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Coffee, A Brief Overview
The coffee plant has two main species. There is the Coffea Arabica, which is the more traditional coffee and considered to be superior in flavor, and the Coffea Canephora known more commonly as Robusta. Robusta tends to be higher in caffeine and...
Coffee With Class
A gift basket loaded with gourmet coffee and snacks is a present sure to be appreciated by coffee connoisseur and college students alike. Coffee gift baskets are available with both decaf, for those who enjoy the flavor, and regular coffee, for the...
Know the Danger of Coffee Enemas Procedures
Knowing the possible Danger of Coffee Enemas procedures could
have before you perform them can eliminate any risks involved.
Although the Coffee Enemas are an increasingly popular way to
rid your body of toxins, you need to know all you can about...
Mint-Chocolate Coffee Spoons
Mint-Chocolate Coffee Spoons (A quick and easy way to enjoy mint-chocolate coffee!) My sister-in-law makes these, and they sell them at school events to raise money for the parochial school where her son is enrolled. She says they "sell like...
The history of Coffee the most popular beverage of all time.
About 850 A.D it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry....
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Gourmet-Tasting Coffee without the Gourmet Price Tag
Quality in, quality out. The formula seems elementary but, in
the minds of many coffee drinkers, quality is synonymous with
higher costs. Coffee lovers are seemingly faced with a trade off
between the gourmet taste they crave and the money in their
wallets. Many coffee loyalists continue to surrender their cash
to the ritzy big-name coffee shops in order to capture the
luxury of gourmet brews. Other people opt to buy the cheap
stuff, looking for the same buzz and sacrificing the flavorful
experience.
However, Gourmet-tasting coffee without the gourmet price tag is
not out of reach. With a few wisely chosen ingredients and
tools, anyone can brew professional-grade coffee at home. The
beverage, at its best, is more than a caffeinated booster; it's
a full-bodied treat for the five senses. Nothing compares to the
color, temperature, flavor, aroma and sound of a perfectly
percolating pot of joe. Learn how to get the most from your next
cup with the following tips.
Ingredients for Success
If you strip coffee down to the basics, what you are left with
is water and ground coffee beans. The higher the quality of
these two ingredients, the better your finished product will
taste. The key is to start with fresh, cold water. You want to
enhance the coffee while letting its desired natural properties
shine through. Water that is hot or stale can produce a bitter
taste. Depending on the mineral content of your tap water, you
may prefer using bottled water for a purer coffee flavor.
Grinding your own coffee beans will provide the freshest, most
flavorful coffee. Many people steer clear of this step because
they think it takes too much effort or is too time consuming.
The truth is, with the aid of a powered grinder, the job can be
done in 30-seconds or less. The amount of beans you'll want to
use for your brew varies by the type of machine you're using and
the desired result. For your average pot, use approximately
1-cup of coffee beans per cup of coffee.
Freeze-dried or "instant" coffee will get the job done but, when
you truly want to indulge, go for fresh grounds or whole beans.
Many stores prepare the beans daily, or you can check the bottom
of the bag for its freshness date. Good beans should appeal to
the eye and the nose. Avoid purchasing broken beans because they
will stale more quickly. For that gourmet kick, choose beans
from the Arabica coffee plant only. Robusta coffee beans are
renowned for their high caffeine levels, but they provide a more
acidic taste.
To find a flavor you really enjoy, try a few different roasts
and brands. Beans with a high acidity level will have a sharper
taste. Everyone's taste-buds are different. Don't be afraid to
go for specialty coffees just because they sound intimidating or
look fancy. When trying the new brew, let the drink cool a bit
and take the time to swish it around in your mouth before
swallowing. This will give your tongue the chance to identify
the many layers of flavor in each sip.
Caffeine content should also factor into your decision when
picking a coffee, as it affects your overall experience. This
stimulant is naturally present in the coffee bean and can have
mildly addictive effects if large amounts are consumed. Many
coffee drinkers enjoy the increased alertness brought on by the
drug, but too much caffeine can cause negative effects such as
headaches, insomnia and nervousness. Lighter roasts have higher
caffeine content than do darker roasts because less of it is
lost during the shorter roasting period. Many coffees offer
decaffeinated varieties which can be delicious if you seek to
limit your caffeine intake.
Be sure to store your coffee in an air-tight container in a
cool, dry place away from any potentially contaminating odors.
Freezing beans can damage the oils that give coffee its body and
flavor. To really lock in the freshness of whole beans or cut
grounds, double bag them. Ground beans can lose flavor within a
few hours if exposed to the air. Even well-stored ground coffee
begin to stale after only a few days, so it's recommended that
you don't prepare more beans than you need at the moment. A
trick for adding life to pre-ground, stored coffee is to briefly
grind it again so new surface area is exposed.
If you choose to use fresh coffee beans, apply the following
rule of thumb regarding how finely ground the coffee beans
should be: Longer brewing cycles equal coarser grinds. For
example, an expresso or cappuccino maker requires beans with a
very fine, almost powdery grind because the machines brew in
less than a minute. Electric drip brewers with paper filters
should utilize coffee grounds with a consistency similar to salt
granules. Percolators work best when paired with coarsely ground
beans. This may seem like an unimportant detail, but it has a
tremendous impact on the strength of your drink's taste and can
cause problems for your machine, such as filter clogs.
Tools of the Trade
Coffee making has become an art and where would a good artist be
without the proper tools? For the best results, there are a few
must-have machines that every coffee enthusiast should have in
his or her
home.
When working with whole beans, you'll want to invest in a coffee
grinder. These tools are well worth the money if you enjoy a
fresh cup of coffee. Some coffee machines come with built-in grinders to help
simplify the brewing process. You can get an easy-to-use
stainless steel blade grinder for a reasonable price. The
grind-level is controlled by how long you let the blades run.
The metal can get hot if you're making a fine ground coffee,
which can unfortunately create a burnt taste if you aren't
careful.
Burr grinders are different from blade grinders in that the
coarseness of the ground is controlled by the burr's position.
They work by crushing the coffee beans between a moving grinding
wheel and a non-moving surface. These are often more expensive
and create a more consistent ground than bladed grinders. Wheel
burrs are reasonably priced because they operate noisily and
with some mess. Conical burrs are the best grinders that money
can buy. These tools usually work more quietly, less messily,
and are the least likely to clog because they operate at a
slower speed.
The demands of your lifestyle will determine the type of coffee
brewer you prefer. On-the-go coffee fanatics have made the
single-cup coffee maker a popular item in recent years. Most
people use a traditional stove-top boiling pot or a paper
filtered automatic-drip coffee machine to make their coffee at home. To properly
brew using this equipment, be sure to read the directions
carefully. The shape and size of a stove-top pot can impact the
boiling time and the amount of grounds needed.
The peak temperature for boiling coffee is 195 to 200 degrees
and can be attained by letting the water come to a boil for at
least a minute before adding the coffee. Measure your water and
grounds carefully; otherwise you can end up with a
bitter-tasting, weak brew or an overly strong coffee that must
be diluted with creamer.
With a filtered brewer, you'll use approximately 1-tablespoon of
coffee per ground per 6-ounces of water. Choose your filter
carefully. A heavier, higher quality filter will not clog as
easily as a cheap filter and will prevent coffee "mud" from
getting into the bottom of your drink. Similar to the filtered
brewer is the French drip brewer. These pots have a built-in
strainer on top that filters the coffee grounds as hot water is
poured over them. Flavorings, such as sugar, may be added to the
grounds before they pass through the filter. This provides a
more blended taste. To protect the strength of each cup's flavor
and aroma, serve the coffee immediately after brewing.
Percolators are great for brewing large quantities of coffee and
are available in both stove-top and electric models. These
brewing devices have declined in popularity in the past decades
because they often produce a watery, bitter tasting drink. Two
of the trendiest coffee makers available at the moment are the
French Press and the expresso maker. To operate a French Press,
you'll first steep hot water and coffee grounds in a glass
beaker. A plunging device is used to push the grounds to the
bottom of the beaker, leaving only the dense coffee liquid on
top. Expresso makers produce full-bodied drinks by forcing hot
water through the grounds and directly into your cup. The brewer
is also capable of processing the steamed milk used in lattes or
cappuccinos.
If you would like to read the complete article, please visit
http://www.coffeecow.com/content/Article3.asp.
This article is provided by CoffeeCow. http://www.coffeecow.com
About CoffeeCow
This article was provided by CoffeeCow.com which goes to great
lengths to provide the highest quality products, the fastest
service, and the deepest discount prices you will find on one cup coffee makers,
regular, decaf, and flavored coffee and tea, and a full line of
coffee supplies. Developed by coffee professionals with over 35
years of experience in fulfilling any coffee service need,
CoffeeCow offers all the coffee conveniences for your home or
office. Visit http://www.coffeecow.com for
more information.
This article is copyrighted by CoffeeCow. It may not be
reproduced in whole or in part and may not be posted on other
websites, without the express written permission of the author,
who may be contacted via email at coffeecow@digitalbra
ndexpressions.com.
About the author:
R.L. Fielding Bio R.L. Fielding has been a freelance writer for
10 years, offering her expertise and skills to a variety of
major organizations in the education, pharmaceuticals and
healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing industries.
She lives in New Jersey with her dog and two cats and enjoys
rock climbing and ornamental gardening.
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Starbucks Homepage |
Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. The Company's other brands enhance the Starbucks ... |
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Coffee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. ... Coffee aficionados may even distinguish auctioned coffees by lot number. ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Peet's Coffee & Tea |
Coffee, tea and brewing equipment, information and store locator. |
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Coffee Review :: The World's Leading Coffee Buying Guide |
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Trojan Room Coffee Machine |
The official site. Includes the final image of the machine being switched off, a non-technical biography, and an audio copy of a 1994 radio report. |
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Linking the entire specialty coffee and espresso industry from coffee beans, coffee roasting to espresso machines. |
coffeeuniverse.com |
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Play the best FREE games on the web. Select online games from 6 categories including Sports, Shooting, Racing, Classic, Casino and Cool. |
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Too Much Coffee Man - Home |
Online strips, merchandise, and multimedia. [Graphics intensive] |
www.tmcm.com |
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International Coffee Organization - News From The Executive Director |
London-based intergovernmental body of coffee exporting and importing countries. Offers current industry news and legislative alerts; ... |
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Caribou Coffee — Gourmet Coffee Shops and Online Specialty Coffee ... |
Caribou Coffee shops and online store feature gourmet coffee and gifts. |
www.cariboucoffee.com |
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Fair Trade Coffee |
Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, ... Updated Action Pack for Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate Campaigns ... |
www.globalexchange.org |
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Gevalia.com - Gourmet Coffee & Tea Collections |
Selections of fine coffees, flavorful teas, gifts and inspirations offered via direct automatic delivery or catalog order. |
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Dunkin' Donuts Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online |
Coffee sold by the pound, regular delivery programs, gifts and accessories. |
www.dunkindonuts.com |
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Over The Coffee |
Top Ten Coffee Producing Nations Brazil Colombia Indonesia Vietnam Mexico Ethiopia India Guatemala Cote d'Ivoire Uganda. |
www.cappuccino.com |
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INeedCoffee - Monthly Caffeination Information |
This coffee brewer guide is meant to assist buyer to choose the ideal single cup ... I found coffee paradise. The best coffee city is Auckland, New Zealand. ... |
www.ineedcoffee.com |
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Coffee Forums Coffee Discussion about Espresso, Coffee Beans and ... |
Offers discussion boards for enthusiasts to talk about topics such as beans, espresso, machines, and cafes. |
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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Organic, Fair Trade and Signature ... |
Gourmet coffees and specialty coffee accessories and gifts. Shop online for Fair Trade and Organic coffee, single-cup coffee, decaf and flavored coffee, ... |
www.greenmountaincoffee.com |
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Equal Exchange: Fairly Traded Coffee, Tea & Chocolate |
Dedicated to fair trade with small-scale coffee farmers in the developing world. |
www.equalexchange.com |
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