Are you Able to Tell the Difference Between Various Types of Coffee Beans?

From the millions of people who drink coffee all over the world every day, how many do you think that are able to tell the flavor difference between various types of coffee beans? Too few, since what we treasure most is the intensity of the caffeine content: yes, we can tell at any moment whether a coffee is strong enough or not, but we are definitely unable to distinguish one flavor from another. However, the very caffeine content is closely connected to the types of coffee beans used in the making of the mixture.

Coffee Arabica, for instance, is the one that is probably the best known variety, on which more than 75% of the world's commerce relies. Arabica coffee beans are sweet and highly flavored, they usually grow in very rich subtropical climates with rich soil and plenty of sun and humidity conditions. It is well known that after being roasted, coffee beans need to be immediately packed or preserved in special conditions so that the aroma doesn't fade away. Among the most advanced technological processes used by coffee manufacturing companies, there is one that includes the freezing of the coffee beans right after being roasted.

Such techniques ensure a long-lasting coffee beans flavor that remains as intense even after opening the package. Though, people find it easier to use and prepare, packed ground coffee doesn't have the same aroma as freshly ground coffee beans. In case you decide to prepare the coffee mix at home you'll have to select the coffee beans very carefully; you should first ask what type of coffee you're buying, what the roasting procedure is and where it is produced. For anyone who likes more intense coffee beans, it is nice to try Robusta variety, growing in the forests of Belgian Congo.

The difference between Robusta and Arabica coffee beans lies in the concentration of caffeine, the former having twice the amount you'll find in the latter. This would explain the more bitter, highly intense taste and the name of Robusta coffee. In terms of geographical specificity, this coffee shrub grows in lower altitudes than Arabica, somewhere between 200 and 800 meters above the sea level; not to mention the fact that it is far less expensive to produce and harvest. African or Java coffee beans, Arabia or Robusta varieties, coffee is present everywhere in our daily lives; after all, this is the drink we get up with.

Contributor: Muna wa Wanjiru

The Search for Great Coffee

For many there is no feeling like that first cup of coffee in the morning. It kick-starts the day and wakes you up, ready to face the challenges ahead. However, for many the search for great coffee is always ongoing with so many different countries around the world producing coffee beans (around 70 at the last count), and as such great cups of coffee.

Those who love to buy their coffee will probably not even be aware that it was first discovered in Ethiopia, but since then is grown anywhere in the world where the sun is bright enough to allow the coffee beans to flourish.

The largest producer of fair trade coffee in the world is without question Brazil. Brazil produces roughly 28% of the world’s supply of coffee. The next largest supplier of coffee is Brazil’s South American neighbour, Colombia, which produces around 16% of the world’s coffee.

The third biggest producer of fair trade coffee is Indonesia, creating on average 7% of the world’s coffee. Indonesia has only been producing coffee since the sixteen hundreds when Dutch colonists first brought coffee to the region.

Perhaps a surprise coffee producer in the world is Hawaii, which produces its coffee from coffee trees that have been planted on the slopes of volcanoes.

Wherever you look to buy coffee, you can be assured of a wide selection of different types of beans and tastes to suite your needs.Those who love to buy their coffee will probably not even be aware that it was first discovered in Ethiopia, but since then is grown anywhere in the world where the sun is bright enough to allow the coffee beans to flourish.

The largest producer of fair trade coffee in the world is without question Brazil. Brazil produces roughly 28% of the world’s supply of coffee. The next largest supplier of coffee is Brazil’s South American neighbour, Colombia, which produces around 16% of the world’s coffee.

Contributor: Jack Walters
http://www.whittard.co.uk/store/catalogue/Coffee-P3000/

What is Green Mountain Coffee?

Pick the best coffee beans available all over the world, roast them to perfection, season with an advanced social conscience and a mission to help change the world, flavor with a very savvy sense of marketing and business and you might end up with one of the most successful specialty coffee businesses in the world. Ask the founders of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the specialty coffee business that started as a small café in Waterbury, Vermont back in 1981 and recorded nearly $350 million in sales in fiscal 2007.

The road to success for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has been a series of excellent business decisions coupled with right-place-right-time social policies. The Green Mountain label stands for excellent coffee combined with a mission to make a difference in the world. That mission imbues everything that the company does, from sourcing their coffees to point of sale and beyond - the company even uses recycled/recyclable packaging materials. Mission and social responsibility aside, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters owes its success to one factor - the amazing flavor.

The Green Mountain brand is built on high quality specialty coffees. The company began as a small café in Vermont, with a commitment to serving specialty coffees roasted on premises. It wasn't long before restaurants and shops in town started asking to serve Green Mountain's coffee. When skiers who had tried Green Mountain's specialty coffees while on vacation started asking if they could order coffee and have it sent to their homes, the company added its mail order business, and things just grew from there. These days, you can buy Green Mountain Roasters specialty coffees in your supermarket or order it online, sign up for Café Express to have Green Mountain coffee delivered to you automatically, drink Green Mountain coffee at many of your favorite restaurants, and buy Green Mountain coffee pre-packed into Keurig K-cups - Green Mountain sells the most varieties of coffees in K-cups of any of the Keurig partners.

The connection with Keurig is not the first strategic market placement decision that's paid off for Green Mountain. Many avid fans got their first taste of Green Mountain's specialty roasts at a most unexpected place - local convenience stores like 7-11 and Store 24, Gas-n-Go shops and other on-the-run coffee pickup spots where the last thing you expect is excellent coffee. As the various convenience stores have expanded their repertoire to include self-service coffee bars - and the technology for making good coffee has improved - Green Mountain has often been the coffee served.

Who Is Green Mountain Coffee Roasters?

Why not ask the company themselves? According to their press releases:

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was ranked No. 1 on the list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens" in 2006 and 2007, and has been recognized repeatedly by Forbes, Fortune Small Business, and the Society of Human Resource Management as an innovative, high-growth, socially responsible company.

Is the coffee really as good as all that? With the fastest growing sales in the industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters stands by quality as a watchword. They send coffee sourcers throughout the world to taste and test the crops at coffee plantations in Africa, Asia and South America, bringing back the best that they find. Unlike the biggest chains that must be able to buy in large enough volume to supply hundreds or thousands of stores with any variety they choose, Green Mountain has no issues with selling limited edition coffees, often as single origin coffees.

Green Mountain Coffee Sourcing

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is also popular with "socially conscious" consumers who love the company's environmentally and community-friendly policies. The company makes every attempt to source directly from growers around the world, and is one of the leading buyers in the Fair Trade coffee market. Green Mountain buyers work directly with coffee growers whenever possible. It is their commitment to high quality coffee and improving the world that has spurred the roasting company's success.

Favorite Green Mountain Coffee Blends

If you've never tried Green Mountain Coffee, one of the best ways to get a real feel for the brand's variety of flavors is to order one of the company's variety samplers. If you'd rather pick and choose your own sampler pack, here's a list of all-time favorite Green Mountain Coffee Blends.

Breakfast Blend - The #1 all time favorite and best seller, lighter roast, rich taste and medium acidity

Nantucket Blend - Exotic blend, full-bodied with a hint of floral and fruit, bright acidity and complex flavor

Dark Magic - An extra bold dark roast specially blended and roasted for espresso

Wild Mountain Blueberry - Seasonal flavored coffee that has become one of Green Mountain's most popular coffees ever


Contributor:
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to the food and beverage industry such as Green Mountain Coffee
http://www.coffeeforless.com/

Gourmet Flavored Coffee - You Should Like It!

Among all types of coffee, my favorite type is gourmet flavored coffee. You might wonder why. Let me tell you the reasons now.

The Wide Varieties of Gourmet Flavored Coffee

There is absolutely no shortage of different flavors of gourmet coffee. The online store where I buy most of my coffee has these flavors: amaretto, almond, butterscotch cream, butter rum, cherry cobbler, cherry bomb, chocolate cherry, chocolate almond, chocolate marshmallow, chocolate Irish Cream, chocolate raspberry, chocolate mint, orange, cinnamon hazelnut, pumpkin spice, orange, vanilla nut, vanilla almond, etc., etc., etc. I have only tried a fraction of all these go types of gourmet flavored coffee.

You Should Know How Gourmet Flavored Coffee is Made

Obviously, coffee beans can't be grown with all these different flavors. Gourmet flavored coffee begins with a base like Colombia Supremo, to which pure flavors are added. There are no sugars or chemical additives in gourmet flavored coffee. The end result of this process is a wonderfully delicious coffee, so delicious that flavored coffee can become addictive. With so many flavors to choose from, you will never become bored when drinking gourmet flavored coffee.

The Best Way to Brew Gourmet Flavored Coffee

Like all types of coffee, gourmet flavored coffee will taste better when it's brewed correctly. Start by keeping all your coffee brewing equipment as clean as possible. Coffee residue, especially flavored coffee residue, can leave later pots of coffee tasting funny. I make a practice of cleaning all of my coffee brewing equipment each time I make coffee.

Water is another important factor in brewing a great cup of gourmet flavored coffee. Be sure to use filtered cold water so that the gourmet flavor is not masked. For really fresh flavor, start with coffee beans and grind them yourself. The coffee will stay fresh longer. Each time you make a pot of coffee, measure and grind just the amount you need. I think you'll agree that freshly ground gourmet flavored coffee can't be beat

About the Author:
Damen Choy, editor of Coffee Bean Direct Coffee-Bean-Direct.com provides timely information about the coffee market, as well as tips and ideas for coffee lovers and their friends, who can find great java-related gifts for the coffee enthusiasts in their lives. Visit coffee direct to learn about the many benefits of buying coffee in bulk for yourself and your loved ones.