You Can Roast Coffee at Home!

If you are interested in a more hands-on coffee drinking experience, then why not try roasting coffee beans at home? This is not as complicated a process as you may think, and you can also buy small home roasters that are affordable and easy to use. Otherwise, you have the opportunity to learn how to home roast coffee in a number of different methods, including with a hot air popcorn popper, on the stovetop, or even in the oven.

Again, many of these methods are quite simple to try, especially using a hot air popcorn popper. This will provide an even roast to the beans, and there are also small coffee roasters for sale that work in the same manner. Using a hot air popcorn popper will take less than 10 minutes, and it provides an even roast to the beans without burning them.

One of the main benefits to home roasting coffee is the sweet fragrance that it will provide to your home. If you are roasting a lighter roast for your coffee beans, then you will be pleased with the subtle aromas that are characteristic to the region that the beans were grown in. If you are roasting a darker roast, then it will have a smokier charcoal smell to the beans. It is always best to roast in a well ventilated area or on a porch to prevent excessive smoke within your home.

Keep in mind that roasting coffee beans will produce chaff, which is the skin that is removed from the beans during the roasting process. It is important to collect this chaff to prevent a mess, but if some gets ground up with your coffee beans, that is not a big issue. To begin roasting at home, make sure that you are completely organized in the process. You need items to cool the coffee beans after they have been roasted, such as a colander, so make sure that you have all of your supplies on hand before you get started.

There are many different methods that you can use to roast, and it can be simple or quite complicated, depending upon your goal. It is relatively easy to roast on the stovetop, or you can also purchase a professional roaster to cultivate different flavors and tastes in the beans. Make sure to always clean hot air popcorn poppers and roasters well to remove the essential oils of the coffee beans that can easily build up. One thing to keep in mind if you decide to use a hot air popcorn popper to roast is that it completely voids the warranty when you use it for that purpose!

When you begin roasting, you can expect the beans to turn from green to yellow and have an astringent aroma. The beans will soon start to steam, and you will hear them crack, which signifies a lighter roast. When the beans get to the second crack, that will offer a darker roast and have a deeper and smokier flavor.

By Mark Ramos

Coffee Filters - When They Aren't Just For Making Coffee

Obviously, coffee filters come in various shapes and sizes. If you have lots of them at home, there's no need to throw them out or to leave them forgotten in a cupboard. Filters are among the most useful items you can find at home.

Cleaning Agents
Filters are great for cleaning glass utensils and windows. This is because they are lint free and leave no streaks. They also work well however for cleaning spills on table tops and dust on electronic cables. They can even effectively clean and absorb oil and dirt from human skin.
Small Holders
They can be used to hold a variety of things. Coffee filters are especially useful for holding or serving small snacks during kids' parties. They can however also find their way to the garage where they can be used to conveniently organize nails, screws, bolts and other small handyman items.
Art Materials
Filters are often made of paper. That means they would be perfect for arts and crafts projects for little kids. They can be used for cutting and pasting figures or for applying paint.
Household Tools
Filters have a lot of other uses at home. The most common include serving as deodorizer and rust protector. Baking soda can be placed in filters and positioned in cabinets to absorb odor. They can also be used to absorb moisture in iron skillets to prevent rusting.
There are many other creative ways to use coffee filters. Because they are cheap and made of paper, you should never let them go to waste. Thinking of other ways to put them to good use can help protect the environment.
By Niki Rome

What You Need to Know About the Coffee Espresso Machine

It should come as no surprise that untold numbers of people are coffee lovers or (dare I say it?) fanatics. And is there a greater way to indulge in a coffee obsession than through the use of a coffee espresso machine? Really, the only problem is that there are so many good ones, so it can be hard to choose.

For our purposes, there are usually three categories in which these machines fall. For starters, you have what's called the "fully automatic" maker. Like the words say, machines of these types do pretty much everything for the coffee fanatic. All he or she has to do is fill it with water, coffee and the like and just put the setup button.

A second category is a part manual - part automatic machine. In these machines, part of the process involved in getting the coffee down and into your cup is automated, but the best feature is that a maker such as this gives you the ability to control the coffee extraction process more fully than in a completely automated coffee espresso machine.

Most "true believers" (i.e. coffee lovers of every stripe) prefer instead to go for the totally manually-operated espresso machine. These are stripped down to a handle press and not much more, but there's something sublime about controlling every aspect of taking the coffee from base product to finished nectar, I think.

Now, as far as which manufacturers make a good coffee espresso machine, well...there are a number of them. In some instances, the machines they offer can run thousands of dollars in price. However, for our purposes, you'll find that even the commercial mainstream makers put out great product. Companies like Krups, Bosch, Capresso and several others can deliver the goods in any way a coffee lover would appreciate.

So what to look for in a coffee espresso machine, then? Well, if you want something that's fully automatic look for a machine that has an integrated burr grinder and a bean hopper that can hold a lot of product. It should also come equipped with a heater of high wattage, a good high-pressure pump and the ability to schedule regular cleaning cycles. And never forget the frother to make a good latte.

Good partially-automatic coffee espresso machines all come with quality components of stainless steel, larger boilers and also quality portafilters, to start. The most favored machine by enthusiasts in the know - the manual - tends to deliver both simplicity and quality in an attractive package.

Go with one in stainless steel or chrome for durability and the fact that there's no interaction in any meaningful way with the coffee and the water. To me, plastic and very hot water or coffee should never mix together, for obvious reason. I mean, who wants a heaping helping of polyvinyl chloride with their caffeine fix?

While there are plenty of people out there -- in a pinch -- who are willing to settle for a cup of java straight from the fast food restaurant tap, most real coffee lovers want only the very best coffee espresso machine in their own homes or apartments. Get the best machine you can afford, and you'll find that the initial investment will pay big dividends down the road as you continue to enjoy top-quality coffee for many, many years.

By T. W. Guerra

Capresso Coffee Maker - More Than Meets the Eye

There is one coffee maker that a lot of coffee lovers trust, and that's the Capresso coffee maker. Every model of Capresso released by the esteemed company has been especially built to provide great coffee with every cup.

These coffee makers promise not just good-tasting coffee but coffee that tastes as great as if you bought it from your favorite café. That's why Capresso coffee machines can be found not only in homes but also in restaurants and cafes. And homemakers take delight in the fact that now, with a Capresso coffee maker, they can start brewing great café-quality coffee at home.

What You Can Get from Capresso

Capresso may not be one of the longest running producers of coffee machines, but that doesn't stop it from proving that quality is more important than a long history. Sure enough, even as a new entrant, with top-quality products, the company was able to line itself up among the ranks of greater and older machines manufacturers in the market. Established in 1994, the company has produced a heap of coffee maker models, and every single one of them was designed to brew richly flavored coffee conveniently.

Their best offer is the exceptional taste of the coffee produced by a Capresso. But aside from providing such wonderful coffee, Capresso machines are also packed with great features and other special traits. Capresso machines are built to last a long time, so once you buy a coffee maker with the Capresso name on it, you're sure to have a lot of cups of great coffee for a long time. The machines also have a brewing capacity that can fill every last drop of craving for coffee you might have.

Their machines are also very easy to use and don't need much effort from users. Most of their models come with features such as backlit LCD displays, charcoal water filters, and digital timers that can be programmed so the coffee maker can just start brewing coffee at the right time to finish brewing at the exact same time when you need a fresh cup of coffee off the pot.

You will also come across a Capresso machine that comes with a packaged grinder so you can just put in beans and let the machine do the grinding, then the brewing. Some models also use thermal pots instead of glass carafes. These thermal pots are very helpful in keeping coffee warm for a longer time. A lot of homemakers consider this as excellent offerings from the great brand.

Another excellent add-on to Capresso machines is the water filter. These filters are specifically added to ensure that the water used in brewing coffee is clean, safe, and tasteless. Any taste that the water, especially chlorinated water, may have might interfere with the taste of the brewed coffee, and with the help of effective water filter, a Capresso coffee maker can retain the pure, unadulterated taste of good and real coffee. Also, Capresso has some large-capacity coffee makers.

To help you get your cup of coffee anytime you need it, the machines also come with the very useful pause-to-serve feature, which allows you to pause the brewing cycle so you can pour yourself a cup right when you need it. So now, with a Capresso coffee maker, you can have good coffee not just anywhere, such as right at home, but also anytime.

Quality both Inside and Out

To top off all these great features, like icing on a cake, Capresso coffee makers are designed with sleek external designs and styles. They use mostly black and silver as the main theme of their coffee makers. These colors tend to give off an air of elegance and class as well as depict a modern look for the coffee machines.

But the best thing, of course, is that these great-looking machines don't just look good. They work as impressively as they look. This is because the design also has something to do with the great results offered by Capresso. As a case in point, Capresso models use special cone-shaped filters which originated from Europe. These filters don't look that way just out of aesthetical consideration. They were specifically designed that way to provide an extra guarantee that the coffee of flavor is thoroughly extracted.

Also, the powerful-looking aluminum casings of the coffee may play a big role in making the coffee makers look great, but their real purpose is to keep dirt away, so you won't need to do a lot of maintenance cleaning. If you are on a quest to find your perfect coffee maker, the impressive looks of Capresso coffee makers will surely attract you, but don't worry. With a Capresso coffee maker, there's more than meets the eye. Just imagine how much more that can be.

By Mark Van Tuel

Coffee: What Are The Health Benefits?

If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis. This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that fix in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Here is a statistic to ponder: did you know that there are over 160 million coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In terms of consumption, the average American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But consider this: the world leader in terms of consumption is Finland which comes in at nearly 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!

Another statistic is that there have been well over 19,000 studies done to analyze the effects of coffee. Now, studies can often be skewed to show whatever the author wants, but here is what is generally agreed: consuming 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is often considered more beneficial than harmful. Recent studies have shown that moderate coffee drinking can reduce the risk of colon cancer (due to it's ability to keep you regular), gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver and more, due to the fact the it is loaded with healthy antioxidants. So loaded, that studies have implied that coffee contains higher levels of antioxidants compared to other commonly consumed beverages, such as tea and fruit juice. Coffee has joined the ranks of red wine and chocolate as a guilty pleasure that may actually be good for you. As much as it is a great way to get that “fix” in the morning, recent studies have shown that coffee has been found to be rich in antioxidants and contains hundreds of pain-relieving and anti-bacterial compounds. Although one should not drink coffee with wild abandon, it's comforting to know that maybe that cup or two in the morning may be good for you. Several studies are also being conducted on Parkinson's and diabetic Patients. Research has shown that just one cup of coffee per day can halve your risk of Parkinson's, the brain disease that causes tremors and affects movement. Caffeine may protect the brain cells typically lost to Parkinson's disease. However, it has been noted that women on hormone therapy do not seem to benefit. It is felt that Estrogen may dilute the effectiveness of caffeine. It has also been found that if a woman drinks three cups of coffee a day, she can reduce her risk of Type 2 Diabetes by twenty to thirty percent. Coffee may help promote the delivery of insulin to the tissues. Experts believe that coffee's antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine acid, deserve the credit. There are also on going studies that are producing favorable reports on coffee helping to fight Alzheimer's due to the caffeine stimulating the cognitive area of the brain. This is just the tip of the ice berg.

People with asthma who drink coffee can have up to 25 percent fewer symptoms because one of the compounds in coffee - theophylline - acts as a bronchodilator. A recent Brazilian study showed that consumption of coffee promotes better sperm mobility - and now studies are in progress to determine whether caffeine can help infertile men. Coffee contains polyphenols, substances that may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary artery disease. Caffeinated coffee, as opposed to decaffeinated coffee, makes you a better thinker. Studies have shown that coffee keeps you focused, particularly when you are doing not-so-pleasant work. A researcher with the U.S. Army stated caffeine improved scores on a range of cognitive tasks, such as decision making, learning, and attention in the sleep-deprived. Coffee can also boost your mood, probably by making you feel more energetic. A little known fact is that coffee contains antioxidants which have been shown to imporve oveall health. Here is a short list of some benefits which have been shown to be present in coffee:

Reduce symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Antibacterial ingredients

Reduce the risk of developing gallstones

Preserve mental accuity

Reduce risk of developing type 2 Diabetes (if you have diabetes, reduce your consumption

If you are free of hypertension, coffee will not likely produce it

Headache relief

Reduce the risk of some types of cancer

Improve physical endurance

By Aaron Matthews-Morgan

Does Coffee Have Any Antioxidant Benefits?

Before we get all excited over the recent news about coffee being our new antioxidant, we need to take a look at the entire picture. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? If there is, how exactly is coffee an antioxidant? Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us?

Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.
For years and years we've heard bad things about coffee. For example: it's bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don't just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.

Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.

Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You'll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn't like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?

Coffee alone isn't the antioxidant, it's several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it's bad for YOU personally. If you can't get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can't sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.

Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it's the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.

By Aaron Matthews-Morgan

The Best Way To Store Coffee Is To Go "Green"!

The best way to store coffee is a question that is always on coffee aficinados' mind, but one that is seldom "tackle". Think about it, in most coffee maker reviews, you have the best brewer, best grinder, best roaster and so on, but have you ever heard of a best container?

Folks all over the world are looking for the freshest brew, but not a lot of people are concerned about storing the coffee, which is actually a key element in the coffee experience. Unless, you have access to a coffee store near your house, and would never buy more than that day consumption. If not, you would definitely have to store the coffee.

So, what is the best way to store coffee? Remember the coffee freshness rule and you would know how long you can store that "coffee". Raw green coffee beans can be fresh for years, so they are the easiest to store. Roasted beans, which are what you can easily find in Supermarket, would lose their flavour after a week.

And if you were to ground the coffee, the flavour would be lost within hours. And you probably can forget about keeping brewed coffee as it begins to lose its flavour after minutes.

Based on the above, the easiest to store would be green coffee beans and personally, I think they are the best way to store coffee. All you need to do is to store in a cool location, in a tightly sealed container and you can keep it for more than a year!

Sure, you need to purchase a roaster and a grinder in addition to your coffee maker but you would not have to throw away any unused coffee and you would have the freshest coffee.

For roasted beans, it is similar to green beans, store in an airtight container and try to use ceramic as plastic or metal would contaminate the taste of the beans. Keep away from sunlight and try to store in dark places. This allows you to keep the beans fresh for at least 2 weeks.

And if you really want it to keep a longer time, keeping in the freezer can probably last for another 2 more weeks. To use it, just take it out and grind. Do take note that it is to keep in the freezer and not the fridge, never keep coffee beans in the fridge as it would simply absorb the odour of the other food and spoilt your coffee...

If you really want to store the roast and ground which cannot be store past a few days. Keep it with a good airtight container and away from the sun. This would allow the freshness to stay for a week. For the ground, freezer cannot help much as the surface area is too wide and it would still go stale.

If it is not green beans, the coffee beans would not last more than a month. To me, the best to store coffee is to go "green", however, let me go through the savings and convince you on this as well!

1 kg of Green beans can last you probably for a year and cost about $25.00. Assuming you have a fully automatic espresso machine which comes with a grinder, you would be buying roasted beans. You would have to buy them every month and it cost about $15.00 per 100g.

In one year, your roasted beans would cost you $150.00. So, between the roasted and the green coffee beans, that is a savings of $125.00. Sure, you have to get a roaster, let say you get a "Fresh Roast" roaster for $70.00, you still have a savings of $55.00.

Now, would you not agreed with me that the best way to store coffee is to go "green". Storing the Green coffee beans allows you to buy coffee in bulk (get discount from bulk purchase), roast your own coffee and have the freshest cup possible and not forgetting, it saves you some money in the process...

By Ebenezer Heng

Starting Your Own Coffee Shop - Important Things to Know

So you're thinking about going into the coffee/tea business. Here are some insider tips and tricks of the trade that you need to know.

Whether you've got the business plan laid out or are just entertaining the idea of starting toward your dream of opening a coffee shop, there's so much more to the industry than you ever thought possible. But don't worry; I'm going to give you some tips and tricks of the trade to get you on your way to a great business in the coffee/tea world.

Espresso machines are EXPENSIVE. However, the taste of your espresso is one of the most important facets of your business and can make or break you. You don't have to go too crazy on an espresso machine, however keep in mind that this is a worthwhile investment that you don't want to skimp on. Depending on the size of the coffee shop you want, most (if not all) coffee shops can get away with having two brewheads, so you shouldn't need to purchase a machine with three. Also, if you want the true, die hard coffee fanatics, go for a traditional machine rather than an automatic. Unless you're planning on having a line out the door for hours with unseasoned baristas, you'll be able to get through the morning rush on a 2-brewhead traditional machine, and (in my opinion) makes a much better shot of espresso.

Location is very, very key for coffee shops. When searching for a home for your coffee shop, position it within the driving path of morning commuters. Morning coffee drinkers would rather wait and drink the junk coffee at work than go way out of their way to stop for a good cup. If there's a few larger businesses in your city or town, try to position your location near an intersection close by. Even better - set up a drive through window for the on-the-go workers that don't leave much time to stop.

One of the biggest revenue builders for you is going to be the sale of whole bean coffee as well as your coffee beverages. Make a big deal to your customers about what they're drinking and give them tips and tricks for brewing the same beans at home. This might mean they'll skip a few trips to your store, but a bag of beans costs way more than their three cups of coffee for the week. Most times customers will spend more on whole bean coffee if they get hooked, or introduce it to their office. All great opportunities.

Educate your customers. I can't emphasize this enough. When customers feel like they know insider, expert information about coffee or your products, they want to share that information. So they talk to their friends about what they learned at Jack's Coffee earlier that morning - FREE advertising! It makes them feel knowledgeable and gets them engaged in discovering new coffees and continuing their education.

You'll feel the urge to expand your menu to be as large as possible - something for everyone right? Try to resist this urge. Let your customers know that they can customize their beverages and definitely take into consideration any suggestions your customers give you, but don't put too much on the menu. When a menu is too large, people get overwhelmed. Often times people new to coffee will feel intimidated by a large menu of items that they aren't familiar with and this will add to the negative feeling for them. It's also helpful to list out what each item is on the menu. This might come in handy for those are aren't familiar with what a real cappuccino is!

Make sure you offer beverages other than coffee. This may seem silly to some, and a no-brainer to others, but let me explain why. I'm all about the coffee date. Coffee shops are known as a great place to get together and socialize or just sit and read. But many times they become less about coffee and more about the atmosphere. By offering items other than coffee you're ensuring that you're catering to anyone who wants to come hang out! Also, don't be shy about putting LOTS of comfy chairs and couches in your coffee shop. You can never have too much good seating for the readers and relaxers.

By Tiffany Balz

How Big Do Tables Have to Be in a Coffee House?

If you're starting a small boutique coffee shop then ambience is everything. You need to find a tilt that will set you apart from the corporate sterility of one of those mass "specialty coffee" stores that loves to declare itself hip. One of the biggest concerns should be how big do tables have to be in a coffee house.

What type of tables you choose depends on the look that you're going for. If you want the cozy conversation feel of a French café then look for a small spindly quaint glass table for two. Couples can cuddle up over a cup and have a nice romantic conversation. Ring the tables around the outside wall of the store or out on the sidewalk so your couples can avoid being distracted by others around them.

If you're catering to the harried corporate worker that uses your café as a surrogate office then they'll need a bit more room to lay out the laptop, PDA, cell phone and such things. A bistro table is a bit larger in width. This can let your client spread out. Try and arrange the tables so that each person can have a little privacy when working.

If you want the funky feel of a college art house coffee shop then you'll go for plush comfort. Look for low long coffee tables set in between comfy couches. This lets the crowd sit around, play board games and chat. Your customers can kick back and prop their feet up and listen to poetry slams, local bands, and open mike nights.

If you're looking for the full restaurant experience to go along with your coffee shop then you'll want to set some tables more conducive to eating than sipping. You can put in some standard dining room tables or booths that will accommodate four to six people. You can arrange different sized tables for different sized parties. Be sure to get tables that are an identical height so you can move them together for larger parties.

Setting up a boutique coffee shop is nice but to maximize profit you'll want to mix these elements together. There are a few floor plans available for it. You want to be able to cater to the corporate drone, the cozy couple, and the art crowd.

Set up your more private tables outside, in corners and along the outside walls for privacy. You can then fill in the interior of the café with your larger table set ups. For instance you can use one corner for a couple couches and coffee tables. Then set up another area that is better suited to dining. And leave an open space for a stage and microphone set up. By combining these elements you'll be able to bring in diverse crowds all looking for something better than a mass produced cup of Joe. Setting up the shop involves quite a few elements; one of them is how big do tables have to be in a coffee house. Just plan everything out and pick up the furniture you need.

By Jennifer Akre

Drink a Cup of Micro Roasted Coffee

Have you heard about micro roasting? It's been said that micro roasted coffee might be some of the world's best coffee. The way in which these beans have been roasted is that the correct temperature has been applied during the right amount of time in order to bring out the coffee bean's exotic flavors.

Historically some roasters have treated the beans to simulate a variety of flavors such as hazelnut or vanilla. Drink a cup of micro roasted coffee and you'll realize that it's a very complex flavor. Instead of simply getting a caffeine kick, you're able to enjoy a wonderful flavor. Once you taste a micro roasted cup and the ordinary cup, you will be able to tell the difference as you re-taste that regular coffee. You won't ever go back to that store stuff.

What Sets It Apart

Time met technology and time moved forward evolving big coffee factories utilizing machines, which roast and package huge batches of beans for societal consumption. This kind of mass produced coffee is easy to make and it's cheap. Having tasted a cup of micro brewed coffee, you see the reason for the difference in price. The micro roasted beans are roasted with a close control by a roast master. Relying on their five senses, a highly skilled artisans micro roasts the best coffee.

When a batch of beans gains the perfect degree of roasting. It is checked by taste and judged as a fine wine. The brew master checks the roast by color, smell, and taste. When it comes to micro brewing the connoisseur is the human element in the making of the best coffee on earth. It beats the machine made stuff hands down.

The coffee roasting machine produces roasted beans for the mass market. Micro roasted coffee is produced in a roasting drum that turns continuously ensuring that all the beans are roasted evenly. In the micro roasting process, cooling utilizes air rather than water. This is different than in conventional coffee production. Water in the cooling process will alter the taste and add weight to the beans. The added weight translates into a greater cost for you the customer. It means you're paying for less. Micro roasted coffee benefits you the customer in its attention to detail.

Bear in mind that not all beans require the same amount of roasting. Micro roasting allows the roast master to assure that each batch is roasted proper. Roasting only small batches of beans. Quality of each roast will be maintained. Once you've tasted coffee roasted in micro batches, you won't be able to go back to your regular beans. Another way of stating this is why would you want to give up something this good?

By Cliff Eppalton

Popular Types of Coffee - An Introduction

There are so many different types of coffee available it can be hard to know what to choose. This is especially the case if you are new to the coffee world and not sure what you're going to like. There are two types of beans -- Robusta and Arabica -- with the majority of high quality beans on the market being Arabica. You will see certain brands advertising 100% Arabica due to their superior taste and quality. However under the category of Arabica there are countless varieties of roasted coffee from which you can select.

For example there are light roast, medium roast and dark roast coffees. Light roast is smooth and mild, gentle on the palate and the stomach. Most light coffees are going to be low in acid and therefore easier for many people to drink. However some people may find light roast too bland. Medium roast is a bit more balanced and robust, ideal for any occasion from morning until evening. Dark roast is for those who enjoy a slightly bitter, smoky, strong coffee.

European caffeine beverages like espresso and cappuccino are quite popular with many gourmet drink lovers. Espresso actually refers to a dark roast coffee prepared in a certain way. First made in Italy, espresso comes in small cups usually one ounce in size. Cappuccino is a frothy beverage that takes two shots of espresso on average and features a thick foam on top. If you enjoy a cappuccino you may also enjoy a latte, which is made with espresso and milk. These beverages can be found in coffeehouses everywhere or even prepared at home.

You can prepare your own espresso, cappuccino, latte or traditional coffee using a pod machine and compatible coffee pods. The pod system is preferred by many because it is easier to use than a traditional drip coffeemaker. These machines prepare your brew one cup at a time, with no guesswork and very little mess. Rather than having to dump wet grinds you just toss the used pod in the trash. There are all kinds of different pods out there to ensure every coffee lover gets their favorite type of coffee made by their preferred brand. Pod machines include the Black and Decker Home Cafe, the Philips Senseo and the Tassimo Home Brewer to name just a few.

By Royle Kaufman

Warm Your Body and Your Soul With a Great Cup of Coffee

While a great cup of coffee is always a welcome treat, there are just some days that call out for coffee. You look out the window and see nothing but an expanse of white. Yes, it is snow and more is falling. The wind is howling and no matter what you do, you can't seem to get warm. The coffee maker is just calling your name. But you don't want just any cup of coffee, you want something really special.

What makes a coffee special? What sets certain coffees apart? Great flavor is not enough. You need to feel good about your coffee. After all, who could enjoy a cup of coffee knowing that kids were used harvesting it or that the growers were being taken advantage of by the company that was bringing the coffee to you. How do you make sure your coffee is great and was grown, harvested, and brought to you without exploiting the farmers that grew it?

First, look for coffee that is 100% organic. Just like other foods, coffee that is certified as 100% organic means the coffee is grown without fertilizers, pesticides or other chemical products. Be sure you look for the USDA symbol certifying that the coffee is organic.

Second, check to see if the coffee is Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade Certified means that the product the farmers were paid a fair price and the workers were paid a fair wage. No child labor was used. These practices result in stronger communities with better education and health care. You can feel good about the coffee you are purchasing.

But flavor is still important. You can't feel good about saving the world when you are still freezing. There are two things that make a superior coffee. Coffee that is shade grown and infrared roasted.

Shade growing gives coffee a better taste and richer flavor. It is also a better environment for wildlife, providing a natural home for birds which help eliminate pests naturally. The shade is also a better environment for farmers and workers as they are protected from the sun.

Last, but not least, is infrared roasting. Most coffee is roasted at high temperatures and with either direct or indirect flame. The roasting is what gives coffee its flavor, but flame roasting can lead to acidity and bitterness in the coffee, which is why coffee causes stomach problems for some people. With infrared roasting, the beans absorb the heat and essentially roast themselves. This eliminates the bitterness and acidity, making a more flavorful cup of coffee that is easier on the stomach.

So go ahead and brew your 100% organic, shade grown, fair trade, infrared roasted coffee. Sit back, watch the snow, and enjoy!

By Robin Rushlo

Just Coffee, Please

People in groups of two, three, or more stroll into coffee shops all across America and utter the phrase, "Just coffee, please" as they take their seats, open their newspapers, or converse with one another. The message that they are conveying is that they don't need a menu, and that they won't be ordering food of any kind. They simply want a cup of coffee.

These folks expect that they will be served a good cup of coffee, and that makes the coffee bean growers, those who harvest the coffee beans, those who transport the coffee beans, those who roast the coffee beans, and those who grind the coffee beans and package the coffee all smile with satisfaction at a job well done, and proves yet again that they all have job security. People drink coffee and they will keep right on drinking coffee.

The process of producing good coffee beans to getting those coffee beans made into coffee and into the cup of a coffee drinker is a long and arduous task that involves a great many people. Coffee is big business...very big business.

Coffee trees thrive only in sheltered, mountainous, subtropical climates. Coffee trees are temperamental -- they must be shaded by larger trees to protect them, and their tender fruit and coffee beans must be harvested by hand. Harvesting coffee beans is a back-breaking job that can only be done by people who can tell a ripe coffee bean from an unripe coffee bean. Ripe coffee beans must be picked, and green coffee beans must be left undisturbed so that they continue the ripening process and can be picked later.

Coffee beans must be carefully handled during transportation to avoid bruising the beans. Roasting must be done under very controlled conditions and grinding under conditions that are equally well controlled.

Think about that the next time that you say, "Just coffee, please."

By Miodrag Trajkovic

Interesting Facts:Coffee Machines

Drinking coffee is a pastime of millions of people all over the world. Coffee machines make it possible to meet the demand of all these people. Without coffee machines, it would not be possible for millions of people around the world to enjoy a good cup of coffee.

The first coffee machine was invented in 1818 by Mr. Laurens. The machine was continually modified over the years. New versions of the coffee machine continued to emerge until 1960. This is when the first paper filters for coffee machines were put into place. This simple change created an unbelievable increase in coffee machine sales. People had always wanted the product, but didn’t like the time it took to clean up and prepare with the cloth filters. The paper filter saves people time and hassle which makes the coffee machine more appealing.

Coffee machines have changed in design as well over the years. The early ones were just created to do the job; no one really cared what they looked like. Today’s coffee makers come in all colors and sizes to accessorize nicely in any kitchen or living room. There are also many different brands of coffee machines, as each has their own unique looks and design to attract consumers.

Mr. Coffee has been the leading coffee machine in the United States for centuries. This is because the company continually changes or adds new products to meet the needs of the consumer. Bunn coffee makers lead the industry in commercial coffee maker sales.

By Zack

Coffee - The World's Most Favorite Beverage

Need a New Coffee Maker - Do Your Shopping Comparisons Online

You arise after waking and automatically head for your coffee maker to traditionally start your day with your favorite brew only to find that your coffee maker needs replacing. It was not that long ago, that you would have to personally visit your local shopping centre and compare brands, features and prices and you would find replacing your coffee maker a time consuming and tedious exercise.

However, today things are a lot simpler and all you need to do is log on to your computer and utilize the Internet to comparison shop on-line. On line comparison shopping is so comprehensive - you can review the different brands of coffee maker complete with its individual features and prices and more importantly you can access customer reviews on all the different brands available. Time-wise, it sure beats personally trudging from store to store and the customer reviews are a bonus.

Carafes - Thermal or Glass?

Coffee makers with thermal carafes is the way to go if you like to keep your coffee hot for a longer period of time. If you are the first to arise out of bed and need a cup of coffee and you want to keep the coffee hot for when other family members arise - the thermal carafes keeps the coffee insulated and hot for hours without affecting the quality of the coffee. As the thermal carafe does not need a burner per se to keep the coffee hot, the fact that it is portable is a bonus and you can pour yourself a hot cup of coffee all day long.

However, glass carafes need to be returned to a hot plate or other type of heating device for the coffee to remain hot over a long period. All the reviews point out the most advantageous benefits of the coffee makers available. Should you be looking at glass carafes with their ease of viewing you will be know when the coffee has finished brewing and also be aware of exactly how much coffee remains in the carafe. Some brands feature automatic start and shut down features plus adjustable heating temperatures.

Do the added benefits of a coffee maker make it a viable option where cost is concerned?

Having checked consumer comparison reviews you will agree that most models of coffee makers produce a good quality cup of coffee. Where money and expense is concerned when purchasing a new coffee maker - the more expensive the fancier styling and design and the models with more features are going to cost you more. There are coffee makers available that feature integrated grinders and customized brewing and these feature will naturally be more expensive. It is the quality of the coffee that you put into any coffee maker that determines the quality and taste of the coffee.

The majority of reviews will have the consumer believe that coffee drinkers in the U.S. alone buy 14 million automatic-drip coffee makers each year. This fact alone will predetermine the fact that you will most probably choose an automatic-drip coffee maker.

A Point of Interest Whenever a consumer buys any quality product like a coffee maker it would be wise to select a coffee maker from one of the largest manufacturers with the best known brands. The biggest manufacturers in the industry are Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker and Braun.

Whichever brand of coffee maker you eventually decide to buy - we wish you Happy Sipping!

By Cliff Eppalton

Coffee Cups

I have a dotty old uncle who lives alone and drinks his coffee right out of the coffee pot. He doesn't bother to pour his coffee into a cup...maybe washing a coffee cup just makes more work...who knows?

Most people, however, prefer to drink their coffee out of a coffee cup or a coffee mug. It is the civilized thing to do.

When people buy place settings of fine china of just a set of everyday dishes, the thing that determines their choice is the shape and size of the cup. After all, plates, bread plates, soup or cereal bowls, saucers, and other pieces in a place setting or set of dishes are all pretty much the same. They may come in varying sizes and the patterns are different, but still they are all basically the same design. Only the cups are different. The size and shape of the cup and the handles on the cups is most often the determining factor is the selection of dinner ware.

There are different coffee cups for serving different coffees, as well. Most "regular" coffee cups hold between 6 and 8 ounces of coffee. But there are demitasse cups that only hold between 2 and 4 ounces and big coffee mugs that hold up to 20 ounces. Latte coffee cups must be large enough to hold the frothy milk.

Coffee cups can be purchased separately, or as part of a set of dishes or a piece in a place setting of china. Coffee cups don't all have handles either. There are double-walled cups without handles that are used to serve espresso or cappuccino.

The thickness of the wall of the coffee cup is the determining factor of how long coffee will stay hot in a coffee cup. Remember those old thick-walled white cups of roadside coffee house fame? Coffee would stay hot in those things all the way through the eating of a meal and beyond. On the other hand, coffee in a delicate fine china cup will only stay hot a very few minutes.

By Miodrag Trajkovic

The Cost of Coffee

Calculating what the actual cost of a cup of coffee is ranks right up there with the necessary mathematical challenges of quantum physics. You might not have even considered what the price of a cup of coffee that you brew at home actually costs.

You don't buy the makings for your coffee by the cup. You buy a pound (we still say a "pound" of coffee even though that "pound" is now 13 ounces rather than 16 ounces) of coffee at your local supermarket. You take it home and store it, and then you make pots of coffee using the ground coffee, but you drink that coffee by the cup -- not by the pot or by the pound or even by the ounce.

So what is the real cost of a cup of coffee that you make at home? I have no idea, and you probably don't, either. The first consideration is the kind and brand of coffee that you buy. Then you must consider the strength of the coffee that you brew (the stronger the coffee, the more coffee grounds must be used).

Next, you have to consider waste. How many cups out of a pot of coffee are drank, and how many end up being poured down the kitchen sink?

Wait a second, Mr. Math Genius -- that isn't all. Now you need to consider the cost of the fuel that was used to make the pot of coffee, and divide that by the number of cups in the pot, and don't forget to include waste in the equation. How about the wear and tear on the coffee maker? Those things don't last forever, you know.

The fact is, we are probably going to drink that cup of morning coffee (and maybe a lot of others) no matter what the cost of it turns out to be. The truth is that the cost of the coffee that you buy at your local grocery store is going to vary from week to week, depending upon the supply-and-demand theory of economics. So just go pour yourself a cup of coffee and don't worry about it.

By Miodrag Trajkovic

Coffee: Solace in a Bottle

Even if you aren't an avid coffee drinker, you too have the privilege of going on a "coffee break" to do whatever you want, whether it's to buy a pack of gum, or to call a friend, etc.

So yes, coffee is more than a drink. It is solace in a bottle. It allows us to feel human again instead of a monkey trapped in a concrete building all day long. It's the last vestige of freedom during the working hours of 9-5, which has been demarcated by the powers that be to be when we are all drones working to make another person wealthier while we get older.

The only time we have to ourselves is on the weekends and 2 measly weeks out of the year to spend with our families and friends. That is of course if work doesn't get in the way.

But I digress, the bottom line is, we should be grateful that we have these "coffee breaks"- almost like a magical time when we can shut off the world and day dream like when we were in elementary school.

The next time you go buy coffee hopefully you will see it in a different light. It's much more than just a drink to quench your thirst. If you were thirsty you could always get any variety of drink ranging from water, to soda, to tea, or juice. Coffee holds a special place in the food/beverage chain. Shouldn't you be taking care of your coffee?

By Steven Sarsgaard

Perfect Coffee

There was a fellow that I talked to not long ago that I hadn't seen in a good many years. The first thing that he said to me was, "I remember a cup of coffee that I had at your house about twenty years ago. It was the best cup of coffee that I have ever had in my life!" Of all the things that he could have said, that would have been my last guess. But that is exactly what he said.

There are a few basics that go into making a perfect cup of coffee. First your coffee maker must be kept clean. Making coffee time after time after time without cleaning the coffee maker will make the coffee bitter. All coffee makers must be cleaned regularly -- both drip makers and percolators.

There are two ways to clean coffee makers. The first way is that after every pot of coffee, the coffee maker needs to be rinsed with a little baking soda and water. Then it needs to be rinsed several more times to be sure that the soda residue is completely rinsed away.

Occasionally, a coffee maker needs to be cleaned with cream of tarter. If you have a percolator, put a teaspoon of cream of tarter into the basket with a filter, plug it in, and let it go through the whole coffee-making cycle. If you have an automatic drip pot, put a teaspoon of cream of tarter into coffee basket with a filter, as well as a teaspoon of cream of tarter into the pot, and let it run through the entire coffee-making cycle.

Another secret to a perfect cup of coffee is that the water that you use should be of the bottled variety, unless you are blessed with really good tap water. The chlorine and other chemicals in tap water do affect the taste of coffee.

By Miodrag Trajkovic

A Whole Lotta Latte Coffee

Can you imagine starting the day without a cup of hot coffee to perk you up? A breakfast get-together with friends or an early business meeting will not be complete without mugs of coffee being passed around.

Coffee if one of the most popular beverages in the world. Its origin can be traced back centuries ago, from Ethiopa where it made its way onto Egypt and Europe. From then on, the preparation of coffee has become a tradition as well as a craze in the modern pop culture.

This stimulant drink is made of coffee beans, roasted to perfection and blended into the perfect hot or cold drink. There are basically two kinds of coffee plants: Robusta and Arabica.

Arabica is the older kind of coffee, which many think tastes better than the other variant.

Robusta, which contains almost half as much caffeine as an Arabica is much bitter tasting than its predecessor.

A lot of farmers in Central America, Africa, and Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia depend on coffee planting as their main source of livelihood. Brazil is the largest coffee-producing country in the world.

Here is a quick run-through on how this addicting beverage is prepared:

1. Coffee plants are grown and once they mature enough, they are picked and harvested.

2. Once the coffee beans or coffee cherries are picked, they are sorted and dried. This is where the term ‘first pick’ came from.

3. After the coffee beans are sorted, they are either dried or aged, depending on the variety of coffee.

4. Then, the beans are either roasted or ground to make instant coffee, or the beans are sold by themselves for coffee to be made in your own home.

There are a thousand and one ways to prepare your coffee. You can use instant coffee and dissolve it in hot water for a quick, reviving cup during a long day.

It can also be prepared using the good old coffee machine where ground coffee is steeped through a paper filter, combined with hot water, to come up with the perfect brew.

There is also the more complicated espresso machines, which give the drinkers an added punch to their caffeine fix. These machines combine steam or boiling water with the ground coffee beans to produce a stronger aroma and flavor.

‘Go Loco over Latte Coffee’

When you go to any establishment specializing in coffee preparation, if you are not a coffee enthusiast, you might get confused with the unique language.

Terms like espresso, macchiato, java, espresso, shot, skim, whip, dry and foam are casually thrown around. They all relate to one’s personal preference on how they like to take their daily caffeine fix.

Café latte is one popular flavor of gourmet coffee.

This refreshing drink has three layers. First, one serving of espresso is poured over the cup or mug. This is followed by a generous serving of steamed milk. Lastly, a spoonful or more of foamed milk or cream adds the final touch to the perfect cup of café latte.

No matter how you prefer to take your coffee, be it black, with cream, or gourmet like cafe latte with all the exquisite and creamy toppings, there is no doubt that this beverage's popularity will not wane anytime soon.

By Dave Poon