Tips Guides Resources

These coffee drink basics will help when you go to a coffee house and have a multitude of drink choices. Coffee drinks like late, cappuccino, straight shot and cafe mocha are just a few of those choices.

Coffee drink basics will help you decide what to order, because who wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that you may not even like?

So after you read coffee drink basics, you will have a good understanding of how the most popular coffee drinks are made and what ingredients go in them.

Most coffee drinks start with espresso and espresso is just coffee that is brewed a certain way. It is finely ground to almost a powder then very hot water is forced through the grounds under intense pressure.

The brewing process is timed so that the flavorful and aromatic oils are extracted from the coffee and not the bitter components. This produces a strong flavored, but not bitter, concentrated shot of coffee.

Straight Shot
The straight shot refers to espresso coffee and the secret to good espresso is the extraction time, volume, and golden crema which is a thick light brown layer of frothed coffee oils that float on top of a properly extracted espresso.

The short shot or ristretto is extracted to a volume of three-quarters of an ounce. The shorter restricted pour magnifies the essence of the coffee and the chance of any bitter elements being extracted is minimized. If you have ever ordered an espresso shot in Europe they usually serve the ristretto.

The long shot or lungo is extracted to a volume of one and one-half ounces.

The double shot is a 2 ounce shot using twice as much coffee in the portafilter.

The correct way to serve a straight shot is to extract it directly into a warmed demitasse cup. The warm demitasse cup will keep the straight shot warm and prolong the crema. A straight shot is best enjoyed immediately after brewing.

It is rare to see people drinking straight shots of espresso in the US. Most people here drink variations using steamed milk mixed with the shots to make the different coffee drinks listed here.

Espresso Macchiato
The Espresso Macchiato starts with a shot of espresso and then a small amount of foamed milk is spooned over the shot. Macchiato in Italian means -marked-, as the espresso is marked with foam.

Espresso Con Panna
This is an Espresso Macchiato using whipped cream in place of the foamed milk. The drink gets its name Con Panna which means -with cream-.

Cafe Americano
The Cafe Americano is a drink similar to American brewed coffee. It is made with a single or double shot of espresso combined with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water out of an espresso machine. The result is a very smooth cup of coffee that is much hotter than brewed coffee.

Cappuccino
Cappuccino is made with a fluffy, wet foam, mixed with espresso coffee upon the pour to create a blend of the two flavors. Cold milk is essential, as is expertise in the foaming process. Cappuccino has a large volume of foam making it a light weight drink and less filling.

Cafe Late
Cafe Late is similar to the cappuccino but with much less foam and more steamed milk. A late is made by holding back the foam with a spoon while pouring the frothed milk from the steaming pitcher. The cafe late is completed by being topped with a small amount of the held back foam.

Cafe late gets its name from the addition of coffee to milk. For an iced late, cold milk is combined with the espresso and then the ice is added.

Cafe Mocha
A cafe mocha is made by adding powdered or chocolate syrup to a hot shot of espresso and blended. Steamed milk is then be added to the espresso-chocolate mixture and usually it is topped with whipped cream.

Iced mochas are made with cold milk and the ice added after the coffee and chocolate have been blended.

Flavored Coffee Drinks
Some popular coffee flavors are: vanilla, Irish creme, almond, hazelnut, caramel and fruit flavors such as orange and raspberry. These drinks usually start with a flavored syrup that is mixed with hot espresso and stirred. Then steamed milk is stirred in like in a late.

An iced version of these flavored coffees made with cold milk instead of steamed makes a delicious cold drink in the summer months.

So now that you know the coffee drink basics, try one that you have not tasted yet. Who knows, you might find a new favorite.

Before buying a coffee maker,check out the award winning Presso at Presso America. Focusing on the area of coffee makers, and espresso makers, Anthony Sastre writes articles for Presso America

There is much to be said about the perfect cup of coffee, and yet so much is clouded by old wives tales and misinformation. What counts is simple math and physics, and as long as you understand the chemistry of coffee you can produce a perfect cup every time.

Grind The finer you grind the coffee beans, the more character you will get from each bean. In other words, more flavor can be extracted from the same amount of beans if they are ground finer. But it is the type of coffee making equipment you own that will determine what grind you can get away with.

The reason is due to the flavor compounds present in a coffee bean. GOOD flavors are extracted early in the brewing process, while BAD flavors come out later. Allowing the grounds to come in contact with too much water will lead to over-extraction and a nasty tasting brew. Your equipment will determine how much water comes into contact with your grounds and for how long.

An espresso machine, on the fine end of the scale, is designed to force a small amount of water through very tightly packed and finely ground coffee. The idea is to get a concentrate of only the best tasting flavors. Therefore, it is critical to have an even grind.

Contaminants Your cup of brew can have anything from chlorine, minerals, salts, heavy metals, and even traces of diesel in it. Ninety-nine percent of these are the fault of your water source.

Use a charcoal filter to clean the water you use to brew with. These come in models that attach to your faucet or can be installed over the intake valve of your coffee maker. Make sure you replace the filter according to the makers guidelines or when you can taste a drop in the quality of your water. It would help to purchase a small bottle of filtered water to use as your base of comparison.

If you use a drip coffee maker, use unbleached paper filters or permanent gold wire mesh filters. For the later, be sure to rinse them well in fresh water.

Quantities

One level tablespoon of coffee per cup is the standard and works well regardless of your coffee maker. We do not recommend making batches any larger than 10 cups at a time, since the higher volume of water will cause over-extraction.

Some drip coffee makers come with a dial on top of the unit that allows a portion of the hot water to go directly into the pot without passing through the grounds first. These dials allow less water to pass through the coffee, avoiding over-extraction and producing a stronger brew. It is diluted back to normal strength by the water that bypasses the coffee grounds.

Age Coffee releases six times its volume in carbon dioxide within the first 48 hours of roasting.

Green coffee is almost impervious to aging and can be stored in your cellar for years. But once it is roasted, the flavor degrades immediately and gets worse over time. If you really like the taste of coffee, know that it all comes from the skill of the roaster.

Keep a mill-type grinder next to your coffee machine and grind only enough coffee for the pot you are about to make.

Never ever use the -community grinders- present in the coffee aisles of supermarkets. Who knows what has been put through them or when they were last cleaned.

Once the coffee is brewed, switch off the heating element and serve the beverage immediately. If you find that you are brewing more than you can drink at once, consider either making smaller batches or storing the remainder in a thermal flask. Do not microwave cold coffee and do not switch the heating element back on.

The perfect cup of coffee takes practice and knowledge. DRINK UP!

Before buying a coffee maker,check out the award winning Presso at Presso America. Focusing on the area of coffee makers, and espresso makers, Anthony Sastre writes articles for Presso America

The beauty of using the coffee filter method to brew coffee is that you can opt to make a full pot, or a single cup of this popular early-morning, kick-start beverage. Here are some tips to help turn you into a world-class barista (that is coffee snob talk, for a person who serves coffee).

Coffee filters may be made from paper or metal, but the most commonly used filer is made of regular processed paper, or unbleached paper. The unbleached paper is the better choice as it will have fewer chemical additives, like bleach.

1) Start by choosing a quality coffee bean; that is a bean, not pre-ground coffee. The best coffee is made from freshly ground beans. All supermarkets give customers the opportunity to grind their own beans. Take advantage of that. Or, if you can, use a small bean grinder at home. These are available from any kitchen store or kitchen department in the larger stores.

Buy only as much coffee as you will use in a week; if necessary, store freshly ground beans in an airtight container. But NEVER, not ever, freeze your ground coffee. This will actually harm the beans flavor, not preserve it.

2) The grind quality matters very much: a fine grind (like that used for espresso) makes for an intense coffee flavor, while the medium to coarse grinds make for a weaker brew of coffee. There is usually a suggested grind on the supermarket machines indicating which quality you should choose for filtered or drip coffee.

3) Use the correct amount of grounds when making coffee, too little results in brown water; too much makes a sludge that is nearly undrinkable. A common rule is to use one LEVEL tablespoon per cup (usually defined as an 8 ounce cup, not a 6 ounce cup). You can alter this depending upon the strength of your coffee bean type. Some milder roasts may be too mild, so an additional half a tablespoon may be in order.

4) If you are making a pot of coffee, the universal rule is to fill your coffee makers reservoir with COLD water. I know, it sounds ridiculous since the water is going to end up hot anyway, but apparently there is some property to cold water that makes for a better cup of coffee.

If you are making a single cup of coffee, then the opposite is true; the water must be freshly boiled before being poured over the grounds.

As to the water source, remember that your tap water is filled with chemicals; you may want to opt for purer bottled water.

5) Tips to alter the flavor of brewed filtered coffee? Try adding a pinch of salt to the grounds, or crush some clean egg shells, and add those top the grounds. Both of these compounds have been used for nearly one hundred years, to change the taste of coffee; it is believed that these additives will reduce the bitterness in your final brew.

Oh, be sure all your coffee-making equipment (especially any metal filters) is clean. Coffee oils can build up over time, making for a very bitter brew, no matter how many of the above tips were followed. A mix of hot water and vinegar is perfect for this job. Just be sure to do several hot rinses after using the vinegar wash.

And there you have it; you are now a graduate of Coffee Brewing 101: The Filter Method. Now go and reward yourself with a steaming cup of perfectly brewed java.

Before buying a coffee maker,check out the award winning Presso at Presso America. Focusing on the area of coffee makers, and espresso makers, Anthony Sastre writes articles for Presso America

Brewing excellent coffee - better than anything you will ever be able to buy - is easier than you think. It can be a little involved at first, but you have got to speculate to accumulate, as they say, and you will find it is worth it. Just follow these simple steps.

1. Firstly, check your kitchen cupboards. If you find a jar of instant coffee, or are under the impression that this is an acceptable substitute for the real thing, stop reading now. You are wasting your time. Instead, I suggest a course of ECT, or perhaps seppuku.

Ok, for those who pass this first hurdle:

2. Green beans. These are essential for a fresh cup of coffee. They are not easy to buy on the high street, because selling them would undercut the coffee-vendors business, but you can find them easily on the internet. Take up a hobby - perhaps karate, capoeira dancing or creative writing - to while away the time waiting for them to turn up.

3. Roast your beans. You can get special machines to do this (a popcorn maker will do the job) but dry-roasting them in a saucepan on the hob also works well. Use a lid as they pop, sometimes quite violently. Disable your smoke alarm or close the kitchen door while you do this, as the process creates a lot of acrid smoke. If you do not have a smoke alarm, buy one NOW. Fire safety is very important. Experiment with the heat; you may wish to turn it up high at first, then lower as the beans roast to cook them through without burning the surface. Stop when they reach a deep brown - about the color of, say, freshly roast coffee.

4. Grind your beans. Use a coffee grinder (naturally) or the grinder attachment on a blender. You can do this while the beans are still hot. Grind to a medium-coarse consistency, or whatever your coffee machine requires. Smell the freshly-ground coffee: this, more than anything, will prepare you for the treat in store for you. The sensation can actually be physically painful to your sinuses, such is the freshness and the levels of exciting volatile chemicals (known as terpenes) coming off it at this stage. If the beans are cooler this will not be so intense, though they should still find their way through to your cup in the end. Spare roasted beans can be kept for some weeks in the fridge. Unroasted green beans will keep for many months.

5. Place ground coffee in coffee maker. You may need a little more than you would normally use. A filter coffee maker is fine, but try to find one with a mesh filter, not paper, which steals some of the coffees essential oils en route to your mug. Cafetieres also work well.

6. Press the button on the coffee maker. If you cannot find the button, you are probably using a cafetiere. Enjoy the noises of brewing or, if it is a cafetiere or you never did find that button, make your own.

7. Find a mug and pour milk into it, if desired. Pour fresh coffee into mug. Carry mug outside and sit your garden patio, preferably on a summer morning. Drink coffee.

Before buying a coffee maker,check out the award winning Presso at Presso America. Focusing on the area of coffee makers, and espresso makers, Anthony Sastre writes articles for Presso America

Coffee is an integral part of my family. We’ve had disputes, and discussions settled over coffee. Sometimes we have bargains and agreements done over coffee. In demonstrable fact coffee has given our family time to slow down and simply catch up.

With coffee so ever famous, it’s no wonder that it’s become a business life blood. Some companies even charge up to $5 for a cup, and yet people are still buying. All the benefits, all the wonder and taste but we have never really asked about the coffee bean to whom we have much to thank for.

Coffee Beans through the Years

A lot of people consider coffee a friend, and a shoulder to lean on. The coffee bean has many secrets which we as firm patrons of its fruits have yet to explore. It’s come a long way from its humble origins; the coffee bean has had many travels. Did you know that the lowly coffee bean was first venerated for its curative properties? The bean is also brewed for religious meditation purposes.

Coffee comes from berry producing trees encountered in the Middle East. The berry itself looks a lot like a very small cherry, red and agreeable. The berries are edible, they are considerably sweet. Each berry contains two locules, enclosed inside are the beans which is the cash crop. The coffee tree cannot tolerate frost or extremely cold weather that is why it is generally found on regions where there is ample sun and rain.

The coffee tree used to be a source for a tisane, where in the fruits, flowers and leaves where boiled in water, kind of like tea.

“Coffee beans, botanically inaccurate, are the seeds of the coffee plants”

It was the Arabs, who innovated upon the idea of making drinking coffee by roasting the dried coffee bean.

The Coffee Bean Travels

The story is that a Moslem stole some coffee beans from a farm in Arabia and brought them to his home in India. There he planted the coffee bean one by one and made it flourish, supplying one - third of India’s coffee produce.

From Arabia to India, word spread of the deliciously enchanting and aromatic coffee. Soon the French and the Dutch became enamored of the coffee bean as well. In their desire to produce the bewitching brew; the French brought coffee to Dijon ( a region in France ) unfortunately the coffee tree is not adept to cold weather, so the whole crop was wasted. The Dutch however was a lot cleverer. They planted the coffee seeds in Java where it thrived and became a reliable crop.

Even the famed King Louie XIV, who is captivated by coffee had a tree shipped to Paris, and built a Greenhouse especially for the Noble Tree. That same coffee tree is the fore bearer of the trees found in the South and Central America today.

There are 50 types of coffee trees in the world today. But only three are acknowledged to produce the best coffee bean of all time. No matter who you are, or where you’re from - have a quiet moment, enjoy a cup and let your mind wander.

Are you seeing the same recycled information on every website you visit? Try http://www.thecoffeebeansource.com for fresh information!

How many times have you heard, or even used, the oh-so polite phrase, “this coffee tastes like s**t?” As something of a coffee addict I’ve tasted blends from pretty much every country on the planet and have had some really bad cups and some truly exquisite ones. Having delved a little deeper into the history and origins of the brown stuff I heard of what I thought was a myth - an altogether different type of brown stuff; animal poo coffee.

There are a lot of gourmet coffees available - the rather expensive Jamaican Blue Mountain (though something of a bitter blend) for example - but the idea of animal coffee, to give it a less off-putting name, seemed far fetched. The idea of browsing through blends at the supermarket and finding such a thing even less likely. What would they put on the label? A man in overalls with a scoop stood behind a bear? I say “bear” as that was the animal first offered as an example.

The theory - as I was told it - is that an animal consumes the coffee berry, much like the way coffee was discovered, and the berry passes through the animals digestive system. The enzymes in the animal’s digestive system breaks down the flesh of the berry and the animal passes the beans in their, well, droppings. The idea being, I was told, that this adds something unique and special to the flavour.

Whilst the idea wasn’t one that made me smack my lips with anticipation - in fact it made me put my cup firmly down - I have to admit I was intrigued as to whether this was true and, if it was, who would want to drink that?

Without a Grizzly Bear to hand, or a scoop, I resorted to the good old research tool known as the internet and went hunting. I didn’t have to hunt too far before I found that the myth is, in fact, a truth. There is a company selling such gourmet coffee online. Not from a bear but ‘animal coffee’ via a Luwak. A what?

A Luwak is an Asian Palm Civet, a mammal the size of a cat that is common in south east Asian countries. The coffee bean is eaten and processed by the Luwak and then collected from the droppings. According to the company, the Luwak use their keen sense of smell to find the best, ripest coffee beans ensuring that only the superior berries are, er, harvested. The acids in the Luwaks’ digestive tracts permeate the bean and remove the proteins, giving a far sweeter tasting bean. Not that I’ve tasted one to judge. The beans are collected from the forest floor by workers who then clean them of dung and roast them.

Given that gourmet coffee is usually the most expensive, is ‘animal coffee’ any different? No, far from it. A one pound (450g) pouch of the extra brown stuff costs from 110 Dollars or 180 Dollars depending on whether you fancy a Robusta or Arabica pouch. For those that are truly interested and fancy trying a cup, a London department store has begun blending the coffee with Jamaican Blue Mountain to create what has to be the most expensive cup of coffee; the extra gourmet brew was last reported as selling at 50 pounds for a cup.

It begs the question, in this world of Fair Trade rules for coffee farmers, how much of a cut are the Luwaks getting?

Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Manchester Airparks, Airparks Gold Manchester.