Coffee

There was a time when I thought all coffee was basically the same. Sure, you could add milk to it and get what people today call cafe latte, or make it strong and then it was espresso, or just use instant. In fact, instant was what I drank for many years. To me, that was coffee. I did keep some ground coffee for an old percolator I had, just in case guests might want it. Looking back, I truly did not know what I was missing. It wasn’t until a dear friend of mine rejected my stale, generic coffee. I thought he was a bit of a snob, but it made me think. I looked into coffee and it became an exploration and journey that opened up a whole new world for me, the world of delicious, delightful coffee. I learned to differentiate between types and blends and processing of coffee, of roasting and preparation, and of gourmet flavored coffee beans that can add so much to the enjoyment of this most wondrous of beverages.

Once I realized that instant coffee really wasn’t the real thing, no matter what the TV commercials said, I experimented with different ways of brewing coffee. I tried different types of automatic and semi-automatic coffeemakers. I fell in love with the simple elegance of the French press with its simple plunger system but also experimented with a variety of other systems. I initially bought coffee that was already ground, for no other reason than that I had unpleasant childhood memories of mom making me grind coffee beans in an old hand-powered mill. I hated it. However, I found that I was quite particular in the way I liked to have my coffee ground. It had to be just right, not too coarse and not too fine.

I also began to appreciate the many different types of gourmet coffee beans from all over the world. A lot of people still think that coffee is coffee, and it’s either black or with milk or cream, I think coffee is really more like wine-no two types and roasts are the same. After you’ve sampled imported coffee beans from various countries and regions, you begin to appreciate the subtle and not so subtle differences. Likewise, there’s a huge difference between light roasts and dark roasts. Did you know, for example, that lighter roasts actually have more caffeine, and that the way coffee is stored also makes a difference?

These days, coffee has become a hobby and passion for me. I love exploring various flavors. Yes, you can get toasted cinnamon pecan flavored coffee beans, or white chocolate, or raspberry almond, or pralines and cream. Or all sorts of Italian espresso. Or special private blends from specialty coffee places on the web. The Kona blend gourmet beans I get from my favorite place are out of this world. And when I feel adventurous I may sample coffees from Jamaica, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia or Costa Rica. Some of the Central and South American coffee growing countries offer delicious shade grown and organic coffee beans, and I also keep some decaffeinated blends for when I feel like having a cup at night before I go to bed.

Amazingly, gourmet flavored coffee beans aren’t even that expensive. The better supermarkets in my area actually often charge more per pound than the online gourmet discount coffee bean places, without having nearly the same selection and quality.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Gourmet Coffee Beans

Author: Chris Robertson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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You rely on coffee to get your day started, depend on it to keep you going during the day, and love to finish your evening meal with a cup. However, you are stuck in a rut buying the same old brand from your supermarket, without giving much thought to what you really want from your coffee. If this sounds familiar you might want to consider spending a little time exploring the many types of coffee available today, and choosing a selection to suit your particular tastes.

Some useful ingredients for coffee tasting at home include a good supply of filtered water as tainted water can spoil the best coffee, a tray designed to take several small cups or bowls, some measuring spoons, and a variety of spoons. You will also need a burr grinder if you want to use whole coffee beans. It can be worthwhile trying different grades of fineness as well as different types of coffee to see which you prefer. However, you can buy different grinds to determine your favorite if you don’t want to invest in a grinder.

When preparing the coffee, remember that the water should be just off the boil. Boiling water will scald your coffee beans ruining their flavor and aroma. One cup coffee makers or other types of quality coffee machine can ensure that the water is of exactly the right temperature. For tasting, however, you should simply mix the coffee grinds with the boiled water, and either filter after a couple of minutes, or spoon off a sample of coffee to try. You will need roughly two tablespoons of coffee to each six fluid ounces of water but you can vary this combination to achieve a stronger or weaker effect.

Before tasting you should breathe in the aroma of the coffee, a large percentage of the taste is actually in the smell. Make sure the coffee is not too hot when you take it in your mouth, and allow the liquid to run over your whole tongue, covering all your taste buds. Keep the coffee in your mouth for a few seconds before spitting into a container.

Given the different climates and soil types involved in producing coffee, as well as the variety of methods of preparation, it is not surprising that there are such variations in coffee types. Try coffees from a number of countries, in different parts of the world. Variations between African and South American coffees are staggering.

Learn about the profiles of the coffees you enjoy. What is the acidity? What kind of aroma does the coffee have? How bitter is the aftertaste? Is there a nutty flavor to the coffee? Is there a peppery taste, or perhaps a floral one? Try light and dark coffees, rich, smooth and sharp coffees to gain a real understanding of your own preferences.

Spending some time learning about the various coffees available and the particular types that appeal to your taste buds can make coffee drinking a real pleasure. Given the amount of coffee most people drink during their working week, it is surprising how few know very much about the drink. Coffee tasting can be a great way of entertaining friends, while learning a little about your likes and dislikes at the same time.

Johnathan Bakers regularly edits web pages on problems related to roasting. You might discover his abstracts on one cup coffee makers at http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com and various other sources for one cup coffee makers information.

Author: Johnathan K. Bakers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Peru is the third largest South American country and the world’s sixth largest coffee producer. Almost 90% of all Peruvian coffee produced is exported and it is one of Peru’s major exports.

Because of the mild nature of most coffee produced by Peru, it is used primarily for blending, French-roast and as a flavored-coffee base. However, Peru’s Central Region in particular, has gained recognition as a high ranking producer of quality, certified organic coffee.

Peru’s coffee and agricultural producing regions include the Northern, Central and Southern Regions. They are situated in the heavily forested north-eastern slopes of the Andes. The coffee growers are small farmers who produce a mild Arabica, with exceptions among farmers who are devoted to producing organic coffee only.

A formidable obstacle to any agricultural production is the challenge of the Andes mountains, the lack of good transportation networks and the complex Amazon River basin system. Such challenges add to the production costs and make coffee farming more complicated in Peru than in other countries. The good news is that coffee producers, coffee exporters and the government are working together to improve the image of Peruvian coffee worldwide. One can say with confidence that the future looks bright for Peruvian coffee.

A few interesting facts about the Peruvian coffee regions,

Northern Region: The largest coffee growing areas in this region are Jan, Bagua, San Ignacio, Cajamarca, Piura, Amazonas and San Martin.

• Coffees from this region are typically the most unreliable and difficult to categorize. This is the newest area to produce coffee, with the highest number of uneducated coffee farmers and traders, and the biggest distance from Lima. Clean northern coffees have a smoky, earthy flavor and are the mildest of Peru. There are, however, some northern coffees that have a superb full body and delicate sweetness as well such as from the Cajamarca area.

Central Region: This region is well suited for coffee shade farming techniques. Many coffee growers follow sustainable agricultural practices and they adhere to organic fertilization and weed control methods which are very good for the environment. The most established coffee farming areas in this region include Villa Rica and La Merced.

• The peak harvest in the Central Region is usually a few months apart from the peak harvest availability of washed Central American coffees. This gives Peruvian coffee producers an advantage in coffee markets although weather fluctuations often have unpredictable effects that can change the supply and demand quickly.

Southern Region: This region includes the smallest coffee growing area of Quillabamba with towns such as Ayacucho, Cuzco and Puno.

• Puno coffees are full-bodied and very citrus-like tasting. Unfortunately, their production is very low per year and they are very rare due to their remote location on the high Bolivia-Peru border. Cuzco is one of the oldest and largest producing areas of Peru. Cuzco is also home to the famous Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Cuzco coffee offers fruity acidity and it is among the most consistently balanced Peruvian coffees.

What about a delicious cup of Peruvian Shade Grown Organic coffee?

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “The Gourmet Coffee Guy.” He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com
Also visit: http://www.squidoo.com/coffee-lensography-TheGourmetCoffeeGuy

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee Around the World

Coffee plants are grown throughout the world in areas that have moderate rainfall and nearly year round sunlight. Areas such as Africa, Arabia, South America and Southern Asia are well suited for growing coffee and are notable for their large plantations. Other tropical regions such as Hawaii and Jamaica are known for smaller yields of high quality beans. There are only two different species of coffee beans that are used to make beverages, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is considered the better tasting coffee and accounts for about 75 percent of the world’s coffee production, but it is more difficult and expensive to grow. Robusta, is less expensive to grow and can thrive in areas that Arabica cannot be grown, but it is considered to have an inferior “bitter” flavor.

Mexico & Central America

Mexico began exporting coffee in the late 1800s. The majority of coffee produced in Mexico is exported to the United States. Unlike many regions of the world, most of the beans grown in Mexico are grown not on large plantations, but small family operated farms. Although smaller than Mexico, Guatemala is also famous for its coffee production. First cultivated in the nineteenth century by German immigrants, Guatemala is considered to produce some of the finest quality coffee beans due to the optimal climate and excellent soil that is found on the southern slopes of the country’s volcanoes. Most other Central American countries also produce at least some coffee including Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Jamaica must also be mentioned as the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is produced there, and is considered by many to be one of the finest coffees in the world.

South America

The climate and geography of South America, especially the mountainous areas, lends itself well to coffee production. There are a number of regions in South America known for their coffee plantations. Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee in the world producing over twenty million bags of raw coffee beans a year. The country has a long history of coffee production and has grown and exported Arabica coffee beans since the 1700s. Both Venezuela and Columbia are also major South American producers of coffee. Although not as well know as the traditional South American coffee producers, Peru is home to numerous coffee plantations, and is becoming known as a producer of both “generic” and high quality coffee beans.

Asia

Vietnam has become a major producer of coffee in the last few decades, producing nearly six million bags of coffee a year. The climate of Vietnam is not optimal for the more delicate Arabica coffee plants, so the majority of the coffee grown in the country is the hardier Robusta variety. The large islands of Java and Sumatra also both produce significant quantities of Robusta at their lower elevations and Arabica can be successfully grown at the higher elevations of the volcanoes and mountains. Other coffee growing areas in Asia include Timor, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and India.

Africa

Africa was the original home of Arabica coffee plants, and a number of African countries still produce coffee for export. Ethiopia, considered by many to be the first site that coffee was cultivated produces around four million bags of Arabica coffee beans each year. Coffee exports are particularly important to Ethiopia and other poor African countries and brings in much needed hard currency. Africa is a large continent and due to the variety of climates and geographical features, it includes many different types of coffee plantations. Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya all grow mainly Arabica coffee, while Madagascar and Tanzania grow a mixture of both Arabica and Robusta depending on the local climate and soil. Cameroon produces mainly Robusta, although some Arabica is grown there.

If you like coffee, you probably have a coffeemaker! If you have a coffeemaker, you have probably broken the carafe at some point! If this happens, you don’t need to buy a new coffeemaker, just a replacement carafe! To find out what carafe fits your coffeemaker and other coffee information visit Replacement Carafe Net!

Author: Felix J. Sheffield
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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