My Love and Addiction for Coffee page

Brewing techniques range from simple drip machines to the french press and covers all manners of coffe shop industrial brewing procedures.

In a nutshell, the best flavor can be derived from a variety of specific beans roasted at the perfect temperature and after it is brewed, a quick addition of cream and sugar to taste.

It can be as coplex as using pressured forced water over a specifically roasted bean to extract the caffine goodness, then with a generous topping of foamed milk to make the perfect cappuccino.

From a morning wake me up brew to a full ameretto ( or other liqueur) added for a fun caffinated liquid desert at a dinner party. Coffee has satisfied many a gastronome's tastebuds for centuries.

I have heard that what you add to coffee says a lot about your personality. I must be scattered brain cause I like mine in many ways. From striaght black to the addition of cream and sugar. Most often I have a brewed cup of Seattle's Best 6th Avenue blend with a teaspoon or two of a hazlenut flavored creamer. Three cups and it's a wonderful day.

Coffee comes in many stengths decaf (if that's even an option) mild, medium and STRONG (now that's coffee). What you add on top can range from flavor creamers and syrups to sweeteners like sugar and honey.

There is only one thing that I want when drinking a cup o'joe. In the end I want to be able to say to myself "wow, that was so tasty I want another!"

After researching and getting deeper into my cup of coffee I found that due to various growing conditions, climates and such. There are over 6000 varieties of coffee. Blended by taking two or more species of bean and allowing them to mix and comune with each other.

My real fascination is still the fact that to get the goodness fromthe bean you have to roast it first. Anyway looking around the world most coffee plants are considered shrubs but grown in a manner that they resemble small trees. It is in the third year that the plant starts to produce enouhg of its fruit to become commercially productive.

Some of the major varieties are as follows:

Arabica (from Ethiopia, known from prehistoric times) beans do best at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,500 feet where the slower growing process concentrates their flavors. They have a much more refined flavor and contain about 1 percent caffeine by weight. Because of its delicate nature, it yields only 1 to 1.5 pounds of green coffee per year. This is the coffee that specialty roasters search for. It accounts for about 75% of the world production. Because the arabica tree is susceptible to disease, frost, and drought, it requires very careful cultivation with just the right climatic conditions.

Robusta (from Congo, discovered in 1898) beans come from a high yield plant that is resistant to disease. It does best at lower elevations and has harsh flavors. It contains about 2 percent caffeine. It bears more coffee cherries than the arabica plant. It yields 2 to 3 pounds of green coffee a year. This plant is used for the lower grades of coffee that are sold in the market. Although generally not found in gourmet shops, robusta beans are often used in the processing of soluble (instant) coffees and popular commercial blends.

Liberica (from Western Africa, of no great importance in coffee trade) is the third recognized commercial variety, it is also hardy and low-altitude. It is a minor crop of coffee from Africa and is similar to robusta.

Kona (from Hawaii) a very mellow blend and expensive but well worth having a pound or two on hand for a good cup on the weekend. Slowly becoming a major player commercially.

After picking a blend or variety, the strength of your brew is determined by the grind and brewing procedure. Espresso is the most finely ground bean and as I mentioned before it is brewed with pressurised water. While the water is at boiling temperature at a certain point the espresso maker shoots the scalding H2O through and around the finley ground bean at over 40 psi. The brewing process is quicker than other types as well concentrating into a thick syrupy concoction with a brownhead of foam reminding me me of a shot glass full of a good guiness stout, ah but that is another lens.

Most home brewers for their morning cup rely on a coffe maker that will use a grind suitable for a drip and depending on your ratio of water to coffee can give you a mild to wild caffine rush.

Other types of grinds can be used in a "french press" which is a great way to show the world that your a coffee snob when you arrive at your work desk not with one cup, but a simple looking contraption that says hey world I have standards....

Whatever your pleasure grinding yourself can be fun and small grinders are inexpensive. They range in price from models that can be purchased at Home Depot for $19.00 - $35.00.

There are more expensive ones that can cost upwards of a couple hundred dollars, but hey unless your selling your coffee you only need to get the job of grinding done.

One word of caution never use your grinder for anything but coffee. Once you decide hey this will grind nutmeg, or I need some black pepper corns ground...your next grind of coffee will be a bit interesting to say the least.

Since this is a "G" rated lens I'll just stick to a couple of things I like to do with a shot or two of espresso.

What you'll need:
2 clean metal cans, both with lids (make one can larger than the second)
1 cup of very cold milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 shots espresso (cooled)
Ice
Salt
How to make it:
1.Place the ice cream mixture in the smaller coffee can (make sure it's clean) and seal with the lid on tightly.

2.Place the smaller can in the larger can. Pour the ice and salt around the smaller can making sure it is more or less in the center.

3.Seal the larger can with its lid tightly and roll it around for about a half hour. This process works great if you have kids. Let them sit on the floor and roll the can between them. When it's done you'll have a nice container to keep the ice cream in!

Just so you know this ice cream will have a very strong coffee taste and I recomend it's use to a scoop on top of a brownie a bowl of this and pow it's off to the races.

I came upon this recepie by accident and I won't give exact ingredients but I will just tell you, when to add a shot of espresso to your chili.

Cook your chili using what ever recepie you may have. I have tried it with both vegetarian and meat types. I think the addition of espresso heightens the flavor of ones with meat the best.

I have added it at the beginning as well in the end. At the end works best for me it adds a deep dark flavor that has a much richer spark to the chili.