XXIV. GREEN AND ROASTED COFFEE CHARACTERISTICS…

XXIV. GREEN AND ROASTED COFFEE CHARACTERISTICS

The trade values, bean characteristics, and cup merits of the leading coffees of commerce, with a "Complete Reference Table of the Principal Kinds of Coffee Grown in the World"--Appearance, aroma, and flavor in cup-testing--How experts test coffee--A typical sample-roasting and cup-testing outfit

More than a hundred different kinds of coffee are bought and sold in the United States. All of them belong to the same botanical genus, and practically all to the same species, the Coffea arabica; but each has distinguishing characteristics which determine its commercial value in the eyes of the importers, roasters, and distributers.

The American trade deals almost exclusively in Coffea arabica, although in the latter years of the World War increasing quantities of robusta and liberica growths were imported, largely because of the scarcity of Brazilian stocks and the improvement in the preparation methods, especially in the case of robustas. Considerable quantities of robusta grades were sold in the United States before 1912, but trading in them fell off when the New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange prohibited their delivery on Exchange contracts after March 1, 1912.

All coffees used in the United States are divided into two general groups, Brazils and Milds. Brazils comprise those coffees grown in Sao Paulo, Minas Geraes, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Victoria, and other Brazilian states. The Milds include all coffees grown elsewhere. In 1921 Brazils made up about three-fourths of the world's total consumption. They are regarded by American traders as the "price" coffees, while Milds are considered as the "quality" grades.

Brazil coffees are classified into four great groups, which bear the names of the ports through which they are exported; Santos, Rio, Victoria, and Bahia. Santos coffee is grown principally in the state of Sao Paulo; Rio, in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the state of Minas Geraes; Victoria, in the state of Espirito Santo; and Bahia in the state of Bahia. All of these groups are further subdivided according to their bean characteristics and the districts in which they are produced.

Brazil Coffee Characteristics

SANTOS. Santos coffees, considered as a whole, have the distinction of being the best grown in Brazil. Rios rank next, Victorias coming third in favor, and Bahias fourth. Of the Santos growths the best is that known in the trade as Bourbon, produced by trees grown from Mocha seed (Coffea arabica) brought originally from the French island colony of Bourbon (now Reunion) in the Indian Ocean. The true Bourbon is obtained from the first few crops of Mocha seed. After the third or fourth year of bearing, the fruit gradually changes in form, yielding in the sixth year the flat-shaped beans which are sold under the trade name of Flat Bean Santos. By that time, the coffee has lost most of its Bourbon characteristics. The true Bourbon of the first and second crops is a small bean, and resembles the Mocha, but makes a much handsomer roast with fewer "quakers". The Bourbons grown in the Campinas district often have a red center.

As regards flavor, a good Bourbon Santos is considered the best coffee for its price, and is the most satisfactory low-cost blending coffee to be obtained. It is used with practically any of the high-priced coffees to reduce the cost of the blend. When properly made, this coffee produces a drink that is smooth and palatable, without tang or special character, and is suitable to the average taste. When aged, Bourbon Santos decreases in acidity, and increases somewhat in size of bean.

The Santos coffee described as Flat Bean usually has a smooth surface, varying in size from small to large bean, and in color from a pale yellow to a pale green. The cup has a good and smooth body of neutral character, and the bean can be used straight or in a blend with practically any Mild coffee.

Another Santos growth, known in the trade as Harsh Santos, grows near the boundary between Sao Paulo and Minas Geraes. It often has some of the Rio characteristics, and commands a lower price than other Santos coffees.

Some trade authorities are of the opinion that Santos coffees are an exception to the rule that most green coffees improve with age. They argue that careful cup-testing will reveal that a new crop Santos is to be preferred to an old crop.

RIOS. Rio coffee is not generally liked in the United States, though in former years it had some following even in the better trade. The demand for all grades of Rios has been decreasing, Santos taking their place in the United States. Rio coffee has a peculiar, rank flavor. It has a heavy, pungent, and harsh taste which traders do not consider of value either in straight coffee or in blends. However, its low price recommends it to some packers, and it is often found in the cheapest brands of package coffees and also in many compounds. In color, the bean runs from light green to dark green; but when it is stored for any length of time--a common practise in the past--the color changes to a golden yellow; and the coffee is then known as golden Rio. The bean also expands with age.

All Rio coffee is described by the name Rio; but the American trade recognizes eight different grades, designated by numerals from one to eight. These grades are determined by standards adopted by the New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange, and are classified by the number of imperfections found in the chops exported. No. 1 Rio contains no imperfections, such as black beans, shells, stones, broken beans, pods or immature beans ("quakers"). Such a chop is rarely found. No. 2 has six imperfections. No. 3 has thirteen. No. 4 has twenty-nine, No. 5 has sixty, No. 6 has one hundred and ten, No. 7 has two hundred, and No. 8 has about four hundred, although on the Exchange these last two are graded by standard types.

VICTORIAS. Up to about the year 1917, Victoria coffees were held in even less favor by American traders than were Rios. As a rule the bean was large and punky, of a dark brown or dingy color, and its flavor was described as muddy. Then, the coffee growers began to introduce modern machinery for handling the crops, with the result that the character of the produce has been much improved, and the demand for it has been steadily growing. Many roasters who formerly used Rios straight for their lower grades, have changed to Victorias, not only to improve the appearance of the roast, but to soften the harsh drinking qualities of the low-grade Rios.

BAHIAS. Until recent years Bahia coffee has been decidedly unpopular in the United States, largely because of its peculiar smoky flavor, due to drying the coffee by means of wood fires, instead of by the usual sun method. This practise has been abandoned; Bahia coffee has shown a marked improvement in quality; and importations into the United States have increased. The Bahia coffee produced in the Chapada district is considered to be the best of the group. The bean is light-colored and of fair size. Other types are Caravella and Nazareth, both of which are below the standards demanded by the majority of the American trade.

MARAGOGIPE. This is a variety of Coffea arabica first observed growing near the town of Maragogipe on All Saints Bay, county of Maragogipe, Bahia, Brazil, where it is called Coffea indigena. The green bean is of huge size, and varies in color from green to dingy brown. It is the largest of all coffee beans, and makes an elephantine roast, free from quakers, but woody and generally disagreeable in the cup. However, Dr. P.J.S. Cramer of the Netherlands government's experimental garden in Bangelan, Java, regards it very highly, referring to it as "the finest coffee known", and as having "a highly developed, splendid flavor." This coffee is now found in practically all the producing countries, and shows the characteristics of the other coffees produced in the same soil.

The Characteristics of Mild Coffees

Among the Mild coffees there is a much greater variation in characteristics than is found among the Brazilian growths. This is due to the differences in climate, altitude, and soil, as well as in the cultural, processing, storage, and transportation methods employed in the widely separated countries in which Milds are produced.

Mild coffees generally have more body, more acidity, and a much finer aroma than Brazils; and from the standpoint of quality they are far more desirable in the cup. As a rule they have also better appearance, or "style", both in the green and in the roast, due to the fact that greater care is exercised in picking and preparing the higher grades. Milds are important for blending purposes, most of them possessing distinctive individual characteristics, which increase their value as blending coffees.

Not All Coffees Improve with Age

Although it has long been held that green coffee improves with age, and there is little doubt that this is true in so far as roasting merits are concerned; the question has been raised among coffee experts as to whether age improves the drinking qualities of all coffees alike.

Rio coffees should improve with age, as they are naturally strong and earthy. Age might be expected to soften and to mellow them and others having like characteristics. If, however, the coffee is mild in cup quality in the first instance, then it may be asked if age does not weaken it so that in time it must become quite insipid. Several years ago, a New York coffee expert pointed out that this was what happened to Santos coffees. The new crop, he said, was always a more pleasant and enjoyable drink than the old crop, because it was a more pronounced mild coffee in the cup.

MEXICANS. Considering those coffees grown nearest the American market first, we come to the coffees of Mexico. All coffees grown in this republic are known as Mexicans. They are further divided according to the states and districts in which they are produced, and as to whether they are prepared according to the wet or the dry method. The types best known in the American market are Coatepec, Huatusco, Orizaba, Cordoba, Oaxaca, and Jalapa. The lesser known are the Uruapan, Michoacan, Colima, Chiapas, Triunfo, Tapachula, Sierra, Tabasco, Tampico, and Coatzacoalcos. Some of these are rarely seen in the markets of the United States.

The coffee most cultivated in Mexico is supposed to have come from Mocha seed. Of this species is the Oaxaca coffee, which is valued because of its sharp acidity and excellent flavor, two qualities that make it desirable for blending. The bean of the Sierra Oaxaca (common unwashed) is not large, nor is the appearance stylish. The Pluma Oaxaca (washed) coffee, however, is a fancy bean and good for blending purposes.

Coatepec coffees are among the finest grown in Mexico, and take rank with the world's best grades. They are quite acidy, but have a desirable flavor; and when blended with coffees like Bourbon Santos, make a satisfactory cup.

The Orizaba, Huatusco, and Jalapa growths resemble Coatepecs, of which they are neighbors in the state of Vera Cruz. They are thin in body but are stylish roasters, and have a good cup qualities. As a class they do not possess the heavy body and acidity of genuine Coatepecs. Some Huatuscos are exceptions. Orizaba is superior to Jalapa. Chiapas and Tapachula coffees are generally more like Guatemalan growths than any others produced in Mexico, which is natural in view of the proximity of the districts to the northern boundary of Guatemala. The Sierra, Tampico, Tabasco, and Coatzacoalcos coffees are uncertain in quality; mostly they are low grade, some of them frequently possessing a groundy, flat, or Rioy flavor.

Cordoba coffees lack the acidity and tang of the Oaxacas, but make a handsome roast. They are considered too neutral to form the basis of a blend, but can be used to balance the tang of other grades.

CENTRAL AMERICANS. Central American coffee is the general trade name applied to the growths produced in Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, the countries comprising Central America.

GUATEMALA. This country sends the largest quantity to the United States, and also produces the best average grades of the Central American districts. Guatemalas are mostly washed and are very stylish. The bean has a waxy, bluish color. It splits open when roasting and shows a white center. Low-grown Guatemalas are thin in the cup, but the coffees grown in the mountainous districts of Coban and Antigua are quite acidy and heavy in body. Some Cobans border on bitterness because of the extreme acidity. The Antiguas are medium, flinty beans; while Cobans are larger. Both grades are spicy and aromatic in the cup, and are particularly good blenders. Properly roasted to a light cinnamon color, and blended with a high-grade combination, Cobans make one of the most serviceable coffees on the American market.

Guatemalas are generally classified as noted in the Complete Reference Table.

HONDURAS. While the upland coffee of Honduras is of good quality, the general run of the country's production seldom brings as high a price as Santos of equal grade. Nearly all Honduras coffee consists of small, round berries, bluish green in color. Very little of this growth comes to the United States; the bulk of the exports going to Europe, where it commands a high price, especially in France.

SALVADOR. Salvador coffee is inferior to Guatemala's product, grade for grade. Only a small proportion is washed; and the bulk of the crops is "naturals"; that is, unwashed. The bean is large and of fair average roast. The washed grades are fancy roasters, with very thin cup. The largest part of the production goes to Europe; some twenty-five percent of the exports are brought into the United States through San Francisco.

NICARAGUA. The ordinary run of Nicaragua coffee (the naturals) is looked upon in the United States as being of low quality, though the washed coffees from the Matagalpa district have plenty of acid in the cup and usually are fine roasters. Matagalpa beans are large and blue-tinged. Germany, Great Britain, and France take about all the Honduras coffee exported, only about six percent of the total coming to the United States. These coffees are described more in detail in the Complete Reference Table.

COSTA RICA. Good grades of Costa Rican coffee, such as are grown in the Cartago, San Jose, Alajuela, and Grecia districts at high altitudes, are highly esteemed by blenders. They are characterized by their fine flavor, rich body, and sharp acidity. It is frequently declared that some of these coffees are often acidy enough to sour cream if used straight. Due to careless methods of handling, sour or "hidey" beans are sometimes found in chops of Costa Ricans from the lowlands.

PANAMA. Panama grows coffee only for domestic use, and consequently it is little known in foreign markets. The bean is of average size and tends toward green in color. In the cup it has a heavy body and a strong flavor. The coffee grown in Boquette Valley is considered to be of fine quality, due no doubt to the care given in cultivation by the American and English planters there.

South America

COLOMBIANS. Colombia produces some of the world's finest coffees, of which the best known are Medellins, Manizales, Bogotas, Bucaramangas, Tolimas, and Cucutas. Old-crop Colombians of the higher grades, when mellowed with age, have many of the characteristics of the best East Indian coffees, and in style and cup are difficult to distinguish from the Mandhelings and the Ankolas of Sumatra. Such coffees are scarce on the American market, practically all the shipments coming to the United States being new crop and lacking some of the qualities of the mellowed beans. Compared with Santos coffee, good grade Colombians give one-fourth more liquor to a given strength with better flavor and aroma. They are classed and graded as noted in the Complete Reference Table.

Medellins are a fancy mountain-grown coffee, and are esteemed for their good qualities. The beans vary in size, and the color ranges from light to dark green, making a rather rough roast. In the cup they have a fine, rich, distinctive flavor, and in the American grading are regarded as the best of the Colombian commercial growths.

Manizales rank next to Medellins, and have nearly the same characteristics.

Bogotas of good grade are noted for their acidity, body, and flavor. When the acidity is tempered with age, the coffee can be drunk "straight" which can not be done with many other growths. The Bogota green bean ranges from a blue-green bean to a fancy yellow. It is long, and generally has a sharp turn in one end of the center stripe. It is a smooth roaster, and has a rich mellow flavor.

Bucaramangas, grown in the district of that name, are regarded favorably in the American markets as good commercial coffees for blending purposes; the naturals have heavy body, but lack acidity and decided flavor, and are much used to give "back-bone" to blends. The fancies sometimes push the superior East Indian growths hard for first place.

Tolimas are considered a good grade average coffee, and are characterized by a fair-sized bean, attractive style, and good cup quality.

Cucuta coffees, though grown in Colombia, are generally classified among the Maracaibos of Venezuela, because they are mostly shipped from that port. They are described, accordingly, with the Venezuelan coffees.

VENEZUELA. The coffees of Venezuela are generally grouped under the heads of Caracas, Puerto Cabello, and Maracaibo, the names of the ports through which they are exported. Each group is further subdivided by the names of the districts in which the principal plantations lie. La Guaira coffee includes that produced in the vicinity of Caracas and Cumana.

Caracas coffee is one of the best known in the American market. The washed Caracas is in steady demand in France and Spain. The bean is bluish in color, somewhat short, and of a uniform size. The liquor has a rather light body. Some light-blue washed Caracas coffees are very desirable, and have a peculiar flavor that is quite pleasant to the educated palate. Caracas chops rarely hold their style for any length of time, as the owners usually are not willing to dry properly and thoroughly before milling. When, however, the price is right, American buyers will use some Caracas chops instead of Bogotas. At equal prices the latter have the preference, as they have more body in the cup. Puerto Cabello and Cumana coffees are valued just below Caracas. They are grown at a lower altitude, and are somewhat inferior in flavor.

Not less than one-third of Puerto Cabello coffees come across the thirty-mile gulf to the westward from the port of Tucacas, in a little steamer called the Barquisimento, which is famous all along the coast as the "cocktail shaker." C.H. Stewart[324] solemnly asserts that "Barky" can do the "shimmy" when lying at anchor in quiet waters.

Merida and Tachira coffees are considered the best of the Maracaibo grades, Tovars and Trujillos being classed as lower in trade value. Though Cucuta coffee is grown in the Colombian district of that name, it is largely shipped through Maracaibo; and hence is classed among the Maracaibo types. It ranks with Meridas and fine grade Boconos, and somewhat resembles the Java bean in form and roast, but is decidedly different in the cup. Washed Cucutas are noted for their large size, roughness, and waxy color. They make a good-appearing roast, splitting open, and showing irregular white centers. New-crop beans are sometimes sharply acid, though they mellow with age and gain in body.

Until recent years, Tachira coffee was always sold as Cucuta; but now there is a tendency to ship it under the name Tachira-Venezuela, while true Cucuta is marked Cucuta-Colombia. Tachiras closely resemble the true Cucutas, grade for grade. Up to about 1905 the coffees grown near Salazar, in Colombia, came to market under the name of Salazar; but since then, they have been included among the Cucuta grades and are sold under that name.

The state of Tachira lies next to the Colombian boundary, and its mountains produce much fine washed coffee. This has size and fair style, as a rule, but does not possess cup qualities to make it much sought. It ages well and, being of good body, the old crops, other things being equal, frequently bring a tidy premium.

The Rubio section of Tachira produces the best of its washed coffees. Here are several of the largest and best-equipped estates in all Venezuela. Washed when fresh, the coffees from these estates are usually sold somewhat under the fancy Caracas; but the trillados of the Tachira rank with the best of the country, owing to their large bean, solid color, and good quality. They roast well, and cup with good body, though not much character. Good Tachira trillados are sold on the same basis as the Cucutas, which they resemble.

The Meridas are raised at higher altitudes than Cucutas, and good grades are sought for their peculiarly delicate flavor--which is neither acidy nor bitter--and heavy body. They rank as the best by far of the Maracaibo type. The bean is high-grown, of medium size, and roundish. It is well knit, and brings the highest price while it still holds its bluish style, as it then retains its delicate aroma and character. The trillados of Merida run unevenly.

Tovars rank between Trujillos and Tachiras. They are fair to good body without acidity; make a duller roast than Cucutas, but contain fewer quakers. They are used for blending with Bourbon Santos. Boconos are light in color and body. They are of two classes; one a round, small to medium, bean; and the other larger and softer. Their flavor is rather neutral, and they are frequently used as fillers in blends. Trujillos lack acidity and make a dull, rough roast, unless aged. They are blended with Bourbon Santos to make a low-priced palatable coffee. Some coffees of merit are produced at Santa Ana, Monte Carmelo, and Bocono in Trujillo.

Other South American Countries

The coffees from other South American countries, even where there is an appreciable production, are not important factors in international trade. The coffee of Ecuador, shipped through the port of Guayaquil, goes mostly to Chile, a comparatively small quantity being exported to the United States. The bean is small to medium in size, pea-green in color, and not desirable in the cup. The coffee is about equal to low-grade Brazil, and is used principally as a filler. Peru produces an ever-lessening quantity of coffee, the bulk of the exports in pre-war years going to Germany, Chile, and the United Kingdom. It is a low-altitude growth, and is considered poor grade. The bean ranges from medium to bold in size, and from bluish to yellow in color. Bolivia is an unimportant factor in the international coffee trade, most of its exports going to Chile. The chief variety produced is called the Yunga, which is considered to be of superior quality; but only a small quantity is grown. Guiana's coffee trade is insignificant. The three best-known types are the Surinam, Demerara, and Cayenne, named after the ports through which they are shipped.

The West Indies

Coffee either is, or can be, grown practically everywhere in the West Indies; but the chief producing districts are found on the islands of Porto Rico, Haiti (and Santo Domingo), Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Curacao. Coffees coming from these islands are generally known by the name of the country of production, and may be further identified by the names of the districts in which they are grown.

PORTO RICO. Since the United States took possession of Porto Rico, soil experts have endeavored to raise the quality of the coffee grown there, especially the lower grades, which had peculiarly wild characteristics. Today, the superior grades of Porto Rican coffees rank among the best growths known to the trade. The bean is large, uniform, and stylish; ranging in color from a light gray-blue to a dark green-blue. Some of these are artificially colored for foreign markets. The coffee roasts well, and has a heavy body, similar to the fanciest Mexicans and Colombians. Its cup is not as rich, but it makes a good blend. Porto Rican coffees command a higher price in France than in the United States, which accounts for the larger proportion of exports to Europe, excepting when the French market was cut off during the World War.

JAMAICA. Jamaica produces two distinct types of coffee, the highland and the lowland growths. Among the first-named is the celebrated Blue Mountain coffee, which has a well developed pale blue-green bean that makes a good-appearing roast and a pleasantly aromatic cup. It is frequently compared with the fancy Cobans of Guatemala. The lowland coffee is a poorer grade, and consists largely of a mixture of different growths produced on the plains. It is a fair-sized bean, green to yellow in the "natural", and blue-green when washed. In the cup it has a grassy flavor, but is flat when drunk with cream. It is used chiefly as a filler in blends, and for French roasts.

HAITI AND SANTO DOMINGO. The coffees of these two republics have like characteristics, being grown on the same island and in about the same climatic and soil conditions. Careless cultivation and preparation methods are responsible for the generally poor quality of these coffees. When properly grown and cured, they rank well with high-grade washed varieties, and have a rich, fairly acid flavor in the cup. The bean is blue-green, and makes a handsome roast.

GUADELOUPE. Guadeloupe coffee is distinguishable by its green, long, and slightly thick bean, covered by a pellicle of whitish silvery color, which separates from the bean in the roast. It has excellent cup qualities.

MARTINIQUE. This island formerly produced a coffee closely resembling the Guadeloupe; but no coffee is now grown there, though some Guadeloupe growths are shipped from Martinique, and bear its name.

OTHER WEST INDIAN ISLANDS. Among the other West Indian islands producing small quantities of coffee are Cuba, Trinidad, Dominica, Barbados, and Curacao. The growths are generally good quality, bearing a close resemblance to one another. In the past, Cuba produced a fine grade; but the industry is now practically extinct.

Asia

ARABIA. For many generations Mocha coffee has been recognized throughout the world as the best coffee obtainable; and until the pure food law went into effect in the United States, other high-grade coffees were frequently sold by American firms under the name of Mocha. Now, only coffees grown in Arabia are entitled to that valuable trade name. They grow in a small area in the mountainous regions of the southwestern portion of the Arabian peninsula, in the province of Yemen, and are known locally by the names of the districts in which they are produced. Commercially they are graded as follows: Mocha Extra, for all extra qualities; Mocha No. 1, consisting of only perfect berries; No. 1-A, containing some dust, but otherwise free of imperfections; No. 2, showing a few broken beans and quakers; No. 3, having a heavier percentage of brokens and quakers and also some dust.

Mocha beans are very small, hard, roundish, and irregular in form and size. In color, they shade from olive green to pale yellow, the bulk being olive green. The roast is poor and uneven; but the coffee's virtues are shown in the cup. It has a distinctive winy flavor, and is heavy with acidity--two qualities which make a straight Mocha brew especially valuable as an after-dinner coffee, and also esteemed for blending with fancy, mild, washed types, particularly East Indian growths.

As in other countries, the coffees grown on the highlands in Yemen are better than the lowland growths. As a rule, the low altitude bean is larger and more oblong than that grown in the highlands, due to its quicker development in the regions where the rainfall, though not great, is more abundant.

While Mocha coffees are known commercially by grade numbers, the planters and Arabian traders also designate them by the name of the district or province in which each is grown. Among the better grades thus labeled are, the Yaffey, the Anezi, the Mattari, the Sanani, the Sharki, and the Haimi-Harazi. For the poorer grades, these names are used: Remi, Bourai, Shami, Yemeni, and Maidi. Of these varieties, the Mattari, a hard and regular bean, pale yellow in color, commands the highest price, with the Yaffey a close second. Harazi coffee heads the market for quantity coupled with general average of quality.

INDIAN AND CEYLON. Coffees from India and Ceylon are marketed almost exclusively in London, little reaching the American trade. Of the Indian growths, Malabars, grown on the western slope of the Ghaut mountains, are classed commercially as the best. The bean is rather small and blue-green in color. In the cup it has a distinctive strong flavor and deep color. Mysore coffee ranks next in favor on the English market. It is mountain grown, and the bean is large and blue-green in color. Tellicherry is another good grade coffee, closely resembling Malabar. Coorg (Kurg) coffee is an inferior growth. It is lowland type, and in the cup is thin and flat. The bean is large and flat, and tends toward dark green in color. Travancore is another lowland growth, ranking about with Coorg, and has the same general characteristics. See the Complete Reference Table for details.

Ceylon, although it once was one of the world's most important producers, has been losing ground as a coffee-producing country since 1890. Ceylon coffees are classified commercially as "native", "plantation", and "mountain". The native is a poor-grade, lowland growth, with large flat bean and low cup quality. The plantation, so named because more carefully cultivated on highland plantations, is a stylish roaster, and gives a rich flavor and strong fragrance in the cup. The mountain, grown at high altitudes, is a small, steel-blue bean, and is considered by British traders as equal to the best varieties grown anywhere. It was formerly shipped to Aden to be mixed with Mocha.

FRENCH INDO-CHINA. The coffee of French Indo-China is highly prized in France, where the bulk of the exports goes. The coffee tree grows well in the provinces of Tonkin, Annam, Cambodia, and Cochin-China. Tonkin is the largest producer, and grows the best varieties. In the cup, Tonkin coffee is thought by French traders to compare favorably with Mocha. Of the several varieties of Coffea arabica grown in Indo-China, the Grand Bourbon, Bourbon rond, and the Bourbon Le Roy, are the best known. The first-named is a large bean of good quality; the second is a small, round bean of superior grade; and the third is a still smaller bean of fair cup quality.

Africa

ABYSSINIA. The coffee grown in Abyssinia is classified commercially into two varieties: Harari, which is grown principally in the district around Harar; and Abyssinian, produced mainly in the provinces of Kaffa, Sidamo, and Guma. Harari coffee is the fruit of cultivated trees; while Abyssinian comes from wild trees. The first-named produces a long and well-shaped berry, and is often referred to as Longberry Harari. The bean is larger than the Mocha, but similar in general appearance. Its color shades from blue-green to yellow. Good grades of Harari have cup characteristics resembling Mocha, and by some are preferred to Mocha, because of their winier cup flavor. The Abyssinian coffee is considered much inferior to Harari; and chops generally contain many imperfections. The bean is dark gray in color. Little Abyssinian coffee comes to the United States.

Many other African countries produce coffee; but little of it ever reaches the North American market. Uganda, in British East Africa, grows a good grade of robusta coffee which is valued on the London market. Liberian coffee, grown on the west coast, used to be mixed with Bourbon Santos to some extent; but it is generally considered low grade, although it makes a handsome, elephantine roast. The product of Guinea is a very small bean, half-way between a peaberry and a flat bean, and has a dingy brown color. It is considered worthless as a drink. A medium-sized, strong-flavored bean that is rich in the cup, is grown in the African Congo district. In Angola a fair quantity of coffee is produced. In the cup it has a strong and pungent flavor, but lacks smoothness and aroma. Zanzibar produces a pleasing coffee in very limited quantities. The bean is medium size, and regular in shape. Mozambique's coffee is greenish in color, of medium size, and mellow. The production is small. Madagascar produces an insignificant quantity for export, although the coffee is considered fair average, with rich flavor, and considerable fragrance. Bourbon coffee, grown on the island of Reunion, commands a high price in the French market, where practically all exports go. It is a small, flinty bean, and gives a rich cup and fragrance.

East Indian Islands

Some of the coffees from the East Indian islands rank among the best in the world, particularly those from Sumatra. East India coffees are distinguished by their smooth, heavy body in the cup, the fancy grades giving an almost syrupy richness.

JAVA. Java coffees are generally of a smaller bean than those from Sumatra, and are not considered as high grade. The bulk of the new-crop growths have a grassy flavor which most people find unpleasant when drunk straight. Under the old culture system, coffee was bought by the government, and held in godowns from two to three years, until it had become mellow with age. In late years, this system has been abandoned; and the planters now sell their product as they please, and in most cases without mellowing, excepting as they age during the long sea voyage from Batavia to destination. Before the advent of large fleets of steamers in the East Indian trade, the coffee was brought to America in sailing vessels that required from three to four months for the trip. During the voyage, the coffee went through a sweating process which turned the beans from a light green to a dark brown, and considerably enhanced their cup values. The sweating was due to the coffee being loaded while moist, and then practically sealed in the vessel's hold during all its trip through the tropical seas. As a consequence, the cargo steamed and foamed; and as a rule, part of the coffee became moldy, the damage seldom extending more than an inch or two into the mats. Sweated coffees commanded from three to five cents more than those that came in "pale".

Before the Java coffee trade began to decline in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Coffea arabica was grown abundantly throughout the island. Each residency had numerous estates, and their names were given to the coffees produced. The best coffees came from Preanger, Cheribon, Buitenzorg, and Batavia, ranking in merit in the order named. All Java coffees are known commercially either as private growth, or as blue bean washed, the former being cured by either the washing or the dry hulling method, while the latter are washed. Private growths are usually a pale yellow, the bean being short and round and slightly convex. It makes a handsome even roast, showing a full white stripe. The washed variety is a pale blue-green, the bean closely resembling the private growth in form and roast. These coffees have a distinctive character in the cup that is much different from any other coffee grown. Their liquor is thin.

All the better known coffees of Java, which are designated by the districts in which they are grown, are listed in the Complete Reference Table. Coffee from few of the many districts comes to the North American market. Among those that are sold in the United States are the Kadoe and Semarang, both of which are small, yellowish green; and the Malang, a green, hard bean which makes a better roast than Kadoe and Semarang, but is inferior to them in the cup.

SUMATRA. Sumatra has the reputation of producing some of the finest and highest-priced coffees in the world, such as Mandheling, Ankola, Ayer Bangies, Padang Interior, and Palembang. Mandheling coffee is a large, brownish bean which roasts dull, but is generally free from quakers. It is very heavy in body, and has a unique flavor that easily distinguishes it from any other growth. The Ankola bean is shorter and better-appearing than Mandheling, but otherwise bears a close resemblance. Its flavor is only slightly under Mandheling; and, like that coffee, is recommended for blending with the best grades of Mocha. While the Ayer Bangies bean is somewhat larger than the other two just mentioned, it is not so dark brown in color, and is not quite so heavy in body; the flavor is very delicate. These three growths are known in the trade as the "Fancies" and are considered the best of Sumatra's production.

The Sumatra coffee best known to the American trade is the Padang Interior, which is shipped through the port of Padang on Sumatra's west coast. The bean is irregular in form and color, and makes a dull roast. However, the flavor is good, although it lacks the richness of the Fancies. Another celebrated coffee grown on the west coast is the Boekit Gompong, grown on the estate of that name near Padang. It is a high-grade coffee, making a handsome roast, and possessing a delicate flavor. The foregoing coffees are produced on what were formerly termed government estates, and during the heyday of government control were sold by auction and came mostly to the United States.

Among the private estate coffees, Corinchies take first rank for quality, some traders saying that they are the best in international commerce. They closely resemble Ankolas, but range a cent or two lower in price. Next in order of merit is Timor coffee, grown on the island of that name. It is not as attractive in appearance, roast, or cup quality as the Corinchie. A grade below Timors is Boengie coffee, which is seldom seen on the North American market. Kroe coffee is better known and more widely used in the United States. The bean is large, but has an attractive appearance. Kroes are of heavy body, of somewhat groundy flavor when new crop, and are good roasters and blenders. Other East Indian coffees are Teagals, Balis, and Macassars, all of which are second-rate growths as compared with the bulk of Sumatras, grade for grade. The Macassars are produced in the district of that name on island of Celebes. The best coffee grown in Celebes comes from the province of Menado, and is known by that name. It is thought to be of a superior quality, and commands a high price in Europe.

The Pacific Islands

The Philippine Islands have not figured in international coffee trade since 1892, although in preceding years the Philippines exported several million pounds of an average good grade of coffee. While coffee is one of the shade trees used by householders in Guam, none of the fruit is exported. Coffee production is an unimportant industry in Samoa, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and other Pacific islands, and none is grown for export.

HAWAII. Since the beginning of the twentieth century the Hawaiian islands have taken a position of increasing importance, shipping some two million pounds of good quality coffee to the United States, their biggest customer. Coffee grows to some extent on all the islands of the group, but fully ninety-five percent is raised in the districts of Kona, Puna, and Hamakua on the main island of Hawaii. All Hawaiian coffee is high grade; and is generally large bean, blue-green in color when new crop, and yellow-brown when aged. It makes a handsome roast, and has a fine flavor that is smooth and not too acid. It blends well with any high-grade mild coffee. Kona coffee, grown in the district of that name, commands the highest price. Old-crop Kona coffee is said by some trade authorities to be equal to either Mocha or Old Government Java.

Appearance, Aroma, and Flavor in Cup-Testing

Before the beginning of the twentieth century, practically all the coffees bought and sold in the United States were judged for merit simply by the appearance of the green or of the roasted bean. Since that time, the importance of testing the drinking qualities has become generally recognized; and today every progressive coffee buyer has his sample-roasting and testing outfit with which to carry out painstaking cup tests. Both buyers and sellers use the cup test, the former to determine the merits of the coffee he is buying, and the latter to ascertain the proper value of the chop under consideration. Frequently a test is made to fix the relative desirability of various growths considered as a whole, using composite samples that are supposed to give representation to an entire crop.

The first step in testing coffee is to compare the appearance of the green bean of a chop with a sample of known standard value for that particular kind of coffee. The next step is to compare the appearance when roasted. Then comes the appearance and aroma test, when it is ground; and finally, the most difficult of all, the trial of the flavor and aroma of the liquid.

Naturally the tester gives much care to proper roasting of the samples to be examined. He recognizes several different kinds of roasts which he terms the light, the medium, the dark, the Italian, and the French roasts, all of which vary in the shadings of color, and each of which gives a different taste in the cup. The careful tester watches the roast closely to see whether the beans acquire a dull or bright finish, and to note also if there are many quakers, or off-color beans. When the proper roasting point is reached, he smells the beans while still hot to determine their aroma. In some growths and grades, he will frequently smell of them as they cool off, because the character changes as the heat leaves them, as in the case of many Maracaibo grades.

After roasting, the actual cup-testing begins. Two methods are employed, the blind cup test, in which there is no clue to the identity of the kind of coffee in the cup; and the open test, in which the tester knows beforehand the particular coffee he is to examine. The former is most generally employed by buyers and sellers; although a large number of experts who do not let their knowledge interfere with their judgment, use the open method.

In both systems the amount of ground coffee placed in the cup is carefully weighed so that the strength will be standard. Generally, the cups are marked on the bottom for identification after the examination. Before pouring on the hot water to make the brew, the aroma of the freshly ground coffee is carefully noted to see if it is up to standard. In pouring the water, care is exercised to keep the temperature constant in the cups, so that the strength in all will be equal. When the water is poured directly on the grounds, a crust or scum is formed. Before this crust breaks, the tester sniffs the aroma given off; this is called the wet-smell, or crust, test, and is considered of great importance.

Of course, the taste of the brew is the most important test. Equal amounts of coffee are sipped from each cup, the tester holding each sip in his mouth only long enough to get the full strength of the flavor. He spits out the coffee into a large brass cuspidor which is designed for the purpose. The expert never swallows the liquor.

Cup-testing calls for keenly developed senses of sight, smell, and taste, and the faculty for remembering delicate shadings in each sense. By sight, the coffee man judges the size, shape, and color of the green and roasted bean, which are important factors in determining commercial values. He can tell also whether the coffee is of the washed or unwashed variety, and whether it contains many imperfections such as quakers, pods, stones, brokens, off-colored beans, and the like. By his sense of smell of the roast and of the brew, he gauges the strength of the aroma, which also enters into the valuation calculation. His palate tells him many things about a coffee brew--if the drink has body and is smooth, rich, acidy, or mellow; if it is winy, neutral, harsh, or Rioy; if it is musty, groundy, woody, or grassy; or if it is rank, hidey (sour), muddy, or bitter. These are trade designations of the different shades of flavor to be found in the various coffees coming to the North American market; and each has an influence on the price at which they will be sold.

The up-to-date cup-tester requires special equipment to get the best results. A typical installation consists of a gas sample-roasting outfit, employing at least a single cylinder holding about six ounces of coffee, and perhaps a battery of a dozen or more; an electric grinding mill; a testing table, with a top that can be revolved by hand; a pair of accurately adjusted balance scales; one or more brass kettles; a gas stove for heating water; sample pans; many china or glass cups; silver spoons; and a brass cuspidor that stands waist high and is shaped like an hour glass.

Since the World War, there have been some notable changes in the buying of coffees, particularly in European markets. For example, the old idea of buying fancy coffees at fancy prices is probably gone for good in Europe.

COMPLETE REFERENCE TABLE

OF

THE PRINCIPAL KINDS OF COFFEE GROWN IN THE WORLD

Together with Their Trade Values and Cup Characteristics

t, indicates town or trading center; m n, market name; d, district or state.

---------------+------------+---------------+--------------|--------------- | | |State, or |Trade Values Grand Division | Country |Shipping Ports |District, | and Cup | | |Market Names |Characteristics | | | Gradings | ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+--------------- North America |Mexico |Vera Cruz |Mexicans |In general: | |on Gulf of Mex.| |Mexicans are | | | |mild or mellow. | | | |The green beans | | | |are greenish to | | | |yellow (when | | | |aged) and of | | | |large size. The | | | |washed coffees | | | |make a handsome | | | |roast, showing | | | |pronounced white | | | |central stripe. | | | |In the cup they | | | |have a full rich | | | |body, fine | | | |acidity, and a | | | |wonderful | | | |bouquet. | | | | | | |Vera Cruz, d |Acid, of | | |Coatepec, m n |excellent heavy | | |(pro., |and rich | | | co-at-e-pec) |flavor;fine for | | | |blending. | | | | | | |Huatusco, t |Fine appearing | | |(pro., |washed coffee; | | | wha-toos-co) |next to | | | |Coatepec for | | | |acid and | | | |blending | | | |qualities. | | | | | | |Orizaba, t |Regarded as | | | |next to | | | |Huatusco; | | | |good cup | | | |quality. | | | | | | |Jalapa, t |Stylish | | |(pro., |roaster; | | | ha-lap-a) |frequently | | | |light body. | | | | | | |Cordoba, t |Neutral, smooth | | | |in flavor, | | | |without acid | | | |tang; good | | | |body. | | | | | |Puerto Mexico |Tabasco, d & |Of uncertain | |on Gulf of Mex.| m n |character; many | | |Coatzacoalcos,|of them Rioy, | | | t & m n |flat, and | | | |groundy. | | | |Unsatisfactory | | | |in the cup. | | | | | |Salina Cruz |Chiapas, d |Resembles | | on Pacific | Soconusco, t,|Guatemala | | | m n | | |Coatzacoalcos | or |coffees; | |(Puerto Mexico)| Tapachula, |smooth in | |on Gulf of Mex.| t, m n |character, | | | |and without | | | |decided tang. | | | | | | |Oaxaca, d, m n|Small bean; | | | & t (pr., |excellent | | | wah-hock-ah)|quality, sharply | | | Sierra Oaxaca|acid, fine | | | (common - |flavor, but not | | | unwashed) |stylish in | | | Pluma Oaxaca |appearance. | | | (hidalgo- |The Pluma is a | | | washed) |very fancy bean | | | |coffee, also | | | |acid and fine | | | |for blending. | | | | | |Acapulco |Guerrero, d |Inferior in | | on Pacific | Sierra, m n |quality; low | | | |growth and | | | |woody. | | | | | |Manzanillo |Michoacan, d |A superior | | on Pacific | Unrapan, t |coffee, but not | | | |produced in | | | |commercial | | | |quantity. | | | | | | Do. |Colima, d, m n|Very like | | | & t |Uruapan. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------+------------+---------------+--------------|--------------- | | |State, or |Trade Values Grand Division | Country |Shipping Ports |District, | and Cup | | |Market Names |Characteristics | | | Gradings | ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+--------------- North America |Mexico |Vera Cruz |Puebla, d |Low-grade (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | |Sierra, m n |mountain coffee. | | | | | |Tampico |Tamaulipas, d |An inferior | | | Tampico, m n |grade. | | | & t | | | | | | | | Tepic |So called | | | |"Mexican Mocha." | | | |Raised for local | | | |consumption. Not | | | |a commercial | | | |factor. | | |------------------------------- | | | Classes for all Mexicans | | |1. Commons (customary or | | | natural). | | |2. Washed (W.I.P.) | | |3. Caracolillo (peaberry.) ---------------+------------+---------------+------------------------------- Central America|Guatemala |Puerto Barrios |Guatemala |In general: | | and Livingston| |Guatemalas are | | on Caribbean | |mild or mellow | | | |and mostly | | | |washed. | | | |The green beans | | | |are greenish to | | | |yellow (when | | | |aged), and of | | | |large size. The | | | |mountain-grown | | | |coffees make a | | | |handsome roast, | | | |are of full | | | |heavy body and | | | |excellent cup | | | |quality. The | | | |lower-altitude | | | |coffees are light | | | |in cup, but | | | |flavory. | | | | | |Ocos, |Coban, t & m n|Waxy, bluish | |Champerico, and| |bean; handsome | |San Jose | |uniform roast | | on Pacific | |with white | | | |center. Heavy | | | |body, fine | | | |acidity. | |Belize |Alta Verapaz, |Gray-blue bean; | | (Br. Honduras)| d |fine mellow | | | Sehenaju, t |flavor. See | | | |Belize. | | |Antigua, d |Medium flinty | | |Costa Cuca, d |bean; lighter in | | |Costa Grande, d|body; flavory, | | |Barberena, d |acid. | | |Tumbador, d | Classes for | | |Costa de Cucho|All Guatemalas | | |Chicacao |Most Guatemalas | | | Xolhuitz, d |are washed and | | |Pochuta |may be | | | Malacatan, d|classified as | | |San Marcos, d |follows: | | |Chuva, d |1. Small flinty | | |Escuintla, d |bean, extremely | | |San Vincente, d|acid and flavory, | | |Pacaya, d |produced in the | | |Moran, d |highest altitudes | | |Amatitlan, d |of the Antigua, | | |Palmar, d |Moran, and | | |Motagua, d |Amatitlan | | | |districts. | | | |2. Waxy, bluish | | | |bean, flinty, | | | |but large roast; | | | |heavy body with | | | |fine acidity. | | | |Produced in the | | | |mountainous | | | |regions of the | | | |Coban, Costa | | | |Cuca, Tumbador, | | | |and Chuva | | | |districts. | | |3. Waxy, bluish bean, handsome | | |uniform roast, heavy-bodied but | | |non-acid coffees produced in | | |almost every district of the | | |republic at an altiture of from | | |2,000 to 3,000 feet. | | | | | |4. Stylish, green bean, | | |handsome large uniform roast, | | |very white center, mild cupping | | |coffees produced practically | | |everywhere in the republic at | | |an altitude of from 1,500 to | | |2,500 feet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------+------------+---------------+--------------|--------------- | | | State, or |Trade Values Grand Division | Country |Shipping Ports |District, | and Cup | | |Market Names |Characteristics | | | Gradings | ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+--------------- Central America|Guatemala | |5. The lower altitudes of the (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | |various districts produce either | | |medium bean, neutral cupping, | | |colory coffees, or the Bourbon | | |type of small bean, greenish | | |coffee. | | |------------------------------ |British |Belize |Belize, m n |A Coban coffee | Honduras | | |from the | | | |Honduras Alta | | | |Verapaz district | | | |in Guatemala. | | | | | |Trujillo and |Honduras |In general: | |Puerto Cortes | Santa Barbara|Honduras coffees | | on Caribbean | d |are small, | | | Copan, d |rounded, and | | | Cortez d |bluish-green. | |Amapala | La Paz, d |They are of a | | on Pacific | Choluteca, d |hard flinty | | | El Paraiso, d|character; make a | | | |fair roast and | | | |are neutral in | | | |flavor. While the | | | |upland grades are | | | |of good quality, | | | |the run of the | | | |country's | | | |production | | | |seldom brings as | | | |high a price as | | | |Santos of equal | | | |grade. | | | | |Salvador |Acajutla |Salvador |In general: | |La Union | Usulutan, d |Salvador's | | La Libertad | La Libertad, |coffees are | | | d |mostly inferior | | | Santa Ana, d |in quality to | | | Santa Tecla, |those of | | | d |Guatemala. The | | | La Paz, d |bulk of the crop | | | Ahuachapan, d|is natural | | | Juayua, d |unwashed. Green | | | Santiago de |beans are smooth | | | Maria, d |and handsome and | | | Sonsonate, d |make a cinnamon | | | San Miguel, d|roast. Flavor is | | | San Salvador,|neutral. Useful | | | d |as a filler. The | | | San Vincente,|washed coffee is | | | d |a fancy roaster, | | | Cuscatlan, d |with a very thin | | | Morazan, d |cup. | | | Cabanas, d | | | | Chalatenango,|Classes and | | | d |Gradings for All | | | La Union, d |Salvadors: Washed | | | |1. Flinty, colory, | | | |greenish to bluish | | | |bean, fine white | | | |centered roasters, | | | |extremely stylish | | | |coffees with | | | |full-bodied cup | | |--------------|merit. | | |2. Grayish green to bluish green | | |neutral-cupping coffees. | | | | | | Unwashed | | | | | |1. Screened, large bean, fine | | |roaster. | | | | | |2. Average run, unscreened, | | |so-called Current Unwashed. All | | |unwashed coffees vary greatly | | |in cup merit, much the same as | | |with Santos coffees. | | |--------------+---------------- |Nicaragua |Corinto |Nicaragua |In general: The | | on Pacific | |washed coffees of | | | |Nicaragua have | | | |merit, and are | | | |fine roasters; but | | | |the naturals, | | | |comprising the | | | |bulk of the crop, | | | |are of ordinary | | | |quality. | | | | | |San Juan del |Matagalpa, d |Large, handsome, | |Norte | |blue, washed bean | | (Greytown) | |making fancy | | on Caribbean | |roast with plenty | | | |of acid in the | | | |cup. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------+------------+---------------+--------------|--------------- | | |State, or |Trade Values Grand Division | Country |Shipping Ports |District, | and Cup | | |Market Names |Characteristics | | | Gradings | ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+--------------- Central America|Nicaragua | |Jinotega, d | (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | |Los Pueblos, d| | | |Los Altos, d | | | +--------------+ | | | Classes for All Nicaraguas: | | | | | |1. Large, handsome, pale | | |greenish to blue, washed coffee | | |of the Matagalpa district, | | |often showing fancy roast and | | |acidly full-bodied cup. | | | | | |2. Washed coffees of the lower | | |regions; small in size, but | | |greenish, colory, fine roasters | | |and neutral cupping. | | | | | |3. Unwashed coffee (bulk of the | | |output) the merit of which | | |depends entirely on the | | |respective crop. Often a large | | |proportion of the crop is mild | | |cupping and as desirable as any | | |other unwashed coffee; while | | |another crop may produce a large | | |quantity of Rio-flavored coffees. | | +------------------------------- |Costa Rica |Puerto Limon |Costa Rica |In general: The | | on Caribbean | Cartago, d |high-altitude | |Punta Arenas | San Jose d |coffees of Costa | | on Pacific | Alajuela, d |Rica are | | | Grecia, d |blue-greenish, | | | Tres Rios, d |large, rich in | | | Heredia, d |body, of fine, | | | |mild flavor, | | | |sharply acid, | | | |and superior for | | | |blending | | | |purposes. These | | | |coffees are famous | | | |for their fine | | | |preparation and | | | |careful | | | |screening. The | | | |lower regions | | | |produce coffees | | | |of more | | | |neutral-cupping | | | |qualities. |Panama |Panama City |Panama |In general: The | | | Chiriqui, d |green bean is of | | | Boquete, m n |average size, | | | |greenish in | | | |color. In the | | | |cup it has a | | | |heavy body and a | | | |strong flavor. | | | |Grown chiefly for | | | |domestic | | | |consumption. Not | | | |a commercial | | | |factor. ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+---------------- West Indies |Cuba |Havana |Cuba |In general: (Greater | |Santiago | Oriente, d |Cuban coffee is Antilles) | | | Guatanamo, t |of good quality. | | | Santa Clara, |The bean is of | | | d |medium size, | | | Pinar del Rio|light green, and | | | d |makes a uniform | | | Vuelta Abaja|roast. The flavor | | | m n |resembles the fine | | | |washed coffees of | | | |Santo Domingo. Not | | | |commercially | | | |important. | | | | |Haiti |Port au Prince |Haiti |In general: The | |Cap Haitien | St. Marc, d |Haitian washed | | | Gonaive, d |coffee is a blue | | | Cap Haitien, |bean and makes an | | | d |attractive roast. | | | Jacmel, d |It has a rich, | | | Les Cayes, d |fairly acid, | | | Jeremie, d |mildly-sweet | | | |flavor; of average | | | |quality. The | | | |naturals are used | | | |extensively for | | | |French roasts. ---------------+------------+---------------+--------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- West Indies |Santo |Santo Domingo |Santo Domingo |In general: Santo (Greater | Domingo |Porto Plata | Cape, m n | Domingo coffee is Antilles) | | | Mocha, d | a large, flat, (Cont'd) | | | Santiago, d | pointed, | | | Porto Plata, d | greenish-yellow | | | Bani, d | bean. The | | | Barahona, d | high-grown washed | | | | is of good body and | | | | fair flavor. The | | | | low grade is | | | | strong, approaching | | | | Rio in flavor. The | | | | natural coffees are | | | | used extensively | | | | for French roasts. | | | | |Jamaica |Kingston |Jamaica |In general: | (British) | | Classes: | Jamaica coffee is | | | Blue Mountain | bluish-green when | | | (high-grown) | washed, and green | | | Settlers' | to yellow when | | | (ordinary, or | patio-dried. The | | | plain-grown) | washed high-grown | | | | makes a fancy | | | | roast, and is rich, | | | | full and mellow in | | | | the cup. The | | | | ordinary | | | | plain-grown makes | | | | a bright roast, | | | | and has a fairly | | | | good cup quality. | | | | The naturals are | | | | used extensively | | | | for French roasts. | | | | |Porto Rico |San Juan |Porto Rico |In general: Porto | (U.S.) |Ponce | Sierra | Rico coffee | |Mayaguez | Luquillo, | is a large, | |Arecibo | m n | handsome, washed | |Aguadilla | Yauco, d, t | bean, light | | | & m n | gray-blue to dark | | | Ciales, d & t | greenish blue in | | | Cayey, d & t | color, and makes | | | Utuado, d & t | a fancy roast | | | | without quakers. | | | Lares, d & t | Strong or heavy | | | Moca, d & t | body; peculiar | | | Adjuntas, d & | flavor similar | | | t | to a washed | | | Las Larias, d | Caracas, but | | | & t | smoother. | | | Maricao, d & | | | | t | | | | San Sebastian | Classes for All | | | d | Porto Ricos | | | Mayaguez, d & | | | | t |Caracolillo, a round | | | Ponce, d & t | bean peaberry; | | | | Primero, a superior | | | | grade of good size | | | | and color, usually | | | | hand-picked; | | | | Segundo, second | | | | grade, inferior to | | | | Primero in size and | | | | color; Trillo, | | | | lowest grade, sold | | | | locally. | | | | (Lesser |British West| | | Antilles) | Indies | | | |Antigua |Saint John |Antigua |In general: While |Dominica |Portsmouth |Dominica | the quantity grown | | | (Soufriere) | is small, the |Barbados |Bridgetown |Barbados | coffee is of good |Trinidad |Port of Spain |Trinidad | quality, and |Tobago |Scarborough |Tobago | includes ten | | | | different | | | | varieties. That | | | | grown in Barbados | | | | is similar to that | | | | of Martinique, but | | | | a larger bean. This | | | | group is not an | | | | important | | | | commercial factor. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- West Indies |Guadeloupe |Pointe-a-Pitre|Guadeloupe |In general: The (Lesser | (French) | |Classes: | Guadeloupe coffee Antilles) | | | 1. Bonifieur, | bean is glossy, (Cont'd) | | | or Cafe Lustre | hard, long, and | | | (glossy) | has an even green | | | 2. Habitant, | color, somewhat | | | or Cafe plus | grayish. It is of | | | Pellicule | excellent quality. | | | (with | The Saints Bean is | | | pellicles) | superior. The | | | | Ordinary is a | | | | smaller, rounder, | | | | curved bean. | | | | Guadeloupe coffees | | | | are mostly sold as | | | | Martinique. | | | | |Martinique |Fort-de-France|Martinique |In general: The | (French) | | Grades: | Martinique bean is | | | Fine Green | green, long, | | | Common Green | somewhat thick, and | | | Good Commercial| is usually shipped | | | Common " | in the silver skin. | | | Picked " | It is of fine | | | Common | quality, but | | | | commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | Guadeloupe coffees | | | | are not | | | | infrequently sold | | | | as Martinique. | | | | |Curacao |Willemstad |Curacao |In general: The | (Dutch) | | | Curacao coffee bean | | | | is small, of light | | | | color and flavor. | | | | It makes a bright | | | | cinnamon roast; | | | | useful as a filler. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South America|Colombia |Puerto |Colombians, m |In general: The | | Colombia | n | Colombian coffee | | (Savanilla) | | bean is greenish, | |Barranquilla | | yellow, and brown, | |Cartagena | | depending on age, | |Santa Marta | | and is rich and | | on Atlantic | | mild in the cup. | | | | The fancy grades | |Buenaventura | | compare favorably | |Tumaco | | with the world's | | on the | | best growths. They | | Pacific | | produce one-quarter | | | | more liquor of | | | | given strength than | | | | Santos coffees, and | | | | possess much finer | | | | flavor and aroma. | | | | | | |Antioquia, d |Light to dark green; | | | Medellin, t | handsome roasters; | | | & m n | not as smooth as | | | | some Central | | | | American types, but | | | | best of Colombians; | | | | fine flavor and | | | | body. | | | | | | |Caldas, d |Similar to Medellins | | | Manizales, | in cup quality, but | | | t & m n | not as heavy-bodied | | | | or as acid. | | | | | | | Jerico |A favorably regarded | | | | Colombian. | | | | | | |Magdalena, d |Full, solid, blue, | | | Santa Marta, | washed bean, making | | | t & m n | a fancy roast, but | | | | too acid to be | | | | used straight. | | | | | | |Cundinamarca, |The green bean is | | | d | blue-green to fancy | | | Bogota, t & | yellow and Java | | | m n | brown, depending on | | | | age; long, with a | | | | sharp turn in one | | | | end of the center | | | | stripe. It makes -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South America|Colombia | | | a smooth roast. The (Cont'd) | (Cont'd). | | | fancy has a rich, | | | | mellow flavor. | | | Cauca, t & | Sometimes sold as | | | m n | imitation Bogota or | | | | Bucaramanga; but | | | | inferior in | | | | appearance, roast, | | | | and drink. | | | | | | | Santander, d |Large bean, spongy | | | Bucaramanga | and open, making a | | | t & m n | dull Java-style | | | | roast. The naturals | | | | lack acidity and | | | | flavor; but have a | | | | heavy body. The | | | | fancies are almost | | | | the equals of fine | | | | Javas and Sumatras. | | | | | | | Cucuta, t & |Attractive in style | | | m n | and cup. | | | | (See Venezuela.) | | | | | | | Ocana, t |Sometimes sold as an | | | Savanilla, | imitation Bogota or | | | m n | Bucaramanga; but | | | | inferior in | | | | appearance and cup. | | | | | | | Tolima, d |Fair size bean, | | | Ibague, t | attractive in | | | Honda, t | style and cup. | | | | | | | Classes for All Colombians: | | | Cafe Trillado (natural or sun dried), | | | Cafe Lavado (washed). | | | | | | Gradings for All Colombians: | | | Excelso (excellent), fantasia | | | (excelso and extra), extra (extra), | | | primera (first), segunda (second), | | | caracol (peaberry), monstruo (large | | | and deformed), consumo (defective), | | | pasilla (siftings). | | |-----------------+----------------- |Venezuela |La Guaira |Venezuela |In general: The | |Puerto Cabello| | coffee of Venezuela | |Maracaibo | | is greenish-yellow | | | | to yellow; large | | | | bean, ranging next | | | | to Santos in | | | | quality and price. | | | | It is mild or | | | | mellow in the cup. | | | | The unwashed, or | | | | trillado, | | | | comprises the bulk | | | | of the crop. | | | | | | | Caracas, d |Short, bluish bean, | | | | uniform in color, | | | | and making a light | | | | cinnamon roast, but | | | | containing quakers. | | | | The natural has a | | | | fair cup quality. | | | | The washed gives | | | | the best results in | | | | roast and cup. | | | | | | | Puerto |The washed is a | | | Cabello, d | handsome bean, but | | | | inferior in flavor | | | | to Caracas. The | | | | unwashed is flinty; | | | | fair roast, no | | | | special merit | | | | in cup. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South America|Venezuela | |Cumana, d |Valued just below (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | | | Caracas. | | | | | | |Coro, d |Valued a trifle | | | | below Rio of the | | | | same grade. | | | | | | |Trujillo, d & |A low grade, making | | | m n | a dull rough roast. | | | | | | | Santa Ana |Light in color and | | | | body. | | | | | | | Monte Carmelo |Light in color and | | | | body. | | | | | | | Bocono |Light in color and | | | | body; neutral | | | | flavor. Two | | | | classes. | | | | | | |Merida, d & |The best of the | | | m n | Maracaibos. The | | | | washed makes a good | | | | roast, and has a | | | | peculiar delicate | | | | flavor much prized | | | | by experts. It | | | | ranks among the | | | | world's best. | | | | | | | Tovar, m n |Ranks between | | | | Trujillos and | | | | Tachiras. Fair to | | | | good body; without | | | | acidity. Used as | | | | filler in blends. | | | | | | | Tachira, m |Formerly sold as | | | n | Cucuta, (San | | | | Cristobal) to which | | | | it is nearest | | | | in quality, | | | | appearance, and | | | | flavor. | | | | | | | Cucuta, t & |Grown in Colombia. | | | m n | Resembles Java bean | | | Salazar, m | in form and roast. | | | n | The natural makes | | | | a full roast. The | | | | washed is a | | | | stylish, large | | | | bean, a beautiful | | | | roaster, splitting | | | | open with irregular | | | | white center; | | | | sharply acid in the | | | | cup. | | | | | | | Angostura |A small bean, light | | | | in color and body, | | | | without much weight | | | | or character. | | | | | | | Carupano |A low grade valued | | | | at about the same | | | | as a Brazil coffee | | | | of similar grade. | | | | |British |Georgetown |Demerara, m |In general: Not a | Guiana | | n | commercial factor. | | | | |Dutch Guiana|Paramaribo |Surinam, m |In general: The | (Surinam) | | n | production is | | | | limited and | | | | commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | |French |Cayenne |Cayenne, m |In general: | Guiana | | n | Similar to | (Cayenne) | | | Martinique. The | | | | production is | | | | limited and | | | | commercially | | | | unimportant. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South |Brazil | |Brazils, m n |In general: The American | | | | coffees of Brazil, (Cont'd) | | | | which are generally | | | | known in the trade | | | | as "Brazils" (to | | | | distinguish them | | | | from "Milds," the | | | | higher grades), | | | | are the "price" | | | | coffees of the | | | | world. Brazil | | | | produces about 70% | | | | of the world's | | | | supply. | | | | | |Santos |Sao Paulo, d |The largest coffee | | | | district, producing | | | | between 50% and 60% | | | | of the world's | | | | supply. | | | | | | |Classes: | | | | Bourbon, |Small bean, | | | Santos m n | resembling Mocha, | | | | but making a | | | | handsomer roast | | | | with fewer quakers. | | | | In color it varies | | | | from dark to light | | | | green, and from | | | | yellow to a pale | | | | straw, often with | | | | a red center. True | | | | Bourbons are first | | | | crop beans. In the | | | | cup they are smooth | | | | and palatable | | | | without tang. | | | | | | | Flat Bean |Smooth surface, | | | Santos m n | small to large, | | | | pale green and | | | | greenish-yellow to | | | | pale yellow. It is | | | | a sixth year crop | | | | of Bourbon Santos. | | | | Good full smooth | | | | body. Used straight | | | | and in combination | | | | with all milds. | | | | | | | Mocha-Seed |A grade of Bourbon | | | Santos m n | designed as a | | | | substitute for true | | | | Mocha on the | | | | European markets. | | | | | | | Campinas, d |The oldest coffee | | | & t | district in Sao | | | | Paulo. There are | | | | 136 others. | | | | | | Gradings for All Sao Paulo: | | | 1--Fine 4--Regular | | | 2--Superior 5--Ordinary | | | 3--Good 6--Escalba | | +-----------------+----------------- | |Rio de |Minas Geraes |Various shades of | | Janeriro | Rio, m n | green, medium to | | | | large. Peculiar | | | | pungent flavor and | | | | aroma. | | | | | | Gradings for All Rios: | | | (N.Y. Coffee Exchange) | | | 1--No imperfections | | | 2--6 imperfections | | | 3--13 imperfections | | | 4--20 imperfections | | | 5--60 imperfections | | | 6--110 imperfections | | | 7--About 200 imperfections | | | 8--About 400 imperfections | | | | | | (On Havre Exchange) | | | Washed--Inferior and ordinary | | | Unwashed--Superior, 1st good, 1st | | | regular, 1st ordinary, 2nd good, | | | 2nd ordinary. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South America|Brazil |Victoria |Espirito Santo |Large, dingy-green (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | | d | or brown bean | | | Victoria, t | making a roast free | | | Capitania, m | from quakers but | | | n | but muddy in the | | | | cup. | | | | | |Bahia |Bahia, d, t, & |Low grade, having a | | | m n | peculiar smoky | | | | flavor. | | | | | | | Chapada, t & | Light-colored, | | | m n | fair-sized bean; | | | | attractive roast, | | | | but no cup | | | | character. | | | | | | | Caravellas, t |Similar to Chapada. | | | & m n | | | | | | | | Nazareth, t & |Small bean, fair | | | m n | roast, undesirable | | | | cup. | | | | | | | Maragogipe, |A variety of | | | t & m n | Coffea arabica; | | | | large bean, | | | | elephantine roast, | | | | woody in the cup. | | | | | |Ceara | Ceara, t |Small, flinty, green | | | Cuaruaru, m | bean; value like | | | n | Santos of the same | | | | grade. | | | | |Ecuador |Guayaquil |Ecuador |In general: The | | | | Ecuador coffee bean | | | | is small, pea-green | | | | in color, and not | | | | high grade. It | | | | resembles Ceara, | | | | and when old makes | | | | a bright roast. It | | | | is poor in cup | | | | quality and useful | | | | only as a filler. | | | | Not an important | | | | commercial factor. | | | | |Peru |Callao |Peru |In general: The | |Mollendo | Choquisongo, d | green coffee bean | | | Cajamarca, d | of Peru ranges from | | | Perene, d | medium to bold in | | | Paucartambo, d | size, and from | | | Chauchamayo, d | bluish to yellow in | | | Huanuaco, d | color. The highland | | | Pacasmayo, d | variety has been | | | | compared with the | | | | high-grade | | | | Mexicans, but the | | | | lowland growths are | | | | not favorably | | | | regarded. | | | | Unimportant | | | | commercially. | | | | |Bolivia | |Bolivia |In general: | | | La Paz, d | Bolivia's coffee, | | | Apolobamba, | though of superior | | | t | quality and | | | Yungas, m | sometimes compared | | | n | favorably with | | | Cochabamba, d | Arabian growths, is | | | Santa Cruz, d | an unimportant | | | Sara | factor in | | | Velasco | international | | | Chiquitos | coffee trading. | | | Cordillera | | | | El Beni, d | | | | Chuquisca, d | | | | | |Argentina | |Argentina |In general: | | | Salta, d | Argentina's coffee | | | Jujuy, d | is grown chiefly | | | | for home | | | | consumption. | | | | Unimportant | | | | commercially. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- South America|Paraguay | |Paraguay |In general: (Cont'd) | | | Altos, d | Paraguay's coffee | | | Asuncion, d | is all marketed in | | | | Asuncion, where it | | | | is sold as | | | | Brazilian coffee. | | | | It is commercially | | | | important. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Asia |Arabia |Aden |Mocha |In general: | |Hodeida | | Arabian, or Mocha, | |Maidi | | beans are very | |Leheya | | small, hard, round | | | | irregular in form | | | | and size; in color, | | | | olive green shading | | | | off to pale yellow. | | | | The roast is poor | | | | and irregular. In | | | | the cup they have | | | | a unique acid | | | | character, heavy | | | | body; in flavor, | | | | smooth and | | | | delicious. | | |Yemen | | | | Marttari, d |From the Beni-Mattar | | | (Mohtari) | country; the best; | | | | a yellow-green | | | | translucent bean. | | | | | | | Yaffey, d |From the Yaffey | | | | country near Taiz; | | | | second best. | | | | | | | Sharki, d |A long light yellow | | | (Shergi) | bean, from the | | | | east, "Esh Shark" a | | | | superior Mocha with | | | | a rich full body. | | | | | | | | | | | Sanani, d |From the Sanaa | | | | region; a green | | | | bean. A grade lower | | | | than Sharki. | | | | | | | Haimi-Harazi, |A quality green bean | | | d | from a mountain | | | (Hemi or | near Mattari. | | | Heimah) | | | | | | | | Anezi, d |From the El Anz | | | (Anisi) | country. Pale | | | | yellow and very | | | | hard. | | | | | | | Sharsh, d |Superior qualities | | | Menakha, d | of the above due | | | Hifash, d | to different | | | | methods of curing. | | | | | | | Remi, d |A poorer grade, | | | (Reimah) | reddish bean, from | | | | Djebel Remi. | | | | | | | Bourai, d |A poorer grade from | | | (Bura) | Djebel Boura. | | | | | | | Shami, d |A poorer grade from | | | | from the north; Esh | | | | Sham. | | | | | | | Yemeni, d |A poorer grade from | | | (Taizi) | the south; El | | | | Yemen. | | | | | | | Maidi, d |A poorer grade from | | | | the port of Maidi. | | | | | | |Abyssinia |Formerly known as | | | (Africa) | Longberry Mocha, | | | | but still shipped | | | | through Aden via | | | | Jibuti. See | | | | Africa--Abyssinia. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Asia |Arabia | |Gradings for All Mochas: Mocha (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | | Extra--For all extra qualities as | | | Yaffey, Anezi, Matari, Sharki. Mocha | | | No. 1--For Anezi, Matari, Sharki; | | | only perfect berries. No. 1A, same as | | | No. 1, but with some dust. Mocha No. | | | 2--Some broken and quakers. Mocha No. | | | 3--Broken, quakers and dust. | | | Magrache--Triage or screenings. | | |-----------------+----------------- |India |Madras | Indias, m n |In general: The | |Calicut | | Indian coffee bean | |Mangalore | | is small to large | |Tellicherry | | and blue-green in | |Tuticorin | | color. In the cup | |Bombay | | it has a | | | | distinctive strong | | | | flavor and deep | | | | color. | | | | | | | Mysore, d |Mountain-grown, | | | Mysore, t | large, blue-green | | | | bean, heavy body. | | | | | | | Madras, d |Small bean, solid | | | Malabar, m | and meaty; handsome | | | n (Wynaad) | roast, peculiar | | | | rich flavor. | | | | | | | Nilgiri, d |Small to large bean | | | Nilgiris, m | with slight acidity | | | n | in the cup; | | | | plantation Ceylon | | | | character. | | | | | | | Madura, d |No marked | | | (Palni Hills) | characteristics. | | | | | | | Salem, d |Same as Nilgiris. | | | (Shevaroys) | | | | | | | | Coimbatore, d |Same as Nilgiris. | | | | | | | Tellicherry, |A good grade | | | d | resembling Malabar; | | | | somewhat similar | | | | Nilgiris. | | | | | | | Coorg (or |A large, flat, dark | | | Kurg), d | green bean, thin in | | | | the cup; a lowland | | | | variety. | | | | | | | Travancore, d |Similar to | | | | Nilgiris. | | | | | | | Cochin, d |A native cherry. | | | Cochin, m | | | | n | | | | | | | | Bombay, d |Commercially | | | Kanara | unimportant. | | | | | | | Bengal, d |Commercially | | | Chittagong | unimportant. | | | | | | | Assam |Commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | | | | South Sylhet |Commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | |Burma |Rangoon |Burma |Large spongy bean; | | | Tavoy, d | grassy cup. Not a | | | | commercial factor. | | | | | | | Classes for All Indias: | | | 1--Native cherry (sun dried and | | | then hulled) | | | 2--Plantation (washed) | | | Sizes: Nos. 1, 2 and 3; Peaberry | | | and Triage -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Asia |Ceylon |Colombo |Ceylon |In general: (Cont'd) | | | Gampola, d | Ceylon's coffees | | | Dumbara, d | are no longer the | | | Kotmale, d | commercial factor | | | Pussellawa, d | they were before | | | | the coffee blight | | | | practically | | | | destroyed the | | | | industry. Those | | | | left, however, | | | | still retain much | | | | of their original | | | | character, the | | | | hill-grown washed | | | | being unique in | | | | appearance and | | | | flavor. In the old | | | | days they were | | | | classed as native, | | | | or plain-grown, | | | | plantation, | | | | mountain, and | | | | Liberian. | | | | |Malay States|Penang | Straits |In general: The | (British) | (Georgetown) | Liberian, m | coffee from the | |Singapore | n | Malay States is | | | Straits | mostly Liberian | | | Robusta, m | and Robusta and is | | | n | not important | | | | commercially, | | | | although the | | | | Robusta variety | | | | promises to become | | | | an important | | | | factor. | | | | | | | Perak, d |Most important of | | | | the Federated | | | | States coffees. | | | | | | | Selangor, d |Native state coffee. | | | | | | | Negri- |Nine states | | | Sembilan, d | Federation district | | | | coffees. | | | | | | | Bali, d & m |From the island in | | | n | Netherlands East | | | | Indies (See p. | | | | 374.) | | | | | | | Timor, d & |From the island in | | | m n | Netherlands East | | | | Indies (See p. | | | | 374.) | | | | |French |Haiphong |Indo-China, m |In general: The | Indo-China| | n | coffees of French | | | Tonkin | Indo-China, while | | | Annam | comparatively new, | | | Cambodia | give promise; but | | | Cochin-China | as yet are not | | | | commercially | | | | important. The | | | | original arabica | | | | plantings have been | | | | succeeded by | | | | liberica and | | | | robusta growths. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Malay |Sunda | | East Indies, |In general: Archipelago | Islands | | m n | Included in this | | | | group are the | | | | best-known coffees | | | | from Sumatra, Java, | | | | Timor, Celebes, | | | | etc. | | | | |Netherlands | | | | East Indies| | | |Sumatra |Padang |Sumatra |_In general___: | |Kroe (West | | Included among the | | Coast) | | coffees of Sumatra | |Batavia (Java)| | are several that | | | | are conceded to be | | | | the finest the | | | | world produces. The | | | | green beans are | | | | large, uniform, and | | | | vary in color from | | | | pale straw to deep | | | | mahogany. They have | | | | a smooth, heavy | | | | body, the -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Malay |Netherlands |Padang | | fancies possessing Archipelago | East Indies|Kroe (West | | an almost syrupy (Cont'd) |Sumatra | Coast) | | richness. They are | (Cont'd) |Batavia (Java)| | graded as Private | | | | Estate (washed or | | | |dry hulled) and Blue | | | | Bean (washed). | | | | | | |Padang, d & |The best coffee in | | | t | the world"; also | | | Mandheling, m | the highest priced. | | | n | Formerly a | | | | Government coffee. | | | | Yellow to brown, | | | | large-sized bean; | | | | dully roast, but | | | | free from quakers. | | | | It is of heavy | | | | body, exquisite | | | | flavor and aroma. | | | | | | | Ankola, m n |Formerly a | | | | Government coffee. | | | | Large fat bean, | | | | making a dull | | | | roast. Second only | | | | to Mandhelings; it | | | | has a heavy body | | | | and rich, musty | | | | flavor. | | | | | | | Siboga, m n |A harder bean | | | | Ankola; sometimes | | | | called Private | | | | Estate Ankola. | | | | | | | Ayer Bangies, |Formerly a | | | m n | Government | | | | coffee. Large | | | | even bean, with | | | | Mandheling and | | | | Ankola; of a | | | | delicate flavor | | | | but not much | | | | body. | | | | | | | Corinchie, m |Formerly a native | | | n | cultivation. The | | | | bean is large, | | | | handsome, brown in | | | | color. It makes an | | | | attractive roast. | | | | Good body, plenty | | | | of bitter acid, | | | | delicious flavor. | | | | | | | Interior, m |Formerly all | | | n | Government coffee. | | | | The true type of | | | | Old Government | | | | Java. Poor roast, | | | | good cup. | | | | | | | Painan |Formerly a | | | | Government coffee. | | | | Mixed green and | | | | brown beans; poor | | | | roast. Heavy body, | | | | pungent flavor. | | | | Grades next to | | | | Inferior. | | | | | | | Kroe, t & m |Formerly a native | | | n | cultivated coffee. | | | | Large even bean, | | | | fine roast, heavy | | | | body, somewhat | | | | groundy flavor. | | | | | | | Lahat, t & |Former native | | | m n | cultivation. | | | | Smaller than Kroe; | | | | good roaster, flat | | | | cup. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Malay |Netherlands |Padang | Palembang, t |Former Private Archipelago | East Indies|Kroe (West | & m n | Estates. Smaller (Cont'd) |Sumatra | Coast) | | than the Padang | (Cont'd) |Batavia (Java)| | bean; light color, | | | | strong cup. | | | | | | | Indrapoera, |Former Private | | | t & m n | Estates. An | | | | inferior grade of | | | | Sumatra. | | | | | | | Benkoelen, |Formerly a native | | | t & m n | cultivation. Good | | | | roast and cup. | | | | | | | Libaya, m n |Formerly a native | | | | cultivation. | | | | | | | Boekit Gompong, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. A perfect | | | | coffee, of heavier | | | | body than | | | | Mandheling, good | | | | roast; very | | | | delicate flavor. | | | | | | | Kagoe Kaleh, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. | | | | | | | Batang Baros, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. | | | | | | | Telok Goenoeng, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. | | | | | | | Aker Gedang, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. Small bean, | | | | good roast, fine | | | | flavor. | | | | | | | Soerian, m |Formerly a Private | | | n | Estate. Large bean, | | | | fine roast, good | | | | cup. Ranks next to | | | | Boekit Gompong. | | | | | | | Liki, m n |Formerly a Private | | | | Estate. Fine roast, | | | | light cup. It ranks | | | | next to Soerian. | | | | | | | Loebor Sampir, |Formerly a Private | | | m n | Estate. | | | | | | | Soengei, m |Former Private | | | n | Estate. | | | Landei, m n |Former Private | | | | Estate. | | | Ramboetan, m |Former Private | | | n | Estate. | | | Gadoeng Batoe, |Former Private | | | m n | Estate. | | | | | | | Merapi, m n |Formerly a Private | | | | Estate. Large bean, | | | | good roast, good | | | | cup. | | | | | | | Si Barasap, m |Formerly a Private | | | n | Estate. | | | | | | | Laboe Raya, m |Formerly a Private | | | n | Estate. Large bean, | | | | good roast, good | | | | cup. | | | | | |Balawan-Deli |East Coast |These coffees are | |Panai | Deli, d | comparatively new. | | | Bintangmariah, | They partake of the | | | d | qualities common to | | | Oelakmedan, d | the general run of | | | Panai, d | Sumatras without | | | | distinguishing | | | | characteristics. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Malay |Netherlands |Batavia |Java, m n |In general: Java Archipelago | East Indies| | | coffees do not (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | | | compare with |Java | | | Sumatras in | | | | quality. They are | | | | smaller in the | | | | bean, with a grassy | | | | flavor in the cup. | | | | Blue to pale | | | | yellow, short round | | | | bean. The washed | | | | makes a good smooth | | | | roast, light in the | | | | cup. | | | | | | | Preager, d |Best of the Java | | | | growths. | | | | | | | Cheribon, d |Ranks next to | | | | Preanger. | | | | | | | Kadoe, d |Small | | | | yellowish-green | | | | shelly bean; light | | | | in cup. | | | | | | | Semarang, d |Ranks next to Kadoe | | | | in roast and cup | | | | quality. | | | | | | | Malang, d |Hard green bean; | | | | better roaster than | | | | the above, but | | | | inferior in cup | | | | quality. | | | | | | | Bantam, t & |Medium-sized | | | m n | yellowish bean. | | | | | | | Buitenzorg, |One of the best of | | | t & m n | the Javas. | | | | | | | Krawang, t & |Irregular bean; fair | | | m n | roaster; fair cup. | | | | | | | Tegal, t & |One of the best of | | | m n | the Java growths. | | | | | | | Banjoemas, t |Medium-sized bean; | | | & m n | creamy and fragrant | | | | in the cup. | | | | | | | Pekalongan, |With characteristics | | | t & m n | like Pasuruan. | | | | | | | Baquilan, t |No marked | | | & m n |characteristics. | | | | | | | Japara, t & |Bean light in weight | | | m n | and color; cup | | | | neutral. | | | | | | | Surakarta, t |Large bean, handsome | | | & m n | roast, creamy body, | | | | aromatic flavor in | | | | the cup. | | | | | | | Jokjakarta, |Similar to | | | t & m n | Surakarta. | | | | | | | Madiun, t & |Yellow bean, light | | | m n | in weight and body, | | | | but good cup. | | | | | | | Rembang, t & |Similar to Kadoe. | | | m n | | | | | | | | Surabaya, t |Similar to Kadoe. | | | & m n | | | | | | | | Kediri, t & |Small hard bean; | | | m n | good drinker. | | | | | | | Pasurauan, t |Brown, uniform | | | & m n | bean; fragrant in | | | | cup. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Malay |Netherlands |Batavia | Probolingo, |Small hard bean: Archipelago | East Indies| | t & m n | poor roast. (Cont'd) |Java | | | | (Cont'd) | | Bejreki, t |Bold yellow bean; | | | & m n | full body and | | | | flavor. | | | | | | | Banjoewangi, |Heavy bean; rich | | | t & m n | flavor. | | | | | | | Pamanukin, t |A Liberian growth. | | | & m n | | | | | | | | Robusta, m |Small, | | | n |yellowish-green, | | | |round bean; quality | | | |approximately that | | | |of middling Arabian, | | | |ranking a little | | | |under good average | | | |Santos. Natural, | | | |poor roast. Washed, | | | |good roast. Fair | | | |cup. | | | | |Bali (Dutch)|Singaraja | Bali, m n |Fair-size bean of | | (Boeleleng) | | little merit. | | | | Poor roast. | | | | |Timor |Kupang | Timor, m n |Medium bean of good | (Dutch & | | | quality. | Portuguese)| | | | | | | |Celebes | | Celebes, m |In general: With the | (Dutch) | | n | exception of the | | | | Minahassa product, | | | | the coffees grown | | | | in the Celebes have | | | | little merit and | | | | are of | | | | inconsiderable | | | | importance. | | | | | |Menado | Minahassa, |Large, deep-yellow | | | m n | bean, making a | | | | handsome roast, and | | | | having an aromatic | | | | cup. | | | | | |Macassar | Boengie, |Inferior in | | | m n | appearance, but | | | | fair roast and | | | | cup quality. | | | | | |Bonthain | Bontbain, |Medium, flat, | | | m n | reddish bean, poor | | | | roast; undesirable | | | | cup. | | | | | | | Sindjai, |Not commercially | | | m n | important. | | | | |Moluccas |Ternate | Boengie, |Superior to the Java | (Dutch) | | m n | arabica. | | | | |Borneo | | | | British |Sandakan | Borneo, |In general: The | North | | m n | coffees of Borneo | Sarawak |Kuching | Borneo, m n | are mostly Liberian | Dutch |Banjermasin | Borneo, m n | growths and are not | | | | a trade factor. | | | | |New Guinea |Ternate | New Guinea, |In general: These | (Dutch) | (Moluccas) | m n | coffees are of the | |Dorey | | mild variety, but | | | | the production is | | | | commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Melanesia |New |Noumea |New Caledonia |A fair Robusta | Caledonia | | La Foa | coffee, but | (France) | | | commercially | | | | unimportant. | | | | |New Hebrides| | | | (Great | | | | Britain | | | | and France)| | | | | | | |Efate |Vila |New Hebrides |A fair coffee, but | | | | not a trade factor. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Micronesia |Samoan | | | | Islands | | | | Tutuila |Pago Pago |Samoa |Commercially | | (U.S.) | | unimportant. | | | | |Fiji | | | | (British) | | | | Vita Levu |Suva |Fiji |Medium-sized green | | | | bean; grassy cup. | | | | Not a trade factor. | | | | |Tonga | | | | (Friendly | | | | Islands) | | | | Tongatabu |Nukualofa |Tonga |For local | | | | consumption only. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Philippine |Luzon |Manila |Manila |In general: Islands | | | La Laguna, d | Manila, or (U.S.) | | | Batangas, d | Philippine, coffee | | | Cavite, d | is not an important | | | Benguet, d | trade factor. The | | | Lepanto, d | bean is medium | | | Bontoc, d | size, grayish-green | | | | in color, having | | | | fine aroma and | | | | excellent flavor. | | | | It compares | | | | favorably with | | | | Costa Rica and | | | | Guatemala. | | | | |Panay |Iloilo |Panay |No marked | | | | characteristics. | | | | |Cebu |Cebu |Cebu |No marked | | | | characteristics. | | | | |Palawan |Puerto |Palawan |No marked | | Princessa | | characteristics. | | | | |Mindanao |Zamboanga |Zamboanga |Large bean; thin | | | | liquor. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Marianas or |Guam (U.S.) |Apra |Guam |No production for Ladrone | | | | export. Islands | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Oceania |Hawaiian |Honolulu |Hawaiian, |In general: Polynesia | Islands | (Oahua) | m n | Hawaiian coffee is | (U.S.) | Hilo | | a large bean, | | Kailua | | blue-green to | | | | yellow-brown in | | | | color; handsome | | | | roaster, fine | | | | smooth flavor. | | | | | | | Kona, d |Large, blue, flinty | | | | bean, mildly acid; | | | | striking character. | | | | | | | Puna, d |Quality good but | | | | quantity small. | | | | | | | Olaa, d |Quality good but | | | | quantity small. | | | | | | | Hamakua, d |Quality good but | | | | quantity small. | | | | | | | Maui, d |Production small. | | | | | | | Oahu, d |Production small. | | | | | | | Kauai, d |Production small. | | | | |Society |Papeete |Tahiti |A fair coffee, but | Islands | | | not a trade factor. | (French) | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Australia |Queensland |Cairns |Queensland |In general: The | |Mackay | Mackay, d | coffee is from | |Brisbane | | Ceylon or Coorg | | | | seed and is for | | | | local consumption. | | | | Not a commercial | | | | factor. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Africa |Egypt |Alexandria | Egyptian, |In general: | | | m n | Coffees from the | | | | upper Nile region, | | | | Kaffa Land, | | | | Anglo-Egyptian | | | | Sudan, and Nubia | | | | are generally | | | | spoken of as | | | | Egyptians. They | | | | have some Mocha | | | | characteristics, | | | | but are not | | | | important | | | | commercially. | | | | |Anglo- |Suakin | Nubian, m |Small, flinty, | Egyptian |Alexandria | n | pale-green, oval | Sudan | (Egypt) | | bean; heavy body; | | | | rich flavor. | | | | | | | Berber, d |Some superior | | | | drinking coffees | | | | come from this | | | | district. | | | | |Eritrea |Massowah | Abyssinian, |The coffee is of the | (Italy) | | m n | Abyssinian type, | | | | but the output is | | | | not an important | | | | trade factor. | | | | |Somaliland | | | | French |Jibuti | Harar, d, t |These coffees are | | | Abyssinian, | not grown in French | | | m n | Somaliland, but | | | | come from Abyssinia | | | | to Jibuti and Aden | | | |for export to Europe | | | | and America. See | | | | Abyssinia. | | | | | British |Berbera | Harar, d, t |Grown, as above, in | |Zeila | Abyssinian, | Abyssinia. | | | m n | | | | | | Italian |Mukdishu | Benadir, |Abyssinian type, but | | | d & m n | not an important | | | | trade factor. | | | | |Abyssinia |Jibuti (French| Harar, d_, t |In general: The | | Somaliland) | Abyssinian, | Harari coffee is | |Zeila | m n | more carefully | | | | cultivated and | | | | cured than the | | | | Abyssinian, which | | | | is its inferior. | | | | | |Berbera | Harar, d, t |The original Mocha | | (British | Harari, m n | Longberry. Large, | | Somaliland) | | long blue-green to | | | | yellow bean. | | | | | |Massowah | |(Graded No. 1 or No. | | (Eritrea) | | 2, according to | | | | size) roasting with | |Aden (Arabia) | | few quakers, | | | | similar to Mocha, | | | | having an excellent | | | | flavor but not | | | | quite so delicate. | | | | | | | Dire-Daoua, t |Railway trading | | | | center for Harari | | | | and Abyssinian | | | | coffees. -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Africa |Abyssinia | |Abyssinia |The native coffee (Cont'd) | (Cont'd) | | Kaffa, d |grown wild in this | | | (Gomara) |district has little | | | |commercial | | | |importance. The | | | |bean is dark gray, | | | |and it has a | | | |groundy flavor. | | | | | | | Bonga, t |Trading center for | | | |Abyssinia. | | | | | | | Jimma, d |Trading center for | | | Jiren, t |Abyssinia. | | | | | | | Shoa, d |Mostly Abyssinian | | | Adis-Abeba, t |growths are | | | |exported from this | | | |trading center to | | | |Harar or | | | |Dire-Daoua. | | | | |Kenya |Mombasa | Nairobi, d |Having Mysore |Colony | | & t |characteristics |(Formerly | | Kikuyu |with a touch of |British | | Kyambu |Mocha flavor. |East Africa)| | | | | | | |Uganda |Mombasa |Uganda |Greenish-gray to |Protectorate| | Bunganda, d |light-brown |(British) | | |Robusta. Poor to | | | |fairly good liquor. | | | | |Zanzibar |Zanzibar |Zanzibar |Medium-sized bean; |Protectorate| | |full body, pleasing |(British) | | |flavor. | | | | |Tanganyika |Dar-es-Salaam | East Africa, |Not a commercial |Territory | | m n |factor. |(formerly | | or | |German East | | Tanganyika, | |Africa) | | m n | | | | | | | | | |Nyasaland |Chinde |Nyasaland |Some high-grown and |Protectorate|(Portuguese | Shire Highlands,|of fine quality. Not |(British) |East Africa) | d |a commercial factor. | | | Blantyre, d | | | | | |Rhodesia |Beira |Rhodesia |For local |(British) |(Portuguese | |consumption. | |East Africa) | |Not a trade factor. | | | | |Portuguese |Mozambique |Mozambique |Medium-sized |East Africa | | |greenish bean, | | | |heavy body; mild | | | |and mellow in the | | | |cup. | | | | |Natal |Durban |Natal |Large, light-brown |(British) | | |Liberian growth. | | | |Not a trade factor. | | | | |Angola |Loanda |Angola |Medium-size bean, |(Portugal) | | |brownish color, | | | |strong in the cup. | | | | | | | Encoje, d, |Light weight, dark | | | m n |brown Robusta; | | | |strong in the cup. | | | | |Belgian |Banana | Congo, m n |In general: The |Congo | | Equator, d |coffees of the | | | Aruwimi, d |Belgian Congo are | | | Bangala, d |mostly Liberian and | | | Lake Leopold, |Robusta growths. | | | d |There is produced a | | | |medium-sized bean, | | | |making a handsome | | | |roast and having a | | | |rich cup. | | | | |French |Loango | Loango, d, |Formerly Encoje |Congo |Libreville | m n |from Angola. | | | |Inferior to | | | |Liberian. =============+============+==============+=================+=================

=============+============+==============+=================+================= Grand | Country | Shipping | State, or | Trade Values Division | | Ports | District, | and Cup | | | Market Names |Characteristics | | | and Gradings | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Africa |Nigeria |Lagos |Nigeria |Commercially (Cont'd) | (British) | | | unimportant. | | | | |Gold Coast |Accra |Gold Coast |Not a commercial | (British) | | | factor. | | | | |Liberia |Monrovia | Liberian, m |Large, brown bean; | | | n | big, handsome | | | | roaster; strong in | | | | cup. | | | | |Sierra Leone|Freetown |Sierra Leone |C. stenophylla, a | (British) | | | native growth. Not | | | | a trade factor. | | | | |French |Konakry | Guinea, m n |Commercially | Guinea | | | unimportant. | | | | |Portuguese |Bissao | Guinea, m n |Commercially | Guinea | | | unimportant. | | | | | | | | |Comoro |Maroni | Comoro, m n |A wild natural | Islands | | | caffein-free coffee | (French) | | | (C. humboltiana); | | | | also found in | | | | Madagascar. Not a | | | | commercial factor. | | | | |Madagascar |Tamatave |Madagascar |Light-green | (French) | | | liberica and | | | | robusta bean; | | | | full rich flavor. | | | | |Reunion, |St. Denis | Bourbon, m |Nearest to Mocha in | formerly | | n | character (q. v.). | Bourbon | | | Round and pointed | (French) | | | bean, pale green | | | | or pale yellow. Not | | | | a trade factor. | | | | |Mauritius |Port Louis |Mauritius |Similar to Bourbon. | (British) | | | Medium light green, | | | | full body, mild and | | | | mellow flavor. Not | | | | a trade factor. | | | | -------------+------------+--------------+-----------------+-----------------

XXV. FACTORY PREPARATION OF ROASTED COFFEE

Coffee roasting as a business--Wholesale coffee-roasting machinery--Separating, milling, and mixing or blending green coffee, and roasting by coal, coke, gas, and electricity--Facts about coffee roasting--Cost of roasting--Green-coffee shrinkage table--"Dry" and "wet" roasts--On roasting coffee efficiently--A typical coal roaster--Cooling and stoning--Finishing or glazing--Blending roasted coffees--Blends for restaurants--Grinding and packaging--Coffee additions and fillers--Treated coffees, and dry extracts

The coffee bean is not ready for beverage purposes until it has been properly "manufactured", that is, roasted, or "cooked". Only in this way can all the stimulating, flavoring, and aromatic principles concealed in the minute cells of the bean be extracted at one time. An infusion from green coffee has a decidedly unpleasant taste and hardly any color. Likewise, an underdone roast has a disagreeable "grassy" flavor; while an overdone roast gives a charred taste that is unpalatable to the average citizen of the United States.

Coffee Roasting as a Business

In spite of the generally admitted fact that freshly roasted coffee makes the best infusion, most of the coffee used today is not roasted at or near the place where it is brewed, but in factories that are provided with special equipment for the roasting of coffee in a wholesale way. The reasons for this are various, partly relating to the mere economy of buying and manufacturing on a large scale, and partly relating to the trained skill that is needed both for selecting suitable green coffees to make a satisfactory blend, and for the roasting work itself. The proportion of consumers (including restaurants and hotels) who roast their own coffee is so small as to be negligible, at least in the United States. The average person who buys coffee today, for brewing use, never sees green coffee at all, unless as an "educational exhibit" in some dealer's display window.

The reasons just mentioned, which have made coffee roasting a real business, all tend, of course, to make the roasting establishments of large size; but this tendency is offset by the problem of distributing the roasting coffee so that it will reach the ultimate consumer in good condition. Roasting enterprises on a comparatively small scale (not by consumers, but by sufficiently expert dealers) would probably be much more numerous on account of the "fresh-roast" argument, except for the fact that coffee-roasting machines can not be installed so easily as the grinding mills, meat-choppers, and slicing machines, that find extended use in small stores. The steam, smoke, and chaff given off by the coffee as it is roasted must be disposed of by an outdoor connection, without annoying the neighbors or creating a fire hazard.

From these general remarks, it can easily be seen that the size of individual roasting establishments will vary greatly, according to the skill of the proprietor in meeting the disadvantages of working on either the smallest or the largest scale. A wholesale plant may be considered to be one in which coffee is roasted in batches of one bag or more at a time; and with this definition, nearly all the roasting in the United States is done in a wholesale way.

For many years the regular factory machines have been of a size suitable for roasting two bags of coffee at a time; but roasters of larger size have recently come into considerable use.

Plants treating from fifty to a hundred and fifty bags per day are the most common; but the daily capacity runs up to a thousand bags or more. The minimum cost of equipping a plant is somewhere between five thousand dollars and ten thousand dollars. The individual machines are of standard construction; but the arrangement in a particular building, especially for the larger plants, is worked out with great care and with numerous special features, so that the goods can be handled from start to finish with minimum expense for floor space, labor, power, etc.

The practical coffee roaster locates his roasting room in the top floor of his factory building, where light and ventilation are generally best. He usually has a large skylight in the roof, directly over the roasting equipment. In addition to the advantage as regards good light and the convenient discharge of smoke, steam, and odors, through the roof, the top-story location makes it possible to send the roasted coffee by gravity through the various bins which may be needed in connection with subsequent operations, such as grinding, and for temporary storage before the final packaging and shipping.

Wholesale Coffee-Roasting Machinery

The indispensable coffee operations are roasting and cooling; and in practically all United States plants the cooling is followed by "stoning". This is an air-suction operation that effects, aided by gravity, the removal of any stones or other hard material that would damage the grinding mill. The best commercial cleaning and grading of the green coffee has usually left in every bag a few small stones. These can be got rid of better after the coffee is roasted; because it is then not only lighter, but more bulky.

Besides these three operations of roasting, cooling, and stoning, the plant may have machinery for treating the coffee both before it is roasted and after it leaves the stoner.

Treatment of the green coffee in roasting establishments is of less importance now than in years gone by; first, because most coffees now come to market more perfectly graded and cleaned than formerly; and second, because the whole-bean appearance of the coffee has become of less account, as wholesale grinding operations have increased. Nevertheless, many plants consider it highly important to have a separator for grading the coffee closely as regards the size of the beans--and particularly for the separation of round beans, or "peaberry"--as well as milling machinery for making the coffee as clean as possible before it is roasted. One green coffee operation that has lost none of its old-time importance, but on the contrary is more needed as the plants increase in size, is the mixing of different varieties of coffee--in proportions that have been decided on by sample tests--so as to get a uniform blend.

The mixer does not blend the various coffees any more surely than a good roaster cylinder will do it, but treats batches of much larger size. This means saving a great amount of labor that would be necessary for putting the desired quantity of component coffees into each individual roaster.

A proper installation of green coffee machinery requires various bins of ample capacity, and bucket elevators by which the coffee can be sent without manual labor from one operation to another. In modern plants, all the bins and elevators are constructed of metal. The separator, with its bins and elevator, may be installed independently of the rest of the plant, the graded coffee being all bagged up again and treated as new raw stock--some of it to be held for later use, or perhaps sold again unroasted. The milling machine and the mixer, however, are usually so placed and connected that the coffee can be sent from one to the other, and to the roaster feed hoppers, without any manual labor.

When the roaster sells his product in package form ready for the consumer, he will have a packaging department in which are grinding, weighing, labeling, and packing machines and equipment. In some of the more progressive plants, particularly in the United States, all the packing units are incorporated in one machine, so that the different steps in the work are carried on automatically and in one continuous operation.

The efficient roaster-executive equips his entire plant with approved labor-saving devices. In the better establishments, the coffee is carried along by mechanical conveyors through all the operations from the first cleaning machine to the final packaging.

Separating

As already mentioned, a machine frequently found in wholesale plants is the separator, or grader. This apparatus, which is the same in principle in all countries, but varies in size and form according to local requirements, consists of a series of perforated screens. The perforations differ in size; and as the coffee is shaken on them, the small beans drop through the holes, the larger ones passing across the screen and dropping into a receptacle or chute ready for the next operation. The screens are made to grade the beans into large and small peaberry; large, medium, and small flat beans; brokens; and other commercial sizes. The average separator will grade fifteen to twenty bags of coffee in an hour.

Milling

Milling machines, for cleaning the green coffee, operate on practically the same principle the world over, varying in capacity and details of construction. A popular type used in the United States has two metal cylinders, one set within the other, and revolving in opposite directions. The inner cylinder is ribbed with flanges, and the outer one is lined with wire cloth. As these cylinders revolve, the beans pass between them rubbing against themselves and the rough sides of the cylinders. This action serves to remove dirt and other foreign matter that may be clinging to the beans, and also gives them an attractive polish. An exhaust fan sucks away the dirt milled off in the process. This type of machine will mill about forty bags of green coffee in an hour.

Mixing or Blending Green Coffee

Most roasters blend the different types of coffee while green. Some blend them after they have been roasted separately. When blended before roasting, the coffees are mixed by a machine built especially for that purpose. The mixing machine in general use in all countries consists of a large metal cylinder which, in wholesale operations, is revolved by the factory's general power plant or by a separate motor. The cylinder is equipped on the inside with sets of reverse-screw mixing flanges that tumble the beans around until they are thoroughly blended; and there is usually a fan attachment to remove dust. This operation serves also to smooth down and to polish the surfaces of the beans, which adds to the style of the coffee when roasted. The average blending machine will mix from ten to twenty bags of coffee at a time. The actual mixing requires less than five minutes, but a longer period is needed for feeding and discharging. This is the last of the so-called "green-coffee operations". The next step is roasting.

Roasting by Coal, Coke, Gas, and Electricity

Coffee is roasted commercially in cylinder or ball receptacles revolving in heated chambers, the degree of heat reaching about 420 deg. Fahr. The cylinder type of roaster is invariably used in the United States; while both the cylinder and the ball types are popular in England, France, Germany, Holland, and other foreign countries.

Each roasterman has his own opinion about the fuel that gives the best result, and throughout the world the choice lies between anthracite coal, coke, and gas; though hard wood is frequently used in countries where other fuels are not available or not economical. Electric heat has been tried for commercial roasting in Germany (1906), in England (1909), and in the United States (1918); but the experimenters have always found the cost of electric fuel to be prohibitive in competition with coal and gas. An electric roaster was demonstrated at the Food Conservation Show in New York, in 1918, at a time when the federal government was urging the necessity of conserving coal as a war economy measure. The inventor claimed that his machine would reduce roasting cost, improve the flavor and the aroma, and maintain a constant and easily controlled heat. He declared also that when roasted in his devices, less coffee was required for brewing.

An expert coffee-roasting-machinery man who has been working on the development of a practical electric roaster says that if it were possible to bake the coffee in an oven, just as the baker does his bread, the fuel cost would then compare favorably with that of gas or coal. It is because the heat chamber must have an exhaust to release the chaff and smoke that the use of electricity to replace the heat loss proves prohibitive when compared with coal or gas.

In all types of coal and coke burning roasters, the cylinders are heated by a fire underneath; while in gas roasters, the flame may be underneath or within the cylinder itself. Roasters in which the heat is within the cylinder are known as direct-flame or inner-heated machines. All three systems are used in the United States and Europe.

Facts About Coffee Roasting

The modern commercial roasting outfit is as near fool-proof as human genius has been able to devise. The more advanced types are almost automatic in operation, and are designed to insure uniformity of roasts. In such machines the green coffee is conveyed to the roasting cylinder by means of bucket elevators, which pour the beans into a feed hopper. From the feed hopper, the coffee is dumped through the opening in the front head-piece into the cylinder. The cylinder is perforated, and has inside flanges which keep tossing the coffee about while the cylinder revolves, so that the coffee will not burn during the roasting process.

To roast coffee by coal or coke usually requires from twenty-five to thirty minutes, depending on the moisture-content of the beans; whether they are spongy or flinty; whether a light, medium, or dark roast is desired; and on the skill of the operator. Gas roasting requires from fifteen to twenty minutes. The quicker the roast, the better the coffee, is the opinion of many trade leaders, one of whom[325] says:

It is a growing belief that in roasts of short duration the largest percentage of the aromatic properties is retained. A slow roast has the effect of baking and does not give full development; also, slow roasts seldom produce bright roasts, and they usually make the coffee hard instead of brittle, even when the color standard has been attained.

While coffees of widely varying degrees of moisture require somewhat different treatment, the consensus of opinion is that the best results are obtained from a slow fire at the beginning, until some of the moisture has been driven off, when the stronger application of heat may be given for development. An intense heat in the beginning often results in "tipping", or charring, the little germ at the end, the most sensitive part of the bean.

Scorched beans have been caught at some point in the cylinder, often in a bent flange. Burning on one face, sometimes called "kissing the cheeks", is caused by the too rapid revolution of the cylinder, so that some of the coffee "carries over". In the best practise, crowding of cylinders is avoided; many roasters making it a rule not to exceed ninety percent of the rated capacity of the cylinder.

Those operating gas roasters may effect a fuel economy by running a low grade coffee in the cylinder after the last roast has been drawn and the gas extinguished; five minutes' revolution absorbs the heat and drives off a proportion of moisture. The coffee, which may then be left in the cylinder, requires less time and fuel in the morning, and the roast is finished while the cylinder is warming up. Double roasting brightens a roast, but is a detriment to the cup quality. A dull roasting coffee may be improved by revolving the green coffee in a cylinder without heat for twenty minutes, which has the effect of milling.

The use of a small amount of water upon roasts gives better control by checking the roast at the proper point--the crucial time of its greatest heat; also, it swells and brightens the coffee, and tends to close the outer pores. While the addition of water is open to abuse, few roasters have soaked their coffees enough to offset the natural shrinkage as much as three or four percent. Such practise would result greatly to the detriment of the cup quality.

There is no universal standard for the degree to which coffee should be roasted. In the United States, there are demands for all degrees; from the light roast, in favor in England, to the extremely dark roast in vogue in France, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, and in the producing countries. The North American trade recognizes these different roasts: light, cinnamon, medium, high, city, full city, French, and Italian. The city roast is a dark bean, while full city is a few degrees darker. In the French roast, the bean is cooked until the natural oil appears on the surface; and in the Italian, it is roasted to the point of actual carbonization, so that it can be easily powdered. Germany likes a roast similar to the French type; while Scandinavia prefers the high Italian roast.

In the United States, the lighter roast is favored on the Pacific coast; the darkest, in the South; and a medium-colored roast, in the Eastern states. The cinnamon roast is most favored by the trade in Boston.

While coffee roasting in the United States usually takes from fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on the fuel and the machine employed, manufacturers of gas machines on the German market claim to roast it in superior fashion in from three and a half to ten minutes.[326] This subject is discussed more in detail in chapter XXXIV.

Coffee loses weight during the roasting process, the loss varying according to the degree of roasting and the nature of the bean. Coffee roasters figure, however, that the average loss is sixteen percent of the weight of the green bean. It has been estimated that one hundred pounds of coffee in the cherry produces twenty-five pounds in the parchment; that one hundred pounds in parchment produces eighty-four pounds of cleaned coffee; and that one hundred pounds of cleaned coffee produces eighty-four pounds roasted.

During the roasting process the coffee undergoes a great chemical change. After it has been in the cylinder a short time, the color of the bean becomes a yellowish brown, which gradually deepens as it cooks. Likewise, as the beans become heated, they shrivel up until about half done, or at the "developing" point. At this stage, they begin to swell, and then "pop open", increasing fifty percent in bulk.[327] This is when the experienced roasterman turns on all the heat he can command to finish the roasting as quickly as possible.

"Dry" and "Wet" Roasts

At frequent intervals, he thrusts his "trier"--an instrument shaped somewhat like an elongated spoon--into the cylinder, and takes out a sample of coffee to compare with his type sample. When the coffee is done, he shuts off the heat and checks the cooking by reducing the temperature of the coffee and of the cylinder as quickly as can be done. In the wet roast method he will spray the coffee, while the cylinder is still revolving, with three to four quarts of water to every 130 pounds of coffee. In the dry method he depends altogether upon his cooling apparatus.

Roasters generally are not in favor of the excessive watering of coffee in and after the roasting process for the purpose of reducing shrinkage. "Heading" the coffee, or checking the roast before turning it out of the roasting cylinder, is quite another matter and is considered legitimate. Where coffees are watered in the cylinder at the close of the roast to reduce the shrinkage, it is possible to get back only about four percent of the shrinkage by such treatment and the practise is frowned upon by the best roasters.

Generally speaking, water is turned into the roasting cylinder to quench the roast. The amount varies with the style of machine, whether gas or coal. Usually the water turns to steam, and the result is not an absorption of the water but a momentary checking of the roast with a tendency to swell and to brighten the coffee. This is, comparatively speaking, a "dry roast", but not an absolutely dry roast. It is doubtful if more than one percent of American coffee roasters employ an absolutely "dry" roast--it does not give satisfactory results. The word has been abused for advertising purposes. Of course, a dry roasted coffee is a better article for making a satisfactory beverage than one that has been soaked with water; but the word "dry" must be given a definite meaning, which the trade generally will agree to uphold, if it is to have any real meaning or value to the consumer. Until some standard for roasted coffee shall be established, it is to be feared the term "dry roast" will continue to be used for coffee roasted by almost any other process.

The Bureau of Chemistry held a hearing in 1914 at Washington, at which the question of a ruling on watering coffees was discussed. The trade was well represented, but no agreement was reached. It was deemed inadvisable to make a definite rule on the watering of coffee; because the water content can not be controlled, as the bean starts to absorb moisture as soon as it leaves the roaster.

On Roasting Coffee Efficiently

A.L. Burns, New York, is well qualified to speak on this subject. He says:

Roasting coffee is not so difficult a matter as is often claimed by operators and "experts" who seek thus to magnify their importance; but it is nevertheless a process about which a great deal may be learned in the school of practical experience. With one of our modern machines anybody with ordinary intelligence and nerve can take off a roast after one trial which would pass muster in many establishments, but that same person applying himself to the roasting job for a week will either be turning out vastly better roasts or will have demonstrated that he never can excel as a roasterman.

Modern coffee roasting machines provide for easy control of the heat (from coal, coke, or gas fuel), for constantly mixing the coffee in such a manner that the heat is transmitted uniformly to the entire batch, for carrying away all steam and smoke rapidly, for easy testing of the progress of the roast, and for immediate discharge when desired. The operator's problem therefore is the regulation of the heat and deciding just when the desired roasting has been accomplished.

If all coffees were alike, roasting would soon be almost automatic. In some plants most of the work is on one uniform grade or blend. But coffees which vary greatly in moisture-content, in flinty or spongy nature, and in various other characteristics, will puzzle the operator until he establishes a personal acquaintance with them in various combinations in repeated roasting operations. The roasterman therefore must be able to observe closely, to draw sensible conclusions, and to remember what he learns. Roasting coffee is work of a sort which anybody can do, which a few people can do really well, and no one so well but that further improvement is possible.

There is no absolute standard of what the best roasting results are. Some dealers want the coffee beans swelled up to the bursting point, while others would object to so showy a development. Some care nothing at all about appearance as compared with cup value, while others insist on a bright style even at some sacrifice of quality. Business judgment must decide what goods can be sold most profitably.

The loss of coffee in weight in the roasting operation, or shrinkage as it is called, is a matter which offers opportunities for false claims of advantage in roasting processes. Anybody can see that if just as good roasted coffee could be produced with a lessened shrinkage there would be a chance for a decided increase in profits. It is a sort of finding-money proposition which always turns out to be too good to be true. The purpose of roasting coffee is to produce an article entirely different from green coffee, which is accomplished mainly by driving out moisture. If coffee is roasted thoroughly, inside as well as outside, so as to give the greatest roasted coffee value, it must sustain a proper loss in weight which there is no legitimate way to avoid. The amount of shrinkage varies a great deal with the kind of coffee and its age, also with the kind of roasting desired.

Adding a little water to the coffee at the end of the operation has the advantage of checking the roast at the desired point and helping to swell and brighten the coffee, but it is a practice which is sometimes abused by soaking the coffee with water so as to reduce the shrinkage. This is done either dishonestly, to steal coffee which belongs to somebody else, or foolishly; for the heavier coffee has a lessened cup value which more than counterbalances the apparent gain.

A Typical Coal Roaster

A typical United States coal roaster is shown in the accompanying cut. It is the latest form of that type of Burns machine which requires a brickwork setting. The picture shows the roaster ready to operate, except for smoke pipe and power connections.

The front of the machine shown has a cast-iron plate having brackets which support the cylinder front bearing, and double fire doors below for the furnace and the ash pit. The movable part of the roaster is hidden by the front head, a heavy casting which stands still except when moved by hand through a half-turn for feeding and discharging.

The cylinder is driven by gears at the back, revolving constantly at uniform speed. The inside of the cylinder is arranged with reverse-spiral flanges which mix the coffee perfectly and make uneven roasting impossible; and they discharge promptly every grain of coffee when the front-head opening is turned to the lower position. The roaster is generally operated with coal fuel, but can be used with gas by installing a suitable burner under the cylinder.

COST CARD FOR ROASTERS

Showing the value added to the cost of green coffee by roasting

By A.C. Aborn

BASIS: 16 percent Shrinkage. 3/4 cent a pound for Roasting.

Cost Green, Cost Roasted, Cents per Lb. Cents per Lb.

5 6.85 5-1/8 6.99 5-1/4 7.14 5-3/8 7.29 5-1/2 7.44 5-5/8 7.59 5-3/4 7.74 5-7/8 7.89

6 8.04 6-1/8 8.19 6-1/4 8.33 6-3/8 8.48 6-1/2 8.63 6-5/8 8.78 6-3/4 8.93 6-7/8 9.08

7 9.23 7-1/8 9.37 7-1/4 9.52 7-3/8 9.67 7-1/2 9.82 7-5/8 9.97 7-3/4 10.12 7-7/8 10.27

8 10.42 8-1/8 10.57 8-1/4 10.71 8-3/8 10.86 8-1/2 11.01 8-5/8 11.16 8-3/4 11.31 8-7/8 11.46

9 11.61 9-1/8 11.76 9-1/4 11.90 9-3/8 12.05 9-1/2 12.20 9-5/8 12.35 9-3/4 12.50 9-7/8 12.65

10 12.80 10-1/8 12.95 10-1/4 13.10 10-3/8 13.24 10-1/2 13.39 10-5/8 13.54 10-3/4 13.69 10-7/8 13.84

11 13.99 11-1/8 14.14 11-1/4 14.29 11-3/8 14.43 11-1/2 14.58 11-5/8 14.73 11-3/4 14.88 11-7/8 15.03

12 15.18 12-1/8 15.33 12-1/4 15.48 12-3/8 15.63 12-1/2 15.77 12-5/8 15.92 12-3/4 16.07 12-7/8 16.22

13 16.37 13-1/8 16.52 13-1/4 16.67 13-3/8 16.82 13-1/2 16.97 13-5/8 17.11 13-3/4 17.26 13-7/8 17.41

14 17.56 14-1/8 17.71 14-1/4 17.86 14-3/8 18.01 14-1/2 18.15 14-5/8 18.30 14-3/4 18.45 14-7/8 18.60

15 18.75 15-1/8 18.90 15-1/4 19.05 15-3/8 19.20 15-1/2 19.35 15-5/8 19.49 15-3/4 19.64 15-7/8 19.79

16 19.94 16-1/8 20.09 16-1/4 20.24 16-3/8 20.39 16-1/2 20.54 16-5/8 20.68 16-3/4 20.83 16-7/8 20.98

17 21.13 17-1/8 21.28 17-1/4 21.43 17-3/8 21.58 17-1/2 21.73 17-5/8 21.87 17-3/4 22.02 17-7/8 22.17

18 22.32 18-1/8 22.47 18-1/4 22.62 18-3/8 22.77 18-1/2 22.92 18-5/8 23.07 18-3/4 23.21 18-7/8 23.36

19 23.51 19-1/8 23.66 19-1/4 23.81 19-3/8 23.96 19-1/2 24.11 19-5/8 24.26 19-3/4 24.40 19-7/8 24.55

20 24.70 20-1/8 24.85 20-1/4 25.00 20-3/8 25.15 20-1/2 25.30 20-5/8 25.45 20-3/4 25.60 20-7/8 25.75

21 25.89 21-1/8 26.04 21-1/4 26.19 21-3/8 26.34 21-1/2 26.49 21-5/8 26.64 21-3/4 26.79 21-7/8 26.93

22 27.08 22-1/8 27.23 22-1/4 27.38 22-3/8 27.53 22-1/2 27.68 22-5/8 27.83 22-3/4 27.98 22-7/8 28.13

23 28.27 23-1/8 28.42 23-1/4 28.57 23-3/8 28.72 23-1/2 28.87 23-5/8 29.02 23-3/4 29.17 23-7/8 29.32

24 29.46 24-1/8 29.61 24-1/4 29.76 24-3/8 29.91 24-1/2 30.06 24-5/8 30.21 24-3/4 30.36 24-7/8 30.51

25 30.65 25-1/8 30.80 25-1/4 30.95 25-3/8 31.10 25-1/2 31.25 25-5/8 31.40 25-3/4 31.55 25-7/8 31.70

26 31.85 26-1/8 31.99 26-1/4 32.14 26-3/8 32.29 26-1/2 32.44 26-5/8 32.59 26-3/4 32.74 26-7/8 32.89

27 33.04 27-1/8 33.18 27-1/4 33.33 27-3/8 33.48 27-1/2 33.63 27-5/8 33.78 27-3/4 33.93 27-7/8 34.08

28 34.23 28-1/8 34.38 28-1/4 34.52 28-3/8 34.67 28-1/2 34.82 28-5/8 34.97 28-3/4 35.12 28-7/8 35.27

29 35.42 29-1/8 35.57 29-1/4 35.71 29-3/8 35.86 29-1/2 36.01 29-5/8 36.16 29-3/4 36.31 29-7/8 36.46

30 36.61 30-1/8 36.76 30-1/4 36.90 30-3/8 37.05 30-1/2 37.20 30-5/8 37.35 30-3/4 37.50 30-7/8 37.65

31 37.80 31-1/8 37.95 31-1/4 38.10 31-3/8 38.24 31-1/2 38.39 31-5/8 38.54 31-3/4 38.69 31-7/8 38.84

32 38.90 32-1/8 39.14 32-1/4 39.29 32-3/8 39.43 32-1/2 39.58 32-5/8 39.73 32-3/4 39.88 32-7/8 40.03

FACTORY PREPARATION

A GREEN COFFEE SHRINKAGE TABLE

Showing shrinkage in roasting of raw coffee in quantities from sixty pounds up to three hundred pounds, and at six different shrinkage percentages

Compiled by R.C. Wilhelm, New York

RAW 12% 13% 14% 15% 16% 17%

60 52-3/4 52-1/4 51-1/2 51 50-1/2 49-3/4 61 53-3/4 53 52-1/2 51-3/4 51-1/4 50-3/4 62 54-1/2 54 53-1/4 52-1/4 52 51-1/2 63 55-1/2 54-3/4 54 53-1/2 53 52-1/4 64 56-1/4 55-3/4 55 54-1/2 53-3/4 53 65 57-1/4 56-1/2 56 55-1/4 54-1/2 54 66 58 57-1/2 56-3/4 56 55-1/2 54-3/4 67 59 58-1/4 57-3/4 57 56-1/4 55-1/2 68 59-3/4 59-1/4 58-1/2 57-3/4 57 56-1/2 69 60-3/4 60 59-1/4 58-3/4 58 57-1/4 70 61-1/2 61 60-1/4 59-1/2 58-3/4 58 71 62-1/2 61-3/4 61 60-1/4 59-3/4 59 72 63-1/4 62-3/4 62 61 60-1/2 59-3/4 73 64-1/4 63-1/2 62-3/4 62 61-1/4 60-1/2 74 65 64-1/2 63-3/4 63 62-1/4 61-1/2 75 66 65-1/4 64-1/2 63-3/4 63 62-1/4 76 67 66 65-1/4 64-1/2 63-3/4 63 77 67-3/4 67 66-1/4 65-1/2 64-3/4 64 78 68-3/4 68 67 66-1/4 65-1/2 64-3/4 79 69-1/2 68-3/4 68 67-1/4 66-1/2 65-3/4 80 70-1/2 69-3/4 68-3/4 68 67-1/4 66-1/2 81 71-1/4 70-1/2 69-3/4 69 68 67-1/4 82 72-1/4 71-1/2 70-1/2 69-3/4 69 68 83 73 72-1/4 71-1/2 70-1/2 69-3/4 69 84 74 73-1/4 72-1/4 71-1/2 70-1/2 69-3/4 85 74-3/4 74 73-1/4 72-1/4 71-1/4 70-1/2 86 75-3/4 74-3/4 74 73-1/4 72-1/4 71-1/4 87 76-1/2 75-3/4 75 74 73-1/4 72-1/4 88 77-1/2 76-1/2 75-3/4 74-3/4 73-3/4 73 89 78-1/2 77-1/2 76-1/2 75-3/4 74-3/4 74 90 79-1/4 78-1/4 77-1/2 76-1/2 75-3/4 75 91 80-1/2 79-1/4 78-1/4 77-1/2 76-1/2 75-1/2 92 81 80 79-1/4 78-1/4 77-1/4 76-1/2 93 82 81 80 79 78-1/4 77-1/4 94 82-3/4 81-3/4 80-3/4 80 79 78 95 83-3/4 82-3/4 81-3/4 80-3/4 79-3/4 79 96 84-1/2 83-1/2 82-1/2 81-3/4 80-3/4 79-3/4 97 85-1/2 84-1/2 83-1/2 82-1/2 81-1/2 80-1/2 98 86-1/4 85-1/4 84-1/4 83-1/4 82-1/2 81-1/2 99 87-1/4 86-1/4 85-1/4 84-1/4 83-1/4 82-1/4 100 88 87 86 85 84 83 101 89 87-1/2 86-1/2 85-1/2 84-1/2 83-1/2 102 89-3/4 88-3/4 87-3/4 86-3/4 85-3/4 84-3/4 103 90-3/4 89-3/4 88-3/4 87-1/2 86-1/2 85-1/2 104 91-1/2 90-1/2 89-1/2 88-1/2 87-1/2 86-1/2 105 92-1/2 91-1/2 90-1/4 89-1/4 88-1/4 87-1/4 106 93-1/4 92-1/4 91-1/4 90-1/4 89 88 107 94-1/4 93-1/4 92 91 90 88-3/4 108 95 94 93 91-3/4 90-3/4 89-3/4 109 96 95 93-3/4 92-3/4 91-1/2 90-1/2 110 96-3/4 95-3/4 94-3/4 93-1/2 92-1/2 91-3/4 111 97-3/4 96-3/4 95-1/2 94-1/2 93-1/4 92-1/4 112 98-1/2 97-1/2 96-1/2 95-1/4 94-1/4 93 113 99-1/2 98-1/4 97-1/4 96 95 93-3/4 114 100-1/2 99-1/4 98 97 95-3/4 94-3/4 115 101-1/4 100-1/2 99 97-3/4 96-3/4 95-1/2 116 102 101 99-3/4 98-1/2 97-1/2 96-1/4 117 103 101-3/4 100-1/2 99-1/2 98-1/4 97 118 103-3/4 102-1/2 101-1/2 100-1/4 99 98 119 104-3/4 103-1/2 102-1/4 101 100 98-3/4 120 105-1/2 104-1/2 103 102 101 99-1/2 121 106-1/2 105-1/4 104 102-3/4 101-1/2 100-1/2 122 107-1/2 106 105 103-1/2 102-1/2 101-1/2 123 108-1/4 107 105-3/4 104-1/2 103-1/4 102 124 109 108 106-1/2 105-1/2 104 103 125 110 108-3/4 107-1/2 106-1/4 105 103-3/4 126 111 109-1/2 108 107 106 104-1/2 127 111-3/4 110-1/2 109-1/4 108 106-3/4 105-1/2 128 112-1/2 111-1/2 110 109 107-1/2 106 129 113-1/2 112-1/4 111 109-3/4 108-1/4 107 130 114-1/2 113 112 110-1/2 109 108 131 115-1/4 114 112-3/4 111-1/4 110 108-3/4 132 116 115 113-1/2 112 111 109-1/2 133 117 115-3/4 114-1/4 113 111-3/4 110-1/4 134 118 116-1/2 115-1/2 114 112-1/2 111 135 118-3/4 117-1/2 116 114-3/4 113-1/4 112 136 119-1/2 118-1/2 117 115-1/2 114 113 137 120-1/2 119-1/4 117-3/4 116-1/2 115 113-3/4 138 121-1/2 120 118-1/2 117-1/2 116 114-1/2 139 122-1/4 121 119-1/2 118-1/4 116-3/4 115-1/4 140 123-1/4 121-3/4 120-1/2 119 117-1/2 116-1/4 141 124 122-3/4 121-1/4 119-3/4 118-1/2 117 142 125 123-1/2 122 120-3/4 119-1/4 117-3/4 143 125-3/4 124-1/2 123 121-1/2 120 118-3/4 144 126-3/4 125-1/4 123-3/4 122-1/2 121 119-1/2 145 127-1/2 126-1/4 124-3/4 123-1/4 121-3/4 120-1/4 146 128-1/2 127 125-1/2 124 122-3/4 121-1/4 147 129-1/4 128 126-1/2 125 123-1/2 122 148 130-1/4 128-3/4 127-1/4 125-3/4 124-1/4 122-3/4 149 131 129-3/4 128-1/4 126-3/4 125-1/4 123-3/4 150 132 130-1/2 129 127-1/2 126 124-1/2 151 133 131-1/4 129-3/4 128-1/4 126-3/4 125-1/4 152 133-3/4 132-1/4 130-3/4 129-1/4 127-3/4 126-1/4 153 134-3/4 133 131-1/2 130 128-1/2 127 154 135-1/2 134 132-1/2 131 129-1/4 127-3/4 155 136-1/2 134-3/4 133-1/4 131-3/4 130-1/4 128-3/4 156 137-1/4 135-3/4 134-1/4 132-1/2 131 129-1/2 157 138-1/4 136-1/2 135 133-1/2 132 130-1/4 158 139 137-1/2 136 134-1/4 132-3/4 131-1/4 159 140 138-1/4 136-3/4 135-1/4 133-1/2 132 160 140-3/4 139-1/4 137-1/2 136 134-1/2 132-3/4 161 141-3/4 140 138-1/2 136-3/4 135-1/4 133-3/4 162 142-1/2 141 139-1/4 137-3/4 136 134-1/2 163 143-1/2 141-3/4 140-1/4 138-1/2 137 135-1/4 164 144-1/4 142-3/4 141 139-1/2 137-3/4 136 165 145-1/4 143-1/2 142 140-1/4 138-1/2 137 166 146 144-1/2 142-3/4 141 139-1/2 137-3/4 167 147 145-1/4 143-1/2 142 140-1/4 138-1/2 168 147-3/4 146-1/4 144-1/2 142-3/4 141 139-1/2 169 148-3/4 147 145-1/4 143-3/4 142 140-1/4 170 149-1/2 148 146-1/4 144-1/2 142-1/4 141 171 150-1/2 148-3/4 147 145-1/4 143-3/4 142 172 151-1/4 149-3/4 148 146-1/4 144-1/2 142-3/4 173 152-1/4 150-1/2 148-3/4 147 145-1/4 143-1/2 174 153 151-1/2 149-3/4 148 146-1/4 144-1/2 175 154 152-1/4 150-1/2 148-3/4 147 145-1/4 176 155 153 151-1/4 149-1/2 147-3/4 146 177 155-3/4 154 152-1/4 150-1/2 148-3/4 147 178 156-3/4 154-3/4 153 151-1/4 149-1/2 147-3/4 179 157-1/2 155-3/4 154 152-1/4 150-1/4 148-1/2 180 158-1/2 156-1/2 154-3/4 153 151-1/4 149-1/2 181 159-1/4 157-1/2 155-3/4 153-3/4 152 150-1/4 182 160-1/4 158-1/4 156-1/2 154-3/4 153 151 183 161 159-1/4 157-1/2 155-1/2 153-3/4 152 184 162 160 158-1/4 156-1/2 154-1/2 152-3/4 185 162-3/4 161 159 157-1/4 155-1/2 153-1/2 186 163-3/4 161-3/4 160 158 156-1/4 154-1/2 187 164-1/2 162-3/4 160-3/4 159 157 155-1/4 188 165-1/2 163-1/2 161-3/4 160 158 156 189 166-1/4 164-1/2 162-1/2 160-3/4 156-3/4 156-3/4 190 167-1/4 165-1/4 163-1/2 161-1/2 159-1/2 157-3/4 191 168 166-1/4 164-1/4 162-1/4 160-1/2 158-1/2 192 169 167 165 163-1/4 161-1/4 159-1/4 193 169-3/4 168 166 164 162 160-1/4 194 170-3/4 168-3/4 166-3/4 165 163 161 195 171-1/2 169-3/4 167-3/4 165-3/4 163-3/4 161-3/4 196 172-1/2 170-1/2 168-1/2 166-1/2 164-3/4 162-3/4 197 173-1/4 171-1/2 169-1/2 167-1/2 165-1/2 163-1/2 198 174-1/4 172-1/4 170-1/4 168-1/4 166-1/4 164-1/4 199 175 173-1/4 171-1/4 169-1/4 167-1/4 165-1/4 200 176 174 172 170 168 166 201 177 174-3/4 173 170-3/4 168-3/4 166-3/4 202 177-3/4 175-3/4 173-3/4 171-3/4 169-3/4 167-3/4 203 178-3/4 176-1/2 174-1/2 172-1/2 170-1/2 168-1/2 204 179-1/2 177-1/2 175-1/2 173-1/2 171-1/4 169-1/4 205 180-1/2 178-1/4 176-1/4 174-1/4 172-1/4 170-1/4 206 181-1/4 179-1/4 177-1/4 175 173 171 207 182-1/4 180 178 176 174 171-3/4 208 183 181 179 176-3/4 174-3/4 172-3/4 209 184 181-3/4 179-3/4 177-3/4 175-1/2 173-1/2 210 184-3/4 182-3/4 180-1/2 178-1/2 176-1/2 174-1/4 211 185-3/4 183-1/2 181-1/2 179-1/4 177-1/4 175-1/4 212 186-1/2 184-1/2 182-1/4 180-1/4 178 176 213 187-1/2 185-1/4 183-1/4 181 179 176-3/4 214 188-1/4 186-1/4 184 182 179-3/4 177-1/2 215 189-1/4 187 185 182-3/4 180-1/2 178-1/2 216 190 188 185-3/4 183-1/2 181-1/2 179-1/4 217 191 188-3/4 186-1/2 184-1/2 182-1/4 180 218 191-3/4 189-3/4 187-1/2 185-1/4 183 181 219 192-3/4 190-1/2 188-1/4 186-1/4 184 181-3/4 220 193-1/2 191-1/2 189-1/4 187 184-3/4 182-1/2 221 194-1/2 192-1/4 190 187-3/4 185-3/4 183-1/2 222 195-1/4 193-1/4 191 188-3/4 186-1/2 184-1/4 223 196-1/4 194 191-3/4 189-1/2 187-1/4 185 224 197 195 192-3/4 190-1/2 188-1/4 186 225 198 195-3/4 193-1/2 191-1/4 189 186-3/4 226 199 196-1/2 194-1/4 192 189-3/4 187-1/2 227 199-3/4 197-1/2 195-1/4 193 190-3/4 188-1/2 228 200-3/4 198-1/4 196 193-3/4 191-1/2 189-1/4 229 201-1/2 199-1/4 197 194-3/4 192-1/4 190 230 202-1/2 200 198 195-1/2 193-1/2 191 231 203-1/4 201 198-3/4 196-1/2 194-1/4 192 232 204 202 199-1/2 197 195 192-1/2 233 205 202-3/4 200-1/4 198 195-3/4 193-1/4 234 206 203-1/2 201 199 196-1/2 194 235 206-3/4 204-1/2 202 199-3/4 197-1/2 195 236 207-1/2 205 203 200-1/2 198 196 237 208-1/2 206-1/4 203-3/4 201-1/2 199 196-3/4 238 209-1/2 207 204-1/2 202-1/4 200 197-1/2 239 210-1/4 208 205-1/2 203-1/4 200-3/4 198-1/4 240 211 208-3/4 206-1/4 204 201-1/2 199 241 212 209-3/4 207-1/4 204-3/4 202-1/2 200 242 213 210-1/2 208 205-3/4 203 201 243 213-3/4 211-1/2 209 206-1/2 204 201-3/4 244 214-3/4 212-1/4 210 207-1/4 205 202-1/2 245 215-1/2 213 210-3/4 208-1/4 205-3/4 203-1/4 246 216-1/2 214 211-1/2 209 206-1/2 204 247 217-1/4 215 212-1/2 210 207-1/2 205 248 218 216 213 211 208 206 249 219 216-3/4 214-1/2 211-1/2 209-1/4 207 250 220 217-1/2 215 212-1/2 210 207-1/2 251 221 218-1/4 215-3/4 213-1/4 210-3/4 208-1/4 252 222 219 216-3/4 214 212 209 253 222-1/2 220 217-1/2 215 212-1/2 210 254 223-1/2 221 218-1/2 216 213-1/4 211 255 224-1/4 222 219-3/4 216-3/4 214-1/4 211-1/2 256 225 223 220 218 215 212 257 226 223-3/4 221 218-3/4 216 213 258 227 224-1/2 222 219-1/2 216-3/4 214 259 228 225-1/4 222-3/4 220-1/4 217-1/2 215 260 229 226 224 221 218 216 261 229-3/4 227 225 222 219 216-3/4 262 230-1/2 228 225-1/2 222-3/4 220 217-1/2 263 231-1/2 229 226-1/4 223-1/2 221 218-1/4 264 232 230 227 224 222 219 265 233 230-3/4 228 225 222-3/4 220 266 234 231-1/2 228-3/4 226 223-1/2 220-3/4 267 235 232-1/4 229-1/2 227 224-1/4 221-1/2 268 236 233 230-1/2 228 225 222 269 236-3/4 234 231-1/4 228-1/2 226 223-1/4 270 237-1/2 235 232 229-1/2 226-3/4 224 271 238-1/2 235-3/4 233 230-1/4 227-1/2 225 272 239 237 234 231 228 226 273 240 237-3/4 234-3/4 232 229 226-3/4 274 241 238-1/2 235-1/2 233 230 227-1/2 275 242 239-1/4 236-1/2 233-3/4 231 228-1/4 276 243 240 237-1/4 234-1/2 232 229 277 243-3/4 241 238-1/4 235-1/2 232-3/4 230 278 244-1/2 242 239 236-1/2 233-1/2 230-3/4 279 245-1/2 243 240 237 234-1/2 231-1/2 280 246-1/2 243-3/4 241 238 235-1/4 232-1/2 281 247-1/4 244-1/2 241-3/4 238-3/4 236 233-1/4 282 248 245-1/2 242-1/2 239-1/2 237 234 283 249 246-1/4 243-1/4 240-1/2 237-3/4 235 284 250 247 244 241-1/2 238-1/2 235-3/4 285 250-3/4 248 245 242-1/4 239-1/4 236-1/2 286 251-1/2 249 246 243 240 237-1/2 287 252-1/2 249-3/4 246-3/4 244 241 238-1/4 288 253-1/2 250-1/2 247-1/2 245 242 239 289 254-1/4 251-1/2 248-1/2 245-3/4 242-3/4 239-3/4 290 255 252-1/2 249-1/2 246-1/2 243-1/2 240-3/4 291 256 253-1/4 250-1/4 247-1/4 244-1/2 241-1/2 292 257 254 251 248 245-1/2 242-1/2 293 257-3/4 255 252 249 246-1/4 243-1/4 294 258-1/2 256 253 250 247 244 295 259-1/2 256-3/4 253-3/4 250-3/4 247-3/4 244-3/4 296 260-1/2 257-1/2 254-1/2 251-1/2 248-1/2 245-1/2 297 261-1/4 258-1/2 255-1/2 252-1/2 249-1/2 246-1/2 298 262 259-1/4 256-1/2 253-1/2 250-1/2 247-1/2 299 263 260 257-1/4 254-1/4 251-1/4 248-1/4

Cooling and Stoning

"Coffee which leaves the roaster beautifully uniform in appearance", says A.L. Burns, "may lose all uniformity by delayed or inadequate cooling. Separated beans of coffee will cool off by themselves; but when heaped together, the inner part of the mass will get hotter and even take fire.... Coffee must be spread over a considerable surface, or all kept moving, and have at the same time a lot of air forced through it. Otherwise, there will be some darkening and over-development of part of the coffee, and a loss of the uniformity which is the first requirement of good roasting."

The cooling apparatus consists of a movable, box-like metal car which can be brought up to the front of the roaster to the revolving cylinders. The car has a perforated false bottom, to which is attached a powerful exhaust-fan system that sucks the heat out of the coffee. In large plants, utilizing two or more floors, the tilting-type cooling car is favored. This car permits instant discharge through an opening in the floor into a receiving tank suspended from the ceiling below and connected with the stoning apparatus. Recently, a flexible-arm cooler has been invented that provides full fan suction to a cooler car at all points in its track travel from the roaster to the emptying position.

The stoner, an essential part of the modern roasting plant, has for its function the removal of stones and other foreign matter of which the green-coffee operations have failed to get rid. The stoner is usually built in direct combination with the cooling equipment, and does its work by means of a gravity separation in an upward-moving column of air. The coffee passes into the suction boot of the stoner, either directly from the cooler box or from a floor hopper into which the cooler dumps, and is carried up the stoner pipe, or "riser", by an air current of ample power which can be accurately regulated. This insures the carrying up of coffee only, the stones remaining at the bottom of the machine and being dumped at intervals into a pan underneath. The coffee, passing up the riser pipe, is delivered into a large "stoner hopper" which is usually hung to the ceiling of the roasting room. The correct construction of this hopper is of great importance, as the coffee must be deposited completely without breakage, and the air must pass on through the suction fan carrying nothing except bits of loose chaff.

A different type of cooler is in the form of an upright cylinder, consisting of two metal perforated drums, one set within the other. The inner drum is sufficiently small to allow the coffee to move freely between the drums. Inside the smaller one is an exhaust pipe which draws the heat and chaff out of the coffee. This device is recommended for use only in connection with wet roasted coffee.

Still another type consists of a single perforated cylinder set horizontal with the floor, and revolving alongside of an exhaust box which sucks out the heat and chaff as the coffee is tumbled about in the cylinder. A rocking type, that is not generally employed, is constructed on the principle of the screen used by housebuilders to separate coarse sand from the fine, and is pivoted at the middle so that it can be rocked end to end.

Finishing or Glazing

Finishing whole-bean roasted coffee, by giving it a friction polish while it is still moist, using a glaze solution or water only, is a practise not harmful if the proper solutions are employed. Roasted coffee dulls in ordinary handling, and it is claimed that coating not only improves its appearance, but serves also to preserve the natural flavor and aroma of the bean. A machine having flat-sided wooden cylinders with ventilated heads, and operated two-thirds full of coffee so as to get an effective rolling motion, is generally employed. Coatings composed of sugar and eggs are popular, but their use should be stated on the label.

Coffee roasters are divided on this question of coffee-coating. The best thought of the trade is undoubtedly opposed to the practise when it is done to conceal inferiority or abnormally to reduce shrinkage. Some New York coffee roasters, who made a thorough investigation of the matter, found coating coffee with a wholesome material not injurious and the coated coffee better in the cup. Dr. Harvey W. Wiley found, in the celebrated Ohio case against Arbuckle Brothers, that coating coffee with sugar and eggs produced beneficial results, and that the coating preserved the bean. The Bureau of Chemistry has never issued any ruling on the subject of coating coffee.

Blending Roasted Coffee

After cooling and stoning, unless it is to be polished or glazed, the coffee is ready for grinding and packing if it has been blended in the green state. Otherwise, the next step will be to mix the different varieties before grinding, although some packers blend the different kinds after they have been ground. To mix whole-bean roasted coffee without hurting its appearance is rather difficult, and there is no regular machine for such work.

Rarely is a single kind of coffee drunk straight. The common practise in all countries is to mix different varieties having opposing characteristics so as to obtain a smoother beverage. This is called blending, a process that has attained the standing of an art in the United States. Most package coffees are blends. In addition to other qualities, the practical coffee blender must have a natural aptitude for the work. He must also have long experience before he becomes proficient, and must be acquainted with the different properties of all the coffees grown, or at least of those that come to his market. Furthermore, he must know the variations in characteristics of current crops; for in most coffees no two crops are equal in trade values. Innumerable blends are possible with more than a hundred different coffees to draw upon.

A blend may consist of two or more kinds of coffee, but the general practise is to employ several kinds; so that, if at any time one can not be obtained, its absence from the blend will not be so noticeable as would be the case if only two or three kinds were used.

In blending coffees, consideration is given first to the shades of flavor in the cup and next to price. The blender describes flavors as, acidy, bitter, smooth, neutral, flat, wild, grassy, groundy, sour, fermented, and hidey; and he mixes the coffees accordingly to obtain the desired taste in the cup. Naturally the wild, sour, groundy, fermented, and hidey kinds are avoided as much as possible. Coffees with a Rio flavor are used only in the cheaper blends.

Generally speaking, a properly balanced blend should have a full rich body as a basis; and to this should be added a growth to give it some acid character, and one to give it increased aroma.

Personal preference is the determining factor in making up a blend. Some blenders prefer a coffee with plenty of acid taste; while others choose the non-acid cup. For the first-named kind, the blender will mix together the coffees that have an acidy characteristic; while for a non-acidy blend, he will mix an acidy growth with one having a neutral flavor.

Coffees can be divided into four great classes, the neutral-flavored, the sweet, the acidy, and the bitter. All East Indian coffees, except Ceylons, Malabars, and the other Hindoostan growths, are classified as bitter, as are old brown Bucaramangas, brown Bogotas, and brown Santos. The acid coffees are generally the new-crop washed varieties of the western hemisphere, such as Mexicans, Costa Ricas, Bogotas, Caracas, Guatemalas, Santos, etc. However, the acidity may be toned down by age so that they become sweet or sweet-bitter. Red Santos is generally a sweet coffee, and is prized by blenders. High-grade washed Santo Domingo and Haiti coffees are sweet both when new crop and when aged.

Practical coffee blenders do not mix two new-crop acid coffees, or two old-crop bitter kinds, unless their bitterness or acidity is counteracted by coffees with opposite flavors. One blender insists that every blend should contain three coffees.

Some Bourbon and flat-beaned Santos coffees are better when new, and some are better when old; but a blend of fine old-crop coffee with a snappy new-crop coffee gives a better result than either separately. A new-crop Bourbon and an old yellow flat bean make a better blend than a new-crop flat bean and an old-crop Bourbon. Probably the very best result in a low-priced blend may be obtained by using one-half old-crop Bourbon Santos with one-half new-crop Haiti or Santo Domingo of the cheaper grades.

Typical low-priced coffee blends in the United States may be made up of a good Santos, possibly a Bourbon, and some low-cost Mexican, Central American, Colombian, or Venezuelan coffee, the Santos counteracting these acidy Milds.

Going next higher in the scale of price, fancy old Bourbon Santos is used with one-third fancy old Cucuta or a good Trujillo.

For a blend costing about five cents more a pound retail, one-third fancy old Cucuta or Merida is blended with fancy old Bourbon Santos.

The highest-priced blend may contain two-thirds of a fine private estate Sumatra and one-third Mocha or Longberry Harari.

Alfred W. McCann, while advertising manager for Francis H. Leggett & Co., New York, in 1910, evolved a new coffee distinction based on the argument that certain coffees like Mochas, Mexicans, Bourbons, and Costa Ricas were developed in the cup through the action on them of cream or milk; while others, such as Bogotas, Javas, Maracaibos, etc., flattened out when cream or milk was added. He argued, accordingly, that breakfast coffees should be made up from the former, but that the latter should not be used except for after-dinner coffees, to be drunk black.[328] William B. Harris, then coffee expert for the United States Department of Agriculture, took issue with Mr. McCann, claiming that if a coffee is watery and lacks body, it will not take kindly to milk or cream, not because the chemical action of milk or cream flattens it out, but because there is nothing there in the first place. The strength of the brew being equal, all coffees will take cream or milk, Mr. Harris held.[329]

M.J. McGarty said in 1915 that he had tried out many coffees in the cup, and could not see that adding milk made any difference. However, he found that sometimes a line of coffees will contain a sample that flattens out at the drinking point (the point where the boiling water has cooled to permit of its being drunk); and he thought this was what Mr. McCann had in mind, as, by adding milk to such a coffee, it was brought back to the drinking point. In other words, it was Mr. McGarty's opinion that, in blending coffees, those coffees which hold their own from the start, or boiling point, until they become cold, or even improve right through, are more desirable for blending purposes; and that those that are best at the drinking point should be given the preference.[330]

Coffee Blends for Restaurants

William B. Harris[331] believes that the coffee of prime importance in preparing restaurant blends is Bogota. He advises the use of a full-bodied Bogota and an acid Bourbon Santos in the proportion of three-fourths Bogota to one-fourth Santos. Blends may also be made up from combinations of Bogota, Mexicans, and Guatemalas.

According to Mr. Harris, the average blend of good coffee when made up, two and one-half pounds of coffee to five gallons of water, will produce a liquor of good color and strength. For many hotels, however, this may not answer, as it is not heavy enough. More coffee must then be used, or ten percent of chicory added. A blend with chicory can be made by using two-thirds Bogota, one-third Bourbon Santos, and ten percent chicory. No steward, hotel man, or restaurant man should, however, advertise "coffee" on his menu, and then serve a drink employing chicory; because, while there is no federal law against such a practise, there are state laws against it. Chicory is all right in its place; and many prefer a drink made from coffee and chicory; but such a drink can not properly be called coffee.

Hotel men should purchase their coffee in the bean, and do their own grinding. Then they need never have cause to complain that their coffee man deceived them, or that some salesman misled them. The hotel steward wishing to furnish his patrons with a heavy-bodied coffee, particularly a black after-dinner coffee, without chicory, will use three, four, or even four and one-half pounds of ground coffee to five gallons of water.

With so wide a choice of coffees to choose from, a coffee blender can make up many combinations to meet the demands of his trade. Probably no two blenders use exactly the same varieties in exactly the same proportions to make up a blend to sell at the same price. However, they all follow the same general principles laid down in the foregoing flavor classification of the world's coffees.

Grinding and Packaging Coffee

Unless the coffee is to be sold in the bean, it is sent to the grinding and packing department, to be further prepared for the consumer. Since the federal food law has been in effect, the public has gained confidence in ground and bean coffee in packages; and today a large part of the coffee consumed in the United States is sold in one and two pound cartons and cans, already blended and ready for brewing.

A progressive coffee-packing house may have three different styles of grinding machines; one called the granulator for turning out the so-called "steel-cut" coffee; the second, a pulverizer for making a really fine grind; and the third, a grinding mill for general factory work and producing a medium-ground coffee.

Commercial coffee-grinding machines are alike in principle in all countries, the beans being crushed or broken between toothed or corrugated metal or stone members, one revolving and the other being stationary. While all grinding machines are alike in principle, they may vary in capacity and design. The average granulator will turn out about five hundred pounds of "steel-cut" coffee in an hour; the pulverizer, from seventy-five to two hundred pounds; and the average grinding mill from five hundred to six hundred pounds. Some types of grinding machines have chaff-removing attachments to remove, by air suction, the chaff from the coffee as it is being ground.

A large number of trade terms for designating different grinds of coffee are used in the United States, some of them meaning the same thing, while similar names are sometimes contradictory. A canvass of the leading American coffee packers in 1917[332] discovered that there were fifteen terms in use, and that there were thirty-four different meanings attached to them. For the term "fine" there were five different definitions; "medium" had five; "coarse", seven; "pulverized", four; "steel-cut", seven; "ground", two; "powdered", one; "percolator", two; "steel-cut-chaff-removed", one; "Turkish ground", one; while "granulated", "Greek ground", "extra fine", "standard", and "regular" were not defined.

The term "steel-cut" is generally understood to mean that in the grinding process the chaff has been removed and an approximate uniformity of granules has been obtained by sifting. The term does not necessarily mean that the grinding mills have steel burrs. In fact, most firms employ burrs made of cast-iron or of a composition metal known as "burr metal", because of its combined hardness and toughness.

The "steel-cut" idea is another of those sophistries for which American advertising methods have been largely responsible in the development of the package-coffee business in the United States. The term "steel-cut" lost all its value as an advertising catchword for the original user when every other dealer began to use it, no matter how the ground coffee was produced. When the public has been taught that coffee should be "steel-cut", it is hard to sell it ground coffee unless it is called "steel-cut"; although a truer education of the consumer would have caused him to insist on buying whole bean coffee to be ground at home.

"Steel-cut" coffee, that is, a medium-ground coffee with the chaff blown out, does not compare in cup test with coffee that has been more scientifically ground and not given the chaff removal treatment that is largely associated in the public mind with the idea of the steel-cut process.

According to the results of the trade canvass previously referred to, it would appear that the terms most suited to convey the right idea of the different grades of grinding, and likely to be acceptable to the greatest number, would be "coarse" (for boiling, and including all the coarser grades); "medium" (for coffee made in the ordinary pot, including the so-called "steel-cut"); "fine" (like granulated sugar, and used for percolators); "very fine" (like cornmeal, and used for drip or filtration methods); "powdered" (like flour, and used for Turkish coffee).

Coffee begins to lose its strength immediately after roasting, the rate of loss increasing rapidly after grinding. In a test carried out by a Michigan coffee packer,[333] it was discovered that a mixture of a very fine with a coarse grind gives the best results in the cup. It was also determined that coarse ground coffee loses its strength more rapidly than the medium ground; while the latter deteriorates more quickly than a fine ground; and so on, down the scale. His conclusions were that the most satisfactory grind for putting into packages that are likely to stand for some time before being consumed is a mixture consisting of about ninety percent finely ground coffee and ten percent coarse. His theory is that the fine grind supplies sufficiently high body extraction; the coarse, the needful flavor and aroma. On this irregular grind a United States patent (No. 14,520) has been granted, in which the inventor claims that the ninety percent of fine eliminates the interstices--that allow too free ventilation in a coarse ground coffee--and consequently prevents the loss of the highly volatile constituents of the ten percent of coarse-ground particles, and at the same time gives a full-body extraction.

Making and Filling Containers

As stated before, a large proportion of the coffee sold in the United States is put up into packages, ready for brewing. Such containers are grouped under the name of the material of which they are made; such as tin, fiber, cardboard, paper, wood, and combinations of these materials, such as a fiber can with tin top and bottom. Generally, coffee containers are lined with chemically treated paper or foil to keep in the aroma and flavor, and to keep out moisture and contaminating odors.

As the package business grew in the United States, the machinery manufacturers kept pace; until now there are machines that, in one continuous operation, open up a "flat" paper carton, seal the bottom fold, line the carton with a protecting paper, weigh the coffee as it comes down from an overhead hopper into the carton, fold the top and seal it, and then wrap the whole package in a waxed or paraffined paper, delivering the package ready for shipment without having been touched by a human hand from the first operation to the last. Such a machine can put out fifteen to eighteen thousand packages a day.

Another type of machine automatically manufactures two and three-ply paper cans such as are used widely for cereal packages. It winds the ribbons of heavy paper in a spiral shape, automatically gluing the papers together to make a can that will not permit its contents to leak out. The machine turns out its product in long cylinders, like mailing tubes, which are cut into the desired lengths to make the cans. The paper or tin tops and bottoms are stamped out on a punch press.

Coffee cans are generally filled by hand; that is, the can is placed under the spout of an automatic filling and weighing machine by an operator who slips on the cover when the can is properly filled. The weighing machine has a hopper which lets the coffee down into a device that gauges the correct amount, say a pound or two pounds, and then pours it into the can. The machine weighs the can and its contents, and if they do not show the exact predetermined weight, the device automatically operates to supply the necessary quantity. After weighing, the can is carried on a traveling belt to the labeling machine, where the label is automatically applied and glued. Then the can is put through a drying compartment to make the label stick quickly.

Paper bags are filled much the same way as the tin and the fiber cans. In fact, some packers fill their paper and fiber cartons by the same system; although the tendency among the largest companies is to instal the complete automatic packaging equipment, because of its speed and economy in packaging. Frequently, the weighing machines are used in filling wooden and fiber drums holding twenty-five, fifty, and one hundred pounds of coffee, to be sold in bulk to the retailer.

Coffee Additions and Fillers

In all large coffee-consuming countries, coffee additions and fillers have always been used. Large numbers of French, Italian, Dutch, and German consumers insist on having chicory with their coffee, just as do many Southerners in the United States.

The chief commercial reason for using coffee additions and fillers is to keep down the cost of blends. For this purpose, chicory and many kinds of cooked cereals are most generally used; while frequently roasted and ground peas, beans, and other vegetables that will not impair the flavor or aroma of the brew, are employed in foreign countries. Before Parliament passed the Adulterant Act, some British coffee men used as fillers cacao husks, acorns, figs, and lupins, in addition to chicory and the other favorite fillers.

Up to the year 1907, when the United States Food and Drugs Act became effective, chicory and cereal additions were widely used by coffee packers and retailers in this country. With the enforcement of the law requiring the label of a package to state when a filler is employed, the use of additions gradually fell off in most sections.

In botanical description and chemical composition chicory, the most favored addition, has no relationship with coffee. When roasted and ground, it resembles coffee in appearance; but it has an entirely different flavor. However, many coffee-drinkers prefer their beverage when this alien flavor has been added to it.

Treated Coffees and Dry Extracts

The manufacture of prepared, or refined, coffees has become an important branch of the business in the United States and Europe. Prepared coffees can be divided into two general groups: treated coffees, from which the caffein has been removed to some degree; and dry coffee extracts (soluble coffee), which are readily dissolved in a cup of hot or cold water.

To decaffeinate coffee, the most common practise is to make the green beans soft by steaming under pressure, and then to apply benzol or chloroform or alcohol to the softened coffee to dissolve and to extract the caffein. Afterward, the extracting solvents are driven out of the coffee by re-steaming. However, chemists have not yet been able to expel all the caffein in treating coffee commercially, the best efforts resulting in from 0.3 to 0.07 percent remaining. After treatment, the coffee beans are then roasted, packed, and sold like ordinary coffee.

In manufacturing dry coffee extract in the form of a powder that is readily soluble in water, the general method is to extract the drinking properties from ground roasted coffee by means of water, and to evaporate the resulting liquid until only the coffee powder is left. Several methods have been developed and patented to prevent the valuable flavor elements from being evaporated with the water.

A typical dry-coffee-extract-making equipment consists of a battery of percolators, or "leachers", a vacuum evaporating device, and a vacuum drier. The leachers do not differ materially from the ordinary restaurant percolators, a battery usually including from three to seven units, each charge of water going through all the percolations. The resulting heavy liquid then goes to the evaporator to be concentrated into a thick liquor. The evaporator consists of a horizontal cylindrical vapor compartment connected with an inclined cylindrical steam chest in which are numerous tubes, or flues, that occupy almost the whole chest. These tubes are heated by steam. The coffee liquor is passed through the tubes at high speed and thrown with great force against a baffle plate at the opening to the vapor chest. The vapor passes around the baffle plate to a separator. The liquor drops to the lower part of the steam-chest (which is free from tubes), and is ready to be drawn out for the next process, the drying.

At this stage, the extract is a heavily concentrated syrup and is ready to be converted into powder. This is done in the vacuum drier, which consists of a hollow revolving drum surrounded by a tightly sealed cast-iron casing. The drum is heated by steam injected into its interior, and is revolved in a high vacuum. In operation, a coating of coffee liquor is applied automatically, by means of a special device, to the outside of the drum. The liquor is taken by gravity from the reservoir containing the liquid supply and is forced upward by means of a pump into the liquid supply pan, directly under the drum, with sufficient pressure to cause the liquid to adhere to the drum, the excess liquor overflowing from the pan into the reservoir. The coating on the drum is controlled or regulated by a spreader. The heat and the vacuum reduce the extract to a dry powder in less than one revolution of the drum. As the drum completes three-quarters of a turn, a scraper knife removes the coffee powder, which is delivered to a receiver below the drum. Modern vacuum-drum driers have a capacity of from twenty-five to five hundred pounds of dry soluble coffee per hour.

C.W. Trigg and W.A. Hamor were granted a patent in the United States in 1919 on a new process for making an aromatized coffee extract. In this process, the caffeol of the coffee is volatilized and is then brought into contact with an absorbing medium such as is used in the extraction of perfumes. The absorbing medium is then treated with a solvent of the caffeol, and the solution is separated from the petrolatum. Then the coffee solution is concentrated to an extract by evaporation; after which, the extract and the caffeol are combined into a soluble coffee. Five additional patents were granted on this same process in 1921.