Now a number of researches have shown that coffee itself has a number of health advantages. The antioxidants in coffee help protect our bodies from diseases such as cancer, heart disease and even from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The caffeine itself even has some redeeming qualities aside from keeping us awake. It seems that the stimulating properties of caffeine help our nervous system to become more alert and to create more muscle contractions which athletes can utilize since this increases their strength and endurance. Coffee has been found to also be promising in preventing liver cirrhosis.

But because studies have not yet been fully conclusive and the findings not that specific, scientists are not fully advocating or stating that coffee can be marketed as a health drink. But we all know coffee manufacturers are already marketing their products as an alternative health drink. Nevertheless, studies are pointing in the same direction that coffee is good for you.

And what seems to affirm previous studies is a recent research from a cancer society indicating that the health benefits of coffee can be gender sensitive as well. We know that coffee is good for us but it also seems that the drink has more to offer women. The study shows that women who drink coffee were found to be less at risk from endometrial cancer. This kind of cancer is considered as the most common in women. The cancer cells particularly attack the healthy cells of a women’s reproductive organs.

Whether the coffee is caffeinated or decaf, the effects of the health benefits of coffee still remains on the positive side. Still we should never discount the other factors that can increase the risks levels of having cancer.

However, please do keep in mind that even though coffee is something can make you healthy, drinking too much is never advised. Even if it can prevent cancer, diabetes and even heart problems, too much intake of coffee especially with the hidden components such as sugar, cream, milk, etc. is already considered as a health liability.

Now let’s go back to coffee. According to scientists, coffee contains more healthy antioxidants than fruits, nuts, oils and vegetables. That’s why coffee manufacturers are promoting the antioxidant properties of coffee. Also, they found out that whether the coffee is caffeinated or decaf does not matter. The coffee seems to contain similar levels of antioxidants. So including coffee in one’s diet can actually help protect from heart disease, cancers such as liver and colon cancer, diabetes and even Parkinson’s disease.

Moreover, it seems that caffeine, that stimulant that gives the coffee that what I would like to call the wakeup factor stimulates the brain and nervous system. When applied to children, the caffeine in the coffee adds to their attentiveness in school which should equate to more learning. For athletes, the added stimulation by the caffeine adds to endurance and performance.

However, although more and more studies are pointing to the fact that drinking coffee offers more health benefits than harmful, the key element in this premise is the concept of moderation. Whatever we do, if we do it much more often than necessary, the results may be harmful.

Take for instance the caffeine in coffee. Although the inherent properties would stimulate the nervous system and help us to be more alert and focused, drinking too much coffee can do the total opposite to your nervous system. People have experienced being too wired after drinking too much coffee. They have uncontrolled hand shaking, they become too nervous and they feel their heart beat unusually faster than normal.

Also, even if coffee does offer antioxidants that help us reduce risks of contracting various diseases, the other ingredients in the coffee we drink can balance out the healthy benefits and even increase the risks of having diabetes, for example. This is because of the hidden calories, sugar and fat from the coffee we drink which actually comes from the milk, creamer and sugar or sweeteners we use.

So despite studies nowadays becoming more conclusive on the health benefits of drinking coffee, it still points to the proper amount for it to be beneficial for our health.

Some of you might be asking what’s with decaf? Why do coffee drinkers make a big deal out of it? Well coffee contains caffeine. This is a natural supplement and is present in every kind of coffee. Some will have more while some will contain less. Caffeine is where coffee gets that all too famous stimulating power. On the average, depending on the kind of coffee, the caffeine content is from 0.8 percent and 2.5 percent. The caffeine also affects the taste of the coffee.

Decaffeinated coffee has the absence of caffeine in the coffee. The reason for this is that some people have adverse reactions to caffeine. So the market of decaf coffee is really those people who want to enjoy the taste of coffee minus the caffeine. Since caffeine is a natural occurring active ingredient, decaf has to be manufactured. Although decaf in essence is a non-caffeine containing coffee, in reality industry regulators can already classify coffee decaf when it contains a mere 0.1 percent caffeine.

Caffeine is extracted from the unroasted green beans. When your roast coffee beans, the flavor comes out so it would be best to remove the caffeine from green beans. Manufacturers use caffeine-selective solvents to get the coffee stimulant out of the beans. Solvents can be water or dichloromethane.

When manufacturers use water as solvent, the green coffee beans are rinsed with it for a long time. After some time, the caffeine dissolves. The water containing the dissolved caffeine then passes through an active carbon filter which absorbs the active stimulant. The beans are then air dried, roasted, ground and packed. Almost the same process is involved when using the dichloromethane process. The solvent just differs and an added step of steaming the beans to remove any remaining solvent is added.

Modern technology has made it possible to extract caffeine from the beans but retain the flavor and aroma of the coffee. This was one of the fears of coffee drinkers when being served with decaf, that the coffee will not taste like coffee at all. But with the current process, the same type of coffee should taste the same even if it is decaf.

Now, the process described above is not entirely wrong. The hot water that is added into ground coffee is the catalyst that releases all that aroma and flavor. But the combination or the amount of coffee that will be combined with the hot water can dictate how strong or mild the coffee will smell and taste. The other component is the time element. So the length of time the hot water and the coffee come in contact with each other will affect the aroma and flavor as well. If the coffee is finely ground, the more coffee will dissolve with the water and this will also affect the taste and smell. So to follow our equation, we have taste or flavor and aroma equals the texture of the coffee plus the temperature of the water plus how long you combine the two.

Some of the more basic tips of preparing or brewing your coffee include using the same amount of coffee each time you prepare it. This alone will help you make a consistent cup of coffee. Make sure that you use a clean pot, a clean coffee maker, fresh water and also fresh coffee. Coffee in time reduces its flavor and aroma especially if left uncovered. That is why a container with a tight lid is the best place to store your coffee. Also, always remember that freshly brewed coffee or a cup of coffee that has just been prepared tastes a lot better compared to the coffee that came from the same pot but has been served hours later.

As our technology progressed, the preparation of coffee has evolved as well. From simply boiling the coffee grains in a pot of water, now you have manual or automatic drip filter machines that allow the hot water to pass through the coffee grains and into a container. An espresso machine on the other hand uses pressure by forcing the water through coffee grounds. Filters for all machines prevent the grounds from passing through with the water.

Other processes include the Mocha express, the electrical espresso machines, the percolator, the brew in the cup style, the plunger and other more ways.

Food enthusiasts assert that coffee adds a significant amount of depth and layer to flavor. One of the most popular braised foods with coffee ingredients is mushroom sauce. Squab could also be braised using coffee. Some chefs add a small amount of non-sweetened cocoa powder to braise squab.

Do not be surprised to know that braising using coffee does not involve meat alone. Arctic char could also be rubbed with coffee grounds, black pepper, coriander, and cumin. It is then wrapped in hoja santa leaves before being braised in coffee ajus and beef. Veal stock and coffee could also be braised with foie grass.

When using coffee and coffee grounds in braising, pay particular attention to the amount or volume of coffee you use. The amount should depend on how strong you want the flavor to be. Be relaxed as there is just no fast and hard rule. Chefs recommend using strong coffee as a substitute for half of the stock, especially when braising heavily cut meat such as lamb and beef. The aromatic property of coffee could be integrated with the stock following simmering for a few hours.

Take note not to make the coffee flavor discernible. Remember that the goal you should have in using coffee for braising is not to make it taste in the meat. Rather, coffee should effectively blend in and boost layers of flavors. Combining stock and coffee can be easy for cooks who normally have pots of beef stock or veal simmering on a back burner.

You could use strongly brewed coffee instead of instant blends when braising. Some chefs also assert that instant espresso also works well. You could perform some experiments when braising so that you can determine how much more coffee would be useful when cooking. Be attentive and be creative when combining coffee with other active ingredients in cooking.

The idea is to make the flavor surface and last. You could also use coffee grounds and leftovers because it really would not matter. Open your eyes, your nose, and your taste buds to different new possibilities in braising by using coffee.

When you use coffee in cooking, it is advisable that you keep in mind several tips that would make the initiative work. Here are several of the guidelines that could help you make a difference when intending to use coffee as a dish or cooking ingredient.

Use strongly brewed coffee when perking up the flavor of stews, pot roasts, mole, chili, hearty soups, and beans. To make sure you are getting a fuller flavor, prefer ground coffee beans rather than instant. You should understand that instant coffee is already refined. In the process of refinery, certain aroma and flavor have been eliminated. Instant coffee is also designed and formulated to easily dissolve and burst with coffee flavor taste. If you cannot find any other coffee other than instant, you can still use it as an important cooking ingredient by turning it into an espresso.

One advisable thing to do when intending to use coffee as a cooking ingredient is to make it much stronger than you normally drink it. This is to make sure the aroma and flavor will last. Coffee is added to dishes because of its ability to help make meats absorb flavor and spices. When you make your coffee stronger to be used for cooking, do not worry about possibly making the dish bitter. Coffee flavors usually mellow when you cook.

To combine coffee with cookie dough, first dissolve an ample amount of ground coffee within a small amount of solvent like water or coffee liqueur. You could add some sugar and creamed butter for extra flavor. When intending to feature coffee flavor in cakes, make sure you coarsely crush coffee beans using a rolling pin first.

In chocolate desserts, combine coffee only with white or unsweetened chocolates. High-quality chocolate products tend to always overpower the flavor of coffee in desserts. If you are making a mocha flavored dessert, use white chocolate instead. When making cookies, dilute ground coffee beans in liquid before mixing into the dough. Ground coffee beans in cookies tastes better than espresso in cookies.

First, decide whether to purchase ground or whole bean coffee. If you are a coffee enthusiast and you always prefer the best, your natural choice should be buying whole bean coffee. This is because whole bean coffee is able to maintain its flavor and aroma much longer than ground coffee does. However, if you know nothing about grinding coffee, let your local roaster do it for you by buying ground coffee. There are different coffee grinders available but not all of them are easily operated and used. Invest in a burr grinder or a blade grinder if you aim to grind your own coffee whenever you need to.

When buying coffee beans at the supermarket, it is advisable to skip the major and bigger brands in favor of the local and less famous ones. Big brand coffee beans might have been stored in inventory or a warehouse for many months. If you want your coffee to be fresh, go for the minor brands.

Strive to buy only freshly roasted coffee beans. Coffee when stored for months may already lose its aroma and strong taste. Do not panic, buy or shop for more than enough coffee beans. It is best if you buy enough coffee that would last in your house or office just for two to three weeks. Coffee beans also tend to degrade by themselves if not properly stored.

As much as possible, prefer local roasters rather than superstores and groceries. Despite selling mostly unbranded coffee, local roasters are proven to sell high-quality and fresh coffee beans. You could always approach and ask your local roasters about coffee-related inquiries. You can also gain instant guidelines and tips for maintaining natural flavor, aroma, sweetness, acidity, and aftertaste. Coffee stocks in displays are usually aged a week old in local community roasters compared to months in supermarkets.

So what exactly are coffee containers and how do you buy one? Coffee containers are actually water jugs that can store hot water and keep it warm for the rest of the day. Most people however put their coffee inside to avoid buying from coffee shops and spending the money. Here are some tips on how to choose the perfect coffee containers for you.

1. Buy aluminum

As much as you can, buy the ones that are made of aluminum or stainless steel. This is because these materials can be easily cleaned and remain odorless even after a lot of washing. Aluminum and stainless steel also do not become rusty, so you can be sure that you will be drinking safe and clean water.

Aluminum and stainless steel are also good materials for carrying around because they do not shatter easily when it slips from your hands. It also helps keep the water warm inside. When buying one, better make sure though that you buy the ones with the highest quality even if you do not have the budget. Remember that you will be using this all your life so it is okay to spend a little more.

2. Buy one with a handle

If you plan to carry it around everywhere you go, it is better to buy one with a rubber handle, which you can hold when the surface is still too hot for direct skin contact. There are also designs that have rubber materials on the surface where your hands and fingers can rest. This gives you a better and more stable grip on the bottle.

3. Buy a no-spill bottle

Make sure that what you buy is a bottle that will not cause you any spilling accident. This is especially true if you are planning to put the bottle inside your bag and don’t want your things to accidentally get wet. Before you pay for it, ask the salesperson to fill it with water to check if it spills.

Coffee drinkers, on the other hand, have always been the beverage of choice of people who are constantly on the go, such as busy people who tirelessly work through the night. Coffee has also been associated with artists, novelists, and other jobs involved in the creative pursuit. It’s little surprise then that the lore surrounding this strange but delicious brew is nothing short of the extraordinary.

According to one legend, coffee was supposedly discovered after a goat herd found his goats running wild and agitated. To find out what was causing this, he sampled a bit of the evergreen that the goats were eating then getting the first taste of the brew that would soon become known as coffee.

In the beginning coffee was such a precious commodity that coffee plants were cultivated only in Africa. In one of the stories published in Encyclopedia Britannica, one of the main proponents of coffee in the Americas was a certain French naval officer. When he found out that the Dutch were able to transplant coffee to the West Indies, he decided to cultivate one for himself in Martinique. The officer was supposed to have shipped his plant to his home country, sharing his precious water supply with the coffee plant. Apparently, his efforts amounted to a great success as he soon became the lone supplier of coffee in his country.

In contrast, the discovery of tea is somewhat serene and Zen-like. The stories of how tea was discovered, in fact, pale in comparison to the drama that preceded with the discovery of coffee. In one of the stories, tea was supposedly discovered in ancient China. A Chinese person was said to be camping in a mountain when a floating leaf fell into a boiling pot and emitted this aromatic smell. He then took a sip of the liquid thus discovering tea for the very first time.

Whether or not the effect of the beverages somehow caused the actions of the people involved in the stories, it is clear though that the lore surrounding coffee and tea couldn’t be more different as their flavor and the effect they produce on the drinkers.

Record books indicate that coffee has lived as long as the ninth century. Ethiopian highlanders were the first to toil the soil for coffee beans. Legends were formulated around these beans. There was this Yemenite Sufi mystic known as Shaikh ash-Shadhili who was said to be journeying in the lands of Ethiopia. During his accounted travel he had an encounter with goats having tremendous amounts of vigor and vitality. He saw that the goats were eating some sort of berry so he tried it himself after which he also had a refreshing moment. A goat herder called Kaldi was also part of the coffee stories in the ancient times. This goat herder was part of the legend of the dancing goats. The coffee plant was said to have originated in an Ethiopian kingdom known as Kaffa thus giving the beverage its name. The Arabs then opened their gates for world trade making it possible for these tiny delights to reach the boundaries of Africa. Due to mass-cultivation, the coffee hysteria reached as far as India and Europe.

Coffee exports from Ethiopia initially dealt with Yemen. Upon having the beans, the Yemeni were able to engage in their own cultivation. The beverage was primarily not welcomed specifically by the conservative imams in Mecca. According to accounts they were not ready to embrace the stimulating effects of coffee. Sultan Selim I along with Mehmet Ebussuud el-Imadi saw the increasing popularity of the drink and allowed for the circulation of coffee within the region. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 19th century that Ethiopians also gave coffee better regards. This was due to the fact that Emperor Menilek himself embraced the consumption of the beverage.

Coffee reached the European ports via the trades that steadily grew between the Italians and the Muslims in Egypt and North Africa. Venice was particularly the place of coffee’s birth. The merchants saw the opportunity of showing off a new product and then began selling it to the members of the rich class. Coffee’s reputation was then boosted by the blessing coming from none other than Pope Clement VIII despite allegations that it was a Muslim beverage. From then on the aromatic and invigorating effects of coffee moved wildly across Europe. The rich aroma of coffee then made its mark on countries such as England, France, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Due in part to France’s colonization schemes, the coffee extravaganza was able to reach the homes of the American natives.

It is a fact that understanding and appreciating each beginning is a key part of living your life. The journey of coffee has come a long way. Be thankful that it has reached your very own cup.

The popularity of coffee as a drink later on spread from Ethiopia to Egypt and Yemen where they were sold by merchants. Early version of coffee had the beans directly boiled and then drank. It was in Arabia that the coffee beans were first being roasted and brewed that has become the practice still today. The popularity of this beverage soon spread to other countries. By the 15th Century, coffee drinking has spread to the rest of the Middle East as well as to Persia, Turkey and Northern Africa.

Coffee was first introduced in Europe by way of Italy. Trading between Venice and the Middle East as well as Egypt and parts of North Africa began thriving. Through this route, coffee found its way to the Venetian ports and was then introduced as a drink to Italians. From there it was introduced to the rest of Europe. Its popularity became so great that it led to the establishment of the coffee houses in Europe, the first one being opened in Italy in 1645.

Coffee then spread to parts of Asia by way of the Dutch explorers who brought with them coffee seeds that they planted in their colonies in Java and Ceylon. The introduction of coffee in North America was not as widely accepted initially as compared to other countries. It was brought along the American shores along with tea by the English colonizers. But it was tea that first became the accepted beverage. Not until the English limited the supply of tea in North America did the Americans grow to prefer coffee as their beverage of choice.

Throughout history, coffee has been a widely accepted beverage and its popularity grew due to its highly stimulating effects. It is also for this reason that coffee drinking during ancient times was widely associated with spiritual practices. Coffee drinking has since become a regular ritual among many people and its popularity seems to grow bigger and bigger everyday.

Your favorite tiny little fellows come from green bits of beans that are roasted in order to have that necessary physical and chemical change. This process of roasting is responsible in bringing out the best in every coffee product. An expansion in the green beans occur which then leads to the distinct aroma, color, taste, and texture that makes coffee a welcome treat in the morning. Roasting has not only been done commercially as what is the scenario in the past. The time in which the green beans are consumed after roasting is important in keeping coffee’s quality intact. That is why you can see your neighbor having that roasting moment in the morning.

Now let’s take a look how roasting is done on a larger scale. Basically the process includes sorting, roasting, cooling and operational packaging. Grinding is also an integral part in larger areas. Now picture this. Green coffee beans are freely spilled either through a machine or the steady caring hands of coffee laborers into a container called the hopper. This is where screening of residue and debris takes place. Green beans are then carefully weighed and carried to storage hoppers. This delivery is made possible by a conveyor. Then the roasters come onto the scene. These heating machines take from around three to thirty minutes while flaming the beans at a temperature rate of 370 to 549 degrees Fahrenheit. Talk about turning the heat on.

Roasters are commonly fuelled via electricity, wood, or the most common energy source nowadays, LPG or liquefied petroleum gas. Roasting can be indirect-fired or direct fired. The only difference is that in direct fired roasters the beans really feel the heat alongside the gases that make combustion possible. The beans are then cooled using various mechanisms and equipment such as a vacuum system, quenching using a fine water mist, and cooling done through natural air. Moving further, the beans then are stabilized by a method known as de-gassing. These tiny wonders are now ready for packaging.

It is important to take note that the beans should be well-protected from moisture and oxygen. That is why they are meticulously placed inside bags made of foil which are equipped with one-way valves that only allow gases to go out. These bags are usually light resistant too. The freshness and viability of whole beans that have undergone roasting usually lasts around a month or so. Another concept associated in roasting is the roast profile or the recipe that suits well in producing the desired flavors and features for roasted coffee. Certain factors such as variety and origin can be of help in identifying the profile for the job.

Why don’t you take time from your morning habits and take part of the coffee transformation yourself?

Coffee is globally differentiated through the utilization of a biological term known as cultivars. Cultivar collectively refers to the cultivated selections and forms of the coffee plant on one hand when talking business or industry the term cultivar is tagged as varietals or more commonly known as varieties. Basically, coffee varieties are the different forms in which the natural selection and breeding mechanisms of the coffee plant is recognized. Beans grown in different areas also mean that there will be existing coffee characteristics that are uniquely identified for that specific area. Some of which are flavor, acidity, body or mouth feel, and caffeine content. The mentioned characteristics tell something about the environment of the locality where the coffee plant was cultivated, the process involved in the plant growth, and the other subspecies present in that area.

The two widely recognized coffee varieties in the world are Arabica and Robusta. Coffee Arabica is said to have richer flavor and aroma as compared to Coffee Robusta. It has different forms that are found widespread across the globe. One is the Colombian coffee. Once subjected to a keen roast, this coffee variant boasts of highly intense aroma, stunning acidity, and good body. Other Coffee Varieties lined up for Arabica are the Costa Rican Tarrazu, Ethiopian Harrar, Ethiopian Sidamo, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Guatemala Huehuetenango, Hawaiian Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Java from the isles of Indonesia. There was a time when Java was traded on a regular basis that it became slang for coffee itself. Names that are also on the Arabica roster are Kenyan, Mexico, Mocha, Panama, Brazil’s Santos, both of Sumatra’s Mandheling and Lintong, and Uganda. The Tanzania Peaberry is another famous Arabica Coffee. It is grown in the famous Mount Kilimanjaro area.

Coffee Robusta on the other hand is found mostly in Africa, Brazil, and Southeast Asia. It is accounted for a third of coffee production in the whole world. It is less expensive to produce as compared to its counterpart due mainly to the fact that it is more manageable and easier to take care of. The Kopi Luwak from Indonesia and the Kape Alamid from the Philippines are two of the Robustas known globally. Both are derived from the Palm Civet which gives them a distinctive flavor. There is also another coffee variety which is the Kape Barako. It is abundant in the Philippines specifically in the provinces of Cavite and Batangas.

Whatever variety coffee is made from, one thing is for sure. It can truly showcase a wide variety of an enjoying and refreshing experience.

The coffee retail business is one of the fastest-growing retail businesses in the world today. The biggest factor for such a phenomenon could be attributed to the current fascination of people, mostly the young, for coffee and coffee products.

The success factor might have been helped by the success of the major players (Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, etc.) who helped develop the market and educating the consumers along the way. They also provided their own business models for the coffee retail business.

This short article does not pretend to be a comprehensive manual for setting up a successful coffee retail shop. This is rather more like a general introduction, some quick do’s and don’ts of the business, and how it looks from the outside.

Knowing the business

One must be prepared first by knowing what the business is all about. One needs to consult all of the books, manuals and other materials available on the how-to’s of the business before anything else.

The money aspect

You have to know how much money you need to start up your business, how much money you have, and how much money you need to run it. What you have will determine what you can do.

Business plan

Your planned coffee shop is your business card when you talk to potential lenders or investors. Your plan will demonstrate how you see your business on paper. Make it the best it can be.

Your business site

Finding the right location is critical to your shop’s success. Research has it that while people love coffee, they will rarely go more than a block or two for it.

Your location should be at the center of the action, have high visibility and a high number of people passing by daily. Coffee is an impulse buy and a luxury product. People are not likely to go too far out of their way to find you.

Important note: If you have no retail experience, hire a professional.

People from City Hall

You have to understand that getting an official approval of your business dealing with bureaucracy and red tape can be a highway to hell. Things will settle down in the end, but you have to be prepared for the worst.

State and local codes and laws are confusing at times but you need to navigate your way. It is important to work closely with your local, county and state officials in everything you do.

The shop

In coffee shop operations, service and customer flow are very important considerations in the design of your shop. Even if you are working with an architect, consult a coffee store professional.

Your architect may not be familiar with the operational needs of a food service establishment such as your shop; equipment layout and placements, work and customer flows, heavy traffic areas, etc.

Menu

Today’s gourmet coffee shop owners agree that there is customer demand for some type of food service. Base your menu on your assessment of your customers. It can serve as extra sales generator in slow hours.

Equipment

After the menu and the bar design are finalized, it is time to select and buy your equipment. Make a checklist and compare prices and features. Take your time as you decide on your choices with great focus on quality and reliability.

Hiring and training employees

Finding good employees is extremely hard. Training them is the most important part of your function as owner. Emphasize their being your teammate in the success of your operation.

Training should also be ongoing. Your employee’s skills are critical because what they produce is your shop’s main product. Always insist on perfection. Your customers will be glad.

Marketing

Market your shop as soon as possible, even starting while construction is going on.

If operations are now in place, the marketing should not stop. It should be renewed each time. You and your employees are front-line marketers of your shop.

With luck and an eye always open for improving things, your coffee retail business might join the other thousand successful ones around the world.

There are three recommended coffee brewing types you could consider, namely, French presses, automatic drip coffeemakers, and cold-brew tools. The best and proven brewing methods require heating water until it reaches a temperature of about 195 degrees F to 200 degrees F. Do not worry because you do not have to dip in a thermometer to gauge water temperature. When using a French press pot, this ideal temperature is achieved when bubbles start to surface vigorously. When that happens, turn off the heat and simply wait for about 20 seconds to 30 seconds before you put coffee in for brewing.

As for automatic drip coffee makers, water would not boil to reach the same high temperature. But brewing is complemented by the use of the best filters available. You could choose from stainless steel, brown paper, white paper, and gold. Gold filters are the best, according to most experts because they last longer, they do not diminish flavor, and they do not produce chemical-tasting compounds that are often created when using white paper filters. Use about .46 ounces of coffee for every 8 ounces of hot water to please your taste.

When using the cold brew method, you do not have to follow the procedures in brewing coffee using French press pots and drip coffeemakers. Steep coffee grounds in cold water and leave overnight. Doing so could help create a very smooth-tasting coffee concentrate, which could last for many weeks.

In the end, whichever method or equipment you decide to use, remember to make sure the water you use does not contain any off flavor. Using bad tap water is not advisable as doing so could guarantee a badly brewed coffee since coffee brewing is comprised of about 95% to 98% water. Lastly, always clean your coffee brewing equipment after every use. Take note that coffee is leaving an oily residue, which could become rancid over time. Use soap and water or distilled vinegar in cleaning equipment to eliminate off flavors.

We all know that coffee is good for us because of the antioxidants it contains. It helps protect our heart and even our liver from diseases such as cancer. But drinking coffee beyond the recommended or suggested moderation totally negates the benefits. It becomes a health risk. According to experts, two cups of coffee everyday is okay and we can still enjoy the health benefits. However, drinking in excess of two cups daily is unhealthy. For coffee drinkers who drink an average of more than two cups of coffee everyday, they should actively try to reduce their amount of coffee intake as soon as possible.

Aside from the number of cups, there are some signs that can show that you’re drinking too many cups of coffee. You need to observe your habits. If you see that you are actually replacing water with coffee, then that is a pretty good indication that you are having too much coffee. If you have high blood pressure, ulcers or other digestive ailments, if you begin to feel pains in your joints, or if you notice your teeth beginning to yellow, it would be wise to ease up on the coffee for a while. If you cannot stop right away, go with the decaf alternative since this will address the issue of getting too much caffeine in your body.

Reducing the amount of coffee you drink might not be that easy. You might have already become addicted to the aroma, the taste and the effects the coffee have. One of the first things that you need to do is to try and replenish the water that has been lost from drinking coffee. The increased water intake can also help flush out the unwanted caffeine in your body which is a good thing. According to health experts, an intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine daily is not good. This is actually equivalent to about three eight-ounce cups of coffee.

Also learn not to replace meals with coffee. There are a lot of people who don’t eat breakfast but are satisfied with drinking just coffee. Never replace your meals with coffee. That is already an unhealthy lifestyle and you should try to change it.

Coffee berries will undergo different process of roasting before they will become the famous coffee of all time. This is a process in which aromatics and acids as well as other flavor components can be created, balanced or even altered in a way for a great flavor, acidity, aftertaste and body of the coffee as preferred by the coffee roaster. This article will give you an initial background on the process of roasting coffee beans.

Endothermic is the first stage in roasting coffee beans. From the red berries, it will be picked by hand and washed with freshwater to remove the remaining residue. The beans will be extracted. The green beans will slowly dry until it turns into yellow which begin to smell like toast or popcorn.

The next step is also called the first crack. Each bean will double its size from approximately 205C (400F), the color will become light brown and it loses weight of approximately 5%.

Then it will rise up to 220C and change its color to medium brown. Approximately 13% weight loss will occur because of the heated temperature. Characterized by a change in the chemical composition is called pyrolysis, a chemical process of the bean as well as the release of carbon dioxide.

After this step it is automatically followed by a short endothermic then immediately followed by another exothermic (second crack). On the second pyrolysis which occurs between 225-230C it will change its color from medium brown into medium-dark brown. The second pyrolysis is much quicker.

Maximizing in roasting will also maximize the sweetness and aroma of your coffee while the bitterness and acidity that is minimized is called Espresso potential. Most people prefer their coffee as black roast extreme but the espresso will never be delicious. And because of the unpopularity of straight espresso, the espresso based drinks such as milk or other flavors to replace the sweetness during dark roasting became popular.

Sugars in coffee begin to caramelize from 170-200C. And coffee will be labeled into light, medium light, medium dark, dark or very dark as preferred by the coffee consumer. Lighter coffee has more caffeine than the darker roast coffee because of it’s smoother with less fiber for your everyday diet.

It calms the nerves.

People just drink coffee because it is their go-to thing for relaxation. There is just something about the steaming cup that soothes the nerves especially when it’s all black with no sugar or milk.

It heats up the body.

Coffee is a winner during the winter season. Some people do not even need to drink it to feel the heat. They will start off by cupping the mug into their palms to borrow some heat from the ceramic surface. And as it goes down from your throat to your stomach, you can really feel the heat spread all over your body.

It’s a good match with food.

Because coffee is a little bit bitter, it is a great match for foods that are on the sweet side. Just thinking of a honey-glazed donut and you will immediately have a craving for coffee. The same goes with a rich chocolate cake or a chocolate chip cookie. Some people also pair coffee with popular breakfast items such as pancakes and waffles. It is also a good match for some of your favorite potato chips and snacks.

It’s a good after-meal fare.

Coffee is a great way to wash out all the different tastes that you encountered during a meal. There are also some who attest to the powers of the coffee to help your body digest everything that you have eaten. This is why a lot of people drink coffee as a form of a night cap.

It makes you sober.

If you feel that you have drank a lot of alcohol, coffee is a surefire way to get back to being sober and drive your car home. This is why there are a lot of coffee shops around bars and pubs because people take coffee immediately after drinking beer or wine.

It keeps you awake.

Coffee is a surefire way to keep you awake all through the night, especially if you have a deadline at work that you have to finish or some studying to do for a major exam. It is important, however, that you drink this in moderation. Otherwise, it will not work again next time.

First of all, you have to conduct a special research about different coffee roasts and you must decide which you like best. Espresso coffee can be made from different roast levels. It depends upon the preferences of its region. Southern Italy prefers a darker roast while medium roast for Northern Italy. The Americans were influenced by cafes of Southern Italy so they prefer a darker roast such as Starbucks.

Secondly, you must consider the freshness of your coffee. Fresh coffee is absolutely essential. The nearest to the roast date is much better. A maximum of three weeks from the roast date is the ideal for your espresso coffee.

For a perfect espresso coffee, you have to grind your own coffee beans, but don’t buy cheap electric coffee blade grinders. It won’t make you a perfect and consistent grind and it can cause your coffee beans to burn rather than grind. You have to research a good espresso grinder or consider also buying fresh ground or fresh roast beans from your favorite espresso shop. You can ask your espresso shop owner how fresh their beans are and request them to grind your beans while you are waiting. Most of the espresso shops have a promo to grind your coffee beans for free if you buy from them per kilograms. An excellent espresso grind must be about the steadiness of sugar. Brewing it right should not be a bitter good espresso coffee.

Third, you have to use purified water (no minerals or any other pollutants) and should be heated to about 90 degrees centigrade or 200 degrees Fahrenheit. But take note that you don’t have to use boiling water. It will stop the process of creating a good coffee when you use boiling water.

We all know that espresso coffee is a one-shot coffee sip. You have to use ground coffee with the right amount. You have to check the grams per shot you have to sip (7 grams or + ounce dry volume) or 14 grams for a double-shot sip.

It is time to grind and put pressure with the tamper, and you can compensate to grind with more pressure. You have to pack your grounds into the portafilter of the espresso machine using a tamper. Too much brew will have a bitter taste.

Place your cup under the brew basket then turn on your espresso machine for about 20 to 25 seconds and you should see a hazel brown cream at the surface when it is done. After this, you have to serve your Espresso Coffee immediately.

This is the one area where most of the connoisseurs have tried to concentrate their efforts in trying to improve the process throughout the ages. Today, we have several forms of coffee brewing techniques, both for commercial and home use.

Flavor extraction length

As a general rule, the length of extraction time is directly related to the grind coarseness. The smaller the coffee particles, the shorter the extraction time.

French press coffee is the longest, with coffee and water contact lasting as long as four minutes. Espresso has the shortest contact time, about twenty-five seconds, and the coffee granules used are among the smallest.

If the coffee and water stay together for too long, other compounds start to leach and these will make the coffee bitter. On the other hand, if the granules are large, and the extraction time is short, the coffee will lack flavor because of under-extraction.

Drip brew

Most home brews nowadays are produced through the drip process. The technique is simple enough: hot water is poured over a medium-ground coffee within a filter and the water goes through the coffee grounds and drips into a holding container.

There are many variations on these drip brewers with different functions for home use, and also available in larger models for commercial use.

Auto-drip brewers

This machine makes brewing a very simple process. Water is heated in one place and piped over the grounds inside a filter. The extracted brew then drips into a holding vessel.

One complaint is that these machines do not make the water hot enough, so flavor extraction happens at lower temperatures than is recommended.

Another issue is that the machines have warming hot plates, ostensibly for keeping the coffee warm. However, continuous heat will make the coffee bitter.

Single-Serve Systems

These machines were once used exclusively in commercial places. Now, people buy them for their own use at home.

These are very convenient to use. Pre-packaged coffee is inserted into the machine and with one push of a button, the coffee starts to come out. There are variations to these, however.

Some pre-heats an entire reservoir or heats the water on demand. Some machines can brew with less water, making for stronger coffees. They are more like smaller versions of drip machines. Some involve pressure but they are not true espresso machines.

One complaint is that these machines use proprietary packaged coffee, so quality and freshness cannot be guaranteed.

French Press / Press Pot / Cafeteria / Plunger Pot

The French Press has two parts: the beaker (made of glass, metal or plastic) and a plunger which has a wire-mesh filter.

To use, heat the brewing water and pour it on the coffee grounds in the beaker. Let the coffee steep for about 3 to 5 minutes (to your taste) before putting the plunger in and push the dregs down with the filter mesh. You may stir the brew for a second or two before putting the plunger in. Pour the cleared coffee into an appropriate mug. It is now ready for drinking.

Note: Pour out the coffee into your drinking mugs or carafes right after brewing. Do not leave it steeped with the grounds all throughout. The continuous steeping will make the coffee bitter.

Espresso

Espresso is coffee created by forcing hot water steam through finely ground coffee at a certain pressure. The resulting brew is called espresso, as developed by the Italians. It is different from regular coffee in that it has a cream produced by the process unlike regular brews.

Espresso is the base for such bestselling Italian coffee concoctions as cappuccino, lattes, macchiato and more.

There are many more brewing techniques culled from all over the world. Since they are popular only in their parts, we have not included them in the list. Suffice it to say that whatever the number of brewing techniques that one knows, the quality changes accordingly.

Frankly, all of these coffee brewing techniques are just as good as any. And that says a lot on how versatile coffee is.

Let’s start the ball rolling or should I say the beans roasting with the ever famous cafe mocha which is a variant of the cafe latte. It is basically a third of espresso, two thirds of steamed milk, and a mix of chocolate syrup. A brand of cafe latte which is highly regarded in the US is cappuccino while Europe and the Middle East take pride in the moccaccino. Starbucks which is shark in the coffee industry has placed its frappuccino in the ranks of coffee royalty. Another coffee notable residing in the Southern part of the US is the Mochasippi. This is similar to the frappuccino but instead of using instant coffee, genuine shots of espresso give it a big kick. One that truly carries Uncle Sam’s banner is the Cafe Americano. This stylish coffee variant comes to life with hot water intertwined with espresso which gives it that extra strength and flavor.

Now off we go into the parts of the world and see how coffee figures. The Spaniards and Portuguese take pride in their cortado. Milk which is placed in after the espresso is an integral ingredient in this delight. The common ratio between coffee and milk is around 1:1 or 1:2. It is commonly drunk in the afternoon. In Cuba it is called the cortadito where it is served with a special glass made of a metal wire handle and ring base. The Italians also have their own which is known as the macchiato meaning marked or stained.

A dessert variant of coffee in Italy is called as affogato. This is composed of chocolate or caramel sauce. A summer mainstay in Greece is the Greek frappe. It is basically an iced coffee covered with foam. Down in South India, the Kaapi or Madras Filter Coffee is highly regarded. It is created using the finest dark roasted Peaberry coffee beans. Milk is also added to this beverage. In Hong Kong coffee is not only a drink but a union of love.
Yuan yang or sometimes termed as Ying Yong is a famous coffee notable. It is mixed with Hong Kong’s very own brand of milk tea. The term Yuan yang is the mandarin ducks that serve as a symbol for joint love. Vietnamese love the taste of their very own brand of iced coffee which is called as Ca phe sua da. It is prepared by mixing black coffee with condensed milk. This sweet combination is then poured over ice to create a very cooling experience.

Coffee has become a global phenomenon. Nevertheless you don’t have to go as far as the nations mentioned above. You can always tap on your creative instincts and create your very own coffee notable.

The best coffee, the one people swear is so good it is to die for is never good enough for everybody. Simply said, the idea of good or best is always relative and different from person to person. The nice part is you can discover it yourself.

A true lover of good coffee knows that the number of tips in making the best-tasting coffee is almost equal to the number of coffee varieties around the world. Thankfully, there are some universal guidelines that are generally accepted the world over.

The following is a sampler, and is by no means complete.

Roasting your own

If you have the equipment, it is best to roast your own coffee beans. Freshly-roasted beans are best. You can keep them for a week and they still stay relatively fresh.

After roasting to your desired quality, cool the beans in a colander, stirring it from time to time. After 8 to 12 hours when the beans have emitted the carbon dioxide away, store them in airtight jars and keep them inside cabinets away from light.

The kind of roast you do should match your coffee preference. Europeans like dark roasts for stronger, intense flavors. Americans prefer medium roasts. Others choose light roasts. They say the darker the roast the more flavor is lost.

Start with a medium roast and adjust your preferences from there.

Grinding

The ideal grinding practice is to grind your coffee just before you brew.

Grinding increases exposure of the grain’s surface to the water. This way, more of the flavor and oils can be extracted. Match your grinder to your brewing method.

Espresso needs a very even, fine grind. Drip types depend on your choice. French Press needs a coarser grind.

Use a good grinder fit for your preference. There are several good models and types on the market. Some whirly blade types are cheap, last longer, and are right for paper type filters.

Brewing

First, always start out with clean equipment. Second, spring-quality water is a must. No ifs or buts about this.

Experts say the ideal brewing temperature is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Drip brewers have their own thermostats. For those using French Press, bring the water to a boil first and rest it for a couple of minutes before pouring it over the coffee grounds.

Don’t cook your coffee. If it’s too hot, or left on hot plates for too long, volatile oils will evaporate and ruin the taste.

Use the brewing method you discover that is best for you, and stick with it.

The Italians say that making a good espresso depends on the 4 “M”s: Macinazione (the correct grinding of coffee blend), Miscela (the right coffee blend), Macchina (the espresso machine used) and of course, Mano (the barista who prepares it).

Some coffee choices

Central American coffees are sharp and sweet and have more aromatics.

If it is more body and sweetness you want without the sharpness, try the Indonesian variety like a Sulawesi or a Sumatran.

If you want an earthy aggressive bite, try a dry-processed Ethiopian. Harar is aromatic and fruity. Sidamo is pungent.

Do you want spicy pungency? Try Yemeni coffee.

Do you want extreme bite? Try an Aged coffee, a Monsooned or a Robusta. Aged and Monsooned coffees have certain tastes that you will love or perhaps hate.

Last words

The Italians drink their espresso with sugar. Most Germans, Belgians, and Swiss people love to mix equal parts of chocolate into their coffee. Mexicans add theirs with cinnamon. Ethiopians uses a pinch of salt while Moroccans drink theirs with peppercorns. The Egyptians love them pure and strong, without anything on it.

We are not even talking yet of the many flavors one can put into one’s coffee.

Whatever way you want your coffee, the only guide is your taste. And when you find the coffee taste that you want, you’re in luck. It is one of the world’s most exquisite pleasures to savor.

In the 1920’s, when Paris was filled with literary experts, coffeehouses were crawling with writers and poets. The Cafe La Coupole became a headquarter of sorts for some of literature’s most enduring writers such as Henry Miller, F. Scot Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Along with the surrealists, they debated and discussed arts, literature and above all, life itself.

In the 1950’s, it was the Beatniks, the motley crew of writers and artists that included literary luminaries such as William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, that filled the coffeehouses in New York’s Greenwich Village. In a magazine article, the poet Sparrow defined the group as people in shapeless clothes drinking coffee in cafes and writing in their spiral notebooks while listening to jazz. Along with their cigarettes and steaming cups of coffee, Beatniks exchanged wild ideas and stories that eventually made their way to their poems, novels and art.

In his memoir Living To Tell the Tale, Gabriel Garcia Marquez begins his autobiography in a coffee shop in Colombia. His mother was out in search of him and was told to look for him in a place where journalists like himself stationed themselves almost every day. Another writer who once practically lived in a cafe was J. K. Rowling who was said to have written most of the first of the Harry Potter series in a coffeehouse in Edinburgh almost 13 years ago.

Most probably, however, for these writers what’s even more addictive than the sweet smell of freshly brewed coffee is the strong kick of an idea that’s beginning to take shape in the form of a novel.

Coffee Addiction

Contrary to what most people believe, coffee is actually not addictive. This belief may have stemmed from the many people making a habit of drinking coffee day in and day out. Having such a habit may sometimes give the idea that coffee drinking may be addictive. But actually, it is not. Studies have shown that caffeine in coffee has, in no way, the same addictive effects on the brain as those found in addictive drugs such as amphetamines or cocaine.

Coffee and Asthma

Coffee has been known to help manage respiratory conditions such as asthma. Actually, the practice of coffee drinking to aid people with asthma has already been followed and known of as early as a hundred years ago. The ability of coffee to handle asthma has recently been corroborated by a recent study where participants with asthma who drank an average of three cups daily have had the incidence of their asthma attacks fall by 28 percent.

Coffee and Headaches

It has been widely thought that coffee may have some pain killing effect. Some believe that coffee may also help banish headaches. Some studies suggest that this might be true. A study was conducted where people suffering from regular headaches were asked to take either a combination of a painkiller and drinking coffee or mainly just painkillers to treat their condition. The results showed that 80 percent of those who drank coffee along with taking painkillers showed a significant improvement within six hours as compared to just 67 percent of the group taking only painkillers for their headaches.

Researchers believe that the caffeine in coffee may have an effect on the treatment of headaches. Caffeine is known to help improve the absorption of substances in pain medications and enhance their pain killing effects. Caffeine is also known to constrict the blood vessels and so may counteract the effects of headaches caused by blood vessel dilation.

Coffee and Sleeplessness

Although popular belief tells us that coffee may cause sleeplessness in some people, there are studies indicating that this popular beverage does not inhibit sleep in any way. Although the caffeine in coffee is known as a stimulant and may boost alertness in people, it does not affect the dream phase of sleep in any way. As a stimulant, coffee may make it hard for some people to sleep, but it does not in any way cause people to lose sleep at night.

Don’t get me wrong, coffee can be enjoyed unblended. A lot of people will still drink their coffee 100 percent unblended and enjoy it immensely. Now blending coffee offers drinkers a whole new set of alternatives. It offers different options. Sometimes, coffee is blended with tea or other ingredients that make them unique. There are times that coffee blends become famous and well sought after because of the unique tastes. Coffee shops capitalize on this and by producing the same taste consistently with every cup they are able to capture a market beyond the pure coffee drinkers.

Still others will blend coffee not only to offer a new product but to offer something cheaper. For example, a higher quality Arabica coffee is blended with a cheaper Robusta coffee not because of producing a different taste but rather to get the taste of the Arabica coffee in a cheaper cup of coffee. With the right amount of each coffee, you can enjoy the taste of Arabica but pay only half the cost for it.

When you blend two different kinds of coffee beans, the combination can produce a coffee that has a strong aroma but not a lot of body and the reverse can also be true. So the objective is to get the ideal balance of aroma, body, acidity and flavor in your blend.

One of the most famous, if not the most famous coffee blend is the Mocha Java. This blend is a combination of the Arabian Mocha bean and Java, a full-bodied Indonesian bean. For those who haven’t tried the blend, some would say that it has a wine-like taste with a hint of chocolate.

Coffee producing countries are well known for their own kinds of coffee. Among the largest coffee producers are Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Mauna Loa. Europe and Italy are also well known coffee growers.

If you want to, explore your own coffee combinations. You can, of course, look into other coffee combinations and try to come up with a unique taste of your own. Who knows, with your imagination working with blending coffee you might create a new sensation that people will enjoy around the world. You might create a truly unique blend, or you may just end up with a taste that only you enjoy. Either way, you get something good out of it. Enjoy your cup of coffee.

In general, many pastry chefs have already been adding coffee to different desserts. They usually combine coffee with chocolate to produce a very velvety mousse. This union of coffee and chocolate is not surprising anymore. Just consider the fact that coffee and cocoa naturally grow in similar geographic regions with similar herbal and floral notes. It is not surprising that there are many native desserts in Latin America that feature the marriage of the two.

Enough amount of coffee should be added to chocolate mousse so that the flavor of this dessert could further deepen. However, many pastry chefs warn that using too much coffee could discern the flavor because it is heightening the strong chocolate flavor. Some pastry chefs have stopped combining the two because flavor is getting stronger, which is not ideal for light flavored sweets. Another reason is that modern chocolate available commercially today is very much refined and complex, making it more than potent in overpowering the already strong chocolate flavor. Many consumers love chocolate and hate it when the chocolate flavor is erased because of the stronger coffee flavor.

There is one distinct solution to this problem. To avoid coffee from overpowering chocolate, dark chocolate (which is commonly used) should be replaced with white chocolate, especially when preparing mocha desserts. The white chocolate flavor plays up the strong coffee flavor. In contrast, dark chocolate only overpowers it.

If you are a chocolate lover and you prefer to make the chocolate flavor strong enough, you should not dilute chocolate with coffee, especially if you use high-quality and complex chocolate. Coffee is best when added to a bittersweet or semisweet chocolate especially those that lack smoky, herbal, and floral notes. In such cases, coffee could provide the boost you are looking for.

Many pastry chefs are now arguing about the real merit of combining coffee with chocolate in preparing well-loved desserts. Most of them instantly agree that the strong flavor of chocolate is really helping to create very delicious varieties of desserts. As in using coffee in braising and preparing dishes, the key is to use your creativity when preparing desserts with it as an ingredient.

In order to create a very delicious aromatic beverage, you must first grind and brew the roasted coffee beans. The grinding process of roasted coffee beans can be done in any of the following ways: (1) roaster machine; (2) grocery store; and (3) at home.  But almost all of the practiced processing will be done with the roaster machine, then  packaged immediately as designed by the roaster before selling it to the consumers.  But some people still prefer to grind their whole roasted coffee beans in their home.

There are several ways of grinding roasted coffee beans.  You can use a revolving machine to shear the bean just like a burr mill, or blunt blades moving at the high speed of an electric grinder to totally smashing the beans, or a mortar and pestle to powder the coffee beans.

There are different types of grinding machines to brew your coffee beans.  If you want the finest grind, try the Turkish grind but if you want a coarser grind, you can try a coffee percolator or the French press.

There are several methods for brewing your favorite coffee.  Either you can boil them, steep, or pressure them.  Most people still prefer to use the earliest method (the Turkish coffee way) by just boiling them at the proper heat temperature with water in a teapot.  If you prefer this method, you will create a strong coffee to feed your sleepy mind.  But if you prefer to brew your coffee by the steep method, you need a device called a French press or coffee press.  This method will combine ground coffee with hot water in a coffee press and you then leave them for 3-5 minutes.  After a few minutes, a nozzle is then injected to separate the ground coffee, which still remains at the bottom of the container.

Your coffee is stronger and leaves more sediment with this method because the coffee oils stay in your drink more than when made by an automatic coffee machine.  And the last method is the espresso way.  This method is hot coffee pressurized by water but not boiling water.  The WWII American soldiers believed that the espresso beverage is much more concentrated than any other coffee brewing method.

Heart ailments:

A study has found that in a sample of 1,354 respondents aged 65 years and older, those who have been drinking coffee on a regular basis for 10 years or more exhibited a 43% lower possibility of experiencing coronary heart diseases. Adults who do not drink coffee at all have been found to be more at risk for different heart problems. It was also found that most coffee drinkers do not show signs of heart valve problems. Caffeine is believed to be responsible for this health benefit.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease:

Several studies have concluded that drinking a cup or two of coffee everyday could lower the possibility of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by about 30 percent to 64 percent. A particular study in Finland has found that adults who consumed about three to five cups of coffee daily were not as likely to contract Alzheimer’s disease by 62 percent to 64 percent. These adults also were found to between a 65 percent and 70 percent less possibility of developing dementia compared to those who do not drink coffee at all. In the same study, it was found that coffee was the best and most recommended source of caffeine rather than tea or several soft drinks.

Type 2 diabetes:

There is also evidence that drinking coffee everyday may help prevent the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes that is also linked to a greater risk of developing dementia.

Several forms of cancer:

Caffeine in coffee was also proven to help prevent development and onset of specific types of cancer. In particular, some research efforts have found that regular coffee drinkers are not as likely to develop oral cancer. Other cancer forms may also be avoided such as cancer of the pharynx, the mouth, and the esophagus. Caffeine intake may even spare heavy alcohol drinkers and smokers from developing oral cancer.

Take note, however, that experts still advise people to avoid or give up excess alcohol intake and tobacco smoking to make the risk of developing oral cancer almost impossible.

Nowadays, people can select and buy their coffee choices from almost anywhere, including green (unroasted) coffee beans. Right now, many coffee lovers will also want to roast their own coffee beans, grind these themselves, and brew them accordingly.

The whole point, really, is to keep everything fresh: from the selection of the beans, to the roasting, all the way down to the brewing.

Why choose home roasting

Coffee has a very short shelf life: it stales quickly from day one to about ten days or two weeks (if they are not ground yet) and if they are not properly stored.

If carefully handled, green beans (unroasted) can be stored up to at least a year without quality loss of flavor. You can keep as many varieties on hand and mix-and-match them to create your own customized blends.

You can then have better quality coffee every time because it’s fresh. You will learn, too, how to roast your coffee exactly how you like it, to what degree, and with what blends.

Notes on roasting equipment

A decent starter home roasting set goes for around a hundred and fifty dollars (and up). At its most basic, you can even do your roasting in a skillet or wok. But, you don’t want to skimp on taste, so why should you skimp on equipment?

The most common of these are known as fluid bed roasters, since they roast on a “bed” of hot air. The principle is blowing hot air up through the beans. These roasters have built-in timers, a cooling cycle that automatically cuts in after the roasting, and a chaff collection device at the top.

The other home roasters use a different method. Instead of hot air, they use an electric element to heat a rotating drum that holds the beans. Some say that drum roasters produce a roast with more body than is possible with a fluid bed roaster.

One important note on home roasting: smoke. Roasting should be done outdoors on warmer days. Range hoods can be effective if the roaster is raised closer to it.

With any method, chaff is also a big issue. Removing chaff can be done by pouring the beans back and forth between colanders.

The total roasting process takes from 5 to 25 minutes depending on the type of roasting machine used.

Notes on the beans

Unroasted beans are 15 to 40% less expensive than the roasted kind. If the retailer charges the same price for both, go somewhere else if you’re being taken advantage of.

Importers store their unroasted beans in cloth (or plastic mesh) bags in cool, dry, and dark locations, with good air circulation. For general conditions, store green beans in airtight plastic containers.

Unroasted beans are generally light green, although monsooned and decaffeinated beans have different colors. After the first few minutes of roasting, the beans begin to turn yellow, then a very light brown.

Until you can readily judge bean color, keep a sample of your target roast for comparison purposes. Ground coffee will have a somewhat different color than whole bean.

Beans lose up to twenty percent of their weight after roasting due to the loss of moisture. However, they also expand and take up a greater space.

Roasted beans are at their best anywhere starting from four to twenty-four hours after roasting, depending largely on bean variety and the roast.

Some varieties, notably espresso blends, are at their best thirty-six to forty-eight hours after roasting. This process (holding off on brewing for a specific period) is usually called “resting”.

The now roasted beans should be kept away from oxygen and should be in airtight containers stored in closed cabinets.

Home roasting your coffee can be fun, educational, and fulfilling. You can make your very own brew and drink it, too.

Leonard Rauwold (German physician) who gave the description of coffee after his 10-year trip to the Near East in 1583 said it was a beverage as black as ink but it could be useful to fight different kinds of illnesses most especially in our stomach.

The Middle East is a Muslim world but still coffee spread out to Italy. A thriving trade developed between Venice and North Africa together with Egypt and the Middle East. They brought many goods to Venice including coffee to the Venetian port despite appeals from different religious groups to ban the Muslim drink until it became popular all over Europe in 1600 until Pope Clement VIII accepted it as a Christian beverage. In 1645 the first European coffee house opened. The first to import coffee in a large scale in 1616 and the first to defy the Arab prohibition on the exportation of plants or unroasted coffee seeds were the Dutch lead Pieter van den Broeck who smuggled seedlings from Aden into Europe. An in 1711, the Dutch grew the crop in Java and Ceylon as well as being the first exporters of Indonesian coffee to the Netherlands. Coffee became popular in England with the effort of British East India Company and later introduced it in France, Austria, and Poland.

During the Colonial period, coffee reached North America but was not as popular there as in Europe. The demand for coffee was so dramatically increased that dealers had to hoard their scarce supplies and raise prices in the Revolutionary War and there was also a reduced availability of tea from British merchants. After the Revolutionary War in 1812 and during the American Civil War, there was a high demand for coffee, so their primary commodity was secured in the United States.

And because of the in-demand needs of the First World countries, coffee became the primary cash crop of many Third World countries such as Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Creating instant coffee is a simple process really. Manufacturers found out that by brewing huge quantities of fresh coffee and allowing a huge amount of water to evaporate, the result was a highly concentrated batch of coffee. Now the process does not end there, of course. Manufacturers will have to make this big batch of concentrated coffee into powder form in order to pack them and sell them as instant coffee.

Instant coffee plants use two kinds of methods to produce the instant coffee that we know today. The two techniques are the freeze-drying and the spray-drying technique. For the first method, the concentrated coffee is frozen to a temperature of about negative 40 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the water in the coffee will become ice crystals. As crystals, the water can then be removed through sublimation and what remains are the frozen granules of coffee. Meanwhile, with the spray-drying technique, the concentrated coffee is sprayed up together with hot air. As the water falls it evaporates and what falls is the powdered coffee. Take note that both processes, because of the use of extreme temperatures, results in a loss of the coffee’s flavor. But the application of extreme heat in the spray-drying methods seems to cause more loss in the coffee’s natural flavor.

Even though instant coffee began making its popularity in the 50’s, the first instant coffee was invented as early as 1901 by Japanese American chemist Satori Kato. Five years later, English chemist George Constant Washington came out with a way to mass-produce instant coffee and introduced his “Red E Coffee” in 1909. Then in 1938, Nescafe invented the freeze-dried coffee process.

After the Second World War, the National Research Corp. which during the war created a high-vacuum technology to produce penicillin and blood plasma for the military, decided to use the technology for producing powdered orange juice. Later the company which has been renamed as Minute Maid perfected the process and applied it in making instant coffee. By 1951, the instant coffee developed from this method came out under the name Holiday Brands. The instant coffee has developed into a mean cup since then.

Coffee is good for health. Despite how cautious scientists are in making conclusions from their studies, almost all coffee research that has been done in the past point towards coffee being healthy. But coffee can only be healthy when it is used in moderation. Too much of anything is not good.

Coffee is not really bad for children. In fact some research in Brazil has shown that children who drink coffee are more alert in school allowing them to absorb more learning and do well at the end of their studies. However, it would be best to limit the coffee intake of your children. Your objective here is to reduce the amount of caffeine they take in their bodies. And also because they get caffeine from eating chocolates or drinking other beverages such as sodas, it would not be good to give them too much coffee.

Coffee increases high blood pressure. Now when you drink coffee, you feel that your heart begins to beat faster. That is the caffeine working. But even though you feel a racing heartbeat, the effects of that cup are only temporary. It lasts for a few minutes and you’re back to normal. However, people who are drinking too much might have an elevated blood pressure in the long run so moderation is really the key.

Coffee is not responsible for weight loss. So don’t believe people when they say they lost a lot of weight just by drinking coffee. The caffeine increases your blood flow and even increases your body’s metabolism but just like what was mentioned earlier, the effects of caffeine in coffee are only temporary.

Coffee is not good for pregnant women. This is true. Pregnant women need to reduce their intake of caffeine. Remember that caffeine is not limited to coffee. So women who are expecting a child should, as a general rule, stay away from or take in moderation coffee, sodas and chocolates. All of these contain caffeine.

We all know that coffee first originated in Ethiopia and then easily went around the globe. Papua New Guinea (PNG), coffee plant growth was reportedly in British Papua in 1889 in the botanical gardens. In 1892, coffee blooms in the Rigo area and because of this blossoming of coffee plants they acquired 20,000 Arabica coffee plants to plant on Variarata plantation in 1898. Coffee plants were also introduced on the New Guinea side under the German Administration. The New Guinea Department of Agriculture in Wau started their first plantation in 1928. It was also introduced to the Highlands of Lutheran missionaries before WWII that Bourbon Arabica coffee was first planted at Ogelbeng, then in Asaroka.

Kenya is also one of the coffee industries around the globe that is booming for its cooperative system of milling, marketing, auctioning and for its large percentage of production from small farms. About 6 million Kenyans are employed in the coffee production. Kenyan’s coffee is famous for its intense flavor, full body and pleasant aroma.

India became famous as being the large exporters of coffee beans in 2006-2007 surpassing the previous years with 2.58 million tons. Italy, Russia, Germany and Belgium became the top four importers of coffee from India plantations. Also included in India’s main list as their primary importers are Spain, Slovenia, Japan, United States, France, Greece and Netherlands.

Aside from PNG, Kenya and India, another well-known coffee producer is Colombia. They are known as Colombian Mild that is freshly roasted with bright acidity and high intense in aroma. In Costa Rica, coffee production is their number three export after being the number one in cash crops for almost three decades. And in Peru, their 90% of coffee production will be exported to other coffee brewing countries.

Aside from the mentioned coffee producers above, there are different countries who also produced coffee as one of their cash crop economies. To name a few: Angola, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote de Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia (first discovered coffee), Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam and Yemen.

For always on the go people who are stuck in traffic or in a busy commute even the rich flavorful smell can entice that sleepy and bored head. Your afternoons become bright from gray with just a simple cup of coffee. Truly it has worked miracles in helping some get through the day’s hustles and hardships. Yet there are still some misconceptions that are degrading this wonderful delight. Join me in my adventure and let’s decode coffee.

First on the list that will help you understand more facts about your favorite beverage is that enjoying three cups of coffee in a day can help in memory retention. Back in November 2005, a research team from Austria used MRI facilities to observe the effects of caffeinated coffee in terms of boosting a person’s memory and focus. It gave a positive outcome as the subjects given the amount of caffeine similar to that of about two cups of coffee showed signs of increased brain stimulation and activity. It was observed in the frontal lobe which handles a person’s memory and in the anterior area of the cingulum which concerns focus-related actions. Another study regarding a longer lasting effect of coffee particularly on women was published in The Journal of American Academy of Neurology.

This study ran for a period of four years where the subjects were rechecked on a two-year basis. Based on memory tests given, women aged 65 years and older who consumed three or more cups of coffee on a daily basis showed a 33 percent less chance of losing their memory as opposed to those who consumed just one cup per day. Moving on, exercise and coffee can be a formidable team that may ensure cancer prevention. Studies show that there can be a merging effect if you combine the two in your lifestyle. An animal research that was done showed promising results regarding the effects of the two on the development of pre-cancer cells. The pair can actually aid in their destruction. Next on the list is the belief that coffee can help you urinate easier as it is an effective diuretic. This is not really a proven fact.

Coffee can give you a little bit of an urge to go every now and then but the water consumption you have during those coffee sessions can very well compensate for the bathroom time. Another misconception is that energy drinks beat standard coffee in terms of the caffeine they can pack in. Well, the amount of caffeine your body gets from these really depends. Whenever this comes to your mind just take time to check the labels. A can of your preferred energy drink cannot always match up with a sizzling and aromatic cup of coffee.

Last but not the least is about your common workout fact and its relation with coffee. Researchers indicate that caffeine can tell your muscles to not pay attention to fatigue during your normal exercise session. Caffeine also can command your muscles to contract in a different manner. This can easily give you a boost during your trimming and leaning routines.

At times it’s not about just having a simple sip. Let your mind travel and start decoding coffee facts.

Plant Varieties

Coffee is usually planted as seeds. They can either be planted alone in a coffee plantation or intercropped with other plants such as corn, rice or beans. There are two main coffee plant varieties being cultivated for coffee production. One variety is Coffea Canephora where the Robusta coffee beans come from. The other is the Coffea Arabica where the more popular Arabica coffee beans are sourced.

Each coffee plant variety has their own advantages and disadvantages. Arabica coffee is considered the more popular choice and most ideal for drinking. Robusta coffee tends to have a bitter taste and offers less flavor than the Arabica. It is for this reason that Arabica coffee varieties cover about two thirds of the coffee being cultivated worldwide. However, Coffea Arabica varieties are more susceptible to disease and can only thrive in a certain environment. Coffea Robusta plant varieties are considered more disease resistant and are usually grown in areas where C. Arabica coffee plants would not grow well.

Coffee Processing

Coffee is processed in steps. The first step involves picking the coffee berries where they then are sorted for ripeness and color. The next step involves removing the flesh of the coffee berries to leave the green coffee beans behind. This step is usually done by machine. They are then left to ferment for awhile in order to remove the oily layer of flesh that might still cover the new beans.

After fermentation, the coffee beans are then washed in large quantities of fresh water in order to remove any fleshy residue. The coffee beans are then dried either naturally or by machine. After the drying process, the coffee beans are then sorted and labeled and prepared for roasting. Even though the beans may come from different varieties, they all generally go through the same process prior to roasting.

Coffee Roasting Process.

The essential coffee roasting process involves steps that are followed carefully. The first step involves sorting the green beans. In small households that roast coffee, it usually involves screening the green beans by hand to remove the debris.

Factory Sorting.

In larger operations where large volumes of coffee beans are being processed for roasting, bags and bags of green beans are opened and dumped into a hopper where the beans are screened to remove unwanted debris. After the screening process, the coffee beans are then weighed and transferred to the storage hoppers via a conveyor belt.

Sorting to Roasting.

From the storage hoppers, the green beans are then brought into the roasters where temperatures can range from 188 to 282 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the coffee beans are then roasted for a certain period of time ranging from 3 to 30 minutes. Typical coffee roasters look like horizontal metal drums that are headed from below and rotated continuously as the beans are being roasted. This allows the green beans to tumble about in a current of hot gases.

There is also another type of coffee roasting technique where the green coffee beans are inside the drum roaster where they are being roasted under a cushion of heated air. This type of roasting process is called a fluidized bed and was first introduced and developed by Michael Sivetz and was patented on June 22, 1976.

Roasting Profile.

Coffee roasting usually involves following a certain recipe which includes the length of time the coffee beans are left in the roaster. This is called the roast profile and it aims to bring out a characteristic flavor and aroma from certain types of coffee beans. Different roast profiles are used in order to bring out or highlight a certain characteristic of coffee according to its desired flavor, aroma and taste. There are various factors in which a coffee’s roasting profile may be determined. There are factors such as the origin, variety and desired flavor of coffee that come into play when deciding on the right roasting profile.

Most coffee authorities before who had the credibility and power neglected to answer them in the past. They all assumed wrongly, of course, that all the bad talk about coffee would go away, or fade from memory like most lies do in due time.

Some of these ambiguous stories have been with us for years, and it is about time we correct the misrepresentation.

The best coffees in the world come from Italy.

No coffee is coming from Italy because no coffee is grown in Italy. Italy’s coffee fame rests mainly on it’s coffee companies who roast and blend the famous Italian espresso.

What is ironic is that the average Italian may regard coffee as one of life’s essentials, but there are few Italian coffee connoisseurs around. Most of the green coffee going in to Italy is of good average at best, rather than specialty grade. Most of the exported roasted coffee is designed to give a consistent good average espresso.

Coffee causes heart disease.

Because it is a stimulant, coffee had long been thought to lead to various forms of heart disease. One researcher, Warren G. Thompson, clearly noted: The largest and better studies suggest that coffee is not a major risk factor for coronary disease.

Coffee causes ulcers.

The previous thinking, until recently, was that excess stomach acid caused cancer and that coffee would contribute to these acids in the stomach. Recently, studies showed that most ulcers are caused by a particular bacterium, and can be cured by an antibiotic. Of course, it is true that while coffee and spicy foods don’t cause ulcers, they can aggravate existing ulcers.

Caffeine is addictive.

The term addiction had been and is freely overused by people when they say they are addicted to work, shopping, or to ice cream, or to caffeine perhaps. Addiction, as a medical condition, is characterized by a strong dependence on a drug that can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, loss of control, and the need to consume more and more of the addictive substance.

The World Health Organization came out with the statement that there is no evidence that caffeine use has a comparable physical and social consequence which is associated with serious drugs of abuse.

Coffee increases heart disease risks.

Scientists today agree that regular intake of coffee (caffeine) has little or no effect on one’s blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or other risks of heart disease.

First-time users of caffeine do experience a slight increase in blood pressure (comparable to one walking up a flight of stairs) but these are minimal. They disappear with regular use.

It has been found, too, that drinking boiled unfiltered coffee, such as practiced in Scandinavian countries, elevated cholesterol levels caused by unfiltered oils and not by the caffeine in the coffee.

Coffee causes cancer.

There were two studies done in Norway and Hawaii where it was established that there is no relationship between regular coffee intake and cancer.

Two other projects conducted in Japan and Germany demonstrated that there is no link between caffeine consumption and tumors in test animals.

It also confirms the statement issued by the American Cancer Society that there is no indication that caffeine, a natural component of both coffee and tea, is a risk factor in human cancer.

Other caffeine scare stories.

There are more stories linking caffeine intake to risks in osteoporosis, children’s health and those of pregnant women. Some studies done in these areas have not been very conclusive, and whatever risks they present are caused mainly by overuse and higher than normal intake.

Other stories that are obscured by this avalanche of myths are those that are beneficial.
This includes the fact that coffee increases both alertness levels and attention span and that coffee is rich in antioxidants that can help fight free radicals in the body.

In any event, coffee myths shall remain what they are, myths. What is important is knowing that coffee is not as bad as some have pictured it to be. Aside from the fact, of course, that it perks up anyone’s morning.

Thinner wallets have prompted consumers to be practical. Now, many coffee lovers are heading to local coffee roasters and supermarkets to find and buy coffee beans and roasted coffee. Fewer and fewer of them are left to drop by coffee shops just to get a daily cup of coffee. In fact, supermarket associations are attesting that sales of different coffee brands have been actively rising since the recession. Many coffee drinkers are aiming to just duplicate their best coffee experience in the comfort of their own home. Sales of coffee brewing equipment have also climbed greatly.

The current trend is that consumers are finding and buying coffee beans to take home. They brew their own, but still they want to make sure they brew the best coffee. The economy has forced coffee drinkers to act accordingly. This trend came at the same time when consumers are exhibiting a behavior to be very picky when it comes to coffee beans. Single-origin coffee is getting more popular. Different brands of coffee machines are also launching new coffee machines to please the choosy and highly meticulous brewed coffee consumers.

It is amazing how coffee roasting businesses aim to capitalize on the situation. Aside from selling the best and high-quality coffee beans and equipment, most of them are now also holding coffee brewing classes to teach consumers how to brew a perfect cup of coffee at home. Some of those classes are held for free while others charge a small fee. It is interesting to note that there are thousands of consumers who are enrolling in coffee brewing classes. If you are among those practical coffee lovers, it would not hurt if you enlist yourself in a program and learn how to produce a great cup of coffee using systematic techniques from coffee roasting down to serving.

The big bonus, of course, is the current list of good news about coffee consumption. Through the years, it has been discovered that coffee, aside from the pleasurable drink that it is, actually helps boost a person’s health in so many ways.

Here they are in arbitrary order.

Coffee as an antioxidant.

Grapes, cranberries and dates are high in antioxidants aside from their vitamins and minerals.  Yet, people get more antioxidants from coffee than from these fruits or other vegetables.

One reason we get our antioxidants from coffee is that we simply consume more of it than any other source of antioxidants. According to a study by Nestle Research Center in Switzerland, coffee has four times more antioxidants than the famous green tea. It has also more antioxidants than cocoa, herbal teas, and red wine.

One other good thing is that both decaffeinated coffee and a regular brew have the same antioxidants. Decaf or not, coffee helps people fight off damaging effects of free radicals.

Oxidation is a normal process that breaks down chemicals in our bodies. However, it also creates free radicals which can attack our cells. (Tobacco smoke and radiation can also create free radicals.)

Left alone, free radicals can cause permanent body damage. Antioxidants, which have also been linked to protection against heart disease and cancer, round up and neutralize these damaging radicals in the system.

Coffee as a stimulant.

The caffeine in coffee acts as a stimulant. This is why it is a perfect morning beverage to start the day. Recent studies have also discovered additional stimulants not related to caffeine. It is a chemical agent, unknown as yet, that induces production of cortisone and adrenaline, two stimulating hormones.

Tip: If you want coffee to keep you alert, drink small amounts of coffee throughout the day.

Coffee enhances short term recall and increases IQ.

In tests, people who regularly drank coffee were found to perform better in simple reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visual-spatial reasoning. Another study showed that women over 80 years old who regularly drank coffee throughout their lives performed significantly better on cognitive tests.

Coffee and diabetes.

There have also been discoveries on the beneficial connection between coffee and diabetes.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham Women’s Hospital have found that the participants in their study who regularly drank coffee significantly reduced the risk of the onset of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinking participants. Their findings appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 6, 2004 issue.

Coffee and fiber.

The presence of fiber in coffee seemed a dubious idea at first. But recent findings in Spain suggest that the levels of soluble fiber in coffee are higher than those found in wine and orange juice.

This is the fiber that helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines. One interesting note: the fiber is higher in instant coffee than in freshly ground coffee.

Coffee as an analgesic.

It has also been found that caffeine increases the effectiveness of pain-killers, especially migraine and common headaches. (Caffeine is included in the formula of some headache drugs.)

Since regular coffee contains caffeine, coffee can help in significantly toning down simple headaches and migraine.

Coffee and other diseases.

There are other diseases that coffee seems to fight off.

A recent study (2009) found that moderate coffee drinkers had a reduced risk of developing dementia in addition to Alzheimer’s disease. Coffee drinkers are likewise significantly less likely to contract Parkinson’s disease later in life.

It has also been shown that coffee can reduce the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver and a primary liver cancer with cirrhosis. The same is true of coffee’s consumption correlated to reduced risk of oral, esophageal and pharyngeal cancers.

All in all, coffee has been through many scientific studies. The old myths about coffee have been banished. Formal scientific discoveries though the years have uncovered significant positive health benefits associated with coffee drinking.

Let’s have a coffee toast to that.

Of course, for the modern reader, some of these anecdotes and declarations sounded apocryphal and dubious. For all they’re worth, here are some of them.

Coffee or divorce

In Turkey, bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. Failure to do so would be grounds for divorce.

The sniff squad

Once in Germany, the government hired a special force group known as Kaffee Schnufflers. Their duty? Sniff out the illicit coffee roasters and smugglers. It was an intense campaign initiated by King Frederick who thought coffee drinking soldiers could not be depended on. Fortunately, he fell in love with coffee, and the campaign was disbanded.

Sock it to me, pardner

Back in the Old West, the drink was called Cowboy coffee. It was their style of making coffee: putting ground coffee into a clean sock, immersing it in cold water, and heating it over the campfire. When ready, they would pour the coffee into tin cups to drink. Somebody claimed it tasted great, too.

Coffee beauty treatment

The Japanese, the third largest consumer of coffee in the world, had another use for coffee. Or at least the leftover grounds. Fermented with pineapple pulp, the coffee grounds were used as bathing aids to improve their skin and reduce wrinkles.

Coffee bean counter

Beethoven, a known coffee lover, was not only particular about his music. He was also particular about his coffee brew. He always wanted 60 beans for each cup of his coffee.

Coffee punch drunk

It was also said that Honor de Balzac, the famous 19th century French writer, drank up to 40 cups of coffee every day.

Coffee lessons

In the 17th century, coffeehouses in London were called “penny universities” because a person could buy a cup of coffee for 1 cent and get educated by the discussions inside.

Blowing in the coffee wind

Well-known performers such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan began their careers performing in coffeehouses. Another singer, Lightnin’ Hopkins, complained about his woman’s neglect with her domestic situation because of her coffeehouse socializing in his 1969 song, Coffeehouse Blues.

Must be the coffee

In 1686, the first coffeehouse was opened in Paris. It was called Le Procope, and it is STILL in business today.

The coffee song

In 1732 Johann Sebastian Bach composed his Kaffee-Kantate. It was in part an ode to coffee and a stab at the movement in Germany that wanted to prevent women from drinking coffee.

Bless this coffee

Once in the past, coffee was believed to be the devil’s drink. Pope Vincent III heard about it and decided to taste it. He enjoyed it so much he baptized it, saying “Coffee is so delicious it would be a pity to let the infidels (Muslims) have exclusive use of it.”

Freedom coffee

Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were born in coffee houses. The American Revolution was developed by patriots who were customers in the Green Dragon (some say it was the Green Lion) Public House in London.

Fraternity liberty equality coffee

The infamous French Revolution in 1789 was spurred on by Camille Desmoulins’s verbal campaign in coffeehouses. People took to the streets and two days later the Bastille fell, marking the overthrow of the French Government and changing France forever.

Coffee, for all its delicious history before, will surely have more stories to come in the future. May the future citizens of the world still enjoy its exquisite flavor and the accompanying stories as well!

Caffeine is the main component of coffee that is believed to bring about surprising health benefits. There has been growing evidence that caffeine could lower risks of certain diseases in older and middle-aged adults. Studies advise drinking at least two hot cups of coffee daily to gain the benefits of caffeine.

Many studies found that caffeine brings health benefits to animals. Several researchers are now proving the helpfulness and effectiveness of the substance in slowing down or preventing the progression of heart ailments, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and even oral cancer. Before caffeine is formally pronounced totally advantageous against such health risks, more studies still need to be done to confirm results.

There is a reason why coffee is used in studies to investigate the health benefits of caffeine. The substance can also be found in several brands of soft drinks, tea, several medications, and even chocolate. However, coffee is still the best and most popular source of caffeine. Promising data indicate strong links between regular consumption of caffeinated coffee and avoidance of specific types of diseases.

Many experts are not advising particular brands or types of coffee. They advise regular drinking of coffee in general. Whether you enjoy drinking black coffee, brewed, or instant, you can rest assured you will still attain the same level of caffeine. While in the past coffee was always served hot, nowadays, it is also served cold, icy, or in frappe.

Before you decide to perk yourself up with coffee, you have to first consult your personal doctor to find out how many cups of coffee you should consume. Every cup of coffee is estimated to have many  antioxidants and several other healthy chemicals. Remember that caffeine intake is not always advisable and prescribed to people who are taking specific medications.

Caffeine intake is also not very advisable for pregnant women as well as for patients with heart arrhythmia. While some studies recommend up to two cups of coffee everyday, it is still best if you observe moderation. Take note that too much caffeine could cause insomnia, jitters, stomach upset, headaches, and anxiety.

Taking advantage of this phenomenon, people in retail have developed coffee mugs that people can take anywhere they want. Like a small thermos, the container will keep your coffee warm until your next drink. Some people put this in their cars for that last minute craving when stuck in traffic while others carry them around while walking the streets of Manhattan. And what is great about these containers is the fact that they do not spill. You can put it inside your bag and you will not have to worry that it will get all your things wet. Of course, you have to close it the right way if you don’t want that disaster to happen.

If you are shopping for one, make sure that you choose those that are made from aluminum rather than plastic. This is especially true if you plan to leave it inside the car. There are studies that say that plastic containers can cause cancer when heated. This can happen when a plastic container is left inside the car. Aluminum is also easier to clean. It does not leave any odor or smell unlike plastic, which can become smelly after a few months use.

Another important thing to consider when buying a coffee container is its shape and structure. Appearances are not important but ergonomics are. There are containers in the market that have specially designed holders that will help you hold it without slippage. These are bottles that have rubber materials on the sides where the hands are usually placed. This is needed for those who take their bottles and drink while walking.

You should also buy containers that have handles on them, which you can use when the bottle is too hot to hold using the surface. There are also designs that allow you to carry it around outside your bag if you are not the type to carry big bags.

You could use coffee in preparing molasses steak sauce. This sauce could be prepared by combining molasses, raisins, and spices with, of course, strong coffee. The resulting sauce should then be brushed on  the steak as you grill the meat. Notice that the aroma is improved, as well as the color, and of course the taste. Coffee is becoming a great secret ingredient in barbeque and steak sauces these days. Espresso could be added to brine to be used for chicken breasts. You may prefer to serve the dish in espresso-flavored barbeque sauce with mustard to complete the ideal coffee motif.

Dry rubs can also be made using ground coffee powder. To do so, combine spices, herbs, and seasonings to add flavor and appropriate texture to fish and meat. You could make an ordinary rub extraordinary by adding a small amount of ground coffee to it. The most ideal candidate for an exciting and aromatic coffee rub is pork tenderloin, a meat cut that could be rather dry and bland. Coat the pork with the combined seasonings before refrigerating it for a whole night.

Make grilled meat succulent and moist by applying rubs, marinades, or sauces onto it. Serve it with smoky barbeque sauce with coffee to create a very good and extraordinary dinner. The resulting taste could be reminiscent of the popular Kansas City ribs that are slow-smoked. How about trying a rub on a pot roast? It is not usual but you could try it.

When preparing a roast with savory rub, saut‚ the roast with your special coffee rub. Create a discernible crust and add dimension to the sauce flavor. It is safe and fun to experiment more. Remember, when it comes to cooking and preparing food, you could always take some freedom to run little experiments. Who knows? You might just develop your own recipe using coffee as an extraordinary and outstanding ingredient.

For the uninitiated, Italy is where the coffee culture took roots ever since coffee was introduced in Europe way back in the 1600’s. It never left. Today, it is likely that one notices right away a crowded espresso bar at any Italian airport, full of people sipping espresso out of very small porcelain cups.

In every village, town or city in Italy, one instantly finds a large amount of local coffee bars. They are usually filled with people chatting about local politics and some gossip or about last night’s football game. It could be that the Italians took to coffee as culture.

With a friend or a co-worker along, an Italian has about two to three espresso runs to his favorite coffee bar during the day. Usually, it is for a quick pick-me-up just to perk him up for the moment.

It is hard to imagine Italy without coffee. It is the national breakfast. And Italy is home to all of today’s coffee drinks the world is crazy about. Coffee was not invented in Italy, but coffee culture started here. Venice was the first city where the first coffee shop, or caf‚, was established.

In pursuit of the perfect coffee, an Italian was responsible for inventing the espresso machine that would revolutionize the world of coffee drinking. He found out that by forcing hot water through well-packed, finely ground coffee at high pressure, one could extract the most long-lasting flavor from the beans.

From 1901 (when it was invented) onwards, there have been numerous technical innovations done with the machine. The result was a dark, aromatic liquid covered by a thick, creamy, reddish-brown foam called crŠme.

From then on, caf‚ generally refers to the classic black espresso, served hot in a demitasse cup. As of last count, there are around 111 types of espresso-based drinks in Italy.
Like everything else in Italy, caf‚ varies in every region.

However, everybody agrees that cappuccino is a breakfast drink.

How exactly is cappuccino made?

It is simply a blend of espresso coffee with milk or frothy cream added topped with chocolate powder. The proportions is 1/3 espresso and 2/3 froth made from fresh milk heated by steam.

How exactly is espresso made?

The perfect espresso is made with seven grams of fresh, finely ground coffee. Two tablespoons of water heated to about 194 degrees Fahrenheit is driven through the coffee for about 25 to 30 seconds at nine atmospheres of pressure.

Italian coffees use blended beans in their espressos. Arabica, known for its full flavor and low caffeine content is the main choice. However, Robusta beans are sometimes blended with Arabica. Blends from southern Italy tend to have more Robusta which makes for a stronger espresso.

In roasting, Italian coffee has a rich brown color and very little or no oil. Roasting time depends upon the blend as Robusta beans need to be roasted longer than Arabica blends. The coffee roaster makes sure that a roast should not be too long or too hot.

Most Italians finish off their coffee quickly at the bar before heading off to work. Ordering an espresso in Italy, one simply asks for a caf‚ and drinks it in two or three sips at most. Espresso is not made to be sipped casually.

Coffee is served after a meal, but not served by itself. Any cappuccino ordered after 11:00 in the morning is politely ignored, because coffee after breakfast should not have milk in it.
Aside from simple espresso and cappuccino, some varieties of Italian coffee drinks are Doppio, Ristretto, Americano, Macchiato, Corretto, and several variations of lattes and cappuccinos.

Basically, taste is what makes Italian coffee drinks stand out and hold their place in people’s minds and taste buds. The names may be hard to pronounce but each variety is an adventure to the palate.

Through the years, coffee makers have become the top appliance found in most urban homes currently. There are enough varieties and brands available to please every type of coffee drinker and consumer. The coffee makers are all designed to help users brew the best coffee. No matter how meticulous your taste is, you will be able to find your machine. The most popular available today are the French press pots, automatic drip, vacuum, and stove-top coffee makers.

Just like most kitchen appliances, expect coffee makers to combine style and performance. Most of the best brands are manufactured using high-quality and durable steel that are molded strategically into modern, yet very functional designs. Because there are just too many good coffee makers, choosing the best one for you may be confusing and hard. To be able to pick and buy the best, first figure out your specific requirements, including the type, the size, and the functionality. If you are into cost saving, you could add to your list price tag and energy consumption. You should also consider the kind of coffee you like to brew as well as the brewing time. Some coffee makers are specifically engineered for ground coffee beans while others are only for powdered coffee.

Ask the salesman about recommended ways to clean your coffee maker. Some machines are harder and more tedious to clean than others. This is very important because coffee beans leave ground deposits at the bottom of coffee machines. Lastly, there are many venues to find and buy the right coffee makers for your home or office. The best deals are found at discount appliance stores, while there are also practical finds on  the Internet. It is also advisable to compare prices and features before finally buying.

The demand for coffee transcends all age groups around the world and is steadily growing. Today’s biggest coffee shop chains seem to have a tendency to monopolize the current market except for some old shops that are still around since the time when coffee-drinking became fashionable.

One thing that these commercial coffee shops all have in common is their expertise in making coffee. From the good old regular brews to the tricky new concoctions using sophisticated machinery, today’s coffee shops seem to have cornered the art of making good coffee.

Is there hope for a regular guy to make coffee that is just as good as those sold by famous coffee shops?

Good coffee.

There is. And it starts with, you guessed it, coffee. And since we are all amateurs, we will leave the highly technical part of roasting the coffee beans to the pros.

The first order then, is to look for and buy good roasted coffee beans.  Freshly roasted coffee is best if used right away. But it can still stay fresh for about a week even if the aroma and flavor degrade daily.

Buy your roasted coffee beans in today’s airtight bags with valves. These valves allow the escape of gases from the inside (prevents tearing or explosion from air build-up) and do not allow outside air (which makes the coffee go stale) to get in.

Transfer the beans to an airtight jar or container and grind just enough beans for your brew. If you grind more than enough, the unused ground coffee will lose some of its flavor fast.

Buying a giant can of ground coffee that lasts for six months may save you a few dollars but it will cost you greatly in flavor from opening the container too many times.

As in all things that need to be fresh, the old enemies of ground coffee are oxygen, heat and time. Close and seal your container as well as possible, and keep it away from heat.

Be sure to have the correct coarseness to match your coffee-maker. Here’s a quick guide: a coarse grind is good for French Presses and percolators, the medium grind (the all-purpose grind) suits most drip-type brewers, and the fine grind is perfect for espresso.

Water

Aside from the quality of your ground coffee, the final flavor is also dependent on the quality of water you use. Bottled or filtered water is best for brewing if your tap water is chlorinated.

The time-tested mix for a good brew is using two level tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. You can do your own adjustments if you want something perked up or toned down in your brew.

In freshly cleaned equipment, brew your coffee within the recommended length of time. Drip brewers have automatic stops. With a French Press, wait around 3 to 5 minutes for the coffee to soak in.

One tiny note on a French Press: Bring the water to a boil first, and then leave it to rest for a minute or so before pouring in over the coffee grounds. The best temperature for making coffee this way is just a little below the boiling point.

Finally, we recommend you consume your coffee within 30 minutes or so. Coffee left on a hotplate will continue to brew and will taste bitter after another 30 minutes. If transferred to a thermos, your coffee will retain its flavor longer.

Your coffee’s flavor is the complex combination of aroma, acidity and body. The aroma is usually dependent on the kind of coffee you have. Body is brought up by longer roasting. All these should blend with acidity, that tiny hint of sour on the palate.

Most often, coffee shops are able to produce this in their coffees. With some practice, some hits and misses, you too can produce it in your own home brew. And it’s guaranteed you will love that experience.

One of the earlier things that I heard is that if you have a hangover from drinking alcohol, coffee will help you sober up. The truth is caffeine will help wake up someone who is drunk, but it does not help that person to become sober. It would be better to drink a lot of water instead of coffee if you have a hangover. At least with water, your body is being rehydrated.

Another myth is that coffee causes ulcers. Drinking coffee in the morning especially when you still haven’t eaten anything yet increases the acid levels in the stomach causing damage to the stomach lining resulting in ulcers later on. However, recent studies have shown that ulcers are caused by bacterial infections. But even though coffee does not cause ulcers themselves, it can aggravate an existing one.

Other myths are not limited to the health aspects of drinking coffee. One such myth is that oily, glossy coffee beans are the best ones since they are fresh. However, the freshness of coffee cannot be determined by simply looking at the beans. Freshness is determined through the taste and smell.

Coffee can be stored fresh for a long time with proper packaging. Unless your definition of long is just a couple of weeks, you will be unable to retain the freshness of coffee for a year despite the claims of some coffee makers.

Easy on the coffee because caffeine is quite addictive. The word addictive is loosely used in this phrase. When we say addictive to caffeine, we refer to it similar as being addicted to television. The properties of caffeine itself do not include any components that make it similar to the addiction being experienced by drug users.

If you have a headache, drink coffee. Although coffee does contain caffeine, and caffeine is added as an ingredient in painkillers, drinking coffee to sooth headaches is not a factual solution. The opposite actually happens. Drinking coffee can reduce some levels of headaches but the effects wear off quite fast and what remains are more frequent headaches.

Health Benefits

Because of its wide popularity among people as a preferred beverage, many studies have been made to better understand coffee and its possible effects on the human body. There have been no fewer than 19,000 studies conducted during the recent decades to try and understand the impact of coffee on health. So far, the results have offered a hopeful view to one of the world’s most popular beverages.

Coffee and Parkinson’s

Some studies have shown that coffee drinkers stand less of a risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 80 percent. The more that people seem to drink coffee, as shown in some of the studies, the lesser are the risks.

Other studies have indicated that drinking coffee may also affect the development of other diseases and conditions. When compared to not drinking coffee, coffee drinkers of at least two cups daily stand to enjoy 25 percent less risk of developing colon cancer. This may also translate to an 80 percent reduced risk of liver cirrhosis and about a 50 percent reduced risk of developing gallstones.

Coffee Vs. Vices

Other studies also indicate that coffee seems to offset some of the damage caused by other vices such as smoking and alcohol drinking. People who are smokers and heavy drinkers seem to suffer from less heart disease and liver damage when they also drink large amounts of coffee regularly as compared to those people who don’t.  Coffee also has been found to be a good way to help manage and control a person’s asthma in the absence of medication.

Coffee also is known to help stop a headache, boost a person’s mood and even help prevent the spread of cavities. Coffee is also known as an effective aid in trying to enhance athletic endurance and performance. The known benefits of coffee stand to increase the more researchers begin to study about them. These benefits would likely endear this all-time popular beverage to more and more people.

Many suggest buying coffee from a local roaster. I agree. Beginning with your local roaster gives you a couple of advantages. First, one is the freshness. You are somewhat guaranteed that what you get is quite fresh since these local roasters roast the coffee in smaller batches which also results in a tastier and more aromatic product.

When you buy coffee, make sure that you buy just enough for two weeks at a time. Buying a large stock is not good. At the end of the two weeks, the coffee begins to lose its rich flavor. It doesn’t matter whether the beans were roasted locally. Storing them for weeks is never good. Also, on a related note, you should stay away from shops that display their coffee in bins. The air that enters the display bins helps quicken the phase of flavor loss. You will loose a lot of the coffee’s flavor when you exposed a freshly roasted batch of beans to the air.

Most of the aroma and flavor come from the oils that come out after roasting the beans. The oil will evaporate when exposed to air and along with that the flavors and aroma of the coffee. Aside from air, heat, light and humidity are added factors that can increase the drop of the quality of the coffee.

When storing coffee, use vacuum containers. Some advise storing your coffee beans inside the freezer. However, if you’re going to store it in a freezer don’t make a habit of taking them out. When the coffee beans warm up, the condensation can damage them causing loss in flavor and aroma.

Ideally, never store ground coffee. What you should do is grind only the amount that you will need and store the beans. If you will store ground coffee, place it inside airtight containers and at room temperature. If you’re going to store coffee beans, make sure that you store only for a week, two weeks maximum. Storing beans any longer than that can drastically affect the overall taste and smell of the coffee.