On a hot summer afternoon coffee is often not the first thing you think of. But if you really need a little caffeine, then there is off course always still ice coffee. The name says it all: cold coffee!

Caffè freddo

Caffè freddo is nice on hot summer days because it is served cold. You make a caffè freddo by cooling an espresso shot through mixing it with ice in, for example, a (cocktail) shaker. After filtering the whole you serve your drink in a martini glass. On a good caffè freddo layes a thin layer of crema. Officially you wait drinking it until the end of dinner.

Caffè latte freddo

Caffè latte is equal to a normal caffè freddo, but served with extra milk. Actually it is an ice cold caffè latte.

Preparing ice coffee

This is how to make a good ice coffee:

Click on the link to read more about coffee machines.

Coffee and milk have always been a good combination. Especially if you find the taste of pure coffee too strong milk is a good addition. It ensures that the coffee gets milder and softer in taste.

Caffè latte

Caffè latte is made of one part of espresso and four parts of half hot or steamed milk. You should serve caffè latte in a thick transparent glass.

Café au lait

This is the French version of caffè latte and is almost the same, only filtered coffee is used instead of espresso. In France but also in Spain it is being drinked a lot at breakfast. In Spain the drink is called café con leche. Cafe au lait is being served in a small bowl.

Latte macchiato

Latte macchiato is made (as the name suggests) of milk with a dash of coffee. Actually it is more milk than coffee. A well-made latte macchiato is made up of several layers that are not mixed up.

Foaming milk

Watch the video to learn how to foam milk with your espresso machine:

Click on the link to read more about ice coffee.

The Italian coffee variant cappuccino was originally from Vienna. Vienna is also known as the coffee capital of Europe. Cappuccino comprises 1/3rd of espresso, milk and milk foam. According to your own preferences you can sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa powder on the cup of cappuccino. In Italy people drink cappuccino often at breakfast with a cornetto (sweet croissant).

Cappuccino

Cappuccino in traditional coffee countries has been seen for many years as part of breakfast. Nowadays we drink cappuccino at any time of day. The name cappuccino refers to the color of the habit (pillar) of marrowfat monks. These monks themselves got their name from the caps (cappuccio’) of their habit. Cappuccino consists of three equal parts espresso, hot milk and foam.

Cappuccino senza schiuma

This cappuccino variant consists out of cappuccino without foam. The drink is therefore actually only espresso and hot steamed milk. This is similar to a caffè latte.

Cappuccino chiaro and cappuccino scuro

Cappuccino chiaro contains a smaller proportion of coffee and a larger share of milk than in ordinary cappuccino. Because of this, the drink is also called light cappuccino or wet cappuccino. With cappuccino scuro you actually serve more espresso and less milk. This version is therefore darker.

Serving cappuccino

Watch the video to learn how to serve a nice cappuccino:

Click on the link to read more about coffee with milk.

Espresso is actually not a variation of a coffee drink; it is the name for a method of preparing coffee. With espresso, the coffee is -different than normally- being prepared in very short time under high pressure.

Espresso

Espresso is a concentrated shot of dark coffee (30 cc / ml) made from very finely ground coffee beans. You can recognize true espresso by a nice layer of light brown foamy crema. The crema is being created by the high pressure under which the water is being pressed through the coffee. The crema layer should be strong enough to carry a spoonful of sugar for a few seconds. The ideal water temperature is 93-96 °C. You should serve an espresso in a cup with a capacity of about 60 ml.

Espresso ristretto

This variation is made with the same amount of coffee as a regular espresso. There is less water used, at most 25 ml instead of 30 ml for normal espresso. This makes an espresso ristretto stronger than a normal espresso. Nevertheless it should be served in a normal sized cup as used for espresso.

Espresso doppio

An espresso doppio consists out of two times the normal dose of espresso, served in a cup of about 1.5 dl. The total volume of coffee is about 75-95 ml. In fact, an espresso doppio is nothing more than just a double espresso. But who would bother…?

Espresso macchiato

An espresso macchiato is a normal amount of regular espresso, served in a small glass or cup, with a tablespoon of hot foamed milk added to it. Macchiato in Italian means ‘marked’ or ‘stained’, through which it gave this drink its name.

Espresso con panna (espresso tazza d’oro)

This drink is similar to espresso macchiato, but instead of foamed milk, whipped cream is used. This makes it an extra luxury treat. To make the espresso macchiato even better (and why wouldn’t you) you could sprinkle some chocolate powder on top of the cream.

Espresso lungo (caffè americano, caffè grande)

An espresso lungo are also called caffè americano or caffè grande consists out of a normal espresso, complemented with hot water. The total volume is about 75-95 ml, equal to an espresso doppio, but of course less strong because of the added water. You should serve this drink in a normal cup or a cappuccino cup of 1.5 dl.

Espresso corretto

A corretto consists out of a normal amount of espresso complemented with a dash of alcohol or liqueur. In Italy, people often add a dash of grappa. Amaretto, brandy or sambuca is also an option. Corretto actually means ‘corrected’ in Italian, this way the drink got it’s name.

Espresso romano

Espresso romano is a normal cup of espresso, but served with a small piece of lemon peel. In some parts of the world -Brazil for example-, people use a slice of lemon. You rub the lemon peel on the edge of the cup to give it the lemon taste.

Preparing espresso

Watch this video to learn how to make a good espresso:

Click on the link to read more about cappuccino.

Read more about

• Espresso
• Cappuccino
• Coffee with milk
• Ice coffee

The robusta is stronger and more resistant to diseases and pests, and has a higher yield than arabica plants. Robusta accounts for less than 30% of world production. Green robusta beans are rounder and smaller but heavier than arabica beans and have a brownish green color.

Click on the link to get to know more about coffee variations.

The main arabica variants are:

• Typica
• Bourbon
• Kent
• Blue Mountain
• Mundo Novo (or mondo nuevo)
• Garnica
• Nibriza
• Caturra
• Catuai
• Pache Común
• Pache Colis
• Catimor
• Maragogype
• Amarello

Click the link to read more about robusta coffee.

The following pages are about:

• Arabica
• Robusta

The espresso pot can be found in almost every single Italian household. Also in the rest of the world the espresso pot is very well known. The ‘real’ espresso pots bear the name Moka Express of the company Bialetti. Alfonso Bialetti was the inventor of the espresso pot. These octagonal jars come in different sizes: from one cup size to pots for 18 cups.

Preparing coffee with an espresso coffee pot is quite simple. First fill the bottom with water, just until the pressure valve. Then place the funnel shaped filter bowl and fill it completely with very finely ground coffee. Do not press the coffee, just make sure that it is equally divided. Now screw the top firmly on the lower part. Make sure you keep the pot upright.

Place the pot now on a low heat source. When the water begins to boil, it will filter through the coffee to the upper part, where it is collected. Once you hear the water starts to fizz, immediately remove the pot from the heat source.

The standard espresso pots have the disadvantage that they are made of aluminum and therefore can react with acids in coffee, which of course does not improve the taste of your cup of coffee. Are you willing to spent a little more money, then buy a more expensive model made of stainless steel. Please note that the aluminum models cannot be rinsed with soap but only with hot water.

Click on the link to read more about coffee beans.

The vacuum pot was invented around 1840 by an engineer from Scotland, Robert Napier. Nowadays the vacuum pot is sometimes also being called Cona coffee maker, after the main manufacturer of the vacuum pot.

Preparing coffee with a vacuum pot is a pure attraction. This elegant device uses infusion instead of filtration.

How do you prepare coffee with a Cona coffee maker? First fill the lower bowl with hot water. Now place the other bowl on top of it, together with the dip tube and the plug that fits in. Turn on the vacuum pot (either equipped with a meths burner or working on electricity). Now put ground coffee in the upper bowl (about 10 tablespoons per liter of water). When the water begins to boil, it flows through the dip tube up to the upper bowl. When most of the water has flown up you can turn off the vacuum pot. Stir the coffee mixture for a second with a spoon and then let it all rest. The air in the lower bowl cools down and shrinks now (when air cools down it shrinks). This creates a vacuum, which sucks the liquid coffee back into the lower bowl while the coffee grounds remain in the upper bowl. Now you can disassemble the vacuum pot again and serve the coffee.

Preparing coffee with a vacuum pot is so fun and interesting, that it is ideal for preparing coffee at your diner table, to mark the end of a dinner. Disadvantage of the vacuum pot is that the bowls are very fragile and difficult to clean. Also, it takes rather long to prepare the coffee. But the real coffee lover surely does not mind …

Click on the link to read more about the espresso pot.

The percolator has for many years been an integral part of most households. The old types were being placed on a stove, while the more modern percolator works on electricity. The percolator was invented in early 20^th century.

The percolator consists of a metal jar which has a hollow metal tube. On top of it fits a perforated coffee can with as well a perforated lid. The operating principle is broadly in line with that of the coffee pot. The jar is filled with cold water. On here you place the coffee can, which you fill with ground coffee. On top of that you place the perforated lid, and finally the large lid. When the water gets to boiling, it flows up through the hollow tube and through the perforated lid and coffee.

The water then runs through the coffee and drops back to the bottom of the can. Here’s the difference with the espresso pot, in which the coffee is collected in the top. Make sure the coffee flows up only once through the tube and not again.

For this type of coffee it is best to use a medium grind. For each liter of water you need about 10 tablespoons of ground coffee. Do not use the percolator to keep the coffee warm, for this you can better use a thermos.

Click on the link to read more about the vacuum pot.

The ‘Napoletana’, or Neapolitan flip coffee pot is a French invention, although the Italians also believe that they have invented him. In France, the Neapolitan is being called café filtre. Actually, the Neapolitan is a filter device, because after reversing the water filters through the coffee. Especially for making small quantities of coffee, the Neapolitan is ideal.

The Neapolitan consists of two cylinders screwed on top of each other with a filter plate between where the coffee goes in. One of the cylinders has a pouring spout. Before you start preparing coffee you fill the cylinder that does not have a spout with water. On top of this you place the filter, which you fill with ground coffee. Now you screw the other cylinder on top of it, after which you can put the whole on a low – medium heat source. Wait until the water boils. Now you get the Neapolitan from the heat source and wait a few seconds, after which it can be flipped around. In about three minutes the water has dripped through the coffee filter and is ready to be poured.

Unfortunately, the Neapolitan is not commonly available and there are few people using it. This has to do with its use, which is not very simple. You can not just use any kind of ground coffee. Only coarser grinds can do the job. It is also often difficult to determine whether the water has the correct temperature for the Neapolitan to reverse.

If you are gonna buy a Neapolitan, make sure you choose a solid one, preferably made of stainless steel. The handles are best plastic, so you do not burn yourself. Please note that the filter plate should have small holes. If it has larger perforations, it is more likely that coffee powder falls through.

Click on the link to read more about the percolator.

If you want to prepare coffee in the most simple way then you use a coffee pot. A ceramic coffee pot is best for this purpose. Almost all types of coffee and roasting are fine for for this method of preparing coffee. A medium or perhaps a bit coarser grind of coffee is advisable.

Make sure first that the coffee pot is enough hot. Then put the ground coffee in the coffee pot. Rule of thumb is to use about 10 tablespoons of coffee per liter water. Of course, more or less is possible depending on personal preference.

Then pour water that just finished boiling (pure boiling water is too hot) on the coffee. Stir well, wait a few minutes, and the coffee is ready. Use a strainer to pour the coffee in the cups.

Click on the link to read more about the napoletana.

Coffee machines are devices that simplify the process of preparing coffee. There are simple coffee machines for sale but as well complex and sophisticated ones. Here we discuss the fully automatic espresso machines.

Fully automatic espresso machines

The fully automatic espresso machines are sophisticated devices. With the press of a button you (often) have a fairly good-quality espresso at the table. But in addition to espresso you can use an espresso coffee machine as well perfectly for preparing cappuccino and other coffee variations. A fully automatic coffee machine grinds exactly the right amount of beans for one shot. The coffee machine presses the ground coffee itself and ensures providing the correct amount of water.

After preparing the shot the coffee machine dumps the coffee sludge automatically in the internal waste container. Many devices also periodically perform their maintenance themselves!

Coffee grinder

The fully automatic coffee machine has a built in coffee grinder, whose fineness is almost always adjustable. Make sure you pay attention to this when you do your purchase! Most of the fully automatic coffee devices have steel disks, while more expensive versions have ceramic. The advantage of ceramic disks is that the coffee beans have a smaller chance of getting burned, and ceramic discs last longer.

By grinding the coffee more coarsely the coffee machine also makes nice ‘normal’ coffee. The water then runs more quickly through the ground coffee.

Many fully automatic espresso machines are also equipped with a reservoir for already ground coffee. Easy for example, for a decaffeinated cup of coffee now and then. Also, some machines have an option for pre-grinding. Then the coffee beans for the second cup of coffee are already ground while the first cup is still running.

Pre-infusion

Fully automatic espresso machines with pre-infusion make the ground coffee a little moist, just before the water is pressed through. This allows for better absorption of the coffee at the time that the actual infusion takes place. Pre-infusion also prevents ‘channel formation’; this is when the water only follows certain channels in the ground coffee instead of coming into contact with the entire coffee surface.

Water reservoir

What is also important when you purchase a fully automatic coffee machine, is the size of the water reservoir. The bigger, the less often you’ll need to fill it. Convenient, when the whole house is full with guests on birthdays… Fresh water is however of great importance for the taste of coffee!

Also the quality of the water is very important. Hard water is bad for the duration of the coffee machine and also prevents the coffee to get its optimal taste. By using soft water, the coffee tastes better and the coffee machine does not need descaling. The true coffee lover might consider purchasing a water softener. It is certainly worth the investment!

Heating mechanism

Most fully automatic coffee machines are equipped with a thermo block. This is a cube of metal tubes that are heated while water is pumped through. Make sure you buy a coffee machine with a brass thermo block. These last the longest and are least sensitive to scale. Cheaper thermo block are made of aluminum and last less long and can corrode.

Instead of a thermo block your coffee machine can also be equipped with a boiler. This is a small tank with a heater in it or around it. A boiler lasts a little longer to heat up.

Today, many coffee machines have two independent heating mechanisms. Now, you can simultenously prepare coffee and steam milk, which reduces the preparation time of cappuccino and other coffee drinks. Often a thermo-block is used for coffee and a boiler for steam consumption.

Spout for frothing / heating milk

Almost every automated coffee machine has a steam spout for frothing milk, for example for cappuccino. Some machines have a tube which can be directly stuck into a milk carton. The device then sucks up the milk, foams it and places it into the coffee cup.

Most coffee machines also have, besides the steam function, an option for hot water. Convenient for, for example, a quick cup of tea. Make sure the spout is kept clean, nobody likes dirty remains of milk…

Hot plate

Many, but not all, fully automatic espresso machines have an electric hot plate on top. More cheap coffee machines make use of the ‘residual’ heat of the coffee machine, while the more expensive machines have a separate heating system for this.

Options

When you purchase a fully automatic coffee machine make sure you know what the machine can and cannot do. Can you set the device to turn on automatically in the morning? Is the coffee and water quantity adjustable? Can you adjust the coffee temperature? Is the water hardness adjustable?

Some options might be redundant for you, but make sure you are well informed.

Click the link to view the ten steps to the perfect home-made espresso.

Preparing coffee ‘al fresco’ is -together with the coffeepot- one of the easiest ways to prepare coffee. Al fresco is Italian for ‘in the cold’ or ‘in the open air’ and describes exactly how this method of preparing coffee is once invented: outside above a fire.

What do you need for an al fresco coffee? A casserole, a measuring cup and a strainer. Measure with the measuring cup the desired amount of water (plus some extra for the absorption), put it in the casserole and place it on the fire. Add the ground coffee just before the water begins to boil. Rule of thumb is 10 tablespoons per liter of water. Use a medium or slightly coarser grind. Using a fine grind will leave a bit of coffee dregs behind in each cup.

Remove the pot from the fire immediately after adding the ground coffee and start stirring. Let the whole rest for about 4 minutes (3 minutes using a fine grind) before using a strainer to pour the coffee into the cups.

Click on the link to read more about the coffee pot.

Preparing coffee with a cafetière is relatively simple. The advantage of a cafetière compared to e.g. preparing coffee ‘al fresco’ or with a coffee pot, is that you do not need a separate strainer. The best grind for this method of preparing coffee is medium. If you do not have a medium grind available, then a finer grind is also possible but then the preparation time should be shortened accordingly.

Make sure first that the glass cafetière is warm and dry. Firstly, put the dry ground coffee in the cafetière. Rule of thumb is to use on average 10 tablespoons of coffee per liter water. Now pour almost boiling or just boiled water on top of the coffee.

Then stir the whole well. Put the plunger with the lid on the cylinder. Let the coffee rest for about 4 minutes, or slightly shorter (3 min) when using a fine grind. Then slowly push the plunger down so that the coffee grounds residue on the soil. Finally serve the coffee as soon and hot as possible.

Disadvantage of a cafetière is that it is not so easy to clean. The coffee dregs can stuff up in the strainer or on the edges. Make sure to clean the whole cafetière after each use because otherwise coffee grounds remains behind resulting in a rancid flavor of the next coffee.

Click on the link to read more about Al fresco.

The most popular and common form of preparing coffee is with a quick filter. They use a paper filter. The hot water percolates through the ground coffee into the filter and by doing that it slowly fills the can that is standing underneath it. Preparing coffee with a quick filter works best with coffee beans that are ground with a medium coarseness.

There are both manual filter devices, as one cup electrical filters and filter machines. The great advantage of preparing coffee with a quick filter is that (the name says it all) it takes little time. There is little equipment needed and it does not produce a mess all over your kitchen sink.

Both paper filters can be used as a permanent filter. Where a paper filter has a preference when it comes to taste, because in a permanent filter the coffee grinds may silt up which gives the coffee a nasty taste. Rule of thumb is that you at least use 50% of the filter capacity. Otherwise, the coffee layer is too thin and the water will flow through too quickly, which is not likely to benefit the taste of the coffee.

Actually, the well known Philips Senseo coffee machine uses a filter method. The disadvantage of a Senseo is that much material (filter) is being wasted and that the used coffee pads are quite expensive. Moreover you can not prepare large quantities. On the other hand, this might be sometimes an advantage: for a quick cup of coffee, the Senseo is ideal.

Click on the link to read more about the cafetière.

The goal I have in mind with koffie-weetjes.nl is to make visitors that became interested in coffee even more enthusiastic. I try to do that with as much as possible information about coffee and everything that is connected to it. I always try to keep in mind that reading about coffee should in the first place be fun and interesting.

I used to have a modest piston espresso machine, the Gaggia New Baby Twin, which I was very happy with. It combined a beautiful appearance (a lot of pretty stainless steel and a sleek touch-pad) with proper technique. The espresso that I was able to prepare with it tasted very good. Nevertheless at a given moment I switched to a fully automatic espresso machine -mostly because of the time it took to prepare coffee-, which became the DeLonghi ESAM3400.

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Or you just can’t succeed in making a good espresso?

You know you are doing something wrong, but you do not know exactly what?

Then now download here:

‘Ten steps to the perfect home-made espresso’

Click on the link to watch barista tips.

Watch here interesting video clips with barista tips. Unfortunately they are all in Dutch, but nevertheless you probably will understand what is explained in them.

The videos are being presented by Jeroen Veldkamp, multiple barista champion of the Netherlands.

How an espresso machine works

This video explains the various parts and functions of an espresso machine, including the boiler and brewing head.

Preparing espresso

In this long instruction video Jeroen talks about dosing and grinding of coffee beans, the use of a tamper and porta filter, and under- and over extraction. Then he shows how an espresso is prepared, followed by a cappuccino, espresso macchiato, cafe latte and a latte macchiato.

Frothing milk

Jeroen shows how to best froth milk. He explains why it is better to use full fat milk (because of proteins and fats). Also he tells more about the steam pipe and steam tip, and the best type of milk jug. Finally, he talks about stretching and swirling.

Rinsing an espresso machine

In the last video Jeroen explains how to maintain an espresso machine. First it is about daily maintenance, like flushing and cleaning the brew head(s) and back flushing using a special filter in your filter holder. Jeroen also talks about periodical maintenance, like degreasing and cleaning of the shower and the piston(s).

Read more about:

• Quick Filter
• Cafetière
• Al Fresco
• Coffee Pot
• Napoletana (Neapolitan flip coffee pot)
• Percolator
• Vacuum Pot
• Espresso Pot (Moka)

Best is to grind your coffee yourself. A good coffee grinder is very important in grinding coffee. Coarseness and uniformity of the grind is important. There are different types of coffee mills for sale.

But first, how the coffee beans should be ground? This is very important. The right grind depends on the type of coffee you want to prepare. Practice makes perfect only through trial-and-error and a lot of tasting. Here are some basic rules:

• For espresso you need grind as fine as possible;
• For regular coffee, the coffee beans are ground coarser;
• Do you think the coffee tastes too weak? Try a finer grind, so the water needs more time to go get through the coffee;
• Is the coffee too strong or too bitter? Then try to make the grind coarser.

Hand grinders

For a long time people used to grind their coffee themselves at home with a hand mill. These are squared (often made of wood) mills with a small content. Often, no more grind fits in than for one pot of coffee. These hand mills are relatively cheap. Grinding with a hand mill is nevertheless a time consuming task.

The result of these mills is very good though. In particular, the fineness of the grinds is excellent. The fineness can be set, from medium to coarse to fine. Quality hand mills are produced by e.g. PeDe, DEVE, Armin Trosser, Zassenhaus, Lehnartz, KyM and Peugeot.

Turkish coffee mills

The real coffee guru has a Turkish coffee mill at home. The Turkish mill is called the king of coffee mills. In Turkey and the Middle East, this type of mill is commonly used. The mills are tall, made of copper and bronze and therefore often heavy. Under the cap (which you can screw off) are the beans. The grind is being collected in the bottom of the mill. This collection reservoir can also be unscrewed. Turkish coffee should be ground very fine, something that a Turkish coffee mill can do like no other.

The gradation of the coffee fineness can be set by the adjustment screw on top of the mill.

Electric coffee grinders

There are several types of electric coffee mills for sale. The older type includes propeller blades. These blades ‘slamm’ the coffee beans into pieces. These mills have two major disadvantages. Firstly, the evenness of the grinding result is very poor, resulting in poor coffee. Larger grinds are being wasted because the water cannot really penetrate into them, while the finer particles saturate too quickly and can result in a bitter taste. Secondly, the mill can only be run for a short time to prevent scorch coffee beans by overheating.

The real barista has a mill with metal disks. But again there are big differences in quality. Often going for cheap is the wrong choice. Coffee grinders with cheap disks do not always deliver the desired result. Most electric coffee mills grind the coffee beans with a good uniformity. Although they often make much noise, it is worth investing in a good mill. Most of these mills have a wheel or button with which the desired gradation can be set. Experiment with this until you have found the desired result.

Some coffee grinders with metal disks have an espresso dosing mechanism where you can ‘plug in’ your machine’s filter holder. The filter will be automatically filled to the desired quantity. This prevents messing around with scoops or measuring cups, and you do not need to grind more beans than is strictly necessary, so freshly ground coffee is always guaranteed!

Click on the link to read more about preparing coffee.

On the following pages you can read more about, for example:

• Grinding coffee
• Preparing coffee

Coffee is, next to oil, the most important trading commodity in the world. Coffee is mainly consumed in the “rich West” while most of the production takes place in economically less developed countries.

The following ten countries are the largest coffee-producing countries in the world. The figures are based on the number of bags of produced coffee. A bag represents 60 kg of green (unroasted) coffee.

Brazil (22.5 million bags)
After coffee was introduced from French Guiana in the early 18th century, coffee spread and flourished rapidly in Brazil. Today Brazil is responsible for approximately one third of the global coffee production, making it by far the most important coffee country in the world. Although many experts believe that Brazil’s emphasizes quantity too much and quality too less, there is also much praise for some finer coffee varieties. Brazil is the only country in the world’s top coffee producing countries, which suffers from periodic frosts. The devastating frost in 1975 came as a blessing for other coffee producing countries. Two frosts in 1994 increased global coffee prices.
Known coffees: Bahia, Bourbon, Santos.

Colombia (10.5 million bags)
Colombia is the only South American country with ports on both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. This is invaluable for the coffee industry. The economic importance of coffee for Colombia is so big that all vehicles entering the country are disinfected to prevent harmful bacteria to get access to coffee farms. Colombian coffee grows in the moist, temperate foothills of the Andes, where the combination of high altitude and moist climate provides a very mild coffee blend.
Known coffees: Medellin, Supremo, Bogotá.

Indonesia (6.7 million bags)
The Dutch unconsciously nicknamed coffee in the late 17th century, when they launched the first successful European coffee plantation on the island colony of Java (now part of Indonesia). Today still top quality Arabica coffee is being produced in Java, as in Sumatra, Sulawesi and Flores, but the Indonesian archipelago is still the most remarkable in that it is the world’s largest producer of robusta beans.
Known coffee: Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi (Celebes).

Vietnam (5.8 million bags)
French missionaries first brought coffee to Vietnam in the mid 1860s, but production remained negligible until about 1980. In the 1990s, the Vietnamese coffee production increased very rapidly. The production grew so quickly that concerns arose about quality control because the human and machine processing capacity was not able to keep up with the growth rate of the coffee crop.
Known coffee: Vietnam specializes in the production of robusta species.

Mexico (5 million bags)
Coffee came from the Antilles to Mexico at the end of the 18th century, but was not exported in large quantities until the 1870s. Today about 100,000 small businesses produce the most Mexican coffee, most of which are located in southern Mexico. Mexico is the largest source of U.S. coffee imports.
Known coffees: Altura, Liquidambar MS, Pluma, Coixtepec.

Ethiopia (3.8 million bags)
Ethiopia is the home of the Arabica tree, good for many legends about the origin of coffee. Ethiopia is Africa’s largest arabica exporter and also the number one of the continent in terms of domestic coffee consumption. Approximately 12 million Ethiopians are engaged in coffee production, processing and trade. According to one legend, the name coffee comes from a derivation of “Kaffa”, the name of an Ethiopian province.
Known coffees: Harrar, Sidamo, Yirgacheffe.

India (3.8 million bags)
According to legends, India is the birthplace of coffee cultivation east of Arabia. Today coffee production is under the strict control of the Indian Coffee Board. Groups of experts believe this reduces economic incentive and thereby decreases the coffee quality.
Known coffees: Mysore, Malabar Monsooned.

Guatemala (3.5 million bags)
German immigrants in the 19th century were responsible for the start of a significant coffee cultivation in Guatemala. Today the high grown coffees, especially those grown in the southern volcanic slopes, are among the best in the world.
Known coffees: Atitlan, Huehuetenango.

Ivory Coast (3.3 million bags)
In the mid 1990s, Côte d’Ivoire was the fifth largest coffee producer in the world and the third largest producer of robusta. Why the decline? Connoisseurs say that the emphasis on quantity and a lack of investment and planning negatively affected the quality; therefore also reducing the productivity per acre. Today most coffee exported ends up in mass-produced coffees in Europe, especially in France and Italy.
Known coffees: the Ivory Coast specializes in robusta coffee.

Uganda (3 million bags)
Although Uganda grows very little arabica, it is a major producer of robusta. The robusta species account for 75 percent of export earnings of the country and employs 80 percent of all Ugandan workers. Despite efforts to diversify, Uganda will probably long remain totally dependent on coffee production.
Known coffees: Bugisu.

Click on the link to read more about drinking coffee.

The coffee plant belongs to the Coffea gender. There are more than 60 different types of coffee, but for commercial purposes, the Coffea Arabica (Arabica) and Coffea Canephora (Robusta) are the most important.

The coffee plant

In some parts of Africa the coffee plants still grows in the wilderness, mainly at the Ivory Coast, in Uganda and in Zaire. Depending on the type of plant, the coffee tree can reach a height of 10 to 15 meters. On coffee plantations, however, continual pruning prevents the trees from growing taller than 1.5 to 3 metres. This guarantees a high yield and makes harvesting easier.

The leaves of the coffee plant are broad, dark green and shiny, similar to that of a Camellia bush. The blossoms are white and star-shaped and resemble the flowers of the Jasmine Tree, both in terms of fragrance, color and appearance.

Harvesting

Trees blossom over a six- to eight-week period in countries such as Brazil and Mexico. But in the countries situated along the equator such as Kenya and Colombia, a coffee tree can have blossoms, ripening fruit and mature berries (called cherries) on the same branch at the same time. Coffee pickers must go over the trees again and again to pick only the perfectly ripe berries. Because harvesting is so labor intensive, it’s one of the most expensive steps in coffee processing.

The time between blossom and harvest averages eight to nine months, depending on the altitude and prevailing weather conditions. Coffee plants produce for about 20 to 25 years, yielding about 2,000 beans per year, which is about one kilogram of raw coffee per year. With modern cultivation methods the harvest in a good year lies between 3,000 and 4,000 kg per hectare.

Green coffee

The coffee bean is the seed of the berry. It resembles a cranberry and has a sweet pulp, protected by a membrane called parchment and a silky thin membrane called silverskin. Coffee beans are actually the two flat-sided seeds inside the cherry. Unprocessed coffee is called green coffee.

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Coffee has a long history. The history of coffee begins somewhere between 575 and 850. It is believed that Ethiopian and Kenyan tribes took coffee seeds on their journey to Arabia. Other coffee history connoisseurs believe that the Arab Sufis, a mystical Islamic sect, brought the coffee seeds back of their incursions from Ethiopia. Literature confirms that the Sufi master Ali ben Omar al Shadili was responsible for it. The Arab Al Shadili established a monastery in the Yemeni port of Mocha (Al Mokha), after which he became familiar with coffee and later brought it back to Arabia. Soon they discovered that coffee is not only a good cure against fatigue and sleepiness, but it also tasted delicious.

Like the creation of coffee, there has been much discussion about the first application of coffee. We know from writings of European explorers and botanists that the Ethiopians at that time chew on raw coffee beans. Also during those times the coffee beans were already ground, but instead of mixing the ground with water it was mixed with animal fat. They then made small balls of it, which served as energy source during yourneys. It is also a known fact that people used to make wine from the juice of coffee berries. The wine was called quahwah, which later also became the name of the coffee as we know it nowadays.

Coffee was initially used only as part of a religious ceremony or as a medicine. It was prescribed for the weirdest ailments, like gout and kidney stones.

The history of coffee yet did not came to an end. After the coffee became a common drink in Arabia, coffee has spread to countries like Egypt, Syria, Persia and Turkey. It lasted until the end of the 16th century till coffee became known in Europe. The Venetians were the first to trade in coffee with the Arabs. Soon after that the Dutch became interested in the coffee trade. A Dutch merchant managed to steal a coffee plant from Mecca, and took it to the East Indian colony of Java to start experimenting with it. Soon coffee plantations were established on Sumatra, Timor, Bali and Sulawesi. The real breakthrough of coffee in Europe started in 1715 after the mayor of Amsterdam gave a coffee plant as a gift to Louis XIV. Hence, France at that period, became the largest coffee producer and consumer.

Years later coffee became widespread in many regions in the world. The collonists and missionaries were the main distributors of coffee. During those times many coffee houses established, where the elite enjoyed the delicious drink. Gradually coffee became more and more important. Today, coffee is the second most traded product on the world market, after petroleum.

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The coffee bean is actually a mature seed of the cherry of the coffee plant. The coffee plant grows in different continents and is in different ways harvested.

Coffee history

Coffee has over the years made a mysterious journey. After it has been discovered in Ethiopia, the coffee bean spread through Arabia and the Middle East.

Coffee production

A coffee plant begins to bear berries after about five years. After harvesting of the coffee the berries are stripped of the outer layer. The berries can be both wet and dry processed.

Coffee countries

Coffee is grown around the globe, but mainly in countries in the areas of Central America and the Caribbean, Africa, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia and South America.

Grinding coffee

The real coffee lover grinds his beans himself. For example with an old hand grinder, with a Turkish coffee grinder or with an electric mill. A good grinder is very important…

Preparing coffee

The main factors in the coffee are the coarseness of the ground, the water quality and temperature, the ratio of coffee – water and the contact time. The Italians like to speak of the 4 M’s.

Coffee beans

The most popular coffees are the arabica and robusta. Arabica takes about 70% of the global production on his behalf. The Jamaica Blue Mountain is one of the most expensive coffees.

Coffee variations

Cappuccino, latte, cafe au lait, espresso, caffè macchiato, caffè Freddo … Just a few of countless delicious coffees. But what is the difference between one and the other kind of coffee?

Coffee machines

There are numerous coffee machines on the market. From simple to fully automatic espresso coffee machines. Read about tips for choosing the right machine.

The coffee bean is actually a mature seed of the cherry of the coffee plant. The coffee plant grows in different parts of the world. After harvesting of the coffee berries, they are stripped of its outer layer.

After the beans are dried, they are roasted. Now the sugars in the coffee bean caramalize which creates the coffee oil which is responsible for the aroma and flavor of the bean. There are different degrees of roasting, from light to very dark roasted.

After roasting the beans are grounded. You can choose to buy ground coffee, but you can also grind your coffee yourself. Again various degrees of grinding are possible, from very fine (for espresso or filter coffee) to half fine.

Finally follows the preparing of the coffee. There are several ways to prepare coffee. You can make coffee with an ibrik, a percolator, a cafetière, a boiler or a fully automatic coffee machine.

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Coffee… Almost everyone drinks it, several cups per day. But what exactly is coffee? Where does it come from, how is it discovered, how is it grown and how did it became so popular?

Coffee is a hot beverage prepared from roasted seeds, also called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee berries that grow on coffee plants in over 70 countries. The caffeine content of coffee can have a stimulating effect on our body.

We never really think about it, but that black liquid in your cup in the morning is a remarkable thing. Coffee is the most popular beverage on earth after water. According to the World Food Bank, there are no less than 500 million people directly or indirectly involved in the global coffee trade. Coffee is the most traded commodity on the planet after petroleum. Yet most people do not know exactly what coffee is, and will therefore not know exactly how to prepare the best cup of coffee.

Everyone recognizes a roasted coffee bean, but unless you’ve lived or traveled in a coffee producing country, chances are that you do not recognize a coffee plant when you see him.
A cultivating coffee plant is cut short, but in the wild coffee plants can grow more than 30 feet high. A coffee plant is covered with dark-green, waxy leaves that grow in opposite pairs.

The coffee berries grow on the branches of the plant. After flowering of the white blossoms, it takes almost one year for a cherry starts to ripen. As the plant grows in a continuous cycle, it is not unusual for a plant to simultaneously carry both flowers, as green and ripe berries.

Coffee plants can become approximately 20 to 30 years old and are able to grow in a wide range of climates, as long as no violent fluctuations in temperature occur. The coffee plant prefers a rich soil and mild temperatures, with frequent rain and light sun.

People in the coffee world talk a lot about the “seed-to-cup chain”, a seemingly insurmountable series of events from the selection of cultivare plants to the coffee being served, which all together determine whether your coffee tastes like heaven, or just like poo.

Think of the planting, the long-term care of the plants, the level and quality of soil, the climate, the care being paid to harvesting, the rough travel of export, the process of grinding coffee and the competence of the barista. For the perfect cup of coffee all these steps should be perfect.

Finding a good cup of coffee can be difficult, and finding the perfect cup of coffee even virtually impossible. The enormous amount of brands, styles, certifications, labels and production methods make it even more confusing. On this site you already find some tips that can help prepare a delicious cup of coffee.

On the following pages you can read more about:

• What is coffee
• Coffee history
• Coffee production
• Coffee countries