Brewing Coffee Tips : Either Paper Or Metal Filter

Posted on February 21, 2012 by TokoLia

Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on a number of things such as the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing being done, and the grind of the coffee.

Of course filters play an important role in managing the balance between over and under brewing your coffee. Not only do they keep the grind out of your cup, but they also control how fast the water passes over the grinds.

Paper filters are the most common, but many people are also using metal varieties. Paper filters are quite good. However they can absorb some of the coffee flavor, and some people claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee.

Metal filters are normally made from stainless steel or gold plated mesh. They have very fine weave and filter out the coffee grinds very well. They also do not alter the taste of the coffee at all. Metal filters are also more environmentally friendly than the paper alternative.

Whichever you choose, be sure to buy decent quality. Cheap filters often clog or not allow the coffee to brew properly. A decent quality metal filter will last years and save money in the end.

Brewing a cup of coffee is not that hard. Brewing a great cup takes a little more understanding, but isn’t any harder. Start with fresh beans and good clean water and then match your brewing style to the proper grind and then mess around with the exact proportions and pretty soon you’ll be brewing killer coffee every time.

How To Brew Perfect Coffee

Posted on February 20, 2012 by TokoLia

Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on a number of things such as the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing being done, and the grind of the coffee.

The quality of bean and water is something you can easily take care. Just use good quality beans and pure water.

However the relationship between the grind of the coffee and the type of brewing being done is more detailed and could use a little explanation. Now we all know that we make coffee by passing hot water over crushed coffee beans. However for it to really work well we need to understand just how long the water should be passing over the beans. Continue reading →

The Art of Grinding Coffee Beans

Posted on February 19, 2012 by TokoLia

There are several methodes of coffee brewing, and each method requires a different grind size. Drip coffee, for example, requires a medium size grind. Espresso requires a fine grind. The French press requires a much larger grind size. The following is a general guideline describing the basic grind requirement for use in coffee makers:

Coarse grind:
Coarse grind is used in a percolator. The percolator boils the water and forces it over the grounds in a metal filter that has holes in it. This grind would not be recommended for optimum flavor, as it over-extracts bitter oils and acids. Continue reading →

Coffee Beans Grinding : Choosing Between Blade Grinder Or Burr Grinder

Posted on February 19, 2012 by TokoLia

A true coffee aficionado is going to grind his own coffee, but there’s actually an art to it and you must do it properly if you want perfect coffee. To begin, there are basically two main types of coffee grinders on the market today: burr grinders and blade grinders.

Blade grinders grind the beans unevenly and without consistency in the grind. Since there are no settings on blade grinding units, you basically grind until you achieve the coarseness or fineness you need. The blade grinder causes static electricity and tends to make the process a bit messy if you aren’t used to doing it. Continue reading →

Coffee Beans Roasting : Light, Medium & Dark

Posted on February 18, 2012 by TokoLia

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. Continue reading →

Roasting Coffee Beans : Art Or Science ?

Posted on February 17, 2012 by TokoLia

Apart from the levels of Roasting : light, medium and dark, 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. Continue reading →

Tips For Buying Coffee : Online Or Goes To Local Store

Posted on February 16, 2012 by TokoLia

Buying coffee beans is now becoming great easy and convenient. It is because of widely accessible internet. The question is do we buy them from our local coffee vendor or should we buy them from an internet based coffee store?

Well this all depends on what coffee beans you might want and how patient you are, in other words both methods have their benefits. Buying a number of blends from a local store will be pretty straight forward but if you want something like green Kenyan beans then it may be that you have to look a little further and use the internet. Continue reading →

The History Of Coffee

Posted on February 15, 2012 by TokoLia

Coffee is the third most popular drink in the world with over $4 billion worth of coffee being consumed in the US alone!

Coffee consumption isn’t new or even centered on the US, in fact Finland consumes twice as much coffee per person and France, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland also beat out U.S. consumption.

According to Arabic legend an Arabian goat herder was going about his daily activities when all of a sudden his flock of goats began dancing around a green leafy plant. The plant appeared to have cherries growing from it, the goat herder decided to give this fruitful plant a try. He noticed that he was experiencing a stimulating effect that allowed him to stay awake for hours. Continue reading →

How to Make Restaurant Quality Coffee At Home

Posted on January 1, 2012 by TokoLia

Have you ever wondered how restaurants get their coffee to taste so good?

First of all, restaurants are in the business of pampering you so they devote much more time to the perfection of a good cup of coffee. Sometimes I’ll remember a restaurant just because of their excellent coffee.

So what are their secrets and how can you duplicate this recipe at home? It may surprise you to find out that the French Press brewing method could be the secret in achieving that restaurant quality taste.

Continue reading →

Brewing the Perfect Cup of Coffee

Posted on December 31, 2011 by TokoLia

Do you remember your first experience with coffee? I’m sorry to say that I do. All I remember is that it was powdered and freeze dried and worst of all, decaf. I remember sitting in a restaurant with my mother and stepfather asking a waitress for Sanka, and explaining to my mother that I’d had it before and avoiding her disapproving stare. What was wrong with a ten year old drinking coffee? It was Sanka for God’s sake!