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What to Look for in a Coffee Maker
Coffee Clubs
If coffee is what turns you on, you might be interested in joining one of the many, many coffee clubs that are offered on the Internet. Or, if you know someone who really, really enjoys their coffee and has adventurous taste buds, you might consider giving them a coffee club membership as a gift for Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day or Father's Day.
There are several "coffee of the month" clubs that are available. There are gourmet coffee clubs, as well as flavored coffee clubs. You can even hoose specialized coffee gift baskets for the real coffee connoisseurs on your gift list.
Many different kinds of coffees are sent out each month to coffee club members. Depending upon the kind of coffee club membership, coffees that might be the "coffee of the month" are:
Cinnamon or American Roasts: These coffees are made with lightly roasted coffee beans. The longer beans are roasted, the more volume that they lose, so Cinnamon or American Roasts are the least expensive coffees to produce.
City Roast: This kind of coffee is made from beans that are the very lightest roast. City Roast coffees are a tiny bit acidic, but the bean flavor is still fully realized.
Full City Roast: This kind of coffee is made from beans that have been roasted longer. They are darker than City Roast coffees and have a kind of caramel taste.
French Roast: These beans are roasted a very long time. All of the acidity has been removed, and there is a burned taste which many people like. (Think south Louisiana.)
Italian Espresso Roast: This is the darkest possible roast. The beans are actually burned to a crisp. Italian Espresso Roasts are used for making espresso and cappuccino.
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Exotic Coffee Drinks
Coffee Grinders
Grinding one's own coffee beans is quickly becoming a part of the American version of the coffee drinking experience. The choices for coffee grinders available for purchase is mind-boggling, so you really do need to know a few things about coffee grinders before you purchase one of your very own.
The earliest version of coffee grinding was done with a bowl and a pestle. The beans were roasted first, then they were placed in a bowl and crushed or ground with a pestle. Then things got mechanized, and changed quickly when coffee grinders that were hand-cranked came into being. If you have ever watched old western movies, there is always a hand-cranked coffee grinder in the local general store.
Then along came electricity, and things just got easier. The first electrified coffee grinders actually operated on the same principle as the hand-cranked version. There were basically two flat plates (one stationary and the other moving) that the coffee beans were crushed between. Things have gotten better since then although the principle remains basically unchanged -- only improved upon.
Today, you can buy coffee grinders with blades that simply chop the beans into fine particles. However, these particles are not of identical size. These blade-type coffee grinders can be bought for as little as $20, but they are not the best choice.
The best choice for a coffee grinder is a "burr" grinder. The burr coffee grinders operate on the same basic principle as the old hand-cranked coffee grinders in that there are two plates. However, these plates have burrs on them, and the coffee particles of beans that have been ground in a burr grinder are all of identical size. Burr grinders are, of course, more expensive, but they are much better coffee grinders. |
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Is Coffee Good or Bad for You?
The question of whether coffee is good for humans or bad for humans all depends upon which of the many reports, research papers, and studies that you choose to believe. There has been a great deal of research, but certainly no consensus of agreement on the subject.
Some studies, reports, and research suggest that because coffee is a stimulant, and because it has been proven to be somewhat addictive, it is a bad thing. Coffee does increase the heart rate, but there has never been any proof of any kind that coffee contributes to heart disease or causes heart attacks. Coffee does stimulate the kidneys, but there has never been any proof that it contributes to kidney disease.
Other studies, reports, and research suggest that because coffee is a stimulant, it is a very good thing. Coffee is known to "relieve boredom, decrease depression, increase alertness, increase physical stamina, and increase performance on boring or repetitive tasks." Well, those things sound like rather positive aspects.
It is generally agreed that coffee -- or rather, the caffeine in coffee -- is somewhat addictive. Going "cold turkey" when giving up caffeine can cause some withdrawal symptoms, such as headache. Headache is the most common caffeine withdrawal symptom, but another symptom is grouchiness, which is not conducive to healthy personal relationships.
The bottom line here is that there just isn't any scientific information that firmly establishes whether coffee is good for you or bad for you. "Moderation in all things" is a good motto to live by. Drinking 25 cups of anything wouldn't likely be conducive to good health unless it was just pure water. Drink your coffee and enjoy every sip -- just don't drink too much of it.
Related Topics: Coffee To Go,
The Cost of Coffee, Gourmet Coffee Gifts
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