Friday, February 1, 2008

Gourmet Coffee

The Pleasures of Gourmet Coffee

Gourmet coffee by definition is a kind of coffee that has been judged as excessively refined and superior in flavor by experts. Gourmet coffee is found in different flavors like almond, vanilla, chocolate, peppermint, Pumpkin, Swiss Mocha etc. Coffee sellers now stock both caffeinated and caffeine-free varieties of gourmet coffee. Also, many coffee sellers now provide gentle verities of coffee that are sought by people having the problem of stomach acidity. In any case, Arabica and Robusta varieties of coffee remain the two prime candidates for gourmet coffee.

Buying and Making Gourmet Coffee

The best places to get gourmet coffee are Coffee Roasters which provide freshly roasted coffee. In contrast, roasted beans available at local supermarket are usually roasted two to three months earlier than they stock it for sale. Grinding the freshly roasted beans gives them the best flavor. It is recommended not to store gourmet coffee beans at the usual room temperature but they should be kept instead in airtight jars and stored in a fridge. In case the user means to store the ground coffee beans for a long time, without risking their freshness, they may be kept in a freezer.

To ensure the highest quality of taste for one’s gourmet coffee, the coffee maker should be kept clean. Washing the coffeemaker with water and vinegar at least once a month cleans it of any remnants of the taste of previous preparations. The amount of coffee used in a preparation also determines its taste to a significant degree. For making gourmet coffee, it is best to use two tablespoons for every six ounces of clean water. Finally, purchasing coffee from famous coffee-selling companies is a good way to enjoy the best of different tastes in coffee.

Gourmet Coffee Gift Baskets

Making great coffee for one’s own joy and that of one’s family is a unique pleasure but many people also choose to happily surprise their loved ones by sending them gourmet coffee gift baskets on special occasions or just once in a while. These gift baskets contain a collection of the recipient’s favorite coffee brands and sometimes special coffee bean roasts. Besides coffee, one may include accessory food items like cookies, chocolate, and biscuits in a gourmet coffee gift basket. Coffee lovers, especially those who work in offices and take a coffee break, are the ideal recipients for these gift baskets. But these can be presented to anyone who is fond of a good coffee beverage, especially on occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas when fine food is the center of celebration.

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