Coffee

Are you the sort of person that enjoys coffee more than the regular Joe? (No pun intended) Are you passionate about tasting and enjoying different types of coffee?
Do you believe that the art of brewing great coffee is something that you would like to learn about?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are clearly someone who loves coffee. In fact, coffee may be one of the greatest passions in your life. Oftentimes, individuals will keep their passion to themselves for lack of a suitable forum or outlet. This is exactly why Witham’s Coffee has established the Witham’s “Coffee Connoisseurs Club”. This club is an exciting new way for coffee lovers all over Australia to share their passion for coffee. The club sends all members regular selections of a wide range of coffees. As a member of Witham’s Connoisseurs Club, you will experience an exotic selection of many different types of coffees. Individuals who subscribe for 6 or 12 months memberships will receive an exciting new single origin coffee each fortnight, freshly roasted and delivered straight to your doorstep! Each delivery will consist of a different origin of 100% Arabica beans, together with tasting notes and information on its origin, processing methods and many interesting facts.

Witham’s Connoisseurs Club will introduce you to coffees that will excite your taste-buds and fill your palette with amazing new sensations. Witham’s Connoisseurs Club will help you to appreciate the variety of aromas and nuances of character from the world’s best coffee growing regions. 100% Arabica beans will be used in every single blend. With each new coffee you will also receive tasting notes and supplementary information on the region where coffee comes from.
Some of the coffees that are sent out to Witham’s Connoisseurs Club members are:

• Indian Elkhills Estate – Mysore Nuggets
• Nicaraguan Superior Maragogype
• Ethipian Djimmah 5
• Indian Monsoon Malabar AA
• Brazilian Cerrado
• Tanzanian AA Lima
• Guatemala SHB Antigua
• Ethiopian Limu
• Indonesian Sumatran Mandheling
• Colombian Medellin Excelso

The Coffee Connoisseurs Club is not the only exciting feature of Witham’s Coffee. It is recognised as one of Australia’s finest artisan coffee roasters. The coffees provided by Witham’s are always single origin, i.e. different types of coffee beans are not mixed together. Thus, while brewing a cup of the Ethiopian Limu, you know that it is pure Ethiopian coffee that you are getting. Also, they insist on hand-picking only the highest-quality green beans – the heart and soul of a great cup of coffee.

Some coffees are purchased from traders or brokers whilst other coffees are sought directly from the plantations at origin. Apart from regular coffee, Witham’s also offers decafs that are some of the finest available. This is due to the fact that these decafs are processed using the Swiss Water Process method, which is an entirely chemical-free decaffeinating process.

To find out more about how to join the Witham’s Coffee Connoisseurs Club and more information on Witham’s including the range of coffees on offer, visit http://withams.com.au

Most of us spend a fair portion of our time in office drinking coffee. Cameroon Taylor is one of those few lucky ones who gets to drink coffee for work. He has been a coffee enthusiast for as long as he can remember and after having a sip of most of the major types of coffee from around the world, he started to write about the first love of his life; coffee. The love affair continues…

Author: Cameroon Taylor
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Most consumers would think that coffee is coffee and that it wouldn’t matter if it’s instant or brewed as long as it tastes okay and wakes them up. While that is all fine and dandy, it is worth noting that picking the best beans according to your preference can result in a coffee which will be most looked forward to every morning. And if you own a grinder or a grind and brew coffee maker, you will notice the difference once you start thinking about your options and you will be glad that you did.

• Do Coffee Species Matter?

There are different species of coffee plants like Coffea arabica, Coffea benghalensis, Coffea canephora, Coffea congensis, Coffea excelsa, Coffea gallienii, Coffea bonnieri, Coffea mogeneti, Coffea liberica, and Coffea stenophylla. Each species produce beans that have certain different characteristics and distinct flavor profiles.

Around 75% of the world’s coffee trade is comprised of Coffee Arabica, the reason being its preferred flavor and ability to thrive in most areas. Arabica beans are coveted for the deep aroma and great flavor that can go with most coffee additives like cream, sugar, and so on. This is something that most coffee drinkers agree on with good reason. You can never go wrong with a high quality brand of 100% Arabica with a medium roast.

• Which Roast Is The Best?

There are different types of roast, depending on how long the beans are roasted. It can be determined by different degrees of darkness. There are four main types of roasts – Light (Cinnamon Roast, Half City, New England), Medium (Full city, American, Regular, Breakfast, Brown), Dark (High, Viennese, Italian Espresso, Continental), and Darkest (Italian, French, Spanish).

Describing the taste of different roasts is as subjective as that of wine. There is no substitute to judging them with your own palate as only you can decide what your personal taste is. Choosing a type of roast is mostly on personal preference, but most people do like medium roast for its balanced flavor and sweetness.

• How Important Is The Origin?

Coffee beans are distinct in their terrier, or capturing the place in where they were grown. While differences in flavor can be subtle, beans grown in Hawaii and Central America are more of snappy and vibrant variety, while those from East Africa and Yemen are deeper in bitterness, and those grown in Indonesia and Sumatra are even more complex in flavor.

• Storing Coffee Beans

When open to air and light, roasted coffee beans can lose their flavor and go stale quite quickly. The best way to store beans is with an opaque airtight canister at room temperature. Theoretically, refrigeration can help preserve the beans longer, but with frequent opening of containers for use creating condensation, the moisture can tamper with the beans’ flavor.

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When purchasing beans, make sure to get those stored in a sealed bag with a one-way valve laminated on it, which lets carbon dioxide out and keeping outside air from entering. Upon roasting, coffee beans produce prodigious amounts of carbon dioxide, so such valves are necessary for initial storage. Either that or frequent opening of jars for venting as done by most coffee shops. Do not go for beans stored in open beans as they would mostly be stale.

• Grinding It Right

The perfect grind size is crucial so that the right amount of the flavor is extracted from the beans without going to far, which will take excess bitterness along for the ride. The smaller the grind size, the more surface area there is and over extraction is a big possibility. Too big of a grind size will just keep the hot water from getting enough flavor. Most people would say that they don’t like strong coffee, while the reality is that they don’t like bitter coffee. With coffee, strong doesn’t really have to mean bitter.

If your coffee maker comes with a grinder, then use it. Experiment with different grind sizes to find your preference. If there is no grinder along with your coffee maker, then a small coffee grinder with pulse action will do the job just fine. Grinding your own is best as it is better to draw out the flavors closer to brewing time than having them ground in the shop. Most find a 15-20 second grind best while espresso calls for a finer grind.

Selecting and storing the beans right can have a great impact on the flavor of your coffee, a difference of changing the mediocre coffee from your coffee machine to a restaurant quality one in the comforts of your own home. So next time you are grocery shopping for coffee give coffee beans choice some thought.

Having the best coffee maker helps, but buying the best beans and grinding them right can make a huge difference to the quality of your brew.

Yogi Shinde is the webmaster of Coffee Maker Ratings & Reviews website which provides unbiased information on different types and brands of coffee makers. This article is free for publishing provided the resource link is maintained.

Author: Yogi Shinde
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Whether your a proclaimed coffee lover or a regular of Starbucks, you won’t be capable of understanding the art of appreciating genuine gourmet coffee unless you grasp the history and knowledge associated with it. Oh, of course, you don’t have to an connoisseur to love and appreciate gourmet coffee, but understanding a little bit more than what supermarket sells the instant coffee would help you admire the flavour, aroma and pure bliss that the fans gourmet coffee know that it is truly capable of.

Gourmet coffee is the complete opposite to fine wine. With wine, the longer it sits, the better it tastes, as its quality and price increases. But with gourmet coffee, freshness is an absolute must. If feasible, get coffee beans that have been roasted no more than 1 week beforehand. And if you’re going to discover its true potential, it’s essential that you only buy 100% Arabica beans.

It’s nearly impossible to find fresh roasted coffee on the shelves of your local supermarket. There is a really good chance, that the coffee that you’re drinking today has been roasted 2 or more months ago. You can try and change this problem by purchasing whole roasted coffee beans in batches from reputable on-line companies and grind them at home only when you need it. This is simpler that you think, as gourmet coffee companies have become more accessible with the onset of the Internet . Combine that with affordable at-home technology, it has become even easier to enjoy real gourmet coffee in the comfort of your own home whenever you feel fit.

In order to get the most out of your purchase, you want to do everything that you can to ensure the freshness of the coffee. After purchasing gourmet coffee beans, it’s almost a sin to leave it sitting out on the counter at room temperature. The first step is to make sure that you store any unused beans in an airtight container. If you are a regular coffee drinker, you can safely store the container in the refrigerator. But if you enjoy it only on special occasions or when you have guests, it is important to store your unused coffee beans in the freezer. This helps to keep it as fresh as possible. It won’t be exactly like freshly roasted coffee, but it will still be superior to the stale stuff that you buy off the supermarket shelves.

As with other products like wine, the area where the grapes are grown makes a really big difference. This is no different with gourmet coffee. There are two very important facts to consider. First, the country the gourmet coffee beans are grown can make a difference in taste and quality. But just as important is the company that roasts and sell the gourmet coffee beans. Remember to buy only from companies that have proven themselves. This is not hard to find out. Coffee tastings and reviews are a big part of the industry, and that information is readily available.

The most important thing about gourmet coffee is that you must take the time to really appreciate it. If you plan on slamming a cup of coffee as you run off to work in the morning, then stick the instant stuff. It’s almost an insult to all the hard work and art that goes into making really good gourmet coffee.

Gourmet Coffee Revealed [http://www.bestgourmetcoffee.info]

Chris Hickey “Been surfing the net for 12 years..seen some things that impress me and some things that disappoint me, but I am far from seeing it all.”

Author: Chris Hickey
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There are a variety of ways to make a cup of coffee. It can be as simple as spooning instant powder into hot water or as complicated as the processes that use sophisticated and expensive coffee makers. Several kinds of coffee making systems are available, some of them upgraded versions of age-old methods.

The espresso pressurized infusion machine is one of the more popular commercial coffee makers. Smaller and more affordable models for the home are becoming more common. The espresso process creates a cup of coffee by forcing water that is under boiling temperature through coffee grounds in order to create a cup of coffee. A precise blend of Arabica beans, usually with a dash of Robusta, will yield espresso coffee with a distinct crema or fine foam on its surface.

Astute coffee enthusiasts know by just looking at the crema — which should have a dark, even honey color — if your blend is of high quality. In Europe, espresso is traditionally a strong blend served in a diminutive demitasse cup. Such a serving is called a short black, and may be made into a long black by adding water, or used as a “shot” to make various other coffee mixes.

Bodum plungers, also known as French Presses, are popular in both homes and dining establishments. They are a refinement of the unwieldy process of shaking water and coffee in a jug and then emptying out the mix over a filter that sifts away the grounds. In the French Press, coffee grounds that are coarser are placed in hot water, steeped for several minutes and then segregated by pressing down with a gauze filter fitted to the end of a plunger. Depressing the plunger slowly will yield clearer and better-tasting coffee.

A vacuum coffee maker moves coffee and water between chambers using steam and a vacuum to make excellent-tasting coffee. This system has declined in popularity in recent years, probably because the process used is more intricate and more taxing on one’s patience. But for some people, the resulting quality of the brew is more than enough to make up for the trouble. Vacuum coffee makers are now produced under various brand names, but were originally manufactured by Cona.

Available for both commercial and home use, drip or filter coffee makers operate more simply. Water mixed with ground coffee is filtered to a pot that is usually on top of a hotplate. The filter may be metal, plastic or throwaway paper. One drawback is that the water mixed with coffee may not be hot enough to produce excellent coffee. There are some who swear that they can taste the plastic or paper material used as filter.

Other popular systems for making coffee include the Turkish ibrik and the Italian mocha pot.

The coffee percolators of old, no longer preferred because the water they boil are said to depreciate the taste of coffee, can still be seen in some houses.

For more information on making a great cup of coffee and Tips to Make Espresso visit Coffee Resource Guide, a popular site for coffee lovers. Discover where coffee comes from, how to roast and grind coffee beans and how coffee and caffeine affect our health.

Author: Alan Kenyon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The coffee plant was first cultivated commercially in the Arab world in the fifteenth century. Here coffee was widely consumed by the populous but condemned by the Islamic leaders because of its supposed intoxicating effects. As coffee traveled from Constantinople to Venice and then to Vienna and other European capitals it was banned repeatedly. At first coffee beans were sold by pharmacists and then by coffee houses which became popular for revolution and enlightened thinking. Even today there is controversy surrounding coffee as to whether it is good for the health or not and a new study seems to be published each week either defending or condemning this drink.

When picked coffee beans are green and do not acquire the familiar brown color and intoxicating aroma until they are roasted. Commercial coffee beans belong to two main groups, Arabica and robusta. The Arabica beans are named for the Arabs who first grew them and are the better of the two. Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica beans but less flavor.

Supermarket coffee blends are usually made up of mostly Robusta beans with a few Arabica to add some flavor. On the other hand most coffee beans sold in coffee specialty shops are Arabica.

Africa, Indonesia and Central and South America are the three main regions where coffee is grown. But there is a small amount grown in the Hawaiian Islands and some in Yemen on the Red Sea. Africa, the birthplace of coffee still grow coffee with wild flowers that coffee lovers prize. The prized of these are the true Mochas. Named after the Yemeni Port from which the coffee was once shipped to the rest of the world. Today the word Mocha has come to mean a flavor combination of coffee and chocolate, but actually has nothing to do with Mocha beans which are rare and expensive.

Another favorite, Africa Coffee is from Kenya, a country that produces many superlative beans. Indonesian coffees are popular for their body and earthy flavor. Many good coffees also come from the island of Papua New Guinea. Coffee produced in Central America (particularly Guatemala and Costa Rica) are of real interest to coffee connoisseurs because many of the beans from these regions offer the balance and smoothness that made Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee legendary. This coffee is almost impossible to find in America as the Japanese buy almost all the tiny annual production and if it can be found it is extremely expensive.

One third of the coffee drunk worldwide is grown in Brazil but almost none of it is of any interest to coffee connoisseurs.

Colombia has put money and research into its coffee industry but unfortunately its beans are rarely exceptional.

The flavored coffees that are becoming increasingly popular are usually based on bland, mediocre beans that are stirred with chemical flavoring essences after roasting. If these flavored beans are ground at home they will impart their flavors, possibly forever, on to your grinder and brewing apparatus. If you prefer a flavored coffee a better idea is to brew good coffee from unflavored beans and dose it modestly with one or more of the flavoring essences that can be purchased at many gourmet shops.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Coffee [http://coffee-guides.com]

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