Mountain Perks Coffee » Uncategorized http://mountainperkscoffee.com Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:13:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Understanding Coffee Roaster Terminology http://mountainperkscoffee.com/understanding-coffee-roaster-terminology/ http://mountainperkscoffee.com/understanding-coffee-roaster-terminology/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:13:02 +0000 LukeS http://mountainperkscoffee.com/understanding-coffee-roaster-terminology/   Trying to figure out which discount gourmet coffee to buy?  Once you understand the descriptors of the beans and the manner in which it is roasted, you may have more confidence in finding the coffee that suits your preferences.

The names of the beans normally do not refer to the kind of coffee plant they come from; [...]]]>   Trying to figure out which discount gourmet coffee to buy?  Once you understand the descriptors of the beans and the manner in which it is roasted, you may have more confidence in finding the coffee that suits your preferences.

The names of the beans normally do not refer to the kind of coffee plant they come from; instead, the name can refer to any of the following.

  • Origin:
    Quite simply, a name may designate where the bean was grown (Ethiopia, Colombia, Kenya, Yemen).  Sometimes the name of the plantation is included in the coffee’s name as well. Coffees can be designated as “single-origin” coffees that is, originating from one country only or “blends,” a combination of beans from a variety of geographical areas. Generally, blended coffees produce more complex brews than single-origin coffees.
  • Roasting style:
    Once at their destination, the green coffee beans are roasted (that is, heated in a large roasting drum to develop a desired flavor and color).  The longer the coffee beans roast, the darker their color and the stronger their flavor, so if you know how strong you like your coffee, you will be better prepared to select the appropriate roasting style. 
  • Coffee Roaster’s preferences:
    Often, coffee roasters will put their own mark on a batch of beans, blending and roasting the beans according to the roaster’s preferences. Often, names such as “House Blend” will tell you little; but the names sometimes give clues as to how the coffee roaster envisioned the coffee to be enjoyed, such as “Eye-Opener Roast” or “Dessert Blend.

    • Styles of Coffee Roasts

    • French and Italian roasts:
      Dark, heavy-roasted coffee beans that are almost black in color and produce a strongly flavored coffee.
    • American roast:
      A medium-roasted coffee, which produces a coffee that’s neither characteristically light nor heavy.
    • European roast:
      Two-thirds heavy-roasted coffee beans combined with one-third medium-roasted beans.
    • Viennese roast:
      One-third heavy-roasted coffee beans combined with two-thirds medium-roasted beans

    To further clarify the coffee roasts;

    • Light roasts have several names that they are known by, depending upon the location that you purchase them. When you look at these coffee beans they will appear the color of milk chocolate. Contrary to popular belief,, the light roast coffes actually contain more caffeine than dark roasted coffee – as much as 10% more, in fact!  Generally, origin coffees are roasted to a light degree to bring out the best qualities of the coffee.
    • Medium roasts are familiar to you as a City Roast or Breakfast Roast or American Roast.  These beans have a dark brown color and may display some oily spots of the coffee’s natural oils coming to the surface.  Medium roasts are less acidic while more spicey and nutty undertones become apparent.
    • Dark roasts are described as European, French, Italian, Espresso, Full City or Viennese.  These descriptors are not of the origin of the coffees, but the degree of the roasting of the coffee beans.  This coffee bean will be almost black in color and be shiney from the oils of the beans.  The individual characteristics may be very discrete when roasted to this level.  This coffee will have a deep flavor reminiscent of an earthy, smokey flavor.  This roast has a bittersweet wash to it.

    Choosing the Right Coffee Bean:
     With the basics of coffee now in your repertoir, you still have some research to do in order to decide which coffee best suits your taste.

    Because coffees grown in the same parts of the world can have similar characteristics, knowing your coffee’s origins can help you decide if it will be one you like. Coffees from Africa are often imbued with the aromas and flavors of berries, citrus fruits, cocoa and spices, while coffees from Latin America are known for their lighter body and cleaner flavors. Coffee beans from Southeast Asia are often full-bodied and smooth.

    When selecting a coffee, think about whether you like bright, citrus notes or nutty, caramel flavors or even the earthy, smokey flavor in your cup. Once you’ve got this overall picture of origins and roasting styles in your mind, honing your personal likes and dislikes involves the enjoyable task of trying a little of this and a little of that when you have a chance.   

     

    Java Queen International sells gourmet coffees and coffee makers online.  They offer discount Keurig coffee makers and discount illy coffee pods, illy espresso and iperEspresso  

    ]]> http://mountainperkscoffee.com/understanding-coffee-roaster-terminology/feed/ 32     The World’s Most Successful Attempt to Reproduce the Unique Kopi Luwak http://mountainperkscoffee.com/the-worlds-most-successful-attempt-to-reproduce-the-unique-kopi-luwak/ http://mountainperkscoffee.com/the-worlds-most-successful-attempt-to-reproduce-the-unique-kopi-luwak/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 14:40:00 +0000 LukeS http://mountainperkscoffee.com/the-worlds-most-successful-attempt-to-reproduce-the-unique-kopi-luwak/  Kopi Luwak is highly regarded as the gourmet coffee delight of Vietnam and Southeast Asia . Kopi Luwak is “Civet Coffee” or “Weasel Coffee” because it is brewed from beans that have passed through the digestive tract of the civet–a cat-like or weasel-like creature that feasts on [...]]]>  Kopi Luwak is highly regarded as the gourmet coffee delight of Vietnam and Southeast Asia . Kopi Luwak is “Civet Coffee” or “Weasel Coffee” because it is brewed from beans that have passed through the digestive tract of the civet–a cat-like or weasel-like creature that feasts on coffee berries but cannot digest the bean at the berry’s core. Kopi Luwak beans have their unique, “hiden” flavors released by the process of passing through the stomach and digestive tract of the civet and being exposed to its digestive enzymes. There is no amount or technique of roasting that can bring out the subtly nuanced flavors of the beans better than the civet’s enzymes, meaning that without this animal this great gourmet coffee delight simply could not exist. Civet farms, where the animals are treated as beloved pets, as well as wild civet preservations in the mountains of Southeast Asia have been created in order to produce as many enzymatically-treated beans for Kopi Luwak as there possibly can be, but the production still remains very limited .

    However, since Kopi Luwak is the most exotic among gourmet coffees, it is pricey. Many coffee lovers feel that they can’t afford it, at least not much of it. So to that end Vietnam’s most famous coffee house and coffee producer, Trung Nguyen, has developed with the help of german scientists a brand of gourmet coffee called Legendee. Legendee is one of the world’s most famous gourmet coffees, as it is a unique, enzymatically-treated coffee just as Kopi Luwak is, the difference of course being that Legendee is artificially treated with enzymes whereas the civet is needed to make Kopi Luwak. Legendee is considered to be the closest artificially-treated coffee in flavor to Kopi Luwak. Arabica and Excelsa beans are blended together to create this one of a kind formula.

    Most recently Trung Nguyen has developed its Legendee Gold to have a brighter flavor and more of the traditionally Arabica aroma and acidity that many coffee drinkers love. On the front of the package they’ve placed a mountain symbol to stand for the high-altitude range where Legendee is produced and which gives it its unique and exotic flavor. Gourmet coffee drinkers who visit Vietnam cannot have a complete, fulfilling trip unless they sit in a Trung Nguyen coffeehouse and taste of the Legendee as it gets brewed in the the single-cup metallic Phin filters. And Legendee has rapidly become the gourmet favorite

    So if you love gourmet coffee and you want to experience the extraordinary taste and feel of Kopi Luwak but you aren’t sure you have the money for it, try out Legendee , which you can find to order online.

     

    ]]>     http://mountainperkscoffee.com/the-worlds-most-successful-attempt-to-reproduce-the-unique-kopi-luwak/feed/ 1     Used Coffee Grounds Might Be Helpful In Reducing Heating Oil Bills In The Future http://mountainperkscoffee.com/used-coffee-grains-might-be-helpful-in-reducing-heating-oil-bills-in-the-future/ http://mountainperkscoffee.com/used-coffee-grains-might-be-helpful-in-reducing-heating-oil-bills-in-the-future/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 19:56:48 +0000 LukeS http://mountainperkscoffee.com/used-coffee-grains-might-be-helpful-in-reducing-heating-oil-bills-in-the-future/ Recycling things has become an every day occurrence for most of us. It not only makes sense financially but it is also kinder for the environment. Recently there has been some research conducted in the UK that looks at the feasibility of using recycled vegetable oil as a way to heat buildings. [...]]]> Recycling things has become an every day occurrence for most of us. It not only makes sense financially but it is also kinder for the environment. Recently there has been some research conducted in the UK that looks at the feasibility of using recycled vegetable oil as a way to heat buildings. But it looks as if there may be more than just vegetable oil which could be used for this purpose. We may also be able to reduce our heating oil bills by using used coffee grounds in the future.

    The fact that coffee grounds may be able to heat your home might come as a surprise. It certainly was something that I had never considered. It turns out though that coffee grounds contain oil and that this can be extracted to create a type of biodiesel. At the moment there is research being carried out in the University of Missouri in order to measure the feasibility of this type of recycling. If they find that it is a possibility it might not be too long before everyone can start taking advantage of this method.

    Coffee lovers all over the world will be delighted to know that there are even more advantages to drinking this beverage. And those who are only too keen to point out the bad elements of drinking coffee might be put in their place if it can help the environment too. We can say that we are helping to reduce our fuel costs. But in fairness it really must be seen as a plus if it can reduce our heating bills in any way and if it even contributes in some way to reducing our carbon footprints. However although it might be some time before we can actually avail of this method of heating our homes, we should still do all we can to encourage the research into it.

    Getting the home heated up during winter can be very expensive. Fuel such as electricity and gas show no signs of coming down in price. Clever people are switching to heating oil as a fuel though. Cheapest heating oil make sure the nations oil tanks stay full. Oil suppliers are prevalent throughout the UK, and will supply, for instance heating oil Ashbourne.

    ]]>     http://mountainperkscoffee.com/used-coffee-grains-might-be-helpful-in-reducing-heating-oil-bills-in-the-future/feed/ 1