Coffee

If your coffee maker goes out on you, or you simply want to try another method of fantastic coffee brewing, consider brewing a Turkish cup of Joe! This authentic coffee can be traced back all the way to the Ottoman Empire, and it is a staple of the Turkish culture today. Before you become overwhelmed or intimidated, know that brewing Turkish coffee is much easier than it looks, and it will provide you with a unique and one-of-a-kind brew product.

Start out by pouring cold water into a small Turkish coffee pot. Use 1 cup of cold water for each cup of brewed coffee that you want to create, and then add a half cup of water extra that will be boiled out in the brew process. It is best to start out with cold water for the best taste in your brew. After that, freshly grind your coffee beans to almost a powder, which is the consistency needed for authentic Turkish coffee. Measure out 1 teaspoon of fresh coffee grounds per cup of water, and stir well. Add cardamom pods to the mixture for authentic flavors.

From there, add 1 tablespoon of sugar for every 2 teaspoons of coffee grounds in the mixture. It is important to add the sugar before the brew process to provide the correct Turkish flavor and taste in the brew. Place the pot on the stove over low heat, and gently bring it to a boil. Make sure that it does not boil over, but allow the froth to rise to the top of the pot. Pour this mixture into small Turkish cups until they are a third full.

Last of all, place the pot back on the stove on low heat, and allow it to again come to a boil to create foam. Pour the foamed coffee into each cup evenly so that each Turkish coffee contains froth. Allow the coffee product to settle for a few moments so that the fine coffee grounds can move to the bottom of the cups, and then drink right away for a fresh and delicious Turkish coffee flavor. This is a coffee that is not strained or filtered, and it provides even more depth and complexity to the brew product because the essential oils of the coffee beans will remain in the final brew.

Since this coffee has sugar while it is brewed, there is no reason to stir it. Stirring the coffee will only move around the coffee grounds, so it is better to leave it untouched when you drink it so that the coffee grounds can settle to the bottom of the cup. It is best to enjoy this authentic Turkish coffee with medium roasted coffee beans that have been freshly roasted. For an even fuller flavor in your coffee, you can use a handheld coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to grind the beans into a powder. Take the time to try different consistencies in the texture of your Turkish coffee for a delicious flavor and taste in your brew!

Another popular accessory for coffee is the commercial coffee maker! For a great selection, check out Mark Ramos’ website, The Coffee Bump.

Author: Mark Ramos
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.

Find commercial coffee machines [http://www.cofcaf.co.uk/catalog/index.php] at [http://www.cofcaf.co.uk/catalog/index.php]

Author: Adrian Adams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee beans are not beans at all but the seeds from the fruit of a coffee plant. There are two ways to remove these seeds, which are wet and dry extracting. Coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world passed only by petroleum. It is also the most popular beverage.

Types of Coffee

The two main coffees grown for commercial use are Arabica and Robusta coffee. For a gourmet coffee, Robusta does not fit everyone’s taste. Having double the caffeine of Arabica coffee, it lacks the aroma or taste. Arabica gourmet coffee is a superior grade coffee with fabulous aroma and a wonderful taste.

A gourmet coffee pod is a pre-packaged, pre-measured amount of sealed coffee that you drop into your coffee pod maker and just add water. In 30 seconds, you are drinking a fresh, perfect mug of gourmet coffee. No measuring of coffee necessary so this makes them very convenient and fast. Once the gourmet coffee is finished, simply throw the pod away. There are also tea pods for all the tea lovers that work the same way as the coffee pods.

When you get up in the morning, the very last thing you want to do is get out a filter, measure your gourmet coffee, measure the water and wait for the coffee to brew. This is almost torture for a person that cannot function without their first cup of gourmet coffee. Coffee pod makers are a wonderful invention that allows you to have a fabulous cup of gourmet coffee in 30 seconds. You fill the coffee pod maker with water, put a coffee pod in it and push a button. There are coffee pod makers that only make a single cup or some that make several cups. Half a minute later, you are drinking your rich, frothy gourmet coffee. Coffee pod makers are stylish and sleek and look great in a kitchen or breakfast nook.

Flavors of Gourmet Coffee Pods

You can get gourmet coffee pods in several brew strengths such as mild, medium and dark roasted. Although this coffee may cost a little more, it is well worth the extra money spent. Gourmet coffee pods come in many different and unique flavors and sizes such as 14 pod bags and 50 pod boxes. Here are some of the many flavors available:

o Caramel nut crunch

o Chocolate cappuccino

o Mocha cinnamon

o French vanilla

o Hazelnut

o Swiss chocolate almond

o Almond

o Chocolate mint

o Peppermint

o Express

o Irish cream

Gourmet coffee pods are also available in decaffeinated. If you are one of those people that cannot open their eyes or function before they have their first cup of coffee, then a coffee pod is the way to go. By the time you put your gourmet coffee pod in the coffee maker and push the button, it is time to drink your first mug of coffee and wake up to the wonderful aroma and taste of gourmet coffee. Life is great.

Know more about coffee and get to know the exciting facts of coffee. Visit us at Gourmet Coffee Machines

Author: Joseph Then
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Over the years of being in the coffee industry and hanging around “coffee geeks” I’ve heard just about every form of coffee misinformation and lore known to man. I’m not exactly sure where it all originated, or why for that matter. These myths always gave me a good chuckle, but as of lately I have been encountering these imaginative illusions on a much more frequent basis. I went from having a chuckle, to being slightly annoyed, to downright frustrated. It’s time to set the record straight on some of the most commonly circulated coffee myths.

Myth: Storing your coffee in the freezer will keep it fresh.

Fact: This is absolutely false. Coffee’s big enemies are air, moisture, and time. If coffee is stored in a freezer, moisture or condensation can form on the beans, which can start the extraction process prematurely. In addition, coffee, just like baking soda can absorb odors right out of the fridge – destroying it’s natural flavor profile. (Gross!)

Regardless of what you’ve been told, coffee has a short lifespan after roasting. Once roasted, it starts going bad (the same way food does after it is cooked). In-general coffee needs to “rest” in it’s sealed air tight bag for about three to four days after roasting so it can release CO2 caused by the roasting process. Once the coffee has rested, it reaches it’s “peak” flavor profile. If it is stored at room temperature in an air tight bag it can stay at peak flavor for about a week. The older a coffee gets, the faster it goes stale and loses it’s intended flavor profile.

It is said that coffee can stay fresh in it’s original unopened air tight bag for about two months. HOWEVER, once the bag is opened and the coffee is exposed to air; it will go stale rapidly (usually in two or three days).

Myth: Espresso comes from a specific type of coffee bean.

Fact: There is no such thing as an “espresso bean”. By tradition, espresso is defined as: “A strong coffee, brewed under pressure, and served immediately to its intended consumer.” In practice, however, we use a more strict technical definition. Below is the definition created by the World Barista Competition.

“An espresso is a one ounce/30 ml liquid including crema, brewed using an appropriate and consistent amount of ground coffee at a temperature between 195-205 degrees F where the machine brewing pressure is between 8.5-9.5 atmospheres of pressure. Extraction time must be between 20-30 seconds, and the beverage should be served immediately.”

Myth: Bold (darker roasted) coffee has less caffeine than medium to lighter roasted coffee.

Fact: This one can be difficult. It really depends on how you measure the caffeine. When coffee is roasted the beans lose some water content (somewhere in the 20% range give or take a few percent). At the same time it is losing weight it is gaining size. This leads to a situation that makes this one a bit tough to explain.

Assuming all other variables are the same, if you measure by weight you actually have more caffeine in dark roast because the water loss is faster than the minimal caffeine loss during roasting. If you measure by volume you have less caffeine because the beans expand as they roast. This seems to confuse some people so let me restate the above. If you measure your coffee using a scoop you will have less caffeine per cup using dark roast coffee. If you measure your coffee by weight you will have more caffeine per cup using a dark roast. The difference one way or the other is small.

Roast magazine published an article about this a while back stating: “Popular lore has always been that the darker the roast level, the lower the caffeine content. This is not really the case, as caffeine changes very little during the roasting process. Caffeine has a very stable crystalline structure with a boiling point above 600 degrees Fahrenheit, far above roasting temperatures, which rarely exceed 470 degrees Fahrenheit. This means there is very little change to the caffeine during the roasting process.”

Myth: “Fair Trade” coffee is the only coffee grown and sold using sustainable practices.

Fact: This is a very common consumer misunderstanding. Think of fair trade as “minimum wage”. It is a benchmark that guarantees farmers no less than a minimum designated “floor price”. There are actually far better fair and sustainable prices paid to growers under “Direct Trade Certification”. Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, North Carolina paved the way with their Direct Trade Certification program that guarantees growers at least $1.60/lb. for green coffee purchases, a minimum price that exceeds the Fair Trade Certified floor price by 19%. While $1.60/lb. sets a new, higher standard for green coffee purchases, they usually pay more than this minimum price for most Direct Trade Certified coffees, not including the additional financial premiums paid for exceptional quality.

“Myth: The best coffee in America comes from the Northwest.

Fact: This is rather subjective. A number of America’s most famous coffee companies originated in the Northwest (i.e. Stumptown Coffee, Starbucks and Seattle’s Best). All of which had a giant affect on the industry and established a “Second Wave” in coffee. That said, formidable coffee cultures have risen all over the U.S. with a focus on the “Third Wave” of coffee. (“The Third Wave of Coffee is the genesis and establishment of coffee growers, coffee roasters and coffee retailers that are focused on achieving the highest form of culinary appreciation of coffee.”)

Some of the most prominent “Third Wave” coffee companies are based in Chicago, New York City, North Carolina, Oregon and California. Recently a number of new small artisanal coffee shops and roasters have been rapidly taking off in cities you wouldn’t expect. Atlanta, Austin and Dallas in particular.

Myth: “Java” is a universal name for coffee.

Fact: This is false. For some reason, virtually every food writer refers to coffee as “java” at least once in coffee related articles. Java is simply an Indonesian Island that coffee happens to grow on. Coffee that comes from this Pacific Island IS known as Java, however coffee that does not originate on this island should not be referred to as “Java”. Does this remind you of another popular beverage?

(For more on up-and-coming Third Wave coffee cultures check out this article: http://texascoffeecollege.posterous.com/dallas-fort-worth-the-next-coffee-mecca-2

To find more from Tom Vincent or to learn more about coffee education, barista training, and coffee company consulting – check out Texas Coffee College (http://www.texascoffeecollege.com) or follow Texas Coffee College on Twitter (@TXCoffeeCollege).

Author: Tom Vincent
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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