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Coffee Shops Chicago IL

Coffee shops are nearly ubiquitous in America, with small and chain shops often operating across the street from one another, or even side-by-side. This is possible and often a sustainable business practice due to the many variations and types of coffee and tea products, along with different levels of quality and pricing. Check below for more information or to find nearby coffee and tea shops.

Local Companies

Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 715-0800

500 Madison
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 575-1410

444 W Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 588-1040

1400 Lake Shore Dr
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 787-1969

1121 N State Street
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 431-7600

224 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 466-0200

233 S Wacker Dr Lobby Level
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 372-3624

123 N Wacker Dr
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 266-2570

676 N St Clair
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 346-9492

56 W Randolph St 44
Chicago, IL

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Corner Bakery Cafe
(312) 263-4258

188 W Washington Blvd
Chicago, IL

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Roasting Coffee - From Green Bean to Your Cup

Article by Andréanne Hamel

For the coffee connoisseur knowledge of the different roasts of coffee beans is important. Having this information will allow them to choose the right roast. It isn't always enough just to know what Vienna coffee is, or what makes a full French roast. A general understanding of the entire commercial roasting process is also important.

Commercial Roasting
The coffee roasting process includes all of the steps required to take a bean from green to the desired darkness. Green coffee arrives at the factory in large bags. Most operations then dump these bags into large hoppers and conveyers take them up the line for cleaning, and then onto another conveyer for roasting.

The typical commercial machine is a drum style roaster. These machines may be fired by gas, wood, or heated by electricity. They operate at temperatures between 370°F and 540°F. Large horizontal drums tumble the green beans over the heat source until roasting is complete. There are both direct fired roasters, in which the flame contacts the beans, and indirect fired, where the drum is heated instead.

There are several factors that may be taken into consideration when choosing a temperature, and length of time to roast. Coffee origin, desired flavor, variety, and other factors may all be considered. Some factories even go as far as using temperature probes and data loggers, which compare the process to premade graphs, to manage the whole roasting process. From beginning to end it, usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour to finish.

The Stages of Roasting
The coffee develops cracks twice during the process (depending on the desired darkness). The first pop is due to the expansion of the coffee, and the second comes from physical fracturing due to heat. Here are the stages that the beans go through, and the roasts that they compare to:
1. Light (Cinnamon, New England) – As the beans begin to turn into a usable darkness they pop, and the first crack appears. At this point it has doubled in size, and a light roast is achieved. With a temperature of around 425°F a light roast is usually achieved in about 10 minutes. Lightly roasted coffee is best for showing through the flavors of its origin.

2. Medium (Full City, American, Breakfast) – After a couple more minutes the second crack is about to appear. At this point a medium roast is achieved.

3. Dark (Viennese, Italian Espresso, Continental) – As the second crack develops in the beans the oil in the coffee rises to the surface. At this point a dark roast is achieved. Most coffees aren't roasted beyond this level. Darker coffees tend to get their flavor more from the roasting process than from the coffee bean itself.

4. Darkest (French Roast) – The darkest roasts of coffee come after the third step. A full French roast develops as the sugars in the coffee begin to caramelize. At this point the coffee bean is on the verge o...

Click here to read the rest of this article from FoodReference.com