There is a certain prestige that the coffee industry carries. But for most people, luxury isn’t a word that is often used in the same sentence when talking about coffee. Mass market coffee bags, settling for stale coffee, rushing the brewing process and getting an uneven extraction - you can see what we mean.
Regardless, even in the world of coffee, sleek new gadgets, rare & limited edition coffees, and unique experiences allow consumers and coffee professionals alike to enjoy a sense of glamour.
Let’s delve further into the glamorous, fun side of the coffee world.
High-Tech Gear
To many of you, it might seem like only yesterday that you were watching your grandma make a South Indian filter kaapi in a traditional Indian coffee filter and dabara.
Today, with the simple touch of a button the entire coffee brewing process has become automated and far more luxurious.
Those who want to enjoy premium-quality coffee in an effortless manner can benefit from a range of high-tech devices for measuring, grinding beans and brewing coffee at home. These machines have built-in settings that allow for greater precision, maintaining the consistency in each cup.
There are even smart milk frothers in the market such as the Nespresso Aeroccino or the Breville Milk Cafe that help you create perfectly frothed milk for a variety of coffee drinks, taking the guesswork out of the situation.
Then there is Acaia Pearl, a digital brewing scale that syncs with an app, giving you remote control over measurements. Coffee connoisseurs also use the device for pour overs.
Whether you want touchscreen controls, dual boilers, PID temperature control or a stylish design, there are ample high-end options for you to choose from.
Some of these devices cost you a couple of hundred dollars and others go up to several thousands. But it’s undeniable that they offer a sense of status and access to superior quality coffee at home.
Most Expensive Coffee
Coffee in itself feels like a luxury to some, especially if you have acquired a taste for the best of the best blends you can get your hands on.
The thing with some of the most expensive coffees in the world is that they are rare and have limited quantities available at a time. In a way, this lends some exclusivity to the coffee, making it more valuable and therefore more costly. But it’s not just that, the processing method used to produce the coffee and the unique flavour profile also justifies a higher price tag.
First on this list is Black Ivory Coffee. The process is labour-intensive and involves coffee beans digested by elephants. This production method is said to enhance flavour but significantly affects the yield. One pound of coffee costs well over $1,000.
If you love Colombian coffee, trying the Ospina Dynasty Coffee would be a dream come true. With notes of coconut, berries, and peach, this is crafted from a rare coffee variety grown at altitudes of 7700ft. You’ll be paying $1,500 for one pound of this coffee from one of the oldest coffee companies to exist.
Grown in Panama, the Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha is another prized product in the world of rare and expensive coffees. It gets a lot of praise for its citrusy and floral flavour profile. Depending on where you’re sourcing this coffee from and where they are grown, a pound of Hacienda Geisha can range anywhere between $100 to $1,000.
Unique Experiences
For some coffee lovers, the enthusiasm for the beverage doesn’t end at simply drinking multiple cups of coffee. They want to know all there is to know about coffee, improve their coffee brewing skills, and even experience as much there is to experience within the cultural space.
From coffee plantation tours to coffee tastings, there are many ways to step beyond the lens of a coffee consumer and understand how different aspects of the industry function.
Coffee tourism has been gaining more recognition as time passes. There’s no better way to experience first-hand coffee cultures of regions like Ethiopia, Italy, Kenya, and Indonesia than to sign up for events.
You can enjoy coffee tastings, learn more about the history of coffee production, and also bring home freshly roasted bags of coffee that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to try.
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