It’s no surprise that coffee practically runs every employee’s day-to-day functionality. Employees heavily rely on office coffee to get them through the day. If this is something your business is already spending money on, why not make it worthwhile. As we all know the better the office perks, the better employee retention. Happy employees = a successful business. So here’s how to recognize quality coffee in your office, or lack thereof:
FLAVOR
First and foremost is the overall flavor of the coffee. Good coffee will encompass the essence of all other coffee characteristics like body, aroma, acidity, and others just as sweet/bitterness and aftertaste. The best coffees balance all these attributes, and no one dominates the rest. The coffee taste may be complex, and there may be a lot of different flavors, or others may taste off due to poor overall processing or storage.
ACIDITY (BRIGHTNESS)
Acidity, sometimes known as brightness, is another first impression you can get from tasting coffee. It’s a sharp aftertaste that sits near the front of your mouth. A common descriptor for a coffee with high acidity is bright, tangy, or sharp. Factors that influence acidity include the coffee’s origin region. For example, areas in Africa are known to produce more acidic beans due to elevation, climate, etc. The roasting process can also affect how much acidity is imparted by temperature or time.
AROMA
The aroma of freshly ground coffee is a powerful indicator of how fresh the coffee overall is, how good its quality is, and whether there are any defects or off-tastes—possible aroma descriptors to look for include floral, fruity, or nutty, among many others.
BODY (VISCOSITY)
The coffee’s body, also known as mouthfeel, is the first impression it makes on your palate as it swirls around inside your mouth. It can be described as full-bodied, medium, or light in flavor and describes the overall thickness, heaviness, or viscosity you feel in your mouth.
Several factors play a role in the body of the final drink, like how the coffee was brewed. Brewing your coffee with a French press versus an espresso machine can make a difference in the body of the coffee.
Agora offers a wide selection of high-quality, fresh, and locally roasted coffee in our office coffee services. You can check out our selection on our website. Connect with us to learn more about our coffee offerings or our free-coffee tasting!