Gourmet Coffee Beans

Gourmet coffee beans are like little nuggets of sunshine in my tummy. Freshly roasted coffee has to be one of my very favorite things in the world, and it all starts with the little coffee bean!  I love a fresh cup of coffee and truly require it daily.  I have found if I go a day without coffee I don’t seem to be as happy a person.  Actually, I get downright cranky!

Gourmet roasted coffee is simply delicious coffee beans that have been roasted to the desired level of either light, medium or dark.  The darker the roast, the more robust the flavor.  As the roasting process starts the coffee beans are green in color.  The longer they are roasted the darker they become.  They start at a very light roast known as a cinnamon or blond roast, and then are roasted to dark levels known as French or Spanish roasts.

Gourmet roasted coffee is readily available at your local coffee shop or specialty foods store.  You can also purchase gourmet roasted coffee at a variety of shops online.

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.

Green coffee beans & roasted coffee beans

Organic is the new buzz word in the world today. It is being used to denote products that are grown woitho9ut the use of chemicals or other synthetic materials. These products are considered safer and do not harm the environment through the use of chemical that can leech into the water system. Organic green coffee beans are grown on organic coffee plantations that do not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other synthetic compounds.

Organic green coffee beans benefit not only the consumer who does not have to worry about consuming coffee that is riddled with a  multitude of chemicals that can do long term harm to the body but the environment as well. Organic coffee plantations do more than skip the use of chemicals, they also tend to use green practices in their cultivation.

Green cultivation processes include composting, recycling and enriching the soil naturally. Crops are rotated to prevent damage and erosion to the soil and rain water is collected to aid in irrigation. Green coffee cultivation practices along with organic farming practices help to increase the price the coffee bean demands due to public demand for more organic coffee.

Organic coffee protects the environment and the water table from being polluted with chemicals that can damage more than just the coffee beans and coffee product. Once the ground water is polluted with chemicals it can go on to contaminate other crops and even the drinking water, particularly in countries that do not have water purification systems in place.

Organic green coffee beans are only part of the process in making coffee organic. In order for the end product to be considered organic the process of getting the coffee berries from the coffee tree to the roaster and then on to the grocer and coffee shop shelves must remain organic. This means that roasters must have their processes conformed to organic standards.

Gourmet coffees made from green coffee beans that are also organic need to continue the process using natural flavorings instead of synthetic ones to make flavored coffees. Vanilla, cinnamon and other natural flavorings keep the organic coffee process moving forward and lead to a fully organic coffee bean for an organic pot of coffee.

Organic green coffee beans have become important enough to consumers to warrant the formation of committees and organizations to oversee the organic process and certify the end result. Consumers are willing to pay a premium price for products they know are organic which in turn means that organic coffee plantations can command a higher price for their coffee beans.

Green coffee beans & roasted coffee beans

Coffee lovers who have decided to try their hand at roasting their own coffee should at least have an understanding of the process before they dive in and purchase expensive coffee roasters. Roasting green coffee beans can be done without purchasing a roaster by using an air popcorn popper or a skillet on top of the stove. This is a good way to determine if roasting coffee beans at home is something that is going to be continued or if it was simply something the coffee drinker wanted to try.

The first thing that is needed is obviously green coffee beans. These can be purchased online and possibly at local coffee shops.  Only a small amount should be purchased initially so that they are not wasted if roasting the beans is not something that is going to be continued.

If an air popcorn popper is available it is the best option to use. If not, a skillet on the stove can be used.  The popcorn popper more closely resembles the air flow that a coffee roaster uses and should be used if it is available.

Place the air popcorn popper on the stovetop surface in a flat area. This is to allow the stove’s exhaust fan to be used to remove the smoke that roasting coffee beans create.  A bowl should be placed underneath the opening of the popcorn popper to catch any beans that come out while they are roasting.  The bowl will also catch any husks that come off during the popping process and fly out of the popper.

Place the beans in the popcorn popper and turn it on. Listen to the beans as they are heated. They will begin to crack as they roast. Once the first crack is heard it is important to time the beans. They will roast fast after they start cracking. After one minute of cracking the beans should be at a light roast. Darker roasts take about three minutes after the first crack. The total time from start to finish should not take more than six minutes for the darkest roast or the beans will most likely be burnt.

Pour the roasted coffee beans into a metal colander and stir or toss to cool them down. Store the beans in a covered container after they have been allowed to sit for 8 to 10 hours. This gives the CO2 that has built up in the beans time to escape.

Using a skillet is similar with the exception of having to continually stir the coffee beans due to lack of rotating air to keep them moving. The timing of the roast is the same and so is the cooling process.

Either of these methods will produce a quality roast and let the coffee drinker determine whether or not they want to continue roasting their own coffee beans. If the process is going to be ongoing then a coffee roaster could be the next consideration on the shopping list.

Green coffee beans & roasted coffee beans

Green coffee beans are becoming a popular coffee product among coffee drinkers. These are coffee beans that have not been roasted and are not yet ready to brew a pot of coffee. The advantage to these beans is there ability to stay fresh for a long time, up to a year in or longer in cool, dry storage. This is much longer than a roasted coffee bean will stay fresh. Coffee drinkers who decide to purchase green coffee beans must be planning on roasting them or taking them to a roaster. If they are not roasted they cannot be used to make a pot of coffee.

Green coffee beans have been through several parts of the processing stages but not the roasting. The cherries as the beans are called when first picked have to be processed to remove the fleshy red part of the fruit. This can be done through a wet or a dry process. This is called using a washed or unwashed process. The unwashed process is also called the natural process.

After the fleshy part of the cherry is removed the beans must be dried and have the outer skin or parchment removed before they are ready for roasting. The drying process can take several weeks if they are dried naturally in the sun or they can be dried in commercial driers which make the process much faster. Many coffee plantations are reverting to the natural process simply to take the coffee bean processing back to a natural form without mechanical intervention.

After the green coffee beans have dried and all the parchment is removed the beans are manually cleaned to remove twigs and separate them by grade. Beans are graded according to quality of size and shape. Irregular or cracked beans are graded lower and will not demand the higher price that perfectly formed, larger beans will fetch.

At this point the beans are ready to be sold as green coffee beans to people who want to roast their own coffee or they are shipped off to roasters who process them further for commercial distribution. As more people turn to roasting their own coffee beans many coffee plantations are creating an Internet presence in order to sell their coffee beans directly to the consumer.

This direct relationship between the coffee plantation and the consumer cuts out the middle man for both parties. It is a win-win situation in which the plantation makes money directly from the consumer and the consumer doesn’t pay  a marked up price due the beans being handled by a third party.  This relationship will continue to proliferate as more consumers learn to roast their own coffee and prefer to deal directly with the coffee plantation to purchase their coffee beans.

Green coffee beans & roasted coffee beans

Purchasing green coffee beans online has become the easiest and most economical way for the home coffee roaster to get them and have them delivered to their front door. There are many options online for purchasing these green coffee beans and the smart consumer will compare every option available before making a final decision. The following are some of the areas that consumers need to research before they make their purchase. 

Availability- Home coffee roasters who want to maintain consistency in their coffee roasts need to try to purchase their coffee beans from the same source. When researching sources it is important to find out the availability of the green coffee bean. If the source is a generic coffee website the consumer should find out if the same type of bean will be available when needed since they will have no way of knowing where the website store is purchasing their beans.

When contacting coffee bean plantations the consumer should get a schedule of harvests and availability before they make a decision. The consumer should also take into account storage times and determine how often they will need to purchase their beans.

Price – The price of green coffee beans will vary depending on what type of coffee beans is purchased, where they are purchased and the demand for the bean. If the beans are being purchased directly from the plantation they will possibly be less expensive than beans purchased through a web store. Coffee plantations are able to cut out the middle man and ship directly to the consumer which reduces the cost somewhat.  Consumers should ask if the plantation offers discounts for recurring orders or bulk purchases before they make the purchase. 

Online coffee shops often offer bulk green coffee beans on a regular delivery basis so that the coffee roaster always has beans available. Having a regular delivery basis helps to keep the consumer from finding storage areas for the coffee beans. The coffee site can set up monthly, bi-monthly or any other schedule that the home coffee roaster wants to keep beans in stock when they need them. This is a great option when space is an issue.

Shipping is an added cost that both coffee plantations and online coffee shops will either add to the cost or offer free as a discount for ordering from them. Shipping of these beans can be expensive due to the weight of the coffee beans. Consumers must remember to include this in their budget.

Purchasing green coffee beans online is the best way to get beans for home roasting. Researching the various options available before making the purchase is the best way to insure that a good price and availability of beans is found. Storage, shipping, price and availability are all important consideration for the home coffee roaster who is purchasing green coffee beans.