| ||
| ||
|
Coffee Information | |
|
|
Coffee - How to Buy, Store, and Grind it for the Perfect Cup
In the early days of the coffee craze, before the firstStarbucks arrived in my town, I owned a tea and coffeehouse for several years. At the time, espresso wassomething new for most people, and a lot of my customershad questions. I decided to teach a class on coffee at theshop, and learned in the process that there are severalmisunderstandings about buying, storing, and grindingcoffee that when corrected can lead to a much moreenjoyable cup of coffee. True coffee connoisseurs know that buying coffee beans insmall amounts that allow you to brew your coffee within aday or two of being roasted will result in the closest to aperfect cup of java. If you keep the beans in an air-tightcontainer the flavor will remain strong for seven to tendays. Contrary to popular belief, storing beans in yourrefrigerator or freezer will actually diminish the flavor.There are two reasons for this. First, the beans will soakup the flavors of other stored items. Secondly, moistureaffects the oils in the roast. Better to store thatcontainer on the counter (in a dark, cool place, ifpossible). If you can't smell an aroma or it's unpleasant,the beans are past their prime. Soapy water can leave a residue, so when cleaning yourcoffee storage, use a dry cloth or paper towel to soak upthe oil. Clean the container regularly because oil can getrancid over time. Also, frequently clean the equipment youuse for brewing. Again, don't use soap because of theresidue. Instead use vinegar and salt and rinsethoroughly. Always grind only the amount you will use immediately.Once exposed, the oils in the beans disperse, affecting thecoffee flavor. If you grind your beans the night before youbrew your morning cup, you will be losing flavor. Switch togrinding in the morning, unless you don't want to wake yoursweetheart with the noise from the grinder. How fine orcoarse the grind should be depends on how long the hotwater will be in contact with the coffee grinds. Theshorter the length of time, the finer the grind so that thesurface area is maximized. Here are the consistencies youwill want for the different methods of brewing: Drip Brew: Grind to a character similar to table sugar ifthe drip cycles range from four to six minutes. Grind to afiner consistency if less. French Press: Use an extremely coarse grind. Espresso: Very fine, powder-like. The extraction time ofespresso should be between 25 and 30 seconds. If a oneounce extraction takes longer, use a coarser grind; if ittakes less time, grind finer. How much coffee do you grind? For brewed (and FrenchPress) coffee, three tablespoons for eight ounces of water.For espresso, an ounce (7 grams) for a single shot. Doublethat for a double shot. Time and again I heard from my customers that they had noidea what a good cup of coffee really tasted like untilafter they had followed these easy guidelines. Try it. It'sthe small things that will make your coffee drinkingexperience sublime. Professional writing coach Marilyn J. Schwader writes on arange of topics. Her articles about coffee are publishedin The News at QY Coffeethe single on-line resource for a world of news aboutcoffee. Be sure to refer to all Marilyn's articles athttp://www.qycoffee.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Coffee Cupping For The Fun Of It 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. Roast Your Own Coffee - Secrets Revealed 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". 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. Starbucks Coffee Company 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. Portrait of a Barista The barista is the Italian word for the skilled person who prepares coffee (ultimately espresso) in a coffee house.What would you want your barista to be like?This is not a trick question. Getting Fat These Days; Is it Starbucks Starbucks has seen tremendous growth in our cities and the stock is up sharply from its IPO. But for many Americans so is their waist; are you a Starbucks Groupie? Is this fact showing in your body. Tea at Sea Marylyn Monroe famed amongst other things for her love of Tea once said that, "World Peace would be with us if politicians drank tea at meetings" - or something to that effect. And she was very true in her words, very true indeed. 3 Simple Tips For Making Perfect Coffee 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 PotA clean pot is essential and can make a world of difference in the taste of your coffee. Mocha Coffee: Learn About the Source and Try Our Recipes for Making Great Mochas Depending on how we look at it, mocha coffee may be the tall drink made of coffee, cocoa and milk, often served with cream or, on the other hand mocha coffee may refer to the source.Yemen is the source of true Mocha coffee. Woman Dies from Caffeine Overdose and Expert Calls for Action in New Book and FDA Petition An autopsy released this week has found caffeine to be the cause of death for a woman from New Mexico. The incident took place in June 2004 after she was admitted to a hospital after a fight with her son. Gourmet Coffee Stops Decrease Gas Mileage;Home Brewed Premium Coffee Reduce Traffic Congestion 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. Coffee is a commodity At Starbucks they obviously need coffee. To insure that they get the coffee at a good price, Starbucks has chosen to buy the coffee fields, rather than pay an advanced contract price for the coffee beans. How to Make Restaurant Quality Coffee At Home 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. Arabica Coffee 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. Heating Vegetable Oil to Frying Temps Forms Toxic Compound New research by a University of Minnesota professor and a graduate student shows that when highly unsaturated vegetable oils are heated at frying temperature (365 F) for extended periods-or even for half an hour-a highly toxic compound, HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal) forms in the oil.A. Coffee ?Nectar of the gods About 850 A.D it is said that a lone shepherd and his flock came across a strange and mysterious plant growing upon a secluded and forgotten hillside. Italian Roast Coffee For An Authentic Espresso One of the things people think of with Italy is it's coffee. In fact Italian roast coffee is perfect for bringing a touch of Europe to your home. Home Coffee Roasting Home Coffee Roasting - Makes all the differenceAs 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. There is More to Motivation Than Meets the Coffee The stress of unemployment can really take a toll on ones confidence and state of mind. For some individuals, it could lead to depression, for others - a mere lack of motivation and feeling of hopelessness. Live the Life of a Civil War Soldier When you Drink your Mornin Coffee Civil War soldiers, Confederate and Union, used to make their coffee in pots. But on the march, they just usedtheir boilers.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
