Does Coffee Have Any Antioxidant Benefits?

July 30th, 2009
Before we get all excited over the recent news about coffee being our new antioxidant, we need to take a look at the entire picture. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? If there is, how exactly is coffee an antioxidant? Does it become the antioxidant when it’s heated? Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us?

Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.

For years and years we’ve heard bad things about coffee. For example: it’s bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don’t just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.

Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.

Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You’ll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn’t like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?

Coffee alone isn’t the antioxidant, it’s several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it’s heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it’s bad for YOU personally. If you can’t get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can’t sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.

Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it’s the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.



By: Aaron Matthews Morgan
























About the Author:

Aaron Matthews-Morgan is the owner of Heavenly Kona Coffee, an e-business that specializes in 100% Gourmet Kona Coffee from Hawaii. HeavenlyKonaCoffee.com is also a premier website for free information and resources, providing quality info and articles on everything related to coffee. Go to: http://www.heavenlykonacoffee.com



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Coffee Maker Glossary

July 30th, 2009
Coffee has its own language . Some of the terms that are frequently used are as follows:

Auto Frother: used to automatically froth milk for cappuccinos and lattes

Automatic Drip Coffee Maker: a machine used to automatically heat water and filter through coffee.

Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: as the name itself says this is an espresso machine having controllable, programmable coffee dosing.

Bean to Cup: Machines having Bean To Cup will usually have the capacity to do everything from grinding the beans to filling a cup with coffee.

Boiler: It is the steam machine inside coffee maker. These large boilers are usually more powerful and produce more hot water for beverages.

Boiler Element: It is an element that heats boilers in electric espresso coffee makers.

Cappuccino: A beverage based on Italian espresso.

Cup Warmer: Here the cups are placed for warming. It is a metal portion at the top of the espresso coffee maker.

Dosing: it is the amount of grams or brewed coffee per cup.

Drip Tray: it is the part of espresso coffee maker where the coffee cup sits for filling.

Espresso: it is a rich Italian black coffee preceded with speciality coffees.

Filter Basket: A filter made up of metal where grounds are placed for brewing.

Filtered Method: the process of seperating coffee from water.

French Press: A cylindrical coffee maker in which ground coffee is steeped then filtered. Coffee grounds are pushed to the bottom of the pot with the plunger. Coffee stays in the top of the pot.

Fully Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machines which helps in automatically managing the brewing process.

Grind: the process of preparing coffee beans for coffee brewing is called Grinding.

Group: The part of Espresso coffee maker used to brew coffee.

Group Handle: Portion of espresso coffee maker used to hold the filter basket that ground coffee goes into.

Heat Exchanger: helps in heating water for coffee without taking water from the boiler.

Hopper: This is the portion of grinder that holds coffee beans.

Knock-out Box: It is a container used to remove the used coffee grounds from group handle.

Latte: A beverage that is prepared on mixing one quarter coffee, three quarters of steamed, hot milk with little froth.

Mocha: This is the term used to describe a hot beverage made from espresso, chocolate and milk.

Moka Pot: Classic Italian espresso-maker used on top of the stove.

Percolator: A type of coffee maker that runs water continuously through the coffee grounds to make coffee.

Pour/Pour Speed/Pour Time: It is defined as the amount of time required to pour coffee from group into cup. Should be 25 to 30 seconds for espresso.

Pump: This is the device that moves water through the coffee maker.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machine without pre-set dosing capability.

Steam Arm/Wand: metal tube delivering steam to froth milk.

Super Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: the brewing process from coffee bean to fresh cup of coffee in addition to other features such as a water filter is being automatically managed by this machine.

Tamping: process of pressing ground coffee into filter basket.

Vacuum coffee maker: machine using vacuum process to make coffee.

Traditional espresso coffee maker: a traditional way of preparing coffee without using bean to cup automated model.

Water Filter: filters dirts from water for better coffee taste.

Water Font: nozzle used to dispense water from machine boiler.

Water Softener: This is a must have for anyone using hard water as it filters lime and minerals from water, preventing build up of scales in the coffee maker.



By: Iantraynor
























About the Author:

The Author has been an enthusiastic coffee drinker
all his life! Find more of his tips on how to make
REALLY good coffee at Coffee Maker Secrets



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Drinking Coffee for Health and Weight Loss

July 26th, 2009
Like many topics and issues in the health and weight loss industry I believe drinking coffee for health and weight loss has been left unsettled with a growing controversy every day. People having all kinds of views whether bias or unbiased, has really made this topic difficult to come to a conclusion. So from all my research, studying, and experimenting I believe I have been able to come up with the unbiased truth on the topic drinking coffee for health and weight loss.

I would like to start off and put to rest some myths you might of heard that just seem to be used against coffee that have been proven wrong. So let me just quickly clear up these myths.

First, the caffeine in coffee does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver injury, pancreatic cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer incidence, or certain types of cancers. The truth is coffee actually decreases the risks or has absolutely no effect on these health conditions when coffee consumption is taken in moderation.

Second, the argument that declares coffee as a drug because of its drug like qualities like addiction, a stimulant, and mood altering. These things can become a problem without moderation a discipline but coffee being one of the healthiest beverages out there, I would rather have people drinking coffee than soda pops or sugar drinks.

Third, an excess of coffee increases urinary secretion of important minerals such as magnesium, potassium and sodium and uses up a fair amount of vitamin B1. These minerals and vitamins are very important to our body’s health but that is why I like to bring up several tests that have been conducted which should clarify a few things. These test proved that people that drink coffee consume an average of 8 to 14% more minerals and vitamins than people that don’t drink coffee. I don’t know if coffee drinkers eat healthier or what but there mineral and vitamin loss is made up by consumption of food and daily multi-vitamins.

These myths have had an impact on the questions and controversy against coffee being benefial or not for healthy living and weight loss. I must point out that anything in excess is bad for you so when people say coffee is unhealthy, I can most of the time point out ten unhealthier things they do instead of drinking coffee.

Now that we are pasted that, let us focus on the advantages and disadvantages of coffee.

Advantages:

Coffee is actually one of the healthiest beverages billions of people consume regularly.

Coffee containing with bitter orange, hydroxycitric acid, and chromium can encourage an increase up to 30% in metabolic rate.

Coffee with exercise when taking 300mg averages a 20% increase in energy and fatigue while burning fat increased 107% greater than without caffeine.

Caffeine in coffee keeps our brains alert and receptive of new information.

Regular consumption of coffee decreases the risk of type II diabetes and many other health risks.

Disadvantages:

Coffee when consumed in excess can be addictive, stimulate, and a mood charger.

A large amount of coffee or caffeine consumed all at once can have a negative affect on blood sugar levels that influences fat burning that could change into storing fat.

Too much coffee over time can stain your teeth.

With so many benefits of coffee for health and weight loss it is hard to be worried about the few disadvantages when moderation can solve it all.

Step 1 Coffee Clean Up

Coffee when consumed straight and by itself it perfect. Having zero calories, zero carbs, and zero fats one can see that it would not hinder weight loss. When adding all that extra sugars, sweeteners, syrups, alcohol and so on just make it a high calorie dessert.

Sticking with regular or straight shots of coffee with limiting extras like milk and sweeteners is necessary for achieving healthy living and weight loss.

Step 2 - Coffee in Moderation

Too much coffee at one time can affect blood sugar levels so the easy fix is reducing your in take at one time. Spacing out your coffee in take throughout the day would be something to consider and would benefit as an appetite suppressant while reducing chances of increasing blood sugar.

Reducing your coffee in take might be a struggle and can possibly cause headaches and constipation but in the end is worth it.

Step 3 Limit Simple Carbs with Coffee

Avoiding or at least limiting simple carbs while drinking coffee would be wise as coffee can affect blood sugar negatively and adding simple carbs will just encourage an insulin spike.

Step 4 - Exercise

Exercise has so many benefits besides burning calories and suppressing your appetite. Exercise can also help regulate your body’s use of insulin to keep blood sugar down and making coffee have little affect on your body. So make sure you participate in aerobic activities, lift some weights, and keep drinking that coffee and you should achieve weight loss in no time.

Don’t let people tell you coffee is a bad drug and should be avoided at all costs. You know the truth that coffee actually has more benefits than negatives, so enjoy your coffee worry free about hindering for diet and weight loss goals.

Have a great day and God bless!



By: Jared Wash
























About the Author:

Jared Wash is an author with certifications by ACSM, NESTA, and ISSA in personal trainer, nutritionist, and online fitness coach. His mission with weight loss is to guide people away from false lies and myths in the fitness industry while focusing on true health and weight loss methods.



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Good News for Coffee Lovers; One-cup Drinkers Less Likely to Get Heart Disease

July 26th, 2009
Are you drinking too much coffee? We seem to need it to wake up in the morning, to stay alert when we drive, and even our work breaks are now referred to as “coffee breaks.” A sign that may indicate that we’re getting a little too carried away is when we have a mug, with a picture of our favorite mug on it. But don’t put your favorite cup away just yet. There’s new evidence suggesting that coffee in moderation can actually be good for you!

New evidence shows that antioxidants are not only in green tea, but are also in coffee. Surprisingly, there’s four times the amount of antioxidants in coffee as what there is in green tea. Of course this doesn’t substitute for the amount of antioxidants that you find in fruits and vegetables. But one to two cups of coffee per day lowers your chances of having cancer and chronic diseases.

Harvard University School of Public Health shows that the risk of Type II diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers. Why? It boosts the liver’s ability to break down sugar. Too much sugar that stays in our bodies not only causes us to gain weight, but also weakens muscle strength. And who wants saggy muscles?

Did you know that almonds lower your cholesterol and help to increase your memory? That’s right, a few of those delicious nuts with coffee, and it’s even more of a super memory booster! You actually have an 80% less chance of getting Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s drugs are now being developed with caffeine derivatives for this very reason.

In medicine, caffeine is used as a diuretic (to increase urine) and as a cardiac stimulant. It boosts energy and triggers alertness.

After a large cup of coffee, our muscles tighten up, our heart beats fast and our hands get cold. Coffee stimulates the brain like cocaine and heroin. That’s why it’s so addictive and for the same reason why most of us need it first thing in the morning, to start our day. Once you get into the coffee cycle, you can’t stop. If you try, you get a wicked headache and you start squirming like a snake.

But recent studies reveal that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to contract heart disease. “Until now, we have attributed the cardiovascular effects of coffee to caffeine, but we found non-coffee drinkers given decaffeinated coffee also display these effects,” says Roberto Corti, M.D., a cardiologist at University Hospital in Zurich. Then could there be other ingredients in coffee that are causing the “jitters”? If there is less elevation in blood pressure, could this mean that we are increasing our tolerance to caffeine? Should hypertensive people still drink coffee?

The American Heart Association agrees that there’s a lot of contradiction about caffeine and regular coffee drinkers and the link with cardiovascular disease. If you sit down and calculate how much caffeine you consume in one day, you might be surprised. But could only one or two cups of coffee be harmful for you?

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is more risk for a heart attack if a regular coffee drinker carries a gene called cytochrome P450 1A2*1F. This gene metabolizes caffeine slowly. They have decided however, that more research still needs to be done before they can make this conclusion.

Dr. Florian Koppelstatter of the Medical University Innsbruck, in Austria, claims that caffeine boosts brain activity. Vanderbilt University also found coffee to increase blood flow to the brain thereby, preventing degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Again, maybe there are some good benefits as long as we consume this beverage in moderation. Apparently, adding an extra paper filter in your coffee machine when brewing your coffee, even if you have a plastic filter, helps to lower cholesterol and your blood pressure.

We all know that coffee sometimes prevents constipation. Nothing like that morning brew to get things moving! Some practitioners in alternative health medicine actually suggest doing coffee enemas for bowel cleansing. Myself, I prefer bottoms up to be my cup!

Are we addicted to the coffee or to the lifestyle and habit that we’ve grown into over time? Well at least now we know that there are some healthy benefits.

But can having too much coffee and drinking the brew too late in the day cause insomnia? Without a good night’s sleep, our body can’t replenish itself. Let’s not forget the increased risk of osteoporosis for menopausal women. I think I’ll stick to my martinis and use the coffee grounds for something else.

I heard coffee grounds make good fertilizer in the gardens because they’re high in nitrogen. Use them to fertilize your evergreens, azaleas and rosebushes. Also coffee grounds mixed with orange peels placed around your plants in the garden will keep the cats away. You can even mix some carrot seeds with ground coffee when you sow and pests will stay away. Placing a small container or dish of coffee grounds in the freezer, rids your freezer of spoiled food smells. For you fishermen, coffee grounds mixed with earth will keep your worms wiggly.

Meeting new people and socializing with coffee is one of America’s favorite pastimes. From espressos to café lattes or ice cappuccinos, we keep thinking of new delightful ways to enjoy our quick fix. And now with convenient drive-thru coffee shops, it’s even easier to grab a mug on the go. The coffee places make fabulous meeting places for a quick chat, to play games, or to read the newspaper. Some go alone and others gather in groups. Ironically, we all go out of our way to have something that we can make fast and effortlessly at home.

A man and woman were in the kitchen having a discussion on who should brew the coffee in the morning. She suggested that he do it because he was the first to get up in the morning. “This way you won’t have to wait,” she said. He quickly replied, “You should do it. You usually do the cooking around here.” The wife walked out of the room for a moment and reached for the Bible and opened the New Testament. She pointed to the top of the pages and showed him that indeed it said, “Hebrews. “

So coffee lovers, as long as you drink your coffee in moderation, it doesn’t seem like it will hurt you. It’s apparent that it could benefit you. Studies have shown that coffee has amazing antioxidants, helps persons with bronchial asthma, increases the speed of rapid information, counteracts driver sleepiness, reduces the risk of stone formation and colon cancer, and is even a great source of potassium. Again the key word is moderation, like with everything. Too much of anything is not good.

So java junkies go ahead and drink up! Your coffee fits right in with its cousins tea and cocoa.



By: Louanne Baelde
























About the Author:

Louanne welcomes you to visit http://www.Coffee.Health-Information.us for more coffee news and information and http://www.Health-Information.us for a large data base of health links.



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Why Gourmet Coffee is Important

July 26th, 2009
For coffee lovers, whats not to love in gourmet coffee? For those who are hooked on coffee, gourmet coffee is what gets the day off to a good start, and it picks us up in the middle of the day. Coffee has been around for thousands of years. Gourmet coffee however, has been around for less than one hundred years, and it has fast become the favorite of millions of coffee connoisseurs throughout the world.

There are hundreds of different types of gourmet coffee. These include Colombian coffee which has a bold, strong flavor, with a rich aroma guaranteed to satisfy every coffee lover. There are also flavored gourmet coffees, which include French Vanilla, Toasted Almond, Cookies and Crème, and Hazelnut. The gourmet coffee lover can enjoy specialty coffee such as Pumpkin Spice, a rich savory coffee that is like a slice of pumpkin pie. These types of gourmet coffees are not available year round. My opinion of some of the best coffee comes from Kona, Hawaii. Now that is gourmet coffee to die for. Of course, I am biased, since I sell 100% Pure Gourmet Coffee from Kona, Hawaii.

When you do a Google search for gourmet coffee, you will find that there are a variety of Internet sites that are dedicated to it. The Internet sites offer specials and discount just for trying their coffee. These offers include a special type of coffee maker designed especially for one brand of gourmet coffee.

When driving through small town America, and a roadside coffee shop pops up on the horizon, one can imagine how the bigger chains got started. The bigger gourmet coffee shops have teams of coffee roasters who are dedicated to creating new and delicious flavors of coffee.

The gourmet coffee consumer will undoubtedly look forward to all of the new flavors that are created. The true gourmet coffee consumer will travel out of their way to try a great cup of coffee that they heard mention of either in conversation or through a crowd. Virtually at any event, sporting or otherwise, college of professional, there are gourmet coffee shops everywhere. The Gourmet Coffee consumer will unquestionably look forward to all of the new flavors that are created.

True gourmet coffee can offer a unique experience that is different from other coffee experiences. Although the consumer can often find gourmet coffee in stores and coffee shops, there is nothing quite like brewing your own. When you are making gourmet coffee at home, you will need whole coffee beans, (grinding the beans just before brewing insures the freshest coffee) fresh spring water, light cream and sugar. These are the key ingredients for the freshest, best tasting cup of coffee you will ever taste.



By: Aaron Matthews-Morgan
























About the Author:



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Coffee: Quality is Important

July 26th, 2009
A quality cup of coffee can depend on many factors, such as:

The time since the coffee beans were ground;

The time since the beans were roasted;

How clean the brewing equipment is;

The quality of the coffee bean being used;

The quality of the water being used.

Some Interesting Facts About Coffee

The quality of the coffee bean is the most important of these factors, if you are going to buy “good” coffee. The very best bean will taste bad if any one of the other listed characteristics are out of place. Not all coffee beans are equal, but the other points listed above will even the field.

A lesser coffee that has been freshly roasted and ground is many times better than coffee that has been roasted and ground then left to get stale - no matter how good it was when it was fresh.

A can of coffee found in the supermarket often contains large amounts of robusta, low quality Arabica beans and past crop (old) beans. To make matters worse, there is no way for the major coffee companies that roast and ship all over the country to get you truly fresh coffee.

Once you have coffee that has been freshly roasted and ground, good water and brewing equipment free of oil residues from the last brew and the quality of the coffee beans makes a huge difference.

How To Tell Coffee Quality

Please note that a coffee can bought in the supermarket often contains a blend of Arabica and robusta beans, while most coffee houses sell only Arabica beans. Arabica beans are normally rich in flavor - while robusta beans have more caffeine, less flavor and are cheaper to make.

There is an exception to every rule, and the exception here is that some very good espresso coffees will have small amounts of the highest quality robusta beans available on the market. This should not, however, be taken as a guarantee that a coffee house will have any better coffee than the diner down the street.

If any of the previously discussed items, such as cleanliness or freshness, are not in order then even the very best coffee can be made to taste bad.

When you buy coffee, whether it be in a coffee house or in a supermarket, you want to get 100% Arabica - except for espresso blends, which may be a combination of both. Whether good quality robusta can improve the flavor of espresso is up for debate.

For absolute freshness when buying in a coffee house, it is better to buy popular blends that move fast - while buying in a supermarket, vacuum packaged containers with an expiration date are your best bet although all canned coffee will be stale to some extent.

It should be noted that in order to be able to vacuum pack coffee, industrial coffee producers actually let the coffee sit for a while before it is packed. As soon as coffee is roasted it starts to release CO2, in a process called outgassing. This can actually help to protect the bean from going stale. Unfortunately for the people vacuum packing coffee or putting coffee in tins, this also will inflate the bags. This outgassing is the reason that you may very well see one-way valves on coffee bags. These valves allow the CO2 to escape, while keeping oxygen from entering the bag.

Chances are fairly high that you will not get truly fresh coffee in a supermarket. This is an absolute fact if it is pre-ground. In a coffee house, look for a shop that roasts in-house and ask what was roasted that day. If the person behind the counter does not know, ask to talk to someone who does know. If no one knows, simply go somewhere else.

Additionally, it should be noted that coffee is at its very best after a few hours rest. This is one of those places where an expert in the field of coffee can advise you. As a general rule of thumb, most coffees are improved with a rest time of about 12 to 24 hours. Some coffees, particularly those that are musty or earth coffees, actually mellow for the first two to three days - making a much longer rest better.

A final point to remember is that for best results, grind your own coffee. Buying fresh and then having it ground completely defeats the purpose. Ground coffee only lasts a few hours or one day at the very most.



By: David Mcfarlane
























About the Author:

David McFarlane is a proud contributing author and writes articles on coffee. You can visit his site at http://www.i-want-coffee.com



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A Fascinating History of our Favorite Drink — Coffee

July 25th, 2009
The History of Coffee — No one really knows how coffee originated; its origin was lost in legends worldwide. However, a frequently told story that the history of coffee is attributed its discovery to a 16th Century herd of hungry goats and their Ethiopian caretaker named Kaldi. The goats, tired of searching for greener pasture, began to nibble the sweet red berries from a strange and unknown bush. Soon unusual behaviour followed, the herd became friskier and begun to kick their heels; witnessing the lively behaviour, Kaldi decided to taste the berries. Soon after, he became restless as well. He then shared his discovery to a monk and the news was brought to a monastery. The monk started serving them in the monastery and their evening prayers suddenly became more pleasant. The glories of the magical berries then begun to spread rapidly.

Coffee was then considered as a standard Ethiopian tribal food. They mixed the coffee berries with animal fat, rolled them into balls, and ate them when they travel at night which made them awake and alert. Below is the time line in the evolution of coffee.

 

1st Century

By the 1st Century, Arab traders brought back coffee to Arabia and cultivate the plant for the first time on plantations. They created a drink out of the berries and called it “qahwa”; which literally translates as “that which prevents sleep”

15th Century

Around 1453, coffee was introduced into Constantinople by the Turks and the first ever coffee shop, Kiva Kan, opened there in 1475.

16th Century

Jesuit missionaries then brought arabica coffee beans to the country of Colombia. The volcanic soil of the Andes Mountains, along with the mild temperatures and abundant rainfall of the Colombian topography, provided ideal growing conditions enabling the coffee plants to flourish.

By the late 1500’s, the first traders were selling coffee in Europe, thus introducing the new beverage into Western life. The Dutch planted coffee in their tropical colonies of Batavia and Java, while the French planted it in Martinique in 1723 and later on in the Antilles. The English, Spaniards and Portuguese followed suit in their own colonies.

17th Century

In 1607, coffee was thought to have been introduced to the ‘New World’ by Captain John Smith; the founder of Virginia.

In 1652, the first coffeehouse opens in England. Coffee houses multiply and become such popular forums for intellectual discussions that they are dubbed “penny universities” (a penny being the price of a cup of coffee).

In 1668, Edward Lloyd’s coffeehouse opens in England and is frequented by merchants and maritime insurance agents. Eventually it becomes Lloyd’s of London, the best-known insurance company in the world.

In 1672, the coffee shop opened in Paris.

In 1675, the Turkish Army surrounded Vienna. Franz Georg Kolschitzky, a Viennese who had lived in Turkey, slips through the enemy lines to lead relief forces to the city. The fleeing Turks leave behind sacks of “dry black fodder” that Kolschitzky recognizes as coffee. He claimed them as his reward and opened central Europe’s first coffee house. He also establishes the habit of refining the brew by filtering out the grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.

With a coffee plant smuggled out of the Arab port of Mocha in 1690, the Dutch become the first to transport and cultivate coffee commercially, in Ceylon and in their East Indian colony - Java, source of the brew’s nickname.

18th Century

In 1713, King Louis XIV was presented with a coffee tree. It is believed that coffee additives was first used as coffee additive in his courts.

1721: First coffee house opens in Berlin.

1723: French naval officer Gabriel Mathieu do Clieu stole a coffee seedlings and transported it to Martinique. Within 50 years, official survey recorded 19 million coffee trees on Martinique. Eventually, 90 percent of the world’s coffee spreads from this plant.

In 1727, coffee growing started in northern Brazil through Lieutenant colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta who was sent by government to arbitrate a border dispute between the French and the Dutch colonies in Guiana. Not only did he settled the dispute, but also came up with a secret liaison with the wife of French Guiana’s governor. Although France guarded its New World coffee plantations to prevent cultivation from spreading, the lady said good-bye to Palheta with a bouquet in which she hid cuttings and fertile seeds of coffee

19th Century

The first espresso machine might have been invented in France at the start of the 19th century. But the first manufactured machine is said to have happened 100 years later in Italy.

In 1886, former wholesale grocer Joel Cheek names his popular coffee blend “Maxwell House,” after the hotel in Nashville, TN where it was served.

20th Century

The 20th century saw a major evolution of coffeein the way it was made and served.



In 1900, Hills Bros. begins packing roast coffee in vacuum tins, spelling the end of the ubiquitous local roasting shops and coffee mills.

In 1901 a Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato of Chicago, created the first soluble “instant” coffee.

In 1903 a German coffee importer, Ludwig Roselius and a team of researchers perfected the process of removing the caffeine content from the coffee beans without destroying the flavour. He marketed it under the brand name we still know today, “Sanka.”

In 1905 the first commercial espresso machine was manufactured in Italy.





In 1906, George Constant Washington, an English chemist living in Guatemala, notices a powdery condensation forming on the spout of his silver coffee carafe. After experimentation, he creates the first mass-produced instant coffee (his brand is called Red E Coffee).

In 1908 Melitta Bentz invented the world’s first drip coffeemaker by using blotting paper.

In 1933 Dr. Ernest Illy developed the first automatic espresso machine.

In 1938 Nescafé instant coffee was invented by the Swiss Nestlé company, to aid the Brazilian government in solving its coffee surplus problem.

In 1945 Achilles Gaggia perfected the espresso machine with a piston that creates a high pressure extraction to produce the thick layer of crema that we all love today.

In 1971, Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place public market, creating a frenzy over fresh-roasted whole bean coffee.

In 1979, Mr Cappuccino opens for business.

In 1991, Caffè Carissimi Canada, a network of espresso service providers is formed in Canada, modeled after a visit to Franco Carissimi (roaster and equipment manufacturer) in Bergamo Italy. It becomes the fastest growing network of private and independant super automatic machines providers in Canada.

In 1995, Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage. More than 400 billion cups are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil.



Visit www.coffeetology.com for more facts and trivia about coffee…



By: Paolo Brainard M. Reyes
























About the Author:



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Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee-an Introduction to One of the Best Coffees in the World

July 25th, 2009
Widely considered to be one of the worlds best, if not the best, coffees, Jamaican Blue Mountain is a rich, smooth roast. This aromatic and flavorful coffee has to be experienced to be believed.

The Beginning of Jamaica’s Coffee Trade

The history of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is just as rich and interesting as the coffee itself. According to one legend, King Louis XV of France sent three coffee plants to French colony Martinique around 1723. Just one of the three plants survived, and this particular coffee plant was given to Sir Nicholas Lawes, a former Jamaican Governor, approximately five years later. Once this coffee plant arrived on Jamaican soil, a coffee crop was quickly established thanks to soil rich in nitrogen, potash, and phosphorous. Less than ten years later, coffee exportation had already begun. More than 600 coffee plantations had been established by the early nineteenth century.

It is believed that all of the coffee plants grown in Jamaica today are descendents of that single plant, of the Arabica typica variety, that arrived in Jamaica from France, via the island of Martinique.

The Blue Mountains Factor-why does that Coffee Taste so Good?

The fantastic Blue Mountain taste is achieved by a combination of three different factors: altitude, a special kind of rich, nutrient-laden soil called volcanic soil, and the treatment processes undergone by the beans once they are harvested.

The hub of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee production is, of course, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, a magnificent mountain range that rises more than seven thousand feet above sea level. The high altitude, dense cloud cover, and low annual rainfall of the region all serve to slow down the maturation rate of the coffee crop. In this region, crops take up to ten months to mature, whereas in most other parts of the world, the average time taken is five to six months. The longer maturation time produces beans that are larger and have a more concentrated and complex flavor.

Like every other mountain in the islands of the Caribbean, Jamaica’s Blue Mountains are the peaks of extinct volcanoes. Throughout centuries of eruptions, the soil created on the peaks of the Blue Mountains has become extremely nutrient-rich due to the decomposition of plant life, and the deposition of accumulated biomass. This extraordinarily rich soil is an important ingredient in producing the exceptional quality coffee beans that go into every cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.

This is not the entire story, however. There is one more important factor, without which Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee would not be as highly-regarded as it is today. The production and distribution of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is rigorously regulated and protected by the Jamaican government to ensure that every bean roasted and every cup brewed is of the highest quality.

For example, only coffee grown at an altitude of between 3,000 and 5,500 feet is allowed to bear the name Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. If the coffee plants are grown between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, the coffee is known as Jamaica High Mountain Coffee, and plants grown below 1,500 feet are Jamaica Low Mountain or Jamaica Supreme Coffee. These regulations ensure that all Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is grown at the special altitude that delays maturation of the coffee plants and produces that complex and rich flavored coffee. In addition, there are geographical requirements as well as elevation requirements, in that to bear the Jamaican Blue Mountain, the coffee plants must be grown in one of only four parishes in the region.

Another unique aspect of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is that pulped and washed coffee beans are allowed to age for a full six weeks, which is a particularly unusual part of the preparation process. Finally, before export of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is allowed, it is checked for appearance and taste, to ensure that every single batch of coffee is of the highest quality.

How to Best Enjoy Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

Once you have made the effort to purchase one of the very best coffees in the world, it would be almost criminal if you did not ensure that your coffee is properly stored and brewed!

Storing your coffee properly requires that it be sealed in an airtight container, away from any foods with strong odors or flavors, such as curry powder and other spices. Refrigeration in an airtight container is the ideal way to store ground beans.

You can keep your coffee tasting great by cleaning your coffee pot immediately following each use. Never use detergent or other cleaners in your coffee pot, this can affect the taste. Simply empty the pot, brush and rinse thoroughly with hot water. Additionally, give the pot a rinse with hot water before making a fresh batch of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, and enjoy.



By: Stephanie Larkin
























About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to the food and beverage industry such as Gourmet Coffee | Coffee Beans



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Brewing Great Coffee

July 23rd, 2009
Brewing Great Coffee

Only a few can disagree that a great day starts with a cup of rich coffee. A great flavored cup of hot coffee is a perfect way to begin your day. And most of the readers interested in this article like it that way only. The most important part in getting close to the perfect cup of coffee is brewing. This part is quite crucial once you have selected and grinded the fine gourmet coffee beans. Of course, brewing only starts after you have grinded the coffee well. For those who know less about brewing let us make it clear that the basic principal which is common to all methods brewing coffee is to immerse ground coffee in hot water to extract the flavor and aroma of the coffee so that the drink you get is rich in both mentioned above. So lot many things are to be understood with absolute clarity if you are planning to brew the coffee all by yourself.

While brewing the coffee, the coffee maker also plays an important role. The most commonly used coffee maker is the one which uses drip method and so it is essential to understand how to brew the coffee using it. The least bothered about element while brewing coffee is water. But a bit consideration to this element can drastically change the flavor of your coffee. We suggest you to use fresh filtered water for brewing. Always add fresh and cold water to your coffee maker. It is a misconception that it is better to add hot water for brewing coffee. Adding hot water directly to your coffee make not only changes the overall flavor of the coffee but can also ruin the coffee maker. So better add cold water only. Another factor is cleaning the coffee maker. Always ensure that your coffee maker is absolutely clean as the unwanted elements like water sediments and coffee oil can add to the brewing process and will change the taste of the coffee for the worst of it. That is why it is very essential to clean your coffee maker regularly so that nothing gets mixed up with the process of brewing coffee.

The most important step is to measure the proper amount of coffee for your brew. The most common method is to use two level teaspoons for every six ounces of water. You can always adjust it according to your taste to make your coffee either darker or lighter. It is better not to trust the measurements on your coffee pot as these are often wrong and sometime it is found that the machines cup is four ounces instead of six. Another aspect to remember while you brew the coffee is to brew only the amount of coffee that you will be consuming in the next hour. Keeping the coffee in the burner for more than this time may result in the coffee losing flavor, taste or even the aroma that eventually makes it stale.



By: Dhiraj Bandurkar
























About the Author:

Looking for more information on Brewing Great Coffee check out www.COFFEEFUN.COM” target=”_blank”>www.COFFEEFUN.COM””>www.COFFEEFUN.COM your guide to Brewing Great Coffee.



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What to Look for When Buying a Coffee Maker

July 21st, 2009
For many people, the day doesn’t officially start until that first pot is brewing. Coffee has become a mainstay of their morning routine. Coffee provides the caffeine that some people need to wake up in the morning or to get that extra boost as the day goes on, and research has shown that the antioxidants in coffee may have a variety of health benefits as well. That said, not all cups of coffee are created equal; choosing the right coffee maker can make all the difference between an outstanding cup and one that’s just alright.

So how do you know that you’re getting the coffee maker that will best meet your needs and serve up the coffee of your dreams? While any coffee maker may be capable of making a good cup of coffee, there are some features that you can look for to help your coffee brew right, stay fresh, and taste delicious.

Essential Features

Digital Timer - Though it’s reached the point that it’s almost difficult to find a coffee maker without some sort of digital timer, you should make sure that the coffee maker you choose comes equipped with a timer that features an automatic start function. Most people don’t make full use of this feature, but by preparing the coffee maker the night before you can actually save time in the mornings by having your coffee start brewing just before you wake up.

Construction - Stop and take a look at the model of coffee maker that you’re considering buying. See how well it’s constructed, how easy it is to use, and whether the coffee pot is reinforced or is simply glass. Reinforced coffee pots act like a thermos, keeping your coffee hot and fresh for much longer.

Pause and Serve - This is one of the most useful features that your coffee maker can have if you need a pot of coffee. Instead of having to wait for the pot to finish brewing or trying to swap out your cup and the pot (and spilling coffee everywhere), the act of removing the pot closes a valve on the maker and lets you pour yourself a cup before resuming your brew.

Optional but Useful Features

Water Filter - An optional feature that’s becoming more common in coffee makers, having an in-line water filter can really improve the taste of your coffee by making sure that there aren’t any impurities in the water you brew with. Keep in mind that this adds a little bit of extra maintenance to your coffee maker as well… you’ll need to change the filters regularly.

Variable Temperature - Even the cheapest coffee maker heats water up enough to brew with, but if you have a variable temperature gauge you can actually tweak your brewing temperature to suit your tastes. This feature isn’t essential, however, so if there’s a significant price difference between two coffee makers with this as the only difference, don’t feel bad if you choose the one without.

Locking Lids - A useful feature that generally comes with coffee makers that use reinforced pots; a locking lid enables you to screw a lid directly onto the pot which makes it easy to take coffee to a neighbors or other destination. Locking lids are often designed so that you can’t have both a basket in and a lid on; this way you won’t accidentally start brewing when the pot is closed.

Other Considerations

Drip Type - Most coffee makers that you’ll buy will be of the automatic drip variety… this way you don’t have to do anything except fill the basket, pour in water, and start the brewing cycle. Be aware that other types of coffee makers do exist, though, including manual drip, percolators, and press pots.

Capacity - Sometimes you might only want a little coffee, and sometimes you might want a lot. Stop to think about exactly how much coffee you’re likely to need, and make sure that the coffee maker that you choose can handle that amount. If you drink a lot of coffee, you don’t want a small coffee maker. Look for coffee makers that feature a variable capacity, so that you can make as much or as little as you need.

Filter Type - When it comes to filters, there are 3 options that you should consider. You can find coffee makers that use the standard paper filters, metal permanent filters, and even “pods” which are pre-packaged coffee discs complete with their own filter. Metal filters generally produce a better taste and are compatible with makers that use paper filters, while pods require that the maker is specifically designed for them.

Grinder - Fresh-ground coffee tastes better, and some coffee makers have a coffee grinder built in. However, you can usually save some money by buying a separate grinder, so it’s a good idea to explore that option as well.



By: Grant Eckert
























About the Author:

About Author:
Grant Eckert is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to the food and beverage industry such as Coffee | Coffee Beans



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