From Tree To Cup
At Crimson Cup we are proud to say we import only Specialty Grade Class 1 beans, the best coffees from around the world. We understand coffee farmers put a great amount of pride into the care of our coffees. From start to finish we make it a priority to maintain the integrity of the coffee the way the growers intended.
From Tree…
Coffee trees are evergreens with shiny, dark green leaves and an abundance of crimson berries, each of which contains two seeds, or coffee beans.
This is how Crimson Cup’s name came to be, from the crimson berries on the coffee tree.
There are two types of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica coffee is a much higher quality bean found in specialty coffees and is our bean of choice.
…to planting…
Coffee grows best in the volcanic soil and moderate sunshine found in mountainous tropical regions. Select seeds or leaf cuttings from the best trees are carefully cleaned and sown in nursery beds. For six to eight months the small trees are nurtured indoors before being transplanted outside. Shade trees (such as banana trees) are planted between the rows of young coffee trees in order to provide natural cover.
It takes three years for a coffee tree to produce it’s first crop, after which it will continue to produce beans for another 15 to 25 years.
…to harvest…
The ripening of coffee cherries—from the first clusters of white flowers to ready-to-harvest fruit—takes about nine months. The flowers, which last only a few days, produce small green berries or cherries.
Once they have ripened to maturity (signaled by a deep crimson color) they are ready to be hand picked. The average yield of a mature coffee tree is 2,000 coffee cherries per year or approximately one pound of roasted coffee.
One acre of coffee trees produces 400 to 600 pounds of green coffee beans per year.
…to processing…
Once coffee cherries are harvested, they are transported to co-ops for processing. Processing entails removing the coffee beans from the cherry—either by wet method or dry method —sizing them, and sorting by grade.
Once processing is finished, the cooperatives sell the green coffee beans to brokers—distribution centers for small to mid-size roasters, or directly to mass roasters.
…to roaster…
Roasting is the process in which the dense green coffee beans are transformed into the wonderfully rich and flavorful beans that are the basis for a great cup of coffee.
Roasting coffee is both an art and a science requiring that each of the 100 or more origins of coffee be roasted to its own set of specifications.
During roasting, our Roast Master listens closely for the first crack which signals the start of pyrolysis (pie RAWL ah sis)—the transformation of the green beans into a delicious, consumable coffee bean. In general, coffees are roasted to light, medium or dark levels.
…to you in your cup.
Once roasting is complete, the finished batch of coffee is dropped into a cooling bin where it is allowed to cool to room temperature, aided by a flow of air that is drawn through the beans. Once the coffee has cooled, we package it immediately and send it to our stores.
