Coffee

It is widely believed that coffee is a native of the Ethiopian rain forest, which lies in eastern Africa in the southern part of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean on its northern side. But, that was over hundred years ago. In present times, there are over 50 countries across the world where coffee is cultivated on a substantial scale. Some of these are Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guatemala, Vietnam, Indonesia and Yemen besides Ethiopia, of course.

A common fact that many people, including regular coffee drinkers, do not know is where coffee comes from. These same people may say it comes from plants, but little knowing that these are actually trees!

Yes, that is true! Coffee grows on trees, though these trees may not always be tall as many coffee farmers prefer to keep their trees short because it is easier at harvesting time to deal with shorter trees. Just like the climate in the original country where coffee was first grown, the South American rainforest area too, provides similar shade as required for the optimum yield in coffee plantations.

Thus, it can safely be said that the best coffee in the world is that grown near the equator, as it requires tropical environment to produce best results. Apart from shade, coffee trees need a fair bit of water, and sun though no special soil conditions. In some areas, coffee farmers may use fertilizer to increase productivity but doing so may be detrimental for the environment.

However, national coffee boards of the above mentioned countries which are top producers of coffee beans reveal that the best beans come from coffee trees planted in tropical plantations at high altitudes, which typically have rich soil. This is why countries along the equatorial zone have the best coffee plantations.

However, as mentioned earlier, location, including altitude, is not the sole criteria governing the quality of coffee. Its flavor as well as its quality is dependent on other factors too, such as the plant variety used, the chemical composition of the soil it is grown in, amount of rainfall experienced in the region and the availability of sunshine.

It is a vital combination of the right mix of these complex components along with the manner in which the cherries are processed post-picking that determines the quality of coffee one receives from a particular region and sets the distinction of coffee obtained from different countries. Sometimes, due to the complex nature of these variables, the coffee obtained from the same plantation may also yield different quality and flavor.

A little known fact about coffee beans is that these are actually berry seed, and very small in size, therefore referred to as cherries. Each berry will typically contain 2 green coffee beans but sometimes these may be mutated. After these berries turn red, it means they are ripe for picking and this is the ideal time for harvesting them, as opposed to ‘strip picking’ which some farmers indulge in to save on labor, but this early picking before coffee berries ripen causes the coffee obtained from them to be of an inferior quality.

However, the time invested in harvesting ripe coffee berries can be considerable, taking up to 7 days or more for a farmer to single-handedly pick coffee for filling a 100-pound bag of beans, by hand. Now, when one thinks of nearly 7 million tons of this brown concentrate, being produced annually, one can well imagine the number of laborers required on coffee plantations to pick enough berries to meet this demand!

Learn more about the History Of Coffee on our Blog.

[http://www.automaticcoffeemachinesguide.com/the-short-history-of-coffee/] You can also find Automatic Coffee Machine Guides and Reviews, plus much more information all about the humble coffee bean!

Author: Martin Salter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Espresso coffee cups aren’t really normal cups at all. In reality, they’re more like coffee shot glasses, which makes sense considering they’re not meant to hold your standard brew, but espresso. Although they do look like tiny versions of cups that people use for morning caffeine, your average java drinker would probably become quite irritated trying to get their buzz from a container so tiny. After all, don’t most people drink coffee in order to feel energized without the need for sleep?

What Makes Espresso Coffee Cups Different?

Normal cups that people use for their morning fix are obviously much larger than your average espresso coffee cups. Espresso cups don’t have any particular standard size, though. Many times, the only way to tell the difference between what a company calls their espresso cups and their latte or cappuccino cups is by looking at labeling. Every one of these various little cups have matching saucers.

Why Espresso Coffee Cups Are So Tiny

Espresso is much stronger and thicker than your standard cup of joe, which is why espresso coffee cups are much smaller other cups that people generally drink their java from. Your average cup of coffee only has about a third the caffeine of the same volume of espresso. Of course, this is a very rough estimate, as the amount of caffeine and strength of the blend is very dependent on both how the coffee is ground, and the bean itself. You can easily get very different experiences by trying different brands, and blends within those brands, and espresso is not excluded.

What Is Espresso?

Espresso is a type of coffee, but the difference isn’t in the bean so much as the preparation. The biggest difference between regular coffee and espresso is density. To make espresso, a machine forces highly pressurized water through very fine coffee grounds, creating a denser, stronger coffee than normal. The result is almost like a coffee syrup and, when you experience it, it becomes very obvious why one would not want to drink a standard coffee cup of the stuff at once.

Can One Cup Coffee Makers Make Espresso?

Generally speaking, one cup coffee makers are not very good at making real espresso. The water pressure required is generally beyond the capability of a one cup coffee maker. Espresso coffee pods will generally fit a 1 cup coffee maker, but the results are not generally favorable. There are some K-Cups coffee options that are called espresso, but they are typically just stronger coffee blends. Sure, you’ll get a stronger cup of coffee out of both of these options, but you can leave your espresso coffee cups behind since it won’t be all that different. Ironically enough, ESE coffee pods work much better in espresso machines fitted with adapters than in 1 cup coffee makers.

Want to learn more about espresso coffee cups? Check out Great Coffee Cups.

Author: Anthony J Davis
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Do You Love Espresso Coffee?

One of the many things that I love about Italy is the espresso coffee. Now it is part of my day-to-day life. There is no way I start my day without it, and another one after lunch is mandatory!

Of course, not everybody likes espresso; Two days ago I was in Paris with one french colleague, and he told me: “when I pay for coffee, I expect to receive a big coffee, not that espresso!”. It is like the size of the little cup is not worth what he paid for.

So this article is for real espresso lovers… if you do not love espresso, stop reading right now, because I am showing you how to make the best espresso coffee Italian style!

Choose Your Coffee Wisely!

The most important thing is to choose a good coffee; I have tried many of them, and I have found that the one I like the most (and also many of my friends) is this one: Kimbo Espresso Napoletano. If you can not find it in your supermarket, you can find it in Amazon.

Other valid choices are: Illy and Pellini Top

Let the Ritual begin… and be precise on the water quantity

For me is pretty much a ritual now. I have gathered different techniques from many of my Italian friends, and have applied them to my coffee making process. The result? Many of them after drinking coffee at my house say: “Wow Luis! this is truly a great coffee!”

First, take your well trained Italian espresso coffee maker and add some water inside. It is very important that you do not use hot water. I use water from the faucet, as cool as it comes out. Hard water is not good for espresso coffee, so do not use it. There is a valve inside, fill it up until the water level is right below that little hole.

Let’s Add Some Coffee!

I like my coffee to have a strong flavor. So, I take the funnel on my Italian moka and fill it up creating a “little mountain” on it. Do not press it, just leave it that way.

Also, make sure that the coffee you are putting on the coffee maker is finely ground.

Flames On!

Screw tight your Italian coffee pot and put it on the kitchen burner. Keep the flame to a normal level, because if it is high, your coffee will come out before its time, and it will probably will have this burned taste. Our coffee needs its own time!

Also, keep the lid of the coffee maker up: it will prevent that the condensed vapor going back to our ground coffee, which may variate its flavor.

Take it out as soon as it brews (actually… before it does!)

Do not leave the coffee on the burner. A second before it comes up completely, take it away from the burner.

If you are using a 1-cup coffee maker, just pour it to your Italian coffee cup, and enjoy!

Instead, if you have a bigger espresso coffee maker and you are sharing it with more people, take a teaspoon and stir it a little bit (5 times will suffice).

There you are: you have prepared your own espresso coffee Italian style!

Buon caffè!

To learn more about how to make your own espresso coffee Italian style, visit the full article with pictures at http://www.squidoo.com/espresso-coffee-italian

Author: Luigi Parra
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When most people think of coffee, they think of a hot, murky beverage that tastes bitter and wakes them up from the morning sleepies, but coffee is actually prepared several different ways, that may cause you to take a second look. We’re going to explore some of the ways that coffee and tea is prepared, from the normal to the bizarre, and a look at how coffee and tea has been used throughout history. Both coffee and tea have a great story behind their history and they have been used by people all over the world, not only for drinking but for things like religious ceremonies and other gatherings.

Of course we love our coffee but we didn’t want to leave out those of you that drink tea. Tea is most popular in the United Kingdom and in fact is considered a meal there. Most British people have tea daily, which may include some type of food besides the tea that is served. Tea is made from the Camelia sinensis plant and is the beverage that is second only to water in the number of people drinking it. There are four types that are most common, black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong tea, which all four come from the same plant and are separated by processing or growing the plant differently.

The tea plant originated in Southeast Asia, and since then has been introduced to more than fifty countries. Tea is generally prepared with hot water, and you can use a tea coffee press to get the best flavor, but many people prefer the cold version of tea instead. Iced Tea, or Sweet Tea as it is sometimes called originated in the Southern United States, and in fact Sweet Tea, which is the southern term for iced tea with sugar in it, is served everywhere year round. In other parts of the United States when you ask for tea you’ll get hot tea, or if you ask for iced tea it will usually be unsweetened and you’ll need to add the sugar yourself if you like it that way.

Another trend in recent years has been iced coffee. Normally, you get iced coffee in chilled bottles from convenience and grocery stores, but we have been known to brew coffee and put it into a large cup of ice. It loses a bit of flavor when it is chilled but it is actually quite delicious. Coffee itself has been around for hundreds of years. The legend says that a shepherd named Kaldi from Arabia discovered coffee but that story has not been confirmed, as the text it was written in was published after coffee had been in use in other countries.

There are many ways to prepare coffee. Most people in the United States use a traditional coffee pot to brew coffee, which runs hot water through a basket of coffee grounds. We prefer to use a coffee press which gives the coffee amazing flavor that you just can’t get from a traditional coffee pot. Some people prefer to take the time to brew espressos, and still others prefer the percolator method which is sort of a backwards coffee pot. There are even people who implement the cone method of brewing coffee. Whatever method you choose, we hope you enjoy your coffee (or tea)!

Jay blogs about his love of coffee at his blog Coffee Press Cup. He has a masters degree and currently works as the director of a non-profit in the North Georgia area.

Author: Jay A Smolik
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Most iced coffees can be bought from your favorite coffee house, but if you know how to make iced coffee, it can be easy as making an ordinary warm brew. Of course, you would have to add ice, cream, and a few toppings, but making this iced concoction is so easy and fun that you wouldn’t mind the extra work needed. Here are a few guidelines on how to make iced coffee right at home.

Choosing your coffee first

1. Depending on whether you are choosing brewed or instant, you would need to prepare the strong coffee first. Strong coffee is important since you will be adding ice in this cold beverage, plus sugar and cream. For a glass of iced coffee, you may need ½ cup of very strong coffee.

2. If you want to brew your choice coffee beans, it will be better to go for a dark-roast blend. Moreover, if you’re planning to make a creamy frapuccino, using espresso is best. For an extra-strong brewed coffee, double the amount of coffee you would put in the usual amount of water. If you’re used to putting one teaspoon per cup, make it two teaspoons per cup. You can brew the coffee using a traditional coffee pot or any coffee maker.

3. Coffee can also be cold brewed, although for this you might need a cold-brewing equipment. However, cold brewing your coffee can be manually done, too. Here are the easy steps:

* Take a pound of coffee, place it in pitcher or carafe, and pour an initial 2 cups of water into the grounds.
* Once the grounds are thoroughly wet, gently pour an additional 8 cups into the carafe.
* Cover the container and place in room temperature for 12 hours.
* Carefully strain the coffee brew after 12 hours, making certain that there are no loose grounds mixed with the liquid.
* Place the pitcher in the refrigerator and let cool before making into an iced beverage.

4. Instant coffee works just as well, but you would want it extra-strong just the same. You can put a mix of 2 tablespoons of instant coffee, 1 teaspoon sugar, milk, and 3 tablespoons warm water in a jar, and shake it until the mixture becomes frothy. You can add as much milk you like but 6 ounces or more will often suffice.

Adding ice to the blend

Once the strong coffee is prepared, you can now fill up a tall glass with ice cubes. Pour the coffee over the prepared ice. Add cream or milk, or additional melted sugar according to the demands of your taste buds.

Picking out the flavors you want Cream is a common ingredient in iced coffee, as well as ordinary milk. Many people also prefer using sweetened condensed milk so as to do away with the powdered sugar. If you are using sugar however, you need to mix it in while the coffee is still warm. This helps dissolve the sugar much easily.

Chocolate, cinnamon, and other flavorings can be added to the iced beverage as well. Caramel, honey, or a shot of Bailey’s also works wonders. You can experiment to your heart’s content, and reward yourself with one unique blend after the other. Once you know how to make iced coffee from your very own kitchen, you’ll realize that doing so is not merely convenient, but a lot of fun as well!

Mr Coffee coffee makers have a range of iced tea makers which are capable of making a perfect glass of iced coffee along with the iced tea.

Yogi Shinde offers coffee maker reviews on various brands of helping you find the best coffee maker to suit your needs.

Author: Yogi Shinde
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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