Coffee - Not Just A Drink

Although Coffee is something that well all know and love, well most of us anyway. There are different ways you can enjoy coffee and it is not just a drink. It can be used in a variety of ways and is a useful ingredient when making desserts. From ice cream to cake and coffee flavored chocolates, these are all make wonderful after dinner desserts.

Although you can use coffee powder in your recipes, this is not a tip I would recommend, generally because, this has the tendency to turn your dessert into something bitter, therefore I recommend using freshly brewed coffee that has been diluted in water for the best taste.


You should also consider that the finest way to get the best coffee flavor into any recipe is to grind the beans yourself using one of the best coffee machines that are readily available to purchase. Although this is not strictly necessary as freshly ground coffee can be bought in most stores. However if you were to purchase it in this way, then you need to ensure it was used within a week as coffee can lose some of its flavor if left too long. Also forget what people tell you about keeping your fresh coffee in a refrigerator as this is not necessary either. You just need to keep it in a cool dark place and in an air tight container.

Depending on your taste and that of your guests will determine how much you use or how strong your coffee should be. Generally when used in cooking or desserts the flavor should be subtle and not overpowering to make great coffee recipes you will find they are normally sweet dishes and as coffee can taste bitter then only a little should be added or a mild to medium strength coffee. Steer clear of the more robust coffees as they are too strong.

Also you will need to ensure when using in your recipe to make sure that the brewed coffee has cooled or even chilled. Preferably depending on the recipe brew the coffee as normal and then allow it to cool at room temperature before chilling in the fridge for a few hours. This will not impair the flavor in any way as long as you do not leave it too long.

A great addition to sponge recipes and any chocolate dessert it can also be used to flavor ice cream by substituting the liquid milk or cream for a cup of great coffee. If you are using it to flavor ice cream then you can use a stronger cup if you would prefer, because ice cream is so sweet this dessert can take it. However when using in chocolate or cake recipes you should really make sure you stick to the milder flavors of coffee for the best results.

By: Patrick Fitz-Gibbon

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Why Drinking Coffee Is Good For You

Coffee is the second most popular drink throughout the world. Tea being the first is probably the most common due to its history and age. However it can be said that coffee is most likely the best in terms of taste and uniqueness.

Coffee, whilst it has been around for centuries has grown in popularity in recent years, largely due to the fact that coffee houses are popping over all over the place and whilst I love a Starbucks as much as the next person, there is nothing quite like enjoying a well brewed coffee at home with your feet up. Of course the blend and make of coffee is important and the fact that instant coffee brought about a new revolution in terms of ease and speed, it must never be said that it is a substitute for the real thing.

There are obvious benefits that freshly brewed coffee can bring and the taste being the main one is probably the most common, however there are other added benefits of making your own fresh coffee at home and the one that springs to mind is the health benefits that it brings. Whilst many will tell you that coffee is bad for you due to the caffeine content, it also has many other properties which are in fact very good for you. The high level of antioxidants that coffee contains is thought to be good for your skin and your heart.

Heart disease which is rising among people the world over can be helped and generally people would not automatically consider coffee to be the most beneficial, although it can and does have an impact on the health of your heart. The same can be said of your skin. Very rarely does a day go by without an advertisement for the latest skin care product and they make no secret of the fact the product contains antioxidants and it seems we cannot get enough of the stuff. Perhaps it is time we thought about putting the antioxidants inside of our body instead of placing it on top. Sure there will be more benefits in doing so?

Don’t Feel Bad about something you enjoy

So when you next drink a cup of coffee, particularly fresh coffee, do not feel guilty that you are doing something bad, in actual fact congratulate yourself on doing something good for your heart and your skin. I am not saying you could take years off your face or prolong your life by decades, simply pointing out that sometimes a little of what you like can do the world of good and nobody should feel guilty about that.

By: Patrick Fitz-Gibbon

 

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To learn how to make great coffee by using some of the best coffee machines available today. Visit our website by clicking the links where we guide you.

The Coffee Confusion

Initial concerns with drinking coffee were in relation to diseases and that there could be possible links due to high caffeine intake. However the protections against the diseases of concern noted in the studies were substantial. Since coffee beans are loaded with antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins it is recommended that coffee should be consumed without dairy, sugar or sweeteners. Also flavored coffee should be avoided due to the additives. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging. A Norwegian study found that a typical serving of brewed coffee is richer in antioxidants than a serving of blueberries, raspberries, pineapples, or many fruit juices. Another association with coffee drinkers is the pastries, muffins and cigarettes which regularly are part and parcel with a cup of coffee, these additional consumptions could be what cause bad health more than just coffee alone. Organic black coffee with natural whole grain toast or pastries is a much healthier way to have your caffeine fix without adding items that minimize or neutralize the benefit of coffee’s antioxidant.

Regular coffee consumption has also been known to reduce the risk of such diseases as Parkinson’s disease, the development of type 2 diabetes, liver cirrhosis, gallstones, and kidney stones. Coffee consumption lowers the risk of kidney stones formation. Coffee increases the urine volume, preventing the crystallization of calcium oxalate, the most common component of kidney stones.

The best form of coffee is organic, high-quality, and freshly ground. The good parts of coffee that contain antioxidants come from the first brew, when the water passes over the grounds. In a pot of coffee, the first cup or two that comes out has the essential elements that may benefit us. The other 6 cups are less healthy, as they are mostly the acidic, volatile oils and caffeine.

New research has shown that adding a few cups of coffee to the carbohydrates eaten by athletes following exercise boosts muscle recovery by up to 60 per cent – apparently solving a problem that has foxed sports physiologists until now. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in July, has found a solution to a problem that has resulted in increasingly complex dietary schemes designed to help athletes recover faster.
"If you give an athlete more petrol in the tank, they will go further. What we've done is to give them 50-60 per cent more petrol," said Professor John Hawley, head of the exercise metabolism group at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Victoria, Australia. "It has been incredibly hard for exercise physiologists to help athletes in this way, and it's a dilemma that has occupied researchers for decades. We asked athletes to ingest caffeine, which has no nutritional benefit, and the results were astounding."

In the study, athletes cycled to exhaustion before eating a carbohydrate sports drink, bar or gel with a high caffeine dose – the equivalent of five or six cups of strong coffee – immediately after the exercise, and then two hours later. "We found that the amount of carbohydrate that could be stored by the muscles when ingested along with caffeine was about 60 per cent higher than with carbohydrates alone. If you've got 60 per cent more fuel there for your next day's run, cycle ride or football game, there is no question that you would be able to go further or faster.

"The practical outcome of that is that an athlete training or competing the next day will have a better training session or race," Dr Hawley predicted. "Caffeine has a wonderful effect on both short-term sprint
performance and on endurance. It is a remarkable drug that affects both ends of the spectrum."

By: Kerry Crawford

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Thank you for reading my article on ‘The Coffee Confusion’ I hope you found it an interesting read and you are looking forward to enjoying your next coffee. Kerry Crawford www.allcafes.com.au www.allgroups.com.au