Ismail Coffee & Tea

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FAQs

Coffee

How should coffee be stored?
In order to keep it as fresh as possible, coffee should be stored in an opaque airtight container at room temperature.

What is the best way to guarantee freshness?
Coffee is at its best the sooner after roasting it is drunk. It begins to loose flavour only a week after roasting. Grind coffee just two minutes before brewing and grind each time you brew – it’s worth the effort to maximize freshness.

How much coffee should be used?
The recommended recipe is 2 tablespoons of coffee per 180ml of water. If this ratio produces too strong a cup, simply reduce the quantity of coffee.

What is the best temperature for brewing coffee?
Boil the fresh, cold water, wait for 30 seconds until the temperature reduces to between 90 and 96 degrees C, then pour onto the coffee to extract the best flavour. If the water is too cool, the brew will taste sour and if it is too hot, the full flavour will not be released.

What type of water makes the best coffee?
Clean, fresh, cold water, free from impurities and alkaline is recommended. Bottled or filtered water guarantees the best taste (see Water Areas Section).

Why is coffee blended?
Skilful roasters combine beans in appropriate proportions to bring together specific qualities of different growing regions, also taking into account the degree of roasting, to create a distinct flavour. Blending seeks to maximize the strengths of each coffee used.

Why is grind size important?
Grinding prepares the beans to release their flavour during brewing. The correct grind is essential to extract the optimal flavour. Variations in the length of the brewing cycle and water temperature result in each brewing method requiring a different degree of grind. Generally the shorter the brewing cycle, the finer the grind required. Finer grinds expose more of the coffee’s surface area to the water so the essential oils are released faster. Longer brewing methods need a courser grind to avoid over extraction. A grind that is mismatched to the brewing method can produce bitter coffee.

Do lighter coffees contain less caffeine than darker roasts?
Fine coffees at any degree of roast contain roughly the same amount of caffeine (about 100 mg per cup). The longer the grind is in contact with the water, the more caffeine will be absorbed. While an espresso may taste stronger, it will usually contain a similar amount of caffeine to a regular cup of coffee, because it is made with less coffee.

Does coffee contribute to daily fluid intake?
Yes. Adults require two to three litres of fluid a day, more if the weather is hot or they are physically active. This recommended intake can be achieved through food and drink, including moderate coffee consumption of around four to five cups per day.

Does coffee contain additives or preservatives?
No, coffee is 100% natural. It is the seed of a coffee plant which has been ground and roasted.

Does coffee contain calories?
No, without milk and sugar an average sized cup of coffee contains less than one calorie!

Tea

How do I know if the tea I am drinking is good quality?
With a good quality tea, the dry leaf should look neat and even, whether it is a large or small leaf tea. It should be clean, without too much stalk or dusty particles that have broken off. The liquor should be bright with a rim of clear liquor around the edge of the cup. The wet leaf (the infusion) should smell fragrant and fresh with the expected character of the particular tea.

Do grading terms indicate quality?
No. Tea grading terms refer to the appearance and size of the leaf. The best indicator of quality is taste!

Can milk be added to any tea?
Adding milk to tea is a matter of personal preference but many teas taste better without milk, especially the lighter, more fragrant varieties. It is always a good idea to try the tea milk free first. As a general rule white, green, oolong, flavoured and most black teas are better without milk, whereas stronger black teas will take milk.

Is it best to use skimmed, semi skimmed or full fat milk?
This is a matter of personal choice. For many tea drinkers, skimmed is too thin, full fat is too fatty, so semi-skimmed seems to suit most people.

What’s the best sweetener for tea?
White sugar is the best sweetener (or white, artificial sweeteners). Brown sugar or honey can be added but their strong flavours tend to overwhelm the tea and change its colour.

How should tea be stored?
Tea should be kept in an air-tight tea container in a cool, dark, dry place, away from other strong smells. The only tea that is usually stored in the fridge is Matcha.

How long does tea keep?
Loose tea keeps longer than teabags. If stored in an air-tight tin, teabags will keep for 6 months and loose leaf tea will keep for up to 2 years.

Do teas contain different amounts of caffeine?
Caffeine is a natural ingredient found in the tea bush. All teas contain roughly the same amount of caffeine (40-70mg per cup) but exact quantities depend on the variety of the bush from which the particular leaves were taken, where the bush was grown, the age of the leaves when plucked, whether the tea is brewed from large pieces of leaf or small particles and how long the tea is steeped. A cup of tea contains about half the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, because a smaller quantity of tea is required to make a cup.

Is decaffeinated tea totally free from caffeine?
No. There is approximately 0.01-0.04%% caffeine in decaffeinated tea.

Should I brew the tea bag or leaf for a shorter time for a weaker brew?
For weaker tea, use less tea but always brew for the correct length of time, in order to extract all the flavour. Alternatively, choose a lighter type of tea.

Why does tea go bitter when the leaf is left steeping in the hot water?
Tea contains tannins that can taste astringent and bitter. The longer tea brews, the more of the tannins are infused out of the leaf and into the water.

Why do some teapots and mugs have an infuser basket?
An infuser basket separates the leaves from the liquid once they have brewed for the correct time.

What’s the best way to separate the tea leaves from the liquid without an infuser basket?
When the leaves have steeped for the correct time, pour the liquor from the tea pot through a strainer or sieve into a second, warmed, clean teapot. Discard the leaves and enjoy the perfectly brewed tea.

Is herbal tea really tea?
No. Herbal drinks such as camomile, peppermint, rosehip and hibiscus are herbal infusions or tisanes, rather than teas, because they are not derived from the tea plant.

Does tea contain calories?
No. Without milk and sugar, tea is virtually calorie free!