The Wonderful Drink Of Coffee

Once you have had a few cups of coffee made from either instant coffee or ready bought ground coffee from your supermarket, you decide one day to try one of the coffee shops near by. The taste is so different, but so is the price, what can you do ? Well one way is to invest some money in a coffee grinder and coffee machine, these if looked after will last a life time.

When you have done this you need to go to a shop that sells coffee beans, and treat yourself to some freshly roasted beans. You rush home and as you get the bag out you think, stupid ship why did they take all this care in vacuum packing these beans when I will use them in a few hours. You quickly grind them make some coffee and pop the rest of the ground in a tub.................................................... Stop right there, you might as well by the cheapest instant coffee if that is the way you treat those beans, they need love and care, and this is why the shop took so much care with them.

Looking at the facts, we learn that the natural enemies of fresh roasted coffee are light, heat and moisture. Storing your coffee away from them will keep it fresher longer. Therefore, an airtight container stored in a cool, dry, dark place is the best environment for your coffee.

Grind all beans before storing Absolutely wrong!. Grinding the coffee breaks up the beans and their oils, exposes the beans to air, and makes the coffee go stale a lot faster, no matter how you store it. This especially holds true for flavored coffees! For the best tasting coffee, you should buy your beans whole and store them in a sealed container in a dark place. Grind right before serving - this gives you the best tasting coffee.

A quick review for storing your gourmet coffee
Buy fresh roasted, whole bean coffee directly from a coffee roaster if possible, you can find these in most major towns and cities.
Look for valve-sealed bags, not vacuum-sealed - this is the best and freshest way to by your coffee beans.
Store your coffee beans in a sealed container in a dark place, away from odours and strong smelling foods.
Grind your beans just before brewing, this will give you a great tasting drink.
Enjoy and keep trying new beans!

Ever wonder where the coffee beans in your morning coffee come from? You probably know words like Arabica and Robusta in terms of taste, but did you know that these words can also tell us where those coffees were grown? Here is a look at three of the world's best specialty coffees and the regions in which they originated. Read on to discover the rich history of these coffees.

Yemen Arabian Mocca

This bean is grown in the mountainous region of Sanani in South Yemen at a height in excess of 4,500 ft. The Arabian Mocca is the world's oldest cultivated coffee bean. It is distinguished by its rich and full body with chocolate undertones. (Yes coffee is like wine it has these wonderful undertones)
It is here that the term "mocca" was coined. Its correct spelling is Mokha, for the port city that Yemen coffees ship from.

Mexico "Spirit of the Aztec"

The state of Veracruz in Mexico produces many average coffees. But travel a few miles and you will find the mountains around the city of Coatepec an excellent Arabica bean coffee called Altura Coatepec reigns. The word Altura itself means "high grown". Altura Pluma indicates the finest coffee of Mexico. Mexican Altura beans have a full medium body, fine acidity, a wonderful bouquet and a satisfying flavor that is mild and sweet. This fine Mexican coffee is noted for delivering a consistently smooth taste and fragrant flavor with good body, depth, and overall balance.

Java

As a synonym of coffee, "java" introduced itself in the seventeenth century when the Dutch began cultivating coffee trees on the island of Java (part of the islands of Indonesia) and successfully exported it globally. Often the standard by which all other coffees are measured, Java's finest golden beans are roasted to yield a piquant aroma, displaying an exquisite acid balance, a heavy body with chocolate undertones, and a lighter finish than Sumatran.

Now I could go into long and detailed methods on how to make that perfect cup of coffee, but as long as you have kept and treated the beans well there are four basic stages to follow and if you follow these you will always have that perfect cup of coffee.

Proportion

Two Tablespoons of coffee to 6oz water is the ideal method.

The best way to measure two tablespoons is with a measuring scoop, you can buy these from places such as Starbucks.

Grind

The type of grind you use for your coffee depends upon what kind of coffee maker you brew your coffee in. If you use an espresso machine you use a fine grind. For automatic drip coffee makers you use a medium grind and you use a coarse grind for coffee presses . There are other grinds as well, just as there are other ways to brew coffee such as percolators and Turkish coffees. And as you learn which grind goes with which method you will achieve that perfect cup.

Water

You need to use filtered water, heated to just below 190 degrees. If you over heat the water it can spoil the taste of the coffee.

Freshness

Once a bag is opened, the freshness lasts about a week. After grinding, it lasts about two days. The best way to keep your beans and ground coffee fresher longer is to keep it in an airtight container.

Drip Filtration This is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it.

The French Press works by directly mixing ground coffee with near boiling water. The coffee flavors get drawn out into the water and then the press or plunger is depressed, separating the exhausted coffee grind from the brew. This is a quick and simple method.

An Espresso machine makes a great cup of coffee. Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. The water then finds a path through the coffee grounds. And the coffee commences to pour into your cup. When the water finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the 'shot being pulled' through the group.

Moka Pot is a style also known as a Stovetop coffee pot. Moka pot's come in several sizes including 2, 4 or 6 cup capacities. The Moka Pot a simple 3 piece pot. The water reservoir is at the base, with a coffee basket in the middle and the brewed coffee ends up in the top.