Created for Coffee Lovers.

What is Coffee?

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world and there are a lot of people who swear that they cannot start their day without it. It is enjoyed in different countries and cultures with different manners of brewing and service. You can refer to the blog for more coffee information. Despite its universal nature, consumers have different answers when asked “What is coffee?”

Coffee is prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the Coffea species. The plant is native to tropical Africa – specifically in the areas of Ethiopia and Sudan – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

When brewed the drink is dark, bitter and slightly acidic with a stimulating effect from the caffeine content. There are some who brew green coffee resulting in a drink with a fresh, green flavor with a slightly floral aroma. Coffee is served with cream, milk, butter, egg, salt or sugar according to taste and preference. It is usually served hot, although iced coffee and even room temperature coffee has also become popular lately. 

What is Coffee: Its History

History Benefits and Key Guide About What is Coffee

The history of coffee can be traced to the ancient coffee forests located on the Ethiopian plateau. According to legend, coffee was discovered by a goat herder who noticed the heightened energy of his herd after eating the berries. Coffee drinking and culture started from the lowly mountain bush, and continues to this day in this region.

From Africa, the next step in coffee’s journey was its cultivation in the Arabian peninsula. By the 15th century, coffee was widely cultivated in the region of present-day Yemen. The following century saw the spread of coffee cultivation to Persia in the east, and Syria, Egypt and Turkey in the west.

The drink, called qahveh khaneh, became popular in the homes and public coffee houses from the Arabian peninsula to the Mediterranean. Coffee houses became the center for information exchange among the people, often referring to them as Schools of the Wise.

The spread of coffee to the other parts of the world could be attributed to the thousands of pilgrims who visit the holy city of Mecca each year. The pilgrims learned to enjoy the “wine of Araby” and shared with everyone at home stories about such a wonderful drink. In time, coffee began to be enjoyed in Europe and was later brought to the Americas. By the 18th century, coffee has become a popular drink in many countries in the world.

What is Coffee, Its Benefits and How to Enjoy It More​

Coffee is a stimulant, and during the Middle Ages, it was banned in some Moslem cities because of the rowdy behavior inside coffee houses. Besides the conviviality it brings as a communal drink, coffee drinking also has health benefits. The brew has high levels of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients, making it a healthy drink.

Different Coffee benefits to your body

What does coffee do to your body?​

The following are some of the health benefits of drinking coffee:

Improves energy levels

Coffee contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world. When you drink coffee, caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine leading to an increase in the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine that enhance the firing of neurons.

Helps burn fat

Caffeine is an active ingredient in most fat-burning supplements. It is also believed that it boosts metabolism to help burn fat.

Contains essential nutrients

A cup of coffee contains pantothenic acid, riboflavin, potassium, manganese, niacin, and magnesium. People who consume several cups of coffee a day get a significant amount of these nutrients.

Lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes​

Drinking coffee significantly reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Lowers the risk of Parkinson’s Disease​

Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition, is caused by the death of dopamine-generating neurons in the bran. Studies have shown that regular consumption of coffee lowers the risk of getting this affliction.

Fights depression​

A Harvard study in 2011 showed that drinking 4 or more cups of coffee per day lowers the risk of depression by about 20%.

May lower the risk of certain cancers​

It is claimed that coffee can protect a person against colorectal and cancer.

It is a major source of antioxidants in the Western diet​

People eating the standard Western diet do not get many antioxidants from fruits and vegetables they eat. They get much of the needed antioxidants from the coffee they drink several times a day.

Healthcare professionals agree on the health benefits of drinking coffee. It is believed by many that drinking coffee regularly can boost longevity.

Coffee Facts​

More than 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world each year, making it the most popular beverage. Americans consume more than 450 millions cups of coffee each day.
The following are some facts about coffee:

  • More than half of Americans over the age of eighteen – about 107 million – drink coffee every day. On average, an American drinks three and a half cups of coffee each day.
  • As early as the 9th century, people in the highlands of Ethiopia had been boiling ground coffee beans to make a beverage.
  • More than 50 countries worldwide grow coffee commercially.
  • Starbucks, a coffee shop opened in 1971 in Seattle has more than 6,000 outlets in the US. Starbucks now operates stores in 36 countries.
  • There are more than 25 million coffee farmers in the world.
  • Dark roast coffee has less caffeine than lightly roasted coffee.
  • The Scandinavians have the highest per-capita coffee intake in the world, with the people of Finland drinking more than four cups each day.
  • Coffee is second only to oil as the most valuable export of developing countries.
  • Coffee is consumed to keep people up, keep them alert, and get them through the daily grind.
  • Coffee has about 100 to 200 mg of caffeine while a cup of tea has no more than 70 mg, and most soda drinks have less than 50 mg.

Facts about Caffeine

Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world. People get it daily, mainly by drinking coffee. However, there are other sources of caffeine such as tea, sodas, and energy drinks, which a lot of people consume in great quantity daily. Caffeine is a bitter white powder chemically known as 1,3,7 trimethylxanthine, also known as theine, caffeine, guaranine, mateine, or methyltheobromine. Caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream within 45 minutes of consuming it, but it takes longer for the body to break down and remove from the system. Caffeine has a half-life of about 4 hours although it takes as much as 12 hours before it is cleared from the system.

Why Is Coffee Good for You?

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that affects the central nervous system. When taken in moderate amounts, caffeine has positive effects on the body and mind of people. Coffee also aids in digestion and is drank after a meal. Medical professionals consider 400 milligrams of caffeine as a safe amount for adults’ daily consumption. Pregnant women are advised to take only 200 mg of caffeine. This is equivalent to one to two cups of coffee. Studies have shown that drinking four to five cups of coffee daily can result in a lower risk of prostate cancer. 

Drinking four to five cups of coffee daily also lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Most coffee drinkers have a cup of coffee in the morning, with more than a few taking up to three or four cups throughout the day. Although coffee is not addictive, some drinkers feel that they need two cups of coffee in the morning to start the day right. Some even experience withdrawal symptoms when they do not get their daily coffee fix. Coffee calms the nerves. People get much more relaxed after drinking coffee because of its stimulating qualities. It is the best drink for whatever breakfast fare you are eating. To most people, breakfast will not be complete without a cup of coffee. During winter, a cup of coffee is your best friend. A cup of coffee after supper is the best way to warm up on a very cold winter night. If you do not want to drink alcoholic drinks in a social gathering, grab a cup of coffee to loosen you up, relax, and enjoy the gathering as you meet new people.

Can Coffee also be Bad for You?

The effects of caffeine on people vary. Some are very sensitive to it, resulting in an upset stomach or a headache. Many people have trouble sleeping after drinking a cup of coffee, while others get jittery or experience heart palpitations when they consume about four cups of coffee a day. Drinking too much coffee may result in sleeplessness.

Is Coffee a Vegetable or Fruit?​

Coffee comes from the coffee plant, the Coffea family. The major specie are Coffea Arabica, Coffea Robusta and Coffea Liberica. The tree can grow as high as 20 meters in the case of Liberica. The fruit or berry is called the coffee cherry, which turns from green to red as it ripens. The coffee cherry is attached to the branch of the coffee plants. Ripe coffee cherries are hand-picked and from which the coffee seeds or beans are extracted.

Generally, the coffee tree is a tropical plant which grows at high altitude. The exception is the Liberica which can grow at lower altitudes compared to Robusta and Arabica. Liberica also grows taller, yields bigger coffee beans, and is more resistant to diseases. The Excelsa is a sub-species of Liberica.

Different Types of Coffee​

Ultimate Guide to Different Types of Coffee

Coffee beans are classified into four main coffee species: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa. Of the four, Arabica coffees and Robusta bean are the two most popularly used in the world.

Arabica

Coffea Arabica beans account for about 60% of the coffee consumption in the world. Arabica beans are considered to be of higher quality compared to the other varieties. It is also more expensive. It has more acidity than other coffee varieties.

Robusta

Robusta beans are second in popularity and consumption. These are the coffee beans usually sold in groceries., People who brew their coffee at home most likely use this variety without them knowing it.

Robusta beans have twice the caffeine of Arabica coffee. This coffee variety is easier to grow than Arabica and is widely grown in Indonesia and Africa. It tends to be more bitter but is great for making espresso shots because of the deep flavor.

Liberica

This variety is quite limited in availability as it is grown mainly in the Philippines. The coffee plant is a relatively tall tree which can grow to more than 9 meters, or 30 feet. Liberica beans have a fruity and floral aroma, with full body and smoky, woody flavor. Liberica have distinctive coffee beans which are larger than those of other species.

Excelsa

Excelsa beans represent only about 7% of the coffee consumption in the world. This variety grows only in Southeast Asia and is considered a genus of Liberica beans. It has a fruity and tart flavor.

Coffee Varieties​​

There are many coffee varieties in the world, with the following considered as the most popular and well-known to coffee farmers and drinkers: Although there are only 4 coffee types, the different growing conditions and climates contribute to create different varieties with their own unique characteristics. Although the concept of terroir is not regulated in the coffee growing industry, the different varieties attest to the effect of environment, soil, weather and climate to the quality of coffee.

  • Bourbon – Bourbon is sweet, complex, and delicate. Bourbon is the pinot noir of coffee. The coffee plants don’t produce as much coffee cherry as the other varieties but they are worth the effort. A cup of Bourbon-type coffee variety is classic and lush, which many consider as the coffee of coffees.
  • Catimor – It has a Robusta coffee influence in the Timor family, leading to high bitterness but low acidity. The Indonesian type of Catimor has piquant herbal and fruit rind flavors.
  • Catuai – The plant’s ripe coffee cherries are red or yellow, high acidity and unclean, petroleum-like mouthfeel. Catui cherries are found in Latin America.
  • Caturra – This variety has high acidity and low-to-medium body. It is less clear and sweet than the parent Bourbon. The small trees are found in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Nicaragua.
  • Colombia – The Colombia variety of coffee has the classic caramel and chocolate taste, with hints of cherry in the full-bodied beans . Colombia is a hybrid of the Caturra, which was developed in Colombia.
  • Ethiopian Heirloom – This is a wildflower variety that descended from the natural coffee forests of southwestern Ethiopia.
  • Gesha – It is a delicate, black-tea body that has the zest of bergamot. It grows in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Central America.
  • Jember – It is a Typica variety with sugar-browning notes of maple syrup, caramel, and brown sugar. It is grown in Indonesia, Yemen, India, and Ethiopia.
  • Pacamara – It has an outstanding flavor profile with notes of citrus and a balance and hints of floral aromas.
  • SL28 – This product by Scott Laboratories is delicious, with an intense citrus flavor.
  • SL34 – This variety from Scott Laboratories has complex citric acidity, strong mouthfeel and sweet, clean finish.
  • Tekisik – Tekisik has exceptional flavor with layered acidity. It is intensely sweet that leans towards caramel and brown sugar.
  • Typica – It is hybridized Arabica coffee bean that has been perfected through the centuries. The coffee has excellent sweetness.
  • Villa Sarchi – This is a mutation of Bourbon that has elegant acidity, fruit tones, and sweetness. It was first grown in the Costa Rican town of Sarchi.
  • Villalobos – An offshoot of the Typica family, it has a delicate, floral and citrusy flavor.

Is Coffee a Beverage?​

Coffee has become part of the culture of different countries. It is brewed and consumed differently in different parts of the world. For instance, Turkish coffee is a beverage served by Turks to their guests. It is an extra fine grind which leaves a muddy residue at the bottom of the cup. The Italians drink espresso at any time, but they only drink cappuccino before breakfast and not at any other time of the day. 

Australians and New Zealanders have their long black and flat white coffee, which are espresso-based beverages. The Vietnamese enjoy the sweet Vietnam coffee, while in Austria there is the Vienna coffee.Navy sailors have a dash of salt in their coffee instead of sugar. In Canada, there are some who brew coffee in a kettle with an egg.

Coffee is one of the few drinks that many people can’t do without. A good portion of the population starts their day with a cup of coffee, with many of them continuing to drink it throughout the day. A cup of coffee usually starts a person’s day and a shot of espresso is typically the nightcap to end a busy and long day.

How is Coffee Produced​

Ways on How is Coffee Produced

Coffee is produced from the coffee tree. The ripe red coffee cherries are harvested and the coffee beans are extracted. That is only the beginning of coffee production. All the rest of the process requires care and a delicate palate. From the coffee cherry to the cup, the beans are dried, roasted, and ground before brewing. Blending is a necessary part of the process. The coffee industry depends on blending to ensure even quality.

When you open a bag of coffee beans, these are not all from the same tree. Commercial coffee bags you buy at the supermarket may contain coffee beans from different farms, or even from different countries, varieties or types of coffees. The blending process ensures that the coffee flavor from different bags all taste the same. The wider variety of sources includes cheaper beans or different roasts. This results in a lower quality and a cheaper, more affordable bag of coffee beans.

On the other hand, specialty coffee brands are expensive because these come from specific farms, varieties or types of beans. The only blending done by the manufacturers is to make sure that the coffee brewed from these bags have a consistent flavor throughout the batch.

Nitro Cold Brew Coffee From Confluence Coffee

Coffee in a can has become a famous and more delicious blend of caffeine. Nitro cold brew coffee is manufactured by Confluence Coffee Company and comes in 355ml size, with 28 calories per serving. The nutritional value per suggested serving is 0mg of cholesterol, o mg sodium, 6g of carbohydrates, 0g of dietary fiber, 5g of sugar, and 0g of proteins. It is considered a low-fat food since it only contains 3 grams of fat per serving.

Cold-brew coffee is not just your usual coffee fad, but it is a method of chilling coffee to make it smoother and less bitter sip. But, what makes cold-brew coffee different from iced coffee? Even though both varieties are served over ice, the method of brewing is different. Iced coffee is hot coffee that has been brewed or blended with hot water, then poured over ice cubes to chill. Perversely, this process allows some of the coffee’s flavor to taste bitter as it oxidizes.

Confluence Coffee Company
Confluence Coffee company is a craft coffee brewery that specializes in ready-to-drink coffees. There are three flavors of cold brew coffee, the original oak, lemon, and mocha. These creations are a perfect combination of the art of coffee with the help of craft beer making techniques to produce a delicious drink like no other. At present, Confluence coffee is a local startup that has become one of the biggest nitro cold breweries in the country. They started by producing small liter batches, and now it is pumping out around 45 barrels or 31 gallons of the nitro-infused drink into cans every two weeks.

A confluence is an act or process of merging. And there is nothing that could describe their coffee. Confluence Coffee has been offering cold brew in bottles and on nitro taps. But they wanted everyone to enjoy their coffee, so they launched their line of nitro cold brew cans. Confluence Coffee delivers this nitro coffee in cans so you can have the delicious nitro cold brew anywhere you go.

So What's All This "Nitro" Talk
“Nitro” refers to nitrogen gas that is being used in pressurizing beers, which is popular in Dublin. Nitrogen gas bubbles are smaller than carbon dioxide, a gas that is used in carbonated beverages that don't dissolve in beer easily. So when you pour nitro beer from a tap or can, the nitrogen bubbles will rush out and give the beer a signature “head.” Employing this process shares a creamy feel and taste, which does not make the beer fizzy. Similar to coffee, people may think that milk was added to nitro cold brew, but there was not. The nitro gas helps enhance the natural taste of coffee and make the nitro cold brew ultra drinkable.

Confluence Coffee is thriving to become a staple company in the coffee industry across the region. However, its biggest challenge is to educate consumers who are often confused about their product. Confluence uses Blanchard’s roast for their cold brew. It is a specific Honduran bean picked for its versatility. The process of brewing the cold coffee involves steeping the ground in chilled water for 24 hours. This cold-brew process results in a less acidic and more caffeinated drink. Confluence coffee is available anywhere you want a can!

Coffee Roast​

One important factor that determines the taste of coffee is the degree to which the beans are roasted. Green beans are soft, tasteless, and a fresh smell. The roasting process changes the raw beans into the flavorful, aromatic, crunchy beans that people recognize as coffee. Roasting coffee breaks down the beans to release its oils, and subsequently its aroma. Coffee roast levels may be commonly described based on the color, which ranges from light to dark. While the age of the coffee, the grind, the processing method, and the brewing method affect the taste of the coffee, the roast level provides the baseline for the coffee taste that drinkers expect. There are no definitive standards on roast names but in general, coffee roasts can be categorized as follows:

  • Light Roasts – This roast is light brown. It has a light body with no oil on the surface of the beans. It has a toasted grain taste and pronounced acidity. Light roast retains most of the original flavors of the bean. It also has the most caffeine from the coffee bean. Lightly roasted beans reach an internal temperature of 356°F.
  • Medium Roasts – Medium roasted coffee beans are medium brown. They have more body than lightly roasted beans. Medium roasts do not have the grainy taste of the light roasts, has balanced flavor, aroma, and acidity. Medium roast beans reach an internal temperature of about 410°F.
  • Medium-Dark Roasts – They have darker, richer color, with some oil beginning to show on the surface of the beans. A medium-dark roast coffee has a heavier body than lighter or medium roasts.
  • Dark Roasts – They are dark brown that looks like chocolate, or sometimes almost black. Dark roast beans have a sheen of oil on the surface, which is seen in the cup of brewed coffee. The coffee has a bitter and burnt taste. The caffeine content of dark roast coffee is substantially decreased. Many dark roasts are used in making an espresso shot.

Variations to roasts include the city roast, American roast and the Vienna roast.

Coffee Grinding​

The coffee beans need to be ground before they can be used to brew coffee. There are different equipment to produce different grind levels for the type of coffee or coffee brewing method you are using. Generally, there are seven grind levels of coffee beans:

  • Extra coarse grind – Extra coarse grind is usually used for cold brewing of coffee. This type of grind is usually used in a French Press pot.
  • Medium-coarse grind – This level of grind is used for Café Solo Brewer or the Chemex Brewer, both specialty coffee devices.
  • Medium grind – This ground level of beans is used in making coffee using the drip brewing methods.
  • Medium-fine grind – This ground level is mainly used for pour-over cones, vacuum pots, and siphon brewers.
  • Fine grind – This type of grind is used for making an espresso shot.
  • Extra fine grind – This type is used for brewing Turkish coffee.

Tasting and Grading of the Brew​

Cupping or tasting is used by the stakeholders in the coffee business – producers, roasters, importers, and baristas – to evaluate coffee in the most objective manner possible. Cupping is an efficient way of performing quality control and grading samples of coffee from different parts of the world to bring the best-tasting and most flavorful coffee to discriminating coffee drinkers.

The tasting and grading process of the brew is quite simple, done in the following steps:

  1. Smelling the coffee grounds
  2. Pouring hot water on the grounds to start the brewing process
  3. Breaking the crust that usually forms on top with the back of a spoon while smelling the aroma
  4. Skimming the coffee grounds that may be floating on top
  5. Tasting each cup of coffee, making sure to rinse the tasting spoon between every sip
  6. Meeting together and discussing scores, comparing tasting notes, and forming general opinions on the coffee.
  7. If a coffee sample scores very well, expect importers and coffee shop operators to order more of the same.

Brewing Coffee​

Learn Some Steps on Brewing Coffee
Home preparation of coffee is one of the amazing things about this drink. While most beverages are manufactured in a commercial facility, anybody can prepare coffee at home. A little work and some tools are all that you need to enjoy a cup of this brew instead of instant coffee in the morning. Brewing coffee is the process of pouring hot water onto ground coffee beans, then allowing it to brew. Several methods may be used to make coffee such as using a percolator, a filter, a French press, or an espresso machine. Brewing coffee is taken for granted by most people. What many do not understand is that there is a lot more science and technique involved in the brewing of coffee. Failure to understand the techniques is the main reason why people are not satisfied with the coffee they brew at home. It is also the main reason why they get their coffee from coffee shop chains. There are a few things that coffee lovers need to learn to produce coffee-shop quality coffee:
  • Extraction and solubility – Brewing coffee refers to the extraction of the soluble material in ground roasted beans. As the coffee brews in hot water, hundreds of compounds unique to coffee are extracted from the ground beans to create brewed coffee. The compounds extracted from the coffee beans contain caffeine, acids, sugars, lipids, and carbohydrates. Solubility and extraction depend on a range of factors such as genetic characteristics, mineral content, grind size, roast degree, and the method of brewing used.
  • Immersion – Brewing by immersion requires coffee grounds to be fully submerged in water. Over time, coffee is extracted by the water. This method uses different tools such as the French press, the vacpot siphon, the AeroPress, and more. In the immersion method, just add water and wait for about 5 minutes to get your cup of hot coffee. Immersion brews need to be filtered.
  • Infusion – Infusion brewing calls for water to constantly flow through a bed of ground coffee and a filter. The commonly used drip brewing method such as the auto-drip machine is an infusion.
  • Espresso – An espresso is a form of infusion, the only difference is that the flow of water in espresso-making is pressured or forced.
Coffee aficionados have devised other ways of brewing coffee by manipulating traditional methods.

Conclusion​

Coffee is not only a common beverage the world over, it also has some attached cultural influences. It is more than just a bean, or a beverage. For plenty of people it is an integral part of their everyday life. For dedicated coffee drinkers, it is only fitting that they know and understand a little bit more about their favorite drink. After learning a few important things about this favorite beverage in the world, fewer people will be asking What is Coffee?

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