Coffee

When you taste a really fabulous cup of coffee you can be sure that a lot of care and effort has gone into its preparation. Great tasting coffee does not happen by accident, but represents the culmination of preparation, cleanliness and meticulous brewing methods.

The starting point for great tasting coffee does not come from choosing the right blend of coffee or even the type of brewing equipment to be used, but in the quality of the water used and the cleanliness of the equipment!

As coffee is more than 98% water is should come as no surprise that the quality of the water has a dramatic impact of the quality of the finished beverage.

Freshly filtered water should be used when making coffee. Many domestic and commercial water filters and calcium treatment units are available and most do an excellent job in removing heavy elements, impurities and odours from water.

Be sure to draw a little water from the system first, and pour it away. Use fresh clean cold water for starting off the process of brewing your favourite beverage.

The equipment used to brew the coffee should be clean and free of coffee stains and grounds. Coffee contains many complex compounds that can go rancid when left on equipment for a while and will adversely effect the quality of the coffee produced.

Choose a good quality roast coffee bean to suit your taste and make sure you buy it in a sealed bag or container.

Avoid buying pre-ground coffee – it may be more convenient but it will start to oxidise the moment you open the packet and even if subsequently kept in an air-tight container much of the damage will have been done. The flavour of freshly roasted coffee can deteriorate remarkably fast and within a week or so much of the flavour will be lost.

Whole roast coffee beans will also begin to lose some of their flavour once the seal has been broken on the coffee bag, but so long as you keep them in a cool dry place, out direct sunlight and not open to the atmosphere they will stay fresh for quite a while.

For these reasons you should only grind as much coffee you need for the brew in question and not be tempted to grind more than what it going to be used immediately.

Don’t be tempted to store you coffee in the refrigerator as it may become tainted by the odours of other products.

The grind of the coffee is very important to the taste of the final coffee brew. Always follow the guidelines of the brewing equipment used and grind your coffee beans to their specification. Grind too large and the final beverage will be too weak, grind too fine and it may clog up the system.

Typically a standard pour and serve drip method coffee brewer should take between four and six munutes to complete the brew.

Keep your grinder clean.

Grind a little coffee and then discard it, this should get rid of any old stale coffee within the grinder that you cannot see or reach after cleaning.

It is best to wait until the complete coffee jug has brewed before serving. Typically a drip filter machine will produce slightly weaker coffee at the start of its cycle as it comes up to temperature and slightly stronger towards the end. All good things come to those who wait!

Why not take a at look at our Coffee Resource Centre on our web site to learn more about coffee and coffee machines.

Author: Fenton Wayne
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A coffee grinder is a must have for anyone who loves coffee, for two simple reasons:

1. Freshness
2. Control over the Coarseness of the Grind

Freshness

To keep coffee as fresh as possible you need to minimise its contact with air. Air is one of coffee’s worst enemies as it destroys delicate flavours by turning the natural oils present in coffee rancid.

If you have a coffee grinder at home you can grind your coffee beans as and when you need them. This preserves their freshness, as a whole coffee bean has a much smaller surface area than that of a ground bean and therefore is less exposed to air.

The actual process of grinding releases many of the coffee’s aromatics; as you grind you can smell this in the air. If you don’t quickly use these grounds then you are going lose this aroma and deprive your cup of valuable flavours. This is another good reason to only grind coffee on demand.

Control over the Coarseness of the Grind

Different coffee makers require a different coarseness of ground coffee. For example: an espresso machine, which has a short brewing time (less than 30 seconds), needs a very fine powder-like grind; whereas a cafetiere, which has a long brewing time (3-4 minutes), needs a much coarser grind.

With your own coffee grinder you get to control the coarseness of the grind as you can adjust the grinder’s setting. So if you find that your coffee tastes bitter, a result of over-extraction, then you can adjust the grind to a coarser setting; and if your coffee tastes flat, a result of under-extraction, you can adjust the grind to a finer setting.

Blade Vs Burr Coffee Grinders

Coffee grinders come into two categories:

1. Blade Grinders
2. Burr Grinders

A blade grinder works in a similar way to a food processor: there is a set of spinning metal blades which roughly cut through the coffee beans. The coarseness of the grind is determined by how long the grinder is left running. Coffee ground by a blade grinder is inconsistent in size as some beans will be sliced through more times then others.

Rather than chopping the coffee beans into tiny pieces, a burr grinder crushes the beans between two pieces of burred metal. A burr grinder produces a much more consistent size of grounds as the coarseness is controlled by how close the two pieces of metal are set to each other: i.e. a smaller distance for fine grounds and a larger distance for coarse. For this reason, burr grinders are far superior to blade grinders.

Why is Consistency Important?

The ultimate aim when making coffee is to extract the maximum amount of flavour whilst leaving behind bitter compounds and caffeine. This is why different coffee makers require a different coarseness of grounds. However, if your grounds are inconsistent then the larger particles in the grounds are going to be under-extracted, leaving behind flavour, and the smaller particles are going to be over-extracted, releasing bitter compounds and further caffeine into the cup. Unfortunately, the two don’t balance each other out; instead you have a flat, bitter coffee that will keep you awake for hours.

Choosing a Coffee Grinder

The coffee grinder you choose should depend on for what type of coffee maker you’re grinding the coffee. If you’re using a cafetiere or stove-top espresso maker then a hand grinder is perfectly adequate, although they do require plenty of physical effort to get results.

However, for an espresso machine a good quality electric burr coffee grinder is essential. As making an espresso is a pretty intense process (its all over in less than 30 seconds) the margin of error for the grind is very slim. This is why you need a grinder which allows for minuscule adjustments to be made so you can get the grind spot on.

James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee – UK based retailer of espresso machines, coffee makers, grinders and cups for the home.

View the original article in its context at: Guide to Coffee Grinders

Author: James Grierson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you’re looking for great coffee, freeing up space in the kitchen, and having the choice you want for your coffee.

So, here are some thoughts to consider:

1. are you looking for an improved coffee experience,
2. looking to save money, and
3. are you a regular coffee drinker (you want more than just a cup of coffee).

For improved coffee experience there are several things to consider – selecting the right roast coffee bean (for the flavour), setting the correct grind, and brewing for freshness. All of these are made easier by a grind and brew coffee maker. Its convenient and automated.

A built in grinder is capable of grinding up to 10 – 12 cups of coffee (for the regular coffee drinker). And the best units are able to keep the coffee hot for hours and not have it bitter or burnt.

By grinding fresh the roast coffee beans the aroma adds to the coffee experience, and the flavour is fresh as possible. The difference between the aroma of fresh ground beans compared with stale coffee is… immense. Your nose knows, trust it – you can tell the difference.

Freshness is lost when oxygen in the air comes in contract with the ground beans and oils. With a grind and brew coffee maker – there is minimal contact with air so the flavours are the freshest possible. The full flavour of the bean is released from grind, to brew, to your cup.

If you’re looking to save space in your kitchen then a grind and brew coffee maker is a good option to consider. With both the grinder and the coffee maker in one unit, you don’t need a separate grinder and a separate coffee maker, thereby saving space (and hassle). Also, you don’t need a separate filter as most of these coffeemakers have built in filters.

If you are looking to save money and you haven’t yet purchased a separate grinder yet – wait. For two reasons – better grind quality and savings.

The grinders used for grinding coffee beans should use a burr grinding mechanism to get the best flavour from the coffee beans. With grind and brew coffee makers the burr grinder is incorporated in the integrated into the single unit.. Other grinders may lack in this mechanism and as such may not serve the purpose appropriately.

In addition, you will save money by having the grinder as part of the coffee making appliance. This saving is even better if you are ordering online, as you will save in the shipping costs. This also applies to the coffee filter as well..

Most g&b coffee makers are automated. They have built in timers and other settings which enable you to have freshly brewed coffee just ready for you when you wake in the morning. Do you know what it is like to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee in the morning – next to heaven, and a great way to start the day.

So when is the best time to get a grind and brew coffee maker? When you are looking to replace your existing coffee maker (or looking to get your first) and you are looking for convenience, savings and a better coffee experience.

Greg Rogers is a coffee nut who just loves coffee. He’s used dripolators, plungers, on-cup coffee makers… etc, the lot.

For more information on what to look for in selecting a new coffee maker, go to GrindandBrew-Coffeemaker.com

Author: Greg Rogers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Jura-Capresso is a well known coffee maker manufacturer brand. It was formed by merger of 2 brands. The first is Jura AG Company (founded in 1931) from Switzerland which already had received many of awards in designs and performance. The second is Capresso Company (founded in 1994) from United States which is focusing in user friendly features, and energy saving developments. Today, Jura-Capresso becomes a famous brand which is not only focusing in coffee and espresso makers but also in coffee grinder manufacturer.

One of their products is Capresso coffee grinder. You can enhance your coffee flavor and taste with this device. By grinding coffee beans by yourself, you can get the freshest taste because bean form is better to prevent oxidation process with air rather than ground form. So, it is better if you buy coffee in bean form to maintain the freshness and grind it as much as you need when you need your coffee. If you buy coffee in ground form or grind more coffee than you need, make sure it is stored in airtight package or container.

Capresso offers three types of coffee grinder. There are:

Cool Grind Blade Grinder
This type offers the lowest price but has the fastest speed than others. As it names, it uses blades to chop coffee beans into ground form. This device is recommended for manual coffee maker users like Melitta, vacuum coffee maker, and Chemex. The weak point of this device is heat which is produced from the high speed of the blades. It can reduce taste and flavor of your coffee.

Black and Stainless Steel Burr Grinder series
Burr grinder uses abrasives parts to crush coffee beans into ground form. It gives you uniform coffee grounds size with lower speed and less heat than blades type. This type is recommended for percolator and drip coffee maker users. Stainless Steel Burr Grinder is also equipped with insulated lid to make less noise.

Conical Burr Grinder Infinity
This type has the most expensive price and the lowest speed than others. It gives coffee grounds in fine and consistent size. With gear adjustment, this device can give coffee ground with any texture you need, so it can suit with many type of coffee maker, especially for cappuccino machine.

You can either choose Cool Grind Blade Grinder, Black and Stainless Steel Burr Grinder, or Conical Burr Grinder Infinity series based on your needs and your coffee machine requirement. Capresso coffee grinder offers not only less noise in grinding process, but also easy to clean and high quality in safety standard. With good performance and those benefits are offered by Capresso coffee grinder, it absolutely can be a device you might consider to improve your daily coffee experience.

If you are interesting with this article, you might read more about Capresso coffee makers [http://www.one-cup-coffee-makers.us/capresso-coffee-makers] and Capresso coffee grinder [http://www.one-cup-coffee-makers.us/capresso-coffee-grinder] in one-cup-coffee-makers website.

Author: Steve Kokasih
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans is like no other aroma on earth. It is almost intoxicating, and certainly warm and inviting. That aroma that has an underlying nutty essence is unquestionably one of the most pleasant odors on earth.

That wonderful aroma is likely one of the reasons that so many people now own coffee bean grinders and grind their own beans to make every pot of coffee.

Grinding coffee isn’t a new thing. In the old days, people actually used a bowl and pestle to grind coffee as well as wheat and corn. Using a bowl and a pestle to grind coffee required muscle power and time…a lot of time. As mankind got smarter, hand grinders were invented that made the task of grinding coffee much less physically challenging as well as quicker.

Manual coffee grinders were used for many, many years. In most of the old western shoot-em-ups, if you look closely at the general-store scenes you will be able to spot an old-fashioned manual coffee grinder.

Mankind continued to progress. Electricity was harnessed and, of course, coffee grinders became electrified. The old-fashioned hand grinders and the more modern electric grinders operated on basically the same principle. There are two plates. One plate is stationary while the other plate is moveable. Coffee beans are routed between the plates and crushed or ground.

The best of the modern coffee grinders still operate on that same basic principle, but now the plates have burrs, which make the coffee grounds uniform in size. Burr coffee grinders are the best kind to buy, but they aren’t the only choice today.

There are coffee grinders that use blades that chop and re-chop coffee beans until they are chopped fine. The burr coffee grinders produce coffee that is more uniform than the blade coffee grinders.

CoFFee provides detailed information on Coffee, Coffee Makers, Gourmet Coffee, Coffee Shops, Coffee Beans, Coffee Cup and more.
For more information visit as on http://coffee.explore-me.com

Author: Miodrag Trajkovic
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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