break easily,” he says.
To make the best cup of coffee, Mutenyi says, there are variables that are considered. These include ground size, water temperature, coffee grammage and time.
“Coffee has fibers and when you brew it, the bitterness comes out especially if you have used too hot water. If water is boiled up to 100 degrees, it’s important to let it cool a bit to at least 95 degrees. (You can let it sit/cool for about three minutes) before brewing coffee,” he says.
Source of coffee
Mutenyi says a good cup of coffee starts with the source of coffee and how you source it.
He says most coffees in supermarkets don’t have much information.
Some coffee brands lack roast dates and end up overstaying on the shelves so they become stale.
“When you sniff at stale coffee, you don’t smell the aroma. It’s a sign that it’s expired and stale. When you brew stale coffee, it’s bitter in many cases,” Mutenyi says. He says roasted coffee can go for a year if well stored while green beans can be kept for two years.
Ground coffee can take less than a month to go stale, he says.
He adds that coffee drinkers should know that there are two types of coffee; Robusta and Arabica.
“Arabica is characterized by sweetness, medium acidity and less bitterness while Robusta is bitter, harsh (not smooth) and less acidic compared to Arabica,” he says, adding: ““If you are a beginner and don’t need bitterness, then go for Arabica or dilute Robusta.”
He notes that there are heavy coffee drinkers who like Robusta coffees that are a bit bitter.
Therefore, he says, it’s not true that every coffee is bitter. It depends on how it is prepared.
He advises coffee lovers to buy/ source their coffee for drinking from Roastries or coffee shops/restaurants because they will give you information on a well balanced cup.
Bitterness defines caffeine, according to some researchers.
“Robusta is times two caffeine than Arabica,” he says, adding that caffeine is a substance produced by a plant as a defensive mechanism against pesticides. Robusta is grown in low-lands where pests are common.
He advises people to buy grinders so that they grind their coffee at home. Manual grinders that can take 60gm of coffee can be acquired at about Shs100,000.
“If you are a beginner, start with one table spoon/10gm of ground coffee in a cup,” he says, adding: “Boil water and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes as it cools down. Then apply coffee and give it time (1-2 minutes) to brew. Then you can start taking your coffee.”
If it’s not good enough for you, he says, use two table spoons in the next cup.
“If it’s too bitter sometimes it’s because you have left it to over brew/over extraction,” he says.
He says a good cup should be balanced, sweet, with medium acidity and should have little bitterness.
“Chocolate has some bitterness but anyone can take it. That’s what we are looking for in a cup of coffee,” he says.
He adds that caffeine is determined by the concentration of your cup.
Americano/black coffee will have less caffeine compared to Espresso (the mother of all Espresso beverages).
This is because black coffee is diluted unlike Espresso.
“If you want to sleep well and you are a beginner, take black coffee,” he advises.
He says coffee gives people a start kick and therefore, when you are tired, depressed or fatigued, coffee will help you.
“When you are from work, you need a cup of coffee. It will freshen you up,” he says, adding: “In the morning, you can have a strong cup of coffee because you are going to be active throughout the day.”
For people with illnesses like ulcers, he urges them to first eat something before taking coffee since it contains caffeine.
“If you have high blood pressure, stay away from Robusta coffees. Take one or two cups a day of mild Arabica coffees,” he says.
