Coffee Grinders, Makers, and Cups

Mmm coffee.  For some it is the essential kick start for a long day, for some it is a constant companion, only abandoning one mug for another, and for others it is a simple enjoyment. Revolutions have been planned in coffee houses, artists have sought and expressed inspiration in them, some of the biggest businesses have started out as them, and the internet has allowed people to work in them.

The art of roasting and brewing coffee has a rich history and is a task that can go wrong very quickly under the wrong circumstances. There are over 900 different types of Arabica coffee but all of them quickly lose their flavor when exposed to air and light. The aroma of roasting coffee is alluring and should the aromas are developed exactly 10 minutes after roasting has begun making it a very specific process with no room for error. When the beans are heated they develop oil in a process called pyolysis. The longer the bean is roasted the more oil is brought to the surface which gives a dark roast its oily shine. The beans will also gain roughly 20% in size and a deep brown color by roasting them.

A coffee tree can live for 70 years and flower up to eight times a year when conditions are right and there is plenty of water. When the trees bloom there will be upwards of 30,000 white flowers that begin to turn into fruit after 24 hours. Six months later the fruit will have changed from yellow to orange to a bright red. The seeds inside this fruit are the beans that are roasted. It is the most widely used resource in the world besides oil.

Coffee is the second most popular drink in the world right behind water. It is mildly stimulating because of naturally occurring caffeine. Don’t plan on drinking a cup of coffee and competing in the Olympics, it’s on their list of banned stimulants. There are over 1400 million cups consumed everyday and provides jobs for 100 million people worldwide but it also has uses other than drinking.

Coffee grounds make excellent fertilizer when mixed with sugar and given to potted plants during the winter and it is an effective snail and slug repellant when sprinkled on the ground around garden plants. It is easily composted, but very rarely should it be put directly into the garden soil unless the plants prefer an acidic environment.

Now, sit back and enjoy another cup knowing that coffee keeps the world going around.

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