How to brew coffee beans: subtleties of selection and preparation

“Morning coffee always brings back thoughts that were confused from last night.” (With).

The volume of coffee consumption increases exponentially every year. It is predicted that this year a total of about 90 million bags of coffee beans weighing 60 kg will be exported. Such popularity is not surprising: nowhere else in the world does there exist a drink that has not only an exquisite and multifaceted taste, but also equally pronounced invigorating properties.

Having drunk a cup of aromatic espresso in the morning, you can immediately feel a surge of energy and go to work in a good mood - and all because coffee beans stimulate the production of dopamine, which is called the “happiness hormone”. An additional advantage of coffee is the fact that it can be brewed even without any special devices - using ordinary utensils that are found in every kitchen.

History of coffee

Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee. Initially, coffee beans were used to prepare a drink that tasted like wine. For Muslims who, by religion, cannot drink alcohol, the drink has become an excellent substitute for alcohol. Then the Arabs tried to grind the grains and cook them. This is how the drink turned out, which is still drunk today.

In Russia, bean coffee was not so popular. In the USSR, people preferred to drink instant drinks, which were considered a curiosity. Now gourmets have tasted the taste of the drink of vigor and drink it exclusively.

Choice of flavor and type of coffee

Instant coffee can be freeze-dried, powdered, or granulated. Powdery - considered to be of lower quality. The pronounced smell and aroma of natural bean coffee, it requires special preparation. Ground - brewed in French presses and coffee makers. When choosing a product, pay attention to the smell, the uniformity of the grains, the manufacturer (Vietnamese, Turkish product).

For those who want to lose weight, green coffee made from unroasted beans is sold. Its secret is that when fried, the substance that promotes weight loss is destroyed.

How they used to make coffee

Almost all the coffee that was made before tasted terrible and was almost undrinkable. Some people fried it at home in frying pans, which completely ruined the taste of this drink.

The owners of coffee plantations always boiled coffee beans in boiling water before selling them and then roasted them: this attitude also spoiled the taste of the drink.

True gourmets prepared the aromatic drink in almost the same way as we do now - they ground the grains by hand and boiled them over a fire.

Methods of roasting beans

Coffee beans can be of varying degrees of roasting. The final taste depends on how the grains were roasted. There are the following degrees of roasting of beans.

• Strong. The cracks on the coffee beans are bright and deep, the grain has a dark brown color. Highly roasted beans make a very strong drink. High roast is the most popular and is used to release as much caffeine as possible from the bean. Beans roasted using this method produce a very tonic drink. Just be careful with this type of roasting. It often happens that unscrupulous producers hide the low quality of beans behind a high degree of roasting.
• Average. This degree of roasting is made specifically for espresso. This roasting is ideal for releasing some of the oily resins from the grain.
• Weak. Cracks in the grain are almost invisible, the color of the grain is light brown.
• Initial. This degree of roasting is used for elite Arabica beans. The taste of the drink is revealed only slightly, the aroma is light and barely perceptible.

There are several intermediate degrees of roasting of coffee beans. Typically, the name of the roast depends on the area where this method of processing coffee beans is typical. For example, there are American, French and Mediterranean roasts.

It is worth paying attention: there is a separate type of coffee beans that are not roasted. The drink made from these beans is called “Green Coffee”. Recently, unroasted grains have become especially popular due to their tonic and fat-burning properties.

How to choose the right coffee beans

We need to experiment

Coffee lovers often joke that the search for the most suitable variety can take a lifetime. Even minor climate changes in the area where coffee trees grow affect the taste of the drink. And then the familiar variety receives new notes in taste and aroma.

Modern supermarkets offer a wide range from different manufacturers. It is important not to get lost in the abundance of goods and choose the right drink. Beginners will have to experiment to find the right taste and aroma. You can simplify the task by deciding which variety appeals to you in terms of smell, strength and other characteristics.

General selection rules

You need to buy coffee in specialized stores. Please note the release date. No more than a month should pass from the moment of packaging. When stored for a long time, roasted beans lose their aroma. Damaged packaging is not acceptable. Each one contains detailed information about the product.

The grains should be shiny in appearance. Tarnished or grayed ones were stored incorrectly; they will not make a tasty and aromatic drink. Ideally, they should be the same size: large Arabica beans (6-8 mm) and small Robusta beans (4-5).

Do not take more than one pack, maximum 200 g. Frequent opening and contact with air will spoil the taste and aroma of the drink.

Interesting! How many grams of coffee are in a teaspoon and a tablespoon?

Buy green grains only clean and whole. The scattering should be free of debris, sand and foreign odors. The aroma of high-quality grain is smooth, without any hint of mold. Do not buy a product that is under lights. Constant light and heat spoil the original taste and smell.

Recommendations for proper grinding

To make coffee aromatic and pleasant to the taste, you need to grind it well. The basic rule for grinding coffee beans is: “The faster you want to brew coffee, the finer you need to grind the beans.”

For example, espresso takes no more than a minute to brew, which means that the beans need to be ground quite finely.

In a coffee pot with a piston, the drink of vigor is prepared for more than 6 minutes, which means that the grinding is necessary to be coarse and coarse.

In order for the coffee to be aromatic, you need to choose the right coffee grinder. Usually everyone buys coffee grinders with two propeller blades. Unfortunately, they cannot provide high-quality grinding. If you grind beans for more than a minute, such a coffee grinder will heat up, and as the temperature rises, the coffee aroma will escape into the air and not into the cup.

The result of good grinding is cold and equal particles of the ground mass. The ideal coffee grinder is a manual burr grinder with two blades. In such a coffee grinder, the position of the blades can be changed and thereby adjust the degree of coffee grinding. This method is quite slow, but only it will provide a good result - a flavorful drink.

Before you begin the grinding procedure, carefully read the coffee grinder manufacturer's instructions, which indicate how long it takes to grind the beans.

For the most popular propeller coffee grinder, the following grinding rules apply:

• grains must be crushed larger than necessary;
• Do not grind for more than 10 seconds at a time to prevent overheating of the coffee beans;
• You need to grind no more than 4 tablespoons at a time.

Coffee experiments

Already knowing how to brew coffee beans in a Turk, you can start experimenting with the drink. Every day you can choose which drink you will drink. For example, today at breakfast you will drink a delicious Italian blend, and tomorrow - an extraordinary Ethiopian single-origin or indescribable plantation coffee from Jamaica.

You can add some seasonings to the drink. Gourmets usually use the following flavorings:

• ground cloves;
• sea ​​salt;
• lemon;
• black pepper;
• vanilla;
• honey;
• ginger root;
• star anise;
• ground walnuts or hazelnuts;
• cinnamon;
• garlic;
• cocoa.

But frankly speaking, real coffee does not require any additives. Its taste is indescribable and its aroma is delicious.

How to drink coffee for weight loss

Green coffee, rich in chlorogenic acid, is effective in losing excess weight. It is brewed in the same way as black, but in taste it is much inferior to the latter. Weight loss recommendations say that you need to drink the drink 20-30 minutes before meals. In this mode, the drink is able to prepare the body for active digestion of food and at the same time reduce the feeling of hunger. It means that a person will eat a smaller portion of food, and it will be digested much faster.

Green grains are more effective than black grains for weight loss

This regime can indeed be followed, but not in the morning. Don't drink coffee on an empty stomach - it's harmful. To lose weight, it is recommended to drink up to 5-6 cups of coffee a day - this is also harmful. A safe norm is 2-3 cups per day. When losing weight, it is better to drink green tea with lemon. It has a less aggressive effect on the body, and has more benefits.

There are dangerous diets and coffee fasting days. They promise good results in the plumb, but harm the digestive, nervous and excretory systems. You need to think seriously before following such techniques.

Automatic coffee machines

They will do all the work themselves. All you have to do is enjoy the aroma and taste of the prepared drink. Automatic coffee machines are equipped with built-in coffee grinders, a temperature regulator, a coffee bean grinding regulator, and some models even contain a cappuccino maker.

An automatic coffee machine has only one drawback - its cost, otherwise it is ideal. The automatic coffee machine does not require any manipulation from a person. All you need to do is pour the coffee beans into a special container and set the preparation parameters.

...in a frying pan

Probably every coffee gourmet dreamed of at least seeing the whole process of making coffee. We invite you to participate in it interactively by creating your own creative process. Believe me, it's nothing complicated. The prize is a cup of fragrant coffee almost entirely created with your own hands.

For frying, you will need a frying pan with a thick bottom, preferably steel or cast iron. Washed to perfect condition, without even a hint of foreign odors. Heat a frying pan slightly over low heat and add green coffee beans to it, about ¼ of the total volume of the container. With constant stirring with a wooden spatula, you need to gradually increase the temperature to “high heat”.

After about 5 minutes, the beans will begin to darken and turn honey brown to intense brown, emitting a distinctive coffee aroma. Roasting should last until drops of oil appear on the surface of the grain - as soon as you hear the first crack and see the first drops of oil, pour the beans into a previously prepared container. And immediately turn on the fan to cool the grains. You can get rid of the husks by pouring the grains into a colander and winnowing them.

Carob coffee machines

Carob machines are similar in size to automatic coffee machines. But there are exceptions. There are quite large carob coffee machines, which are usually used in restaurants, bars and cafes.

Massive carob coffee machines are equipped with a large water tank - from 10 liters or more. Small carob coffee machines (for home use) have a water tank with a capacity of about two liters.

A coffee machine for home use differs not only in the capacity of the water tank, but also in the number of horns. A coffee machine with one horn is quite suitable for a home, but for a cafe - with two or more.

Some horn machines are equipped with a special device that froths milk using steam.

How to prepare a drink in a carob coffee machine?

1. If necessary, froth the milk in a cup using a special device located on the coffee machine.
2. Grind the beans using a manual coffee grinder.
3. Place the ground grains into the cone. Compress the contents of the cone.
4. Pour water into a special container.
5. Place the coffee horn in the coffee machine. Secure it tightly so that it cannot fly off during cooking.
6. Set the “Cooking” mode.

The operating principle of a carob coffee maker is as follows: due to the pressure created, hot steam ends up in the carob. Here it passes through the ground beans, and the finished drink is sent into the cup.

The cost of such a coffee machine directly depends on its performance, brand and volume. The most popular are Italian coffee makers.

Capsule coffee machines

Nowadays capsule coffee machines are no less popular. It’s just worth noting that the cost of one serving of a drink prepared in a capsule coffee machine is much higher than the cost of coffee prepared in a carob coffee maker.

How to brew in a capsule coffee machine?

1. Insert the capsule into the special compartment in the coffee machine.
2. Click the button.
3. The capsule will be punctured, and water of a certain temperature will flow into the resulting hole.
4. The prepared invigorating drink will be poured into the cup.

Filter coffee makers

Using coffee makers with a special filter is another way to prepare a flavorful drink at home.

This device is quite easy to use. The coffee maker contains a cone-shaped filter into which you need to pour pre-ground beans.

Filters for such coffee makers can be disposable or reusable. The latter are made of nylon and equipped with plastic frames. Reusable filters can be used more than 60 times.

Any gourmet can afford a filter coffee maker – this device is quite cheap.

The principle of operation of a filter coffee maker is as follows: water is heated in a special tank, then it enters the filter, where the ground beans are located. The finished drink already flows out of the filter into a special bowl.

Cooking in this device is simple:

1. Fill the special reservoir with water.
2. Place the ground coffee into the filter.
3. Press the power button.

It is worth noting that coffee prepared in a filter coffee maker is significantly inferior in taste to a drink made in a Turk.

How to brew bean coffee without a Turk and a coffee maker

By the way, don’t be upset if you don’t have a good Turk or coffee machine at home. You can brew coffee beans in a saucepan on the stove. How to do it? Just as if you were brewing coffee in a Turkish coffee pot. You should choose a small saucepan.

The second way to make coffee without using a Turk and a coffee maker is to prepare the drink in the microwave. How to make coffee using this method?

1. Pour cold boiled water into a small mug.
2. Add ground coffee to water (about 2 teaspoons per 200 milliliters of water).
3. Add sugar to taste and other seasonings if needed.
4. Mix the contents of the mug well.
5. Cover with a saucer and place in the microwave for one minute (microwave on full power).

As you can see, it doesn't take much time to make coffee in the microwave. Just one minute - and you will enjoy aromatic and delicious coffee. A drink prepared in a microwave is no different in taste from coffee prepared in a Turk or a coffee machine.

There is another way to brew bean coffee in a Turk without a coffee maker - this is brewing coffee in the sand. This method is quite refined and is unlikely to be suitable for the average Russian kitchen. The drink is prepared on the sand in the same way as on the stove, only the Turk is placed not on the fire, but on the hot sand.

General rules

Natural coffee beans contain hundreds of components in varying concentrations. These are tannins, vitamins, minerals, resins, essential oils, antioxidants and others. But the alkaloids caffeine and chlorogenic acid are considered the most valuable. The first is known for its tonic and stimulating properties, the second – for its stimulating properties. More on caffeine:

• excites the nervous system, activates mental activity, concentration, physical tone;
• after 15-20 minutes the person experiences an attack of drowsiness and loss of strength. The body gathers itself and shakes itself, becomes ready for work;
• It is used as a remedy for headaches, as it dilates blood vessels and relieves spasms. Useful for low blood pressure.

Chlorogenic acid is a special substance involved in many internal processes. The main thing that doctors paid attention to was its ability to speed up metabolism and stimulate the production of digestive enzymes. This information was taken into account by nutritionists, who began to recommend drinking the drink to enhance the effect of diets.

Drinking coffee is a way to enjoy and invigorate. True gourmets believe that a high-quality product does not require any flavoring additives. Properly roasted, ground and cooked grains have a rich aroma and taste that would be spoiled by a spoonful of sugar or milk. In addition, a pure drink contains only 0-1 kcal, which is important for those who count calories and want to lose weight quickly.

Latte is drunk through a straw, skimming off the foam with a spoon.

Most often people drink espresso, Turkish coffee and latte. If everything is clear with the former, then what about the latter? Latte is coffee with milk and milk foam. It is drunk through a straw, and the foam can be eaten separately with a spoon. After serving, pour sugar into a glass, stir with a straw if desired, and then enjoy the taste.

Is it possible to drink coffee while losing weight?

If coffee is prepared with alcohol, for example cognac, the two drinks are combined in one container or drunk separately.

Both options are considered correct. Viennese coffee is served with water to wash down the sweet flavor of the cream.

There are several rules, following which will not harm your health, but will only bring benefit and pleasure.

1. Coffee in the morning Coffee is really good to drink in the morning, but not immediately after waking up. Recent studies have shown that the most optimal time for making coffee is the second hour after waking up. Everything depends on the functioning of the body. In order for the body to wake up, the hormone cortisol is produced, or, in other words, the stress hormone. If you drink an additional cup of coffee, the effect of cortisol will increase, but after 1 hour the effect will disappear and the body will require a new dose of replenishment. That's why it's right to drink a cup of drink 1-2 hours after waking up.

2. Don’t drink on an empty stomach Many people wonder, is it possible to drink coffee on an empty stomach? This is harmful, especially for those who have stomach problems. Chlorogenic acid, entering the stomach, stimulates the production of gastric juice and hydrochloric acid. Since the organ is empty, an aggressive environment forms in it; hydrochloric acid begins to irritate the walls of the stomach and can lead to the formation of ulcers. This is why many people experience heartburn and abdominal pain.

3. Before or after a meal It is best to drink the drink after a meal, after about 1-2 hours. This time is enough for the body to largely digest the food that enters the stomach. If you wash down your breakfast or lunch with a cup of coffee, its components will bind to food particles and make them harder to break down and digest. This will create a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and stimulate the formation of ballast in the intestines. It is best to drink coffee at 11 o'clock in the afternoon and 14-15 o'clock in the afternoon. In the evening, the drink is contraindicated, as it contributes to the development of insomnia. This is a proven fact.

4. With or without milk There are many different opinions about drinking a drink with milk. First, let's talk about why it is added to coffee. First of all, it's delicious. Milk hides the pronounced bitterness of the drink, if any, and makes the taste more delicate and richer. In addition, it is believed that coffee removes calcium from the body. And milk makes up for its losses. It is worth noting the variety of recipes for making coffee with milk and how delicious such drinks are. Few people will refuse a cappuccino or latte.

There is an opinion that this combination is harmful. Why can't you add milk to coffee? This makes the drink high in calories. Each serving of cream or full-fat milk in a cup increases the calorie content of the drink by 30-50 kcal. But that's not all. There is evidence that milk fats, when combined with the components of coffee beans, form conglomerates that are difficult to digest; they settle on the walls of the intestines, turning into toxins.

You can drink coffee with milk, but it’s better to do it less often

5. Taboos for pregnant and nursing mothers During pregnancy, any stimulating drinks increase the risk of developing uterine tone, and this is unsafe for bearing a baby. In addition, coffee is considered an allergenic drink. Pediatricians are confident that regular consumption of coffee by pregnant women increases the risk of developing food allergies in newborn babies. This is especially serious when one of the parents also suffers from any type of allergy.

The drink is also not recommended for nursing mothers. If a woman drinks coffee, some of its components pass through breast milk to the baby. This is fraught with increased excitability, poor sleep, and digestive problems in the baby. Both ground and instant products are prohibited here.

As for children and at what age they can be given coffee, there is no general opinion. If it is acceptable to offer tea without fear from the age of 12, then coffee from about the same age. If a child has heart and stomach problems, then the drink is generally contraindicated. However, with frequent headaches and hypotension, children are given natural coffee. Here the question of how old the child is is more secondary, but the age limit applies up to 10 years.