Coffee roasting

Coffee beans are roasted to bring about the right balance between the acidity and sweetness of the beans. In other words, the process of roasting the coffee beans brings out their inner characteristics and flavor. The level to which a coffee is roasted pretty much decides how the coffee will taste upon brewing. For instance, coffee beans that undergo light roasting usually have a light bodied and sweet tasting brew; whereas, a full bodied coffee with a chocolaty flavor is dark roasted.

Roasting coffee beans effects certain physical and chemical changes in the beans. These changes include the loss of moisture, caramelizing, change of color and expansion of the coffee beans. As the beans start to lose moisture and expand, they make a popping sound, which is termed as a “crack” in the coffee industry.

There are three basic levels of roasting as far as coffee beans are concerned. The Light Roast as mentioned before is used to derive a milder coffee, often sweet tasting. Then comes the Medium Roast that is the most commonly used roasting level for coffee beans. Here, roasted coffee beans are done at the second crack. The next and last level of roasting coffee beans is known as Dark Roasting where beans are roasted till they appear oily on the surface; which happens well beyond the second crack. Such roasting generally gives a very full bodied and strong brew.

Apart from the levels of Roasting, there are three main methods of

coffee bean roasting. One is an art, the second a science while the third is a combination of art and science.

Art Roasting is that technique of coffee roasting which has to be mastered through years and years of practice. Here the roast master can tell if a coffee is roasted to perfection simply by using his senses of sound, sight and smell. On the other hand, Science Roasting is where the roast master decides if a coffee is ready based on scientific data. Here the roast master looks at various data including time and temperature in order to ensure that there is uniformity of color among the different batches of roasted coffee beans. The third technique for roasting coffee beans is a fusion of both art as well as science. It is generally used for mass producing coffee beans.

Once the coffee beans are roasted, another process known as “cupping” is undertaken to ascertain the quality of the roasted beans. Here the coffee is tasted in a similar manner to tasting tea.

In this process, roasted coffee bean samples are extracted and measured in different cups. After that coffee beans from each cup are ground separately and then steeped in boiling water. Upon doing this the coffee grounds rise to the top and trap the aroma underneath. The cupper then removes the coffee grounds and smells the aroma. Last, the coffee is tasted and graded on various characteristics such as flavor, body, aroma, acidity and any defects in taste.

This step concludes the coffee bean roasting process, after which it is up to you, the coffee consumer to decide which type of roasted coffee beans suit your palate the best.

Tour the world to avoid botheration of getting coffee makers

Coffee is one of the most popular and ancient drink of all times. One of the many delightful advantages of coffee is the delightful variety of recipes for enjoying a warm soothing cup of coffee.

Out of the endless list of possibilities Caribbean, Mexican mocha, and Grog are only a few of them.

The Caribbean coffee is one of the most unusual and daring of all coffee concoctions and recipes. You can make this drink by first baking a coconut for around 30 minutes at 300F (134C). Then you should remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool. After it cools down you should take out the flesh after opening the outer shell and grate it evenly. Now, all you have to do is mix the the coconut milk, the grated coconut, and half a cup of cowmilk and let it thicken on slow heat. After your mixture thickens, you will have to take it out of the fire, strain the mixture to remove the coconut granules, then just add it your coffee and enjoy your Caribbean coffee.

The Mexican is one type of a mocha that is a delicious blend of two natural partners-coffee and chocolate. To make this delicious blend all you have to do is take a quarter teaspoon of a cinnamon and nutmeg and add a teaspoon of chocolate syrup. After that all you have to do is add sugar to your taste. You can also make your Mexican Mocha even tastier by adding a little bit of whipped cream. Yum!!!!

One of the best English holiday treats is the traditional Grog blend. To make this delicious blend, you will first have to separate a largish orange into small pieces after first peeling it. After that you take a lemon and do exactly the same. Now, you will have to place the peel of an orange slice at the bottom of the cup. Next, you will have to mix in 2 spoonfulls sugar, a half tablespoon of butter, a pinch of cloves and nutmeg. If you want your Grog even spicier then you can also add a little bit of cinnamon. Then pour in your coffee and mix well. You can also add a bit of heavy cream for a better taste.

Viennese, Turkish and Vietnamese are some of the popular international coffee blends.

You can make a Viennese blend by melting one-eight cup of dark chocolate in a saucepan and stirring in one tablespoon of light cream. Then you should slowly add half a cup of coffee, whip it until it becomes frothy and then let it settle. After the coffee settles, you can sprinkle cinnamon on the top and then taste the coffee with your pinky raised. Just like an aristocrat.

One of the simplest recipes is the Turkish blend. If you have one of those special džezva pots then you will be able to make the perfect cup of Turkish coffee. To make this coffee, you will first have to bring the finely ground Turkish coffee to a boil in the džezva pot. Turkish coffee that is known for its strength can only brought to its perfect flavor if it is boiled. After that you will have to take the pot off the gas, pour in a cup of water, add sugar and then stir it properly and put it back on the gas. When you see that foam is starting to form on top of the pot, you will have to take it off and allow it to settle and cool down.

One Vietnamese drink that you should not miss is the iced coffee drink. For making this coffee, you will first have to get a coffee press. Now, you will have to put ground coffee into the press and then pour in a bit of condensed milk into the cup. After that you will have to pour boiling water into the press and let it drip for a while. In the end just stir the coffee and add ice. Hence, you have our perfect Vietnamese iced coffee.

One good idea would be to save you the trouble and take a world tour. You will be saved all the hassles of acquiring cappuccino machines or coffee makers and making coffees as the locals would do all the work.

Cold coffee-who woulda thought

"What is the last thing that your patrons taste/drink before leaving a restaurant ?" And if you do not believe me go out there and watch. Nearly everybody will toss back that last cold cup of coffee before leaving their table, therefore it is vitally important that your coffee tastes wonderful hot, warm or cold.

Now how can you be sure that your coffee tastes good.

STEP ONE : CLEAN the EQUIPMENT

Cleanliness is more important than godliness, therefore ensure that you not only clean your bowls every night (there must be a joke in that line somewhere), and your coffee supplier can give you urn cleaner to really clean them occasionally, or run them through the dishwasher. DO NOT FORGET THE BREW BASKET. This will be dirtier than everything else, so once again ensure that there is no oily residue, plus clean the showerhead, and the area around it. If you have an urn or dual system, ask your coffee supplier to come in and train/educate your staff on how to properly clean the equipment.

STEP TWO: CALIBRATE the EQUIPMENT

Many times I go into a restaurant to find the brewer is short-potting (no this is not a gardening term), and the remedy can be very simple. Adjust the timer or float mechanism. BUT, maybe the equipment is short potting because the water line (including the filter/strainer) or machine or showerhead is clogged with lime, or some other gunk. Cleaning and maybe de-liming is necessary. Remember that if your brew time is too long, your resulting (revolting) coffee will be bitter, with a burnt after-taste. It’s rather like drinking coal tar - although I must admit I cannot remember the last time I knocked back a shot of coal tar.

Also, ensure that the water coming out of the showerhead is at the correct temperature, too cold and you will underextract, too hot and we start going down the coal-tar path again. A simple thing to check (use an oral thermometer, not a r...... one), and then adjust the temperature on the thermostat as necessary.

STEP THREE : WATER

A cup of coffee is 98% (approx) water, so if your water tastes lousy, your coffee will taste lousy. So test your faucet water by comparing it to the taste of a bottle of filtered water. And if necessary, put in a proper water filtration system. Remember your ice, soda, and cooking will all taste better.

STEP FOUR : YOUR COFFEE/COFFEE SUPPLIER

The people responsible at your coffee roaster will cup (taste) coffees through the temperature range, right down to room temperature - specifically to address the question at the top of this page, and to ensure that the coffee tastes good even when its been sitting for a while in your coffee cup. The coffee cupper (and by the way the best tea tasters, coffee cuppers, and wine sommeliers are all women, this is because physiologically God built a woman’s mouth differently to a man, and women have much better taste buds than men ) will cup and blend the coffee so that the taste profile always remains the same. People do not want surprises when they first wake up, least of all in their coffee cup at 7am, therefore the job of cupping and blending is one of the most difficult in the world. Mind you, most people don’t want a surprise in their martinis about 12 hours later, so once again tasting and blending is vital.

Having determined that your coffee supplier/roaster (hopefully one and the same company) can roast and blend coffee well, lets look at packaging, and the whole bean versus fractional pack/ground coffee debate.

Your coffee supplier is loaning you brewing equipment, and if you want to do a whole bean programme (no that is not a spelling mistake), they will lend you a portion control/doser grinder. Now the grinder they lend you will be a proper commercial grinder, costing about $700. But just consider that your roaster uses a grinder where the blades alone cost upwards of $15,000, and your roaster is checking the degree of grind several times a day with very expensive and sophisticated equipment. Therefore what chance do you have with a $700 grinder of achieving a consistent grind? And just remember that your brewed coffee quality will vary enormously with the vagaries of heat and humidity playing havoc with the coffee particle size coming out of your grinder. Or you can buy fractional packs, which have been nitrogen flushed to remove oxygen and preserve freshness.

A doctorate in nuclear engineering is not required to understand that fractional packs will always produce a better, and more consistent brew than a whole bean programme. The difference between local/regional coffee roasters is not in the roasting. Anyone can set themselves up as roaster. Even you. Buy some green beans and toss them into your hot air popcorn popper, and Voila you have air-roasted some coffee. And provided you didn’t cremate them, they probably smell wonderful. No, the difference in coffee roasters is how they buy the coffee, where they buy their coffee, how they blend the coffee, and most importantly (and this is really where the women are separated from the girls/ politically correct phraseology) how they pack the coffee.

Coffee’s enemies are heat, oxygen, light and humidity. Therefore coffee that does not arrive in your restaurant in foil/film wrapped, hermetically sealed bags will lose its freshness within a day or two. BUT, packing equipment is very expensive to buy and run, and this where the difference lies between a roaster dedicated to ensuring freshness in your patron’s coffee cup, and one who does not have what it takes.

And now dear readers to summarize :

Correctly clean and calibrated coffee brewers (try saying that after drinking a couple of martinis)

Clear, pure, and great tasting water.

Good fresh coffee, from a hermetically sealed portion/fractional pack.

Follow these simple rules and your clients will leave with a smile instead of a grimace.

The chocolate heritage of cadbury

Cadbury Chocolate is a name nearly everyone knows today. Whether they are dedicated chocolate fans, the occasional chocolate fiend, or those that have chocolate on occasion, the name Cadbury Chocolate is well known. Today you can find their name in grocery stores, candy shops, and many other special confectionary shops. And never forget there's the Easter basket as well.

Cadbury Chocolate History

In the mid-nineteenth century, Frye and Sons of Bristol, England first formed a chocolate confection. In the early part of the twentieth century they combined with Cadbury. This makes present Cadbury Chocolates the direct descendants of the initial chocolates available in Europe.

Years later in the late twentieth century Cadbury introduced the first milk chocolate bar. It's not hard to say that Cadbury Chocolate is a leader in the chocolate industry. It began with John Cadbury establishing a status of first-class chocolate from the start. The heritage continues onto today.

Now Cadbury enjoys international appreciation as a leader among confectionaries. This worldwide following occurred over the last century and isn't likely to change any time soon. They still lead in the UK as well. Their current commodities include chocolate bars, candies, drinks, and even dry powered chocolate.

Finding Cadbury Chocolate

Cadbury Chocolate's renowned holiday offerings are known far and wide. The Cadbury Crиme Egg is a chocolate delicacy to many available at grocery store counters everywhere. There are few that haven't had these around Easter. They are driven to these crиme filled chocolate eggs that have been around for a few generations and will continue to be a holiday staple for a long time to come. It's their number 1 seller from January through Easter each year.

While Cadbury chocolate is available internationally, not all products are available in all countries. The unique offerings in various markets make great gifts, snacks, seasonal delicacies, and many other Cadbury Chocolate desire fillers. If you want to be up on them all, you probably want to browse the World Wide Web for Cadbury Chocolate possibly beginning right here where you are now.

Their chocolate bars, eggs, and other mixed boxes are found at nearly every US grocery and candy store. History has kept them strong and they aren't going anywhere. Besides the UK and US market; you will also find them when visiting Australia. They travel even on this smaller populated continent. A Cadbury Chocolate bar isn't far off in too many places anymore.

So when Easter rolls around, don't feel too unique or alone about feasting on the great Cadbury Crиme Egg that many others do. It's ok. Tell anyone else how Cadbury did it and you stand odds of saving face and maybe finding the frenzy isn't yours alone. They also offer many other mixed chocolates for your Cadbury Chocolate feeding frenzies.

Now that you know there are even more Cadbury chocolate products, it won't hurt to look around for many more. If history interests you, you may want to research even more on their times and candy that has made many delighted over the years.

The health benefits of dark chocolates

It is rare that eating chocolate is recommended for health reasons. However, quite surprisingly, dark chocolate is said to contain antioxidants that benefit your body when eaten properly.

People often refer to dark chocolate as "bittersweet" chocolate. It contains roughly 70% cocoa solids and has less or no sugar added.

Since it has less or no sugar, dark chocolate is far less susceptible to heat than milk chocolate.

Some recent studies suggest that eating dark chocolate provides your body with essential antioxidants that could help with getting rid of free radicals that cause premature aging.

Other studies indicate that another benefit of dark chocolates is it could help with lowering bad cholesterol oxidation and reduce the risk of blood clots.

The primary reason why dark chocolate have these benefits is the flavonoids it contains. A flavonoid is a ketone that one can also find in the stems, seeds, and leaves of several plants. These flavonoids are members of a class of antioxidants called polyphenols, which are also found in red wine, tea, and certain fruits and vegetables.

It is estimated that dark chocolate contains eight times the levels of polyphenol antioxidants when compared with strawberries.

More studies have indicated that there are reduced benefits eating dark chocolate antioxidants if it were taken with milk or if milk were part of the dark chocolate mixture. It is believed that the molecules of milk adhere themselves to the epicatechins and prevent the proper assimilation of the flavonoids by the body.

Not all studies favor dark chocolates. Concerns have been raised about the possibility of dark chocolate inducing migraine attacks. However, data to fully support those concerns is still insufficient.

In addition to being a pleasure on the palate, consuming fifty grams of dark chocolate made of at least 70 percent chocolate solids could provide health benefits and supplement your diet with additional iron, potassium, and calcium.

Anti-aging theories part ii

Waste Accumulation Theory

The waste accumulation theory of aging states that in the course of a life span cells produce more waste than they can properly eliminate. The waste includes various toxins that when accumulated to a certain level they can interfere with normal cell function and ultimately kill the cell.

Limited Number of Cell Divisions Theory

This theory is concerned with the number of cell divisions directly affected by the accumulations of the cell’s waster products. As more wastes accumulate over time the cells quickly degenerate thus causing aging and ultimately death.

Hayflick Limit Theory

Dr. Hayflick theorized that the aging process was controlled by a biological clock contained within each living cell. Studies done in 1961 concluded that human fibroblast cells (lung, skin, muscle, heart) have a limited life span. They divide approximately 50 times over a period of years and then suddenly stop. They also concluded nutrition seemed to have an effect on the rate of cell division. Final conclusion of this theory states that improper functioning of cells and loss of cells in organs and tissues may be responsible for the effects of aging.

Death Hormone Theory (DECO)

Brain cells or neurons are unlike other cells in that they do not replicate. At birth we have roughly 12 billion of them and over a life time about 10 percent die out. Dr. Donner Denckle speculated that as we age the pituitary begins to release DECO which inhibits the ability of cells to use thyroxine. Thyrozine is a hormone produced by the thyroid-governing basal metabolism, which is the rate at which cells convert food to energy. The metabolic rate brings on and accelerates the process of aging.

Thymic-Stimulating Theory

Dr. Alan Goldstein says “the thymus is the master gland of the immune systems.” The size of the gland continues to reduce and shrink to round three grams by age 60. Scientists are investigating the possibility that the disappearance of the thymus contributes to the aging process by weakening the body’s immune system.

Mitochondrial Theory

This is the free radical theory is supported by directed experimental observations of Mitochondrial aging. Our primary source of energy comes from ATP. Mitochondria are the energy-producing organelles in the cells that produce ATP. They produce cell energy by a process that leads to forming potentially damaging free radicals. Evidence seems to tell us that various kinds of accumulated DNA damage over time contribute to disease. New research in mitochondrial repair could play an important role in the fight against aging.

Errors and Repairs Theory

Dr. Leslie Orgel suggested in 1963 that because the “machinery for making protein in cells is so essential, an error in that machinery could be catastrophic.” Since the system is incapable of always making perfect repairs on these molecules, the accumulation of flawed molecules can cause disease and other age changes to occur.

Redundant DNA Theory

This theory is similar to the error-and-repairs theory in that it also blames errors accumulating in genes for age changes. A difference is that as these errors accumulate the reserve genetic sequences of identical DNA that take over until the system is work out.

Source: The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care professional.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved

Coffee - understand what caffeine does

I’m no different from any other American; I love a good coffee after I wake up. In fact, I adore coffee bubbling in my coffee maker through out the day and sometimes I also crave the flavour even after having had dinner. Unfortunately, dependent on your body, your reaction to the caffeine will vary. This can mean the difference between a cup of coffee at night or a sleepless night of tossing and turning. I personally cannot drink coffee before bedtime because I am sensitive to the affects of caffeine. I can’t even drink pop before bedtime or I will pay for it at night. This one of the main reasons why I keep a supply of decaf in my kitchen. If I do need that quick taste, I can brew some coffee without suffering the intolerable insomnia associated with caffeine.

My other backup for those times when I have run out of decaf and I crave a quick coffee at night is Dunkin Donuts. They brew a decaf that has all the flavour of the regular brew, but without the concentrated caffeine levels that will wire up my nerves. I’ve even wandered out to get the iced variety when it has been too hot for my normal drink, and because I just have to have that delicious flavour running over my tongue.

Coffee beans have the natural molecule called caffeine built in. I am not very familiar with the process for its removal though. I picture a huge contraption resembling a sieve that uses a filtration system to remove the caffeine from the boiling beans’ water. I suppose this is more fantasy than reality because you can get whole grinds and beans from stores. I strongly imagine that the process involves the entire bean and not just the water. However, it is my best bet for coffee lovers like myself who have to avoid that dreaded caffeine.

I do worry that with the flavours of regular and decaf coffee being so much alike that the coffee-houses may give me regular accidentally. I avoid this concern by keeping a constant supply of decaf in my kitchen. Making mistakes is only human, right? I am also concerned that my Starbucks barista may give me decaf instead of my morning regular. Without that morning boost of caffeine, I have forked out $4, only to continue to doze the day away. Whatever the case I do adore coffee. Don’t you?