Quality Coffee Related To Several Factors

September 7, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Coffee 

 Coffee flavor and aroma comes from the environment of where the coffee is grown .  The coffee beans are roasted to match the desires of professional coffee roasters and coffee tasters .  Varietals are from specific regions while the blends refect the fine art of blending coffee beans to create a masterpiece.  

What ends up in your coffee cup depends on several factors.   Here’s some questions to ask about your coffee: The freshness of the coffee is related to when it was roasted?  Is the coffee fresh or have the beans been allowed to dry and lose flavor.  Was the coffee freshly ground or has it been ground and exposed to the air and moisture?  Storage of your coffee is key to keeping your coffee fresher longer.  The coffee bean quality as well as the water quality impact the coffee you drink.  The manner is which you brew your coffee also affects the contents of your cup.

However, the final quality of brewed coffee is entirely dependant on the quality of coffee whether if is in the form of ground coffee, K-Cups, coffee pods, or any type of coffee for that matter.

 Though the quality of coffee is also a factor of the area of cultivation and the farming practice used, how the green beans  are stored is often the deciding factor.  Experts believe that the moisture level of raw coffee beans is as important as any other parameter.

As soon coffee beans are harvested, they have a moisture level of around 90% and this is often the deciding factor that determines the quality of green beans. Some farms harvest their coffee beans only after the fruits have turned little black in color. This is to ensure that they are fully matured in the tree itself. On the other hand, many farms harvest beans when the pods turn reddish; these ripe beans are then dried either under sun or in mechanical dryers to bring the moisture level down to about 15%.

 Storage of coffee affects the final quality of the brewed coffee  . Storing under cool and dry conditions will retain the quality of the beans. Take care to prevent excess moisture in coffee pods which sure is detrimental to the quality of coffee as fungus and mold will form on the pods.

Green beans are roasted under a particular temperature to make them ready for grinding purposes. However, the quality of ground powder is again dependant on the roasting method and temperature at which the pods are roasted. A good coffee brew is a combination of fine coffee beans and a perfected roasting method.

Then, even after all of those processes… the reality is that it’s all about the brewing .

Brewing an excellent cup of coffee is an art and this art form is perfected by many factors, including the coffee maker… but we’ll discuss that another day.

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Some Single Cup Coffee Makers: The Perfect Size

September 6, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Coffee 

I am not going to lie  I am no coffee drinker .  I robably have had 5 cups in my whole life and I just turned 36.  But I am always trying to be on top of trends. I kept hearing about and seeing these one cup coffee makers (aka single cup coffee makers) and got more interested.   I guess they have become pretty popular among hard core coffee drinkers.

  I know the habits of coffee drinkers. My grandpa used to do 2 pots a day.  After all, who drinks any coffee to just one cup? . I figured that the fad would peeter out, like the pasta maker or something. 

 I was totally off base. Single cup coffee makers are growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. They are way more than a passing fancy for yuppies.  

 Below I highlighted some of the more popular brands with customer comments found online:

 Product 1– Keurig B30 Mini Brewers (available in black, red and white)

 

 

Single-serve brewing system for gourmet coffee or tea

  • Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
  • Brews an 8-ounce cup at a time; ready in less than 3 minutes
  • 1-touch technology; variety pack of 10 K-Cups included
  • Measures 11-1/2 by 10 by 13-1/4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

 User Comments–

5 stars

 

 

“Bottom line, quiet convenience in a small package makes this a winner.”

Comments from Customer BNPTTC, North Carolina USA on Amazon.com

 

 

5 stars

 

“The brew time of two minutes may sound like an eternity to some people – but it’s a lot faster than a trip to Starbucks when you’re busy at work. And it’s worth the time compared to awful free coffee the have in the kitchen.”

 

Comments from Customer J. San, Los Angeles, CA USA on Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

4 stars

 

“I think most negative reviews will be from people who plan on using this as their main K-cup brewer, and that’s a shame, because this most certainly is not meant for that job. Reasons why:

1) It has a long brew time (usually around 2 minutes for the 8 oz it holds) and has to be filled with water for each cup.
2) It has only one cup size (8 oz).
3) It has no adjustable temperature setting (but the default is perfectly fine at about 192 degrees).”

 

 

Comments from Customer Thomas Price, Decatur, GA USA on Amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product 2 –Hamilton Beach 48465 Brewstation Summit Ultra 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

 

 

 

 

Product Description–Hamilton Beach 48465 Brewstation Summit Ultra 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

 

 

  • 12-cup programmable coffeemaker with insulated inner tank and no carafe
  • Dispensing bar for one-handed serving; keep-warm mode; auto shut-off
  • Bold, regular, iced-coffee, or small-batch brewing options; digital display
  • Removable water tank; water-level indicator; dishwasher-safe parts
  • Measures approximately 12 by 9 by 17 inches; 1-year limited warranty

 

 

 

 

 

 

User Comments–

 

5 Stars

 

“We love the convenience of push-button dispensing and the reservoir seems to keep the coffee hot without making it taste bitter or burnt.”

 

Comments from Customer Andy E., Virginia, USA on Amazon.com

 

 

 

“The only improvement to be made: faster reheating of the coffee when turning it back on later in the day to reheat that morning’s coffee. Ah well, fresh-brewed tastes better anyway.”

 

Comments from Customer in State College, PA USA on Amazon.com

 

4 stars

 

“Yes, there are features that could be improved, but I have found that with all coffee brewers. What we like most is that we can brew 12 cups, let it sit all morning, and no burnt taste whatsoever.”

 

Comments from Customer Larryhat, Texas USA on Amazon.com

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Check Out The Gaggia 12500 Baby Twin

September 5, 2010 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Coffee 

Are you frustrated with purchasing espresso from your local neighborhood cafe all the time, and wish you had an easy way to brew it on your own? If you are, then you might think about getting the Gaggia Baby Twin espresso machine. You will be able to brew the exact number of cups you need, and it will reduce the cost of purchasing them from a retail shop. You can brew it exactly how you like it, and it will be more cost effective to purchase the coffee grounds yourself. Since you can brew two mugs at once, you and a friend or your spouse can each have a customized drink. This is only one of a number of capabilities this espresso maker has.

The Gaggia 12500 Baby Twin espresso machine is designed to be easy to use, even for the beginner, and is the only semi automatic machine in its class. The water will heat easily and quite rapidly because of its dual heating system. A Rapid Steam system is also included for steaming and frothing milk as well. This is a nice feature since this allows you to not only make your espresso, but also steam your milk at the same time so there is no wait time.  Talk about convenience! And Gaggia didn’t skimp on the commercial quality features either since it incorporates a super large 60 ounce water tank, a portafilter, a 3-way solenoid valve and stainless steel brew station. And if you are not a fan of straight espresso, but you love you cappuccinos and lattes, then you will love the Tubro-Frother!

Some other capabilities included with the Baby Twin espresso maker by Gaggia are a control panel that is operated by touch, two back-lit brewing indicators in green (which makes it simple to see the various modes), and a special ring pattern that makes the stainless steel casing very attractive. There is also a cup warmer on the top of the unit that uses passive heat. This feature can only be found on Gaggia appliances. It also comes with a pre-infusion cycle, and a powerful 15 bar pump. This machine even includes three different filter baskets, a single and a double shot basket, as well as the ESE pod basket. It comes with the coffee tamper, as well as a measuring scoop.

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Popularity: 13% [?]

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