Though the FDA enlisted caffeine as a substance safe for consumption, consuming a high concentration is harmful for health. In some people, caffeine intake causes certain adverse effects like headache, sleep disorder, nervousness and irritability. Considering the various caffeine side effects, it is very important for us to learn the pros and cons of caffeine intake and the amount of caffeine in coffee and other beverages.

Caffeine Content in Coffee
The diuretic and stimulative properties of caffeine induce certain metabolic effects. Hence, consuming caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, soft drinks and energy drinks aids in overcoming drowsiness and increasing alertness. The ingested caffeine is not retained in the body, but its effects are observed after 15 minutes and last for as long as 6 hours. This is the reason as to why, many people state that they cannot start their day without a cup of coffee in the morning. So, are you aware about the amount of caffeine content in a cup of coffee?

The amount of caffeine content in coffee varies significantly based on the coffee type and the mode of brewing. The usual drip-brewed coffee contains approximately 100-135 mg per cup (8 ounce size), while the espresso contains about 30 mg per ounce coffee and instant coffee contains about 95 mg per cup (8 ounce size). On a general note, drinking two to three brewed coffee cups a day is not harmful for people who are not hypersensitive to caffeine. Read more on nutrition facts for coffee.

Caffeine Sensitivity
Caffeine sensitivity is the term that refers to the body’s responses towards caffeine intake. To be precise, the amount of caffeine that stimulates a person may vary, depending upon the body size and the sensitivity. The smaller the size of the individual, the lesser is the caffeine amount to produce effects and vice versa. People who take coffee several times a day require more concentration of caffeine than first time coffee drinkers to experience the same effect.

Decaffeinated Coffee and Other Products
It is to be borne in mind that decaffeinated coffee also contains caffeine. Nevertheless, the amount of caffeine in decaffeinated coffee is comparatively lesser (about 5-7 mg per 8 ounce cup) than the regular coffee. In medical science, caffeine is administered as a mild diuretic and cardiac stimulant. Commercially, caffeine is extracted as a white, crystalline and bitter powder, which is then used in various processed food items and pharmaceutical products. For example, pain killers, diet pills and common cold medications are formulated by using caffeine in specific concentrations.

For more information regarding caffeine effects on the body refer to:

• Negative Effects of Caffeine on the Body
• Caffeine Withdrawal Remedy

Overall, caffeine is a highly addictive substance and is referred to as a commonly consumed drug. It works in the same brain stimulating mechanism as that of other strong drugs, but in a subtle way. As per studies, ingesting a very high dose of caffeine is fatal. Taking 10 gm of caffeine, which accounts to 170mg/kg of the body weight can lead to life-threatening symptoms. To be on the safer side, take a note of the caffeine content in coffee and keep it minimum, not more than 2-3 cups per day.

By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani

Have you seen the one cup coffee maker? You may wonder what’s so great about them. Why use them to make only one cup of coffee when you can get a cheaper coffee maker that makes up to 12 cups at a time?

First of all with the 12 cup coffee maker you may use it to make enough for six cups but end up drinking only two cups. The rest is poured down the drain. Then you have to dump out the grinds and if you aren’t careful it can be a real mess.

With a one cup coffee maker, you don’t need to mess around with coffee grinds. These machines take a sealed cartridge containing pre-measured coffee and a special built in filter. Hot pressurized water is injected into these cartridges and out the other end comes the coffee. After the cup of coffee is made, the cartridge is removed and dumped without the need to clean up anything.

Regular coffee makers may take up to five minutes or more to brew a pot of coffee. For the one cup coffee maker, a hot cup of coffee is brewed in less than a minute.

Unlike using a regular coffee pot were you can only make one flavor at a time, these cartridges or pods come in a variety of coffee flavors so drinkers have more choices They can drink a cup of one flavor and maybe one hour later, try a totally different flavor.

So these one cup coffee makers standout when compared to regular coffee makers because they are easy to use and maintain plus they give coffee drinkers a variety of flavors to choose from.

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India produces two fine coffees, but even among coffee devotees – at least in America – they remain relatively unknown and un-drunk. That’s too bad. They deserve to be extolled for the romance attached to them, if nothing else; happily, they also taste pretty good as well.

According to legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia. The first big coffee craze, though, occurred in Arabia, where by the 13th century Muslims were brewing and drinking huge quantities of it. Travelers from Arabia took the beans with them wherever they went – beans deliberately made infertile, allegedly, by parching or boiling. Because of this strict export control policy, it is claimed that no coffee seed sprouted outside Africa or Arabia until the 17th century.

Enter (or exit, as the case may be) one Baba Budan – one of the great heroes in the history of coffee, in my opinion. Wrapping up a pilgrimage to Arabia from his native land of India, Budan left Mecca with several fertile coffee beans strapped to his belly. From those beans sprouted the first coffee trees to be grown in India, as well as an agricultural industry that could no longer be contained to one small part of the world.

For romance, though, nothing in the world of coffee, to my mind, beats the story of Monsooned Malabar, one of the two coffees for which India is known today.

The British began the modern commercial cultivation of coffee on the hills of southern India, along the Malabar coast, a century-and-a-half ago. The coffee grown there was packed raw into the holds of wooden ships and sent on a six-month trip, around the Cape of Good Hope, to the coffee houses and shops of Europe. On such a long journey, and in such vessels, the beans inevitably became exposed to almost constant humidity. That humidity turned the beans pale gold and leached them of their acidity. When the coffee finally reached its destination it had been considerably mellowed – and Europeans loved it.

Progress eventually intervened, though, to temporarily deny the coffee drinkers of Europe their beloved aged Indian bean. The opening of the Suez Canal made the trip from the Malabar Coast much shorter. And, the coffee began to be shipped in modern steel vessels. These developments conspired to deprive the coffee beans of the prolonged exposure to humidity which had been responsible for their distinctive flavor.

To meet the demand for the old style of coffee from Malabar, some growers hit on a simple but ingenious solution. They would duplicate the moist conditions of the old sea voyage by exposing their beans to the Indian monsoon. Thus, Monsooned Malabar.

The monsooning process is a long one – and actually fairly labor intensive. First, the coffee to be monsooned is stored in a special warehouse to await the monsoon season. When the time comes, the sides of the warehouse are opened, allowing the wet monsoon winds to circulate around the beans. The beans may also be raked or hand-turned on the floor of the warehouse to assist in the process. Monsooning takes 12 to 16 weeks. During this time the beans swell to twice their picked size and turn that signature pale golden color.

The taste of Monsooned Malabar coffee is usually described in terms such as musty, earthy, corky and woody. Some writers have called it “mellow” yet “aggressive” at the same time! All agree that it has a polarizing quality – you’ll either adore it or detest it. Maybe I just haven’t had enough cups yet to really judge, but in my opinion the taste is not as idiosyncratic as all that. Musty, maybe, put not off-puttingly so. I think that many people would enjoy it, not just those of us who enjoy seeking out the more unusual offerings of the coffee world. And again, for my part, the fascinating story behind this particular coffee makes up for any deficiency in the cup.

Unfortunately, you still can’t find Monsooned Malabar just anywhere. Ordering it by mail is still the best bet for most of us. Oddly enough, until very recently it was easier to acquire green (unroasted) Malabar coffee beans than roasted ones. My first cup came from beans that I roasted at home, myself, in a popcorn popper. There are many resources on the Web for anyone interested in getting into home coffee roasting, an enjoyable hobby in its own right.

There are a few coffee sellers on the Web now who offer roasted Monsooned Malabar and similarly exotic or hard-to-find beans. In the case of Malabar (as opposed, say, to geunine Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain), the price actually compares quite favorably with more mundane or “normal” coffees. If you like traveling the world in a coffee cup – and especially if you’d like to drink something with a bit of romance to it – you owe it to yourself to get your hands on some Monsooned Malabar. By the way, if you drink a lot of espresso, you might have had some Malabar coffee without knowing; some expresso producers include it in their so-called exotic blends.

India’s other major coffee variety comes from the Mysore region (now the state of Karnakata). Called Indian Mysore, Mysore Nuggets, Mysore Straight, or simply Mysore, it makes a rich and spicy cup of coffee that at its best may be termed “sweet” — a word you would never hear applied to Monsooned Malabar. Interestingly enough, though, Mysore coffee also gets its unique taste from being exposed to the monsoon wind and rain, which pump up the beans with moisture and smooth out their flavor. The difference may be simply that in the case of the Malabar, the monsoon exposure is purposely carried to an extreme.

Mysore coffee is also becoming easier to find in the United States, although most people will still have to seek out a reliable seller on the Web. It’s definitely worth finding and trying some. According to some connoisseurs, Indian Mysore at its best is among the finest coffees produced anywhere.

About The Author

Steve Smith is a writer and editor living near Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He serves as webmaster for his daughter’s Web site, Send Me to India (http://www.sendmetoindia.com)

Are you like many people who need that cup of coffee to boost your energy before you rush to work? If yes, then automatic coffee makers are definitely the choice for you.

With our current hectic lifestyle, it is very common to find people scrambling around the first thing in the morning trying to kick start their day by making their coffee. And in the process, many people feels very hurried as they tried to wash up, shower and yet keep a close watch on their coffee machines.

That’s why automatic coffee makers come in handy.

These types of coffee machines can help to ease the frustration of many people by automating the process of coffee making. All you need to do is to set the timer and add everything the previous night before. With such a coffee maker, you no longer need to wake up earlier and struggle with your old manual coffee maker.

And if you want to have a freshly aromatic coffee, you can choose those automatic coffee makers that come with a grind and brew feature. These type of models can pound the coffee beans just the way you wanted.

Another type of automatic coffee maker you can take a closer look is the thermal carafe. A thermal carafe coffee machine can retain the warmth and heat for a longer time than traditional coffee makers. Hence, you can rest assured that the coffee remains hot and sizzling enough for you even after a few hours.

If you are looking for a family oriented coffee maker, I would strongly recommend you to choose automatic coffee brewers that come with automatic hot water feature.

Such type of coffee pots can deliver fresh hot water in a few mere minutes.

The convenience of such coffee makers means that you can do away with the filter, and all the work need from you is to activate the button for the hot pot of coffee to appear before you and your family.

Besides the above, there are many other functions and models of coffee makers from you to choose from. You can try espresso, steam milk or even cappuccino style coffee brewers. Whatever choices you make, take note that the prices of these machines can vary according to the functions and features you choose.

For most people who are looking for an affordable automatic coffee makers, you can find cheap and inexpensive ones for as little as below $50. For those that has more features such as grind and brew, able to make cappuccino and so on, expect to pay as much as twenty times above that. (that is $1000 and above).

Remember, choosing the coffee machine is an important decision that requires much research and homework. Think of it as an investment and not as a cost. By choosing the right coffee makers, you will find the payback extremely rewarding when you savor the taste of the coffee before you start the day each morning.

Zach has been writing online for 4 years. He contributes regularly to several coffee makers websites. If you need more information to help you make the right choice, visit Coffee Maker Wizard website for information on the best 4 cup coffee makers. You will also find consumer reviews to help you choose the ideal single cup coffee makers.

COFFEE SPECIES – TYPES
While there are about 25 major species within the Genis “Coffea” there are only two main species that are cultivated for commercial coffee consumption; Coffea Arabica (Arabica), pronounced either a-rã-bik-a or ar-a-bë-ka and Coffea canephora (refered to as Robusta). Via a process of grafting, many cultivars have been developed from these species in an effort to boost production volumes, increase disease resistance or improve cup quality.

Arabica
ARABICA was first found growing naturally on the Arabian Peninsula in the country of Ethiopia (previously Abyssinia) in 1753. It was the earliest cultivated species of coffee tree (in Yemen) and is still the most common coffee species that is grown for commercial purposes.

It contributes about 70% of today’s coffee bean market and is considered dramatically superior in cup quality to other species, including Coffea Canephora (Robusta). All fine, specialty, and fancy grade coffees come from the Coffea Arabica species.

There are many cultivars of the Coffea Arabica tree but the two most prominent ones are Typica and Bourbon with Typica being the oldest Arabica. Historically, Typica was cultivated in Latin America and Asia, whereas bourbon arrived in South America and, later, East Africa via the French colony of Bourbon (Reunion).

Robusta
ROBUSTA was discovered growing wild in the Belgian Congo (Zaire or Republic of Congo) in 1898. The name Robusta was originally the trade name of a Belgian horticultural house who marketed the species early in the 20th century after the Frenchman Emil Laurent had brought it to their attention.

The name is said to reflect the more robust nature of the taste and kick that it is noted for delivering. It is the second most widely cultivated coffee tree currently producing about 25-30% of the world’s coffee beans.

Generally recognised as having a lower quality taste than the Arabica bean which is why typically it is found in jars of instant coffee and supermarket cans of coffee. However, astute coffee roasters will add between 5-15% quality Robustas to a fine espresso blend to help give the coffee taste that morning ‘boost’.

Liberica
LIBERICA – is another commercial coffee species but it represents less than 2% of the world’s production volumes. It is comparable to Coffee Robusta and originates from the low altitude growing areas of West African.

It grows as a large strong tree, up to 18 metres in height, with large leathery leaves. The fruits and seeds (beans) are also large and more ‘boat’ shaped than the oval and round Arabica and Robusta respectively. Liberica coffee is grown primarily in Malaysia and in West Africa, but only very small quantities are traded as demand for its flavour characteristics are low.

For more on this topic see the link below.

Peter Baskerville
Facilitator, Entrepreneurial Education
Ambrosia Barista School
http://knol.google.com/k/peter-baskerville/coffee-species-arabica-and-robusta/14j3i4hyjvi88/31#

Like many prized items, some coffees are rare. There are many factors affecting the limited availability of certain types of coffee beans. They include geographical factors, climate changes and in one particular case, the method of processing. Kopi Luwak coffee is unique and like no other. It is labeled as the most expensive coffee in the world due to its highly controversial method of production as well as the rarity of the beans. Sourced from Sumatran region of Indonesia, many coffee connoisseurs claim that this is a must-try.

The beans are in fact deposits from a type of animal called palm civet. Among others, civets enjoy consuming red coffee cherries. They are careful to select only the ripest, reddest cherries. In the process of consumption, the inner seed of the berries are not consumed. However, the action of stomach enzyme on the seed gives it a bitter, complex taste. When defecated, locals will collect the beans for washing. The beans are then roasted lightly to significantly reduce its bitterness and retain the complex flavors. The beans are safe for consumption as they have undergone thorough processing prior to packing.

A sip of this drink will leave you intrigued. It is rich and exotic in flavor. It also possesses a musty, earthy taste with a slight hint of syrupy smoothness. The fact that the beans originate from an animal is a unique factor to consider. Many experts agree that this gives it an unidentifiable taste that’s unique to Kopi Luwak coffee alone. It is a rare offering and often not available in local coffee shops. However, for those curious enough, you will be able to purchase them from reputable coffee company online or specialized local gourmet coffee shops.

Though perceived to be highly overpriced by some, there is no other way to justify this drink other than to try it out. It is an experience like no other.

At the end, I’d like to share cool website with more information on Kopi Luwak coffee. Visit for more details.

If you place your focus for a cafe or Coffee Shop business on being about your customers experience you will trump any competitor because your customers will feel important and loved and you will stand apart from any service that is lacking. Simple.

Secondly, you need to be able to be organized and assertive enough to train and manage staff. This is important because your staff will model your culture and have to be guided into making the experience for the customer ‘all about them’ the minute they walk in your door. Never rest making sure this happens for your customers daily and every single customer will love you for it. Remember, return business is the lifeblood of success.

If you are able to take the lead and create a staff culture that is friendly, efficient, highly attentive and serve good quality food and coffee, you will be way ahead of 90% of your competition.

So many Cafes and Coffee shops worldwide let themselves down. Its not hard to cater to your market once you know who they are and what they want.

That brings me to the next fundamental item you need to be able to deal with. Your appearance and hygiene have a lot of impact on how you are perceived by your customers. Don’t kid yourself that customers won’t notice sloppy appearance and hygiene.

This goes hand in hand with the environment and ambiance you create in your cafe Coffee shop. Make yourself, your staff and your cafe sparkle and shine in every way possible. You will gain huge points for this simple effort.

Once you have mastered the above in your cafe, you then implement the finer touches of customer satisfaction. Remember it’s the little things that count. For example, having fresh water available with a sprig of mint or rosemary is a small touch that impresses people and moves your cafe toward the magical place you want it to be.

Then your customers will do what you want them to do most of all. That is, return again and again.

These are fundamental points for anyone considering opening a coffee shop or starting a cafe. Go for it live the dream!

For more help on Starting a cafe or Coffee shop take a look at http://www.startacafe.com

When you are talking about Central America, changes in the weather have a direct affect on coffee growers who may be dealing with these unpredictable conditions. Specifically, in Guatemala, scientists are citing that climate changes are dramatically affecting the production of coffee in Central America, and we will see even greater changes within the coming decades. To date, some Guatemalan farmers are feeling these effects of the weather changes, and the temperatures are forecasted to rise from 1 to 6° within the next century, which may force many farmers to move to higher altitudes.

Higher altitude coffee growing is already preferable because it provides cooler and more conducive conditions to coffee crops. Higher altitude coffee is coveted as a better flavor variety, especially since the beans do grow slower in the cooler climate, which allows them to develop fully and become larger to produce more flavorful results. Currently, there is a four year study on Central American coffee farmers in Guatemala, finding that they are struggling to keep their coffee crops thriving. Many areas struggle with dryness and a lack of water, especially within the weather conditions of this year.

Guatemalan coffee has been a consistent export over the past five years, and they produce between 3.3 to 3.8 million bags per season at 60 kg. Farmers in humid areas are also struggling because of these conditions, and climate change is a serious factor in the negative effects on their coffee crops. Other areas have been hit by torrential rain and droughts within the past years, so it is difficult to predict what type of effect will be had on their coffee crops.

In Nicaragua, many of the low altitude land that produces coffee is going to be unusable as temperatures rise in the future. Coffee growers in Nicaragua do not have the choice of moving to a higher altitude, unlike Guatemala, so they may have to abandon their coffee crops completely. There are many coffee farmers in Central America who may consider quitting coffee farming altogether because of the risk involved with unpredictable weather conditions. Even coffee farmers who have been farming for over 30 years are planning on selling their land because it is no longer producing the crops needed to make it worthwhile to them.

There are government efforts being planned to help farmers with these climate issues, including giving them the ability to have cheap credit in exchange for planting coffee crops and using stronger coffee crop varieties. However, it is still yet to be seen whether these efforts will be helpful enough to change the results of the climate conditions on coffee harvests. Until that time, be even more thankful for your cup of Joe because there are serious efforts being taken to create it. It’s more valuable than you think!

For the best selection of coffee makers commercial, check out Mark Ramos’ website, The Coffee Bump.

1. Coffee is a hot beverage brewed from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant.
2. The seeds are harvested from the fruit of coffee plants, which are called coffee cherries.
3. These seeds are harvested twice a year; Once from the south of the equator between April and May and the second time from the North of the equator between September and March.
4. Once ripe, the coffee cherries are picked and the seeds are extracted. The seeds, referred to as green coffee, are then roasted where they double in size and turn into the dark chocolate brown colour to form the familiar coffee bean.
5. Roasting only begins when the temperature inside the seed reaches 200°C.
6. Once roasted the coffee beans are sorted into categories and labeled as light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark, or very dark.
7. Darker roasts are smoother in flavor because they have less fiber content and more sugar. Lighter roasts have more caffeine and may taste bitterer.
8. Decaffeinated coffee is produced when the coffee seeds are still green by soaking the seeds in hot water or steaming them, then using a solvent to dissolve the caffeine containing oils.
9. The majority of decaf coffee is only 97 to 99% decaffeinated.
10. Coffee drinking is reported to have originated in Ethiopia in the 9th century, although the earliest credible evidence of beverages made with coffee appears in Yemen in the middle of the 15th century.
11. Coffee was used in Muslim states as an alternative to wine in religious ceremonies. As a result many Christian nations originally banned the ‘Muslim’ beverages.
12. Coffee became more widely accepted after Pope Clement VIII deemed it a Christian beverage in 1600.
13. Even though it is now considered the national drink, coffee was originally banned in Ethiopia by the Orthodox Christian Church until 1889.
14. Coffee is now grown in over 50 countries worldwide.
15. Brazil is the top exporter of coffee, followed by Vietnam.
16. As of 2006, green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, just behind crude oil.
17. On average, total coffee intake is about a third of that of water in North America.
18. It takes approximately 140 litres of water to grow the coffee beans required for one cup of coffee.
19. The concept of fair trade coffee was developed in the Netherlands by the Max Havelaar Foundation.
20. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.

Whether you have brewed it from home, or purchased your morning cup of coffee from the local coffee chop, the next time you take a sip of one of North America’s favorite beverages take a minute to reflect upon the 1200 years of its history and be thankful for the process that it takes to get the coffee to your lips. That morning cup of coffee may just be that much more enjoyable if you do.

For freshly roasted coffee with a great selection, check out Morning Coffee Shop’s website, Morningcoffeeshop.com.

What many people don’t know is that there are more than twenty different kinds of coffee beans all with differing tastes and flavors. However, coffee beans can divided into two main types. Avid coffee drinkers might already be familiar with the many different kinds of coffee beans that can be purchased.

Coffea Arabica is the scientific name of a type of coffee bean that makes up between sixty to seventy percent of the world’s consumption. This is also the type that most people like out of the many other types. This type of coffee bean is also very expensive largely because of the strict growing conditions required to grow this type of coffee.

Coffee Arabica plants need a certain altitude in which they can thrive which should be at least a few thousand feet above sea level. These plants should also be grown in a temperature between 65- 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coffea canephora, commonly known as Robusta, is the less popular of the two coffee beans. It makes up only 30%-40% of the world’s coffee consumption. It is considered to be of an inferior quality when compared to the more popular Coffea Areabica and more times then not it cannot be bought separately. The Robusta coffee bean is grown at around the mid eighties Fahrenheit and will grow practically anywhere. This type of bean is also a bit bitter and the majority of people don’t like it as much for this reason.

This lower quality, somewhat bitter coffee Robusta is often used as filler coffee beans with coffee Arabica to reduce the overall cost of the better tasting and more expensive Arabica coffee. A majority of times when you do purchase coffea Arabica it is mixed with Robusta.

Regardless of which you prefer, the Arabica based coffees or if you prefer the Robusta varieties, the freshest and best tasting coffee is always going to be achieved by grinding up fresh coffee beans. When you buy coffee at the supermarket you can either buy ground coffee by the can or bag or more times then not you can buy coffee beans and grind them right there in the store. However, even when you buy coffee beans that you ground up in the store they will start to taste stale within the first week.

The best alternative is to purchase only small batches of whole coffee beans and grind them at home as you need them. Coffee grinders are widely available and fairly inexpensive, so it’s worth the money to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself.

If you buy coffee beans make sure you buy them in little amounts to make sure they are fresh. Buying small quantities of coffee beans is a great way to be able to experiment with different gourmet flavors without getting stuck with a coffee you truly don’t like.

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