Coffee

There is nothing like a delicious cup of Joe, but what exactly goes into a premium coffee blend? Many coffee roasters prefer to blend their coffee beans to create a completely new taste altogether, making it one-of-a-kind. When roasters blend different roast types, that enables them to marry together different aspects of flavor, aroma, and taste within one coffee roast.

For instance, some roasters may choose to blend a light and a medium roast to bring different flavors together that cannot be found in one type of coffee bean from a specific region. Oftentimes, a lighter roast will bring brightness and complexity to the table, and a darker roast will add more intensity to the complete flavor of the blend.

Another way to create a unique blend is to use flavor to produce flavored coffees. If you are going to purchase a flavored coffee, it is important that you know that it was created with natural flavorings without the use of harmful additives or chemicals. Flavored coffee became popular in the 1970s, and it has been a standout choice in coffee drinking since that time. The best part of all is that the average flavored coffee will not contain calories, sugar, or fat, so it is a wonderful way to enjoy a delicious coffee treat without packing on the pounds!

When a roaster is considering creating a blend of coffee, they will take into account what each roast has to offer. In general, a light or medium roast will offer a crisp and mild flavor, and it will have many characteristics from the origin in which it was grown. On the other hand, a medium to dark roast will be more intense, and because it is roasted for a longer period of time, it will also lose many of its characteristics from the region in which it was grown. A medium to dark roast will be fuller in body and have more intensity in its flavor.

From there, a roaster will decide the best way to blend these choices together to create a completely new flavor altogether. That is why it is always worthwhile to look into custom blended coffee to be able to experience something that you may have never before in your cup of Joe. Many roasters also look to pairing coffee with food, which provides an even better way to enjoy your Java. Overall, if you are looking to pair your coffee with your meals, then drink dark roasts with sweeter or richer foods, especially desserts. Lighter bodied coffees are more suitable with neutral foods because they bring a brighter taste to the palate.

Regardless of which way you choose to enjoy your coffee, consider a blend as an amazing way to sample the best of both worlds. Roasting is a process in which the coffee beans are brought to a high intensity so that the sugars are caramelized on the outside of the beans, which means that a light and dark roast will have something different to offer. Take your time to sample a variety of choices, or why not try a blend?

For the best coffee makers commercial with a great selection, check out Mark Ramos’ website, The Coffee Bump.

Author: Mark Ramos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Grinding fresh roasted coffee beans is done at the roastery by using a burr mill, which employs rotating elements to shear the beans; or else in an electric coffee grinder which uses blunt blades to smash the beans at a high speed. The type of grind used is frequently named for the method of brewing. For example, Turkish grind coffee is the finest grind; espresso is a fine-to-medium grind; and French grind is the coarsest. The grind which most home coffee brewing machines use is a medium grind. There are lots of methods for brewing coffee: it can be steeped, boiled, or pressured. The boiling method is the traditional way which has been used for centuries, and Turkish coffee is brewed in this fashion. Turkish coffee is made by pounding the coffee beans to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, and then this powder is added to water and boiled in a pot known as a cezve (briki in Greek). Turkish coffee has a strong taste and usually a foam layer on its surface.

Automatic coffeemaking machines and percolators employ gravity to brew coffee. Roasted and medium ground cheap bulk coffee beans are placed in a coffee filter made of perforated metal or paper, and hot water drips through the coffee grounds. As the water seeps through the grounds it absorbs the essences and oils of the coffee. The gravity flow moves the liquid down into a pot or carafe and leaves the spent coffee grounds in the filter above. In a coffee percolator the boiling water creates a pressure which forces water into a chamber located above the filter. Then gravity pulls the water down through the grounds in the filter. This process continues cyclically until a timer shuts it off. Typically a thermostat is used to turn the heat off when the percolator attains a certain temperature. The thermostat also turns the heat on again when the pot cools down (however the filter containing the grounds must removed to prevent additional brewing when the pot reheats). Gourmets tend to eschew coffee which has been reboiled.

A bean coffee company brews French grind by steeping it in a French press, or cafetiere. The ground coffee is combined with hot water in the coffee press and allowed to brew for several minutes. Then a plunger is depressed which pushes the coffee grounds to the bottom of the press. Since the coffee grounds are contacting the water directly, the aromatic oils in the coffee remain in the drink, making for a strong beverage with more sediment left in the coffee than an automatic coffee machine leaves. An espresso coffee maker forces hot (but not boiling) water under 10 atmospheres’ pressure through the finely ground coffee powder. This high pressure brewing produces a more concentrated beverage than gravity methods, containing as much as ten or fifteen times more coffee in the water. Espresso has a reddish brown foam known as crema which floats on top of the surface. Americano espresso is cut with water to make it less strong, the way Americans prefer it.

Espresso coffee made from fresh roasted coffee beans can be served in a wide variety of ways. It can be served black in small demitasse cups; or watered down in the Americano style in which a shot of espresso is placed in the cup and hot water poured over it. Adding steamed milk to espresso brewed from roasted cheap bulk coffee beans makes caf latte. A popular bean coffee company treat is cappuccino, made with foamed milk.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The social beverage of the world, coffee, is by far one of the most satisfying addictions one can have. That aroma of a fresh brewed cup of coffee can awaken the senses like nothing else. That first sip of sweet espresso or well made Turkish coffee can entice even the most devout coffee hater. Not any old coffee will drive men to tears over its savory goodness.

Choosing the right coffee blend is an art form. You can compare it to those who choose wines for gourmet dinners. Coffee is no different. Following are several tips to help you on the way to finding great coffee.

1. Do yourself a favor and avoid buying name brand coffee. All that you are doing is helping them pay for their substantial marketing machine.

2. Look for local roasters. They take great pride in their coffee beans and the roasting process. You may find a gem.

3. Roasting is one of the keys to a great coffee. Light roasts typically go way of being acidic in flavor. Dark roasts are more bitter and “full” or “medium” roasts are balanced between the two.

4. The higher quality coffee lends themselves to distinct flavors and sweetness regardless if they are dark roasts, medium or light roasts. A good bean roasted lightly will still be sweet with a touch of bitterness whereas a good bean dark roasted will be akin to a desert that contains nuts.

5. People like to think that certain countries produce different types of coffee. The best coffees produced tend to be suited to darker or lighter roasted coffees. Light to dark the countries are: Central America, South America and Caribbean, Africa and then finishing up with Indonesia and India.

6. Use coffee beans roasted for less than ten days prior. Older beans will simply taste like boring, unsweetened cocoa.

7. Grind your coffee beans minutes before actually brewing. This will give you the height of flavor and substance in your morning cup and make those gourmet coffee recipes shine above and beyond.

Arabica vs. Robusta

When you buy coffee at a Starbucks or online you will generally be buying Arabica coffee beans. Purchasing from a deli (typically an Italian-run one) will be a blend known as Robusta. Robusta is a bitter coffee with twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans.

Arabica is the choice of gourmet coffee drinkers all over the world. It is a subtle flavor that is sweet and nutty, but pleasant. Robusta is simply just too bitter and is really your grandfather’s blend and should be avoided for social coffee drinking.

All of this information is for naught if you do not get yourself a quality coffee maker in order to brew your favorite beverage. One-cup coffee makers are great because they keep your coffee fresh by the cup with no sitting around to get stale and lifeless. Espresso makers with milk steamers are great if you wish to experiment with your coffee. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine either. Go with the best that fits your budget.

Paul is a regular contributor to Coffee Maker Review is an informational website for Coffee Machines ratings and reviews, and provides information to the coffee club [http://coffee-club.org]

Author: Paul Simon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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For the most part, Americans stuck to a medium or dark roast, one size fits all kind of coffee through the mid 1980′s. It wasn’t until that time that the coffee craze began to catch on and people began to realize that there is life out there beyond a cup of Folgers’ coffee in the morning. In fact, broadening your coffee experience can greatly enhance your morning routine if you give it a chance.

One way that people are doing that is by roasting their own coffee beans. We’ve learned over the years that the fresher your coffee is the better it tastes in your cup. This doesn’t only apply to coffee that is freshly brewed but also beans that are freshly roasted, and then freshly ground. Your morning coffee is only as good as the beans from which it began its journey to your cup.

Roasting your own coffee beans in this country has become a hobby for many and a passion for some. While there are all kinds of gadgets and gizmos that enable you to roast your own coffee quite effortlessly, there are those that consider it not really roasting your own coffee if you are not suffering for the sake of your art. I, however, am not one of those people. I like convenience and am a member of the modern age of coffee drinking by choice rather than accident.

As a thoroughly modern coffee drinking girl of the new millennium, I am all for the convenience that certain coffee roasting equipment affords. This is not my first choice, however, for my first cup of coffee in the morning. The good news is that you can store about three days worth of roasted beans without worrying about loosing freshness. This means that those who aren’t quite prepared to get up early enough on any given weekday morning to roast their own beans may still have a great and fresh tasting cup of coffee.

I recommend that you do your research and find a coffee roaster that suits your style. If you are a god or goddess of domesticity then by all means go the old fashion route with a cookie tray and a preheated oven. If you are domestically reluctant you might actually do well with a mid range coffee roaster. If you are domestically handicapped however, you might want to look into the full service coffee roasters. These simply ask you how you want it and they make all the pertinent decisions.

Roasting your own coffee though is a great way to experience many different types of roasts in order to make educated decisions as to what your true favorite is when it comes to coffee. Roasting coffee is very different from adding flavor or drinking gourmet coffee. When you roast coffee you are literally affecting the bean of the coffee rather than simply adding something to the coffee. When you roast coffee yourself you are affecting big change in the flavor. It’s a great way to allow yourself to try new things if nothing else.

Roasting coffee truly is an art form to those dedicated enough to do it by hand. For the rest of us, there is wonderful equipment that can keep us on track and on target for a great cup of coffee that has been roasted to perfection at just the perfect degree for our delicate palates.

Coffee City | Offers extensive articles and resources on coffee, espresso, coffee beans, coffee making, etc.

Author: Mel Ng
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Everyone has had the Bad Coffee experience and not many of us are willing to try it again. Once you have had the Good Coffee experience there really is no going back!

Good coffee isn’t just as easy as percolating water through coffee grounds though. Bad coffee, of course, is really simple to make. But if you want the tastiest and freshest java for your morning wake up call, you need to take certain precautions before it even gets anywhere near your coffee mugs.

First of all, start with fresh cold water in your coffee machine if you want something delicious in your coffee cups. Steer clear of using water from the hot tap or water that has already boiled. For the best results in your coffee cups, fill your carafe with bottled or filtered water, especially if your home has old plumbing. Old pipes can leave an unpleasant flavor in your coffee mugs. This will also happen if you live in an area that heavily chlorinates its tap water or has very hard water.

The temperature of the water is also important to deciding what ends up in your coffee mugs. The best temperature for brewing tasty coffee is between 195 degrees and 205 degrees. If the water is too hot, it could leave a bitter taste in your mouth when you drink from these coffee cups. Water that is too cool, on the other hand, won’t suck out all of the flavor from your grounds, leaving no flavor in your mouth at all after sipping from these coffee mugs.

If you press brew your morning coffee cups, reach this optimal water temperature by letting your water wait for a moment after it comes to a boil. For your typical dip coffee machines, you can get a similar effect by pre-heating the pot. Do this by pouring hot water into the empty carafe, which will warm it, and then dump this water out to start brewing. This attention to detail will help to ensure that first mug of coffee is just what it should be.

Next, make sure you have the correct grind for your particular coffee machine. There is no, one all-purpose grind. You need to choose your coffee grinds from the two main groups, depending if you are using a press pot or an electric machine to fill your coffee cups. For press pots, you’ll want to grind your own beans for about 10 seconds in your typical, inexpensive blade grinder. This will leave your grinds at a medium to coarse consistency and make for delicious coffee mugs. For electric brewers and other drip machines, you’ll need to grind your own beans for about 15-20 seconds. This will result in a medium to fine grind, not to mention perfectly steamy coffee mugs.

There is nothing nicer after a hard days work to come home, put your feet up and relax with a delicious mug of coffee. Follow the simple guide above and be sure that what comes out your coffee mugs will hit the spot. Enjoy your coffee.

Lorna Mclaren had an information and resources website at http://www.alove4coffee.com where you can find information regarding coffee and its accessories.

Author: Lorna Mclaren
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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