Coffee - To Freeze Or Not To Freeze? by: Dean Caporella

It was 6am and I'd just arrived at my local gym. As I walked into the entrance area I sensed that smell of all smells wafting across the foyer - the fine aroma of a well brewed coffee. It was my favorite part of the day.

I wandered over to the cafe run by two close friends of mine, Tim and Jason and dispensed with my greeting in a usual cheerful manner. "Hi fellas. Give me one short black espresso straight up!" They looked at each other almost desparingly. Tim said, "How does he do it. No one should be happy at this time of the morning."

Yes, I was a morning person and loved it. My ritual was to have an espresso before I donned the workout gear and "hit the weights." I'm not sure about you but it works for me! Anyway, no one would have predicted what was to follow. Mornings are for "blowing off the cobwebs" aren't they? As I was about to take my first sip of coffee Tim asked, "So what's up?"

I responded, "Nothing, everything is perfect." There was a short pause. I suddenly remember an article I read two days ago in the local daily about the do's and don'ts of freezing coffee. I thought to myself..."These guys love talking coffee, I'll pose the question."

"Hey Tim, I've heard freezing coffee produces a better tasting drink and a superior aroma..." And before I could say anymore he chimed in with a loud and definite, "Rubbish, where did you hear that!"

"Oh oh," I thought, "I've touched a nerve." I paused briefly somewhat wounded by his response. "Hey, don't bite my head off. I'm just telling you what I read in the paper."

"You freeze coffee and you run the risk of it going stale,"he replied."Ever heard of "cold burn?"

"No," I said.. "Well, maybe. Is it like frost burn?"

By this time, Jason, who was listening in the background, couldn't stay out of the argument and interrupted me.."Dean, if you want to freeze your coffee go ahead. I recommend it." Tim butted in and said sarcastically, "Oh yeah, why is that expert?"

I had started something. "Hey, who knows," I thought. "If this continues on I may not need to go upstairs and work out."

Jason turned to Tim and in a quiet,contolled manner pointed out.. "Listen, you know and I know that freezing will significantly slow oxidation where as leaving coffee at room temperature will dilute the CO2."

Tim half chuckled and replied, "Where did you hear that. You know, you jump onto every new fad that comes along."

Jason was quick to hit back, "It's not a fad. Believe me, you'll get a better tasting coffee if you put them in the freezer. You should listen to the real experts."

"Eggsperts more like it," Tim, turning away, said almost "under his breath."

"What was that," Jason asked curiously. "Did you say something?"

Tim responded, "So you like that horrible freezer taste do you?"

"No, I don't," Jason retorted. "Just use commonsense. You've got to make sure the bags are tightly sealed. The coffee will stay fresh."

"Fresh my..." and by the time Tim could finish I had to intervene. I couldn't believe such a heated debate could be caused over whether coffee was better frozen or left at room temperature. "Fellas, come on, let's not quarrel. You're both right," I suggested to them trying to make the peace. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat but I've got to go."

As I walked upstairs to the weights room it suddenly struck me that here we have two guys, both long time baristas and who own their own cafe, yet have differing opinions on coffee. Personally, I always freeze my coffee, but that's just the way I like it. How about you?

About The Author

Dean Caporella is a professional Journalist and Sportscaster who takes a wide interest in a number of topics. Coffee is one of his favorite subjects. He's been drinking it since he could walk... "My mom used to make me warm milk with a dash of coffee. I loved to "dunk" biscuits in it. And you know what. I still do!"

Coffee is just about everyone's favorite drink topic. Almost daily there is a new study done somewhere in the world about why we should cut down on coffee. I love it. Visit my website at www.coffeemakerheaven.com for all the latest news and info.

Visit Dean's website at www.coffeemakerheaven.com for all the latest news and information on the world's favorite drink...coffee!

How To Enjoy A Good Cup Of Gourmet Coffee by: Anthony Tripodi

Are you tired of your regular Joe life and your regular Joe cup of coffee that you start your day with? Then it’s time to reward yourself with something different. Why not jazz up your morning ritual with cup of rich gourmet coffee.

The dictionary defines gourmet food like this, “Gourmet food is that which is of the highest quality, perfectly prepared and artfully presented.” If you want the highest quality food you go to a top notch restaurant but if you want the highest quality coffee, you can do that at home yourself. That gourmet meal is probably going to stay at the restaurant unless you invite a chef over but gourmet coffee can be made in the comfort of your own home with just a little practice.

Gourmet coffee is more expensive than say, supermarket brands but the taste is also much richer. Unless money is no object, why not save the gourmet cup of coffee for the weekends. Make it an end of the week tradition. Stick with the supermarket coffee for when you’re rushing off to work.

To make your own gourmet coffee start with the beans. Gourmet Coffee beans can be bought by the pound and there are many varieties to choose from. Some of the most popular gourmet beans include Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Sumatra types.

Coffee beans are similar to wine in that they name the beans after the region. In the world of wine you have the popular Sonoma wines which come from Sonoma Valley in California. In the world of coffee the equivalent would be Kona beans which come from Kona, Hawaii.

Kona coffee beans are grown in rich volcanic soil and the mild tropical climate of the Kona coffee belt on the western side of the Big Island of Hawaii. It has a wonderfully full, rich and smooth flavor with little or no bitter after taste. Be sure that you buy Kona beans and not a Kona blend. A Kona blend can legally be labeled as Kona with as little as 10% of actual Kona beans in it.

Next you’ll need to grind your beans. Ground coffee begins losing it’s flavor once it’s exposed to air. So you’ll want to grind just enough to make your desired amount. Store any leftover grinds in an air tight container. You’ll want to grind you coffee beans very fine but don’t pulverize them into dust. If you over grind them the heat and friction will vaporize the oils that give the coffee it’s distinct flavor.

When was the last time you cleaned your coffee maker? A clean coffee maker makes a significant difference in how your coffee tastes. At least once a month pour a mixture of half vinegar and half water into your coffee maker. Let the mix run through the full brew process. Repeat the process again using only water this time to rinse it out. Do this one more time if a vinegar smell is still present.

Now you’re work is done and it’s time for the coffee maker to pulls it’s weight. Use clean filtered water and fill the coffee maker to the desired level. Use about 6 ounces of water for every 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee. Turn it on and hang around while it brews. You’ll want to be there to enjoy the delightful aroma.

Everyday coffee is perfect for everyday life. But every once in a while you should treat yourself to something special. And what better way to start a special than that with a special cup of coffee. Gourmet coffees can really jazz up your day.

About The Author

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of http://EndlessCoffeeBreak.com - The Guide To Coffee. For more information about coffee including speciality coffee drink recipes, ideas and equipment, visit http://www.endlesscoffeebreak.com.

Coffee Pods and Espresso Machines

There's nothing like the perfect espresso. Finely ground, dark roasted coffee, pressed and percolated into a strong, rich coffee drink that delights the senses and perks up your day. In Italy, ordering a coffee means that you're ordering an espresso. The Italians stop in their local bar once, twice, even three times a day for the perfect cup of espresso. But here in America, it's not as easy to find espresso done right. The grind of the coffee, the right temperature, the pressing of the coffee and the foaming of the milk are skills that few people know how to wield properly on this side of the ocean. But now with espresso machines and coffee pods, the guesswork is taken out of making espresso at domestic bars or even in your own kitchen at home.

In Italy, most Italians wouldn't recognize what we think of as a coffee maker. They use a "machinetta", a contraption that looks like a metal hourglass that has a top like a pitcher. The machine has 2 chambers. Water and coffee go into the bottom chamber. The machine is placed on the stovetop and heated until the water boils, percolating through the espresso grinds and into the second chamber. The pressure on the grinds between the two chambers insures that the coffee is pressed - the word espresso means "expressed" - and the rich taste comes from getting as much of the flavor out of the grinds as possible. The milk is heated and whipped separately. But it's easy to make a mistake in this process. Either by using the wrong amount of water or coffee, turning the heat on too strong or not using the right timing.

The growing popularity of espresso has meant that people want an easier, error free way to make it at home. So now you can find espresso machines that let you get the right combination of the necessary steps every time. There is a wide range of models to choose from, with different features and capacity. Some are designed for use in restaurants or bars, capable of producing large volumes of coffee in shorter amount of time. Unless you do enough entertaining at home to justify the cost, these probably aren't the best solution for you.

Models made for home usually produce either one or two "shots" of espresso at a time. If you prefer your espresso "macchiato", with milk, or you want to turn your espresso into a cappuccino, you will want to get an espresso machine with a nozzle that creates the steam and lets you froth the milk. Beyond these choices, you might want to consider a product that lets you use coffee pods. These pods look like large tea bags. They contain the exact amount of espresso to deliver a perfect shot every time. You simply put the pod into its slot, close it, and start the machine. When the cycle has finished, you just throw the pod away. It helps prevent any problems with measuring out the espresso and makes cleaning up absolutely easy.

If you purchase a machine that uses coffee pods, you might want to consider whether or not it can also take either another brand's coffee pods or regular loose espresso. Some machines do, but many will work only with the coffee pods that the same company also designs. Having the flexibility to use either the pod or loose coffee means you can still use it even if you run out of pods, which might need to be special ordered. Until these machines become more popular, it's not likely that the pods will be carried consistently in local grocery stores. Plus, the choice to use either kind of coffee also gives you the freedom to experiment with other roasts or flavors of espresso to further indulge your love of coffee.

Jim Cheresly shows you what coffee appliances to use in order to prepare a fine cup of coffee at http://www.madcoffeemaker.com where you'll find more about coffee roasters, grinders, coffee makers and espresso machines.

World's Most Bizarre Specialty Coffee

Anyone who lives in a big city these days has seen first-hand the proliferation of 4-dollar-a-shot coffee shops. Thanks to Starbucks and their like coffee has become the number 2 commodity in the world (petroleum is number 1).

Grown in dozens of countries world wide the coffee 'bean' is actually the pit of a coffee 'cherry'. In normal circumstances the cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and once the outer fruit is removed the coffee bean is ready for roasting, grinding and transporting to your local caf�.

However, there are three small islands in the Indonesian Archipelago called Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi where this process takes a bizarre twist. You see coffee is coveted by not only by us humans but a local creature called a

Palm Civet. The Palm Civet is a tree dwelling marsupial with a particular fondness for the local variety of coffee cherries.

Of course, these cat-sized coffee aficionados don't have the time to peal the cherries and eat just the fruit, so they swallow them whole. Well guess what comes out the other end? Yes that's right, a non-digested, semi-fermented coffee bean.

It started as a way for locals who weren't brave enough, or too lazy to climb the coffee trees, to have coffee too (mind you some bravery is required to sift through mountains of Civet droppings for coffee beans!).

Through the magic of international trade what was once a source of free coffee beans for impoverished locals turned into the most expensive beverage in the world. It is marketed as a coffee variety called "Kopi luwak". Kopi is the Indonesian word for coffee and luwak is their name for the coffee eating Civet.

Kopi luwak sells for a whopping $75 a pound and it is estimated that the worldwide annual production is only about 500 pounds. Japan is the largest importer of this specialty coffee and it is now available in the United States and many other countries as well.

The flavor of the coffee is described as complex and very rich. This special flavor is attributed to the natural fermentation process that occurs as the beans travel the length of the Civet's digestive tract.

You can be sure that you won't be finding Kopi luwak for sale at your local Starbucks any time soon but if you are ever in a caf� and you notice the daily special is "Kopi luwak" and is going for $5 a cup, how could you not give it a try?

Jon Symons is a coffee lover and writes about specialty coffee for http://specialty-coffee.oftheday.ca.