coffee its delicious

Obtaining the most flavor from your coffe bean

2008-02-05T15:47:00.000+07:00

The taste of the kaffeebohne begins with the work and the climate in which it grew. But which happens with the beans out again, to it poured into your cup has also a quantity to do with the taste and the extent that you the final result or disappointment experiences.

Roasted - which functions it
Roast the kaffeebohnen brings alive the taste of the beans. The warmth from the process that causes the coffee bean's coal hydrates and fats for transformation in aromatic oils.
Roasted changes the taste of the beans from something, that the marvelous coffee taste is unpleasant in that millions of humans in the whole world enjoy each day. There is also different roasting times that kaffeebohnen experience.

Everyone produces another kind of coffee. Light roast produces a light taste - central roast is sweeter and rich, dark roasting and produces a deep taste is rather sweet and spicy.
The longest time produces a darkly really roasting coffee. In the beans and caramelize, which to complete and smoky taste, begin to char the natural sugar content of the beans.
The purchase of the best kaffeebohnen The unmistakable taste results
in most coffee plants on the climate of the region, where they are planted, and this into the coffee cherries. For the best beans, those buy Arabica coffee as gourmet. Robusta beans have to make more koffein cheaper, less taste etc.

Their own kaffeemuehle - must People,
which want that into their coffee use the best variant kaffeemuehlen. If you liked the fact that one can profit most taste and naehrwert buys beans and grind to, as you are used your own. Over the full benefit the taste of the coffee, you should grind only the amount, which you intend, briefly before the brewing process.

Hold for the fresh kaffeebohnen
For the best taste you should purchase only beans of specialist shops. After you their purchase, the whole beans should be used within one week to purchase, the benefit over the full taste of the coffee. Coffee beans are like sponges, a switches the taste of something in their environment, which is the reason, why you want, guarantee you that use them in a locked container and hermetic within seven to ten days.
Coffee also advise against drunkards to purchase husbands since pre loops reduce the coffee taste and flavour. With the purchase, coffee bean, loops of the fresh beans and only you drink enough that you immediately prepare a beautiful, intense taste and flavour. It was not for a long time ago that humans had to depend percolators and husbands. Hardly someone had its own mill, and only few humans had their own coffee machine.
Percolators were for the church potluck or in the local coffee shop. Today we are to have spoiled, the best available kaffeebohnen at a favourable price. In many kitchens there is a Roester, or at least a mill and a coffee machine, and often a coffee machine. This is a great time in history for coffee lovers everywhere.

Mix caramel coffee ?

2007-02-23T11:26:00.000+07:00

just drink coffee but then to think...is it possible to mix my coffee with cream..then..hmm..slurrp..wow !!

its delicious too, I think....then I found where is the taste different...hahhaahaha..finally I found the different taste in my coffee, my mom has been a mixed with a little bit caramel in my coffee with cream, now I satisfied to enjoy drinking coffee.

Coffee Carafes

2007-02-01T07:19:00.000+07:00

Coffee carafes keep your coffee hot for hours, but I’m sure you already knew that. Don’t you just love sitting in the garden, sipping coffee and then pouring more and more and more from the carafe until it turns twilight ?

There are thermal carafes and glass carafes, which come with your coffee maker; they are sometimes called coffee pots. There are thermos’ (they are called flasks in the UK), which should be airtight to disallow spills. Then there’s coffee carafes, which are insulated and most have a button to squeeze and pour. The benefit to thermos’ and the latter coffee carafe method is you can decant the coffee right after its brewed and the coffee does not cool right away, nor does the coffee burn.

Thermal Coffee Carafes:

* If you are going to use a coffee carafe I have one major piece of advice. Do not add your cream or milk into the carafe. It is hard to get the sludge out around the top of the inner lip. Plus, the cream/milk is heavier and will separate in the coffee carafe. What I do is use a second carafe (like the “condiment counter” at Starbucks) and put the cream in there to stay cool.
* They are great to use anywhere inside your house or in the garden (or take to the neighbors).
* Do not take them in the car. Some are not leak-proof and have to be upright at all times. If you are going somewhere take a thermos or a travel mug.
* Get one the size that you will use

Replacement Coffee Carafes for your coffee maker:

* Make sure you have the right make and model before you order a new coffee carafe. Some brands have over 15 models and the carafes may be different sizes.
* Make sure you get the correct color. Some coffee machines come in black and white and some in funkified colors.
* If you are clumsy, see if you can order two at a time for a reduced cost.
* Check prices online by clicking the links above.

By the way, I once had a friend call a carafe a charaf…I laughed so hard my face hurt for days

Coffee Urns

2007-01-30T10:23:00.000+07:00

Where would I like my ashes to go when I die? Perhaps, a disused coffee urn or thrown into a coffee mug made in pottery class or even ground with my burr grinder into your coffee bit-by-bit.

Well, I guess a coffee urn needn't sound so somber afterall. A coffee urn is a coffee maker which can make enough coffee to feed a small army. You always see them at church socials and other places. I have to be honest and say, if you are going to make coffee in an urn ensure you are ready to serve the coffee. When I was a waitress, ok server if I'm going to be politically correct, we would set the urn up in advance and about ½ an hour before it was going to be served we would turn it on. You must serve it right away because most coffee urn machines are still boiling the water making the coffee taste faulty, sour and burnt.

Coffee urns generally are filled with water, a huge strainer-type filter is placed on a pole (pole is hollow and runs from center of the base) at the top. The water heats and is either sucked up the pole or boils over the filter and mixed together (with the filter holding in grounds).

Things to look for when purchasing a coffee urn:

* Ensure there is an on and off switch on the front of the coffee urn. Some do not have switches at all and the urn itself is so large that getting to the outlet, when it is full of water, can be daunting.
* Coffee urns can come anywhere from 30 cups to 65 cups. Do your homework and remember they generally take a long time to brew the more you make.
* Coffee urns still require the same amount of coffee. If you are using the small office coffee or restaurant coffee packages ensure you throw in one extra packet. The coffee grounds do not always saturate evenly.
* The coffee urn is hard to clean and will not fit in an average sink to rinse out. If you have a hose it may be better to spray the heck out of it.
* Always put the lid on, most machines will not work without the lid, but trust me, some older machines will spray everywhere.
* Cord length. I have seen many people rent coffee urns to set-up in their kitchen at Christmas. However, the counter space is too small to fit the coffee urn under the cupboards. The host wants the guests to be able to help themselves and wants to use the coffee next to the buffet except.she doesn't have an extension cord and the coffee urn cord will not reach the outlet. Oh my, it turns to complete mayhem.
* Always brew your coffee about ½ an hour before you would like to serve it. It takes a long time and doing it too far ahead of time will burn it and make it taste awful.

If you're in the market for a coffee urn click on the links above to start your search. Remember the above points and for goodness sake, invite me to your shindig. I'll bring the coffee and the coffee urn

Espresso Cups

2007-01-22T10:24:00.000+07:00

Espresso cups are the cutest thing next to kittens. Look at them….mini cups, tiny little bundles of cuteness. Another name for these little beauties is the demitasse cup. They hold one to two ounces of espresso. Speaking of espresso, did you know that an espresso roast has less caffeine than other roasts?

One of the tricks to a great-tasting cup of espresso is to warm the espresso cup first. Many espresso machines have warmers built-in on the top. I quite like the sexy Bodum espresso machine, which has a dome to keep the espresso cups hot.

Most espresso cup shapes are similar. It is just the materials which are different in their construction. It is generally not tulip-shaped like wine glasses, but cylindrical shaped, so it gives an even whole flavor and keeps the heat regular. It also allows you to see the crema in its finest form.

The stainless steel espresso cups keep the heat in perfectly. They look snazzy, are easy to clean and are well worth the investment. You can also get them in an espresso service. Porcelain espresso cups look pretty and elitist, but they really don’t keep the heat in. You need a thick walled cup to get the benefit.

There are many designs of espresso cups with just about anything on them. You can get magical flower espresso cups or kitten espresso cups and Illy makes fantastic designs. I could easily become a collector of espresso cups. So many designs, so little time.

If you are like me and don’t do your dishes everyday and the espresso cups and saucers are laden with coffee glommage stains you can do many things to get them to sparkle again. The best thing to do is to soak it in Polident, makes the cups sparkle like new.

Although, espresso is made for sipping I like to do cups like shooters to get that kick start we all need after a night of knitting. I have many espresso cups and espresso spoons and they are great for kids tea parties

Personalized Travel Mugs

2007-01-15T17:27:00.000+07:00

Imagine this…waking up every morning to my, the Coffee Bean Queen, photo on your personalized coffee mug! How could your day start any better? What a way to wake up in the morning.

Anyone can put anything on a coffee mug! You can put logos, pictures, photographs, words…just about anything. You can tell a lot about a person by their coffee mug:

* Do they have a trendy Starbucks mug? Then they are into brand names.
* Is it a photo of their kid? Then they are a family person.
* Do they have mugs with company logos? Then they are likely cheap and got it free…lol!
* I have a whole personalized mug collection, 50 in all, of my cats. They make me smile and the photos I chose each show their unique personalities. Does that say I’m a cat person?

Just think about it, personalized coffee mugs can make your personality known. It can always help you get revenge. I had a friend once who somehow got a picture of her husband kissing another woman. Instead of having the argument, she got the picture put on a mug, packed her husbands suitcase and when he came down for the morning she handed him his personalized coffee mug and kicked him out of the house. He stood there dumbfounded till he took a sip. Evil, but effective.

People I knew once got a wedding gift of personalized coffee mugs. They had photos on the mugs of the bride and groom. The best part was there were 10 mugs in all of all different stages of their lives. From babies on, what a trip down memory lane and great conversation pieces.

Travel Mugs

2007-01-12T14:03:00.000+07:00

The best place to get a travel mug is at trade shows where they give away swag. I can honestly say I have never purchased my own travel mug. I never really leave the house very much these days, but people always give me theirs or I ask to borrow one and never give it back.

Being that I am not the neatest person in the world, a slob actually, I find that often I leave the coffee in the travel mug for days, sometimes weeks, till it grows moldy and I throw it out. If I took care of my things I may dish out for one of those travel mugs which plug into your cigarette lighter in your car. I’ll wait to borrow one from my friends for now.

There are many types of travel mugs:

* Plastic dollar store travel mug varieties, which don’t keep the coffee warm
* Thermal stainless steel travel mug varieties
* Some travel mugs have handles, some do not
* Some fit into your car cup holder, others do not
* Travel mugs also can have a bright polycarb (plastic) outside in a rainbow of colors.
* You can even design your own logo and get custom coffee travel mugs made
* Some hold enough for one cup and others can handle two or more. The trend right now seems to be the 16 oz to 18 oz variety

There are many kinds of travel mug lids. I prefer the thumb slide lid. It is easy, spills are unlikely and it keeps the heat in my stainless steel, vacuum mug. Then there’s the travel mug lids that look like the tops of the kids “sippy cups.” I’ve used those before and when driving on the highway, taking a turn, it has swooshed all over my seats. There are many, many other types

Coffee Mugs

2007-01-10T13:17:00.000+07:00

Millions of coffee mugs everywhere and all seem exceedingly unique. When you open your cupboard at home or at work you very rarely see a set of matching coffee mugs. I have loads and loads of coffee mugs at my house. I have some packed away in boxes because they were sentimental 50 years ago. I think we all have an overabundance of coffee mugs. I don’t know about you, but I have one or two favorite mugs and the rest collect dust, unless someone pops in (which isn’t very usual). Give the unwanted ones away to the Salvation Army, let them go free and let someone else enjoy them… or if you hate coffee mugs smash them on the ground and use the shards in your plant pots or… I daren’t say it!

So, where do coffee mugs originate from? Well, think about it. When hot water first came on the market, after fire, I bet some doughhead tried to hold the boiling water in their hands (cup-like) till they received scalding 3rd degree burns.

Enter the Beaker People. The Beaker people loved their mugs, aka “Beakers”, so much that they were buried with them as prestige items. So, who were these Beaker People? If you’re thinking about the Muppets you are completely off base by thousands of years. It began in Bronze Age Europe, 2500 BC – 700 BC. A Beaker burial is a single crouched inhumation, found in a bowl-shaped or bell-shaped mound-type grave, with prestige goods like a highly decorated pot, called a beaker. As, the Bronze Age People began farming, and did not travel like the hunter-gatherers by the preceding Neolithic People, Archaeologists have regionalized the beakers by it’s distinctive markings, since the same patterns were usually found in proximity to one another. Beakers were characteristically bell-shaped with trendy markings for its era, like rope markings, braided markings and a series of cross-hatching.

Other items of prestige buried with the inhumations in a beaker grave include: flint arrowheads, bronze daggers, copper daggers, awls, basket-shaped earrings and discs of gold, barbed and tanged arrowheads, stone bracers, battle axes and shale conical buttons etc.

Could you imagine the trouble the Archaeologists would have in this era trying to pinpoint a common thread among us. My favorite coffee mug has Ned Flanders from the Simpsons on it, my second favorite I think I stole from somewhere and it’s logo is some type of business. The Archaeologist, we’ll call him Dr. Creighton, would probably find Simpson coffee mugs all over the world. Creighton may hypothesize that everyone with a Simpson coffee mug must have come from the same region, likely Hollywood, and migrated in some fashion. Who knows. The point is nowadays a coffee mug is something we don’t really think of, I think we still have our prestigious favorites, but I don’t know about you, but I would never want to be buried with mine.

Coffee Service

2007-01-08T16:53:00.000+07:00

So, the King of Canada is coming for tea, but you do not have any…what do you do? You could try soda or give him a glass of milk, but I think that would be in poor taste. What you could do is ask him to drink coffee. Get out your best coffee service and wow the pants off him. Honestly though, if the King of Canada is coming to your house for tea you have two problems…you’re out of tea and you are lazy – just go out and get some - and if the King of Canada shows up on your door you are delusional. There is no King of Canada, they have a Prime Minister.

A coffee service generally includes 8 cups, 8 saucers, a coffee carafe, a cream pitcher and a sugar bowl. It can be made from pottery, china or stainless steel. A proper coffee service must match and sometimes it includes sandwich plates.

Office Coffee Service

There is another type of coffee service and it is basically having coffee delivered to the office. Office coffee is very important for employee productivity. If you do not have coffee, staff go out to get some losing work time and staff may become tired and have that lack luster business etiquette.

There are a few types of coffee services available:

* Some coffee service companies provide the coffee maker, service the coffee maker and deliver coffee in all its various forms, whether its liquid coffee or coffee packets. Generally, you need a contract.
* Some coffee companies only deliver coffee and you have to get your own coffee machine.
* Some coffee companies also provide all of your vend products, including pop machines etc. These type of coffee services can be expensive if you buy the equipment outright or you can negotiate for a trial, see if it is worth the investment first and then cut a deal with the coffee service provider.

Coffee Accessories A.K.A. Coffee Gear

2006-12-22T07:18:00.000+07:00

If you’ve been reading this site at all you’ve realized what a great experience coffee can be. From the green coffee beans to the home coffee roaster, what could be more fun. I really know a good time when I see one. One of my cats, The Ancient Cat, says I am the most fun person she has ever met. Another one of my cats, Alo says I party down! Bring on the coffee, I say.

However, if you have coffee and nothing to hold it in you may be burned severely from holding the coffee in your hand clasped cup. If you don’t like being burned then you need some coffee accessories also known as coffee gear.

Coffee gear means coffee mugs. Your coffee mugs really tell a lot about you.

* On my last date 5 years ago, holong had a mug with a koala bear on it. Trust me, the man was slow as molasses and always had a vacant stare.
* Another time, I was at Aunt Shappies for dinner and she had an amazing, pristine sterling silver coffee service. That woman was loaded and she left me her favorite cat, charlie. charlie's a real delight when he’s not ripping his claws into my skin. Aunt Shappie brought the coffee service out on a coffee cart. The coffee cart was squeaky, but it sure was handy.
* Cousin Ferelyth is a barrel of fun. Sometimes, when we play lawn darts she brings out the coffee carafe, so the coffee stays warm, when we are in a drawn out neck and neck battle.
* Tap dancing Traci sometimes has her tap buddies over after the big tap-out. She serves her coffee in a coffee urn. It is pretty, stays warm and pours out from the bottom spout. Sometimes it is messy, because people let it drip on the floor. Traci doesn’t have a cat, so it just stays there till the next time. I tell her to get a cat so the little darling would lick it up.
* Coffee spoons are cool too. I have the coolest, which I picked up in KL, Malaysia. They actually have Bishops on them. Cool eh?
* Then there’s the cute little espresso cups. My cats drink out of them. My guests always like it when I serve them espresso in the tiny espresso cups and no one has found a cat hair in the crema yet. Plus, there’s the tiny espresso spoons, which double as… nah…can’t tell you.

There are all kinds of other coffee accessories, I have lots and borrow others from friends. Sometimes you can find a real gem at the flea market. I don’t like the coffee tins they have there, but like I said, sometimes you can get really cool coffee gear there.

Coffee Pods

2006-12-20T07:28:00.000+07:00

Coffee pods sound and look like something right out of Star Trek or The Jetsons. It's a pre-measured coffee packet, similar to a tea bag, for use in a coffee pod machine. Coffee pod machines provide pressurized technology to bring an infused taste to coffee.

There are many types of coffee pods to choose from, depending on your coffee pod machine, your personal coffee taste and of course your coffee budget.

Senseo partnered with Douwe Egberts and it provides these 72 single serving packages:

* Dark Roast
* Medium Roast
* Light Roast coffee pods in packages of 72 single servings

Melitta coffee pods provide 18 single serve packages:

* Love at First Sip Light Roast
* Cafe Kind of Day - 100 percent Columbian blend
* Buzzworthy Dark Roast
* French Kisses - French Vanilla
* Go Hazelnuts - Hazelnut
* Skip the Buzz - Decaf

Home Cafe coffee pods, compatible with Senseo and Black & Decker, provide 18 single serve packages:

* Folgers Classic Roast
* Millstone Columbian Supremo Blend

Kona-Pods, compatible with Senseo, Melitta, Home Café and Bunn My Café, provide 12- 48 single serve or double cup packages.

* Intro Sampler
* Dark Roast
* Medium Roast
* Espresso Roast
* Decaf

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for the Keurig Coffee pod machines provide 25 single serve packages. Some Green Mountain coffee varieties packaged in pods are Fair Trade Certified, which guarantees the small-scale farmers who grew this coffee a fair price for their crop.

* Rain Forest Nut - Fair Trade Coffee Pod
* Organic House - Fair Trade Coffee Pod
* Sumatran Reserve - Fair Trade Coffee Pod
* Flavored Coffee Pods: French Vanilla, Hazelnut, Belgian Chocolate Nut, Southern Pecan, Irish Cream, Fair Trade Gingerbread
* Rainforest Nut
* Breakfast Blend
* Vermont Country Blend
* French Roast
* Limited Edition Coffee Pods
* Decaffeinated Coffee Pods

Many, many more coffee pods to choose from.

Liquid Coffee

2006-12-19T07:14:00.000+07:00

Liquid coffee is coffee that is liquid in consistency. I know that may be hard for some to believe, but it’s true. But why? Why does coffee need to be liquid and what are its uses?

Well, believe it or not, coffee is just plain great. Even when it’s bad, it’s better than nothing. So, here we go… basically, liquid coffee is blended with hot water to make an on-demand cup of coffee or even a full pot of coffee. It is best used in the workplace. Liquid coffee prevents wastage since there is no burnt gloppage to throw out or to smell intensely; suffocating the whole office and reminding you of old man.

There are many different varieties of liquid coffee. Some liquid coffees don’t have preservatives and should only be bought in small batches, so it won’t expire and taste like “ttttthhhhh.” Other liquid coffees may have preservatives and do not need to be refrigerated. In addition, others may have some preservatives and still need to be kept frozen or at least refrigerated. Frozen coffee in blocks may need 24 to 48 hours to thaw, so ensure you are ahead of the game. If you’re not, office staff will get that vacant stare reminiscent of a sad looking mime. And clowns and mimes are scary.

Liquid coffee or coffee concentrate, are generally encased in boxes. These boxes sometimes hold a thick plastic bag inside with what resembles an udder sticking out. You open the tears on the box, withdraw the “udder” and attach it to the liquid coffee machine. Generally, the coffee machine compresses the bag and a percentage of coffee seeps-out through the udder and it is mixed with the hot water. The process is simple.

A bonus feature of the liquid coffee dispenser is…ready? You can sometimes get liquid coffee makers with added features that produce hot water or a combination of hot chocolate or specialty coffees. Bunn makes some fantastic liquid coffee machines. The other great thing about liquid coffee is the price. Generally, it ends-up costing less than 10 cents a cup. One gallon of liquid coffee makes about 70 gallons; which is about 1200 cups of individual coffee. Liquid coffee can come in all different sizes, so ensure you know what you’re ordering - ½ gallon to 6 ½ gallons and everything in between (except that sweet Oreo filling). The costs for liquid coffee can range from about $15 to $100 and if you sign a contract with a vendor, the vendor may give you a liquid coffee machine and a free maintenance program (not for your coffee addiction, just for the liquid coffee machine!).
Coffee Forums

Pre Roasted Whole Bean Coffee

2006-12-14T09:43:00.000+07:00

people buy a lot of pre roasted whole bean coffee from coffee houses and online. In the summer I home roast my own beans, but in the winter I hibernate and let the roasters do what they do best. I have to admit I love Canada's Planet Bean and also the 454 Horsepower Coffee from Kicking Horse. I like to try just about everything except cat crap coffee or weasel coffee, for that matter.

The main thing to remember when buying pre roasted whole bean coffee is to only buy a weeks worth at a time. If you are buying pre roasted whole bean coffee from the super market ensure it has been vacuum packed and check the date.

We have info of many of the popular (and my favorite) whole bean coffee brands on this site.

* Seattle's Best
* Gevalia
* Gloria Jeans
* Green Mountain
* Kicking Horse Coffee
* Kona Coffee
* Peets
* Starbucks
* Planet Bean

If you are new to the world of coffees you should try to get your hands on everything. The best way to do this is to look online for pre roasted ground coffee or join a Coffee of the Month club. There are pagse on this site about coffee tastes, coffee faults and coffee roasts. It's always a good idea to read about what you are supposed to taste before you start. Once you start tasting the good stuff you will never ever go back to regular supermarket coffee or God forbid, instant coffee.

If there's more than one person who drinks coffee in your home my advice is to just think of yourself. Make it the way you like it and the others can either make their own or buy their own coffee maker.

Instant Coffee

2006-12-12T07:10:00.000+07:00

Chances are if you are reading this coffee site you really don't care about instant coffee. To me, it feels like an abomination of the real stuff; almost a swear word. However, there are people who drink instant coffee and in my experience it's mostly the English. Sure, it's a quick way to make a single cup of coffee, but now there are the coffee pod machines, which will give you a great single cup of coffee in less time than it takes to boil the kettle. That said, if you are reading this section you want to know what instant coffee really is…

Instant coffee is a dehydrated coffee. It is either made into granules, liquid form or powder through many different manufacturing processes. Re-hydration occurs when the instant coffee mixes with boiling water.

Instant coffee was invented in the early 1900s by a Japanese scientist living in Chicago, Sartori Kato. It began to be marketed commercially in the 1930s by Nescafe. Its simplicity, cost and long shelf life made it a popular product in WWII.

After the conventional roasting and grinding of the coffee bean the coffee is then “extracted”. The extraction method is basically coffee mixed with water making a concentrate.

Then there are 2 drying methods for the extracted concentrate. Freeze drying and spray drying.

Freeze drying is the removal of water by sublimation. The coffee is frozen, is put on a metal drying rack and a vacuum is created in the chamber of the drying rack. The coffee is then warmed using radiation or conduction. Condensation occurs and the frozen granules expand and the water vapor is removed. Finally, the granules are packaged.

Spray Drying is a cheaper method for instant coffee producers. However, the coffee particles may be too small for the general consumer. Nozzle atomizers spray water and high speed rotating wheels are used to process the beans.

A benefit to using instant coffee is that you can regulate the strength of the coffee.

Ground Coffee

2006-12-08T14:30:00.000+07:00

To get a perfect cup of coffee you should buy good quality Arabica coffee beans, in their green bean form, home roast them 12 hours before use and grind the whole beans immediately before use.failing that, you can always buy ground coffee. Many companies provide home ground supermarket coffee, but you can also buy ground coffee from roasters. If you are planning to purchase the latter, your best bet is to only buy pre ground coffee one week at a time and ensure you store it in an air tight container, preferably not glass.

Supermarket ground coffee is ok to use if you are not a coffee cupper, but there is a difference. Most use robusta coffee beans and are mass produced. However, there are some which use Arabica coffee beans or a blend of both. Personally, I have a huge can into which I put unfavorable coffee and I use it in case of a coffee crisis; like when I'm too lazy to go to the coffee house.

Things to look for when purchasing ground coffee from a coffee house:

* Tell the grinder what coffee machine you have. Whether you use a French Press, a vacuum pot or an automatic drip machine.
* Only ever buy one week at a time.
* Ask when the coffee was roasted.
* Find out if the coffee beans are Arabica or robusta.
* Find out what country the beans are from.
* Write down what you bought and if you like it what grind you had.
* Choose the coffee roast you like.

Things to look for when purchasing ground coffee from the supermarket

* Look for something that is vacuum packed.
* Try to buy 100 percent Arabica ground coffee.
* Look for packaging which reports the roast type, many don't.
* Once you open it ensure you transfer it to an air-tight container.
* The coffee should have a code-date (expiry date), definitely check it. Groundt coffee last a long time, because of the vacuum sealing, but you should try to get the freshest possible.
* Don't buy a book by its cover. Some of the best coffee packages aren't written in English and look out of date. try these, if a major supermarket carries something that looks lack luster it is bound to be a good product.
* Never buy ground coffee that is under $5.
* Try to buy Fair Trade Coffee because some of the mass producers may use child labor or have non-environmentally conscious growing or production methods.
* Look for coffee with the Organic Coffee certification.

Coffee Brands

2006-12-07T12:42:00.000+07:00

Besides the Cat Crap Coffee page, this section of the Coffee Bean Queen website is my favorite. Coffee Brands. If I'm not home roasting I really like to try roasts from all different countries and many of the coffee brands listed here have so many varieties.

I have to admit that I generally judge a book by its cover and therefore initially choose coffee brands sometimes based on packaging and usually by its name. I love the name of Starbucks' Komodo Dragon Coffee and Green Mountain Coffee Roaster's, Lake and Lodge Roast Coffee. It's like nail polish . if there are two similar red's and one is called Rage Red and the other is just called Red I would definitely choose the Rage Red. It's all in the adjectives! That said, there are some fantastic coffee beans out there with very unexciting names and extremely blasé packaging worth giving a try.

I don't always order coffee beans online from the US. Canada has some great coffee roasters as well. Planet Bean Coffee located in Guelph, Ontario and Kicking Horse Coffee grown in Invermere, British Columbia are two of my absolute favorites.

If you buy coffee beans online ensure you read the coffee cupping section. It will tell you the correct coffee tasting terminology and the coffee tasting faults. It will also provide you with a printable coffee cupper record sheet. As the Starsky & Hutch movie says, “Just Do it, DO IT!”

If you have a favorite coffee brand please email me or even write a guest article on the coffee roaster. I would be happy to include it along with any bad experiences you've had from coffee roasters

Specialty Coffee

2006-12-06T15:17:00.000+07:00

Specialty coffee is like the really cool coffee, it jumps up and down to entertain you, similar to Mexican Jumping Beans, without the bug. Just joking. Specialty coffee is coffee which has superiority to it. The cream of the crop. The bean every bean wants to be. It can incorporate flavors, social causes and even feces. Yes, I said feces. It is the technical term, would you prefer it if I had said poo-poo or doo-doo? Ok, so carrying on.

Specialty coffee by definition is basically coffee beans that are well prepared, freshly roasted, and properly brewed. The SCAA describes specialty coffee as "special geographic microclimates producing coffee beans with unique flavor profiles."

There are many specialty coffees and The Coffee Bean Queen site exposés the following types of specialty coffee:

Cat Crap Coffee: coffee made from .well you can guess (blush). Read the page and read it all, wait until you get to the weasel coffee part.

Organic Coffee: coffee made without unnatural chemicals.

Gourmet Coffee Beans: high end, ooh-la-la coffee.

Flavored Coffee: coffee with additional flavors baked in.

Coffee Flavorings: read about chicory and other coffee flavorings (just don't try the chicory. Can you say ummm, ewww?).

Fair Trade Coffee: socially responsible coffee.

Basically, the specialty coffee designation starts with the farm's growing conditions (including its climate, whether it is shade or sun grown, whether it uses chemicals etc.), whether it is processed correctly, roasted impeccably and finally and the most important factor.whether it is free from defects.

To be honest, I don't care if coffee beans have a specialty coffee designation. I just care that the coffee tastes good and I will try just about any coffee. There is a difference in coffee if the beans aren't consistent though. Always look for beans which have uniformity. It means the growing conditions were consistent. It results in an even grind and an even roast and eventually that warm taste which wakes you up in the morning. It's all good.specialty coffee or not.

Decaf Coffee

2006-12-05T07:04:00.000+07:00

The health studies say coffee is good for you, coffee is bad for you, so no wonder 10 percent of Americans only drink decaf coffee; we're all confused. I usually drink decaffeinated coffee at night to chase the pot of full caffeine I drink during the day. Some say I'm a coffee addict, but just because my eyes are bugging out of my head and my heart races doesn't really mean I'm a coffee addict. I'd like to think I'm just out of shape and ok, lazy.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant to the central nervous system. If you have “issues' with caffeine I would stay away from it completely. Did you know that a cup of brewed decaf coffee has 1mg - 5mg of caffeine? An average regular coffee cup contains about 75mg of caffeine. In order to qualify as decaffeinated, coffee beans have to be 97.5 % caffeine free. Kicking Horse Coffee has great decaf, tastes like the real stuff and has minimal caffeine.

To make decaf coffee the producers use specific solvents like:

* Carbon Dioxide - high pressure CO2 is used to decaffeinate green coffee beans. Basically, the green beans get a facial; its pores open using steam. Liquid CO2 forces the caffeine molecules out and the beans are dried.

* Swiss Water Decaf - beans are soaked in hot water, removing its chemical integrity and caffeine, then a charcoal filter streams the water, catches the caffeine and the remaining water is added back to the beans, to rehydrate with its flavors and chemical compounds. Basically, this method just kicks out the caffeine. Wouldn't that be nice if we could do that to people?

* Methol Chloride - this is the decaffeinated methods of choice by coffee aficionados for its flavor retention. The green beans also get a facial and then are rinsed repeatedly till the caffeine runs down the drain. The beans are resteamed to get rid of the Methol Chloride residue and then dried.

* Ethyl Acetate - reminds me of a squeaky Aunt. Green beans are soaked, treated with ethyl acetate. The caffeine “gloms on” onto the ethyl acetate and then the beans are steamed to lose the “glommage” and then rehydrated.

Green decaf coffee beans are brown. How's that for sentence structure! The process changes the chemistry of the green bean to change its structure to brown. Even with the chemical processes the beans are safe and FDA approved. Some decaf coffee even taste like the real thing, but you have to search high and low for a good one.

Kind of Coffee

2006-12-04T12:57:00.000+07:00

First, there's the strong, dark and robust, then there's the teeth-tingling medium and finally the tasty lightweight! Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about coffee. There are all types of coffee, as you probably already know. I think there's two types of home coffee: the good stuff and the abysmal stuff. You know your coffee is terrible if your friends show up with their own Seattle's Best Coffee or perhaps, Starbucks coffee.

The first type of coffee is instant coffee. I don't know about you, but I usually drink tea if that is an option. I find instant coffee to taste like bark and some instant coffee is flavor blended with chicory.

Then there's the already ground coffee. Some of it is not bad, but you really need to know your coffee before purchasing it. Good ground coffee should be made from Arabica coffee beans, although some varietal blends are good too. If I had the choice I would definitely take ground coffee, otherwise known as supermarket coffee, over instant coffee provided it is packaged appropriately.

The next option is the coffee beans. Once you find one you like you will never go back to instant coffee or ground coffee. With coffee beans the versatility is fantastic. You can grind to your own preference and even blend your own coffee beans to your taste. There are often times when I mix decaf coffee beans and dark roast coffee beans to get that sleepy awake feel.

The newest coffee invention is the coffee pod machines. The manufacturers add pre-measured coffee to enclosed packaging. These are great if you want a single cup, but the downside is they are pre-measured, and although they come in many different coffee pod varieties and flavors, you cannot choose the strength.

The best option is to roast your own green beans. It does take a bit of time, but you can save money in the long run (and also lose money when you are learning to do it yourself). If you buy green coffee beans you may want to get an electronic home roaster or you can just use a popcorn popper.

The choice is completely up to you, just remember that the best type of home coffee is the one you like, everyone else is wrong!

Coffee Bean Acidity & Body

2006-12-01T10:34:00.000+07:00

Coffee, like wine, has very different distinct flavors. In order to identify the taste you like, you must understand the coffee's body and the coffee's acidity. The acidity of coffee depends on the coffee bean, the dry processing or wet processing and the roast of the coffee bean.

Coffee Acidity: Coffee acidity can affect the aroma, flavor and strength of the coffee bean resulting in the coffee's ultimate taste. Coffee acidity can sometimes be measured by terms like bright, sharp, dry vibrant etc. Coffee acidity isn't usually akin to the undesirable taste of coffee sourness. As a rule of thumb, wet coffee bean processing is more acidic than dry coffee bean processing. Coffee roasting will decrease overall acidity. Higher acidity is usually attributed to higher altitudes and volcanic soil. Contrary to popular belief, the coffee's flavor acidity is not related to pH level.

Coffee Body: is the weight of the coffee and it is described as light, medium or dark and sometimes rich or heavy. The location where the coffee is grown, the coffee bean type and the coffee roast all contribute to the body of coffee. If you swirl the coffee around in your mouth, much like wine, you will get a better coffee body experience. The coffee body is akin to the coffee beans fat content. A light roast generally has lower fat and a full-bodied, or heavy bodied, coffee has slightly more fat.

Coffee Bean Classification

2006-11-29T09:15:00.000+07:00

To be honest there is currently no global presiding board over coffee beans, however many coffee production places still use the old methods of classification. Some plantations use some of the grading types and not the other types.

Coffee grades are important because smaller beans are quicker to roast, thus take less time and less cost to produce. Dense beans take longer to roast. Beans of differing color obviously taste differently.

Size grading (length):
Size means everything! Coffee beans are classified by size. Sizes range from 13 to 20-64th inches. A medium size is usually the best. Beans of even sizes are considered to be the most sought after since they provide an even roast.

* Arabica coffee beans are classified by AAA, AA = 16 to 18-64th inches (7.2 mm), A, B or C.
* Robusta coffee beans are classified by I, II or III.

Size grading (width):
Coffee beans are generally rated on size from number 20 to number 8, with 20 being a very large bean and 8 being an unacceptable bean. Consistent size equals even roasting.

Coffee bean density:
The thickness of the bean is what is measured here. Density can be affected by rain, humidity, temperature and height above sea level. It ranges from the following:

* HB: Hard Bean
* SHB: Strictly Hard Bean
* HG: High Grown
* LGC: Low Grown Central Bean

Coffee imperfections per 300 grams:
Generally, it means the imperfections per pound of coffee. It was a system used by the now disbanded New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange. Imperfections basically mean contaminants like rocks, twigs, leaves and rotten beans. NY 1 to NY 8 means there are a variety of imperfections. For example, NY 2 means four imperfections, NY 3 means there are 12 imperfections.

Black bean:
Black Bean just means imperfection, so virtually it is the same as the above. The rating method is from number 2 to number 8 (and above, but the US will not accept beans over the number 8 rating). Number 2 equals 6 black beans, number 5 equals 69 black beans and number 8 beans equal 500 black beans.

Color:
Obviously, the color of the coffee bean.

I would just like to reiterate there is really no global governing body over the classification or grading process of beans. Some countries use their own grading systems and may have their own governing bodies, so your best bet is trial and error to find the beans you love. Currently, I take great pleasure in the Green Mountain Coffee Roasts. It has a great selection of Organic Fair Trade coffees and it ships all over the world.

Green Coffee Beans

2006-11-28T16:05:00.000+07:00

Green coffee beans are berries from the Arabica plant or robusta plant, which have been processed for roasting. Coffee aficionados would never call the green coffee beans, “beans” since they are actually twin seeds of a plant; much like the cherry. We'll call them beans for all extensive purposes.

Green coffee beans go through a vast processing system before they reach the customer. There are two main coffee bean processes:

The most popular method for processing green coffee beans:

* The coffee fruit is red and is picked as it ripens.
* The coffee plant's fruit is stripped down to a pulp and all the debris is removed.
* The beans are fermented to remove the pulp.
* The beans are dried and the peanut-like skin is stripped;
* The fruit is now a green coffee bean.

The alternate method for processing green coffee beans:

* The coffee's fruit, leaves, twigs, undesirable unripe fruit and sometimes insects and dirt are thrown to the ground.
* The mélange is left to dry and is stripped, revealing the green coffee bean.
* Resulting in a completely different taste due to the addition of other material. The coffee may taste may be like compost.

Another interesting fact to consider.coffee trees are grown between the Tropic of Cancer & The Tropic of Capricorn (perhaps, Henry Miller was drinking coffee when he wrote those books).

In North America, it is becoming trendy to not only buy whole beans, but to home roast the green coffee beans as well. Home coffee roasters are decreasing in price and green coffee beans can be ordered online or at a local coffee house.

Coffee Beans

2006-11-27T08:03:00.000+07:00

There are so many coffee beans, so little time. I drink a lot of coffee and to be honest unless I really think about it, or hate it, I just gulp the coffee down and don't really give it too much thought. When I'm cupping I definitely try to pay attention to the individual nuances, but, like wine, unless I concentrate I really can't taste the nuances.

I know I like dark roast coffee beans the best, but most times I cannot differentiate between African coffee and Java coffee. However, I can always taste the difference between robusta coffee beans and Arabica coffee beans (although robusta is an inferior bean I still think we should capitalize it to make it even with Arabica. Hey, but what do I know). Although, I do know when you give me instant coffee, coffee flavored with chicory and I generally stay away from any coffee in the UK.

There are things to take into consideration when buying coffee beans: the coffee bean classification, the coffee acidity and body and what constitutes a gourmet coffee bean. Then there are my most popular Coffee Bean Queen pages, Cat Crap Coffee, Organic Coffee, Flavored Coffee and Coffee Flavoring. Check out the coffee cupping section because there are pages on coffee tastes and coffee faults. To be honest, before I knew this information I couldn't distinguish the floral tastes verses the earthy taste of coffee beans etc. Isn't it strange once you know a word you can taste it.maybe that's just me.

However, the best thing you can do to make great coffee at home is purchase (or grow if you're in the middle of the Tropics) great coffee beans. Read-up and sit down and enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee. Who knows, you may even get strangers knock on your door wanting to taste your brew and if you have kids perhaps you can start a coffee stand instead of the ol' lemonade. Get with the times!

Other Coffee Makers

2006-11-24T10:25:00.000+07:00

So many coffees, so little time and so many methods. We've come a long way in the evolution of the coffeemaker and methods have changed from socks as filters to the modern day multitude of different ways to get that perfect cup. That said, I think some coffee brewing methods are apt derogatory nicknames for some of the dolts I have met over the years.

Drip Filter Coffee Brewing Method: Pretty much like any of the coffeemakers you see in most people's homes, in North America. You put the coffee grounds in a basket, the water in the unit; they meet and drip into a carafe, first going through a filter. I find this to be one of the simplest ways, provided you know how to measure coffee. There is nothing worse then going to someone's house for coffee and the coffee is weak. Practice, I say, practice!!! You can set it up beforehand and just press a button when you are ready or buy a coffee maker with a timer.

Dutch Coffee Concentrate Coffee Brewing Method: (also known as the cold-water method, or moccomat). All I can say is ummm, ewww! Any coffee cupper would NEVER be caught dead drinking this. Basically, you soak coffee & water in a glass, for a half-day to a full-day. Then strain the coffee, using a filter (possibly a sock) and refrigerate the gunk. Then, when you are ready for a cup, of what I suppose is still coffee, you boil water and add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of the muck and enjoy.

Espresso Coffee Brewing Method: Steam and ground espresso beans are forced through a filter without burning the coffee. The result is a fantastic actual bean flavor with crema foam) on top. Add steam, a spigot and milk and you have a latte or cappuccino.

French Press Coffee Brewing Method: (also known as the plunger pot, cafetiere or Bodum). One of the most indispensable coffee makers known to man. You can travel with it (especially to England where most homes use instant coffee. Imperitive note: always take your own coffee with you if you are outside major UK cities); you can camp with it; if there was a blackout (and you had a fire to boil water) you could make a ton of money selling coffee to your neighbors; .ok, I think you get the point. Now, “what is it, you ask?” The French Press is a small glass jug (you can get plastic ones to travel with) that you put grinds in, add hot water, stir, put the plunger in -which has its own filter attached- press down and voila.great tasting coffee with no grinds in your teeth, maybe a little sediment at the end.

Ibrik Coffee Brewing Method: (also known as cezve, jezve). The key to fantastic Turkish coffee, Greek Coffee etc. If you like it strong, this is a great method for you. You use a small pot, usually copper or brass, with a long handle, plus, finely ground coffee beans. You boil the coffee grinds and water on the stove three times and serve only the froth in small cups. Jug Coffee Brewing Method: Hot water over grounds in a pottery jug and left to soak for about 6 hours. Disadvantage (or advantage) with this method is you get a meal with your coffee because the grinds go in your cup.and obviously the liquid is cold.

Moka Pot Espresso Brewing Method: Moka, moka, moka - I just like saying it! Moka! Ok, I'm done now. The moka pot is a dual chambered pot, which forces water from the bottom pot, into the upper pot, passing a filter and gathering coffee along its way. The espresso mix is served from the top pot.

Percolator Coffee Brewing Method: Also known as using a coffee urn. It is similar to the Moka Pot Method except there is only one pot. When heated, the water forces itself up a metal stem into a filter basket filled with coffee. Then gravity occurs, the water is forced back down through the filter into the abyss below. Generally, there is a spout at the bottom to which you pour a cup or a carafe at a time. This type of coffee is usually served at functions and meetings because it can make a lot of coffee at once. If doing this remember you need about 25 minutes for the whole thing to brew.

Vacuum Pot Coffee Brewing Method: akin to the Moka pot, the vacuum coffee maker has two pots: an upper pot and a lower pot (just to get technical). Boiled water starts in the lower pot and steam forces hot water through a coffee grind filled glass tube into the upper pot. The vacuum pot is then removed from the heat source and as the temperature gets lower, the vacuum is formed and the coffee gets sucked back to the first pot and poured. *No coffee grounds were hurt during this experiment*

Espresso coffee

2006-11-23T08:40:00.000+07:00

Talking about of Espresso always reminds me of being in Sumatera, sitting outside and people watching. It's called bica there. I think espresso has the best demitasse cups and saucers; they remind me of kittens. miniature and really cute.

Espresso is comprised of liquid and foam. It tastes rich and bittersweet with an acidity which leaves a pleasant taste on the back of your tongue. The foam is known as the crema and the color of the crema can tell you a lot about the brew. The crema covers the oil, sugars, acids, proteins and gas bubbles of the coffee. A single espresso is 1 - 1.25 ounces and a double adds one more ounce. The usual amount of coffee is 7 grams for a single espresso and obviously, 14 for a double espresso.

Espresso is made by a machine, which forces hot water through tamped (compacted) fine ground coffee. Usually the espresso machines can steam hot milk and create fantastic alchemy in a cup in the form of lattes, mochas etc.

A good cup of espresso demands consistency, warm equipment, good coffee and fine grind. The tamper should tamp evenly. The coffee grounds, after being tamped, are called the “cake”. Dark roasts are always better because they tamp more evenly, my favorite is the Kicking Horse 454 Horse Power coffee beans. Some Barristas think the lighter the roast the finer the grind.

The way I figure it, anyone who has a home espresso machine is one coffee loving friend. There are many tricks to becoming a talented Barrista, but the main thing to know is consistency! You can completely wreck a great cup of espresso by not tamping the grinds consistently, not grinding the beans consistently and not using uniform pressure.oh yeah, and whatever you do, warm all your equipment first.

Types of Coffee Roasts

2006-11-22T11:05:00.000+07:00

Home coffee roasters are becoming quite popular. Cuppers definitely recommend the home roasting of green coffee beans as an excellent way to get the taste you desire; whether it's a dark roast, light roast or Vienna roast.

Coffee Roasts Explained

Dark Roast Coffee: sometimes called Full City Coffee Roast, Viennese Coffee Roast, Dark French Coffee Roast, Spanish Coffee Roast, and Italian Coffee Roast.

* Black in color, but still very shiny and oily
* It has a slight burnt flavor.
* If the green coffee beans turn to dry, non-oily, black, charcoal-like coffee beans they are simply burnt and the coffee will taste exceedingly acidic.

French Roast Coffee:

* Dark brown in color, oily and less shiny than dark roasts.

Medium Dark Roast Coffee: sometimes called City Coffee Roast or Dark Coffee Roast.

* Dark brown color and slightly oily coffee
* A popular flavor with cuppers since the flavor isn't as burnt as dark roast. Cuppers believe this is the true taste of the coffee bean.

Medium Coffee Roast: sometimes called Half City Roasts.

* Rich brown color similar in color to the midpoint between dark and milk chocolate.

Light Coffee Roast: sometimes called American Coffee Roast or Cinnamon Coffee Roast.

* Light brown in color, similar to milk chocolate

Home Coffee Roasters

2006-11-22T10:41:00.000+07:00

If you're reading this page, you are definitely one of my friends. There is nothing like the smell of green coffee beans roasting and it is simply magical once you get the coffee roast that you like the best. Green coffee beans can last one to two years before the chemical content start to degrade. The downside is that it takes a lot of experimenting before you get that coffee roast that wows the heck out of you.

There are all types of home coffee roasting equipment, from popcorn poppers to huge, massive machines.and now, thank goodness, there are home coffee roasters in a countertop size. To get started I recommend getting the cheaper manual stuff to really understand the physiology of roasting and then move on to the easier stuff. Plus, that way you don't spend a lot of cash and really see if you enjoy, or have time to enjoy, the coffee roasting process.

Home roasted coffee was big about 160 years ago and with the invention of instant coffee and the mass production of pre-roasted coffee it seemed to go by the wayside. Then, home coffee roasting made a comeback in the early 1980s. The trick was home coffee roasters in the guise of popcorn poppers. Then in the early 1990s, a second generation of home roasters appeared using an infrared heating source. However, these machines could only roast a little at a time. In the late 1990s, finally temperature controlled home coffee roasters began to appear. With its tweaks and consumer surveys responses there are a lot of home roasting machines out there today, which have timers and are basically easy for the home roasting novice. With some machines, you can just hit the roast type and leave it, revealing a rapid cool down process and resulting in the roast you like.

I do caution that before you delve into home coffee roasting you read the page on coffee bean classifications. When I first started coffee roasting at home it was a nightmare. I bought inferior robusta coffee beans of all different shapes and it totally wrecked the even flavor of roasting. Plus, I couldn't get my air popper to produce a second crack of the bean and almost smoked out my whole house. I almost gave up thinking there was far too much to know. However, once you get the basics it's easy to just tweak to your liking.

Don't forget to let your home roasted coffee rest from 12 - 24 hours before using. Plus, it's much cheaper buying green beans and roasting them yourself. If you drink as much coffee as I do it is well worth the trouble.

Coffee Grinders

2006-11-21T07:32:00.000+07:00

Buying the right coffee grinder is important because coffee grinding is certainly an art unto itself. Grinding your own coffee beans is the best way to ensure you get the right flavor from the size of the grain for your coffee machine. Coffee grinding basically increases the surface area of the coffee bean and allows water to infiltrate increasing taste.

There are four basic coffee grinders: the conical burr coffee grinder, the burr coffee grinder, the blade coffee grinder and the manual hand grinder. Each coffee grinder has its benefits and downfalls:

The Conical Burr Coffee Grinder
The conical burr coffee grinder is the type of grinder which professional cuppers prefer the best. The conical burr coffee grinder provides the most consistency of grinds and the finest of grinds resulting in a proper infused taste. However, some models have up to 16 settings, so you can always use it to grind coffee coarsely. The conical burr coffee grinder grinds at a lower speed, which decreases heat to the bean and imparts its true aroma. Conical burr grinders are perfect for grinding fine Turkish coffee, espresso and are useful for all coffee makers from the French press (cafetiere), to the stovetop espresso maker to the automatic drip system coffee makers. Conical burr grinders can cost anywhere from about $100 - $400.

The Burr Coffee Grinder
The burr coffee grinder is slightly different to the conical burr coffee grinder. The burr coffee grinder uses disc burrs and grinds the coffee faster; which in turn heats the coffee slightly robbing it of aroma. It still provides an even grind, however the burr coffee grinder cannot grind as finely as the conical burr coffee grinder. Generally, prices of a burr coffee grinder range from about $40-$300.

Blade Coffee Grinders
Blade coffee grinders are the most common and one of the cheapest forms to grind coffee. Generally, the blade coffee grinder is a quick and easy method of grinding coffee beans. Blade coffee grinders whirl and basically crush the coffee beans. The biggest con, when it comes to using blade coffee grinders, is it generally creates an uneven grind, which doesn't release the full flavor. It is easy to clean, but due to the high speed, it heats the coffee beans and creates an uneven taste. Prices range from about $15 -$100 for a blade coffee grinder.

Manual Hand Coffee Grinders
Manual Hand Coffee Grinders have steel burr systems which are akin to pepper grinders. They are a fantastic way to grind coffee to your specific grind specifics. Plus, hand coffee grinders are usually very attractive especially to match antique or country cottage type homes and kitchens. Some manual hand coffee grinders even hang on the wall to keep kitchen counter space open. However, the hand coffee grinders are a time and labor intensive way to release great flavor. If you are looking to purchase one for practical reasons it's important to get a good one. You get what you pay for when it comes to manual coffee grinders; some are mostly decorative and some will last a lifetime. Prices range from about $20 - $100.

Commercial Coffee Makers

2006-11-20T07:53:00.000+07:00

Commercial coffee makers can be the restaurant type coffee makers or can even be used for office coffee. Many offices try and save a few dollars by buying cheap home use coffee makers, unfortunately these coffee machines don't hold up and eventually produce coffee which is inferior in flavor.

* Does the commercial coffee maker need to be attached to a water supply?
* Does the coffee maker have an internal water filtration system or do you have to purchase an additional water filter supply?
* How long does it take to brew?
* Is there a rest period between brews in order for the water to heat up?
* What temperature does the water get to? About 205 degrees F is recommended.
* Is the commercial coffeemaker designed to be energy efficient?
* How often does the coffee maker have to be cleaned?
* How many people will be drinking the coffee? Will the coffee turn stale or burnt if left for awhile? If you are concerned about this, your best bet is to purchase a commercial coffee maker with thermal carafes as opposed to one with a warming plate. Warming plates keep cooking the coffee resulting in a burnt, bitter taste.
* For simplicity, would you prefer liquid coffee machines, so there is no time lost by employees making coffee. Liquid coffee makers just require you to push a button.
* The size of the machine is important. Will it fit in your space? Does it have to be on the kitchen counter next to the water tap (plumbing areas)? Will all mugs fit under the drip spout or do the coffee mugs have to be a certain height? Do you have to pour water in the top of the machine requiring extra space?
* Check the warranty and service package. Will the service techs come to your workplace or do you have to send it away for repair?

In my experience, bad coffee at work equals bad work performance. Staff running out to the nearest coffee shop to get the better quality stuff and if they can’t run out then you are left with tired and grumpy staff. It’s reminiscent of that study everyone has heard of, where the employer changes to decaf coffee unknowingly and suddenly staff start coming in late, leaving early, work productivity declines etc.

If you are an employer, do yourself a favor. Buy good quality coffee and a commercial coffee maker which can keep coffee warm without burning it. The initial cost may be higher, but keeping your staff happy (and awake) will pay dividends in the long run. You don’t need to purchase an espresso machine, although that would be nice, but just a good quality commercial coffee maker and your staff will appreciate it.

Coffee Pod Machines

2006-11-17T11:01:00.000+07:00

The newest craze in the evolution of coffeemakers is the coffee pod machine. Coffee pod machines use a pressurized brewing system. It forces hot water through coffee bean grounds, at high pressure akin to coffeehouse technique, without the high price. It uses coffee pods- a pre-measured filter type bag similar to a tea bag. To decide if this type of machine is right for you, you must consider the following:

How much coffee do you drink? If you are a one-cup person than this coffee pod machine may be what you are looking for. It brews a single cup quickly; some coffee pod machines can brew in less than 30 seconds. However, if you drink more than one cup then you would be better to purchase another type of coffeemaker, like a drip machine.

Cup capacity: Do normal size mugs fit underneath it for brewing or do you have to purchase special ones? Some coffee pod machines only provide 4 ounces (a soda can is 8 ounces). Therefore, a mug may take two pods.

Taste: Have you tried the coffee? Currently, there are limited amounts of coffee pod selections. If you are a cupper trying different brands you may not be available in pod form. Is there a strength setting on the coffee pod machine?

How much maintenance is involved? Some machines you have to load, prime, dump water, reload, set up pods, brew, dump pods and clean pod holder. Because the pods come prepackaged you don't have to measure, but you have to rinse out the pod holder after every cup to get an even taste.

Cost of pods: Pods can cost anywhere from 25 cents to 75 cents per 4 oz cup. So, if you want a mug (approx 8 ounces) then you'll have to use two pods.

Coffee pod construction: Is the pod holder flimsy in construction? Are there places for it to leak? Is it easy to clean? Is it noisy to prime the machine could it potentially disturb other members of your household? Check the wattage on the machine. The higher the wattage the quicker coffee will brew and the hotter the water for a more infused taste. Does it have a timer?

Where you live matters: If you live at altitudes higher than 6800 ft above sea level, do not buy the coffee pod machine, due to the pressurized system.

Other uses: Can you make tea or other hot beverages in the coffee pod machine?

Style: Is your brand of coffeemaker normally in full sight. The coffee pod machines look pretty high tech and can look out of place in a country kitchen. There are many funky colours to choose from.

There are a few different brand leaders in the coffee pod race. Some of the popular coffee pod machines are:

* Senseo HD7810/65 Single Serve Coffee Machine
* Bunn My Café
* Keurig B50

* Black & Decker HCC100 Home Cafe Single Serve Coffee Brewing System
* Mr. Coffee Pod Pump Espresso Maker - ECMP40
* Melitta Javapod Individual Serving Coffee/Tea Maker

Mr. Coffee, Coffee Makers

2006-11-16T12:43:00.000+07:00

Mr. Coffee manufactures coffee makers, which are reasonable in price. Mr. Coffee has developed quite nicely over the years.

The Mr. Coffee brand was introduced in 1972, by North American Systems Inc. NAS was founded by Vincent Marotta Sr. and his partner Samuel Glazer in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1972, automatic drip coffee makers entered the market under the Mr. Coffee brand.

In 1975, sales increased from 1-thousand coffee makers to 38-hundred coffee makers a day making it a best seller in the US. In addition, in 1975, Mr. Coffee made its own coffee filters. Mr. Coffee makes great strides in development, first in 1977 where they developed a feature to use less coffee with the same great strength. It was a good time for them to do this because of there was a coffee shortage until 1978.

In 1980, they created the programmable coffee maker and finally in 1986, they developed a pause and serve feature. Iced tea was big in 1989 and Mr. Coffee created the first automatic ice tea maker.

A new slogan for Mr. Coffee reared its head in 1992. Its new ad campaign was, “Mr. Coffee -What'll he think of next?” in response to creating water filters. 1995 was the year to remember for Mr. Coffee, he found his true love and married Mrs. Tea, which was obviously one hot tea maker.

Mr. Coffee, coffee makers range in price from about $20 to about $100. You can also purchase an electric, Mr. Coffee mug warmer for under $20.

Capresso Coffee Makers

2006-11-15T09:38:00.000+07:00

Capresso just sounds like coffee. Cappucino and espresso… mmm! Capresso has its roots in Krups. The former President of Krups USA, Michael Kramm, started Capresso in 1994. Capresso is a virtual newcomer in the coffee maker marketplace, but Kramm has 20 years experience at Krups. Kramm thought the high-end coffee maker market was lacking in the US and doing well in Europe, so he thought he'd bring a little Europe to us.

It all comes down to the pressurized brew. Capresso believes its machines are not for everyone. It is not for middle-of-the-road coffee drinkers, its roots belong to those who want a high quality machine that makes coffee taste better than many US coffee houses. Therefore, if you don't drink coffee very often and can't taste the difference between earthy and floral undertones, with a light or heavy finish, then Capresso coffee machines are definitely not worth the spend, unless you like to show off.

There are also Jura - Capresso Super Automatic machines. Founded in Switzerland, in 1931, Jura AG joined Capresso to build coffee makers with interchangeable frother systems, LED displays and even instructional video tapes. These short tapes will show you how to use your coffee maker and how to make some drinks with great crema, like the phantasmagorical Barristas of the world.

Capresso makes the fantastic CoffeeTEAM Luxe machine. It has a built in burr grinder. The best part is you can program even the grinder to grind the amount of beans you require. The burr grinder is the crème de la crème of the grinders. It doesn't heat the beans and can grind much finer then the blade coffee grinders. If I had seen this machine before I bought my Cuisinart Grind & Brew, I may have been swayed. I am exceedingly happy with the Cuisinart, but, as Oscar Wilde once said, I can resist anything except temptation.
I do not know anyone who currently owns the Capresso coffee makers.

Melitta Coffee Makers

2006-11-14T13:07:00.000+07:00

Melitta is famous for its branded coffee filters, coffee and its non-electric coffee makers in the US. Melitta USA headquarters are in Clearwater, Florida where the filters and coffee makers are manufactured. Coffee roasting & packaging is done in New Jersey. Worldwide the Melitta Group also manufactures foil & wrap, air cleaners & humidifiers, vacuum bags & cleaning products.

The coffee filter is thanks to Melitta Benz. In 1908, she invented the filter using blotting paper from her son's notebook. In the 1930's, the filter became cone shape and ribbed to create a larger extraction area for ground coffee. The filter keeps out the bitterness and undesirable oils. In 1989, Melitta made environmentally safe natural brown coffee filters without using chlorine or bleach. Flavor pores were invented, in 1997, to allow more coffee taste and aroma to seep through without the sediment. Apparently, Melitta's coffee filters were the number one selling filter, worldwide, for four year in a row.

I am a little confused. Melitta's corporate profile says they make non-electric coffee makers; however, there are electric Melitta coffee makers on the market, which compete with other coffee makers. After some hunting, I find that Melitta does indeed make coffee makers, electric tea kettles, espresso machines and what is described as coffee preparation products. Plus, The American Tasting Institute gave Melitta's, 100 percent Arabica beans the award of, “America's best tasting coffee.”

I would have liked to have known Melitta Benz an entrepreneurial spirit from the early 1900's. I, personally, have never owned a Melitta product. I am not against these machines, but I love the coffee makers I currently own, especially my Cuisinart. Let me know what you think about these Melitta coffee products.

Krups Coffee Makers

2006-11-13T15:13:00.000+07:00

Now we talk about the Krups, Krups has an excellent name in the coffee maker world. It is known for its well-made coffee makers and espresso makers. In fact, one of its senior people left to start his own company called Capresso, which produces high-end coffee makers and espresso machines.

Krups has been around since 1846 and was founded by German, Robert Krups. It began with his precision rotary and spring scales. About 1950, Krups decided to venture into another area and was one of the first companies to create the electric coffee grinder. During the 1960's, Krups began making the 3Mix; a blender - type mixer and in 1961 Krups began making the home coffee machine (Krups T8) and the espresso machine. In the 80's Krups began a niche market with the technologically advanced espresso machines with the influence of Italy. The fully automatic Krups Orchestra expert espresso maker was born and also a steam pressure espresso machine for novices.

Now the Krups brand continues it strength as part of the Groupe SEB, a world leader in small domestic equipment. The group includes: Moulinex, Rowenta, SEB, Tefal, All-clad, Arno, Calor. SEB distributes its brands to 120 countries.

The only issue I have with Krups products is the name of the model numbers: Krups 619-70, Krups FMF4-14 and Krups FME4. There are many other Krups coffee makers and espresso makers to choose from, but I have only chosen a few to review. I ever owned a Krupps coffee maker when I lived in the Malaysia. It worked great until someone dropped the glass carafe on the floor, so I had to do without for a few weeks. Thank goodness for the internet though, it's so easy to get replacement parts and you can shop around for price. I'd definitely buy another Krups coffee maker.

KitchenAid Coffee Makers

2006-11-10T15:52:00.000+07:00

KitchenAid makes some very durable products and have excellent customer service. I would recommend any item Kitchen Aid makes. That said, I could only find one coffee maker still in production.

KitchenAid started out in 1908 in Troy, Ohio making breadmixers. However, it wasn't till 1919 that the KitchenAid brand was born and kept growing. In 1986, KitchenAid made a full range of home appliances, like fridges and stoves. Currently, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer is the same today as it was in 1919. The Smithsonian Institute has one to represent “American Icon” in their Washington Museum.

KitchenAid Pro Line 12-cup Coffeemaker

This coffee maker is really more for commercial use, but it is one great looking machine with some really great features:

* Measures 15 ½ by 15 25/32 by 8 9/32 inches.
* 1350-watt.
* Showerhead has full-dispersion enabling a uniform flavor to the coffee.
* Unit is made of die-cast metal.
* Comes with a portable second warmer, in case you're having a party or if you want to brew two types of coffee.
* Warmer has a two temperature heat setting.
* It has a programmable timer
* The KitchenAid model comes with Ion exchange water filter.
* The brew basket is flat bottomed.
* The water reservoir is in the front enabling better measuring and easy filling.
* Beeps when coffee is ready and it shows you how long the coffee has been sitting.
* Thank goodness, it has automatic shut-off for those ooops moments on your way to your vacation destinations.
* Comes with coffee scoop, second glass carafe and warming plate.plus KitchenAid has thought of everything.a orange lid to symbolize decaf.
* Weighs about 16 pounds, which is pretty heavy for a coffeemaker.
* KitchenAid promotes a 2 Year Hassel-Free Replacement Warranty.

If you have an issue with your coffee maker, KitchenAid will deliver a replacement to your door, arrange the return of your problematic item and guarantee the new item for 2 years. Wow, that's one heck of a returns policy.

Hamilton Beach Coffee Makers

2006-11-09T15:29:00.000+07:00

Hamilton Beach Coffee Makers have really come up in the world. They have a range called Eclectrics made of metal, fantastic colors and names reminiscent of nail polish. These Hamilton Beach machines have a style and pizzazz beyond compare. It's about time coffee maker companies decided to “think outside the coffee can” and do something unique. Kudos!

Just over 100 years ago, Louis Hamilton and Chester Beach created groundbreaking appliances. Hamilton was the advertising manager for United States Standard Electrical Works in Racine, Wisconsin. He met Beach, who liked tinkering with mechanisms, at work and together they started their own small appliance company. It began with a universal electric motor and in 1911, started their spindle drink mixer to make malted milkshakes. Hamilton Beach has really come a long way since 1904.

In 1990, NAACO merges its Proctor Silex subsidiary with Hamilton Beach. Hamilton Beach was owned by Glen Dimplex of Ireland. Currently NAACO owns 80 percent and Hamilton Beach owns 20 percent. NAACO stands for North American Coal Corporation, which dates back to 1913. In 2001, its kitchen collection opened a chain of stores called Gadgets & More. NAACO has subsidarys in all different areas like Hyster and Yale as NAACO's Materials Handling Group.

Hamilton Beach also makes coffee percolators, coffee grinders, coffee urns, drink mixers, food choppers, griddles, ice shavers, ice cream makers, slow cookers, toasters and many other home small appliances. Its kitchen tools section includes bakeware, cookware, barbecue tools, cutlery and gadgets. Hamilton Beach makes a line of True Air products, which include air purifiers, odor eliminators, humidifiers and allergen reducers. It also has a commercial line including: hotel coffee makers, alarm clocks, irons and hairdryers, plus glass washers, drink mixers, citrus juicers and commercial coffee equipment.

If you have any reviews or comments on the Hamilton Beach Coffee Makers please send me the scoop and I'll post it on this site.

Cuisinart Coffee Makers

2006-11-08T12:41:00.000+07:00

The Coffee manner highly recommends the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Stainless Steel automatic coffee maker.

Cuisinart entered the US market kind of late, 1973.and when it did, it entered with the illustrious food processor. In 1988, the originators, Carl Sontheimers, a MIT trained physicist, and his wife Shirley Sontheimers sold the food processing company to Conair Management. Finally, in 1994, the luxury company introduced the coffee maker and in 2001 the Cuisinart Premier Series coffee makers makes its appearance - for which I am truly grateful.

Its brand logo is “Savor the Good Life” and trust me, I do and so does Julia Child. If you are going to buy one luxury home appliance this year, it should be the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Stainless Steel contraption. I plan to buy in december and absolutely love it. I love the stainless steel interior and the sounds of the grind when I get up about 11am. The coffee tastes great and the only minor inconvenience I have, is washing the parts. However, I am just lazy. The grinder portion of the Grind & Brew machine comes right out of the coffee maker for easy cleaning.

Cuisinart also makes other small appliances like: blenders, can-openers, toasters, griddles, skillets, fondue sets, electric knives, toaster ovens, ice cream makers, scales, kettles, steamers and many more products. Overall, Cuisinart has a great reputation for its small appliances- all products look good and work well, plus with a limited 3-year warranty, you can't really go wrong.

You can even sign-up online for your warranty, saving you the cost of a stamp and the nagging thought if Cuisinart received your warranty. I don't know about you, but I probably fill-out 1 out of 3 warranty mailers, but if you can do it online you have a printable copy and it takes less than 3 minutes to do it and it's done. That said, I may have wasted those 3 minutes, where I could have “Savored the Good Life”, because I have had no problem with my Cuisinart coffee maker - and I use it at least twice a week.

Braun Coffee Makers

2006-11-07T12:19:00.000+07:00

Braun makes so many products, which include the coffee maker. other people's maybe have some Braun products at home and although I haven't tried a Braun coffee maker, I hear really great things about it. I have a Braun (Oral-B) electric toothbrush, which is great for getting coffee stains off my dentures. In fact, I'm sure we all have a Braun product at home and if we don't we certainly are familiar with its logo of BrAun, with the raised A. That logo and brand were created in 1935.

Braun started in 1921, after East Prussian engineer, Max Braun began the company with a small engineering shop, in Frankfurt am Main, creating radio technology. In 1937, Max's creations won an award at The World Fair, in Paris, for Special Achievement for Phonography.

From the radio background, Braun made pocket flashlights in 1947 and electric shavers in 1950. In 1951, after Max's death, his sons Arthur Braun & Erwin Braun took over the management. In 1963, the electric toothbrush made its first appearance and Gillette was impressed with Braun's technology and acquired the majority holding. Braun continued innovative technological products like the pocket cigarette lighter, in 1971, and the first clock radio, in 1977 (remember those with the “file-o-fax numbers”). Finally, in 1984, the first Braun coffee maker arrived on the scene and many other items, like infrared thermometers, followed.

Braun's newest coffee maker from the Impressions Collection uses a Brita water filter, which almost eliminates calcification and reduces chlorine ensuring a flavorful cup of coffee without the extras. The price is right for the Braun Impression coffee maker too.

Braun also makes many other small appliances like blenders, juicers, steam irons, coffee grinders, shaving and grooming products, oral care (Oral-B), beauty care items and health and wellness products. Braun has about 7,500 employees in seven manufacturing plants in five countries: Germany, Ireland, Mexico, China & Spain.

Bunn Coffee Makers

2006-11-06T12:10:00.000+07:00

Bunn has been around for more than 50 years. It is still a family business, based in Springfield, Illinois, with manufacturing and distribution centers all over the US, in Canada, in Mexico and internationally. Bunn products are available in more than 40 countries.

If you look, most restaurants, which serve coffee, use Bunn industrial, commercial coffee machines. They are durable, easy to use, easy to clean and make a good cup of coffee. Most people aren't aware that Bunn also makes a home coffee maker line. Bunn now makes coffee makers from 12 cups to 3 gallons, also liquid coffee machines, 3 to 5 gallon iced tea brewers, coffee grinders, powdered drink system machines (hot soup), frozen drink systems, juice machines and water filtration systems.

Bunn coffee makers have the following guidelines for an optimal coffee drinking experience:

* Use filtered water
* Keep coffee in a dry place
* Always use the amount of coffee suggested
* Never leave the coffee grounds in the basket. As soon as the coffee is brewed, throw the grinds out because the drips may sour the coffee.
* Clean the equipment regularly, especially the spray head area
* Use the deliming spring after every use
* If you live over 5000 ft. above sea level ensure you buy Bunn's specific high altitude coffee maker
* Never mix the fresh coffee with other brewed coffee
* Never reheat coffee
* Never leave the glass carafe on the burner with nothing in it
* Never drink coffee that has been sitting longer than ½ an hour (commercial)

Most Bunn coffee makers have a 3-year warranty; 2 years on hardware and 1 year on labor. I have only included the home machines: Bunn Thermal Carafe Brewer and the Bunn Pourover Coffee Brewer, but ALL Bunn coffee makers are well worth the investment

Black & Decker Brew & Go Coffee Maker

2006-11-03T14:27:00.000+07:00

A coffeemaker to remind you that you are single, or that your partner really doesn't drink coffee, or you that you are completely selfish. The Black and Decker Brew & Go Coffee Maker sports the following features:

* It makes one, and only one, 15-ounce coffee in a thermal travel mug.
* The travel mug is stainless steel (deluxe model) and fits most auto cup holders.
* It comes with a permanent coffee filter.
* Dishwasher safe.
* Weighs 2.7 lbs, making it great for traveling.
* Measures 9 ¾ x 7 by 6 inches.
* Has Auto Shut-off for those 'oh no' times.
* It has an ergonomic handle.
* It is not the least bit noisy.
* Does not have a strength dial.
* Very easy to clean.
* Does not have a water filter.
* Does not grind coffee beans.
* Doesn't have a grind feature.
* Isn't programmable or have an LCD screen.
* Mug, filter basket & permanent filter are dishwasher safe.
* Some models come with an extra bonus thermal travel mug.

Some of the concerns received on the Black & Decker Brew and Go machine are:

* The coffee isn't as hot as some prefer.
* Recommends 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons of coffee for optimal results
* Short power cord, meaning you have to place the coffeemaker directly in front of an outlet.
* The water fill line is hard to read.

These minor inconveniences would not stop me from purchasing a low-end coffee maker. You could replace this machine six times a year for the money I spent on my Cuisinart. You can also buy an inexpensive blade coffee grinder for about $20. The Black & Decker Brew & Go Deluxe Model sells for about $20 and has a 1-year warranty. Compare the Black & Decker Brew & Go Coffeemaker to the Black & Decker SpaceMaker Coffee Maker.

Black & Decker Coffee Makers

2006-11-02T09:52:00.000+07:00

Most of my non-cupper friends have Black & Decker Coffee Makers. I think it's probably due to the availability and the price. Black & Decker coffee machines don't generally have bells & whistles, but they are a good quality, simple product at a fair price.

When I was in college, my first coffee maker was a Black & Decker. It lasted years (even when I used paper towels for coffee filters). If you look hard enough, I bet you have at least one Black & Decker product in your house.

Black & Decker's Household Products Division is run by a company called Applica Incorporated. Applica was formerly Windemere Durable Holdings. Applica comes from the English word 'appliance' and the 'plicare' means to fold into a unified whole. In June 1998, Applica acquired Black & Decker and its sub brands, Toast-R-Oven, Profinish and Quick' N Easy.

Applica manufacturers at the Durable Electrical Metal Factory (wholly owned by Applica) in China, for its Black & Decker, Windemere & Private Label products. However, Queretaro, Mexico, has the main manufacturing facility for North America and Latin America. Black & Decker is probably better known for their tools. It manufactures some great tools at relatively cheaper prices.

Black & Decker coffee makers aren't very noisy and because of their simplicity are very easy to clean. When I had mine, I used to run vinegar through it once a month to ensure the hose wasn't clogging. Generally, the coffee machines are quick to brew, provided you keep them clean. Most Black & Decker's come with a glass carafe and a warming plate - so if you're a fast drinker you won't get the taste of burnt coffee. You will need a medium grind for these coffee machines and some come with a permanent coffee filter.

Here's some easy research for two of Black & Decker's Coffee Makers: Brew & Go Coffee Maker and The Space Maker Coffeemaker.

Coffee Tasting Terms

2006-11-01T14:14:00.000+07:00

Do you know this one ?
Pretentious and not so pretentious coffee cuppers have their own terminology to describe coffee and its acidity, aroma, body, flavor, fragrance and aftertaste.
================================================================================

Acidity is described as the bite of the coffee or the dryness in the back of your mouth. It does not have any relation to the pH level. Coffee acidity can be described as winey, clear, bright, snappy, dry and clean. No acidity would make the coffee taste flat, dull, soft, mellow, dead, delicate, bland or rough. Varietal coffees (blended coffee varieties), like varietal wines, have many different nuances. Acidity should not be confused with bitterness. However, to be a “politically correct cupper” you would describe acidity as: Low, Medium or High.
===================================================================
Aftertaste, sometimes called finish, is described as the taste left in your mouth after the coffee has been swallowed. You would describe it as: Quick, Lingering or clean.
===================================================================
Aroma is described as the fragrance or odor of coffee. It is described as subtle differences such as faint, delicate, strong or fragrant.

Coffee Aromas can be:
Jasmine
Wintergreen
Cardamon
Caraway
Basil
Anise
Lemon
Tangerine
Raspberry

Blackberry
Onion
Garlic
Cabbage Alfalfa
Peanut
Almond
Corn
Barley

Toffee
Praline
Honey
Molasses
Dutch Chocolate
Bakers Chocolate
Swiss Vanilla
Custardy Vanilla
Piney

Balsamic
Nutmeg
Pepper
Clove
Thyme
Tobaccoy
Burnt
Charred
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Body is described as the weight and texture by using the oils and intensity of the coffee.

It can be: • Light bodied •• Medium bodied ••• Heavy bodied
----------------------------------------------------------------
Fragrance is described as the distinct smell of fresh coffee ground nuances before the water is blended. Coffee fragrance can be described using the terms: fruity, floral, earthy etc. Personally, I use the same terminology as the flavors listed below. It is almost poetic.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flavor is described as the different nuances each coffee tastes. This is not to be confused with flavored coffees made to taste a certain way. It is strictly the taste of the coffee roast and bean. It is the combined sense of acidity, aroma and body – basically the overall flavor judged by the 4 tastes on your tongue salt, sweet, bitter or sour.

Bitter :
Harsh or Pungent
Alkaline, Caustic, Phenolic or Creosol

Salt :
Bland or Sharp
Soft, Neutral, Rough or Astringen

Sweet :
Acidy or Mellow
Piquant, Nippy, Mild or Delicate

Sour :
Winey or Soury
Acrid, Hard, Tart or Tangy

There are favorable and unfavorable flavors. Some may be poor, fair, good & fine or:

Favorable flavor:
Caramelly
Berry-like
Chocolatey
Citrus Floral
Fragrant
Fruity
Herby Mellow
Nutty
Resinous
Spicy Sweet
Wild
Winey

Unfavorable flavor:
Bitter
Bland
Carbony Earthy
Flat
Grassy Harsh
Muddy
Musty Rubbery
Sour
Turpentiney
Watery
===================================================================
Generally I find all of these coffee tasting adjectives to be quite poetic. For example, “the coffee is clean, low acidic, full-bodied with aromatic floral tones of jasmine and the taste of sweet caramel.” Oh, where are the poets? No wonder Bach wrote a coffee cantata.

Coffee Maker Evolution

2006-10-31T11:33:00.000+07:00

here the info of coffee..its about the evolution.......
There’s nothing like waking up to the fresh smell of coffee brewing in your coffeemaker. So, what do socks, vacuums, rammers, Mr. Biggins and physics have in common? They are all a part of the evolution of the coffeemaker.

Coffee makers started out being pots with a pointed pour spout on the top, a flat squat bottom with a trapper to stop the grinds getting into the coffee, much like the Turkish stovetop coffeemakers of today

During the 1600s & 1700s, coffee enthusiasts tried different shapes and sizes to create that magical cup of coffee devoid of grounds. This era’s shape had a bulging middle with a spout coming out of the center of the pot. It was a technological achievement separating the liquid from the grinds.

In 1780, Mr. Biggin became the revolution of the coffee world. Who is Mr. Biggin? Well, it is not a who, but rather, a what. Mr. Biggin was a coffeepot built with a filter, shaped like a tea cosy, which sat inside the pot. It was originally called “bagging” and it has been reported that the name “Mr. Biggin” allegedly came about because of the poor use of English. It was shaped like a tall, oval teapot with a spout at the bottom. Rumor has it that this coffeemaker was invented by someone using a sock as a filter. However, this method wasn’t an exact science. If the coffee grind was too fine the water could not break through the coffee filter; it would just swill around the sides. If the coffee was too course the water wouldn’t brew the coffee, but it would just run straight through the pot. Another problem with Mr. Biggin was that the cotton, burlap or wool of the filter would rot and flavor the coffee.

So, in 1802, a metal coffee filter was born in France. The metal coffee filter wasn’t really like the metal ones we have today. All it did was spread the water more evenly so there were still problems with floating grinds.

Then came the rammer. The coffee maker patent was given in 1802 and it compressed the level of coffee without crushing it.

Madame Vassieux of Lyon, France was one of many women to create technological achievements in the world of coffeemakers. She used the laws of physics to create the coffee maker. It held water in a bottom bowl and boiled it and forced the water to the top bowl to meet the coffee grinds. When it arrived at the top, the heat source was away from the mixture and the steam condensed in the lower part of the coffee pot and created a vacuum to suck the brewed coffee down into the lower chamber. Hence, the evolution of the vacuum pot. Some vacuum coffee makers were made of metal or glass. Glass, wasn’t as strong as it is today, would blow up. New patents for safety valves, tilt pour spouts and in 1859 a cup gradiation mark was invented (Raparlier Vacuum Pot); making it easier to know how much coffee would be brewed.

The Raparlier vacuum coffee pot got rid of the problem of rotting, dirty filters by using disposable filters made of hemp. US company, Silex, mass produced the vacuum style coffee pot in the mid 1900’s and this type of vacuum coffee pot lasted till the 1960’s (also called a hydropneumatic coffee pot).

Another style of vacuum pot was created during the same period. It had the two bowls side by side. It was known as a balance beam pot. However, the difference between it and the original vacuum pot was when the balance beam’s coffee filled the brew bowl it would extinguish the heat source by changing its weight.

The percolator, created about the same time, was also a technological advancement for its era and its design is still on the market today. About ninety percent of Americans drank coffee using a percolator in the 1930’s. This method made the coffee taste burnt as the coffee was continually boiling.

The French had a lot to do with the evolution of coffee makers and are credited with creating the French Press (also known by the brand name, Bodum, by cafetiere or plunge pot) during the same time period as the percolator and the vacuum coffee pot. It combined the boiling water and coffee into one coffee pot and a plunger, with a filter, pressed the coffee grounds down to the bottom of the pot and separated it from the water. It was a great method because you could control the strength of the coffee. It was simplistic and it has survived the test of time.

From Mr. Biggins to Willy Brandl…the evolution of the coffee maker was about to meet high tech. Brandl created the first electric coffee maker. It had a small mercury float switch which turned off automatically when the water was low in the coffee machine.

The drip coffeemaker was created by Melitta Bentz, a German Housewife, around 1910. Bentz found the coffee grounds were always floating in her coffee so she tried using her son’s notebook blotting paper as a coffee filter. The Melitta drip coffeemaker was first marketed around 1960 in Germany. There are basically two types of drip coffeemakers: one heats the hot water in the machine and the other has heated water poured into it. Also, one type has a heated plate to keep the coffee warm (and burn the coffee over time) and the other is insulated, to keep cool temperatures out, to keep the coffee warm for a limited amount of time.

Today, there are many different coffee maker styles, coffee maker brands and coffeemaker technologies to choose from and I’m sure there are still people using socks to filter their coffee in a pinch.

Coffee Processing

2006-10-30T08:12:00.000+07:00

never completed if you haven't known yet regarding this one, I adopt from another source, as follow,
How does coffee from around the world end up in your cup? It is not as simple as just growing, picking and packaging the beans. There is a huge science aspect to coffee preparation and processing.

The type of bean is important; whether it is Arabica or Robusta. First of all, the coffee plants are grown in plantations and harvested. This is not an easy job. There are sometimes droughts, insect infestations, mold issues and the unfavorable conditions of too much rain or sun. There are things to identify like pruning to ensuring a healthy crop, the distance between the plants so they can cross pollinate, the type and acidity of the soil, animals and ground water conditions. Plus, there’s fertilizers, chemicals etc. and if the plantation wants to grow organic coffee there are many other things to consider.

The coffee cherries (bean cover) are either hand picked or harvested from the ground. There are a few machine harvest plantations, but not many. Beans are then sorted by color, size, ripeness and sometimes by gravity (floating in water). The coffee cherries are either red, yellow or brown in color. The coffee bean is then pulled out of the cherry usually by hand, but sometimes by using a spinning drum (centrifugal force). The resulting bean itself is green and can be tinged with blue, red-brown or grey. Most often there are 2 coffee beans per berry, but there are one bean per cherry varieties called pea-berrys. It takes 5 lbs of coffee cherries to create about 1 pound of beans. The unsavory beans are removed.

There are now 2 methods of coffee bean processing:

The dry method: The resulting beans are then cleaned and dried, either using heat from the sun or forced air heating. This method can be damaging to the bean.

The wet method: A fermentation process occurs with the mucilage (the outer layer of the bean) similar to the making of alcohol. The fermentation eats the mucilage away in a natural process and is washed away. It doesn’t damage the bean and are considered a higher grade; thus these coffee beans have a better taste and cost more.

After this, the green beans are put into burlap sacks for coffee roasting.

History of Coffee

2006-10-27T13:40:00.000+07:00

here's the history of coffee, adopt by another source

While you are sipping your coffee in the morning do you ever look out the window and say to yourself, “I wonder where coffee came from? What the history of coffee is? Or, I wonder how coffee has played a part in world politics?” To be honest, I haven't. I never really thought about it or really cared (to be that honest), but after doing some research for this site I found it to be quite interesting and a great way to start a conversation at the coffee shop when you are with a dullard. So, to prep you for that ever-so-exciting date you met online…

here, as you've never really wanted to know, is the history of coffee:

* About 900 BC Arabian Doctors used coffee as medicine, but there is no historical record before
that date.

* The coffee plant originated from Ethiopia and rumor has it that goats from 300 AD played a vital role in the history of coffee. The story is: Kaldi an Ethiopian Goatherder found that his goats had more energy after eating certain red berries. He tried them and found they gave him energy and promptly told monks at a nearby monastery who found they stayed awake after late evening prayers. They told two friends and so on, and so on, and so on until the monks gave the info to Islamic pilgrims on their way to Mecca and Medina. (It does make me wonder if you made a goat eat strictly coffee beans and milked it if you would have some sort of café au lait beverage ready to go?)

* As more people came to drink and eat coffee beans a coffee plantation was cultivated in Yemen, then spread to Arabia and Egypt.

* In 1445, it was ruled that Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the didn't provide the daily coffee quota.

* In the 16th Century priests asked Pope Clement VIII to ban the evilness known as coffee. The Pope declined and baptized it instead. Making it 1-0 for the goats.

* Around the 1600's, the founder of Jamestown, Virginia, Captain John Smith, introduces coffee to North America.

* Finally, the 1st coffeehouse opened in London, England in the 17th Century. These coffeehouses were the first to come up with the tipping system. There would be a box out on the counter, which read, “To Insure Prompt Service.”

* The Ottoman Empire banned coffee drinking, in 1656, and people caught during the prohibition were dunked in the Bosphorus straits encased in a leather bag (probably made of goat).

* Just over 10 years later, a Turkish Ambassador introduced Louis XIV to the delights and coffee infiltrates Europe

* In 1670, Boston's Dorothy Jones became the first American licensed coffee trader.

* Then a mere 5 years later the “Women's Petition Against Coffee” was established in London, England. Women were not allowed in coffeehouses and called coffee heathenish.

* Paradoxically, coffee was introduced to Java in 1690.
* 1714 a greenhouse was built to protect a coffee plant given to Louis XIV as a gift. This particular coffee plant is said to have been the “stock” of all coffee plants in Latin America today.
* “If I can't drink my bowl of coffee three times a day, then in my torment I will shrivel like a piece of roast goat.” This is from Bach's Coffee Cantata which premiered, in 1732, at Zimmerman's Coffeehouse in Leipzig, Germany. Poor goat's start the trend and end up like coffee; roasted.
* 18 years later handles for the bowls were invented in Europe. The trend of sticking out your little finger, while sipping, also began.
* 1791 a successful slave revolt took place at coffee plantations in Haiti.
* The first espresso machine was invented in France in 1822 and half a century later, housewife, Melitta Benz invents the coffee filter.
* From 1861 to 1865, US soldiers in the Civil War had Shapes' Carbine Gun's installed with coffee grinders in their buttstocks (and no, I'm not kidding).
* 1881- The Hills Brother's Coffee Empire is started in San Francisco, by Austin & Reuben Hills, when they purchased a coffee shop. They introduced the US to grocery store coffee instead of village roasters. They packaged their Hills Coffee in a vacuum can.
* The abomination (in my opinion) of instant coffee was invented by a Japanese-American Chemist, in Chicago, in 1901.
* Two years later, decaf was invented by a German Coffee Importer. He called it, “Sanka.”
* 1946 - Achilles Gaggia develops first cappuccino machine. He named it “cappuccino” after the color of a Capuchin Friar's hat.
* The UN established coffee export quotas in 1962.
* In 1989, world coffee prices plunge.
* Currently, Brazil is currently the world's largest coffee producer. Next comes Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia.

Coffee Info and Cool Coffee Stuff

2006-10-26T11:42:00.000+07:00

Cool coffee stuff is really a misnomer, unless you like iced coffee. So, should I call this page Hot Coffee Stuff or is that redundant? Although, coffee is cool, but not necessarily cold. Anyway, I know I blather in a stream of consciousness, but let's get to the point.

Coffee History: I know you want to know about goats, divorces over coffee allowance, what the anagram TIPS stands for, how women petitioned against coffee and how Melitta Benz was a great inventor beyond her time. There are many other historical coffee treats to read.

Coffee Processing: How the heck does the black stuff get in your mug without rotting on its adventure across the sea?

Coffee in Another Language: Ever go away someone and feel like a twit because you have to point, or make crazy gestures with your hands (and eyes for some reason)? Well, my ever growing list of how to order coffee in a different country may come in handy. If you know anymore please, please let me know. I hate feeling and looking foolish.

Coffee Maker Evolution: Mr. Biggins, physics, rammers, socks and vacuums… no, this isn't a pornographic part of the site. There are no beans doing a peel. Read this section its pretty interesting and makes for a great trivial conversation.

To be honest, I think almost everything to do with coffee is cool. I thought about putting the Cat Crap Coffee Page in this section, cause really it is kind of cool in a disgusting way. I thought putting my favorite coffee maker, The Cuisinart Grind & Brew, in this cool coffee stuff section cause it is wayyyyy cool and I thought about putting pictures of me drinking coffee because after all, I'm cool and so is my cool coffee stuff.

Coffee Taste Faults

2006-10-20T15:32:00.000+07:00

Like wines, there are faults in coffees of all grades due to different causes. I am not talking about coffee bean classification faults, but rather, the following faults with help from the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America):

Aroma Taste Faults can be described as:
Tipped
Scorched
Baked
And then broken down by:
Cereal-like
Biscuity
Skunky
Cooked
Charred
Flat
Dull
These faults are usually created by poor roasting techniques.

The otherexternal changes are:
Dirty
Groundy
Earthy

And then broken down by:
Fresh Earthy
Wet Soily
Humusy
Mushroomy
Raw Potatoey
Dusty
Grady
Barny
These faults are due to fats absorbing odors.

The other internal changes are:
Fermented
Rioy
Rubbery

And then broken down by:
Sauerkrauty
Leesy
Acerbicy
Iodiney
Carbolicy
Acridy
Butyl Phenoly
Keroseney
Ethanoly
These faults are due to acids changing chemically.

---------------------------------------------------------

Taste Faults:
Grassy Aged Woody
And then broken down by:
Green
Hay
Strawy
Full
Rounded
Smooth
Wet Paper
Wet Cardboard
Filter Pad
These faults are due to the loss of organic material.

External Changes in beans:
Baggy
Moldy
Musty

And then broken down by:
Mineral Oily
Fatty
Carvacrol
Concretey
Mildewy
Mulch-like
Yeasty
Starchy
Cappy
These faults are due to fats absorbing tastes.

Internal coffee bean changes:
Sweaty
Hidey
Horsey

And then broken down by:
Butyric Acid
Soapy
Lactic
Tallowy
Leather-like
Wet Wool
Hircine
Animal-like
Gamey
These faults are due to fats changing chemically.

Clean your Coffee Maker

2006-10-19T15:57:00.000+07:00

It’s important to clean your coffee maker to get the correct coffee bean taste because bitter, stale oil gloms onto the glass, meta and plastics parts.

You may think I’m off my rocker, but the best thing to clean out your coffee maker is Polident – I kid you not. Removes stains a treat; it also doubles as a great cleaner for stained wine glasses. Its effervescence gently removes stains and other coffee glommage and it is, obviously, completely safe incase of ingestion.

Or use a detergent, like Tide, and soak 3 to 5 tablespoons with hot water, for cleaning your coffee maker. You must ensure you rinse it well. Before consuming any coffee from it ensure you run water through it, many times. Then give the first cup to your secret enemy and watch to see if they come out ok after the cleaning of your coffee maker experience.

If you have calcium stains in your coffee maker add one part vinegar to two parts hot water and soak to decalcify it. I do this about once a month anyway, even with the charcoal filter in my Cuisinart.

There are many commercial coffee maker cleaners to use. I personally have not tried any, but I hear they work well. About once a year I do put CLR through my coffee maker to clean it, but I spend a lot of time rinsing. I usually do it on a Sunday because that way I don’t have to be grouchy at work and I can nap all day.

To clean the exterior of your machine, read the manufacturer’s instructions. Some kitchen cleaners work fantastically, but it may also wipe off the brand name etc.
Coffee Forums

Coffee Cupping

2006-10-16T16:22:00.000+07:00

So, you like spooning. Have you tried cupping? Cupping is the technical term for the process of tasting coffee. Coffee is tasted to evaluate its good and bad qualities. Like wines, coffees have different tastes and faults depending on the growing regions, like the way the coffee trees are grown (soil type, weather conditions, fertilizers etc.). Read the section of coffee tasting terms before you start. Coffee is judged by acidity, aftertaste, aroma, body, flavor and fragrance. Again, like wine, there are strict guidelines to the process of cupping coffee:

* Recording is probably the most important factor in coffee cupping. Please see the coffee cupping recording sheet to start your own coffee analysis.

* Set the table with 6 to 10 cups in a triangular shape. Above the top of the triangle place a sample of the roasted bean and the green coffee bean for a visual analysis. Expert cuppers generally cover these up until after the coffee has been tasted.

* The sample itself must be exactly the same for all coffees. Ensure you equipment is sterile, use 2 tablespoons of freshly roasted coffee and grind the coffee immediately before the cupping session, preferably with a burr grinder, to a medium grind.

* Put the grinds in each relevant cup.
* Smell the coffee for fragrance. Smell grounds before the water is added.

* Add hot water to a glass of spoons (to keep the spoons the same temperature as the coffee) and add 55g of hot water in each cup. Smell the coffee for aroma. Do not touch the cup. Write down your initial aroma thoughts.

* After a minute or two put your nose over the cup and push the coffee grinds down with the heated spoon. This is called “breaking the crust.” This is the best time to get an accurate aroma sense. Write it down.

* Now the best part! Tasting. When the coffee has reached room temperature slurp the coffee off the spoon and breathe deeply through your nose. Breathing is important to allow the coffee tastes to cover the tongue to reach all of the taste buds (salt, sweet, bitter & sour) and the smell will get into the nasal passage. Also, swoosh it round. Spit the coffee out. Record your flavor, acidity, aftertaste & body observations. Try this coffee again when cooled.

* Then rinse your mouth, spit like you’re in a Western and try the next one.

Coffee recipee : Gourmet Coffee

2006-10-13T09:29:00.000+07:00

hey all, I've just got some information regarding the subject for you, as follow,

if you like coffee and you think to yourself, “What else can I do with the black gold?” The best alternative option for coffee is alcoholic coffee drinks, the “special coffee” drinks like cafe au lait or even coffee cake. Coffee cake is good when real coffee is added as it blends the sweetness of cake with the dynamic roast of coffee. Chocolate covered coffee beans are also addictive and my, my, my are they fantastic!

this recipe must try with a quick list of coffee recipes for you to try at home. If there are any coffee delights you have tried . I’d be happy to add them and even happier to try them, plus we’ll give you your own byline and if you invent something maybe even name it after you. Oh, imagine the caffeine-coated fame and glory.

Quick Coffee Recipes

* Cafe Latte: 1 shot espresso with steamed or frothed milk 1:3
* Cafe au Lait: 1 shot of coffee to 1 shot of milk
* Cappuccino: equal parts espresso with steamed, or frothed, milk
* Americana: 1 shot espresso & hot water (6-8 oz)
* Cafe Moca/ Moccaccino: cappuccino or café latte with chocolate syrup
* Espresso con Panna: Espresso with whipped cream
* Macchiato: espresso with milk foam on the top, served in espresso cup
* Cafe Breva: cappuccino with half and half

Alcoholic Coffee Recipes
Sometimes known as Specialty Coffees, in some there parts.

I haven’t included the measurements here because the best way to experience these fantastic coffee tastes is to experiment; like when you were in your Grade 12 chemistry class (without the frogs and sulfur).

* A Winer’s Coffee: Muscadet wine blended with a dash of sugar, coffee, cinnamon and orange peel.
* Irish Coffee that clicks its heels: Irish blended whiskey, coffee, pizza (no, not pizza…just trying to see if you’re paying attention), brown sugar and whipped cream. Rim the mug with sugar and sprinkle the whipped bundle of love with chocolate crumbles.
* The Gabitous: Baileys, Crème de Menthe and Crème de Cacao with a splash of coffee, in a tall glass, rimmed with sugar and filled with ice. The odd maraschino cherry or paper umbrella wouldn’t go amiss here.
* N’Orleans Coffee: Coffee, cognac, Benedictine, cloves and sugar.
* The Nelmes: Thick Turkish coffee layered with cream and dashed with Baileys. Use a glass, pour ingredients individually on a spoon to get colored layers and drizzle with Brown Cow chocolate syrup. Sprinkles are good too.
* Starbuck’s Coffee Liquor: It isn’t sold in Starbuck’s only in places licensed to sell alcohol. Just drink it neat or on the rocks. Or throw it into a Starbuck’er: Dry vermouth and Starbuck’s coffee liquor…it’s rejolting!
* The Anna Bella Martini: 1 shot of classic Italian espresso, 1 shot of Godiva liquor, 2 shots of chilled vodka… Shake with ice and decorate with a few floating chocolate covered coffee beans…Bellissimo!

* Your Own Ratamatazz: Blend coffee with a few of these alcoholic beverages for a nice winter warm-up. Serve it cool over ice, blend with cream and wowee…good and fun.

Creme de Cacao
Creme de Menthe
Frangelico
Tia Maria
Jack Daniels
Southern Comfort
Baileys
and your favorite drink

May’s Coffee Cake Recipe

It doesn’t have to have coffee in it, but it is more of an accompaniment to the real deal. May’s Coffee Cake is to die for and you can replace the walnuts for cherries, blueberries, almonds or chocolate and top with brown sugar blended with cinnamon and butter.

* 1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour
* 1 box of pudding mix (instant… banana is my favorite)
* 1 tbsp of baking powder
* 1/3 cup of butter
* 1 egg
* ¼ cup of sugar
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ a cup of walnuts

Beat the butter, sugar and egg. Blend in the flour, salt, baking powder, milk and pudding mix. Ensure the soon to be coffee cake has an even consistency. Stir in walnuts and bake in a loaf tin at 375° F for 20-25 minutes. Cool, pick-off cat hair and eat. Drink with your favorite coffee roast, like Seattle’s Best!

Makes one loaf or 12 muffins.

CoffeeForLess.com

2006-10-12T13:03:00.000+07:00

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2006-10-12T12:57:00.000+07:00

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