Coffee once an exotic drink has now become a common drink and a vital part of many people’s day. If you have graduated from merely viewing coffee as a caffeine fix to a rich and complex drink then you will want to learn more about the beans that go into making your daily cup of Joe. Well the first fact you will learn that the precious beans that make your daily brew is in fact a seed and not a bean at all.

Location, Location, Location

When it comes to choosing your favourite coffee beans it all comes down to where the coffee beans were grown. Generally beans can be classified into either the Arabica or Robusta species of bean. However you will see that most coffee comes labeled according to where it was grown.

This is because the soil, environment, and climate all influence the taste of the coffee at the end of the day. You will find that the Robusta variety is more commonly available and may also be cheaper. If you would like to taste some of the finer beans then you will want to buy Arabica for your next cup of coffee.

The Roast

Equally important to the location and the quality of the coffee beans you buy is the type of roasting process the beans undergo. Different types of roasts determine the flavor and intensity of the coffee. If your taste buds do not like the stronger coffees then look for an American roast. This is a nice middle ground to start appreciating coffee. This type of roast produces a medium bodied coffee and is found in most homes across America.

If you are feeling adventurous and would like to venture into the world of more full bodied roasts then look for Brazilian roast beans. This is a darker bean than the American and has a fuller flavor. If the Brazilian roast is still not strong enough for you then you can try beans that have been French roasted.

The first thing you will notice when buying French roast beans is the color, a French roasted bean will have a color that is similar dark chocolate. When you make coffee with this type of bean you will see a little of the bean oil on the surface of your drink, this is perfectly normal and means that you have bought well roasted beans.

When you have graduated to a true coffee connoisseur then you will appreciate the Espresso roast. The espresso roast will have a very distinct flavor and some people can’t handle the taste. This comes from the roasting process where the beans are nearly burnt. Espresso is usually served in small cups because it produces very strong coffee.

Drinks

The way your coffee beans are prepared will also determine the taste and flavor of the coffee. This is an important step and there are now many ways to enjoy your favorite drink. Italian coffees have become very popular and most restaurants and cafes will serve coffee this way, whether cappuccinos, lattes, or macchiato.

Storing Beans

If you have gone to the trouble of selecting the right bean for you and your taste buds then it would be a shame to waste the precious beans with bad storage. Whenever possible you should buy whole roasted beans. You can buy whole beans in bulk and freeze what you cannot use immediately for months.

On the other hand you will only be able to keep ground coffee beans for a few weeks in an airtight container. So to prolong the life of quality beans make sure to put off grinding until you actually want to drink the coffee.

Gourmet flavored coffee – that alone conjures up images of piping hot mugs of freshly brewed coffee being served after dinner at an elite restaurant as you enjoy your crepe suzette. Is it an advertising gimmick to get you to spend more on certain coffees or is there truly a difference. The fact is, gourmet flavored coffees are real and they aren’t for the elite alone. In fact, you can probably find a gourmet flavored coffee in a lot of homes and offices.

The popularity of gourmet flavored coffee has soared. For years the only gourmet flavored coffees were the instant coffees available in your local grocery. Although they are quite flavorful, they aren’t nearly as tasty as a pot of freshly ground gourmet flavored coffee can be.

Coffee roasters realized that people like variety and of course they took notice of those instant flavored coffees and coffee drinks and began working on making the coffee bean flavored. Other coffee roasters didn’t go for exotic flavored coffees; instead they focused on the growing and roasting of the bean itself to make a gourmet flavor.

Beans that are grown in certain regions are considered more desirable than those in other regions. Think back to those Juan Valdez commercials. They were marketing the Columbian bean as being a more flavorful and sought after bean. The Jamaican Blue Forest Bean is one of the most sought after gourmet beans due to its rich taste and enchanting aroma. This bean is proof that gourmet flavor can come from the bean itself, not necessarily as an addition during roasting.

The Bean and the Flavor

Gourmet flavors can be added during the roasting process to enhance or totally alter the flavor of the coffee. There is one central premise that gourmet coffee roasters all follow in order for their coffee to be considered truly gourmet and that is the bean they start with. No matter what additions or flavors they add during roasting, starting off with an inferior bean will create an inferior coffee.

Although there are more than 25 major types of coffee beans in the world, there are two beans that are considered the major players in gourmet flavored coffees, the Arabica bean and the Robusta bean.

The Arabica bean is used in more than 60% of all gourmet coffee production around the world. This bean is very delicate and prone to disease, pest and ailments from the weather. These reasons alone make it a more costly bean. The Arabica bean is used both as a gourmet coffee on its own and as a base for gourmet flavored coffees.  The taste of the Arabica bean depends on where it is grown.

The Robusta bean accounts for about 40% of coffee production in the world. Robusta beans are easier to grow which makes them less expensive. This does not mean that they are any less flavorful than Arabica beans. Robusta, as the name implies, have a stronger, darker flavor than Arabica beans and can be used to give the gourmet flavored coffee a little more punch.

Oftentimes gourmet roasters will use a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans as the base to their gourmet flavored coffee. Then, during the roasting process they will add enhancements such as chocolate syrups or caramel to flavor the coffee. Flavoring oils can also be used to flavor the coffee as well as chemical compounds that are created to mimic flavors.

Gourmet flavored coffee that presents itself as naturally flavored should have the most robust coffee base as well as a subtle flavoring. Flavored coffees that have been flavored using a chemical process lose some of their natural coffee characteristics during the flavoring process.

Gourmet flavored coffees have come a long way in recent years. From deep, robust coffee that has been dark roasted to those wonderful vanilla bean gourmet flavored coffees, coffee lover’s palettes can be tantalized with a variety of coffee flavors. No longer set aside for the elite, gourmet coffees can be bought at the local grocer or coffee shop by most anyone.
 

Gourmet coffee beans are almost exclusively high-quality mild varieties of the coffee bean Arabica. Arabica coffees are known for their full body flavors and low acidity. However, the term gourmet coffee has also come to embrace coffees that are enhanced with flavorings during the roasting process.

Where you get your gourmet coffee beans depends a lot on what you are considering gourmet. Are you looking for gourmet flavored coffee beans or gourmet coffee beans that are grown in a specific region such as the Kona beans of Hawaii.

You can purchase gourmet coffee beans at your local grocery retailer. However, you cannot be assured of their freshness or their authenticity. Any company can label a product as gourmet and you might not know the difference until you have already spent your money on an inferior product. Additionally, they most likely won’t carry the higher end gourmet beans.

Local coffee shops are more likely to carry authentic gourmet coffee beans that are fresh. They are staking their business’ reputation on any product they carry and sell. This alone is reason enough to trust their product.  In addition, they are usually able to procure a larger variety of gourmet coffees than a typical retailer. They most likely will take special orders as well.

Picking a Gourmet Coffee Bean

If you are going to buy a gourmet coffee bean you should know ahead of time what kind of bean you want to buy. To help you make your decision, based on the beans growing location and expected flavors, you can choose from among these gourmet coffee beans:

Brazilian coffee beans: Typically these coffee beans are consistent but unremarkable in their characteristic. These coffee beans make a wonderful base for coffee blends.

Colombia: Everyone has heard the commercials with Juan Valdez and his Columbia n coffee; however, what they don’t tell you is the best Colombia coffee is the Supremo and the Excelso.  Colombia also has a Colombian Medellin that is very rich with a fully body and slight acidity. Aged Vintage Colombian coffees are very sweet, thick and rich with a little bit of acidity.

If you like full bodied coffees with that are strong and sharply acidic then you should try gourmet coffee beans from Costa Rica. Another area that has a full bodied coffee that is rich in flavor has a wonderful aroma and a slightly acidic taste is Mexico.

Panama coffee beans are noted for being full-bodied with a mild flavor and a sharp acidity.

Two of the most excellent coffee beans are from Hawaii’s Kona area and Jamaica’s Blue Mountain area coffee growers. The Kona beans have a hint of spice and sweetness with a full body a rich flavor. The Blue Mountain gourmet beans are considered top of the line coffee beans with their full body, slight acidity and smooth mellow flavor.

Gourmet coffee from the Dominican Republic is rich with a moderate acidity. You should look for coffee beans specifically from Santo Domingo or Barahona.

In Guatemala and El Salvador you should look for beans grown in the mountains or high areas. These tend to have the best body and a mild flavor. Those from El Salvador tend to have a medium level of acidity while those from Guatemala have a higher acidity level with a spicy, smoky characteristic.

Java Island, whose name is synonymous with coffee, offers gourmet Arabica beans that are spicy with a heavy body and mild acidity.

The best quality Arabica beans in the Asia/Indonesia area are from Sumatra. Sumatra coffees are wonderfully full-bodied, rich with a mellow taste that is low in acid.

Gourmet coffees can come from around the world or from your local coffee shop. Gourmet coffee can be grown in specific locations that lend to its taste, such as the Kona coffee beans, or it can be made into a gourmet coffee through the addition of flavorings during the roasting process. Either way, coffee enthusiasts know when they are being served a gourmet coffee; it’s all in the taste.
 

Addicted to coffee and want to lose weight?  If that’s what you want, then there’s no problem with that.  Diet coffees are already available for you to consider and they now come in great numbers, so you might find it easy to look for them.

The diet coffees, however, are not that strong to help you lose weight by just drinking a few cups of it.  Still, they must be incorporated into a healthy diet plan for better results.  But before considering them, it is best to note first the rules maintained by the diet plan you are currently considering and drink a cup of diet coffee according to the standards maintained by your diet plan.  

If, for instance, you are using the South Beach diet which is but one of the most popular diet programs known to man, then note that during the phases of South Beach, only artificial sweetener and a low fat milk can be used in your coffee.  Look for those diet coffees that help maintain the level of insulin in your body.  The decaffeinated coffees can do great wonders, so drink a cup or two of it a day.

If Atkins Diet is your preference, then note that there are certain rules to follow when using or drinking coffee.  Before knowing the basics, it is interesting to know first that Atkins Diet is one of the best rivals of South Beach.  This diet is a low carb, high protein diet that sets restrictions to your carbohydrate intake.  Being a low carb diet, the Atkins maintained that a diet coffee with sugar is not the best option.  So when you are using Atkins, don’t use sugar on your coffee.   There are artificial sweeteners out there that you can use to keep your level of carbohydrates low.  Look for them and enjoy a good cup.

Aside from South Beach and Atkins, there is also another popular diet plan that most people have been considering – the Zone Diet.  Basically, the dieters following this plan are allowed to drink coffee that is caffeine-free.  As you may notice, this is also true with the South Beach diet.  Well, you’re right!  Just like South Beach, the rules maintained by the Zone diet when it comes to coffee talks hold that coffees with high level of caffeine are not the best option.  To see better results, the dieters should switch to caffeine-free coffee to keep the insulin from spiking.  Avoid sugar and use the artificial sweeteners, and even low fat milk for a better taste.

Finally worth noting is the use of diet coffee in Blood Type Diet.  Blood Type diet is the diet plan that has nothing to do with lowering your carbohydrates.  Rather, it is founded based on the notion that your blood type has a lot to do with losing weight only if you follow certain restrictions on food intake.  In terms of coffee, it is maintained that a diet coffee can be good for those with a blood type of A and AB.  The type O carrier, however, is not allowed to drink coffee while following this diet plan.  And, just like the above mentioned plans, sweeteners can be used for your cup of diet coffee as they are acceptable for all blood types.

Nowadays you don’t have to be an espresso expert nor have received training on a traditional espresso machine to make great tasting coffee. With the invention of the so called “bean to cup” espresso machine it is now much easier to produce all your favourite coffee variations at the touch of a button.

Most bean to cup machines have in-built milk frothers too, enabling cappuccino, latte and other milky products to be made with ease.

However although the convenience and ease-of-use of today’s push- button bean-to-cup systems means it is even easier to produce perfect espresso, it still pays to follow these simple rules.

1/ Grind is key.

The time it takes to make an espresso with an automatic bean-to-cup system may vary, so your best indication that all is well lies in the appearance and consistency of the crema. If the crema looks pale and thin, you need to decrease the grind size to enable better extraction. (See the model instruction manual on how to do this). Once this is set you probably won’t have to change this again unless you change the type of coffee bean used.

2/ Cleanliness.

It is important that you clean your system regularly using recommended bean-to-cup cleaning tablets and solutions and following the automatic cleaning procedure as directed in the user manual. This is absolutely vital as you will not get great tasting espresso from a dirty machine! A sure sign your machine needs cleaning is a bitter taste and an oily film on top of the coffee.

3/ Bean quality.

Always invest in good quality beans. Be wary of cheap blends, which may contain added vegetable oils and liquids to increase the coffee weight – these will clog your machine and give flat oily coffee.

If your machine does not have an automatic frother then follow the tips below.

Tips on foaming milk by hand

1. First pour very cold semi-skimmed milk into a stainless steel jug either with straight sides or sloping inwards towards the top.

2. To steam the milk, insert the steam nozzle to nearly the bottom of the jug, open the steam valve fully and rotate the nozzle around in the milk for 5-8 seconds. The bottom of the milk jug should start to feel warm to the touch.

3. Lower the jug until the nozzle is just below the milk surface; when the surface just begins to froth, place the nozzle slightly lower in the milk to one side of the jug, and turn the steam down. The milk will start to ‘roll’, a deep purring sound signifies the milk is steaming, and a few seconds is all that is needed for the milk to rise in volume.

4. When fine smooth foam has just formed, close the steam valve and put the jug aside until ready to use. Always take care to stop frothing before big airy bubbles form – if visible then bang the bottom of the jug several times on any hard surface to ‘knock out’ the air.

5. Expel steam from the steam nozzle into a cloth to clean any milk in the tube, and wipe off all milk residue with a clean damp cloth or anti-bacterial wipe.

Follow these tips and you can be sure of great tasting espresso coffee products every time.

Although coffee’s birthplace of origin is officially Africa other countries have tried and succeeded to make better coffee. Nowadays there simply is no better place on earth to plant and grow coffee than the coffee beans harvested in the country of Columbia.

First started in the early 1,800’s, Columbian coffee soon found it’s way into the cups of citizens of the United States and Europe. Today the trade of the Columbian coffee bean between these to continents exceeds more than 11 million bags per with the popular Starbuck’s franchise being one of its major clients. As Starbuck’s grew they decided it was to their advantage to purchase the entire coffee plantations and grow their own coffee rather than purchase their coffee through a middle-man supplier.

The Coffea Arabic Tree produces the delicious Columbian coffee bean. The trees grow in the mountains under the shade of the banana and rubber trees and get just the right amount of soil nutrients and sunshine. The central and eastern regions of Columbia are where most of the coffee plantations reside. Large metropolitan areas of Medellin, Armenia and Columbia’s capital of Bogota are close by and provide the needed labor to work these plantations.

The Coffea Arabic Tree takes about four to five years to reach the right maturity level to produce high quality Columbian coffee beans. In the fields farmers practice the dry process to produce their finished coffee product. Once the coffee bean is harvested it is soaked in cold water for twenty-four hours, very similar to the time used to ferment wine.

Of course not all coffee beans are created equal and some do not pass the rigorous standards put in place by coffee plantation farmers. Not until the coffee beans are thoroughly washed are they separated to find the best beans to go through the final sun drying process to lower their acidity levels. Once the final drying process is completed the aromatic Columbian coffee beans are carefully packaged for shipment all over the world to your favorite coffee shop or supermarket for you to purchase and enjoy.

Great Roasted Coffee Starts With The Beans

A great cup of roasted coffee starts with the beans. Whether you buy coffee beans and ground them yourself or prefer to use ground coffee, the bean makes a big difference in what your coffee is going to taste like.

The most popular type of beans today, according to the Coffee Research Institute, are Arabica coffee beans. They make up 75-80 percent of the world’s production.

Factors that will affect the flavor and quality of the coffee including the growing region, variety of plant, chemistry of the soil and the weather in the region, according to the National Coffee Association of the U.S.A.

Then there is the roasting. Every type of bean will have a different flavor at different roasting temperatures, according to the Coffee Research Institute. This is where the roaster’s skill comes into play:

• A light roast coffee is light brown and this roast is preferred for milder coffee varieties, according to NCA.
• Medium roasts are medium brown and have a stronger flavor, according to NCA.
• Medium to dark roasts have a rich, dark color with some oil on the surface and a slight bittersweet aftertaste.
• Dark roasts
  are shiny black beans with an oily surface and a pronounced bitterness.
  The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the beverage,
  according to NCA. Keep your unopened bags of beans in the freezer. It´s dry and cold in there. The perfect spot. Once the bag is opened, seal it securely each time you take out some beans for grinding. Then keep the bag in a dry, cool place (but not the fridge, it´s too damp in there!).

By: Muna Wa Wanjiru

Given the great taste match between coffee and chocolate, no wonder there is a whole variety of sweets combining the two: chocolate candies with coffee filling, chocolate covered coffee beans, chocolate and coffee cakes and so on. You really don’t have to be a chef to prepare some of the most delicious of desserts: for instance chocolate covered coffee beans are easy to make at home.

All you need is quality coffee beans and some chocolate chips to melt. What you have to do is drop the coffee beans in liquid chocolate, take them out and let the hot chocolate cool on a waxed surface. It is usually advisable to let them harden for at least six or eight hours before serving them or even more simply than that: use the freezer!

For even more delicious flavors you may add vanilla or hazelnut powder to the liquid chocolate or you may roll the chocolate covered coffee beans through such a mix while the composition is still hot. This kind of dessert makes an excellent choice for a party treat, and you can be 100% sure the guests will appreciate it.

Chocolate covered coffee beans that you make at home could be even more special if white chocolate is used for the dripping. Chips usually come in a variety of flavors: there is dark or semi-sweet chocolate that preserves the taste of roasted coffee beans unchanged. One thing you should be careful about is that the coffee beans be high quality; buy something you are familiar with or go for the grocer’s recommendation.

Several highly effective tricks can be made when preparing chocolate covered coffee beans: first of all, there is no restriction about using two different types of chocolate for the coating. However, make sure there are no contrasting flavors used; for instance, white milk chocolate and hazelnut dark chocolate could be the perfect combination.

If you want to give the chocolate covered coffee beans a more intense cocoa flavor, you can use some extra cocoa powder to pass the candies through when they are not cool yet. Or another trick here relies on the use of mint candy powder to make the chocolate covered coffee beans a bit spicy.

Regardless of the choice of ingredients, the home making of this dessert requires a lot of care concerning the temperature of the melting chocolate in which you drip the coffee beans; sometimes a steam bath is more adequate to use once the chocolate has reached the boiling point.

http://www.mychocolateheaven.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abbas_Shareef

The Muslims are considered as the first people who perused coffee as early as the ninth century. Its popularity became widespread in Europe because of the business dealings of the Venetians in the Arab countries. In contemporary time, coffee has become the second most valuable openly traded commodity. It is only next to oil. A lot of national economies depend on its mass production and international distribution, such as Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and some Central American nations.

According to researches, coffee consumption prevents Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, heart ailment, liver-related problems, and gout. The aroma of coffee restores lost appetite thus it is recommended for those who are having eating problems due to lack of appetite. Recently a lot of small and medium enterprises have thrived because of their specialization in coffee. Book lovers and athletes alike would often be seen frequenting coffee shops. Some have complained though that expensive coffee served in coffee shops have lost their originality. If you were a coffee lover or even if not yet one, better do home coffee bean roasting and drink coffee to the full content of your heart without worrying about high costs of ambience and originality of tastes.

The Importance of Roasting

You could buy the green coffee beans online or any neighborhood store. Roast them using equipment and tools that you could find in your home or buy home roasters and grinders. The taste of coffee is greatly achieved by manipulating the bean. As the beans are roasted, they lose moisture and gain volume thus losing density. The lesser the density of the coffee beans are, the better is the coffee produced. Roasted beans of darker color have lesser caffeine and more sweetness. Lighter ones have greater caffeine content and are more bitter. The process of home coffee bean roasting is done by heating the green beans until they reach 200 degrees Celsius. As the beans are roasted, caramelization takes place where the starches inside the bean are turned into simple sugars. The external appearance of the beans change from green to brown.

Online Coffee Roasters

The Internet has made it possible to buy an inexpensive, efficient, and effective home coffee bean roasting machine without leaving your city or state. Coffee roasters available online are capable of performing the following:

▪ Roasting at least one cup of green beans
▪ 3-stage roasting up to fifteen minutes
▪ Temperature adjustment as the roasting proceeds
▪ Monitoring and manipulating the roasting time
▪ Memory functions that could store at most ten of your roasting styles
▪ Showing the roasting time, temperature, and current roasting stage through LCD monitors
▪ Even roasting, which eliminates too much or too little roasting of any of the coffee bean

Avail of the warranty and after-sale services offered by online suppliers of home coffee bean roasting machines such as The Grape and Granary. Be wise and keep wise, drink coffee you roasted at home. Grab the opportunity to drink coffee or even sell it which are roasted according to your specifications. Enjoy your home-roasted cup of perfect coffee while enjoying the new day or relaxing from a hectic one.

Because of higher retail prices we now have a wide range of various Types of Gourmet coffee Beans in our every day lives, it can be more and more difficult to discern what you’re buying at the market. And that’s not surprising given the sheer numbers game.

From what we know, there are more than 6,000 variations in the world, with at least 25 major types of gourmet coffee beans underneath that. When it comes down to it, though, the two most commercially important types of beans are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica Types of Gourmet coffee Beans account for over 60% of gourmet coffee production worldwide. The Arabica plant is a large bush and is very susceptible to frost, disease, and pests. Because of this, its beans are more expensive. Arabica can be used in its pure form or used as the base for gourmet coffee blends with Robusta. Arabica has a delicate flavor and is used to add body to the gourmet coffee when used in blends.

The flavor of Arabica beans varies widely according to the region of the world where they are grown. Indonesian beans produce the richest, most full-bodied cup of gourmet coffee. Hailing from Java and Sumatra, the brew is a good dessert gourmet coffee and very suitable to flavoring with cream and sugar. Arabica beans grown in Central and South America offer moderate body and aroma. Most breakfast blends are made with American gourmet coffees, as are most flavored gourmet coffees.

By contrast, Robusta gourmet coffee accounts for almost 40% of world production. Robusta differs from Arabica in that it’s much easier to grow and is resistant to disease and weather and is therefore cheaper.

However, this does not necessarily mean that a gourmet coffee blend with Robusta is lower quality than pure Arabica – gourmet coffee blends are designed to bring out the best in different flavors. Robusta has a strong flavor and is used to give ‘kick’ to gourmet coffee. Robusta doesn’t vary in flavor as widely as Arabica does. It was first discovered growing naturally in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Growers in Africa produce a gourmet coffee of medium aroma and body. If you like very flavorful gourmet coffees, you will like those from Kenya and Tanzania. Now that you understand the basics of Gourmet coffee Beans, the question turns to which Types of Gourmet coffee Beans are right for you. It really depends on with what you’re planning to serve the gourmet coffee. If you’re serving with breakfast or a dessert of fruit and sorbet, beans from East Africa (particularly Kenya and Ethiopia) or Mexico will best complement the food.

If you’re going to offer your guests light desserts like cakes, cookies, or pie, the beans of Guatemala and Colombia will warm up the food with their slight acidic tendency. With rich desserts like truffles, trifles, and tiramisu, Indonesian Gourmet coffee Beans are full-bodied and smooth enough to perfectly offset the dessert.

Another key point to consider is how much gourmet coffee you’ll need. These high quality beans shouldn’t be bought in bulk and should instead be purchased so that you have just enough for your immediate need. They should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week or in the freezer for up to a month. To discover what beans are best for your daily cup of Joe, conduct a taste test. Brew several types of beans separately. Pour each in its own cup. Pick up each cup individually, smell the gourmet coffee, and then slowly sip and taste the gourmet coffees. Later, take a sip or two when it’s cooled, as many gourmet coffees change flavor as they cool.

One type of Arabica mean is a Kona bean, though some people mistakenly call it a third bean. Kona is extremely small commercially compared to Arabica and Robusta, but is extremely expensive and therefore important economically. Kona is really a Arabica bean grown in Hawaii.. Kona offers average bite and body but is in high demand worldwide because of its powerful aroma. These Gourmet coffee Beans are rarely blended with others because of their high desirability in and of themselves