coffee

How to Choose the Right Espresso Machine

2008-08-20T21:21:00.002-07:00

When it comes to popular world drinks, coffee is definitely on the top of the list. Because of our morning ritual involving coffee as well as coffee shops turning up everywhere, espresso machines have become in high demand! There are three things to keep in mind when purchasing an espresso machine. One, what it really takes to make a good cup of coffee, two, the time it takes to make, and three, what it takes to maintain the machine.

It's absolutely key you don't forget these factors when looking into purchasing one for yourself. An espresso machine should be used with finely grounded coffee beans, and spring or aerated water. And many espresso machines have a filter built-in, to make the water taste a bit cleaner. There are a variety of espresso machines, and some have two dispensers. It's considerably more expensive to have the dual model, and that also tends to be the model fitted with the water filter.

One important thing people forget when purchasing an espresso machine is cleaning. Make sure you can easily and effortlessly clean your machine after each days use. If you decide to neglect cleaning, all the old bits will become stale over time and make your coffee taste horrible. So how does it work? It shoots 90 degree centrigrade water, and has it pressured into freshly ground coffee. The resulting oils are removed and used to create a syrupy liquid. In an ideal world, an espresso machine could turn out a double shot in around 20 seconds.

Another element of a great espresso making is ensuring you are roasting very, very lightly. If the roasting isn't done extremely carefully, the sugars and rich aroma will be lost. If you roast your espresso too dark, expect liquid charcoal, cause that's what it's going to taste like.

What's critical in a good espresso is using a great espresso blend. It's a must that the coffees are specially blended to become smooth and rich. The blend should be freshly ground and brewed within 4 days from actually roasting.

There's a variety of espresso machines available, not just one. There are piston-driven ones, steam espresso machines, pump-driven ones, stovetop machines, automatic makers, as well as super automatic makers. You shouldn't have to spend too much of your time and energy maintaining the machine, especially if you get one with a built in water tank, that way you can avoid plumbing costs and you can move the machine whenever you need.

Turkish & Greek Coffee Recipes

2008-08-20T21:21:00.001-07:00

A lot of people know how to make a basic cup of Turkish coffee, but these are some not so common Turkish and Greek coffee recipes:

Greek Coffee Recipe with "Ouzo"

This is a traditional coffee recipe of the Greek monks in the sacred "Agio Oros". You will need:

2 teaspoonfuls of Greek coffee

2 teaspoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of "ouzo" (traditional Greek alcohol drink)

2*3oz cups water

After you prepare your coffee add the Ouzo inside, and serve.

With "Koniak"

This is a traditional coffee recipe of Greek seamen. It's the same as the previous recipe with the only difference that you use Koniak instead of Ouzo.

With "Honey"

This is an old Greek coffee recipe from Smirni. Prepare your Greek-Turkish coffee, and then add one teaspoon of honey. It's delicious!

With "Cardamom"

This is sort of Arabic version for Turkish coffee recipe. Use a dark coffee blend ground for Turkish. Get some cardamon, and grind it or use a mortar. 2 seeds per cup is enough.

Cardamon is used to spice up and give aroma to the coffee. You will need:

2 teaspoonfuls of coffee

1-2 teaspoons of sugar

as much cardamon as you want

2*3oz cups water

Prepare coffee as usual. You will get a delicious exotic coffee, which is very different from anything you've tasted before!

With "Mastich"

Same as the above recipe but instead of cardamom you must use mastich (only produced in Chios island, Greece)

Turkish Coffee Recipe with "Fennel Seeds"

Same as the above recipe but instead of cardamom you must use fennel seeds.

So, go ahead and enjoy great coffee!

Top 10 Mistakes Making Turkish Coffee

2008-08-20T21:20:00.002-07:00

Turkish coffee is one of the simplest ways to make delicious coffee. This is a guide to help you avoid the most common mistakes when making Turkish coffee.

Using the wrong proportion

One of the most common mistakes is using the wrong proportion of coffee to water. If you use too much water or too much coffee the result will not be drinkable! The most common rule is one demitasse cup of water with one teaspoon of coffee. If you want your coffee strong you can use two teaspoons but don't use more...

Using the wrong grind

In order to make Turkish coffee you must use very fine ground coffee. If you use coarser coffee then you will not be able to extract the delicate coffee flavours. You will also fail to create the special coffee foam on top which is highly prized in many Middle East and Balkan countries. This special foam resembles the espresso crema and it is known as kaimaki in Greece. So, make sure that you use very fine ground coffee.

If you want to grind your own coffee, use a high quality burr grinder (manual or electrical). You can also use a mortar and pestle.

Boiling coffee

You must use a Turkish coffee pot to prepare the coffee. Stir the coffee with the sugar a bit to help them mix with the water.

After you light up the fire and you start heating the coffee in the pot, it is very important to watch carefully as the coffee comes slowly to a boil. It's imperative that you don't let it boil!

If it boils then the coffee will get bitter and flat tasting. In order to make delicious Turkish coffee, you must stop the heating when the coffee mixture comes ALMOST to a boil.

At this special moment, the coffee foam forms a ring on top. This foam ring slowly increases in size, closes the gap on top and then the coffee starts rising. As soon as the foam ring closes the gap on top and starts rising out must stop the heating. If you fail to do this it will boil and the flavour will get destroyed. So, just be careful and take it slow!

Bringing to boil more than 3 times

There are some people who prefer to bring the coffee to almost boil more than once. I find this a loss of time and sometimes it can also lead to a loss of quality. Bringing the coffee to almost boil more than 3 times is an exaggeration!

Adding sugar after the boiling

If you want your coffee medium sweet add one teaspoon of sugar for every teaspoon of coffee. If you want your coffee sweet double the amount of sugar. It is important to put the sugar before the heating, to optimize the flavour. The sugar melts and becomes one with the coffee in your mouth.

Using the wrong size pot

In order to make 2 demitasse cups of coffee use a coffee pot (ibrik or cezve) that holds 3 demitasse cups of coffee. You can also measure the capacity of the pot using water. The extra cup is counted to facilitate the whole stirring and foaming process.

Now, you may ask:

"Why can't I use a 5 cup size coffee pot to make 2 cups of coffee? The bigger the better!"

Unfortunately it's not like that!

You see... if you use a much bigger coffee pot this makes the coffee foam creation rather hard. The shape of the coffee pot (conical) facilitates the creation of a special oven like effect that makes the foaming much easier and more precise.

If you use a very big coffee pot then it will be hard to make a nice foam on top of the Turkish coffee. Just try it and you will see the difference!

Using hot water to make it faster

There are many professionals who start with hot water in order to make Turkish coffee faster. Actually they have big boilers and when a customer asks for a cup of Turkish coffee, they pour hot water from the boiler inside their coffee pot, they put coffee and sugar and they boil the whole thing as fast as possible!

The result as you may guess is the destruction of all the delicate coffee flavour. This is because of basic physics and chemistry... hot water (90 C degrees or higher) interacts with the coffee and then as if this is not enough you boil the coffee some more!!!

So just use cold coffee and don't rush. Your taste buds will thank you!

Pouring fast and sloppily

When the heating is done pour the coffee slowly in order to retain the foam on top. If you do it quickly the foam may break apart.

Not letting the coffee settle a bit after serving

After you serve the coffee, the small coffee grounds float everywhere in the cup. Just let them settle for a couple of minutes (except if you like eating coffee :-) )

Not taking enough time to enjoy!

This is in my opinion the greatest mistake of all. We live in very quickly paced timed, full of stress.

Why should you also be in a hurry when drinking your Turkish coffee? Relax! Take a small sip, lay back and enjoy! Share what you learned with your friends and offer them a cup of coffee too, won't you?

Espresso Machine Buying Guide

2008-08-20T21:20:00.001-07:00

Introduction

Throughout many forums and espresso groups there lies the questions of, "What espresso machine should I buy?" People than flock to answer, each giving there own advice. This advice is sometimes biased or does not give a clear cut answer, leaving the questioner with even more questions. This than leads to the mistake of buying a machine that does not meet their needs, or leads to them buying a $1500 machine that will be used once a week!

This guide is designed for those of you who are buying your first serious espresso machine. It is here to help you understand some terms that you may not know and help you find a machine that will fit your very needs. This guide will help you learn about certain types of espresso machines and their specific abilities. Those who are knowledgeable in the subject of espresso machines will not get much help hear except maybe pointing a fellow espresso lover to a new machine. So let's begin!

Cost of An Espresso Machine

When one decides that they want to venture into the idea of an espresso machine they quickly halt when they see the prices tags. Who really wants to spend $1000 dollars on a espresso machine? You may think that is absurd, but people often spend that kind of money on similar appliances. Refrigerators fall into the same price range as do quality washing machines and dryers. An espresso machine is a long term investment. It may cost $1000 dollars now, but that sucker will most likely last you a lifetime. So $1000 spread out over 20 years doesn't sound so bad does it?

Cheap machines are very tempting. I mean wouldn't you rather spend $200 than $500? I know I would. But you have to once again look at this long term. Do you want to spend $200 now and then in a year or two spend another $200 to fix something that broke? Or do you want to start off with something of a very high grade and not have to worry about it? I would go with the latter of the two, wouldn't you? In no way am I saying $500 machines are problem free, but they are less prone to have problems.

Office Coffee Service - Evaluate Your Service Provider

2008-08-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

* Do your route representatives perform monthly maintenance?
* Are they keeping your brewing equipment clean? If not, your coffee probably tastes stale and gritty.
* Are they exchanging your coffee carafes regularly and scrubbing them out when they don't? This can also avoid build-up in your carafes that leads to sludge-like coffee.
* Are they rotating and replenishing your stock every month, without overstocking? If you haven't checked your supply cabinet lately, you may be surprised at how much or how little they leave you each month. Chances are, if they overstocked you, you may have expired product taking up cabinet space.
* Do they offer an interesting variety of beverages? A choice of coffees and teas in the break room helps avoid an exodus of workers leaving the office to satisfy their individual tastes.
* Can they provide office coffee machines that fit your break room needs? Different size offices require different machines. Single cup coffee makers may be best for one office, volume brewers for another.
* Is the route sales representative checking in with the proper contact person every month to ensure your utmost satisfaction in all these areas? Proper communication is key to satisfying your beverage and service needs year round. If they are simply asking you to sign the invoice, there may be a communication breakdown, and your team could be suffering for it. If you answered no to any of those questions, it's time to find a better service provider.

How to find a reputable coffee service company.

* Google Local is a good way to locate coffee service companies in your area. Your search term should include city and state ie: office coffee service San Diego CA.
* Research the better know names in the industry. These include Farmer Brothers,Custom Coffee Plan, Boyd's and Starbucks.
* Can the company provide more than coffee? Consolidating your break room supply service will save your business time and money. Additional products to ask for include first aid, break room paper goods, condiments, snacks and other beverages.
* Will you have a personal sales rep? A hard working sales contact assures that you will receive prompt responses to your questions and order processing.
* Can you order online? Ask to test their online ordering system. Is it easy to navigate and find the products you want? Are prices and delivery options clear?

Make the Best Espresso

2008-07-15T07:26:00.002-07:00

A great espresso is not something that is just made. It is created. Many professionals have their own methods of making the best espresso. You can develop your own, but nothing is a substitute for knowing the basics of a good cup of espresso. By knowing the proper elements and some useful tips you can design your own process and ensure it will be a winning one that will have people racing to get a cup. Here are the elements of what makes a great espresso.

Good Water

A good espresso starts with good water. It should be of good quality, pure and filtered. It needs to be fresh and very hot. The best temperature is at around 203 degrees Fahrenheit. Using stale or old water can produce an off taste to the espresso. This is a factor that many people overlook. They believe that through heating the water will lose any odd flavor, but this is not true. Good water is a must to get a good cup of finished product.

Good Coffee

Next, you want good quality coffee. The espresso is strong, so you want a string coffee bean. It should be fresh as well. It should be finely ground and dark. Choose your beans wisely. Just as bad water can make its mark, bad coffee beans will ruin the whole cup. You want to choose a dark bean that is not too old. Fresh is key when it comes to a good taste. Check the look and smell of beans, too. Make sure you know how to spot a bad bean from a good bean, so you make the right choice.

Good Machine

The last element in a good espresso is a good machine. It should be of a good quality, functioning properly. It should be clean and be able to produce water that is hot enough. It needs to have a steady drip and use a heating process other than steam which can really water down the taste of the coffee.

How to Roast the Perfect Coffee

2008-07-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

Fresh roasted coffee is every coffee drinkers dream. Not every coffee drinker understands the process of how coffee is made, including the roasting process. To understand it a little better let's go through the basics.

Processing

A good coffee always starts with a good bean. This is where coffee starts to differentiate as far as brands are concerned. Some places use processors that will was the beans to remove the fruit of the bean and separate out the different densities of beans. Less dense beans will float to the top where they can be easily removed. Some use a slow dry process. Dry processed beans have a subtle acidity compared to the higher acidity of wet processed beans. The acidity level is what gives coffee its flavor. Without acidity it tastes flat. An important factor of good processing is that it should leave the bean with a good moisture content so that the flavors can develop in the roasting process.

Roasting

Roasting allows the beans to produce levels of acid, aroma and other flavors. The first stage of roasting turns a green bean into a yellow color and creates a smell similar to popcorn. When the next stage is reached, at 338°F-392°F, the sugar in the beans starts to caramelize. It is important that the sugars caramelize or the coffee will be too sweet once brewed. At 400°F the next stage begins and the beans double in size and lighten in weight. The temperature will rise to 428°F the bean reduce further in weight and release CO2. At 446°F the beans become oily and there is usually a pop sound. This is a critical stage where the beans can be over roasted if the roaster is not careful. The oils and aroma start to boil off and combine with air if this is overdone then the beans will lose flavor and take on a burnt taste. Achieving a balance of bitterness, acidity and other characteristics is the goal in this final stage.

The Perfect Taste

Tasting guides will often use the term 'body' to describe the kinds of proteins and fibers in the final brew of coffee. It refers to how the brew tastes on the roof of the mouth. It is determined by the roasting process. Too light of a roast will be too bitter, while too dark of a roast will take on the aforementioned burnt taste. Neither is considered the perfect roast. It should fall somewhere in the middle with a good balance.

Choosing the Right Instant Drinks Machine

2008-07-15T07:25:00.002-07:00

If you are running or looking to run a catering establishment and intend to serve hot drinks to your customers you will have to consider the best way of achieving this objective.

There are three choices open to you. These are to make the drinks by hand in the cup, use a drinks machine in the kitchen and bring it out to the customer or have a self serve system so that the customer can select and dispense the hot drink themselves.

For the busy caterer a traditional espresso machine is probably out of the question due to the time needed to prepare the drink and the training needed to operate the machine successfully. A fully automatic bean to cup machine with milk frothing is an option for some establishments, but here we will take a look at the instant drinks dispenser.

The instant drinks dispenser does have some advantages over the bean to cup system in as much as the initial cost of the machine is usually less and the running and servicing costs are lower too.

Typically an instant drinks dispenser contains three or four canisters inside the machine which are filled with instant soluble ingredients which are mixed and sometimes whipped into a variety of delicious hot drinks.

All the caterer needs to do is make the selection and ensure a suitably sized cup is in place to receive the drink. Most modern drinks dispensers can now offer different drink sizes so the customer can choose between a small, medium or large drink.

Delicious hot drinks such as cappuccino, coffee au lait, mocha, hot chocolate, latte as well as white and black coffee can all be made at the touch of a single button.

Most machines now have a hot water dispense button so that beverages such as tea and herbal infusions can be made from appropriate tea bags. It should be noted however that most hot drink dispensers are not geared up to produce large amounts of hot water, so it you intend to sell lots of tea then you would be better advised to purchase a dedicated hot water boiler to work along-side the hot drinks dispenser.

Most hot beverages can be made from just three instant ingredients. By keeping the canisters in the machine topped up with instant coffee, chocolate mix and cappuccino topping a wide variety of hot beverages can be served all day long with the minimum of fuss.

The cost of hot drink dispensers vary mainly according to how hard they are expected to work. The more expensive machines can cope with serving up to 1000 drink an hour at peak times, have full audit facilities and self cleaning cycles. Smaller machines are readily available for less demanding catering situations and this is generally reflected in the price you are expected to pay.

As with all types of drinks machines, it always pays to choose top quality ingredients for use in the machine, so don't go for the cheapest coffee, whitener and chocolate. In the long run the prospect of repeat business by serving the best quality drinks usually pays dividends.

Automatic Espresso Machines - Set it and

2008-07-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Most espresso machines on the market offer a great number of features and deliver delicious tasting espresso. They also have one problem, most espresso machines operate manually. Enter the automatic espresso machine. Automatic espresso machines will grind the coffee beans, put the grounds in the hopper, then fill the reservoir with water, heat the water and then force the heated water through the grounds to produce a perfect cup of espresso every time. Some high-end machines will even dump the used grounds from the hopper when finished so that the machine is ready for the next brewing cycle.

Most automatic espresso machines are used by commercial coffee shops like Starbucks. Commercial coffee shops use the automatic machines to produce a consistent product on a steady basis. Consistency in the commercial market is much more important than quantity when brewing the perfect espresso.

Consistency starts with the basic ingredients and how they are mixed. To make a consistent espresso there is very little margin for error. Automatic espresso machines can perform the task of brewing a great espresso with very little margin of error. When the grounds are added manually, there is often an opportunity for error. Too much or too little grounds can make or break a great flavored espresso. By using an automatic espresso machine, the grounds and the water are measured exactly right each time so every cup will have the same flavor and consistency. And when the machine is finished clean up is a snap, you wont have to worry about dumping the grounds from the hopper because it does it on its own. Automatic machines also cut down on the time between cups which in the commercial world can help increase productivity and profits.

Automatic espresso machines are not just for commercial use. If you have been thinking about getting an automatic espresso machine for your home, then you are not alone. Automatic espresso machines for the private sector are becoming more and more popular and sales are increasing each year. Even with the automatic machines growing popularity, some people feel that an automatic espresso machine removes the personal touch when it comes to making their espresso. There will still be those that feel the need to hand grind their own beans and measure everything by hand. Some people will just never trust a great espresso shot to a machine, no matter what the time savings.

But for those who make a lot of coffee at home, the thought of having their very own automatic espresso machine is so enticing that they are not concerned with how much a dent it puts in their budget. To these people, the more automatic machine is the better. But with automation and high quality comes higher prices. Generally, the more automatic the machine is and the better the quality, the higher the price. However, when you consider the ease of making espresso and the quality and consistency of the finished product plus the time savings involved, true espresso lovers will consider the high price a worthwhile expense.

South American Coffees

2008-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

In this article we look at the origins of coffee from the South American continent.

Brazilian Coffee - Brazil produces roughly a third of the worlds' coffee, but the bulk of it is of the Robusta variety and is not considered to be of high quality. It is mainly used for blending, and the Brazilians have always had the priority of low price over quality.

However there are some excellent Arabica coffees grown around the Sao Paulo region, where the well know Santos or Bourbon Santos bean are produced. Another popular variety is the Rio, a dry-processed bean with a characteristic medicinal-like flavour. Considered a defect by most westerners it is however much loved in the Balkans and Middle-Eastern countries.

Coffee From Colombia - Colombia produces a large amount of excellent and consistent quality - predominately Arabica - beans each year. It is now the biggest producer of Arabica coffees on the planet.

The standard Colombian coffee is wet-processed, and is grown by small farmers or smallholders - mostly in the three main mountain ranges (called cordilleras) - and collected, processed, milled and exported by the Colombian Coffee Federation. It is all well balanced, has excellent consistency and can range from a superb, high-grown, mildly fruity flavour, to a rather ordinary, yet still fruity coffee.

The coffee industry in Colombia is known the world over for its high quality production.

Peruvian Coffees - Despite domestic political problems, Peru still manages to figure among the top ten coffee producers in the world.

The best Peruvian coffees are high grown arabicas, which are flavourful, aromatic, gentle, and mildly acidy, and they are highly valued for their blending properties.

Ecuadorian Coffees - In 2007 Ecuador produced nearly a million bags of both arabica and robusta coffees. These coffees are medium-bodied and fairly acidy, with a straightforward flavour typical of most Central and South American coffee.

Whilst the country has everything to produce top quality coffees, in fact most of the coffee exported is aimed at low price rather than high quality. Much of the coffee is consumed within the country itself.

Venezuelan Coffees - Venezuela used to produce large quantities of coffee comparable to that of Colombia but since the discovery of oil it's past glories have waned substantially so that today Venezuela only produces around 7% of Colombia's production. Most of this is drunk by the Venezuelans themselves.

Unsurprisingly the best arabica Venezuelan coffee comes from the far western corner of the country - the part that borders Colombia.

Coffees from this area usually are called Maracaibos, after the port through which they are shipped. The best-known Maracaibo coffees are Caracus, Cúcuta, Mérida, Trujillo, and Táchira. Regardless of market name, the highest grade of Venezuela coffee is Lavado Fino, (fine washed)

How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker

2008-07-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

When you are cooking you know that using the best ingredients and the best pots and pans can help you to cook the most delicious meals and when you are used to good quality products it has to expand to other things, like the beverages you drink and certainly the coffee that you drink. With coffee it is in fact the same as with cooking, if you want a great tasting coffee you need the best beans (the ingredients) and the best coffee maker (the pots and pans) and when you have that, you can make the best coffee ever.

For that perfect cup of coffee, when you first wake up in the morning, you need to find the best beans that is not that hard especially when you buy and look for it online. Just sample and taste the different kinds of coffee and buy the one that you like. But you also need the best coffee maker and that can be a bit harder.

Finding the right beans is a bit subjective, the beans need to fit your taste. Well with the best coffee maker it is in fact the same way, it is also very subjective. It all depends on your taste, lifestyle, budget and eye for design. People make different choices and that is a good thing, it would be a very boring world if we all prefer the same. There are however common grounds on which we decide what would be the best coffee maker for us.

Pure simple coffee

For the purist among us the best coffee maker ever made is a French press. According to them this kind of coffee is pure and all other coffee makers are just fancy. It is true that coffee made with a French press is rich in flavor, you can buy it anywhere and it does not break easily in fact it is just a glass jar with a plunger. You just need to put the (freshly grinded) coffee grounds in the jar and fill it further with hot boiling water. After that you need to give the brew a couple of minutes to get ready and then push the plunger down. This way you will get a strong concentrated flavor and if that is exactly what you like, you do not have to look any further this is the best coffee maker for you. It does not cost much and you can try out some gourmet coffee beans to experiment with this pure strong flavored coffee.

Coffee makers for the everyday user

If you drink a lot of coffee a French press is probably not a good choice for you. There are many other choices but we would like to bring the common coffee drip brewers at your attentions, because it is not fashionable any more to like these kind of machines while they in fact are the best coffee makers available. It is not just coincidental that these kind of coffee makers are used in almost all office pantries. These machines are reliable and can make a real good cup of coffee.

You need to look around for the more expensive models that have paid attention to details like the temperature and the amount of water used. If you buy a coffee drip brewer you do not want the ones that makes a lot of coffee at one time and keeps it heated in the carafe for a long time. The first cup is good but the last few cups taste awful.

What type of machine you buy is totally up to your taste, just make sure that you buy the best coffee maker of its kind and the best beans you can get.

The Confusing Coffee Bean

2008-06-27T07:59:00.001-07:00

Hot Sexy Coffee

2008-06-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

How Coffee Affects the Body

2008-06-27T07:19:00.001-07:00

Coffee can make us feel more alert, boost our metabolism, make our heart race, affect our digestive system and more. And though most of us are aware of the brief caffeine high that coffee offers, most of us don't really know how coffee truly affects our body.

To learn more about the effects of coffee, both immediate and long-term, keep reading.

Coffee as a Stimulant

Coffee and caffeine are stimulants. You know that when you drink coffee you feel more awake, but you also know that too much coffee can give you the jitters or cause irritability.

Because coffee is a stimulant, it can also wreak havoc on your sleeping schedule. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try cutting back on your coffee consumption or opting for water or decaf after noon.

Coffee on the Digestive System

Coffee actually has fairly high acid levels, particularly with beans like Kenyan or Ethiopian roasts. This is why when you drink too much coffee on an empty stomach, you'll often experience "coffee tummy" or "coffee gut," a basic discomfort in your digestive system.

The caffeine and acid in coffee can also be problematic for people suffering from ulcers. So, if you're having trouble with coffee, try switching to water, herbal teas or drinking milk with your coffee.

Coffee and Antioxidants

Coffee is actually the primary source of antioxidants for most North Americans. Antioxidants are, essentially, any compounds that fight or neutralize free radicals, which cause cells to break down and are cancer causing agents.

Studies have shown that coffee consumption can reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, throat cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease and cancer of the esophagus.

Coffee and Physical and Mental Performance

Coffee isn't just a study aid because it helps you stay awake - regular coffee consumption can actually improve your cognitive ability. A recent study showed that participants who regularly consumed at least one to two coffees a day scored higher on short term memory recall, spatial ability, logic tests and general IQ testing.

Coffee and Weight Loss

Coffee is a stimulant, meaning with every sip of caffeine, your metabolism will get a kick start. You'll also have more energy. For example, if you read the ingredients list for most pill-form dietary or weight-loss aids, you'll see one of the main ingredients is often caffeine.

Coffee and Your Teeth

While coffee can actually reduce cavities thanks to its acidity, it can also cause major teeth staining. To keep your teeth white, follow a cup of coffee with a bottle of water and brush your teeth at least two to three times a day.

How to Stay Awake and Alert at Work

2008-06-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

What do you do to stay awake, alert and focused at work? Sure you can start guzzling caffeine drinks and popping energy supplements - but you'll be setting yourself up for a major crash. You need to pace yourself and moderate your intake of coffee, energy drinks or whatever your caffeinated beverage of choice may be.

Waking Up:
0-1 cup - Before your drive to work. You really don't need to waste your caffeine boost to drive to work. Listen to music or drive with the window open to wake you up.

Starting Work:
1-2 cups - Go ahead and drink 1 or 2 cups.

After Lunch:
1-2 cups - Usually you are dragging after lunch, so you'll need a cup or two in the afternoon to help you finish out the day.

It is imperative that you stop drinking coffee 1-2 hours prior to the end of the work day so you can let your caffeine buzz gradually fade as it gets closer to bedtime and then you will be able to actually fall asleep.

So to sum it all up, moderate your intake and stay awake on 5 cups or less per day, pending of course that you haven't already built up your immunity to caffeine and require larger doses, in which case you may need to reset yourself and follow our detox program in an upcoming article.

Bonus Tips:

Here are some common decaffeinated tips to stay awake throughout the day:

1. Stay hydrated - drink lots of water or vegetable juice.
2. Stretch every 15 minutes
3. Take mini-walks
4. Eat small snacks

Coffee Makers Buying Tips

2008-06-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

You just moved into a new house. You decided to replace that old small drip coffee maker you had for years. You love to drink coffee and you are just an average coffee lover who is not really into the world of coffee. It has been so long since you bought a small drip coffee maker and there are so many types out there in the market. Upon entering an electrical store, you are confused by the vast array of small drip coffee makers available on the shelves. You just cannot decide on which to get.

Does the scenario sounds familiar to you? There are quite a number of people out there who loves coffee but just not really into the subject on coffee. This means that these people just want to drink coffee and are not that much concerned on how a particular coffee maker can impact on the coffee brewed by it. They simply want a brew a decent pot of coffee at anytime of the day.

To those who are buying small drip coffee makers, here are a few down-to-earth tips that may help you in deciding which type to buy:

The first thing you may want to do, is to plan on your budget.
Think about how much you are willing to spend and come up with a range of price that you are comfortable with. You have to keep in mind about this basic rule in electrical appliances: the more expensive it is, the more functions it has. In some cases, these functions provide very useful purposes.

Secondly, you have to determine how many cups required.
Small drip coffee makers can brew from 1 to 4 cups of coffee. This is easily decided based on how many coffee drinkers in your household. Do not forget to take guests into consideration too.

Thirdly, you may also want to think about the color and design.
You may want to consider this factor as well if you are particular about matching with the color of your kitchen or any room interior in your house. You can also decide the favorite color of your choice, for example, black. Color is specially important if you are getting it as a gift for a friend or relative.

The design of the small drip coffee maker is also very important because some of them do not suit in some kitchens or rooms due to a number of factors like space. You may want to confirm this before buying by ensuring enough space for storage and operation. On top of this, make sure that you are comfortable with the hardware design of the small drip coffee maker itself. Different models have different hardware designs. Some have filter compartments either the slide out type or the swing door type.

Fourthly, the pot warmer function.
Everyone loves a hot cup of coffee so this is the essential function to look out for. Pot warming function is related to the "Determine how many cups required" factor discussed in (2). Why? In the case if more coffee is brewed than necessary, the remaining coffee can be kept warm for later consumption. Although it is rarely seen nowadays at time of writing, there can still be some small drip coffee makers with no pot warmer function.

Fifthly, the Auto Shut Off function a must feature for small drip coffee makers.
Like the pot warmer function, there are still a minority of them without auto shut off function. Auto shut off is a must for safety reasons. At times, you may have forgotten to switch off the small drip coffee maker after use, which may lead to shattering of coffee pot or even fire.

Not to forget, the small drip coffee maker must be of easy maintenance.
This is also essential because you would want your small drip coffee maker to be clean and maintained for use for a long time. This includes parts that can be dismantled for washing and easy to clean surfaces.

Next, ensure easy replacement of parts.
Worn out filters? Accidental breakage of coffee pot? More breakages? It is better to check out whether these parts are available and easily replaced. There is no point getting a small drip coffee maker that has parts so rare you cannot find them in your nearest dealer or you have to go through great lengths to get them.

Additional functions which may be useful and handy to you.
As mentioned in point (1) of these series of tips, some of the higher end models have additional functions that may or may not be useful to you. Some of the examples of these functions are:

i) Programmability, where you can set a stipulated time for the small drip coffee maker to brew coffee.

ii) Aroma adjustments, where you can choose the strength of your brewed coffee.

iii) Coffee pods compatible, where brewing coffee can be easy and convenient without much mess at all.

iv) Anti-drip, where it enables you to take out the coffee pot to pour coffee before the end of a brewing cycle.

The above mentioned are just some of the added functions on top of your average small drip coffee maker. There can be more interesting and useful functions available in other models but all these increases the price of the coffee maker. You should check out with the salesperson in your local electrical store for more details.

After considering the above eight factors, you should head out there to do a little homework before deciding on which small drip coffee maker to buy. You should inquire more with the salesperson and clear any doubts you may have. With all these, comparisons must be done if necessary and to consider what is really needed for you; not just because it has the latest function and after buying it home, you find that you hardly make full use of this particular function and you feel that your money spent is wasted.

To conclude, the tips in this article serves as a guide to an everyday coffee drinker or lover who wants to buy a new small drip coffee maker. These are more on the practical side and may help you in knowing what you want, what to expect and what to look out for without the expense of spending unnecessary money, wasting precious time and energy.

How to Make Great Coffee - Do's and Don'ts

2008-06-27T07:14:00.002-07:00

Making a great cup of coffee is easier than you may think, even if you're a beginner. Just follow the do's and don'ts listed below and you'll be brewing a great cup of java every time.

Do Buy Fresh Coffee Every Week

The best way to retain your brew's freshness is to purchase whole bean coffee directly from the roaster and store it in a dark and air tight container at room temperature. The longer the beans sit on a shelf, the more great flavor it will lose over time.

Ideally, you should only be buying about one to two week's worth at once. If you have to freeze the beans, make sure the package is tightly wrapped and sealed, to avoid picking up flavors and aromas from other food stored in your freezer.

Do Grind as You Go

You should grind your coffee immediately before you brew it. Grinding releases a lot of the flavor, meaning the longer it sits after it's been ground, the more flavor and aroma gets released into the air.

Your grind will also affect the taste. Grind too finely and your drink will taste bitter, but don't grind enough and you'll get java that just tastes flat. Don't fret, though. It simply takes a little practice to get the knack of grinding fineness.

Do Clean Your Pot Each Time You Use It

A coffee pot should be cleaned out with mild soap and thoroughly rinsed after every use. Though tempting to let it sit when you lead a busy life, coffee has a lot of natural oils that are released in the brewing process and these oils tend to stick to the interior of a glass pot.

Over time, or even after one use, these leftover oils will adversely affect the taste and aroma of each following pot you make. The difference can be subtle, but is noticeable to java lovers.

Don't Mix Different Types Together

Never mix different types of coffee beans together. Each bean is roasted a certain way and for a certain flavor. In addition, mixing beans could mean different acidic levels, bodies and flavors, making for one unpleasant drink. Having said that, though, feel free to do a little experimental mixing for yourself. You may, after all, find a combination that you and your guests find more favorable than the originals.

Don't Let Your Brew Fall Below 175 Degrees

Coffee can remain heated for a long time, as long as it doesn't fall below 175 degrees. Once it falls below that temperature, it should be thrown out and a new pot should be brewed. Drinking lukewarm or reheated java after it has cooled is almost always unpleasant.

Do Use Filtered Water

We all know that tap water has a taste, so you should also know that taste in the water will affect the flavor of your coffee. Keep tap water minerals and chlorine to a minimum by using filtered or bottled water instead. Or, if you are really serious about good flavor, distill your own water with a countertop distiller.

Coffee - Cupping, the Tasting Art

2008-06-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

Why should professionals have all the fun? 'Cuppers' taste coffee as an adjunct to professional buying, judging contests, writing reviews and so forth. But the joy of sitting before a half-dozen cups of Tanzanian Peaberry, Monsoon Mysore and the rest is a delight anyone can experience.

The cupper tastes (and smells) for aroma, flavor, body, acidity, finish and a wide variety of more subtle attributes. To reproduce the professional setting at home one can start with a simple arrangement.

Have an ample supply of fresh, filtered water. Even the best grounds are spoiled by tainted water. Water can become 'stale', by absorbing odors from the air, by excessive distasteful minerals such as sulfur or even by the growth of mildew in pipes. Avoid distilled or softened water that retains too much of the softening salts.

A tray that holds a dozen small glasses or cupping bowls is handy. An assortment of measuring scoops, spoons, etc completes the tools. Of course, don't forget the coffee!

Boil the water and grind the beans with a burr grinder set to different settings for the number of different trials desired. You'll be surprised what a difference the fineness of the grind makes to the final result.

Prepare the coffee, allowing any samples to steep for a few minutes. Filter the coffee or allow to settle and spoon out a sample, then smell. Take the aroma in, running it through the nose and concentrating. Then taste, by running the liquid over the entire tongue. Hold for a few seconds, then spit into a container.

Think about the coffee's profile. Is it woody or winey? Acidic or smooth? Syrupy or thin? Peppery or floral? It's amazing how varied different coffees are, but given the wide variety of climates, soil and preparation methods it shouldn't be too surprising.

Experiment with coffees of different countries - a Kenyan AA (darker, rougher) is quite different from a Colombian (more floral), which is different yet again from a Yemen Mocha (winey).

Try different roasts from light to very dark, American to Viennese. Change the grind from rough to very fine. Even with the same bean, modifying the roast and grind can make a big difference.

Generally you'll want to have about two tablespoons (10 grams) of coffee for each six fluid ounces (180 ml) of water. Adjust as you experiment. The water should be not very far from 200F (93C), but you can adjust this too as you try different 'recipes'.

Keep in mind some of the different attributes of the profile:

Acid - a tartness that tastes somewhat dry, noticeable in a Mexican, softer in a Sumatra brew. Aging can make a big difference here, as does the roast.

Aroma - the sensation produced by vapors, fruity or herb-like. Kona(s) are known for a floral aroma.

Bitter - From caffeine and other compounds, a robusta will generally be more bitter than an arabica. Sense by swishing on the back of the tongue.

Body - Degree of 'thickness', a light American roast will contrast sharply with a dark French, for example.

Nuttiness - Created by aldehydes and ketones, creates a sensation like roasted nuts.

Sharpness - a sensation from the combination of acids and salts.

Coffee - Flavors From Around the World

2008-06-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

The world loves coffee, but people show it in different ways. When a person walks into a coffee store in the US, the options may initially seem overwhelming. However, if all java styles from many nations around the world were also available in those same stores, there would not be enough room on the walls to list them.

To learn more about different cultures from America to Ethiopia that enjoy this hot drink, keep reading.

Americano or American Blend

American coffee typically is one of two different styles - a Cafe Americano and a basic, medium-roast Arabica blend.

A cafe Americano refers to a shot of espresso mixed with a cup or mug full of hot water and a splash of cream or sugar to taste. Meanwhile, the classic American blend of brew is typically an Arabica bean medium roasted. The medium roast increases the sweetness of the taste, cuts down on the harshness of a dark roast and boasts a minimal acidic level.

European Flavor

The term "European coffee" generally refers to any dark roast, or a French roast in particular. The beans are roasted until they're black and the drink is often more bittersweet than the more common American roast.

Normally, a European roast refers to an espresso where the beans are roasted specifically for an espresso, which are then used in cafe au lait, espresso shots, frappucinos and other java drinks. This is a very strong mix, reflected in the taste.

Turkish Taste

Turkish coffee refers to that which is prepared by boiling the very finely ground, powdery beans in a pot with boiling water. The drink is then served in a cup and the grounds, or dregs, settle to the bottom. Ideally, this mix is started with cold water and boiled over a long heat to achieve a perfect foam.

This type of coffee is routinely served in Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus region.

Ethiopian Style

Ethiopians often consider their land to be the birthplace of coffee, and has an intricate coffee ceremony that is very much a part of its culture.

Typically, their java is brewed by roasting raw or green beans over hot coals or a fire. Then, each guest may waft the roasting smoke toward themselves to sample the aroma. Next, the roasted beans are ground using a mortar and pestle.

The grounds are subsequently boiled in a special pot called a jebena. Once the coffee boils up into the neck of the pot, it's then poured into another container to cool off and then put back into the jebena. Finally, a filter is placed over the spout of the jebena and the drink is poured and served.

Traditionally, the drink is served all at once. The host will pour the mix into all the cups on a tray and without stopping. Once brewed, the grounds are later used three more times.

Coffee is such a popular drink around the world. Many cultures have their own unique versions that people love for the aroma, flavor, caffeine effect, and social atmosphere it helps to provide.

The Confusing Coffee Bean

2008-06-24T07:57:00.001-07:00

Comedian Jackie Mason's Take on Starbucks

2008-06-24T07:55:00.002-07:00

Around 20 years ago, I had the pleasure to share the stage with Jackie Mason for a private concert. This was before my days as a banquet manager. He was hysterical as usual. I came across these comments from him about Starbucks and thought you may enjoy a laugh.

Be sure to remember Jackie Mason's voice as you read.

If I said to you, "I have a great idea for a business. I'll open a whole new type of coffee shop. Instead of charging 60 cents for coffee, I'll charge $2.50, $3.50, $4.50, and $5.50. Not only that, I'll have no tables, no chairs, no water, no free refills, no waiters, no busboys, serve it in cardboard cups, and have the customer clean it up for 20 minutes after they're finished."

Would you say to me, "That's the greatest idea for a business I ever heard! We can open a chain of these all over the world!" No, you would put me right into a sanitarium.

And it's burnt coffee! It's burnt coffee at Starbuck's, be honest about it. If you get burnt coffee in a coffee shop, you call a cop. You say, "It's the bottom of the pot. I don't drink from the bottom of the pot." But when it's burnt at Starbuck's, they say, "Oh, it's a special roast. It's a special bean from Argentina....."

The bean is in your head!!! I know burnt!!! You want coffee in a coffee shop, that's 60 cents. But at Starbuck's, if it's Cafe Latte: $3.50. Cafe Creamier: $4.50. Caffe Suisse: $9.50. For each French word, another four dollars. Why does a little cream in coffee make it worth $3.50?

Go into any coffee shop; they'll give you all the cream you want until you're blue in the face. 40 million people are walking around in coffee shops with pitchers of cream:

"Here's all the cream you want!" And it's still 60 cents. You know why? Because it's called "coffee."

You want cinnamon in your coffee? Ask for cinnamon in a coffee shop; they'll give you all the cinnamon you want. Do they ask you for more money because it's cinnamon? It's the same price for cinnamon in your coffee as for coffee without cinnamon - 60 cents, that's it. But not in Starbucks. Over there, it's Cinnamonnier - $9.50.

You want a refill in a regular coffee shop, they'll give you all the refills you want until you drop dead. You can come in when you're 27 and keep drinking coffee until you're 98, and they'll start begging you: "Here, you want more coffee?" Do you know that you can't get a refill at Starbucks? A refill is a dollar fifty, two refills, $4.50. Three refills, $19.50. So, for four cups of coffee, $35.00.

And there're no chairs in those Starbucks. Instead, they have these high stools. You ever see these stools? You haven't been on a chair that high since you were two. Seventy-three year old Jews are climbing and climbing to get to the top of the chair. And when they get to the top, they can't even drink the coffee because there's 12 people around one little table and everybody's saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me....." Then they can't get off the chair. Old Jews are begging Gentiles, "Mister, could you get me off this?"

Do you remember what a cafeteria was? In poor neighborhoods all over this country, they went to a cafeteria because there were no waiters and no service. And so poor people could save money on a tip. Cafeterias didn't have regular tables or chairs either. They gave coffee to you in a cardboard cup. So because of that you paid less for the coffee. You got less, so you paid less. It's all the same at Starbucks - no chairs, no service, a cardboard cup for your coffee - except in Starbucks, the less you get, the more it costs. By the time they give you nothing, it's worth four times as much! Am I exaggerating?

Did you ever try to buy a cookie in Starbuck's? Buy a cookie in a regular coffee shop. You can tear down a building with that cookie. And the whole cookie is 60 cents. At Starbuck's, you're going to have to hire a detective to find that cookie and it's $9.50. And you can't put butter on it because they want extra. Do you know that if you buy a bagel, you pay extra for cream cheese in Starbuck's? Cream cheese, another 60 Cents. A knife to put it on, 32 cents. If it reaches the bagel, 48 cents. That bagel costs you $3.12. And they don't give you the butter or the cream cheese. They don't give it to you. They tell you where it is.

"Oh, you want butter? It's over there. Cream cheese? Over here. Sugar? Sugar is here." Now you become your own waiter. You walk around with a tray. "I'll take the cookie. Where's the butter? The butter's here. Where's the cream cheese? The cream cheese is there." You walked around for an hour and a half selecting items, and then the guy at the cash register has a glass in front of him that says "Tips." You're waiting on tables for an hour and you owe him money?

Coffee Types in the Latin Regions

2008-06-24T07:55:00.001-07:00

Coffee is grown throughout Central and South America with each country growing a distinctly different bean. For a breakdown of the different types of java available from some of the Latin world's most prolific growers, keep reading.

Mexico Brand

Mexican coffee is typically grown on small-scale farms. However there are over 100,000 Mexican java farmers, making this country one of the world's largest producers of this bean.

Most of Mexico's coffee plantations and small farms are located in the southern portion of the country, particularly in the states of Veracruz and the Chiapas. This Mexican hot drink is usually used in dark roasts thanks to its sharp flavor, oily consistency, and deep aroma.

Guatemala Flavor

Guatemalan coffee tends to have a distinct flavor known for its richness due to the country's vast volcanic regions. One particularly popular brand of Guatemalan java is the Strictly Hard Bean, which is grown at an altitude of at least 4500' and prized for its rich flavor.

For taste, this Guatemalan drink has an almost chocolate or spicy flavor accompanied by a medium-to-full body.

Costa Rica Beans

Costa Rica is known for its coffee, but typically only produces wet processed Arabica beans. Costa Rican java has a distinct and sharp acidity, but a well-balanced medium body.

Because so much of Costa Rica's agricultural industry is based around this caffeinated drink, they place a high importance on their wet processing facilities along with ethical and environmental growing methods.

Columbia's Finest

Columbia is the world's most well-known coffee producer and is second in the world for its bean yields. Most of the java grown in Columbia is done environmentally consciously and with a preference for fair trade practices.

Thanks to Columbia's rugged terrain, the country has some of the best growing regions in the world for its beans. However, that rugged terrain also makes it difficult to transport crops, which are often moved by Jeep or donkey.

Columbian Supremo, the highest grade of Columbian coffee, is sweet and mild with a slight acidic test. This bean is often medium roasted and extremely popular in North America.

Brazil Taste

Finally, Brazil - it is the largest coffee producer in the world. Brazil, though technically not a Spanish-speaking country, is part of the South American java network. Typically, a Brazilian bean produces a mild flavored drink. The beans grown here are robusta and arabica and usually produce a low-acid, medium-bodied and almost sweet cup.

Coffees from Latin American nations are some of the most desirable in the world.

Gaggia Espresso Machine - Great For Any Home

2008-06-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

Your life can be more fun by the use of many different small kitchen appliances. The gaggia espresso machine, which is truly amazing when it comes to coffee and espresso beverages, is one of the most popular. This is something you must add to your kitchen decor if you are a latte lover. You won't be able to find a better espresso machine. Even if you only use it occasionally, it's still the best bargain for your money.

The gaggia espresso machine umbrella covers many different types and styles of espresso machines. The gaggia evolution espresso machine and the gaggia carezza espresso machine are two of the highest selling machines created by this company. Researching which machine will be the best suited for your kitchen is recommended before purchasing one.

If you want to research detailed information regarding the gaggia espresso machine you will find an abundance of information online. Numerous retailers specialize in a wide range of different coffee making supplies and machines. A short online search will allow you to find locations that sell this particular model and brand of machine. Just research on any search engine to get all the information you need.

The gaggia espresso machine offers a variety of functionalities. A wide range of coffee drinks can be made using espresso such as the mocha, the latte, and simple espresso shots. You can even make espresso to be used in various recipes including coffee flavored ice cream!

Another thing these machines are wonderful for is entertaining. When you have an appliance like this in your kitchen, your guests will be able to experience one of your signature coffee beverages that you are now able to offer them. The things you will be able to create when you own a personal espresso machine are sure to impress your family and friends.

There is a cheaper and simpler way for you to enjoy coffee rather than pay four dollars or more for one. For happy coffee filled days at home, a Gaggia espresso machine is the answer. You will not regret making a one purchase of this machine because you will surely have years of enjoyment.

Fresh Coffee Beans Can Produce the Best Flavor

2008-06-24T07:53:00.002-07:00

Coffee beans are available today in many different flavors, with more being added each year. This makes choosing the right one difficult at times. You can become overwhelmed with different brands and flavors of coffee beans such as various Colombian blends as well as the many breakfast blends available today. One thing that is certain is there are choices for even the most picky of coffee drinkers.

Finding a great tasting coffee bean can take time. However, even though it is time consuming the reward will be worth it as you can enjoy the fruits of your labor as often as you like. One great way to start your search is to visit your local grocery store to see what brands and flavors are available. You will quickly see, however, that your choices of coffee beans will be quite limited. Fortunately there are other places for the coffee lover to look.

One good place to research the many types of coffee beans available to you is on the internet. You can find many interesting and desirable flavors from places all over the world, complete with information and in many cases reviews from other consumers. If you choose to buy, these beans are shipped fresh right to your front door. Most companies offer fast shipping on fresh coffee beans so they won't be sitting around in a box for an extended period of time.

Have you ever heard of a coffee of the month club? This is a good program to get you involved in sampling various coffee bean flavors to find the ones you like. Each month you will have one or more brands shipped to you, for a low price. You usually can interface with other members to get their feedback regarding which beans are good and which ones aren't. This is just another good idea for sampling as many types of coffee as possible.

You can also roast your own coffee beans in the comfort of your home. There are supplies available to you today that were previously only available to professionals, making it possible to experiment and find the best combination for your taste buds. Who knows, maybe you can go into business by selling your own unique blend of home roasted coffee beans.

If you enjoy coffee then you should try to grind up fresh coffee beans before brewing to see if the freshness makes a difference to you. It's easy to find a quality grinder as well as many brands of fresh coffee beans, especially if you search online. You may open up a whole new world of enjoying coffee that you never knew existed.

How Coffee Affects the Body

2008-06-24T07:53:00.001-07:00

How to Stay Awake and Alert at Work

2008-06-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

The art of coffee

2008-06-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

COFFEE GOOD FOCOFFEE GOOD FOR WOMEN’S HEARTR WOMEN’S HEART

2008-06-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to increase a person’s risk of early death and may cut a person’s chances of dying from heart disease, according to a study.

Previous studies have given a mixed picture of health effects from coffee, finding a variety of benefits and some drawbacks from the popular drink. The new study published that looked at people who drank caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. Researchers led by Esther Lopez-Garcia of Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain followed 84,214 US women form 1980 to 2004 and 41,736 US men form 1986 to 2004.

They found that regular coffee drinking up to six cups a day was not associated with increased deaths among the study’s middle aged participants. In fact, the coffee drinkers, particularly the women, experienced a small decline in death rates from heart disease. The study found no association between coffee consumption and cancer deaths.

There has been a debate among scientists about the health effects of drinking coffee, which typically contains the stimulant caffeine and a number of other important compounds. The people who took part in the research completed questionnaires on how frequently they drank coffee, other diet habits, smoking and medical conditions. The researchers then studied the mortality risk over the period of the study among people with different coffee drinking habits.

Starbucks Coffee Always Figured If They Put People First it Only Made Sense

2008-06-17T08:29:00.001-07:00

From its unassuming start earlier in the 1970's, Starbucks coffee can now be counted among the prominent coffee giants of larger-than-life proportions. What began as an undersized store in Seattle, Washington geared to retail superior coffee beans, has nowadays developed into a broadly identifiable brand name of coffee appealing to worldwide connoisseurs. Check your Starbucks coffee data to see if you are acquainted with your preferred coffee.

Where It All Began

A writer and two teachers found themselves moved to start their original coffee house in the Seattle Market Place. This trio had little idea as to how their 'newborn' would develop. They didn't know then what is happening today.

Then it was 1971, and the store was built to retail connoisseur coffee with no thought as to what would happen tomorrow. As of 1971, organizers of Starbucks started purchasing freshly picked coffee beans from various traders, and roasted the beans themselves to gourmet perfection.

The coffee house was an immediate winner. However, a pioneering capitalist, Howard Schultz, harbored to some extent the belief that Starbucks wasn't performing up to its promise. When the proprietors discarded his idea of promoting coffee prepared in the store because they surmised that the idea would not catch on, Schultz went on by himself and opened a string of coffee houses, which became a direct hit.

Starbucks Coffee policy always put people first. It appeared to have worked to date. Their dealings with coffee estates have provided the best quality coffees and community connections.

In 1987, Starbucks sold to Schultz and he abruptly altered the title of his chain. He began to branch out commencing in the Seattle district, Vancouver, British Columbia and next into Chicago. Instantaneously in 1992, Starbucks coffee grew to a national chain of over 150 stores. Now, Starbucks further includes 15,000 stores in better than 40 separate countries.

Raw coffee beans
Raw coffee beans are green but are more stable this way than when roasted. The roasting action is inclined to occur closer to where the beans are bought and sold. Roasting lessens the moment in time for safe delivery and can assure shelf life. Actually, a greater part of coffee is roasted industrially on a greater scale, but a quantity of people who drink coffee like to roast their own coffee so that they have added influence over the freshness and roast level.

Not Just Your Average Cup of Joe

Don't enter a Starbucks coffee store believing that you'll immediately take hold of a mug of coffee. Starbucks has added 20 different selections of coffee for you to choose, as well as numerous flavors. Approaching the drink sizes, they reflect the Italian influence and you may choose from a tall, grande, or venti cups. Your selection may even be one of their several assortments of teas. Don't fail to remember the ultra epicurean bagels and biscotti, which you acquire on the side!

Coffee roasting changes the substance and accepted property of bottle green coffee beans before they are roasted coffee. The 'red-hot' procedure is essential to creating an aromatic coffee.

All told, the Starbucks coffee chain estimates that it has grown a thousand times larger than the original founders had ever thought possible. The chain is swiftly on its track to 40,000 stores, its ultimate goal. Starbucks coffee has turn out to be the worldwide Goliath of coffee that no one may possibly have imagined.

What to Look For in a Coffee Maker

2008-06-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Buying a new coffee maker (they used to call them coffee pots) was a simple matter many years ago. You simply went to the local hardware store, told them you wanted a new coffee pot, and they showed you the 2 or 3 choices that were available. There was a drip pot and a percolator pot (large or small). They were serving espresso and cappuccino in Italy, but I had certainly never heard of it when I was a child, and I'm sure that my parents or my grandparents wouldn't have had a clue what either was.

Oh, and there was nothing automatic about making coffee or the coffee pot except for the schedule. Coffee was made first thing in the morning and again about mid-afternoon and Mama made both pots by boiling the water and pouring it into the top of the coffee pot.

Today buying a coffee MAKER is a little harder. First, you need to know what size coffee maker that will best suit your needs. You can buy them from a small 4-cup size to a large 12-cup size, and there are choices in between those extremes. You also must decide just how many features that you want your new coffee maker to have. There are simple coffee makers that have just an on/off switch, and then there are coffeemakers that have a lot of buttons, switches, dials, and options. They can launch spacecraft from NASA with fewer controls.

You will need to know whether you want an automatic drip coffee maker, an automatic percolator, or a cappuccino machine as well. There are a LOT of other choices in coffee makers. Do you want a free-standing automatic coffee maker or an under-the-counter style? Decisions, decisions!

Immersed in the World of Coffee

2007-09-10T04:56:00.002-07:00

The coffee world isn't just about walking into your local provider and ordering an espresso. Imagine what it would be like to devote your life entirely to coffee.
That is what Beverage Marketing Australia general manager Gary Newcome has virtually done. He tastes coffee. He studies coffee. He markets, sells and drinks coffee. Luckily he has a wife to help him and the company has gone from strength to strength. They have decided to, not only do everything possible in the coffee industry, but also to focus on the most important part - customer service.
Both Gary and his wife realise that the success of their venture - and it IS successful - is down to ensuring that both them and their staff are dedicated to success and making the customer experience worthwhile.
And they give things back too. The proceeds for some of the sales get transferred back to the forests and the communities in them. They sell Fairtrade and Land Trust coffee as a sign of their own commitment to the origin of coffee.
By looking after such communities they are helping to ensure a fair wage, a fair living and a fair use of the land. Things become sustainable.
But they are not stopping there - they are launching into the commercial market to sell their coffee and expertise. But on the fundamental level there is pure and practical advice on how to make a good cup of coffee - a perfect bean, the best water and a dependable machine. And, of course, someone who knows what they are doing in making it.

How To Produce The Best Flavored Coffee

2007-09-10T04:56:00.001-07:00

The creation of flavored coffee is not simple at all. There are mainly three factors that influence the production of the best flavored coffee. Two are the basic ingredients, the third one is the production method:
ingredient no. 1: the selection of coffee
ingredient no. 2: the quality of flavors
the procedure used to process the above ingredients
1. INGREDIENT NO.1: COFFEE
A first key difference to highlight is about the coffee beans. The type of bean used to make flavored coffee greatly impacts the taste of the finished product. It is estimated that coffee beans contain over 800 different compounds, which contribute to their flavor, including sugars and other carbohydrates, mineral salts, organic acids, aromatic oils, and methylxanthines, a chemical class which includes caffeine.
Arabica beans are most frequently used for creating the best flavored coffee, due to their low levels of acidity and bitterness. These top quality beans are milder and more flavorful than the harsher Robusta beans, which are used in many commercial and instant coffees.
The most experienced coffee roasters create their best flavored coffee from a blend of beans from various regions, putting in the coffee selection the same care that they reserve to the 'classic' coffees.
2. INGREDIENT NO.2: FLAVORINGS
The second key difference is given by the flavorings. The coffee roaster must choose between natural and artificial or 'Nature Identical' flavorings.
Best flavored coffee is flavored with 100% natural flavours, while commercial coffee is flavoured with artificial flavorings.
Natural oils used in flavored coffees are extracted from a variety of sources, such as vanilla beans, cocoa beans, and various nuts and berries. Synthetic flavor agents are chemicals which are manufactured on a commercial basis.
When food scientists want to make an imitation of a flavor, they extract its aromatic component from its place in nature, and use a spectograph to identify the molecular structure of the flavor. As a result, those flavors are so-called 'Nature Identical'. This means that they are comprised of exactly the same chemical structure as the natural flavors, but they are synthesized artificially.
Given the different sources, although the flavor name on the coffee package may be the same ('French Vanilla'), the product inside can be vastly different. The natural ingredients are much more intense and persistent: try to flavor the same quantity of coffee with the same amount of flavorings, one sample natural another synthetic, and you will see the difference.
The natural flavors are sold in a liquid form. The not-natural are usually dust.
3. THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
The appropriate amount of flavoring to be used must be determined before flavor oils can be added to the roasted beans. The amount of flavoring required depends primarily on the type of flavor and its intensity, as well as the type of bean used and its roast level.
The quantity of flavours to be applied to the beans is established by experimental trial and error, in which test batches of beans are flavored with small quantities of oil until the desired characteristics are obtained.
Cost constraints also may play a role in determining how much flavor to apply to the coffee, because flavors are relatively expensive, or even very expensive (USD 3,000+ per unit) in case of 100% natural ingredients.
The flavors are usually introduced via a pressurized spray mechanism which breaks the oils into tiny droplets which allows for better mixing. Oils must be added to the beans very gradually to guard against areas of highly concentrated flavor called hot spots. The beans are agitated for a set amount of time to ensure the flavor is evenly spread.
The perfect roast color for flavored coffee is medium to brown.
According to some roasters, after the beans are roasted they must be quickly cooled before flavorings can be added. Flavoring the beans while they are still at high temperatures could destroy some of the flavor compounds. Vice-versa, another 'school' says that flavored coffee should be sprayed immediately after roasting, for the best absorption of flavor. Who is right? Every roaster has his own good reasons, experience, lies, and secrets. Nobody will ever share where he finds his mushrooms, right?
Even if the final flavoured coffee must be ground, best flavoured coffees require that flavouring is done before grinding.
And by the way, flavored coffee should never be ground in the same grinder as the not-flavored coffee.
Finally, flavored beans must be stored in a cool, dark place if they are to be used within three or four weeks.
As we have seen, the production of the best flavored coffee is a complex matter. Roaster must give the same care not only to his traditional practice, the roasting, but also to the selection of highest-quality flavoring ingredients. Furthermore, he must be very careful in the recipe of the two ingredients (coffee beans and flavor), and have the flexibility to consider the flavored coffee not a 'barbarian' hybrid, but a brand new weapon to address a different market segment that he would never reach through his classic coffee blends.

Gourmet Ccoffee All The Flavour

2007-09-10T04:55:00.000-07:00

If you are really fed up with having the hum drum coffee all the time. Then it’s time to recompense yourself with something diverse and exciting. Why not spritz up your morning routine with a cup of exquisite “gourmet coffee”.
The dictionary definition has gourmet food down as this, “Gourmet food is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented.” If you want the maximum quality food you go to a star class restaurant, but if you want the premier quality coffee, this can be achieved by you at home. That gourmet meal is in all probability staying at the restaurant where you ate, unless you become friends with the chef and invite him over, but as for the cup of gourmet coffee you can make it where ever you desire.
Gourmet coffee is more expensive than the standard supermarket brands, but there is simply no comparison in the quality of the coffee. If you are wealthy then you could enjoy such gourmet coffee when ever you wanted, otherwise it would be a nice thing to keep for weekends or when ever you had special company over for a visit.
To make your own gourmet coffee, start with the coffee beans. Gourmet Coffee beans can be purchased in several forms, by the pound or by the kilo and so on and there are several varieties from which to choose. Some of the most admired gourmet coffee beans include Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Sumatra types.
Coffee beans are similar to wine in that they name the coffee beans after the region of origin. In the world of wine you have the well-liked Sonoma wines which come from Sonoma Valley in California. In the world of coffee the equivalent would be Kona coffee beans which come from Kona, Hawaii.
Kona coffee beans are developed in rich volcanic soil and the placid tropical climate of the Kona coffee belt on the west side of Hawaii. It has a superbly full, rich and silky flavour with little or no bitter after taste. Be sure that you buy Kona coffee beans and not a Kona blend. A Kona blend can legally be labelled as Kona with as it consists of as little as 10% of actual Kona coffee bean.
The next thing you will need to do is grind your gourmet coffee beans. Ground coffee starts to lose it’s flavour once it has been grinded and exposed to the fresh air. So to keep the optimum freshness you will only grind what you need for that one gourmet cup of coffee. You will want to grind your coffee beans until they are extremely fine, but don’t pound them into dust. If the ground coffee is to fine the heat of your coffee machine with dry up all the oils of the coffee bean and it is this part that gives the gourmet coffee its exquisite flavour.
Another key element in good coffee making is to clean your coffee machine on a daily basis. A clean coffee machine makes a major distinction in the final taste of your coffee. At least once a month pour a mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water into your coffee maker. Allow the mix to travel through the complete brewing process. Repeat the procedure again using only water this time to rinse out any junk or vinegar left inside. Do this until the smell of vinegar is no more.
Now your work is finished and it is time for the coffee machine to pull it’s weight. Use clean filtered water and fill the coffee maker to the desired level. Use about 6 ounces of water for every 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee. Turn it on and hang around while it brews. You will want to present to soak up the delightful aroma.
Everyday coffee is perfect for everyday use. But every once in a while you should treat yourself to something special. And what better way to start a special than that with a special cup of coffee. Gourmet coffees can really jazz up your day.

Coffee - Like Gently Falling Rain?

2007-09-10T04:54:00.001-07:00

How do you start the day? A wash? Combing your hair? Perhaps grab that first cigarette (shame on you) or patting the dog and greeting the spouse. Or do you rush for that perfect coffee? I do!
That is how, in fact, the day starts for many people throughout the world. An espresso. A latte or a cappuccino. A deliciously warm and inviting, smooth, rich, roasted coffee. I can taste it now.
And it's not all about "addiction." Coffee is surprising in many respects. It can sooth the taste buds whilst simultaneously exciting them. It can calm and invigorate. A perfect start to any day? Well, almost.
Despite popular belief, coffee is actually refreshing. Tea lovers will wonder how, but coffee, indeed, reaches those parts that need reaching. There is nothing to beat the taste.
Let's not forget the smell, the aroma, the bouquet. You can detect the aroma in the kitchen from last night's coffee. But when the machine is fired up and ready to roll, that beautiful aroma pervades the working space, nay, the whole house. I would be lost without it and am lost within it.
Even the noise the coffee maker makes soothes and enchants - like gently falling rain or a firm breeze. Coffee making and drinking quickly becomes an experience (and even a religion) for those that study it.
And study it they do! A friend of mine lives and breathes coffee. He will tell you the history, the intrigue, the passions and the hopes. From the early beginnings to the rosy future. Coffee has it all.

Turkish Coffee

2007-09-10T04:48:00.002-07:00

Middle eastern coffee is often referred to as Turkish coffee. Other terms include Greek, Arabic, Armenian, Albanian, or Bosnian coffee. It is taken quite seriously in those areas especially Turkey itself. There is a ceremony attached to the drinking of Turkish coffee – it is often prepared with great care and is drunk slowly in small sips. Just as well as the amount served is quite small. It is a strong flavored coffee and not to everyone's taste. Just like with regular coffee, there are differing flavors of coffee and different types of beans used.
The vessel used to prepare the coffee is called an ibrik – a small pot which holds one or two servings. It is also sometimes termed a cezve, briki, mbiki or toorka. It has a long handle made from metal – often, but not always, brass or copper– and has a narrow top compared to the bottom together with a wooden handle. Medium high roast coffee is used and it is finely ground (hence the strong flavor).
Sugar is put into the ibrik and water added. This is then brought to the boil whereupon the coffee is added. When the liquid froths with the boil, it should be taken away from the heat. Stir and repeat two times. A small amount of cold water is added in the final boiling process to help things settle.
Drinking Turkish coffee is an art form in itself. One must not rush and making slurping sounds whilst drinking adds to the effect and custom. Many people like to have a glass of water as this freshens the mouth prior to tasting the thick flavorsome coffee. There is inevitably a layer of sludge that develops in the cup – this is not drunk. As with tea, the remains of the coffee can be studied as a way of attempting to see one's fortune

Coffee - Like Gently Falling Rain?

2007-09-10T04:48:00.001-07:00

Drinking Coffee Can Help Prevent Gout

2007-09-10T04:47:00.000-07:00

Once again the health benefits of coffee have been mooted. Recently there have been discussions on the positive effects of coffee on liver disease and female memory. Now there is some early evidence that coffee can help us avoid gout.
The bottom line is that if you drink four more cups of coffee per day then you can reduce your chances of getting gout? At least, this is what the research tells us. This particular study was conducted in Canada against a generally recognised background of advice to actually avoid coffee in people particularly prone to gout.
Gout is a painful joint condition brought about by the build up in the blood of a chemical called uric acid. The study looked at about 50,000 men who had no prior history of gout. Caffeinated coffee appeared to be an avoiding factor but interestingly, so did the decaffeinated variety. Drinking tea conferred no benefit whatsoever.
This is interesting work although the authors would state that such early evidence is not conclusive. More research is needed to determine the precise mechanisms whereby coffee interacts with the uric acid metabolic pathway.
However, the study appeared to be no fluke. The actual level of uric acid in the blood of these men was indeed lower. And it is the uric acid levels themselves that makes a person more prone to gout. There is no evidence that caffeine itself reduced uric acid levels (hence the connection with decaffeinated coffee) but rather some other component of the drink that affects the uric acid levels.

Breville Espresso Machine Buying Facts

2007-06-12T23:27:00.003-07:00

When the time comes and you are looking for an espresso machine for yourself, you are going to realize just how many different options are out there and available for you. Some people find a process such as this to be relatively easy, while others get confused and even frustrated when it comes to making the decision.
There are so many different companies that manufacture espresso machines, and so this explains why it can often be such a difficult decision. However, one of the best types of espresso machines of all that you can purchase is the Breville espresso machine.
More About The Breville Espresso Machine
The Breville espresso machine is one of the best espresso machines of all, and one of the most major reasons for this is because it is so durable and long lasting. The Breville Company promises that if you purchase a Breville espresso machine that it will last you for a lifetime and it is true.
The Breville espresso machine is one which is stain and scratch resistant, and as well they do not break easily if they are dropped or thrown.
As well, you can generally find really great deals on with these particular machines, as not only are they priced incredibly low to begin with, but as well if you order directly from the manufacturer then you will be able to get an even lower price

NOW Is The Best Time To Start Your Coffee Business

2007-06-12T23:27:00.001-07:00

If you are thinking of setting up a coffee business, then you should know that now is the best time ever to do it. With more than 500 billion cups of coffee are served around the world every year, it is no doubt that coffee is a lucrative business. Most of the countries in the world today that produce coffee are members of ICO. And most of these countries that produce coffee are situated close to the equator. So if you are in this area, then you have all the advantage to run a successful coffee business. Globally, about 2 billion cups of coffee are drunk every day, and over five hundred billion cups of coffee are consumed each year making it the most popular drink on this planet.
Before you start your coffee venture, you should do some research and find out all the things about coffee. Let me share some facts with you. There are two main types of coffee being cultivated today. And the two main factors which can deteriorate the quality of coffee are oxygen and moisture. There are many tastes of coffee too. The color of coffee that has been roasted to a certain degree in which the characteristics and faults of the coffee are not masked by roast flavor is also an important point to take note. The safety and quality of coffee are also needed to be assured using sensory and physical criteria, and also chemical and microbiological criteria are required.
And to start a coffee business, you will need to get the right coffee machines. You will find that the top espresso machine and coffee brands in the market are Capresso, Saeco, Rancilio, Illy, Lavazza and Gaggia. Popularized by the launch of the Douwe Egberts Senseo machine, many companies now also offer coffee pods, which includes Starbucks. So this is something to note.
Additionally, there are tools such as the French cafe filtre, an espresso machine and a 'normal' coffee machine. The decision to buy which machine for your business will depend on each machine having pluses and minuses, and depending on what you care about the most from your coffee. Do not be too disappointed in your machine if this is the first machine you have tried. With experience, you will definitely make good use of your coffee machine. To speed up the process of setting up your coffee business, you can always order online, and you could be enjoying your new commercial espresso machine or coffee grinder within a few days.
With talks about how coffee is healthy for you and all about the great stuff about them, it is no doubt that more and more people are getting interested in coffee. With an estimate that 10 to 12 billion pounds of coffee are consumed worldwide each year, and the unique flavor characteristics of the coffee that produce a vibrant and complex taste to the taste bud, I can assure you that NOW is definitely the best time ever to start your coffee business.

Espresso Coffee Cups

2007-06-12T23:26:00.004-07:00

Up until 1992 all espresso coffee cups could only purchased in either white or with a company logo upon them. It was then the decision of Illy Caffe that they would combine art with espresso and they commissioned Matteo Thun to help design their first espresso cup. The design is considered by the owner of Illy Caffe (Francesco Illy) to be the perfect cup even though its design is very simple. Now with many coffee connoisseurs around the world, these types of cups have become collector's items.
In fact for many when it comes to collecting espresso coffee cups it is almost akin to them collecting some forms of artwork. The cups designed today each have their own artist who will produce his/her own particular design and will contain some of their own personal style within them. Today there are many up and coming artists who have now designed cup collections as a way of getting themselves known and making their artwork available to the general public.
Today all companies that produce such cups will have a particular numbering system in place which allows them to limit the number that are produced. Plus you will also find that they limit the time in which these cups will be available before they remove them from the shelves and bring in a completely new design. You will find that with each of the Illy collector cups and their accompanying saucers has been signed and numbered on the base.
Plus inside the cup itself you will see it says "Illy Collection". However those cups and saucers which are used in restaurants and are therefore part of a bar set will only say "Illy Espresso" on them and will neither have a number of being signed. Other cups that are now being produced are those by FrancisFrancis! and Saeco. The FrancisFrancis! collections come with both a number and a signature on them just like the Illy collections, whilst the Saeco espresso coffee cups will only signed on the base.
Each set of cups when purchased comes in a display box and in some cases you may find that the manufacturers have also included coffee with them as well.
Today because espresso coffee cups have become extremely popular, getting hold of the older versions can be very difficult and also be very expensive. Certainly as soon as any series of cups is no longer available to be brought through a retail outlet then the only way to obtain this through buying them from another collector. One set of Trazzine espresso coffee cups which a person could have purchased in 1994 for $109 is now up for sale by a collector for $700. So certainly as you can see these cups are not just for drinking your espressos.

Gano Coffee - A Healthy Choice For Coffee Lover

2007-06-12T23:26:00.003-07:00

If you are a coffee lover but you are worried about the bad effects of coffee on your health, then gano coffee may perhaps be just the ideal solution for you. Well there are people who drink coffee feel that it is an unhealthy habit. Indeed, many medical research show that although drinking coffee in moderation does not appear to have harmful effects on your body; it is important that people do not forget that the main ingredient in coffee is caffeine, which can be abused even when taken in very small doses and can become an addiction.
In fact, everyone and anyone who drinks coffee regularly will attest to the fact that they simply cannot function a day without a cup of hot coffee. So can drinking coffee in moderation helps prevent addiction? Well, that’s another thing that is beyond the control of coffee bean lovers. What may be moderate drinking according to one person may be well over the limit as far as the harmful health effects are concerned. And even though people know this, no one seems to be in a hurry to give up coffee. But, with the availability of gano coffee, you may not need to.
Gano healthy coffee beans are actually not real coffee beans. They are made from the extract of Ganoderma. This coffee is cultivated and processed using natural and organic methods. Hence no harmful chemicals, artificial enhancers, or pesticides are used in growing gano coffee. The main ingredient in this coffee is Ganoderma Lucidum, which is a substance that has been used since ancient times for its health benefits.
Gano coffee is an alternative type of a coffee only and is not any kind of coffee substitute. It is not a flavored beverage that gives you the taste of coffee but without the added caffeine. Instead, it is a drink that has the natural coffee taste, which is in fact richer and more flavorful than the regular coffee.
Gano coffee also provides you with a 'kick', which does not come from caffeine like in regular coffee, but from its main component - Ganoderma. This substance also provides energy which is absent from the caffeinated variety.
Gano coffee has a lower content of caffeine as compared to other types of coffee. It is also better than decaffeinated coffees. This is one good reason why gano coffee is gaining in popularity around the world. So try it yourself now to experience the goodness of gano coffee.

All About Harvesting Coffee

2007-06-12T23:26:00.001-07:00

Each year coffee is normally harvested during the dry season only, when the coffee cherries are very bright red, glossy and firm enough to be harvested. Ripe cherries could be either picked by hand, stripped from the tree with both unripe and overripe coffee beans or even all the beans could be collected using a harvesting machine. These processes are known as careful picking, stripping and mechanical harvesting, respectively.
To maximize the amount of coffee harvesting it is extremely necessary to selectively pick the ripe beans form the tree by hand and leave the unripe beans behind to be harvested at a later time. In Brazil, harvesting the coffee beans from the same tree several times is more expensive than separating and discarding the unripe or overripe cherries. Therefore, Brazil naturally harvests coffee using the stripping method when 75% of the crop is completely ripe. Stripping method is feasible and cost effective in Brazil due to the uniform maturation of Brazilian gourmet coffee.
In stripping the coffee beans are pulled from the tree and fall to the ground where they are further caught by sheets. These coffee beans are removed from the tree by tossing the coffee in air allowing the wind to take away sticks and leaves. Then the coffee is put in 60 L a green basket that is the tool measurement used by coffee producers to determine wages. Some estates in Brazil have computerized system to determine wages that keeps the account for the amount of coffee collected by each person. About 12-20 kilogram of export ready coffee would be created from every 100 kilogram of coffee cherries harvested.

Coffee Helps Reducing Diabetes Risk - Study

2007-06-12T23:25:00.001-07:00

Coffee helps in reducing diabetes risk amongst pre-diabetics for about 60%, according to a current study from the University of California at San Diego. The study is the first to enlarge proof on diabetes risk lessening to that already glucose bigoted, a precursor to full-blown diabetes.
Published in the November issue of Diabetes Care, the study exposed that best gourmet coffee provide protection at the same, major levels for those commencement the review with high fasting glucose levels, stating pre-existing glucose bigotry, as it did for those with usual levels. In fact, those with eminent glucose levels showed a lower risk of rising diabetes than those initiating out with common glucose tolerance. Reduced Risk Past or present coffee drinking resulted in a diabetes risk issue of 0.39 on a scale where 1.0 is average risk in the universal population. That means risk was condensed in coffee drinkers for about 62%.
Uncovering the first proof, which coffee as well decreases diabetes risk among pre-diabetics, the risk level came in still lower level, at 0.31, for the subgroup with impaired glucose. That means pre-diabetics condensed their risk of mounting the disease by almost 70%. These results were self-governing of age, sex, and work out, body mass index, smoking status, every day alcohol intake, and hypertension. Unlike other studies, they were as well sovereign of the number of cups of coffee consumed on a daily basis. 555479
Methodology – Further the study team, led by Besa Smith, engaged a review planned not used in previous research on coffee and diabetes. The team first separated those with harmful versus usual glucose levels using an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). In this way, coffee’s defensive result could be assessing unconnectedly for every group. The researchers completed the study with a second OGTT to make sure correctness in diagnosing those who had developed diabetes.
The study further followed 910 non-diabetic adults for about an average of eight years. Of that group, 593 had usual glucose at the beginning stage of the study and 317 had glucose intolerance. Coffee drinkers drank about an average of 2.8 cups per day.

Our Never Ending Love Affair With Coffee

2007-06-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Coffee makes the world go around. Without it, most peoples' mornings would be pretty darned unpleasant. Every office carries a commercial coffee machine, if not regular coffee makers, to keep our voracious need for caffeine satisfied during work. Whether it's fresh beans, instant coffee or coffee-flavored beverages, we eagerly buy it, daily. What is it about this drink that keeps us coming back for more? Whatever it is, those of us who love it, can't get enough of the stuff.
My life as a coffee drinker began at the age of 14, in summer camp. Not being an early riser, it was my cabin's turn to work kitchen duty at 6am one week. To keep from falling asleep, I concocted a strong mixture of freshly brewed coffee, heaps of brown sugar and milk. To my surprise, this was heaven in a cup, and I couldn't get enough. Eventually, I gave up the milk and brown sugar in each cup of coffee that I drank, and my life-long love of coffee has never faltered since. The smell of it brewing is intoxicating. It's a shame that they don't make room deodorizers in the scent of "brewing coffee." The smell is somehow comforting and makes a room more pleasant to be in.
On a trip to England a few years later, I was delighted to learn of the English tradition of daily tea. This special time of day allowed everyone to stop and have coffee, tea and pastries. Why on earth don't we do this in the United States?! Not being much of a tea drinker, I drank coffee while enjoying teatime all over the United Kingdom. On one occasion in the Lake District, a cake served to me during tea in a local restaurant was coffee-flavored, with coffee liqueur flavored frosting. Normally, I forget the desserts I've eaten, but it was so good, that even twenty years later, the memory of it remains.
It is smart of some hotels to include small coffee makers and packets of real, ground coffee in each of their hotel rooms. In our hotel suite in California, my ex and I would always order more packets, since each of us could easily drink a hotel room-sized pot of java all by ourselves. Then, we'd get ready and go downstairs to the restaurant, and have more coffee with breakfast. Smart businesses know that adding coffee to their services pleases customers. Something as common and mundane as coffee made our trip all the better.
Like wine, there are coffee connoisseurs out there who go to formal tastings. Others of us may not go to those, but we know the flavors and styles of coffee drinks that we prefer. Personally, my day isn't complete without my home-brewed pot (in a Starbucks Aroma coffee maker), of Starbucks' Morning Blend or Mexican Organically Grown beans. When at Starbucks, I cannot leave without a Caramel Macchiato or Frappucino. Who cares if its decaf, half-caf or full strength caffeinated, "rocket fuel" potency? Not me. I cannot remember (nor do I want to) what life was like in the old, pre-coffee house days. The cafes of today know how to rope us in with that marvelous coffee smell, and keep us there with a variety of tempting desserts. Keep it coming, folks. In a world so full of unrest, anything that makes us happy needs to be encouraged. The benefits of coffee far outweigh the negatives. There are a lot worse habits to have so we might as well enjoy ourselves.

Are Free Coffee Makers Worth it?

2007-05-31T01:06:00.001-07:00

If you drink coffee you've seen this routine before. Free coffee Maker offers online or in the mail. With so many options out there how do you decide if its worth the free coffee pot or not? First you need to know that a free coffee maker offer always requires you to buy something. Free can't really be 100% free or the company would not be in business. We'll show you how to find a good deal.
What you need to decide from the start is how much coffee do you want to buy? Every free offer I found online you must either join a coffee club, a coffee of the month club or sign up to order "X" amount of coffee. If you don't want to order coffee to receive a free coffee maker you may be out of luck. The companies make money; in the form of a smaller percentage by giving away a coffee pot in hopes that you will stick around with them for a long time.
Some things to consider when looking for a free coffee makers offer are simple at best. How good the quality of the coffee pot and how much is their coffee? Also I would suggest getting the most for your money. A good offer will include either a coffee pot and a couple of tumblers to go with it or a free bag of coffee or two and the coffee maker as well as free shipping. You can always opt for the minimal amount of purchase just to get your coffee maker or stick with their coffee ordering program as long as the coffee is an affordable price. I would suggest finding a price between $6 and $9 a bag. If the coffee company is charging much more than that then their free coffee maker may not be worth it in the long run. Many good companies offer the free coffee pot, 1-2 free bags of coffee and free shipping on the introductory offer.
Looking at the above options will help you in the long run. There is one last thing to consider before closing. How many bags do you have to buy to keep or receive the coffee maker. Make sure that they let you keep the pot whether you decide to stick with them for a year or even less. A good company will let their customer opt out after the first batch of coffee is purchased. If the coffee is good and cheap enough priced stick with them you may like more than just the free coffee maker. Make sure you get the most out of any free coffee pot offers you choose. When a company offers an early opt out for you if you decide you don't want their coffee that is good. A company that offers you a quick way out all while keeping the coffee pot means that they have faith in their coffee they sell. That is the best choice for a free coffee maker as far as I see it.

Coffee Beans and Coffee Concerns - Enlightening All Coffee Buffs

2007-05-31T01:05:00.003-07:00

The seeds produced by the coffee plant are the coffee beans. Though these are referred to as beans they are not really beans in the true botanical sense of the word. The coffee plant bears red or purple fruits which are also called cherries or berries of coffee and the stone that lies inside is the ‘bean’ which is the source of coffee. Two stones lying with their flat sides together usually constitute the coffee bean. It is from this bean that coffee is produced that can be used to produce a variety of coffee beverages like espresso, latte and cappuccino using the right coffee makers- espresso machines etc. It may be mentioned that a small percentage of any crop of coffee cherries contain a single bean in the cherries instead of the usual two. Such berries are called pea berries.
Coffee beans facts Some 0.8% to 2.5% caffeine is contained in the endosperm of the coffee seed or bean. This caffeine content gives them the characteristic flavor for which the plant is cultivated. Several species of the coffee plant are there and the seeds of each species produce coffees having slightly different tastes. Variation can be observed in the flavors of different genetic subspecies also and the coffee varietals- where the coffee plants are being cultivated.
Coffee beans are a major item of export of many countries. Coffee Arabica is the species that makes up the major portion (70-75%) of the world trade. The other important coffee species of coffee cultivated is the Coffee canephora. This is grown where the Coffee Arabica does not thrive.
Processing of coffee beans The coffee beans are processed before they are readied for use in preparing espresso, latte, cappuccino and other special coffee drinks using coffee makers- espresso machines and the like. The processing begins with the beans being removed from the coffee cherries. The fruit is then discarded or made use of as a fertilizer. The bean or seed of coffee is then ground and used in the preparation of beverages of various kinds using a coffee maker or espresso machine.
Coffee beans and espresso beans A difference between ordinary coffee beans and the espresso beans is there. The espresso beans tend to be a concoction of beans. These are almost always a relatively dark roast like a Vienna or light French roast. This is seemingly a trade secret. So, even though the formula of the blend can be discovered the exact amounts or proportions in which the constituents are to be blended cannot be easily found out.
Flavoring of coffee beans There is also the process of flavoring the coffee beans in an attempt to work upon their natural flavor to meet some purpose. Natural oils are usually used to achieve this. Half an ounce of oil is usually to be added to a pound of beans for the flavoring to be done.

An Introduction to Coffee Cupping

2007-05-31T01:05:00.001-07:00

Coffee cupping is one of the tasting techniques used by cuppers to analyze coffee aroma and the flavor profile of a coffee. To know the trivial differences among coffee growing regions, it is significant to taste coffee from around the world side by side. Cupping is as well used to find out coffee defects or to make coffee blends.
Cupping Coffee
Table Preparation:
Normally, in coffee cupping session, the table is set up with 6 to 8 cups per coffee. These are set in a triangular way. At the top of this triangle you need to place a taster of a roasted coffee and a taster of the green coffee. In the center of the table place a cup of room warmth water and an unfilled cup containing the cupping spoons. Next you need to cover both the green sample and roasted taster until the cupping session is over and the coffee aroma, smell, and flavor profile have been completely documented. After this time, both coffee tasters can be uncovered and extra comments could be written based on appearance. This method normally helps reduce the common “eye coffee cupping” method.
Coffee Flavor Analysis:
After the coffee has cooled suitably take some coffee into the spoon and taste the coffee sturdily to aspirate it around the whole tongue. It is significant to aspirate sturdily as you are trying to cover the whole tongue consistently. Aspirating sturdily would as well cause tiny droplets of coffee to be dispersed into the throat and in the nasal passage. The nose could then act as another influential tasting tool. Most of the flavor experimental in a coffee is a consequence of aromatic compounds available in the coffee. This result could also be demonstrated by plugging your nose during drinking coffee. While the nasal passage is blocked, the coffee would probable taste same as to instant coffee as it lack aroma. When the nasal passage is opened, a full rainbow of flavors would then become evident.
Conclusions:
The key to cupping coffee is carry out and humility. The best cuppers known are self-effacing and always eager to learn more. The beauty is that we agree to disagree while respecting and trying to recognize the characteristics, which other people find.

Horrors Of Coffee Shop Owners Drinking Instant Coffee And Their Solution To Avoiding Coffee Waste

2007-05-31T01:04:00.004-07:00

My mom and step dad are 75 and 80 respectively. They ran a coffee shop for 15 years before their retirement 10 years ago. Like most older people, they have been advised by their physician to cut down on their coffee consumption so they don't brew pots of coffee any longer for themselves because too much went to waste.
Horrors upon horrors, the gourmet coffee shop owners have been drinking instant coffee! And they have been serving instant coffee to their guests, including me.
Finally, I found the solution. The Keurig single cup coffee maker, actually a single cup brewer for coffee, tea and hot chocolate. When I brought the Keurig B60 Brewer in they were both excited about the prospect of having a cup of excellent coffee any time they wanted because they could brew one cup at a time. Keurig includes an assortment of coffees with the brewer so we could immediately try some of the k cup coffees. You should have seen the grin on the 80 year old guy's face when he heard that they also have chocolate k cups as well as tea!
They loved the look of the brewer on their counter top while the glow of the blue light translated into a night light in the kitchen for them. Then the frugal side came out.
They wondered how much it would cost to keep the brewer on all day. We found that Keurig coffee systems have a timer so that you can set the time when the brewer is heated and ready to brew your cup of coffee. No energy wasted.
They thought the k cups might be expensive. I told them about the Coffee Club that gives them $2.00 off each box of k cups and how they can get free shipping as well.
Keurig also has a coffee filter, My K Cup, that allows the use of any kind of ground coffee. The smile came back to their faces.
The other day I was over visiting and had a wonderful cup of coffee a la the Keurig one cup coffee maker. Mom was excited to tell me about the guests that she hadentertained with simply brewing the coffee, not to mention that they loved the coffee. She has two sets of friends already looking for their own!
I can see where the Keurig single cup brewer is the perfect kitchen appliance for many folks, in all age groups. For the busy worker on the run, this single cup coffee maker can save them a bundle of money (and calories) by doing away with the daily stop at the local coffee shop, like Starbucks.
And, I was right, the Keurig coffee systems are perfect for the older generation.

What is Specialty Coffee?

2007-05-31T01:04:00.003-07:00

Specialty coffee is defined through the harvesting, roasting and brewing process in which it is made. It is brewed to very high standards and is considered a lot better tasting but as well more expensive than other coffee.
Beans with no defects are selected as they will have the best taste. Then, once the brewing begins the right coffee beans to water ratio must be used in order to create the perfect brew. It can be brewed in any way, as long as the greatest possible taste is still achieved.
Many people have the illusion that a specialty coffee is defined by how it is prepared once it has been brewed, whether by adding chocolate or any other way. This is not true as specialty coffees do differ from flavored coffees. Flavored coffees have artificially added flavors where as a specialty coffee has a great taste that has been created through the entire process prior to the preparation.
Specialty coffee has such a unique flavor. If you have never tried it I cannot emphasize how much better tasting it is than regular coffee. The flavor that it contains would be nearly impossible to discover through a regular branded coffee that you purchase at your grocery store.
Specialty Coffees are sampled in a way called "cupping". This is similar to how wines are tasted. They are judged based on different categories such as aroma, fragrance, aftertaste and taste. Professionals at all stages of the production process taste the specialty coffees to assure that they are up to standards.

How Drinking Water Can Contribute To Weight Loss And How Fitness Coffee Can Help Too!

2007-05-31T01:04:00.001-07:00

Losing weight is hard to do but now it has just got a little bit easier. You can now sit down and relax with a cup of coffee which will help you to lose weight. Normally drinking lots of water helps contribute to weight loss as it speeds up the metabolism and helps to keep you feeling full. This is still the case, however drinking your usual few cups of coffee per day would usually be a hindrance but now thanks to a new fitness coffee, things are about to change.
There are many different factors that you have to take into consideration when you are trying to lose weight, and if you are trying to lose weight then you are first going to want to figure out what your goal weight should be, so that you know how far you have to go before you reach it.
Drinking Water Helps You To Lose Weight because most of the human body is made up of water, and so really, most of the weight in your body is simply water weight. Therefore, if you drink a lot of water you are going to weigh more, however in order to lose the water retention that you have in your body, there are many different things that you should do to promote weight loss.
The more you drink water the quicker the water will go through your body, and so if you want to gain better water retention, then you should start incorporating more water into your diet overall, so that the water will learn to pass through quicker. This is one way you can help your weight loss plans. Drinking a few cups of fitness coffee will also help the pounds fall off.
Some people take pills to reduce excess water in the body but these are not recommended as they can cause you to lose weight too quickly. Taking a few cups of fitness coffee on a daily basis is far a far more natural way to lose weight and the ingredients are all natural which is another good thing as nothing is worth losing your health and sometimes weight loss can be very dangerous.
The fitness coffee is available in lots of different varieties and if you are a coffee lover who happens to be overweight then fitness coffee is for you

The Mathematics Of Gourmet Coffee

2007-05-31T01:03:00.002-07:00

When is the sum of four equal to one and its quotient is approximately sixty? On the other hand, the product of one can be a multiple of "X" which brings us to the common denominator, and that is great tasting gourmet coffee.
This equation can be further illustrated by using a real life example. Imagine this scenario--you visit your favorite coffee bar and purchase your favorite beverage from them. With your cup of java in hand, you head back home and settle comfortably in your ergonomic chair, ready to navigate the information superhighway.
The aroma and steam still swirling out of your cup, you are inspired to visit a few sites selling gourmet coffee products. All the products look good, prices vary by a few dollars and cents on specific roasts and flavors. Then your attention returns to the cup of coffee you just took home and you realize that the price of about four cups can buy you one whole bag of gourmet coffee, weighing one pound each, from these online vendors. Something is amiss here.
So how many cups of coffee can one bag make? Further research reveals more startling information for you. The information varies from one site to another, but the gist of it is that a one-pound bag of coffee can produce anywhere from 32 to 60 cups of coffee, depending on whether you like your coffee strong or not, so it boils down to taste. Holy mackarel! Sixty cups of coffee for the price of four visits to the coffee bar, I love math!
Consider further that if you visit a coffee bar once a week with a basic expenditure of US$4.00, you would have spent US$208.00 in a year. That equates to about fourteen bags of moderately priced premium coffee already. Freshly brewed at home even. Compare that to some coffee houses that keep their coffee pots heated on a warmer--a practice that causes bitterness after about an hour.
You take that final sip of coffe that you took home earlier then crush the paper cup with just a little more conviction, somewhat furious at yourself for throwing all that good money away. Don't be so hard on yourself. It is nice to visit a coffee house once in a while for social purposes, not to mention for some juicy gossip. But then, five visits missed and you could have bought a decent personal coffee maker. Sigh.
Clear your head of all the heavy thoughts now and review your math. Refer back to the first paragraph--the sum of four cups of coffee at your favorite coffee house equals one bag of premium gourmet coffee. Divide that one bag up and you get approximately sixty cups of coffee. On the other hand, multiply that one bag by the very least number of times you visit a coffee bar plus how much you spend, and based on our example, you get fourteen bags. Those fourteen bags will provide you with 840 cups of coffee, enough to keep you on your toes for two years, three months and a few long days.
Out of those fourteen bags of coffee, you certainly would want to tickle your palate by buying different flavors, roasts, and perhaps some syrup and sauces. Regardless of flavor and everything else being constant, the common denominator is still great tasting gourmet coffee.

Buy Colombian Coffee Online

2007-05-31T01:03:00.001-07:00

If you are like me and you enjoy a nice cup of coffee with your morning omelet and newspaper, then a cup of Colombian coffee is for you. If you like to drink coffee while the sun rises in the red sky or sitting beside a warm fireplace on a cold winter night with your trusty bloodhound laying beside you, then you are a prime candidate who might like want to buy Colombian coffee online. As you might know, Colombian coffee is considered the best in the world and if you live in each of the four corners of the earth then you will need to buy Colombian coffee online.
You can stop drinking hot muddy water now that Colombian coffee is available online. Before you order, make sure that what you are ordering is actually Colombian coffee, as some sites will advertise their coffee as coming from Colombia, but it really comes from Chile or Haiti. When you order coffee online, you can chose to buy 1-20 pounds of these delicious beans at a time. Larger orders will typically get you incentives like a free pound of coffee or free shipping, depending on what web site you order from. You can also choose if you want your beans to come in whole, espresso, fine, drip or coarse depending on your personal preference. You can also chose to have your coffee beans come in as full roasted, light, Vienna or French.
Another thing to keep in mind when you buy Colombian coffee online is whether the site has good reviews or not. Bear in mind, that you are ordering something that you will be consuming and will be sharing with friends and loved ones. Be sure to check what other customers are saying: do the deliveries come late? Does the coffee taste stale like it has been sitting around a warehouse for a while? How is the company’s customer service line if you have a question or complaint? As a consumer, the company should be catering to your needs and if they have a bad history with customers, you should avoid doing business with them.
As you can see, whenever you buy Colombian coffee online, there are things that you must now take into consideration. But once you find a reliable company that can cater to your needs at a good price, enjoy it. There is nothing better. Enjoy your new cup of coffee with a good cigar, a group of friends or with the morning paper. Whatever makes you happy.

Coffee, Asthma, Arthritis, and Diabetes

2007-05-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

While there is no cure for autoimmune diseases like asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and diabetes, you do not have to live helpless and at their mercy. Studies have shown that making simple changes can make a difference in your quality of life. One of those changes is giving up or at least reducing your consumption of coffee.
Despite being inflammatory, coffee has had its medicinal purposes. My own ancestors used it to treat asthma. I have friends outside the U.S., who are still dependent upon coffee to treat asthma. Certain caffeine-type chemicals in coffee have been proven effective at stimulating bronchial dilation in people diagnosed with specific types of asthma. Some modern day asthma medications are even made from chemicals in the caffeine family.
For those using coffee as a natural asthma medication, you should keep in mind that caffeine is a toxic chemical. Its purpose in plant life is to act as an insecticide. In people, caffeine suppresses the enzymes needed for memory making. It also raises blood sugar and insulin levels, causing inflammation and aggravating diabetes.
Simply drinking decaffeinated coffee isn’t the answer either. Women who drink more than one cup a day of decaffeinated coffee are considered at a much higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The theory is that chemically decaffeinated products are causing the increased risk of autoimmunity. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee anyway, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based decaffeinating method and that the coffee was organically grown. Those who do not drink organic coffee, are exposed to too many man-made pesticides.