Coffee and Tea

Where do coffee beans come from? Well as we all may know coffee beans are actually the seed of the coffee plant. Coffee beans are mainly consisted of endosperm which contains approx 0.8 – 2.5% caffeine, and to your surprise or not this is the main reason which these plants are popular.

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world, coffee beans are a major business in an import export for some countries.

There are many types of coffee beans which obliviously come from the coffee plant, these include Coffea Arabica, Coffea benghalensis, Coffea canephora, the list just keeps going, and there are aprox 12 main varieties of coffee beans.

What Coffee machines to choose, well personally I like the Ascaso i-Steel UNO shown here http://www.bestcoffeebeans.co.uk/ascaso-i-steel-pm-espresso-machine-with-intergrated-grinder-620-p.asp this coffee machine has a beautiful Stainless Steel body and has all the gadgets that a high class coffee machine should have and more. This coffee machine also has a flat wheel grinder which is excellent there is no need to constantly refill the grinder as it has a 1.3 pound storage hopper for the coffee beans.

I think that this brand is one of the best choices to choose as it will get the job done, and coffee beans deserve to go into this coffee machine without a doubt.

In my experience of coffee beans and coffee machines I have found that there are many to choose from, each of us all have our own specific taste in coffee beans and also choosing the right coffee maker can be hard, but I can make it easier for you by going to this site and check for yourselves coffee machines the name says it all!

We know that we can’t afford four to five hours for drinking tea like people who enjoy it in Japanese tea ceremony of legendary fame. Then what could be a better way of enjoying a fine cup of tea for the average busy guy who can’t spare more than a few minutes of his time?

The tea bags have come to rescue the person with the target of a few minutes to a great cup. Tea bags were first introduced by Thomas Sullivan who sampled different teas by enclosing them in cloth bags so that his prospective customers could select a tea. The original intention was that customers will open the bags and then prepare the tea as usual.

Perhaps some lazy fellows have tried it otherwise without opening the bag, but by dipping the sample bags in a cup of hot water. This unusual method was soon became popular and became hit as a sensational discovery as it enabled persons to drink the tea to last drop without having any leaves in their mouth.

It’s Not The Bag – It’s The Quality And Freshness

After more than 100 years of introduction of tea bags, the bags and the tea have seen a great change. Finer, stronger and lighter bags are now available. They have to pass through stringent health standards and quality control. Perhaps all changes are not better ones. Many times, the content of bags had suffered in quality.

Some tea bag manufacturers used the left-over tea, called fannings. This scrap of tea leaves is processed to fill thousands of tea bags. As these low quality bags made their way into the end consumer kitchen, he would have to consume a low quality tea for a higher price. It might have been compared to stale tea by some.

Another blow to tea bags came in 1970s when “natural” became the buzz word and products that came from plants were adored by the public. Tea certainly qualifies to be natural. As a result, loose leaf tea was looked on as a superior alternative. And, in many cases it is.

Fine Loose Teas

Hundreds of fine loose leaf teas are imported from various parts of globe. Loose leaf teas from China, India, Japan, and elsewhere can be as pleasing to the connoisseur as a fine wine. The gentle jasmine from China stacks up well against a sweet orange tea from Turkey. Or, one may enjoy an outstanding mint tea from Africa. Our favorite place to buy such quality teas is: Amanzi Tea

Again, tea bags emerged without being a symbol of earlier low quality. Many vendors have evolved from the granola days to combine the high quality of a loose leaf tea with the convenience and other benefits of a bag. Though they often go by the more elegant name of “sachet,” it’s still tea in a bag. But the difference is that the tea is of the utmost quality and is sold fresh. That difference is important.

So, retain your busy lifestyle when you must. But take a few minutes on occasion to celebrate your efforts. Treat yourself to a truly fine cup of tea, and enjoy it without a dozen distractions. You’ve earned it.

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There are many ways to make a cup of coffee. Did you ever wonder what makes one method different from another? Maybe you are wondering which method is the right choice for you. If so, a quick history lesson may help you decide.

Coffee Percolators

It all originated with the coffee percolator. Way back when, typical housewives who needed a quick pick-me-up in the morning, or, more likely, needed to give their husbands a quick pick-me-up in the morning, would stare at their percolator as it heated the water. As the water heated up the pressure would build and force it up a tube. From there, the water was forced over a basket full of coffee grounds. As you can imagine, this did not make for the world’s greatest cup of coffee.

Drip Coffee

The first major advancement in coffee brewing technology came in the 1970’s. It was in the 1970’s that the drip method became a dominant brewing method. It was a simple and inexpensive brewing method involving dripping boiling water over coffee grounds, which were over filter paper in a plastic cup. The resulting brew would then drip down and collect in a glass coffee pot. Even today, this is one of the more common methods for brewing a quick cup of coffee.

Pre-packaged packets of coffee came along later. What would a walk down coffee memory lane be without them? There’s something to be said for the convenience of having just enough coffee ready to go any time you want. Along with the pre-packaged coffee, came more gadgets, buttons, dials and spouts all designed to give coffee brewing a bit more versatility and variety.

Espresso Makers

For the more advanced coffee drinker, the 1990’s were the idea time. Along came the espresso machine. The espresso machine, a European creation, quickly became all the rage. Espresso machines use a finely ground dark roast, which hot water is run through to produce an especially flavorful and aromatic brew. As Americans began to get used to espresso machines, they also began to update them and fine tune them, reducing costs.

Once espresso came along, people rapidly started experimenting with different machines and additives. Soon cappuccino and latte arrived on the scene. Cappuccino and latte are espresso with milk added to it. The difference between the two is the coffee to milk ratio.

French Plunger Method

Another interesting brewing option is the French plunger method. The french plunger method involves a glass cylinder with a rod through it and a handle at one end and a filter at the other. The coffee grounds are placed in the container and nearly boiling water is then poured over them and allowed to steep until the plunger is pressed. Once pressed, it produces a very full-bodied brew.

Vacuum Brewing

One of the most unusual brewing methods is vacuum brewing. Vacuum brewing works in much the same way as percolators do, except vacuum brewing utilizes two metal or glass bowls stacked on top of each other. When the bottom bowl is filled with water and heat is added, the water rises into the upper bowl. When the heat is taken away again it creates a vacuum effect. The vacuum effect pulls the hot water through the coffee grounds and back into the lower bowl. The vacuum method makes an excellent show at a party and, since it can be performed right at the table, it makes an especially fresh brew for the guests.

No matter which method of coffee brewing you use, chances are you have ancient ancestors to thank for it. Coffee brewing, in some form, has been around for centuries. The Turkish Ibrik is perhaps one of the oldest coffee brewing techniques. It uses heated water in a copper container and finely ground coffee which is then poured without filtering. Needless to say, it produces a very strong cup of coffee!

Find The Brewing Method You Enjoy Most

Any method of coffee brewing is bound to bring its’ own unique flavor to the party. You will probably need to experiment with quite a few techniques before you find that perfect cup. Don’t think of it as a chore though. Taking a walk back through the history of coffee is a great adventure for any true coffee connoisseur.

The controversy whether tea is older than other beverage like coffee, beer or wine could not be solved easily. The tea supporters consider it to be the oldest drink while beer supporters argue that the use of beer is supported by 10000 years of history while tea is supported merely by 5000 years.

Let us put controversies aside! When we use common sense, we have to accept that tea is the oldest drink. The leaves of tea or several other herbs had been used worldwide by thousands of tribes. The preparation of tea is simple in comparison to more complex preparation of beer or wine.

How Popular is Tea?

All right, tea is the oldest drink and let us find out how popular it is all over the globe. The enormous popularity of tea could be gauged by its annual worldwide production targeting around 2 billion pounds. And realize that how many cups of tea we make with one pound of tea. Year in and Year out, we consume 2 billion pounds of tea every year.

How Much Caffeine is in Tea

Even though tea leaves have 1-3 % of caffeine that is two times or more than coffee beans. But the net amount of caffeine in a single cup of coffee is 100 mg that is considerably more than 60 mg in a cup of tea. The difference is due to preparation methods – coffee beans or powder dissolve completely in a mug whereas tea is only partly utilized.

Is Tea Healthy?

The health benefits of coffee and tea are the result of many similar compounds. Antioxidants,…………….. Caffeine has also shown its beneficial effects on body and mind when used in moderate amounts.

Why do people use tea with such great fondness? It couldn’t be history or economics or science or medicine behind tea. Perhaps tea is simply a wonderful drink, perhaps tea fulfills the various demands of masses.

When is Best to Drink Tea

Whether you want a robust pick me up in the morning, or a relaxing hot cup at night, tea is – dare we say it – perfect. It clears out the cobwebs and at the same time relaxes. Iced or hot, green or black (or Oolong, which is in between), or even red or white (yes, they exist), tea tastes great and makes you feel wonderful.

Drinking tea has been a perpetually delightful personally and socially right from the unknown nooks of past to modern times. People do use other drinks like beer or coffee or wine as well but none is close to tea. We can find something like beer ceremony in very few cultures except college students occasionally.

Tea ceremonies are not exclusive to Japan. English love tea every afternoon. Many clubs are devoted to tea in New York. East and West have many differences and tea is one definite measure to bridge that gap. But all over the world – China, Turkey, Russia, Australia, the U.S. and the UK, and all the points on the map in between enjoy a cup of tea.

Enjoy Tea

So wherever you are, you can now have a Wu Yi in a Yixing clay pot or a Rooibos in a Danish glass cup. You can enjoy a lemon grass tisane or even a blueberry vanilla Ceylon. What you can’t do, if you are among the over one billion tea drinkers in the world, is to resist a perfectly brewed cup of the world’s finest drink – Tea.

I love discovering new teas! So when I came across a sunny store that only sells teas (and tea equipment) — I just *had* to visit. So here is my review of Amanzi Tea – and my delightful explorations.

Wide Selection

They have a wide variety of teas that both look, sound and taste scrumptious: Vanilla Coconut, Lychee Pomegranate, and Strawberry Magic. Besides the standard premium teas they have a large number of options including: immune system, weight loss, energy power and digestion friendly. (There are many more!)

Tea Gift Packages

For those looking for a Mother’s day or Father’s Day present, tea is a wonderful gift! The tea gift packages for Mom from Amanzi Tea are currently 25-30% off! There are 3 options:

• To Your Health Mom… — health teas that taste wonderful with a nice mug – VERY affordable!
• The “I Love You Mom” Gift Set — a tea, chocolate, mints and more that all seem mouth-watering!
• “I REALLY Love You Mom!” Gift Collection.– Tea, a tote, a tea maker and more. Currently 30% off!

Tea Equipment

From tea tongs, timers, makers and tea pots, they have it covered. I really like their store and I think you will too! It is nice having such a good selection and so many yummy choices!

So if you are looking for a tea gift or simply some great loose tag, try Amanzi Tea.. and drink it up with pleasure!

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Buying iced coffee from starbucks to cool off in the summer is fun — but being able to make your own can save you lots of money. Here is how to make perfect summer drinks using iced coffee recipes:

Step 1) Add your preferred flavoring syrup to your cup first.

Step 2) Add espresso or coffee

Step 3) Add ice or ice cream

Step 4) Add desired creamer (unless you added ice cream above)

Tips:

* If you make ice cubes from coffee your drink won’t get watered down.

* If using ice cream, be sure your ice cream is made with real cream as it will taste much better.

* High quality coffee beans make better drinks.

* Freshness counts. Fresh coffee beans will make better tasting coffee.

* You can a wide variety of toppings that are often available at coffee houses when at home such as: whipped cream, chocolate shavings, nutmeg or cinnamon.

So enjoy your iced coffee and save money while doing it!

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Earth day is a time to reflect on how we can make even a small change in our lives that will help the planet in some way. Why not celebrate it today and every day with fair trade organic coffee.

Fair trade coffee is sustainable. A simple change that helps others live in reasonable working conditions with agriculture meant to last. Organic coffee avoids chemicals that may be harmful to the planet and to your body.

So celebrate with fair trade coffee and know you are helping out!

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Choosing the right gift is often difficult, especially when the people you’re buying for are on a diet. This means that buying chocolate gifts or baskets filled with cheese and summer sausage aren’t a good idea for gift givers. Sending flowers can be a good idea, but many people have allergies you may not know about. Sending flowers is also a plain gift idea that doesn’t show much thought going into the purchase. Wine is a good gift, but how do you know what kind of wine your friends will like, or even if they will like wine at all? The one gift that usually works is a coffee gift basket or a tea gift basket.

Coffee Gift Baskets

The best thing about coffee gift baskets is that they last for a long time. They rarely spoil and the coffee in each basket will keep for years if cared for properly. Coffee and tea gift baskets are also a good idea because many people will enjoy them more than chocolate and other kinds of gift baskets. When someone receives a coffee gift basket, they’ll think of you every time they smell the coffee brewing and when they enjoy the fresh cup of coffee they made from the coffee in your gift basket.

Tea Gift Baskets

The same things can be said about tea gift baskets – if you know the person loves tea. In the US, coffee is more popular. However, in other parts of the world, tea is king.

Making Your Own Gift Basket

Another great thing about coffee and tea gifts is that you can easily make one on your own instead of buying one. You can buy one from a gourmet coffee company, but it’s so much more fun and thoughtful to make a coffee gift basket on your own. This shows that you really put thought into assembling the basket, and you can also personalize it for the recipient. This means you can add teas, flavored coffees, cards, decorations, and other gifts. Once it’s finished, you can send it in the mail and wait until it arrives to hear from your friend.

A Loved Gift

Whoever receives the beautiful coffee gift basket will really enjoy it. Most people love coffee, so you’re almost guaranteed to have a hit gift on your hands when you make a coffee gift basket. If you want to really make the ideal basket, you can add jars of spices, chocolate shavings, and other embellishments. This will allow the recipient to really customize the flavor of their coffee and enjoy a different flavored cup every day of the week. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a coffee gift basket in return when the recipient wants so show his or her appreciation for your gift.

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If you like flowering teas, here’s a wonderful tea sale:

Get 30% Off Numi Flowering Teas

Numi teas are delicious — and very fun to watch. The tea flower expands as the tea seeps. It blossoms before you. It is fun to watch.

So try something different and enjoy!

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It’s that time! Black Friday Coffee and Tea Sales — the best sales of the year!

Coffee Deals:

Save lots of money at this great coffee sale!

50% off coffee – coffee at great prices.

25% off Gourmet Coffee – fabulous Kona coffee and more!

Tea Deals

Enjoy wonderful teas at fantastic prices during this tea sale

42% off: Numi’s Bouquet Bamboo Gift Set with Clear Teapot and Nine Flowering Teas – If you haven’t tried these – they are wonderful! They are a fantastic experience. Save even more when you buy 2 at once: Get $10 off today when you buy two eligible Numi Bouquet Bamboo Gift Sets. Use the following promotional code when you check out: NUMITEAC.

25% off Gourmet Tea

Technorati Tags: Black Friday Coffee and Tea Sales, Coffee Deals, great coffee sale, Tea Deals, tea sale