November 28, 2011
Coffee is a drink that can be consumed hot or cold. In fact it is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the whole world and one of the most widely traded commodities.
The coffee drink comes from coffee cherries which grow on trees in Africa, Southern Asia and Latin America. The cherries house the seeds which are known as coffee beans (although not actually a true bean) and it is these beans that are roasted to make the drink. The degree to which the beans are roasted affects the flavour of the final drink. Different varieties of the evergreen coffee tree (Coffea) are grown and the most prized is Coffea Arabica which is grown commercially. Coffea canephora (robusta) is also a widely grown variety and it is more resistant to disease than the Arabica.
The drink produced from the beans is very dark and has an acidic flavour and a stimulating effect on the human body. This stimulating effect comes from the caffeine content and it is the caffeine that also gives the bitter taste. Caffeine is the plant’s natural herbivore and omnivore deterrent. Caffeine levels vary between the different coffee varieties. Arabica contains far less than robusta. Caffeine was first isolated from coffee by Friedlieb Runge in 1820.
Coffee drinking has been around for hundreds of years and the first country of origin was Ethiopia. The popularity of coffee spread from the Muslim countries to the rest of the world and there are no signs that people are tiring of it.
Coffee is served in many ways these days. Café’s offer a sometimes bewildering selection from espresso, cappuccino, American and latte to iced coffee or decaf.
The most expensive coffee and rare coffee is Kopi Luwak or Civet Coffee. Civets are very good at picking out the best coffee cherries and the seeds contained in them pass through the animal unhurt. The seeds are then collected and turned into coffee. Although perhaps the best Coffee in the world, Kopi Luwak is controversial because in many cases the animals are farmed and caged, and animal cruelty has been witnesses, making the product unethical for a lot of people.
There are so many ways you can get your coffee fix now, from roasting your own beans at home to getting a barrista at a café to make you an espresso. You can make a cup of instant at home or get a coffee from a vending machine. For the millions of coffee lovers out there, there seems to be something for everyone.
By Rebecca G Wishford.
If you enjoy coffee, why not consider a vending machine? Coffee vending machines are a great way to provide people with a quick coffee fix and there doesn’t have to be a compromise on flavour.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_G_Wishford
Technorati Tags: benefits of coffee, Coffee, drinking coffee, the coffee drink
November 21, 2011
When you have relatives over it’s always nice to have your home decorated to give that true feeling of the holidays. And why wouldn’t you want the centerpiece of your living room, which is your coffee table, to not be decorated like the rest of the house.
When you want to decorate your coffee table for Thanksgiving you should start with a dark brown cloth to use as a cover. Make sure you get enough cloth to cover your entire Coffee table. Then you can purchase a lighter brown colored cloth (or whatever other color you prefer) to make little thanksgiving themed designs to emboss to it. You can create turkey designs, pilgrim designs, cornucopia designs, etc.
Once you finish with the embossing then you can finish the ends of your table cover with a sewing machine.
If you have little time or little budget to create your own cover you can always go to your local shopping mall and purchase a Thanksgiving inspired table cloth. It would work just as well.
Once you have your cover then you’re going to need a centerpiece. You want to make sure your centerpiece isn’t too big to prevent people from being able to use your coffee table functionally. So remember to save room for drinks to be sat down on the table top.
One of my favorite centerpieces to use on a Thanksgiving themed coffee table is a small cornucopia with real (or fake) vegetables inside. This really gives the look of Thanksgiving and creates a wonderful atmosphere in your home. Add a pumpkin pie scented candle for the full effect.
Learn more about choosing, purchasing, and finding the best coffee table for your living spaces at Perfect Coffee Tables.com which talks specifically about cherry wood tuscan coffee tables.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W._P._Allen
Technorati Tags: benefits of coffee, best coffee, coffee and thanksgiving, coffee table, decorating your coffee table for thanksgiving, healthy coffee
October 31, 2011
Its morning and you automatically reach out for your first cup of coffee!
Coffee has become an integral part of daily diet in some societies, especially in the US and one hardly ever gives a thought to how bland coffee beans are transformed into an aromatic beverage with strong flavors that are so familiar.
Before acquiring the state in which coffee reaches the table, the coffee berry and its seeds undergo a series of processes that require a fair amount of human labor that make a coffee what it is.
Coffee processing requires a series of agricultural and industrial procedures that are needed to deliver the desired flavor to the consumer. The processes involved are:
- Picking the berry
- Defruiting
- Aging
- Roasting
- Grading
- Grinding
As expected, the first task in the efforts to make coffee beans is to pick the fruit from the shrubs or the trees, depending on the species in question. This is done in large plantations and mostly by hand. The beans are then de-fruited and sorted. In some cases the berries are even aged, since it is believed to lend a more mature aroma to the beans. Though the picking of the berries, de-fruiting and aging are essential parts of the entire process, it is the next step that is the most essential – roasting. It is this process that transforms the insipid berries into a beverage that the world loves and enjoys.
This is one process that requires a fair amount of skill and the temperature, evenness of heating, amount of time allowed for roasting and other such parameters can make all the difference between a good coffee and a bad one. Even though different species have different characteristics and some are bitterer than the others, characteristics like aroma, flavor and taste are dictated by the process of roasting and therefore extreme care and finesse needs to be maintained during this process.
The process of roasting is actually a complex chemical process where heat acts as a catalyst to kick off a chemical reaction. This transforms the carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils like Caffeol and removes the moisture and carbon dioxide in the beans. The process also breaks down and builds acids that lend the inherent characteristic flavor and taste of the coffee.
Before the coffee is released in the market, it needs to be graded. The grading is based on the assessment of professional tasters who are connoisseurs of coffee. The process of tasting requires them to sniff deeply of slurp the coffee loudly to carry it back to their tongues. With this, they determine the texture (mouth feel), oiliness, acidity (a sharp tangy feeling as in biting a citrus fruit), and harmony (the harmony of different flavors in the coffee).
Grinding the coffee beans can be done at various levels and the bean can be ground coarse or fine. The Turkish grind is considered to be the finest and can be mixed with water directly. The coarsest grinds are considered to be the coffee percolator and the French Press.
Grinding can be done by the coffee company, the grocery shop or at home. And these days, many people prefer to buy whole beans even though the grinding process does involve higher levels of effort at home. The most common home coffee machines use the drip and paper filter grinds. These machines give a grind that is somewhere between the finest and the coarsest grinds. The drip machines pass near-boiling water through the coffee in a filter. The other method that is used to make Coffee from coffee beans is the espresso method. This method is more technologically advanced and involves hot steaming water that is forced through the grounded coffee to give coffee that is frothy and great to taste.
But there are many people who do not want to put in large amounts of effort to make a cup of coffee. For the convenience of such people, there are many instant coffeebrands available in the market. Instant coffee is dried into soluble powder or frozen-dried into granules so that all a consumer needs to do is to mix hot or cold water to prepare the beverage.
So whether you like cappuccino or cafe latte, ensure that you appreciate the effort, perseverance and skill that it is required to make the coffee what it is.
Coffee City http://www.coffeecity.org offers extensive articles and resources on coffee, espresso, coffee beans, coffee making, etc.
Technorati Tags: Coffee, coffee beans, coffee health benefits, drinking coffee
October 13, 2011
If you’re a Coffee lover, then you know that investing in good coffee equipment is a good way to get the best out of your coffee. With your own coffee maker and grinder, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to enjoy a fresh steaming mug of coffee just the way you like it. However, after a few months, you’ll begin to notice that your coffee doesn’t taste quite the same anymore; this is normal, and is as a result of residue build-up on your equipment which happens over time. To keep your coffee tasting like it should, here are a few tips on how to keep your coffee equipment clean:
Coffee Maker: Particles and lime deposit can build up in your drip coffee maker over time. To restore the insides of your coffee maker to their former glory, it is a good idea to clean it with vinegar. Vinegar is a good cleaning agent for your machine because it thoroughly cleans and deodorizes your coffee maker to ensure a fresh tasting brew. To clean your coffee maker with vinegar, follow the steps below:
- Pour some vinegar into the water reservoir.
- Turn on your coffee maker, and allow the vinegar to drip down the spout.
- After the vinegar drips out completely, fill the reservoir with clean water, and turn the coffee maker on once again.
- After the water drips out completely, repeat the previous step. The importance of doing this is to ensure that you completely remove every trace of vinegar from your coffee maker.
To prevent oils and residues from sticking to your coffee pot, wash it regularly with detergent and hot water. You can either swill the jug around until the detergent dissolves completely and the stains are gone or, you can let it sit for a while before thoroughly rinsing it out.
Coffee Grinder: If not cleaned regularly, old and stale coffee grounds can get trapped between the blades of your grinder. A good way to effectively clean your grinder is by grinding uncooked white rice in it a few times. Simply fill your grinder with enough white rice to cover the blades, and let it run. The oil from the coffee grounds between your grinder blades will be attracted to the starch in the rice and as a result, stick to it. Repeat this process with fresh rice until the rice no longer comes out discolored. Cleaning your coffee equipment will improve the longevity of the machine, and not to mention, keep your coffee tasting delicious.
Shawn Dunaway is the Vice President at CoffeeAM.com, one of the largest online gourmet coffee and tea companies with more than 150 000 customers worldwide. CoffeeAM offers a variety of coffee equipment, and pretty much anything that you need to make and enjoy your coffee. To see their full line of products, visit: http://www.CoffeeAM.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Dunaway
Technorati Tags: cleaning coffee equipment, cleaning coffee grinder, cleaning coffee maker, coffee equipment
October 4, 2011
Can you imagine starting a day without drinking a cup of freshly brewed coffee? And because of the fact that coffee plays such an important role in starting our day, there is no wonder why a 10 cup coffeemaker is very much in demand. And there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind when you are shopping for this kind of coffee maker. Coffeemakers come in quite a variety and there are those that can brew coffee up to twelve cups at a time. So one of the first things that you are going to consider will be the number of people that will drink Coffee at home. If you do not have a family living with you, the one cup varieties are ideal, but families on the other hand are usually buying the eight to ten cup varieties.
And before you start to think that coffee makers that make ten cups of coffee is a little too much, you need to understand that the amount of coffee these machines make are measured by cups and not in mugs. Since cups aren’t what we normally use to drink coffee, this addictive beverage after all, is best enjoyed in mugs, a 4 cup coffeemaker will not really be enough for a family of six. So when you are going to buy a coffee machine, you need to consider the drinking habits of your family. Usually, a coffeemaker that makes up to twelve cups of coffee equals to five to six mugs of fresh brew so you are going to have to consider the amount of coffee that your family will consume.
It is also important that you consider any special preferences that you have. An example will be a 12 cup coffee maker that you can program at night to automatically turn on and brew coffee in the morning. This way, you can wake up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Also, if you are living on your own, there are coffee machines that have a built in cup in it and a resalable cover which you can grab and take with you as soon as the coffee is made. Your budget is also one more thing that you need to consider when it comes to buying these machines. And because there are several machines available, you can easily find one that suits your needs as well as your budget.
To read reviews of the best coffee makers and to decide if the 12 cup coffee maker or the 1 cup coffee maker is best suited for you, please visit our site to make an informed decision.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Patrick_Simmons
Technorati Tags: Coffee, coffee maker, good coffee maker, selecting coffee maker
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Coffee is a drink that can be consumed hot or cold. In fact it is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the whole world and one of the most widely traded commodities.
