Coffee

If you want to taste coffee in a whole new way, try making it with a French Press coffee pot. Most people are used to their coffee being brewed in an electric, drip coffee maker a la Mr. Coffee. This method has one flaw in the brewing process that takes away from the true essence of coffee: the paper filter. The paper retains some of the coffee essence, and deprives you of coffee’s true potential. Granted, we cannot simply dump ground coffee into a cup, pour in hot water and start drinking; the grounds must be separated from the liquid that is consumed. Coffee grounds are bitter, gritty, and stick to your teeth. The French Press method removes the grounds, but lets all of the flavor of the coffee come to life.

Although French Presses come in various shapes, sizes, materials and manufacturers, the Chambord model by Bodum is a good example of a ubiquitous style found throughout the industry . The handle attaches to the holder for the glass carafe. The carafe holds the coffee and hot water. The carafe looks like a beaker from a chemistry lab, with a spout for easy pouring. The “pressing” apparatus of the French Press sits atop the beaker. It consists of a dome which covers the coffee as it brews. The plunger is a skinny metal post with a plastic ball at the top that slides through a small hole in the middle of the dome. At the bottom of the post is the filter, a wire mesh disk.

A quick note about ingredients. A cup of coffee is made of coffee beans and water. Therefore, start with freshly roasted whole beans ground just before brewing. Whole beans maintain their freshness twice as long as ground coffee. The water is just as critical: make sure it is cold, fresh, and filtered.

Let’s assume a 12 oz. cup is being prepared. Using 1-1 ½ tablespoons of whole beans, set your grinder to coarse. This produces the largest grounds possible, and allows water to extract the maximum flavor from the coffee. It also reduces the amount of smaller grounds that will end up in the bottom of the cup.

Dump the ground coffee into the carafe. Before adding hot water, take a moment to inhale the aroma of the dry coffee. The aroma of freshly ground coffee will take you to a better place.

Next, heat your water (12 ounces). The optimal brewing temperature is 195-205 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply bring your water to a boil and wait thirty seconds.

Pour the water into the beaker and stir for a couple of seconds. This will agitate the mixture and allow the coffee to brew more completely. Place the plunger apparatus on the carafe, but do not depress. Set a timer for four minutes. This amount of time allows all of the flavor and oils to be extracted perfectly from the coffee.

At four minutes press down the plunger completely, then pour the freshly brewed coffee into your mug.
Look at the coffee before adding any condiments. The coffee will appear more complex (richer) than if it were brewed in a drip coffee maker. There will even be a thin layer of crema (light brown froth) resting on top of the liquid. Put your nose close to the cup and breathe in the aroma. The smell is stronger, more pure than if the coffee passed through a paper filter. Taste the coffee before adding sugar etc. When you reach the end of the cup you will notice some residue. These are simply micro-grounds that made it through the mesh filter.

You can purchase French Presses that double as travel mugs. There are also double-walled glass, and stainless steel thermal units as well. Some are beautifully crafted and look like museum pieces. The reason for this is that coffee made in this manner is the height of the coffee brewing experience. So, if you love coffee, you owe it to yourself to purchase a French Press and make the best-tasting coffee in the easiest possible way. Prices start at around 13 dollars for a two cup (12 oz.) unit.

Brent Kloster is co-owner of Falls River Coffee, which sells fresh roasted coffee, loose leaf tea, and brewing equipment online at http://www.FallsRiverCoffee.com.

Author: Brent Kloster
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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Pour-over, automatic and satellite brewers are designed to produce traditional “American-style” coffee. These brewers drip heated water over gronded coffee in a filter. Pour-over models require manual filling of water reservoirs, while automatic urns and satellite brewers connect to a water line. One type of urn holds heated water in a separate chamber until the brew button is pushed, while another uses a heat exchanger. Some coffeemakers have heated plates below glass or metal decanters, while others dispense brewed coffee into insulated thermal or air-pots to keep the beverage warm. Freestanding, insulated urns hold up to 5 gallons of coffee and free up coffeemakers to make additional product while allowing service elsewhere.

Some coffee urns have heating systems that measure the temperature of the coffee and increase heat as needed. Manual brewers, such as French presses, are intended for tableside use. There are different designs and capacities of coffee urns available. Ranging from metallic coffee urns to highly polished coffee urns, all are available in the market. You can expect the coffee urn to have the following features:

Automatic temperature control which keeps the coffee hot for hours. Quick brewing – one cup per minute. Twist-to-secure cover. Two-way drip less faucet for easy serving. Interior water level markings for easy filling. Cool-tip filter basket for easy removal of grounds and stem.

Heat-resistant base and trim. Serving light indicates end of brewing cycle. Detachable cord. Durable aluminum construction. These (medium capacity) coffee urns can hold up to 30 to 45 cups of coffee and the price ranges from $35 to $50 (the price depends on the finishing too). There are larger for-office coffee urns also available. These have a capacity of holding around 55 to 60 cups of coffee and ranges from $90 to $150; the price depends on the type of material used like aluminium or stainless steel.

There are commercial coffee urns as well as electric coffee urns which have a capacity ranging from 5 gallons to 10 gallons. In electric coffee urns, there would be a thermometer on the front panel; it would have adjustable by-pass system, which gives the operator the ability to adjust the strength of the coffee. It would also automatically replenish the urn with fresh water as soon as it starts running low. It may also have automatic coffee agitation – where in you just push the brew button and walk away.

The electric coffee urns may also have cycle stop switch which gives the operator the ability to stop the brew cycle midstream. These electric urns come in attractive casing- all stainless steel construction. The price for such urns may range from $2000 to $4500 depending on the capacity of the coffee urn. Such urns are recommended for big offices wherein the employees have easy access to coffee and coffee consumption is quite high.

I personally do not like any of the urns and coffee making ways, where the coffee is not brewed fresh. I partically don’t like the urns that brew the coffee and then control the temperature for sometimes many hours at a time. I would go for the impress your guests, friends, staff and/or colleagues and get in a more professional barista with the correct equipment.

Do You LOVE good coffee? Heather is a qualified barista and shares many of her great coffee making tips. Register for Your FREE copy of the Health and Happiness Mag, that includes tips on coffee making like the professionals at http://www.womensinfoproducts.com/food/coffee

Author: Heather Richards
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A coffee maker is an appliance, usually operated at home or in coffee shops, which you can use to make coffee while bypassing the need to boil water separately. Essentially, it is an appliance that brews coffee. Typically, the most popular brewing method employed is the drip-brew principle, wherein heated water is made to run through ground coffee which has been scooped onto a funnel in the coffee maker. The prepared concoction then drips through the apex of the funnel and into a container set under this funnel.

Naturally, the type and quality of the coffee you brew would depend on several factors. As expected, the key component to making a good cup of coffee would be the coffee itself. Nothing beats using fresh coffee, whether in the form of whole beans or as ground coffee. Just as important is the ability to preserve the freshness of the beans, because more often than not you cannot brew all of the coffee beans that you have just bought. One good way to go about the upkeep of your coffee’s freshness is store it in airtight bags, such as zip lock containers which you can open and reseal anytime. The key is to ensure that your coffee is kept away from heat and air. Also, make certain that you store it in a place that is dry and cool.

Now when it comes to preparation, the general rule is to prepare about 1 to 2 spoons of coffee for every 6-ounce cup. However, you may vary this mix depending on your personal tastes. The beauty of making coffee is that you can serve it in a variety of ways-black, with cream or milk, and varying amounts of sugar.

There are also several types of coffee makers to choose from, and the type you can opt to use will depend on exactly what kind of coffee you want. The first type is the pressure-brewed type of coffee maker. This one uses extreme pressure to brew black coffee. If done right, this maker also gives you a gold crema while maintaining the coffee’s full-bodied aroma. The caffeine content of the coffee you can brew from a pressure-brewed maker is about 30% less that that you can make using a drip type. Another good thing about this particular coffee is that it contains no tannic acid.

Still one other type of coffee maker is the filter drip type, or simply the drip type, wherein coffee is simply brewed through a filter. The great thing about this coffee maker is that it is relatively easy to clean.

Yet still another type of coffee maker is that pod maker, which makes use of pre-packaged coffee packed in a filter. Needless to say, this type of coffee maker is very easy to use.

Katya Coen provides information on coffee makers for Coffee Online – the site for coffee lovers.

Author: Katya Coen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Grinding fresh roasted coffee beans is done at the roastery by using a burr mill, which employs rotating elements to shear the beans; or else in an electric coffee grinder which uses blunt blades to smash the beans at a high speed. The type of grind used is frequently named for the method of brewing. For example, Turkish grind coffee is the finest grind; espresso is a fine-to-medium grind; and French grind is the coarsest. The grind which most home coffee brewing machines use is a medium grind. There are lots of methods for brewing coffee: it can be steeped, boiled, or pressured. The boiling method is the traditional way which has been used for centuries, and Turkish coffee is brewed in this fashion. Turkish coffee is made by pounding the coffee beans to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, and then this powder is added to water and boiled in a pot known as a cezve (briki in Greek). Turkish coffee has a strong taste and usually a foam layer on its surface.

Automatic coffeemaking machines and percolators employ gravity to brew coffee. Roasted and medium ground cheap bulk coffee beans are placed in a coffee filter made of perforated metal or paper, and hot water drips through the coffee grounds. As the water seeps through the grounds it absorbs the essences and oils of the coffee. The gravity flow moves the liquid down into a pot or carafe and leaves the spent coffee grounds in the filter above. In a coffee percolator the boiling water creates a pressure which forces water into a chamber located above the filter. Then gravity pulls the water down through the grounds in the filter. This process continues cyclically until a timer shuts it off. Typically a thermostat is used to turn the heat off when the percolator attains a certain temperature. The thermostat also turns the heat on again when the pot cools down (however the filter containing the grounds must removed to prevent additional brewing when the pot reheats). Gourmets tend to eschew coffee which has been reboiled.

A bean coffee company brews French grind by steeping it in a French press, or cafetiere. The ground coffee is combined with hot water in the coffee press and allowed to brew for several minutes. Then a plunger is depressed which pushes the coffee grounds to the bottom of the press. Since the coffee grounds are contacting the water directly, the aromatic oils in the coffee remain in the drink, making for a strong beverage with more sediment left in the coffee than an automatic coffee machine leaves. An espresso coffee maker forces hot (but not boiling) water under 10 atmospheres’ pressure through the finely ground coffee powder. This high pressure brewing produces a more concentrated beverage than gravity methods, containing as much as ten or fifteen times more coffee in the water. Espresso has a reddish brown foam known as crema which floats on top of the surface. Americano espresso is cut with water to make it less strong, the way Americans prefer it.

Espresso coffee made from fresh roasted coffee beans can be served in a wide variety of ways. It can be served black in small demitasse cups; or watered down in the Americano style in which a shot of espresso is placed in the cup and hot water poured over it. Adding steamed milk to espresso brewed from roasted cheap bulk coffee beans makes caf latte. A popular bean coffee company treat is cappuccino, made with foamed milk.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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