From the Bean to your Caffeine hit

Growing and processing coffee beans into a top quality bean really is as complicated as that of producing a top quality wine. However coffee has one more complication as the Coffee has to be delivered to the client consistently.

We have all experienced different service in the same Coffee shop, the only difference being a change in the Barista.

Simply a handful of rules below for brewing your own coffee beans to make your taste buds melt.

1. Make use of coffee beans which have been roasted less than 3 weeks earlier. The very best roasted coffee beans are those that are up to a day old.

2. Do not boil you coffee.

3. Under no circumstances blend aged coffee along with fresh coffee.

4. Do not reheat coffee.

5. Remove the grounds from the coffee immediately following brewing.

6. Continue to keep your coffee gadgets thoroughly cleaned out.

7. Whenever the conditions will allow, spit the sip that tastes bad out.

COFFEE BEANS - THE SEED OF A HEAVENLY DRINK.

The humble coffee bean has given us one of the most consumed beverages on earth, good ole coffee.  Coffee is grown in diverse places such as South America, Africa and Asia.  Its use is entwined in human culture for hundreds of years.  There is a very interesting tale, more probably a myth, as to how coffee was discovered.  Apparently goat herds in Ethiopia observed that their goats, after eating the seeds of a particular plant, started getting frisky and gamboled about in gay abandon.  Out of curiosity they ate the seeds and discovered that it gave them a kick.  Being innovative, they must have learned how to process the seeds to make coffee as we know it today.  Coffee was a prime mover of international trade during colonial times.  The Dutch, British and the Portuguese fought interminable wars and colonized countries to get the upper hand in coffee growing and thus the trade.  In many cultures, such as among Arabs, it was a part of the negotiating process.  Lots of cups of coffee were drunk, while leisurely negotiations were conducted, and offering your guest the best coffee was a sign of respect.   In modern times, the Americans are the coffee champions and drink the maximum number of cups per capita.

The coffee bean is actually a seed and it is called a bean because it resembles one.  There are two main types of coffee grown in the world.  They are Arabica and Robusta.  Arabica is more popular and forms 80% of the coffee produced in the world.  It has a lesser caffeine content of 0.8 to 1.4%, than Robusta which has content between 1.7 to 4.0%.  The caffeine in the coffee is what gives the kick.  It invigorates the body and makes you more alert.  It is one of the most favorite ways of warding off sleep.   As coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages, it is a major cash crop. The export value of the coffee bean forms a major part of the foreign exchange earnings of many developing countries.  The world's major coffee producing nations are Brazil, India and Kenya.

Coffee is a sort of temperamental crop.  It does not grow everywhere.  It requires specific conditions to flourish.  The ideal temperature for coffee growing is between 24-30∞C and requires rainfall of about 150 to 300 cms.  The soil should be well drained.  Though it needs the warmth of the sun, it requires shade and therefore it is common to see fruit trees being inter spaced with coffee plants.  They are spaced several feet apart.  The timing of rainfall is also important.  It requires heavy rainfall in the beginning of the season and the rain should taper off as the bean ripens.  The coffee plant has a lifespan of about 10 to 20 years.  It is harvested in some places all year round and in others between three weeks to three months.

Since coffee berries are mostly handpicked it is labor intensive and this is the biggest cost component.  It is either selectively picked or strip picked where the entire branch is stripped.   There are two methods for processing coffee berries.  In wet processing the flesh of the berry is separated from the seeds and beans are fermented by soaking in water for two days.  After this they are washed and dried.  The dry processing method is cheaper and used for low quality beans both in Brazil and Africa.  After the impurities are removed, the coffee beans are sun dried for two to three weeks and turned regularly to ensure even drying.  The husks are then removed and beans roasted.  By controlling the roasting process, the brown coloration of coffee can be varied.  After this they are sorted into different grades and then packed for dispatch.

There are different blends available in the market.  One of the costliest blends of coffee is produced in Indonesia and is known as "Coffee Luwak".   It is produced by picking and processing the coffee beans found in the feces of civet cats.  It can cost over $600 per pound.  The more traditional coffee is made with a filter and the resultant liqueur is mixed with milk and sugar and this is the popular South Indian filter coffee. This coffee can be decaffeinated to make it a healthier drink, but with the aroma and flavor intact.  In some coffee blends, chicory is added to make the flavor stronger.  Some people like coffee black and unsweetened while others like it with milk and heavily sweetened.   Whichever way you like it, it is coffee and a taste of heaven.

Latest Coffee search terms:

• coffee-head com
• coffee head
• wso rw r
• coffehead
• veranda blend washed wet process or naturald dry process starbucks coffee?