Tips Guides Resources

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.

There’s not much else in coffee apart from caffeine yet we all drink it and take little time to know where it grows, how it’s produced and how it affects our brains and bodies. Surely something this good must be bad for you. Au contraire! There is on-going scientific evidence that 2-4 cups of coffee a day (based on a 6oz serving) offers more health benefits than you may know. Earlier studies have often clouded these benefits because of lifestyle associations such as smoking

1. Coffee is the #1 source of antioxidants, more than wine, chocolate or tea. Antioxidants can help prevent cancer and heart disease.

2. Coffee has a high level of soluble dietary fiber, more than wine or orange juice. Soluble dietary fiber helps lower total LDL (bad) cholesterol thereby reducing risk of heart disease and it also helps to manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. By helping insulin regulate blood sugar levels in the body, there is a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

3. Further studies of coffee also strongly suggest that regular daily intake of coffee (i) lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease (ii) protects against chronic liver disease and gallstones (iii) may ward off colon cancer (iv) appears to have antidepressant features (v) has also been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

4. Drinking coffee prior to working out reduces post exercise muscle soreness by up to one half! Plus it improves physical stamina and reaction time. Overall, coffee boosts athletic endurance and physical performance.

5. Coffee improves short-term memory recall, as well as alertness and attention to the task at hand. Because a cup of coffee is absorbed in the bloodstream within 15min - 2hr, caffeine helps process information and boost logical reasoning. Safe driving is a direct beneficiary of coffee consumption.

When people slam coffee, it’s usually because coffee is known to temporarily raise blood pressure. However while the previous generation of coffee drinkers were satisfied with a single serving of coffee, today’s coffee consumer is addicted to a daily habit of drive-thru kiosks and super-sized 20oz+ cups of coffee, not to mention those delicious sweet treats. I might suggest that coffee isn’t so much the problem as is the habitual effect of mega cups of java several times daily.

“All the brew that’s fit to drink”

Coffee’s Nutritional Facts

Coffee can make us feel more alert, boost our metabolism, make our heart race, affect our digestive system and more. And though most of us are aware of the brief caffeine high that coffee offers, most of us don’t really know how coffee truly affects our body.

To learn more about the effects of coffee, both immediate and long-term, keep reading.

Coffee as a Stimulant

Coffee and caffeine are stimulants. You know that when you drink coffee you feel more awake, but you also know that too much coffee can give you the jitters or cause irritability.

Because coffee is a stimulant, it can also wreak havoc on your sleeping schedule. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try cutting back on your coffee consumption or opting for water or decaf after noon.

Coffee on the Digestive System

Coffee actually has fairly high acid levels, particularly with beans like Kenyan or Ethiopian roasts. This is why when you drink too much coffee on an empty stomach, you’ll often experience “coffee tummy” or “coffee gut,” a basic discomfort in your digestive system.

The caffeine and acid in coffee can also be problematic for people suffering from ulcers. So, if you’re having trouble with coffee, try switching to water, herbal teas or drinking milk with your coffee.

Coffee and Antioxidants

Coffee is actually the primary source of antioxidants for most North Americans. Antioxidants are, essentially, any compounds that fight or neutralize free radicals, which cause cells to break down and are cancer causing agents.

Studies have shown that coffee consumption can reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, throat cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer of the esophagus.

Coffee and Physical and Mental Performance

Coffee isn’t just a study aid because it helps you stay awake - regular coffee consumption can actually improve your cognitive ability. A recent study showed that participants who regularly consumed at least one to two coffees a day scored higher on short term memory recall, spatial ability, logic tests and general IQ testing.

Coffee and Weight Loss

Coffee is a stimulant, meaning with every sip of caffeine, your metabolism will get a kick start. You’ll also have more energy. For example, if you read the ingredients list for most pill-form dietary or weight-loss aids, you’ll see one of the main ingredients is often caffeine.

Coffee and Your Teeth

While coffee can actually reduce cavities thanks to its acidity, it can also cause major teeth staining. To keep your teeth white, follow a cup of coffee with a bottle of water and brush your teeth at least two to three times a day.

The author’s web site World Coffee Mart dot Com aims to provide information about coffee makers especially vacuum coffee maker and capresso coffee maker.

One of the most interesting stories in the world is the history of that amazing drink that we call now coffee. OK, coffee is varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political intrigue, and the pursuit of wealth and power.

According to one legend (no idea is the legend is real or not), the great effect of coffee beans was noticed by a smart sheep herder from Caffa, in Ethiopia named Kaldi as he was watching his sheep. He noticed that his sheep became happy and very active after eating the red fruits of this unusual plant, the fruits look like red “cherries” . Kaldi, the shepherd soon realized that it was the bright red cherries on the plant that were causing the funny euphoria and after trying the cherries himself, he learned about the great effect .

So what Kabi did next? You bet, Kabi as a good network marketing guy, Kaldi dutifully reported his findings to the his community and after a few tries the monks decided to drink water with berries so they could be awake for longer hours of praying.

So you can say that the first use of coffee was mainly religious. Pretty funny isnt’? But obviously keeping the secret was pretty difficult and the word spread, the rumor about coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, and you pet, coffee was born.

I know, believing in this legend is pretty nice, but some top historians believe something different, they think that the first beans of coffee where brought to Ethiopia (where the legend started) by ships from Yemen, where it existed since the 6th century. Then coffee became world famous once it arrived to key places in that time, Cairo and Mecca.

I love the legends about the origin of things, and in this case, I love the legend of the origin of Mocha mainly because I’m a coffee lover, but the best one so far is the origin of how the name of mocha or coffee was created.

The story goes that Arabian was sent to the desert with his followers to die of starvation (not very nice). Well, the Arabian was so desperate that he had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. (yes, you guess it already, didn’t you? Coffee) Not only this fruit save the exiles, but their survival was taken as a religious sign by the residents of close by town, Mocha.

The plant and its beverage were named Mocha to honor this event. So every time you order a Mocha , think of this. Nice story isn’t?

The ironic thing of the history of coffee is that the plant grew naturally in Ethiopia, but once transplanted in Arabia the Arabic business men took control and make a good profit from the coffee idea, but it took a long time for a country to adapt it as a proper drink. And that was until the Turks started drinking coffee in their everyday life, often adding spices such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom and anise to the brew.
That’s why we have Turkish coffee !

Joaquin is the creator of Coffee Makers Review Blog, where we posts information regarding coffee, automatic coffee machines and coffee makers reviews.