It is 6 am we have get up and go to work. We feel sleepy, unhappy and some of us, like me, feel grouchy. So the first stop is the coffee brewer for a cup of great coffee. A few minutes later the world looks better. We feel warmer and happier. We are ready for a new day. Why? Most of us think it is the caffeine that is making us feel good, but it isn't the caffeine. The caffeine in coffee does …
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Test Tube Coffee
Two food scientists in Oregon have announced that they have created a new beverage, Atomo, which tastes like coffee but isn't bitter or acidic. It will be released in 2020. The scientists refuse to say what compounds they used to create their coffee substitute other than it doesn't have chlorogenic acid and it does contain caffeine. They also claim that sincethe U.S. Food and Drug Administration …
Is Bitter Coffee a Medical Alert?
Every once in a while the coffee that we love tastes bad. It may be the coffee or maybe not. One possibility is what we call dirty mouth syndrome. Just brush your teeth, your coffee is going to taste bad. Didn’t brush your teeth and ate scampi last night, your first sip of coffee is going to taste bad. Sometimes you have to give the coffee a chance. If it is not your mouth it could be …
Bad Grinder, Bad Coffee
Once in a while, we receive complaints that our coffee has changed and now tastes bad. Since both Laura and I cup every roast for consistency and quality before we bag the beans, we know that it wasn't the beans.It is epidemic in our society to refuse to take blame. It is always someone else's fault. If you rob a liquor store it is the owner's fault for leaving cash in the till. If you lie to the …
Where Have Your Coffee Beans Been?
When we buy food products in developed countries we assume that the food is safe to eat. However, almost all coffee comes from third world counties where there is no FDA and no Safe Food Practices Act. The saving grace for coffee is that it is roasted at temperatures that remove bacteria and viruses that could harm us. As far as we can tell, no one has gotten salmonella or botulism from roasted …
Coffee Makes You Better in Groups
There have been a lot of scientific and pseudo-scientific articles in the last ten years about the effect of coffee on our bodies. If you believe all of the articles coffee is only next to the fountain of youth in health benefits. Like any other miracle potion many of those claims should be viewed with suspicion. However, there are well researched studies which are valid and do indicate that …
What’s on Your Holiday List?
It is that time of the year when we try to find gifts that are useful and appreciated. You may have noticed that the older our family and friends get the harder it is to find good gifts. There is a point in life when accumulating things isn't that important anymore. So practical things are more appreciated. Our suggestion is to use our equipment checklist for brewing great coffee. Check off …
Coffee Research – Fact or Fake?
For the past several years, the news has been filled with reports about the health benefits of coffee. Personally, we are elated that we are selling a healthy drink However, we wonder how many of these claims are really "snake oil." The latest coffee health announcement comes from Canadian researchers who state that instant dark roast coffee tends to keep amyloid-beta and tau or …
Please Freeze Our Coffee Beans
For a number of years there has been a war among coffee gurus over the best way to store roasted coffee. There are pro-freezer proponents, pro- refrigerator proponents and dark cabinet proponents. The proponents are all dogmatic and have no respect for each other's opinion. Periodically, a new opinion appears and the war erupts again. Humans use two methods of decision making, intuition and …
Coffee By the Numbers
Walk into any wine store and there will be bottles of wine tagged with numbers from 80 to 100. The numbers reflect wine reviews either from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate or from Wine Spectator. Go into a coffee store and there will be coffees with some flavor descriptors but rarely are their review scores. However, higher end roasters are beginning to see the value in letting their customers see …
