Coffee
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Coffee Basics
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Studies have shown that 50-60% of adults in the United States drink coffee on a daily basis and, that among coffee drinkers, the average consumption per person is 3 cups per day.
The two most common types of coffee beans are Coffea Canephora and Coffea Arabica.
As a general rule, the darker the coffee bean is, the better the quality, and the stronger the aroma, the better the taste.
Coffee beans naturally contain caffeine and this is what gives coffee its stimulative effects; the caffeine moves to your brain within 20 to 30 minutes and lasts up to 6 hours.
It stimulates reaction time, attention span and concentration but can also increase heart rate and blood pressure; the negative effects tend to emerge in excessive drinking so it's best to avoid heavy consumption.
Storing Coffee
Coffee should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place and in an airtight container (ceramic is better than plastic or metal); though, for the first few days following the purchase of new coffee, you should open up the container each day to vent it.
It should never be stored in a fridge; this is the worst place to store it as it will absorb flavors and aromas from other food products.
The best way to store coffee is to store in roasted but whole bean form.
Ground coffee goes stale (oily and with an unpleasant aroma) faster than whole beans and will stay fresh for just a few days; whereas, stored at room temperature, roasted whole beans will last 1 to 2 weeks.
If you can't use up your whole bean coffee in 2 weeks, then you should freeze it; doing so should extend it's life by at least a month.
You don't have to thaw frozen coffee beans before grinding them but, once they've been frozen and thawed, don't refreeze them.
Coffee Preparation
Coffee beans need to be ground before you can make a drink with them; you can either buy them pre-ground, or as 'whole beans' and then grind at home.
Using whole beans and grinding them yourself is simple and produces a better and fresher tasting coffee; use a coffee grinder to do this.
The shorter the time between grinding and brewing, the fresher the taste of the coffee.
For the average cup of coffee, use approximately 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water; stir well to ensure a uniform taste throughout.
Adding bottled or filtered water makes coffee taste better because coffee is 99% water and tap water often contains impurities.
Coffee is best brewed at around 96°C and best served at around 85°C; it should not be reheated as doing so breaks down the flavor.
If you drink coffee at home on a daily basis, a coffee maker or coffee percolator is a worthwhile investment.
Types Of Coffee
Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee.
Black coffee is coffee made with no cream or milk.
Instant coffee is made by adding hot water to the grounds; it’s freeze dried and doesn't need to be brewed.
Decaf brewed coffee has most of the caffeine of regular coffee removed.
Decaf instant coffee doesn't need to be brewed and also has less caffeine than regular coffee.
A frappuccino is made with sugar, water, and blended with ice.
A latte is coffee made with steamed or frothed milk.
A macchiato has a shot of espresso and steamed milk.
Frappes include cold espresso or instant coffee, with sugar, water, and ice.
Cappuccino has equal parts espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk.
Café breva is a type of cappuccino made with half and half milk instead of whole milk.
Iced coffee is served cold and may contain sugar, milk, and ice.
Flavored coffee has syrups or other ingredients added to it to change the flavor of the coffee.
Buying syrups to flavor your own coffee is better than buying pre-flavored coffee; if using them, add them directly to the hot coffee and stir, before adding milk.
Coffee Recipes
Alpine Cafe : 2 tbs instant coffee, 2 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs vanilla extract, 1 tsp water, 1 1/2 cup boiling water : Dissolve the sugar in 1 tsp water. Heat the sugar mixture in a saucepan until it boils. Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the saucepan. Add the coffee and vanilla extract to the saucepan. Stir well and serve.
Cafe Con Miel : 2 cups hot coffee, 1/2 cup milk, 4 tbs honey, 1/8 tsp cinnamon : Heat all the ingredients until they're warm, but not boiling. Stir well and serve.
Mediterranean Coffee : 3 tbs ground coffee, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cocoa, 1 tsp anise seed, pinch of dried orange peel : Combine all the ingredients. Brew by any method.
Mexican Coffee : 125ml ground coffee, 80ml chocolate syrup, 1 tbs cinnamon, 250ml milk, 60ml brown sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla : Combine the coffee, cinnamon and nutmeg. Brew by any method. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar, syrup and milk. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the the sugar mixture to the hot coffee. Add the vanilla.
Sesame Coffee : 2 cups hot coffee, 1 1/2 tbs honey, 1 1/2 tbs sugar, 1 1/2 tbs sesame seeds : Heat all the ingredients together until the honey and sugar dissolve. Let simmer for 2 further minutes. Strain out the seeds before serve.
West Indies Coffee : 3 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 cup instant coffee, 1/4 cup brown sugar : Heat the milk until it almost boils. Stir in the coffee and sugar. Serve when the sugar dissolves.
Cinnamon Caramel Coffee : 6 tbs ground coffee, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup caramel dessert syrup : Mix the cinnamon with the ground coffee. Brew by any method. Add the syrup. Stir well until the syrup dissolves. Chill in the fridge, and serve over ice cubes. Adde milk or sugar to taste.
Coffee Coke Float : 2/3 cup light cream, 2 1/2 cups strong coffee, 4 scoops coffee ice cream, 1 bottle of Coke : Mix the cream with the coffee. Pour into glasses. Add a scoop of ice cream to each glass. Top off with coke.
Cold Coffee Nog : 4 eggs, 4 tbs sugar, 1 pint milk, cold, 1 pint coffee, cold, Nutmeg : Beat the eggs and sugar together. Whisk in the coffee and milk. Serve with a sprinkling of nutmeg.
Espresso Chill : 2 tbs instant coffee, 3/4 cup cold water, 1 cup ice cubes, 2 tbs sugar : Mix everything in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve.
Lemon Cafe : 1/4 cup coffee, 2 oz lemon sherbet, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp grated lemon, 1 tsp sugar : Mix everything and blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass.
La Isla Mocha : 1 1/2 cupcoffee, 1/2 cup whipping cream, 4 tsp chocolate syrup, 2 tsp of sugar, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg : Mix together the cream, nutmeg, sugar and cinnamon. Add the cream mixture to the mug. Add the chocolate syrup to the mug. Add the brewed coffee to the mug. Stir well and serve.
Orange Coffee : 1 cup coffee, 1 cup hot chocolate, 2 orange slices, whipped cream, dash of cinnamon : Mix together the coffee and hot chocolate. Add the orange slice to the mug. Add the brewed coffee to the mug. Top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.