According to Arabian Folk Lore, Coffee was first discovered thousands of years ago in Ethiopia when a young goatherd noticed that, as they browsed on on a small shrub covered in red berries, his charges became more lively and frisky. Curious, he tried some and found they helped him stay alert and awake as he stood guard over his herd all night. Word soon spread about the berries and somewhere along the line, someone discovered that if you roasted and ground the seeds found inside them you could make a delicious drink. The rest, as they say; is history.

There is no finer way to finish off a meal than by enjoying a pot of good, freshly brewed coffee, complemented by our hand made chocolates. Quality coffee and quality chocolate can even rescue an otherwise mediocre culinary experience. In fact there's nothing more enjoyable than an excellent cup of coffee and fine hand made chocolates at any time of day. 

You can safely leave the quality of the chocolates to us, but your on your own when it comes to making the coffee, so here's a few tips to help you learn to make that perfect cup of gourmet coffee, better than any you will find in a coffee shop..

Brewing the perfect cup of gourmet coffee is not difficult, just follow the steps... 

1. Buying & Storing Coffee
2. Coffee Makers
3. Water for Coffee
4. Coffee to Water Ratio
5. Brewing Gourmet Coffee
6. Serving Tips
7. Flavouring Coffee
8. Finally

1. BUYING AND STORING COFFEE: 

Buy best quality coffee beans or ground coffee from small specialist retailers rather than supermarkets.  If you have a coffee grinder buy your coffee as beans and grind them yourself, that way you can always be certain of fresh product. If you don't have a grinder a vacuum packed blend like our medium roast After Dinner coffee is the perfect choice, the different bean varieties are roasted separately, blended then ground to just the right consistency and vacuum packed immediately to seal in the wonderful aromas and flavours.

Here are a few tip's on the best way to keep coffee fresh for as long as possible:

• Although 'Air' is indispensable to us humans, it's ground coffee's "public enemy no 1" as it deteriorates rapidly once exposed to air. So only open a vacuum pack when you are ready to use it and transfer the contents to an airtight container (preferably glass)  immediately, if using freshly ground coffee from a shop do the same. 
• Store in a cool dark place, preferably not in the fridge. 
• Do not store near strongly aromatic foods as both ground coffee and coffee beans are easily tainted.
• Consume within 7 days to enjoy it at it's very best.
• If you wish to store for longer periods, freezing in an air tight container protects both the flavour and aroma for up to 3 months.

2. COFFEE MAKERS: 

All connoisseurs have their own preferences when it comes to coffee makers, however for simplicity, ease of use and the quality of the coffee it produces, a good Cafetiere is difficult to beat for novice or expert alike.

3. WATER FOR COFFEE

Coffee connoisseurs recommend using refrigerated bottled spring water for coffee making, but if you are using water from the tap (faucet), run the water for a few minutes until it runs cold, the colder the water the more Oxygen it contains and the more Oxygen in the water the better the Coffee (or Tea). DO NOT use tap water with an odor or pronounced taste, some tap waters (in parts of London, New York and other cities for instance) are highly chlorinated with a very distinct taste and odor. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these areas it's well worth doing as the connoisseurs do and using a good bottled still spring water (not mineral or carbonated water), you will be amazed at the difference.

4. COFFEE TO WATER RATIO

For standard blends we recommend 1 level tablespoon of ground coffee per cup capacity of the coffee maker. This measure will give usually give a strongish brew, for stronger coffee use rounded or heaped tablespoon measures, for weaker coffee use dessert spoon measures or reduce the measure by 1 cup at a time i.e. 4 tablespoons in a 5 cup capacity coffee maker. Experiment to learn your preference but note that ratios will vary for different coffees and remember, although not ideal, you can always add more fresh boiled water if it's too strong, but you can't make a weak brew stronger.

NOTE: A 1-cup measure is generally taken to mean 5 fluid ounces (150ml), if your not sure of your coffee makers capacity, use a measuring jug to measure water into it to about 1" (2 cm) below the lip and remember or make a note of the capacity. 

5. BREWING YOUR COFFEE

This method is for a Cafetiere but will suite filter and other types of coffee maker.

• Put the kettle on and while it heats up warm the Cafetiere, our Cafetiere has a glass container so I do this by putting the container (without the metal bits) in the microwave for a minute or two, for metal containers or if you don't have a micro-wave you can use a warm oven or hot water but remember to dry the container before the next step.
• Measure the coffee into the container using the above formula.
• When the kettle boils switch it off and leave it for about 10 - 15 seconds or so, unlike tea, for best results coffee should be brewed with water that's just off the boil.
• Fill the Cafetiere to within about 1" (2cm) of the top with the boiled water.
• Stir and let it brew.
• After several minutes the coffee grounds will start to settle, this is the time to replace the plunger and push it down smoothly until fully depressed. If you feel resistance don't try to force it just wait a few seconds and the pressure will dissipate.
• If you've done it correctly the coffee is now brewed to perfection with a lovely thick, creamy froth on the surface, it smells wonderful too and is now ready to pour. 

TIP: Did you know that you can also use a Cafetiere for making excellent loose leaf tea?

6. SERVING YOUR GOURMET COFFEE

 Unlike commercial coffee, in coffee shops etc, which is deliberately served scalding hot to mask the bitterness of low grade blends, the subtle flavours of a good quality coffee will improve and mellow as it cools. We recommend Using a tea cloth or cozy to keep coffee warm and ensure it cools gently. If the coffee is too cold, try warming your cup (in the micro-wave or hot water?) not the coffee. It's far better to have the coffee go cold and gently reheat it than use a hotplate. If you must use a hot plate, leave the coffee on it for no longer than 15 minutes or so, or it will start to burn and go stale.

7. FLAVOURING COFFEE

The flavoring of coffee is an ancient tradition dating back to nomadic Arab tribesmen who added a pinch of ground Green Cardamom (not Brown) or other spice to coffee before brewing. You can experiment with different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice etc (the fresher the spices the better) and flavorings like vanilla (pods) or liqueurs like Amaretto etc. Be adventurous, create your own signature coffee, but remember, the idea is to add just enough to compliment the flavour of the coffee, not destroy it.

8. FINALLY 

Clean your cafetiere or other coffee maker thoroughly in fresh hot water after every use, old coffee residues or highly perfumed washing up liquid can taint the flavour. The care you take of your coffee making equipment will only increase the ultimate pleasure of your coffee experience.

For More On Coffee Click Here: Chocolate n Coffee

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