Food & Cooking
Coffee Connoisseur? - Gourmet Coffee Expert?
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Learn the Difference! Gourmet Coffee Versus the Average Cup O' Joe
What would we do without a morning cup of coffee? You can thank an observant Arabian goat herder who noticed that his goats were hyped after nibbling some red berries. Curious, he sampled the berries and liked the caffeine boost.
This 3rd century discovery didn't attract much attention until the 15th century, when Arabian farmers began to cultivate coffee plants and sell the beans. A few hundred years later, a French naval officer brought some coffee plants to the island of Martinique, which he thought was the ideal climate for growing coffee.
Espressione 100% Arabica Coffee Pods, Box of 150
Even before the espresso machine was invented in Italy in the 1800s, there were already over 200 coffee shops in Venice. Today there's a Starbucks opening every six hours around the world. The demand for coffee hasn't slowed down.
Coffee lovers come in two flavors: Old faithful Cup O' Joe fans to Gourmet Coffee Adventurers who want choices from Cappuccino, Espresso Latte, Iced coffee to Mochachino. To avoid being as wild as those hyper goats, many coffee flavors are available in decaf. You can take the caffeine away from the coffee, but you can't take coffee away from coffee fanatics!
Ranked as the Best Selling Coffee on Amazon:
Warning: May Cause Coffee Cravings!
How to Make Gourmet Tea & Coffee Drinks : How to Make a Chai Latte
Want to save a few bucks on your morning coffee or tea? Learn how to make a chai latte at home with this free video drink recipe.
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Coffee Makers That Help You Brew the Perfect Cup
Even the perfect bean can turn into something resembling motor oil in the wrong coffee maker. Coffeemakers come in a variety of sizes, prices and functions, so there is literally something to meet every taste. The classic, Mr. Coffee, delivers basic coffee at an affordable price. At the discount retailers, Mr. Coffee can be purchased for under $20 in 4 cup or 8 cup sizes.Do you love fresh ground beans, but run out of time in the morning? You need the Cuisinart 700 BC that grinds the beans and brews up to 12 cups - ready when you step out of the shower.
Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker, Black and Stainless Steel
Serious espresso fans lean toward the DeLonghi Espresso Maker for $150 that looks like a mini-coffee shop. Another favorite of coffee addicts is any Bunn machine. Bunn brings the dependable restaurant coffeemaker into the home. So desirable are Bunn Home Coffeemakers that refurbished home coffeemakers sell for several hundred dollars.
Black and Decker, known for tools, has the Brew N Go Personal Coffee Maker that delivers coffee directly into a 15 ounce stainless steel travel mug that fits in your car cup holder. The Wagon Personal Mini Coffee Maker ($18) brews a regular size stainless steel cup and plugs into car or camper use. That way you're never far from a great cup of coffee.
Click here to view the best selling coffeemakers on the 'net!
After Choosing the Perfect Brew. What's Next? A Coffee Cup or Mug Has to Be Chosen!
Sitting down with a steaming hot cup of coffee is ritualistic for many coffee connoisseurs. Many are just as picky about the coffee cup they hold in their hands as they are about the type of coffee bean they put in the grinder!Are you the type who prefers a large coffee mug or one that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand? Some of the coffee house sizes look like they take two people to heave it up from the table!
There are insulated coffee mugs that you can take on the go. There are ceramic versions and glass coffee cups. For most coffee drinkers, their coffee cup reflects a bit of their own personality and style.
Some choose coffee cups with funny cartoons on them. Some pick a meaningful quote to give them a reminder of how they want to live their day. Others have their coffee mugs specially made with a loved one's photo emblazoned on them.
The main things you want to keep in mind when choosing a coffee cup are to make sure you get one that holds in the heat well. If you're a coffee drinker who takes your beverage on the go, then you'll also need a spill-proof coffee cup!
What is One of the Best Coffee Mug of Choice?
Thermos Nissan 14-Ounce Leak-Proof Insulated Travel Mug
Amazon Price: $26.45 (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $39.99
"The double stainless vacuum wall keeps coffee hot, and the leak-proof lid is really leak-proof. I carried this mug almost everyday for over two years now, and no drips. I love that it can tumble out of the car cup holders without worrying about spills, stains, or hot coffee on my lap."
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
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Drink Up: Coffee Delivers Some Amazing Health Benefits!
Branded America's #1 resource for antioxidants, consumers barely know a thing about the health benefits this bean brings to your body. There might be better antioxidants on the market, but coffee is the choice du jour for most men and women.
JavaFit Energy Gourmet Coffee, Energy Extreme, Original Roast, Latin American Arabica Blend 12 oz
According to Science Daily in its April 2007 issue, coffee is even making headway against Parkinson's disease, cutting in half the risk of succumbing to it.
Coffee's also been touted as staving off gallstones, depression, and even Alzheimer's. For diabetes sufferers, coffee may provide a link toward maintaining healthy blood sugars. Coffee drinkers in Japan, Europe, and the United States all reported fewer cases of type 2 diabetes than non-coffee drinkers.
The next time anyone remarks that you drink a lot of coffee, you can proudly report to them that you're doing it to improve your health and live a longer life!
Special request: If you have found this lens of value, please consider to "Favorite It" in the right column and "rate it" above. It will be greatly appreciated. BG
For Serious Coffee Addicts Only:
Click here to learn how easy it is to open your own successful coffee shop!
How Deep Is Your Love of Coffee?
Among his lesser-known statements, T.S. Eliot said, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." Coffee fanatics can relate to that and tell you about what brew they were drinking at milestone moments in their lives.A genuine coffee lover doesn't use coffee just to wake up in the morning. No - it's an all day affair. Coffee drinking habits say something about us. The early morning construction crew fills up their thermoses at the convenience store.
The Devil's Cup:
A History of the World According to Coffee
The coffee adventurers shun all those places to find the quaint local coffee shop where the java flows as free as the gossip. Those re-born diners usually close by early afternoon, so the coffee faithful head to another place to continue debating the merits of Kona v. Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Today's coffee houses are nothing like the 1950s beatnik coffee house with customers in black berets reading depressing poetry. The new coffee house is energetic, chic and popular everyone from the college-age group who prefer to hang out there rather than in bars to Baby Boomers looking for a little R7R away from the confines of their house.
Finding a unique coffee shop with gourmet beans, a great ambiance, and interesting customers is like hitting the trifecta. Craving that atmosphere, some coffee fanatics are driven to open their own patio bistro or storefront shop. For them coffee isn't a drink - it's part of their lifestyle!
Dream about one day opening your own little coffee shop? It's easier than you think - read the secret to becoming a coffee shop owner here!
What's Your Favorite Flavor of Coffee?
A Guide to the Enjoyment of Coffee:
Gourmet Coffee
Amazon Price: (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $19.99
"This book is very informative and entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud at certain times. The author discusses every aspect of coffee including the best equipment to buy. Being a coffee roaster and brewer of coffee, I found myself agreeing with most of what the author said. I found myself also feeling a wee bit guilty about being lazy and not truly experiencing the best coffee I could by grinding my beans the night before and setting the timer on the coffee pot. I will definitely be changing how I do things in the future. I will definitely be grinding my coffee beans the morning I drink the coffee from now on."
Release Date: 07/14/1994
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Coffee According to Wikipedia:
Coffee is a widely-consumed stimulant beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Coffee was first consumed in the 9th century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia.Mekete Belachew, "Coffee," in von Uhlig, Siegbert, ed., Encyclopaedia Aethiopica (Weissbaden: Horrowitz, 2003), p.763. From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and by the 15th century had reached Azerbaijan, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, Indonesia and the Americas. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are Coffea canephora (also known as Coffea robusta) and Coffea arabica. These are cultivated in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways.
Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout modern history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its consumption until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia.Richard Pankhurst, Economic History of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University, 1968), p. 198 It was banned in Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.
Coffee is an important export commodity. In 2004, coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries, and in 2005, it was the world's seventh largest legal agricultural export by value. To retrieve export values: Select the "commodities/years" tab. Under "subject", select "Export value of primary commodity." Under "country," select "World." Under "commodity," hold down the shift key while selecting all commodities under the "single commodity" category. Select the desired year and click "show data." A list of all commodities and their export values will be displayed.
Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed.
A Coffeemaker That Also Brews Tea!
Sanyo SAC-MST6 Coffee/Tea Maker with Built-In Grinder, Black
Amazon Price: $39.87 (as of 12/02/2008)
List Price: $59.99
"My wife likes tea. I like coffee. We wanted a grinder as well, and we were nervous with anticipation when we saw we could get all THREE machines in one combo unit for under $40? 8 months after buying the unit, we could not be more pleased with it. The grinder is strong, the brewing is quick, and the coffee and tea are delicious. In fact, this is the ONLY unit I have ever seen with a tea-brewing function and the special tea basket. Normally I'd be skeptical, but since Sanyo is a Japanese company, you know it's a legit tea machine (and sure enough, good quality green tea tastes great coming out of the unit). In short, it's not the fanciest, prettiest, or more feature rich unit, but it does everything you need a machine like this to do, and it's an absolute steal for the money. Highly recommended to anyone and everyone!"
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Avg. Customer Rating: 
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Admit It! You Just Can't Live Without Your Coffee Beans!
BizGuides wrote...
in reply to tokyobabydoll
Yes, I agree!
It is a must have, summer or winter.
But, Winter mornings are more bearable with a Hot Coffee in your hand!
Posted December 01, 2008
dc64 wrote...
I love coffee, and I try my darndest to keep it at a cup a day level, but lately, it's been two. I just like the stuff too much! Great reading about it, and I wish science would just come out and say coffee is extra, extra good for you! Then I wouldn't feel so guilty about those two cups I indulge in. 5 stars from a coffee lover
Posted October 25, 2008
papawu wrote...
I'm pretty much a plain cream and sugar kind of guy,but definitely prefer a good Colombian dark roast. Great coffee lens.
Posted October 20, 2008
bwcabound wrote...
Great Lens! I cannot go a day with out a good cup of coffee.
http://www.squidoo.com/addictedtocoffee
Posted October 08, 2008
Simon wrote
Sweet lens. My least favourite flavoured coffee is coconut which I was introduced to by a friend from Tobago. You know who you are. You can find out more at my new Coffee Connoisseur blog.
Posted August 12, 2008
mosaic wrote...
What do you think about Clover brewed coffee? I think it tastes great. But then again, I'm not a coffee connoisseur. Maybe it's just the fact that it's super fresh that makes it so good. I find that I really don't like the acidity of old coffee that's been sitting around for even 20 minutes. What do you think about Starbucks acquiring Clover? I'm looking forward to fresh brewed, on-demand coffee on every street corner.
Posted May 18, 2008
riff999 wrote...
Coffee the most important meal of the day. And it has to be in the largest cup I can find. Saves all those trips for refills.
~Jane
Posted April 07, 2008
Evelyn_Saenz wrote...
For such a great lens I'm sending you a virtual Irish Coffee
Posted February 16, 2008
Look who made this lens!
BizGuides
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Mornings definitely are for Coffee!I am just not human until I have my first cup.
How about you? When do you enjoy your coffee the most?
What's here
- Ranked as the Best Selling Coffee on Amazon:
- Warning: May Cause Coffee Cravings!
- Coffee Makers That Help You Brew the Perfect Cup
- After Choosing the Perfect Brew. What's Next? A Coffee Cup or Mug Has to Be Chosen!
- What is One of the Best Coffee Mug of Choice?
- More...
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