Best Coffee
Do you have a routine that you do every morning?
Pardon us, maybe you're not a morning person, you're an afternoon or evening person. Whatever time of day suits you best, you probably enjoy engaging in some routine, whether it's work or best tasting coffee.
To undergo our routines, we must have the proper sleep and nutrition to keep us focused and alert. One of which we regularly rely on is coffee.
Top rated coffee
Today it's become so popular around the globe that it has its own culture. Every country has different ways of drinking coffee and new drinks. It's pretty much the norm. Whether you want instant coffee, a latte or something coffee flavored, it tends to be quite affordable for many people.
To make the most of your time with coffee, have a look at our top picks.
Where did coffee originate from?
Ok, if you're a coffee nerd, you will want to go back to its roots. No, we're not talking about a plant but about its original discovery. Coffee was believed to be founded around 850 CE in Ethiopia and Yemen, but this time is just a guideline.
It's often thought to be a lot earlier than this date! No one truly knows how coffee came into existence or how it was first used. There are, however, a lot of legends for both Ethiopia and Yemen which surround this.
While these two countries have their legends, it's often believed that coffee came from Ethiopia into Yemen. Then Yemen's traders brought the coffee into their homes and increased in popularity in Europe in the 17th century.
Health benefits of coffee
There's more to great coffee than the texture, look, and taste. It has a lot of health benefits which are:
- Increased energy levels: The main ingredient in coffee is a stimulant known as caffeine. This stimulant, once drank, quickly enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain. Once reached, it blocks a neurotransmitter called adenosine as a result of the firing of other neurotransmitter increase causing more alertness and higher energy levels.
- Speeds up your metabolism: Coffee can help you lose fat. There is a lot of scientific research which states it can increase around 2-3%.
- May help tackle depression: Caffeine can cause more neurotransmitters in your brain such as serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine to increase your mood.
- It may reduce the risk of dementia: There is a lot of pending scientific research which shows that coffee may help your brain fight off dementia.
- It could reduce the risk of cancer: Coffee can reduce your chances of getting cancers such as liver and colorectal.
- Can reduce your chances of diabetes: A few scientific studies suggest coffee can reduce the chance of type 2 diabetes.
- It contains many antioxidants: Coffee has a lot of effective antioxidants; a lot more than you can typically find in fruit and vegetables.
How to pick the best coffee?
Now you're aware of coffee and its benefits, how do you detect a delicious coffee? Well, it's not rocket science; you have to look at three things. Those three things are beans, roasts and brewing methods.
Best coffee beans
We wouldn't be able to drink top coffee if it wasn't down to the beans. Coffee beans may seem daunting first when you're looking at them in a coffee house, shop or online don't worry; we're going to make it easy for you to understand.
It's important to know we can't recommend one type of coffee bean as coffee is a personal preference. Coffee beans have lots of different elements to them, such as taste, texture and aroma. To know more, let's explore the types of beans you can get for your coffee.
Arabica beans
As the name suggests, this type of coffee comes from the Arabica plant. This type of plant is commonly found in Brazil and other areas of South America. However, it can also be found in the south-west region of Ethiopia. Usually, anywhere that has a high elevation, it is above sea level and has lots of rainfall, then you will find Arabica beans.
These beans tend to have low acidity, and taste can often differ depending on the bean. Most of the time, they taste sweet and have a chocolate and caramel smelling aroma.
Robusta beans
After Arabica, Robusta beans are the second most popular type of bean you will find. Generally, these beans tend to grow in Africa and Vietnam. The unique factor about Robusta beans is that they grow from a plant called Cafea Canephora.
This plant is easier to farm and can grow in high temperatures. Plus, the caffeine in the beans repels pests and diseases. It's for this reason; Robusta beans tend to be less pricey due to their cheap production.
When drinking a coffee made from Robusta beans, it will often have a grainy texture and have an aftertaste lingering around. The taste of this bean is bitter due to it having less sugar and high caffeine and chlorogenic acid content.
Liberica beans
Liberica beans are not as popular as Arabica and Robusta; they grow in countries with a specific temperature. Such countries you will find these beans will be located in Asia and Africa. Because of the required temperatures, these beans are pretty rare and hard for farmers to mass-produce to the world. Liberica is known for its smoky aroma and its strong wood - like taste. It also has a slightly lower caffeine content than Robusta beans.
Excelsa
You will typically find Excelsea beans grown across Southeast Asia. Like Liberica, it's also a bean that is not popular and grown on a small scale. This bean is renowned for its fruity flavor and can produce light and dark roast.
Types of coffee roasts
Now you have an idea about the beans; next is the roasts! Beans are roasted in different ways and durations to produce certain flavors. Generally, coffee beans, when roasted, undergo two cracks the first crack occurs between 380°F to 400°F and the second occurs between 435°F and 450°F. On our website, you can find useful information on the types of roast and learn how to roast coffee beans.
Brewing methods
When it comes to drinking coffee, the experience can be subjective. This is often because of the way the coffee has been brewed. Coffee can be brewed in the following ways:
- French press: method involving a plunger pot, hot water and a filter. This works well with a medium roast.
- Pour over: a filter located in a funnel that goes into a coffee mug. Water is poured into the filter full of coffee grounds.
- Siphon: coffee maker using a vacuum and vapor to create coffee.
- Moka pot: coffee brewed on top of an oven and is made through pressurised steam.
- Cold Brew: beans are thinly ground and kept in water and in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
- Aeropress: coffee steeped for a minute and then pressed through a filter inside a tube.
These are just a few types of brewing methods; however, there is even more out there, and new ones are constantly evolving!
Flavoured coffee
If you want to add something extra to your coffee, you can always choose one of the following flavours:
- French Vanilla: If you want to make your medium or lightly roasted coffee sweeter, then french vanilla is perfect. This flavour often comes in the form of syrup which is squirted into your coffee.
- Pumpkin Spice: This is an autumn flavour that is commonly added to a latte and cold coffee drinks. This type of flavour can be seasonal and hard to get in other times.
- Caramel Macchiato: If you like strong coffee and want an extra bold ingredient, then this may be for you. Caramel Macchiato creates a creamy and sweet flavour.
- Hazelnut: Commonly found added to dark roasts, lattes and macchiatos.
- Mocha: If you love chocolate and still getting used to coffee, you may want to have this. It's basically hot cocoa with a tiny little bit of coffee.
High caffeine or decaf
Depending on your coffee preferences, you may wish to choose to drink coffee that is high in caffeine or none at all, otherwise known as decaf. High caffeine coffee can keep you alert, help speed up your metabolism, improve your physical performance and potentially lower your risk of certain diseases. On the other hand, decaf can help you sleep better, reduce anxiety and reduce your caffeine intake.
Popular coffee drinks
Have you ever visited a coffee shop and been overwhelmed by choice? Well, to help you, let's break down the most popular drinks, which are:
- Espresso: The strongest and thickest type of coffee drink. Espresso is made through high-pressure boiling water that is pushed through finely grounded coffee beans.
- Americano: An espresso and hot water combined.
- Caffe Latte: An espresso with steamed milk.
- Cappuccino: An espresso combined with steamed milk and foam.
- Cafe Mocha: A chocolate version of a caffe latte.
- Cortado: An espresso combined with hot milk that's not frothed.
- Flat white: A foamy drink with espresso and milk.
Coffee is wonderful because it comes in different types, flavours and textures. Plus, it has great health benefits such as making you feel more alert, happy and can fight off certain illnesses. In addition to this, it's the perfect drink for morning or a meeting between friends. There's so much coffee out there and different drinks to try; let us know what your favourite is or what you want to try in the comments below.
FAQs
How much caffeine in a cup of coffee?
Caffeine content can completely depend on the type of coffee you're drinking. Generally, you will find in an average cup there's 95mg, but depending on the drink you choose, the caffeine range can go from 0 (decaf) up to 500mg.
How many calories are in a cup of coffee?
Generally, plain coffee will consist of no calories. However, be cautious of the other coffees you consume, which have milk, sweeteners and other additives, as they can have a high-calorie content.
Is coffee good for you?
Coffee can be good if drank in moderation and not too much. It can help you feel more focused, happier, active, speed up your metabolism, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, dementia and much more.
Is coffee bad for you?
Just like anything else, too much coffee can cause a lot of problems for your body. I'm particular you could find yourself subject to headaches, a fast heartbeat, insomnia, anxiety and more. It's recommended you have a maximum of 4 8 ounce cups a day.
Does coffee dehydrate you?
Its rare coffee will dehydrate you. However, it is known to have diuretic properties that will make you need to go to the bathroom more.Therefore we advise you to be mindful of how many cups you consume in a day.