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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Need that special gift for the friend everyone has a hard time buying for?

If they drink coffee than the perfect choice is a gourmet gift you just can’t find anywhere else. Even if you know they have gourmet coffee already, that doesn’t mean the only gift for them is another bag of beans that you can’t purchase in stores. There are dozens of different gifts to pick from that go along with gourmet coffee.

Just take a look below and see all the different gifts that can be found.

Coffee Beans

If you think about gourmet coffee, and buying it for a coffee lover you know, the first thing that pops into mind are gourmet coffee beans that you just are extremely hard to find. Meaning beans from exotic places around the world that never make it to grocery stores and can only be purchased through importers. They all range greatly different in prices from manageable to unbelievably costly.

Makers And Roasters

A more unheard of gift for that special coffee lover would be a gourmet coffee maker. Coffee makers that can produce cappuccinos, espressos, and pretty much anything coffee related you can think of. They only bad thing about them would be there outrageous cost. They range in the thousands for simply one. That being the cost of enjoying one of the most delicious beverages in the comfort of your own home. If you don’t have that much to spend on a coffee maker though, Have you thought about buying a coffee roaster for them?

Before the 20thtcentury, anyone who wanted coffee at there own house needed to roast the coffee beans themselves. Coffee companies eventually decided to market pre-roasted coffee beans, so people stopped using roasters. But a large amount of people prefer to buy un-roasted coffee beans, and roast them on their own for a unique custom flavor.

Coffee Samplers

If everything above just seems like its way over the budget for you, or even if you are afraid your friend won’t like the gourmet coffee beans you choose, Try purchasing a gourmet coffee sampler that comes with a large amount of different coffee flavors in one convenient package. Averagely they include about four to six different types of gourmet coffee, and can even come with some gourmet tea and pastry as well. They turn out to be the perfect gift at any time of the year no matter what occasion. Often they even come with some token gift items such as special coffee mugs and assorted trinkets.

There you have it, a perfect gift for anyone who drinks coffee. Even if they they are a lover who you are close to who has been wishing for a gourmet coffee maker, Or simply a recently met acquaintance. Maybe even a co-worker who has been doing a great job. Gourmet coffee can fit almost any budget and any person.

Being very interested in swiss coffee machines and jura coffee makers, Clinton Maxwell was writing large numbers of publications on this specific subject. You can learn about his comments on jura coffee machine at many different sources for jura coffee machine information.

Author: Clinton N. Maxwell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First, let’s talk about why you should use coffee grinders for better coffee. Most people don’t bother to grind their own coffee. This is purely because of convenience. I hear excuses like “I don’t have the time,” or “coffee grinders make too much noise”, or “I don’t want to clean up the mess” and on and on. The simple fact is this: you should grind the coffee just before you brew it. Here’s a simple test. Go ahead and open up a can of ground coffee. Smell the aroma? Now go ahead and grind some coffee at the supermarket. Smell the bag. Do you smell the difference? Well, you’ll taste the difference too. The reason for grinding the coffee is to get more surface area to extract more coffee taste. As soon as you grind the coffee, the grounds are exposed to air and the flavor and aroma begin to dissipate. You should brew the coffee immediately after using the coffee grinder for maximum flavor.

Coffee Grinders – Cheapie Blade Grinders

The cheapest type of coffee grinder is the blade grinder. Blade grinders work like your blender does. Spinning blades chop the coffee until the desired grind size is achieved. The benefit is that the blade grinder is inexpensive. The problem is that the coffee is ground unevenly. To the coffee expert, this yields a cup of coffee that is uneven and undrinkable. My take on this is that it is still better than not grinding the coffee yourself. All is not lost, however. On to a better option.

Coffee Grinders – The Burr Grinder

Burr grinders are used by professionals for good reason. Metal discs called burrs are set apart by a precise distance. Coffee beans are ground until they are the size of the gap between the burrs and they fall down the chute into the hopper. The benefit is an even grind. This results in a better coffee experience. The better burr grinders have precision settings for all types of coffees and brewing machines.

If you want a better cup of coffee, use a coffee grinder and grind the coffee beans immediately before brewing. If you want even grounds for smoother flavor, get a burr grinder. Take these two pieces of advice and you’ll be on the way to your best cup of coffee yet. There are many more topics and articles on coffee on our website. Please take a moment to visit us. Pull up a chair and bring a cup of coffee, we would love to have you drop by.

Athanasios G. is very passionate about making perfect coffee. His website is dedicated to everything coffee related. Visit our site to learn more about how to make coffee. Here’s a list of articles on coffee, coffee history and more.

Author: Athanasios G.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee is everywhere in our society. Many people love the rich delicious flavor of a nice hot cup of coffee as soon as they wake in the morning. In fact, many people prefer to set their coffee makers so that the first thing they will sense when they wake is the fragrant aroma of fresh brewed coffee.

When it comes to keeping coffee hot, there are some steps that you can take to ensure that each cup of coffee is deliciously fresh, aromatic, and refreshing. First, you should make sure that you always brew your coffee fresh when you want some. For some people it may mean choosing a small coffee maker that only brews a cup at a time.

You’ll also find that you should use the freshest and purest water for your coffee. Since coffee uses mostly 90 percent water, make sure that you use high quality water. If you use tap water, you can filter it or use special coffee filters that will help remove any impurities before brewing.

You will need to make sure that you measure your coffee grounds according to the amount of brewed coffee you desire. You can purchase coffee according to its strength as well as adjust the amount of coffee grinds that you measure to make the coffee the strength you desire. However, it should be noted that everyone prefers a different strength to his or her coffee, and what may be the perfect cup of coffee to you, may be too strong or too weak to someone else. A standard cup of coffee is basically six ounces of water and two tablespoons of coffee grinds. By using this basic formula, you can determine how many tablespoons you need to brew a perfect pot.

To ensure that your coffee remains hot, choose your choice of coffee mug or thermos carefully. Make sure that it is well insulated. Glass and stainless steel will not affect the taste of the coffee and are recommended as suitable thermos materials. Also, you will find that coffee that has been percolated or brewed in an automatic coffee maker will retain the best flavor.

Coffee that has been brewed in a French Press may not taste as well if it has been kept in a thermos. This in part due to the remaining sediment that exists in the coffee, it will continue to heat and cause the coffee to lose its flavor. The same is true of Espresso coffee. By brewing your coffee fresh and storing it in the proper thermos, you will continue to enjoy fresh hot coffee.

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Author: Adrian Adams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee. We wake up with it, sip it all day, and drink it after dinner. But coffee is more than a beverage. For years, professionl chefs have used coffee to boost the flavor of meats, sauces, and desserts. While I’m not a professional chef, I’m a competent cook and have fixed buffet dinners for 70 and romantic dinners for two.

In fact, I was a food writer before I became a health writer. Like many other writers, I love coffee. I love coffee so much I decided to add it to some classic dessert recipes. Results? Coffee improved the flavor of all of them.

The coffee in Molten Mocha Cake gives this gooey dessert an added depth of flavor. Coffee Ice Cream sauce is a celebration of coffee flavor. Cinnamon and nutmeg give Pioneer Cookies lots of flavor, but coffee brings our the flavor of the spices. Fudgy Pudding, a rich, dark, and creamy dessert, is comfort food at its best.

Read the recipe before you start cooking. Notice that I’ve swapped healthy ingredients for less healthy ones when possible. Splenda for sugar. Applesauce for shortening. Skim milk for whole. Whipped topping for cream. Don’t worry, these desserts are still delicious and satisfying.

Buy the best coffee – ground, instant, or instant espresso – you can afford. Use fresh coffee only, not sludge that’s been sitting around since the birds got up. Drip coffee should be made with one tablespoon of coffee for every two cups of water. Get out the mixing bowls, the measuring stuff, the necessary ingredients, and start cooking. Then sit back and enjoy a coffee dessert with a cup of “Joe.”

MOLTEN MOCHA CAKE

Cake:

1 cup regular flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup Splenda,
2 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Topping:

1/4 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 1 3/4 cups hot coffee

Combine cake ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Pour into a one and a half quart casserole dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

Combine topping ingredients in the same bowl. Gently pour this mixture over the cake batter. Bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Cook cake 10 minutes before serving. Serve plain or garnish with whipped topping or sugar-free frozen vanilla yogurt. Yield: 6 servings.

COFFEE ICE CREAM SAUCE

1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/4 cup strong coffee (room temperature), 1/4 cup skim milk, 1/4 cup fat free half and half, dash of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Using a whisk, add coffee, milk, half and half, salt (but not vanilla) to the cornstarch mixture. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let sauce cool. Serve over sugar-free vanilla or chocolate frozen yogurt. Yield: 6 servings.

PIONEER COOKIES (A SOFT, CAKE-LIKE COOKIE)

1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco, 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 1/2 cup calorie-free brown sugar, 1 large egg (room temperature), 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (pre-sifted kind),
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 cup strong coffee (cold),
1/2 cup dried currants or cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Crisco, brown sugar, and egg until fluffy. Combine dried ingredients (excluding fruit and nuts) in a large bowl. Add to creamed mixture in small batches, alternating with the coffee. Fold in fruit and nuts. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and golden. Yield: 4 dozen.

FUDGY PUDDING

1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/3 cup Splenda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee, 2 cups skim milk, whipped topping (sugar-free)

Combine cornstarch, Splenda, salt and instant coffee in a small saucepan. Slowly add milk to this mixture. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until pudding is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Chill pudding until set. Serve with whipped topping and a few sprinkles of instant coffee. Yield: 4 servings.

Copyright 2005 by Harret Hodgson. For more information on her work please go to www.harriethodgson.com.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journslists. She was a food writer for the former “Rochester Magazine” in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her latest book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Dr. Lois Krahn, is available from http://www.amazon.com

Author: Harriet Hodgson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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