4 Different Coffee Brewing Methods

Author: Aaron Matthews-Morgan

Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish. Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods: Espresso, French Press, Drip Filtration and Mokta or Stovetop method.

Espresso
Probably the most popular of the Coffee Brewing Methods in recent times is making an Espresso using a machine. Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. The water then finds a path through the coffee grounds. And the coffee commences to pour into your cup. When the water finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the 'shot being pulled' through the group.

The sign of a good espresso, using fresh coffee beans, is the richness of the crema. Crema is the hazelnut foam that sits on the surface of the coffee. This is produced by the pressurizing process and the oils of the coffee bean. Oils break down with time, and so a rich crema will be produced using fresh beans. And if you didn't catch it when I started talking about Espresso, use a fine grind. Using a course grind allows the water to 'brush past' the grind rather than infuse with it. Using a course grind will still produce a good coffee, but it will taste more like a coffee produced using a Drip Filter coffee brewing method rather than true Espresso coffee.

French Press
One of the simplest of all Coffee Brewing Methods is the French Press or Plunger. This is probably the easiest way to make great coffee! The French Press works by directly mixing ground coffee with near boiling water. The coffee flavors get drawn out into the water and then the press or plunger is depressed, separating the exhausted coffee grind from the brew. While the process has a similar taste to the Drip Filtration style, the French Press can extract more flavor from the coffee grind by extending the brewing time. Manual infusion requires you to get your timing right. If you let the brewing process run too long you may end up with a bitter coffee. Conversely, if you brew too quickly you will have a weak tasting coffee.

One more point, use a course grind. You don't want fine ground coffee escaping through the metal filter and into the brew. A dusty cup of coffee is not an experience worth having.

Drip Filtration
Let's start with the Drip Filtration style. Drip Filtration is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it.
The most widely used conical filters are made of paper, while expensive stainless steel or gold conical filters are also available. When buying paper filters, be sure to use oxygen bleached paper. Chemically treated papers may affect the taste of your coffee. Another point to be aware of with paper filters is that you may also have some of the flavorful coffee oils trapped by the paper filter. It is the oils that produce the rich crema when you make an espresso. The grind is also important with Drip Filtration. If the grind is too fine, you may clog the pores of your filter. You can avoid this by using a course grind (read about grinding here).

Finally, if you do not expect to drink the full pot of coffee, either by yourself (all that caffeine....) or with friends, beware the constantly heated coffee. It loses its flavor and may even become bitter. And the golden rule....never reheat coffee.

Mokta Pot/Stovetop
The Moka Pot style is also known as a Stovetop coffee pot. Moka pot's come in several sizes including 2, 4 or 6 cup capacities. The Moka Pot a simple 3 piece pot. The water reservoir is at the base, with a coffee basket in the middle and the brewed coffee ends up in the top.

The coffee brewing method is very simple. The pot is placed on a stove top which heats the water in the lower reservoir. As the water reaches boiling point, the steam rises and the water starts to push upward through the coffee grounds. This continues to travel up the central funnel and seeps into the top chamber where it comes to rest. The process finishes when the coffee stops moving into the top chamber. This should only take a few minutes to brew depending on the cup size of the Moka pot.

The grind should be a fine grind, similar or finer to that used in an Espresso machine. If you want to fill the coffee basket the way traditional Italian drinkers do, then heap the coffee grounds high in the coffee basket and screw the two pieces together. Don't worry about compacting the coffee. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.

So there you have it. The four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coffee-articles/4-different-coffee-brewing-methods-257703.html

A Quick Guide to Speciality Coffees

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The Perfect Espresso

Author: Sharon V Chapman

Espresso is a highly concentrated coffee drink made by forcing steam and water through finely ground coffee. It is typically served in a 2 oz. shot or used as the basis for many different coffee drinks. The best espressos are very sweet, have a large, potent aroma with a thick, dark reddish-brown layer on top known as the crema.

A good espresso will not be overpowered when used in other drinks and is able to be enjoyed straight if so desired. The taste should linger with you for a few minutes after drinking. To achieve the best espresso possible you should follow these tips when making one. The Perfect Espresso To make the perfect espresso you should start with a good quality coffee bean.

The beans should be ground finely enough to allow for a 25-30 second extraction. They should be tamped with the same pressure consistently. You should not adjust your tamp pressure to make up for a bad grind. Ensure that your espresso grinder is not heating the coffee during the grind process. Conical burr grinders are better than flat burr grinders for this reason, and they deliver a more consistent grind.

Only grind as much espresso as is needed. Discard any grinds that are not used within 30 seconds to one minute as they will lose their flavor and essential oils quickly. Make sure the coffee grounds are distributed evenly in the filter basket before tamping. Tamp with an even amount of pressure. Your water must be filtered for a proper espresso.

Any mineral content will alter the way your espresso tastes. Purchase your espresso machine with a built in water filter. Water temperature must be maintained at a consistent 92-96°F. Any colder or hotter and your espresso will not be servable. Again, the right espresso machine plays a huge factor in controlling this. It should be able to maintain an even temperature at all times. Water pressure is necessary for the crema to form. Make sure your espresso machine can deliver between 9 and 10 atm to make a beautiful, tasty crema.

If you milk does not steam correctly you should look into your boiler pressure on your machine. The boiler pressure determines the amount of water that goes into steam. Only a professional should alter your boiler pressure, if yours needs adjusting call someone in to do it for you. Your espresso should extract in 25-30 seconds. This is all the time it should take to fill two 1-oz. cups. If it is taking your machine longer you should look into mitigating factors such as your grind. Keep your espresso machine clean. This one act alone can make or break your espresso.

Every part of the machine should be cleaned to avoid a rancid tasting espresso. Heat the espresso cups and make sure they have a thick double wall to keep the espresso piping hot as it is served. Practice, practice, practice. The only way to master the art of pulling a great shot of espresso is by practicing. It’s also a great way to enjoy a few espressos while you do.

For true espresso purists half the enjoyment in an espresso is in watching a talented barista pull their shot. Making an espresso is an art form all its own. Learning to master the art will pay off when your customers or friends are insistent that only you can pull their espresso. Using some proven tips and knowing the steps to pulling the perfect espresso will make you the hero of the local coffee club.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coffee-articles/the-perfect-espresso-1030188.html
About the Author:
Sharon V Chapman writes on the joys of coffee and provides information on espresso for Coffee Online - the number one guide to coffee on the web!

Coffee Pod Brewer - The Best Coffee You've Ever Had

Author: Sheila Jonstone

You may have noticed that regular coffee makers are quickly becoming obsolete thanks to the new coffee pod machine's that are on the market. The convenience, speed and selection of these new machines are boosting their popularity and proving that they can't be beat. A coffee pod machine may be just what you've been waiting for. Keep reading to find out.

There's nothing easier than putting a coffee pod into the maker and simply pushing a button. No more measuring or grinding of beans. Coffee pods are much like a tea bag, but filled with exactly the right amount of coffee instead. This leaves very small room for mistakes, ensuring that every cup you make will always be fresh and consistent.

Coffee pod machine's also solve the age old problem of needing to brew an entire pot, when all you really want is one cup of coffee. Also if you have family or friends over, not everyone wants to drink the same thing. What happens if someone only drinks decaf? With a coffee pod maker you'll be able to make a wide variety of drinks quickly and with no waste.

You'll be amazed at thow fast these machines are compared to your regular old coffee maker. Most machines will brew a cup of coffee in less than a minute. Perfect for busy people or for family's. Cleaning up is even quicker. There's no longer a need to clean up spilled coffee grinds or carafe's to wash. All you need to do is chuck the cofee pod into the waste basket and wash your mug out. It's a snap!

Coffee pod machines are available in a wide variety of styles ensuring that you'll be able to find a machine that will fit in with your kitchen's decor. Well known brands such as Melitta, Bunn, Braun, Senseo and Bosch all have coffee pod makers in their product lineups.

The coffee pods themselves are also available in a wide assortment. A huge variety of blends are available for purchase. Flavored cofee is also available as well as espresso, decaf and cappuccino to name just a few.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coffee-articles/coffee-pod-brewer-the-best-coffee-youve-ever-had-1061293.html

About the Author:

Looking for a coffee pod machine?

Click here: http://CoffeePodMachine.org

Coffee Machines

Author: Eoin Beckett

Great Coffee Machines for Coffee Drinking Machines

My wife is a coffee nut (or bean, if you prefer) of the highest order. And I'm not much different. This means we're always experimenting with new methods of brewing different varieties of coffee bean. In the space of the few years we have been together, we have been through more coffee pots than Gza Gza Gabor has been through husbands (is she actually married at the moment?).

We've tried:
French Presses, espresso and cappuccino machines, regular perculators, filter machines, coffee pots that defy description.
In fact, so many have vied for space on our crowded countertop that I'm struggling to picture them all as I write. However, we may well have found the ultimate coffee machine combination that meets both our needs. Finally.

The Minimalist's French Press Coffee Machine
I'm a cappuccino afficianodo, but my wife is more minimalist in her
tastes, and prefers to hunker down with a smooth black brew. Although it wasn't long
ago I remember her sipping Vienna Mélange, heavy on the chocolate, since she started design school she has streamlined her habits. Now she employs a one-cup Bodum French press. This produces coffee of industrial strength with a caffeine content high enough to revive a dead donkey. It also looks great on the counter top, and its diminutive size leaves plenty of space for our other current coffee brewing experiments. The size has another advantage. French press coffee machines aren't partcularly good at keeping the coffee warm for very long. In fact, after ten minutes, it's already verging on the undrinkable, so having a coffee machine that only makes enough coffee for one cup means you get a great-tasting optimal cup of coffee every time. It is, however, fiddly to clean, and my wife is not one to encumber her life with meagre cleaning tasks before whizzing out of the door to work every morning. I, on the other hand, work from home. I get to poke that French press mesh with my washing up brush a little more often than I would choose to in a perfect world.

The Grinder/Coffee Pot Combo
We went through a phase of trying out grinder/brewer combos. This was largely my fault as I'm a stickler for grinding my own coffee beans so they are fresh for each brew. While the coffee pots functioned as they should, I was never really 100% satisfied with the grinder elements. They didn't allow enough control over how fine or grainy the beans could be ground, they warmed the beans - especially if I was preparing coffee for a lot of people - and they tended to be very noisy. Stand-alone grinders win hands down every time.

Pleasing All the People All of the Time - at least at Home.
At the moment we have returned to using a stand-alone coffee grinder that suits both our requirements. My wife uses her Bodum French press with a course-grained bean, and I am fortunate to have a Gaggia coffee machine that takes a finer grained bean, makes all the right noises, fills the kitchen with the finest aroma known to man and makes the milk foamy and stiff, just right for the perfect capuccino. And I can always re-steam the milk if I want another cup later on, so there's no danger of leaving the coffee on a hotplate and burning it, which is handy because contrary to my wife I believe that one cup is never enough.

Read more about Coffee Machines at the Cooking Pot.

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_149017_26.html

Coffee Bean Species and Varieties

Author: Craig Elliott The coffee beans we grind and use to brew coffee come from the Coffea evergreen bush, grown in over 50 countries around the globe. Each year, the Coffee bush flowers and develops a cherry-like fruit, inside which are typically two small seeds or coffee beans. There are 10 different species of Coffea bush, the first of which was discovered in Ethiopia some thousands of years ago. Once man discovered the coffee bean, its cultivation and use spread to the Middle East, Europe, Asia and beyond. Today, much of the coffee we drink is made from beans that were grown in Latin America, Western Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines, and continental southeastern Asia.

Two species of coffee bean -- Coffea Arabica and Canephora -- constitute more than 90 percent of the coffee beans sold on the international market. Depending on the region, species of coffee, roasting, and preparation, coffee beans can infuse a cup of coffee with a variety of flavors and textures. The seeds of the Coffea Arabica bush are grown all over the world and account for 75% of the coffee beans we use to make our hot beverages. Arabica beans are very flavorful and contain less caffeine than Canephora beans. Coffea Arabica bushes are grown principally in Western Africa and Latin America.

Different regions of these countries are known for producing a different type of coffee bean; that is, a coffee bean lending a different flavor when brewed. These different region types are called varietals. The climate, soil, weather, and particular plants and seeds give regions their distinctive coffee bean tastes. In Africa, Arabica bean cultivation can be found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and the northern Muslim countries, among others. Ethiopian coffee beans have an easy, smooth flavor and are delightfully accented by floral notes. Kenyan coffees are also smooth, but a bit tartier than Ethiopian beans.

They have a pleasantly fruity aftertaste, as does coffee brewed from Tanzanian beans. These beans are a lovely afternoon coffee, with a milder texture and flavor than its northern counterparts. A great variety of coffee bean flavors come from Latin America. Coffee beans grown in Brazil lend coffee a slightly bitter cocoa flavor with rich nutty undertones. A favorite of many, Columbian coffee is very rich and bold, a great morning coffee, with a thick, dark texture and a walnut finish.

Costa Rican coffee beans are similar to Brazilian, but have a lighter, sharper, almost tangy flavor. Mexico is also a great producer of coffee beans. The beans here vary in flavor and texture, from dry and light to thicker and deeper in complexion and flavor. Although many of the beans grown in Latin America are of the Arabica variety, some regions grow Canephora bushes. The seeds of the Coffea Canephora bush have fewer oils -- and in lesser quantities -- than Arabica beans do. Less oil and higher acidity give coffees brewed from these beans a slightly more bitter quality. Despite this, Canephora is still a very popular coffee bean, used worldwide in cheap, canned coffee blends and expensive espresso roasts.

Canephora beans typically have almost 50% more caffeine than Arabica beans. Canephora beans are more widely cultivated in Asia than Arabica. These varietals are known for having a more acidic and bitter, although not unpleasant, flavor. Most of the coffee beans we use come from island nations in Asia, such as Sumatra and the island of Komodo. Coffees brewed from these regional beans have a full texture and a slightly acrid, herbal flavor. Java and Kona varietals are especially popular and make a wonderful morning coffee due to their earthy, almost stringent quality.

Other factors that influence the taste of a coffee bean or cup of coffee are roasting methods and final preparation. As a rule of thumb, the greater the amount of time spent roasting, the darker, more full-bodied, and flavorful a coffee will be. Although coffee beans lose essential oils -- and caffeine -- during roasting, they change chemically during the roasting process, and acquire new, different and flavorful oils. The darkest roast is known as Italian, which is preceded by French, Full City, City, American, and other, lighter coffee roasts. French roasts are used to make espresso, because they have a high oil content and low acidity. City roast is common in western United States, and American roast is synonymous with eastern cities, including New York and Boston.

These coffees are often produced using the drip method. Some people opt for a French press, the use of which results in a stronger flavor and oily texture. Using an espresso machine to brew coffee also lends the coffee a strong flavor, as well as higher caffeine content. About the Author: About Author: Craig Elliott is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to the food and beverage industry such as Coffee | Coffee Beans Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Coffee Bean Species and Varieties

Hi welcome to this new coffee venue - this coffee venue is 'new' until there are at least 20 regular contributors here - 20 contributors which is about the average amount of people that regularly contribute to many popular website forums - so lets aim for 20 people here that post coffee related stuff - I will then - call us an "established" venue - which will make us very posh indeed

If you have found this site via another Coffee Venue site - yes - this is Coffee Venue No. 12 - and I will add a "Silver Spoon" here once it gets to 20 people.

If you want to know what a silver spoon is - you will just have to wait ...for now!

If you know lots about coffee AND know how to 'network' without scaring people away - you are more than welcome to join and share your expertise.

If you are a coffee lover or looking for a coffee expert - tell people here what you are looking for and they will find you - they will find you because I am out searching for experts to answer your coffee questions!

oke doke got my first pack of healthy coffee arrive, the design looks better on the pack then the on-line image of the pack and it fits into a large envelope & lightweight so from a logistics and visual point of view the product looks good.

Just got to try the product now and do a video.

I received my DXN capsules the other day, my next purchase is likely to be a membership script, then a pack of linkzhi via DXN, DXN do range of lipsticks and other products too which are interesting sounding, I am just waiting for my distributor number and I will start selling their products.