Fresh Gourmet Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. It's rich,

full-bodied taste is a daily necessity to millions of people. Of course,

coffee is not only loved for its taste. The caffeine kick is needed by

many to start the day. But if you are a true coffee lover, fresh gourmet

coffee has a taste that can't be beat.

Luckily, it's easy to get a hit of fresh gourmet coffee

almost everywhere. There are coffee shops on almost every street corner

and quality coffee beans are sold in many specialty shops as well as

supermarkets.

"Fresh" is the key to fresh gourmet coffee. Coffee simply

does not improve with age -- it should be used within six months of

production. Some of the large coffee distributors include old coffee beans

in their mixes to reduce the cost. Needless to say, this practice also

reduces the flavor.

Fresh gourmet coffee costs a bit more than regular

supermarket coffee. That's because it's made from high quality Arabica

coffee that has been hand-picked in processed. Commercial grade coffee is

made from the cheaper Robusta coffee which has an inferior taste and

texture than Arabica.

Commercial grade coffee is also machine picked and

processed which means that foreign substances such as twigs and leaves

find their way into the finished product. When you buy fresh gourmet

coffee, you are assured of the quality and taste.

You have many choices when it comes to fresh gourmet

coffee. Each coffee growing region produces a uniquely flavored coffee

bean and the processing method to also determines the final taste of the

coffee. The roasting method in particular determines the kind of coffee

taste.

Fresh gourmet coffee should be ground just before brewing.

You need a coffee grinder in your home if you want to the best tasting

coffee possible. A good-quality coffee maker is also a necessity when

making great tasting coffee.

Hans is author of the

Coffee Specials and Gourmet Basket

section at

Steaks-Guide.com