Want to do something healthy? Have a cup of coffee!

Oct 17th, 2010 Posted in Coffee and Health, Coffee Making, Coffee Recipes, Gourmet Coffee | No Comments »

Why is it that everything that tastes good seems to be bad for our health?  While there is little hope for old favorites like pizza, sodas , and fried-anything…we now know that some of our favorite “guilty pleasures” are actually good for us.  Wine and dark chocolate are so good for you that they’re practically medicinal (don’t get carried away though!).
While most of us don’t have wine and dark chocolate everyday, we do indulge daily in another vice-turned-health food…coffee.
A cup of cancer-fighting, antioxidant rich, fiber supplying super-fuel: How to make coffee work for you!

Well it’s really pretty simple…you just drink it!  More and more evidence suggests that moderate coffee consumption (a few cups a day) can help fight off or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, Parkinson’s disease and much more.  It has a positive result on cognitive abilities and physical performance.  Green tea is always on everyone’s list of top health foods because of it contains a ton of disease fighting antioxidants.   But cup for cup, coffee actually has 4x the amount of antioxidants as green tea!  Add to this an average of 1.5 grams of fiber for every 8 oz’s of coffee and you really do have an extraordinary drink.

Disclaimer:  Not all coffee drinks are created equal.  Just because it has coffee in it does NOT make it healthy.   For instance, Starbucks Venti White Chocolate Mocha contains 580 calories, 22g’s of fat, and 75g’s of sugar.  That is seriously like eating half a dozen doughnuts!   Use your head, and drink real coffee for coffees sake!

Because we’re so excited about the health benefits of our favorite “guilty” pleasure, we’ve decided to share some ways to prepare it that you may never have tried.

How to make coffee drinks: 3 recipes to try.

Cafe con Miel

Honey has a wonderful flavour, as well as adding some natural sweetness to your cup of coffee. It doesn’t take much to change the whole feeling of your cup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups hot coffee
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 4 tbs honey
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Heat everything until warm, but not boiling. Stir well to dissolve the honey, and serve.

Mediterranean Coffee

The anise and orange add a noticeable tropical flavour to this wonderful coffee drink.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbs coarse ground coffee
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cocoa
  • 1 tsp anise seed
  • pinch of dried orange peel

Preparation:

Combine ingredients, and brew by your favorite method. Using a french press is traditional for this coffee recipe.

Arabian Coffee

A lightly spiced coffee made traditionally , without any filtering. It takes a bit of practice to serve unfiltered coffee while keeping the grounds in the pot.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint water
  • 3 tbs ground coffee
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until foam starts to form on top. Serve immediately. To keep it traditional, don’t pour coffee through a filter.

The healthiest way to take your coffee is a fresh, plain black cup…which happens to be our favorite. So although our daily choice of brew is still most likely to be a cup of strong black coffee with a little cream, we often enjoy one of the recipes above.  After all, we love coffee for the smell, the taste, the feeling, and the whole experience.  That it happens to be good for us?  Well, we’ll drink to that!

Brewing Gourmet French Press Coffee

Oct 17th, 2010 Posted in Coffee Makers, Coffee Making | No Comments »

Many folks enjoy a good cup of espresso or cappuccino each day, maybe even several cups. People like to drink coffee for different reasons. It may be to keep awake, or they enjoy it simply because they like the taste and have become used to the beverage. It is easy to say that almost all offices in the world have coffee makers or coffee machines, for both the employees and the guests.

Coffee machines like the french press coffee pots are also present in people’s homes because many people love to drink coffee with their breakfast. And, because many people love the beverage when dining out, espresso machines are also really popular. Professional commercial machines can be bought for restaurants, deli’s or even home use. These days there are multiple types of coffee makers you can order in a great variety of colors, and sizes.

Coffee makers will make your brewing much easier – but which coffee maker should you get? There are many different machines on the market that are improvements over older technology. People can order from variety of coffee makers with the colors they want and the size of the machine they would like. But it is important for users to know what kind of machine they want in their home or office. So they should first realize what kind of coffee they enjoy drinking in order to choose which coffee machine and accessories they need to buy. For example, if you like cappuccino, you may want to purchase some cappuccino cups to serve it in because it will make the coffee drinking a more enjoyable experience.

The Press Coffee Maker is a maker that needs the most hands on for it uses a lever or press that will be operated manually to force hot water through the ground coffee beans. The french press method is seen by many to make a better cup of coffee. Either way once you’ve chosen the proper coffee make for your needs you’ll be able to enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee at home or at the office.