Month: December 2017

Coffee is a subject that many consumers love but don’t talk much about. As a result, coffee has generated its fair share of myths and trivia.

Let’s look at the some of the facts regarding the myths and trivia.

For Your Information…

COFFEE HOUSES AND SHOPS

Coffee houses and shops are a modern invention, right? Wrong! King Charles II of England initiated a ban on coffee houses in 1675. He feared that his enemies were meeting in these establishments to plot against him.

MOCHA = CHOCOLATE

Wrong. Most people associate mocha with a chocolate-coffee combination but the reality is that “Mocha” is the name of a port in Yemen. Coffee beans from Africa are transported through this port. “Mocha” has more to do with the origin of the beans than whether or not it contains chocolate.

US CITIZENS CONSUME MORE COFFEE THAN ANYONE ELSE

True! US citizens love their coffee and consume some 400 million cups of java every day.

ESPRESSO, CAPPUCCINO AND LATTE

Espresso does not refer to a type of coffee bean. It refers to the way coffee is prepared. Espresso is made by forcing a small amount of hot water through very finely ground beans. This process produces a highly concentrated form of coffee.

Cappuccino and lattes are coffee drinks made with espresso as the base. Cappuccino refers to the frothy, peaked, white topping that resembles the white hood of the Capuchin friar’s habit. On the other hand, latte is made with espresso and steamed milk without the topping.

COFFEE COMES FROM VINES GROWN IN THE GROUND

Wrong! Coffee grows on trees that can live up to 100 years. Each tree yields about one pound of coffee a year once they start producing beans (sometime during their fifth year). It takes approximately 2000 raw coffee beans to make a pound of coffee.

WHERE DID A “CUP OF JOE” COME FROM?

In the early 1900s, Admiral Josephus “Joe” Daniels banned alcohol on all Navy ships. As a result, sailors turned to coffee as their drink of choice. The sailors ultimately coined the term ‘a cup of Joe’ when referring to coffee in remembrance of his restrictions on alcohol.

ONE BEAN OR TWO?

Did you know that coffee berries or raw coffee beans are round and smooth. During the roasting process, they split in half. So the coffee beans you see in a package of un-ground coffee are actually half-beans.

WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OIL AND COFFEE?

Next to oil, coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world.

COFFEE CAN BOOST MEMORY

Studies indicate that this is not a myth. In 2005, a study indicated that coffee does improve memory. A subsequent study not ony supported the initial results but concluded that the memory enhancing effects could be long-term.

COFFEE IS A DELICIOUS AND EFFECTIVE COOKING SPICE: RIGHT OR WRONG

Surprising as it is, the statement is true. Though considered a new spice, chefs and cooks in the know have used coffee as a spice for some time. Whether used as an ingredient in main dishes, cakes, pies, ice creams or rubs, coffee can create a whole new level of deliciousness in your dishes.

Coffee is surrounded by all kinds of lore. Some of it is myth. Some of it is fact. And some is just plain tasty fun. Enjoy your next cup of Joe!

Gary Simms is a published author and working freelance writer. He’s published two personal development books as well his recent cookbook, “Coffee Delight” found at http://gmsimms.wix.com/coffeedelight.

As a writer for hire, connect with him at http://iwritestudio.com.

The process begins approximately one year before the seed is planted. Men and women walk through the plantations in the heat picking small bags of red ripe fruits from the coffee bushes. Each bag is tagged with the number that identifies the bush. Thousands of these fruits are picked to be dried and later roasted. After grinding each bag of dry, roasted seeds the coffee is made. Then the experts come in, they are called “baristas” they are like wine sommelier but they specialize in coffee. Out of all the bags and lots they chose the most aromatic, strong and better looking coffees. The bushes from where these seeds came are marked and protected with nets to keep the birds away and it is time to wait.

The coffee beans on these plants are not harvested like those in the rest of the plantation; they are allowed to ripen until they fall from the bush when they reach full maturity. The next step is the nursery. A special mix of soil is put into polyethylene bags and two seeds are dropped in each one. They will be given special care under regulated shade for the next year. Usually both seed germinate but only the strongest one, the one with more leaves and thicker trunk will be left, the other will be discarded. They are watered and fertilized every two weeks. They are also inspected closely if any disease shows up on them they are also discarded.

During the year and a half it takes for them to grow enough to be planted on their permanent home men are working take branches of the trees that will protect the new plants from the sun. They dig trenches where the plants will live filling them up with rotten leaves and other organic material. The brush is uprooted and grass is planted instead of it, plastic hose irrigation systems are installed and connected to the plantation can be watered by one or two men at any time. Huge pieces of land are cleared of debris, fallen trees and bushes. From afar the land looks like a majestic stairway going up a mountain in the middle of the early morning fog.

The plants are now ready to move to their new home, there is another round of selection and only the best are transplanted into the ditches where the organic fertilizer was buried. Thousands upon thousands of little plants are tenderly transplanted until the first phase is finally complete. For the next three years they will be fed with organic materials, watered from cold, clear and clean mountain spring water and kept surrounded by a carpet of green luscious grass. Only authorized personnel are allowed into the new area and they wear clothes into which they change before entering the plantation. Disease and dangerous bugs wait to destroy it.

Near the end of the second year the plants flower for the first time, beautiful, delicate white flowers, and the sweet smell of their pollen fills the air and the bees buzz from plant to plant. These flowers are removed as soon as possible. The plants are not ready to produce coffee beans, they need to mature more, grow stronger. Another year goes by and the cycle of life repeats itself, the flowers bloom, the bees come back and this time Nature is allowed to follow its course. Three months later the bushes are filling up with green coffee beans. As the rainy season passes and the dry season starts again the green mountains start to change into shades of yellow, orange and red. Collection begins and only the red beans are hand-picked. For one more month men, women and children walk around the bushes picking the red beans. After one month the remaining green and yellow beans are picked and thrown out.

The beans are then taken to the mills where using water the skin is removed leaving behind the brown seeds. The seeds are then dried under the sun on huge cement floors where they are moved around with wooden rakes so they dry evenly. The drying areas are on the flatlands and can be as big as two or three football fields. The coffee beans are put out in the sand in the early morning and are bagged again while the sun is setting. When the majority of them have reached 40% humidity they are taken to the selection rooms where they are again classified for color and size. This is the coffee that is roasted and ground to perfection. This is the coffee that is bagged and sent all over the world so you can have that special pick-me-up every morning.

My name is Cesar Batres; I am a retired industrial engineer who enjoys writing about any topic I can think about. Writing articles has allowed me to learn about many, many things I did not know about before. Writing is my passion and also my job. The following address allows you to see my references and work I have done, https://www.freelancer.com/u/cesar00.html and at https://ezinearticles.com/expert/Cesar_A_Batres_Mejia/1767345. Thank you for your time and interest.

The perfect Italian espresso is sweet and syrupy naturally. It’s not bitter or burnt and it’s definitely not an entire cupful. It’s actually no more than a tablespoon. That’s how the Italians enjoy it in bars and restaurants across il bel paese (the beautiful country) and that’s how it should be made.

True coffee aficionados are spoilt for choice when it comes to coffee types, brands and blends. But one of the most popular brands is without a doubt Nespresso coffee pods. Nespresso coffee capsules are a favourite all over the world. One problem, Nespresso isn’t Italian and its coffee isn’t made in Italy. So if you’re looking for an authentic Italian espresso. The stuff they drink in bars, then you need to expand your horizons.

But that doesn’t mean you have to bin your Nespresso coffee machine. There are plenty of compatible Nespresso pods on the market. These are coffee capsules that are compatible with your Nespresso machine at home. They won’t break them or void your warranty. They’re made especially to fit.

When it comes to Italian Nespresso pods – that is Nespresso capsules that are made in Italy, you can’t go past Gimoka. Its name has been synonymous with authentic Italian bar coffee for more than three decades.

Gimoka got its start as a small roaster on Lake Como. Restaurants and bars would come to them to have their own special house blends ground, roasted and packaged. Soon enough, Gimoka became the fourth largest roaster in Italy.

When Gimoka decided to make their coffee for the average Italiano, they gravitated to capsules. Unlike ground coffee or loose beans, capsule coffee doesn’t lose its flavour and continues to make the perfect espresso months after being roasted.

But Gimoka didn’t just want to make Nespresso compatible capsules. They designed their own dedicated system to ensure the capsules stayed fresh. Each capsule creates its own seal, keeping oxygen and moisture out – the natural enemies of coffee.

It’s just one of the ways that Gimoka makes Italian Nespresso capsules in-house. They also send a coffee tasting team to plantations all over the world to pick the best beans. The green beans are then send to the roasting house on Lake Como, where they’re roasted, mixed expertly into blends and immediately packed to ensure you enjoy great coffee any time of day.

Gran Caffè Garibaldi is named after the Italian legend and war hero. Today the brand makes high end single origin and blended coffees using the best Arabica and Robusta beans, sourced directly and fairly from the farmers and produced in small batches only.

With Nespresso capsules price is an issue. Gimoka and Gran Caffè Garibaldi’s compatible capsules are cheaper, so you get an authentic Italian espresso for less.

Buy your nespresso compatible capsules from L’Emporio, the official distributor of Gimoka in Australia.

If you’re a chef and in the know, you are probably acquainted with using coffee as a dynamic new cooking spice. If so, realize that you are standing on the edge of a growing new trend and your food creations are reaching ‘next level’ status.

As a creative culinary artist, you typically separate yourself as a chef by experimenting and stretching the bounds of your imagination by developing new realms for your art form. The results show up on the faces of those who eat your creations.

Using coffee as a cooking spice is a wondrous discovery. Considering the characteristics, taste subtleties, strength variances and different ways in which it can be used (the whole bean, as a liquid or grounded), it has created new breakthroughs for many dishes.

WHY COFFEE?

Coffee is arguably the world’s most popular drink. It is plentiful and yields enough different flavor profiles to be the perfect crossover agent and find its way to the list of ingredients associated with food recipes.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW SPICE

The natural questions about coffee as a recipe ingredient are:

1. Will it make my food taste like the drink?

2. Will it dominate the other herbs and spices that I use?

3. Will it mask or ultimately change the flavor essence of my food?

To answer question number one, the growing list of chefs who cook with coffee as an ingredient have realized the natural rich, nutty and/or smoky flavors that have contributed to taking their dishes over the top. The note to remember is that your recipes should reflect coffee’s presence as a spice in the cooking process.

As it relates to dominating other herbs and spices, you’ll have to experiment if you are independently converting your favorite recipes. For recipes that you’ll pick up via cookbooks or data bases, the ratio of coffee in your recipes have been worked out for you. As such, coffee as an ingredient will enhance the flavor profile of your dishes if used properly. Some recipes call for the coffee to be added as you would drink it (brewed), but some require the use of the whole bean or added in granulated form.

Regarding whether or not coffee will mask or change the flavor essence of your food, you should remember that spices serve to enhance flavor profiles in your food. Note that the lighter roasts are more delicate and are generally more acidic. The darker roasts are stronger and more robust and therefore work best in dishes where they must hold their own against other powerful flavors.

Coffee, the world’s favorite drink, is now taking a bow in culinary circles as a delicious ingredient and marvelous contributor to deliciousness in dishes of all sorts.

Gary Simms is the author of the recently released “Coffee Delight: Drink and Food Recipes That Include Coffee”. For more information, visit http://gmsimms.wix.com/CoffeeDelight.

Coffee is currently the world’s third most popular beverage after tea and water. According to the recent survey, people across the globe consume more or less 2.5 billion cups of coffee on a daily basis – a clear indication that this dark beverage is definitely popular and in-demand. But despite the fact that coffee is very popular, there are still a lot of people which are not convinced that drinking coffee is good for our health.

It has long been a popular debate among coffee lovers and non-coffee drinkers that drinking coffee on a daily basis is not good for the health because it contains caffeine – a psychoactive drug that is known to help combat fatigue and drowsiness. To prove these naysayers wrong, here’s a list of benefits that our body gets from drinking a warm cup of coffee regularly:

Coffee Reduces Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s

A medical research conducted last 2009 has proven that people drinking at least 3 cups of coffee daily during their midlife have a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in their later years. According to the study, caffeine is responsible for reducing the number of protein beta-amyloid on our brains. Protein Beta-amyloid is a peptide that long been considered to trigger Alzheimer’s disease.

Coffee Keeps the Memory Sharp

One of the effects that people experience drinking coffee is that it keeps you alert and focus, especially at work. But when you drink this wonderful beverage on a daily basis, it won’t only keep your mind attentive; it will also help you retain the sharpness of your memory. According to another medical study was done last 2007, older people who have made it a habit of drinking an average of 3 cups of coffee daily during their lifetime, has a lesser memory decline compared to individuals who don’t drink coffee at all. So, drinking coffee does not only reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease but is also help us keep our memories sharp.

Coffee Prevents Development of Cancer Cells

Coffee has long been associated with developing cancers in our body, but some studies have proved this notion wrong. Another medical study has revealed that the antioxidants found in coffee are more than enough to prevent the development of cancer types including endometrial cancer and kidney cancer.

So you see? Drinking coffee has never been bad for our health, it’s actually the other way around! Now that you are aware of the many benefits of coffee make sure to drink coffee every day. And if you are just too busy to finish your cup, you can always take it with you using an insulated stainless steel water bottle.

More amazing tips and lifestyle ideas when you subscribe on our website at Ezisoul.

It is quite annoying to leave your cozy bed every morning. However, a strong cup of coffee makes it a little bit easier. There’s probably no one in this world who doesn’t like to start his day with a cup of strong coffee or tea. This calls for the need of a right coffee mug too. The right coffee mug can make every morning a happy morning. If you choose a perfect mug, it would make your tea or coffee taste better. These mugs make great gifts as too. Moreover, you can express your personality with a stylish coffee mug with unique designs on them. As you would be having tea or other beverages during your stay at home or at the office, you should have the perfect mug to relish the flavour of your favourite brew for long.

Now, to help you find the perfect coffee mug or cup for yourself or for any of your loved one, here are some important tips for you:

1) The material of the mug: The coffee mugs are available in a variety of materials viz. Ceramic, Bone China and more. We suggest a ceramic or porcelain Mug as it bears large handles and is thick enough to keep the coffee insulated for long. Also, the mug does not feel extremely hot while holding with both your hands. If you like to start your day with cold coffee, you must select a mug that is considerably longer and has a wide surface area.

2) As coffee mugs are available in various sizes, choose the appropriate size you would like as per your choice. On an average, the usual mugs are of 11Oz. or 325mL in capacity. The are perfect to hold by both hands, have enough coffee for one time and can boost amazing designs.

3) Finally, the design printed on the coffee mugs reflects one’s own individuality. It particularly depends if one would love the motivational quotes on the mug, your favourite TV show quotation, your favourite character, a rock band or simply a beautiful art print over the same. When someone looks at your coffee mug while you are sipping your favourite drink in it, they simply know the kind of person you are; you love music, a comic or TV show or love to wake up to certain motivation to start your day.

Based on the above choices, you should also look up for the perfect choice based on your other tableware at home or office.

All the things we carry should reflect our personality, that is what PosterGuy does. Find your favourite designer coffee mugs online in India with Free Shipping and Cash on Delivery services across India. We provide ceramic mugs which with hundreds of designs which are microwave & dishwasher safe. These designs are across categories like art, comics, motivation and more.

Are you on the search for strong coffee beans? I hear you. It is not fun, going to the grocery store, browsing the aisles looking for something more to put in your cup of coffee.

If you’re like many individuals, you aren’t satisfied with the regular big brand coffee. You want something with a little more punch. Something to really get your day going, right? Well let’s get you started in the right direction, shall we?

First, you need to determine your definition of strong. Is it caffeine you want to be strong? Or the flavor? They are two very different things and you should decide which is more important to make your decision on your quest for good strong coffee.

If it’s bold flavor you’re after, it helps if the coffee bean is a darker color. This is one reason a French roast is popular. This way, the beans are roasted a bit longer, giving them a much more rich and powerful flavor profile. However, you have to tread carefully here, as the longer you roast the coffee beans, the less caffeine remains as it gets lost to the heat.

On the other side of the spectrum, is a lighter cup of coffee. This is commonly referred to as a “breakfast blend” for its higher amount of caffeine. This can really get you going in the morning! Hence the name. This type of roast will generally have a much stronger effect on your body, but will taste a bit weaker.

These are things to keep in mind when you mention you like strong coffee.

Now once you have your taste preference for which type of strong you like, then you can move on to how to actually prepare your coffee at home. It’s really quite simple.

When you get down to it, the only two ingredients when brewing your coffee at home is water and coffee grounds. So it really is as simple as adjusting your coffee to water ratio. To make a stronger cup, increase the amount of coffee grounds in your brew without changing the amount of water used.

Most brews utilize a ratio that rest somewhere between 1:18 and 1:16 (1 part coffee to 16-18 parts water). The find out your perfect strength, start at 1:16 and slowly increase the amount of coffee grounds until you reach your coffee nirvana.

Don’t overdo it though. If you use too much coffee, really anything higher than 1:16, you’re going to get more of a sour taste because solubles weren’t fully dissolved in the water.

So there you have it! First find what’s more important to you, flavor or strength. Then experiment until you find the perfect balance to create your own “perfect cup of strong coffee.”

Get your hands on some seriously strong coffee at Lumberjack Coffee.

They roast their beans the day before it ships to you, ensuring you get only super fresh roasted coffee delivered to your doorstep.

They take great pride in their products, and have some really unique flavors like Maple Bacon Smoked. Rest assured, if you’re up for the best gourmet cup of joe you’ve had in a while, order from Lumberjack.