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The Best Ways To Keep Coffee Hot

Keeping our brew fresh and hot is a big deal for some of us coffee drinkers. There is nothing worse than a tepid mouthful of stale coffee. How you keep your coffee hot depends a little on where you are and what you're doing. What happens to coffee as we keep it warm? Are there things I should never do to keep my coffee warm? Knowing a little more about coffee will help you understand how to keep it hot and tasting great.

This little set of points should help you out in most situations.

- Use a thermal cup or mug for commuting or to keep it hot for short periods of time
- Glass and stainless steel thermos style bottles barely effect coffee taste at all
- French Press brewers (like Bodum) are not good for keeping coffee hot. They continue to brew and can produce very bitter coffee
- Try to not use direct heat from an element or hotplate if possible
- A sealed or closed container slows the loss of essential aromas that influence coffee flavour.
- You get the best flavour from coffee that is kept at least 170F.

There are a number of taste related components in a cup of coffee that change or degrade over time. This means that the taste of a cup of coffee will continue to change, for the worse most would say, just because time passes. The best way to manage this problem is to simply brew smaller amounts of coffee more frequently. As we all know, the best cup of coffee is a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

So as you get your next pot of coffee ready, think about how you are going to consume it. If you plan on having it right away, no problem. But if you are thinking about drinking it over a longer period of time, keep the points we made above in your mind. Plan out how you will keep it hot and tasting fresh. Only then start the brew.

Source: iSnare.com

Coffee Beans - How To Grind

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.

Source: Isnare.com

How To Choose A Coffee Maker

Have you seen the choices in coffee makers today? Have you seen what they can do? I don't think it will be long before they are able to bring you your cup of coffee in bed!

There are the very popular filter machines, French press and stovetop espresso coffee makers. There are glass carafe coffee makers, thermal carafe coffee makers, some industrial sizes with two pots that brew at the same time. If you are into espresso did you know that there are three different types of espresso makers to choose from? Steam, pump or piston. How about the coffee maker that makes you one individual cup of coffee?

Then, to complicate it even more there is the decision of what you want the coffee maker to do other than brew coffee!!! Do you want your coffee maker to have a pause so that you can pull the pot out for your first cup before it is finished brewing? Or, do you want your coffee maker to have the coffee ready for you when you get up? Do you want to be able to grind your own beans? If yes, do you want a separate coffee bean grinder or do you want one that is built right into the coffee maker? If you say yes, do you want your coffee maker to figure out just the right amount of ground coffee for the amount of water you choose? How about the strength of coffee? There are machines that let you choose how strong they brew your coffee. Some have built in water filters. Some have auto turn offs. Some allow you to use a permanent filter rather than deal with messy paper filters.

If you head isn't spinning enough now comes the toughest decision of all... what type of coffee do you want? Do you prefer a light roast or a medium roast or a dark roast? How about an Italian or Espresso roast - the heaviest of all roasts. Have you thought about roasting your own beans? There are many sources of green beans available and home coffee roasters can easily be purchased and you can be well on your way to not only brewing your coffee, but roasting your beans.

Source: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=65456&ca=Food+and+Drinks

Five Great Coffeemakers

1) Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker: This black and stainless steel 12 cup coffeemaker has a 24-hour clock/timer for wake-up coffee, brew-pause, programmable shut-off, 1-to-4- or 5-to-12-cup brewing options to provide maximum flavor, a GoldTone filter, Charcoal water filter, decalcification indicator, and heat-adjustable warming plate.

2) Mr. Coffee DRX5 4-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker: This inexpensive black 12 cup coffeemaker has Delay Brew which allows you to program the clock up to 24 hours in advance to begin brewing at a specific time, 1 Hour Auto Shut-Off keeps your coffee warm for 1 hour and then automatically shuts off, Dual Water Windows show amount of water in the reservoir for accurate filling, Cord Storage safely stores excess cord to keep your countertop neat, and an On/Off Indicator light lets you know when your coffeemaker is "on" and "off".

3) Hamilton Beach 47454 BrewStation Deluxe 12-Cup Coffeemaker: This coffeemaker features 12-cup coffeemaker with enclosed brewing system and no need for a carafe, 1-handed dispensing, 4 brew cycles, brew-pause function, thermal-lined insulation, Large digital clock/timer, programmable for "wake-up" coffee, auto shutoff, Permanent Gold Tone filter and water filters included.

4) Black & Decker DCM7 Cup-At-A-Time Coffeemaker: This white cup-at-a-time maker is a great price. It brews 8 to 12 ounces of coffee directly into a favorite mug, flip-up water reservoir cover; lighted power "on/off" switch, Also heats water for tea, hot chocolate, or instant foods, Automatic shut-off for safety, reusable, permanent filter included.

5) Senseo® HD7810-75 Single Serve Gourmet Coffee Maker: This pretty blue coffeemaker features 1 or 2 cups of sensational coffee at the touch of a button at any time of the day, the patented brewing system from Philips always uses the same amount of water and SENSEO coffee pods, the water reservoir is detachable, making it easy to fill under the tap, designed for easy use and cleaning--all removable parts are dishwasher safe, and auto-off ensures that the appliance automatically switch.

Learn the History of Coffee

Who does not like a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning? Well maybe few people do not but I would say a lot of people do appreciate that hot drink and not only in the morning... But where does it originate? Does coffee have an history?

While hard to verify to accuracy, the history of coffee, is the story of a sheepherder who experienced the properties of coffee while paying attention to his sheep. His sheep became really active when they ate a certain sort of berry off a plant. He tried them himself, and felt the same effect. Rumour has it that a monk told him to be cautious of the devil's fruit. However, it is also rumoured that the monks used the berry to keep away from sleeping and pray.

There is another known story which reveals an Arabian was banished to the desert. He boiled and ate an unknown plant. Only with the plant, he was able to survive in the desert. Some persons residing in village close by thought the survival was a spiritual sign. They named the plant Mocha, after that village,community.

Few people realize the coffee plant originally grew only in Ethiopia. To eat while on raids, they wrapped it in animal fat. It was transported to Arabia, it grew, and they took control of the market. The first to drink it were the Turks. They added cinnamon and clove for a sweeter taste.

Coffee founds its way to Europe via the Venetian trade merchants. Rumours of the taste of coffee began to surface everywhere. The Arab's keep an even tighter grip on the coffee plants. Christian's began claiming coffee was the devil's drink, just like the monk story above. Pope Vincent III decided to taste it. He really enjoyed it. After that, talk of banishing the drink went away.

Soon after, coffee houses were built all over Europe. They became a popular place to hang out and drink coffee. It was in the 1700's that coffee traveled to Americas. A French infantry captain took a small plant with him. That plant was cultivated, resulting in over 19 million coffee trees within 50 years. Coffee was proclaimed the United States national drink in a protest of the extreme taxes on tea from Britain.

These days, millions of persons get pleasure from their coffee during the day. Coffee comes in many brands and many flavors. You can get ground coffee or coffee beans at most any grocery store. There are also gourmet coffees to choose from. Starbuck's Coffee, a million dollars business, is offering you the convenience of coffee any way you want it.

Next time you have your favorite cup of coffee think about its long history before ending up in your morning cup.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/news-and-society-articles/coffee-learn-the-history-of-coffee-318810.html