Archive for October, 2005

Specialty Gourmet Coffee

Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

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.

About the Author

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase specialty gourmet coffee, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

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How about coffee after a dream? (Sun Star) DEPENDING on

Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

How about coffee after a dream? (Sun Star)
DEPENDING on how you slept the night, a cup of coffee would be your most welcome relief. But in this new coffee shop that opens on October 18, a cup or two of your favorite brew would send you to dream.

Hot coffee thwarts carjacking (CNN.com)
BLUFFTON, South Carolina (AP) — A would-be carjacker got a different kind of jolt from his intended victim’s morning cup of coffee, authorities said.

George Howell Interview, Part Two

The second interview transcript we did with George Howell on the CoffeeGeek Podcast. Topics this time include freezing green coffee and a lot more.
Read more…

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Senseo Coffee Maker Magic

Sunday, October 23rd, 2005

The Senseo coffee maker combines a unique brewing method from Philips with convenient Senseo coffee pods from Douwe Egberts. Senseo was one of the first to introduce pod coffee makers a few years ago. Today, Senseo coffee makers have become one of the most popular pod coffee makers sold. One of the reasons is each individual cup is freshly brewed, so you’re always sure of a pure and smooth taste. To add a European touch, each cup is topped off with a frothy coffee layer, adding depth to your coffee experience. Because the machine uses pre-measured coffee pods, the system is hassle-free and guarantees a flavorful, fresh brew each time. The Senseo coffee maker is easy and simple to clean because all of the parts of the pod coffee maker are detachable and can be conveniently cleaned in a dishwasher. The pod coffee maker quickly brews one 4-oz. cup in 30 seconds, or 2 cups or one mug in 60 seconds. To make coffee you use Senseo coffee pods from Douwe Egberts containing gourmet coffees, specialty coffees and espresso. An exceptional cup of coffee doesn’t need to be an occasional treat anymore because it can easily be a part of your daily routine with this Senseo coffee maker. You get the very best in flavor and aroma plus a frothy coffee layer that is rich and smooth. A Senseo coffee maker allows you to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee whenever you feel like it. Copyright 2005 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee online, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

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COFFEE CLASH WITH LAWYER LANDS ‘THE HOOF’ IN HOT WATER

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005

COFFEE CLASH WITH LAWYER LANDS ‘THE HOOF’ IN HOT WATER (Westerly Sun)
WESTERLY - A local man convicted of dealing cocaine two years ago faces new charges after he allegedly threw coffee in the face of a Granite Street lawyer.

Jura Capresso Impressa S9 Super Automatic

CoffeeGeek takes a long overdue look at one of the top of the line consumer / office super automatics available today - the Jura Capresso Impressa S9 dual thermoblock machine.
Read more…

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Pure Kona Coffee

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005

Pure Kona Coffee is gourmet coffee grown only on the Island of Hawaii. It is grown on the dark volcanic lava rock slopes of Kona which is located on the west side of the Big Island. This area is approximately one mile wide by thirty miles long. It is situated between two volcanoes, Hualalai and Manua Loa. The elevation ranges from 500 to 3000 feet.

The unique island microclimate distinguishes pure Kona coffee from all others. Special care is taken throughout the process of creating the Kona coffee bean. The sunny mornings, cloud-covered rainy afternoons and mild nights create an ideal growing condition for the best Kona coffee.

The trees thrive in the fertile volcanic soil and natural shade provided by the mango and macadamia nut trees. This allows the Kona coffee bean to mature slowly and flourish.

Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled then sorted by size and shape. It is sun dried and then roasted depending on desired results. A good roasting process can make a big difference in taste. Roasting is referred to as an art form by many in the trade.

Dark roasts are typically French Roast, Italian, or Expresso. Medium roasts include Vienna. Flavored coffee is usually sprayed immediately after roasting for the best absorption of flavor. Just after roasting the oxidation process begins and coffee is at its freshest.

Kona coffee is grown and processed with attention to every detail creating an end result of extraordinary coffee, delicate yet rich in flavor and aroma. This quality has made pure Kona coffee one of the most highly famous and valued coffees in the world.

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The Barista Code of Conduct Nick Cho offers up a

Saturday, October 22nd, 2005

The Barista Code of Conduct

Nick Cho offers up a preliminary "work in progress" called the Barista Code of Conduct - meant to take the Third Wave movement on its upward path.
Read more…

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How to Make Restaurant Quality Coffee At Home

Friday, October 21st, 2005

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.

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.

Gary Gresham is the webmaster for www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee, tea, cups & mugs, coffee gifts and delicious desserts online. He offers a free monthly coffee newsletter at www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html.

Gary@perfectcoffees.com

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Earl Grey Tea Earl Grey tea is a typically British

Friday, October 21st, 2005

Earl Grey Tea
Earl Grey tea is a typically British beverage that nearly everyone has heard of. Find out more about where it came from, what it tastes like, and who is this Earl of Grey person….

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How To Clean A Coffee Maker

Thursday, October 20th, 2005

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.

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Sunbeam Hot Shot, Rando Rama Bottom Line: It’s an order

Thursday, October 20th, 2005

Sunbeam Hot Shot, Rando Rama
Read review by Rando Rama

Bottom Line: It’s an order of magnitude more convenient than using a microwave to heat water. Although the capacity is not quite that of a kettle, it’s great for single servings.
Read review…

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Inside The Bean

Archive for October, 2005

Specialty Gourmet Coffee

About the Author

How about coffee after a dream? (Sun Star) DEPENDING on

Senseo Coffee Maker Magic

About the Author

COFFEE CLASH WITH LAWYER LANDS ‘THE HOOF’ IN HOT WATER

Pure Kona Coffee

About the Author

The Barista Code of Conduct Nick Cho offers up a

How to Make Restaurant Quality Coffee At Home

Earl Grey Tea Earl Grey tea is a typically British

How To Clean A Coffee Maker

About the Author

Sunbeam Hot Shot, Rando Rama Bottom Line: It’s an order

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