Coffee

Buying coffee can be challenging. Why? There are so many coffee brands. If you know good tips on how to shop for coffee, you will be able to find a brand that you truly enjoy. I’d like to share with you some suggestions on what to look for when getting the most out of your next coffee purchase.

But first, let me explain how I learned about buying coffee. When I first tried an inexpensive brand of coffee, I almost spit it out. I thought, “How can people drink this stuff and enjoy it?” Since I was not after the caffeine effect, it was a long time before I’d try another cup of coffee. But I worked in a retail shop that was close to a gourmet coffee shop. I bought many flavored beverages from the shop. One day, I decided to try a flavored coffee. Luckily, I really enjoyed it. If I hadn’t, I don’t know if I would have ever tried coffee again. But drinking a regular cup of coffee didn’t appeal much to me. I became kind of a “fun coffee” kind of person, trying different flavors whenever I felt like a change. It also helped that I was married to a ‘coffee lover’ and learned valuable insight from him. He told me that I shouldn’t have to flavor coffee to get a good taste that I enjoy. My husband is a bit of a coffee snob but he has sort of earned that right. He grew up traveling to Guatemala with his parents to visit relatives. His grandfather immigrated to America from Guatemala and became a citizen of this great country. Because of this connection, my husband would visit the Guatemalan relatives on the family coffee farm as a boy and as an adult. Personally, I have visited Guatemala twice, to meet family, visit the family farm, and learn about coffee production. As you can imagine, coffee drinking is big in his family.

Nevertheless, here are the tips I have learned when looking for a good coffee:

1) Smell the coffee in the bag if you are able. Make sure it has a desirable aroma.
2) Check out the source of the coffee. Where is it from? Is it Estate Grown coffee of a high quality or is it a blend of “leftovers”?
3) How was it processed before it got to the roaster? Was it sun dried for a higher quality?
4) Buy whole bean for the ability to see the beans before your grind. If the beans are broken, have wholes in them or are all inconsistent sizes, don’t buy.
5) What kind of roast is it? Vienna, French or Espresso? Be sure to buy the correct roast for your taste buds or you may get a false impression of the coffee. Vienna is a lighter roast, French is a little darker and Espresso is a very dark roast.

Once you figure out which coffee you like, make sure the brewing is done correctly so that you ensure a smooth delicious flavor. Now you can sit back and really enjoy that coffee taste. Enjoy.

Article written by Michelle Falla, Coffee Distributor for Serenity Cup Coffees. Visit http://www.serenitycup.com for more details.

Author: Michelle Falla
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Being a coffee lover it’s likely if you are anything like me, you just cannot start your day without it?

I suspect that no matter how much you like your coffee you surely have your own opinion as to which is the best tasting coffee. Perhaps you like a shot of espresso or a latte but maybe you just want that cup regardless of what’s in it!

Generally speaking there are two types of coffee,one derived from Arabica coffee beans and the other from Robusta beans.

Coffee from the Arabica bean is the higher quality coffee and being more popular accounts for around 75% to 80% of the coffee drunk around the world. Robusta is of lesser quality but still good in taste and makes up for around 20% of the world’s coffee.Both of these beans are grown in Latin America,Southern Asia and Africa. As soon as the beans, known as berries on the plant, are ripe they are picked, dried and roasted to varying degrees depending on the desired flavors. Once roasted the coffee beans are ground and brewed to make coffee.The roasting process produces the characteristics and the flavors of coffee by expanding the green beans, changing their color, taste, smell and density. As the heat is absorbed by the beans their color changes from green to yellow and from yellow to various shades of brown. During the latter stages of roasting the surface of the bean starts to look shiny in appearance as natural oils appear on its surface. The longer the roast the darker the bean.

Lightly roasted coffee allows a lighter bodied coffee and it is easy to distinguish the taste created in the bean by the soil and weather conditions as well as the growing region and so you’ll probably be able to locate where the bean came from. Darkly roasted coffee beans however, have been roasted to the point where the dominant flavor becomes the roast itself and you’ll be hard pressed to guess where the coffee came from.

Brewing also plays an important role in coffee drinking as the better the coffee machine is that you use as a coffee maker the better coffee you can make. Since the fresher the coffee is the more aromatic and flavorful it is and therefore it’s better to grind coffee beans yourself just prior to brewing so you can enjoy the best tasting cup.

All can contribute to a great cup of coffee, but which is the best coffee? Well again that depends on personal taste and preference but here below is a short coffee guide to help you decide:

Dark Roasts

This is coffee that is roasted longer. It’s darker and has a smoky flavor. If you like this, then you’ll enjoy French coffee, Espresso Coffee or Italian Coffee, although some French roast can be considered as medium roast as well.

Medium Roasts
These are a little sweeter tasting than a lighter roast with good aromas,fully flavored and balanced acidity. You can look for American, Viennese or City roast if you like to enjoy a cup of medium roasted coffee. This is also the category for most breakfast blends in the US.

Light Roasts
This light roasted coffee contains more caffeine that other categories but they offer less taste and body than the other two types of roasts. Look for New England or Cinnamon roasts.

Truth be told no one can tell you exactly what the best coffee is for you. Some people prefer a particular type of coffee while others enjoy another. There are many producers, roasters and retailers of coffee so go out and try them all as ultimately it is up to you to decide which one suits your palate the best.

For more good advice on choosing a good coffee and a coffee machine [http://www.goodcoffeeclub.com] visit my website at, [http://www.goodcoffeeclub.com]

Author: Brian Potter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Being a coffee lover it’s likely if you are anything like me, you just cannot start your day without it?

I suspect that no matter how much you like your coffee you surely have your own opinion as to which is the best tasting coffee. Perhaps you like a shot of espresso or a latte but maybe you just want that cup regardless of what’s in it!

Generally speaking there are two types of coffee,one derived from Arabica coffee beans and the other from Robusta beans.

Coffee from the Arabica bean is the higher quality coffee and being more popular accounts for around 75% to 80% of the coffee drunk around the world. Robusta is of lesser quality but still good in taste and makes up for around 20% of the world’s coffee.Both of these beans are grown in Latin America,Southern Asia and Africa. As soon as the beans, known as berries on the plant, are ripe they are picked, dried and roasted to varying degrees depending on the desired flavors. Once roasted the coffee beans are ground and brewed to make coffee.The roasting process produces the characteristics and the flavors of coffee by expanding the green beans, changing their color, taste, smell and density. As the heat is absorbed by the beans their color changes from green to yellow and from yellow to various shades of brown. During the latter stages of roasting the surface of the bean starts to look shiny in appearance as natural oils appear on its surface. The longer the roast the darker the bean.

Lightly roasted coffee allows a lighter bodied coffee and it is easy to distinguish the taste created in the bean by the soil and weather conditions as well as the growing region and so you’ll probably be able to locate where the bean came from. Darkly roasted coffee beans however, have been roasted to the point where the dominant flavor becomes the roast itself and you’ll be hard pressed to guess where the coffee came from.

Brewing also plays an important role in coffee drinking as the better the coffee machine is that you use as a coffee maker the better coffee you can make. Since the fresher the coffee is the more aromatic and flavorful it is and therefore it’s better to grind coffee beans yourself just prior to brewing so you can enjoy the best tasting cup.

All can contribute to a great cup of coffee, but which is the best coffee? Well again that depends on personal taste and preference but here below is a short coffee guide to help you decide:

Dark Roasts

This is coffee that is roasted longer. It’s darker and has a smoky flavor. If you like this, then you’ll enjoy French coffee, Espresso Coffee or Italian Coffee, although some French roast can be considered as medium roast as well.

Medium Roasts
These are a little sweeter tasting than a lighter roast with good aromas,fully flavored and balanced acidity. You can look for American, Viennese or City roast if you like to enjoy a cup of medium roasted coffee. This is also the category for most breakfast blends in the US.

Light Roasts
This light roasted coffee contains more caffeine that other categories but they offer less taste and body than the other two types of roasts. Look for New England or Cinnamon roasts.

Truth be told no one can tell you exactly what the best coffee is for you. Some people prefer a particular type of coffee while others enjoy another. There are many producers, roasters and retailers of coffee so go out and try them all as ultimately it is up to you to decide which one suits your palate the best.

For more good advice on choosing a good coffee and a coffee machine [http://www.goodcoffeeclub.com] visit my website at, [http://www.goodcoffeeclub.com]

Author: Brian Potter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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For those who love coffee, I mean really truly love their coffee, as in they are passionate about what makes a good coffee, it can be a dilemma. The coffee aficionado will have their preferred cafe that they frequent because they know the Batista will make the coffee just the way they like it. The passionate coffee connoisseur can tell you if the coffee is burnt, the milk too hot, the type of coffee used acceptable and so it goes on. They know the difference between a Latte and a Cafe au lait, a flat white and a cappuccino.

So what happens when the coffee wise wish to bring the sacred brew into their own home? Many realise that the same results just cannot be duplicated at home. They know and understand the artist that is the coffee Batista and respect his craft. Others however will attempt to produce a great cup themselves and there begins the pursuit of the ultimate coffee making implement.

The truly dedicated coffee lover will have in his or her kitchen an assortment of coffee brewing devices. It is likely they will have a filter coffee machine. This appliance usually takes the form of a heating plate where a tempered glass pot is placed into which the coffee drips as heated water percolates through the coffee grounds, which are contained within a paper filter inside a filter holder. The coffee from these machines, I find is usually quite weak or “watery” and lacks richness or body.

They may also have a plunger or “French press”. Coffee grounds are placed at the bottom of a straight-sided glass jug then boiling water is poured over them. The coffee is then left to brew for a few minutes before the plunger is slowly pushed down forcing the water through a fine strainer. The coffee from this method is far superior to the filter maker in my opinion, but still not up there with my local coffee house.

Then there is the caffetiere. This handy little device is loved by people of European extraction everywhere. Frankly, I never could master the technique of making coffee with this utensil. Again, it is based on the steam and pressure principal. Water is placed in the bottom section with coffee grounds placed in a perforated container above the water. After screwing the top section on the caffetiere is placed over a flame. Once the water reaches boiling point it percolates through the coffee and up into the top section. Once all the water has gone from the bottom section your coffee is made. The caffetiere makes a nice strong coffee just the way I like it. But I was never sure whether I was then supposed to top it up with boiling water or hot milk and in the end I ended up leaving it in the back of my pantry.

Not so long ago I came across a wonderful new product which seems to answer all my wishes. It is called the AeroPress and it is quite an amazing item. It processes the coffee using steam and pressure and the coffee that results is rich and not at all bitter. To add to this is the price. This is an incredibly well priced device. This handy little appliance takes up very little space in my cupboard and I am not restricted in the choice of coffee I can use. What a great find!

To find out more about the Aeropress Coffee And Espresso Maker visit Really Good Coffee

Author: Lynne Schroeder
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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We recently purchased a single cup coffee brewer and we just love it. The model we bought is a Keurig Elite. It is one of the best purchases we have made in a long time. The taste of the coffee is fabulous and it is so easy to use.

If you are a coffee lover and have never tried one of these machines then you owe it to yourself to give one a try. Some of the things we have really enjoyed are; how fast it brews, how clean they are, and the variety of the coffees you have to choose from.

The Keurig Elite is the single cup coffee brewer we selected. The Keurig uses coffee that is stored in K-cups. You keep water filled in a reservoir on the side of the machine. The water does have to be heated, so if the unit has been off you will need to heat the water. All you have to do is turn the unit on and the water will automatically heat in about one minute. Once the heating red light goes out you are ready to go. You open the K-cup holder in the top, put in your selected K-cup, shut the top and press brew. On the Keurig Elite you have two choices of brew sizes. Small; which is 7.5 ounces, and Large; which is 9.25 ounces? You pick the size that gives you the coffee strength you prefer. It only takes about a minute to brew a perfect single cup of coffee.

These single cup coffee brewers are also very clean. With the K-cups all of the coffee is stored inside, so there is no coffee to spill. Even after brewing the K-cups are easy to toss in the trash without making any mess on the way. Because the brewing process is so clean, you will find that keeping the brewer clean is very easy. The area around the brewer also stays relatively clean. All we have to do is occasionally wipe down the area around the brewer. If you are as messy as me with traditional coffee grounds this is a real plus.

You will not believe the varieties of coffee you can choose from. In fact, you not only have a wide variety of coffees, you have a wide variety of teas as well. If anyone in your family likes cocoa, you will find a good variety of those as well. The coffee roasters you have to select from includes Green Mountain Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Diedrich, Van Houtte, Timothy’s, Tully’s, Newman’s Own, Coffee People, Caribou Coffee, and Emeril’s Gormet Coffee. I told you there were a lot of choices. These brands also give you choices regarding traditional brew strengths as well as a large selection of flavored coffees. We have really enjoyed some of the holiday flavors like Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Stick, and Ginger Bread. Another plus of the single cup coffee brewer is that if you want one type of coffee and your spouse wants something different, it is no problem. No need to compromise, you can both have what you want.

We have had our single cup coffee brewer for about two months now. We still brew a full pot of coffee every now and then, but we use the Keurig Elite more times than not. The flavor and strength of the coffee is always perfect. If you are a coffee lover, you owe it to yourself to try one of these single cup coffee brewers.

R.L. Cagle has been an executive for Fortune 100 Companies as well as small start up companies. He also consults with businesses and organizations to assist them in Management Training, Strategic Planning, and Sales Training. R.L. is also a coffee lover. He recently purchased a Keurig Elite, a single cup coffee brewer. He loved his purchase so much he created a website to promote them. The website is http://www.singlecupcoffeebrewers.net which promotes his newest favorite product, single cup coffee brewers. If you are a coffee lover, you should really try one of these. We have loved ours.

Author: R. L. Cagle
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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