Coffee: Quality Is Important

A quality cup of coffee can depend on many factors, such as:The time since the coffee beans were ground;How clean the brewing equipment is;he quality of the coffee bean being used;The quality of the water being used....

Coffee: Quality Is Important

A quality cup of coffee can depend on many factors, such as:

The time since the coffee beans were ground;
The time since the beans were roasted;
How clean the brewing equipment is;
The quality of the coffee bean being used;
The quality of the water being used.

Some Interesting Facts About Coffee

The quality of the coffee bean is the most important of these factors, if you are going to buy "good" coffee. The very best bean will taste bad if any one of the other listed characteristics are out of place. Not all coffee beans are equal, but the other points listed above will even the field.

A lesser coffee that has been freshly roasted and ground is many times better than coffee that has been roasted and ground then left to get stale - no matter how good it was when it was fresh.

A can of coffee found in the supermarket often contains large amounts of robusta, low quality Arabica beans and past crop (old) beans. To make matters worse, there is no way for the major coffee companies that roast and ship all over the country to get you truly fresh coffee.

Once you have coffee that has been freshly roasted and ground, good water and brewing equipment free of oil residues from the last brew and the quality of the coffee beans makes a huge difference.

How To Tell Coffee Quality

Please note that a coffee can bought in the supermarket often contains a blend of Arabica and robusta beans, while most coffee houses sell only Arabica beans. Arabica beans are normally rich in flavor - while robusta beans have more caffeine, less flavor and are cheaper to make.

There is an exception to every rule, and the exception here is that some very good espresso coffees will have small amounts of the highest quality robusta beans available on the market. This should not, however, be taken as a guarantee that a coffee house will have any better coffee than the diner down the street.

If any of the previously discussed items, such as cleanliness or freshness, are not in order then even the very best coffee can be made to taste bad.

When you buy coffee, whether it be in a coffee house or in a supermarket, you want to get 100% Arabica - except for espresso blends, which may be a combination of both. Whether good quality robusta can improve the flavor of espresso is up for debate.

For absolute freshness when buying in a coffee house, it is better to buy popular blends that move fast - while buying in a supermarket, vacuum packaged containers with an expiration date are your best bet although all canned coffee will be stale to some extent.

It should be noted that in order to be able to vacuum pack coffee, industrial coffee producers actually let the coffee sit for a while before it is packed. As soon as coffee is roasted it starts to release CO2, in a process called outgassing. This can actually help to protect the bean from going stale. Unfortunately for the people vacuum packing coffee or putting coffee in tins, this also will inflate the bags. This outgassing is the reason that you may very well see one-way valves on coffee bags. These valves allow the CO2 to escape, while keeping oxygen from entering the bag.

Chances are fairly high that you will not get truly fresh coffee in a supermarket. This is an absolute fact if it is pre-ground. In a coffee house, look for a shop that roasts in-house and ask what was roasted that day. If the person behind the counter does not know, ask to talk to someone who does know. If no one knows, simply go somewhere else.

Additionally, it should be noted that coffee is at its very best after a few hours rest. This is one of those places where an expert in the field of coffee can advise you. As a general rule of thumb, most coffees are improved with a rest time of about 12 to 24 hours. Some coffees, particularly those that are musty or earth coffees, actually mellow for the first two to three days - making a much longer rest better.

A final point to remember is that for best results, grind your own coffee. Buying fresh and then having it ground completely defeats the purpose. Ground coffee only lasts a few hours or one day at the very most.

By Expert Author: David McFarlane
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Discovering Organic Coffee

How Organic Coffee Differs From Traditional Coffee**Tips For A Great Cup of Organic Coffee...organic coffee tastes as good if not better than non-organic coffee...

Discovering Organic Coffee

Many people have turned to organic fruits and vegetables (and even meats) in recent years, striving to live healthier, longer lives. You may be one of these people. But did you know that organic coffee is now available, too? If you can't find it at your local health food store, then you can definitely find it online.

How Organic Coffee Differs From Traditional Coffee

The coffee plant has traditionally been grown in the company of shade trees and other food and cash crops. This approach made for healthier soil and prevented water contamination. Unfortunately, many coffee growers have abandoned this approach in favor of larger crops and hence larger profits. However, synthetic pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers have become necessary to maintain these crops, and along with them the taste of the coffee has suffered, the soil has suffered, and no one knows the potential impact they may have on the future health of the coffee consumer.

In addition, the loss of the shade trees has had a direct impact on migratory song birds. While an obvious connection may not immediately come to mind, the relationship has actually been symbiotic. These birds used the shade trees as their habitat as they migrated, and as a result they provided a natural defense against many of the bugs and pests that can ruin a coffee crop. Without them, pesticides must be used to do the job.

Unlike the large, commercial coffee plantations, organic coffees are generally grown on small farms with plenty of shade cover. There are plenty of migratory birds to control insects, and pesticides are unnecessary. In fact, the United States requires that organic coffees be grown on shaded land and be completely chemical free for three consecutive years.

Tips For A Great Cup of Organic Coffee

Whole beans should be used within a week of purchase in order to enjoy the full flavor of the coffee.

Avoid vacuum-packed coffee, even organic vaccum-packed coffee. The process of vacuum packing cannot be done immediately after roasting. The coffee must sit for nearly a week before it can be vacuum-packed. This degrades much of the flavor.

Coffee beans should be stored in an airtight container, not on the shelf in the paper bag you brought them home with from the store. And in order to enjoy the full flavor of the coffee, you should grind only the amount you intend to use just before brewing.

Whole coffee beans that will be stored longer than a week should be placed in an airtight glass container that's kept in the freezer.

As with any coffee blend, organic or not, grind the beans according to the brewing method you intend to use. Keep in mind that if you grind your beans too fine your coffee may end up bitter and muddy; if you don't grind them enough, your coffee may end up flavorless.

Often overlooked, many people consider the most important step toward a good cup of coffee to be the proportion of water to coffee. Experts recommend 2 tablespoons for every 6 ounces of water.

In Conclusion

While you will pay more for organic coffee, just as you'll generally pay more for organic fruits and vegetables, choosing organic coffee promotes the environment, the health of the coffee grower, and your health, too. Just as important for coffee drinkers everywhere: organic coffee tastes as good if not better than non-organic coffee.

By Expert Author: D. Silva
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Coffee May Help To Keep Diabetes At Bay

Diabetes has been considered a risk factor of heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes develops when pancreas does not make enough insulin...Those who drank more than 6 cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 33-percent reduced risk....

Coffee May Help To Keep Diabetes At Bay

Coffee has been a drink that people consume everyday, especially during breakfast. There are many negative reports on consuming coffee mainly due to its caffeine. A study reported in the Archives of Internal medicine that there is a link between drinking coffee and a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, it is still not clear that whether the protective effect is due caffeine or other ingredients presented in coffee.

Diabetes has been considered a risk factor of heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes develops when pancreas does not make enough insulin or when insulin cannot be used by the body properly. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugars into energy. This form of diabetes is commonly found among people aged 40 and above, especially those overweight and physically inactive.

The study, conducted by the University of Minnesota, examined over 28,000 postmenopausal women over a period of 11 years (1986 -1997). Women who drank more than 6 cups of coffee per day were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. Those who drank decaffeinated coffee showed a further reduced risk.

Questions were answered by these women about risk factors for diabetes, and details given about their lifestyle and beverage consumption (including regular and decaffeinated coffee). After adjusting the data for other risk factors for diabetes, it was found that women who drank more than 6 cups of any type of coffee daily were 22 percent less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. Those who drank more than 6 cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 33-percent reduced risk.

The overall intake of caffeine did not appear to be related to diabetes risk, suggesting that another ingredient in coffee might have contributed to the effect. The researchers suggested that magnesium, and other minerals and nutrients found in coffee bean such as polyphenols and antioxidants, may be responsible for this beneficial effect. However, further studies are required to ascertain this.

Other experts expressed some concerns about this study. Firstly, the participants were only limited to postmenopausal women and so are not representative of the population. Secondly, there is no objective measure to ensure that the reported diet or incidence of diabetes were accurate because data were collected from self-administrative questionnaires. Thirdly, there are many kinds of foods containing hundreds of different phytochemicals and antioxidants. It may not be appropriate to simply rely on any single food to obtain these nutrients. Finally, taking too much coffee can cause side effects. More than 3 cups of coffee a day can cause nervousness, stomach distress, insomnia, and for some people, irregular heartbeat.

While awaiting further research confirmation about the beneficial effect of drinking coffee, people with diabetes, however, still need to maintain healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and more importantly, maintain a healthy body weight.

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By Expert Author: Ng Peng Hock
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Coffee intake linked to lower diabetes risk

Based on this information reported in the initial questionnaire, about half of the women (14,224) drank one to two cups of coffee per day; 2,876 drank more than six cups; 5,553 four to five cups; 3,232 less than one cup; and 2,927 none. Over the following 12 years, 1,417 of the women reported on surveys,

Coffee intake linked to lower diabetes risk

Drinking coffee, especially when it is decaffeinated, will be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the Sept 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The link between coffee and diabetes risk appears to be very consistent across different ages and body weights; in addition, most research has found that the more coffee an individual drinks, the lower his or her risk for diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether it is the caffeine or any other ingredient in coffee, which may confer a protective effect.

Mark A. Pereira, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, had studied coffee intake and diabetes risk in the 28,812 postmenopausal women in Iowa over a 12-year period. At the beginning of the study, in 1986, the women answered questions about the risk factors for diabetes, including age, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption and other smoking history. They also reported how often they consumed a variety of foods and these beverages over the previous year, including regular and decaffeinated coffee.

Based on this information reported in the initial questionnaire, about half of the women (14,224) drank one to two cups of coffee per day; 2,876 drank more than six cups; 5,553 four to five cups; 3,232 less than one cup; and 2,927 none. Over the following 12 years, 1,417 of the women reported on surveys, which they had been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjusting the data for some of the other diabetes risk factors, women who drank more than five cups of any type of coffee per day were 21 percent less likely than those who drank no coffee to be diagnosed suffering from diabetes; those who drank more than five cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 32 percent reduction in risk compared with those who drank none.

Overall caffeine intake did not appear to be much related to diabetes risk, further suggesting that some other ingredient in coffee was also responsible. "Magnesium, for which coffee is a good source, can explain some of the inverse relation between coffee intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus through known helpful effects on the carbohydrate metabolism," the authors write. However, the study found no relation between Magnesium and diabetes risk. Other minerals and nutrients found in the coffee bean including compounds known as polyphenols, which have also been shown to help the body process carbohydrates and antioxidants, which might protect cells in the insulin producing pancreas can contribute to its beneficial effects and needs to be examined in future studies.

By Expert Author: Adam Akelis
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Coffee Can be Flavored Many Ways

Take care to purchase coffee beans from a reputable roaster....The manufacturer may be trying to cover up low-quality flavor with sugar.**To flavor your own coffee at home, try adding cinnamon, vanilla, mint or cardamom to an air-tight container of freshly roasted beans,..

Coffee Can be Flavored Many Ways

Not many things are more satisfying to the avid coffee drinker than the full flavor of a hot cup of Joe. Coffee varies greatly in taste depending on the type of beans and how they are roasted, but other flavoring options are booming in popularity.

The most common way to pre-flavor coffee is to directly infuse the beans with essential oils or plant derivatives. Warm beans are more accepting of additives than cool ones, so it's best to introduce flavorings to beans that are fresh from the roaster. The most common ratio is a half ounce of flavor to one pound of beans.

Take care to purchase coffee beans from a reputable roaster. Some shops will attempt to disguise poor-quality beans with flavoring. The freshness of the beans can be gauged by appearance. Freshly flavored beans will look more glossy or oily, while stale beans will look dry and dull.

Adding flavored syrups is another option. Syrups are added after the coffee is brewed, allowing drinkers to customize the strength and sweetness of their coffee. Having a working knowledge of the label goes a long way toward ensuring syrup satisfaction.

"Brix" is a word used to convey the sugar and flavoring concentration of a syrup. The higher the number, the more concentrated the flavor. The highest quality syrups have a brix of 60 to 70. However, a high brix doesn't tell how much of the concentration is flavor and how much is sugar. That information should easily be found on the label. Higher concentrated syrups may cost more, but they will last longer because a little goes a long way.

Other things to consider when choosing a syrup are sweeteners and preservatives. Syrups are usually flavored with things like corn sugar, cane sugar or fruit juice. Be wary of extra think or sticky syrups. The manufacturer may be trying to cover up low-quality flavor with sugar. Sugar-free and preservative-free syrups are becoming more popular, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are all-natural. Once again, you must carefully consult the label to make an informed choice. It's also important to note that the shelf life of preservative-free syrups will be considerably shorter than those with preservatives.

Both pre-flavored beans and syrups have fans among connoisseurs, but there are pro and cons with each. Post-brew flavoring won't leave any kind of residue or aroma in grinding equipment and gives the drinker more control over strength and sweetness. Beans are flavored without using sugar or preservatives of any kind, making them more appealing to those to choose the all-natural route.

To flavor your own coffee at home, try adding cinnamon, vanilla, mint or cardamom to an air-tight container of freshly roasted beans, or adding a shot of your favorite liqueur.

By Expert Author: Cory Willins
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Coffee reduce the risk of Chronic Liver Disease

Coffee reduce the risk of Chronic Liver Disease

A study published recently in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) magazine Gastroenterology found out that people at high risk for liver disease might be able to reduce their risk for rising chronic liver disease significantly by way of drinking more than two cups of coffee daily. This preventative effect was mainly seen in people at higher risk for liver disease due to high intake of alcohol, being overweight or people with diabetes or people with iron overload. This purpose of study was to take a forthcoming look at the rapport between coffee consumption and chronic liver disease in the universal U.S. population.

In this study population included 9,859 participants whose coffee intake was evaluated and who were also followed for a median of 19 years. In this analysis, coffee intake was measured by way of cups, ranging from 0 to 16 cups per day with an average of two cups per day. This showed that those who consumed more than two cups of coffee per day have less chances of chronic liver disease.

Over the last few years, there has actually been a rising body of proof that coffee decreases the risk of eminent liver enzymes, cirrhosis and with liver cancer. This study provides support for a caring effect of coffee on the chronic liver disease and also on cirrhosis, and extends these findings to the general U.S. population. However, the study does not provide aggregate evidence that coffee protect against chronic liver disease from individual causes, such as fatty liver disease or may be with viral hepatitis.

By Expert Author: Adam Akelis
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/

Espresso - What Exactly is It

Espresso originated in Italy...Most coffee drinks start with espresso, which is just coffee that is brewed a certain way. Espresso is prepared by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee...

Espresso - What Exactly is It

Whether it is java, lattes, cappuccino, espresso or just a plain old cup of Joe - coffee is America's preferred method of energy boost. With that said, there's nothing like the first double espresso in the morning to clear the cobwebs from our heads so we can face the day. But what is espresso? What makes it different from any other coffee?

Espresso originated in Italy. A term often associated with espresso is "barista," which is a professional operator of an espresso machine, those skilled in making premium espresso. The skill of a barista is comparable to the finest artisan baker. Most coffee drinks start with espresso, which is just coffee that is brewed a certain way. Espresso is prepared by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee.

The secret to good espresso is the extraction time, volume, and golden creama which is a thick light brown layer of frothed coffee oils that float on top of a properly extracted espresso. By timing the brewing process just right, the flavorful and aromatic oils of the coffee are extracted, and not the bitter components. The result is a strong flavored but not bitter shot of coffee that is concentrated.

One difference between drip coffee and espresso is that espresso is measured in shots and drip coffee is measured in cups. Another difference is the texture of the grind - drip coffee uses a courser grind while espresso machines need a very fine grind.

Espresso blends in southern Italy are usually roasted into the French Roast stage where almost all of the beans will be about one shade removed from black and oils will start emerging from some beans.

To enjoy your own espresso at home, all you have to do is purchase a personal espresso machine and wholesale gourmet beans. No longer will you have to rely on that drive-through teenager who may or may not use the old espresso grounds already in the coffee machine. With your own espresso machine you will enjoy the finest cup of espresso every time.

An espresso machine is used to yield the traditional Italian coffee brew called "espresso." If you use an espresso machine you use a fine grind. To get an espresso grind with a blade grinder, you have to hold the grind button for a certain number of seconds.

When brewing espresso, the burr coffee grinder is preferred over the blade grinder. The burr grinder supplies uniformly ground coffee that allows for an easier wetting and packing of coffee grounds in the espresso machine. These grounds are perfect for the majority of home pump espresso makers.

When purchasing coffee for your espresso machine, whether it is in a coffee house or in a supermarket, you want to get 100% Arabica - except for espresso blends, which may be a combination of both Arabica and robusta. Arabica beans are normally rich in flavor - while robusta beans have more caffeine, less flavor and are cheaper to make.

By Expert Author: Carol Stack
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/