For those of you who have been told in the past that chocolate is fattening and bad for your health, well do I have good news for you? Chocolate is made from plants and not manufactured from synthetic substances Flavonoids contained in chocolate act as antioxidants, which protect the body from premature aging and heart disease, which are caused by free radicals In fact, it contains many times more antioxidants than can be found in fruit such as strawberries This means it has health benefits, many of which are comparable to those of dark vegetables Dark chocolate in particular contains a large number of antioxidantsDark chocolate is also very beneficial for the heart and keeps the cardiovascular system running optimally In fact, people suffering from high blood pressure have been known to use dark chocolate as a sort of medication to relieve this condition A surprising benefit of dark chocolate is that it can help to lower the bad LDL-cholesterol levels by up to 10%! It must be good news for many of us who have to rely on expensive cholesterol medication to prevent us from experiencing heart attacks or strokes In addition to keeping the heart working, dark chocolate lowers blood pressure Some of these discoveries include; cacao (from which chocolate is made) contains antibacterial agents that can offer protection against tooth decay A surprising discovery made about this temptation, is that drinking a cup of hot chocolate before meals may actually diminish appetite and can help you lose weight It must be paradise on earth!New discoveries about the benefits of chocolate are being made regularly and some are still undergoing testing to confirm the benefits of eating dark chocolate Of course this does not help when eating milk chocolate, which contains heavy levels of sugar Dark chocolate contains Phenyl Ethylamine, which is a mild mood elevator Imagine that! Losing weight by consuming chocolate Studies have shown that chocolate does not cause or play a role in causing acne As you can imagine, this is a highly unlikely task Milk chocolate should be avoided as they contain high levels of calories as well as saturated fats and sugars, which are obviously not good for youDespite serious misconceptions and untruths told about chocolate, here is some more good news Chocolate is not addictive and does not cause bad cholesterol Chocolate may induce headaches, depending on the amount that is eaten and personal circumstance Eating chocolate does not make you high, unless of course you eat over 25 pounds of the stuff in one serving There is a word of caution though for migraine sufferersPlease do not feed chocolates to your pets as it contains a stimulant called Theobromine, which they are unable to digest and can be poisonous Dark chocolates contain high levels of the substance and are therefore more dangerous to animals than milk chocolate However, it is important to eat in moderation as with everything elseWho knew that chocolate could be so healthy for us? It certainly makes life more pleasant and interesting

Although electric coffee makers are used by millions of people around the world everyday, true coffee connoisseurs actually consider the coffee that comes out of these machines to be of poor quality. While it is true that many electric drip coffee makers produce coffee that isn’t so great, some coffee makers are very capable indeed of churning out excellent tasting coffee.

Great Ingredients Make Great Coffee

It all starts with what you put in the machine. You can have the best machine in the world, but if you toss in lousy beans or funky tasting water, what comes out will be lousy. Buy quality coffee beans, preferably organic. Conventional coffee is sprayed with lots of pesticides, and organic coffee tastes better. Use filtered or bottled water that tastes good when you drink it cold.

What to Look For in a Coffee Maker

First of all, it is generally agreed upon that grinding the coffee beans shortly before you brew the coffee results in a better tasting brew. Most people realize this, but quickly find out that grinding coffee beans every day just doesn’t get done. Fortunately, you can get a coffee maker that has a built-in grinder, so you don’t even have to think about this step anymore. The machine will just do it all for you. You can even set a timer so the grind and brew machine has your coffee finished at the time you want it.

Another thing you should look for when choosing an electric coffee maker is the temperature of the water when brewing. Although this fact has eluded the masses, real coffee aficionados know that the optimum temperature for brewing coffee is 200 Fahrenheit, or 93 Celsius. Many of the cheap electric coffee makers never actually get the water this hot. You have to purchase a good quality machine from a reputable brand that actually says how hot the water temperature gets in the brewing process.

Finally, the pot that the finished coffee goes into has an impact on the coffee’s final taste. Lousy machines can give the coffee a “burnt” taste from heating the bottom of the pot. Some of the better coffee makers these days use stainless steel insulated carafes to keep the coffee hot until it is consumed.

Most experts advise purchasing the best coffee maker that you can afford. Read the reviews and compare machines as much as possible before choosing. By investing in a good quality machine, you will enjoy better cups of coffee for years, and small things like this can have big impacts on your life.

Whichever blend of coffee you prefer or whatever type of equipment you are using to prepare the coffee the objective is the same. To release the coffee oils and soluble coffee compounds into solution in the final beverage.

Not all the soluble compounds are desirable particularly tannin so it is important to brew the coffee is just the right manner to produce the perfect cup.

Although it is possible to extract as much as a third of the mass of coffee from the grounds the optimum amount is about 20%

There are six important factors to consider when making fresh coffee.

1. The coffee grind – By this we mean the particle size of the coffee grounds. This varies typically from largest to smallest thus: coarse, medium, fine and espresso (or very fine)

Over-extraction can occur if the grind size is too small for the method and equipment used resulting in a coffee being bitter and too strong. If the size is too large then under-extraction will occur resulting in a weak wishy-washy coffee.

Typically one would use a coarse grind for a coffee pot, medium grind for a cafeteria (French Press), medium to fine for a typical filter drip machine and espresso grind for an espresso machine.

2. Freshness and quantity of coffee – Coffee beans should be stored in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight and ideally kept in an airtight container. The coffee should be ground to order as ground coffee will lose some of its subtle flavors and aromas if is left exposed to the atmosphere for very long.

It is vital to use the recommended dosage of coffee depending on the equipment being used. Using less coffee but increasing the brewing time will not result in a standard brew but create an over-extracted drink. Using more coffee than recommended but a quicker infusion time will result in an under-extracted coffee.

3. Temperature and water quality of the water – Always use fresh cold water to start off the brewing process. Ideally the water should be filtered to remove unwanted taints and odors and be very slightly hard.

Water should be used that has just come off the boil and be approximately 95-98 degrees Celsius for optimum extraction of coffee. Too hot can scald the coffee and too cool will result in under-extraction.

4. The infusion time – The length of time that the hot water is in direct contact with the coffee grounds is crucial in producing the perfect cup. In reality this is determined by the equipment being used to brew it, so always follow the manufacturers guidelines.

As a rough guide however consider the following.

10-30 seconds for espresso grind 3-6 minutes for fine grind 6-8 minutes for medium grind 8-10 minutes for coarse grind

5. Brewing method employed – Basically there are three different methods employed to make coffee. These are steep & strain, filter infusion and pressure infusion.

Steep and strain simply involves putting hot water in contact with coffee grounds in a pot or container until under extraction has occurred. The resulting brew is strained to isolate the coffee liquor.

Filter infusion is common in many applications and uses a filter basket filled with coffee grounds that has hot water added from above. The infusion time is relatively short as the water infuses briefly with the coffee until the liquor passes thought the basket into a flask or container below.

Pressure infusion – Hot water is forced under high pressure though a small tablet of compacted grounds to produce an individual serving of coffee. This is the standard method of producing espresso.

Again it is imperative to use the right method with the correct type and grind of coffee.

6. Cleanliness – Coffee contains oils that will leave a tarry residue on equipment that can contaminate and spoil the taste of subsequent brews. Daily washing and cleaning of equipment is an absolutely vital part in producing the perfect cup.

Have fun – producing a great tasting cup of your favorite coffee should be an easy and enjoyable task.

In general, we want to grow good plants because they are the ones who will start to bear high-quality fruitsIt is a familiar notion that plants grow better if they are rooted on rich soil If you want to produce better coffee beans, then you should have a highly suitable environment for your coffee plant The aforementioned is entirely true for the coffee plantKnowing this, how are we to know if the coffee beans that we are planning to buy are of great quality? Can we do something to assure that the coffee beans are truly fresh? There are many questions about these coffee beans, but I will do my best to answer them in order for you to have your good cup of coffee! The reason they choose to roast the beans themselves is because it will ensure the freshness of the coffeeWhy should you choose to buy raw green coffee beans? Most coffee enthusiasts decide to do so because they plan to do the roasting themselves But how do we really choose the best beans for the roasting process? Here I will provide you ways on choosing the right beans so you can avoid buying ones with low quality Some of the popular choices when it comes to coffee beans are: Guatemalan Antigua, Kenya AA, Colombian Supremo, and Brazilian SantosWhen buying, it is recommended that you verify the quality of the beans as it is very significant to choose green coffee beans that are high-class Look for these brands when you are buying your beans and you will not have trouble in roasting and brewing your great cup of coffee! These coffee brands will surely provide you with high-quality coffee experience as the beans were grown on rich environment that enhanced the quality of the coffee plants Another thing that you can do is to ensure the freshness of the beans by buying directly from the coffee beans manufacturersCareful examination on the beans’ quality is important, but doing only that will not give you certainty that they are 100% appropriate for the roasting process Also, be sure to check if they have any discolorations or white edges as these are not advisable to be used By doing so, you will be confident that the beans were not placed on the warehouses for a long time, thus, assuring you that they are nothing but fresh! Before buying the beans, see if they are of the same textures and sizes so that when they undergo roasting, they will be cooked equallyJust follow these tips and you will certainly produce the best brewed coffee!

You may view your morning cup of coffee as a necessity rather than a waste of time and money. If you’re using a standard coffee making system, you are probably wasting more than you realize. If you brew a whole pot of coffee but only have time to drink one or two cups, you’re wasting coffee, water and electricity which, over time, can really add up and take a chunk out of your bank account. One cup coffee makers can help you avoid this costly problem and keep more money in your pocket.

A few years ago, you may have thought that upgrading to a coffee maker with a built-in self-start timer was going to help save you time in the morning by beginning the brew before you’re even awake. However, it’s not exactly a safe idea to have electrical devices powered on when you’re asleep or not at home. There are plenty of news stories about faulty coffee makers starting fires in homes and businesses. You can eliminate this worry by quickly brewing a cup when and where you want without prolonged electrical operation.

Nowadays, customization is the key to success and there’s no better way to customize a cup of coffee to suit your desires than with a one cup coffee maker. You no longer have to stick to one flavor of coffee until you use up your supply. With these neat little coffee makers, you can have different flavored coffees throughout the day. Many allow you to insert pre-filtered coffee packets instead of opening a whole bag of coffee grinds which are bound to become stale or ruined if not sealed properly or consumed quickly.

You won’t have to remember to shut off the coffee maker before you leave for work because after your one cup of coffee is made, the maker automatically shuts off until you use it again. You won’t be wasting gallons of water because you’ll no longer need to throw out what you didn’t have time to drink. You’ll see a difference in your electric bill, too since less power is required to make one cup of coffee at a time.

There are plenty of benefits to investing in a one cup coffee maker and practically no drawbacks. They’re easy to clean and don’t create a mess so you’ll want to use it every day. You’ll love the versatility that comes with having your very own one cup coffee maker.

After you have created your delicious cup of hot chocolate based on the snowman soup poem that likely came with it, chances are you will be looking for a dessert It should be something that is light and sweet enough that it satisfies your urge to dig into chocolateThe answer to that would be a flourless chocolate cake If this is something that interests you, then pull out your snowman soup poem, warm up a cup and we will start making this delicious treat Those watching their carbs can substitute Splenda for sugar and still have a rich cake that will leave everyone in the room talking This is a new popular favoriteWhat You Will Need

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs

How to Make ItStart the process with preheating your oven to 300 degrees F Allow this mixture to melt and set aside Place a small man on a medium high burner and add in a 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of sugar Then grease a 10-inch pan as you set it asideNow, using a double boiler, you will want to melt 1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate Once it has been well blended, you will then add in your sugar water mixture From here, add in a cup of butter into the mixer and beat on low When this is done, place it into a mixtureAt this point, you will begin to crack and add in 6 large eggs Once filled with the mixture, take this pan and put it in a larger pan that is filled with boiling water that comes up about half way on your cake pan You will now take the batter and place it into your baking pan This should be done one at a time and wait until the previous egg has been well beaten into the mixture The center of the cake will appear raw still, but it will keep cooking after you have removed it from the ovenPut this bath inside of the over and allow it to cook for 45 minutes You can serve a delicious helping to your friends and family along with a cup of cocoa and share the snowman soup poem with them after you have created this dessert Place your cake pan inside of the refrigerator overnight When you are ready to serve it, take the cake pan and hold it in hot water for 15 seconds, then flip it over and onto a plateIf you want to take it into a different direction, you can use white chocolate in place of the bittersweet chocolate This can be an extra special way for you to create a treat that the entire family will love

Know a chocoholic? Someone who lives, breathes, and eats chocolate? If so, the perfect gift for them could be a chocolate gift basket This will give them a chance to try a bunch of different chocolates, and you the chance to get the perfect gift for them!There are many types of chocolate gift baskets; it just depends on what you are looking for, and what the person enjoys eating and drinking You could get a bottle or two of wine, and many different chocolates to complement the wine For example, if the person loves chocolate but also enjoys a good bottle of wine, you might want to get a gift basket that has a combination of the twoYou can also use this as a good time to let the other person try a bunch of different types of chocolate You can even have different percentages of chocolates so that they can see the differences between them You can include things like chocolate covered fruits, milk chocolates, white chocolates, dark chocolates, etc There are also things like chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate mints, and many other chocolates you can includeAnother great thing any chocoholic would enjoy is hot chocolate to go along with the gift basket Chocolate from different countries also taste very different, and could be great to include This way when it is cold out they can drink the chocolate, and still get their chocolate fixThere are also many companies that have different items shaped out of chocolate, so you can get a chocolate anything For a birthday you could get chocolate in the shape of their favorite sport or hobby For the holidays you can get a chocolate Santa or reindeer The possibilities are just endlessIf they love desserts as well, you can get them chocolate cookies, cakes, brownies, and more Any one of them would make a chocolate lover very happy for quite a long time as they go through and enjoy each piece! As you can see, there are an unlimited amount of types of chocolate you can create a chocolate gift basket out of

For some of you that are searching for coffee bean storage method, this title might seem like a god send In fact, you might be wondering if this is real or it is just some fad to lure you into reading this articleIt is real I am going to highlight 2 methods that would allow you to preserve your roasted coffee beans for at least 2 years, but my question to you is why would you need to preserve your coffee beans for such a long time frame? Now, let explore the methods that can enable you to preserve the beans for years The first method is what some coffee companies are employing now, it is to seal pack with nitrogenAnyway, that is for you to thinkCompanies like Illy in order to lengthen the life span of their roasted beans, have come out with this packaging First, they draw the oxygen from the tin, then they inject nitrogen inside and lastly pressure sealed itWithout oxygen inside, the oxidation that would usually take place after roasting is slow to a halt, it is still taking place but at a very slow pace So, this packaging would allow you to have fresh coffee even after 2 years You can probably find this at some larger coffee roasting company and get them to seal it for you This is the best way to seal the freshness of coffee, and the only drawback is its high costHowever, this is a method that is quite costly and is not readily available However, reversing the process is not easy Freezing also stop the chemical process of oxidation from taking place, but brewing the beans after that requires some very good time estimationThe next method is very low cost and implementing it is very simple One of the easiest ways to preserve the beans is to freeze itGenerally, freezing the beans, would allow you to keep it for at least a year So, it does sounds like a very easy thing to do and it is also very low cost, you do not even need any special equipment This is because, if the beans are not thawed long enough, it would be too hard to grind Beans that are not fully thawed are as hard as rock and grinding it is likely to break your grinder bladeSimilarly, when thawing the beans, you also do not need any special equipment, but you do need to have some precision timing to brew the beans If it is lesser than that, you would risk spoiling your grinder, but what if the timing is more than? As coffee beans thaw, condensation is also taking place and water droplets would form on the surface of the beans If too much water gathers on the surface, the beans would be saturated with water and it would start to lose its flavor even before it is used to brew any coffeeFrom the time you take out the beans to brewing it should not be more than 4 hoursYes, it is not easy to use the freezing method to store the beans, and the nitrogen method is not cheap It seems like there is no perfect solution to storing beans for the long haulBut, my question is, why would anyone want to store their coffee beans for such a long time? Most of us live within an hour drive to the supermarket or the coffee supplier in town isn’t it easier to purchase the beans when we need it?

Try the yummy recipes in this article If you are planning a Halloween party, Harvest Party, Christmas Caroling Party, etc the crockpot is the way to serve your hot beverages You may even want right there togetherCrockpots and slowcookers are great ways to make roasts, soups, stews, etc Sit the cooker beside the coffee pot and have your coffee and hot chocolate, cider, etc But don’t stop there! Crockpots and slowcookers are also great for making hot beverages and keeping them warm during the party, etcHONEY MULLED CIDER 10 cups apple juice or apple cider1/3 cup honeydash of saltdash of ground gingerdash of ground nutmeg5-inches stick cinnamon, broken into pieces1 1/2 tsp whole cloves Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves (tied in cheesecloth, if you so desire)In a crockpot or slowcooker combine the apple juice or cider, honey, salt, ginger, and nutmeg Place lid on cooker and heat on low setting for 4 to 5 hoursYield: 20 4-oz servings or 10 8-oz servingsCROCKPOT COCOA 3 1/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda granulated for diabetics)1 teaspoon vanilla extract6 cups barely warm water Stir in the warm water and vanilla, stirring to dissolveIn crockpot combine the dry milk powder, cocoa, and sugar Place lid on crockpot and heat on low setting for 3 to 4 hoursVariations: Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a spiced cocoaAdd two tablespoons instant coffee granules for a mocha cocoaCut the vanilla in half and add a half teaspoon of peppermint extract for a holiday peppermint cocoaUse your imagination to come up with a flavor of your choice!HOT CHOCOLATE LATTE 3/4 cup powdered sugar1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1/2 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp salt2 cups milk6 cups brewed coffee2 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips1 tsp vanilla extract Whisk in milk until blended Stir in coffee, chocolate chips, and vanilla Cover and cook until hot and flavors are blended, 1 to 2 hours on high or 2 to 4 hours on low Ladle into mugs to serveIn a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker or crock pot, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt until smoothNote: May be kept warm on the keep warm setting during a party or winter eveningEnjoy!

No commercial brand of coffee can compare in taste or aroma to one roasted at home from green beans. After Roasting, coffee beans give out carbon dioxide and loose most of their flavor in about two weeks less when ground. Hot air popcorn popper has to be the easiest way to roast coffee at home with out the use of expensive machines.

A hot air popcorn popper can be purchased at any major store for less than USD $30. However, a hot air pop corn popper that might do an awesome job with popcorn might not do the same for green coffee beans. After all, they were not built that purpose. Therefore, you need what to look forward when buying one for roasting coffee at home.

The first thing is to make sure that the slots were the hot air comes out is diagonal which ensures that the coffee beans to turn in a circular fashion. Hot air will flow around the beans better maintaining an even temperature through out.

One of the advantages of the hot air popper is that it will provide a consistent and uniform roast. Another one is that it is the easiest method to roast. Although, it will also blow any chaff away which will reduce the chance of fire or smoke, the chaff will be blown all over the place since it is so light weight. Another problem this method has is that might be hard to obtain the darker roasts like those needed to make espresso or a French roast.

To begin the roasting session, you will need:

- 4 to 6 ounces of green coffee bean.

- Hot air popcorn popper

- 1 colander

- Medium size bowl

The roasting process is quite simple. In fact, it was traditionally done by street vendors and stores by rotating rudimentary drum like devices over a charcoal pit or an open flame. As the bean roasts, it will eventually start to crack for the first time which is commonly referred to as the first crack. At this point, the bean maintains its character, and it can be served as an American style cup of coffee. If the roast is continued, then a second crack is achieved. At this point, the coffee beans are very dark and oily which give the strong flavor found in espresso cups. Alright let’s roast some coffee!

Roasting procedure:

- Place bowl under chute to catch the coffee chaff that will be produced once the coffee starts to crack. Make sure that you are setting up outside or in a well ventilated area.

- Place coffee beans in chamber. Use the same volume as recommended by the manufacturer and under no circumstance exceed that volume. Coffee beans will increase in size, and they will become lighter in weight due to loss of water content. Therefore, coffee beans will be expelled half done if there are too many of them.

- Start the hot air popcorn popper. You will start to see some smoke to come out this is due to oil in the beans, and it is normal. After a few minutes, you will start to hear the beans to crack which is commonly referred to as the first crack. You can continue until the second crack or stop here.

Finish the roasting session by taking the coffee out of the popper and place into a strainer. The coffee will continue to roast while in its cool off period. After the coffee is cool to the touch, it will need to be stored in a dry cool place. Coffee beans will expel carbon dioxide for up to 2 weeks, so make sure to store coffee in a container that allows the gas to escape. A brown paper sandwich bag should do the trick nicely. The coffee been can be ground and brewed at this point. I prefer to let the beans sit overnight. The flavor will change drastically until the second week after the roast. Thereafter, there will be little loss in flavor. Therefore, it is a good idea to plan your roasting sessions on your needs for the week. Enjoy!