Coffee Street

Chris McCombs asked:

It is a pity that coffee does not get the credit and the attention it deserves. Coffee tends to get bad press and focus on negative effects of caffeine and we generally underestimate the importance of coffee in our life. Coffee is seen just as a drink, but it actually provides countless health benefits. Coffee may not be in the prescription by a physician. But nevertheless it plays a significant role in ensuring a healthy life for us.

People love coffee. They start their daily routine with a steaming cup of coffee in the early morning. But it is a question whether they really realize the benefits of coffee as a health drink. Coffee stops headache. It boosts your mood. These are the good things about coffee that all of us know. But there are more than what eyes meet in coffee matters.

• Research has shown that coffee minimizes the risk of diabetes.

• Believe it or not, coffee lowers the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. People who drink coffee regularly are around 80% less likely to be affected by Parkinson’s disease than who do not take coffee at all.

• Regular drinking of coffee distances you from colon cancer. Daily two cups of coffee, the risk you may get colon cancer is reduced by 25%.

• Two cups of caffeinated coffee per day, liver cirrhosis risk is decreased by 80%.

• Moderate intake of coffee reduces the risk of developing gallstones.

• Coffee reduces the risk of early stage diabetes. Coffee improves insulin sensitivity and it reduces blood sugar levels. Research has shown that if you drink three cups of caffeinated coffee per day, diabetes risk is reduced by considerable amount. If you drink six cups of caffeinated coffee daily, risk of diabetes is reduced by a whopping 50%.

• Coffee may help ward off asthma. Coffee eases out the nasal passages and improves airflow.

• Coffee contains antioxidants that fight against viral infection. One cup of coffee contains more antioxidants than one cup of grape juice!

• Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and protocatechnic acid. These chemicals show excellent antibacterial effects.

• Caffeine present in coffee is a psychoactive substance. It improves one’s mood and enhances performance.

• Coffee reduces fatigue effectively and it is an active stimulant.

• Around 100 ml of coffee every hour you can stay all night awake. Coffee delays sleep and reduces sleep time.

• Coffee makes you more alert. If you drink coffee whole day you will be alert throughout the day.

• Coffee prevents formation of dental cavities.

But coffee has its downside as well. It is an addictive drink. People who drink coffee daily in the long run become an addict, not just to that smell and taste, but to the caffeine content. They can reach a state where seems impossible for them to function in life without a cup of their favorite coffee and its likable bitter taste. If you make drinking coffee a regular habit, it certainly presents you numerous benefits like improved mood, enhanced performance, and reduction of risks of a lot of diseases including cancer. But what if you cannot drink your coffee at the usual time you take it? You may suffer from a headache. Fatigue reaches you. You feel restless. Your mood becomes dull. Your performance gets affected. If you regularly consume a large amount of coffee and stop drinking it suddenly you may suffer the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine addiction. This results in more adverse effects. Your blood sugar level becomes imbalanced. Your blood pressure gets affected. You may become easily impatient and get easily stressed. If you find this happening to you it is advisable to reduce your regular coffee intake and ease yourself out of your strong caffeine addiction. Limiting your daily intake will reduce your dependence on caffeine.

Though coffee has its own list of health benefits, like anything else, it should be taken only in moderation. Too much coffee has its own downside. So drink your cup of coffee, but only in a moderate amount to ensure a healthy you.

Jennifer Hall asked:


Have you ever wondered why people join coffee of the month clubs?  There are many benefits and types of coffee to be explored with these clubs.  This article will give you some idea of what coffee of the month clubs are, where to look to find a club bested suited for your needs, and some of the benefits that are available when you join a coffee of the month club.

 

Brief History of Coffee

 

One of the first legends about coffee comes from around c850. It tells of a young goat herder in Ethiopia watching his goats eat red berries. Upon seeing the goats become friskier after eating these berries Kaldi of Ethiopia decides to try the berries.  He feels much frisker after eating the berries. A monk sees this and takes some of the berries to a monastery to make a brew with the berries. Other monks drank the brew and are able to stay alert for their long devotional and prayer times.  So begins the history of coffee. In 1475 the world’s first coffee shop opens in Constantinople.  In 1995 it was estimated that 400 billions cups of coffee were consumed a yearly. 

 

What are Coffee of the Month Clubs?

 

Today the coffee you can brew in your home can compare in taste to great coffee shops. Generally, coffee of the month clubs are a means of having a great tasting coffee delivered to your home through the mail each month.  Not only is coffee offered but tea and other items are offered as well.  Coffee of the month clubs will generally give something free to get you to try their great tasting coffee.  The free item is not a gimmick just to get you to join the club but a means of letting these companies demonstrate their great tasting coffee and other products that they have to offer.  Most of the coffee of the month clubs will send you coffee once a month after you have received your free gifts.  Good coffee of the month clubs will usually let you cancel your membership whenever you want. You still keep the free gift in most cases.  Now, think how many people will cancel after receiving their free gift.  For coffee companies this is an expensive marketing tool. If they did not feel that their coffee was of a high enough quality they could not afford to give free items away.

 

Benefits of Joining a Coffee of the Month Club

 

Coffee of the month clubs provide individuals with great coffees every month without having to go to a crowded store to purchase a good coffee.  Most coffee of the month clubs will have specials for each month that add to the value of belonging to their club.  You can make coffee at home that will compare with what you receive at coffee shops any time that you want and at a great cost savings as well.  Not only do you save on gas but you also save on the cost of this prepared coffee. This is especially helpful for people who want their special coffee every day.  Think about these savings and what else you might purchase with the money you save.  Most clubs will have information that is enjoyable to read and helpful in preparing that special coffee or tea.  You can still get together with others for coffee in your home.

 

Finding a coffee of the club month that best suites your needs is not hard.  The internet is a great way to look for a coffee of the month club.  Read about the benefits that they offer and try one that you feel will work.  Today coffee of the month clubs offer coffees in the caffeinated and decaffeinated flavors and blends.  They may also offer teas and other items that can be found in coffee shops.  What better way to have that special cup in the morning than in your robe curled up in a favorite chair?

boake moore asked:


of Making Great Gourmet coffee



Use high-quality gourmet coffee beans, freshly  roasted and ground just before brewing.

Always use the correct grind for the method. If your gourmet coffee is too bitter and muddy, the grind is too fine; if the brew lacks flavor, the grind is too coarse.

Always use freshly drawn cold water.

Never guess amounts. Use the correct proportion of gourmet coffee and water (two level tablespoons per six ounces cold water for regular-strength gourmet coffee), preferably measuring both. I f gourmet coffee is too strong or weak, change grind and/or blend, not proportion of gourmet coffee to water.

Make sure the gourmet coffee maker is scrupulously clean and thoroughly rinsed. Gourmet coffee quickly picks up off-flavors during the brewing process.

For best results, always brew at least three-fourths of the gourmet coffee maker’s capacity. Most large gourmet coffee makers do not make one or two cups satisfactorily.

Never guess when timing. Use the clock.

Remove the grounds from the brew as soon as the brew cycle is completed to prevent bitterness. Also for that reason, never rewet grounds.

Serve gourmet coffee immediately after brewing. (With drip methods, stir the brew before serving.) Gourmet coffee is at its best when just brewed.

If gourmet coffee must be kept warm, try to hold it at 180 degrees to 190 degrees farenheight. Brewed gourmet coffee stays palatable for twenty minutes, drink able for one hour maximum. The longer it is held, the less desirable it becomes.

Never reheat cooled gourmet coffee; it breaks down in flavor. Never allow the brew to boil; its flavor turns bitter.



Gourmet coffee 101:

    Q. What’s the difference between specialty gourmet coffee and why does it cost more than regular gourmet coffee?

A. Specialty gourmet coffee is a different species of gourmet coffee called Arabica. Arabica beans are picked and processed by hand, then freshly roasted to ensure consistent top quality. As a result of the special care and time required to harvest and process Arabica beans, the gourmet coffee is more expensive than the lower quality commercial beans. Commercial-grade gourmet coffee is usually machine picked and processed, and made from lower grades of gourmet coffee called Robusta.

Q. What’s the difference between French Roast and regular gourmet coffee?

A. French Roast is a particular style of dark roasting that results in a dark , oily bean. French Roast is stronger and more flavorful than regular gourmet coffee.

Q. Which gourmet coffees have the least amount of caffeine?

A. Dark roast have less caffeine than light roast. That’s because as gourmet coffee beans are heated at high temperatures, the caffeine evaporates. The longer the beans are roasted, the less caffeine they have (although the difference in caffeine content between roast is relatively slight). I f you want to cut down on your caffeine consumption but don’t like the taste of decaffeinated gourmet coffee, try a dark brew. Or try a split shot espresso drink or a half decaf/half regular brewed gourmet coffee. NOTE: Arabica beans contain approximately half the caffeine of the lower-grade commercial gourmet coffees made from Robusta beans.

Q. Is drinking decaffeinated gourmet coffee harmful to your health?

A. There is no proven health risk associated with drinking decaf gourmet coffee. Methylene chloride, the chemical used to decaffeinate gourmet coffee, vaporizes at 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Since temperatures in the roaster reach in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit for several minutes, it is safe to assume that any residue burns off during this process. If you’re still concerned, you can order a Swiss Water Process decaf, which is not treated with any chemicals.

Q. Is gourmet coffee fattening?

A. Gourmet coffee is 98% water and therefore has virtually no calories. Calories and fat come from the sugar and milk you add.

Q. How is gourmet coffee harvested and processed?

A. Gourmet coffee trees produce fruit known as gourmet coffee cherries. Inside the sweet, gummy pulp of each cherry are two flat, green gourmet coffee beans that lay against each other. Once the gourmet coffee cherries have been picked, the outer hull of the fruit must be removed to get to the beans. There are two methods used to extract the beans: the wet method and the dry method. The wet method requires a large supply of fresh water. A machine strips away the outer layers of skin and cherry, leaving the beans enclosed in a sticky inner pulp. The beans then are soaked for 24 to 72 hours in fermentation tanks to remove any remaining pulp. Gourmet coffees processed through the dry method generally have lower acidity and deeper, more complex flavors.

Q. How is gourmet coffee roasted?

A. Roasting is a fine art, requiring a delicate hand, split-second timing and an ability to judge when the gourmet coffee bean is at its peak of flavor. First, the roaster drops the green beans into a drum filled with hot air, causing the temperature inside the drum to drop. Then the roaster heats the beans until the water in the beans begins to steam, making the beans swell and audibly pop. The heat causes complex polysaccharides to break down into starches and then sugars, which caramelize. Aromatic oils within the beans boil to the surface, giving them an oily appearance. The expansion of oils causes a second audible “crack”. Along the way, the beans darken from their original green to a rich chestnut brown. The longer the beans are roasted, the darker they become. Roasts are classified as light, medium, dark and darkest. Despite the current vogue for dark roast, they are not necessarily better. Some single origins are better suited to a light or medium roast.

Stephanie Larkin asked:


Many employers often wonder what their employees want, besides a raise of course. The answer might be surprising. A number of Fortune 500 companies have discovered that one of the most treasured perks they provide for their employees is something they might never expect - coffee! A break room well-stocked with a variety of coffees and other beverages is high on the list of perks that employees are looking for. More and more employers are finding that the very best way to give their employees something they will enjoy is by bringing coffee pods into the employee break room.

Coffee pods first made their appearance on the market about a decade ago. At the time, they were expensive and there were few varieties available. The critics were not kind about the coffee either, but all that has changed. Today, coffee machines that use coffee pods are among the most popular office coffee machines on the market, and with good reason. Why choose coffee pods for your office break room? Take a look at what some of the best makers of single serve coffee makers with coffee pods offer your office.

Consistently Good Coffee

Previously, many workers felt ‘office coffee’ was synonymous with mud. No matter how good the coffee you started with, it soon turned into oily black sludge. That was partly because the pot inevitably sat on the burner and scorched the coffee, and partly because the machine just didn’t get cleaned often enough. With coffee pods, those issues are grievances of the past. Each pod is pre-measured with the precise amount of coffee, tea or cocoa to make one perfect cup at a time. Also, because you are only making one cup at a time, there’s no coffee to turn to burnt sludge in the bottom of the pot. The coffee maker does not pick up all the oils from the brewing process either, meaning that you get fresh, clean coffee every time around.

Easy Cleanup

Coffee pods also mean no more messy drips and grounds on the counter of the break room. The coffee grounds are completely contained in the pod. When the coffee is done, you just eject the pod and throw it away. Your coffee room will stay clean, making it a more inviting place for your workers to brainstorm and work together.

Save Money

When the best coffee in town is right there in the break room, your employees are far less likely to wander off looking for a coffee shop. More time at the office and less time spent standing in line waiting for a cappuccino at the local shop is good news for you. Your employees will be happier and more productive. At the same time, they will be saving money on all those specialty coffees bought over the counter. Even if you decide to establish a coffee fund, they will be paying far less per cup for coffee pods at the office than they will for a paper takeaway cup from the local shop.

Everyone gets what they like!

One of the best things about replacing the office coffee pot with a single cup brewer and a coffee pod system is the selection of beverages available in coffee pods. With selections of coffee ranging from light breakfast blends to full-bodied espressos, everyone in your office can have the style and flavor of coffee that they like best. Coffee enthusiasts can find flavored coffees among varieties such as vanilla, hazelnut, mocha and even blueberry. Even better, most of the single serve coffee systems that use coffee pods are not confined to just making coffee. Depending on the supplier you choose, you may be able to also receive an assortment of flavored teas and gourmet hot chocolate drinks as well.

The Best Coffees Available

As single cup coffee makers have gained acceptance and popularity, the selection of coffees available in coffee pods for brewing has grown exponentially. The biggest reason for that is the number of nationally known fine coffee roasters who have jumped on the bandwagon to offer a variety of their coffees in pod form so that you can enjoy the same coffees that you love at the coffee shop. Among the coffee roasters who now offer their coffee in pods are Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, Melitta and Baronet. Java One offers a wide variety of coffee blends, and Senseo, makers of the Senseo single serve coffee system offers their own line of a dozen different coffee varieties that range from a light, tart Brazilian that will please most American palates to their latest gourmet offering, a rich, sweet, dark coffee appropriately named Café Noir, with just a hint of chocolate in the finish.

Your office staff will appreciate the investment in a coffee pod brewing system. A coffee pod system can pay for itself in happier workers and increased productivity, and your staff just may vote you supervisor of the year.

~mj~ asked:


I live for my coffee and most likely drink too much of it. I love the taste of coffee. I drink mine black. How do you take yours?
if you don’t drink coffee why would you answer the question?