Archive for November, 2009

 
 
 
Does Espresso Have Less Caffeine than Coffee?
November 10th, 2009

Many people believe that the brewing process affects the outcome of caffeine content in your coffee. For instance the longer you brew a pot of coffee, the higher the caffeine content in a regular cup. That’s why many people like to let coffee sit and percolate, they believe it increases the caffeine and makes the coffee ‘stronger’. That is where the old saying ‘coffee you can stand a spoon up in’ comes from… longer brewing= more caffeine, but practically sludge-like coffee!
And that is why many people mistakenly think espresso has less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, because brewing time is much shorter.
In actuality, a serving of espresso is pretty much the equivalent to a strong cup of coffee caffeine wise. But because servings of espresso are very small in comparison to regular coffee, the actual caffeine content per milliliter is actually much higher.
Caffeine is assimilate more quickly when it’s in a concentrated form. Espresso is like concentrated caffeine! If you want actual numbers, there can be anywhere from 77mg up to 185mg in a double shot of espresso. In a cup of coffee, there is roughly 135-150mg of caffeine, depending on the type of bean and your brewing methods.
Many people are confused by the whole espresso and caffeine situation because of the myth regarding the darker roasted coffee beans that are used in making espresso. The idea is that those beans have less caffeine than regularly roasted coffee beans because of the roasting process, but there are no scientific studies so far that support that idea.
One thing that DOES affect the caffeine content of your espresso habit is the type of coffee beans you are using to make it. Robusta coffee beans have double the caffeine content of Arabica coffee beans, so when you brew your Joe with mostly Robusta coffee beans, your caffeine content will be MUCH higher, regardless of whether you’re making coffee or espresso. The bottom line? Espresso can be slightly higher in caffeine content if you do a double shot, but otherwise, it runs pretty neck in neck with a regular cup of coffee.

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Customer Testimony
November 9th, 2009

We love our customers.
We thought this testimony was extra special, so we wanted to share it.
Why Jumpin Goat ?
Please read…

Hi Forrest,
> I wanted to tell you and your wife again how much we enjoy your coffee. My
> husband and I were in about a week ago getting coffee for a basket we were
> making for our church raffle. I told you how we drive an hour over the
> mountain from Blairsville to get your coffee. As I have told your wife
> before, I was a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee lover and would buy that coffee only
> until we came in your store and now we are hooked on your Signature Blend.
> When our youth group leaders decided to do the coffee themed basket I said I
> would get the coffee and I knew exactly were I was going to get it. We had
> friends come into town and I made your coffee that morning but ran out and
> had to go to the store and buy Folgers and my husband said, “this is awful”.
> So we just wanted to let you know again how much we enjoy your flavorful
> coffee and the friendliness of you and your wife. I hope you continue to
> have great success with your coffee business because if not, I don’t know
> what we will do. Thank you again for the contribution to our coffee basket
> and I will send a picture soon.

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The Coffee Bean is a Fruit?
November 8th, 2009

Yes, it sure is my friend! Your coffee beans were actually once a little red fruit that went through many stages to become the aromatic coffee bean you buy from your local coffee shop. Most good coffee will go through similar processes.
It starts with wet processing to remove the outer skin of the fruit and the inner parchment skin. The pulp is fermented away, and then the inner seed is dried out. The result is the green coffee bean that is often shipped out and housed all over the world. Think of the green coffee beans much like any other bag of dry beans you might purchase from your local grocery store.
Your green coffee bean is then bought by local coffee shops and providers, and either sold green or sold pre-roasted to consumers. Most often the coffee bean is sold already roasted by the provider, as that is the quickest way to a pot of fresh coffee for most consumers. Many don’t have the time or the inclination to roast their own coffee beans and instead prefer to purchase gourmet coffee ready to go.
However, some consumers DO enjoy roasting their own coffee beans, and will prefer to purchase them green from their providers to ensure maximum freshness, aroma, and flavor once they are roasted and ready to be brewed. Also many hobbyist coffee lovers enjoy roasting their own beans just as a novelty gift to give to friends and family, and to test different roasting methods and adjust their coffee to their own tastes.
Just like a tomato is often mistaken for a vegetable, but is in fact a fruit, coffee isn’t in actuality a bean, despite its current moniker as ‘coffee bean’. Despite the very involved process we just discussed, it did in fact start out as a fruit! Who knew?

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Coffee Roasting for the Uninitiated
November 7th, 2009

Coffee roasting is undertaken to transform green coffee into the fresh, aromatic roasts you can buy from your local coffee shop. This is done because without roasting, green coffee would make a pot of coffee that is virtually undrinkable. Coffee made from green coffee beans is extremely acidic and bitter flavored. Definitely NOT something you’d like to share a cup of with the neighbor!
Green coffee beans are very similar to any other dried bean you might purchase at the store. Just like a bag of navy beans can be transformed into a tasty pot of bean soup, green coffee beans allow a much longer shelf life and can still be transformed by coffee roasting into a deliciously drinkable brew.
The process of coffee roasting actually forces water out of the bean, causing dryness and expansion in the bean. The coffee roasting process causes some of the natural sugars to be transformed into CO2 and still others get caramelized. This creates the complex flavor nuances that are the hallmark of ‘good coffee’.
By the end of the coffee roasting process, the coffee bean you wind up with is much darker and about 18% lighter in weight, as well as about 50-100% larger in size than its green coffee bean counterpart. After coffee roasting, it’s customary to allow the coffee to ‘degas’ for a day or two. This helps to protect the flavors and aromas, as well as avoid an acid taste that can occur if you drink the coffee immediately after roasting.
However, don’t wait too long to drink! Just a week from the time the coffee is roasted it will have already started to lose some of its best aromas and flavors. That’s why if you can find a coffee provider close to home that does their own coffee roasting you can be assured of the best freshness possible.

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The Mean, Green, Coffee Bean!
November 5th, 2009

Green coffee beans are fast becoming a popular commodity by both coffee lovers, and nations alike. In many countries, they are behind crude oil as a source of income by only a single point.
So what is the allure of green coffee exactly? The short of it is that individual coffee lovers (hobbyists) like the green option because it allows them to roast their own coffee beans to their standards of choice, at home and usually at a significant price discount from roasted coffee they may purchase elsewhere.
And because of modern technology today, roasting your green coffee beans at home is becoming easier than ever, and more and more popular with the hobbyists who enjoy roasting their own beans and sharing with family and friends. Home roasted coffee can make a great holiday gift idea by the way!
Small businesses who sell their coffee locally can roast their own green coffee beans according to their own personal standards, whether by an automated process or by hand, and that is a great selling point for their products to consumers. This allows them to incorporate the ‘experience’ of great coffee into their marketing efforts, and for many consumers, the ‘experience’ is what gourmet coffee is all about!
Coffee has literally become a global commodity since it was first introduced to the world from the Arab countries. The aromatic smell is a huge motivator to any and all, regardless of whether an individual actually enjoys DRINKING coffee or not! Although to be fair, most do enjoy the flavor of good coffee, much like a beer lover might enjoy the flavors of different brewed beers.
So with green coffee giving hobbyists the option to roast their own special brews, I expect its popularity will only grow even more as the years go by and technology becomes even more sophisticated for at home roasting. The question for you today is… green coffee beans or pre-roasted coffee beans? It’s all a matter of personal preference!

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