Coffee

This form of coffee is often the choice to be used in many recipes when it comes to baking especially. The taste it affords when used in this method is comparable to brewed coffee. The biggest advantage of using the instant here is because it’s quick and easy.

This coffee goes way back to 1906. It was actually discovered by an English chemist who was residing in Guatemala at the time. This gentleman most enjoyed his coffee and happened to notice that on the spout of his silver coffee pot there was a powdery film forming. This was the beginning of the experimentation of the discovery of instant coffee. It was officially discovered by this chemist whose name was George C. Washington and he produced the very first brand called Red E Coffee.

Now once again there may seem to be a little confusion as to who really did invent this coffee or at least discover it. Others say that in 1901, a Japanese American by the name of Satori Kato was the one who invented this drink, but it was true that George C Washington was the first to market it in mass production. Years after that, Nescafe came out with freeze-dried coffee.

There are two easy methods for making instant coffee. It can be either freeze-drying or spray drying. So which produces a better cup of this type of coffee? Many would argue that freeze drying does but then like any other variation of coffee its all going to come down to personal taste. One of the supporting factors for freeze-drying being the better of the two methods is that with spray drying the natural oils of the coffee are adversely effected and more flavor is lost. This is because of the high heat that is required in the spray drying method. However many instant coffee producers prefer this method to freeze-dried because it is faster and in some ways more cost effective.

This form of coffee is often the choice to be used in many recipes when it comes to baking especially. The taste it affords when used in this method is comparable to brewed coffee. The biggest advantage of using the instant here is because it’s quick and easy.

There are some people who think they are experts when it comes to instant coffee just like there are with brewed coffee. One of the problems with this coffee is that the ingredients that are being used are inferior quality beans that don’t meet requirement for any of the coveted gourmet type coffees. Naturally, this in itself is going to affect the taste. Avid coffee drinkers believe that if you are using a good freeze dried instant , and your water is boiling hot when you add it to the coffee, you are going to enjoy a very good cup of coffee. Naturally, avid brew coffee drinks would be the first to say there is just no comparison.

Try going to http://www.coffeebeansroasting.com for more details regarding coffee, coffee growing, coffee brewing, coffee roasting, coffee types, etc

Author: Carl Da Costa
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Drinking coffee is as common as eating and has become almost a national pastime since it punctuates many important events such as dinners, banquets, socials, and home gatherings. Whole businesses are made around this product such as coffee houses, delis, bars and donut shops. Manufacturers would be lost without coffee beans to process into its many forms that include not only the hot beverage, but injected into other food items such as pies, cakes, icecream, energy drinks and smoothies. There is an endless stream of products that us some form of the coffee bean to enhance, flavor and provide a shot of caffeine to eager consumers.

With so much use of coffee beans over the last 50 years, there are many questions that are asked by consumers as to the use and/or abuse of the product. There are conflicting statements made by health professionals all the time as well. Research has been conducted while consumers continue to use the product in some form or other. There is no denying that coffee is a powerful manufacturing product because it is a favorite among people worldwide. Obviously, it is here to stay. But what about the many questions that are often asked about its use? Here are a few important questions and some answers given by coffee experts that may offer you some information when deciding whether or not to drink that extra cup of coffee or eat that coffee laden ice cream pie.

Q: Are all coffee products natural or are there any chemicals used to process them?

A: It is undeniable that many chemicals are used to process many gourmet blends and flavored coffees. Companies use propylene glycol to flavor beans after roasting. This chemical is necessary to inject various flavors into the beans. If you are looking to drink coffee or use coffee products without chemicals, you would best stick with organic coffee beans and do your own grinding and blending.

Q: Does decaffeinated coffee still retain some caffeine?

A: Yes, generally, all decaffeinated coffee still retains some caffeine although most is removed. Generally, between 97% to 99% of decaf coffee is without caffeine.

Q: Are chemicals used to decaffeinate coffee?

A: Yes, a solvent called methylene chloride is used to remove most of the caffeine. Another method is to wash away the caffeine with charcoal and water. There is some concern about whether or not the solvent is completely washed away before packaging or if some residue will be ingested by consumers. By using the Swiss method of removing caffeine by passing it through charcoal and water can alleviate concerns about chemicals. Obviously, you will lose some flavor by decaf methods. If you want to go completely chemically free, you can try an organic, green coffee bean that has not been treated that will give you as close to the taste of a ‘real’ cup of coffee as you will find, but with very little caffeine. It is also a bit more expensive.

Q: Is it possible to make low acid coffee if you have stomach problems from drinking regular coffee?

A: Yes, if you suffer from problems such as acid reflux, you can purchase some ‘low acid’ coffees, but there is a method called Toddy Cold Brew System that purports to make coffee with over 60% less acid than typical coffee. You don’t have to purchase processed low acid coffee which may also have chemical residues and may not taste as good.

Q: Could drinking coffee cause a heart attack?

A: There are many medical opinions on this subject and it is best to heed the general warning that drinking too much coffee is not good for anyone because it can cause general anxiety symptoms to worsen which cause the heart rate to go up sometimes. That said, a recent study also reports that drinking coffee in moderation can actually be good for heart health.

These are just a few of the questions that come to the mind of many coffee lovers who want to continue to enjoy their hot beverage every day if possible. Obviously, coffee in its many forms will continue to be a part of the worldwide culture. As with any beverage or food, its wise to consume in moderation without giving up one of life’s simple pleasures.

P.S. Orr has been writing articles for 6 years on a variety of topics of interest. Come visit the latest website at http://www.singleservecoffeemakerstore.com/ which helps people find the best deals on travel coffee makers and more information about gourmet coffee machines.

Author: P.S. Orr
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Everyday millions of people around the world begin their day religiously with a morning cup of coffee. Though today we easily identify coffee in its beverage form, it wasn’t always this way in the beginning. Throughout history, coffee has taken on several physical transformations, initially serving as an energy source when nomadic tribes combined coffee berries with animal fat as an early form of an energy bar. Later it was consumed as a tea, then a wine, and finally to the beverage we’ve come to identify today. Since the beginning, coffee has always been a product of great mystery, having been discovered accidentally in wild forests of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and consumed in its native cherry form, then later, passed through fire to significantly alter its chemical state. And although coffee has been in existence for thousands of years, its only been in the past half century or so, that scientists have been able to truly identify and understand what exactly is contained in this mystical bean. To date scientist have identified over 1,000 compounds in coffee, which when compared to products such as wine of chocolate that are composed of a few hundred, pale in comparison to that of coffee. Luckily through advancements in technology, much of coffee’s chemical make-up has been unlocked and we now have a better perspective on the chemistry contained within this mystical bean.

Caffeine

For many, coffee drinking is simply a delivery medium for a potent alkaloid we have come to identify as caffeine or technically as 1,3,7 – trimethylxanthine. Although caffeine is strongly associated with coffee, its production within the plant kingdom is not exclusive but is seen throughout several other forms of plant life. Mate, for example, which is traditionally consumed in parts of Uruguay and Argentina, contains less than one percent by weight. Whereas, tea leafs (Camellia sinesis) which originated in China, contain almost three times the concentration of caffeine than Arabica, with Brazilian mate almost twice that of robusta coffee. Turns out that Mother Nature was quite generous when it came to distributing caffeine amongst the plant kingdom. But for humans, caffeine is very unique. Thus far we are the only living forms on Earth that readily seek caffeine for both its stimulatory and psychological effects. For all other life forms, caffeine is a potent toxin capable of sterilization, phytotoxicity and antifungal properties. As such scientists believe that caffeine, with its intensely bitter taste, has evolved as a primitive defense mechanism in coffee ensuring its survival in the wild for thousands of years. It’s no suprise then, that the caffeine content of the more “robust” Robusta species is almost double that of the more delicate Arabica. The belief is that as insects attack the coffee cherry, they are deterred by the bitter taste of caffeine and simply move on to the next crop. Since Arabica is typically grown at higher altitudes than Robusta, where the attack of insects is reduced, Arabica has evolved to produce less caffeine.

Lipids

Lipid production and its subsequent survival after the roasting process play an important role to overall coffee quality. In general, most of the lipids exist in the form of a coffee oil and are located within the endosperm (bean) of the cherry, with only a small percentage deposited onto the outer portion of the coffee wax. Coincidentally, scientists have analyzed and discovered that much of the chemical make-up of coffee oil is very similar to that of vegetable cooking oils. As such, much of the lipid content in coffee remain unchanged and relatively stable even at the elevated temperatures associated with roasting. In its green form both Arabica and Robusta coffee contain on average 15-17% and 10-11.5%, respectively. But because Arabica contains about 60% more lipids than Robusta, many believe this stark difference is one reason responsible for quality difference between both species. Thus far, the claim has remained unconfirmed, until French scientists recently discovered a direct correlation between lipid content and overall cup quality. It turns out that as lipid content increases within the bean, so does overall cup quality. It’s a very plausible explanation when one considers that the majority of important flavor compounds in coffee are also fat soluble.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates make up roughly fifty percent of coffee’s total dry weight by composition. After roasting, remaining carbohydrates in the cup contribute to  mouth-feel or body, with some studies suggesting they are also responsible for the quality of the foam common in espresso beverages. Although there are numerous types of carbohydrates in coffee, perhaps the most important is that of sucrose. Sucrose, or more commonly known as table sugar, make up 6-9% in Arabica with a slightly less (3-7%) amount contained in Robusta coffee. During roasting, sucrose is readily decomposed and studies have shown that up to 97% of the initial sucrose content is lost even at light roasts. Its role during roasting is enormous with a large portion of the available carbohydrates participating in the Maillard and numerous others secondary reactions. One class of important byproducts created during roasting are those of organic acids. In its native green form, coffee contains negligible amounts of formic, acetic and latic acid. Though once roasted, there is a exponential increase in aliphatic acid production, along with a paralleled increase in coffee acidity. Since acidity plays an important role in assessing quality, it’s no surprise why see typically see higher levels of perceived acidity in Arabica coffee than Robusta, due in part, to its higher sucrose concentration. Coincidentally, in the past year Brazilian scientists have identified a single gene, sucrose synthase, which controls sucrose production in plants and may hold the key for cultivating higher quality coffee for years to come.

Proteins

Protein content for both green Arabica and Robusta coffee vary between 10-13% and exists as free or bound proteins within the coffee matrix. Although actual concentrations can vary, there are a number of factors that can affect free protein content, including improper storage which may increase free proteins levels and lead to detrimental effects on quality. During roasting, proteins combine with carbohydrates in what is perhaps the most important reaction for all thermally processed foods – the Maillard Reaction. These set of reactions, discovered by a French chemist in 1910, is what is largely responsible for transforming the mere handful of compounds found in green coffee to the complex matrix that coffee is today. As temperatures reach 150C (302F), the Maillard reaction propel free proteins in coffee to combine with reducing sugars, ultimately leading to the formation  hundreds of important aromatic compounds. Of these, pyrazines and pyridines have the greatest aromatic contribution and are responsible for the distinct maize/nutty aromas found in coffee. The reaction also leads to the formation of brown-colored polymetric melanoidins - the compounds responsible for coffee’s color.

Coincidentally, this is the same set of reaction that give rise to the alluring aromas we generate when toasting a loaf of bread or grilling a piece of steak. Although many of the byproducts created during the Maillard reaction are beneficial to coffee, in other agricultural products, these set of browning reactions can be a serious detriment to quality. In the cup, proteins also play a role in taste by forming secondary compounds during the roasting process. It turns out that the majority of coffee’s “bitterness” is not due solely to caffeine, but rather bitter compounds produced during the Maillard reaction. Caffeine, as intensely bitter as it is, accounts for only 10-20% of coffee’s total bitterness.

Joseph A. Rivera, is founder and creator – http://www.coffeechemistry.com – the largest coffee technical information portal for the specialty coffee industry. He is a frequent contributor and presenter for numerous trade publications and international conferences. He can be reached at jrivera@coffeechemistry.com

Author: Joseph Rivera
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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