Kopi-Luwak-Producer

In addition to being one of the perfect places to grow coffee, Sumatra is home to a little creature called a Paradoxurus or luwak (Asian palm civet). The little creatures are especially fond of coffee cherries which cover the coffee beans. According to Wikipedia the luwaks are skilled in picking the sweetest and most ripe coffee berries.

After making their coffee berry selection, the luwaks eat the coffee berries. The coffee beans ferment in their stomachs and then exit in whole coffee bean form. Supposedly the pass through the luwak's insides eliminates the bitterness commonly found in coffee.

Locals collect the beans, clean them and then lightly roast the beans. Needless to say, the amount of coffee is limited so the coffee is expensive from $100-600 per pound. Wikipedia estimates only 1000 pounds are found and roasted each year. Not every local coffee shop is apt to carry this exotic coffee. The taste is supposed to be earthy, musty with caramel or chocolate.

As the supply is limited chemically treated coffee has been developed to reproduce the Kopi Luwak coffee taste. I'm not sure if I want to try either the original or simulated Kopi Luwak coffee experience.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Some people head into the shops first thing in the morning and leave around 5pm. And all they buy is one latte?

I can understand why shop owners are changing the rules. After all their shops are a business, not a non-profit organization.

I was taking a friend to lunch at one of the local coffee shops here in San Antonio. We couldn't find a table except outside. With the 100 degree weather here recently outside just wasn't one of our choices. But what amazed my friend was a number of the people in the coffee shop had packed their own lunch. These same individuals were eating their lunch without the shop owner getting a thin dime. Not fair, folks.

Found some good suggestions for laptop etiquette in the Houston Examiner from Becky Lam.

I. During the café’s peak hours, grab a latte or cup of coffee with a little something to munch on. It’s not exactly polite to stake out that entire table for an hour or more with only a 12 oz. drip or glass of water while lunchers wait around for seating.
II. The coffee shop is not a charging station. If you are plugging in, it better be because your laptop’s battery life is nonexistent. It’s a sign you are staying too long if you’re running through a fully charged battery.
III. Treat your local cafés as though they were your neighbors. They are giving you a place to get away from distractions at work and at home while letting you use their wi-fi, no less. Return a friendly favor by getting to know your baristas and cleaning up after yourself.
IV. Don’t forget to buy something. Being the most obvious point, these coffee shops survive to serve you and your laptop thanks to your patronage. Keep them going.
V. And as a side note, ask for a “for here” mug as well. It automatically shows your intention to stick around and produces less waste too!

Good tips and a way of thanking the shop owner for providing the service. Buy more than just one latte and keep wi-fi going.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Is your coffee pot slowing down? It seemed to take forever for the coffee to drip out every morning. Now I admit I'm not the one to go looking for problems, but this time it was there in front of my eyes. My coffee maker was caked with white crusts. The water is full of minerals here in San Antonio and those minerals just accumulated over time.

If this happens to you here's a possible solution.

Try this:

• Fill your coffee pot with cold water.
• Add two tablespoons of vinegar.
• Start your coffee pot.
• After it is finished percolating, rinse it with cold water.
• Now add cold water again and start your coffee pot.
• After it is finished percolating, rinse it again.
• Now it should be ready to make coffee.

You may need to do this regularly depending upon the amount of minerals in your water.  So check for calcium deposits frequently and clean as needed.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

I took the plunge and tried to make cold brewed coffee last night.   Not for iced coffee but for hot coffee.

I used the formula outlined on Making Cold Brewed Coffee For Ice Coffee. The first cup I used the 1:1 ratio of syrup to water. The second cup I used 1:1/2 ratio of syrup to water.

The first cup was too mild for my taste and the second cup was OK. In both cases after mixing them I  heated them over the stove. I found just adding the hot water did not make the final mix hot enough.

Has anyone else tried cold brewed coffee? If so please share your comments.

I am willing to try this again if someone has a better recipe.

Your experience and thoughts would be appreciated.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

I read an interesting article in the Houston Examiner called  "Coffeehouses101: What coffee has the most caffeine?". Some of the points they made are included here.

Types of coffee beans

There are two types of coffee beans – Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are grown at the top of the mountain and are considered to be of higher quality than the Robusta. Robusta is grown at the bottom of the mountains.

Roasting Coffee Beans

There can be a lot of variation in the roasting of the coffee beans. Lighter, darker and in between roasts. The darker roasts give a fuller flavor. But the beans used and how controlled the roasting determines the final taste. And over roasting can lead to bitter, rancid flavors.

Beans With the Highest Caffeine Levels

Roasting determines the caffeine levels of the coffee you drink.  The longer you roast the beans the more caffeine is lost.   So the lighter roastings are higher in caffeine.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

I love coffee. Tend to drink more than one cup per day. But I also want to stay healthy and at my current weight. It is amazing how much fat and calories are in some coffee drinks. Not the black coffee but the "mixed" coffees.

I was amazed when I read the article titled "The top 5 worst coffee drinks in America". It can be found at MSNBC Today.  After reading I'm sure you'll agree there are some coffee drinks we just shouldn't drink.

The article examines what they think are the worst coffee drinks in American and give you the facts and alternatives. For our health, we should take this information seriously.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Seems David did some research on coffee and the supposed health risks of drinking coffee.

David's facts:
1. Drinking coffee on a regular basis can reduce your risk of developing heart attacks and hypertension. He cited the Honolulu Heart Program which found no scientific link between coffee and heart attacks.
2. Coffee reduces risk of Parkinson's disease. Kananowitz said scientists have found that those who drink between three and six cups of coffee daily are five times less likely to develop Parkinson's disease
3. Coffee drinkers have less chance of getting Type 2 diabetes. David mentioned the study conducted by Harvard researchers in 2003, they found that people who drank an average of four to five cups of coffee daily reduced their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 30%.

It's reassuring to know up and coming writers are also talking about the benefits of drinking coffee.

Thanks David Kananowitz for spreading the information about the benefits of coffee.

Not the usual grind,

Tip of the mug to Richard Dudley a talented Australian artist for his sketch of the coffee cup.

Australians drink over 1.2 billion cups of coffee each year-now that's a place to be.

Featuring lots of booths of coffee vendors, the press release says over 100 different vendors! This event is just the thing for coffee lovers. This year The Rocks Aroma Fest staff had some fun and built a Mona Lisa out of latte's, long blacks and flat whites using 3,604 cups of great coffee.

To see how the crew did it take a look at this video:

Not the usual grind,

This means calorie counts on menus or signboards near each item for easy reference. This way people can choose or not to know how many calories are in a particular food or drink.

The question I have: Do you really want to know how many calories are in a grande Café Mocha (300 with the whipped cream, or 260 without) or 500 calories in one slice of Meat pizza?

Eating healthy is important I know, but I’m not sure I’m ready for it being in my face. I know how to Google and I have a calorie book to look up when the mood strikes. So maybe I should give up the cappucino and go for espresso instead?

Anyone for Cinnamon Dolce Latte with Sugar-Free Syrup-only 90 calories?

Not the usual grind,

A tip of the mug to Alexander Galanakis for the use of the photo

The device worn like eyeglasses measures drowsiness by length of eye blinking and how fast the eyes close when blinking.

The researchers tested 18-29 year-olds for drowsiness. The age group was picked because of their high rate of auto accidents while drowsy.

The study wanted to prove or disprove the theory coffee could keep people from falling asleep while driving an auto.  The group was divided in half with one group given a capsule of caffeine equal to two cups of coffee while the second group was given a placebo.

Both groups were tested using the Optalert. Those receiving the caffeine maintained alertness for about three hours with increased reaction time.  Reaction time is what decreases so dramatically when we get tired. So drinking coffee, espresso or other caffeinated drink to avoid getting drowsy while driving works.

I understand the need for scientific validation as previous studies were not consistent in their results.  But anyone who has ventured near University at exams would have drawn the same conclusion.

Not the usual grind,

Tip of the mug  to the Times of India for the heads up on this one and for the use of the photo to Jean Scheijen