Coffee culture 101
Matt Carter, coffee sustainability manager for Tribeca, shares his tips on getting the most from your morning cuppa.
What is the difference between light and dark roasts?
Dark roast coffee tends to have chocolate, earthy, bitter flavour notes and is often associated with a stronger flavour. Light roast coffee generally has fruity characteristics.
How do you recommend customers find the roast that they love?
A quick cheat that I sometimes use is to ask a person what sort of foods they enjoy. People with a taste for bitter, rich foods tend to prefer a dark roast coffee, and people who prefer acidic, sweet foods tend to prefer light roast coffee.
What are your top tips for making the perfect cup of coffee?
Fresh everything: freshly roasted and ground coffee; fresh water – if your water is 90-93 degrees it will make your coffee taste better – and fresh in the cup – letting coffee stand in the brewer for too long releases a bad acid, which is very bitter.
Are there any coffee mistakes people often make?
Everyone’s coffee traditions are unique to them, but one thing that I frequently see is dirty equipment. Clean brewing devices will make a big difference. Coffee oils become rancid when exposed to oxygen and taste horrible.
How do you recommend people drink their coffee?
I like to encourage people to try the coffee first without adding any sugar, but coffee is a personal luxury and you deserve to have it just as you like it!
What's the perfect accompaniment with a cup of coffee?
One of my favourite treats to this day is a good rusk to dunk into my coffee.
When do you think is the best time to enjoy a cup of coffee?
My day cannot start without at least one cup of coffee!
Top tip for storing coffee to ensure it stays fresh?
The enemies of coffee are heat, moisture, light and air. So, keep your coffee in a cool dark place in an airtight container away from strong smells is the very best.