Coffee

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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How to make the best cup of coffee

Who doesn’t love a hot cup of coffee? First thing in the morning, it is just about the only thing that can kick start your day and on a cold day, it is the perfect beverage to warm you up and keep you going. It gives you a boost in the afternoon, and completes an evening meal.

Coffee is consumed more than just about any other beverage in the world, and the choices that you have are almost limitless. Flavored, regular, Columbian or Arabica beans, hot, iced, latte or espresso, there are so many different ways that you can prepare the perfect cup of coffee. You may be astounded at actual amount of choices that you have.

You can purchase your coffee ground or whole bean, however for the freshest flavor, it is recommended that you purchase whole bean because coffee looses its flavor slightly after it is ground. It is also recommended that you store your coffee beans in a cool dark place however not in the freezer.

Along with the choices that you have in choosing the perfect coffee, you may also be astounded at the many methods of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

Percolator, automatic drip, single cup, multi cup and gallons at a time are just some of the choices that you have when you brew your coffee. There are many different coffee brewers on the market today and many people think that you have to have an expensive coffee station with fancy attachments that do everything under the sun to brew the perfect up of coffee. When in reality, it is all in the preparations that you use to brew your coffee.

There are guidelines that you can follow to brew the perfect cup of coffee every time, and the amount of coffee that you use differs with the type of coffee you purchase, and most coffee stations have the capacity to brew twelve cups of coffee at a time.

Water – ALWAYS use cold spring water to brew your coffee

Flavored coffee – use 3/4 cup of fresh ground flavored coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot of coffee

Regular coffee mild roast – use 3/4 cup fresh ground coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot of coffee

Regular coffee medium to dark roast – use 1/2 cup of fresh ground coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot coffee

There are many ways to prepare your coffee, whether you like it black or with cream and sugar, the perfect cup of coffee is not the difficult to make.

Paul is a regular contributor to Coffee Maker Review a website all about coffee makers. They review the top brands including senseo, Krups and Bunn Coffee Maker Review

Author: Paul Simon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When you want to get the best of your coffee then you should know about the different blends of coffee. You should also understand about acidity, aroma, bitterness, and nuttiness. Knowing these differences will make a big difference about how you pick your coffee.

There are many different types of coffee from all over the world. Coffee tastes differently from each of the different countries. Some of the most well known coffees are from Columbia, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauna Loa, Europe, and Italy.

Columbia is known for their coffee. The best coffee in the world comes from this country and they are the second largest producer of coffee in the world. Columbian coffee is sweet and light and available in blends that are supreme and excelso.

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world and has been for over one hundred years. Brazilian coffee is famous for the wonderful blends.

Mexico produces coffee beans that are considered to be light and delicate. Some people say that the coffee in Mexico is very acidic and noticeable. However, it is enjoyed by many people.

Indonesian coffee is another well known blend because they are the fourth largest producer in the world. The coffee in Malaysia is brewed in a muslin bag that filters the grounds. Malaysia is known for an extremely strong cup of coffee. Thailand is known for fabulous blends of coffee also that is enjoyed when it is poured over ice.

When you are thinking about coffee you should consider the differences in the different blends. You should consider the acidity of the coffee. If you cannot handle the acidity then you might not want to consider a blend from Mexico because they tend to be very tart and acidic. The roast varies with the beans the most.

Some people choose their coffee based on the aroma of the beans. Coffee from Kona has a fruity aroma. Columbian beans have a strong aroma to them. The aroma of the coffee beans is very important when you are choosing which coffee you will drink. You can get a good idea how the coffee will taste by the smell of the coffee beans.

When you are checking out coffee beans then you also want to think about the bitterness. Many people say that you can put an eggshell in the coffee grounds when brewing coffee to take away the bitterness from the blend. However, if you properly choose your coffee beans then you won’t have to worry about taking away the bitterness. Arabica coffee is known to be extremely bitter. The bitterest coffee blend is the Robusta. One way to figure out the bitterness of the coffee is that you can swill the beans in your mouth and taste any bitterness.

As a coffee lover, you should know the differences of the coffees from different countries. You should also know the type of coffee it is that you favor the most. You should know if you are looking for an acidic, aromatic, or bitter blend of coffee.

Paul is a regular contributor to Coffee Maker Review, an informational website for Coffee Machines ratings and reviews so the customer can choose the Best Coffee Maker

Author: Paul Simon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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