Coffee Storage Tips

Did you know that coffee storage can make a difference in the way your coffee tastes?

These are a few tips for storing coffee beans and ground coffee to keep your coffee tasting as fresh as possible. For roasted whole bean coffee storage use an airtight ceramic canister that blocks light. The ceramic canister should have a rubber seal around the lid so air can not get inside. Fill the ceramic canister all the way to the top with whole bean coffee to keep the air inside down to a minimum. Roasted whole bean coffee will stay fresh one to two weeks, when stored this way at room temperature.

Do not use plastic or metal containers because your coffee can absorb a plastic or metal flavor that will ruin the taste. If you use a clear glass canister,keep the light away by storing it in a dark pantry.

Ground coffee will only store for a few days before going stale once you open it. But at least keep the air out by using an airtight ceramic canister with a rubber seal and one that blocks light.
That is the reason why grinding your own beans is well worth the effort and it's also really easy. Keeping ground coffee fresh is almost impossible.

Some people think freezing whole bean or ground coffee is a way of keeping it fresh. Here is the reason why that is a bad idea. Water molecules not only attach to coffee beans and ground coffee but also to the packaging. When the water comes into contact with the surface of a coffee bean, ice forms around it. Roasted coffee beans are porous, so when the ice melts, it deteriorates the taste and quality of the coffee.

So what about coffee storage in the refrigerator? This is even a bigger no-no. The round-the-clock cold mist in the refrigerator attaches to the whole bean or ground coffee and water is coffee's worst enemy during coffee storage.
These coffee storage tips work very well for coffee that you will use within one to two weeks of purchase if these elements can be eliminated.

Water - Light - Oxygen - Heat

If you want your coffee to taste as fresh as possible, buy whole bean coffee and grind it just before you make a new pot. Buy only the amount of coffee you can use up within one to two weeks. It's easy to always have your coffee as fresh as possible if you follow these few proper coffee storage tips.

(from bestcoffeemakeronline.com)

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Coffee Tips - Serving and Enjoy

# If you or your guests like chocolate, try serving your coffee with a square of chocolate on the saucer which can either be eaten separately or added to the coffee.

# If you want your coffee to stay hot longer, heat your coffee cup or mug with hot water and remove the water just before pouring in your coffee. This will keep your coffee much hotter a lot longer.

# The best way to clean everything from your brewer to your cups is with a mixture of baking soda and water. Be sure to rinse, rinse, and rinse again so no residue is left behind to spoil the coffee flavor.

# If you make a dessert that calls for coffee, you might consider using decaf. Desserts are usually eaten later in the day and those requiring coffee may contain a considerable amount of caffeine for the late afternoon or evening eater.

# When mixing desserts and coffees, the more plain the dessert, the lighter the roast of the coffee you may want to accompany it. Espresso goes well with richer desserts and lighter roasted coffees with less rich desserts.

# Freshly ground coffee makes a wonderful potpourri. The smell of coffee will mask the "foulest" of odors. So now you can replace those aromatherapy scents with something that a true coffee lover appreciates, that wonderful smell of freshly ground coffee.

# Since heat intensifies the sweetness of sugar, use less sugar or syrup in a hot espresso drink than a cold one.

# If you enjoy iced coffee at home, pour coffee into ice trays and freeze them to use in your iced coffee drinks. This will prevent your iced coffee beverage from getting watered down as the ice melts.

# If you are wondering what to do with those leftover coffee grounds, try using them as compost in your garden or sprinkle them around your plants.

# Serving your coffee is as important as the brewing. Clean everything from your brewer to your cups with a mixture of baking soda and water.

# If you are going to drink coffee from a Styrofoam cup, be sure to rinse it before you use it to remove any loose particles that might affect the taste of your coffee.

# A good test for freshness of a coffee bean is to actually bite into the bean. If it has a crisp bite and a strong, full-flavored aftertaste, it is fresh. However, if it is chewy or bitter, it is not.

# Syrups and sweeteners are best dissolved if poured into the cup before the espresso.

(from perfectcoffees.com)

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Coffee,Caffeine and Asthma

Two large cross-sectional studies have examined the relationship between the intake of coffee and tea and the prevalence of asthma. A study of 72,284 Italians showed that there was an inverse association between intake of coffee and prevalence of asthma. Risk of asthma fell by 28% when three or more cups of coffee were drunk every day. The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) studied 20,322 Americans and found that risk of current asthma fell significantly by 29% and risk of wheeze fell insignificantly by 13% when regular coffee drinkers were compared with non-coffee drinkers.

There was also a significant dose response relationship with current asthma. Intervention trials of effects of caffeine intake on asthma have recently been critically reviewed. Nine intervention trials of effects of caffeine on pulmonary function were identified although three of them were excluded from the analysis due to a variety of design faults. A randomised controlled trial on 7 adult asthmatics was unable to show any difference between 6 mg caffeine/kg body weight and placebo on airway responsiveness to methacholine. By contrast, a double-blind randomised crossover study of 9 adult asthmatics using four doses of caffeine up to 7.2 mg/kg body weight showed a dose response effect of caffeine on forced expiratory volume (FEV), forced expiratory flow (FEF) and specific airway conductance (Gaw/VL).

This suggests that caffeine is an effective bronchodilator. The effect of caffeine on FEV was confirmed in a second trial on 8 adult asthmatics using a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight. However, in 10 mild asthmatics 5 mg caffeine/kg body weight had little if any effect on histamine provoked bronchoconstriction. By contrast, the higher of two doses of caffeine (3.5 and 7 mg/kg body weight) prevented exercise- induced bronchoconstriction in 10 asthmatics. In a subsequent double-blind, placebo controlled randomised crossover trial, it was shown that 10 but not 5 mg caffeine/kg body weight reduced bronchoconstriction induced by eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation in 11 asthmatics.

The beneficial effects of caffeine on asthma have been appreciated for over 100 years. In Scotland, caffeine has been used to treat asthma since at least 1859. Marcel Proust, an asthmatic, wrote in A l’Ombre de Jeunes Filles en Fleur that he used caffeine as a child which “was prescribed to help me breathe”. He was born in 1871. As reviewed above, modern research has confirmed that caffeine and hence caffeine-containing beverages have a role to play in the management of asthma.

(article from cosic.org)

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Coffee Nation: Central and South America

Central + South America

Their light body, simplicity and sharp acidity distinguish the coffees produced in this growing region. They are typically thought of as having bright flavors with a clean, crisp finish.

Brazil
Brazil grows approximately 35% of the world's coffee, but only Santos is considered important by the specialty coffee industry. Another coffee, Rio, is also well known for it's medicinal taste, and is often used in New Orleans coffee with the addition of chicory. Bourbon Santos is Brazil's finest grade of coffee, and the beans from the Arabica trees that produce this coffee are small and curly for the first three or four years of production. During this time, the coffee is called Bourbon Santos. As the trees age, the beans become larger and lose quality. They are then referred to as flat bean Santos. Bandeirante is a popular estate grown Brazilian coffee that is often found in the United States. Brazilian coffee is generally produced using the dry-process.

Colombia
Colombia produces 12% of the world's coffee supply, and is second only to Brazil. The bulk of Colombian coffee is of high quality, and the country has done an excellent job marketing its product through the visage of Juan Valdez. Peasants grow the coffee at high altitudes, and it is processed using the wet method. Three mountain ranges, called cordilleras, trisect Colombia from north to south. The central and eastern cordilleras produce the best coffee. The most famous coffees in the central cordillera are: Medellin, Armenia, and Manizales, named for cities where they are marketed. Medellin is the most famous, and has heavy body, rich flavor and balanced acidity. Armenia and Manizales have less body and acidity. In the US all three coffees may be marketed together as MAM. In the eastern cordillera, Bogota and Bucaramanga are the most famous coffees. Bogota is considered one of Colombia's finest coffees, and contains less acid than Medellin, but is equally rich and flavorful. Bucaramanga has a low level of acid, but is rich in body and flavor.

Costa Rica
Costa Rican coffee is grown primarily around the capital city of San Jose. The most famous of these coffees are San Marcos di Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Heredia, and Alajuela. These coffees are wet-processed, and are full bodied and sweet, with a hearty richness and lively acidity. In Costa Rica coffee grown above 3,900 is call strictly hard bean, while coffee grown at an altitude between 3,300 and 3,900 is called good hard bean. Costa Rican coffees are usually identified by the estate, cooperative, or facility where they are processed. One of the most famous of these estate coffees is La Minita.

Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba + Puerto Rico
Coffees from these countries are grown at moderate altitudes and are full-bodied with moderate acidity and uncomplicated flavors. These wet-processed coffees are best suited for dark-roasted espresso blends. Cibao, Bani, Ocoa, and Barahona are the four main market names for coffees from the Dominican Republic.

El Salvador
The flavor of Salvadorian coffee is mild, with good balance, medium body, sharp acidity and a hint of sweetness. The best grade of Salvadorian coffee is called strictly high grown. El Salvador produces an excellent certified organic coffee under the brand name of Pipil. All coffees are produced using the wet-process.

Ecuador
Ecuador produces a large amount of coffee, but it is rarely seen in the United States. These coffees are undistinguished, with light to medium body and mild acidity

Guatemala
Some of the world's greatest coffee is produced in the central Highlands of Guatemala. The most famous regional marketing names are: Antigua, Coban and Huehuetenango. High quality Guatemalan coffees are produced using the wet-process and are of high acidity and medium body, with smoky, spicy and chocolate flavors. Guatemalan coffee is often marketed by grade, with the highest grade being strictly hard bean, which indicates coffees grown at 4,500 feet or above. A secondary grade is hard bean, designating coffees grown between 4,000 and 4,500 feet.

Honduras
Honduran coffee is wet-processed and mainly used as a cheap blending coffee. Some excellent coffees are grown here, but they are often blended with inferior beans before they are exported and are difficult to find.

Jamaica
Jamaica is the home of Jamaican Blue Mountain, one of the world's most controversial coffees. Once a superb coffee characterized by a nutty aroma, bright acidity and a unique beef-bouillon like flavor, recent overproduction, lack of attention to quality and profiteering have led to a mediocre, over-priced product. Some confusion exists about where the boundaries for growing this coffee actually lie, and often coffees of lesser quality are packaged under its name. Jamaican High Mountain is a term that applies to coffees of lesser quality that are grown at a lower altitude than Jamaican Blue Mountain. Both coffees are produced using the wet-process.

Mexico
Mexico produces large quantities of unremarkable coffee that is often used for dark roasts and blending. The state of Vera Cruz produces many of these average coffees in its low laying regions, but in its mountains near the city of Coatepec an excellent coffee called Altura Coatepec is produced. These high grown, or altura, coffees are light bodied, nutty, with a chocolate tang and acidic snap. Altura Orizaba and Altura Huatusco are other fine coffees produced in Vera Cruz. The state of Oaxaca in the central mountains also produces some good coffees, referred to as either Oaxaca or Oaxaca Pluma. Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border, produces coffee under the market name Tapachula, and is also gaining a reputation for its above average organic coffees. Coffees are produced using the wet-process.

Nicaragua
The best-known Nicaraguan coffees are produced by the wet-process in the Jinotega and Matagalpa regions and are light to medium bodied and fairly acidic. Nicaraguan coffee trees produce large beans that contain salty acidity and heavy body when brewed.

Panama
Coffee produced in Panama is sweet, bright and balanced, and similar to coffee from the Tres Rios region of Costa Rica. This wet-processed coffee is often used for blending, but is excellent served as a breakfast brew.

Peru
Because of its mild character, Peruvian coffee is used for blending, French roasts, and as a flavored-coffee base. Some good coffee can be found high in the Andes in the Chanchamayo and Urubamba Valleys, and northern Peru is developing a reputation as a producer of good quality, certified organic coffees.

Venezuela
The highest quality Venezuelan coffee is grown in the western part of the country near the Colombian border. Maraciabos, as this coffee is known, refers to the port from which the coffee is shipped. The most famous Maraciabos are Cucuta, Merida, Trujillo and Tachira. Coffee grown in the eastern mountains is called Caracas, after the capital city. Venezuelan coffees differ from other coffees grown in the region in that they are much lower in acidity.

(article from coffeeuniverse.com)

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