Fresh Breath – Even though coffee is thought to leave bad breath, sucking on a coffee bean leaves the mouth fresh in just a few minutes.

Odor Remover – Put a bowl of uncovered coffee beans in the refrigerator to remove odors from foods stored in there.

Hand Odors  - Rubbing coffee beans between the palms of hands is a good way to remove odors from other foods such as fish. The odor of the coffee bean is much stronger than most other odors and the hands come out smelling fresh and clean.

Bean Bag Filler – Use old coffee beans that can’t be used to make coffee to fill up bean bags. This is an expensive option unless the coffee beans are old and going to be thrown away.

Dye Paper – Soak coffee beans in hot water and then use the water to dye paper.

Cooking – Coffee beans can be used as the secret recipe in barbecue sauces and marinades. They can also be used to flavor ice cream, cakes, cookies, glazes and other kitchen recipes.

Compost – After using whole beans to make coffee, the used c coffee grounds can be put in compost and used in flower beds.  Mushrooms have been shown to grow well when used coffee is placed around it.

Prevent Pests – While used coffee grounds are excellent for compost, they are also great for preventing pests in the garden. Make a mound of coffee grounds around vegetable gardens and flower beds to keep out the ants and snails.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans – This is a sweet, crunchy treat for coffee and chocolate lovers. Cover coffee beans in the chocolate flavor of choice, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate or even white chocolate. These sweet treats make excellent gifts and are good for energizing snacks.

Facial Scrub – Grind the beans coarsely and use them to exfoliate the face.

Pot Scrubber – Old coffee beans that are going to be thrown away can be coarsely ground and used to scrub greasy pots and pans in the kitchen.

Coffee beans that aren’t used before they become stale don’t have to be thrown in the garbage. There are many different ways to put the beans to use so that they are not wasted. Before throwing the whole beans out check out the different ways to put them to use.

Roasting coffee beans at home is fast becoming as popular as grinding coffee beans. In the beginning the only thing the home roaster needs is unroasted or green coffee beans and either an air popcorn popper or a frying skillet. Later, if the process goes well and the coffee drinker enjoys roasting their own beans they can purchase a coffee roaster.

Roasting coffee beans is an art form that takes time and practice to perfect. It requires learning to smell the various stages of the bean visually know the colorizations of each stage and learn to know the sound of the different stages by the cracking of the beans.  Listening is one of the most important parts of the roasting process because some of the methods do not have a visual component and the roaster must rely on their hearing.

When coffee beans are roasting they make cracking noises as they heat. In the beginning the first couple of cracks will continue on and slowly start to taper off. The more the beans crack the darker they are becoming. Learning this allows the roaster to determine the roast of the bean by the sound of the cracking.  Cracking noises that continue on for a long time means that the beans are dark roasted, if they continue to crack for too long they will scorch.

Once the beans have roasted to the proper roast for the coffee drinker they need to be cooled off quickly to stop the roasting process.  If the beans are not cooled quickly they will continue to roast and possibly scorch. Cooling can be accomplished by pouring the beans into a stainless steel or metal bowl and stirring them quickly and constantly until they cool down and stop cooking.

Unroasted coffee beans are part of the process of preparing coffee at home from the green bean to the final ground product that brews the best pot of coffee on the street. All that is necessary is green coffee beans, a coffee roaster and a grinder in order to have the freshest post of coffee ever.

Coffee Beans

The popularity of coffee has brought the number of coffee beans available to coffee drinkers to record numbers. There are over six thousand varieties of coffee beans in the world with at least twenty-five of those being major coffee beans; however, there are truly only three major coffee beans in the coffee world, the Arabica the Robusta and the Kona. These are the beans that make up the coffee that is brewed every day.  

Kona is the most expensive and most flavorful coffee bean of the three types. It is not widely grown; in fact, it is only grown in Hawaii. It is one of the most expensive coffee beans in the world. It is a highly coveted coffee not only for its flavor but its intense aromas. The Kona coffee bean is not easy to come by and is not blended with other beans because of its popularity on its own. Demand for the Kona is high and the supply is low which is part of what pushes the price of the Kona bean higher.

The Arabica bean is the next highest priced bean and also an excellent bean for its flavor. The flavor of this bean is dependent on where it is grown and so there are many varieties of Arabica beans. The Arabcia bean is responsible for over sixty percent of the coffee produced and drank in the world.

The Arabica bean is hard to grow which is part of the reason the cost of the bean is higher in cost than the Robusta bean. The Arabica bean takes on the flavor of the soil it grows in and is usually known by the name of the area they come from such s the Sumatra bean and the Java bean.  These beans produce a fuller-bodied coffee than some of the other countries that produce Arabica beans.  Arabica beans grown in the areas of Central and South America are more moderately bodied and have a milder aroma.

On the other hand, the Robusta bean accounts for 40% of the coffee production. This bean is much easier to grow and yet is less flavorful but contains more caffeine than the Arabica bean. The Robusta bean is found in less expensive coffees and is used in blends. The Arabica bean is often added to the Robusta bean to create a blended coffee that has some of the flavor of the Arabica without the high cost.

Even though there are thousands of types of coffee beans there are truly only a few that the coffee drinker has to be concerned with and those are the Arabica bean and the Robusta bean. The Kona bean is also a great coffee bean but it is more expensive than most beans and not the average morning coffee for most people. Understanding what each of these beans brings to the coffee pot is a good start to choosing the right coffee bean for daily use.

Bean Central Roasters is one such Tennessee roaster that has an online presence and a shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Bean Central has been in business since 1985 roasting coffee beans and shipping them around the world. They use a specialized roasting process that uses a blast of air to continually remove the residual ash and buildup in the roaster. This helps to create a very clean roasted bean that is crisp and satisfying. Bean Central offers flavors that are sweet and rich like butterscotch toffee, blueberry crème and their trademark Oodles of Strudel, a cinnamon hazelnut coffee.

Stone Cup Roasters is another Tennessee coffee bean roaster that offers online service for coffee lovers. This company offers their coffee to grocery stores in the Southeast as well as worldwide on the Internet. Stone Cup Roasters offers hand roasted coffees as well as a large selection of single-origin shade grown coffees. They also offer coffee brewing systems and wholesale coffee beans to interested parties.

Stone Cup Roasters have several house blends that they are proud to offer the public including a blend of South American and Central American beans they call Dutch Flowers blend and an Espresso Blend they call du Citron. Du Citron is blended and roasted in the tradition of true Italian coffees, light with a citrusy, spicy flavor. This coffee was rate an 89 by CoffeeReview.com and makes an excellent espresso or cup of coffee. Stone cup roasters has another espresso blend that ranks high on CoffeeReview.com called La Reve, this blend is full bodied with hints of orange peel, chocolate, nuts and caramel. It is a wonderful espresso coffee and perfect for coffee based drinks made with milk.

One of the newer coffee roasters in the Tennessee coffee bean world is the Nashville Roast company this wholesale coffee roaster opened in 2007 using their connections in Costa Rica to help get their coffee bean business started with some of the best beans. Like other Tennessee coffee roasters this company has its own roasts, an online store and is available to help clients who are looking for a special roast. The Nashville roast company also has a fundraiser program for schools and churches.

Tennessee coffee roasters are proving that Tennessee is home to more than good music; they can also roast a good bag of coffee beans and serve up a hot cup of Joe to enjoy while listening to their music. Using coffee bean sources around the world, Tennessee roasters are proving they have a place in the coffee world.

Some people choose to roast their own coffee beans for the simple pleasure of knowing they can do it and learning something new. Other people choose to roast their own coffee beans so that they can create their own roast that they cannot get at coffee shops or grocery stores.

Roasting coffee beans at home is not a difficult process; it only requires practice to get the roasting to the right flavor. There are several different methods of roasting coffee beans at home using a frying pan, a popcorn popper or a special coffee roaster.

The stovetop method uses only a frying pan and green coffee beans. The beans are put in the frying pan in no more than one or two layers. If the depth of the beans is too thick the possibility of burning increases. The stove should be on medium-high, not high heat and the beans should be stirred continuously to prevent scorching.

While stirring the beans they must also be watched for color changes to occur. When the beans reach the color desired, light brown, medium brown or even very dark brown for a darker roasted coffee, they should be removed from heat immediately. The beans should pour out of the frying pan and into a stainless steel bowl to cool. Stir the beans constantly until they cool and then allow then to sit uncovered for at least 8 hours before using.

A hot air popcorn popper is the alternative method to home roasting without purchasing a coffee roaster.  The popcorn popper uses hot air to heat the beans and eliminates the need for stirring. However, since the inside of the machine is not visible sound and smell will be important in determining when the beans are roasted. The beans will begin to crack. At this point timing should start to get the beans to the proper roast for the individual.

Once the beans reach the desired roast they should be poured into a metal colander and stirred constantly until they cool down. Once again the beans should be allowed to sit 8-12 hours to release the CO2 that builds up due to the roasting process.

Roasting coffee beans at home is becoming more popular and allows the coffee drinker to create their own special roasts. The process of roasting does not require a special piece of equipment although there are roasters that can be purchased if roasting becomes a constant part of coffee drinking.

Coffee Beans

Gourmet coffee beans are coffee beans that are special for one reason or another. Some gourmet coffee beans are called gourmet because of how they are cultivated while others are gourmet because of how they are roasted. Regardless of why they are called gourmet, the popularity of these bean has helped increase the profit of coffee shops and even grocers around the world who carry these beans.

Many people choose gourmet coffee beans for their rich, intense flavors. Flavored coffee beans are available in practically every imaginable taste and if it hasn’t been made yet it probably will be soon. There are seasonal gourmet coffees like pumpkin spice and elegant gourmet flavors like Crème brulee along with the traditional favorites of Irish crème and hazelnut. Flavored coffees are the most popular gourmet coffees on the market today.

Gourmet coffee roasters spend a lot of time and money in research and development of new coffee flavors. Some of these flavors become popular and stay on the market while others are only on the market for a short time. Some of the flavors are created for a specific company and become a trademark of that company. For example, the Harry and David gift company has a gourmet flavor called Moose Munch that cannot be purchased anywhere else.

Roasters also make gourmet coffees that do not have any added flavors but are considered gourmet simply because they are roasted to a specific roasting point. There are extra bold roasts that many people prize for the deep dark flavors and high caffeine content and other roasts that are light and acidic.  Roasters experiment with their roasting process to get new coffee flavors and new gourmet coffees to add to the growing gourmet selection.

After the roasters make their gourmet coffee beans they have to find ways to distribute them to the public in order to make a profit and determine if the flavor is popular. Today’s grocery store aisle typically has a large selection of whole bean gourmet coffees that line one side of the aisle along with a grinder that the shopper can use in the store to prepare their coffee beans.

Being able to purchase gourmet coffee beans at the local grocer has been a huge bonus to the coffee roasters who create them. Coffee drinkers don’t have to go to a specialty shop to purchase their favorite flavors and more people are being reached with the flavors than would be if they were only sold online or in gourmet shops. In fact, the wonderful aroma of the beans often has people stopping to purchase the beans that would not ordinarily purchase beans.

Gourmet coffee beans have enhanced the world of coffee drinkers in many ways. These coffees have added many flavors that did not exist before and even turned the average coffee into a delectable dessert in some cases.

Flavored coffee beans started the coffee craze several years ago and the trend continues with new and exciting flavors showing up every month. Coffee shops tend to feature a different flavor every season or month, such as pumpkin spice in the fall and eggnog flavor in the winter. Coffee bean roasters are constantly searching for new flavors to keep consumers coming back for more.

Some of the flavors sound more like dessert than a coffee and one taste may have the coffee drinker skipping the high calorie crème brulee and having a cup of crème brulee coffee instead. Chocolate cake has hundreds of calories but chocolate flavored coffee is practically calorie free and popular among dieters. While some of the coffees are extremely popular others are not and don’t stay on the market very long.

Flavored coffees are not new. People have been adding flavors to their coffee for hundreds of years, from natural flavorings like vanilla extract cinnamon to liquors like bourbon and whiskey. Gourmet coffee roasters saw that people were flavoring their coffee at home and decided to cash in on it by flavoring the beans before packaging them for market.

Flavorings can be added to the coffee beans during or immediately after the roasting process. Many flavorings are still natural and many more are synthetic flavors made to mimic other flavors, much like crème brulee coffee is meant to taste like crème brulee only in a coffee cup. Researchers and chemists spend many hours coming up with just the right flavor combinations to make new gourmet coffee flavors that will be a hit with the public, some work out and some don’t.

Coffee drinkers who like flavored coffee often create their own flavors by combining multiple flavored coffees. For example, for a chocolate nut flavor chocolate coffee can be combined with hazelnut or pecan coffee. The resulting coffee tastes like a chocolate covered nut. Adding flavored creamers takes the flavor explosion one step further.

While there are many people who consider it sacrilege to even consider adding anything to an already perfect coffee bean there are many people who enjoy having variety and the opportunity to have a sweet treat without the added calories. Gourmet flavored coffees are here to stay for as long as there are people willing to drink their gingerbread rather than eat it.

-Sharon Chapman

Arabica beans are considered the best coffee beans for their flavor; however, they are lower in caffeine than the Robusta beans. When purchasing coffee beans to sue specifically for use in espresso makers many coffee shops tend to use a top quality Robusta bean. These beans have higher caffeine content and are also quite flavorful.

On the other hand there are people who will not stray from the Arabica bean even for use in an espresso. These people will often choose a blend of Arabica and Robusta to increase the caffeine content while having the wonderful flavor of the Arabica bean.

Another factor to look for when making espresso is the roast of the bean. The espresso roast is a darker roast often called an Italian or full city roast, this is the darkest roast of coffee and is specifically roasted for use in espresso makers. Full city roast is coffee that has entered the second crack during roasting and allowed to roast a full ten seconds longer before being immediately stopped.

The full city roasted coffee bean is a slightly dry coffee bean with only small patches of oil throughout the beans. The coffee flavor of these beans is slightly nutty. As the coffee is roasting to this level it will develop a sweetness and fuller body that the Italians often refer to as a Viennese roast. In Italy this is the roast that is preferred for making espresso.

Espresso can be made from any type of coffee bean that the coffee drinker wants to use. There is no hard and fast rule that says any particular roast has to be used or any particular coffee bean has to be used. The ultimate choice of coffee bean used in an espresso is up to the coffee maker. However, coffee shops do tend to stick to a darker roasted coffee for their espressos to insure that the shot comes out rich and dark with a perfect crema.

Espresso coffee beans can be any coffee bean used to make espresso. There are some that are roasted specifically for espresso and are usually darker roasted varieties like Italian roasts or Full City roasts. If the coffee drinker is unsure what coffee bean they want to use they should ask their local coffee shop what bean they use and follow their lead.

Colombian coffee beans are one of the most popular coffee beans in the world. Colombia is known for being one of the largest exporters of coffee with the U.S, Germany, France, Italy and Japan being their largest customers. 

Colombia markets their coffee extensively which has helped to make their coffee one of the most popular coffees. The country even created a fictional character named Juan Valdez to help market the coffee. Juan Valdez and his mountain grown coffee quickly became synonymous with excellent coffee and the Colombian coffee plantations became the place to get pure, 100% Arabica coffee.

Colombian coffees have been produced for hundreds of years, dating back to the 1500’s and the Jesuit priests. Colombia did not begin to export their coffee until the 1830’s and quickly became the number one exporter of coffee in the world due to its perfect balance and heavy body.

Colombian coffee beans are grown under ideal conditions in high altitudes. The region’s volcanic soil and dry climate create the perfect growing conditions for Arabica beans. Colombia has two main growing areas, the Central Region and the Eastern Region. Both regions are known for their heavy body coffees with rich flavors; however, the areas in the Eastern Region produce less acidic coffees than those in the Central regions.

Colombian grown coffees are used in both coffee shop coffees and in supermarket coffees which simply means that coffee drinkers have to be certain where their coffee is produced before assuming it is a top quality coffee. Just because it is cultivated in Colombia does not make it a first class coffee. The popularity of Colombian coffee has made some of the Colombian coffee plantations produce inferior coffee in order to cash in on the popularity of the Colombian name.

Superior Colombian coffees can be used as espresso beans and others make wonderful dinner coffees. The key is finding the Colombian coffee areas that produce the best coffees and sticking with those coffees. Today’s Colombian coffees advertise their growing regions so that coffee drinkers can know for certain they are purchasing a quality Colombian coffee and not just any coffee bean grown in Colombia.

Juan Valdez, though a fictional character, created an air of excellence and superiority around Colombian coffee that continues to remain popular today. The name Juan Valdez leads coffee drinkers to believe they are getting a first class coffee. Coffee drinkers who purchase Colombian coffee need to make sure they know the region the coffee was grown in and whether or not that region is known for top quality coffee.

Colombia produces excellent Arabica beans if they are grown in one of the areas known for quality coffees such as the Santander region. Consumers have to be aware of the Colombian name being used simply to imply quality coffee.

-Sharon Chapman

The coffee bean is actually a berry and is the product of the coffee bush. There are many different legends behind the story of the coffee berry and how the beverage called coffee came to be made. One popular legend attributes it to a goat herder noticing his goats eating wild berries and becoming overly active.  According to legend the goat herder mixed the berries with animal fat and ate them to get the same stimulation.

Regardless of how the coffee berry was discovered it has become a major commodity for many countries around the world. Some plantations produce very high quality coffee beans and are able to demand a high price for their beans while other plantations produce average coffee beans that are still popular on the market in order to keep up with consumer demand for coffee.

The birthplace of the coffee bean is typically considered to be Africa; however, Colombia has become synonymous with coffee beans. Colombia is one of the most abundant growers of coffee in the world and is responsible for more coffee bean production than any other country. Colombia exports more than eleven millions bags of coffee every year to the United States alone.

Colombian coffee is harvested from the Arabica coffee bush which grows well underneath the shade of the banana and rubber trees in the Columbian mountains. These growing conditions are responsible for creating the wonderful coffee bean flavors that people have come to expect from Columbian coffee.

Because there are many different varietals of coffee grown around the world there are many different countries that export coffee. Colombia is responsible for mostly Arabica coffee and Robusta coffee is mainly from Africa and Uganda. There are many other varietals; however, these are the two most cultivated and purchased types in the coffee world.

Counties that produce coffee beans are often dependent on the product and many are less developed nations where the main source of income and work is on coffee plantations. The coffee bean for these countries is a source of livelihood. Many plantations strive to grow the best coffee beans in order to get the best prices and keep their plantation as a top producer.

Regardless of where the coffee bean comes from and how the plantation grows it, the coffee bean is a commodity that will continue to be used around the world. As more coffee plantations turn to organic methods of farming and cultivate more gourmet coffee beans the price of coffee will continue to rise and keep these countries in the market and bringing in money.