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Gourmet Coffee The Best Information

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If you are really fed up with having the hum drum coffee all the time. Then it’s time to recompense yourself with something diverse and exciting. Why not spritz up your morning routine with a cup of exquisite “gourmet coffee”.
The dictionary definition has gourmet food down as this, “Gourmet food is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented.” If you want the maximum quality food you go to a star class restaurant, but if you want the premier quality coffee, this can be achieved by you at home. That gourmet meal is in all probability staying at the restaurant where you ate, unless you become friends with the chef and invite him over, but as for the cup of gourmet coffee you can make it where ever you desire.

Gourmet coffee is more expensive than the standard supermarket brands, but there is simply no comparison in the quality of the coffee. If you are wealthy then you could enjoy such gourmet coffee when ever you wanted, otherwise it would be a nice thing to keep for weekends or when ever you had special company over for a visit.

To make your own gourmet coffee, start with the coffee beans. Gourmet Coffee beans can be purchased in several forms, by the pound or by the kilo and so on and there are several varieties from which to choose. Some of the most admired gourmet coffee beans include Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Sumatra types.

Coffee beans are similar to wine in that they name the coffee beans after the region of origin. In the world of wine you have the well-liked Sonoma wines which come from Sonoma Valley in California. In the world of coffee the equivalent would be Kona coffee beans which come from Kona, Hawaii.

Kona coffee beans are developed in rich volcanic soil and the placid tropical climate of the Kona coffee belt on the west side of Hawaii. It has a superbly full, rich and silky flavour with little or no bitter after taste. Be sure that you buy Kona coffee beans and not a Kona blend. A Kona blend can legally be labelled as Kona with as it consists of as little as 10% of actual Kona coffee bean.
The next thing you will need to do is grind your gourmet coffee beans. Ground coffee starts to lose it’s flavour once it has been grinded and exposed to the fresh air.

So to keep the optimum freshness you will only grind what you need for that one gourmet cup of coffee. You will want to grind your coffee beans until they are extremely fine, but don’t pound them into dust. If the ground coffee is to fine the heat of your coffee machine with dry up all the oils of the coffee bean and it is this part that gives the gourmet coffee its exquisite flavour.

Another key element in good coffee making is to clean your coffee machine on a daily basis. A clean coffee machine makes a major distinction in the final taste of your coffee. At least once a month pour a mixture of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water into your coffee maker. Allow the mix to travel through the complete brewing process. Repeat the procedure again using only water this time to rinse out any junk or vinegar left inside. Do this until the smell of vinegar is no more.

Now your work is finished and it is time for the coffee machine to pull it’s weight. Use clean filtered water and fill the coffee maker to the desired level. Use about 6 ounces of water for every 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee. Turn it on and hang around while it brews. You will want to present to soak up the delightful aroma.

Everyday coffee is perfect for everyday use. But every once in a while you should treat yourself to something special. And what better way to start a special than that with a special cup of coffee. Gourmet coffees can really jazz up your day.

The Benefit Of Owning A Coffee Grinder

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Every coffee lover out there loves fresh ground coffee, no matter what kind it is. There’s just something special and wonderful about freshly ground coffee that brings a smile as that first whiff floats through the house or coffee shop. In order to enjoy the special flavor of fresh ground coffee, one usually has to own some sort of coffee grinder. Gone are the days of the tiny little box with the turning wheel on top. Today, a coffee grinder can cost hundred of dollars, if not more.

A great tasting cup of coffee is produced from whole coffee that’s ground within a few minutes of brewing, and it doesn’t matter what kind of coffee bean is used, whether it’s an exotic blend or French Vanilla or a Columbian blend. Whole coffee beans can be caffeinated or decaffeinated. The reason why coffee tastes so much better when it’s just been through a coffee grinder, is that within two minutes, or so the experts claim, the coffee beans begin to oxidize, which is referred to in coffee circles as ‘staling’, which is what changes the flavor. Most experts agree that the sooner you brew your coffee after you put it through a coffee grinder, the better your coffee will taste.

How do you grind coffee? There are different types of coffee grinder models out there, some with a blade and some with a burr. A coffee grinder fitted with a blade is less expensive than a burr coffee grinder. A fan-shaped blade spins to grind the coffee beans. However, with a blade coffee grinder, grains are inconsistent unless you grind the coffee to a finer texture, which is fine if you’re making an automatic drip coffee maker.

If you want espresso, this method doesn’t work out too well. A burr coffee grinder is the best, as it crushes the coffee beans in a consistent manner that allows for a uniform grind. Of course, a burr coffee grinder can be either an electric style or a hand-cranked style. Both work equally well, though of course the electric coffee grinder will take less time. Still, the hand-cranked coffee grinder is ideal for those who like to take the time to enjoy handling the coffee and savor the aroma while grinding. A hand-crank coffee grinder is also portable, which makes it ideal for taking along on camping trips or when RV’ing.

A burr style coffee grinder can cost someone anywhere from $75 to $400, depending on how fancy you want to get. It doesn’t really matter what kind of coffee grinder you purchase as long as it does the job it’s supposed to do. You don’t have to spend a fortune for a good cup of coffee when a bit of patience will get you the same results. Many people enjoy grinding their own coffee, and whether you own a blade or a burr coffee grinder, you’re going to enjoy a better cup of coffee no matter which style you use.

The Right Information About Gourmet Coffee

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People who drink coffee, for the most part, hardly pay much attention to what type of coffee they are drinking. If they could get the right information about gourmet coffee, then they probably would stop drinking any other coffee. Some people drink coffee anywhere they can get it for cheap and it also depends on the convenience of getting it. Before you go shopping for coffee you must get information about gourmet coffee and you will never drink another regular coffee ever again. The coffee most people drink taste like garbage, but just for a quick fix in the morning and because they don’t have the proper information about gourmet coffee, they will buy just about anything they can get their hands on.

There are people out there who have gotten the information about gourmet coffee to make an educated decision to drink finer tasting coffee with its dark color and amazing flavor. These informed gourmet coffee drinkers don’t just consume coffee to give them high energy in the morning, but instead these coffee experts drink coffee to enjoy its rich flavor and subtle taste.

Finding the best gourmet coffee

People who love coffee did not previously have enough information about gourmet coffee to be able to look for and find the best quality available to them. Popular companies like Starbucks have changed all that. There are also numerous coffee shops around the country that have got a hold of information about gourmet coffee to serve their customers the best high quality brewed coffee. Gourmet coffee is the best on the market, but can get quite expensive too, but if you are a coffee lover, you will like the taste enough to spend the money.

You can get information about gourmet coffee online. You can even purchase it online as well. However, your local coffee shop can be your greatest source to finding the most valuable information about gourmet coffee. At the supermarket, you can guy coffee that is already grounded or you also can buy whole beans to grind them at home yourself.

There are a lot of gourmet coffee specialty shops, even in the airports and small shopping centers. These owners will always be willing to help you with any information about gourmet coffee that you need. These shop owners provide their expertise to you so that you can learn all you need to know when purchasing the best coffee. This is because they love what they do and they will have tons of information about gourmet coffee if you have questions.

Some people like when the coffee roast is darker because they think it is important to the taste of the grind. You might want to try different types until you find what you prefer; whether light, medium, or dark roast. Be sure to experiment and try different sorts until you find the one you like. Gourmet coffee is an international phenomenon so try coffee that is made overseas. You may be surprised that you end up liking it more. Have fun selecting your gourmet coffee from the information you have gathered.

Delicious Coffee Ideas

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Ok so how many of you love a cup of coffee? I know I do! Below you can see 6 of the best recipes to enjoy your coffee a different way. We hope you enjoy it.
Irish Coffee
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 jigger of Bushmills Irish Whiskey
2/3 cup of coffee or flavoured Irish Creme coffee
1/4 cup of heavy cream, lightly whipped
Preheat the glass with hot water. Dump the water out and add the hot coffee with the teaspoon of sugar and stir. Add the jigger of whiskey, and top with the whipping cream. Dark coffee’s are best for this recipe.

Spiced French Coffee
1 teaspoon fresh, grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 whole cloves
Regular amount of your usual coffee or try Swiss Chocolate Orange flavored coffee

Add the above ingredients together and brew as normal. Place a slice of orange at the bottom or your cup. Pour in coffee and add sugar and cream to taste. Top with whipping cream and sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon if so desired.
Mint Chocolate Coffee

1 ounce of chocolate mint liqueur
Dash of shaved chocolate
Whipping cream (optional)
Regular coffee or try Dutch Chocolate Decaf

flavoured coffee
Brew your regular coffee, add the 1 ounce of liqueur into your cup. Add some whipping cream if desired and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.
Coffee Flavoured Milkshakes

1 pint of coffee ice cream
2 teaspoons finely ground coffee
1/2 cup light rum (optional)
4 to 6 scoops vanilla ice cream
Instant coffee powder

Spoon coffee ice cream into blender. Add rum and finely ground coffee. Blend on high until creamy smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of the vanilla ice cream to each glass. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee powder.
Frosty Mocha Coffees

1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
1 pint of vanilla ice cream, softenend
6 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
1 cup prepared cold coffee

Blend hot coffee and chocolate syrup in blender. Blend until smooth. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the softened ice cream and cold coffee. With a rotary beater, beat until smooth. Spoon into tall glasses and serve immediately.
Egg Nogg Coffee

1 cup of coffee or try Pumpkin Spice flavoured coffee

1 egg yoke
1/2 cup of cream
Dash of nutmeg
Beat the suger and egg yoke together. Place cream in a saucepan and heat over low setting, do not burn. Wisk the egg mixture into the warmed cream, heat until hot. Add coffee to mugs and top with the cream mixture. Garnish the coffee with nutmeg.

Brewing A Perfect Cup Of Coffee

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Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on a number of things such as the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing being done, and the grind of the coffee. Now quality of bean and water is something you can easily take care. Just use good quality beans and pure water. However the relationship between the grind of the coffee and the type of brewing being done is more detailed and could use a little explanation. Now we all know that we make coffee by passing hot water over crushed coffee beans. However for it to really work well we need to understand just how long the water should be passing over the beans. The purpose of this article is to help you understand how to match your coffee’s grind to the type of brewing you are doing in order to make the best coffee possible.

Generally speaking, the ‘soaking’ time relates directly to how coarse the coffee is ground. This means that smaller coffee grinds need less contact with the water, and coarser grinds need longer contact. Espresso coffee is only exposed to water for 20-40 seconds and as a result is made using extremely fine grind coffee. A French press coffee maker can take as much as 4 minutes and uses an extremely coarse grind. If coffee is left contacting water for too long for its grind size, unwanted extracts emerge and make the coffee taste bitter. Of course if the grind is too large and the water passes very quickly (like using frech press grind in an espresso maker), very little of the caffeine and flavours extracted and will have poor flavour.

Of course filters play an important role in managing the balance between over and under brewing your coffee. Not only do they keep the grind out of your cup, but they also control how fast the water passes over the grinds. Paper filters are the most common, but many people are also using metal varieties. Paper filters are quite good. However they can absorb some of the coffee flavour, and some people claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee. Metal filters are normally made from stainless steel or gold plated mesh. They have very fine weave and filter out the coffee grinds very well. They also do not alter the taste of the coffee at all. Metal filters are also more environmentally friendly than the paper alternative.

Whichever you choose, be sure to buy decent quality. Cheap filters often clog or not allow the coffee to brew properly. A decent quality metal filter will last years and save money in the end.

Brewing a cup of coffee is not that hard. Brewing a great cup takes a little more understanding, but isn’t any harder. Start with fresh beans and good clean water and then match your brewing style to the proper grind and then mess around with the exact proportions and pretty soon your be brewing killer coffee every time.

Coffee Beans – How To Grind

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Air is the enemy of all coffee drinkers. Once air comes in contact with your coffee grinds, they begin to lose their flavor. Coffee manufacturers vacuum seal their grinds to keep them fresh while they sit on the shelves at the supermarket but once you break that seal, it’s all downhill from there. Buying whole coffee beans and grinding them yourself is a great way to ensure that your coffee remains as flavorful as possible. But do you know how to grind your coffee beans properly?

Different types of coffee calls for different types of grinds. So you’ll need to learn to use your coffee grinder properly if you want to make the freshest best tasting coffee possible.

If you plan on brewing your coffee with a percolator or a French Press coffee maker then you’ll need a coarser grind. Place the coffee beans in your coffee grinder and tap the grind button a few times as you would use the pulse feature on your food processor. The goal is to break the beans up so that they look like tiny pieces of coffee bean. If they look like a powder, then you need to slowly back away from the coffee grinder and start again. Remember to tap the button and not hold it down.

Automatic drip coffee makers work best with medium grinds. Picture the grinds that you’d find in a can of supermarket coffee. Those are medium grinds. They can be described as looking like brown sand. So remember the last time you went to the beach but instead of seeing the sand in between your toes, imagine seeing sand in your coffee maker. Once again, while holding the coffee grinder button, don’t get carried away and over grind your coffee beans. You do not want a fine powder if you’re going to use an automatic coffee maker.

Finally if your using an espresso maker, you want those fine powdery grinds that you’ve been trying to avoid when making coarse and medium grinds. So grind away until your heart is content.

Grinding your own coffee beans right before you brew your coffee is a great way to make sure that you’re getting the freshest cup of coffee possible. But a fresh cup of coffee can still be bitter or weak. Learning how to grind your coffee beans is an important part of making great coffee.