Coffee

Probably the most common coffee makers are drip coffee makers. Drip coffee makers tend to be considerably less expensive and easier to use than espresso maker coffee machines and come in a host of sizes, styles, color schemes and designs. You should have no trouble finding one that suits your kitchen if you take the time to shop around. Statistics indicate that automatic drip coffee machine sales are approximately 14 million on average.

One of the most prominent automatic drip coffee machines is “Mr. Coffee”. Other highly regarded brands include Cuisinart, Black & Decker, Proctor-Silex and Braun.

Drip coffee makers function by the passing of water through a filter containing an amount of ground coffee. There are two basic filter types for these types of machines, permanent and paper.

Both types of filter can affect the taste of the beverage. Paper filters are disposable, whereas permanent filters are.. well permanent in that they do not need replacing. Permanent filters are usually metal can accommodate coarser grinding of coffee beans than is required in a paper filter.

The features of automatic drip coffee makers vary from model to model depending on how high a particular model sits in the market. Higher end models take care of all the preparation that is needed to go from beans to cup – grinding the beans to brewing the coffee at pre-specified time intervals. Lower end automatic drip coffee machines have a filter basket, water reservoir and warming plate that keeps the pot heated at all times. Most of these coffee makers have a handy filter basket that can be swung or lifted out and have a single control to switch the power on or off.

Some additional features that are included in some models are digital display and/or control panel, timers, clocks, indicator lights, a brew-pause function, automatic shut-off and permanent filters.Higher end makers also include flavor settings, built in grinders and water filtration. Basic single cup machines are offered as well as coffee makers that can handle anything up to 12 cups!

Essential, Commonly Asked Questions (and Answers)

What is the ideal brewing temperature?

General consensus is 200 degrees, although coffee machines in public restaurants do often prohibit temperatures getting this high due to liability risks. If brewing at home it is often a good idea to experiment with different temperatures and test the results.

What are the crucial quality factors affecting a cup of coffee?

There are a number of things that can have an effect on the quality of the final brew. The main factors are quality of coffee beans, time since beans were roasted, the cleanliness of the equipment and quality of water used in brewing.

What is the best way to clean my coffee makers?

You should ensure your coffee machine is cleaned properly on a weekly basis in order to guarantee the quality and taste of coffee brewed and smooth running of the machine. Several common methods have been proposed by various experts. Some suggest using dish washing liquid and water, others mixing a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water through the brewing cycle, followed by plain water to remove waste buildups.

Are you able to use espresso beans in drip coffee machines? Sure. So resolve this for me… where did the term “Cup of Joe” really come from?

Legend has it that alcohol on ships was outlawed by Admiral Josephus Daniels, resulting in sailors drinking coffee as their beverage of choice. Other people will tell you the name is derived from 19 century slang for coffee referred to as “Joe” back then.

Visit our website to learn much more about drip coffee makers, espresso makers, office coffee machines and many more types of coffee machines. Espresso Makers Online.

Author: Charles R. Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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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Ganoderma coffee is known as gano healthy coffee because it combines the effects of normal coffee with the health benefits offered by Ganoderma Lucidum, a fungus of the mushroom family that is grown in China and Korea. Also known as Reishi and lingzhi, this fungus offers a large number of health benefits, and people drink it for exactly that reason.

There are a number of species of ganoderma that have been used in traditional Chinese and other Asian traditional medicine for many centuries, although it is on the Ganoderma Lucidum species that we are focusing on here in its specific usage with coffee to form the drink known as ‘Gano healthy coffee’.

Reishi contains a number of terpenoids antioxidants along with polysaccharides and the trace mineral organic germanium, and the coffee it is used in as a delivery system contains a lower level of caffeine than standard ground coffee. In addition to its strong antioxidant properties, it is highly supportive of your immune system, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antidiabetic and helps to lower your blood pressure and reduce your blood cholesterol levels.

Add to that the strong antioxidant properties of regular coffee, and you have a potent healthy drink that thoroughly deserves the name bestowed on it of ‘gano healthy coffee’. The fungus is generally accepted as one of the most highly respected medicinal mushrooms and is believed to be the oldest mushroom used in traditional medicine. It has been subject to many scientific analyses to determine its constituents, and also tested for its effectiveness in treating the medical conditions for which it has been widely acclaimed throughout the Orient.

Germanium is a mineral that enhances the oxygen uptake of your blood by over 50%, and it not only improves your circulation, but has been used to prevent pains in the legs and extremities during exercise. Healthy coffee with added Ganoderma offers an energy boost several times that of ginseng and similar herbs. People drink Ganoderma coffee for that and a number of other reasons. By combining low caffeine Brazilian coffee beans and Ganoderma Lucidum, you end up with a drink that offers all the benefits of real coffee without the side-effects of caffeine, along with the added benefits of Reishi.

Gano healthy coffee is one of the healthiest drinks you can consume, and the ideal solution for coffee drinkers that want all the health benefits without drinking excessive caffeine. You can give yourself a great energy boost without getting hooked and lying awake half the night and getting the caffeine shakes in the morning. The negatives of coffee are largely removed and replaced with the benefits of the Chinese magic mushroom!

The benefits of gano healthy coffee to your circulation and heart were briefly touched upon above but let’s look at these in more detail. One of the properties of a strong antioxidant is its ability to destroy free radicals. These are small highly reactive oxidizing agents that are generated during the body’s metabolism and cellular respiration, and also from exposure to pollutants such as traffic and industrial emissions, tobacco smoke and also to strong sunlight.

These free radicals, such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, oxidize the LDL cholesterol in your blood that then deposits on your arterial walls to form plaques of cholesterol that gradually build up to block your arteries. This causes strokes and heart attacks, each of which can be fatal. The antioxidants contained in coffee beans and in Ganoderma Lucidum destroy these free radicals and prevent this from happening. They can also lower your overall cholesterol levels, and the anti-inflammatory properties of gano healthy coffee help to overcome the inflammation that can lead to serious conditions such as some cancers, serious allergies and asthma.

The polysaccharides and triterpenes in Ganoderma help your liver to rid your body of toxins, and coffee drinkers in general have been found to suffer fewer liver problems that those that do not drink it. Your liver is your body’s main detox plant, and the combination of the Reishi and coffee is a very powerful one in keeping your blood pure and free from unwanted toxins.

While both coffee and Ganoderma Lucidum are very powerful antioxidants, antitoxins and anti-inflammatories in their own rights, when combined they present a powerful cocktail of health-giving substances that has long been recognized as second to none in its effect on your liver, heart, blood and many other organs of the body.

Few would disagree that people drink Ganoderma coffee – the so-called gano healthy coffee – to help them live healthier and longer and the science of today certainly appears to support them in that use.

Further information on Gano Healthy Coffee can be found on http://www.healthy-gourmet-coffee.net where you will also find information on various other forms of coffee and also the coffee makers used to produce the perfect drink.

Author: Peter Nisbet
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The history of the French press coffee maker may give you an idea of the reasons for its growing popularity. The French press pot has a history of brewing the richest coffee most people have ever enjoyed.

Starting in the mid 1800′s balance brewers and vacuum pots were introduced. Although plunger or press brewing systems existed, the ability to make a tight enough plunger/filter was not there. Consequently the coffee was brewed accompanied by grounds in the cup. It wasn’t until the 1900′s that the press pot started to increase in popularity and show up in stores. Later in the 1900′s stainless steel pot and filter were introduced.

The best press pot coffee is made with freshly ground coffee. Your choice of coffee grinder can make the difference between a superb cup of coffee and a so-so cup of coffee. With the coffee press pot, you want large chunks of coffee as opposed to the fine grind of espresso. The proper grinder will give you an even grind and will make the coffee the same size, consequently each morsel will react in the same way to the water and the process.

If the coffee is too finely ground, the press is much more difficult to operate. Most coffee reviewers will recommend a cone type grinder to achieve the even course ground coffee you will enjoy in your French press pot. Other types of grinders will produce uneven grounds and ultimately cause grounds to be the last swallow of that cup. That is not what you are trying to achieve. Sludge free coffee is much more enjoyable. If you don’t mind a little sludge in the bottom of your cup, you can purchase a less expensive grinder. Don’t buy cheap, buy quality.

Another consideration is the filter that you use. There are nylon filters and metal filters. The metal filters will require a course grind of your coffee, similar to coarse pepper from a pepper mill. The nylon filters can better handle an uneven grind or one that is actually too fine for the best taste from the French press coffee maker.

While shopping, consider the coffee you purchase and the water you use. The coffee you use should not be freshly roasted. Because of the carbon dioxide present in early roasted coffee beans, the amount of foam will be larger and therefore go over your filter causing a bit of sludge in your cup of coffee. The larger your pot, the more foam will be produced and consequently the more grounds you will have in your finished product. Not good.

If the water coming out of your faucet tastes terrible to you, so will your coffee. Areas of the country with strong sulfur taste or other undesirable tastes will want to use bottled water to achieve the best tasting coffee that has ever traveled over their lips and taste buds. You would not invest in a French press coffee maker and fine coffee beans and ultimately skimp on the quality of water that you use to brew the pot.

For more help finding the best drip coffee maker and to find additional information on the Braun coffee maker visit our site today.

Author: Norman Burr
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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