Top 6 best Health Benefits of Coffee

Let's face it. Most of us are bleary eyed, stumbling about with feet dragging when we first wake up in the morning. Yet, when that delightfully rich, and oh so tantalizing coffee aroma tickles our nostrils we schlep, yawning and stretching in its direction. Not only is the smell of coffee a great eye opener, recent studies show that consuming up to three 8-ounce cups of coffee a day has proven health benefits.  Let’s take a look at a few.

1. Helps fight disease. Caffeine may help protect our brain cells from damage that causes Parkinson's, dementia, and Alzheimer's. Also the antioxidants in coffee could, actually, help prevent liver disease.

2. Gives the brain a boost.  Coffee keeps you alert when you may otherwise feel drowsy. Try drinking a cup before an exam or if you have a long drive to sharpen your memory and to stay alert.

3. Helps you lose weight. Caffeine consumption can speed up metabolism and the fat-burning process, which also helps lower the risk of obesity. It is also one of the lowest calorie drinks you can choose.

4. Lowers risk of diabetes. Drinking just one cup of coffee a day - caffeinated or decaf - can decrease the risk of developing diabetes by 13%. But at 12 cups a day, the risk of getting diabetes is slashed by 67%. While these are staggering results, you should consult your doctor before taking the 12-cup a day challenge and always consume caffeine in moderation.

Some of the facts coffee , myths, and trivia about coffee!

Coffee! For those who love it, it's not something easily given up. Perhaps because this beverage is so popular, facts, myths, and trivia surround it. Some are true, some aren't, and some are just fun facts. 

So let's take a look at some of the facts, myths, and trivia about coffee!

1. Coffee Houses and Shops

You may think that coffee houses and coffee shops are a modern invention, but actually, King Charles II of England proclaimed a ban on coffee houses way back in 1675! The reason for the ban? King Charles II feared that his enemies were meeting in these coffee houses to plot against him.

2. Mocha = Chocolate?

When you hear "mocha," you probably think of a beverage that's a chocolate-coffee combination. But actually, "Mocha" is the name of a port in Yemen, and it is here that coffee beans from Africa are transported. So "Mocha" has to do with the origin of the coffee bean you're drinking, not whether or not it contains chocolate.

3. How Much?

The US is the top coffee consuming nation in the world, with 400 million cups consumed daily. 

What is the best Cappuccino or Latte

Do you ever find yourself standing at the counter at your local coffee house pondering the difference between cappuccino and latte? Ever wondered how this hugely popular specialty coffee industry got started? Let’s take a look. 

The terms caffè and latte were first used in 1847 and later in 1867 they appeared in William Dean Howells essay "Italian Journeys". Latte means milk in Italian and the caffè version of this drink is an American invention. Caffè latte originated in Caffè Mediterraneum, a café in Berkeley, California and was brewed in its current form by Lino Meiorin for the first time. He added more milk to this otherwise strong cappuccino and called this new drink "caffè latte".

Cappuccino, in commercial form, was introduced at the beginning of 20th Century when the patented espresso machines were introduced by Luigi Bezzera of Milan in 1901. These machines made the cappuccino very popular in cafes and restaurants and the current form developed by the 1950s.

What, exactly, is a cappuccino? A cappuccino consists of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk and 1/3 foamed milk. The name, cappuccino, derives from the Italian word, Capuchin, which means “small cap.” It is traditionally served in Italy as a breakfast drink, but coffee aficionados now drink it any time of day. A cappuccino should also traditionally be no more than 6 fluid ounces. Coffee houses such as Starbucks serve “cappuccinos” in much larger sizes, however. Often times these larger drinks simply contain more milk instead of additional coffee, so that super grande may not be such a bargain after all. Variations of the cappuccino include an iced version with no foamed milk called Cappuccino Freddo and babyccino, a cappuccino with no coffee intended for small children. Chocolate is often added.

Italian Coffee Brands

Famous Italian Coffee Brands

The history of coffee in Italy goes back to the 17th century, when the Italian merchants got it from the Muslim countries like Middle East, the northern part of Africa, Persia and Turkey. Although the Italian coffee is very famous, the Italians do not grow the beans themselves. Most of it is exported from countries like India, Belgium, Russia, Germany and Spain. If you want one of the best coffee in the world, then what you can do is use the Italian coffee brands. Here is a list of Italian coffee brands that you can try out.

Lavazza
The Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., an Italian coffee products manufacturer, was founded in the later 19th century by Luigi Lavazza. What started off as a small grocery store, now exports coffee nearly all over the world. The Lavazza company gets the coffee beans from various parts of the world where coffee is grown, such as from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Uganda. This Italian coffee brand is famous all over the country and as well as the world and is popularly known as "Italy's favorite coffee". This company also looks after the agricultural program to ensure that the growers can grow good quality beans. The company has spread over countries like Spain, France, United Kingdom, Austria, India and Portugal.

Illy
The next brand among the Italian coffee drinks, is the Illy. This company was founded in the region of Trieste, by Francesco Illy (who invented the first automatic coffee machine in 1935), in the later 20th century. At present, his grandson, Andrea Illy and his siblings, Riccardo Illy and Anna Illy, are running the company. This brand is famous for one blend of coffee in three roast variations; the dark, the normal roasted and the decaffeinated. The beans used by this company are mainly from Arabia, the Arabica beans, which are low in caffeine content.

Segafredo Zanetti

How to Make Latte Art?

How to Make Latte Art

Mastering latte art needs years of practice. You can still try out your inner coffee making skills to make latte art on the top of espresso with these latte art tips.
For one cup, pour enough milk in a steam pitcher or bowl. Turn the steam on and raise the steam wand near the top of milk. There should not be any bubbles and the milk should not stretch too much. Make the milk smooth and velvety instead of vigorous foam.
Raise the temperature to 80° F. Now place the steam wand aside but deep into the milk. The position must be laid, such that it can spin counter-clock wise.
While in motion, raise the temperature further to 150° F-160° F. Now remove the steam wand from the milk.
Now let the milk settle for few seconds, then swirl the milk vigorously. In case you observe any bubbles, just pound the pitcher to remove the bubbles to get a velvety texture.
Continue swirling for 20 - 30 seconds, even if while pouring the espresso.
Now start pouring the milk into the espresso to create different patterns, like flowers, hearts, ferns, etc. Try with simple flower designs by pouring milk to the bottom of the pitcher, leaving 2 - 3 cms away from the bottom.
Shake the pitcher back and forth to get the designs when the cup is half filled. When you do this, the flower will move forward and fill the top of the cup. Shake the cup gently with your wrist.
Once the foam reaches the top of the cup, start pouring the milk to get a white flower etched on the foam. Avoid sinking of the foam and design.
You can embellish the designs as per your choice, using stencils, milk foam and milk powder.


Latte Art Tools

Calories in Latte

What is Latte?
The modern caffe latte that we call only latte, originated in the San Francisco Bay Area. The credit of the innovation is given to Barista, Lino Meiorin. The cappuccinos made by Lino were so strong and powerful for the customers, that Lino decided to come up with a recipe of his own in order to dilute the strength of his cappuccinos. Lino introduced a new item to the menu by mixing warm steamed milk to the cappuccino, thereby reducing the strength of coffee and making the drink mild and enjoyable. This pleasurable drink that we today call the latte, was promoted and made famous by Caffe Mediterraneum, a very popular cafe in Berkeley, California.

Today, the original recipe of latte that was made by Lino Meiorin has undergone many innovations and changes, and the concept of diluting a strong beverage with milk has been used in other types of drinks. Many variants of latte have also originated in the recent past, however, the conventional latte is still enjoyed by many people across the world. The majority of latte calories are derived from the milk and sugar that is added to the drink.

Calories in Latte

"how to make Easy Iced Cappuccino"

Easy Iced Cappuccino
Enough of hot drinks. It's time for a chilled cappuccino recipe to find its way into your kitchen.

Ingredients
2 tsp Instant Coffee
1 tsp Sugar or a Low Calorie Sweetener
6 (fl.) oz Cold Milk
3 tbsp Warm Water


Preparation 
First, prepare a tall glass filled to the brim with ice cubes.
In a shaker, or a jar that can be sealed, add in all the ingredients and shake thoroughly.
Pour the drink into the glass.

The strength of the coffee and the sweetness can vary as per your choice. If you prefer strong coffee, you may add some more coffee to the drink. The same goes for sugar. As is the same for the recipes provided above, even this drink can be modified with additions of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, or even hazelnut.

"Instant Cappuccino Recipe"

Instant Cappuccino Recipe
This homemade instant cappuccino is actually a cappuccino mix that you can add to milk and sip away. It is even simpler than the basic cappuccino, as all you have to do is make the mix once and store it.

Ingredients
1 cup Coffee Granules
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Powdered Chocolate Drink Mix
4 cups Powdered Milk
1/2 jar Flavored Creamer


Preparation
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and store it in an airtight jar.
When you desire a cappuccino, just add 3 tablespoons of this mixture to 6 ounces of boiling water. Use a whisk or a milk frother to give it the real frothy appearance.

Voila! Again, you can add more flavors in this such as cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Vanilla extract is another choice. This could be the perfect drink to warm up to when you have a casual gathering of friends over at your apartment.

Basic Cappuccino Recipe

Basic Cappuccino Recipe
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare even without a machine.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup Strongly Brewed Coffee
1 cup Skimmed Milk
1 tsp Sugar


Preparation 
Put the sugar in the milk and thoroughly heat it in the microwave oven.
Pour the milk in a blender and blend till it develops a thick layer of froth. You can also use an electric whisk for this purpose.
Brew the coffee till it is strong, and fill only 3/4 of your cup with coffee. Pour in the frothy milk and sugar mixture.
Add in a pinch of cinnamon for a spicy flavor, or garnish the drink with some chocolate.

You have 2 cappuccinos ready to go! Freshly ground coffee can give your cappuccino a fresh and smooth flavor. If you want to add a delicious twist to your cappuccino, add 2-3 tablespoons of caramel or 2 tablespoons of chocolate, or both together, just before pouring in the frothy mixture.

"Difference Between Cappuccino and Latte"

Difference Between Cappuccino and Latte

If you visit a coffee shop and ask for a cappuccino and a latte, you will notice that both of them taste the same. The reason is that both of them are made from poor quality espresso and are topped with a lot of milk and foam. However, a point to be noted is that the cappuccino and latte have different identities of their own and they are not synonyms of each other. To understand the subtle differences between both, let's read about them further.

Along with the cappuccino vs latte debate, there is also a cappuccino vs latte calories debate. Latte consists of more calories than cappuccino. The number of calories per drink will vary from one coffee maker to another.

Latte

A latte is known as café au lait in French, café con leche in Spanish and Milchkaffee in German. In simple words, it is coffee milk. Latte often accompanies breakfast. Let's get to know why. Latte is actually a double shot of espresso, which is topped with steamed milk. Mind you I said steamed milk and not milk froth or frothed milk. Since it has a generous amount of milk in it, it is very filling. Therefore, a latte normally accompanies breakfast.

Latte ideally needs to be served on a 7-8 oz glass, which often is not the case. Since it consists of a generous amount of milk, the drinker should be able to see the amount of milk in this coffee. There are some café, where you can see some foam on top of a latte. It is used only for the sake of presentation such as to make it more attractive. On a latte, there is some latte art, which is used for garnishing. The designs, which are normally used, are in the shape of a heart or a leaf.

Cappuccino

How to make Hot Instant Coffee Latte?

How to make Hot Instant Coffee Latte?

Ingredients
Whole milk, soy milk or skimmed milk 1 cup
Instant coffee powder
Light cream
Sweetener like splenda

Procedure
Pour the boiled milk in a cup and add the sweetener. Add the instant coffee powder of your favorite brand. Mix well. Whisk with electric blender to make the perfect latte. Stop the blender when it is full of froth. Now spread some cream over it. Sip it hot.

how to make Mocha Frappe?

how to make Mocha Frappe?

Ingredients
Double strength coffee powder half tsp
Ice cubes
Vanilla essence half tsp
Chocolate sauce 2 tsps
Whipped cream or ice cream 1 dollop

Procedure
Blend ice coffee chocolate syrup and vanilla smoothly in a blender. Pour the coffee and float the ice cream or whipped cream on top. Serve icy cold mocha frappe.

how to make Iced Cinnamon Coffee

how to make Iced Cinnamon Coffee

Ingredients
Strong instant coffee powder 1 tsp
Coffee syrup
Heavy cream 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick

Procedure
Dip the pieced cinnamon stick into the hot coffee. Leave for few minutes and strain the coffee. Now add cream to the coffee. Chill it in refrigerator. Before serving add ice slices or ice cream as per your choice.

How to Make the Best Instant Coffee?

How to Make the Best Instant Coffee?

 

This instant coffee recipe is very simple. Just squeeze two minutes from your busy schedule and brew some instant coffee. You can avoid going to cafe to sip a cup of instant coffee. You can drink it hot or sip icy cold. Choice is yours. Read more on instant coffee recipes.

Procedure - Boil a cup of milk and add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir well to mix the sugar. Add half teaspoon of coffee powder and mix it. Your instant coffee is ready. Sip it hot or cool it in refrigerator for icy sip in summers.

 Now that was the easiest method to make instant coffee. You can always improvise the techniques and flavor it for variations in taste.

How to Make a Cappuccino Coffee - With an Espresso Machine

How to Make a Cappuccino Coffee - With an Espresso Machine

Ingredients
1 coffee cup of water
2-3 level tbsp. freshly ground coffee beans for espresso
2 coffee cups of milk
1 tsp. of sugar
Chocolate powder, ground cinnamon or nutmeg
How to Make

To make your perfect cup of cappuccino, chill the metal pitcher. This allows the coffee to foam up better. Fill the pitcher with a cup of fresh thick milk and place a food thermometer inside the pitcher. Place the steam wand diagonally just below the milk's surface for a better froth. The angling of the steam wand is important for the majority of the milk to froth up. Steam it to 150 degree Fahrenheit. Add the sugar, sweetener, or flavors as desired for the cappuccino. You can add delicious flavors like vanilla, Irish cream, and hazelnut.

Just before pulling the espresso shots, pour steamed milk into the desired mug after scooping out the froth. Load the espresso ground beans into the portafilter handle, and tamp level before inserting into the espresso machine. Pulling the perfect espresso shot is quite an art. A perfect shot is attained at around 18 to 23 seconds. After pulling the shots, pour it into the coffee mug and add the steamed milk till it is more than half full. Add the scooped froth on top above the rim of the mug, sprinkle it with some lovely chocolate powder and your delicious coffee is ready to be sipped and enjoyed.

How to Make a Cappuccino Coffee - Without a Machine

How to Make a Cappuccino Coffee - Without a Machine

While espresso machines do make it easy to brew the perfect cappuccino, with a little ingenuity, you can make your cup of cappuccino right at home. Here are the steps that will help you understand how to make cappuccino coffee at home without a coffee maker or an espresso machine.

Ingredients
1 coffee cup of water
2-3 level tbsp. freshly ground coffee beans
2 coffee cups of skimmed milk
1 tsp. of sugar
Chocolate powder
How to Make

To make your delicious cup of cappuccino, pour in one cup off milk (or as much as needed for individual coffee mugs) into a pot and heat it gently. Brew your coffee strong and add the blended mixture of sugar and water to it. In a microwave, heat this mixture for around 2 minutes. Use a blender to mix the sugar water mixture with heated milk. Blend it for a minute or two to make a smooth frothy mix. Watch out for the fluffy foam to appear. Pour the coffee into heated lards and scoop up the froth to top up the coffee. Sprinkle up the chocolate powder on top.

how to make Turkish Coffee

Turkish Coffee:

Made by boiling finely ground coffee and water together to form a muddy, thick coffee mix. In fact, the strongest Turkish coffee can almost keep a spoon standing upright. It’s often made in what’s known as an Ibrik, a long-handled, open, brass or copper pot. It is then poured, unfiltered, into tiny Demitasse cups, with the fine grounds included. It’s then left to settle for a while before serving, with sugar and spices often added to the cup.this good types of coffee

how to make Vietnamese style coffee

Vietnamese style coffee:

A drink made by dripping hot water though a metal mesh, with the intense brew then poured over ice and sweetened, condensed milk. This process uses a lot more coffee grounds and is thus a lot slower than most kinds of brewing.this good types of coffee

Corretto

Corretto

 

Corretto: 
literally “corrected” espresso – you add a shot of Brandy, Whiskey, or other liquor.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino

Cappuccino:
Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and frothed milk, often with cinnamon or flaked chocolate sprinkled on top. Sometimes coffee shops will add more milk, so that the customer will get a bigger drink out of the deal, but that results in a weaker coffee.