Buying Coffee Tips

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Does decaffeinated coffee taste as good?

Decaffeinated coffee - does it taste as good?

The answer is, yes and no. : )

Here's the problem. The decaffeination process is achieved either with a solvent, or with charcoal - the Swiss Water process. Whichever process is used, it's not only the caffeine that is removed. You also lose some flavor.

Why? Because a coffee bean is a complex and delicate thing. In order to remove the caffeine, you have to be a little brutal with the bean. As a result, many of the subtleties of a bean's flavor are lost.

To get a flavorful cup of decaffeinated coffee, you need to start with a really superlative green bean. So even when some flavor is lost, there is sufficient remaining to reward your taste buds.

If you love coffee and want decaffeinated, be prepared to pay a little extra. The best green beans cost more. For everyone else, who wants to pay rock-bottom prices, don't be surprised if your decaf tastes bland and uninteresting.

For some quality decaf coffee beans, try here.

   
What´s the difference between coffees from different countries?

Check out the country of origin

The growing region has a lot to do with the taste of your coffee. For a milder, balanced brew that pleases many coffee drinkers, start by trying beans from Latin America - from Brazil, Colombia and other coffee-growing countries in the region. For more exotic, subtle tastes, try coffees from Africa or Indonesia. There are hundreds of different gourmet coffee beans to try, and all will offer your taste buds some subtle and rewarding pleasures.

You'll find a wide choice of gourmet coffee beans from many different coffee-producing countries here.

   
Should I buy flavored coffee beans? Or use flavored syrups?

What is 'Flavored' Coffee?

Some people love to have their coffee flavored - with vanilla, hazelnut, cinnamon, almond and a number of other flavors. In fact, some people who don`t like` regular coffee, love flavored coffees. (And hard-core gourmet coffee fanatics would rather walk through fire than have their coffee `tainted` with some other taste!)

There are two ways to get your coffee this way. The first is to buy whole beans that have already been flavored. You just buy the beans and then grind and brew as usual. The added flavor is `in the bean`.

The other way is to buy regular gourmet beans, make the coffee and then flavor the finished brew with a syrup.

How you choose to prepare your flavored coffees depends on whether there are just one or two flavors you like, or whether you like to try a lot of different tastes. For one or two flavors, buy flavored beans. For a broader range of choices, buy regular beans and all the different syrups you want.

Here's is an excellent selection of flavored coffee beans.

   
Do you like your coffee mild or strong?

Mild or Strong - Use a Quality Gourmet Coffee

The 'strength'of the taste is determined by a number of factors - the origin of the bean, the darkness of the roast and the proportion of coffee to water. If you like a strong cup of coffee, you need to take all these factors into account. The answer is NOT to buy the wrong bean with the wrong roast and then 'cook' the coffee over a burner for hours. All you'll get is a foul, bitter tasting brew that will put you off coffee for life.

Always use a quality gourmet coffee, and brew it according to the instructions on whatever kind of brewing machine you use.

   
Where can I find coffee with that ´Diner´ style taste?

Finding 'Diner' style coffee

It may have happened to you. One particular diner or local coffee stop serves you a coffee and you love it. But you don't know where to find the right beans to so can brew it at home.

At CoffeeAndTeaWarehouse.com we recently received a question from someone who had found the coffee he liked at one particular diner, and also had a question about 'Arabica' coffee beans.

Here is the answer we gave:

"Firstly, let me deal with Arabica coffees. There are two main species of the coffee tree...Arabica and Robusta. Coffee beans from Arabica trees are considered to be of a much higher quality than beans from Robusta trees. All of our coffees are Arabica beans of the highest quality.

Secondly, let's deal with your search for "that diner flavor" that you found in the Shop Rite Restaurant Style coffee. I am not familiar with the Shop Rite brand so I have no way of knowing what this coffee looks and tastes like. But I'm willing to bet it's a blend of coffees (all of which are from the Arabica tree). I'm also willing to wager the roast is medium, although without actually seeing the coffee this is only a guess.

Based on the above assumptions, I would recommend a couple of our coffees for you try: Ethiopian Sidamo (a truly wonderful tasting coffee and one of our top sellers) and our Breakfast Blend (very smooth and full bodied)."

   
What is the wholesale price of coffee beans?

Buy Coffee at Wholesale Prices

If you are buying for a store, a coffee shop, your office or even for a large family, you can save a great deal of money by buying coffee beans in larger quantities and paying wholesale prices.

When you buy retail, a hefty percentage has been added to the wholesale price.

Best of all, the volume you need to buy in order to qualify for wholesale pricing is a lot lower than you might think.

Take a look at the wholesale coffee prices at Coffee and Tea Warehouse.

   
What does ´dark roast´ mean?

How dark do you like your roast?

The amount of time that a coffee bean is roasted plays a huge part in the flavor of the final cup. Medium Roast coffees produce a milder tasting cup of coffee; Dark Roast a stronger brew. So it really depends on what taste strength you prefer. As a general rule the medium roast is the more popular, although some gourmet coffee lovers prefer the stronger taste of the darker roasts.

Try here for a variety of medium and dark roasted gourmet coffee beans.

   
What is the coffee type normally used to make cappuccino, i.e. robusta or arabica?

Coffee Type for Cappuccino

A cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 frothed milk.

Espresso doesn't refer to a type of coffee, but rather the brewing method used to make it. Any type of coffee bean can be used, and which type--arabica or robusta--depends on your location and coffee establishment. In Italy, for example, many espresso blends are based on dark-roasted robusta.

Espresso is made by forcing water through coffee grounds under pressure.

How to make one shot (30 ml) of espresso:
- Take seven grams of coffee.
- Force water at 90 degrees Celsius through the grounds at a pressure of nine bar (130 PSI) for 25 seconds.

For more coffee tips, check out: http://www.toomuchcoffee.com

   
Can I buy decaffeinated whole bean coffee?

Decaffeinated coffee

If you like your coffee decaffeinated, you can still brew your coffee from fresh-ground beans. Although you won't have such a wide range of choices when it comes to where the coffee is grown, there are enough choices to satisfy your preferences for a milder or stronger cup.

Here is one place you'll find an excellent selection of gourmet, decaffeinated coffee beans.

   
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