Coffee Pods and Espresso Machines

There's nothing like the perfect espresso. Finely ground, dark roasted coffee, pressed and percolated into a strong, rich coffee drink that delights the senses and perks up your day. In Italy, ordering a coffee means that you're ordering an espresso. The Italians stop in their local bar once, twice, even three times a day for the perfect cup of espresso. But here in America, it's not as easy to find espresso done right. The grind of the coffee, the right temperature, the pressing of the coffee and the foaming of the milk are skills that few people know how to wield properly on this side of the ocean. But now with espresso machines and coffee pods, the guesswork is taken out of making espresso at domestic bars or even in your own kitchen at home.

In Italy, most Italians wouldn't recognize what we think of as a coffee maker. They use a "machinetta", a contraption that looks like a metal hourglass that has a top like a pitcher. The machine has 2 chambers. Water and coffee go into the bottom chamber. The machine is placed on the stovetop and heated until the water boils, percolating through the espresso grinds and into the second chamber. The pressure on the grinds between the two chambers insures that the coffee is pressed - the word espresso means "expressed" - and the rich taste comes from getting as much of the flavor out of the grinds as possible. The milk is heated and whipped separately. But it's easy to make a mistake in this process. Either by using the wrong amount of water or coffee, turning the heat on too strong or not using the right timing.

The growing popularity of espresso has meant that people want an easier, error free way to make it at home. So now you can find espresso machines that let you get the right combination of the necessary steps every time. There is a wide range of models to choose from, with different features and capacity. Some are designed for use in restaurants or bars, capable of producing large volumes of coffee in shorter amount of time. Unless you do enough entertaining at home to justify the cost, these probably aren't the best solution for you.

Models made for home usually produce either one or two "shots" of espresso at a time. If you prefer your espresso "macchiato", with milk, or you want to turn your espresso into a cappuccino, you will want to get an espresso machine with a nozzle that creates the steam and lets you froth the milk. Beyond these choices, you might want to consider a product that lets you use coffee pods. These pods look like large tea bags. They contain the exact amount of espresso to deliver a perfect shot every time. You simply put the pod into its slot, close it, and start the machine. When the cycle has finished, you just throw the pod away. It helps prevent any problems with measuring out the espresso and makes cleaning up absolutely easy.

If you purchase a machine that uses coffee pods, you might want to consider whether or not it can also take either another brand's coffee pods or regular loose espresso. Some machines do, but many will work only with the coffee pods that the same company also designs. Having the flexibility to use either the pod or loose coffee means you can still use it even if you run out of pods, which might need to be special ordered. Until these machines become more popular, it's not likely that the pods will be carried consistently in local grocery stores. Plus, the choice to use either kind of coffee also gives you the freedom to experiment with other roasts or flavors of espresso to further indulge your love of coffee.

Coffee products and how to buy them easily

The subject of coffee is one that covers a large number of products such as wholesale coffee beans, specialty coffees and also coffee makers, as with a variety of other topics food and drink data is best obtained from a specialist. A coffee expert will supply anyone with much better knowledge than say a general food and drink website, specialists know coffee products inside out will be able to offer you first hand info on merchandise like stainless steel coffee pots or even insulated coffee mugs.

For many years coffee reviews have been published all over the web and the subject of beverages is now easier than ever for buyerss to research, imagine you were searching for a food and drink review on a kenyan coffee powder, such a thing may appear on one of the many specialist coffee directories.

Whilst shopping for a coffee you should think about this, if you buy a stainless coffee blender but were not happy with the item would the coffee vendor part exchange the merchandise for a barista coffee maker or some other item? you should to choose a coffee seller you have some confidence in or a coffee site that looks reliable.

When you first start looking into coffee products make sure you make a note of the merchandise you are actually interested in buying, for instance coffee grinders, gourmet coffee beans, blended coffee packs, be precise as this will be particularly useful later on, when you have done this you should evaluate these items on some of the many coffee websites, by making the list in the first place you will save a mass of time because you can easily get lost in a whole heap of food and drink and coffee connected guidess and articles.

Coffee Roaster Machines - Java on Demand!

Most coffee lovers have a strong liking to freshly brewed coffee. They are not very fond of instant coffee and sometimes may even consider it demeaning to have coffee right out of the can. They will either grind their coffee and stir a cuppa or have one of the new fancy coffee roaster machines which promise a quick fix from the bean to the cup in a few minutes without loosing the authentic flavour of the coffee.

These coffee roaster machines have become quite popular in the recent past. They provide café style coffee and are quite economical to maintain. Some of the key things you should look out while buying a coffee roaster machine for your personal use is the whether it suits your requirements or not. The first concern will be the size of the machine. If you have a small kitchen, you will need to pick up a compact piece and if you have a good sized kitchen then you can pick up a larger machine which has a higher capacity.

Apart from capacity, you also need to see what the accessories available with the coffee machine are. Accessories can make or break the coffee drinking experience and cappuccino lovers will agree that a frother (a pipe which passes steam which creates the froth in the coffee) is as essential as an in-built bean crusher. Apart from that you need to check if there is a condiments tray and if the coffee roaster machine comes with cups or not.

All the above are relevant with one main deciding factor when buying roaster coffee machines: the budget. Since there is a wide range of pricing to consider, it is advisable that you set up a ball park figure for the coffee machine as they can range from anywhere between $200 to $1500!

Coffee products and how to get the best bargains

Lets suppose you want to sell coffee beans or an electric bean grinder, the smart place to market your particular coffee products is the ebay auction site. Coffee products for whatever reason sell very well on ebay, the thing is to follow a few basic rules and it could be that you end up selling coffee products longterm.

The most important thing is you must know the prices for coffee items and connected food and drink goods, the ideal location to check prices would be the many niche food and drink magazines or websites that also deal with coffee and drink products. If you have no idea as to what to sell your coffee merchandise for then you are very likely to make a loss.

To sell on ebay you must first list the product, lets pretend for a minute its a Green Coffee product, it is pretty easy to estimate a price level for this particular coffee merchandise. Next you need to take a photo and upload it with your advert, many of the best ebay secret books will tell you to set your coffee item on some kind of red backing, something like crimson velvet, why should you do this? you see its a well known fact that things like antique coffee pots and also antique coffee machines will stand out more if this background trick is utilized, the more purchasers who discover your merchandise the more chance there is the bidding will be higher.

The next trick to marketing your coffee or merchandise on ebay is this, when you are marketing these types of goods you should always list a sizeable amount of keywords, you should not merely list a Kenyan Coffee blend or coffee roaster [ depending on what coffee items you are wishing to sell ], you should list a whole mass of products. What you should really do is list all the large brand names that are connected with coffee products and as many related products as you possibly can, coffee cups, Coffee Tea Sets, list any coffee related item that people could possibly be looking for on ebay.

Now another secret when advertising goods on the ebay auction site is this, spelling errors can lead to large amounts of money when auctioning coffee, many bidders are terrible spellers and may very often misspell words, this is especially the case with coffee brands and makers trademarks. In essence what this means is that if you were to advertise a Colombian Organic pack or italian coffee pot with a few missing letters or a few misspellings then you could certainly catch some extra viewers, this then could add to the success of your coffee auction session and could even get you a higher price at auction.

This information is not just relevant to coffee products it also relates to any product connected to the area of food and drink, remember the main points and you never know, you might just become a full time coffee supplier with the help of the ebay and make a decent profit.

Coffee tables - Time for a break?

Coffee tables take many shapes and forms but, generally speaking, a coffee table is considered to be a fairly small, low sitting table that would typically be the centerpiece of the common waiting room, lounge, or family room. Coffee tables are utilitarian, in that they are normally used to store remote-controls, for the entertainment suite, books and magazines, and fittingly, are a great place to set down snacks or one's coffee mug when entertaining guests. However, as the center-piece, contemporary coffee tables are also usually chosen to suit the style and match the existing interior-decoration of one's home to add to the overall effect.

Accordingly, it is easy to find a very wide variety of modern coffee tables in different sizes, colors, shapes, fashions, and construction materials. Glass coffee tables are quite popular and if kept free of dust, add a pleasing aspect to the room. If combined with a stainless-steel or chromed frame, a glass-top coffee table will help to add to an overall clean, sleek, modern feel in a room.

Art-deco style tables are still readily available too as something of a relic from the 80’s that is one style that seems to be diminishing in popularity as we now approach the end of the “noughties”. Even still, one can still find lopsided pastel-colored plastic blobs and planes that appear to be stretched straight from some Picasso work, serving as coffee tables. Due to their diminishing popularity and simple construction, they tend to be cheaper these days. It should be noted that it is possible to find more “tasteful” designs built around similar themes.

If you are after a more classical look in your coffee tables then you probably want to be looking at wooden construction. On the cheaper end of the scale you can find new tables made from plastic imitation-wood, or veneer-covered “chipboard” coffee tables, but these can have a somewhat tacky appearance and will tend to be poorer in quality.

If you are willing to spend big money, anywhere upwards of US$200 for this small article of furniture, then you can find good quality solid wooden coffee tables that can really set a room off. With supplies of good timber and the loss of most of the world's old-growth forests, the only place one can find beautiful coffee tables made from solid wood (with the exception of pine) for less than about $1000, is at an antique furniture store.

If your pockets aren't quite that deep do not despair! If you're prepared to put some work in the best option is to look around for something you like at second-hand stores. For bargain prices one can find beautiful coffee tables in need of sanding down, staining, possibly some filling or new fasteners, and a couple of coats of clear varnish. The end result can be quite stunning, rendering a $60 stick of furniture into a $400 centerpiece that any homeowner would be proud of.

With the nature of business today the cost of producing complex hand-crafted mosaic coffee tables, either made with inlays of slices of wood with alternating patterned shades, or ceramic-tile based table top surfaces, has become prohibitive. One may still purchase machine manufactured tables like this, with a less pleasing effect, or one could import such furniture from places like Pakistan and India at great expense. Once again real masterpieces in need of a little attention can be sourced at second-hand stores and the like, rewarding industrious home-improvement enthusiasts with coffee tables of outstanding quality and appeal.

Coffee and How to Buy Related Products and Goods

Coffee has been with us forever and dates back for as long as mankind can remember, it is a social beverage and something that most of us simply could not do without during our daily routines. Now if you are a lover of Coffee you will be aware that there are lots of products that are connected with it and all of them can help us enjoy this great drink, the secret is to know where to find them and how to get the best price for them.

The subject of coffee products is one that covers a huge number of goods such as wholesale coffee mugs, Gourmet Coffees and also coffee pots, as with a variety of other topics food and drink information is best obtained from an expert.

A coffee specialist will supply anyone with better information than say a general food and drink directory, specialists know coffee goods inside out will be able to give you better information on merchandise like coffee making machines or even insulated coffee pots.

For many years coffee guides have been published all over the web and the subject of beverages is now easier than ever for buyers to look into, say you wanted a food and drink review on a Kenyan sampler packets, such a thing may appear on one of the many categorised coffee portals.

Also when browsing for a coffee you should think about this, if you purchased a bunn stainless steel coffee blender but was not happy with the item would the coffee vendor be happy to part exchange the merchandise for a barista coffee maker or make a mutually acceptable arrangement? you must select a coffee company you have some confidence in or a coffee vendor that looks professional.

When you start checking out coffee products ensure you make a note of the merchandise you are actually interested in obtaining, for example coffee grinders, gourmet coffee makers, blended coffee packs, be precise as this will be particularly useful later on, then once you have done this you should check out these products by using some of the many beverage websites, by making the list you will save a ton of time because you can easily get lost in a mass of food and drink and coffee connected reviews and write ups.

As with many things in life you should not rush when buying coffee and should take notice of who the real experts are, hopefully now you are armed with the correct information you are ready to hit the net and get some great coffee bargains.

Coffee and the Lowest Prices Possible

Coffee products can be found for prices that are next to nothing but most people do not bother looking for them, it just takes a little more effort on the part of the buyer and in no time at all the money you have saved could go towards buying a stainless steel coffee maker or some other product. Quite simply a large number of food and drink firms and coffee makers give their products away for free, the sad truth is the chances of obtaining the particular coffee items you need are slim however not impossible.

This may sound all very nice however how can the details of coffee competitions be located with ease? well this is basically far simpler than a person might suppose, the trick is to search in a specific way but you must always use inverted commas, for example try this query "coffee competitions" or "free coffee prize", if you do this you will get those exact results and if any coffee products or linked products are being given as prizes you could possibly be in with a chance of winning such things, Just think you might easily win something like a capresso coffee maker for absolutely nothing.

Where you aware that many buyers merely give items like coffee products and similar products away for no charge? you see so many people obtain food and drink products and subsequently find they don't want them. An individual may have received something like a carafe coffee maker for a gift but for some reason might not want it any more, for this you would need to try searches that include "low cost coffee" or "budget coffee" however you must not forget the inverted commas because they are the solution to better results.

Some of the well known coffee makers very often run competitions and offer their own products as prizes, check out the coffee portals that list the manufacturers and see if some competitions are being run on their websites. You may end up winning products like Amaretto Dark Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans or bunn easy pure coffee pots and can exchange them on a coffee forum for an item you really require, also if you win some roasted coffee beans but really desire coffee maker bits it may very well be that a coffee company will actually accept such products in a part money part product swap for the particular food and drink items you are truly interested in buying.

Many of us find competitions on occasions but finding a coffee competition just when you actually want one is something that doesn't happen very often, if you want items like braun coffee makers but are short of cash then you should use your favorite search engine and discover what coffee merchandise you can get in a competition.

A last word of advice, should you win an item such as a espresso machine then you can sell it on ebay as you might then utilize the money to purchase the coffee items you really need.

Coffee Beans - How To Grind

Air is the enemy of all coffee drinkers. Once air comes in contact with your coffee grinds, they begin to lose their flavor. Coffee manufacturers vacuum seal their grinds to keep them fresh while they sit on the shelves at the supermarket but once you break that seal, it’s all downhill from there. Buying whole coffee beans and grinding them yourself is a great way to ensure that your coffee remains as flavorful as possible. But do you know how to grind your coffee beans properly?

Different types of coffee calls for different types of grinds. So you’ll need to learn to use your coffee grinder properly if you want to make the freshest best tasting coffee possible.

If you plan on brewing your coffee with a percolator or a French Press coffee maker then you’ll need a coarser grind. Place the coffee beans in your coffee grinder and tap the grind button a few times as you would use the pulse feature on your food processor. The goal is to break the beans up so that they look like tiny pieces of coffee bean. If they look like a powder, then you need to slowly back away from the coffee grinder and start again. Remember to tap the button and not hold it down.

Automatic drip coffee makers work best with medium grinds. Picture the grinds that you’d find in a can of supermarket coffee. Those are medium grinds. They can be described as looking like brown sand. So remember the last time you went to the beach but instead of seeing the sand in between your toes, imagine seeing sand in your coffee maker. Once again, while holding the coffee grinder button, don’t get carried away and over grind your coffee beans. You do not want a fine powder if you’re going to use an automatic coffee maker.

Finally if your using an espresso maker, you want those fine powdery grinds that you’ve been trying to avoid when making coarse and medium grinds. So grind away until your heart is content.

Grinding your own coffee beans right before you brew your coffee is a great way to make sure that you’re getting the freshest cup of coffee possible. But a fresh cup of coffee can still be bitter or weak. Learning how to grind your coffee beans is an important part of making great coffee.

Coffee Beans and the Best Way to Buy

Coffee beans are an item that because of the internet can now be sourced with great ease and convenience, the thing is do we buy them from our local coffee vendor or should we buy them from an internet based coffee store? Well this all depends on what coffee beans you might want and how patient you are, in other words both methods have their benefits. Buying a number of blends from a local store will be pretty straight forward but if you want something like green Kenyan beans then it may be that you have to look a little further and use the internet.

One bad aspect to hunting for coffee products locally is the fact that the variety of products that these local dealers stock is usually way beneath that held by the online sites, anyhow lets pretend the food and drink merchant did not have the items you originally wanted but did have a Green Coffee product you might possibly be interested in and a Iced Coffee product you might also want to look over. Obviously the next thing you need to do is check out the dealer to look at these coffee items for yourself, this is one of the genuine advantages of using a local coffee dealer, seeing the goods before you actually purchase.

Being able to evaluate merchandise like coffee makers and also kenyan coffee sachets for yourself is a real important factor if a person is coffee buying, internet shopping does have its good points but it does lose when it comes to looking at items. The fact that you have real human interaction with a merchant can often be a terrific advantage, lets say for example you order a Brazilian Santos pack or a Celebes Kalossi Toraja pack, lets also say there is some sort of problem with the goods you have ordered and need to return it to the coffee vendor it was purchased from, now it could just be a matter of simply trading the merchandise you bought for an identical item or another model. Product returns in local coffee stores can occur very quickly say you had purchased something such as a trick coffee mug or a italian coffee jug via an online coffee store you may perhaps have to pay both the delivery costs and the inconvenience of having to wait for the food and drink company to return your cash or send you a replacement product.

Now a good thing about local coffee dealers is the expertise they can give you, lets imagine you visit your locally based store because you are wishing to order a german coffee thermos it may be you happen to talk with the person in the store and because of their expertise in the area of coffee products you end up getting a completely different product altogether. Tips and expertise in the area of coffee products can easily be located on the net but you have to be aware of the proper methods by which to probe and dig for your required coffee guidance.

Hopefully now you are fully aware of the good and bad points about buying coffee beans online you will be able to make up your own mind on the subject, I prefer a little of both as I think that both online coffee buying and offline coffee buying are great.

Coffee Benefits - Is Coffee Better Than Tea?

Would you like to have tea or coffee? Just what are the specific coffee benefits? You must have heard this offer of choice a thousand times. Be it guests at your house or while visiting someone or from the airhostess in the flight. The general idea in many countries continues to be that tea and coffee are two beverages which have equal importance. However, this is not 100% true. There is a huge divided lobby on this opinion. Many people opine that tea is definitely more popular than coffee as it has medicinal properties and is good for health. Coffee on the other hand is more popular in the workplace. The debate continues on which is more popular.

There are however, some distinct pros and cons of both beverages. Let’s talk about the benefit of tea. As we all know tea was discovered by the Chinese and scientific research has proven than it has very good medicinal properties which can help fight fatigue. Tea is more popular in Asia and Europe where tea drinking is considered to be a proper social function.

Coffee on the other hand gives an instant ’fix’ and helps people be alert and ward off sleepiness when at work thanks to the caffeine content in the drink. The health conscience coffee drinker tends to opt for decaffeinated coffee and thus gets the flavour without the caffeine. Coffee is very popular in the United States and is also an international drink which is appreciated the world over. These are the coffee benefits present in every cup!

It is very difficult to determine which beverage garners more votes with a global audience since each drink has its own fiercely loyal fan following.

Coffee break small daily timeless pleasure

Rarely, however, there dwells to think of the origins of this gesture and this drink become synonymous of behavior.

Around this drink have created many legends and folk traditions there who says that already the time of Homer, in the city of Troy, used coffee. The first coffee in Europe seems to be come even around 900 - 1000 AD thanks to the many ships that brought unknown goods from all parts.

One thing certain is what he sees sip this dark drink, become, in what is today Yemen, a real custom, even supported by the government that praised its energy quality.

For Europe is somewhat 'say that certainly the first coffee came through the Venetian traders, in 1615, especially remembers Prospero Alpini, botanist, physician of Venice’s console, who studied the drink and brought to the knowledge of the Venice’s city. At first the coffee was also used for its digestive and medical properties and also for this its price was immediately quite high.

Today we find yet Caffè Florian, one of the oldest coffee’s shop, under the arcades of St Mark’s Square, Venice, which even then to disseminate this drink, did distribute a text that praised properties.

In today's hectic life can not miss the time for coffee break and is in the workplace as in our homes and in bars has become increasingly demanding, for this reason, coffee machines and drink machines are now becoming increasingly technological equipment and we don’t count more versions and variations, all designed to enhance quality in its various aroma of coffee.

We find so espresso professional machines, but also those semi-or for private consumption; are available automatic drink espresso machines that allow enjoy anytime of the day, both in workspace and along a corridor, each variant of espresso coffee, barley, decaffeinated. In the new models of coffee machines for domestic use are lines of innovative and elegant design because the machine also expressed become an object of furniture and enriches every environment, joining an increasingly sophisticated technology in making coffee to a design increasingly minimalist.

For use in the workplace, very comfortable and versatile are the drink machines, machines that allow fully automated, simply by inserting coins of small denomination, to have ready in a few seconds a hot or cold drink, depending on the request. In these machines the hot drink sugared already exits, with the amount preset and there is a small stick to turn sugar. Now all distributors have the use of key for those who normally use the machine or give the rest to those who are just passing through.

In every place, at home or at work, the coffee break is around the corner, the hot drink that hides traditions and ancient stories is a daily pleasure that today, thanks to technological development in machinery and in drink machines, you can consume comfortably in any environment.

Coffee Five Ways!

Coffee has five primary ways of being brewed. Each method has brewing variables - introduction of water, brewing temperature, and separating the brewed liquor from the coffee grounds. These five methods are called Turkish brewing, concentrate brewing, percolating, drip brewing, and French Press brewing.

"Turkish" or "Greek" Coffee

Turkish coffee or kahve is the traditional name is made in small containers directly on the flame with water and finely ground kahve comes to a boil. Often times it is brewed up with sugar already introduced. In some traditions they will pour off a little into each cup and then bring it to a second boil, pouring the rest off into each cup insuring an even distribution of grounds. In some regions they serve the kahve with added spice which is usually cardamom. The coffee is not filtered from the liquor which leaves a thick pungent and muddy brew. The mud settles to the bottom of the tiny demitasse cups the coffee is served in. In many countries they read the coffee mud after you have drank your coffee and tell you your future.

Concentrate Brewing

Concentrate brewing is very popular in Latin America and other parts of the world. It is beginning to make a come back in the U.S.. Concentrate brewing takes large amounts of coffee that is brewed with small amounts of water to brew a concentrate. To make a cup of coffee you mix some of the concentrate with hot water. The concentrate is brewed either hot or cold. When it is brewed cold you must let the coffee sit for at least a day. This method creates a mild light-bodied coffee with little aroma and a little acidity with a muted flavor.

Percolating

This procedure involves a continuous brewing of the coffee grounds using boiling water which then turns to boiling coffee liquor brewing over the grounds. This method is practical but is an insult to the coffee bean. Brewing with boiling water is bad enough, then boiling the liquor is asking for a thin, bitter and tarry coffee.

Though this produces an awful cup of coffee many people still prefer percolation. If its for you then more power to you!

Auto drip

This is the most popular way to brew coffee in the U.S.A. Pouring hot water over grounds in a filter and letting the brew drip out the bottom, simple. Drip brewing can produce an excellent cup of coffee if the proper equipment is used. One of the biggest issues with auto drip machines is they don't brew at the right temperature. Bunn is one of the few companies which calibrate their machines to the proper temperature. If you have a good auto drip brewing machine then the next hurdle to tackle is the filter. Paper filters can deposit a flavor in the coffee and also do not allow a lot of the coffee oils and organic compounds through. A gold-plated reusable filter is the perfect option for drip brewing. It will not deposit a taste in the coffee and doesn't trap as much of the coffee's essence as paper filters do.

French Press or Press Pot

French Pres brewing gives you complete control. It is more labor intensive than auto drip the brewing variables can be better controlled. Coarsely ground coffee is placed in a glass carafe. The hot water is then poured over the grounds. When the brewing is complete the top is placed on and a plunger that consists of a metal mesh plate is pressed down pushing the grounds to the bottom. The coffee liquor is on top ready to be poured off. The mesh filter allows the oils and fine coffee particles through without a problem. Also because a coarser grind is required a longer brewing time is required. A general rule of thumb is four minutes for a French press. This direct contact of the grounds to water allows a more complete, controllable, and even extraction. Even with the coarse grind though a coarse grind will still produce some fine particles. A cup of French-pressed coffee will be fuller, more body, and more flavor. It will also have sediment on the bottom of the cup.

An Introduction To Gourmet Coffee

Over five hundred billion cups of coffee are consumed each year making it the most popular drink on this earth. For centuries, this aromatic, spirit-lifting drink has been the beverage to serve at any and all events. Many board meetings and friendships have thrived over a cup of coffee. Extracted from the seed of cherries growing on coffee trees, coffee is grown extensively in fifty-three countries across the equator.

Specialty gourmet coffee is very popular among coffee drinkers today. As a matter of fact, statistic show that it is one of the fastest growing food retailers netting approximately $8.5 billion a year. People enjoy the taste of the sophisticated beans used in the making of this delightful gourmet drink. The beans are grown at very high altitudes on Arabic trees and feed on volcanic ash. A cool climate and lots of moisture result in a high quality bean group. The soil the beans are grown in produces the very distinct flavors of the gourmet beans. Gourmet coffee has a more balanced flavor and richer taste than the standard mass-produced coffee. The beans go through a rigorous process of certification that is very strict to help keep the quality high. To help keep standards high, the Specialty Coffee Association of American was created in 1982, for the specialty coffee trade.

You can find gourmet coffee in most grocery stores, specialty shops, restaurants and coffee shops. If you are a true connoisseur, you might compare gourmet coffee to a wonderful bottle of wine.

Boot Camp for Coffee Drinkers

Ok, so we go to a local coffee house and we order cappuccinos, café mochas, lattes and espressos. It isn’t the paper cups that make these drinks taste so good. It’s the recipe and of course the prettiness factor. Baristas all have a style of their own and every cup will taste different because of the roast, the grind, the amount used, the water, the temperature and many other things. We have all tried to make these coffee delights at home the way we think they are made, but do we really know the real way they are supposed to be made to extract the enchanting flavors correctly? Here is a quick list of how to make the basic drinks. This is boot camp for coffee drinkers.

Cappuccino: Equal parts of steamed and frothed milk and espresso. The milk goes on top of the espresso. Dust with nutmeg, cinnamon or chocolate powder or shavings.

Café Mochas: The easiest way is to use a good brand of hot chocolate, throw in a shot of espresso and top with whipping cream and chocolate powder or shavings. It looks the best if you put it in a tall glass and use a long handled spoon. For a finishing touch add a saucer and a napkin. Or make a latte and toss in a chocolate flavored shot.

Lattes: Foam & steam milk to 140-degrees. The ratio is 50% espresso and 50% milk. Pour the milk down the side of the cup so it infuses with the espresso. The difference between this and a cappuccino is a latte blends the two things together, whereas the cappuccino keeps them separate.

Espressos: We’ve all had bad espresso. There are many reasons why this is. The number one reason is an unfavorable bean. If you like espresso you are likely a connoisseur of coffee and know what constitutes a good bean. Anyway, to make a good espresso you must do the following:

• Use a fine grind
  
• You must tamp the espresso down firmly
  
• You must use a high pressure machine or stove top model
  
• You must not try to make too much at once
  
• You must see the creama on the top, which is a golden-brown foam
  
• You must use an appropriate espresso cup to keep the temperature from dissipating too quickly
  

All in all, making coffee correctly is all up to you and the way your flavor buds react to the taste. If you like it a particular way, then make it that particular way. However, if you have guests over they may just like the basics. So do yourself a favor and learn the correct way to make lattes and espressos.

Can Coffee Reduce The Risk Of Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

Coffee reduces risk of diabetes
Research suggests that people who drink coffee are less likely to get type 2 diabetes. It isn't known whether the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee is responsible for its protective effects.

The researchers wanted to see whether there is a link between diabetes and drinking coffee and green, black, and oolong tea. Participants completed a detailed questionnaire about their health, lifestyle habits, and how much coffee and tea they drank. The questionnaire was repeated at the end of the 5-year follow-up period.

When other factors were accounted for, researchers found that the more green tea and coffee participants drank, the less likely they were to get diabetes. People who drank six cups or more of green tea or three or more cups of coffee each day were about one-third less likely to get diabetes. The link was stronger in women than in men. No pattern was seen with black or oolong tea. (see Diabetes Symptoms)

Vitamin D and Calcium May Lower the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women
A lack of vitamin D and calcium may be linked to getting type 2 diabetes. More than 80,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study. Over the course of 20 years, over 4,800 women developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that a combined intake of over 1,200 milligrams of calcium and over 800 units of vitamin D was linked with a 33% lower risk for type 2 diabetes (as compared to women who took much smaller amounts of calcium and vitamin D). The results show that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D and calcium help lower the risk for type 2 diabetes in women.

Diabetes is a disorder characterized by hyperglycemia or elevated blood glucose (blood sugar). Our bodies function best at a certain level of sugar in the bloodstream. If the amount of sugar in our blood runs too high or too low, then we typically feel bad. Diabetes is the name of the condition where the blood sugar level consistently runs too high. Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorder.

Coffee Health - New Antioxidant On The Block

Green coffee beans have supplied a new player in the antioxidant arena. An extract of green coffee beans has been found to have a stronger antioxidant effect than established antioxidants like green tea and grape seed extract.

The active constituent in coffee that is responsible for its many health benefits is a compound called chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes free radicals, and addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of which can lead to cellular degeneration if left unchecked. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract is twice as effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals.

One of the advantages of using the green coffee bean extract is that the negative effects of coffee are avoided. The chlorogenic acid is thought to boost metabolism by changing the way glucose is taken up by the body. And it does contain caffeic acids, which give a boost to energy levels like regular coffee does. But unlike boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract contains no cafestol, which is a diterpene. Along with its diterpene relative kahweol, cafestol increases concentrations of the 'bad' cholesterol, LDL, to levels that over a lifetime might increase the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 20% These diterpenes also had an effect on the levels of liver enzymes measured. When these are elevated it is an indicator of stress on the liver. However the study that measured this found this was a transient effect, and also that the levels of liver enzymes were much lower than those with liver disease.

As a side note on the health effect of the diterpenes found in regular coffee, it was found that by simply drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of these diterpenes in instant coffee are low.

Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, especially for migraine medications; a reduction in the risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, which could help with muscle fatigue for athletes and bodybuilders.

Interestingly, on the subject of caffeine and liver disease, further studies have indicated it may in fact support liver health for some people. Those who were at high risk of developing liver disease due to drinking too much alcohol were found less likely to suffer liver damage if they drank more than two cups of coffee or tea a day. This was a population based study, not a clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the subject. But it does offer some promising information. Those drinking in excess of two cups or more a day were half as likely to develop liver disease compared to those drinking less than one cup a day. Researchers do not know what caused this protective effect.

One of the criticisms of coffee in regards to health is that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this effect has been found to be overemphasized, at least in children. And adults who consume a diet with sufficient levels of calcium will be protected from the small amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee consumption.

So the old axiom that caffeine can stunt a child's growth is a myth. It was based on the fact that in older studies, caffeine was associated with low bone mass because those studies were done on elderly people who both drank a lot of coffee and had diets that were low in calcium. Recent studies in the US followed 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no difference in the bone density of those with a high level of caffeine in their diet, compared to those teenagers who had little caffeine. Other studies determined that the amount of calcium lost from bones is small and can be balanced by having sufficient calcium in your diet.

References: Australian Healthy Food Magazine, January.

http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=643516&m=1FSND06&idP=2&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub

http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/11_30_96/food.htm

Coffee- How do you like yours?

Making coffee is one of the easiest things in the world, and yet people are forever finding more and more complicated ways to do it. We live in an advanced coffee culture, where coffee is the most popular drink on the planet, and people get used to things like cappuccinos and lattes and start wondering how to do them at home. A trap some people fall into is buying the instant versions of coffee shop drinks, which inevitably taste inferior, instead of just making the drinks themselves at home.

The most important thing to realise about coffee-making is that, no matter what you might think, there is no variety of coffee-shop coffee that is really very difficult to make, despite the fancy names. An americano is just a normal coffee: coffee, hot water and milk on the side. A cappuccino is coffee, milk, and frothed milk, usually with chocolate sprinkles on top. A latte is milky coffee in a glass, and a mocha is the same thing with chocolate. A macchiato is coffee with frothed milk on top. Each fancy word basically means coffee, milk and froth in some combination (plus, occasionally, chocolate), with everything else being pretty much a matter of presentation.

The coffee in each drink is made by an espresso machine, and a basic espresso machine is really all you need to start making coffee at home: once you can put beans in the top and get espresso out the bottom, there aren’t really any other features you need. This simple fact means that there’s not much difference between the cheapest and the most expensive coffee machines if you know what you’re doing. To make your coffee stronger, you just put in more espresso; to make the different drinks, you use different quantities of the different ingredients.

Coffee Products for Free if you Know How

Are you aware that you can find coffee products and connected coffee products for nothing? read on and find out how, that is the good news, the bad news is that if you require specific merchandise such as coffee gift packs or artistic coffee mugs then you are may not be so lucky. Quite simply a large number of food and drink firms and coffee makers give their products away for free via competitions and prize draws, the sad truth is the chances of obtaining the particular coffee items you need are slim however not impossible.

This may sound all very nice however how can the details of coffee competitions be located with ease? well this is basically far simpler than a person might suppose, the trick is to search in a specific way but you must always use inverted commas, for example try this query "coffee competitions" or "free coffee prize", if you do this you will get those exact results and if any coffee products or linked products are being given as prizes you could possibly be in with a chance of winning such things, Just think you might easily win something like a capresso coffee maker for absolutely nothing.

Where you aware that most consumers merely give items like coffee products and similar products away for no charge? you see so many people obtain food and drink goods and subsequently discover they don't want them. An individual may have received something like a carafe coffee maker for a gift but for some reason might not want it any more, for this you would need to try searches that include "free coffee" or "unwanted coffee" however you must not forget the inverted commas because they are the solution to accurate results.

Some of the well known coffee makers very often run competitions and offer their own products as prizes, check out the coffee portals that list the manufacturers and see if some competitions are being run on their websites. You may end up winning products like Amaretto Dark Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans or bunn easy pure coffee pots and can exchange them on a coffee forum for an item you really require, also if you win some roasted coffee beans but really desire coffee maker bits it may very well be that a coffee company will actually accept such products in a part money part product swap for the particular food and drink items you are truly interested in buying.

Most of us find competitions on occasions but finding a coffee contest just when you actually want one is something that doesn't happen very often, if you want items like braun coffee grinders but are short of money then you should use your favorite search engine and discover what coffee products you can get in a competition.

A last word of advice, should you win an item such as a espresso machine then you can sell it on ebay as you might then utilize the money to purchase the coffee items you really need.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world – perhaps because it’s so versatile. From simple coffees like espresso and filter coffee, to more complex recipes like cappuccino, coffee can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be, as anyone who has placed an order in a coffee shop recently can attest.

People’s motives for drinking coffee vary widely. Some just want the caffeine to keep them going, and are happy with espresso ‘coffee shots’ – nasty tasting, but they give you a burst of energy. More and more people, though, are drinking coffee not for the energy rush, but for the taste.

So how do you make the best-tasting coffee? A very large part of the answer is freshness. In general, the fresher the coffee, the nicer it will be. Instant coffee is the least fresh of all, as it is coffee that was made a long time ago and then had the water drained from it. This is the reason why so many people go to coffee shops: freshly-ground coffee is simply so much nicer.

Grinding coffee at home by hand is very difficult, which is why it is much better to get a coffee machine. There is generally little difference between the mechanisms in home coffee machines and the ones used in coffee shops, meaning that you can achieve the same freshly-ground taste. All you need to do is buy your favourite variety of beans, put them in, and press the button. You wouldn’t expect it, but even the cheapest fresh beans will taste miles better than the most luxurious instant coffee. Just try it and see.

For the real coffee connoisseur, though, the beans you use in the machine will matter. Good coffee beans are surprisingly hard to come by in a supermarket – you will probably have more luck buying them from coffee shops that sell their own beans, or from small independent specialist shops and street markets. Be careful, though, as this can get expensive very fast – make sure you try making coffee from a small sample of any beans before you buy a larger supply.

Coffee Mugs - Uses For Fun & Profit

The most common use for coffee mugs is to house hot beverages, including coffee and hot chocolate. These are usually found in casual settings and are most often made of ceramic. Coffee mugs are available in a large variety of colors and designs, but they all feature the standard handle that is found on every mug.

Found at virtually any retailer, coffee mugs are very affordable and are even customizable. Even going on step further than ‘World’s Greatest Mom’ or ‘World’s Greatest Dad,’ coffee mugs can now feature personalized photos and/or writing. Perhaps it’s a special occasion, photo of a loved one or just a sentiment that stays close to your heart but, whatever the purpose, a personalized coffee mug adds a special touch to each sip.

With continued advancements in technology, many photo studios allow customers to bring in their favorite photo on paper or disc and order coffee mugs featuring color photos. Many studios allow the customer to crop the photo, add borders and/or perform touch-ups when placing the order. A number of online photo studios offer the same convenience as local studios, but both will ask the customer to allow for additional delivery time on personalized orders.

In addition to commemorating special events or people, personalized coffee mugs and other products are a terrific way to earn some extra money. In many cases, especially with personalized coffee mugs, these products are used as knick knacks that are more for visual purposes than actual use. Customized coffee mugs are just as effective for drinking hot beverages as any other, but many people do not want to spoil their beauty.

So, just what are some other uses for coffee mugs? Perhaps a bit unconventional, but many people actually use coffee mugs for indoor growing of flowers and smaller fruits and vegetables. During the harsh winter months, it is impossible to enjoy the beauty of flowers or the convenience of a garden unless you have a greenhouse. That’s why many resourceful individuals grow plants inside their home. Plenty of sunlight and just the right amount of water will turn any coffee mug into a miniature garden.

Coffee mugs are also used quite often in Valentine’s Day and Christmas gift giving. A mug featuring miniature candies can be prepared by anyone and given as thoughtful gifts. Using a themed coffee mug and loose miniature candies, a beautiful gift can be prepared by placing the candy inside the mug, placing a very small piece of saran wrap over the top and a matching bow to complete the look. Then, the mug can be place inside of a small gift bag and presented to the recipient.

Coffee mugs are versatile in their uses and eye-catching in their design. From coffee to plants and even chocolate, these little beauties are lots of fun to own.

Coffee Pods - For The Lazy Coffee Drinker

A Coffee Pod is a machine which is used for brewing coffee instantly at any time we wish. There seems to be many companies who are manufacturing bunch of coffee pods which are now available in the supermarkets. A few manufacturers of coffee pods are Black & Decker, Melitta, Phillips, Senseo, Folgers and many more. All these machines seem to come in different sizes. These machines also have the tendency to drip after making each cup of coffee. Very soon these coffee pod manufacturing companies are thinking of bringing newer and better tasting coffee pods into the markets.

· Anyone can make his own coffee pod at home very easily

Some don't like their regular pod coffee maker and other don't have their own coffee pod machine. Here is a very good solution for all those people who love to drink coffee as they can now make their own coffee pod at home very easily. Anyone can make this coffee pod with his regular kitchen appliances. So here are the few things they will need to make their own coffee pod at home, they are stainless steel measuring scoop, jar, filter, etc. Now here is a brief process of preparing coffee pod at home.

Firstly what one will need is that a stainless steel measuring scoop which should fit into the pod holder of the coffee maker. Next he has to look for jar which must fit nicely inside the measuring scoop. Then he has to find for a coffee filter that can serve 5 cups of coffee. Now the jar should be set into the scoop of the pod holder. The coffee pod will be better if everything fits well. Now he has to take the coffee filter and has to shape the filter evenly over the end of the jar. The filter paper should be placed at the center of the jar. Next he has to invert the jar and has to place it in the measuring scoop. Now he has to remove the jar and leave the cup-shaped filter in the measuring cup.

Now he just has to add 2 teaspoons of ground coffee to the paper cup filter. The typical coffee makers use scoops which can hold about 7 Gms of coffee. Next shake the cup slightly in order to spread the ground coffee evenly across the bottom of the filter inside the jar. In this way the ground coffee can be completely covered. Finally the expected coffee pod is ready. One thing must be remembered that before each brewing cycle the pod holder should be cleaned in order to make sure that nothing is blocking the holes of the pod.