The Art of Brewing Coffee

Coffee beans must be ground before you can use them, obviously. But what you need to determine is how you will use them in order to find out how much to grind them. The basic categories are course, medium and fine ground. The finer grinds do not need to be brewed as long as a course grind.

Course grinds are used in the jug method where you would just pour hot (not boiling) water over the top of the grinds. Medium grinds are used for plungers, medium fine in-filter methods, whereas fine grinds are used for espresso machines, stovetop pots and turkish coffee when the fine grind has been further treated to become like a powder.

The best flavor is always obtained when you grind your coffee just before you brew it. A home grinder like the one on the left will provide many years of coffee grinds with full flavor.

Stovetop espresso - By far the efficient method of making coffee

Step 1. Unscrew the pot by hand and lay the 3 pieces down. Pick up the base and add water up to the release valve.

Step 2. Whatever the size stovetop your using add one teaspoon of coffee per cup. e.g. a 3 cup makes 3 large cups of coffee. Pack the coffee down into the funnel and place into base.

Step 3. Now screw the base and top together until hand tight.

Step 4. Place stovetop pot on the stove on high (the water in the base starts to boil which creates steam and together the steam and pressure forces its way up the funnel extracting all the coffee oils and flavor until it settles in the top chamber) this takes approx. 2 min on a gas stove and 4 min on a electric stove Remove from stove immediately.

Step 5. Pour one third coffee into each cup required and top up with boiling water or boiling milk. Note; whatever coffee is left over you can store it into the refrigerator and whenever you feel like a coffee, pour one third cold coffee in a cup and top up with boiling water or boiling milk. The coffee in the fridge has a 4 day shelf life. You can also make ice coffees by adding cold milk and ice-cream to the coffee extract.

A stovetop makes you a long black, short black, Vienna coffee, café latte, long white , flat white and a ice coffee. For those of you who are feeling in the mood you can also use the coffee extract from the stovetop to make tirami-su cakes.

Turkish Coffee

Step 1. Use one rounded teaspoon of powdered ground coffee per cup.

Step 2. Add one teaspoon sugar to taste.

Step 3. Add cold water to pot and place on stove at medium heat.

Step 4. Stir contents for about 1 minute and don't take your eyes off the pot.

Step 5. As soon as the coffee starts to rise take the pot off the stove.

HINTS: The amount of water used is the size of the Turkish cup. The Turkish coffee should develop a thin layer of coffee cream on top. To ensure that every cup gets some, pour equal small amounts of coffee into every cup and top up each cup until full.

Dilution Process (Plunger, paper filter or percolator)

One of the most commonly used processes for making coffee. This method is very inefficient and wastes a lot of coffee. Unlike the stovetop this method of operation uses a method called dilution to extract the coffee flavor.

If the natural oil that the coffee bean possesses gives coffee its flavor, then when we dilute coffee in water what happens to the natural oil?

You see oil and water don't mix so you lose between 30 to 50% of the flavor and use twice as much coffee than a stovetop. THIS METHOD IS HISTORY! I can also say the same thing for a PLUNGER. The only beverages that these methods make are a long black or a flat white with very little flavor.

Source: coffee-tea-pots-cups.com

More interesting coffee facts...

Did you know...

Coffee consumption
Coffee is the most popular drink worldwide with around two billion cups consumed every day

• In 2005, consumers spent £680 million on coffee

• In the UK, we drink approximately 70 million cups of coffee per day

• 85% of coffee drinkers in the UK take milk in their coffee and 57% add sugar


Coffee growing
• Generally, coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator, from the Tropic of Cancer in the north, to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south

• Coffee grows in more than 50 countries and is the second largest export in the world after oil (in dollar value)

• Central and South America produce approximately two thirds of the world's coffee supply

• The main suppliers of coffee in the world are Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam, with Brazil contributing around 30% of the total

• Hawaii is the only US state in which coffee is grown commercially

• The best soil for growing coffee consists of leaf mould, other organic matter and disintegrated volcanic rock!

• The coffee tree produces its first full crop when it is about five years old. Thereafter it produces consistently for 15 to 20 years

• There are two main commercial types of coffee bean - these are Robusta and Arabica. Robusta coffee grows best at lower altitudes whereas Arabica is better suited to higher altitudes

• Coffee berries do not ripen uniformly. The same branch may display ripe red berries, unripe green berries and overripe black berries. Conscientious pickers select only the ripe berries

• To make a roasted pound of coffee it takes around 2,000 Arabica coffee cherries. With two beans per cherry - this means around 4,000 beans are in a single pound of coffee

• It takes 42 coffee beans to make an espresso

• A mature coffee tree will produce one to two pounds of coffee per growing season

• When it is in bloom, the coffee tree is covered with 30,000 white flowers which begin to develop into fruit after 24 - 36 hours

Source: British Coffee Association

Yerba Mate - the tea of the gods

Have you ever heard of Yerba Mate Tea? Don't be shocked if you haven't. Until recently, unless you'd travelled to South America where it is widely consumed (and has been for centuries), it's unlikely that you would have come across this ancient herbal tea or have known about it's amazing health benefits.

We've recently discovered this amazing tea, and I've found myself drinking it on a daily basis. I own a coffee shop, and while I love my coffee (we do, after all, make a damn fine coffee :)), I find that Yerba Mate doesn't have the side effects (like jitters, for example) that coffee does.

I have to say, this is top quality stuff! 100% organic rainforest grown and bursting with health benefits. And what's more, it tastes fantastic - a little like green tea, but more subtle and definitely not bitter, like some green teas can be.

Where can you get this from then? Well, we've just begun selling it on our eBay Store, under the label Vite Mate. Copy this link into your browser and you'll be able to purchase it from there. If you want to pay more, you can also purchase from our Online Store.

Needless to say, we guarantee all our products, so if you're not 100% satisfied, then simply return it for a full refund!

Now, in case you were wanting to know more about Yerba Mate tea, here's a lot more detail:

Origin

Amongst the lush misty sub tropical rain forest of Aracanguy Mountains is one of South America 's finest organic agricultural regions. The combination of rich fertile soil, high altitude, clean air, and ample rainfall provide the unique perfect conditions to grow the best quality Yerba Maté in the world.

Vita-Maté is 100% rain forest grown premium quality Yerba Maté (Ilex Paraguariensis) in its natural habitat, carefully selected from a group of certified organic growers from this region. Vita-Maté is free from any chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other synthetic products.

Vita-Maté is of organically grown premium quality Yerba Maté carefully selected from a group of growers in Paraguay , where it is also the original habitat of yerba mate - namely: ilex paraguariensis. The entire production process, from the selection of the seeds for the nursery, up to the packaging, is carried out directly in an Organic manner, complying with the most stringent Quality Controls and International Standards. All the processes are certified by QAI-NOP, BCS-JAS

Deemed "The Drink of the Gods" by indigenous Guarani people in South America , Vita-Mate; possesses a multitude of health benefits that have been enjoyed by millions of consumers throughout the world today.

Each infusion of Vita-Mate; is rich in Vitamins, Minerals and powerful antixidants.

Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is an evergreen member of the holly family. It grows wild in Argentina , Chile , Peru , and Brazil , but is most abundant in Paraguay where it is also cultivated.
Better than coffee beverage, Mate tea has the ability to increase mental alertness and acuity and to do it without any side effects such as nervousness and jitters.

So there you have it! If you're interested in improving your wellbeing, health and vitality, then why not try this product!?

It even aids weight loss by acting as an appetite suppressant.

Creating a Mobile Coffee Shop

Admitted coffee addict, Dan Haller, may have gone too far when he mounted his Jura Capresso 1500 in the back of his Audi A6.

After anchoring the super automatic to the rear seats using Isofix brackets and running a 12-volt/110-volt inverter between the 60/40 rear split seats, Haller hit the streets. While this may seem like the answer for coffee-to-go, Haller said the espresso just didn't taste the same.

"The machine was too heavy to leave in the car long-term," he said. "And since the rear seats of the Audi slope back, it disturbed the normal flow of crema."

Haller did manage to take some pictures of the modification before removing the super automatic though. Another complaint of Haller's was the espresso could have been hotter.

Maybe he should have contacted rap superstar and car enthusiast Xzibit at MTV's Pimp My Ride before he called it quits.

Barista Coffee Preparation Techniques

In early April, skilled baristas from around the country poured into the Charlotte Convention Center hoping to pull a few perfect shots.

Twelve to be exact – four straight shots of espresso, four cappuccinos and four original, signature drinks. The United States Barista Competition is held once a year, and is sponsored by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and hosted by Krups. More than 60 baristas were involved in the competition this year according to Ted Lingle, Executive Director of the SCAA.
“Every year the baristas just keep getting better and better,” he said. “And each year the competition gets more aggressive.”

“The United States Barista Competition recognizes the skills and techniques of America’s best baristas and awards them with the highest honor anyone behind the counter could dream of – the coveted trophy, a $1,000 cash prize and an all expense paid trip to the World Barista Championship in Switzerland next month.

This year’s winner was Matt Riddle, a barista and training specialist at Intelligentsia Coffee, Chicago. Riddle, who has been a barista for more than four years, wooed the judges with his professionalism and presentation. The judges at this competition grade baristas on taste, presentation, skills and overall impression.

“His strength was his professionalism and taste really,” according to Chris Deferio, who placed 9th overall. Deferio, a competitor at this event, as well as winner of the Millrock Latte Art Competition in 2005, said that the USBC is much more difficult than any Latte Art competition. “There’s a lot more pressure,” he said. Deferio explained the judges at this competition take everything into account - including taste.

“You’ve got to have fresh coffee,” he said. “You’ve got to have a good grinder – preferably a burr-grinder. After that, its all practice,” Deferio said, as he explained how to create the perfect Rosetta. For Deferio, who began his career several years ago working with espresso pods and to-go cups, winning the 2005 Latte Art competition in Washington, D.C. was a tremendous accomplishment.

As latte art is catching on across the country, it is quickly being considered the ultimate ending to the perfectly prepared espresso-based drink. It’s the precise combination of rich, golden espresso and velvety, textured steamed milk, poured delicately into a cup, he said.

Industry expert David Schomer concurs. “The coffee flavor is enhanced by the micro-bubble texture that is essential to delineate the patterns in these pictures. As in many cuisines, presentation is inseparable from the substance.”

Many of the patterns that you see baristas make are created with free-pours, Schomer explains in his instructional video, Café Latte Art. In it, he discusses everything from milk texture to the importance of heavy crèma. Schomer emphasizes that in order for latte art to be successful, the espresso itself must be thick and the milk must be dense. By spinning the milk like a whirlpool in the frothing pitcher, super-dense micro-bubbles are formed – a necessity for beautiful latte art.

Having the ability to create Latte Art as a skilled barista is a learned technique, according to Lingle, who explained that Americans are rapidly catching up with European baristas. In time he hopes, American baristas will be on par with Europeans.

“Across Europe many people consider being a barista a career – not something to simply get through college. So we’ll just have to keep raising the bar.”

source: Whole Latte Love

Decaf Coffee Not Caffeine Free

USA Today had an article out yesterday about the caffeine content in decaffeinated coffees. The facts are quite interesting. We all kind of know that decaffeinated coffee does have some caffeine in it - just how much?

The University of Florida published an article in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology about decaffeinated coffee. The researches bought 10 cups of 16oz drip decaf coffee from 9 chain and local coffee houses and tested them on caffeine content.

Research found that Folgers Coffee Crystals was the only decaf with 0 caffeine. Others ranged from 8.6 milligrams to 13.9 milligrams (regular coffee has approx 170 milligrams).

Starbucks in particular was tested. Espresso decaf had 3-15.8 milligrams, while brewed had 12-13.4 milligrams. Interesting variance. Perhaps based on the cleanliness of the machines?

This research was conducted for health reasons, as many people cannot have caffeine due to some medical conditions. Caffeine as low as 10 milligrams can cause effects in sensitive people.

Some Thoughts on Flavoured Coffee

Here is a humorous comic by J.D. Frazer and his thoughts on flavoured coffee. Flavour revelation or cheap marketing ploy?

Link

It Brews Coffee and Gives the Weather!

Every morning, when I am making coffee, I wish that my french press would tell me if it’s going to rain later in the day… Well, not really. But if I you do care about having that feature in my coffee maker then take a look at the Melitta ME1MSB, a 10-cup grinder/brewer combo with a weather forecast display. It gets the weather data from MSN Direct, using FM signals, and no subscription is required.

Features include “brew-pause function allows for pouring a cup midbrew, and its clock display automatically springs forward, falls back, and resets after a power failure. Other highlights include a water reservoir with a large viewing window, high-quality stainless-steel grinding blades, a permanent stainless-steel filter basket, a warming plate with automatic shut off, and hidden cord storage.”

But the feature I like the most is “In addition to its optional sleep function, where if the unit is idle for a period of time an animated, napping cat appears”.

One For the Coffee Junkies!

For those who love to drink their coffee in excessive amounts, or those fans of Futurama, here is a link that you will enjoy. The epsiode in question is where the main character, Fry, receive a $300 refund. He then sets about using his $300 to consume 100 cups of coffee. I won't spoil what happens, but this link is for a 3 minute condensed version of the story.
100 cups of coffee

Unavailable At Any Price?

Source: Coffee and Commentary
At Coffee Review, Kenneth Davids has heaped praise on a select group of premium coffees, each of them Cup of Excellence auction lots. The winners — not surprisingly — are pretty much the Who’s Who of today’s specialty roasters, from left coast to right: Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ El Salvador Montecarlos Peaberry, Intelligentsia Coffee’s El Salvador Montecarlos Tablon Crater and Terroir Select Coffee’s Nicaragua Madriz Jose Alfredo Zeledon Cooperative. Ken paints a pretty palate of these uncommon coffees, and awards them 94, 94 and 93 points, respectively. In short, he left me ready to pry open my wallet and try one of each.

The only problem? It doesn’t exactly appear that they’re offered for sale. None of these coffees are to be found on any of these roasters’ web sites, nor are they available on Coffee Review’s companion site, GreatCoffee.com.

Surely it’s a simple snafu. Or, perhaps we’ll all simply read about (and long for) some of the best coffees that are unavailable at any price…

Rituals of making espresso - Part one

Source: Whole Latte Love

Rituals of Making Espresso

Making espresso for your coffee drinks - cappuccino's, lattes, mochas, etc., requires that you understand the process or Ritual as I call it. The visual clue that tells us that we have achieved Java Heaven is called the "crema". The crema is that golden marbleized foam that covers the top of the espresso. Without waxing poetic which is often done in this business, the crema is simply nirvana. It's the foundation of the coffee culture that you have joined and the reason why you're reading and why I'm writing this "Understanding" segment. I know this may sound intimidating, but if you spend a little time learning you will be able to teach those Starbucks kids a thing or two in short order. The reason this is so important is because it is too easy to make a bad cup of coffee. With the proper knowledge you can break the mystique and brew high quality espresso in no time at all. So, grab a cup from that good old Mr. Coffee, sit down and read everything you need to know on brewing better coffee.

The Ritual
Extracting espresso is part "Art" and part "Science". The "Art" is understanding the nuances of your coffee, grinder and espresso machine. The "Science" is applying specific variables to the coffee roast, fineness of grind, tamp pressure, brewing temperature & pressure and time. The best method to learn how to make espresso is to begin with the science aspect. Identify the necessary variables and then apply the art aspect to fine tune the extraction (brewing). We break this mystique when we teach people everyday on how to "dial in" or "calibrate" their espresso machines. We begin with the "golden rule" of espresso making:

The Golden RuleDouble shot = 2 to 2.5 ounces in 20 to 25 seconds

More Coffee, Less Cola

Source: Coffee & Commentary

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found that coffee does not lead to long-term effects on high blood pressure for women. The study followed 155,594 female nurses over a 12-year period and found those who drank more than three cups of coffee per day were 7 percent to 12 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who drank little or no coffee.

On the other hand, women who drank at least four cans of cola daily (what is that, one Big Gulp… two?) had a 28 percent to 44 percent higher risk of high blood pressure, compared with women who drank few or none.

Perhaps the biggest deal: the study concluded that the antioxidants in coffee helped keep blood pressure down. That’s good news for everybody.

Java Sutra: When You Really Want a Lift

Source: Coffee & Commentary

While lots of us look to a cuppa coffee for a little lift—a little pick-me-up, if you will—this is definitely taking things to a new level. Java Sutra, based in Portland, OR, claims its coffee will boost your libido as well:

The coffee is infused with organic Peruvian Maca, a potent elixir which through regular drinking leads to a gentle and sustained boost in sex drive, the company claims. According to Java Sutra, the special coffee not only boosts the libido but is also thought to increase energy, balance hormone levels, and come loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins, and calcium.

No word on whether decaf Java Sutra might be used as an anti-Viagra elixir…

Tasting Two by Two

Of late, I’ve stumbled upon a method that’s both accentuated and accelerated my appreciation and understanding of coffee’s innumerable sensory qualities. I won’t kid myself into thinking this is an original invention—I expect I’ve simply rediscovered a method that’s simply not much talked about—and that is tasting coffees in dissimilar pairs.

Take, for example, the two coffees on the desk in front of me; coffees which really couldn’t be less alike. I’ve already sampled them individually… and then we’ll try them together.
First, from Raven’s Brew Coffee in Alaska—Cherry Karma—an altogether intriguing bean with a curious pedigree. Grown on Balanoor Estate in India, it’s a dry process coffee from a land that, as a rule doesn’t do dry processing. Wet-processing, yes. Monsooned coffee, even. But dry-processed? In India, it simply isn’t done. At first blush, Cherry Karma offers an aromatic whiff of cardamom, with a slightly musty understory. Its flavor is marked by vanilla and faint notes of worn leather; its body is supple and its finish—while very dry—is subtly perfumed with a return of the same exotic spice.

Next to it, another cup with an intriguing story, Green Mountain’s Special Reserve Rwanda Karaba Bourbon. This cup is comprised of all bourbon varietal beans, and more, from only those beans picked during the eleven day period that marked the very peak of the picking season. Its aromas feature cocoa and caramel with a hint of coffee blossom; its flavors offer hints of dark fruit and dark, raw sugar. This is a fairly big-bodied coffee, and its finish resonates rather sweetly.

Sampled side by side, interesting things happen…

Cherry Karma retains its exotic notes of spice, and its subtle dryness assumes a distinct—though not at all unpleasant—distilled quality. The mustiness in its aroma is revealed in its flavor as a mineral quality… a dusty limestone. This is, perhaps, the flavor of a Monsooned Malabar at its finest… without a trace of the Malabar’s notorious numbing fuzziness. It’s focused, tight and dry.

By way of contrast, the Karaba Bourbon has become extravagantly sweet—extraordinarily honeyed both in its flavor and in its rather elegant finish. There’s a slight note of ferment that, borne by the sweet cup, takes on hues of wild honey wine. Even compared to the dry-processed Indian coffee, the wet-processed Rwandan is exceptionally round in body, and syrupy in its finish.

It’s worth noting that cupping these coffees side-by-side hasn’t introduced new flavors or aromas that weren’t present in some form when cupped individually. Instead, cupping these dissimilar pairs side-by-side has thrown the sensory qualities of these coffees into high relief; magnifying the qualities of each so that they can be examined in still greater detail and appreciated all the more for it.

Dissimilar pairs… give it a try, and see what you discover.

Source: Coffee & Commentary

Triangle Cupping

There’s a tried and true technique called triangle cupping that’s used to identify which of three coffees is different. (For you Sesame Street fans, it’s a game of One of These Things Is Not Like The Others.) You take two samples of one coffee, and one of another; you randomize them so you don’t know which is which, and taste them with the goal of identifying the odd one out.

Triangle cupping is an excellent tool for building sensory skills. You can start simple: identify the one Kenyan out of a flight that consists of that cup plus two cups of Colombian. And as your skills progress you can make finding the odd one out increasingly difficult: try identifying the odd Sulawesi in a field rounded out by Sumatrans; or the Kona peaberry in a triangle of coffees where the others are estate-run beans from the same farm. It’s surprising just how much you can boost your sensory ability with practice.

Triangle cupping is also an excellent diagnostic for folks who roast coffee. Want to figure out which roast level brings out the very best in a given bean? Cup a triangle of two samples roasted at Agtron 47, and one at Agtron 46. Repeat at Agtron 45, 44, 43… Want to see if you’re maintaining the taste profile for your blend? Cup a triangle of Monday’s roast compared to Wednesday’s. A single cupping session may not tell you all you need to know… but cupped again and again, sooner or later the statistical weight of your choices will become clear.

Triangle cupping is not a particularly good technique, however, for really assessing—much less appreciating—the qualities of a singular cup of coffee. That’s understandable enough. The object of the exercise is, after all, to distinguish what’s different... not necessarily to celebrate what a given cup brings to the table. When you’re wholly focused on the effort of distinguishing the odd cup out, you’re likely to miss some of that cup’s more nuanced qualities.

Neither, as it happens, is tasting a cup all by itself an ideal method. This isn’t news to anyone who frequents a cupping table. Professional cuppers—on receiving a new bean from, say, Costa Rica—will by force of habit reach for the Costa Rican bean already on their shelves to use as a reference point, much as a pianist will seek out middle C. Unless you’re a bona fide super taster —the likes of Green Mountain’s Lindsey Bolger or The Roasterie’s Danny O’Neill, both coffee pros who are blessed with the sensory equivalent of perfect pitch—you’ll use a known quantity to delineate the scale for your tasting. As a result, your cupping notes tend to look… well, scalar. All of a sudden bean X is reduced to being merely more or less of a given sensory quality than the known value of bean Y.

Source: Coffee & Commentary

Tasting Coffee

Slurp. Swish. Spit.

Not very attractive, is it? And certainly not the romantic stuff that much of the business of coffee is built on. Still, slurping, swishing and spitting—better known as cupping—is the foundation of professional coffee tasters the world over. Armed with silver spoons, twirling tables and the ever-present spittoon, cuppers have employed the technique for more than a hundred years. Just the same, there are iconoclasts even within the community of coffee professionals who feel that cupping is a bit of a throwback to earlier times, when it’s purpose was not so much to identify really great coffees, but to cull those that had defects, those that had been damaged in storage or shipment—even to ferret out those rascals who might try to pawn off inferior beans for the good stuff that was originally purchased.

1. Grind your coffee. Note the fragrance of the fresh-ground beans… spicy, earthy, nutty.


2. Brew your coffee. Enjoy the aroma as it brews… heady and full of promise.


3. Pour your coffee. Find a comfy place to sit. Feel the cup warm your hand.


4. Sample the aroma of the cup. Is it sweet? Fruity? Notes of caramel?


5. Breathe deeply. Release your breath.


6. Sip your coffee. Go ahead… slurp it if you like. Feel the coffee bathe your cheeks, blanket your tongue. Focus on its flavor… is it complex? Is it direct, simple? Swallow… enjoy its warmth.


7. Breathe out through your nose. Savor the aromas that waft through your sinuses… are there herbal notes? Fruit?


8. Breathe deeply. Release.


9. Sip your coffee again. Wiggle your tongue. Does the coffee feel heavy? Viscous? Is it light and delicate?


10. Breathe out through your mouth… feel your breath on your tongue. What new flavors and aromas do you sense?


11. Breathe deeply. Release.


12. Repeat, as often as you like.

Enjoy your coffee. Savor a cup. Savor the world.

Source: Coffee & Commentary

How to Find a Great Coffee House

My recent trip to Seattle offered one sublime coffee experience after another. The place has a finely developed coffee culture that’s grown far beyond Starbucks’ 98 coffee houses. The weather, the food, the sound [both Puget and garage-band] the scene and the people have commingled into a fertile breeding ground for hundreds of independent coffee houses, each intent on producing the best coffee, period.

Just the same, the emerald city doesn’t have a lock on fine coffee and espresso… Matter of fact, most of the baristas who’s efforts I sampled hailed from somewhere else. More than ever, it’s not so much where you are, but who’s behind the counter that determines whether you’ll be shamelessly licking the demitasse for every last drop, or stunned into bitter silence by a beverage perhaps better used as a paint solvent.

The good news: this far-flung coffee culture is rising. The bad news: it remains seemingly random. So how, then, can the hapless coffee-hound sniff out a good coffee house? Well, it doesn’t hurt to follow your nose… Failing that, try the usual sources, or new and interesting sources for leads. And when you’ve got a prospect or two mapped out, here’s a few things to keep in mind…

A good coffee house is a busy place. If you walk in to a shop that’s quiet as a tomb and as densely populated, think twice. So maybe they’re having a brief ebb in the tide of caffeine-crazed humanity that regularly rushes in upon their door. Maybe not. Take a moment and look around…

• If you see a white crust of month-old milk on steam wands… walk away.
• If you see the portafilter anywhere but locked into its group… walk away.
• If you see a tub of pre-ground espresso… walk away.
• If you see oily beans clinging to the sides of a dusty grinder’s hopper… walk away. If the barista looks less interested than you in being there… walk away.

Source: Coffee and Commentary

Coffee and Caffeine Health Facts - Part 1

Even before its introduction to the West (and its subsequent baptism by then-pontiff Pope Clement VIII) coffee has been the subject of every kind of vitriol and indignity on grounds religious, social, political and medical. It’s unfair, really… but to be expected; coffee has proved time and again to be an effective, if unlikely and altogether unwitting agent of change.

Still today there remain those with an axe to grind with coffee—more frequently with its chief agent provocateur, caffeine — and who take no small delight in sewing seeds of fear, uncertainty and doubt where the health aspects of coffee are concerned. These reports typically offer no sources at all, or perhaps small-scale studies that have been dated for 40 years. Let’s see if we can’t shed some light on the subject… using multiple, credible and authorative sources, and send coffee’s naysayers scuttling back under their rocks.

Coffee and Health
Like so many of the beverages we enjoy today, coffee was once prescribed as a tonic for what ails you… and provided that what ails you is a lack of alertness or a sour mood, it’s good on its promise. Let’s leave patent medicines and snake-oil salesmen aside for the moment, though, and ask: is coffee good for you?

The answer is yes!

Coffee has been a frequent subject of scrutiny by the medical community… perhaps because it’s so widely consumed, yet offers no apparent nutritive value. Or, maybe doctors are just looking for a really good cup of coffee. Despite some 40-50 years of study, the medical field has yet to draw a direct correlation between moderate consumption of coffee and any medical disease or chronic health condition. Studies that have suggested worrisome links between coffee consumption and reproductive health, for example, have been put to rest by subsequent studies—larger, and more thorough—that have exonerated our favorite beverage.

More recent studies by the medical science community are now finding numerous positive benefits of moderate coffee consumption. These studies suggest that drinking coffee may reduce risks of colon cancer and liver cancer; cirrhosis of the liver; may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s Disease and the onset of diabetes. More, brewed coffee has been found to have 3 to 4 times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea. Further, coffee can prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing gallstones, even prevent cavities.

Source: Coffe and Commentary

Coffee and Caffeine Health Facts - Part 2

Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee contains caffeine, a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. The caffeine in coffee occurs naturally; it’s not added (it is, however, added to many soft drinks.) Coffee—with its stimulating constituent, caffeine—is the worlds most popular mood-altering substance on the planet, and has been for more than 300 years. Caffeine promotes wakefulness by interfering with adenosine, a chemical in the body that acts as something of an natural sleep-promoting drug. In addition to its wakeful properties, caffeine—in moderate amounts—has been shown to enhance mood and increase alertness. Caffeine has been shown to decrease muscle pain and augment the pain-relieving capability of other drugs, alleviate asthma symptoms and boost athletic endurance and performance as well as heightening alertness and lifting mood. Heck, it even helps combat jetlag!

The key, of course, is the phrase we seem to hear a lot… moderation. What’s moderate? Most doctors will agree that 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day can be considered moderate consumption. What’s moderate for you, however, is largely a matter of how you respond to caffeine. If you have questions or concerns about your own consumption of caffeine, talk to your doctor.

Coffee and Nutrition
Nutritionally speaking, brewed coffee is pretty much inert. It has virtually no calories or fats, no carbohydrates, no sodium, no cholesterol... if it were required to carry a nutritional product label, that label would consist mostly of a lot of zeros. (In fact, coffee is exempt from federal food label programs precisely because it has zero nutritive value.)That said, coffee does offer a number of trace minerals (Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Manganese) and is a good source of Potassium, Pantothenic Acid and Riboflavin. A 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee may contain 2 to 4 mg of Sodium… mostly from the water used to brew the coffee and not the coffee, itself.What about the stuff we add to coffee?While coffee itself has virtually no nutritional impact, the things we add to our coffee will, in turn, dial up those numbers. And, if what we’re really doing is adding a little bit of coffee to a large cup of steamed milk (with a few tablespoons of flavored syrups on top!) the results can be pretty dramatic.

Dieters beware the trendy cup!

So is coffee the new health food? Perhaps. What’s increasingly clear, as we continue to learn about coffee and its complex constituent components and compounds, we find far more benefits than risks. For most people—in moderation—coffee is good for you. Abundantly so.

Source: Coffee & Commentary

Senseo - Pod Machine

The PR machinery is running full tilt! It’s single-cup coffee machines—or, pod machines—everywhere you look… Phillips’ Senseo, Melitta One, Black & Decker Home Cafe, and the Keurig Brewer, to name those most buzzed about at the moment.

The Senseo reigns at the top of the buzzheap by a large margin, and you can easily find reviews of all stripes, from the usual tech “news” flaks, to geeks with laser-guided temperature probes... even fellow coffee blogger Randy Glass gets in on the game with his own hands-on review.Given the mass-marketed hype, and being a skeptic, I was fully prepared to dislike the Senseo. A lot.
Turns out, I don’t dislike it all that much. But keep reading.

The Senseo is a smartly-designed and smart-looking home coffee machine. It’s fabulously simple to use, and it appears to be built to stand up to frequent use [the same can not be said of some of its competitors].I have lingering concerns about its brew temperature. While Randy notes a brew temp of a respectable 190 degrees F. the folks at GadgetMadness record brew temps of a mere 138 to 140 degrees F. which is nowhere near acceptable. I have no particular reason to doubt either report, so I’m left to wonder if there might be a really high temperature variance from machine to machine… that would be a serious problem.

Temperature issues aside, it’s not the machine I have a problem with at all. It’s the quality of the coffee—and the source of that coffee—that leaves a bitter taste.
Currently, the only coffee pods for the Senseo available in the U.S. are those made by Douwe Egberts [whom you may know better as Sarah Lee] which developed the machine with Phillips. Sarah Lee is one of the Big Four, and together with Kraft, Nestle and Proctor & Gamble, they buy and sell half the coffee in the world.

These organizations are not known for the caliber of their coffee, but instead for their volume, and, more unfortunately, for their collective efforts to reap the benefits of historically low coffee prices, further contributing to the continuing coffee crisis.
So far as I can tell, there are no Fair Trade coffee pods for the Senseo. No organics. No shade-grown coffees, either. If you’re considering the Senseo, and you also want to consider sustainability, you’re in a bit of a bind. You might try to make your own coffee pods, or buy a reusable coffee pod adapter.

If these devices take hold, there will certainly be a number of independent roasters who will produce pods for them… and it’s just as certain that some of those roasters will offer coffee that’s more palatable all ‘round.
Meanwhile, if you want to brew a single cup at a time, try some fresh beans, a grinder, and a Melitta filter cone.

Recommended listening

Cold-Water Coffee Brewing

While I admit I’m not a big fan of coffee, I do drink it fairly regularly. The caffeine can’t be beat, and I’m a big fan of espresso and cappucino drinks. I generally like my coffee concentrated. Therefore, there’s this little item called The Toddy that looks awesome. You grind up coffee beans, and stick some cold filtered/spring water in there with them, and let this thing “brew” for 12 hours. It doesn’t need any electricity, so you can easily do it overnight or while you’re at work. What you get is a coffee syrup that’s 67% less acidic than normal coffee. You can keep it for up to 2 weeks in the refridgerator. You just add it to some hot or cold water, with some sugar, and bam! good instant coffee. None of that Folgers crap.

Naturally, I want to know how the syrup tastes. Screw diluting it, can it be drinken like espresso? And does anyone know how the caffeine fares with this system?

Amazon.com reviews are great for this thing…

The Toddy at Amazon.com

Coffee could provide shield from radiation

Indian scientists say coffee protects mice from radiation and could work the same way in humans.

Researchers at India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) discovered mice injected with caffeine survived high doses of normally lethal radiation.

Although the study was limited to animals, Kachadpillill George, the head of the research team, believes the findings could have implications for humans.

Full Story: ABC.

(thanks Dr. Menlo).

Drinking lots of coffee saves liver from alcohol damage, research finds

Drinking as little as one cup of coffee a day could help protect you from liver disease caused by alcohol, according to research published today.

People who drink one cup of coffee are 20% less likely to have alcoholic cirrhosis than those who abstain from doing so.

And the protective effect increases with the more coffee you drink: People who drink two or three cups a day are 40% less likely to contract cirrhosis, while those who drink four or more cups are 80% less likely to suffer the disease.

[…]

Drinking tea had no effect, suggesting the ingredient that protects against cirrhosis is not caffeine.

Full Story: Guardian.

ECAFE

After a couple of months of delay, the much anticpated ECAFE coffees finally arrived about a week ago. The ECAFE Gold auction features the best coffees from Ethiopia of over 65 cooperatives from five unions—the Sidama, Oromia, Yirgacheffe, Kafa Forest, and Tepi Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Unions. These coffees exemplify full traceability, sustainability, and, “last but not least, quality, which is the best guarantee for success in the international marketplace.” Jodi has been sample roasting like crazy and we had our first round of cupping yesterday. There are 27 coffees going up for auction tomorrow so you can be sure that we will be pretty caffienated by the end of the day today as we cup them all and figure out which one we want to buy.

How to make espresso coffee

Amazing espresso coffee is the result of several managed variables coming together at once. What is unique about this brewing method is that water is under atmospheric pressure as it passes through a bed of finely ground coffee. This creates a rich, concentrated brew that is recognizable by dense, dark brown foam at the surface of the coffee, also known as Crema. To get the perfect espresso coffee from your domestic machine follow the steps below:

• Allow the machine to reach operating temperature
• ...more...

Interview with Paul Bassett

Recently, I just got an oppurtunity to interview the host of Living With Coffee, also World Barista Champion, Paul Bassett! What a luck. Naaah, I’m joking. It’s not me, but this interview is taken from my local cable tv magazine. My intention is to share this article and also as inspiration to anyone who have intention to be a successful barista.
After his win, Bassett became Australia’s de facto coffee ambassador. He has also cp-written and produced Living With Coffee with Paul Bassett. Bassett, a brand ambassador for BMW in Australia as well as a contributing cafe’ lifestyle editor for Men’s Lifestyle magazine is a proof that coffee can indeed make a man.
What do you think that it has suddenly become hip to drink coffee?
Bassett rinking coffee offers an oppurtunity for people to come and meet a location and share the experience of coffee, which is something that has been happening for centuries.
What’s the Australian coffee scene like?
Bassett:Australia is a multicultural country, and coffee is consumed in different ways. I would say that we have a rather advanced espresso culture in Australia. These days, the cafe is becoming the more popular alternative to the pub as a meeting point. People do not want to drink alcohol all the time.
How do you take your coffee?
Bassett:I rarely drink coffee with milk. I usually have my coffee black. The reason for this is because I like to taste my coffee. I like to know where that particular brew is from, how it’s been roasted and how it’s been brewed. I don’t even like to put sugar in my coffee. I’m a bit of a purist.(more…)

Solving the mystery of the elusive “short” cappuccino

Here’s a little secret that Starbucks doesn’t want you to know: They will serve you a better, stronger cappuccino if you want one, and they will charge you less for it. Ask for it in any Starbucks and the barista will comply without batting an eye. The puzzle is to work out why.

The drink in question is the elusive “short cappuccino”?at 8 ounces, a third smaller than the smallest size on the official menu, the “tall,” and dwarfed by what Starbucks calls the “customer-preferred” size, the “Venti,” which weighs in at 20 ounces and more than 200 calories before you add the sugar.

Full Story: Slate.

Cool ad by Folgers

Originally from Wooster Collective. They have one more pic as well. I hate Folgers, but this is a pretty cool ad.

Coffee makes us say ‘yes’

If you want to bring someone around to your way of thinking you should make sure they’ve got a cup of coffee in their hand, according to research showing that caffeine makes us more open to persuasion.

The Australian researchers say a caffeine hit improves our ability to process information and increases the extent to which we listen to and take on board a persuasive message.

Full Story: Australian Broadcasting Company.

Latte art championship in the Netherlands

Photos.

(via Nuclear Toast).

Caffeine improves short term memory after all?

I could swear that that studies I’d seen before indicated caffeine decreased short term memory and attention… but this study finds the opposite to be true:

The caffeine found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate stimulates areas of the brain governing short-term memory and attention, Austrian researchers said on Wednesday.

Full Story: Reuters.

Be rude at Starbucks, get decaf

A gem at Post-Secret.

Making coffee with an aeropress

A video on how to make coffee with an Aeropress.

Espresso Counter-Cultures

Ritual is part of the new school of American coffee, the post Starbucks wave of shops that aim to distinguish themselves via an obsessive devotion to the perfectly pulled espresso shot. Visually this tends to manifest itself in the rosetta, or latte art, that the barista will cap off your milky drinks with. But the root identifier is probably behind the counter or in the office, where you’ll likely find a devout fan (or perhaps knowledgeable critic) of David Schomer of Seattle’s Espresso Vivace. Through books, videos, and extensive semi-scientific experimentation Schomer is the lead evangelist or perhaps religious leader of the next generation coffee house.

Full Story: Abstract Dynamics.

Too Much Coffee Man, The Opera?

This fall, cartoonist Shannon Wheeler is bringing his satirical comic strip Too Much Coffee Man to the operatic stage. While there have been several musicals based on comic strips, a comic book onstage as an opera is something else.

[…]

At this stage, Wheeler is beginning to cast the formal production and has recently met with his publisher Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Comics. Although no firm details have been set, Wheeler has said that it’s positive.

Full Story: Comixpedia.

Cuppa is Official English Icon

The quest is on to identify England’s cultural icons in a new online project being launched in January 2006.

A Portrait of England, being launched on 9 January 2006, will gradually paint a virtual portrait of the country through an exploration of everything cherished in the culture. One of the first 12 official ‘Icons of England’ to be announced is the humble cup of tea.

It is in good company because the others are: Stonehenge, Punch and Judy, the S.S. Empire Windrush, Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII, the FA Cup, Alice in Wonderland, the Routemaster double-decker bus, the King James Bible, the Angel of the North, the Spitfire and Jerusalem.

ICONS will identify what makes England what it is in the 21st century. Hundreds more nominations from the public are expected and ‘waves’ of new “Icons of England” will be announced each quarter, as the online collection grows bigger and richer in content. Already, other ‘iconic’ food nominations include Roast Beef, Cornish Pasties, Rice ‘n Peas, Curry and a Pint of Beer.

People are being invited all over England, from every community, to nominate their favourite icons. They can also vote on other people’s nominations and share anecdotes, photographs and memories online. Each official ‘Icon of England’ will be fully probed to reveal its innermost secrets, so people exploring the website can delve deeper into the icons’ history, associations and the threads that connect it to our wider culture.

“ Icons are powerful and really switch people on. What sums up England more than a humble cup of tea? ,” said Jerry Doyle, Managing Director of Icons Online.

Visit www.icons.org.uk to see more.

Cubed coffee recipe

Cubed coffee recipe.

(via Discordian Research Technology).

Coffee Might Help Women’s Blood Pressure

Here’s good news for women who love coffee: Drinking it doesn’t seem to cause long-term high blood pressure, a study suggests..

But for some reason, women in the same study who drank colas did seem to have a greater risk of high blood pressure. Researchers were surprised at that and cautioned that the study wasn’t conclusive.

Read More…

Tea as Art

Espresso Counter-Cultures

Ritual is part of the new school of American coffee, the post Starbucks wave of shops that aim to distinguish themselves via an obsessive devotion to the perfectly pulled espresso shot. Visually this tends to manifest itself in the rosetta, or latte art, that the barista will cap off your milky drinks with. But the root identifier is probably behind the counter or in the office, where you’ll likely find a devout fan (or perhaps knowledgeable critic) of David Schomer of Seattle’s Espresso Vivace. Through books, videos, and extensive semi-scientific experimentation Schomer is the lead evangelist or perhaps religious leader of the next generation coffee house.

Full Story: Abstract Dynamics.

Decaffeinated Coffee

Dyed-in-the-wool caffeine drinkers, including myself, approach the prospect of drinking decaffeinated coffee with feelings of trepidation and preconceived ideas of disappointment. We've had those watery cups of bitter brew that are labelled "decaf" and find it better to skip the cup of decaf rather than partake in a less than satisfying cup of coffee. This experience can be avoided altogether, if you follow some basic decaf rules.

Decaf has gotten a bad rap because of the careless and inconsistent brewing and holding methods employed by those who serve the stuff. It doesn't have to be this way. Every so often I find it a pleasant surprise to order a cup of decaf at the end of a meal and find it to be rich and dark and every bit as satisfying as the caffeinated versions I used to chug down by the mug full. So what's the problem here?

Personally, I think some of the food and coffee establishments have yet to acknowledge the growing decaffeinated market and therefore put out a consistently meagre cup. It seems to be brewed with a lighter touch (i.e.: less concern for a hearty, tasteful brew) so that it often tastes only a step above it's dismal cousin, decaffeinated instant coffees. To make matters worse, the pot of decaf can (and usually does) sit on a burner for much longer than the regular pot simply because decaf is not requested as much. After fifteen minutes on the warmer, the pot of decaf will begin to break down and turn bitter and flat -- just like all those awful cups of decaf we've all had. A conscientious establishment uses air pots to preserve the flavour of the coffee for a long period of time. But even the air pots loose their ability to maintain the original aromas and flavours. The solution is to make smaller, more frequent, batches of decaf.


Does this sound like your experiences with decaffeinated coffee... Juice and Java Lounge will make your experience with de-caff a good one. Come down to the lounge or simply proceed to our online shop and purchase some de-caff coffee from us.

Proceed to Online Shop!

You're Drinking Too Much Coffee When

• you grind your coffee beans in your mouth.


• you lick your coffee pot clean.


• the only time you're standing still is in an earthquake.


• you can type 60 words per minute with your feet.


• you want to be cremated so you can spend eternity in a coffee can.


• you short out motion detectors.


• you don't sweat, you percolate.


• your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.


• you get drunk just so you can sober up.


• you answer your door before anyone knocks.


• you sleep with your eyes open.


• your T-shirt says Decaf Rules!

If you can think of any more reasons why you're drinking too much coffee, Let us know!

Coffee Gifts & Tea Gifts

A while ago the team at GourmetStation decided we should add tea as a beverage option for GourmetStation’s four course dinners. At the time the company was offering only St. Ives European Blend Coffee made especially for GourmetStation international cuisine. While the coffee received excellent reviews, tea was requested from time to time.

So GourmetStation went on the hunt for the best tea. The result – Numi Organic Tea. What was interesting was how naturally the Numi collection aligned with the four GourmetStation menu lines. Simply Mint for Parisian, Earl Gray for Tuscan, Gunpowder Temple of Heaven for Cajun and Rainforest for Fusion.

At the same time GourmetStation saw a great opportunity to offer both coffee gifts and tea gifts. One St. Ives coffee gift set includes a beautiful mahogany lacquered basket with three flavors of 2 oz. St. Ives coffee, a campy coffee mug, and four 10 oz. Bags of Columbian Supremo, Costa Rican La Lap, Kenya Kirinyaga, and Guatemalan coffee, a good value at $69.99 plus shipping.

The Numi Flowering Tea Gift is probably the most unique of the offering.
A delicate glass teapot allows flowering teas to literally bloom before your eyes. The tea gift comes in a mahogany bamboo chest with the glass teapot and the following tea – Starlight Rose, Jewel, Dragon Lily, Lavender Dream, Emerald Sun, Jade Fortune, Jasmine Pearl, Midnight Peony, and Black Beauty. If you can’t think of a friend, family member or gift occasion to give this tea gift, I suggest you simply give it to yourself. Find a quiet moment, brew your flowering tea bag, then watch it unfold as you find a moment’s peace.

Teabags: How can I miss you if you won't go away?

The teabag versus loose leaf dispute makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like the Osmond Brothers. When 95% of all tea sold in the United States is pre-bagged, what's to argue? Isn't the customer always right? Well, yes and no ...

Without a doubt, teabags are convenient beyond compare. They're portable, easy to use, and make for non-messy disposal. But flavor is what counts in a cup of tea, and that's where a teabag's dirty little secret is exposed.

Tea leaves are graded according to size. The largest is the whole leaf, the smallest is called "dust" or "fannings." The dust tea is quite literally that; it's the pulverized leaves that sift to the bottom of the tea box. Prior to the invention of the teabag, it had next to no value. But once the teabag came into vogue, and especially the modern opaque paper bag which prevents consumers from seeing what they're drinking, dust became king.

With the resurgence of quality tea drinking's popularity, tea bag experimentation is picking up speed. Different materials such as nylon or silk, different sized bags, and different shaped bags such as pyramids are being marketed as the answer to the whole leaf drinker's dilemma. The unassailable truth remains, however: a tea leaf needs elbow room to unfurl and steep if it is to infuse to its fullest potential. So it's back to the drawing board for teabag designers.

Effects of Caffeine to Performance

In addition to various psychological and physiological benefits, numerous studies have documented caffeine’s ergogenic effect on athletic performance, particularly in regard to endurance. Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extended endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite distance runners and distance swimmers show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

Despite effects on endurance, caffeine produced no effect on maximal muscular force in a study measuring voluntary and electrically stimulated muscle actions. However, the same study did show findings that suggest caffeine has an ergogenic effect on muscle during repetitive, low frequency stimulation.

Caffeine’s positive performance-enhancing effects have been well documented. So much so that the International Olympic Committee placed a ban leading to disqualification for an athlete with urinary limits exceeding 12 mg/mL. Roughly 600 to 800mg of caffeine, or 4 to 7 cups of coffee, consumed over a 30-minute period would be enough to exceed this level and cause disqualification. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has a similar limit, set at 15 mg/mL.

New Tea Books for the coming Spring...

Getting technical with Green Tea

Scientific Name: Camellia sinensis

Uses (evidence based):

• Treating obesity (using green tea extract standardized to 25% EGCG)


• Cognitive performance improvement.


• Decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol).


• Lowering risk of breast, bladder, esophageal and pancreatic cancers.


• Treating Diarrhea.


• Reducing risk of Parkinson's disease.

Mechanism Of Action:

Green tea extracts rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) are thought to increase calorie and fat metabolism. 8 Antioxidant polyphenols (epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, epigallocatechin or EGC, epicatechin gallate or ECG) are thought to be responsible for protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease.

EGCG is thought to be responsible for reducing risk of cancer. Possible mechanism is prevention of new blood vessel growth in tumors (so essentially you starve the tumor).

Polyphenols in green tea are thought to produce its antidiarrheal effects.

Caffeine in green tea may prevent adenosine's inhibition of dopaminergic transmission. Thus allowing for more dopamine which results in decrease in clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Purchase Green Tea from Juice and Java Now

Brewing 101

With all the new crazy gadgets available to us these days, you may find yourself with a lot of questions about how to properly brew your coffee. The great news is that the basic rules for brewing apply to almost all brewing methods!

1. Make sure your gear is clean and ready. Coffee can stain, but did you ever stop to think that those stains carry flavors and odors that can go rancid? Clean your brewer after every use to ensure you taste the coffee and not the pot!

2. Use freshly roasted whole bean coffee. After roasting, you have roughly 10-14 days to use your whole bean coffee. Darker roasted coffee will stale a bit faster because oils on the surface of the bean are exposed to air, moisture, and varying temperatures. Pre-ground coffee will stale at an even faster rate.Buy your freshly roasted coffee on a weekly basis. Store it in an airtight container at just below room temperature.

3. Grind the coffee to the proper consistency for your brewer. Most home grinders have a setting that corresponds to your brewer. The brew time helps to check the grind you've selected. Notice the chart below. If you have a blade grinder, it's often trial and error or inconsistent, so get to know it well.

CONTINUE READING 'Brewing101'

Rainfores Allaince Coffee is Here!

Rainforest Alliance coffee has now arrived... and it's sensational! We have two single origins to choose from - Brazilian and El Salvadorian. They are two of the smoothest coffees I've ever tasted and both come with full body and aroma. They're 100% organic and you can really taste the difference! To sample these amazing coffees, simply ask for one of them to be brewed for you at our cafe or order a bag over the internet.

Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is grown on farms where forests are protected, rivers, soils and wildlife conserved; workers are treated with respect, paid decent wages, properly equipped and given access to education and medical care. The Rainforest Alliance seal ensures that experienced inspectors have verified that the farms meet demanding social and environmental standards, and are on a path toward true sustainability.

To experience a great coffee break you need great coffee - that's where we come in... Come on down to the Juice and Java Lounge and grab a cup or two of our fantastic coffee. If you unfortunately can't get to the Juice and Java Lounge head over to our website and purchase some coffee online.