| Sunday, November 4, 2007 |
| Selecting and Preserving the Best Coffee Beans for your Java |
Coffee has become a booming business today, and the ground beans that fill the metal coffee cans just don’t cut it for many coffee connoisseurs any more. Avid coffee drinkers want their brews made from beans that are fresh, robust, and grown and roasted to perfection. But how many coffee lovers are well-versed in what happens to a coffee bean from the time it is grown until it ends up in your coffee maker at home? The process of growing and roasting coffee beans is a long and complex one, but the result of beans grown and harvested properly is a delicious cup of coffee every time. It is a good idea to be at least a little familiar with the process to know how to select the best coffee beans to put into your morning cup.
Where do Coffee Beans Grow?
While there are many countries throughout the world which grow coffee beans, the majority of our beans come from Brazil, Columbia, Indonesia and Mexico, respectively. Coffee trees are a bit persnickety about the sunlight, moisture and temperatures that they require to grow well. Plants that are grown at higher altitudes tend to yield more flavorful beans, since the lack of oxygen in these areas offers the plants a longer time until harvest and allows the flavor to develop more fully. Coffee beans are distinguished by whether they grow in a high or low area, the flavor of the beans and the aroma. Arabica beans tend to have the most flavor and aroma, while Robusta beans offer an earthier aroma and taste.
Keeping Coffee Beans Fresh
When you head to the store to buy your coffee, keep in mind that freshness of the beans is subject to when they were roasted. If you can buy your coffee beans on the day of roasting, or perhaps the day after, you will enjoy the freshest coffee possible. It is always best to buy your beans whole and grind them yourself on the day that you will use them. If you don’t have a grinder or you prefer to grind a few day’s worth at once, you can store your coffee in the freezer to help keep your coffee beans as fresh as possible until you use them. If you like to order your coffee beans from companies on the Internet, you can ask the company about its policies in shipping and roasting. Some companies will ship out beans the day that they are roasted to ensure the maximum freshness possible. |
posted by Brownie @ 6:45 AM  |
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| Choosing the Best Coffee Maker |
If you’re an authentic coffee drinker, choosing a quality coffee maker is a decision that should not be taken for granted. If you are planning to mix your favorite coffee on your own, you will need a coffee maker that has all the features you need. Although most coffee machines look alike, each functions differently to provide varying tastes.
The most common coffee maker is called the percolator. These types of machines work by filtering the boiling water through the coffee grounds. Used usually with lightly roasted coffees, percolators remain the traditional way of making coffee. Although many people love these types of coffee makers, some people don’t fancy the bitterness in the coffee because of prolonged boiling.
An automatic drip is the most convenient coffee maker, which is designed to work on its own. After adding cold water into its reservoir, the device heats up to a specified temperature. It then pulses repeatedly through the coffee grounds that rest in the filter. Some automatic drip models have switches that slow down the pulsing of water, allowing you to balance the taste of coffee without over-boiling.
Higher-end models of coffee makers claim to provide you with excellent reliability, state-of-the-art designs, practical features and most importantly, the accurate brewing temperature. The problem with most coffee makers is that they cannot achieve proper temperature, resulting in bitter-tasting coffees due to over boiling.
Coffee Maker Features: What Do You Really Need?
The features of the coffee maker you buy will largely affect the taste of your cup of coffee. Although there are different features offered by various brands, you need to identify what you need, from those you can live without.
Some coffee makers have programmable timers, clocks and auto shut-off. These are ideal for people who usually forget that they’re brewing coffee. Since over-boiling could change the taste of the beans, these features allow you to customize the time of boiling and program the machine when to shut down.
The water reservoir and filter basket are two important things you should look for in a coffee machine. Some models provide a large water reservoir, while others only supply a small space for water. Filter baskets have different shapes and sizes – choose between a swing-out or slide-out models.
Adjustable water temperature is an ideal feature for coffee makers because you can customize the level of hotness your coffee would turn out. The most ideal water temperature needs to be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Choosing the coffee machine for your home or office will depend largely on your budget, size needed, brand and features offered. If the coffee maker fits your personal or household needs, then that is the best device for you. |
| posted by Brownie @ 6:45 AM |
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