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There are times the world weighs down on you. And the city screams into your ears. When every hour seems like the rush hour and life passes by in a haze. Times when you know you've got to take your foot off the pedal. And find some place where your cares wont find you. Like the enchanting Orange County - Coorg, set amidst the cool, deep green coffee-laden hills of Coorg. Where you can leave behind the crowded cities and explore the pathways of nature. Forget the deafening world and listen to the silence. Speak to the forests. Be charmed by history. Stay spellbound by an exotic culture. And take and unforgettable coffee break!

Sip and you will be surprised. You'll wonder how Coorg, a little district in South India, has managed to retain such a distinctive culture in spite of successive rulers like the Kadambas, Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara Kings and the British. You'll discover legends garnished by the arrival of coffee taking you way back to the 17th century. You'll learn how the rolling plantations of coffee and the plantation culture introduced by the British added colonial grandeur to this magic land.

Orange County - Coorg today offers travelers a perfect opportunity to savour every distinct flavour of this delicious land. Whether it be the characteristic cuisine ranging from the spicy pandhi (pork) curry or the Coorg koli (chicken) curry, or an exhaustive menu offering Indian, Chinese and continental delicacies. All laid out for you at Misty Woods, the multi-cuisine restaurant at Orange County - Coorg. That's not all. Orange County - Coorg offers you world-class facilities for meetings, conventions and incentive holidays with a difference - the perfect brew for and unforgettable holiday.

Holidays India Coorg India

Ever wonder how to clean a coffee maker the right way? Drip coffee makers need to be cleaned at least once a month to keep your coffee tasting good.

Cleaning your coffee maker takes away hard water deposits, old oils from previously brewed pots and other impurities that can make your coffee taste bad.

A mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water is the best way to clean a drip coffee maker. Mix a full pot of the vinegar and water mixture, pour it in your water reservoir and turn the coffee maker on.

Once the mixture has run completely through, turn the drip coffee maker off and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pour the vinegar and water mixture down the drain. If you are cleaning a coffee maker that hasn't been cleaned regularly, repeat this step again with a fresh vinegar and water mixture.

Next, rinse the pot out thoroughly with warm, plain water. Then, fill the water reservoir again with clean water and turn the coffee maker on to start the rinsing process.

To make sure all of the vinegar and water solution is completely gone repeat the rinsing process one more time after letting the pot cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

This is how to clean a coffee maker the right way. Cleaning your drip coffee maker on a monthly basis will make it last longer and keep your coffee tasting the best it can possibly be.

Copyright © 2005 - Perfect-Coffees.com - All Rights Reserved.

Do you know an espresso drinker that you want to get a gift for? Perhaps you’d like to get yourself some gourmet espresso. Well, buying gourmet espresso coffee gifts is easier than ever. With more and more stores online selling gourmet espresso at fantastic prices with cheap shipping, everyone can afford it now. We recommend 3 of the best merchants online on our Coffee and Tea Gifts page (http://www.gourmet-food-gifts.com/coffee-and-tea-gifts.htm), you just need to scroll to the bottom and start shopping.

Here’s a little bit of information on what you can expect to find. There are quite a few choices when it comes to espresso. You can buy whole beans or ground coffee, but if you’re not sure if your friend has a coffee grinder, either pick one up at the same time (2 of the 3 merchants we recommend sell them) or go with ground coffee beans. Most people like the amount of caffeine in espresso (myself included) and not just the taste. But for those of us who can’t have too much caffeine for health reasons, you can also get decaffeinated espresso.

You can also purchase espresso pods. Before doing so though, carefully check if your machine will accept espresso pods. What is a pod you ask? It looks almost identical to a tea bag, perhaps slightly larger and acts in the same way as a teabag. It’s mess-free, unlike using a filter and loose coffee and ensures the same great taste for every cup. It’s much easier to use, but also slightly more expensive.

Whatever you choose, have fun with it. There are so many brands to choose from, you might want to try them all to find the perfect coffee for you. Happy shopping!

Starbucks Coffee Company was founded in 1971 by three businessmen in Seattle, Washington who had a love for coffee and tea. It was important to them that the city of Seattle to have access their coffee.

The Starbucks Coffee Company grew slowly but by 1981 had 4 retail stores and a roasting plant that sold whole bean coffee in Seattle only.

By 1983 the marketing manager had a vision of re-creating the magic and romance behind the Italian coffee bar and wanted to test out the concept of selling espresso by the cup. When Starbucks Coffee opened its 6th store in downtown Seattle, the idea had become a hit. Within 2 months the new store was serving over 700 customers a day and it was selling 3 times more than the whole bean locations.

In 1987, the owners of Starbucks Coffee Company decided to sell their coffee business along with the name to a group of local investors for $3.7 million.

The new investors were told that they would open 125 Starbucks coffee stores in the next five years. Starting from a base of 17 stores in 1987, the company expanded rapidly to Vancouver, Portland and Chicago.

By 1991 Starbucks had expanded into the mail-order catalogue business, licensed airport stores and expanded further into the state of California.

In 1992 the company went public and after the initial public offering, Starbucks continued to grow at a phenomenal pace that no one had ever seen in the coffee world before. By 1997 the number of Starbucks Coffee stores grew tenfold, with locations in the US, Japan and Singapore.

Starbucks initiated several successful product and brand extensions including offering coffee on United Airlines flights. They also began selling premium teas through its Tazo Tea Company and offering people the option to purchase starbucks coffee online to enjoy at home.

They began distributing whole bean and ground coffee to supermarkets through an agreement with Kraft Foods. They also produced premium coffee ice cream with Dreyers. Starbucks even sold CDs in its retail stores.

Starbucks began turning its name into a household word not through advertising but through word of mouth. In fiscal 2004, Starbucks opened a record 1,344 stores worldwide. The once small regional roaster, Starbucks Coffee Company, now has more than 9,000 locations in 34 countries serving over 20 million customers a week.

Copyright © 2005 - PerfectCoffees.com - All Rights Reserved.

Long ago it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them some of his herd had began to gnaw away at this unusual berry. After about fifteen minutes or so the herder started to notice that his sheep were behaving in an odd manner. Not only were they unusually alert but they also appeared to be extremely hyperactive. Now being a little weary and extremely tired the shepherd decided to try the berries and see if the end results would be the same for him as they had been for his flock. To his pleasant surprise the shepherd began to feel wide awake and he too became very alert. After a few hours had passed along came a wandering monk who, after being informed of the plants amazing qualities proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. After he had finished telling the shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk set upon his journey but not before he had added a little something to his backpack and supplies.

Back at the monastery the monks decided to try this new and exciting substance. Soon the endless hours of praying were endured with the greatest of ease. Coffee, the drink had been revealed to the world. Its widespread use then took a grip in the Ethiopian lands before then migrating on to the Arabian outlands. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a merchant called Baba Budan. Word of its qualities were soon to spread and within a few years coffee was to emerge as one of the most valued commodities of all time. Now would you believe that each year we drink an amazing four billion cups and there are those among us who would cry at the thought of starting their day without it.

Although coffee is mainly known as a sleep suppressant there are those who consider coffee to have many health benefits. It is thought that people who suffer from asthma and partake of the beverage have at least 25% less symptoms which may be due to a substance in coffee called theophylline. This is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is thought to help those who suffer with the disease to breath with a little more ease. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer by a figure also in the region of about 25%. This may be due to the fact that coffee helps to keep you regular. Coffee can do more than just help you get through your day!

Aside from the benefits that have been mentioned above, it has to be said that simply enjoying coffee as a beverage is a delight that will never be easily surpassed. The unbelievable thing is that most people have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this monarch of all drinks has to offer. One of the fastest growing trends of the past few years has to be the rising popularity of obtaining coffee via the internet. Never before has it been so easy to sample such a huge variety of blends, tastes and aromas, and all at the click of a mouse. I order coffee frequently through the internet and I always make a point to record the country, blend and from whom I purchased.

Well now that you know the tale of the mystical beans I hope that if in the future you are considering visiting your local coffee shop you recall the story of the lowly shepherd and think about just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered onto that bleak and lonely hillside. Why not take advantage of the internet and try the many different varieties and blends available. Not only will you impress your tastebuds, your friends will be grateful as well.

Cappuccino or latte?

As far back as 850 A.D it is said that a lonely sheep herder and his charge stumbled across a strange and mysterious berry growing on a secluded and forgotten hillside. Before he could stop them, some of his sheep had already began to sample this strange fruit. After about ten minutes or so the shepherd began to notice something unusual about his sheep. They no longer looked tired after their long trek that day. In fact they appeared to be wide awake and very alert. The shepherd had never seen them behave this way and he was curious. Now being a little tired and weary himself the shepherd decided to try the berries for himself. Just as had happened with his flock he too became wide awake and pardon the pun, extremely "full of beans". Just then a monk happened by and after hearing what had happened proceeded to scold the poor shepherd and lecture him on his foolish indulgence. Having had his say the monk continued on his journey but before he set off he made absolutely sure that a plant was secured amongst his belongings.

Back at the abbey the monks decided to try this new magical stimulant. Soon the endless hours of praying became easy to endure. Coffee the beverage had been unleashed. Its widespread use first took hold in the Ethiopian regions before then moving on to the Arabian empire. Here it was to be held for many years as a sacred substance until it was illegally exported to the outside world by an Arab called Baba Budan. Word of its effects then began to spread and in a short while coffee was to become one of the most treasured commodities in our history. Today we drink a staggering 4 billion cups each and every year and there are many among us who would simply refuse to start our day without it.

Although coffee is well known for keeping us awake there are also health benefits associated with the drinking of coffee. It is said that those who suffer from asthma and partake of the drink have 25% less symptoms due to a substance called theophylline. This is what is known as a bronchodilator and quite simply it is claimed to help those who suffer from the disease to breathe a little easier. Drinking Coffee on a regular basis is also meant to help lower your risk of colon cancer by a figure also in the region of around 25%. It is thought to do this simply by helping to keep you regular which in turn helps fend off disease and illness.

Apart from the benefits that have just been mentioned it has to be said that simply drinking coffee as a beverage is a delight that cannot easily be surpassed. The amazing thing is that the average person has no idea of the varied tastes that this hallowed bean has to offer. One of the growing trends of recent years has to be the rising popularity of ordering coffee via the wonder we call the internet. Never before have we been able to sample such a wide variety of tastes, blends and aromas without having to endure the tedious trials of hiking around the city. I myself tend to place small orders but I always make a point to record the name, blend and of course exactly from whom I purchased.

Now you know the story of the magic beans I hope that next timeyou are considering popping into the local coffee shop you recall the story of the wandering sheep herder and consider just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered with his flock onto that lonely hillside. Take the time to try the many different varieties available and I promise you the joys of coffee will be sure to tantalize your senses,tease your tastebuds and delight your friends and associates.

Cappuccino or mocha?

Specialty gourmet coffee is a very hot commodity in today's market. The consumption of gourmet coffee has steadily grown with consumers enjoying the more sophisticated tastes of gourmet coffee beans.

Specialty gourmet coffee, sometimes called premium coffee, is exceptional coffee beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates. These coffee beans have unique characteristics because of the soil they grow in which produce very distinctive flavors.

Gourmet coffee has a more balanced flavor and richer taste than the standard mass-produced coffee. Gourmet coffee beans go through a rigorous process of certification that is stricter to help keep the quality high.

In the 1974 issue of the "Tea & Coffee Trade Journal", Erna Knutsen first used the term 'specialty coffee' to describe these unique coffee beans that are produced in special microclimates with these distinctive, exceptional flavors.

In 1982 the Specialty Coffee Association of America was created by coffee professionals to help set quality standards for the specialty coffee trade.

Since the 1990's the growing popularity of the coffee houses and specialty gourmet coffee retailers, have made gourmet coffee one of the fastest growing food services markets in the world. In the United States alone, it nets approximately $8.5 billion a year.

Some have compared specialty gourmet coffee to wine. The aromas and flavors have similarities in how the consumer connects with the two beverages. The characteristics of gourmet coffee however, are more even complex than wine. The coffee bean is more dependent on altitudes, climate and soil variation than with the grapes used for wine.

The history and tradition of the specialty coffee grower makes this a very complex beverage. So pour yourself a cup of your favorite specialty gourmet coffee, sit back and enjoy, you deserve it.

Copyright © 2005 Perfect-Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

Coffee cupping is a method to compare the different characteristics of a coffee bean. Cupping lets us compare different coffees against each other to evaluate the uniqueness between them. This information can give us a better understanding of each different region and their basic tastes.

Having a coffee cupping party at home is a great way to socialize and enjoy coffee while evaluating and sharing thoughts on the different blends. It can be fun and a sense of adventure discovering flavors and nuances you never thought existed in a cup of coffee.

Gather some coffee lovers together with a small cupping supply and let the fun begin.

Coffee cupping is not difficult and will take some practice and patience but the reward will give you invaluable knowledge about coffee.

Your cupping supply will consist of the following :

1. Fresh filtered water, not distilled or softened.
2. A coffee scoop that holds 2 tablespoons.
3. Small cupping cups that hold 5 ounces each
   (3 for each sample; if cupping 3 coffees you will need 9).
4. Small rectangle plastic trays to hold beans; 1 for each coffee.
5. Cupping spoons that are deep for holding samples and slurping.
6. Whole Bean Coffee; enough for 3 cups each-six tablespoons.

To Begin:

• Bring water to rolling boil and let stand.
• Put your cups on the table in 3 groups of 3 each.
• Using your scoop measure 1 scoop of beans per cup.
• Grind coffee beans to a fine consistency and put in cup.

Make sure to grind each coffee to the same fineness and clean the grinder after each grinding.

Start by sniffing each of the coffee samples then begin pouring water just off the boiling point on the grounds. Allow the coffee to steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Using your spoon gently break the crust and take time to smell the coffee at this point. Once the crust is broken gently stir the coffee to allow some of the grounds to sink. Any left on top should be scooped out and thrown away.

After cooling slightly start slurping the coffee from the spoon. Let it splash over your entire palate letting your taste buds experience and acknowledge each flavor. It’s fun to see how many funny sounds you can make while slurping.

You could even make a game of it to see who can make the funniest sounds. Hold the coffee in your mouth without swallowing and swish it around and begin to realize all the different taste sensations. At this point, spit the coffee out and begin sharing your experience and thoughts with the rest of the group. There are no right or wrongs just opinions.

For many beginners evaluating coffee with other coffee lovers will open your eyes and your taste buds to flavors in coffee that you might have missed. It is a fun way to share a new understanding and appreciation for coffee cupping and enjoy it all at the same time.

Copyright © 2005 PerfectCoffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

A quick and easy way to enjoy mint-chocolate coffee!

My sister-in-law makes these, and they sell them at school events to raise money for the parochial school where her son is enrolled. She says they "sell like hotcakes." Suggested price: 2 for $1. If you want to make gifts for people for birthdays or Christmas or other special occasions, or as party favors, the coffee spoons work well for that too.

• Ordinary plastic spoons

• Bars of Hershey's chocolate

• Hard peppermint candy or, for something different, try dinner mints

• Saran Wrap or other plastic wrap

• Short pieces of ribbon

Melt the chocolate. Dip the plastic spoons in the chocolate. Lay spoons on wax paper. Before the chocolate sets, place a mint in the middle of the spoon.

When the chocolate has cooled and hardened, cover spoon with Saran Wrap (or other plastic wrap). Tie a ribbon around handle of the spoon to hold the plastic wrap in place. (Use colored plastic wrap and coordinating colors for the ribbon, if you prefer.)

To use: pour a cup of hot coffee, take the plastic wrap off the spoon, stick the spoon in the coffee and stir. And TA-DA! -- mint chocolate coffee.

Note: You might want to add some chocolate chips to the melted chocolate to give it a somewhat firmer consistency when it cools off. You may also want to experiment a bit with dipping the spoons a couple of times.

Another note: you could also experiment with other flavors. What about vanilla almond bark and butterscotch candy? Or chocolate and butterscotch? Or chocolate and raspberry candy? You get the picture, I'm sure.

Many a coffee aficionado would turn up their nose at the thought of adding flavorings to their beloved black beverage. But, if you're not an aficionado, and you didn't pay exorbitant amounts of money for single-estate specialty coffee beans, then why not indulge in trying some of the fine coffee flavoring syrups, or flavored coffee beans available today? To help you make the most of coffee flavorings, here is a summary of the things you should know before buying.

**Coffee Flavoring Syrups**

Generally sweet, and always indulgent, coffee flavorings such as vanilla, hazelnut or amoretto can be found bottled in the form of coffee syrups. Added after the coffee is brewed, the advantage of using these syrups over using pre-flavored coffee beans is that your grinding and brewing equipment does not become tainted by flavor extracts on the beans.

About the only rule when using syrups to make flavored coffee is "don't overdo it". Remember, the flavor should complement your favorite drink, rather than overwhelm it.

Here are some general guidelines to help you buy only the best coffee syrups:

• Brix - the word 'brix' is used to describe the solids content of a syrup. The higher the brix, the higher the concentration of sugar and flavoring in the liquid. Many high-quality coffee syrups have a brix between 60 and 70 - that is, 60-70% solids. Higher concentration syrups will cost more initially, but you use less so they will last longer.

• Flavor vs. Sugar - even though a brix of 62 indicates a high quality syrup, you can't be sure of how much of the solids content is sugar and how much is flavor without checking the label and/or taste-testing the syrup. Some manufacturers promote their syrups as adding 'flavor without sweetness'. Your personal preference will dictate whether you prefer the sweetness. If you normally take sugar, you might find you do not need to add sugar if the syrup is quite sweet. Be aware of very thick, sticky syrups - these may be disguising a poor flavor extract with an overdose of sugar.

• Sweetener - you will find most syrups are flavored with cane-sugar. Other popular sweeteners include fruit-juice and corn sugar. Syrups that use other than cane-sugar are generally not as sweet - something you may or may not prefer. In any case, look for the "all-natural" statement on the label if you want to avoid artificial sweeteners.

• Preservatives - some syrups are preservative-free. The flavor may benefit from this - just remember that the shelf-life of these syrups will be shorter than those with added preservatives.
  Sugar Free or Low Carb - due to consumer demand, some companies are producing sugar-free coffee syrups. To be an informed consumer, you should check the label to determine whether these are unsweetened or artificially-sweetened and purchase according to your personal preference.

• Purpose - most syrups are general purpose, but some syrups will be labelled as baking, dessert or drink flavorings. They will vary in thickness, sweetness and flavoring depending on their purpose.

Once you get your syrup home, why not try:

• Combining syrups to create unique flavors

• Using syrups as dessert toppings

• Adding syrups to smoothies

• Adding syrups to soda water

• Using syrups as a glaze for meat or vegetables (fruit-flavored syrups are nice for this)

• Adding syrups to a salad dressing or vinaigrette

** Flavored Coffee Beans **

From caramel, to pumpkin pie, gingerbread, cinnamon or butterscotch, there are an abundance of pre-flavored coffee beans to sample and enjoy. Beans are generally flavored using essential oils, plant derivatives and other aromatic flavorings. The flavors are mixed with warm beans straight out of the roaster to ensure as much flavor as possible is absorbed by the bean. Most flavoring is 3% w/w (weight to weight) which is 1/2oz of flavoring to 1lb of coffee.

Here are some tips to help you buy only the best flavored coffee beans:

• You can tell the freshness of flavored beans by their appearance. Freshly flavored beans will appear glossy - very oily and wet.

• Be sure you are buying from a reputable coffee roaster to ensure your beans and flavorings are of a high quality. Some roasters may be adding flavor to low-quality beans thinking that their low-quality will be disguised by the flavoring. (This is usually not very successful - a bit like trying to cover up bad dessert with sugary syrup.)

Here are some reasons why you might prefer to try pre flavored coffee beans over coffee syrups:

• Aroma - the combination of the aromatic flavoring and the aroma of the bean itself can be quite exquisite. About 76 percent of taste is experienced through the nose, so the aroma makes for much of the flavored coffee experience. Consider it a kind of coffee aromatherapy.

• Sugar-Free / Low-Carb - most pre flavored coffee beans are flavored without using sugar. Even so, if sugar is contained in the flavoring, the amount of sugar in the final product is negligible. Being sugar-free also gives you the freedom to use sweetener of your choice.

** Making Your Own Flavored Coffee **

An inexpensive and more body-friendly (i.e. no sugar, no preservatives, no artificial anythings) way of adding natural flavor to your beans is to fill an airtight container with freshly roasted, whole beans. To the container, try adding any one or more of the following:

• Whole vanilla bean(s)

• Cinnamon Stick(s)

• Cloves and Nutmeg (use sparingly)

• Cardamom

• Citrus Peel (lemon or orange)

• Mint Leaves

• Alternatively, a simple sprinkle of cinnamon, or a dash of liqueur (Amaretto, Irish Creme) after your coffee is brewed can add the hint of flavor you've been craving.

Flavored coffee syrup is a popular addition to any coffee beverage and a welcome change for any regular coffee drinker. Whether you are looking to satisfy a sweet tooth or just want something different, flavored coffee syrups put a great kick into any drink. If you own a coffee business, these syrups are another great way to attract customers, allowing them to customize their own drinks so they can enjoy exactly the flavors that their taste buds desire.

Coffee, of course, has a wonderful taste itself, but it also acts as a catalyst for many other flavors. The growth in popularity of flavored coffee is testament to coffee's versatility and strength. People today have come to expect variety and certainly flavored coffee offers them a choice. Flavored syrups means that coffee drinkers can enjoy their beverage all day in a host of different ways.

The best flavored coffee syrups are made from all natural ingredients. The chemical additives and preservatives found in some syrups can distort or hide the flavor of the coffee, while all natural flavors will simply enhance a beverage. Although all natural syrups are more expensive, they are worth the investment as your customers will surely taste the difference and come back time after time for more.

There are four different groups of syrups. The most popular syrups are the vanilla based, which include nut and creme flavors like Irish creme and hazelnut. These flavors go well with just about any type of coffee, and can even be used to sweeten a cappuccino or latte. Chocolate is the next most popular flavoring group, followed by the fruit and spice flavors. It is always a good idea to have an offering from each group so your customers can experience different flavors (and spend more!)

Today, more than 100 different and delicious flavorings lace the coffees, espressos, cappuccinos, and frappes. To say the least, flavored coffee has become an interesting and fast growing area of the coffee market. Blends such as Irish Creme, French Vanilla, Hazelnut and even Macadamia Nut grace the shelves of both coffee specialty shops and home kitchens alike.

The concept of adding flavors to enhance the taste of coffee is, by no means, a new craze. Arabs began flavoring their coffee with cardamom hundreds of years ago, Africans experimented with citrus flavors, and South Americans enjoyed a hint of cinnamon in their cups.

Flavored coffee syrups are highly concentrated, so a little goes quite a long way – this makes it very cost effective for the café owner. One half-ounce shot of syrup is usually adequate to flavor an entire coffee drink. These syrups are available from most coffee suppliers; if you are a new retail or business customer, they will often send you samples to allow you to taste them for yourself; this way you can choose the best tasting syrup product for your customers. This is the fun part – then you have to sell them!

Coffee roasters and those who roast, brew and serve the ultimate cup of coffee are now esteemed professionals within the social fabric of our community at large. A good coffee roaster is a little like a celebrity chef these days, complete with loyal followings, highly descriptive reviews and the ability to command premium prices for their products and services. As coffee continues to grow in elevation from merely a mundane beverage to something of art form, a good coffee roaster has begun to take on a glamorous aura.

But there is a café on almost every street corner or every suburb now and every barista thinks of him or herself as the best roaster on the block. The professional barista is a now fiercely competitive industry and cafes and restaurants across the globe fight to retain the barista that can produce a coffee that will have customers returning time and time again. So, because roasting is everywhere, how do you choose the coffee roaster for you?

Your first question is whether you're looking for wholesale coffee roasters to supply your business, or retail roasters to keep you happily supplied with beans at home. But for our purposes, let's say you're looking for a retail roaster to feed your coffee habit because you are a die hard coffee lover.

One approach is to decide exactly which coffee beans you prefer. Once you have found the coffee beans that you like you can then search for that specific bean. It might take you some time to research this and you might want to join a coffee club so that you can do some extensive taste testing. They will send you a number of coffee varieties each month for a small fee and this gives you the opportunity to try out blends and pure coffees to see what you prefer.

But once you know what coffee you are after, the online suppliers can tell you which of the coffee roasters that carry the beans you are looking for, who has the freshest beans and who has most skill in roasting them to perfection. You might also want to look for coffee bean suppliers that are geographically close to you. By doing so you can be confident that the beans can be delivered faster and will therefore be fresher when they reach your door.

But before you make your final decisions, consider organic coffee as an option. Organic coffee is another choice you might want to make. This coffee is certified to have been grown and processed without chemical intervention and is becoming more and more popular with wholesale outlets. It generally has a mild nutty flavor. It is also becoming popular with celebrities who are eager to adopt the coffee cause. Organic coffee, understandably sells very well in Hollywood.

Now all that is left to do is try several brands of coffee to find out which one you like the best. Enjoy your next coffee!

Coffee club membership is a joy for coffee lovers The coffee club concept is relatively new but is taking the world by storm. Reward yourself or your friends and relatives with coffee clubs by joining up and saving loads. Each month, you will get a shipment of coffee delivered direct to your door. This is a great way to taste new coffees, sample different varieties, find a brew that you really like and ultimately avoid a trip to the store to buy your favorite coffee. Automatic shipment is very convenient, especially if you like your coffee first thing in the morning because this means you will never run out when you need it the most.

Clubs are now springing up all over America and different clubs have different offerings so it is easy to find one that suits you. Most clubs offer a coffee of the month and/or your choice of flavors. With flavors you can choose what coffee you want delivered each month, or allow the company to surprise you. Depending on the club, it could be your favorite flavor, or a different flavor every month. Amounts vary from company to company also. Usually it is one pound per month, but you can order more if you desire.

Some clubs even offer newsletter subscriptions with informative articles about the month's featured coffee as well as coffee recipes and helpful hints about coffee making and removing coffee stains. When you join one of these clubs, you are also usually entitled to a members-only discount. If the company has a sale or special offering, generally the club members will be the first to hear about it through the newsletter. In addition to coffee, gourmet coffee clubs sometimes include extras like coffee mugs or books with coffee recipes in them.

With clubs, the membership terms are usually fairy flexible. You can usually choose the length of your club membership, from three to twelve months, whether you want whole beans or ground, the type of grind you would like and finally, you can choose flavored or regular, caffeinated or decaf coffee. The choices are endless and are designed to cater specifically for each person’s tastes. This is more work for the club but at the end of the day is done to induce you to buy more coffee.

An idea for a coffee gift is a coffee club membership. This is where you purchase a subscription for a coffee of the month club, and your recipient gets coffee delivered to them each month. Gourmet coffee clubs make a great gift idea for holidays, birthdays, or as thank you gifts. you are looking for a unique business gift, think about giving a coffee club subscription. Most people appreciate a good cup of coffee; it is enjoyed around the world. This is one gift that transcends borders. Your recipient will like the convenience of having the coffee delivered on schedule, without having to reorder all the time. If you give a club subscription as a gift, you will be able to send a gift card or letter to your recipient, notifying them of your gift membership.

Caffeine has become America's most popular drug by far. 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or another every single day. Most of it comes from drinking coffee.

But if you're a coffee lover who prefers to avoid caffeine, you can still enjoy a cup of coffee that delivers rich flavor with decaffeinated coffee.

It's how the caffeine is extracted from coffee beans that is a mystery for most of us.

These are some of the methods currently used for decaffeinating.

Direct Contact Method

In the direct contact method the beans come directly in contact with decaffeinating agents, such as methylene chloride, after being softened by water or steam. Caffeine is removed by directly soaking the materials in the methylene chloride.

Indirect Contact Method

With the indirect contact method a water and coffee solution is used to draw off the caffeine. The solution containing the caffeine is then treated with a decaffeinating agent, such as ethyl acetate, and mixed back into the beans for reabsorption of the flavorings.

Sometimes this method is referred to as naturally decaffeinated because ethyl acetate is a chemical found naturally in many fruits.

Water Processing

This process is similar to the indirect method, except no chemicals are used. The coffee beans are soaked in hot water then the solution is passed through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine.

Swiss Water Process

In the Swiss Water Process method, the caffeine is still extracted with carbon filters but the beans soak in hot water that is saturated with coffee flavor. The result is caffeine removal without removing the coffee flavors.

It's referred to as Swiss Water Process because a Swiss company originally developed and patented the procedure.

Carbon Dioxide Processing

With this method the beans are soaked with water-softened materials in highly compressed carbon dioxide. The small caffeine molecules are extracted from the beans allowing the larger flavor molecules to remain untouched. This method retains the best overall flavor of all of the methods used.

Not all of the caffeine is completely removed with any of these current methods. To qualify as decaffeinated coffee in the United States, coffee must have at least 97 percent of its caffeine removed.

Coffee beans are decaffeinated before they are roasted because that's when it has the least effect on the beans flavor.

The reason decaffeinated coffee costs more is because of the additional labor, equipment and material needed to remove the caffeine.

So what do they do with all of that caffeine? The extracted caffeine is manufactured and used mostly in medicines and soft drinks.

As an example, the caffeine content in soft drinks mainly comes from the caffeine extracted from these decaffeination processes. The kola nut accounts for less than 5 percent of the caffeine in cola drinks.

For the past 30 years scientists have done extensive research on coffee and the effects of caffeine. New research has even shown that caffeine has many positive effects.

Some of these effects include more energy, the ability to concentrate better and has even been used as an appetite suppressant.

But not all scientists agree with these findings and coffee and the effects of caffeine will continue to be thoroughly researched.

There will always be a market for decaffeinated coffee because some people just love their coffee without the caffeine buzz.

The rest of the 100 million regular coffee drinkers either love their coffee for the wonderful flavor or enjoy the effects of a caffeine boost. For most of us, I'm sure it's a little of both.

Today's society is very familiar with fair trade coffee, yet it is unclear whether the true meaning behind the economic, environmental and social impact of purchasing and drinking it is understood. In order to comprehend the full impact fair trade coffee has on our society, one must learn what it means.

A small number of large corporations around the world control the production, trade, and retailing of goods and services. These large corporations firmly influence free trade, which has become the primary detriment to trading fairly. Through determination, these corporations have successfully convinced the world's governments that loosening trade regulations and breaking down barriers to free trade will result in the rise of workers' wages and benefits with the expanding foreign market.

The competition between large corporations to obtain control over the global market has resulted in reducing their cost by cutting jobs, wages, and benefits to workers. Corporate profits leaving the country rather than being reinvested locally hurts the workforce as well. Government and corporations have written several agreements to protect the intellectual and property rights of corporations. However, agreements to protect workers' rights and the environment have yet to be enforced.

Coffee is a highly traded commodity in the world, second to oil. Over 25 million farmers and their families depend on it for a steady income. The fact that North American consumers pay $4 to $11 a pound for conventional coffee, which is the same coffee that is bought from coffee growers at $.80 per pound, clearly proves the coffee market is unfair. The involvement of the Fair Trade Organization has benefited these growers by helping them earn $1.12 to $1.26 per pound.

The Fair Trade Organization has been able to lower the cost by working directly with democratically run producer associations, worker-owned cooperatives, producers and growers. These efforts have resulted in the farmers and producers joining forces to achieve reduced costs, simplified credit access, fair pricing, fair working conditions and the ability to reinvest in the community.

Purchasing fair trade coffee means that you are giving a 'voice' to the coffee producers and farmers and empowering women and indigenous communities by returning the control of the coffee market into the their hands.

In comparing the cost of fair trade coffee to the traditional coffee, the elimination of the liaison between the growers has made the costs comparable. Even though the distribution costs of fair trade coffee is often higher in price than coffee purchased in the grocery store, the costs are equal to those of most gourmet coffees.

The controversy between corporations concerning equal pay and fair working conditions does not affect the high standards and quality of fair trade coffee. Coffee that is grown for the fair trade market receives a higher recognition in today's market place. This is due to the coffee being developed organically (free from pesticides and herbicides). Consumers benefit from the indefinable reward of knowing their contribution helps the workers to defeat the corporations.

During your next visit to the grocery store, look for the Fair Trade Certified logo. This logo symbolizes that the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), which upholds the fair trade standards by requiring its members to meet strict criteria in order to achieve fair trade status, has licensed the product. Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to purchase fair trade coffee on their next trip to the market. From the grower to the consumer, we all receive the benefits that fair trade brings to the community.

Ah, coffee... a fantastic dark beverage that wakes us up in the morning. For some of us, it keeps us up during the day, or for late night study sessions. We drink it out of habit, we drink it for pleasure, we drink it for flavor; whatever the reason, it is surely a popular beverage. So where did this famed drink come from?

Coffee, for Americans, is three hundred years old. In the East it was widespread at every level of society, since the earlier era. The most notable dates point to around 800b.c. However, Homer, and according to Arabian tales speak of a mysterious bitter black beverage with powers of stimulation that could have been this drink.

About the year 1000, coffee was being used for medicinal purposes. In 1400 a Yemeni goat herder observed his flock eating reddish berries, then becoming excited and restless. After relating his observations to a monk, they boiled the berries and made a beverage that could disperse sleep and weariness. No matter how it actually was created, the fact remains that the coffee plant started in Africa, in an Ethiopian region known as Kaffa. From there it spread to Egypt, Yemen, and Arabia, where it became a part of daily life.

In the late 1500s coffee was a commodity, being sold in Europe. However, due to an increasing demand for the new beverage, and high taxes on shipping, there was experimentation with growing the crops in various other countries. Much later, around 1727 coffee growing started in Northern Brazil. By the 20th century, various forms of coffee were developed for the public.

Decaffeinated coffee was first founded in 1903 when Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee importer, gave a batch of damaged coffee beans to researchers. They developed the process of taking the caffeine out of the beans without losing any flavor. This was marketed in the 1920s.

Instant coffee was first mass produced from the invention of George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in Guatemala. While waiting for his wife one day to join him outside for coffee, he observed on the spout of the silver coffee urn, a fine powder, which looked to be the condensation of the coffee vapors. This excited him and led to his founding of soluble coffee.

In 1906 he started experiments and put his invention, Red E Coffee, in the markets in 1909. Nestle', in 1938, trying to aid Brazil with their coffee surpluses created freeze-dried coffee. Nescafe was started and first introduced into Switzerland. Instant coffee became a fad after 1956 when commercial television was the new craze.

And now in the US alone, 400 billion cups of coffee a year are consumed. Coffee is one of the world's largest commodities, second only to oil. From a remote area in Africa, to millions of shelves and homes worldwide, coffee has became a fixture everywhere.

With a “good” cup of coffee costing almost as much as a good sandwich these days, more and more people are taking to making their coffee at home from an “old fashioned” drip coffee machine. With the influence of Starbucks and the others out there, people are demanding a better cup of coffee all of the time. This article should help you make the best cup of drip coffee possible.

Coffee from a can just doesn’t work for the general public anymore. You know what I’m talking about and it sounds as lousy to you as it does to me. The good news is that great coffee beans can be obtained at pretty much any grocery store. If you use coupons (and if you don’t, shame on you), you should do quite well if you aren’t too worried about the brand name. My tip for you – worry about quality more than anything else. The big stores like Sams Club and Costco offer big bags of coffee beans at some very good prices. Your author’s favorite, in case you’re interested, is Kirkland brand (two pound) of Espresso Roast (Starbucks) that you can find at Costco.

Be willing to experiment with different bean types to find the kind of coffee you like best. For what it is worth, more times than not, I’ve found that a good espresso roast makes a great cup of drip coffee as well. Do experiment though, you just might be surprised at what you find.

Good beans deserve a good grind. You’d be surprised at the difference between a good grind and a bad one. If you don’t have a good grinder at home, consider grinding the beans at the store where they were purchased as the grinders there often do a great job. Burr grinders are the best, and the most expensive.

It is probably obvious but good water makes a difference as well. The more things you take out of the water, the better your coffee will taste.

A good drip machine is also a must. More than anything else, the warming element is what you need to worry about. If you find that your coffee often has that scalded burned taste, the warmer might be too hot. And, of course, there is seldom a way to change that so, … you’ll need a new machine.

Consider the French Press alternative. French presses are dirt cheap, make an incredible cup of coffee, and never leave you worrying about overactive warmers, water tube build-up and the like. Remember that the grind for French Press is different than normal drip coffee so grind accordingly.

What about people stuck in a bad coffee situation in the office or somewhere else? Here’s a trick that can help with some issues: Bring in a cinnamon shaker and dash a little on the grinds before starting the machine. This will give the coffee a bit more taste, hide some of the bad taste and help with the aroma. Grab the coffee as soon as is brewed and, most of all, lobby for better coffee.

You’re worth it.

Have you ever wondered how restaurants get their coffee to taste so good?

First of all, restaurants are in the business of pampering you so they devote much more time to the perfection of a good cup of coffee. Sometimes I'll remember a restaurant just because of their excellent coffee.

So what are their secrets and how can you duplicate this recipe at home? It may surprise you to find out that the French Press brewing method could be the secret in achieving that restaurant quality taste.

Most fine restaurants use a press pot, also known as the French Press, which produces an extremely rich cup of coffee.

Press pot coffee is coffee steeped for 3-4 minutes between 195 to 205 degrees F. It produces a thicker and much richer taste than an auto-drip machine can produce.

A disadvantage of the French Press is it may leave trace amounts of coffee sediment. But the rich taste more than makes up for the small amount of sediment at the bottom of your cup.

So first, start off with a quality medium roast coffee, which is what most restaurants use. I can give you a couple of good recommendations.

Seattle's Best Breakfast Blend, Starbucks Breakfast Blend or Starbucks Sulawesi Coffee is 3 excellent choices. These are full-bodied coffees yet very smooth tasting. They are some of our best sellers at PerfectCoffees.com and work well for French Press brewing.

You want to grind the coffee slightly larger than you would for drip coffee. Too fine of a grind will produce a bitter cup of coffee. If your grind is too coarse, the coffee will taste weak. A quality grinder is the best thing you can do to improve the taste of French press coffee.

Remove the plunger from the press pot and put 1 rounded tablespoon of coarse ground coffee per each 6oz. of water into the pot. You can adjust this to your own taste.

Coffee is 99% water so use clean filtered or bottled water free from chlorine and other minerals that affect the taste of coffee.

Boil the water and remove it from the heat for five minutes before you pour it. This will give you the 195 to 205 degree water that is ideal to brew with. Now pour the 195 to 205 degree water over the ground coffee.

Stir the coffee to get total saturation of the grounds then place the plunger on top of the pot and let the coffee steep for 3 to 4 minutes.

Depress the plunger slowly to push the grounds to the bottom of the pot.

Serve all the coffee in the pot after the 3 to 4 minutes of steeping. Otherwise the coffee will keep getting stronger.

If you have any left, you can always transfer it to a clean, preheated air pot or a stainless steel Thermos. This will keep the coffee hot about an hour without hurting the flavor.

The French press brewing method definitely takes more time but gives us the result we are looking for. Restaurant quality coffee in the comfort of your own home.

Copyright © 2004 PerfectCoffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

Coffee and health used to be a controversed theme in the seventies. Nowadays, moderate coffee consumption is rather exonerated from its supposed negative long term effects upon health.

My mother used to be one of those persons who teaches her offspring, in its early ages, that coffee is not bad. It is bad bad bad! In consequence, I managed to keep away from coffee. At least untill the difficult age of 10, when, as I remember, I was permitted to join mother and neighbour-friends at the coffee-tattle table.

That was the moment I started to exercise my taste buds on coffee. In those days, I remember developping a partiality for coffee with milk. Or should I say milk with coffee... However, I know now that the coffee I was drinking back then was indeed, not so good. Preground, over boiled, sometimes brewed over the grounds from the other day, could you think of worst? No wonder I wanted to hyde those hideous characteristics with tones of milk.

In the meantime, I probably took a good sip of coffee on the road and woke-up to a much more pleasant reality. Coffee is not bad. It is good good good. But why are there so many voices whispering that coffee and health don't go well together?

Caffeine

Call it food or beverage, coffee is free of any nutritional value, and, as indecent as it may sound, we consume it exclusively for pleasure.

Yes, the caffeine content in coffee is partialy responsible for that pleasure. Caffeine acts as a mild stimulent over the central nervous system, that results in better memory, better judgements and ideea-associations, better moovement-coordination.

A single serve espresso contains somewhere among 80 and 120 milligrams of caffeine. A normal cup of coffee (even drip coffee) contains about 100 - 150 milligrams of caffeine. This is what commonsense calls moderate consumption at one sit. Within several hours (varying from one person to another) caffeine is eliminated from the body. Refering to average coffee drinker again, s/he can have three or four sips (servings) of coffee every day aside from any health risk.

The thing about coffee is quite the same as with other foods and beverages. The effects vary with the dosing: moderate can be medicine, too much can be poison. The average coffee drinker can experience nocive effects after ingesting 550 milligrams (women) and 700 milligrams (men) at one sit. These effects reffer to headaches, nausea, petulance. The caffeine overdose is beeing speculated around 10 grams. I say, it would be impossible to reach it exclusively by drinking coffee, as you should ingest 100 cups at one sit. However, if you succeed, it may be the last thing you'll ever do.

Coffee is not recommended when certain health problems are allready present. Reasons could stand on solid proof or only on purpose to avoid unprooved but also unwanted risk.

Acidy

Acidy describes the sour-component of the coffee taste. Acidy (or acidity) is emphasised in Arabica coffee and in light roasts. It may have a negative efect over the digestive functions. People that are less tolerant with acidity but still want to drink coffee, may choose a decaffeinated coffee or a natural low-acidity coffee from Brazil, India or Caribbee.

Other negative effects that have been nominated (eg. over pregnant women) have not resulted in significant proof when tested. The medical society nowadays is rather exonerating coffee from long term negative effects upon human health.

The beneficial effects of coffee

Coffee has prooven beneficial effects over persons suffering from astma. 2 to 4 small cups of coffee through-out the day will help them reduce the recurency of astma-attacks and moderate their intensity.

Coffee contains natural antioxidants called 'flavonoids' that are wide known as disease protectors.

The beneficial effects of moderate caffeine consumption are wide recognised: caffeine works on alertness, mood, sensorial activity and memory. Of course, you may choose to take your daily caffeine intake from other foods and beverages: chocolate, carbonated drinks based on coca-nuts extract, tea.

Beside these effects, somewhat prooven by the medical society, I would mention one more: the pure pleasure of sipping a good cup of coffee. If every person on this planet would do this every day, I believe there would be less wars, suicides, health problems, people suffering from depression etc. etc. But I could be wrong.

Want to brew the perfect cup of coffee?

Here are 3 simple tips that will make a difference in every single cup you drink.

Tip #1Clean Coffee Pot

A clean pot is essential and can make a world of difference in the taste of your coffee. Old oils from previous batches of coffee and soap residue left on the pot makes coffee taste bad.

Baking soda and water work well for cleaning coffee mugs and pots. Be sure to rinse extra good so no residue is left behind.

Tip #2

Clean Filtered Water

The water you use for your coffee will affect the taste more than anything. Coffee is 99% water so use clean filtered or bottled water free from chlorine and other minerals that will affect the taste of your coffee.

Using stainless steel or gold mesh filters instead of paper filters will also make your coffee taste better. Paper filters release dyes, chlorine and bleach that affect taste. If you insist on using paper filters buy the unbleached, brown paper filters.

Tip #3 Use Fresh Quality Coffee

Quality coffee costs more but will consistently produce better tasting coffee.

For the best results use quality, whole bean coffee and grind the coffee beans just prior to use. You might think it's an inconvenience compared to ground coffee, but once you taste the difference you'll never go back.

If you still want to use ground coffee, make sure you use a good, drip grind coffee.

Use 2 level tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounces of water. This can be adjusted for individual taste preference. Make sure to spread the grounds evenly in the coffee filter so full brewing is achieved.

Drink your fresh coffee right away for the best flavor. Coffee will break down quickly if left on a heat source. Coffee should never be reheated or microwaved.

A clean, preheated air pot or stainless steel Thermos will keep coffee hot for about an hour without hurting the flavor.

If you follow these 3 simple tips, every cup you brew will be perfect coffee.

Copyright © 2004. PerfectCoffees.Com. All rights reserved.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

When you enter a coffee house, you have a multitude of drink choices like latté, cappuccino, straight shot and caffé mocha just to name a few.

Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming unless you know what you are getting. After all, who wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that you may not even like?

So PerfectCoffees.Com has come to the rescue, and after you read this, you'll have a basic understanding of how the most popular coffee drinks are made and what they are made of.

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."

Caffé Americano

The Caffé 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.

Caffé Latté

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

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

Caffé Mocha

A caffé 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 latté.

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 what's in the basic coffee drinks, try one you haven't tasted yet. Who knows, you might find a new favorite.

Copyright © 2004 PerfectCoffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

Bottom Layer:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread in the bottom of greased 9x13 pan.

Middle Layer:

• 4 to 5 cups of rhubarb (cut up)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 three-ounce package strawberry Jello

Measure rhubarb into a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, milk, sugar and flour. Spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle the dry strawberry Jello over the rhubarb mixture.

Top Layer:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter/margarine into the flour and brown sugar. Continue mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb layer.

Bake at 375 degrees for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

For an added treat, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

India produces two fine coffees, but even among coffee devotees – at least in America – they remain relatively unknown and un-drunk. That's too bad. They deserve to be extolled for the romance attached to them, if nothing else; happily, they also taste pretty good as well.

According to legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia. The first big coffee craze, though, occurred in Arabia, where by the 13th century Muslims were brewing and drinking huge quantities of it. Travelers from Arabia took the beans with them wherever they went – beans deliberately made infertile, allegedly, by parching or boiling. Because of this strict export control policy, it is claimed that no coffee seed sprouted outside Africa or Arabia until the 17th century.

Enter (or exit, as the case may be) one Baba Budan – one of the great heroes in the history of coffee, in my opinion. Wrapping up a pilgrimage to Arabia from his native land of India, Budan left Mecca with several fertile coffee beans strapped to his belly. From those beans sprouted the first coffee trees to be grown in India, as well as an agricultural industry that could no longer be contained to one small part of the world.

For romance, though, nothing in the world of coffee, to my mind, beats the story of Monsooned Malabar, one of the two coffees for which India is known today.

The British began the modern commercial cultivation of coffee on the hills of southern India, along the Malabar coast, a century-and-a-half ago. The coffee grown there was packed raw into the holds of wooden ships and sent on a six-month trip, around the Cape of Good Hope, to the coffee houses and shops of Europe. On such a long journey, and in such vessels, the beans inevitably became exposed to almost constant humidity. That humidity turned the beans pale gold and leached them of their acidity. When the coffee finally reached its destination it had been considerably mellowed – and Europeans loved it.

Progress eventually intervened, though, to temporarily deny the coffee drinkers of Europe their beloved aged Indian bean. The opening of the Suez Canal made the trip from the Malabar Coast much shorter. And, the coffee began to be shipped in modern steel vessels. These developments conspired to deprive the coffee beans of the prolonged exposure to humidity which had been responsible for their distinctive flavor.

To meet the demand for the old style of coffee from Malabar, some growers hit on a simple but ingenious solution. They would duplicate the moist conditions of the old sea voyage by exposing their beans to the Indian monsoon. Thus, Monsooned Malabar.

The monsooning process is a long one – and actually fairly labor intensive. First, the coffee to be monsooned is stored in a special warehouse to await the monsoon season. When the time comes, the sides of the warehouse are opened, allowing the wet monsoon winds to circulate around the beans. The beans may also be raked or hand-turned on the floor of the warehouse to assist in the process. Monsooning takes 12 to 16 weeks. During this time the beans swell to twice their picked size and turn that signature pale golden color.

The taste of Monsooned Malabar coffee is usually described in terms such as musty, earthy, corky and woody. Some writers have called it “mellow” yet “aggressive” at the same time! All agree that it has a polarizing quality – you'll either adore it or detest it. Maybe I just haven't had enough cups yet to really judge, but in my opinion the taste is not as idiosyncratic as all that. Musty, maybe, put not off-puttingly so. I think that many people would enjoy it, not just those of us who enjoy seeking out the more unusual offerings of the coffee world. And again, for my part, the fascinating story behind this particular coffee makes up for any deficiency in the cup.

Unfortunately, you still can't find Monsooned Malabar just anywhere. Ordering it by mail is still the best bet for most of us. Oddly enough, until very recently it was easier to acquire green (unroasted) Malabar coffee beans than roasted ones. My first cup came from beans that I roasted at home, myself, in a popcorn popper. There are many resources on the Web for anyone interested in getting into home coffee roasting, an enjoyable hobby in its own right.

There are a few coffee sellers on the Web now who offer roasted Monsooned Malabar and similarly exotic or hard-to-find beans. In the case of Malabar (as opposed, say, to geunine Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain), the price actually compares quite favorably with more mundane or “normal” coffees. If you like traveling the world in a coffee cup – and especially if you'd like to drink something with a bit of romance to it – you owe it to yourself to get your hands on some Monsooned Malabar. By the way, if you drink a lot of espresso, you might have had some Malabar coffee without knowing; some expresso producers include it in their so-called exotic blends.

India's other major coffee variety comes from the Mysore region (now the state of Karnakata). Called Indian Mysore, Mysore Nuggets, Mysore Straight, or simply Mysore, it makes a rich and spicy cup of coffee that at its best may be termed “sweet” -- a word you would never hear applied to Monsooned Malabar. Interestingly enough, though, Mysore coffee also gets its unique taste from being exposed to the monsoon wind and rain, which pump up the beans with moisture and smooth out their flavor. The difference may be simply that in the case of the Malabar, the monsoon exposure is purposely carried to an extreme.

Mysore coffee is also becoming easier to find in the United States, although most people will still have to seek out a reliable seller on the Web. It's definitely worth finding and trying some. According to some connoisseurs, Indian Mysore at its best is among the finest coffees produced anywhere.

-- Steve Smith

How many different names have you run across for different types of coffee roasts? Light, Medium, Dark? Espresso? Continental? Vienna, French, Italian, Spanish? City? Full-City? C'mon, who's thinking up these things?

Well, the dark secret (pardon the pun) of the coffee industry is that, well, there really isn't full agreement on which roast is which. So basically, we all pretty much get to hunt around, try different coffees from different sources and pick the one(s) we like. In this article, I'll try to use the standard nomenclature, and map it to the color and texture anyone can judge for himself.

The roasting adventure begins with green coffee beans. These are stored at room temperatures, at 12-15% moisture content. Roasting is done at temperatures of up to 450+ degrees F. Duration and temperature determine the roast.

A coffee bean will take on heat until the internal temperature of the bean reaches approximately 212-240 deg F. At this point, the outer layer of the bean(s) will discolor, turning a nice cinnamon color. Here, steam will start being released from the bean.

As the bean heats up further (approx 250-300 degrees F, again depending on the variety), the external membrane of the bean will dry up and start separating from the bean itself. At approximately 350 degrees F, the continuing heating of the bean forces a 'first crack.' This cracking occurs as moisture within is released through the existing seam in the bean. This essentially blows this small crack open, forcing the separation of the remaining bean 'chaff'.

Coffee at this stage is a light brown color; entering the 'light City Roast' stage. City Roast is usually achieved at a slightly higher temperature (above 370 deg F), where the sugars within the bean start melting or ‘carmelizing’. This gives the distinctive 'coffee brown' color. City Roasts are usually stopped around 400 deg. or so. At this point, the sugars are not fully carmelized, and flavor of the beans at this stage are very much determined by their origin; not by the degree of roast.

The 'Full City Roast' stage occurs at higher temperatures, just as the bean reaches the 'second crack' stage. This stage happens at different temperatures for different beans based on variety. The second crack comes as the temperatures of the bean reach the point where the cellular composition of the bean starts breaking down. To obtain the Full City roast, roasting is stopped just at the point where this second crack starts (approx 425-435 deg F.) At this point the bean is darker brown, but 'dry' looking, as the oils of the bean have not started to emerge through the molecular breakdown of the bean.

Going into the second crack, we reach the 'Vienna', 'Continental', 'French' and/or 'Italian' roast stages. These are sometimes also referred to as "Espresso Roast", although strictly speaking, there's no such thing. Italian espresso blends actually vary - northern blends are typically roasted to the 'Vienna' stage, well into the second crack, where the sugars within the bean are almost fully carmelized and many beans within the roast will appear dark brown with hints of fissures. Espresso blends in southern Italy are usually roasted into the "French Roast" stage, where almost all of the beans will be about one shade removed from black and oils will start emerging from some beans.

Beyond this point, beans will start releasing oils and their soluble compounds - mainly as a lot of smoke; but the beans will be left quite dark with a very oily sheen. Assuming they have not fully burnt yet, this can be specified as "Italian Roast". I've observed different temperatures (within the roaster) for all of these stages depending on the bean variety - so as my roasts reach the second crack, I tend to trust my eyes and ears more than I trust my probe thermometer.

One interesting note of coffee roasting is that as beans reach into the second crack, they tend to lose any distinctive varietal flavors. Is this a bad thing? Well, for some, perhaps... I for one will mutter a bit if my Ethiopian Yirgacheffe goes past Full City and I lose the distinctive flavor notes; and in my early roasting career I almost cried as a batch of prized Puerto Rican select went unheeded into the Italian Roast realm before I managed to get back to it. But... some varieties do better at the distinctive French Roast stage. De gustibus non disputandum est - it just doesn't pay to dispute the results in the cup!

And that is coffee roasting. I have seen a fair amount of advertising of 'slow-roasted' or 'deep-roasted' coffee, which always gets me to wondering. I suppose if you roast a huge amount of beans in a low-temperature environment... why, yes, that would in fact be a slow process! Certainly for a roaster to get beans to a certain roast point and no further, it does pay to be precise and not rapidly incinerate his product. But I can't say I'd want to purposely take any longer than necessary to do so.

As for 'deep' roasting? Hmm. Can't say as I've ever heard of 'shallow' roasting; but whatever it is, 'deep roast' must be the opposite! Seriously, the only 'trick of the trade' that I can think of runs counter to the notion of holding beans at any given temperature... and that is, once a batch reaches the desired point, get it out of the roaster and cool it down FAST! As described above, the quality of a roast depends on those sugars and soluble materials within the bean getting 'cooked' very specifically. Keeping the beans near additional heat (yes, even other beans nearby, releasing their own heat energy) will continue to cook them.

To some extent this is unavoidable, so the experienced roaster will compensate for this by knowing his roasting environment; and ideally provide a cooling location where beans can cool as rapidly as possible by the flow of cool (i.e., room temperature) air over the freshly-roasted beans. This allows them to 'coast' into their final characteristic color and taste.

It wasn't until I moved to the US that I started drinking coffee regularly and became what they call in the Netherlands a 'koffieleut', which translates literally into ‘coffee socialite.’ Although the average European drinks more coffee per year than the average American, the cultural importance and its effects on the average European seems to me smaller than that on the average American. After all, coffee is a cultural obsession in the United States.

Chains with thousands of branches like Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks dominate US daily street life. Especially in the morning (90% of coffee consumed in the US is in the morning), millions of white foamy cups with boldly imprinted pink and orange logos bob across the streets in morning rush hour and on the train. Coffee drive-ins are a saving grace for the rushing army of helmeted and tattooed construction workers. During lunch break, men and women in savvy business suits duck into coffee shops.

Students chill out from early afternoon till late evening on comfy couches at coffee lounges around campus. Police officers clutch coffee cups while guarding road construction sites on the highway. In short, coffee drinkers in the United States can be found just about anywhere you go.

This mass-psychotic ritual causes Americans to associate Europe above all with cars that oddly do not contain cup holders (to an American this is like selling a car without tires), or with the unbelievably petite cups of coffee European restaurants serve, so small that my father-in-law had to always order two cups of coffee. It is my strongest conviction that the easily agitated and obsessed nature of the ‘New Englander’ can be blamed on the monster-size cups of coffee they consume. Not without reason is the word 'coffee' derived from the Arab 'qahwa' meaning ‘that which prevents sleep.’ Arabs have cooked coffee beans in boiling water since as far back as the 9th century and drank the stimulating extract as an alternative to the Muslims’ forbidden alcohol.

These days coffee is second only to oil as the most valuable (legally) traded good in the world with a total trade value of $70 billion. Interestingly, only $6 billion reaches coffee producing countries. The remaining $64 billion is generated as surplus value in the consumption countries. Small farmers grow 70% of world coffee production. They mainly grow two kinds of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. About 20 million people in the world are directly dependent on coffee production for their subsistence.

Table 1: production in 2002/3

country % 70% Arabica

30% Robusta

Brasil 42.03% Arab/Rob

Colombia 8.88% Arabica

Vietnam 8.35% Robusta

Indonesia 4.89% Rob/Arab

India 3.74% Arab/Rob

Mexico 3.54% Arabica

Guatemala 3.1% Arab/Rob

Uganda 2.53% Rob/Arab

Ethiopia 2.44% Arabica

Peru 2.24% Arabica

Table 2: consumption in 2001/2world consumption % kg per capita (2001)

USA 30.82% Finland 11.01

Germany 15.07% Sweden 8.55

Japan 11.47% Denmark 9.71

France 8.89% Norway 9.46

Italy 8.59% Austria 7.79

Spain 4.90% Germany 6.90

Great-Brittain 3.63% Switzerland 6.80

the Netherlands 2.69% the Netherlands 6.48

Although the consumption of coffee per capita in the world is decreasing (in the US alone it decreased from 0.711 liter in 1960 to 0.237 liter presently), world consumption is still increasing due to the population explosion. Considering that coffee consists of either 1% (Arabica), 2% (Robusta) or 4.5%-5.1% (instant coffee) caffeine, the average American consumes at least 200 to 300mg (the recommended maximum daily amount) of caffeine a day through the consumption of coffee alone.

The place I frequent to down a cup of coffee is the Starbucks in Stamford, Connecticut. The entrance can be found on the corner of Broad Street and Summer Street, to the left to the main public library with its plain pediment and slim Ionic columns. The location right next to the library harmonizes with Starbuck’s marketing plan. At the entrance of the coffee shop a life-size glass window curves around to the left, providing superb voyeuristic views of pedestrians on the sidewalk. As you enter, you step directly into the living room area with stacked bookshelves against the back wall. Velvet armchairs face each other with small coffee tables in the middle, creating intimate seating areas. The velvet chairs near the window are the prime seats, which people unfortunate to score a wooden chair prey upon. At the back of the long rectangular room is the coffee bar and a small Starbuck’s gift shop. There is a dark wooden table with electrical outlets suited for spreading out laptops and spreadsheets, dividing the living room area from the coffee bar.

Since I have been cranky for weeks I hesitate to order a regular black coffee. It is very easy to get cloyed with a favorite food or drink in the US because of the super-sized portions served. The smallest cup of coffee is a size 'tall' (12oz.=0.35l.), after which one can choose between a 'grande' (16oz.=0.5l.) and a 'venti' (20oz.=0.6l.). Half a liter of coffee seems a bit over the top, and it sounds absolutely absurd to my European mind. I finally end up choosing a 'solo' espresso.

Sitting in one of the booth-like seats against the back wall, unable to obtain a prime seat, I feign to read my book while eavesdropping on conversations around to me. Three middle-aged men sit in three ash gray velvet chairs and converse loudly. A vivid dialogue develops, exchanged with half roaring, half shrieking, laughter. They mock a colleague in his absence and then clench their brows in concern while discussing the teeth of one of the men’s daughter. Two African-American women sit at a small table opposite the reading-table in the murky light, one of them with a yellow headscarf with black African motifs. Close to the entrance, in the seating area next to the animated conversation, a vagabond is playing solitaire. One by one he places the creased cards with rounded backs over one another, as if he attempts to stick them together. He rendered a couple of dollars in exchange for a small coffee to feel, in the warmth of the front room, nostalgia for a cozy living room and relives a sense of intimacy of having your own house.

It's a bright, sunny, early autumn day, a typical New England Indian summer. Sunbeams radiate through the coloring, flickering foliage, and throw a puzzle-shaped shadow into Starbuck’s window. Autumn’s hand turns her colorful kaleidoscopic lens. The green ash tree near the sidewalk resembles, with its polychrome colors, somewhat a bronze statue: its stem sulphur bronze, its foliage intermittently copper green and ferric-nitrate golden. On the other side of the cross walk the top of a young red oak turns fiery red. These are the budding impressions of the autumn foliage for which Connecticut is 'world famous' in the US.

In the world of marketing and entrepreneurship, Starbucks is a success story. It is one of those stories of ‘excellence’ taught as a case study at business school. Founded in 1971, it really began its incredible growth under Howard Schultz in 1985, and presently has 6,294 coffee shops. But what does its success really consists of? A large cup of coffee at Starbucks is much more expensive than at Dunkin' Donuts: $2.69 compared to $3.40 for a Starbucks' ‘venti’. But while Dunkin' Donuts offers only a limited assortment of flavors like mocha, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel and cinnamon, you will find exotic quality beans at Starbucks like Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios Costa Rica, Brazil Ipanema Bourbon Mellow, Colombia Nariño Supremo, Organic Shade Grown Mexico, Panama La Florentina, Arabian Mocha Java, Caffè Verona, Guatemala Antigua Elegant, New Guinea Peaberry, Zimbabwe, Aged Sumatra, Special Reserve Estate 2003 – Sumatra Lintong Lake Tawar, Italian Roast, Kenya, Ethiopia Harrar, Ethiopia Sidamo, Ethiopia Yergacheffe and French Roast. So Starbucks offers luxury coffees and high quality coffee dining, reminiscent almost of the chic coffee houses I visited in Vienna.

Every now and then, I grin shamefully and think back at my endless hesitation choosing between the only two types of coffee available in most Dutch stores: red brand and gold brand. Even up to this day I have no clue what the actual difference is between the two, apart from the color of the wrapping: red or gold. Not surprisingly, Starbucks appeals to the laptop genre of people: consultants, students, intellectuals, the middle class, and a Starbucks coffee is a white-collar coffee, while a Dunkin' Donuts coffee is a blue-collar coffee. In Dunkin' Donuts you will run into Joe the Plumber, Bob the barber, and Mac the truck driver. But what is it exactly, that attracts the white collared workers in the US to fall back into the purple velvet chairs?

I imagine their working days filled with repetitive actions and decisions within a playing field of precisely defined responsibilities. How many of the players in these fields get through the day with its routines for simply no other reason than being able to enjoy their daily 30 minutes-escape into the Starbucks intimacy where, for a brief moment in the day, you regain the illusion of human warmth and exotic associations of resisting the coldness of high finance? For 15 minutes you fall back into the deep, soft pillow of a velvet chair and randomly, and alas how important is that moment of utter randomness, pull a book from the shelves. While, in the background, soothing tones resound of country blues, with its recognition of deep human suffering, a blaze of folk with the primary connection with nature and tradition, or of merengue reviving the passionate memories of adventure and love, you gaze out the window and ponder about that simple, volatile reflection in the moment, strengthened by the physical effect of half a liter of watery coffee that starts to kick in and the satisfaction of chewing your muffin, bagel, cake, brownie, croissant or donut. It is, above all, that bodily ecstasy caused by a combination of caffeine, sugar and the salivating Pavlov effect. You remember the struggling musician behind the counter taking your order, the amateur poet as you pay her for the coffee and give a full dollar tip, feeling a transcendental bound in your flight from reality. You stare with a fastened throbbing of the first gulps of coffee at the advertisements and poems on the bulletin board, and dauntlessly you think: They are right, they are so right! and what do I care? Why should I care? Fuck my boss, fuck the system, fuck everybody!'

But then you look at your watch and notice you really have to run again. 'Well, too bad, gotta go!', or people will start gossiping for being so long away from your desk. And while you open the door, an autumn breeze blows in your face, the last tunes of the blues solo die out as the Hammond organ whispers: 'I throw my troubles out the door, I don't need them anymore'.

Coffee in the US is a subculture that massively floated to the surface of the consumer’s society. Starbucks is more than coffee, it's more than just another brand on the market, it is a social-political statement, a way of perceiving how you would like to live, in other words it is a culture. Starbucks is the alternative to Coca-Cola and so much more than just coffee: it's chocolate, ice-cream, frappuccino, travel mugs with exotic prints, cups and live music, CD's, discounts on exhibitions and even support for volunteer work.

Do you love coffee? Most of us do. In this article we will provide you with 6 recipes to enjoy your coffee a different way. We hope you enjoy it.

Irish Coffee

• 1 teapsoon of suger
• 1 jigger of Bushmills Irish Whiskey
• 2/3 cup of coffee or flavored Irish Creme coffee
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream, lightly whipped

Prehead the glass with hot water. Dump the water out and add the hot coffee with the teaspoon of suger and stir. Add the jigger of whiskey, and top with the whipping cream. Dark coffee's are best for this recipe.

Spiced Orange Coffee

• 1 teaspoon fresh, grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 whole cloves
• Regular amount of your usual coffee or try Swiss Chocolate Orange flavored coffee

Add the above ingredients together and brew as normal. Place a slice of orange at the bottom or your cup. Pour in coffee and add suger and cream to taste. Top with whipping cream and sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon if so desired.

Mint Cocoa Coffee

• 1 ounce of chocolate mint liquear
• Dash of shaved chocolate
• Whipping cream (optional)
• Regular coffee or try Dutch Chocolate Decaf flavored coffee

Brew your regular coffee, add the 1 ounce of liquear into your cup. Add some whipping cream if desired and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Coffee Milkshakes

• 1 pint of coffee ice cream
• 2 teaspoons finely ground coffee
• 1/2 cup light rum (optional)
• 4 to 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Instant coffee powder

Spoon coffee ice cream into blender. Add rum and finely ground coffee. Blend on high until creamy smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of the vanilla ice cream to each glass. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee powder.

Frosty Mochas

• 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
• 1 pint of vanilla ice cream, softenend
• 6 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
• 1 cup prepared cold coffee

Blend hot coffee and chocolate syrup in blender. Blend until smooth. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the softened ice cream and cold coffee. With a rotary beater, beat until smooth. Spoon into tall glasses and serve immediately.

Nogged Coffee

• 1 cup of coffee or try Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee
• 1 egg yoke
• 1/2 cup of cream
• Dash of nutmeg

Beat the suger and egg yoke together. Place cream in a saucepan and heat over low setting, do not burn. Wisk the egg mixture into the warmed cream, heat until hot. Add coffee to mugs and top with the cream mixture. Garnish the coffee with nutmeg.

(ARA) - As the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach once said, '"Ah! How sweet coffee tastes! Lovelier than a thousand kisses, sweeter far than muscatel wine!"

Since its introduction to Paris in the late 17th century, romance has surrounded the coffee bean. Whether it was served to two lovers on a cobblestone street or enjoyed in front of an evening fire at home, coffee has stood the test of time as a luxury and comfort to couples around the world.

Jean de la Roque once wrote, "I had long been fascinated by the stories of my father who brought home to Marseilles some of the first coffee ever seen there … and by the enticingly exotic services used in entertaining guests -- tiny Finjan cups of ancient China, the little silk napkins embroidered in gold, the delicate silver spoons and the laquered serving tray."

Coffee has woven its way through many channels of our economic, agricultural and social history. It has become a form of art, perfected over many years of roasting, blending, brewing and serving, that has inspired stimulating conversation, friendships and the occasional romance.

The coffee in your cup, like the wine in your glass, starts in the field, says Jim Stewart, founder of Seattle's Best Coffee, who purchases coffee from small experienced farmers in various regions of Central and South America. Beginning as a cherry flower, coffee goes through many stages and processes before reaching your cup.

Cultivated on the mountain slopes of the world's coffee-growing regions, the coffee bean originates from a tree that produces a single white flower. This flower creates a fruit, or cherry, that signifies its ripeness by turning a deep crimson color. Inside the cherry is a seed, commonly known as the coffee bean, which is retrieved from the flower and sent to a roasting facility. Roasts vary from light brown, medium brown, darker brown, dark brown to almost black, to suit individual tastes.

"We produce this coffee with such love," says Stewart, "we hate to see it leave."

What better way to begin a day devoted to the art of love than with the inviting aroma of coffee and a good morning kiss from your very own valentine? With this simple recipe, you can treat your loved one to a relaxing and indulgent Valentine's Day morning in the comforts and privacy of your own home.

A decadent blend of sweet raspberry and bittersweet chocolate, the Raspberry Mocha Kiss(R) from Seattle's Best Coffee is a romantic and luxurious gesture that is sure to warm the heart of your loved one and spark the passion of your Valentine's Day morning.

To prepare a similar version of this heartwarming beverage for your sweetheart, you will need one large, pre-heated mug, 5 ounces. of fresh-brewed coffee, 1/4 ounce of raspberry syrup, 1/4 ounce of bittersweet chocolate sauce, 1 and 1/2 ounces of cold milk, homemade whipped cream and a decorative, heart-shaped chocolate. Pour the raspberry syrup and chocolate sauce into the mug. Fill the mug with hot coffee and milk and top it off with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. To add the finishing touch, drizzle a "kiss" of raspberry syrup on top of the whipped cream and set the chocolate alongside the cup.

With a heightened appreciation of the enchantment of coffee and a recipe to arouse your sweetheart's senses, sit back, relax and enjoy a day of coffee-inspired romance.

For more information, visit Seattle's Best Coffee at www.seattlebest.com or call (800) 962-9659.

Black. Java. Cappuccino. Coffee with cinnamon, hazelnut, caramel toffee, chocolate, vanilla, cream, berries – name it, the options are overwhelming and it’s good to know that they are all in the bag. The hot and luscious coffee is tempting everyone to forget about being health conscious for a moment and take a sip... But once you started a sip, chances are you won’t care about the aftermath anymore…

The fondness for coffee was heightened by the sprouting of espresso shops. Since then coffee has been regarded as an all-time favorite drink. Young and old alike are fascinated with its unique aroma and taste. Next to water, the next most common drink is coffee. In the United States, there are about 160 million American who are hooked in drinking coffee.

What’s in coffee that makes it addictive? Coffee is like an addictive pill. Your routine will be lacking if you miss one drink. Let’s know coffee better. Coffee is brewed from the seeds of the coffee plant. Coffee beans contain caffeine, a stimulant known as trimethylxanthine. The most common and well-defined effect of coffee is it being the stimulant of the central nervous system. Within a minute of drinking coffee, caffeine levels peak to generate vigilance, sharp concentration and improves mood. This is the reason why it is called the ‘wake-up drink’. While some people do well with this boost, others become over-stimulated. The side effects include insomnia, anxiety, irritability and diarrhea. In the past, coffee has been linked to an array of health risks, ranging from stroke, miscarriage, high cholesterol to cancer. Thus, we have to be cautious with the amount of coffee we can take.

The urge of drinking a coffee has no exact time. It can come any time of the day but mostly during breakfast and breaks. In addition, even riders are hooked by it. When a rider has already traveled hundreds of miles or probably while inspecting his Yamaha motorcycle parts if they are still in good riding condition, he will most likely feel tired and sleepy and will order coffee to stimulate him. However, what the rider did not know is that coffee is not a substitute to a normal sleep. Riders who drink more than they're used to may become restless, jittery, or sleepy. Thus, it will be hard for him to focus on the road and may thus cause accidents.

Now, if you’re a rider and you’re having your break, will you still opt for a cup of coffee? Time for a cup of coffee…

American coffee? Technically there is no such thing, at least none that is grown in North America. There is such a thing as the American coffee consumer which might as well be an institution all their own for it’s their money that drives a substantial portion of the market.

Americans consume more coffee than any other nation on earth. American coffee companies revolutionized coffee marketing, packaging, distributing, and even processing and roasting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. America has sent troops to other countries to protect coffee growers and exporters from civil unrest. Yes, America is in love with coffee.

Coffee even played a role in the birth of America. Early British colonists revolted against Britain taxing tea. They exerted their independence by throwing cases of English tea into Boston Harbor during the famed Boston Tea Party. The early American coffee drinker was seen as patriotic and independent.

American coffee retailers like Starbucks have created huge multi-billion dollar companies. They did this by providing the public not only a good cup of coffee but a relaxing place to socialize and drink their coffee. Starbucks did not invent the coffeehouse by any means. The earliest known coffeehouse opened in 1475 in Constantinople. But Starbucks definitely revolutionized the experience for American coffee drinkers and carried the modern coffeehouse into the 21st century.

Americans have taken coffee with them into every war since the Revolution of 1776. Whether to stay awake in battle or as a comforting, soothing reminder of home in the midst of bleak and frightening conditions or both.

In fact, many wars have been fought over coffee and the lands on which it is grown. From small scale turf wars to full blown civil wars and political revolt. Such as in Nicaragua in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Coffee has become an integral part of every society it has ever been introduced to from the time it was discovered about 600 A.D. There is definitely something about the dark, mysterious and tantalizing beverage that captivates the spirit and captures the imagination. American coffee drinkers are no different and have adopted the age old addiction with gusto.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

The American custom of taking break during the working hours. Thus coffee breaks began in the early 20th century. At the end of the 19th century, the American workplace was a dreadful place for a break.

But as the century turned, social reform was gaining steam. Companies and factories installed in-house lunchrooms, and coffee breaks became part of the reform.

In 1952, the term “coffee break” was coined by a Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign that read, "Give yourself a Coffee-Break -- and Get What Coffee Gives to You."

Many people take a coffee break while at work, believing that this will ease their stress. Research has been conflicting on the effects of caffeine; some studies suggest that it can worsen anxiety and trigger stress, while others show it boosts confidence and alertness.

Recently, however, a study done by psychologists Lindsay St Claire and Peter Rogers of Bristol University in the United Kingdom suggests that taking coffee breaks while working may actually deter employees' ability to do their jobs and undermine teamwork instead of boosting it.

So this raises the question: do the classic American coffee breaks hurt more than help?

The study found that caffeine is particularly unhelpful to men and can disrupt their emotions and hamper their ability to perform certain tasks.

This latest report, released by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council, also suggests that caffeine makes people less co-operative when working in teams.

"Our research findings suggest that the commonplace tea or coffee break might backfire in business situations, particularly where men are concerned," says St Claire. "Far from reducing stress, it might actually make things worse."

The researchers began their work after they heard a story during a stress workshop. A man described how he and a group of co-workers went on a business trip to the United States.

In the United Kingdom, coffee isn’t readily available in the workplace. However, in the United States, coffee was freely available and the team drank indulgently. Soon, they noticed that their stress levels had risen.

They felt that the extra caffeine had disrupted their team cohesiveness and affected their ability to work together.

The team from Bristol University tested caffeine's effects on 32 coffee drinkers. The subjects were that they would be given one of three drinks; a caffeinated coffee that would enhance their performance, a caffeinated coffee that would make them feel stressed, or decaffeinated coffee.

This, however, wasn’t completely true. Half of the drinks contained 200 mg of caffeine and the other half contained none. The subjects were then asked to perform two stressful tasks.

The results of the tasks? Men did significantly worse than women in coping with the caffeine from the coffee. Those that had been told that their coffee contained the performance-enhancing caffeine had higher heart rates and showed more stress, especially during a public speaking task.

The caffeine, however, did not affect the men when it came to mathematical tasks. When the subjects performed a "desert survival task" in teams, taking coffee breaks did reduce stress, especially in men, but drinking coffee seemed to reduce teamwork.

So when it comes to coffee breaks, it may be advisable to lay off a bit if you’re about to speak to an important client or head into a team meeting where you know there will be much bickering about the latest project plans.

And while coffee and caffeine have been shown to be extremely beneficial in other areas of your physical health, maybe they should be reserved for before and after work or on the weekends.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

With the spread of various coffee beans into our lives, it can be more and more difficult to discern what you’re buying at the market. And that’s not surprising given the sheer numbers game.

From what we know, there are more than 6,000 types of coffees beans in the world, with at least 25 major types of beans underneath that. When it comes down to it, though, the three most commercially important types of beans are Arabica, Robusta, and Kona.

Kona is extremely small commercially compared to Arabica and Robusta, but is extremely expensive and therefore important economically. Kona beans are grown in Hawaii.

Kona offers average bite and body but is in high demand worldwide because of its powerful aroma. These coffee beans are rarely blended with others because of their high desirability in and of themselves.

Arabica coffee beans account for over 60% of coffee production worldwide. The Arabica plant is a large bush and is very susceptible to frost, disease, and pests. Because of this, its beans are more expensive.

Arabica can be used in its pure form or used as the base for coffee blends with Robusta. Arabica has a delicate flavor and is used to add body to the coffee when used in blends.

The flavor of Arabica beans varies widely according to the region of the world where they are grown. Indonesian beans produce the richest, most full-bodied cup of coffee. Hailing from Java and Sumatra, the brew is a good dessert coffee and very suitable to flavoring with cream and sugar.

Arabica beans grown in Central and South America offer moderate body and aroma. Most breakfast blends are made with American coffees, as are most flavored coffees.

By contrast, Robusta coffee accounts for almost 40% of world production. Robusta differs from Arabica in that it’s much easier to grow and is resistant to disease and weather and is therefore cheaper.

However, this does not necessarily mean that a coffee blend with Robusta is lower quality than pure Arabica - coffee blends are designed to bring out the best in different flavors. Robusta has a strong flavor and is used to give 'kick' to coffees.

Robusta doesn’t vary in flavor as widely as Arabica does. It was first discovered growing naturally in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Growers in Africa produce a coffee of medium aroma and body. If you like very flavorful coffees, you will like those from Kenya and Tanzania.

Now that you understand the basics of coffee beans, the question turns to which type of beans are right for you. It really depends on with what you’re planning to serve the coffee. If you’re serving with breakfast or a dessert of fruit and sorbet, beans from East Africa (particularly Kenya and Ethiopia) or Mexico will best complement the food.

If you’re going to offer your guests light desserts like cakes, cookies, or pie, the beans of Guatemala and Cololmbia will warm up the food with their slight acidic tendancy. With rich desserts like truffles, trifles, and tiramius, Indonesian coffee beans are full-bodied and smooth enough to perfectly offset the dessert.

Another key point to consider is how much coffee you’ll need. These high quality beans shouldn’t be bought in bulk and should instead be purchased so that you have just enough for your immediate need.

They should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

To discover what beans are best for your daily cup of joe, conduct a taste test. Brew several types of beans seperately. Pour each in its own cup.

Pick up each cup individually, smell the coffee, and then slowly sip and taste the coffees. Later, take a sip or two when it's cooled, as many coffees change flavor as they cool.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Anyone who lives in a big city these days has seen first-hand the proliferation of 4-dollar-a-shot coffee shops. Thanks to Starbucks and their like coffee has become the number 2 commodity in the world (petroleum is number 1).

Grown in dozens of countries world wide the coffee 'bean' is actually the pit of a coffee 'cherry'. In normal circumstances the cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and once the outer fruit is removed the coffee bean is ready for roasting, grinding and transporting to your local café.

However, there are three small islands in the Indonesian Archipelago called Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi where this process takes a bizarre twist. You see coffee is coveted by not only by us humans but a local creature called a

Palm Civet. The Palm Civet is a tree dwelling marsupial with a particular fondness for the local variety of coffee cherries.

Of course, these cat-sized coffee aficionados don't have the time to peal the cherries and eat just the fruit, so they swallow them whole. Well guess what comes out the other end? Yes that's right, a non-digested, semi-fermented coffee bean.

It started as a way for locals who weren't brave enough, or too lazy to climb the coffee trees, to have coffee too (mind you some bravery is required to sift through mountains of Civet droppings for coffee beans!).

Through the magic of international trade what was once a source of free coffee beans for impoverished locals turned into the most expensive beverage in the world. It is marketed as a coffee variety called "Kopi luwak". Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is their name for the coffee eating Civet.

Kopi luwak sells for a whopping $75 a pound and it is estimated that the worldwide annual production is only about 500 pounds. Japan is the largest importer of this specialty coffee and it is now available in the United States and many other countries as well.

The flavor of the coffee is described as complex and very rich. This special flavor is attributed to the natural fermentation process that occurs as the beans travel the length of the Civet's digestive tract.

You can be sure that you won't be finding Kopi luwak for sale at your local Starbucks any time soon but if you are ever in a café and you notice the daily special is "Kopi luwak" and is going for $5 a cup, how could you not give it a try?

As you may have guessed, Arabica coffee gets its name from Arabia, the land of kings. When it comes to coffee, Arabica is definitely king. As legend has it, a goat herd named Kaldi discovered coffee on the Arabian peninsula around 500-600 A.D. He observed his goats excited behavior after eating the red cherry-like berries of a coffee plant.

Hence the name Arabica, however, scientific evidence indicates that coffee first grew in Kaffa, what is now Ethiopia, in Northeastern Africa and was transported shortly afterwards across the mouth of the Red Sea to Yemen.

One could assume that the name coffee comes from the word Kaffa which would support the evidence that coffee first appeared in this region. Semantics aside, it is accepted that Arabia was the origin of commercial coffee trade so Arabica coffee is appropriately named.

Of the more than forty species of plants in the Coffea genus only two are suitable for making coffee, Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora the latter of which is more commonly known as Coffea robusta. Of the two, Arabica is definitely the premium bean.

Many factors determine the quality of the end product. Such as, where the coffee is grown, soil, climate and elevation, not to mention harvesting, processing and roasting of the mature beans. However, one fact is undisputed, the finest coffees in the world come from Arabica coffee plants.

Arabica coffee accounts for about 80% of all coffee produced in the world. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin C. robusta.

The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabica coffee which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures. This gives it time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.

Within the C. arabica species there are three main varietals; Typica, Bourbon and Caturra. Each has subtle differences that add character nuances to body, acidity, balance etc… that are detectable to the discerning palate.

More importantly, the sub-species of Arabica coffee have been bred to adapt to a specific growing region to be resistant to certain afflictions such as fungus, parasites, insects etc… that differ from region to region.

Interestingly, C. arabica, is self-pollinating as opposed to C. robusta, which is not. This might explain why Arabica coffee is more abundant throughout the world. Also why it does well at higher elevations where bees might be less active due to cooler temperatures and why Robusta prefers lower, hotter, climates where bees are more plentiful. Just a theory but food for thought.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Adultery, deceit and politics, all the makings of a modern-day best-seller, yet this story is over 250 years old and what ultimately led to brazilian coffee. In 1727 a Brazilian official named Francisco de Melho Palheta was invited to mediate a heated border dispute between French and Dutch Guiana. Both governments were actively growing coffee in Guiana and closely guarded their financial interests by not allowing the exportation of viable coffee seeds.

Palheta quickly accepted the invitation with hopes of somehow obtaining some seeds for planting coffee in Brazil. While in Guiana Palheta became romantically involved with the French Governors wife. Upon his departure, after successfully mediating a solution to the border issue, the Governors wife presented him with a bouquet of flowers in which she had disguised several coffee seedlings.

The Brazilians quickly learned the rudiments of growing coffee with emphasis on quantity over quality, which is still the prevalent philosophy when it comes to growing coffee in Brazil. Brazil is by far the largest producer of coffee in the world with over forty percent of all coffee coming from this country. However, the vast majority is of marginal quality and what the major commercial processors such as Folgers, Maxwell House etc… rely on as the base product for their blends. By adding small amounts of higher quality coffee they are able to enhance flavor, body and aroma and provide a product that is acceptable to the masses at a reasonable price.

The production of coffee in Brazil had a dark side. As the cultivation of coffee in Brazil grew, so did slavery. Without enough local labor to handle the ever increasing demand for coffee, the Brazilian Government imported slaves by the tens of thousands. By 1828 well over a million slaves, nearly a third of the population, labored on the coffee plantations.

In response to pressure from the British Government, who had outlawed slavery and were boycotting Brazilian slave-grown coffee, Brazil half-heartedly outlawed slavery. Though importation of slaves declined, it did not cease and the two-million or so slaves that were already in the country remained in bondage. It would be another fifty years before slavery was truly abolished.

As production of coffee in Brazil modernized, modern being a relative term for a third-world country. A few growers established a reputation for providing high-quality coffee and edged their way into the American specialty market.

The best coffee in Brazil comes from the region around San Paulo and is named for the port through which it is exported, Santos. Santos is known for its smooth flavor, medium body and moderate acidity. While Santos is the best coffee in Brazil, it is still far from extraordinary when compared to other gourmet coffees of the world.

Even with the reputation of providing low-grade coffee to the masses, the impact Brazil has had on the world coffee trade is undeniable. Without Brazilian coffee to stabilize the market, coffee prices could be three to four times what they are. Imagine paying $15-20 for a one pound can of Folgers. I, for one, am grateful to Brazil for providing the world with cheap coffee.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Arabian coffee is the quintessential coffee of the world. Arabia lends its name to the highest quality coffee plant in the world, Coffea Arabica. Arabian coffee accounts for about 80% of all coffee produced in the world. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin C. robusta.

The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabian coffee which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures. This gives it time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.

Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, just across the Red Sea from Arabia. Coffee soon made its way to Yemen where it was embraced by the Islamic people. Soon it became a beverage endorsed by the Islamic clerics as drinking alcohol was prohibited in their religion. Arabian coffee soon came to be known as an Islamic beverage.

Arabian coffee was exported to Europe where the people embraced it. However, the Catholic Cardinals shunned it as the ‘Devil’s drink’ and tried to have it banned.

But then Pope Clement VIII decided that it would be imprudent to ban the beverage without having tasted it, so he summoned a sample. As legend has it, the Pope was immediately enamored by the distinct, pungent aroma and taste. He decided that to banish the delightful drink would be a greater sin. So he baptized it on the spot claiming that it would be a shame to let the impious ones have this delightful drink all to themselves.

Arabian coffee is still a part of the Islamic faith and is use in ritualistic ceremonies.

Arabian coffee growers protected their monopoly on the prized plant. They were the exclusive providers of coffee throughout the world for several hundred years.

That is until a coffee plant finally made its way to the Caribbean. This began a new legacy of high-quality coffee in Latin America.

It is said that all the Arabica coffee grown in the world started from this plant as cuttings were transplanted all over the world. Arabian coffee is truly the source of coffee throughout the world.

The word mocha comes from the name Mokha, the shipping port in Yemen where all Arabian coffee was exported. Mocha has become a term used for describing a coffee beverage in which chocolate is added. But originally it had nothing to do with chocolate.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Do you know an espresso drinker that you want to get a gift for? Perhaps you’d like to get yourself some gourmet espresso. Well, buying gourmet espresso coffee gifts is easier than ever. With more and more stores online selling gourmet espresso at fantastic prices with cheap shipping, everyone can afford it now. We recommend 3 of the best merchants online on our Coffee and Tea Gifts page (http://www.gourmet-food-gifts.com/coffee-and-tea-gifts.htm), you just need to scroll to the bottom and start shopping.

Here’s a little bit of information on what you can expect to find. There are quite a few choices when it comes to espresso. You can buy whole beans or ground coffee, but if you’re not sure if your friend has a coffee grinder, either pick one up at the same time (2 of the 3 merchants we recommend sell them) or go with ground coffee beans. Most people like the amount of caffeine in espresso (myself included) and not just the taste. But for those of us who can’t have too much caffeine for health reasons, you can also get decaffeinated espresso.

You can also purchase espresso pods. Before doing so though, carefully check if your machine will accept espresso pods. What is a pod you ask? It looks almost identical to a tea bag, perhaps slightly larger and acts in the same way as a teabag. It’s mess-free, unlike using a filter and loose coffee and ensures the same great taste for every cup. It’s much easier to use, but also slightly more expensive.

Whatever you choose, have fun with it. There are so many brands to choose from, you might want to try them all to find the perfect coffee for you. Happy shopping!

The modern kitchen would not be complete without a refrigerator, an oven, a microwave, and a coffee maker. As fixtures in one of the most important rooms in the house, these appliances are on the forefront of the battle for greater convenience and lower energy costs. Here is a look at a few of the technological makeovers which can help you save both time and money.

“Smart” Refrigerators

Has this ever happened to you? On your way home from work, you stop at the supermarket for groceries. While picking up food for dinner, you can’t remember whether there’s a steak in the freezer or if you still have enough butter for the mashed potatoes. Instead of placing a call to your significant other, let your refrigerator check the inventory for you.

Using a cell phone, it is possible to remotely access an up-to-the-minute list of the contents of the “smart” refrigerator via an Internet connection. LG Electronic’s Internet Refrigerator is capable of alerting its user when a product has expired. The potential for this technology is enormous, but the limited availability of online grocery services has slowed its spread. Manufacturers hope to eventually develop a system by which refrigerators will not just keep tabs on the food inside, but will make lists of what is needed and automatically place an order with online grocers.

One drawback of the current technology is the effort that goes into keeping your refrigerator’s records up-to-date. As the refrigerator is stocked, the product names and expiration dates must be logged manually. When an item is removed from the refrigerator, the data must be entered as well. The convenience of knowing what’s in your refrigerator at any time may be outweighed by the inconvenience of keeping such meticulous records.

Another popular focus for the newly-developed technology involves reducing energy costs. For instance, the Fisher & Paykell Active Smart Refrigerator offers multiple energy-conserving features which, when combined, contribute to the overall efficiency of the product. The Active Smart electronic intelligence and multiple sensors monitor the internal temperature while a Variable Capacity Compressor ensures the refrigerator runs at its peak.

Energy-efficiency is particularly important when it comes to refrigerators because they are the only kitchen appliances that run 24-hours per day. By purchasing ecologically-friendly technology you’ll reduce your electricity bills and keep more money in your wallet.

Convenient Coffee Makers

A recent development in coffee consumption is the vacuum brewing system, as highlighted by the Clear Electric Santos coffee maker by Bodum. The machine promises to brew six to twelve cups of strong coffee within eight minutes using an easy-to-clean filtration system. This is an ideal appliance for people who love a full-bodied cup of joe.

The days of boiling whole pots of water just to have a single cup of coffee are over. The one cup coffee maker can brew your favorite gourmet tea or coffee in less than a minute, eliminating the need to prepare a whole pot. For people on-the-go, these fast brewing machines are a welcome addition to the home or workplace.

The single cup coffee maker is also a great energy saver. In the time it might take to heat up one pot of regular coffee or to drive over to Starbucks, a one cup coffee maker by Keurig can brew several differently flavored hot drinks in 40 seconds each. Another perk of this machine is the variety of drinks it can produce. Keurig provides customers with over 70 different coffee or tea “K-Cups” from which to choose. K-Cups are easy-to-insert dispensers, which fit neatly into the coffee company’s machine with little effort and no clean-up.

Multifunctional Ovens

Forget slaving over a hot stove for hours just to get dinner on the table. Thanks to new ovens with automatic time and temperature controls dinner can practically make itself. Want a meal to be ready by the time you get home? Simply place your favorite dish in the oven and let the appliance do the rest.

The Intelligent Oven by TMIO refrigerates food until the user activates the cooking function. The oven’s Internet connectivity allows you to control this feature remotely with your cell phone or computer. Meals are not only delicious, but perfectly timed for your convenience. Additional advances have made the product safer and more energy-efficient, making it both user- and environmentally-friendly.

For real fast food, look for appliances such as the Sharp High Speed Convection/Microwave Oven. A 5-pound roasted chicken would take up to 140 minutes or more in a standard oven but, with the new high-speed ovens, the same meal can be ready within 28 minutes. By using a mix of super-heated circulating air and microwave energy, meals cook up to 80 percent faster.

In a step that brings to mind scenes from a work of science-fiction, General Electric is among the companies developing ovens which respond to voice commands and recognize over 200 regional accents. Rather than pushing a pre-set button, key phrases would activate the already programmed cooking times and temperatures. Such technology may not be a long way off, but its price tag may prove to be beyond the reach of many consumers.

High-tech Microwaves

Trying to find quick and easy recipes? Put down the cookbook. You can easily download hundreds of recipes directly from your microwave with the push of a button.

Using the LG Lifestyle MG-5682NL microwave oven, you can download recipes or other cooking information from the company’s web site. Sharp also sells a microwave that downloads cooking instructions for various meals, then automatically programs the time and power settings required to zap your meal to perfection.
In a slight variation on the theme, a new microwave by Samsung is programmed to read cooking directions by scanning product bar codes with a special sensor. The microwave then pulls the specific cooking instructions off the Internet and cooks the meal accordingly.
Many models now come with cooking pre-sets for popular food items, such as popcorn or frozen meals. Simply press one of the clearly-labeled option buttons on the microwave’s touchpad and the appliance will automatically adjust the time and power level.
Another feature that you won’t want your microwave to be without is a moisture sensor. Microwaves heat food by using radio waves to excite the molecules. To prevent overcooking your food, the moisture sensor will calculate how much time is still needed to cook based on how long it took for the food to begin steaming.

Since the kitchen is a natural hub of activity for any household, a few small changes can mean big savings in more ways than one. These kitchen innovations will not only free up more of your time, but can help you save money on the monthly energy bills. A little efficiency can go a long way!

Mention instant coffee to any connoisseur and you are sure to get a frown of disgust. Yet, who among us hasn’t, after finding the coffee tin empty, scoured the cupboard in desperation with hopes of finding a long since misplaced jar or ‘hotel packet’ of instant coffee? And, after sighing in relief, relished in amazement that it is still good after all those years of obscurity, abandonment and outright neglect on the dusty top shelf at the back of the pantry. You haven’t? Well maybe I just like to live dangerously.

Instant coffee, or soluble coffee, as it was originally called dates back as early as 1771 when the British government granted a patent for a ‘coffee compound’. There have been many attempts since then to make instant coffee more palatable but capturing the essence of freshly roasted, freshly brewed coffee has proven a difficult task.

Instant coffee is made by brewing a concentrated liquid solution of real coffee, then removing the water through various means of dehydration. What is left, the residue, is instant coffee. Early methods of dehydration involved spraying the concentrated solution into heated stainless steel drums and after the water had evaporated the drums were scraped and the powdery residue was packaged. The taste was scorched, pungent and bitter to say the least. If you have ever left a pot on the burner too long and have ended up with a charred disgusting mess in the bottom of the carafe, then you have made instant coffee.

The next advancement in instant coffee came in the 1960’s when the process of agglomeration was introduced. Particles of instant coffee were steamed and made sticky so they would clump together. The clumps were then redried by reheating. The result was a better looking product that closer resembled ground coffee but the flavor may have actually been degraded even further by the additional heating cycle.

Most recently the process of lyophilization or ‘freeze-drying’ has become the standard method of making instant coffee. This method is a vast improvement over other methods for two reasons. The first is that the coffee concentrate is extracted under high pressure so the water used never actually boils even though the water is well above the boiling point.

The second is that the water is removed without adding heat which helps preserve the coffee flavor. The concentrate is then frozen and placed in a vacuum chamber and the temperature is raised to just above freezing, at which point one would expect the mixture to melt. However, since it is in a vacuum the frozen water is prevented from becoming a liquid. But since the temperature is above freezing the solid water (ice) goes directly from a solid to a vapor. It is then vented to a separate chamber where it is refrozen as pure water. What is left in the vacuum chamber is the coffee residue.

Even with the improved process of freeze drying instant coffee remains a sad substitute for the real thing.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

In Kenya coffee production dates back several hundred years. Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, Kenya’s neighbor to the north. Unfortunately, just as in other coffee growing regions of the world, the coffee trade in Kenya triggered heated and bloody battles over the prime growing lands. The Arabs, who monopolized the coffee trade for several hundred years, killed and enslaved many thousand Kenyans and put them to work in coffee production both in Kenya coffee fields and on Arabian coffee plantations.

Around 1900 British settlers came to the region to grow Kenyan coffee. As more and more white settlers entered the region conflicts between the natives and the whites arose and led to more bloodshed. The British, being more skilled in the ways of politics and business quickly assumed control of the country.

This only escalated the violence and several native groups organized and revolted violently. The region remained a violent place until around 1960. Then the British relinquished control and granted the Kenyans independence.

All Kenyan coffee is of the Arabica variety, grown on rich volcanic soils in the highlands of Kenya. Approximately 250,000 Kenyans are involved in coffee production. Most coffee is produced by small holders with small plots of land. They are members of cooperative societies which process their own coffee.

There are two flowerings in each season. The blossom normally appears shortly after the beginning of the long rains in March and April. In most districts, the main crop ripens from October until the end of the year. The second and smaller flowering comes with the short rains in October or November. These are picked in the early part of the season, often starting the following June.

During the harvest, only red ripe cherries are picked, and always by hand. This entails frequent picking rounds with each tree picked every ten days or so. After milling, the coffee beans are graded mechanically into various grades which differ in size, weight and shape. The smoothness of its acidity and the subtle notes of its fruitiness make for an exceptional cup of coffee.

Today Kenyan coffee is a major export crop and provides jobs and security in an impoverished nation. As in many other regions of the world coffee has played a key role in development of under-developed countries. And unfortunately, money has driven some ruthless people and governments to place profit ahead of human rights. But as the world becomes more aware of injustices taking place the people of the world unite in support of democracy.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

When you want someone to like you, associate yourself with something that they love. Take coffee for instance. How much of America, or the world for that matter, would still be asleep if it weren't for this dark, smoky beverage?

Now, coffee is messy without a receptacle. You can't have coffee without a mug. Everyone knows that. Every morning a huge number of humans across the world seek solace in a mug of this steaming liquid. It makes us feel good, it wakes us up, and we consider ourselves debilitated without it.

We are also happy that it isn't scalding our laps or streaming down our chins. The good feeling we have about coffee rubs off on the receptacle. No doubt about it.
Those of us who don't have a special mug, wish we did and envy those brandishing theirs.

Whatever is emblazoned on this promotional mug of the world's most popular beverage, is going to start enjoying some of the general good feeling emanating from the legendary coffee experience: every day, several times a day.

Here's how it works: barely awake human gropes for the meaning of life in a promotional mug and starts to think that your company may just be related to all that is good. And if the connection fails first thing in the morning, then there's always the lifesaving mug later that morning or early that afternoon.

Sooner or later the human makes the all-important emotional connection: coffee perks you up. Then there's thought association; coffee perks one up, but so does 'Joe Slows Wicked Wart Remedy' or whatever you have cleverly custom printed on your promotional mugs.

Promotional mugs are a superior marketing tool to gain attention. Coffee makes you more alert, so by the time the drinker notices your name, he or she is wide awake and taking notes.

Promotional mugs come in every imaginable shape, size and form from the elegant Café Grande numbers to the humble bistro mug and the perennial travel receptacle. You can get them in plastic, ceramic or stainless steel. Some come with or without lids and others are insulated.

Having promotional mugs made is a simple procedure that can be done at the click of a mouse, online. Many companies have websites with catalogs that you can scroll through at your leisure and pricing to help you make your final decision.

When you find the style you want, check what the minimum quantity is to see that it fits your budget. A rule of thumb is that the most cost effective promotional mug offers seem to have a higher minimum quantity while the more costly items are sold in smaller quantities.

Prices for promotional mugs range from $2.35 for a fairly basic bistro mug to $7 and more for designer type insulated or stainless steel promotional mugs.

In Guatemala coffee grows in the heart of what was once the center of the Great Mayan Civilization. The Maya ruled this region of Central America from around 2500 B.C. until the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors in mid 1500 A.D.

Coffee arrived in Central America from the Caribbean around 1700 and local cultivation began shortly after. Commercial export of coffee from Guatemala did not begin until the mid 1800’s as the square-rigged sailing ships of the day could only travel downwind. The trade winds blew the ships across the Atlantic toward the coast of Central America, but there was no easy way to sail back east. The advent of clipper ships around 1850, which could point higher into the wind, made commercial exports possible.

In order to export Guatemalan coffee the small growers expanded into full-scale production. This led to a land war of sorts and the larger plantations took over the smaller ones, sometimes by buying them out and sometimes by force. In Guatemala coffee growing land is in small supply, being that the country is about the size of a small U.S. state.

The larger plantations, or fincas, were owned mostly by wealthy descendants of the Spanish Conquistadors who viewed the native Maya people as inferior. They quickly enslaved large populations of Mayans to work on the Guatemala coffee farms. As you may expect they did not submit voluntarily and a bloody resistance ensued.

In 1877 the Guatemala government passed a law that made it easier for foreigners to get land, granting exemptions for taxes and import duties on machinery and tools. Many Germans fleeing the political unrest in their country took advantage of the opportunity and set up operations to grow, process and export coffee from Guatemala. The German influence had a very positive effect on the coffee industry in Guatemala. The Germans brought capital and modernization to a poor and under developed country. They financed the construction of a railroad from the mountainous interior to the sea to transport coffee. They built sea ports for the ships and processing plants that were previously unavailable to smaller growing operations.

The Germans also treated the Mayan workers better, paying them for their labor, not as much as they would pay non-Mayan workers but it was definitely an improvement. This however, caused dissent among the Spanish plantation owners who were used to getting their labor for free. The Spanish tried to lobby the government to pass laws that made paying the Mayan illegal but they were unsuccessful.

Today, coffee from Guatemala is highly respected among aficionados and is prized for its smooth character, balanced acidity and full flavor.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Italian coffee is somewhat of a misnomer if taken literally as very little, if any, coffee is actually grown in Italy. However, early Italians embraced coffee as if it were their own discovery and did much to advance the popularity of the beverage worldwide.

It is likely that Italy, particularly Venice, was the first in Europe to receive the strange new brew from Venetian trade ships. When the drink reached Rome, some fanatic priests attacked coffee since up to now it had been primarily a beverage of Islam and was considered the drink of the Devil. If Christians were to partake of this hellish brew they risked eternal damnation they believed.

By the end of the sixteenth century there were those in the Vatican that sought to ban the drink from the Christian world. Pope Clement VIII considered the requests of his Cardinals but thought it imprudent to ban the beverage without having tasted it so he requested a sample of the Devils drink.

As legend has it, the Pope was immediately enamored by the distinct, pungent aroma and taste. It was then he decided that to banish the delightful drink would be a greater sin and he baptized it on the spot giving rise to the Italian coffee house.

The first coffeehouse in Venice opened in 1683 and was named simply for the beverage that it served, caffee, or cafe. The name was soon synonymous with good conversation, relaxed environment, companionship and tasty food. The cafe did for coffee what the bistro did for wine, added an air of romance and a touch of class to the coffee experience. And still today Italian coffee is considered a more elegant adaptation of the traditional ‘cup of Joe’.

Most Italian coffee is brewed very strong from the lower-quality Robusta bean, which might suggest why Italy gave us such innovations as cappuccino (coffee with steamed milk) and flavored coffees.

The Italian impact on the coffee world did not end in the seventeenth century. Interestingly, in 1983 an Italian coffee house in Milan was the inspiration that drove Starbuck’s, then head of marketing soon to be president, Howard Schultz to transform the small specialty coffee roaster into the wildly successful retail coffee giant that it is today.

By recreating the elegant, inviting, comfortable and relaxing atmosphere of that Italian coffee house and serving traditional Italian renditions of the classic beverage, the Italian coffee experience became the Starbucks experience and has helped shape a new generation of coffee lovers.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2005 http://TastesOfTheWorld.net

A researcher has stirred up the commuter coffee mug with
the suggestion that morning rush hour traffic is worsened
by stops for daily morning gourmet coffee at Starbucks and
other premium coffee houses. Nancy McGuckin, a travel
behavior analyst, studied a report called “National
Household Travel Survey” by the U.S. Department of
Transportation as the basis for her provocative
conclusions.

It has long been known that frequent starting and stopping
during a commute drastically reduces fuel economy due to
the need to rev up the car engine to accelerate to traffic
speeds and then stop for traffic lights and accelerate once
again. This is the reason why manufacturers estimaged
"city" mileage is always significantly lower than the
estimated "highway" mileage. In addition, if the engine is
turned off and restarted, mileage is decreased
significantly, because it is at startup of the car engine
that the most fuel is wasted.

This behavior is exactly what is required when visiting
congested shopping areas on the way to work, find a parking
space, (where gourmet coffee shops are often located) stop
the engine, return to the car with coffee in hand, restart
the engine and make your way back to the highway and
finally to work.

McGuckin, the travel analyst, dubbed her discovery, “The
Starbucks Effect” because during the period she studied,
Starbucks added over 4000 new locations (1995 – 2001).
Although not limiting this research finding only to trips
to coffee houses, the research suggests that running
additional errands in the morning on the way to work has
contributed to traffic congestion and increased gridlock.
This is because people divert from the shortest and fastest
route, to one that leads them past the coffee house or dry
cleaners.

The shorter route between home and business office would be
much more direct and require fewer bursts of acceleration,
engine starts and stops and less frequent visits to crowded
shopping areas, which require commuters to search for
parking, with trips around the block to find spaces or
idling the engine waiting for others to leave spaces nearer
the coffee house.

Burning small amounts of extra fuel during those waits over
and over each day adds up to very significant wasted fuel
and lowered mileage over time. Wear and tear on engines
increases as this behavior continues, and becomes habitual.

The cost of gourmet coffee at premium coffee houses is also
as much as six or seven times the cost of home brewed
coffee from premium fresh ground whole bean blends. Coffee
houses have either a "house blend" or "featured" blend on
brew and you get whatever they have chosen for you. Then
your only choice is to elbow your way through the crowds
and merge back into the city gridlock to get to work,
further slowing traffic and decreasing gas mileage.

A Washington Post article by Catherine Shaver, discusses
the commuter study and quotes Alan E. Pisarsky, Author of
“Commuting in America” as saying, "It's more of a problem
from a traffic point of view than from anything else."

Increasing the number of stops in the trip decreases gas
mileage and stress levels, while brewing coffee at home can
actually save you gas over a relatively short period of
time. Taking fresh brewed coffee from home could actually
reduce stress and wear and tear on the car. When brewing
your own gourmet coffee blend at home, you have a choice of
fresh ground coffee beans from fine Italian Espressos to
the rare and exotic Indonesian Kopi Luwak.

Commuters can consider making gourmet coffee drinks at home
before departing for work and enjoy it at home while
spending quality time with the family or take it along in a
commuter coffee travel mug. You’ll save money by paying
less than .30 cents per cup for your favorite gourmet
coffee made from fresh ground beans, as well as help to
reduce gridlock and increase mileage by taking the fastest
route to work instead of detouring to the coffee shop.

To summarize something as phenomenonally successful as Starbucks coffee history might be a challenge. Many volumes have been written on the subject, it is examined and taught in business schools, and whole semesters are dedicated to the marketing genius of the company. The amazing success of Starbuck’s business model certainly deserves commendation if not adoration in the business world.

The story of Starbucks coffee history begins in Seattle in 1971, when three friends with a passion for fresh coffee, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, opened a small shop and began selling fresh-roasted, gourmet coffee beans and brewing and roasting accessories.

In 1980 Zev Siegl sold out to pursue other ventures. By that time Starbucks was the largest roaster in Washington with six retail outlets. In 1981 the small coffee company caught the attention of Howard Schultz, a plastics salesman that noted the large quantity of plastic drip-brewing thermoses that they were buying from Hammarplast, the Swedish manufacturer that Shchultz represented here in the U.S.

In 1982 Starbucks coffee history was changed forever when Baldwin hired the energetic Schultz as the new head of marketing and shortly thereafter sent him to an international housewares show in Milan, Italy in 1983. Schultz found himself infatuated with the vibrant coffee culture of Italy. While in nearby Verona, Schultz had his first caffe’ latte’ and, as he observed the cafe patrons chatting and laughing joyously while sipping their coffees in the elegant surroundings, inspiration struck.

In what he describes as an epiphany, the idea hit him, "why not create community gathering places like the great coffee house of Italy in the United States?" he wondered. This idea would place Starbucks coffee history into the annuls of business journals for decades to come.

However, his idea was not well received by Baldwin as he wasn’t too keen on getting into the restaurant business and distracting him from his original plan of selling whole beans. But he did let him test a small espresso bar in the corner of one of the stores. It was an immediate success and Schultz branched out on his own and opened Il Giornale, a coffee house named after Italy’s largest newspaper, ‘The Daily’.

In 1987 Starbuck’s was up for sale and Schultz raised the $3.8 million by convincing investors of his vision, one hundred and twenty-five outlets in the next five years. Schultz modified the Starbuck’s bare-breasted mermaid logo into a more socially acceptable figure, changed the name of Il Giornale to Starbuck’s and converted the six existing Starbuck’s roasting shops into elegant, comfortable coffee houses. Starbucks coffee history was just was beginning to take shape.

Shultz exceeded his goal of one hundred and twenty-five stores in five years, in 1992 there were 165 cafes in operation. Today there are over 8,000 stores in 30 countries and annual revenues in excess of $7.5 billion.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

The American Beech Tree's nuts when taken out of the husks, roasted until dark and brittle, then
ground, will make a fine coffee. Store this in an airtight container. They are best collected after the
first hard frost when they normally drop to the ground. Once stored, they can be used all year round.
You might have to fight the squirrels for them. Prepare normally.

Chicory coffee - remember that blue flower with almost leafless stalks that grow just about
everywhere there's a road. They look like daisy's, but their petals are blue and are squared off at the
ends. The white fleshy roots, roasted until dark brown and brittle, then ground, make an excellent
coffee. Prepare like coffee. Use 1-1/2 tsp. per cup of water. Store in an airtight container. Use all
year round.

It's unbievable, but when you start your search for a new coffee maker, you will find a huge variety to choose from. The first step in choosing the right one is deciding what type you want. This depends on what kind of drinks you want to prepare. Your basic decision here is if you want traditional coffee or a specialty drink. A standard machine is preferred by people who like the taste of weaker coffee. Most flavored grounds are made for traditional pots. If you like to try a wide variety of coffee types, you may want a standard machine.
Drip machines work by heating the water and then dripping it through the grounds. The grounds are placed in the filter and the dripping water extracts the flavor. The Bunn coffee makers are very reliable machines that brews a cup in about three minutes. Many models offer pause and pour features that allow you to interrupt the brewing process, if you can’t wait for that first cup in the morning. Timers allow you to program the machine to start brewing before you wake up in the morning.
These machines are easy and convenient to use. They are great if you drink a lot of coffee or will be serving a crowd. You can brew a pot at a time, rather than just a cup or two.
Specialty Coffee Machines
If you love the specialty drinks at your local café and want to make them at home, an espresso maker may be for you. These machines are more expensive, but make a superior drink. You need to be willing to spend some more time in preparation and these machines only make one or two cups at a time. If you will be serving a crowd, that may not be practical. The most common machines are semi automatic, automatic and super automatics.
Automatic
With automatic machines, you load the portafilter with ground beans. You set the water level, depending on the drink you are making. Once everything is set, the machine does the rest. A milk frother attachment is included for making cappuccinos and lattes. Some automatics come with a built in grinder, but many do not. Many espresso lovers prefer a separate grinder for quality grinds. Adjustable coffee grinders allow you to set the consistency of the beans. Automatic machines are pod compatible, if you want to skip the grinding altogether. Opinions differ regarding pods, with some people loving the convenience and others thinking the taste is weak or bitter.
Super Automatic
Super automatics are the most expensive home machines. They also make drinks of superior quality, which makes them worth the expense. These machines do the whole job for you. Add some beans and the machine will grind the beans, tamp them into the filter and prepare your drink. Super automatics are fully programmable. You set the machine for strength, texture of the beans, water level, temperature and quantity.
The size of the reservoir varies by brand, but you will need to refill it regularly. Distilled water is the best choice for keeping your machine clean and your drinks tasting their best. You will need to empty the waste box frequently. This is where the machine dumps the used grinds. Additional features like cup warmers and hot water dispensers are convenient.

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Coffee Maker
Whether you have a standard or specialty machine, you will need to clean it regularly to keep it in good working order. Build up from your water can cause scaling inside, which can shorten the life of the appliance. Vinegar is helpful for removing deposits inside the machine. If you have hard water, consider using distilled water. Because the water doesn’t contain impurities, it won’t leave scales behind.
More cleaning is involved with semi automatic and automatic makers. You need to clean all areas of the machine regularly. The specifics vary by model, so read the directions for how to clean yours properly. If your model has a removable brew group, you will need to take it out and rinse it at least once a week. Non removable models are self cleaning.
Some automatics and all super automatic expresso machines are self cleaning. You program the cleaner for how often you want the machine cleaned. These are the most convenient for both making drinks and cleaning up.

I had the pleasure of trying two flavors of Gabby Goodies Perfect Pot Coffee from Patty King (http://www.mygabbygoodies.biz/501). They are called perfect pots because the packages contain the perfect amount of coffee for one pot. Of course, you can adjust the amount of coffee or water to meet your preference.
When I opened the package, the sweet smell of flavored coffee filled the room. The Cookies and Cream flavor is rich, with a nice aftertaste of cookies (without all of the calories!) The Almond Amaretto has a wonderful almond fragrance and a taste to match. I can imagine it would be great iced with some milk and maybe even a splash of Amaretto liqueur. Some flavored coffees I’ve tried smell good, but the flavor doesn’t make it through the brewing. If you like flavored coffee, I recommend trying Perfect Pot coffee from Gabby Goodies. The 2 oz. foil packets come in 19 flavors and some are available in decaf.
Gabby Goodies offers a whole range of gourmet goodies including coffee, tea, cocoa, cookies, mixes and dips. Browse around Patty’s site at http://www.mygabbygoodies.biz/501 to take in the full line of products.

There is good coffee and absolutely abysmal coffee. Both may start with the same elements, but one cup can taste completely different to another. Freshness is the key to great tasting coffee. Here is the play by play smackdown of how to create a fantastic tasting cup of coffee.

1.Use good beans. Go to a local coffee roaster and buy only enough coffee beans to last you a week. Buying fresh beans is one key to good taste. When you buy beans make sure the beans are all relatively the same size and same color for even grinding and flavor. If you buy beans from the supermarket at minimum, check to see if the beans are Arabica.

2.Use filtered water. Even if your coffee maker has a charcoal filter it is best to start off with filtered water to ensure there are no impurities like chlorine or minerals to alter the real taste. Use cold water.

3.For the best tasting coffee ensure you have a coffee maker which can brew up to 95 to 98 degrees Celsius, just off the boil. This temperature is the optimal temperature to get the best flavor out of the bean.

4.The grind. Only grind as much coffee as you are going to need for that moment. The finer you grind, the more flavor you will receive. The grind has to be even to ensure even taste. If you are using a cheap coffee maker you should only use a medium grind to avoid the over-extraction. However, grind to your equipment’s recommendations.

5.Use two level tablespoons of coffee per cup. If you are making more than 10-cups of coffee you should use the strength meter on its highest position possible to allow more water to penetrate the grounds evenly.

6.Use unbleached coffee filters or ensure your permanent filter is free from all coffee sludge. When it comes to coffee, cleanliness is next to Godliness.

7.Stir the pot. Once the coffee is brewed, stir the pot to infuse the taste.

At bare minimum, these steps should always be used when making coffee. Think about the farmer’s in the field, if you skip a step are you doing their hard work justice? On a selfish note, missing one of those steps will affect the taste of your coffee, even slightly. Other things to make a great cup of coffee are:

1.Always ensure your equipment is clean. Old coffee sludge can really change the taste of coffee. Polident can clean your equipment to almost new.

2.NEVER reuse coffee grinds.

3.NEVER grind beans just taken out of the freezer. Let them thaw first.

4.Always store coffee in air-tight containers away from direct sunlight.

5.NEVER leave the coffee on a heater for longer than ½ an hour. It gets a burnt taste and smell.

6.Always warm your cup and never reheat coffee.

The best coffee starts with fresh beans, clean equipment and clean water. Adhering to at least those three guidelines will give you great tasting coffee. Everything else is just gravy.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, yet it is not a country that comes to mind when the average consumer thinks of coffee. The South American countries are much more synonymous with coffee production but coffee did not come to these countries until the early 1700’s, nearly a thousand years after it was discovered. As legend has it, Ethiopian coffee was originally discovered around 600 A.D. by a young boy tending goats. It is not known when the name coffee was applied to the strange plants but an interesting legend places it around 900 A.D.

Shortly thereafter coffee found its way across the Red Sea to Arabia and what is present day Yemen. Arabs embraced coffee and for almost a thousand years were the sole producers and exporters of the highly sought-after product. Today Ethiopian coffee is specialty coffee and favorite among connoisseurs around the world. It is known for its smooth body, delicate acidity and delightful flavor.

The original Ethiopian coffee plant that made its way to Yemen is said to be the plant that was propagated throughout the Arab world and cuttings were eventually transplanted into every main coffee growing region of the world. So, in a sense Ethiopian coffee is in every can and every cup everywhere in some form or another.

Legend has it that around 900 A.D. a partial tract of an Ethiopian coffee plantation was given as dowry to the family of an Arab coffee sultan whose son was to marry the daughter of the plantation owner. The sultan was offended by the offering of ‘inferior’ Ethiopian coffee and beheaded and burned the bride on the day of the wedding. The plantation owner, a powerful man in his own right, retaliated by sending one of his sons to kill a daughter of the sultan. The son fell in love with the daughter he was sent to kill and instead the two eloped.

Upon the sons return with the girl he was supposed to kill, the plantation owner saw an opportunity. As it is the family of the bride who is obliged to provide dowry for the marriage, the plantation owner decided to demand half of the sultan’s coffee crops lest he would behead and burn the bride as well. The sultan reluctantly agreed. After the two were married the plantation owner beheaded and burned the bride anyway, and the son, outraged, killed his father. Legend has it that the son buried his bride in the coffee fields and named the Ethiopian coffee after the bride, her name was Coffea.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

With English Tea being a very familiar term, English coffee may seem as contrary a term as Arctic bananas; however, England’s impact on the coffee trade and the world of business is undeniable. The history of English coffee began in 1650 at Oxford University when a Lebanese immigrant opened the first coffeehouse on campus.

Initially, coffee was seen as novelty and a snake oil, if you will, as the proprietor touted many incredible medical claims. His English coffee was said to aid in digestion, cure headaches, coughs, dropsy, gout, scurvy and even prevent miscarriages. About the only claim that was accurate was that English coffee prevented drowsiness.

By 1700, however, coffee had become a very popular beverage and there were more than two thousand coffeehouses in London. Coffeehouses occupied more retail space and paid more rent than any other trade. They came to be known as Penny Universities, because for the price of a cup of coffee, one penny, a person could sit for hours and engage in stimulating conversation with educated people.

Each coffeehouse specialized in a different clientele. In one, physicians could be consulted. Other’s catered to lawyers, actors, army officers, or clergy. English coffee became the beverage of business and one coffeehouse in particular grew into one of the worlds largest and most well known companies. Edward Lloyd’s coffeehouse catered primarily to seafarers and merchants and he regularly prepared "ships’ lists" for underwriters who met there to offer insurance to the ship captains. And so began Lloyd’s of London, the famous insurance company.

Prior to the popularity of English coffee, beer, or ale, was the morning beverage of choice among the working class. The pubs and taverns were filled early in the morning with workers who stopped in for a few pints of camaraderie before heading off to the factories and shops around London.

One English writer wrote in 1624, "They flock to the taverns to dizzy their brains and a productionless society is the result." Fifty years later another writer credited English coffee with stimulating the economy as he wrote, "Coffee drinking hath caused a greater sobriety than has ever been seen in the business of London."

By the late 18th century the buzz of English coffee subsided and tea became the preferred British drink, due much in part to the outcry of women, who were excluded from the all-male society of the coffeehouse and complained loudly. A group of angry coffeehouse widows filed a petition with the English government to ban coffee on the grounds that their men were never at home and their duties as husband and father were being neglected. English coffee was not banned but the outcry did have repercussions on the coffeehouse business and men returned to the taverns instead.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2005 http://www.TastesofTheWorld.net

Gourmet coffee consumers rarely consider the cost of their
daily coffee in terms of the expense to brew premium whole
bean coffee at home (50 cents to 75 cents) with prices of
a pound of gourmet coffee beans versus a two or three cup
a day ($4.50 to $6.00) coffee drinking habit when purchased
at premium coffee houses. A recent Washington Post article
discussed Seattle law students spending money from their
student loans for Starbucks coffee across the street from
the Seattle University School of Law.

Erika Lim, director of career services at the law school has
launched a campaign to reduce coffee consumption by students
attending the university on student loan money. She points
out that students are spending education loans on luxuries
like latte instead of necessities like a loaf of bread. That
borrowed money takes years to repay and many students don't
do the math to see that study time with 2-3 cups of coffee
at Starbucks over 4 years can cost them significant sums -
as much as $4500 in principle, interest and fees on their
student loan - over the course of their education. An
online calculator has been posted for those interested in
calculating their caffeine expenses at:
http://www.hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi

Gourmet Coffee drinkers have become accustomed to paying $2
or more per cup for fresh brewed coffees at Premium coffee
houses – and many sources are predicting those prices may
increase to as much as $4 per cup soon due to expected
increases in green coffee prices. But smart gourmet coffee
consumers have long known that premium coffee brewed at home
costs just 12 cents or so per cup, depending on preferences
for coffee strength.

Many coffee producers recommend starting with 1 tablespoon
of fresh ground gourmet coffee beans per standard 6 ounce
cup of water. Starbucks recommends double that amount for
stronger coffees at 2 tablespoons per 6 ounce cup. A pound
of gourmet coffee (that is 16 Ounces or 1 Lb.) divided
by 1 1/2 Ounces comes to roughly 10 pots of 10 cups
(6 Ounce cups) equaling 100 cups for the cost of one pound
of gourmet coffee beans. At the average of 1.5 tablespoons
per 6 ounce cup and average size of 12 ounce coffee mug,
you can expect 50 cups of home brewed coffee per pound of
gourmet beans!

Prices of premium gourmet coffee beans range between $10
and $18 per pound, making a cup of home-brewed gourmet
coffee, made fresh to your liking, cost only between .10
cents and .25 cents per cup or between $1.00 and $2.00 per
pot of coffee! Even the rarest and most expensive coffee
sold, the exotic Kopi Luwak, at $175 per pound, is still
less than $1.75 per 6 ounce cup when brewed at home! So
if you have expensive tastes and want a 12 ounce mug of
the rarest and most expensive coffee on the planet, you
still need only pay what some premium coffee houses charge
for a latte ($3.50) for that rare privilege.

When consumers learn that they can purchase gourmet whole
bean coffee for between $10 to $18 per pound, then fresh
grind and brew at home for significantly less than gourmet
coffee companies charge, many see home brewing premium
gourmet coffee as luxurious treat. Purchasing a thermos
or a large travel mug to take coffee with them from home
makes drinking rich, fresh roasted coffee a possibility
for about one-seventh the cost of buying that coffee from
expensive and crowded coffee shops.

Many so-called premium coffee houses keep their coffee
heated on warmers after brewing, but this practice causes
the flavor to turn bitter after less than an hour of
warming. It is actually more likely you will get a rich
flavorful cup of coffee from an insulated thermos or
insulated type pump containers. Reheating coffee can
destroy the flavor of good gourmet coffee - just as quickly
as extensive warming.

Coffee purists prefer to make individual cups with a coffee
press, fresh grinding beans for each cup and drinking the
entire amount brewed before it turns cold to get the maximum
enjoyment from their beans. Microwave a good cup of coffee
that has gone cold and you'll see how much better it is
freshly brewed. Using good clean, fresh water is essential
since coffee is 99% water and bad tasting tap water can
quickly ruin even the best fresh ground beans.

You can enjoy great gourmet coffee more and pay less for the
privilege by starting with whole beans and grinding them
yourself with a $20 coffee grinder. Make only what you can
drink or carry with you in a nice thermos or travel mug
instead of reheating coffee later. Use good tasting water
and keep your brewing equipment clean to prevent the
rancid bitterness that can come from previous grounds in
crevices.

You can brew at home with fine gourmet coffee beans, fresh
ground and brewed in a French press coffee maker, carry a
fancy thermos of great coffee to work or school and enjoy
the best coffee available for far less money than you would
spend at crowded and expensive premium coffee house.

For coffee lovers, there are few things more appealing than being met in the early a.m. hours by a perfectly brewed pot of coffee. That first cup sets the mood for your entire day, doesn't it? If it's brewed up right, you'll feel that extra zing in your step from morning till night. However, if that first cup is too strong or too weak, too hot or not hot enough, you quickly find yourself spiraling into a first-class coffee crisis.

So, how do you avoid a coffee catastrophe? It's simple, buy the best coffee maker on the market made especially for your coffee-drinking needs! Sounds simple enough, right? But, who makes the best coffee maker today? In other words, who is the All-Time Champion of Coffee Makers?

Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to welcome you to our title bout of the day where two mighty coffee making titans - Mr. Coffee and Bunn-o-Matic - will meet in the kitchen to crown the undisputed coffee making champion of the world.

Introducing The Coffee Maker Contenders

In the green corner, we have Mr. Coffee - long-recognized as the undisputed champion of home coffee makers. Affordable with many models to choose from, Mr. Coffee currently has over a dozen models on the market retailing from between $24.99 to $89.99. With makers serving up between one and twelve cups, he'll be hard to beat. In fact, Mr. Coffee is in great shape with an amazing array of features and settings, including single serve, speed brew, switch, programmable, and thermal models.

In the red corner, we have the Bunn-o-Matic - king of the commercial coffee making market. Found in restaurants and chosen by baristas around the world, Bunn-o-Matic is known for his professional-grade machines. With a limited variety (e.g., currently seven models, with one single serve and 6-10 cup models), judges will need to pay close attention to the details to see what kind of punch the Bunn-o-Matic packs. One thing is for sure: with a starting price of $89.95, Bunn-o-Matic definitely tips the scales as a higher-priced option for home consumers.

For those of you who are new to the clash of the coffee makers, here's what the judges will be looking for during the brew-off:

Cup size
How many cups can your coffee maker cook up (say that five times fast)? Most brands today have single-serve and multiple cup models, with 10-12 cups being the upper limit for most home coffee makers.

Timer
If having your coffee pre-made for you when you wake up is important, then a timer is going to be key! Timers allow you to set the time when your coffee maker will start doing its thing and brewing you up your beloved coffee.

Space
If you have unlimited counter space, then this criterion might not matter much to you. But, for those of you for whom counter space is at a premium, deciding upon a model that fits your space as well as your décor might be an important consideration.

But, to truly separate the two competitors, our judges will also be looking closely at the following four areas:

Ease of Use
This is self-explanatory - at 6 a.m., you want a machine that is easy to use!

Durability
As you know, coffee makers aren't the most pampered of home appliances. They can get pretty banged up with daily use. Choosing a hardy model is essential.

Ease of Cleaning
Starting with a well-maintained and cleaned pot is one of the best ways to assure yourself of a great cup of coffee day after day.

Style
Yes, in the end, many of us like our coffee makers to look cool. Sure, while it's true that they are simply functional machines, we want these machines to represent our love for coffee.

The fight is on between the top coffee makers in the world. So, who wins the home coffee maker battle? Bunn-o-Matic definitely has significantly higher priced models and less of a home-based selection, but is known for superior performance and durability. Mr. Coffee has a wider range of home models to choose from and most of their machines are significantly less expensive than even the lowest priced Bunn-o-Matic.

In the end, it's a personal choice for you to decide. Remember, a great cup of coffee ends up being more than your coffee maker. Quality water, beans, and the proper grind for your machine all make a big difference in whether your coffee maker and first cup of coffee are winners. Good luck!

All around the world in the morning coffee pots and carafes help us start our day. Coffee drinking is standard practice in almost every culture. From very strong coffee, to very weak with lots of milk it is enjoyed in many kitchens. No matter what one's tastes are, they can find coffee pots and carafes to fit their needs. Drip coffee makers seem to be the most popular coffee machine for most people. Also coffee carafes come in many different shapes and sizes to.

Coffee pots and carafes can be found for casual or formal dining. The selection ranges from the simple to very elegant. Fine china pots and carafes can be found to make any dinner party a success.

Coffee pots and carafes can be found either in a set or sold individually. One can find coffee pots made from fine china to serve with and carafes that will keep coffee hot and ready to drink for a long time. Online buying of coffee pots and carafes is very easy. Replacement carafes for coffee pots can be found at many online stores for great prices.

Proper care for coffee pots and carafes include the following: Wash the pot and carafe thoroughly at least once a week. Bitter oils can stick to both. With drip coffee makers periodic cleansing with a solution of water and vinegar is also good. On coffee pots remove hard water deposits by perking with 1-2 tablespoons cream of tartar dissolved in water; rinse thoroughly. And of course a daily cleaning and rinsing helps alot to.

Grown at high altitudes and tended with painstaking care in the shade of banana and rubber trees, Colombian coffee is among the best in the world, rich, full-bodied, and perfectly balanced. Coffea Arabica L., more commonly known as the Arabica bean, prefers higher altitudes and drier climates than its cousin, the lower quality Robusta bean (C. Robusta). Therefore, the arid mountains and the well-drained, rich volcanic soil of Colombia provide ideal conditions for growing high quality coffee.

Colombian coffee is grown in two main regions, the central region around Medellin, Armenia and Manizales, known as MAM to aficionados, and the eastern, more mountainous region near Bogotá and Bucaramanga. MAM varietals are known for their heavy body, rich flavor and fine, balanced acidity while the mountain grown eastern beans produce an even richer, heavier, less acidic coffee. The finest Colombian coffee comes from this region.

It is not known for sure when coffee first reached Colombia but many historians believe it to be around the same time Jesuit priests first began arriving from Europe in the mid 16th century. The first exports of Colombian coffee began in 1835 when around 2500 bags were exported to the U.S. By 1875 170,000 bags were leaving the country bound for the U.S. and Europe. The exports grew exponentially over the next hundred years or so and peaked in 1992 at around 17 million bags. Today, Colombian coffee exports are around 10 million bags per year.

For many decades Colombia was the world’s second leading producer of coffee behind Brazil. Recently, Vietnam surpassed Colombia in coffee exports to take the number two seat and move Colombia into a close third. However, the old adage of quality over quantity certainly applies here. The Arabica bean does not grow well in Vietnam. Only the hearty, yet inferior, Robusta is suited for the low, wet climate of Vietnam. Colombian coffee is far superior and is considered by many coffee experts to be the finest in the world.

Any discussion on Colombian coffee would not be complete without mentioning the wildly successful marketing campaign created by the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers in 1959 which introduced the world to the friendly and affable Juan Valdez. Though a fictitious character, the poncho clad, sombrero wearing Juan Valdez gave a face to the humble coffee picker and created a mystique and aura of romance that still survives today. A recent survey reported that 85% of Americans still associate the name Juan Valdez with Colombian coffee. Quite an accomplishment, especially considering that only 75% acknowledged recognizing the name Dan Quayle.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. It's rich, full-bodied taste is a daily necessity to millions of people. Of course, coffee is not only loved for its taste. The caffeine kick is needed by many to start the day. But if you are a true coffee lover, fresh gourmet coffee has a taste that can't be beat.

Luckily, it's easy to get a hit of fresh gourmet coffee almost everywhere. There are coffee shops on almost every street corner and quality coffee beans are sold in many specialty shops as well as supermarkets.

“Fresh” is the key to fresh gourmet coffee. Coffee simply does not improve with age -- it should be used within six months of production. Some of the large coffee distributors include old coffee beans in their mixes to reduce the cost. Needless to say, this practice also reduces the flavor.

Fresh gourmet coffee costs a bit more than regular supermarket coffee. That's because it's made from high quality Arabica coffee that has been hand-picked in processed. Commercial grade coffee is made from the cheaper Robusta coffee which has an inferior taste and texture than Arabica.

Commercial grade coffee is also machine picked and processed which means that foreign substances such as twigs and leaves find their way into the finished product. When you buy fresh gourmet coffee, you are assured of the quality and taste.

You have many choices when it comes to fresh gourmet coffee. Each coffee growing region produces a uniquely flavored coffee bean and the processing method to also determines the final taste of the coffee. The roasting method in particular determines the kind of coffee taste.

Fresh gourmet coffee should be ground just before brewing. You need a coffee grinder in your home if you want to the best tasting coffee possible. A good-quality coffee maker is also a necessity when making great tasting coffee.

Gourmet Coffee Beans

You can be a coffee lover without knowing much about coffee beans, but learning a little bit about the different types of coffee can help you get the perfect cup every time. There are many types of gourmet coffee beans. The way they have been grown in processed has a huge effect on their taste. Here's a little bit of information for getting the best from your gourmet coffee beans.

Coffee is a common agricultural product of many tropical countries. There are two main species of coffee plant – Arabica and Robusta. Gourmet coffee beans are mostly Arabica because of their superior flavor and smoothness. Many blends, however, include Robusta coffee beans to give an edge to the coffee.

After the coffee is picked, it must be roasted. Roasting makes the green coffee beans expand in size and changes their color to a light to dark brown. Lighter roasts reveal more of the flavor of gourmet coffee beans, while darker roasts take on the flavor of the roasting process itself. After roasting the coffee should be kept in vacuum packed containers to minimize flavor loss.

Gourmet coffee beans must be ground to the correct fineness to bring out the most taste. Generally speaking, a fine grind will result in a full-bodied cup of coffee, but coarse grinds are used when making coffee with coarse filters like the French cafetiere.

Once the coffee has been ground, there are many ways to brew a cup of coffee. No matter whether you prefer espresso, drip, perked, or pressed, you need to start with high-quality gourmet coffee beans to get a good cup of coffee.

You can buy gourmet coffee beans in many types of blends. Most blends are a mixture of dark and light roast coffee beans and can be ground to suit the type of coffee maker you use. Freshness is important when making good-quality coffee. Fresh ground coffee beans will give you the best tasting cup of coffee.

Coffee tastes great by itself, but for an extra special taste sensation, try gourmet flavored coffee. There are many flavoring substances which can be added to coffee to give your daily cup of Java an out of the ordinary flavor experience.

Some flavors are natural enhancers that go together with coffee like bees and honey. Rum and chocolate have been added to coffee for almost as long as coffee has been produced. Some of the newest gourmet flavored coffee includes vanilla, macadamia, and even peanut butter!

Not all these flavors are everyone's “cup of tea”, but the taste sensations of gourmet flavored coffee give you a new outlook on Java juice. Try out some of these special flavors -- you may find a favorite that you always come back to.

Just look at some of these types of gourmet flavored coffee -- apricot cream, Black Forest cake, Café Napoleon, chocolate raspberry, Jamaican rum, Southern pecan and vanilla hazelnut. The names by themselves makes your mouth water.

Coffee is flavored by adding flavoring substances after it is roasted. The flavoring substances are highly concentrated and only a small amount is used in gourmet flavored coffee. Be careful when buying flavored coffee -- be sure to buy from a reputable company. Some companies use the flavoring process to hide the taste of inferior quality coffee.

The flavoring used in gourmet flavored coffee loses its strength when exposed to air. Always keep the coffee beans in a tightly sealed container for maximum flavor. For the best cup of coffee, grind the beans right before brewing.

You can make your own special blends by combining various gourmet flavored coffee. Adding a touch of flavored coffee to your regular coffee beans adds a special taste that is uniquely yours. The sky is the limit! You can have a new flavor of coffee every day!

Often, the coffee connoisseur is asked, "What is the best coffee in the world?" Almost unequivocally the answer is… "The one I roast in my kitchen." However, when pressed to name a commercially available bean the answer is more often than not, a Hawaiian coffee.

This is quite a remarkable achievement considering that the coffee plant was not introduced to Hawaii until 1825, almost a thousand years after commercial cultivation began in other, older, growing regions of the world. Hawaiian coffee growers have benefited from many centuries of trial and error without ever having pruned a branch, you could say that the coffee gods saved the best for last.

Humans first set foot on Hawaiian soil around 600 A.D. The same time that a goat herder in Ethiopia was observing his goats odd, excited behavior after eating a strange cherry-like berry from a curious bush. Intrigued by their enthusiasm, the shepherd picked a basketful for himself but upon tasting the bitter fruit the shepherd tossed the entire basket into the fire in disgust.

As the fire burned away the husks of the berry and the seed, or bean, began to roast and crackle a very enticing aroma was released and the peasant herder had another idea, to infuse the roasted beans with boiling water. What was born was the world’s most popular beverage for a millennium to come.

Imagine taking a highly refined strain of the prized coffee Arabica and transplanting it in a place that had absolutely perfect conditions that were as of yet unknown to the world. The result would be an even more evolved, more refined strain of what was already the best in the world. Hawaiian coffee soon became known for its superb, rich, high-toned acidity; fruit nuance; medium to full body and complex aroma.

The Kona coast on the Big Island of Hawaii has been described as the Napa Valley of the coffee world. Kona grown Hawaiian coffee more resembles the finest Latin American coffees than that of other Pacific region coffees. Much like the Napa Valley surprised the wine world when it started producing world-class wines; Hawaii continues to surpass the expectations of connoisseurs around the world with clean, crisp, perfectly balanced coffees.

While coffee might not be the beverage of choice while relaxing on a beach in paradise, a cup of Hawaiian coffee and a little imagination might just help ease the tension of a hectic day and transport you, at least temporarily, to a place where life is much slower and your biggest problem is deciding what color of tiny-umbrella to put in your other favorite beverage.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

La Minita; Spanish for “The Little Gold Mine” says it all. La Minita is arguably the best coffee in the world and is sipped by the who’s who in the specialty coffee industry as well as by those of us who have access to it in our businesses. Similar to the wine industry, the best coffees are not always the most expensive. There are many factors involved in determining the final price of a coffee, unfortunately the quality of the bean is only one of them.

La Minita comes from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica in Central America. This region has long been known for it’s quality coffee and remains one of the finest growing regions in the world. The La Minita Estate is located at the pinnacle of this region on a spur between two rivers 5700 feet above sea level. The farm actually has several “Micro Climates” within the farm which effect the crop in different ways. The meticulous way in which coffee is grown, pruned, fertilized, shaded, and weeded all add to the final product. Long before “Organic” was popular, this farm was using machetes to cut back weeds rather than chemicals. Long before “fair trade” was popular this farm was treating it’s employees with respect, providing dental and medical resources right on the farm, paying above local scale, providing household items at below cost prices, and encouraged a coffee workers association to promote fair, safe and equitable conditions.

When the “new crop” is in, samples are taken from each of the micro growing regions on the farm and cupped to determine the years mix. The pickers start at daybreak and finish picking about noon. The days harvest is measured from each picker then at a central pick up point and again at the mill. Every La Minita coffee bean arrives at the mill the same day it is picked which is essential in producing the world’s best coffee. The milling process is more meticulous than other mills and the beans are watched at each stage of the preparation. When they have reached the point where most beans would be bagged up and exported, LaMinita enters its final stage. Every bean is looked at by trained coffee sorters who go over and over the beans removing any bean that may taint the final cup.

Unlike the other “exotic” coffees of the world, La Minita is in this category for one reason: QUALITY! I once spent a few days with a farmer from Jamaica who wanted to increase his crop. When he was told how to make his coffee better, he replied: “I can sell every bean I can grow for $17.00 a pound; all I want to do is get more production”. Unfortunately this is often the case in the exotics. Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona and other exotics demand high prices but way too often do not deliver the cup. LaMinita sells for far less than Jamaican and Kona and is always a superb coffee at a reasonable price. Visit the La Minita web site at: www.laminita.com .

This article is written by Jim Cameron without the permission of La Minita and expresses only the opinions of the Author on what he believes to be the best value coffee in the world. To purchase this coffee green to roast at home, contact: www.u-roast-em.com . To purchase this coffee roasted, contact your local coffee roaster or coffee shop.

For years, the idea of roasting your own coffee beans has been kept a mystery by the coffee roasting industry. It had been deemed “too hard” or “too complicated”. Well these are new times and the truth is out; it’s easy, fun and economical and can be done in a number of ways using items you probably already own!
There is nothing like a cup of coffee, which has been freshly roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. There are a growing number of enthusiasts who are roasting their own coffee beans and enjoying the benefits of truly fresh coffee at about one-third to one half the price of beans from your local coffee shop.
All that is needed to roast your own coffee beans at home is green coffee beans, available from a number of sources, an oven, cookie sheet, oven mitt, metal colander and a wooden spoon. Preheat your oven to 500F, spread raw beans evenly one layer deep on a cookie sheet, place on middle rack of preheated oven and watch them roast. In about 8-10 minutes there will be a crackling noise and smoke with a coffee essence. At this point the roast moves quickly and you need to pay close attention. About 2-3 minutes after the crackling, your coffee beans should be at the shade you like them. Carefully (using the oven mitt) remove the cookie sheet from the oven and pour the beans into the metal colander. Stir the beans with the wooden spoon to help cool quickly. Do this over a sink or outside, as there is chaff that comes off the beans during roasting. And remember; NEVER leave your roasting coffee beans unattended.
Almost any appliance used to pop popcorn can be used to roast coffee beans. The hot air poppers are great, however, you may want to roast outside or in your garage as they blow the chaff out and can be messy. There are a number of manufacturers of home coffee roasters, including several that use a gas grill and rotisserie.
The internet is full of sources to purchase raw beans, but you want to make certain the supplier you use knows their beans and “cups” their coffee before selling it to you (see supplier list below). Many other sources can be found using your favorite search engine. If you’re interested in using a gas grill to roast your beans there are several manufacturers of drums fitted for gas grills that work great (See suppliers below
Green, raw coffee beans last for years when properly stored. This allows you to build a collection of fine coffees to choose from as well as buy larger amounts of the great coffees and save more money. Keep your bean collection in a cool, dry place out of any direct sun light and they will last until you roast them. As coffee ages it loses acidity and becomes more mellow. Many like the rich mild cup of a coffee that has had a couple years to rest and mellow. More important than the year of the crop is the quality of the bean, the preparation at origin, transportation and warehousing in country of consumption. If all of these things are done correctly, your green coffee will last for years. Suppliers who know how to cup samples of coffee beans are able to determine if all of these criteria are done correctly before they purchase the beans.
Home roasting is one the fastest growing hobbies in the country and for good reason. It’s fun, easy, saves you money and delivers a cup of coffee like you never thought was possible. Join in the fun and start roasting your own coffee beans.
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List of reputable suppliers:
Green Coffee Beans www.u-roast-em.com
Gas Grill Roaster/conversions www.rkdrums.com
Electric countertop Roasters www.freshbeansinc.com
How to build your own roaster info@u-roast-em.com
Best book on home coffee roasting Home Coffee Roasting by: Kenneth Davids
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Jim Cameron is a 30-year veteran in the specialty coffee roasting industry. Jim has authored many articles on various aspects of the industry and traveled abroad to speak at international gatherings of coffee professionals. Semi retired, Jim now writes on the subject of roasting and makes green coffee beans available to the home roasting market at his web site: http://www.u-roast-em.com

Ever wonder how the Gevalia coffee offer works? Simply try one pound of Gevalia coffee and you receive a 12-cup programmable Gevalia coffee maker as a special gift.

Here’s how the Gevalia coffee offer works: You will be sent two ½ lb packages of the Gevalia coffee of your choice and the free Gevalia coffee maker with the understanding that you will continue to receive additional shipments approximately every six weeks.

After your introductory coffee shipment, the next shipment will arrive about one month later with the selections you have chosen in your initial shipment. Then approximately every six weeks you will receive additional shipments of four ½ lb packages of Gevalia coffee.

You may be cancel this arrangement any time after receiving your introductory shipment without obligation to accept any further shipments. The free Gevalia coffee maker is your to keep regardless of your decision. You may also choose different blends or types of coffee and change the frequency of your shipments at any time.

You will be billed each time you receive a shipment. Prices may vary and a shipping and handling charge will be added. Your satisfaction is always guaranteed and you may return any item for a complete refund.

The Gevalia coffee maker offer is only good for new members of Gevalia Kaffee. Limit one Gevalia Kaffee membership per household and other restrictions may apply.

Gevalia coffees are selected from growing regions around the world and roasted to perfection. Here are a few types of coffee that you can choose from. Gevalia Roasts are premium blends that are roasted to perfection. Eight flavored Gevalia coffees in delicious and exotic flavors. The European coffeehouse collection which are exclusive coffees inspired by some of Europe’s most celebrated coffeehouses.

You can select from whole bean, ground, caffeinated or decaffeinated. It’s easy to buy Gevalia coffee and customize it just to your satisfaction.

You get to enjoy the finest coffees in the world, delivered right to your front door. Gevalia believes that once you experience Gevalia coffee, you will become as loyal to their coffee as the Swedes have been for well over 100 years.

Take advantage of the free Gevalia coffee maker now and begin enjoying the great taste you deserve with the Gevalia coffee offer.

Mexico has a long history of coffee production as well as its Latin neighbors the south. Mexican coffee is grown mainly in the South central to Southern regions of the country. Coffee from Coatepec and Veracruz is much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in turn much different from the southernmost region of Chiapas.

The later is a growing region that borders Guatemala, and you will find similarities between those coffees. In general you can expect a light-bodied coffee, mild but with delicate flavors, but there are exceptions of course. Mexico is one of the largest producers of certified organic coffees, and because of the close proximity, most Mexican coffee is exported to the U.S.

Coffee was introduced into Mexico during the nineteenth century from Jamaica. Mexican coffee is mainly the Arabica varietal, which grows particularly well in the Pacific coastal region of Soconusco, near the Guatemalan border. In the early 1990s, the southern state of Chiapas was Mexico's most important coffee-growing area, producing some 45 percent of the annual crop of 275,000 tons.

More than 2 million Mexicans grew coffee, most barely subsisting. Seventy-five percent of Mexican coffee growers worked plots of fewer than two hectares. These small cultivators produced about 30 percent of the country's annual harvest; larger and more efficient farms produced the rest.

During the 1980s, coffee became Mexico's most valuable export crop. In 1985 coffee growers produced 4.9 million sixty-kilogram bags, and coffee exports earned $882US million at the unusually high world price of $0.90US per kilogram. Thereafter output fluctuated between 5.6 million bags and 4.4 million bags.

As international coffee prices rose further, the government in 1988 encouraged coffee growers, especially in Chiapas, to increase output and expand the area under cultivation. It tried to increase production by offering easy credit to coffee growers and by converting forested land into ejidos for cultivation by poor Mexican coffee growers.

The finest grade of Mexican coffee is "Altura," which means "high-grown." Where coffee is concerned, higher always means better, and the high-grown coffees of Mexico are considered very high-quality indeed and among the finest grown in the Americas.

Mexican coffee drinkers have a unique way of brewing their coffee, many prefer to add a small amount of cinnamon to the ground coffee before brewing, this adds a distinct flavor and also reduces the acidity.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Go Ahead---Have Some Coffee--- It’s Not JUST COFFEE Anymore!

As I sit here one the deck with my daily morning cup of coffee, I realize… just a few years ago I’d have had a cup of dark strong, stovetop brew with some milk to ease the taste. No more!! Now there’s almost every kind of coffee available that you can imagine.

Roasting Coffee at Home

First, we’ll start with the fact that you can buy green coffee beans and roast them to your liking right in you own home. One way to roast coffee beans at home is to skillet fry the beans until they are brown. They need to be cooked somewhere between 460F degrees and 530F. Beans must be kept moving so it won’t cook them unevenly. The roasting must stop at the right time and cooled down quickly. This is the old method but definitely won’t taste like today’s methods and needs proper venting.

Another way to roast coffee beans is with a hot-air corn popper. Hot-air poppers roast pretty quickly causing a bright, medium roast and strong flavored dark roasts. Giving a clear-cut taste opposite of beans roasted in a gas oven or in a stovetop popper. This may be a little easier than other methods. There is less to worry about, such as setting the temperature just right.
Although a great taste, there is a down side to using these poppers. First of all only not all poppers are designed to roast coffee. You should only use the ones with the proper roasting chambers. This way makes a less amount each time than other methods. Roasting with the popper will also cause smoke to be more difficult to vent. Most of these poppers can be used to make French or Espresso coffee, which is darker but are not recommended. This may cause your popper to be over worked and shorten its life.

Roasting beans in a gas oven was also popular. You could roast more at a time and the oven did the venting for you. Just set the ovens temperature like baking. This had to be a much easier way and the results were rather good. Don’t forget, the timing and cooling process for all roasting is very important and may be different in other blends to achieving the goal for a great cup of coffee.

The only way you are going to find out which technique you might enjoy to use is to find a whole bean coffee roasted style that you already like, then try to make it yourself at home. Do a little experimenting!

Brewing Methods

Next let’s move on to the many different brewing methods. There are several different ways in which to brew coffee. Before you choose a coffee maker you need to understand first what you demand out of the machine. It will be a question only the person using it can answer. Let’s examine the differences a little closer.

The filter drip is the most popular method used to brew coffee because it is easy to operate and consistent. Water is poured in a chamber where it is heated and slowly poured over the ground coffee. This can be done two ways. It can be electronically dripped or manually poured over the grounds. Some electric machines can be preset to have the coffee ready for you when you wake up in the morning. Others may prefer the taste of hand-brewed coffee for a different flavor.

The French drip is another form of drip coffee making, which is made without paper filters. A separate top sits above the porcelain coffee pot and acts as the strainer as the water soaks into the grounds. Working its way through the strainer, coffee liquid makes its way to the bottom pot for hot steaming coffee.

The Percolator was the preferred way to make coffee in the 1950's. Now coffee drinkers see the light that the coffee made this way was thin, watery and bitter. Most people may remember it by the perking pot and the aroma it gave off.

The Neapolitan flip device is made up of two segment. The whole product comes in aluminum, copper or stainless steel. An area in between the two segments holds the coffee grounds. The lower part is poured with water and put directly on the stovetop to heat. While boiling the steam goes through a hole under the grounds. After that, the pot is removed from the stove, flipped over to drip the water on the grounds, which go into the serving pot. The down side to this is that it only makes about 3 or 4 cups per serving.

There are two different types of espresso makers, stovetop and household electric counter top model. A nice characteristic about the counter top model is it can steam milk for cappuccino and latte’s. Stovetop on the other hand have two parts similar to the Neapolitan flip method only no flipping needed.

French Press is a trendy European way that allows for more oils and coffee solids that give you a cup of coffee with a lovely smell and has a dense body. More of your strong coffee drinkers would prefer this technique. Although good and strong, some grounds may enter the coffee during process.
Vacuum procedures are more involved and are used for ceremonies mostly by the Japanese. They are rare and very hard to find.

The Middle Eastern way is popular of course in the Middle East and also Greece and Turkey. Their form of making coffee is also very different and comes out to be dark, thick and syrupy tasting. Because it is so rich, one or two cups a day would probably be all I could drink.

Last but not least on the list, the cold water method simply soaking the coffee grinds in cold water for about a day, straining the grounds, and storing the liquid in a refrigerator for a few weeks. When you want a cup, boil some water and add liquid to desired taste.

Makes a rather mild cup for those of you who like it that way.

If you’re not into roasting the beans yourself, your choices are still many. Coffee manufacturers have given us an almost unending list of different blends and flavors. How the coffee’s ground after its roasted will have a major effect on the taste of the coffee. There are regular, coarse and finely ground coffees.

The taste is also affected by the combination of the type of coffee used. The two categories of trees from which the coffee beans come from are called Arabica and Robusta. The Arabica is a milder coffee and the Robusta a much stronger coffee.

Another important addition to the coffee world has been the addition of many flavorings, and flavored creamers. If you haven’t browsed through coffee selections lately, you owe it to your taste buds to check out the many varieties and flavors of coffee.

When we think of Spanish coffee we tend to think of a steaming mug of coffee with rum or other alcohol and topped with whipped cream, but the Spanish influence on the coffee industry reaches much further than the bar in a ski lodge.

Spanish ships carried coffee plants and seeds to many remote areas of the world where coffee was not native but soon became central growing hubs. Descendants of Spanish conquistadors settled in Central and South America where they created huge plantations for growing Spanish coffee.

Coffee originally came to Spain with Turkish immigrants. Not much, if any, coffee was actually grown in Spain but they developed a method for roasting that produces very dark, almost black oily beans that make very strong coffee that is known as Spanish Roast, or Dark French Roast.

Spanish coffee growers in Latin America accounted for nearly half of all the coffee exported; however, most Spanish coffee served in Spain comes from Angola and Mozambique and is roasted dark to bring out the full flavor.

Coffeehouses in Spain are usually elaborate, elegant gathering places with high ceilings, ornate furniture and waiters in white shirts and black ties. The customers are appropriately dressed and the atmosphere is somewhat reserved. Spanish coffee houses are quite different from other regions of the world where a casual, informal environment would be expected.

Early Arabic coffee traders tended to gouge the Spanish coffee merchants on pricing and the result was the highest priced cup of coffee in Europe. Portugal, Spain’s neighbor, had colonies in several coffee growing regions in Africa and sold coffee to the Spain at more reasonable prices, however the quality was not as good and some importers chose to pay the higher prices for the Arabian coffee.

Whether the Spaniards were the first to add alcohol to coffee is unknown, but this practice is very common in Spanish coffee houses even in the morning hours so it is possible. The familiar drink on cold afternoons does have its origin in the rich and elegant coffeehouses of Spain.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Go Ahead…Have Some Coffee…

Many of us rely on coffee to get us going in the mornings, wake us up in the afternoons, and prepare us for that special business meeting. Go ahead, have a cup of coffee. It’s much healthier than you may be thinking right now.

Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world. No matter where you go, coffee is usually available. Yet, until recently there’s been very little research on the effects of coffee on our health. The researcher’s are waking up however. There have recently been studies completed on a variety of health benefits to drinking that simply delicious cup of coffee.

In a study in Italy, it was proven that that brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. When compared to other caffeine containing beverages like tea and cocoa, coffee proved to be the best in helping to prevent disease.

Caffeine in Coffee - Good or Bad?

The caffeine in coffee has often been a source of concern for many. Most people have problems sleeping when they drink coffee right before bedtime. Others will drink coffee to give them that boost of energy caffeine provides. Some even feel their heart rate increase if they drink too much coffee.

Did you know there are also benefits to the caffeine found in coffee?

Coffee intake (due to the caffeine) was associated with a significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, independently of other possible confounding variables. These results, with future prospective studies, may have a major impact on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Another benefit of drinking coffee has been studied in China. Their research clinically proved the caffeine in coffee helps to prevent Parkinson’s disease. Many of us have been led to believe that caffeine is bad for us. True enough, large quantities may hurt us, but the evidence is strong for the benefits it provides.

Coffee -- Healthy Tonic for the Liver?

Studies completed in Japan indicated that people who drink more than a cup of coffee a day are less likely to develop liver cancer than those who do not, Japanese researchers say. Coffee also helped lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver. Chlorogenic acid present in coffee beans has been proven in studies to also reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Harvard Medical School completed a study in 2004 that strongly suggest coffee has preventative qualities for Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. The authors found an inverse association between coffee intake and type 2 diabetes after adjustment for age, body mass index, and other risk factors. Total caffeine intake from coffee and other sources was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for diabetes in both men and women. These data suggest that long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes.

Coffee and Physical Fitness

The amounts of water, carbohydrate and salt that athletes are advised to consume during exercise are based upon their effectiveness in preventing both fatigue as well as illness due to hyperthermia, dehydration or hyperhydration.

The old issues concerning coffee and caffeine were that it acts as a diuretic, thus causing more fluid loss during activity. Studies have caused researchers to re think this point. These studies suggest that consuming caffeine does not have this effect and can even have beneficial effects on keeping the body fit.

Caffeine does not improve maximal oxygen capacity directly, but could permit the athlete to train at a greater power output and/or to train longer. It has also been shown to increase speed and/or power output in simulated race conditions. These effects have been found in activities that last as little as 60 seconds or as long as 2 hours.

There is less information about the effects of caffeine on strength; however, recent work suggests no effect on maximal ability, but enhanced endurance or resistance to fatigue. There is no evidence that caffeine ingestion before exercise leads to dehydration, ion imbalance, or any other adverse effects.

What about the negative effects of coffee?

Coffee is enjoyed as a drink by millions of people worldwide. It contains caffeine, which is a mild stimulant, and in many people coffee enhances alertness, concentration and performance. Although it contains a wide variety of substances, it is generally accepted that caffeine is responsible for many of coffee's physiological effects. Because caffeine influences the central nervous system in a number of ways and because a small number of people may be particularly sensitive to these effects, some people have attributed coffee to all sorts of health problems.

Caffeine is not recognized as a drug of abuse and there is no evidence for caffeine dependence. Some particularly sensitive people may suffer mild symptoms of withdrawal after sudden abstention from coffee drinking. A 150ml cup of instant coffee contains about 60mg caffeine, filtered coffee slightly more; for those who like coffee but are sensitive to caffeine, the decaffeinated beverage contains only 3mg per cup.

Coffee drinking can help asthma sufferers by improving ventilatory function.

There is no evidence that coffee drinking is a risk for the development of cancer. For several types of cancer there is disagreement between studies but again, other aspects of lifestyle may be implicated. There is even a strong suggestion that coffee may have a protective effect against colon cancer. A possible explanation may lie in the many antioxidant substances present in coffee and which are currently subjects of active research.

In some sensitive individuals, ingestion of coffee after a period of abstinence may cause a temporary rise in blood pressure but there is no hypertensive effect in the long term. Coffee made by the Scandinavian method of boiling or by the cafetiere method may cause mild elevation of plasma cholesterol concentration in some people, but instant, filter coffee, and liquid coffee extract have no such effects. Overall there is no influence of coffee drinking on heart disease risk.

There is no sound scientific evidence that modest consumption of coffee has any effects on outcomes of pregnancy or on the wellbeing of the child. Bone health is not affected by coffee drinking. Adverse effects in some published studies have been attributed to aspects of lifestyle that are often shared by coffee drinkers, such as smoking and inactivity. Coffee drinking can help asthma sufferers by improving ventilatory function.

There is no reason for people who are prone to ulcers to avoid coffee.

Research continues and must be subjected to critical scrutiny and re-evaluation. At the present time, there is no reason to forego the pleasurable experience of moderate coffee drinking for health reasons

Coffee - THE Drink of Choice

Did you know coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world. How did coffee get this ranking? What country first figured out coffee was safe for consumption? When was the first drink of coffee prepared? Where did the first coffee shop come in being?

There are many questions about the starting point of drinking coffee. It has been so long ago no one really knows all the facts. But, one thing is for sure, coffee is the most consumed beverage on the planet.

In the Beginning

It looks as if the first trace came out of Abyssinia and was also sporadically in the vicinity of the Red Sea around seven hundred AD. Along with these people, other Africans of the same period also have a history of using the coffee berry pulp for more than one occasion like rituals and even for health.
Coffee began to get more attention when the Arabs began cultivating it in their peninsulas around eleven hundred AD. It is speculated that trade ships brought the coffee their way. The Arabs started making a drink that became quite popular called gahwa--- meaning to prevent sleep. Roasting and boiling the bean was how they made this drink. It became so popular among the Arabs that they made it their signature Arabian wine and it was used a lot during rituals.
After the coffee bean was found to be a great wine and a medicine, someone discovered in Arabia that you could also make a different dark, delicious drink out of the beans. This happened somewhere around twelve hundred AD. After that it didn’t take long and everyone in Arabia was drinking coffee. Everywhere these people traveled the coffee went with them. It made its way around to India, North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, and was then cultivated to a great extent in Yemen around fourteen hundred AD.
Other countries would have gladly welcomed these beans if only the Arabs had let them. The Arabs killed the seed-germ making sure no one else could grow the coffee if taken elsewhere. Heavily guarding their plants, Yemen is where the main source of coffee stayed for several hundred years. Even with their efforts, the beans were eventually smuggled out by pilgrims and travelers.
Coffee Shops Appear
Around 1475 the first coffee shop opens in Constantinople called Kiv Han two years after coffee was introduced to Turkey, in 1554 two coffee houses open there. People came pouring in to socialize, listen to music, play games and of course drink coffee. Some often called these places in Turkey the “school of the wise”, because you could learn so much by just visiting the coffee house and listening to conversations.

In the sixteen hundreds coffee enters Europe through the port of Venice. The Turkish warriors also brought the drink to Balkans, Spain, and North Africa. Not too much later the first coffee house opens in Italy.
There were plenty of people also trying to ban coffee. Such as Khair Beg a governor of Mecca who was executed and Grand Vizir of the Ottoman Empire who successfully closed down many coffee houses in Turkey. Thankfully not everyone thought this way.

Coffee Tips Arrive

In the early sixteen hundreds coffee is presented to the New World by man named John Smith. Later in that century, the first coffee house opens in England. Coffee houses or “penny universities” charged a penny for admission and for a cup of coffee. The word "TIPS" (for service) has it’s origin from an English coffee house.

Early in the 17th century, Edward Lloyd's coffee house opens in England. The Dutch became the first to commercially transport coffee. The first Parisian café opens in 1713 and King Louis XIV is presented with a lovely coffee tree. Sugar is first used as an addition to coffee in his court.

The America’s Have Coffee

Coffee plants were introduced in the Americas for development. By close to the end of the seventeen hundreds, 1,920 million plants are grown on the island.

Evidently the eighteen hundreds were spent trying to find better methods to make coffee.

The “Brew” in the 20th Century

New methods to help brewing coffee start popping up everywhere. The first commercial espresso machine is developed in Italy. Melitta Bentz makes a filter using blotting paper. Dr. Ernest Lily manufactures the first automatic espresso machine. The Nestle Company invents Nescafe instant coffee. Achilles Gaggia perfects the espresso machine.
Hills Bros. begins packing roasted coffee in vacuum tins eventually ending local roasting shops and coffee mills. A Japanese-American chemist named Satori Kato from Chicago invents the first soluble “instant” coffee.

German coffee importer Ludwig Roselius turns some ruined coffee beans over to researchers, who perfected the process of removing caffeine from the beans without destroying the flavor. He sells it under the name Sanka. Sanka is introduced in the United States in 1923.

George Constant Washington an English chemist living in Guatemala, is interested in a powdery condensation forming on the spout of his silver coffee flask. After checking into it, he creates the first mass-produced instant coffee which is his brand name called Red E Coffee.

Prohibition goes into effect in United States. Coffee sales suddenly increase.
Brazil asked Nestle to help find a solution to their coffee surpluses so the Nestle Company comes up with freeze-dried coffee. Nestle also made Nescafe and introduced it to Switzerland.

Other Interesting Tidbits

Today the US imports 70 percent of the world’s coffee crop.
During W.W.II, American soldiers were issued instant Maxwell House coffee in their ration kits.

In Italy, Achilles Gaggia perfects his espresso machine. The name Cappuccino comes from the resemblance of its color to the robes of the monks of the Capuchin order.

One week before Woodstock, the Manson family murders coffee heiress Abigail Folger as she visits with her friend Sharon Tate in the home of filmmaker Roman Polanski.

Starbuck’s Hits the Coffee World
Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle's Pike Place public market in 1971. This creates madness over fresh-roasted whole bean coffee.
Coffee finally becomes the world's most popular beverage. More than 450 billion cups are sold each year by 1995.

The Current Coffee Trends

Now in the 21st century we have many different styles, grinds, and flavors of coffee. We have really come a long way even with our coffee making machines. There’s no sign of coffee consumption decreasing. Researchers are even finding many health benefits to drinking coffee. Drink and enjoy!

In Nicaragua coffee cultivation began early but it did not dominate the economy as in Guatemala and El Salvador. Coffee cultivation began in the lands in the southern uplands in earnest in the 1860’s where the transition from other commercial agricultural endeavors was smooth. But the prime coffee growing lands in Nicaragua turned out to be in the north central highlands, where Indians owned most of the land, and a familiar course of action that was taking place in other growing areas of the world was about to ensue.

That was the systematic elimination of native populations that stood between the coffee barons and huge profits from coffee experts. These coffee wars were often very bloody and lasted for years. Those that weren’t killed were enslaved to work the plantations on what was once their own land. In 1881 several thousand Indians revolted and attacked the government headquarters in Matagalpa and demanded an end to the forced labor.

The Nicaragua Army suppressed the revolt killing over a thousand natives. Nevertheless, the resistance remained strong for many years and coffee growing in Nicaragua was dangerous business. Many top growers and government officials were assassinated by resistance fighters.

The U.S. government even sent troops to Nicaragua to protect U.S. interests as the U.S. was considering building a canal there to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, after securing rights for the canal in Panama, the U.S. was not as eager to provide support and as a result the coffee industry stagnated compared to other Central American nations.

Most of the political unrest in Nicaragua was centered around the coffee industry and government corruption that involved catering to the businessmen that wanted the prime highlands for growing coffee. The unrest continued well into the twentieth century and in 1979 the Sandinista resistance fighters led a revolt against the longtime president Anastasio Somaza Jr. The entire country rallied behind the Sandinistas and Somaza fled Nicaragua.

The Sandinistas took over and promised a better life for all including the coffee growers and Indian laborers. Although they knew very little about the coffee business they did manage to turn the country, and the Nicaragua coffee industry around.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

The history of Jamaican coffee begins half a world away in France in 1723 when King Louis XV sent three coffee plants to the French colony of Martinique, some 1200 miles to the SW of Jamaica. Five years later in 1728 the governor of Jamaica, Sir Nicholas Lawes, received one coffee plant as a gift from the Governor of Martinique. The plant took root with vigor and only nine years later, in 1737, coffee exportation began with an initial shipment of 83,000 lbs. The Jamaican coffee industry was born.

Coffee plants thrive in the naturally potash, nitrogen and phosphoric acid rich soil of Jamaica. Coffee trees prefer high altitudes and are perfectly suited for the mountain slopes that are otherwise unsuitable for the other agricultural endeavors such as sugar cane, banana, cocoa and citrus, none of which, interestingly, are native to the island yet vital to the economy of Jamaica.

Coffee is grown in all parts of the island and at all elevations, however, the finest Jamaican coffee comes from an area on the eastern side of the island, just north of Kingston in the Blue Mountains known, appropriately enough, as the Blue Mountain Region. Coffee grown outside the Blue Mountain Region is referred to as Jamaican High Mountain, which is comparable in body and balance but tends to be a bit more acidic to the refined tastes of the connoisseur. Lower grown coffees are referred to as Blue Mountain Valley coffees, they are medium bodied, delicate to bland in flavor and rather rich in acid.

Many Jamaican coffee brands claim their product is Jamaican Blue Mountain but in fact may be a Jamaican High Mountain or even a Blue Mountain Valley variety and is only milled within the boundaries of the Blue Mountain Region.

True Jamaican Blue Mountain coffees are full-bodied, moderately acidy and richly complex, though occasionally marred by a slight mustiness, which is characteristic of many Caribbean coffees.

The Jamaican coffee market has had its share of setbacks from worker shortages around the turn of the 20th century to the complete shut down of production for two years due to hurricane devastation in 1988. Early in the exportation of Jamaican coffee, Canada was the largest consumer with over 60% of all coffee exports bound for this country. In 1943 the Canadian government declared the quality of Jamaican coffee unacceptable and stopped all importation.

In 1944 the Jamaican government established the Central Coffee Clearing House, where all coffee bound for export was cleaned, inspected and graded, in an attempt to raise the standard of Jamaican coffee. In 1950 the Jamaican coffee growers established their own governing body, the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, to improve and maintain the quality and reputation of Jamaican coffee.

The JCIB successfully accomplished its goal through setting and enforcing standards for growing, harvesting, processing and marketing of its product. Today, Jamaican coffee is known for its high-quality. Annual production of Jamaican coffee stands around 6,600,000 lbs. of which about 85% is exported to Japan. The remaining 15% is distributed mostly between the U.S. and the U.K. gourmet specialty markets where it can fetch up to US$40/lb.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Does your morning coffee cause you pain? Are you frustrated when
a night out dining with friends ends in discomfort instead of
relaxed conversation? Do you carry antacids with you every day?

Heartburn is more than just a nuisance. It can detract from
enjoying a meal, force you to change your routine and hang over
your every decision - what to eat, what to drink, when to lay
down.

What is this monkey on your back and how can you find relief?

WHAT CAUSES HEARTBURN?

Heartburn occurs when the acid content of the stomach makes its
way back into the esophagus. A burning sensation and even a
bitter taste are experienced by heartburn sufferers.

If you are suffering more than twice a week you may have acid
reflux disease - also known as GERD. Why is this important?

Not all heartburn is caused by GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux
disease). Occasional heartburn can be caused by a variety of
factors but if you have regular episodes there are things you can
do to help.

WHAT CAN I DO?

If you have regular heartburn the first thing you should do is
stay away from regular use of antacids. Antacids can relieve the
pain of occasional heartburn, but because they are designed to
neutralize the acids in your stomach they can cause the stomach
to create MORE acid - a cycle called 'acid rebound'. Some
medications can also cause diarrhea or constipation or even
increase the risk of food poisoning by inhibiting the growth of
good bacteria.

Watch out for trigger foods such as caffeine, alcohol, citrus,
chocolate, minty, spicy or tomato-based foods as well as fatty or
fried foods, onions or garlic.

Being overweight or smoking also increases the risk of GERD and
lifestyle changes may help to control the symptoms.

Activities such as lying down after a meal, bending forward,
lifting heavy items or eating large meals can bring acid reflux
on. Avoiding these activities after a meal, eating smaller
portions and raising the head of your bed several inches may
help.

Some natural products such as orange peel extract are being
researched for their abilities to curb heartburn.

WHO IS AT RISK?

Anyone. But it should be noted that pregnant women, children,
overweight individuals and smokers are all likely candidates.

Young babies have immature digestive systems. National Digestive
Diseases (NDDIC) says that most children outgrow GERD by the time
they are one year old. However, because the symptoms are painful
precautions like frequent burping and keeping the infant upright
for 30 minutes after eating can reduce the occurrence.

Older children may have to take similar precautions in diet and
activity as adults. You should always consult your doctor when
you suspect GERD to avoid future complications.

Being overweight or pregnant increases the pressure in the
abdomen. 25% of pregnant women experience heartburn at some time
during their pregnancy.

If you suspect GERD it is important to contact your doctor as
there can be harmful side effects of persistent heartburn
including scaring of the esophagus, asthma, erosion of the teeth
and even increased risk of esophageal cancer. Frequent,
persistent heartburn can also be a symptom of other serious
conditions and should be checked on by a professional.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.

Here are some facts about the relationship between coffee and asthma. Regular coffee drinkers have about 1/3 less asthma symptoms than those of non-coffee drinkers according to a Harvard researcher who studied 20,000 people.

For the past several years, many experts have touted how horrible coffees were for our health and that the drinking of caffeinated coffee should be immediately ceased. Recently, however, several studies have shown that caffeinated coffee can actually be extremely good for people. One of the groups of people who can reap health benefits from drinking caffeinated coffee is those people who suffer from asthma.

In particular, drinking caffeinated coffee in the situation of an emergency onset of asthma can allow the patient to breathe easily. Doctors have recommended coffee as an emergency way of treating asthma patients who find themselves with a sudden onset and no medication for many, many years.

In Scotland, as evidenced by the Edinburgh Medical Journal, asthma and coffee are good for each other. While not recommended for exclusive treatment, one to two cups of stron coffee may help open airways.

This coffee and asthma treatment can help a patient who is suffering from an onset of asthma symptoms and finds himself without an inhaler breathe more easily until the inhaler can be obtained. This emergency treatment has proven extremely effective due to the similarities between caffeine and a tried-and-true asthma medication known as theophylline.

The similarities between these two chemicals lead doctors to routinely advise patients who are about to undergo tests for lung function to avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages for one to two days prior to the time of the test.

Several large coffee and asthma studies conducted in the past few years have examined the relationship between drinking coffee and the prevalence of asthma. A study of over seventy thousand Italians showed that there was a significant reduction in the appearance of asthma amongst patients who would regularly drink coffee.

The risk of asthma symptoms fell by 28% when patients drank three or more cups of coffee every day.

In 1992, the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) examined over twenty thousand Americans. The study found that the risk of symptoms from patients with asthma going into the study fell dramatically (over 29%) when patients who regularly drank coffee were compared with patients who did not drink coffee on a regular basis.

In addition, the risk of patients suffering from wheeze fell almost 13%. A relationship was also found between the amount of coffee consumed and the effects gained by the asthma patients. Those who drank more coffee had fewer symptoms; those who drank less coffee had more symptoms.

Another smaller coffee and asthma study was performed on nine adult asthmatics using four daily doses of caffeine similar to the doses contained in coffee. This study showed a dose response effect of caffeine on forced expiratory volume (FEV), forced expiratory flow (FEF) and specific airway conductance (Gaw/VL). This data also suggests that caffeine is an effective tool to use in opening airways during an onset of asthma.

While doctors will never advise drinking coffee as the sole treatment for asthma as they did hundreds of years ago, they do agree that the caffeine found in coffee is particularly beneficial in an emergency situation. Anecdotal evidence shows that people have used coffee in situations where inhalers were completely unavailable, such as when on vacations and on an airplane. Coffees are particularly useful in these situations, as the patients might otherwise suffer serious consequences due to their inability to breathe properly.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

When you grab that morning cup of java, you’re probably not thinking of it as an antidepressant. You’re just trying to get that morning pick me up to get your day going.

However, recent studies have shown that java really does function as an antidepressant, raising the spirits of people who regularly drink the stuff. It acts on the central nervous system and has mild antidepressant effects.

Coffee and depression studies have found that drinking coffee reduced the rate of suicide in the large demographic populations observed.

The first coffee and depression study that raised the topic of java as an antidepressant was done in 1993. In this study, a Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program study of 128,934 nurses found that java drinkers were significantly less likely to commit suicide than nondrinkers.

This Nurse’s Health Study on coffee and depression did not go so far as to establish a causal relationship between java drinking and the drop in the suicide rate. The study stated that it could be that the coffee itself had little to do with it, but that people who drink coffee share other characteristics that make them less likely to commit suicide.

A second study on coffee and depression, however, confirmed these controversial findings and went farther as to state that it was the coffee that dropped the suicide rate. This study was especially noteworthy, as it was large-scale and adjusted for a wide range of other factors.

Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1996, the study followed more than 86,000 registered nurses in the United States between 34 and 59 years of age for ten years. Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, an epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School who led this study, looked at the data from the Kaiser Permanente study hoping to discount their findings.

Instead of what he expected to find, he confirmed the original study’s results with his own: using coffee as an antidepressant reduced the suicide rate in these nurses.

Dr. Kawachi discovered that the nurses he studied who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were one-third less likely to commit suicide as those who didn't drink any.

The nurses who drank more than four cups a day were 58% less likely to commit suicide than their colleagues who drank less. The coffee and depression study of female nurses found eleven suicides among those who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day, compared with twenty-one cases of suicide among those who said they almost never drank coffee.

However, Dr. Kawachi and others aren’t ready yet to use coffee as an antidepressant for clinical depression. At the minimum, Dr. Kawachi says that his study shows that drinking lots of coffee can’t be bad for your health.

Psychiatrists point out that people must understand that depression isn’t simply a state of mind; it is a very serious medical issue that cannot be resolved simply by drinking coffee.

And cardiologists, while they recommend to their patients with heart and other health problems to steer clear of caffeine, know that it’s not good for a patient’s mental health to do so immediately in a cold turkey manner. Instead, they recommend bringing down the coffee consumption gradually in order to avoid a severe state of depression due to the drop in caffeine and other antidepressants in coffee.

Whether it is the caffeine or something else, coffee does seem to have at least a mild antidepressant effect. The caffeine in coffee may have mood-elevating actions through effects on neurotransmitters such as dopamine and acetylcholine.

It is also possible that coffee drinking has social effects, such as increasing personal contacts and time spent socializing, that might reduce thoughts of suicide.

Reference: Kawachi, I., et al., "A prospective study of coffee drinking and suicide in women," Arch Intern Med (1996), 156(5):521-25

Many gallstones studies over the last twenty years have hinted at a relationship between consuming caffeinated coffee and a reduced risk of these issues, including cirrhosis of the liver, colorectal cancer, and gastrointestinal health.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, Norway, recently did a study of the correlation between coffee consumption and gallstones health; specifically, they evaluated the mortality rate from cirrhosis of the liver.

When the researchers looked at those who died from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, there was no benefit to drinking coffee.
However, for those who suffered from cirrhosis of the liver not related to alcohol, drinking coffee reduced the effects of the liver cirrhosis.

When the Department of Medicine at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (Northern California Region) in Oakland, California, did their study, they recognized that most heavy drinkers do not develop alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and other gastrointestinal disorders.

The researchers found that those patients who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had one-fifth the risk of cirrhosis of the liver as non-coffee and tea drinkers.

This relationship remained constant even when weighed against other risk factors such as other gastrointestinal health issues. The Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary in Canada examined the relationship of coffee consumption with various gastrointestinal cancers, including bladder, colon, and rectal.

The study was unable to find any correlation between coffee or tea consumption and bladder or rectal cancer. However, the study again found that drinking five or more cups of coffee daily significantly reduced the risk of colon cancer.

This was especially pronounced with cancer of the proximal colon rather than the distal colon. The Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri in Milan, Italy, choose to look at a different gastrointestinal health issue, colorectal cancer.

They reviewed twenty-five studies published between 1990 and 2003 to try to determine any sort of statistical relationship between drinking coffees or tea and colorectal cancer. The analysis concluded that there was no benefit to drinking either decaffeinated coffees or any kind of tea.

However, drinking caffeinated coffees repeatedly was shown to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, regardless of any demographic biases.

This same facility also looked at the relationship between coffee consumption and cancers of the bladder, pancreas, colon, and rectum in a separate epidemiological study.

They found that, despite the highly publicized accounts to the contrary, the higher risk of bladder cancer for coffee drinkers is negligible and a relationship could not be found with either amount of coffees consumed or length of time over which it was consumed.

This was also true for pancreatic cancer; a study in 1981 showed a possible association with coffee consumption, but most studies since then have not shown a statistically significant relationship.

This study also showed that coffee consumption reduced the risk of colorectal cancer, particularly cancer centered in the colon.

The Department of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, also did a statistical analysis of twelve published articles pertaining to the relationship between coffee consumption and the reduced risk of colorectal cancer. This analysis determined that the lower risk of colorectal cancer due to coffees was particularly observed in studies from Asia, Northern and Southern Europe, and North America.

While the analysis could not definitively state that there is a relationship due to the difference in the ways the various studies were conducted, the results did indicate as previously published that coffee consumption lowered the risk of colorectal cancer.

The Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at the possible relationship between coffees consumption and gallstones.

The researchers particularly examined the relationship between cholecystectomy, a surrogate of symptomatic gallstone disease, and coffees consumption in women. Over twenty years, over 80,000 women were studied to watch for various gastrointestinal health issues.

The researchers found that drinking caffeinated coffees reduced the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in women. The same institute also studied this same relationship between coffees consumption and gastrointestinal health issues in men. Over 46,000 men were surveyed.

This study found that increasing the intake of caffeinated coffees (four or more cups daily) decreased the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease. In total, these studies have shown that there may be some relationship between the consumption of caffeinated coffees and the reduction of risk of several gastrointestinal health issues.

These studies showed that there is a significant probability of benefit with regards to cirrhosis of the liver, colorectal cancer, and gallstones. There was not enough data to conclusively state the same about other cancers, including that of the bladder and pancreas.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

A gift basket loaded with gourmet coffee and snacks is a present sure to be appreciated by coffee connoisseur and college students alike. Coffee gift baskets are available with both decaf, for those who enjoy the flavor, and regular coffee, for the caffeine addicts you know.

Coffee gift baskets often come with not only coffee, but cookies, biscotti, and other treats. In addition, many include mugs or other coffee related items such as canisters or grinders. If your recipient has a preferred brand of coffee, such as Gevalia or Starbucks, you are in luck! Many premium coffee brands are available in gift baskets.

For college students, look for a coffee gift basket that includes instant coffee products that require only the addition of hot water since they may not have access to a coffee maker to brew ground coffee. For coffee lovers that preferred brewed coffee but don.t have a coffee maker, look for a gift basket that includes a small French press.

Coffee gift baskets are available in a variety of sizes and price ranges, making them perfect for office birthdays, college care packages, and even gifts to the whole family. Smaller gift baskets are often available for under $20 and include a couple varieties of coffee and treats, and often a mug or other small item. Larger gift baskets range in price to around $150 and include a wide variety of coffee and goodies in larger quantities, and may also include a full set of mugs or canisters.

For those that don't like coffee, there are also hot chocolate gift baskets and tea gift baskets available. They are similar to the coffee gift basket, except for the focal beverage. They are available in the same sizes and price ranges, and many of the extras are similar as well.

A coffee gift basket is a great gift for any occasion and sure to be appreciated by the coffee lovers in your life. It.s a nice way to let someone special know you are thinking of them.

Coffee Shop Diners a thing of the past? Nah! Drive down US Route 40 or Route 66 through America, and you’ll see gleaming, stainless steel diners in almost every town and city. These restaurants may seem like a relic of a bygone era, but they almost always have cars outside and people inside. How can it be possible that such places still hold a piece of the American Dream? No one really knows, but after almost 150 years, coffee shop diners are still a strong piece of Americana.

The classic coffee shop diner got its start back in 1858 when a man by the name of Walter Scott started selling sandwiches to people in Providence, Rhode Island. By the late 1800’s, diner owners bought old, decommissioned street cars and turned them into diners, adding a counter, some stools and a kitchen.

Then came the 1950’s, and diners were transformed into a form recognized today – lots of stainless steel, large windows, and art deco décor.

Over the past fifty years, diners have disappeared and changed hands many times over. Journalists have frequently extolled about the impending loss of the diner. But it never seemed to happen.

Instead, the diners keep going year after year, with new owners serving the same great customers and travelers who are just passing through.

Today, coffee shops and diners are located in towns and cities, airports and bus and train stations. Most offer a fairly large menu with a wide variety of standard American food--chicken, hamburgers, eggs, bacon, and pancakes.

Most still prominently feature a counter with stools in addition to tables where waitresses take your order. A large number of these diners are in major metropolitan areas and stay open 24 hours a day, offering cheap food at all hours of the day and night. They’re frequented by people of every walk of life.

But why have these pieces of Americana lasted nearly 150 years? Maybe it’s their inexpensive but tasty menus. Although some people coin coffee shop diners “greasy spoons,” the food is normally far from greasy and can actually be quite good.

When you walk into a diner, there’s a sense of welcome and community. There isn’t an ounce of pretension; it’s just classic American food and people. And don’t forget the bottomless pots of coffees, just waiting to top off your cup.

Coffee shop diners are best known for their coffees and breakfast fares. Don’t stop by a diner expecting to order a Grande Mocha Hazelnut Latte, No Sugar and Skim Milk, without being laughed out the door.

Their coffees are served fresh and hot and black. If you want cream and/or sugar, check your table for the little packets. Breakfast is usually served round the clock, and it’s not made up of croissants and pastries.

It’s a classic American breakfast – eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and everything else that makes breakfast the best meal of the day.

Most diners are family owned and operated, with Mom & Pop behind the counter taking orders and filling plates.

This helps lend to the homey, comfy feel of the diners. No one is a stranger, even if you’re just passing through. Expect to hear stories bandied about as people guzzle their coffee and savor their meals.

When it comes right down to it, coffee shop diners are a throwback to days gone by. By stepping in the door, you feel like you may have been transported back in time.

As you toss back your coffee, you feel the warmth of the place seep into your bones and know that this is what Americana is all about.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

As researchers learn more about antioxidants with health and disease, they increasingly find themselves drawn to their influence on overall health. With them becoming an ever larger realm of study, people are looking for new ways to obtain high levels for them to be beneficial. Since coffees are one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, it was natural for researchers to test coffee.

Surprisingly, they found that some coffees have extremely high levels. The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Pavia in Italy studied the antioxidants present in the green and dark roasted coffees Coffee Arabica and Coffee robusta. They found that all of the studied coffees showed a strong presence of them and also antiradical activity.

There was no difference found between the green and dark roasted coffee, indicating that the roasting process did not damage the natural presence in the coffee beans.

The School of Food Bio Sciences at The University of Reading, Whiteknights in Reading, United Kingdom looked at the effects of roasting coffee and if that negatively affects the presence of it in the bean.

They studied Colombian Arabica coffee that was roasted to light, medium, and dark roast. The researchers found that the maximum detioxification activity was found in the medium roasted coffee. This was in contrast to the previously held belief that dark roasts were higher in antioxidative content due to their darker color.

When the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, studied the activity in caffeinated beverages, they were particularly interested in seeing what kind of levels were present in coffees and other beverages when served at standard conditions. The amounts were found to be higher in coffee than in cocoa or tea.

They found that the addition of milk to the coffee, as taken by many people worldwide, did not alter the activity of the antioxidant. The researchers also looked into the link between the type of beans for the coffee and the degree of roasting to see if either had any influence on the activity of the ratio. They found that Robusta coffees that were served green had twice the level of antioxidants than Arabica coffees.

However, beyond this difference, the roasting of the coffee had little significant influence on the antioxidants.

Investigating brewed coffees to assess the benefit in levels was the key to a recent study done at the Department of Environmental Toxicology at the University of California in Davis, Calfornia. Even after sitting for fifteen and thirty days, the brewed coffees exhibited exceptionally high levels of antioxoidants.

With the American population aging rapidly, diseases that affect the health of the elderly are becoming increasingly important. The prevalence of these conditions is increasing and is costing both insurers and taxpayers billions of dollars each year. One of the most widely-known such conditions is Alzheimers disease, which is a condition that affects the neurological health of the afflicted patient. Several studies have been done recently to determine whether there is a valid link between drinking coffee and reduction in the risk of Alzheimers disease.

In mid-2002, a hospital clinic in Portagul investigated to see if there was a link between drinking coffee and the reduction of the risk of developing Alzheimers disease. In particular, the researchers sought to determine if the caffeine in coffee could protect against the degeneration of the brain that is associated with Alzheimers disease in the period before diagnosis. They studied fifty-four patients with Alzheimers disease.

All of the patients met the Alzheimers disease and Related Disorders criteria. The researchers found that the caffeine in coffee was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimers disease, even when other issues were taken into account.

A university clinic located in Berlin, Germany, looked at the relationship between consumption of coffee and the delay in the onset of Alzheimers disease or reduction in the rate of progression of the disease. While they were unable to definitively state that the caffeine in coffee was beneficial to patients with Alzheimers disease, they did see the possibility of the link between coffee and overall neurological health.

Finally, a University in Ottawa Canada analyzed the risk factors for Alzheimers disease as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. They studied more than six thousand patients aged 65 years or older between 1991 and 1996. The researchers found that consumption of coffee was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimers disease. They concluded that the evidence from this study warranted further research and review.

While these studies have not been able to definitively state that drinking coffee reduces the risk of Alzheimers disease, there is enough evidence to warrant further research. In particular, the studies have shown that caffeine intake as when drinking coffee is at the very least related to neurological function such as the function that is lost with the onset of Alzheimers disease.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

How to start off about Kona Coffees. First talk with an expert about coffees. Like: what is his or her favorite type of bean, almost invariably you’ll hear one variety mentioned: Kona coffee.

Kona beans are grown in Hawaii and are treasured worldwide for their aroma and flavor. Kona beans are some of the most expensive on the market, and have come to be known as the best of the best.

For over 175 years, Kona beans have been growing continually on Hawaii in the North and South Districts of Kona, an area about 20 miles long and 2 miles wide.

In the shadow of two volcanic mountains, the Kona Districts have a unique microclimate of sunny mornings and cloudy afternoons which provide natural shade. The volcanoes protect the area from strong trade winds that would otherwise harm the coffee plants and give the soil its ashen quality in which the plants thrive.

The mountains also give Kona a cool, dry, winter season for harvesting and a rainy summer when the coffee plant is growing and the fruit is developing.

Most Kona coffee is grown on large, old-growth, productive Typica trees. Kona trees grow strongly on the steep, well-draining slopes of the two enormous volcanic mountains.

Known today as Kona Typica, this coffee variety was first called Guatemalan when it was introduced back in 1892 by an Oahu grower named Hermann Widemann.

After this variety was grown for several years on the Big Island of Hawaii, growers were convinced that this coffee was far superior to the Brazilian variety which was previously brought to Kona.

As a result of their care and hard work, Kona Typica continues today as it has for over 100 years.

Kona beans flowers bloom in early spring. Because of the careful cultivation by the farmers, the plants don’t develop fruit all at the same time and instead develop in rounds, one section at a time.

The Kona bean farmers hand picks the beans. This is because only the ripe coffee cherry is picked from the Kona tree, each tree may get 5 visits during the harvest season in order to get as much fruit as possible. Picking the fruit by hand gives the Kona coffee farmer the opportunity to pick just the ripest coffee cherry, resulting in a sweet cup of coffee.

This is an enhancement over the mechanical harvesting done with most coffees that ends up including the immature, imperfect and old Coffee cherries that tinge the flavor of the coffees.

Most Kona coffee farms are about 4 acres in size and are family-owned and operated. Because of the small size of the farms, each plant is able to receive specialized care.

As the farmer walks through his orchard, he can quickly see the general health of each plant and cultivate appropriately. The Kona trees are often planted alongside vegetables, fruit and other trees like banana, macadamia and avocado.

The Kona coffees themselves are full-bodied and rich in flavor with a hint of spice. This combined with the hand-picked quality of the coffees on less than two thousand acres in the entire world lends itself to the expense of the Kona beans on the open market.

Due to this expense, Kona beans are often blended with other coffees before being sold at your local market.

If you’re buying a bag of beans labeled Kona, you should be very careful to read the label. Most of these bags contain 10% or less Kona coffees and the rest are inferior, South American beans.

If you want to experience the true bliss that is Kona coffee, make sure the bag you buy is 100% Kona beans.

This may not be available in your local market; instead, look to purchase Kona coffees online from a Hawaiian retailer in order to get true Kona beans directly from the source.

© Copyright, All Rights Reserved.