Coffee

Coffee, Coffee what a wonderful thing. There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell and of coffee in the air and the sensation of that first sip. If you are like me it seems as if, the longer I drink coffee the more I enjoy it. But along with the enjoyment I have become picky about my coffee as well. I guess this is not a bad thing but it sure can get annoying sometimes. There is nothing worse than ordering a cup of coffee at your local coffee shop and having to toss it out as you walk out the door because it tasted like swill. Since I have acquired this coffee snob disease it has forced me to learn a little about what makes a good cup of coffee.

Having taken time to break down the elements that separates a good cup of coffee from a bad cup of coffee, I have narrowed it down to three things. Temperature, extraction time (or brew time), and water quality. Now I know there are some other variables involved here, such as bean quality, coffee freshness, and the coffee grind but for the sake of this article lets stick with strictly the brewing elements.

Temperature:

If you have had the privilege of tasting the same coffee at brewed at different temperatures then you understand this variable very well. It is a amazing that a coffee brewed at 185 degrees can taste completely different than the same coffee brewed at 198 degrees. By having a brewer that you are able to adjust the water temperature opens up another world for the coffee connoisseur.

Extraction Time:

This is the actual time that it takes for the coffee to brew. A lot of times if coffee brews too fast it will leave a sour taste in your cup. If it brews to long it can cause burnt or bitter notes to be present. By controlling this variable we can achieve a wonderful cup of coffee.

Water Quality:

If you have bad tasting water you are going to have bad tasting coffee. The way to correct this is to make sure your water is properly filtered or use bottled water when you brew your coffee.

On my quest to find the best cup of coffee possible I stumbled upon a coffee brewer that is capable of controlling these three variables. It is the Breville brewing system made by Keurig. This brewer allows you to brew one cup at a time using the k-cup coffee technology. Not only can you brew one cup at a time you can adjust the water temperature. Another feature is you can control the extraction time by having four cup size options 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz..This allows you to deliver the exact volume of water each and every time your coffee is brewed. This ensures the brew strength and taste is to your liking every time. Last, but not least, this machine comes with 60oz water reservoir that includes a water filtration system. This filtration system improves the taste and smell of your water guaranteeing that you will experience the best tasting coffee.

If you are ready to experience coffee shop quality coffee from the comforts of your own home. Then I would recommend doing some research online about the Keurig K Cup Brewers and about K Cup coffee in general. You will not regret it!

Author: Burke Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Aside from the finer points in roasting coffee beans, the extraction of the coffee flavor from the beans by way of brewing is the most important aspect of coffee-making. It is the final process right before we drink our coffee.

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.

Jhon Noya, Author Of Free Tips Making Money From Internet and Free Tips For Dating

Author: Jhon Noya
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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