All over the world, millions of people enjoy drinking coffee. But, there are many myths and misconceptions that are related with drinking of coffee and its effect on health. Let us study some of them and find out the truth behind these myths.

Unfiltered Coffee drinking increases health risk

Results of two studies made on the effect of drinking unfiltered coffee have been made recently. These studies link drinking unfiltered coffee prepared using French Press method with increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol and/ or homocysteine level in blood.

In the first study made by Dr. Marina Grubben and others, the result of which was published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was carried in the Netherlands. In this study, 64 healthy adults, who were drinking six cups of unfiltered coffee or other hot drink per day, were studied for two weeks. The study showed 10% increase in homocysteine level of those drinking coffee. This increased level of homocysteine increases the risk of heart diseases by 10%.

In the other study, the people under study drank unfiltered coffee for two weeks. After two weeks, there was an increase of 2mg/dl in serum LDL cholesterol level in blood of these people. When these people stopped drinking unfiltered coffee and drank filtered coffee instead, their LDL cholesterol became normal.

These studies definitely tell us about bad effects of drinking unfiltered coffee over a short period. But, such a study carried out for only two weeks do not provide any conclusion regarding long term effects of drinking unfiltered coffee. In case of the first study, the control group was not even drinking coffee. In yet another study, no effect on homocysteine level was found. Therefore, more research is required to be done to find out the real truth about this myth.

Coffee drinking leads to Heart Disease

Previously, it was thought that the stimulating effect of drinking coffee would lead to different kinds of heart disease. But, the results of different studies made recently show that drinking of moderate amount of coffee everyday does not have any adverse effect on health.

In a study made by Dr. Willet and others, using data collected from more than 85,000 women over 10 years which was adjusted for known risk factors like smoking, did not show any increase in the incidence of CVD in women who drank six or more cups of coffee each day.

A similar study made by Dr Diedrich and others in 1990 on 45,000 men could not establish any link between drinking of coffee and CVD among men who drank four or more cups of coffee each day.

There are many more myths about coffee drinking regarding which studies have been made to find out the actual truth. It has been found that most are not true. However, more studies require to be done to get fully assured that coffee drinking causes no adverse effect on your heath.

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Coffee is a very popular hot drink all over the world. It is grown in many parts of the world and therefore there are many brands of coffee available in the market. Details about a few very well known coffee brands are given below.

Starbucks

Starbucks coffee brand is very well known all over the world. Starbucks started as a coffee shop in Seattle in the United States. The name ‘Starbucks’ was picked up from Herman Melville’s famous novel ‘Moby Dick’. The brand was named after the coffee loving sailor depicted in that novel. The company has since grown from its small beginning into a multibillion dollar corporation with branches all over the world.

Instead of remaining a small coffee shop, the company grew in its business by branching into coffee bean roasting business and selling its own brand of coffee. The company produces many other brands of coffee. But, ‘Starbucks’ remains by far the most popular product of the company. This brand of coffee is a medium-roast brand with a well-rounded and balanced taste.

Peet’s

Peet’s is another brand of coffee which started from another coffee shop in Seattle. In fact, it is older than Starbucks.  Peet’s coffee is darker than Starbucks, because the beans are roasted for a longer period. Peet’s coffee is popular with people who would prefer more bold taste of coffee than that of Starbucks brand.

There is a link between these two brands. In fact, Peet’s founder Alfred Peet was the first person to introduce specialty coffee in Seattle. Actually, founders of Starbucks worked in his organization and learnt all about coffee making including roasting, buying and selling of specialty coffee.

In 1984, Peet decided to retire and sold his business to Starbucks. And Jerry Baldwin who was original founder of Starbucks is presently the director of Peet’s.

There are many other top coffee brands. They may not be considered as specialty coffee. These brands are: Folgers, Maxwell House, Seattle’s Best and Nescafe. The quality of these brands varies. Some of them are produced by grinding cheaper beans while others are quite expensive. Flavors of these brands also vary. Many people prefer these brands over specialty brands of Starbucks and Peet’s because of their personal preferences.

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Coffee products may be defined as different equipments and products required to make coffee. These could be coffee makers, coffee mugs, espresso and cappuccino machines, bean grinders, gourmet coffee and many other products related with drinking of coffee.

Most people would take the help of the Internet for buying such products. But, it may not be the right move and state food and drink vendor could provide you with better knowledge regarding the purchase of coffee products.

You can always locate an item like a German coffee grinder or an Italian coffee jug on the Internet. But, staff in a food and drink store could provide you with useful knowledge regarding different coffee products you are looking for. The knowledge provided by them would help you to locate the product that is most suitable for your requirement.

In fact, after receiving this knowledge, you may find that the product you were previously thinking of buying may not be suited for your use.

A person who is handling various coffee products daily would have a very thorough knowledge regarding each of these items. Discussing your requirement with such a person would provide you with a solution which would turn out to be most economical in the long run. It is possible that while searching the Internet, you might have understood the information wrongly.

A discussion with a knowledgeable person would dispel your misconception and would lead to a solution which would turn out to be much cheaper. Such fruitful advice provided to you would produce a strong bond between the two of you. You would definitely contact that person while buying any coffee product next time.

While visiting your coffee dealer store for your requirements of coffee products, you should first talk with the salesperson regarding your requirement. This will provide you with an idea whether you are talking to the right person or not. If you are not satisfied with the replies provided by the salesperson, you should seek out the resident food and drink specialist of the store and discuss your requirement with him/her. It is most likely that the person would guide you to a proper choice.

In case the dealer also runs an internet store, it would be more helpful to you. You could easily locate the product you are looking for by searching the Internet. Thereafter, you could contact them personally to find out more details about the product you have selected for your purchase.

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Coffee is quite a popular drink all over the world and it is grown in many different regions of the world. Some people advertise their product as ‘Gourmet’ coffee. Now, what this term ‘Gourmet’ actually means? ‘Gourmet’ could be defined as a fine food or drink that has been adjudged by experts as excellent.

The method of cultivating coffee beans is similar all over the world. These beans are picked, dried and sorted in similar fashion everywhere. Only difference could be the climate and altitude of the place where the beans are grown or the fertilizer and pesticides used for growing the crop. Most important factor for producing coffee of good quality is the roasting process.

If the roasting is not done properly, either coffee produced would be weak or it would taste burnt. There are varieties of coffee which are not easily available, like coffee grown in Jamaican Blue Mountain which is quite well known for its rich taste and great smell. When they are properly roasted, the coffee produced might be the best tasting coffee in the world.

While roasting coffee beans, some roasters add flavorings like caramel or chocolate syrup. The coffee produced using such a roasting process is known as Gourmet Flavored Coffee.

Some types of coffee beans are known as gourmet coffee beans. These beans produce gourmet coffee with rich flavor. These gourmet coffee beans are cultivated in volcanic regions and on the mount slopes of a volcano. Coffee produced by using these beans is very smooth and full of flavor because of volcanic soil and high altitude. These beans are grown in tropical rainforest amongst exotic plants and animals.

When we buy coffee from a store, we are not sure about its quality and freshness. It could be lying on the stores shelf for a long time thereby losing flavor. Those people, who are accustomed to drink such coffee, might not be aware of the taste and flavor of gourmet coffee.

Gourmet coffee beans are freshly roasted and carefully packed so that no harsh element is stored inside the pack. To preserve the freshness of coffee, they are packed in one-way valve foil coffee bags which prevents air to come in contact with the beans.

Gourmet coffee is similar to wine. The taste and flavor of coffee would depend on the region where the beans were grown. By taking a sip of coffee, a connoisseur of coffee would be able tell the region where the bean for the coffee was grown.

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People would generally go to a coffee café or a coffee house to have a cup of refreshingly hot coffee. Coffee houses in places like Paris is world famous. A coffee house generally provides the services of both a bar and a restaurant. Along with coffee, they would be serving light refreshments like sandwiches and other light snacks, muffins, pastries etc.

In some countries, a coffee house is more like a restaurant. They would serve different varieties of food along with a piping hot cup of coffee. In some coffee houses, alcohol is also served. In some Muslim countries, you could enjoy smoking a hookah along with your coffee in a coffee house.

In many cities, these coffee houses become a central place for mutual interaction. People would come here to gossip with their friends, do their work, read a book or to just to pass their spare time. Many creative people like poets, writers, and artists are well known visitors of many coffee houses all over the world. The coffee house could have reading of their writings or would have lively discussion regarding art and culture.

People would come to a coffee house in a group or a person could join in a group. It is a great place to do your work on your laptop sitting for hours and drinking coffee. Generally, coffee house owners do not mind if you just come and sit there. It is a great place to put your ideas into paper or get creatively invigorated.

It is the Arab merchants who first introduced coffee drinking to the Western world. This concept of coffee house has its genesis in places like Iran and Turkey. Presently, it would not be difficult to locate a coffee house anywhere in the world.

Coffee house is also a very favorite place to take your date to. The atmosphere is so relaxing and you could strike up a pleasant conversation with your date without being loud.

In the United States, Starbucks is quite a well known chain of coffee houses. These places would allow you to use the Internet and sit all day doing your writing or any other work. Similar big coffee shops are also to be found in cities like Los Angeles or New York where artists meet each other for intellectual interaction. Cafés of Paris are world famous and they have become a ‘must visit’ places amongst tourists who visit Paris.

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Coffee is the most popular hot drink in the United States. More than fifty per cent adults drink coffee. And to drink coffee you require a coffee mug or a cup.

Coffee mugs are made from different materials. They are generally made using porcelain, stainless steel, plastic and glass. These mugs come in different shapes and sizes to suit different choices of vast coffee drinking population. Therefore, these three factors of material, shape and size would provide innumerous choice for selecting a coffee mug by anybody who drinks coffee.

Porcelain mugs are quite popular because they can hold heat and could also be decorated beautifully. But, the disadvantage of such a mug is that they break quite easily and they do not have lids so that coffee does not spill. These types of mugs are not suitable while travelling and you may think of using another type of mugs at your work place.

There is another kind of coffee mugs which is made using both stainless steel and plastic. These are hybrid coffee mugs. Generally, these mugs consist of stainless steel outer cup lined with plastic. These mugs are generally provided with a lid having a drinking spout or a hole. This makes these mugs spill proof. Also, because of the lid, coffee remains hot for a longer period. There are mugs which are lined with insulating material to keep coffee hot for quite a long time. These mugs are generally referred as travelling cups.

Coffee mugs are available in different shapes and sizes. Normally, capacity of a coffee mug is 12 ounces. Some coffee mugs are made in even larger size. These larger mugs are meant for those people who would be drinking coffee a number of times in a day. They would avoid refilling their mugs by using larger size mug. Such big size mugs range from 12 to 20 ounces in capacity.

These mugs come in different shapes. They could be in traditional shape or a jumbo mug or a travelling cup which would appear like a large drinking glass in size and shape. While choosing such a mug, you should ensure that handle of the mug is comfortable to hold.

These mugs are made keeping the requirements of large number of coffee drinkers in mind. Whether it is made of porcelain, glass, stainless steel or plastic, they are designed to meet the needs of millions people who drink coffee all over the world.

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Who would not like to have a hot, refreshing cup of coffee? But, to prepare such a hot drink at home, a coffee machine is required. When you go to the market to buy a coffee machine you would be overwhelmed by the choices available. A few tips are given below to help you buy a coffee maker which would suit your requirement.

Simplicity

Whenever anybody buys machine, he/she would look for a simple machine which would serve the purpose. Too many switches and buttons make the operation cumbersome. You may forget some steps while preparing your coffee and the result would not be satisfactory. You just want to prepare a cup of coffee and any simple machine would do provided you are satisfied with its results.

Function

While choosing a machine, you should carefully look at the functioning of the machine. Neither the machine should boil water too much or extract insufficient flavor. The result should be just right.

Types of Coffee

There are different kinds of coffee drink that can be brewed. You must be clear regarding what kind of coffee you want to produce by using the coffee machine. Drip coffee makers would serve all right to brew normal coffee. But, if you are fond of espresso coffee, you will have to look for a dedicated espresso coffee machine instead.

Cup Size

A very important factor for the selection of a coffee machine would definitely be its capacity. You may select a smaller machine if you want only two cups at a time.

Reservoir

A good coffee machine should have a reservoir of proper size to hold enough water to make the required number cups at one go. Reservoir should store enough water but should not be quite large either. Generally, cheaper coffee machines are provided with large reservoir.

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To get ourselves refreshed, we drink a cup of hot coffee. In fact, it is one of most popular hot drinks which are consumed by people all over the world. But, how much do we know about coffee? Here, we would be giving a brief history of coffee to you.

The use of the word coffee in English started in the 17^th century. The word is derived from Italian word ‘caffé’ which again was derived from the Turkish word ‘kahveh’. This Ottoman Turkish word was derived from the Arabic ‘qahweh’. The origin of this Arabic word is not known but it is thought that it is associated with Kaffa region of Ethiopia where coffee was first grown.

Coffee plant was discovered in the 9^th century on Ethiopian highlands by shepherds grazing goats. They discovered that their goats were getting extra energy after consuming wild berries of coffee plant. Thus, consumption of coffee started. Soon, its use spread to Egypt and Yemen. By the 15^th century, people in the Middle East, Persia, Armenia, Turkey and North Africa were drinking coffee.

The method of roasting the beans and preparing the beverage was first developed in Arabia. Thereafter, the use of Coffee spread from the Middle East first to Italy and thereafter to the rest of Europe. The drink got official approval when Pope Clement VIII declared coffee as a Christian drink in 1600. The Dutch used to import large quantities of coffee and they were the first European people who defied the Arab ban on exporting coffee plant or its seed.

The Dutch man Pieter van den Broeck brought coffee from Aden in 1616 by defying this ban. Thereafter, Dutch people started cultivating coffee in Java and Sri Lanka. British East India Company also made coffee popular in England.

Drinking of coffee was introduced in Northern America when it was under the British rule. But, drinking coffee did not become as popular as it was in Europe and tea was the most preferred hot drink. But during US War of Independence, tea supply became restricted because of the restricted supply of British traders. Consequently, the demand of coffee started to increase in the United States and traders used to hoard its supplies.

After the War of 1812, Britain temporarily stopped exporting tea to the United States. This led American to become very fond of coffee and demand increased even more during American Civil War. At this time, Americans also introduced their own way of brewing coffee.

This is the brief history of how coffee has become so popular in the United States as a refreshing hot drink.

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