|
Espresso Coffee Machines
Coffee and Weight Loss
You can find those on both sides of this issue. Is coffee a weight loss help, or a weight loss hindrance? On the one hand, coffee is a stimulant and it is addictive. There are those who even call coffee a drug. These are people who are firmly against the use of anything that could remotely be called addictive or a stimulant. They advocate abstinence from practically everything.
On the other side of this coffee and weight loss issue, you will find those who point out that there are no calories, no carbohydrates, and no fat in a cup of black coffee. Coffee has a satisfying taste that one can enjoy guilt free. These people agree that coffee is a stimulant, but they see that as a good thing. Coffee is recognized by many as a very natural appetite suppressant, which is an extremely desirable quality for those who are trying to lose some unwanted pounds.
Coffee as it comes from the pot is all natural, without any calories, carbohydrates, or fat at all. However, if you start adding "stuff" to it, like sugar, heavy cream, coffee-flavoring syrups, etc., these sterling diet qualities are lost. If you order a double latte at Starbucks, for example, you will blow your diet big time no matter whether you are counting calories, carbohydrates, or fat grams.
If you can drink coffee black or with an artificial no-calorie sweetener, then coffee can actually be a very good aid to your weight loss efforts. You will get a boast of energy and a natural appetite suppressant along with it. If, on the other hand, you insist on adding several spoons of sugar and a big gulp of heavy cream, you should probably scratch coffee off your allowed food and drink list.
See Also:
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Documentary Archive | The Cost of...
|
Coffee Cups
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. |
|
More articles:
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Organic Coffee
Jo To Go Coffee®
Just Coffee | Not just a market but a movement
Chicory
River Coffee
French Press Coffee Maker
More than a few years ago, when I was just a boy, my dad would take me to the river to fish and camp overnight. It was a very big deal to me in those days. We didn't have a tent to sleep in, and we didn't have a camp stove. Sleeping was done (what there was of it) on a blanket on the ground and cooking (what there was of it) was done over an open fire.
Such an overnight camping trip was where I had my very first cup of coffee. Dad would pour water out of a jug into a pot, put the pot over the open fire, and bring it to a boil. Then he would pour in some coarse ground coffee and let the pot sit for a few minutes. Then he would drop cold water into it to make the grounds sink to the bottom before we drank the coffee. I've never had coffee that tasted any better in my life.
Now you might be asking what all of this has to do with a French press coffee maker. Well, the principles of making the coffee are exactly the same in the French press coffee maker and the river coffee that my dad made those many years ago. Of course, the French press coffee maker is much more civilized. French press coffee makers can be purchased that are electric. Still, the coffee-making principle is the same.
To make coffee in a French press coffee maker, you put hot water into the pot, add coarse ground coffee, and let the coffee heat for three or four minutes. Then you push the plunger down and the grounds are "pressed" to the bottom of the pot. French press coffee, like river coffee, is
very strong. A little goes a long way and the measurements of French press coffee makers are based on four-ounce coffee cups.
Related Topics: Coffee with Chicory,
Gourmet Coffee Gifts, Italian Coffee
|
