Caffeine Trivia 01.18.15

 Today’s Caffeine quote:  “The voodoo priest and all his powers were as nothing compared to espresso, cappuccino, and mocha, which are    stronger than all the religions of the world combined, and perhaps stronger than the human soul itself.”  ~ Mark Helprin, Memoir from Antproof Case, 1995

Caffeine Trivia 01.17.15

Famous Coffee Drinker:  Balzac (1799-1850)

In a treatise devoted to the stimulants of his day, Balzac naturally wrote several pages on the subject of coffee. Keep in mind that the writer was an avid coffee drinker. He said that the beverage produced in him “a sort of restless energy.”

Would la Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy) ever have been written, were it not for coffee? Coffee may not induce creativity, but it has provided mankind with a faithful weapon against the sweet slumber of sleep that would have aborted the many masterpieces concocted in the middle of the night with coffee in one hand, a pen in the other, and feet soaking in warm water.

Source: spresso.com

Caffeine Trivia 01.16.15

For those of you, like me, who grind your beans for the perfect cup here are two tips.

Too coarse a grind will produce a weak cup of coffee.

Too fine a grind can cause the brewer to clog and produce a bitter cup.

Experiment with your grinder a few times – you’ll become an expert.

Caffeine Trivia 01.15.15

I have been asked again to provide some definitions of  the most popular coffee beverages:

caffe (espresso) — a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e., espresso

caffe Americano — American-style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup

caffe doppio — double espresso

caffe freddo — iced coffee

caffe Hag — decaffeinated coffee

caffe latte — hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast

caffe macchiato — espresso “stained” with a drop of steamed milk: small version of a cappuccino

caffe marocchino — espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder

cappuccino — espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never after lunch or dinner

granita di caffe con panna — frozen, iced beverage (similar to a slush, but ice shavings make it authentic) and topped with whipped cream

Caffeine Trivia 01.14.15

Coffee can be good for you! Coffee can increase the effectiveness of pain killers, reduce headaches and can help fight asthma, possibly due to the enhanced adrenal effect from the caffeine. Coffee may reduce the risk for some cancers and Parkinson’s disease. Recent studies have shown that caffeine reduces the incidence of diabetes by 54% for men and 30% for women. Lastly, coffee’s stimulant effects and fat burning potential has some in the medical field pushing it as a means of lowering the incidence of heart disease.

Caffeine Trivia 01.13.15

Although it tastes “stronger”, dark roasted coffees actually have LESS caffeine than medium or light roasts. The longer a coffee is roasted, the darker it becomes and the more caffeine burns off during the process. Similarly, contrary to popular assumptions, espresso coffee actually contains about one-third of the caffeine of a brewed cup of coffee. This is partially due to the fact that espresso is typically made using top premium arabica beans which have a lower caffeine content than robusta beans, which are found in many coffee blends used for standard brewing. Also, in the espresso brewing method, water is in contact with the grounds for only 20 to 25 seconds and extracts less caffeine than methods that put water in contact with the grounds for several minutes.

Caffeine Trivia 01.12.15

Here’s another tip for brewing a great cup of coffee – Tip #4

Amount of Coffee – Using the right ratio of ground coffee to water is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a good cup of coffee. Use enough coffee, and don’t use too much or too little! If the below measurements sound like a lot, then you have probably been making less than full strength coffee. Make sure to spread the grounds evenly in the coffee filter so full brewing is achieved.

Professional coffee tasters use: exactly two (2) tablespoons (7 to 9 grams or 2 scoop of a standard coffee measure) of ground coffee beans for each six (6) ounces of water.

For 4 cups (6 ounces each) of coffee, measure out 8 generous tablespoons (30 to 35 grams) of fresh ground coffee beans.

Caffeine Trivia 01.11.15

Here’s how to make the perfect cup of coffee…Coffee Tip #3 – Use Fresh Quality Coffee

Quality coffee costs more but will consistently produce much better tasting coffee. Coffee beans are the best choice over pre ground coffee. Coffee begins to degrade shortly after it’s roasted, this is regardless if the coffee is packaged immediately. Surface area is a large part of the degradation, so ground coffee degrades considerably faster than whole-bean coffee because of the considerably larger surface area of all those individual pieces of coffee beans. You might think it’s an inconvenience using coffee beans compared to using ground coffee, but once you taste the delicious difference you’ll never go back to ground coffee again! If you still want to use ground coffee, make sure you use a good, drip grind coffee.

Use 2 level tablespoons of quality coffee for each six ounces of water. This can be adjusted for individual taste preference depending on whether you like your coffee weak, average or bug out your eyes strong. Make sure and spread the grounds evenly in the coffee filter so that full brewing is achieved

Drink your fresh coffee right away for the best flavor. Coffee will break down quickly if left on a heat source and coffee should never be reheated or micro waved since both of these break down the coffee flavor. If you want to keep your coffee hot without effecting the flavor very much, it’s best to use either an air pot or a stainless steel thermos. Both of these methods will keep your coffee hot for about an hour or so.

If you follow these 3 simple coffee preparation tips, you’re sure to make a perfect cup of coffee for yourself, your friends of your family each and every time.

Source: CoffeeFacts.com

Caffeine Trivia 01.10.15

Here’s how to make the perfect cup of coffee…Coffee Tip #2 – Clean Filtered Water

Remember that coffee is really 99% water, so you want o make sure that 99% is the best that you can make it. While using tap water isn’t a bad thing, the numerous chemicals added to tap water by your local water company can dramatically change the taste of your coffee. Using bottled water is great since it’s free of chlorine, however if that seems a little on the extravagant side for you then getting one of those filters that attach to your kitchen faucet works well. Since you’ll likely use it mainly for making your coffee, the filter will last much longer then normal.

Another recommendation to ensure a clean, fresh, pure coffee taste is to use either a stainless steel or gold mesh filter instead of the usual paper filters. Paper filters are OK, however there are some that can release dyes, chlorine and bleach and any of these will effect coffee taste. If you prefer using paper coffee filters then it’s best to use the brown (unbleached) paper coffee filters since they are a more natural product.

Source: CoffeeFacts.com

Caffeine Trivia 01.09.15

Here’s how to make the perfect cup of coffee…Coffee Tip #1- Make sure your coffee pot is clean.

A clean coffee pot is essential and will make a world of difference in how your coffee ultimately tastes. An unclean coffee pot has residual coffee oils that remain from the previous batches of coffee. There are also other coffee chemicals and materials such as pieces of coffee grounds which can decompose and cause some bad flavors. It’s not likely such small amounts will make you sick, but there’s a good chance your coffee will taste “a little off”.

Be careful about using a whole lot of soap unless you’re sure to remove any remaining residue, following a good wash and rinse with some baking soda and water to neutralize any remaining acids and coffee oil.