Coffee Bean Growing Regions and Requirements

Considering that coffee beans are grown in over 70 countries across the globe, it is amazing how the right conditions for growing quality beans exist in such a narrow range. It is also amazing how small the total output of actual weight is when compared to other agricultural commodities.

Actually, the word coffee bean is a bit of a misnomer. The part of the plant that is roasted and turned into the drink we admire is actually a seed. The coffee tree can grow as tall as twenty feet or higher and produces a fruit. Inside the fruit is the pit or seed. Maybe it should have been termed a coffee seed instead?

The optimal coffee growing regions of the world lie within twenty-five degrees latitude north and south of the equator. Within these regions the optimal temperatures range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the optimal rainfall is six inches a month (or more).

Other coffee growing requirements include a well drained, loamy soil and the high humidity produced by the abundant rainfall and mists especially prevalent above the 3500 feet elevation levels. Because lower light levels are also preferred, coffee is often grown in shade provided by shelter or natural environmental features.

The majority of coffee grown is the coffea canephora, or robusta, variety. Robusta can be grown easier at lower elevations and possesses more disease resistance than other types. However, really good gourmet coffees are grown at high altitudes and includes varieties of the coffea aribica species.

Coffee trees spend their first five years or so reaching maturity. The first crop, which only yields about two pounds of coffee, usually does not occur until that time. Each pound equals about 1,000 beans which must be hand picked and sorted. This is the main reason coffee is typically high priced.

You may be surprised to learn that coffee trees blossom over different periods based on location. Further from the equator in areas of Mexico, for example, the trees will be in bloom for up to eight weeks. Conversely, in areas nearer the equator, the trees will be in blossom over a much longer period which produces a longer harvest period. Picking the mature berries, or fruit, requires skilled workers looking at each berry daily.

From first blossom to complete harvest the total time frame is up to nine months depending on meteorological factors. The coffee trees continue this cycle every year during their lifespan of about twenty to twenty-five years.

Some of the regions where coffee is grown are very inaccessible. The conditions are harsh to say the least. Nonetheless, each year thousands of pounds of coffee are brought down, processed, and delivered to our homes or markets.

The next time you reach for a cup of coffee, consider the long journey it has taken to reach you. Growing coffee is an amazing process that makes the price of each cup seem not so expensive after all!

If you would like great coffees delivered to your home or office, visit Get Your Coffee Online for a great selection of regular and gourmet coffees. We also carry a full line of coffee and espresso machines.

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The Coffee Bean's Growing History

Coffee is one of the biggest traded commodities in the world, with global consumption totaling over 500 billion cups annually. It also accounts for 1/3 of tap water consumption. Because of this high consumption many countries are also engaged in bean/plant growing.

Before 1000 AD, coffee was only available in coffee tree forests in Ethiopia. It first spread to Arab regions and then later on to Northern America, India, Brazil and other countries. Today, it is grown in over 70 countries around the world and its consumption has reached all parts of the globe. Coffee thrives in tropical and sub-tropical country. The plants from which beans are produced require ample rain, sunshine and rich soil.

Brazil is the largest producer in the world, making 28% of the global annual output. The industry in the Brazil started only 1727. By 1907 Brazil was already the top bean producer in the world. The industry in Brazil employs over 5 million Brazilians.

The second biggest producer of coffee is Colombia producing around 16% if the total world production. Many nations grow coffee in regions where the volcanic soil, constant rains showers and sunshine produce full-bodied and aromatic coffee. In Colombia, it is cultivated in tree-lined mountains and the process of cultivating; harvesting and processing of beans remain largely unchanged through many years.

Another popular coffee grower is Indonesia. Coffee has been cultivated in the country since the Dutch occupation in the 17th century. Indonesia is the third largest producer in the world. The Ivory Coast produces the biggest volume of the Robusta blend.

In the 1990s, Vietnam rose to become among the top coffee-growing nation in the world. Coffee was first brought to Vietnam in the mid-1860s but it wasn't until the late 80s that production was stepped up. It was the unprecedented growth in the industry in Vietnam as well as Brazil that also affected the decrease in prices.

There are also hundreds and thousands of small coffee farms in the Southern areas of Mexico particularly in Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Mexico also produces the Altura beans grown in high altitudes. Other notable beans from Mexico include the Pluma Coixtepec and the Liquidambar MS.

Ethiopia, where coffee originated from produces up to 3.8 million bags of coffee and remains Africa's highest exporter of the Arabica coffee. Other high producers of coffee include Uganda and Guatemala.

There are many countries who produce coffee not in large quantities but their coffee beans are in-demand among coffee enthusiasts. Some of these coffees include the Kona coffee from Hawaii, and other exotic varieties from Kenya, and Africa. Kenya produces some of the world's largest coffee beans which produce a fruity coffee concoction.

Blenders also create different blends for the millions of coffee drinkers around the globe. Despite the high demand worldwide, much of the profits generated in the industry do not trickle down to the coffee farmers. Millions of farmers around the world remain poor.

The author has been publishing articles online since 2006 as well as creating websites on a number of topics since 2004. Please visit the latest website found at http://gaggiaespressomachinemaker.com which helps people find information about the Gaggia espresso machine as well as info they might be needing when shopping for a Gaggia espresso machine.

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Tips on Making the Best Gourmet Coffee at Home

Have you recently purchased a quality coffee maker for your home, but still find yourself running to the local coffee shop for that "special" tasting cup of brew? If so, you're probably wasting a ton of money! Let me give you the best advice on making gourmet coffee at home!

Coffee: The first step in making that coffee house style is brew found in the perfect coffee bean. Yes, I hate to break it to you - but if you really want gourmet - you should start by grinding your own beans. Now, before we jump ahead to grinding your beans, you have to buy the best quality to start with. There is a wide variety of beans available on the market, from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to brands not known on a national scale. I personally suggest beans from The Roasterie in Kansas City Missouri. Their line includes

A ton of flavors, but what they are most widely known for is the fact that they air roast their beans which leads to a more pure, better taste and aroma.

Water: You'd be surprised to know that the water you use really does make a huge difference in the taste of the final product. Most coffee makers have filters built in, so be sure to change yours on a regular basis. If your coffee machine does not have one built in, use filtered water instead of tap water. This should be done whether you are using a $300 machine or a generic $20 unit.

Grinder: Many will tell you that it is ok to use pre-ground breans, but I whole-heatedly disagree. The oils in pre-ground coffee beans tend to evaporate, causing them to lose some of their flavor. Make the investment and get a good grinder. For many aficionados,grinding beans is an art form - and as with any art, the artist is only as good as the tools he uses. You may be tempted to get one of the smaller (and cheaper) push down grinders - if that's all that's in your budget, be prepared to practice - a LOT! You do not want to over grind because it makes the coffee bitter. It is better to use a little more bean than to risk over grinding. The Kitchenaid Coffee Burr is a great grinder and worth the investment (search for sales and deals online to soften the blow to the wallet)
Bean Storage: You'll likely find yourself storing your beans in the fridge or the freezer, but keep in mind that in order for the flavors to truly come forward - they have to be at room temperature. If you have more beans than you'll use - keep them in an air tight container and place them in the freezer. When you remove them from the freezer for use, it is best to let them sit and "thaw" out for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Now these are just my personal tips from my very own kitchen, but you'll need to really play around with your own recipes and understand your particulars when it comes to taste.

With so many to choose from, how can you really know which will be the best suited for your skills and kitchen needs? Whether you're giving as a gift or purchasing one for yourself - visit us today for more reviews on How to Make Gourmet Coffee.

At http://www.CoffeeAndEspressoMachinesOnline.com - we'll help you find the best coffee and espresso makers for your needs!

We Wish You a Happy Brewing!!

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Choosing the Right Coffee Coffee Equipment

Having the right coffee equipment can make the difference between having a mediocre cup of joe and a great cup of joe. There are also other factors to consider also such as how long it's been since the beans were ground up, how long ago they were roasted, and how good the quality of the beans were to begin with.

Coffee that is freshly roasted and ground up before being brewed is much better then if it has gotten stale.

Using a coffee grinder to grind your beans will help you get a better tasting coffee. Using a coffee bean roaster would be even better. Even if you use a lesser quality of bean and ground it up as you go it will still have a better taste then if you buy gourmet beans that have gotten stale.

Coffee bean grinders come in all different makes and models and if you want it to taste the best it can you should consider freshly grinding the beans. If you have a coffee shop you definitely need to have two grinders, one for decaf and one for regular. Your decaf customers would probably not appreciate a caffeine buzz with their morning cup of joe.

If your a lover of espresso then a coffee espresso machine should be high on your list of equipment. The only true way to get a good espresso at home is to use an espresso machine.

The majority of espresso machines fall into three categories, the semi-automatic, automatic, and the super automatic. Because the automatic machines can be programed, it is the most used. They say timing is everything with espresso and 23 seconds seems to be it. It is often hard to judge the time with the semi-automatic machines.

The super automatic espresso machines are a whole coffee station rolled into one. They do everything for you from grinding the beans, tamping and pulling the espresso shots, turning off and in some cases, even get rid of the grounds for you. They are definitely high tech and considered works of art by some, and seem to be the source of great fascination for espresso lovers, and the price definitely reflects that. However for extreme coffee lovers, price is irrelevant when it comes to getting quality equipment.

Always try to get an espresso machine that can be serviced locally and has parts available. It can be real easy to buy one just because it has all of the bells and whistles but if it breaks down, you'll need to get it repaired, preferably before you need another espresso.

Choosing the right coffee equipment to suit your needs will insure that you have a perfect cup of coffee (or espresso) every time. If all else fails a coffee bean grinder is a quick and affordable way to immediately improve upon the flavor of your coffee regardless of what kind of beans you use.

Are you ready to drink a better quality cup of coffee?

Whether you are looking for coffee bean roasters, coffee espresso machines, or even a coffee bean grinder, it always pays to shop around to get the best deal.



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Coffee Bean Storage and Brewing Tips

Coffee loses about half of its flavor in the first 10 days after roasting and even more after grinding. After coffee is roasted, it should degas or breathe (also referred to as aging) for an initial 8 hours in an open container. This allows for the extremely pungent gasses (that heavy coffee smell) to dissipate. These heavy gasses actually cause the coffee to taste overbearing. It's not bad to drink at this point; it just tastes better in a few days. The coffee should sit in a semi-closed container in a cool, dry and dark place for another 3-5 days to further degas. Freshly roasted coffee is ready to be brewed from day 5 after roasting.

For the next 10 days after the degassing period, the coffee is at its peak of freshness with every ripe note and flavor coming out in its aroma, body, and acidity. At 15-20 days old, you should really begin to finish brewing it as it is now beginning to stale and will taste flat in about 5 more days. At 20-25 days old it's time to brew it or get more!

Air (oxygen), light, moisture and temperature (other than room temperature) are the culprits that kill your fresh coffee, roasted or brewed. If you follow these tips you will get longer life from your specialty coffee, and undoubtedly enjoy a fresher, fuller-flavored and more superior cup of coffee:

o Whole beans will last longer than ground coffee so don't grind the beans until you are ready to brew them.

o Remove your beans from the original bag the coffee came in, and put in an airtight container like Tupperware or Glad Ware. A plastic Ziplock-type bag will work (but is not recommended) if containers are not available. The more opaque the container, the better to keep harmful light out (read more about light below). Be sure to wipe container clean with damp cloth (no soap or chemicals) in order to reuse.

o Contrary to popular belief whole beans should never be stored in the freezer or refrigerator. Not even a deep freeze freezer. Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry and dark place like a cupboard or pantry. Freezers can cause freezer burn, condensation (moisture) freeze and the coffees natural flavor oils to crack and/or dissipate. These oils are where all the flavor is. Storing in the freezer builds condensation and each time the coffee is taken out of the freezer condensation has more ability to set in because of the temperature change. Excess moisture will cause your beans to stale faster and shorten the life span of your coffee so a cool, dry and dark place it recommended for storage.

o Refrigerators harbor many odors. Coffee is very porous and will act like a sponge to odors whether it's ground or whole bean. Coffee in your refrigerator will act the same as baking soda if left open or in a poorly sealed container. In an enclosed container even if sealed properly, beans will build condensation the same as in the freezer. Again, moisture will cause your beans to stale faster.

o Extreme light (like keeping coffee in a glass jar on the sink) can cause deterioration of your beans, allowing your final cup of coffee to taste flat or stale. As described earlier, we suggest keeping your freshly roasted coffee in an opaque, air tight container at room temperature. A cool, dry and dark place like in a cupboard or pantry works the best.

o Any degree heat over room temperature will also harm your coffee because heat will actually promote more degassing and that will only shorten the life of your beans. Remember that cupboards are best for storage but none over or next to an oven or stove.

o Before grinding, weigh your beans. Use approximately .75 oz (by weight) of coffee per 8 oz of COLD water. You can +/- the coffee to taste. Fresh, clean tap water or quality spring water is recommended. Do not use mineral water, distilled water or tap water with any type of odor. It will make your coffee taste bad.

o Rule of thumb is to only grind enough coffee to use immediately, however if ground coffee is stored correctly (see above, store same as whole bean), it should stay fresh for a maximum of 3 days. Any longer or stored improperly and it will stale. Stale coffee makes awful coffee!

o After brewing, drink your fresh coffee within approximately a half hour. DO NOT keep it on a hot plate or burner to keep 'warm'. This will just cook your coffee giving it that strong, bitter taste. If you brew too much coffee, at the very least shut off your coffee maker's hot plate. In actuality though we do not recommend it, reheating your coffee in the microwave would be better than letting it cook on a hot plate. However as your coffee cools the air will stale it so don't wait too long! If you put your coffee in a carafe or thermos, this will hold temperature for about 2-3 hours depending on how much you consume or use. You should drink your coffee from one of these holding containers within this time frame because even though the temperature of the coffee keeps for a few hours, the coffee can still cook itself giving it that funny, bitter taste.

You can buy an inexpensive coffee grinder at Target or Wal-Mart for about $20. It is a good idea to only purchase what you intend to be able to grind and brew within a reasonable amount of time, 3-4 weeks at the most.

Coffee stales relatively quickly so following these helpful hints will get you better tasting coffee than you have ever had, ever! Bet you didn't know there was so much to know about quality coffee, now did 'ya? Happy coffee drinking!

Tony DiCorpo is a coffee shop owner, operator, barista and entrepreneur. He is also a coffee shop business consultant. He has authored many articles on the specialty coffee business and a coffee shop business plan package that can be found at http://www.tonys-coffee-shop-business-plan.com

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Finding the Finest Gourmet Coffee Beans

Gourmet coffee beans are almost exclusively high-quality mild varieties of the bean Arabica. Arabica coffees are known for their full body flavors and low acidity. However, the term "gourmet coffee" has also come to embrace coffees that are enhanced with flavorings during the roasting process.

Where you get your gourmet coffee beans depends a lot on what you are considering gourmet. Are you looking for gourmet flavored beans or gourmet beans that are grown in a specific region such as the Kona beans of Hawaii?

You can purchase gourmet coffee beans at your local grocery retailer. However, you cannot be assured of their freshness or their authenticity. Any company can label a product as gourmet and you might not know the difference until you have already spent your money on an inferior product. Additionally, they most likely will not carry the higher end gourmet beans.

Local coffee shops are more likely to carry authentic gourmet beans that are fresh. They are staking their business' reputation on any product they carry and sell. This alone is reason enough to trust their product. In addition, they are usually able to procure a larger variety of gourmet coffees than a typical retailer. They most likely will take special orders as well.

Picking a Gourmet Coffee Bean
If you are going to buy a gourmet coffee bean, you should know ahead of time what kind of bean you want to buy. To help you make your decision, based on the beans growing location and expected flavors, you can choose from among these gourmet coffee beans:

Brazilian coffee beans: Typically these coffee beans are consistent but unremarkable in their characteristic. These coffee beans make a wonderful base for coffee blends.

Colombia: Everyone has heard the commercials with Juan Valdez and his Columbian coffee; however, what they do not tell you is the best Colombia coffee is the Supremo and the Excelso. Colombia also has a Colombian Medellin that is very rich with a fully body and slight acidity. Aged Vintage Colombian coffees are very sweet, thick and rich with a little bit of acidity.

If you like full bodied coffees with that are strong and sharply acidic then you should try gourmet coffee beans from Costa Rica. Another area that has a full bodied coffee that is rich in flavor has a wonderful aroma and a slightly acidic taste is Mexico.

Panama beans are noted for being full-bodied with a mild flavor and a sharp acidity.

Two of the most excellent coffee beans are from Hawaii's Kona area and Jamaica's Blue Mountain area coffee growers. The Kona beans have a hint of spice and sweetness with a full body a rich flavor. The Blue Mountain gourmet beans are considered top of the line coffee beans with their full body, slight acidity and smooth mellow flavor.

Gourmet coffee from the Dominican Republic is rich with a moderate acidity. You should look for coffee beans specifically from Santo Domingo or Barahona.

In Guatemala and El Salvador you should look for beans grown in the mountains or high areas. These tend to have the best body and a mild flavor. Those from El Salvador tend to have a medium level of acidity while those from Guatemala have a higher acidity level with a spicy, smoky characteristic.

Java Island, whose name is synonymous with coffee, offers gourmet Arabica beans that are spicy with a heavy body and mild acidity.

The best quality Arabica beans in the Asia/Indonesia area are from Sumatra. Sumatra coffees are wonderfully full-bodied, rich with a mellow taste that is low in acid.

Gourmet coffees can come from around the world or from your local coffee shop. Gourmet coffee can be grown in specific locations that lend to its taste, such as the Kona coffee beans, or it can be made into a gourmet coffee through the addition of flavorings during the roasting process. Either way, coffee enthusiasts know when they are being served a gourmet coffee; it's all in the taste.

Sharon V Chapman writes on the joys of coffee and provides consumer information on gourmet coffee beans for Gourmet Coffee Guide - your online guide to fine coffee.



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