How I Chose my Bean-to-Cup Who doesn’t like a good cup of java? That delicious elixir that wakes you up in the morning, which sets the mood for relaxation in the afternoons, or is the perfect pretext to meet up with friends. Or that’s a pretext in and of itself! But that’s just the problem. If you’re, like me, really picky about the coffee you drink, then you’ve only got two options: either go to a good cafe with professional baristas and a good selection of roasted beans or learn how to prepare your own espressos. Well, again, if you’re like me, you’ll probably end up doing both. I hated having to get out of the house every time I wanted to enjoy a cup of well-made coffee or try something special like a latte macchiato. Over the years, my tastes in coffee have refined so much, and I’ve had…

Inside your coffee bag will usually be a one-way air valve, it will look a little like the one to the right, if you cut it out of course. If you are still using the coffee bag you can see it usually by taking a look inside, though also a pin-hole on the outside will tell you it’s there. Usually, these are found in higher grade gourmet types of coffee, though are becoming more common place for supermarket brands too. This “thing” is your air-valve, it allows air out of the bag but does not allow air to enter the bag. Hence it’s named the one-way air valve. This “bit of plastic” is critical to helping your fresh coffee stay fresh for longer. Preventing oxygen and scent molecules interacting with your lovely fresh roasted coffee. Why You Need An Air-Valve The process of roasting green coffee produces carbon dioxide, as…