Coffee Center -- Coffee Information Center !!

Coffee Glossary

2008-01-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Types of Coffee

Amatitlan

See Guatemala.

Angola

Robusto and Arabica beans are considered flat in flavor.

Antigua

See Guatemala.

Arabian

Arabian mocha coffees, grown in Yemen, have a pungent, full-bodied
flavor and a complex aroma. This type of coffee tastes good
either straight or blended (often with Java coffees). This
type of coffee is generally grown organically in remote areas,
which may account for its wonderful taste.

Barahona

See Dominican Republic.

Blue Mountain

See Jamaica.

Bourbon Santos

See Brazil.

Brazil

Brail is the world's largest producer of coffee beans. The
arabica beans from here are great for blending, one most worth
mentioning is the Brazilian Bourbon Santos.

Bugisu

See Uganda.

Bukoba

See Tanzania.

Burundi

Acidy arabica beans are full bodied and high quality.

Cameroon

The half of the West African nation's crop composed of very
good quality arabica beans.

Celebes

This Indonesian island has Kalosi beans that are acidy and
really thick.

Chagga

See Kenya.

China

The Yunnan Province grows coffee that is full, a little bit
acidic and has just a hint of sweetness.

Colombian

You guessed it-one of the world's favorites! Colombia's arabica
coffees, produced in vast quantities, are full-bodied with
a well-balanced flavor. Colombian coffees, generally not as
acidic as many other coffees, have a full body and sweet flavor.

Costa Rican

Generally speaking , the best Costa Rican coffees are grown
in the Tres Rios region of the country. Costa Rican coffees
are full-bodied with excellent acidity, and have a hint of
smokiness.

Cuba

Produces beans without much character or distinct flavor,
usually used for blending.

Cucutas

See Venezuela.

Dominican Republic

A fragrant and acidy coffee. Full-bodied beans coming from
the Barahona area, and beans from the Santo Domingo area are
nice and sweet.

Djimmah

See Ethiopia.

El Salvador

The beans lack in fragrance, but have a light sweet flavor
and mild acidity.

Ethiopia

Coffee beans from the region known as Djimmah, have an unrefined
and zesty flavor with a strong aftertaste. Harrar, which may
be known as Ethiopian Mocca, makes coffee that is commanly
used as the primary coffee in blends.

Guatemalan

Guatemala's high altitude and rich volcanic soil are ideal
for producing quality coffee. Guatemalan coffees generally
have a relatively high degree of acidity and often taste of
chocolate. Guatemala is often found as a blend in a great
number of coffees available in the United States. Coffees
grown in the high mountatins have a light smoked flavor such
as Amatitlan and Antigua beans.

Haiti

These beans are full of rich flavor and are lightly sweet.

Hawaii

Hawaii, best known for Kona coffee (which is grown on the
slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano), is home to several growing
regions and bean types including Kauai, Maui Kaanapali, Moloka'i,
and Oahu. Kauai is the largest growing region in Hawaii and
is where the first coffee plantation in the state was started
in 1863.

Harrar

See Ethiopia.

Honduras

Light flavored coffee with some acidity.

India

The Mysore region makes a dark coffee with that is lightly
acidic. One of the fuller coffees is the Indian Malabar.

Indonesian

The Indonesian area known as Java has been producing coffee
for 300 years since the Dutch East India Company brought seeds
from Ceylon or the Indian coast.

Ituri

See Zaire.

Jamaica

The most well known coffee from Jamaica would have to be the
Blue Mountain coffee, loved for the great aroma and flavor.

Java

The best Java coffee is grown on the far eastern end of the
island on five estates established by the Dutch government.
" Blue Java " coffees , processed by the so-called
"washed" method (wet), have a deep blue-green color.

Blue Java coffee has hints of smoky bittersweet chocolate.

Kalosi

See Celebes.

Kauai

See Hawaii.

Kenya

Kenya produces a top quality medium-bodied coffee that is
very popular in Europe. Kenyan coffees are generally very
mellow and often have a citrus taste. Another delicious coffee
from Kenya comes from the Chagga tribe, they grow it on the
slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro

See Kenya and Tanzania.

Kivu

See Zaire.

Kona

See Hawaii.

Malabar

See India

Mandheling

See Sumatra.

Maui Kaanapali

See Hawaii.

Mexico

The really great coffee of Mexico has great flavor and delicious
aromas.

Mocca

See Ethiopia.

Mocha

See Yemen.

Moloka'i

See Hawaii.

Mysore

See India.

New Guinea

New Guinea coffee comes from Papua New Guinea, where cultivation
started in 1937 with seeds imported from Jamaica's Blue Mountain
region. It's grown in the valleys of the western highlands
in the area around Mt. Hagen. The rich soil and good climate
combine to produce a mild and mellow coffee which many consider
one of the world's best. New Guinea coffee is often used in
blends.

Oahu

See Hawaii.

Panama

A very distinct body and light flavor is what you find in
the small amount of coffee produced by Panama.

Peru

Peru's top coffees have just a hint of acidity and desirable
flavor.

Rwanda

A coffee with dark color, excellent flavor, and spicy aroma.

Santo Domingo

See Dominican Republic.

Sulawesi

Sulawesi coffees are grown and processed in the Torajaland
area near the town of Rantepao. Sulawesi coffees have a full
body and moderate acidity, with a hint of a nutty flavor.
Sulawesi coffees are rare and, therefore, expensive; however,
they are one of the finest coffees in the world. Sulawesi
coffees generally are produced by small landholders. Most
Sulawesi coffees are produced using the dry process.

Sumatran

Another Indonesian gift of nature, sumatran coffees are processed
by the dry method, as opposed to java coffees that are produce
by the washed method. Ripe sumatra beans are dried in the
sun rather than being soaked in water. Sumatra coffees are
full-bodied with a sweet and somewhat earthy flavor.

Tanzania

Tanzania beans are a complicated mix of body and acidity with
balanced flavors. The most notable being those from Kilimanjaro
and Plantation Bukoba.

Tachiras

See Venezuela.

Timor

Catagorized with the best of Sumatra and Java, Timor has coffee
with delicious aroma and rich body.

Uganda

Uganda has many coffee types, the one most worth mentioning
is the arabica coffee named Bugisu.

Venezuela

Cucutas and Tachiras are both regions that produce beans that
are full, and a bit acidy.

Yemen

Known for the arabica coffee named Mocha, the flavor brings
to mind the taste of delicious chocolate.

Yunnan

See China.

Zaire

This country has two distinct arabica beans from the Kivu
and Ituri districts.

Zimbabwe

From Zimbabwe you will taste a full coffee, that is not as
sharp as those from Kenya.

Coffee Brewing Methods

Ibrik

A small pot with a long handle that is used to brew Middle
Eastern-style Turkish or Greek coffee.

Jug

This is the ancient method when hot water is poured over coffee
grounds in an stoneware jug and left to soak for around five
hours. Pour carefully as to avoid grounds in your coffee.

Plunger pot / French Press

A more recent version of the jug method, a glass cylinder
with a top which has a plunger rod passing through it. The
rod is attached to a metal filter that fits securely inside
the cylinder. Add coffee grounds and hot water, let the grounds
steep for four minutes and then press down the plunger to
force the grounds to the bottom of the cylinder.

Drip Filter

There are many different kinds of drip filters: one would
be the automatic electric coffee maker with pointed or flat-bottomed
filters. Some people with drip filter coffee makers have found
they can taste a paper taste from the filter, so they use
reusable metal filters.

Vacuum

Water is brought to a boil in the lower of two glass globes.
Steam forces the hot water into the upper globe through a
glass tube where there are coffee grounds. After steeping
for a few minutes, the pot is removed from heat, as the temperature
drops in the bottom globe a vacuum forms, the coffee is then
sucked back into the lower globe through a screen, the lower
globe is removable to pour.

Percolation

Water is boiled in the percolator, the water is then forced
up a metal stem into a filter basket containing coffee grounds,
then it drips back into the bottom section of the percolator,
circulating until the correct strength is reached.

Espresso Machine

Steam is forced through dark roasted ground coffee that is
in a filter insert clamped into the machine. The thick espresso
experience comes out with a hat of foam on top, known as crema.
The steam may also be channeled through a spigot that injects
it into a pitcher of milk, resulting in the hot, frothy topping
for latte and cappucino.

Dutch Coffee Concentrate/Cold Water Method

Mix coffee and water in a glass and let soak for 12 to 24
hours according to what strength you would like. Use cheesecloth
to line a funnel and set the funnel inside a glass jar. Pour
coffee and water mixture through the funnel. Let it drain
completely. Cover the mixture and refrigerate. To make a cup
of coffee, put boiling water into a cup and stir in 1 to 1
1/2 tablespoons of the mixture.

Moka Pot

A stove-top method of brewing espresso, the moka pot has two
chambers: a bottom chamber for water and an upper chamber
in which the coffee brews into. Heat forces the water in the
lower chamber up through a filter in the middle of the pot
containing the ground coffee. The espresso gurgles up into
the upper chamber, from where it is served.

Coffee Terminology

Acidy

Sharp tasting. The more "acidy" the coffee is the
more of a bite it has. This is with no relation to the actual
PH balance.

Aftertaste

The taste left in the mouth after coffee is swallowed.

Aged

Beans stored for a year or more before being roasted. The
time reduces acid while developing body.

Aroma

The delicious scent that comes from hot, freshly brewed coffee.

Baked

A prematurely developed flavor that is caused by limited roasting
at low temperatures.

Bitter

An unfavorable taste, noticed on the back of the tongue, that
results from overroasting.

Bland

A flat, neutral taste.

Body

The way a coffee is experienced by the mouth.

Bouquet

A medley of aroma, fragrance, and aftertaste of a coffee.

Bright

A term used for coffee with enjoyable acidity.

Burnt

A term sometimes used for very dark-roasted coffees with bitter
taste.

Buttery

A full flavored coffee with a oily feeling in the mouth that
may bring to mind the richness of butter.

Caramelly

A taste that is like cooked sugar syrup, this happens during
roasting when a change occurs in the coffee beans' carbohydrate
content.

Carbony

A burnt taste, this occurs in some dark-roasted coffees.

Chocolatey

The taste of delicious, rich chocolate.

Cinnamony

A spicy, sweet flavor that suggests cinnamon.

Clean

Coffee with unpolluted and clear flavors.

Cocoay

Sometimes associated with stale coffee, light flavor of cocoa.

Dead

A term used for lifeless coffee, lacking good flavor and aroma.

Delicate

Tasted on the tip of the tongue, this is a very fine taste.

Dirty

A taste that suggests contamination.

Earthy

A taste of the earth, similar to dirty.

Flat

A plain taste, without distinct taste or smell.

Flavor

The taste of coffee once it has covered the tongue and been
swallowed.

Fragrance

The smell of brewed coffee, described with terms such as nutty,
spicy, and fruity.

Fruity

A coffee with a taste and aroma that brings to mind fruit.

Grassy

A coffee that tastes and smells of fresh cut grass.

Green

A sharp tasting coffee, this occurs from early harvesting
and not roasting the beans long enough.

Groundy

A stale, earthy tasting coffee.

Hard

A term sometimes used when a coffee smells of iodine.

Harsh

A coffee that is hard in flavor.

Hidy

Due to beans' being stored close to animal hides, causing
a coffee tasting of leather.

Lifeless

A term describing coffee that does not have acidity, caused
by not brewing long enough.

Light

An adjective used to enhance descriptions of smell and taste.

Mellow

A smooth flavor, without acidity.

Mild

Not having a distinct flavor.

Muddy

A bland flavor resulting from unsettled grounds.

Musty

A coffee that tastes and smells of mildew, caused by being
poorly dried or not stored well.

Neutral

A flat flavored coffee. A positive trait in coffees used as
a base for different flavored blends.

Nutty

Tasting and smelling of roasted nuts.

Papery

A term used for light-roasted brews, that do not have the
robust flavors of darker brews.

Past-Croppish

Coffee that has flavors of straw and wood, this is from green
bean being stored to long.

Quaker

One bean that can spoil a whole batch of coffee.

Rancid

A coffee that has a strong sour flavor.

Rich

Coffee with luxurious aroma and intense flavors.

Rioy

A nasty flavor that brings medicine to mind. Rioy flavor is
sometimes associated with coffees from Brazil's Rio growing
district.

Rough

A salty or sharp flavor, that causes one to be thirsty.

Rubbery

A burnt rubber taste, sometimes resulting from coffee berries
that have dried before they are picked.

Soft

A coffee that does not have acidity.

Sour

A coffee that has a strong sour taste.

Spicy

A lively flavor that makes one think of sweet and savory spices.

Stale

The flavor of coffee from roasted beans that have been stored
for too long.

Stinker

One destructive bean that affects the flavor of a batch of
roasted coffee.

Strawy

A coffee that tastes of straw.

Sweet

A smooth flavor that has no kind of contaminates.

Taint

A unwanted flavor from chemical changes in the coffee, that
happens during growing, processing, or roasting.

Thin

Not having flavor, body, or acidity, sometimes due to underbrewing.

Toasty

A coffee with an appealing taste and scent that may bring
to mind toast.

Turpeny

A taste like turpentine.

Vinegary

A tart, biting flavor, like that of vinegar.

Watery

A coffee that has been brewed with too much water.

Wild

A coffee that has brash or spoiled flavors and odors.

Winey

A term that suggests acidic flavors, a coffee that is full-bodied
and eloquent.

Woody

A coffee that has flavors and scents of wood, caused by storage
in a wooden structure.

Coffee Fun

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Ground Coffee

Spouse #1: Honey, this coffee tastes like dirt.

Spouse #2: That's not surprising, dear, it was just ground this morning.

Have a Cow

What do you call a cow who's just given birth? De-calf-inated!

The Wife's Coffee

"I want you to drink a cup of hot water every morning," prescribed the doctor.

"You gotta be kidding, doc. I've been doing that for years, but my wife calls it coffee."

The Shakes

I met someone in the elevator who was drinking coffee and complaining about how coffee made him nervous.

I said "Why don't you quit drinking coffee?"

He said "Because if I didn't have the shakes, I wouldn't get any exercise at all."

Ground Coffee

This guy walks into a coffee shop and asks the waitress:
"How much is the coffee?" "Coffee is three dollars the waitress says". "How much is a refill?"
the man asks. "Free, "says the waitress. "Then I'll take a refill!"

Don't Light the Coffee

Customer: "Waiter, is this supposed to be coffee or tea?"

Waiter: "What does it taste like?"

Customer: "It tastes like gasoline!"

Waiter: "Well, sir, that would be the coffee. The tea tastes like turpentine."

Grounds for Divorce

I have heard that if your wife/husband makes bad coffee, that is grounds for divorce.

Freshly Ground

Spouse #1: "Honey, this coffee tastes like dirt."

Spouse #2: "That's not surprising, dear, it was just ground this morning."

Why Coffee Is Better Than Men

A cup of coffee looks good in the morning.

You won't fall asleep after a cup of coffee.

You can always warm coffee up.

Coffee comes with endless refills.

You won't get arrested for ordering coffee at 3 AM.

Coffee is out of your system by tomorrow morning.

You can make coffee as sweet as you want.

Coffee smells and tastes good.

You can turn the pot on, leave the room, and it'll be hot when you get back.

They have coffee at police stations.
You can always ditch a bad cup of coffee.

No matter how ugly you are, you can always get a cup of coffee.

A big cup or small cup? It doesn't matter. You can have an intelligent conversation with coffee.

Coffee is ready in 15 minutes or less.

Coffee doesn't take up half your bed.

78 ways to know if you drink too much coffee

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78 Ways to know if you drink too much coffee...

1. You answer the door before people knock.

2. Juan Valdez named his donkey after you.

3. The only kitchen appliances you own are made by Mr. Coffee.

4. You ski uphill.

5. You get a tax cut for all the coffee you bought.

6. You get a speeding ticket even when you're parked.

7. You speed walk in your sleep.

8. You have a bumper sticker that says: "Coffee drinkers are good in the sack."

9. You haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.

10. You just completed another sweater and you don't know how to knit.

11. You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.

12. The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.

13. You sleep with your eyes open.

14. When you open your dish cabinet, and there is only mugs.

15. You have to watch videos in fast-forward.

16. The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.

17. You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer.

18. You lick your coffeepot clean.

19. You spend every vacation visiting "Maxwell House."

20. You're the employee of the month at the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.

21. You've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week.

22. Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

23. Your coffee cake, must have coffee in it.

24. You chew on other people's fingernails.

25. Your T-shirt says, "Decaffeinated coffee is the devil's blend."

26. You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas.

27. You can type sixty words per minute... with your feet.

28. The only gift you get for Valentines Day you get chocolate covered beans.

29. You can jump-start your car without cables.

30. All your kids are named "Joe".

31. Your only source of nutrition comes from "Sweet & Low."

32. You don't sweat, you percolate.

33. You buy 1/2 & 1/2 by the barrel.

34. You've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.

35. You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.

36. You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in.

37. You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.

38. Charles Manson thinks you need to calm down.

39. Every shirt or blouse you own has a coffee stain on it.

40. You've built a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.

41. People get dizzy just watching you.

42. You've worn the finish off your coffee table.

43. The Taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.

44. Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.

45. You're so wired, you pick up AM radio and people test their batteries in your ears.

46. Your life's goal is to amount to a hill of beans.

47. Instant coffee takes too long.

48. When someone says. "How are you?", you say, "Good to the last drop."

49. You want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of eternity in a coffee can.

50. You want to come back as a coffee mug in your next life.

51. Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil.

52. Your hand is permanently shaped to hold your mug.

53. You'd be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison.

54. You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.

55. You're offended when people use the word "brew" to mean beer.

56. You name your cats "Cream" and "Sugar."

57. You get drunk just so you can sober up.

58. You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a lesson.

59. Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.

60. You have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.

61. You can outlast the Energizer bunny.

62. You can jump to the moon.

63. You short out motion detectors.

64. You have a conniption over spilled milk.

65. You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.

66. Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.

67. You think being called a "drip" is a compliment.

68. You don't tan, you roast.

69. You don't get mad, you get steamed.

70. Your three favorite things in life are...coffee before, coffee during and coffee after.

71. Your lover uses soft lights, romantic music, and a glass of iced coffee to get you in the mood.

72. You can't even remember your second cup.

73. You help your dog chase its tail.

74. You soak your dentures in coffee overnight.

75. Your coffee mug is insured by Lloyds of London.

76. You introduce your spouse as your coffeemate.

77. You think CPR stands for "Coffee Provides Resuscitation."

78. Your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an I.V. hookup.

Coffee History

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Coffee was first discovered in Northern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who observed his goats acting unusually frisky after eating berries from a bush. Curious about this phenomenon, Kaldi tried eating the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him a renewed energy. The news of this energy-laden fruit quickly spread throughout the region. This is only a legend and there is a version in which Kaldi was Arabian and not Ethiopian. For centuries coffee beans were chewed raw in Ethiopia and in what today is the country of Yemen, located in the in the Southern Arabian peninsula.

The first cultivated coffee plant was found by Europeans in Yemen and facts support trade between Yemen and Ethiopia as early as 800 BC. Additionally, evidence does not support the plant would grow wild in Yemen. Although, it is possible that a large bird could have carried the berry that far, but it is not likely.

Arabs were the first to discover how to make coffee using boiling water and green beans. But green beans do not give up the coffeeols because the chemical change caused by roasting has not taken place.

One can start to trace the history of coffee from the words used to name it. Kaffa which is a town in Ethiopia where it is believed coffee originated. Harrar, another city in Ethiopia which types of coffee are named after.

It is believed that coffee roasting using traditional methods came about in the fourteenth century. It came about with the use of iron. However, bronze would have worked just as well. And, as stated earlier, the connection was too quick between roasting the beans and the development of iron roasting bans.

Coffee roasting was prevalent in Turkey in 1540's. It is thought that roasting began around Damascus because Damascus iron was easily able to handle the thermal characteristics which were required for roasting. Well, iron pan roasters anyway. The first iron roasters were more like frying pans with a lid. In many countries, the frying pan works great still today. Frying tends to sear the bean and doesn't give an even roast but it works well when there is nothing better. In fact, searing the bean retains much of the moisture and oils whereas roasting dries the bean out. Although consistency isn't one advantage with frying, searing the bean has definite advantages.

Any way, coffee didn't become super popular over a large area until the Ottoman Sultan in Istanbul outlawed it in 1543 because it started to get more recognition than he wanted. Then it boomed. In 1554, the first coffee house was set up in Istanbul. The Ottoman empire, by its police power, had a big hand in spreading coffee throughout the European countries, Western Asia, and India.

The extreme spread of coffee by outlawing it is proof that you can't legislate something people like. In the case of coffee, the taste needs to be acquired. Coffee is naturally bitter. One must learn to drink coffee. You would think once coffee was outlawed and due to its bitter taste,
coffee would have disappeared in the 16th century. This event is a true classical example of the best way to promote something is outlaw it.

Around the later 1600's, the standard coffee beverage took Europe by storm. Of course, the invasion of Europe the Turks between 1683 and 1699 had a lot to do with it. Once in Europe this new beverage fell under harsh criticism from the Catholic Church. Many felt the pope should ban coffee, calling it the drink of the devil. To their surprise, the pope, already a coffee drinker, blessed coffee declaring it a truly Christian beverage.

Coffee houses spread quickly across Europe becoming centers for intellectual exchange. Many great minds of Europe used this beverage, and forum, as a springboard to heightened thought and creativity.

In the 1700's, coffee found its way to the Americas by means of a French infantry captain who nurtured one small plant on its long journey across the Atlantic. This one plant, transplanted to the Caribbean Island of Martinique, became the predecessor of over 19 million trees on the island within 50 years. It was from this humble beginning that the coffee plant found its way to the rest of the tropical regions of South and Central America.

Coffee was declared the national drink of the then colonized United States by the Continental Congress, in protest of the excessive tax on tea levied by the British crown.

Espresso, a recent innovation in the way to prepare coffee, obtained its origin in 1822, with the innovation of the first crude espresso machine in France. The Italians perfected this wonderful machine and were the first to manufacture it. Espresso has become such an integral part of Italian life and culture, that there are presently over 200,000 espresso bars in Italy.

After World War I, the coffee plant spread to just about everywhere coffee could grow. Due to the war, some countries got formed, other got eliminated, and others got broken up. World War II did the same thing. Many countries went through changes in coffee growing as disease, ignorance, and weather wiped out whole plantations' coffee plants. At times, some countries didn't have coffee growing for whole decades. As economics and intelligence change, coffee growing has been reintroduced in many of the countries which gave up growing. The coffee plant is not as protected as it use to be from the standpoint of hording. It is protected from the standpoint of damage however. So, coffee plants finally found their way into homes.

Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. If you can imagine, in
Brazil alone, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants.

Sales of premium specialty coffees in the United States have reached the multi billion dollar
level, and are increasing significantly on an annual basis.

Coffee Brewing Methods

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Coffee Brewing Methods

By Vince Manzello

For most of us, brewing up our morning cup of coffee is more than just a necessity, it is a matter of convenience. Each night, millions of us coffee lovers pile heaping tablespoons of our favorite gourmet coffees into those paper filters, fill the tank of our coffee makers with water and set the timer so that our coffee is ready and waiting first thing in the morning.

But why would anyone spend good money on the finest gourmet coffee beans or fresh ground gourmet coffees and use just any home coffee maker.

So if you are like me and you enjoy the finest gourmet and specialty coffees available, then you must also believe that they deserve the best and most reliable coffee brewing equipment available.

Here is a quick list of the most popular coffee brewing methods & equipment starting from the best:

French Press

The French press coffee maker (or press pot) is universally recognized as the best brewing method, allowing for the truest coffee taste and aroma. This method actually brews the coffee in the hot water (as opposed to drip machines which only pass the water through the coffee and a filter). After a few minutes of brewing, a metal filter is pressed through the brew catching the coffee grinds and then trapping them at the bottom of the carafe. What is left over is full-bodied coffee with all its aroma and essences.

One of the main advantages to using a French press, other than great coffee taste, is the amount of control you have. You can control the water temperature (which incidentally should be around 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that drip makers do not achieve), you can control the amount of coffee you want to add, and you can control the brew time. Four minutes of brew time and 30 seconds of “plunging” time is considered best.

Another great feature about the French press is that it is extremely portable and only requires hot water. You can take it camping or use it in places with limited kitchen space, like a boat or an RV. Some press pots can also be used to brew loose leaf teas in the same manner.

As an aside, you shouldn’t leave your brewed coffee in the press-pot with the grounds after you brew it! Either consume it or transfer it to a carafe, preferably a thermal carafe.

Vacuum Brewer

Vacuum brewers aren’t very common, but they make coffee just about as well as a French press since the coffee and water are brewing together. A vacuum brewer has an upper and a lower chamber connected by a tube with a small filter inside. Coffee grounds are placed in the upper chamber, and water is placed in the lower chamber. As the lower chamber is heated, the water rises up to meet the coffee in the upper chamber where the brewing begins. After brewing, the water (now coffee) cools and seeps back down into the lower chamber leaving the used coffee grinds behind in the upper chamber. Ideally, the upper chamber is removed and the lower chamber is used as a decanter for the finished coffee.

Vacuum brewers can be electric, stovetop, or even used over a sterno can for dramatic tabletop brewing!

The Toddy Maker

The toddy maker or Cold-Brew Coffee Maker uses an unusual cold-brewing method that creates a coffee concentrate. This concentrate is then mixed with hot water to make coffee. The concentrate can be stored in a refrigerator and used to make one cup at a time if you so desire. This method produces a low-acid coffee, which is doctor recommended for coffee drinkers with stomach conditions.

Although this method of coffee brewing is sounds a bit odd, the result in taste is pleasantly surprising. One drawback is the amount of time it takes to brew. A good idea is to brew the coffee overnight. Once brewed, the concentrate can produce more than just one pot of coffee, so it’s not a nightly event for a great cup of morning coffee!

Drip Grind Coffee Makers

Drip Grind coffee makers are the most common and usual coffee brewing method that we are familiar with.

In this method, water is dripped over and passes through the coffee grinds and a filter and is caught by the coffee pot below. Despite being the most common brew method it also happens to be the one which produces a coffee brew with the least amount of flavor and aroma.

There are generally 2 filter options for the drip grind coffee makers.

Permanent filters: are just what they say, permanent. They are usually gold-plated so they don’t add any unwanted metallic taste to your coffee, resistant to corrosion so they are dishwasher safe and economical because they don‘t need replacing. Permanent filters are preferred because they allow for better coffee taste as opposed to the second filter option, paper filters.

Paper filters are the most common filter choice for the drip grind coffee makers. Unfortunately, paper filters can filter out more than just coffee grinds. Flavorful oils can be left behind in the filter and not make it to the finished coffee brew resulting in less coffee flavor and aroma. Since permanent filters allow for more liquid to pass through, the end result is a more flavorful cup.

As you can see, the most common brew method happens to be the one which produces the least amount of coffee flavor and aroma. Since, mornings usually need to be made quick and simple, most people have never had their coffee brewed any other way. If you are one of these people, don‘t just splurge on gourmet coffee’s, get a small French press maker, start experimenting and experience the truest coffee flavor & aroma in each cup.

Dr. Vince Manzello is simply a coffee lover. His search for a quality coffee distributor led to the development of http://www.WeBeJava.com We Be Java is not only the distributor but they are affiliated directly with the roastery! Why is this so important? By dealing directly with the roastery, your coffee order is roasted in small batches right before it is shipped. Your coffee order is not sitting around on a shelf just waiting for you to order it! We Be Java’s affiliated roastmaster hand picks beans from around the world, blends, flavors & roasts your order so you get the finest coffees available. Our gourmet & specialty coffees have even been featured in Time Magazine! We Be Java’s roastery is also certified Organic Coffee Handler and Processor. Check out http://www.webejava.com for yourself and see if you don’t agree with Vince.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vince_Manzello

Coffee Storage

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Coffee Storage

By Gary Gresham

Proper coffee storage makes a lot of difference in how your coffee tastes once you go to use it. Here are a few tips for storing coffee beans and ground coffee to keep your coffee tasting as good as possible.

For roasted whole bean coffee storage use an airtight ceramic canister that blocks light. The ceramic canister needs a rubber seal around the lid so air cannot get inside.

Fill the ceramic canister clear to the top with whole bean coffee to keep the air inside down to a minimum. Roasted whole bean coffee will last one to two weeks, when stored this way at room temperature.

Stay away from plastic or metal containers because they can alter the taste of your coffee. If you use a clear glass canister, keep the light away by storing it in a dark cupboard.

The truth about ground coffee is that it will only store for a few days. But you should at least keep air away by using an airtight ceramic canister that blocks light.

This is why grinding your own beans is well worth the effort and it’s also really simple. Trying to keep ground coffee fresh is next to impossible.

You’ll even hear some people suggest freezing whole bean or ground coffee but here is why that is a bad idea. Water molecules not only attach to coffee beans and ground coffee but also to the packaging.

When the water comes into contact with the surface of a coffee bean, ice forms around it. Roasted coffee beans are porous, so when the ice melts, it deteriorates the taste and quality of the coffee.

So what about coffee storage in the refrigerator? Absolutely not. The constant cold mist in the refrigerator attaches to the whole bean or ground coffee and water is coffee’s enemy during coffee storage.

Coffee storage at room temperature works well for coffee that you will use within one to two weeks of purchase if these elements can be eliminated.

Water

Light

Oxygen

Heat

If you want to always have good tasting coffee, buy whole bean coffee and grind it just before you make a fresh pot. Buy only the amount of coffee you can use up within one to two weeks.

Proper coffee storage will keep your coffee tasting the best it can possibly be.

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee online, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Gresham

Coffee Or Tea?

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Coffee or Tea?

By Lee Dobbins

Most people cannot function without either their morning cup of coffee or tea. While, it’s mostly the caffeine that gets people going, a side benefit from drinking these beverages is that you may be boosting your immune system and helping to fight disease.

While the health benefits of drinking green tea have been much publicized, few people realize that drinking coffee can have health benefits as well but recent studies show that coffee may share some of the healthy attributes that green tea has shown.

Like green tea, coffee has antioxidants including quinines, chlorogenic acid and tocopherols as well as essential minerals such as magnesium. All of which help in glucose metabolism and result in those who regularly drink coffee having a reduced risk of diabetes. Both coffee and green tea have been shown to contain compounds which have antibacterial properties that can help prevent tooth decay and may help to fight food poisoning.

Green tea has been shown to have a role in the prevention of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, and to help boost your immune system. In addition, green tea may also help you lose weight and is said to help lower blood sugar and cholesterol as well as slow the aging process.

Coffee is said to contain compounds that boost the activity of enzymes which may protect against colon cancer (according to animal studies published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry). Other health benefits of coffee include a reduced risk of developing Parkinsons Disease, help in relieving asthma symptoms, stopping tension headaches, and inhibiting the formation of gallstones.

When it comes to the question of how much coffee or tea you need to benefit the answers can be a bit confusing. While most everyone agrees that the caffeinated should only be taken in small amounts (no more than 3 cups of coffee a day) to avoid the addictive qualities of the caffeine, it’s a bit more vague on how much tea is recommended. Some say 10 cups a day, others say you can experience the benefits with 3 cups a day.

Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about

gourmet coffee and tea.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

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The Perfect Cup of Coffee

By Joe Bland

Want to know how to make the perfect cup of coffee? A few simple steps will make your coffee taste great every cup.

Before you even start, when you bring your coffee home, store it in an airtight container that blocks the light. Ceramic is best because plastic and metal containers can impart a taste to your coffee or coffee beans. Keep your coffee at room temperature. Storing it in the refrigerator or freezer will also lead to deteriorating flavor. Water or ice attaches itself to the porous coffee and ruins the taste. And buy only the amount of coffee that can be used within a couple of weeks.

Enthusiasts agree. Coffee drinkers who want the perfect flavor use whole coffee beans and grind their coffee just before brewing. Coffee grinders improve the taste of coffee because they release the oils and aromas of the coffee beans immediately before you brew your coffee. Experts advocate using two heaping tablespoons of whole beans to the grinder for every six ounces of water you use.

Since coffee is 99% water, use water that is free from chlorine and other minerals. You want the taste of the coffee, not the taste of the water used for brewing. And if you have control of the temperature of your water, keep it between 195 degrees and 205 degrees to ensure getting the best flavor extraction from your ground coffee.

And what about that coffee maker? Drip coffee makers are easy and can produce terrific coffee. The key to making perfect coffee with a drip coffee maker is making sure to use a gold, nylon, or other type of permanent filter. Permanent coffee filters insure that the flavor molecules from the coffee grinds pass into the water without adding additional flavors. Those disposable paper filters have an aftertaste that they impart to the coffee on the one hand and on the other, they absorb those special aromatic oils from the grinds that are essential for excellent taste. If you must use paper filters, use the unbleached kind and rinse them with hot water before you use them.

When was the last time you cleaned your coffee pot and mugs and cups? Clean equipment can make a tremendous difference in how your coffee tastes. Every so often clean out your mugs and cups with baking soda and water, and rinse them out thoroughly. Every month pour a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water into your drip coffee maker and turn it on. Let the mixture run all the way through, turn off you coffee maker and let it cool for a half hour. Pour out the vinegar mixture and run one or two reservoirs full of clear water to rinse it out, letting the pot cool for 15 to 20 minutes between each rinse.

And one last step. Be sure to drink it while its fresh - more that 20 minutes after brewing is done, your coffee will begin to taste bitter. Now its time to make your coffee.

And now–ENJOY.

Joe Bland will help you bring your ordinary coffee to gourmet coffee status. Find how some easy habits will easily make your next cup your best. Check out the articles and tips at http://www.Gourmet-Coffee-Authority.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Bland

Coffee Recipies

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Here is a selection of various coffee recipes that I think are worth mentioning. I hope you find a recipe that you will truly enjoy and impress your friends and family with.

Non-Alcoholic
Coffee Recipes

Alpine Bliss

Ingredients:

2 pots of coffee of your choosing

1/4 ounce of mint flavored coffee syrup (per serving)

1/4 ounce chocolate syrup (per serving)

1/4 cup of heavy cream

Preparation

Brew 1 pot of coffee and let cool. Pour coffee into ice trays and freeze. Brew another pot of coffee. Pour the mint and chocolate syrup into a large coffee mug and fill 3/4 of the way full with coffee. Stir well. Now add cream and stir again. Taste and add sugar if desired. Now add frozen coffee cubes and
stir once more and garnish with mint leaves before serving.

Austrian Spiced Coffee (serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee

4 strips of lemon peel (about 3" x 1/2")

4 strips of orange peel (same size as above)

20 whole cloves

1 quart cold water

8 teaspoons of brown sugar

Preparation

Place lemon peels, orange peels, and cloves in bottom of coffee filter. Put coffee grounds on top and then brew coffee. Sweeten with 2 teaspoons of brown sugar or adjust to taste.

La Isla Mocha (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of coffee of your choosing

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 teaspoons chocolate syrup

2 teaspoon of sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

Whip cream, nutmeg, sugar and only 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon until it peaks. Put 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon into each of two mugs. Now add 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup into each mug. Add 3/4 cup of hot coffee to each mug and stir. Top with the whipped cream and drizzle with a little more chocolate syrup.

Coffee and Coke Float

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh brewed coffee

1 ounce of cream

2 teaspoons of sugar

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

Preparation

In a large mug, add coffee, cream and sugar and stir. Then add 1 scoop of ice cream and top off with Coca Cola.

Coffee
Recipes with Alcohol

Irish Kiss

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of fresh brewed coffee

3/4 ounce of Kahlua

3/4 ounce of Bailey's Irish Cream

1 1/2 ounce of Cool Whip or your favorite whipped cream

Preparation

Brew coffee as normal. Add Kahlua and Bailey's and top off with whipped cream.

Hot Buttered Coffee

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of fresh brewed coffee

1 tablespoon of rum

1 teaspoon of butter

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 whole clove

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preparation

Place butter in mug and then add hot coffee. Add brown sugar and stir well. Finally, add the clove and the rum and sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Coffee Alexander (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 cup of chilled coffee

1/2 ounce of Kahlua

1/2 ounce of Amaretto

2 scoops of chocolate ice cream

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Top with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.

The possibilities for coffee recipes are endless! Don't be affraid to adjust the recipes to your reflect your own taste and style.

Roasting & Blending

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After quality coffee beans are obtained, the most important phase of the production of gourmet coffee begins, the roasting and the blending.

Roasting
A good roaster must be part artist, and part scientist, to maintain quality and consistency. It is during the roasting process that the sugars and other carbohydrates within the bean become caramelized, creating a substance, which is known as the coffee oil. Technically, this fragile chemical is not actually oil, since it is water soluble, but it is what gives the coffee its flavor and aroma.

Specialty coffees are generally roasted in small batches. The two most common roasting methods are: drum roasting and hot air roasting.

Drum-type roasting machines roast the coffee beans as they tumble in a rotating drum that is typically heated by gas or wood. When the desired roast is achieved, the beans are poured into a cooling hopper to keep them from overcooking.

The hot-air roaster, also known as a fluid-bed roaster, roasts the coffee beans as they tumble on a current of hot air.

Most green coffee is roasted at approximately 400 degrees. The roasting process causes the coffee beans to swell and increase in size by over 50 percent, while at the same time greatly reducing their weight.

A lightly roasted bean may range in color from cinnamon to a light chocolate tan. Lighter roasts are generally not used for espresso since they produce a sharper, more acidic taste than do darker roasts.

Darker roasts, in contrast, have a fuller flavor approaching a bittersweet tang. The amount of oil drawn to the surface of the bean increases proportionately to the length of roasting time.

As the roast darkens, caffeine and acidity decrease proportionately. Dark roasts can range in color from a medium chocolate brown with a satin-like luster, to an almost black bean with an oily appearance. The darker the roast the more you will taste the char, rather than the flavor of the bean.

Extreme dark roasts will tend to have a smoky flavor, and are better suited for brewed coffee rather than espresso.

Many roasters refer to the following terms concerning the degree of roast, from light to dark: Cinnamon, Medium High, City, Full City, French, and finally, Espresso or Italian roast.

On the West coast of the U.S., French roast is the term generally used to describe the darkest roast. It is important for you to understand that these terms have no relationship to where the coffee is grown or roasted.

Blending
With more than 100 coffee-growing regions in the world, each producing beans with distinctive characteristics, we believe proper blending is essential to the balance of flavors necessary to create superior espresso.

A single coffee bean will generally not possess the complexity necessary for great espresso. Many espresso blends will contain three to seven different types of beans.

The experienced roaster, with his knowledge of each bean, artfully combines them to create the desired blend of flavors. The roaster's blending knowledge is usually a closely guarded secret.

In the United States, 100% Arabica beans are generally used for gourmet espresso blends. As we mentioned earlier, in Italy, some Robusta beans will often times be added for the additional crema, caffeine, and complexity they contribute to the blend. The Italians possess generations of expertise in the art of blending coffees for espresso.

Argument still exists among roasters as to which should occur first, the roasting or the blending. Generally, roasting each varietal separately to maximize its flavor characteristics, and then blending, will produce the best result.

Freshly roasted beans will release hundreds of chemical substances in the form of vapors. A day or two will generally be required for these gases to dissipate before the beans will reveal their optimal flavor characteristics.

Today, many quality roasters are packaging their beans in airtight bags with a one-way valve, which allows the gases to escape, without the beans being exposed to the damaging air. This type of packaged should help retard flavor deterioration.

If beans are not packaged this way, or once beans packaged airtight are exposed to the air, they will begin to deteriorate. Roasts where oils are exposed on the surface of the bean are much more vulnerable.

Once exposed to the air, and if properly stored, beans will stay reasonable fresh for 7 to 10 days. We recommend storing beans in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark place.

We do not recommend storing beans in a refrigerator, because coffee tends to absorb flavors. Freezing coffee beans can also have a damaging effect, and is not recommended, unless the beans must be stored for a prolonged period of time.

Ideally, you should strive to purchase and use-up your supply of roasted beans on a weekly basis.

Coffee's Journey Around the World

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Coffee was first discovered in Eastern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who observed his goats acting unusually frisky after eating berries from a bush. Curious about this phenomenon, Kaldi tried eating the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him a renewed energy. The news of this energy laden fruit quickly spread throughout the region.

Hearing about this amazing fruit, Monks dried the berries so that they could be transported to distant monasteries. They reconstituted these berries in water, ate the fruit, and drank the liquid to provide stimulation for a more awakened time for prayer.

Coffee Leaves Africa
Coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula, and were first cultivated in what today is the country of Yemen.

From there, coffee traveled to Turkey where coffee beans were roasted for the first time over open fires. The roasted beans were crushed, and then boiled in water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today.

Coffee Arrives in Europe
Coffee first arrived on the European continent by means of Venetian trade merchants. Once in Europe this new beverage fell under harsh criticism from the Catholic Church. Many felt the pope should ban coffee, calling it the drink of the devil. To their surprise, the pope, already a coffee drinker, blessed coffee declaring it a truly Christian beverage.

Coffee houses spread quickly across Europe becoming centers for intellectual exchange. Many great minds of Europe used this beverage, and forum, as a springboard to heightened thought and creativity.

Coffee Travels to America
In the 1700's, coffee found its way to the Americas by means of a French infantry captain who nurtured one small plant on its long journey across the Atlantic. This one plant, transplanted to the Caribbean Island of Martinique, became the predecessor of over 19 million trees on the island within 50 years. It was from this humble beginning that the coffee plant found its way to the rest of the tropical regions of South and Central America.

Coffee was declared the national drink of the then colonized United States by the Continental Congress, in protest of the excessive tax on tea levied by the British crown.

Espresso
Espresso, a recent innovation in the way to prepare coffee, obtained its origin in 1822, with the innovation of the first crude espresso machine in France. The Italians perfected this wonderful machine and were the first to manufacture it. Espresso has become such an integral part of Italian life and culture that there are presently over 200,000 espresso bars in Italy.

Coffee in the 21st Century
Today, coffee is a giant global industry employing more than 20 million people. This commodity ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. If you can imagine, in Brazil alone, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants.

Sales of premium specialty coffees in the United States have reached the multi billion-dollar level, and are increasing significantly on an annual basis.

Coffee Facts

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Some interesting coffee facts

We listed some remarkable facts about coffee on this page.

Coffee Trivia

When shopping for perfume, take some coffee with you in your bag and have a good sniff in between smelling each perfume to refresh your nose!

Sprinkle spent coffee grounds around the base of your garden plants and it will stop snails and slugs from munching them!

A mixture of coffee grounds and sugar, fed to a pot plant and watered regularly, will revive houseplants that have turned yellow in winter.

Some of the worlds most powerful business, including Lloyds of London and the New York Stock Exchange, started life as a coffee houses.
Vincent Van Gogh was a big frequenter of the café society and famously said “I have tried to show the café as a place where one can go mad.”
Pope Clement VIII loved coffee and authorised its use.

Revolutions have been planned in coffee houses, namely the French and the American Revolutions.

At the end of the 16th century records show there were at least 500 cafes in Istanbul alone. The first European cafes were opened by immigrants from Asia around 1650.

A coffee tree has a lifespan of about 50 to 70 years.

The coffee cherries turn from yellow to orange and then bright red, 6 - 8 months after flowering.
When it is in bloom, the coffee tree is covered with 30,000 white flowers which begin to develop into fruit after 24 - 36 hours.

A coffee tree can flower eight times in any one year - depending on rainfall.

There are 900 different flavours of arabica. Complex and very volatile, they deteriorate if exposed to air and light.

The aromas in coffee develop at the 10th minute of roasting.

Coffee increases in volume during roasting by 18.60%.

Coffee is...

The second most widely used product in the world after oil.
It was worth 6 million tonnes per year in the mid 90's.

It is worth €30 billion per year to the producing countries.

It is a living to more than 100 million people.

It is consumed at the rate of 1400 million cups per day.

The world's second most popular drink after water.

Where did the word 'coffee' originate?

Kaffa? A province in Ethiopia where it was first discovered.

Kaaba? The holy building in Mecca.

Kavus Kai? A Persian king who was able to defy gravity and levitate by
drinking coffee.

Kahwe? Meaning roasted in Turkish.

Cahouah? A hunger curing drink in Arabic.

Cohuet? Meaning strength or vigour in Arabic.

What the dictionary has to say about the word "Coffee":

cof·fee
1.

Any of various tropical African shrubs or trees of the genus
Coffea, especially C. arabica, widely cultivated in the tropics for their seeds that are dried, roasted, and ground to prepare a stimulating aromatic drink.

The beanlike seeds of this plant, enclosed within a pulpy fruit.

The beverage prepared from the seeds of this plant.
2. A moderate brown to dark brown or dark grayish brown.
3. An informal social gathering at which coffee and other refreshments are served.

Coffee Timeline

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Prior to 1000 A.D.: Members of the Galla tribe in Ethiopia notice that they get an energy boost when they eat a certain berry, ground up and mixed with animal fat.

1000 A.D.: Arab traders bring coffee back to their homeland and cultivate the plant for the first time on plantations. They also began to boil the beans, creating a drink they call "qahwa" (literally, that which prevents sleep).

1453: Coffee is introduced to Constantinople by Ottoman Turks. The world's first coffee shop, Kiva Han, open there in 1475. Turkish law makes it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he fail to provide her with her daily quota of
coffee.

1511: Khair Beg, the corrupt governor of Mecca, tries to ban coffee for feat that its influence might foster opposition to his rule. The sultan sends word that coffee is sacred and has the governor executed.

1600: Coffee, introduced to the West by Italian traders, grabs attention in high places. In Italy, Pope Clement VIII is urged by his advisers to consider that favorite drink of the Ottoman Empire part of the infidel threat. However, he decides to "baptize" it instead, making it an acceptable Christian beverage.

1607: Captain John Smith helps to found the colony of Virginia at Jamestown. It's believed that he introduced coffee to North America.

1645: First coffeehouse opens in Italy.

1652: First coffeehouse opens in England. Coffee houses multiply and become such popular forums for learned and not so learned - discussion that they are dubbed "penny universities" (a penny being the price of a cup of coffee).

1668: Coffee replaces beer as New York's City's favorite breakfast drink.

1668: Edward Lloyd's coffeehouse opens in England and is frequented by
merchants and maritime insurance agents. Eventually it becomes Lloyd's of London, the best-known insurance company in the world.

1672: First coffeehouse opens in Paris.

1675: The Turkish Army surrounds Vienna. Franz Georg Kolschitzky, a Viennese who had lived in Turkey, slips through the enemy lines to lead relief forces to the city. The fleeing Turks leave behind sacks of "dry black fodder" that Kolschitzky recognizes as coffee. He claims it as his reward and opens central Europe's first coffee house. He also establishes the habit of refining the brew by filtering out the grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.

1690: With a coffee plant smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha, the Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially, in Ceylon and in their East Indian colony - Java, source of the brew's nickname.

1700: By 1700 there were nearly 2000 coffee housesin London. King Charles II banned coffee houses because they were regardedas hotbeds of revolution; the ban lasted 11 days.

1713: The Dutch unwittingly provide Louis XIV of France with a coffee bush whose descendants will produce entire Western coffee industry when in 1723 French naval officer Gabriel Mathieu do Clieu steals a seedling and transports it to Martinique. Within 50 years and official survey records 19 million coffee trees on Martinique. Eventually, 90 percent of the world's coffee spreads from this plant.

1721: First coffee house opens in Berlin.

1727: The Brazilian coffee industry gets its start when Lieutenant colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta is sent by government to arbitrate a border dispute between the French and the Dutch colonies in Guiana. Not only does he settle the dispute, but also strikes up a secret liaison with the wife of French Guiana's governor. Although France guarded its New World coffee plantations to prevent cultivation from spreading, the lady said good-bye to Palheta with a bouquet in which she hid cuttings and fertile seeds of coffee.

1732: Johann Sevastian Bach composes his Kaffee-Kantate. Partly an ode to coffee and partly a stab at the movement in Germany to prevent women from drinking coffee (it was thought to make them sterile), the cantata includes the aria, "Ah! How sweet coffee taste! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine! I must have my coffee."

1773: The Boston Tea Party makes drinking coffee a patriotic duty in America.

1775: Prussia's Frederick the Great tries to block inports of green coffee, as Prussia's wealth is drained. Public outcry changes his mind.

1886: Former wholesale grocer Joel Cheek names his popular coffee blend "Maxwell House," after the hotel in Nashville, TN where it's served.

Early 1900's: In Germany, afternoon coffee becomes a standard occasion. The derogatory term "KaffeeKlatsch" is coined to describe women's gossip at these affairs. Since broadened to mean relaxed conversation in general.

1900: Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins, spelling the end of the ubiquitous local roasting shops and coffee mills.

1901: The first soluble "instant" coffee is invented by Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato of Chicago.

1903: German coffee importer Ludwig Roselius turn a batch of ruined coffee beans over to researchers, who perfect the process of removing caffeine from the beans without destroying the flavor. He markets it under the brand name "Sanka." Sanka is introduced to the United States in 1923.

1906: George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in Guatemala, notices a powdery condensation forming on the spout of his silver coffee carafe. After experimentation, he creates the first mass-produced instant coffee (his brand is called Red E Coffee).

1920: Prohibition goes into effect in United States. Coffee sales boom.

1938: Having been asked by Brazil to help find a solution to their coffee
surpluses, Nestle company invents freeze-dried coffee. Nestle develops Nescafe and introduces it in Switzerland.

1940: The US imports 70 percent of the world coffee crop.

1942: During W.W.II, American soldiers are issued instant Maxwell House coffee in their ration kits. Back home, widespread hoarding leads to coffee rationing.

1946: In Italy, Achilles Gaggia perfects his espresso machine. Cappuccino is named for the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order.

1969: One week before Woodstock the Manson Family murders coffee heiress Abigail Folger as she visits with friend Sharon Tate in the home of filmmaker Roman Polanski.

1971: Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle's Pike Place public market,
creating a frenzy over fresh-roasted whole bean coffee.

1979: Mr Cappuccino opens for business!!

Single Cup Coffee Brewers...gourmet coffee without the grinding or messy filters.

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It’s the big thing in coffee right now. Single cup coffee makers promise you a fresh cup of coffee, whenever you want it, with no mess and no clean up.

So far, so good.

But while these single serve brewers may offer the latest in convenience, do they really give the gourmet coffee drinker what he or she wants? Good question.

BTW - If you already have a single serve coffee maker, there's a form at the end of this page where you can write a review of it and share your experiences. Tell us what you love and hate!

How single cup coffee brewers work...

First, you need to buy a single-serve coffee making machine.

The two big brands right now are Keurig and Senseo.

(You can find out more, and buy the Keurig brewers here, and the Senseo brewers here.)

And then you buy the sealed cups or pods of coffee that work with that particular brand of brewer.

Brewing the coffee is easy. You simply insert the coffee pod or K-Cup in the machine, add water to the reservoir, and press one button.

In a minute or so you have a fresh brewed cup of coffee, with no messy filters to throw away.

Is a single cup coffee brewer right for you?

If you just want to grab a single cup of coffee from time to time, one of these new machines may be exactly what you want.

Or if you like gourmet coffee, but are always in too much of a hurry to grind beans and make a full pot.

Or if you like the idea of making coffee with no mess or cleanup.

Two points to consider, before you buy…

For all their convenience, one cup coffee makers have two disadvantages right now.

1. You will always be limited in your choice of coffees.
When you grind your own beans, you have a choice of hundreds of coffees, from stores and online, But with a one cup brewer, you are limited by the number of coffees they choose to offer in the pod or K-cup format.

2. Each cup of coffee will cost you more.

When you buy pods or K-Cups you’ll be paying anywhere between 30 and 55 cents per cup of coffee.

Choose according to your tastes and lifestyle…

If you have a real passion for trying different coffees, you’re better off sticking with a traditional coffee maker and grinding your own beans.

But if you are happy with a more limited choice of gourmet coffees, and you like the convenience of using pods or K-cups, get yourself a single cup coffee maker.

Here are those links again:

Learn more about the Keurig brewers here, and the Senseo brewers here.

Choosing the best gourmet specialty coffee...here’s what you need to know.

2008-01-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

One person’s cup of gourmet specialty coffee is another person’s cup of slop. In other words, when it comes to coffee, taste is a subjective preference.

But if you like the flavor of the coffees you buy in your local coffee shops, and want the same quality in the coffee you brew at home, follow these guidelines.

First, choose Arabica coffee beans

When you buy coffee at a coffee shop like Starbucks, or buy online from a reputable store like Green Mountain Coffee, you can be pretty sure you’re buying Arabica coffee beans.

However, if you buy from a deli, particularly an Italian deli, read the label and make sure it’s 100% Arabica, and not Robusta. The Italians have a thing for Robusta beans. And some cheaper blends of coffee from other stores include them too.

What’s wrong with Robusta coffee beans?

That’s what went into the coffee your grandfather used to brew on the stove, and it has a slightly bitter taste that most gourmet specialty coffee drinkers try to avoid. (But of you’re a real caffeine freak, you’ll be interested to know that Robusta beans have about twice the amount of caffeine as Arabica.)

Second, always buy whole coffee beans, not ground

Why? Because a lot of the flavor of a great cup of coffee comes from the oils in the bean. You may have noticed how dark roasted coffee beans can have an oily surface. This oil is volatile, and the moment it is exposed to oxygen, it starts to degrade.

So buy whole beans and make sure they are sealed in an airtight bag, preferably one that has a one-way valve.

Coffee Center Tip: You know those coffee bean self-serve bins in the supermarket? They are definitely not airtight. And that means the finer flavors of those coffees have been quietly evaporating, sometimes for days and days.

Third, if you can, buy from a store that roasts its own beans

Maybe you’ve been to a coffee shop that does its own roasting. If you have one close by, lucky you! Why? Because coffee beans begin to lose their flavor from the moment they come out of the roaster. (Those volatile oils begin to break down immediately.) So if you can buy beans that have just been roasted, you have a big advantage.

Do you like your coffee strong or mild?

This can get confusing, as the word “strong” can be interpreted in a number of different ways with coffee.

Here’s the simple and accurate answer...if you want a stronger cup of coffee, just increase the proportion of ground coffee to hot water. The more ground coffee, the stronger the results.

However, as you learn more about coffee and various coffee beans and blends, you will find that some beans have a “stronger” taste than others.

You’ll also find that the fineness or coarseness of the grind makes a difference too.

Enjoying gourmet specialty coffee is a journey...and in time you’ll come to discover all the different tastes you enjoy, from strong to mild and everything in between.

Are you ready to start brewing?

Not yet! Be sure to read the section on choosing the best coffee makers. Using the wrong coffee maker in the wrong way can reduce even the finest gourmet specialty coffee to a brew that will make you wince.

Also, if you want some help in finding a reputable web site where you can order your coffee online, follow the tips on our Online Coffee Store page.

Finally, if you want to dig a little deeper and find out more about gourmet coffee and some of the world's major growing regions, see below for links to some additional information.

Burr or Blade? The fact is, a burr coffee grinder is better.

2008-01-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

At Coffee Detective we hesitate before recommending the more expensive option. But a good burr coffee grinder really is the better choice, whether grinding beans for a coffee maker or an espresso machine.

First, a word about blade grinders.

Blade Coffee Grinders

Blade grinders are less expensive than burr grinders. But they don’t really “grind” your coffee beans. They smash them to bits with two very fast moving blades.

There is one basic problem with the smashing approach.

By repeatedly chopping the beans at high speed, you end up with grinds which are inconsistent in size...from powder to chunks. This isn’t a great way to get the best from your beans, and the powder-sized particles can cause clogging problems both with French Presses and espresso machines.

Burr Coffee Grinders

Burr grinders really do “grind”. They grind beans between two burred plates. The plates, or “burrs”, are flat in some models and conical in others. One plate remains stationary, while the other spins around.

The chief advantage of a burr coffee grinder is that it grinds beans to a uniform size of particles. This makes for a better cup of coffee, avoids clogging problems, and gives you the flexibility to grind beans to the coarseness or fineness that best suits the kind of coffee or espresso maker you are using.

For instance, when using a French Press, you want a “very coarse” grind. But when using a drip brewer you’ll set your grinder to give you just a “coarse” grind.

One more point about burr coffee grinders

When shopping for a burr grinder, look for a low-speed model.

High speed grinding tends to heat the beans and can also cause static problems. When the grinds build up a static charge, they will attach themselves to anything they can, leaving you with a bit of a clean-up problem. Not a big deal, but worth knowing about.

A good example of a burr grinder with all of these qualities, and at a reasonable price, is the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder.

The Gourmet Coffee Lifestyle – how coffee has come to change our lives.

2008-01-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

Not so long ago, viewing gourmet coffee as part of your lifestyle would have been unimaginable.

Most coffee was purchased in cans from supermarkets, and the quality was uniformly poor.

One would grab a coffee before work and take coffee breaks during the day. But coffee was chosen for its kick more than for the quality of its taste.

Today, with the growth of specialty gourmet coffees, coffee has come to touch our lives in a lot of new and different ways.

Companies like Green Mountain Coffee now cater to just about every possible taste in coffee, and have even impacted the way we make coffee at home with their Keurig single-serve coffee makers.

Now we go to Starbucks instead of a diner...

You can still go to a diner and get an anonymous coffee served with your meal. But the experience is utterly different from that of going to Starbucks or some other gourmet coffee shop.

In a coffee shop you have a range of different coffees to choose from -- from Central or South America, East Africa, the Far East and even Hawaii.

You can have a straight coffee, or order an espresso, cappuccino, latté or any one of a host of other concoctions.

For many, going to a coffee shop has become part of their daily routine, part of their life. It has become desirable to hang out in a coffee shop. It is a place to meet with friends, hold business meetings or spend time on your own and read, or just sit and enjoy the ambience.

This may sound obvious and ordinary to us today. But just a few decades ago there were no coffee shops of the kind we have now. No place where you would be surrounded by the sounds and smells of coffee beans being ground and brewed.

Gourmet coffee and coffee shops have changed the landscape of many neighborhoods, and changed the daily routines of many people who live and work in the area.

You can now make gourmet coffee at home and enjoy a quality equal to what you’ll find in a coffee shop...

The availability of whole coffee beans in stores and online has brought the gourmet coffee experience into our homes.

Now we can grind our own beans, try coffees from different countries and regions and make a cup of coffee that tastes just as good as what we buy in a coffee shop or restaurant.

You have an amazing choice of coffee makers...

It used to be that everyone used a percolator or standard drip brewer.

Now you can choose from a much broader selection of coffee makers, to suit your own lifestyle and your level of interest in coffee making.

One cup coffee brewers serve the needs of those who want to brew-and-run. While French presses and vacuum brewers delight those who want to take a little time and enjoy the visual and tactile experience of making fine coffee.

You can make the act of buying whole coffee beans part of your social conscience...

You can buy organic coffee beans or fair trade coffee beans. Either way, you are making an impact on the lives of coffee growers.

In the case of fair trade coffee in particular, every cup of coffee you drink helps pull small coffee farmers out of a cycle of poverty and helps their communities.

Coffee has always stimulated conversations...

If you go back a few centuries to the coffee houses of the Middle East and Europe, you’ll see there is nothing new about people gathering together and talking over coffee.

The coffee houses and people’s interest in coffee may have disappeared for a while, but the desire to enjoy fine coffees in the company of others is now back.

Whether enjoyed at home or in coffee shops, drinking gourmet coffee has become part of the lifestyle of millions of people around the world.

Gourmet Coffee Gifts – Single cup coffee makers and more...

2008-01-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

Maybe not every coffee lover is going to be waiting for a one cup coffee maker under the tree. There are other gourmet coffee gifts you can choose from.

But one cup coffee makers are certainly a strong favorite.

There are now a dozen or more different single serve coffee machines to choose from. Below you'll see the most popular and highly rated of these brewers.

We've also added some other items, for coffee lovers who have some other gifts ideas on their wish lists.

Gourmet Coffee Gift #1 - The Keurig Platinum B70 Single-Cup Brewer

There are various Keurig single-cup models, but this is the most recent. the Keurigs use K-cups, which are a little like miniature yogurt pots. Just pop in a sealed K-Cup and you’re ready to go.

The Keurik brewers are a bit more expensive than the Senseo models, but this isn’t preventing people from choosing Keurig.

And the Keurig B70 has more features than any of the earlier models.

You can buy the Keurig B70 here...

Gourmet Coffee Gift #2 - The Braun Tassimo TA 1400 Hot Beverage System

The Tassimo Hot Beverage System offers a few interesting differences when compared to the Keurig or coffee pod brewers.

It’s called a “hot beverage system” rather than a coffee maker because Tassimo has put a lot of emphasis on making a wider variety of beverages.

Yes, you can make one cup of coffee at a time. But you can also make espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, teas and hot chocolate.

You can buy the Tassimo Hot Beverage System here...

Gourmet Coffee Gift #3 - The Senseo HD7890/65 Single-Serve Coffee Machine Gift Pack

The Senseo is wildly popular. It makes single cups of coffee with a coffee pod system. The coffee pods are a little like tea bags. In fact, you can use the Senseo to make tea as well.

Very simple, very clean and you can usually get your hands on one for under $75. This gift pack also includes coffee pods, a mug and two pod storage tins.

You can buy the Senseo HD7890/65 Single-Serve Coffee Machine Gift Pack here...

Gourmet Coffee Gift #4 - Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder

To make great coffee, first you need great beans, and next you need a quality coffee grinder.

The Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder is not a blade grinder, it's a conical burr grinder, giving you a variety of coffee grind settings, from coarse to very fine. You can set the burrs to grind coarse coffee for your French Press, and fine coffee for your espresso machine - and everywhere in between.

It also has a slow grind speed, so you don't lose flavour through the heat of friction between the plates.

You can buy the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder here...

Gourmet Coffee Gift #5 - Braun KF600 Impressions 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker

The Braun KF600 coffee maker has been earning rave reviews from the moment it became available. It looks good, and works well too.

It includes a Brita water filter for better tasting coffee and has a gold filter, so you don't need to use paper filters.

Plus the thermal carafe means you can make your coffee and it still tastes good an hour later, with none of that "stewed" taste you get with a glass carafe on a hotplate.

Get the best deal on the Braun KF600 Impressions 10-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker here...

Any one of these would make a great gift...

Whatever the occasion or reason, any coffee lover would be delighted to receive any one of the gift ideas above.

How to find the best coffee makers, among a wide variety of choices.

2008-01-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

The best coffee makers are not necessarily the most sophisticated or expensive.

You can make a great cup of coffee with some of the simplest coffee makers – like a French press or $10 manual drip coffee cone.

On this page we’ll look at some of the best coffee makers available – and some that are not so great.

The French Press

The French press is essentially a glass jar with vertical sides and a plunger with a mesh filter on it. You put the coffee grounds in the jar, pour in the hot water, put the lid on and press down the plunger after 3 – 4 minutes.

Presto. You have a wonderful, rich cup of coffee.

It's one of the best coffee makers you'll ever use.

Coffee Percolators

Don’t make your coffee with a percolator. Those are the pots you put on the stove and leave for hours. It’s not a good way to make the most of your carefully selected coffee beans.

When you brew coffee, whatever the coffee maker, the water temperature should be slightly below boiling point. Percolators just boil the flavor out of your beans. If you are completely indifferent to the flavor of your coffee, by all means keep that old percolator. But if you want to enjoy the flavor you paid for when you bought those coffee beans, use a different kind of coffee maker.

Coffee Drip Brewers

This is the commonest and one of the best coffee makers. You probably have one at work, and maybe at home too. You just put ground coffee in a paper filter, fill a reservoir with water, turn the brewer on and watch the glass carafe fill with coffee.

So long as you have a good model, and the water hits the coffee grounds at the right temperature, drip brewers can make a great cup of coffee.

But they do have one disadvantage. And if you have ever poured yourself a cup of coffee an hour or two after it was made in a drip brewer, you know what that problem tastes like.

Here’s what happens...these glass carafes are on a hotplate, to keep the coffee hot. The trouble is, after a while, the heat from the hotplate starts “cooking” the coffee.

Coffee Center Tip: If you are going to use a Drip Brewer, make just enough coffee for the amount you want to drink over the next thirty minutes or so. If you want more coffee an hour or two later, make a fresh brew.

Single Cup Coffee Brewers

Enter the new world of K-Cup Coffee, Pod Coffee and Disc Coffee.

It’s a bit like VHS and Betamax. These are all competing “One-cup” presentations fighting for the lion’s share of the market.

Here’s the deal. You buy a particular brand of single-serve coffee maker, and then buy these single-serve K-Cups or Pods of ground coffee. If the machine is designed for use with K Cups, you can’t use Pods, and vice versa.

The advantages? You get a fresh cup of coffee, one at a time, with no mess, no coffee grounds to spill...no bother.

Disadvantages? There are a few. Chief among them being that you can only brew coffee that comes in these pre-sealed cups or pods. No more going down to the store and trying some exotic new blend of beans. Each machine manufacturer has its own suppliers of coffee...and their selection is what you get.

Right now the most popular combination seems to be using K-Cups with Keurig brewers. Both the machines and K-Cups are available at Green Mountain Coffee.

There’s plenty more to say on the subject, which is why we have devoted a separate page to single cup coffee brewers.

Final thoughts on the “best coffee makers”...

At the end of the day, everyone has different ideas about which are the best coffee makers. It has nothing much to do with expert opinions, and everything to do with your own tastes and lifestyle.

Just keep in mind that some of the simplest brewers make excellent coffee, and never break down.

How to make coffee – first, choose good beans and keep them fresh.

2008-01-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn how to make coffee, it's not complicated. But there are a number of factors you should be aware of.

(If you want to enjoy the taste of great coffee, but really don't have the time or interest in the grinding & brewing process itself, you can always use a single-serve coffee maker, like one of the Keurig one-cup brewers from Green Mountain Coffee. With a Keurig you just insert a small K-Cup into the machine, add water to the reservoir and press a button.)

First, buy good coffee beans

“Good” is a subjective term as everyone’s tastes and preferences differ.

But if, for instance, you like a medium roasted Colombian blend, buy quality beans from a reputable supplier.

Buy beans that have been kept in airtight packaging

From the moment they come out of the roaster, coffee beans start to lose the subtleties of their flavors. The problem is exposure to air. So don’t buy from self-serve bins. Buy your coffee beans in an airtight bag. And look for bags which have a small, one-way valve.

Why do they have a valve? Because when beans come out of the roaster they “gas off”. If you put fresh roasted beans into a bag and seal it, the gases would build up in the bag and it would tear or explode. So quality coffee suppliers put the beans in bags with these one-way valves. The valve allows the gases from inside to get out of the bag, but it doesn’t allow any air into the bag.

These valves allow roasters to put beans into sealed bags as soon as possible after they have cooled down from the roasting process.

Keep the beans away from air until just before you grind them

When you open the bag, transfer the beans into an airtight container of some kind, and then grind only as many beans as you need for each brew. It’s tempting to grind enough for a few days. But if you do, the ground coffee will lose some of its flavor.

Grind your beans to the correct coarseness for the kind of coffee maker you are using

Buy a coffee grinder that allows you to vary the coarseness of the coffee grinds. The grind should suit the coffee brewer you are using. Using the correct grind is a key element in how to make coffee you’ll really enjoy.

A Coarse Grind: This coffee grind is fairly large, suitable for French Presses and percolators.

Medium Grind: An all-purpose grind, suitable for most drip type brewers.

Fine Grind: This is the grind you would want for espresso.

Coffee Center Tip: If you use a drip brewer and like your coffee strong, try using a slightly finer grind.

Use good water

Coffee is 98% water, and bad water can make a difference to the taste. There’s little point in learning how to make coffee, and investing in good beans and a coffee maker, if the final taste is spoiled by poor water.

If you have good tap water, that’s fine. But if you don’t, try filtering the water before you brew. Or, for those of us with terrible tasting water, use bottled water.

Brew your coffee for the correct length of time

With drip brewers you don’t have control over the brewing time. But you do with a French Press. Different experts suggest different times. But somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes should do the trick.

Get the water temperature right

Again, most machines will set the water temperature for you. But when you use a French Press, you’ll be boiling the water yourself. Don’t use boiling water. First, boil the water and then let it cool for a minute or two. The best temperature for making coffee is just a little below boiling point.

These are just the fundamentals of how to make coffee. There's plenty more to learn. But if you get these right, you'll be making a better brew than most people.

Finally, if you want some help in finding a reputable web site where you can order your coffee online, follow the tips on our Online Coffee Store page.

Coffee benefits your health and protects against many diseases.

2008-01-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

Why is there resistance to the idea that coffee benefits your health?

Here’s why.

Almost thirty years ago researchers at Harvard University announced a connection between coffee consumption and cancer.

A few years later they retracted the study and recognized that the findings were flawed.

However, since that first study and the media frenzy that followed, coffee has been labeled with the stigma of being unhealthy.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

As you can see from the links to other pages at the end of this page, coffee can help in the prevention and treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, Parkinsons's disease and more.

Consider this news item...

Coffee Health Risks: For the moderate drinker, coffee is safe says Harvard Women’s Health Watch.

Despite 20 years of reassuring research, many people still avoid caffeinated coffee because they worry about its health effects. However, current research reveals that in moderation—a few cups a day—coffee is a safe beverage that may even offer some health benefits. The September issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch weighs the pros and cons of this popular beverage and eases the concerns of moderate coffee drinkers.

The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn't cause harm, it's also uncovered possible benefits. Coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

Source: Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, 2006.

And they say there are no coffee benefits when it comes to health?

There is a great deal of research that shows drinking a few cups of coffee a day can be good for you. It not only protects you against a variety of serious diseases, but can also bring a lot of pleasure into your life.

Browse through the various pages below. You'll be amazed by the number of ways in which coffee can benefit your health and protect you against serious illness.

Coffee Tasting

2008-01-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Coffee Tasting Terms

While tasting coffee, you should try to discern whether the flavor, body, acidity and aroma of the coffee is pleasant, or unpleasant. Here are the criteria that most tasters use to judge coffee:

Acidity
Acidity is a desirable characteristic in coffee. It is the sensation of dryness that the coffee produces under the edges of your tongue and on the back of your palate. The role acidity plays in coffee is not unlike its role as related to the flavor of wine. It provides a sharp, bright, vibrant quality. With out sufficient acidity, the coffee will tend to taste flat. Acidity should not be confused with sour, which is an unpleasant, negative flavor characteristic.

Aroma
Aroma is a sensation that is difficult to separate from flavor. Without our sense of smell, our only taste sensations would be: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The aroma contributes to the flavors we discern on our palates. Subtle nuances, such as "floral" or "winy" characteristics, are derived from the aroma of the brewed coffee.

Body
Body is the feeling that the coffee has in your mouth. It is the viscosity, heaviness, thickness, or richness that is perceived on the tongue. A good example of body would be that of the feeling of whole milk in your mouth, as compared to water. Your perception of the body of a coffee is related to the oils and solids extracted during brewing. Typically, Indonesian coffees will possess greater body than South and Central American coffees. If you are unsure of the level of body when comparing several coffees, try adding an equal amount of milk to each. Coffees with a heavier body will maintain more of their flavor when diluted.

Flavor
Flavor is the overall perception of the coffee in your mouth. Acidity, aroma, and body are all components of flavor. It is the balance and homogenization of these senses that create your overall perception of flavor.

The following are typical flavor characteristics:

General flavor characteristics:

Richness-refers to body and fullness

Complexity- the perception of multiple flavors

Balance- the satisfying presence of all the basic taste characteristics where no one over-powers another

Typical specific desirable flavor characteristics:

Bright, Dry, Sharp, or Snappy- [typical of Central American coffees]

Caramelly -candy like or syrupy

Chocolaty- an aftertaste similar to unsweetened chocolate or vanilla
Delicate- a subtle flavor perceived on the tip of the tongue [typical of washed New Guinea Arabica]

Earthy- a soily characteristic [typical of Sumatran coffees]

Fragrant- an aromatic characteristic ranging from floral to spicy

Fruity- an aromatic characteristic reminiscent of berries or citrus

Mellow- a round, smooth taste, typically lacking acid

Nutty- an aftertaste similar to roasted nuts

Spicy- a flavor and aroma reminiscent of spices

Sweet- free of harshness

Wildness- a gamey flavor that is not usually considered favorable but is typical of Ethiopian coffees

Winy- an aftertaste reminiscent of well-matured wine [typical of Kenyan and Yemeni coffees]

Typical specific undesirable flavor characteristics:

Bitter- perceived on the back of the tongue, usually a result of over roasting

Bland- neutral in flavor

Carbony- burnt charcoaly overtones

Dead- see "flat"

Dirty- a mustiness reminiscent of eating dirt

Earthy- see "dirty"

Flat- lack of acidity, aroma, and aftertaste

Grassy- an aroma and flavor reminiscent of freshly cut lawn

Harsh- a caustic, clawing, raspy characteristic

Muddy- thick and dull

Musty- a slight stuffy or moldy smell [not always a negative characteristic when in aged coffees]

Rioy- a starchy texture similar to water which pasta has been cooked in.

Rough- a sensation on the tongue reminiscent of eating salt

Rubbery- an aroma and flavor reminiscent of burnt rubber [typically found only in dry-processed Robustas]

Soft- see "bland"

Sour- tart flavors reminiscent of unripe fruit

Thin- lacking acidity, typically a result of under brewing

Turpeny- turpentine-like in flavor

Watery- a lack of body or viscosity in the mouth

Wild- gamey characteristics

Coffee Tips

2008-01-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Buying Tip
When purchasing coffee, always ask when it was roasted. Many common misconceptions exist when it comes to judging the freshness and optimum time to experience a roasted coffee at its peak of perfection. Generally coffee is best if used a day or two after roasting, and if kept in an air tight container, flavor should not diminish significantly until after seven to ten days. Old coffee beans may appear very oily, will have little or no aroma, or will take on a somewhat unpleasant aroma.

Grinding Tip
Never grind more coffee than you will use for immediate brewing. Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor of your coffee. Once ground, coffee will begin to lose its flavor almost immediately. Different methods of brewing will require different grind consistencies. Typically, coffee used for drip brewing should be ground to a consistency similar to granulated sugar. The complete drip cycle should occur within four to six minutes. If the drip cycle is completed in less than four minutes, grind your coffee finer. If the cycle takes longer than six minutes, grind your coffee coarser. When using a French press, the coffee will need to be ground extremely coarse. Espresso requires an extremely fine grind...almost powder-like with a slight grittiness. The key to the proper espresso grind is the extraction time. After the proper dose and tamp, one ounce of espresso should be extracted in approximately 25 to 30 seconds. Like drip coffee, if the one ounce extraction occurs in less than 25 seconds, grind your coffee finer. If the extraction occurs in longer than 30 seconds, grind your coffee coarser. Talk to you local coffee professional for additional information.

Storage Tip
Never store your coffee in the refrigerator. Coffee will absorb flavors and aromas from other food products in your refrigerator. Freezing coffee can also have a damaging effect, and we do not recommend this practice unless you will not use-up your supply of coffee for a prolonged period of time [two weeks or more]. Coffee should be stored in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool, dark place.

Dosage Tip
When making brewed coffee, allow 2 to 2 1/2 level tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water [3 tablespoons for 8 ounces]. For espresso, allow 7 to 8 grams for a single shot, and 14 to 16 grams for a double shot.

French Press Tip
You will want to grind or have your coffee ground to a very coarse consistency for this method. If your grind is too fine, you will over extract your coffee and a bitter flavor may result. It will also be difficult or impossible for you to push the plunger down in your pot if the grind is too fine. Now here is an application for your French press that you probably don't know about. Heat a cup of milk [non-fat works best] in a sauce pan on your stove or in a microwave. It should be heated just until it is too hot to put your finger in it. Don't overheat or you will scald the milk. Next, pour the milk into your clean, empty French press. Insert the plunger, and pump the plunger up and down like a butter churn for several minutes. The milk will expand and increase in volume by three or four times, creating beautiful frothed milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

Moka Pot Tip
It is an old Italian secret to mound the coffee grounds high in the filter basket of the Moka pot before screwing the two pieces together. Do not compact the coffee! To ensure a tight seal, be sure to wipe the rim of the bottom of the pot with your finger to remove any grounds. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.
Filter Drip Tip
Be sure to use a filter, which is designed to fit your filter basket. Bleached white paper filters are most common, however unbleached brown filter papers are usually available. Permanent gold-plated wire mesh filters also work very well and are environmentally friendly.
Espresso at Home Tip
When selecting a machine for home, look for one that will drive the water through the coffee with the aid of a pump vs. a steam driven machine. A good pump machine will usually cost $200 to $1,000, but the investment is worth it if you are serious about enjoying tasty espresso. It is our opinion that a steam driven machine [the typical $49 model] will not produce a palatable product. We suggest you use a Moka pot if you have a limited budget to invest in equipment. Beautiful milk froth can be created for cappuccinos with a plunger pot [see French press].

Did you Know?
Coffee is a seed of a berry. A common myth alleges that coffee was originally discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi. After watching his heard of goats become frisky after eating berries from this unknown bush, he ate them himself, and found these berries gave him a renewed vigor.

Coffee + Health Issues
Coffee has been studied for more than a century. For every report that alleges a potential health risk, another may discredit or show benefits. It is generally agreed that pregnant women should limited their coffee consumption. Did you know that drinking a cup of coffee can help calm an acute attack of asthma? Coffee has many positive effects.

Brewing Coffee at Different Strengths

2008-01-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many people drinking coffee have become so passionate about the drink that they have gone great lengths just to come up with the perfect blend. Coffee making has in fact become both an art and science.

The quality of a good coffee of course comes primarily from the selection of the finest beans. The most important kinds of coffee sources are the Arabian, Robusta and Liberian. Although the best soils for growing coffee trees or shrubs comes from select countries like Indonesia and Brazil, quality coffee beans can be bought in groceries and supermarkets around the world.

After the coffee beans are harvested and dried, they are then roasted. Depending on the length of roasting, the most common categories of bean roast are Cinnamon, Espresso, American, French, Medium, City or 'Dark', and Full City.

Although many people buy beans that are already grounded because they are fast, easy and convenient to prepare, serious coffee drinkers prefer to grind the beans themselves. Coffee made within a few minutes of grinding taste best. There are many handy home equipment of grinding beans. The most popular of which is the Burr coffee bean grinder that comes in both manual and electric type. Another type is the blade coffee grinder which the least expensive. The fineness of the ground beans should be appropriate to how it will be mixed with hot water and other elements so the choice of grinder can be considered crucial.

Coffee brewing is a popular way to prepare the beverage. The length of brew also varies according to the taste preferences of the person. But the quality of water is extremely important as this will greatly affect the final coffee beverage.

Another way to prepare the coffee drink is by boiling. The Turkish coffee is coffee is prepared by boiling beans and adding some kind of herb. This is an age-old preparation very famous in the middle east and is still enjoyed by people around the world today.

The espresso machine make coffee by using hot pressured water applied on coffee beans. This is very common in modern coffee shops. The machine can be huge and expensive but recently, there are smaller machines manufactured and sold for home use.

The preparation of coffee has come a long way and evolved into fancy preparations. Cocoa and other chocolate related products are being mixed to come up with mochas. Steaming milk and adding it with full froth to rich coffee mixture has evolved into latte art. Latte art is involves some kind of paintings drawn over the beverage with has carefully considered pouring shots. Coffee also is served ice are commonly called frappe.

Baristas are coffee specialist. This profession is highly regards nowadays. There are many popular lifestyle shows on television that features coffee and barista. There is in a fact a World Barista Championship which started in 2000 and has been held in many places around the world. This is how famous coffee is.

Coffee and Caffeine

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It is always a perfect experience to wake up each morning to a good cup of coffee to perk up for the day ahead.

For many people, they do not feel fully awake unless they have drunk their cup of coffee. For others who had had been working for many hours, they want to keep themselves from drowsing off by drinking cup after cup of coffee.

We all know that caffeine is a good stimulant. And roasted coffee beans are the world's primary source of caffeine.

A coffee bean has many chemical components. These complex chemical contents are not easily affected by roasting and some chemical compounds are produced when green beans are roasted. Nonvolatile taste components and volatile aroma components are extracted with hot water from the coffee beans. Caffeine is a nonvolatile, as are trigonelline, amino acids, phenolic acids, carbohydrates, chlorogenic acid and minerals. The volatiles include organic acids, esters, aldehydes, amines, ketones and mercaptans.

There have been recent controversies on the possible negative of coffee but most have been substantiated. On the contrary, some new studies disclose that coffee contains antioxidants that are helpful to the body. Even then, there are some people who are medically advised to refrain from taking in even mild stimulants but there is a solution for this: decaffeinated coffee.

Decaffeinated coffee is prepared by removing caffeine through treatment of the green beans with chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. After the procedure, the beans could already be roasted the same way.

Today, people in a hurry can grab instant coffees in all groceries all over the world. In fact, instant (or soluble) coffee is one of the world's most common commodities. Instant coffee is prepared by mixing roasted coffee extract with hot water. The water is then evaporated using high vacuum equipment or spray driers. Another method is freeze drying where the coffee extract is frozen and water is removed by sublimation and then packed in tightly sealed or vacuumized jars.

There are several ways coffee is prepared; the easiest way to do it is of course just mixing with hot water in the case of soluble or instant coffee. But coffee has become so famous that they way to prepare it has become an art.

One of the most famous is brewed coffee. Brewing coffee is not difficult but can be complicated. The equipment involved may be any of the following: Percolator, Auto-Drip machine, French Press (Cafetiére) machine, Moka Italian Stove Top and Espresso machine.

Modern coffee shops abound especially in cities. These shops serve Cappuccino, Espresso, Caffé macchiato, Americano and Mocha among others. A barista is a person who prepares and often serves coffee to visitors. Baristas are highly trained in all aspects of coffee preparation including steaming milk and pouring shots. This profession is high regarded that there is even a World Barista Championship. This competition started in the year and 2000 has and has been held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, Miami, USA, Oslo, Norway, Boston, USA, Trieste, Italy, Seattle, USA and Berne, Switzerland.

Coffee Grounds and Brewing

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Coffee is a very popular beverage enjoyed by millions of people around the world. People from all walks of life - from the simple gardener to the chief executive officer, from young urban professionals to the jet-setting retiree -all enjoy the rich aroma and taste of coffee.

This drink comes from roasted coffee beans from a small tree. The most famous kinds of coffee trees are Arabian, robusta, and Liberian. The islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, South and Central America, India, Africa, the West Indies and Arabia are places where coffee grows best. The rich and moist soils of these countries are very absorbent but loose enough for excess water to rain rapidly, making it perfect for coffee growing.

Coffee beans can be prepared into coffee beverage in many ways. The beans must first be grinded to its desired fineness. The three methods for grinding are Burr-grinding, Chopping and Pounding.

To finally turn the grinded beans into a beverage, brewing can be done. Hot water can be passed through the coffee grounds. If the drinker desires more soluble components like caffeine in the drink, the water should be passed once. If the water is passed several times as with percolator, the resulting beverage will have less soluble compounds and will be less bitter.

The ground beans can also be boiled. Care should be taken so as not to make coffee bitter. The Turkish coffee is a famous example of the boiled kind. Since it is usually taken sweet, sugar is added to the beans and water to boil. Sometimes, an herb called cardamom is added. Cowboy coffee is another example of boiled coffee. It is brewed without using special device and filters. This drink is common among campers.

Coffee can also be prepared using machine with pressurized hot water. A good example is the Espresson developed in Milan, Italy in the early 20th century. A device similar to the French Press is the Aeropress used to prepare ground coffee pressed in moderate pressure while hot water is poured into it.

Preparing coffee with gravity can be done by letting hot water drip into the ground beans as in the Dip Brew. The electric percolator was common in the United States in the before the 70s. Cold Press is prepared by adding cold water to bean grounds and allowing the combination to steep for up to 24 hours. The combination is then drank by adding hot water.

Modern coffee shops have many other variations aside from the different ways coffee is being mixed with water and sugar. Steaming milk can be added to Flat white, café latte, Café au lait and Cappuccino. Chocolate can be added to have mocha. Caramel and vanilla along with steamed milk makes Latte macchiato. There is even a latte art for nice presentation. Pouring shot also enhanced the presentation of coffee.

Many countries have coffee as top revenue earners. And with more coffee shops and preparation varieties coming, coffee will continue to boost many economies of the world.

Types Of Coffee

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Millions of people all over the world are hooked to drinking coffee. But people have different tastes and different preferences. So, what business people have done is cater to all these differences.

From simple coffee beans come a flourishing multi million dollar industry - coffee shops. And this is not even mentioning coffee, which is one of the world's primary trading commodities.

People drink coffee mostly to perk up. The caffeine in coffee which causes stimulation used to be controversial in terms of effect in health but now, many medical researches have given more positive credits to coffee drinking. In fact, coffee is not credited for a good source of antioxidant.

So, people have now continued drinking to their heart's delight. Families sit down and talk over coffee. Offices have coffee breaks for the employees to relax. Business executives love to be served with coffee during meetings.

Coffees served in coffee shops have one thing in common - all beans underwent the process of roasting and grinding. But what is different is the way they were prepared. Here are some of the most popular ones:

Instant coffee - is soluble coffee that can be easily bought in supermarkets. Simply add water and sugar, optional milk and creamer, and voila, a good drink!

Espresso - coffee beans are subjected to forced live steam under strong pressure. The resulting coffee is usually very strong.

Flat White - is very popular in New Zealand and Australia were one part espresso is mixed with two parts steamed milk and no foam.

Cappuccino - is prepared like espresso but with hot milk and milk foam. This Italian-originated coffee style is traditionally served in a ceramic cap.

Bica - is a Portuguese espresso. It tastes weaker than the regular espresso.

Galão - is a Bica with hot milk which is sprayed from a canister.

Americano - is made with espresso and hot water. This is to have similar strength but different flavor to drip-brewed coffee.

Café latte - is prepared in espresso way but steamed milk is added and topped with froth of the steaming milk. The steamed milk constitutes two-thirds of the beverage. This is commonly served in a tall glass and added with flavored syrup.

Café au lait - is similar to the Café latte but instead of espresso, drip-brewed coffee or French pressed coffee is being used.

Café Mocha - is a café latte variant with chocolate syrup being added.

Caffé macchiato - Macchiato literally means "marked" or "spotted". Caffé macchiato is prepared an espresso but with added steamed milk in small amount. Suger and syrup like caramel and vanilla can also be added depending on the persons desire.

Latte macchiato - is prepared to be the inverse of Caffé macchiato. A tall glass of steamed milk is spotted with espresso.

Ice coffee - can be espresso or drip-brewed with cold water.

Frappé - is made from instant coffee placed in shaker with cold water.

Latte art - is not actually a single distinct coffee preparation style but refers to designs created on top of some espresso-based coffee drinks.

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