Posted At : November 4, 2009 11:06 AM
Related Categories: Coffee Talk, Healthy Living

An old friend of mine drowns his coffee in creamer and sugar; three creams and eight sugar packets per medium cup, to be exact. Always one to give in to his sweet tooth, he'd much rather consume diabetes in a cup than "bitter coffee." I'm not talking about over-extracted espresso here, folks; just your run-of-the-mill cup of Joe.

Some coffees are naturally bitter, even if brewed to perfection. But, what causes that bitterness? General misconceptions blame caffeine; but the truth to the matter is only 15% of the bitter taste is a result of the caffeine content.

Surprisingly, antioxidants are the perpetrators! That's right; the very ingredients that make coffee good for you may be causing the brew's bitterness. Chlorogenic acid lactones, found in light to medium roasts, and phenylindanes in dark roasts give coffee its bite. And, the darker the roast the more likely you are to notice bitterness in the drink.

Some people say bitterness balances out coffee acidity. But, if you're not a big fan of the taste try sticking to light or medium roasts. It's much healthier than having a cup of sugar, with coffee on the side.

Do you take your coffee black or with sugar? If you add sugar to your coffee, how much do you use?

Tho
Writing Department

Comments (2) | Send | del.icio.us | Digg It! | Linking Blogs | 741 Views
Comments (Comment Moderation is enabled. Your comment will not appear until approved.)
[Add Comment] [Subscribe to Comments]
I disagree with your comment regarding antioxidants being the culprit of coffee's bitterness. Bitterness is due to the way the particular coffee is harvested. Large plantations around the world harvest their coffee cherries all at one time rather than just harvesting the ripe red cherries. Therefore, orange, yellow and green cherries (immature cherries) are harvested along with the ripre red cherries. This is the primary cause of bitterness in coffee. Coffee should be harvested in rounds whereby only the red cherries are picked. Picked at its optimum ripeness for best flavor and caffeine content.
# Posted By Coffeelover | 1/13/10 6:02 PM
One othe big factor that has an effect on the bitterness of coffee is quality. When choosing connoisseur coffee, there are important things to be remembered. First, it should contain Arabica and only Arabica coffee beans. Although commercial producers will mix two varieties, specifically the Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties to increase their bottom lines, the resulting blends are of inferior quality and also bitter.

Second, you must cater to your taste preferences although you can always experiment with the varieties available. For example, if you want a light roast with complex flavor, Ethiopian can be your choice while the French roast is best for its dark roast and complex flavor. Or for a medium roast with a smooth flavor, the Colombian is excellent.

Third, look for a pleasing fragrance aroma according to your preferences and mood. For example, vanilla-scented coffee differs from pecan-scented coffee due to the roasting methods used. By the way, fragrance and aroma in coffee-talk differs since the former refers to the smell after coffee is grinded while the latter refers to smell after coffee is brewed.

Fourth, gourmet coffee is meant to be tasted and savored. To find the right one for you, just purchase the smallest pack you can find. Then, start brewing your own cup of coffee and judging its qualities vis-à-vis acidity, body, flavor, finish and balance.

The biggest secret to making a great cup of coffee especially the gourmet ones: An equally great coffeemaker! It ought to bring out the best in the coffee beans by its brewing process
# Posted By Jeen | 1/25/10 1:26 PM
[Add Comment]