A Coffee Lover's Page

 Like the world is split between dog lovers and cat lovers ( and perhaps dog eaters ), and without much in common, so can the split be made between coffee drinkers and tea drinkers. For me there is no comparison, coffee is the drink of choice. But not any old coffee. I’m not talking about a spoonful of gravy browning and hot water, I’m talking about a ceremony as involved as a tea ceremony, the making of a perfect cup of coffee. Not for me coffee powder or granules, it’s the real bean or nothing. The closest you can get to this with jar of instant is not by drinking it. Oh, no. You need to inhale it. Take a new jar of coffee, break open the foil seal and swiftly insert your nose and inhale deeply. A beautiful and intoxicating, if slightly chemical, aroma of coffee. But like a casual acquaintance it will be gone in the morning. So if you want staying power you need to buy some foil-packed real ground coffee beans or better still, grind your own beans. No, it isn’t as cheap as instant and yes, it does take longer, but you are striving for quality not quantity. I know tea drinkers take pride in how many ‘cuppers’ they can sink during a day but anyone drinking 10 or 20 cups of coffee a day would soon be dead from nervous twitching overload. The caffeine content of properly brewed coffee is substantial. If you aren’t on caffeine for medical or dietary reasons then this page is not for you. Don’t upset yourself by reading further.

First of all you need decent brewing technology. Remember those filter ( drip brew in America ) coffee machines of the seventies ? Very trendy. One paper cone and a couple of generous scoops of brown powder. Let the hot water trickle through like a chemical filtration process. Very dinner party, prawn cocktail, chicken supreme and black forest gateaux. The leading edge was a gold mesh filter that never needed replacing. Anyway, if you have one, throw it out. Or keep it for the Antiques Roadshow 2070. The minimum requirement is a cafetière. Sounds French doesn’t it ? But don’t let that put you off. They do drink bowls of it for petit déjeuner with their buttered croissant. Insert one scoop for the pot and one scoop per cup of medium ground coffee. And one for luck ( my preference ). Add hot but not boiling coffee. In practice nobody can wait for the kettle to boil and then cool so just put freshly boiled water into a cold cafetière and the temperature should drop before it burns the coffee. Well, kind of. Wait about 3 minutes for the flavours to infuse. In a cold house you should wrap the cafetière in a tea cosy. Oops I swore. A coffee cosy. While infusing, you must warm your mug or cup with hot water. I so hate lukewarm coffee in a cold cup. Waste of time. It needs to cool with the aroma spiralling up your nostrils as you read the newspapers or type away at the keyboard. So warm the cups first ! Then what you ask ? Well, drink it. No milk, no sugar. I mean, would you order a malt whisky from a peaty bog in Scotland and mix it with a soda and a twist of lemon. On the rocks. You would ? OK, leave this page right now. Goodbye. So now my audience has reached the minimum standard for intellectually superior coffee appreciation. If you take milk and sugar in your coffee then start right now to reduce it. First to go is milk. I took milk till the age of 25. Then started reducing it. At some point just a dash. And as the milk went down, the aroma and taste increased. And then on a momentous day I had no milk. Needless to say I never looked back. I was never a sugar person, at least not after school age, so dumping sugar was not a hurdle. But you can drink strong black coffee with sugar and many people do. But for me it tastes sweet and coffee should not be sweet. It should be coffee. Sometimes dark and brooding, perhaps with hint of bitterness, always changing, always surprising and occasionally challenging. Coffee changes its taste on your palette depending on the time of day, depending on what you’ve just had to eat. On how tired you are. It interacts with the mind in different ways. Anyway, enough of that pseudo-scientific diarrhoea. If you can drink it without sugar then good on you. If you can’t then cut back a little. But please drop the milk.

Feeling more adventurous ? Then try a stove-top espresso maker. These are relatively inexpensive, compared to electric pump machines, but they can force hot water through the coffee grounds at high pressure. Which forces more oils and flavours out of the coffee. Operation is simple once you’ve had a few goes. Fill the base with cold tap water up to the fill-level shown on the inside of the pressure vessel. Fill the funnel with medium-ground coffee. Tamp down hard so that the coffee is compressed. Screw the container together and put on the stove at medium heat ( small gas ring ). The beauty of this device is that as the water is heating up the whole coffee pot is warming up so when the steam finally forces hot water though the coffee, it is pouring into a hot container. No electric machines ever seem to get this hot. Perfect to keep your brew piping hot for a few minutes in the cold winter months. Notice the pressure release valve on the side of the pot. If the pressure builds up too much because you overdid the tamping then this valve releases pressure and prevents you from being pasted around the walls as a thin red film. DO NOT fill it with superglue thinking you will get more pressure. The only downside to this wonderful device is that it squirts 100°C boiling water, probably higher, up through your coffee. Which can give a slightly burnt flavour. Which is fine for strong Italian espresso but not so good for delicate beans. Stick with the more robust beans and you will be able to make a powerful liquor which drinking quickly on a groggy morning will be like being hurled in a wind tunnel on full blast. Wave those cobwebs goodbye.

Feeling like you a ready for the next step ? Then buy an electric espresso machine. There are many to choose from and range from simple water boilers to coffee ‘bean to cup’ delivery machines that do everything for you. They also vary in price from quite expensive to astronomical. Astronomical means they are for the catering trade rather than the home. I expect there’s one which takes green beans and does a ‘roast to cup’ but I haven’t found it yet. Might be tricky on the timing. The minimum you want is an electric pump to force hot water at just the right temperature and pressure through your coffee. This is better than relying on steam pressure as the water gets too hot. They also come with milk steamers and frothers, warming plates, computerised preference settings, timers… after all, it’s a boy’s toy. The more dials the better I find. The ultimate would be a remote control so I could operate it next to the television set. But do remember that ‘the more there is to go wrong, the greater the chance of it going wrong’. There’s no point having a coffee machine which spends most of its life being serviced. If one of the fancy pumps or valves breaks then you will be reaching for the instant coffee granules. Think how bad that would be ! Pick a machine that delivers a strong black coffee as simply as possible.

I’m now the proud owner of a Bugatti Diva which makes very fine coffee. But if you are thinking of getting one then here’s a run through of the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

• Delivers a very fine black coffee with a lovely crema
• Looks absolutely stunning thanks to the HUGE temperature dial
• Fine mechanical build quality. 6.5Kg of cast aluminium and stainless steel. This isn’t some extruded-plastic, mass-production device. This is a hand-crafted metal tank. It would survive a nuclear attack.
• Matches my Ferrari ( well it would do if I had one )

The Bad

• The needle on the temperature doesn’t quite match the scale. Top dead-centre is the brewing temperature but the steam setting doesn’t seem to go high enough or the room temperature low enough. This is just a visual problem – actual temperatures are correct.
• The single-serving cup for ground coffee is way too small. Use the double cup for a single portion.
• If you want to make coffee for one then perfect. For two then OK. For a party of four or more then forget it. Life’s too short. If you sell coffee then this device would put you out of business.
• The hot plate is more like a tepid plate. Leave the machine switched on for an hour and it is just about warm. Heat your cups with boiling water from a kettle !
• Medium ground coffee is often too coarse for this machine as the coffee comes out clear after a few seconds. Re-grind to medium / fine for best  results.
• The milk steamer requires patience as on the steam setting the water is too hot to make coffee. So do you do the coffee first or the milk first ? Then you have to strip the kit down and clean anything that has touched milk. I’m happy to report that I don’t take milk.

 The Ugly

• If the British put in the electrics then all would be well. But it was the Italians so there is some dodgy stuff going on. The machine hisses and drips all over the place. It drips into the drip tray sometimes but mostly around the drip tray. In the base there are pools of water from overflow pipes. Next to the mains socket. The live wire nudges past the water menacingly. I tested the earth connection as soon as I saw the water sloshing around. Anyway, I’m still alive aren’t I ?

Andy’s Top Coffee Tips

• Keep coffee beans in a tightly sealed container in the freezer until needed
• Grind beans just before using
• Always warm the cups before pouring in the coffee
• Don’t skimp on the coffee
• Make your coffee with love and respect. It took a lot of effort by many people to grow the beans, pick them, dry them, roast them, transport them and force the flavour out into your cup.
• Drink your coffee without accompaniment. Don’t even think about dunking in a biscuit.

Ideal Brewing Conditions for the Technically-Minded

Temperature : 88°C  to 90°C, 190°F to 194°F ( select your favourite units )

Pressure : 10 to 12 bar, 7501 to 9001 torr, 9.9 to 11.8 atm, 1.0 to 1.2 MPa, 145 to 174 psi ( select your favourite units )

The Wonder of Caffeine

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is one of a group of chemicals called methylxanthines which occur naturally in a range of plant-derived foodstuffs such as coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and cola products. The closely related substances theophylline or 1, 3-dimethylxanthine and theobromine or 3, 7-dimethylxanthine are also found in a variety of plants.

In 2001 the UK Food Standards Agency advised pregnant women to limit their intake of caffeine to less than 300 mg per day in light of research that indicated that caffeine intakes above this may be associated with low birth weight and, in some cases, miscarriage.

• Tea ranges from less than 1 mg to 90 mg of caffeine per serving ( mean 40 mg )
• Instant coffee ranges from 21 mg to 120 mg of caffeine per serving ( mean 54 mg )
• Ground coffee ranges from 15 mg to 254 mg of caffeine per serving ( mean 105 mg )
• Hot chocolate has about 4mg per serving
• Decaffeinated coffee has about 3mg per serving

Source : UK Food Standards Agency April 2004

http://www.food.gov.uk/science/surveillance/fsis2004branch/fsis5304

Caffeine is a drug that acts as a stimulant to the heart and central nervous system, and is also known to increase blood pressure in the short-term, although there is no conclusive evidence of long-term effects on blood pressure. Caffeine absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is rapid and virtually complete about 45 minutes after ingestion. The peak plasma caffeine concentration is reached 15-120 minutes after ingestion.

A number of mechanisms for the effects of caffeine have been suggested. Caffeine stimulates the release of intracellular calcium and inhibits the activity of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases at concentrations between 0.5 and 1 mM. These concentrations are well above those seen in the blood in response to normal intakes of caffeine suggesting that the effects of caffeine are mediated by other mechanisms. It is now generally accepted that physiological concentrations of caffeine ( about 100 μM ) act by antagonising the effects of adenosine. Caffeine acts at A1 adenosine receptors which are negatively linked to adenyl cyclase and A2a adenosine receptors which are positively linked to adenyl cyclase. Hence, competition between caffeine and adenosine at cell surface A1 and A2a adenosine receptors leading to changes in the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP is the likely mechanism underlying the physiological effects of caffeine.

The effects on blood pressure are most likely when caffeine is taken in excessive quantities or by highly sensitive people. In particular, people who are hypertensive ( have habitual high blood pressure ), are advised to avoid caffeinated drinks, while pregnant women are advised to limit their intake of caffeinated drinks to less than 300mg per day.

Caffeine, however, does have a very mild diuretic effect – it makes you pee. Which dehydrates you.

Caffeine is also found in chocolate ( e.g. 60g per bar ).

Source : The Coffee Science Information Centre

http://www.cosic.org/background-on-caffeine

A Coffee Primer

It is believed coffee was grown in Arabia near the Red Sea in AD 675. Extensive planting did not occur until the 15^th and 16^th centuries, when it was done in the Yemen region of Arabia. Coffee consumption increased in Europe during the 17^th century. The French managed to transport a live cutting of a coffee tree to Martinique in the Caribbean in 1714. This was the start of the great coffee plantations of Latin America.

Coffee is made from the beans of an evergreen shrub ( or tree ) of the madder family. It grows up to 20 ft and has shiny green oval leaves with white fragrant flowers that last for only a few days. The fruit develops 6 months after the flower appears, changing from light green to red to crimson. The 3 most important species of Coffee plants are arabica ( Arabian ), robusta ( Congo ) and Liberian. Some of the finest coffee comes from Java, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, the Caribbean, Africa, Indian, South and Central America. The Americas produce two thirds of the coffee grown in the world.

Growing coffee requires loose, easily drained soil that can remain moist. Growing temperature is 13°C to 26°C with the possibility of damage by frost. Robusta coffee and Liberian coffee grow best at altitudes below 3,000 ft whereas arabica coffee grows best at higher altitudes, up to 6,000 ft.

The first crop occurs after 5 years and can produce consistently for another 15 to 20 years. The average annual yield per tree is 0.45Kg, but some trees can yield up to 1.3Kg. Harvesting can be done by hand-picking or by shaking the tree and stripping the fruit. In the wet-method of processing, beans are softened in water, de-pulped, fermented in large tanks and dried in heated, rotating cylinders. The dry method just dries the beans and removes the outer coverings. The final product is green coffee which is then graded according to size and colour.

Arabicas are mainly produced in the Americas and East Africa using wet processing ( except Brazil ). Robustas are mainly produced in West Africa and Asia using dry processing. Dry-processed beans known as ‘Brazils’ consist principally of Santos, Parana and Rio – named after their shipping ports. Wet-processed arabicas known as ‘milds’ are named after the countries or districts in which they are grown, e.g. Medellin, Armenia and Manizales from Columbia.

Green coffee beans are usually blended to produce popular tastes and aromas. Roasting temperatures used to be 193°C for light, 205°C for medium and 218°C for dark. The recent trend has been towards higher roasting temperatures but shorter roasting times. Slow roasting is less likely to produce a bitter bean though.

Hermetically sealed packaging can keep coffee fresh for up to 3 years if unopened. Whole roasted beans contain carbon dioxide which helps act as a preservative.

The pleasing fragrance of coffee comes from a complex mix of aromatic chemicals such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, amines and thiols. The non-volatile components consist of caffeine ( an alkaloid of the methylxanthine group which acts as a stimulant ), trigonelline, chlorogenic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates and minerals. A fat-soluble diterpine called cafestol was identified in the 1990s as a possible source of increased cholesterol in humans. However, it is only produced when ground beans are boiled in water. Trigonelline is partially converted to niacin during roasting which is one of the B vitamins required by the body.

Without the addition of sugar, milk and cream, coffee is very low in calories.

Source : Microsoft ® Encarta ® Premium Suite 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Scientific Classification

family Rubiaceae genus Coffea

• arabica coffee is Coffea arabica
• robusta coffee is Coffea canephora
• Liberian coffee is Coffea liberica or Coffea excelsoides

Coffee Makers

Note α : Cost based on £2.50 for 125g ( 2005 prices ) and ‘Best’ cups

Brew Strength : 1 = weak as dishwater, 5 = blow your socks off

Crema : The white scum, I mean cream, that covers the coffee after brewing. Tastes rather good and is creamy without a drop of milk going in your coffee.

Coffee Bean Guide

Useful Coffee Links

http://www.whittard.co.uk/

http://www.taylorscoffee.co.uk/

http://www.bodum.com/

http://www.bialetti.com/

http://www.coffeegeek.com/

http://www.cosic.org/ ( See Questions & Answers if you thought coffee was bad for you ! )

Glossary

• ESE : Easy Espresso Serving coffee pods

A Platonic Dialogue on the Theme of the Kyoto Protocol

Protarchus : Why are you microwaving your coffee ?

Socrates : Not through choice. It went cold while I was answering the phone. I left my coffee outside in the garden and when I got back it was stone cold.

Protarchus : But I saw you trying to cool it before ! You were blowing on it in a most determined manner. It was obviously too hot to drink.

Socrates : Indeed it was. I would expect little else having poured boiling water over the coffee powder.

Protarchus : Coffee powder ? How vulgar. But I saw you before pouring in cold milk from the fridge. That should have cooled it a little. But something has been puzzling me. Why do you need to cool the milk in the first place ?

Socrates : It is not that I needed to cool the milk. I must preserve the milk and stop it from going off. The house is very warm with the central heating on and the milk would only last a day without putting it in the fridge.

Protarchus : So if the house is very warm, why are you having a hot beverage ?

Socrates : Because my dear friend, I was working outside where it is most decidedly chill.

Protarchus : So why don't you keep the milk outside ?

Socrates : I believe the ancients did that with a device called a larder. I'm all for convenience.

Protarchus : I expect the milk was pasteurized at a high-ish temperature before you put it in the fridge.

Socrates : Likewise the water was cold before I put it in the kettle. And your point is ?

Protarchus : There seems to be a lot of heating up and cooling down for little purpose. I'm not even going to start on the bean roasting and I do not imagine for a moment they were dried under the midday sun.

Socrates : Are you suggesting I should drop a few green beans into a glass of water and swallow the lot in an environmentally friendly fashion ? That doesn't sound to me like one of life's greatest pleasures. You are clearly deranged.

Philebus : Ah, there you both are. Anybody fancy a brew ?

Socrates : Yes please.

Protarchus : Yes please. Socrates, pass your cup over here. If you've finished with it that is.

Socrates : (Passes cup) Are you going to chastise me for wasting some coffee ?

Protarchus : There is a little which yet remains, and I will remind you of it, for I am sure that you will not be the first to go away from an argument.

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