Coffee Guide

There is a very common misconception about regular coffee versus espresso. Have you ever gone into a coffee shop on a day that you were feeling particularly worn out or tired, and said to the barista behind the counter ?Give me the strongest drink you?ve got!? or ?Give me whatever has the most caffeine!? and they offer you their largest size of regular coffee? Many people have done that and then were taken aback by the fact that the strongest drink on the menu was not an espresso drink.

Espresso, by definition, has a more dense consistency and a higher amount of dissolved solids, per relative volume, than ?regular? coffee. Espresso is also normally measured in shots, whereas regular drip coffee is measured in cups. It is not just a concentrated cup of coffee that contains a greater amount of caffeine than a regular cup of drip coffee. Of course, if you drank twelve ounces of espresso shots, it would certainly contain more caffeine than twelve ounces of drip coffee, but often people assume that just because they are drinking espresso, even at one or two shots, that they are consuming a lot more caffeine than if they drank a regular cup of coffee.

So, if you are spending the extra dollars on espresso drinks for the sake of getting more caffeine, then you are wasting your money. Most coffee drinkers have discovered what they like best and pretty much stick with that. Some have chosen espresso, and some drip coffee, and there is an appreciation for and pleasure found in both. One is not better than the other, but each holds their own aura and attraction about them.

If you are into coffee making, then you are going to have to try making espresso drinks sooner or later, especially because espresso drinks are such a fad these days! If you really want to get fancy about it, you can buy an espresso or cappuccino maker ? which many times do work better when you are working with espresso coffee. Though there are several standard recipes for espresso drinks, such as cappuccino or lattes, you should feel free to experiment. Start with a shot of espresso and work from there, adding such things as milk (hot milk is best), and different types of spices and flavorings. The sky is the limit, and you may just invent a new espresso drink during your coffee making experimentation that your friends will rave about. Espresso can be expensive, however, so try to experiment with different espresso drinks that you will probably be willing to drink, even if you don?t think that they?ll be a big hit.

John Gibb is the owner of coffee making sources , For more information on how to make coffee check out http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info

Coffee is coffee, right? Wrong. As most coffee aficionados know, there are several different types of coffee. What type of coffee you are drinking can depend on many factors, such as what area of the world it came from, how the beans were processed or ground, or what was added to the coffee to make it more uniquely flavored. These days, the coffee you drink in the morning or serve after dessert reflects your personal taste more than just how strong you like it, or whether you add cream and/or sugar to it. Below are some of the most popular coffees in the world.

Brazilian coffee ? The country of Brazil produces more coffee than any other area in the entire world. The hot, humid climate and rich soil of Brazil is perfect for large coffee plantations. Brazilian coffee has been famous for many years and it wasn?t too long ago that most coffee drinkers simply assumed that the coffee they were drinking came from Brazil. Though it may be different these days, with many people being more conscious of where their coffee was grown, Brazil is still the largest supplier. Before the new coffee craze in the United States, most exported Brazilian coffee was a blend of high-quality and low-quality beans ? with the focus being on keeping the price of coffee low. These days, however, with people being more discerning about the coffee that they drink, a lot of the coffee that comes from Brazil is very high-quality, with advancements being made all the time in flavor enhancement. Coffee from Brazil can definitely hold its own these days against any other ?specialty? coffees.

Columbian coffee ? Running a close second to Brazil, the country of Columbia is a major coffee producer. Columbian coffee ranks right up there with Brazilian coffee in terms of richness and flavor, as their climates and soil compositions are very similar. Many times coffee producers will combine Columbian and Brazilian coffees to make unique new blends that are very pleasing to the palate.

Hawaiian coffee ? the only state in the entire United States that produces and exports coffee, Hawaii has been renowned for the special rich flavor of its coffee beans. The famous Hawaiian ?Kona? blends have been a favorite of coffee lovers for many years, and for good reason. No matter how coffee makers from other areas try, they cannot completely duplicate the unique flavor of Hawaiian coffee. Many people say it is the combination of the perfect weather, and the rich soil that has been produced by a history of volcanic activity.

There are many more countries and areas that produce coffee, and for each area that coffee is grown, the flavors can all be different, if only subtly. Those who are interested in trying all of the different types of coffees out there, from many different areas, should do some research. They may discover coffees that they?ve never tasted or even heard of before. For coffee lovers, this can be quite an adventure!

John Gibb is the owner of coffee making sources , For more information on how to make coffee check out http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info

In this day and age, coffee making has become something of an art. Specialty coffee shops have sprung up all over, and it would be hard to drive down a city street without seeing at least one or two. These days, coffee is more than just brewing a strong cup on the stove. There are fancy coffee makers, espresso machines, and cappuccino machines, and a host of coffee flavors and different coffee additives, such as flavored creamers or syrups.

There are times, however, when making a fancy cup of coffee is out of the question. Perhaps you are out roughing it in the wilderness, you forgot your stove-top percolator, and you still want at least a good black cup of coffee but aren?t sure what to do. Believe it or not, there is a trick to coffee making that doesn?t include electricity or even a stove-top percolator.

Of course, even if you are lacking a coffee maker or a coffee pot, you are still going to need your basic ground coffee, and you are going to need a heat source. Hopefully, if you are on a remote camping trip, you still remembered the coffee, even if you didn?t remember the stove-top percolator; and of course, most campers have campfires or camping stoves fueled by some type of gas. It can actually be a rewarding experience to use some old-fashioned ingenuity when it comes to the simple act of making coffee without a coffee pot; it helps us remember that we are not always slaves to modern technology.

The method you can use to make yourself a cup of coffee is to use a couple of paper towels, a regular pot or pan, and a cup ? either a coffee cup or any cup that can hold hot liquid. Place a couple of paper towels over the cup, and then place some coffee grounds on paper towels. Heat the water over your campfire or on your camp stove until it is boiling, and then carefully, and slowly, pour the heated water over the coffee grounds and paper towels so that it filters into the cup. The more slowly you pour the water in, the stronger your cup of coffee should be. If you don?t think the coffee is strong enough the first time, carefully remove the paper towels with the coffee grounds on top, pour the liquid from the cup back into the pan, put the napkins or paper towels and coffee grounds back on top of the cup, and repeat the procedure. It shouldn?t take more than two times to make a strong enough cup of coffee. This may seem like a long and tedious procedure, but you?ll get your cup of coffee, and you?ll probably feel rather proud of yourself!

John Gibb is the owner of coffee making sources , For more information on how to make coffee check out http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info

There are specific and significant components to making good coffee, and to all coffee lovers out there, this should be taken seriously. Okay, it?s just coffee, but people, Americans especially, are drinking a lot of it, so why not brew coffee to the best of its potential? People all over the world are simply doing it wrong! The steps to brewing a better cup of coffee are so simple that there?s no reason why you shouldn?t try them out and see if you?re satisfied with the results. All you have to lose is one pot of coffee, and that?s only if you decide you don?t like it and end up pouring it down the drain.

The factors of coffee making that you need to consider are the grind of your beans versus the type of coffee maker you are using, the water, the measurements of coffee versus measurements of water, and the freshness of your coffee bean. You may wonder what could be so important about any of these things, but they are simply the fundamentals of coffee making.

What type of coffee maker you are using will determine how coarse or fine your grind needs to be. The coarsest grind is used with French presses, and the finest grind is used with espresso makers. When grinding your coffee, simply follow the guide on the grinder or in the manual, or ask someone who would know how coarse or fine of a grind you need for your specific coffee maker.

Since brewed coffee is 98% water, then you should use clean and fresh purified water. Also, the water should be no less than 190 degrees and no more than 205 degrees for the brewing. Between those temperatures, the water will better extract the full flavor of the bean. Water that is too hot will result in coffee that has a burnt taste.

It is very important that you accurately measure the amount of coffee and water that you use. Normally you can be sure to do this correctly by simply reading the directions on your container of coffee. Generally, though, good coffee is brewed with two tablespoons of coffee per every six ounces of water. If this produces coffee that is too strong for your liking, then the best thing to do is add hot water (between 190-205 degrees) after it is brewed. This way you maintain the invigorating flavor, but at a milder strength.

The last, but not least, important factor to brewing great coffee is the freshness of your coffee bean. Grinding your beans right before you brew them truly helps make a fresher cup of coffee. Even if you don?t do that, though, you can keep your coffee fresher by storing it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Maybe you didn?t know that your coffee could taste better, but now you do. If coffee is what you wake up to every morning, or if you drink it throughout the day, you owe it to yourself to make it as good as it can be.

John Gibb is the owner of coffee making sources , For more information on how to make coffee check out http://www.cofeemaking-sources.info