Coffee

People often wonder how they take the caffeine out of coffee.  Though this is a question most have never pondered, recent reports have emerged showing decaffeinated coffee can be bad for your health.  Here are the facts you need to know in order to make an informed decision when you purchase decaf coffee:

Two Different Kinds of Beans

There are two kinds of coffee that are grown:  Arabica and Robusta. Arabica has about twice the amount of caffeine in it as Robusta, and therefore this type of coffee is usually used to make normal, caffeinated coffee, espresso, and most other coffee drinks.  Robusta is usually used to make decaffeinated coffee, since it starts out with a much lower caffeine level to begin with.  The caffeine is then removed from the beans using one of the following methods.

Decaffeination Methods

There are a few different ways that you can separate the caffeine from the coffee beans.  These days, most decaf coffee is produced using a process that removes the caffeine from the coffee beans using a solvent.  The two types of solvents that are used are methylene chloride and ethyl acetate.  The first of these solvents, methylene chloride is on the National Cancer Institute’s list as a possible human carcinogen.  Though the solvents are rinsed from the coffee beans, residues often remain as it is quite difficult to remove all of the substance.  Although the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t declared the use of these solvents unsafe for human consumption, many people are choosing to drink decaf coffee produced using an alternative method.  

A second method that is used to produce decaffeinated coffee is called the Swiss Water Process.  Currently, only twenty percent of the world’s decaf coffee is produced this way.  This process does not use any harsh chemical substances, and relies only on the use of hot water to separate the coffee from the beans.  This process takes longer to complete than with other methods, but there is no residue on the beans afterward.  Health experts generally agree that this is the healthiest way to produce decaf coffee.

Although most decaffeinated coffee for sale today uses solvents, decaf produced using the Swiss Water Process is readily available as well.  Since the Swiss Water Process does not involve the use of solvents, it is considered to be of better quality and taste.  Most organic decaf is produced this way, and it is nearly always clearly marked on the label.  Any specialty coffee shop should know which process was used on their decaf beans, and it also readily available for purchase on the internet.

Decaffeinated coffee is best when used in an electric drip coffee maker.
Chad Damon is the author of the guide to the best cheap coffee makers.

Author: Chad Damon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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One of the reasons for the worldwide popularity of coffee is that the number of variations it can be prepared in. It is a very versatile drink and can be adapted to suit a range of palates. If you are not very familiar with the kinds of coffee which you can choose from, here is a quick list with the USP of the coffee mentioned along with it. But what is the best gourmet coffee?

Espresso: this is probably one of the most common coffee concoctions available across the world. Espresso is black coffee and requires a stream of steam which is passed over the coffee beans. Usually you need a machine to do this and espresso really brings about the right flavour of the coffee beans. You should like the bitter sweet taste of coffee to enjoy a cup of espresso.

Cappuccino: this is probably the most common style in which coffee is made. The taste of a good cappuccino is totally lip smacking and some times people just cannot start their day without a cup of cappuccino. The taste is a quite mild and there is cream as well as some chocolate and nutmeg powder added to enhance the flavour of the coffee.

Exotic coffees: Apart from cappuccino and espresso which are the two most common types of coffee, you can get a wide range of exotic coffees and these depend mostly in the country you are located and on the innovation of barista (person who makes the coffee). Turkish coffee, dancing coffee, coffee with blends of local spices and coffees with liquor are just some of exotic coffees that you can choose from.

One of the most popular types of coffee is the cold coffee. Cold coffees are excellent during the hot sweltering months and a favorite with most teenagers. Talk about specialized gourmet coffee! So if you are itching to have cup of coffee now, you will need to make up your mind on which one is the perfect cuppa!

About The Author
Jocelyn Meadows loves coffee and everything about it. Coffee enthusiasts should read about pod coffee makers and expresso coffee makers.

Author: Jocelyn Meadows
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Colombia is a country known worldwide for its quality Specialty Coffee from Arabica beans. Historically, the best coffee produced in the country has been exported. Coffee left for domestic consumption has been of lesser quality or from different beans lacking the export quality certifications.

Right or wrong, the perception has been that Colombians do not drink good coffee at home. The reality is that Colombians are not yet addicted to fancy preparations such as cappuccino or iced latte.

Americans and Europeans drink two to three times more coffee than Colombians. Why is that?

• In Colombia, there is simply not a dominant culture of coffee, believe it or not.
• For example, for breakfast, many Colombians prefer to drink hot chocolate or fresh juice from a truly amazing variety of fruits available.
• Or they may choose to drink a beverage called “agua de panela’” made with brown sugar cane sold in blocks and dissolved in hot water.
• When Colombians drink coffee, they opt for less than other nationalities.
• However, over time, Colombians are adopting a preference for gourmet and specialty cafes selling drip brewed coffee, espresso based, hot beverages, other hot and cold drinks, and snacks.
• These cafes also sell merchandise such as shirts, jackets, mugs, whole beans, posters, books, music and other items.
• Adoption of strong coffee cultural habits is the result of effective marketing.
• This is a positive trend for the thousands of trade workers who benefit from high coffee consumption domestically, particularly when international sales are lagging.

What’s helping Colombians adopt a stronger culture of coffee drinking?

• Enterprising Colombian marketers and growers are committed to increasing current per capita consumption of 1.8 kilos per year by 30%.
• Launch of a long term strong national promotional and advertising campaign using multiple media and touch points with the slogan “Tome Cafe” (“Drink Coffee”).
• Main campaign objective is to establish coffee as the beverage of choice.
• The campaign includes education about quality and distinction between Specialty Coffee and other grades of the product.
• Business initiatives at the private and government level seek to identify and cater to the national consumer audience who can or is willing to pay for Specialty Coffee.
• Awareness of the independent certifying agency’s recognition when specific labels meet quality, environmental and social welfare requirements for specific certifications.
• Certification means that the coffee production process maintained high soil and water conservation standards.
• The use of pesticides was limited in accordance with principles of sustainable agricultural and waste disposal practices.
• The workers involved in the chain of events for the brand derived benefits to improve their social, economic and health situations.

According to the Colombian Specialty Coffee Program of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, their evaluation is based on the principles of sustainability, preparation and origin.

1. Sustainability means that communities growing this coffee are fully committed to protecting the environment and ensuring cleanliness throughout the production steps.
2. Preparation means that coffee is developed to meet the preferences of a particular client.
3. Origin identifies the region or particular farm where the specialty coffee is harvested. This type of bean is not mixed with any other in the tradition of a “limited edition.”

The growth of domestic Specialty Coffee consumption among Colombians will be the result of effective promotional and advertising messaging. Colombians are proud about their flagship export product and about the cultural traditions of strong family, music, literature, cuisine and religion from the coffee growing regions.

The success of the promotional efforts to get Colombians to drink more coffee will benefit their domestic economy and strengthen the production of great beans for years to come!

Dominant brands such as Juan Valdez and Oma Cafe already have a noticeable presence in the country with strategically placed specialty outlets.

The Juan Valdez chain of coffee shops was created by Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers through Procafecol S.A, (Promotora de Cafe Colombiano), a company established in 2002.

• Juan Valdez Cafe is the only house chain from a coffee producing country.
• Procafecol is about 80% owned by the Federation.
• The rest of the shares are directly owned by more than 400,000 individual growers belonging to an association.
• There are about 120 Juan Valdez coffee shops in Colombia selling a range of products and merchandise on site. These shops are social meeting places for people of all ages and occupations.

Another dominant brand is OMA.

• Started in 1970, OMA owns shops selling all the usual hot and cold coffee drinks, and snacks.
• The shops also feature books and music.
• In addition, OMA owns a restaurant chain and a manufacturing facility for OMA Coffee Roasters.
• The name OMA is derived from German. OMA is an endearing word for “grandmother.”

In addition, there are several other less known specialty labels that focus on niche markets. They include:

• “Perfect Love,” owned by coffee roaster Luis Fernando Velez. Achievement: “Q” certification. Perfect Love is of export quality, sweet, aromatic, offering a cup with zero defects, very clean, pleasant after-taste and a remarkable acidity. Sold through institutional clients (businesses, hotels), limited points of sale in affluent areas or through special subscription orders.
• “Devotion Cafe” (known as “Veneto”), is another brand that sells their product domestically through a membership that includes a coffee maker, cup, plate and a spoon.
• “Aney” from the Cesar area. “Kogui” from the Magdalena area. “Mesa de los Santos” from Santander. “Cafe Aragon” from Medellin. “Jesus Martin Bedoya” from Armenia. “Salento” from Quindio. And there are more.

I’m ready for a good cup of my favorite Colombian Supremo Organic coffee. What about you?

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “Gourmet Coffee Guy.”
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It’s disputed as to where the best coffee in the world is grown, but many believe that the best premium gourmet coffee is grown in South America because in order to create the best coffee beans are needed for the process as well as the clearest water, etc.

In 2005 Brazil was the leader in production of coffee beans, and the soils here allow for some of the best conditions to grow coffee. It’s also disputed that some of the best coffee is grown in Columbia, and in the 1990′s a particular coffee company bearing the namesake became extremely popular from using Columbian coffee beans. The gourmet quality of coffee also comes from the way in which coffee is prepared, stored and roasted.

Storage is a key factor in determining premium gourmet coffee, is how it is stored. Most coffee is stored in an air tight container, and not allowing this air to enter preserves the essential oils. Also the beans need to be stored in a cool place, but not frozen. Freezing beans can damage them and make their taste poor.

Preparing of the coffee also determines whether or not it is gourmet coffee. For example, preparing coffee as an espresso is a more common gourmet use of Coffee beans and makes an excellent Premium gourmet coffee.

Espresso making requires a special machine, one that uses cream as well as other ingredients to make a particularly strong type of coffee. Espresso is known for its rich flavor as well as high caffeine content, making or one of the more well known Premium gourmet coffees

How the beans are roasted also determines whether or not the beans will turn into premium gourmet coffees. For example the beans need to be roasted in a particular way or they will be burned or damaged giving off poor flavor.

The variety of roasting methods also give off different colors as well as different flavors. It is left up to personal interpretation at this point on how the beans will be judged as satisfactory or not. Some people prefer light roast, some people prefer dark roast. Much of this depends on personal gourmet taste.

Presentation of coffee is another factor that makes it premium gourmet coffee. A pleasing presentation will make the coffee experience that much more gourmet with a beautiful design. For example lattes, coffee drinks made with hot milk, are the best in which to draw designs on the thin layer of milk that sits on top of the latte.

Individual creativity comes into play here, and many coffeehouses will either drizzle a topping such as caramel or create the designs mentioned before giving a rich gourmet experience. Mostly in these coffee houses premium gourmet coffee is served as well as the various gourmet concoctions.

Premium gourmet coffees are determined in how the coffee is prepared, where the bean came from, and how the bean was stored and roasted. Mostly the roasting as well as the origin of the beans play the most important party in determining what is the best gourmet coffee. Also personal taste must also play a part when dealing with a diverse gourmet such as coffee.

Discover the best Gourmet Coffees on the Planet at: Gourmet Coffee Net

Author: Jack Harmon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There is nothing quite like waking up in the morning, stumbling to the kitchen and finding your favourite coffee brewed and waiting for you. Of all the drinks in the world, coffee seems to have universal appeal. But if you have ever travelled you quickly discovered that one person’s coffee can be quite different from another’s.

A World Wide Business–Coffee Types

Coffee is grown on five different continents and dozens of countries around the world. There are coffee plantations in Columbia and much of South America. There are hundreds of plantations in Africa. The growing region expands to the east and west including the West Indies, Sumatra, and Java.

All of the coffee growing regions are in tropical zones within 30 degrees or so of the Equator. While all coffee grows in bean form, there are different types or varieties of coffee plants, hence the many different coffee types.

Roasting and Brewing

Although plant variety can affect the taste of coffee, the way it is handled following harvesting has a great deal to do with the flavour as well.

Some coffee beans are naturally roasted. These generally produce the darker and bitterer tasting coffees. The sun does the roasting and then the grinding and brewing take care of the rest of the flavourful attributes.

There are many different recipes for a great cup of coffee and variations on how they are served. The cooking methods require specific kitchen gadgetry to help make the best rated coffees.

>From Coffee Makers to Cappuccino and Espresso

There are different types of cappuccino, espresso and coffee makers on the market. Each of these appliances is designed to make specific coffee types. Cappuccino is a rich, dark coffee whose recipe originated in Italy. It is a milder version of Espresso, but not as light as “city” coffee.

Espresso is made by high heat and pressure which produces a thicker and more potent cup of coffee.

This is usually served in much smaller cups and quantities because of how strong it is.

Electric machines are making their way from the restaurant into many home kitchens. The cleaning and care including the job to decalcify are made easier by the popularity of stainless steel appliances. There are coffee makers also that do all of the jobs of creating the perfect mug of coffee right on your counter top and even while you sleep. The grind and brew combination machines are the ideal way to get the freshest cup of coffee possible.

Decaf and coffee types that contain caffeine can be equally as appealing to the taste buds. An important fact to remember is that just because a coffee type taste strong, it does not necessarily contain more caffeine. On the other hand, a decaf cup of coffee will taste and smell just as good, but without the health concern of having too much caffeine. The process with all of the new recipes available at coffee shops, restaurants and even at home, it is possible for anyone to make the best rated coffee around. This includes caffeine and decaf varieties.

About The Author
Peter Mason publishes many news and information to the news section of http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com. Within his publication Peter is publishing from coffee makers http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com/coffee-makers.html to cappuccino machines and other areas in this field.

Author: Peter Mason
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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