Coffee

It’s amazing really how many people love to drink coffee, yet settle for the inferior taste of instant or pre-bought grounds.  While coffee that has already been milled is certainly a step in the right direction, it is a far cry from actually grinding your own.

Only by grinding coffee beans yourself can you ensure a more flavorsome, richer tasting cup of coffee every time.  So, if you love drinking coffee and you want to improve the taste then you need to invest in a dedicated coffee grinder.

The reason is perfectly simpe.  Coffee you buy, either instant of pre-grounded is likely to of already been compromised.  You see, coffee doesn’t react very well to air exposure.  In fact the longer the grounds have been exposed to air the greater the chance that they will have oxidized.  This can result in a very bitter tasting experience and is less than ideal.

The answer is to swap grounded coffee with actual coffee beans and grind them yourself.  The outer-shell of the bean is completely sealed, resulting in perfectly fresh coffee grounds every time you mill your own.

Unfortunately there are a few different types of coffee grinders that we need to analyse before you pay a visit to the local store.  That said, any coffee grinder will produce a much better tasting cup of coffee than any pre-purchased ground coffee. 

Those of you looking for a comparison, here’s what you need to know:

Crusher Style Coffee Grinder:

Works by attempting to compress the coffee beans into grounds.  Although this method does work, it’s not ideal as the grounds tend to be irregular sized and therefore not suitable for making Turkish style coffee that is extremely fine.

Blade Style Coffee Grinder:

Rotates very fast, and much like a juicer slices the coffee beans repeatedly to achieve grounds.  Again, this method isn’t ideal as although the grounds are more consistent than that produced by a crusher grinder they are still not completely uniform.  Also, these types of grinders can be very noisy.

Burr Style Coffee Grinder:

If you’re serious about making decent coffee, then a burr grinder should be the choice you make.  Available in two forms the flat base burr and the conical burr offer any coffee lover the ultimate way in preparing amazing tasting coffee.  They work by grinding the coffee beans between two steel burrs that can be manually adjusted to the desired height to suit almost any coffee recipe you care to make.

The main difference between the two apart from the shape of the burrs is that the conical is able to rotate at far slower speeds.  This is important, not only because the grinder with not be as noisy, but because the potential for heat-build-up is dramatically reduced.  The faster a grinder rotates the more friction is produced; this in turn means more heat is omitted that can be passed directly to the coffee grounds potentially ruining the brew.

Therefore, if you can afford the modest investment of a conical grinder, your coffee will taste better for many years to come.

There is no doubt that conical burr grinders offer any real coffee lover the chance to experience better tasting coffee. For more information, including a must read review of the highly touted Kitchenaid coffee grinder make sure you visit us today.

Author: Robert Funge
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are different types of addiction, and as far as medical science is concerned, none of them are good. If you’re an addict, you can either be addicted to smoking, drinking or even using drugs. But what is addiction, really? The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defined addiction as the “persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful”. Addiction is a clinical disorder. Shall we then consider the persistent and compulsive drinking of coffee an addiction? To all coffee lovers, rest assured that it is not an addiction, nor is it a clinical disorder, and it is not detrimental.

Today, coffee is one of the widely known and drank beverages in the world. In early societies, coffee was part of religious rites and ceremonies, making it sacred and its consumption limited to important people only. In the latter days, coffee even became part of political activities. At present, coffee is an important good widely exported throughout the world. It is actually counted as the seventh largest agricultural product, in value.

There is more to coffee that meets the eye, or rather the nose and the tongue. Before we are able to serve, inhale the aroma and drink it, where did the product come from? The beverage was actually a result of several processes. It is not as if the coffee we drink can just be picked from the tree. Coffee berries, contrary to what many think, actually tastes sweet when ripe. These berries are removed of their fleshy part and the beans are fermented. They are then washed to remove dirt and then dried. The next step is the roasting of the beans. This is an important step owing to the fact that how the coffee is roasted affects the taste when brewed. Short roasting time results in a bitter, stronger flavor and more aromatic essence.

Even in everyday life, coffee has been a part of most people’s lifestyle. Much like ancient times, coffee now serves like a personal religion. It is a part of the morning ritual in starting the day. Taking a sip of the warm exquisite drink heightens the mood and helps the person feel wide awake. Of course, we must give the credit to the essential ingredient of coffee which is caffeine. During social gatherings or business meetings, people tend to lighten up and ease the tension away with the help of the mere presence of coffee. It seems like a magical beverage! Even at simple friendly get-togethers, people talk “over a cup of coffee”.

Walk around the plaza and you won’t miss a coffee shop. Coffee is no longer a fad, but became a necessity for people all over the world! More and more people feel the need to utilize the wonderful flavor of coffee. It is not surprising, therefore, to find out that there are actually more than a hundred coffee combinations around the world. Among the hundred others, however, we have the top five most popular varieties: espresso, cafe latte, cafe mocha, cappuccino, and of course, the instant coffee. Espresso is not a coffee combination, for it is actually the pure coffee, which is in fine powder form, subjected to hot (not boiling) water under high pressure. It has a thicker and denser liquid compared to the usual brewed coffee and it is measured in shots when served. It functions as a main component in coffee combinations.

Café latte literally means coffee with milk. Latte is the Italian word for milk, so if you order latte in an Italian coffee shop, you will most likely be served just a glass of milk and not the usual cafe latte you are expecting. This beverage is composed of one third part espresso and two thirds milk. It is served with a thick layer of foamed milk, usually a third or a fourth of an inch thick.

Café mocha is almost the same as cafe latte, only instead of the thick foamed milk, chocolate syrup or powder is added. Likewise, cappuccino is a combination much the same as café latte, only having a thinner layer of foamed milk on top.

But who would ever forget the most popular type of coffee served? Instant coffee is something that you would see in every two households out of three. No wonder coffee is one of the most popular drinks ever!

Maryrose Jairene Cruz is a freelance writer for more than 2 years, accepts article writing projects in bulks or individually.
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Author: Jairene Cruz
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you like coffee you might agree with this ” A perfect cup of coffee is dependent on 1) coffee and 2) coffee maker”.

Choosing good quality coffee preferably whole beans, marks the first step to making a good cup of coffee Making sure that the water temperature is right for brewing and adding suitable amount of water to the coffee will impact on the aroma of the coffee that is going to be served.

The task of choosing a coffee maker thus seems to be important since the coffee maker will affect the brew. Interestingly, for the same beans that are used, the coffee that is brewed taste different. I’m saying this out of experience. The two different types of coffee maker that are available in my office produces different tastes of coffee though they use the same beans. Interesting? How could this has happened? The extraction of coffee from coffee grounds or beans by different coffee makers affect the flavor and taste of the coffee.

The most basic type of coffee maker is the automatic drip coffee maker. It is simple to use. Coffee grounds are put into a filter funnel and then water is boiled and flows through the funnel. If you are someone who like things simple and hassle free, you might want to go for this conventional and reliable type of coffee maker. Most such coffee makers in the market offers an automatic turn off safety feature and a pause and serve feature. Prices for such coffee makers are around the range of US$60 – US$140 dependent on the brand and model. The normal capacity is between 8 – 12 cups.

If you like to have a bit more options in customizing your cup of coffee you might wish to go for a coffee and espresso combination machine. These types of coffee makers offer more variety in the type of beverages that can be made from regular coffee to latte and espresso. Prices are steeper, starting from US$200 onwards. When choosing such a machine, you might want to consider the features such as the grinder, milk frother, good bean hopper, strong pump. If your skills in coffee making are good, you might want to choose a manual machine. If not, an automatic machine will help to save the trouble but give you a good cup of coffee.

Different brands of coffee makers are available in the market and as a conscious consumer looking for good value, it is important to consider the reliability of the machine and the reputation of the manufacturer other than price and functionality. When you are embarking on the journey to get the right coffee maker, why not keep these pointers in mind?

Coffee Maker Wizard offers reviews of coffee makers and coffee tips.

Author: Anne Lim
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The first step in creating incomparable coffee in your home of office is to grind the coffee beans yourself. Freshly ground coffee has had less of a chance to oxidize, and thus the flavor is preserved. If you’ve walked past a busy coffee shop, you’ll notice the strong aroma of freshly ground and prepared coffee. Nothing beats it, and this freshness contributes to the flavor of the final cup.

Finding a coffee grinder that will prepare the quality beverage you’re after is another matter though. It helps to understand the different types of grinders available, as they produce quite varying qualities of brewed coffee.

There are three ways to grind coffee. Blade grinders, which chop up the coffee beans, are the most common in home coffee grinders. They have advantages in that they are longer lasting, and quite cheap to buy compared with other grinder methods. But this trade-off is apparent in the type of ground coffee they produce.

One of the key principles in producing quality coffee grinds is that the size of the grind is even. Unfortunately, blade grinders don’t perform well here. They produce both large and small particles of coffee, as well as a type of ‘coffee dust’ that can clog up sieves in French presses and espresso machines. The coffee they produce is generally poorer in quality because the lack of uniform particle size means that the brewing method selected is unable to work optimally. Some of the coffee beans will be perfect for it, and thus the full flavor will be extracted, but a lot of it won’t, as the beans are too large or small.

Whilst the effect of coffee grind particles that are too large may seem obvious, in that flavor is left in the ground, a grind that is too fine will also contribute to poor coffee. Bitter coffee results when the surface area has been exposed to hot water for too long.

By far the best method for most types of coffee is the burr grinder. These grinders are used in coffee shops, and they produce a very even grind. There is a range of settings that can be used, so that espresso, French press, drip coffee, and percolators can be used to make the final cup. Burr grinders have another advantage in that there is less heat to change the taste of the coffee bean. Blade grinders tend to produce more heat.

The third way of grinding coffee is particular to making Turkish coffee. A very finely ground coffee is needed, and only very good quality burr grinders are able to do this. The alternative is the old fashioned mortar and pestle!

The best type of coffee grinder is the conical burr grinder, but these are also the most expensive. What is best for an individual’s needs will depend on how much they love their coffee, and their budget.

For an unusual addition to your kitchen, try an antique coffee grinder. For more coffee help, click here.

Author: Rebecca Prescott
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Knowing how to make French Press coffee means knowing how to make what is probably the most robust, the richest coffee in the world. Ah, French means the spice of life, no? Mon Dieu, knowing the secrets of how to make French Press coffee shall surely lead to le bon vivant!

In truth, while it sounds like it must be a complicated, rocket-science type thing to know how to make coffee in a French Press, it isn’t. French press instructions are very simple, and using the French Press to make coffee is fun. It’s like the French kiss… simple, but first you still need to know what you’re doing and what’s required of you.

The biggest manufacturer of the French Press equipment is Bodum. The French Press is sometimes known the “press pot” or often times just “plunger”. When you begin to make French Press coffee, you will need a tea kettle in addition to the French press.

The first part of knowing how to make French Pressed coffee is selecting really good coffee to begin with. As with most coffee brewing methods, any coffee can be French pressed. But, if you’re using an exceptional brewing method, don’t you want to use a better grade or blend of coffee than you would choose for everyday automatic drip coffee? Of course you do.

“City blend” or “French roasted” coffee beans are usually among the best with a French coffee press, because they are a darker roasted variety of coffee bean. Vietnamese or other Far East Asian coffees (they were taught by the French and Dutch colonialists a few centuries ago and they have arguable the best coffee-growing geophysical conditions on the planet) are also good choices.

As a rule of thumb with brewing any and all coffee, you should buy your own beans and grind them yourself. If you can’t grind your own beans, or perhaps just don’t feel like doing this step, buy small, vacuum-sealed bags of coffee.

Assuming, though, that you’ll grind your own beans, know that a coarse grind works best in the French press coffee maker. Too fine a grind will result in sediment in your finished cup of coffee. A coarser grind will allow the filter to screen out unwanted particles, and ensures total separation of the liquid from the sediments.

Now, the next step preparing French Pressed coffee is estimating just the right proportions of coffee to the water. Simply use 1 level tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water. This will produce a very strong coffee, if you prefer a milder taste, just adjust the coffee down to 1 tablespoons. Experiment to see how you prefer your pressed coffee. And for the purest taste, always use the highest quality water available, filtered or bottled (not distilled) water is best.

Take your teakettle and fill it with cold, filtered water. Bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, take it off the heat and pour it directly onto the grounds in the French press coffee maker. Immediately put your lid on the pot, but wait for 3 – 5 minutes, allowing the coffee grounds steep before you depress the plunger. This will ensure that the coffee will exude all of it’s very best flavor first.

There is nothing like the aroma of French pressed coffee steeping.

You will see that the coffee grounds expand or “swell” during the steeping process. After you have allowed the grounds to steep for up to 5 minutes, gently push down the French Press plunger, and watch as the mesh filter pushes the coffee grounds to the bottom to separate the liquid from the grounds.

Voila! You know how to make coffee using a French coffee press! There is no going back once you have experienced how easy and truly wonderful this coffee making method can be.

Betty Ziegler is the editor of http://www.espresso-and-coffee-makers.com where you will find coffee maker reviews and even more information about using a French Press coffee maker here: http://www.espresso-and-coffee-makers.com/fpa

Author: Betty Ziegler
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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