Thursday, February 08, 2007

Genes involved in coffee quality have been identified

2007 The worlds caffeine addicts got some good news this week when it was announced that the genes involved in coffee quality have been identified. Since 2001, CIRAD and the Agricultural Institute of Paran in Brazil (IAPAR) have been working on joint research into understanding the biological processes - flowering, fruit ripening, etc - that determine coffees distinctive characteristics. Some compounds (sugars, fats, caffeine, etc) are known to play a role in coffee quality. Their accumulation in the plant, and particularly in the beans, is a determining factor. Sucrose is considered to play a crucial role in coffee organoleptic quality, since its breakdown during roasting releases several aroma and flavour precursors.how coffee beans ripen. Using molecular biology and biochemistry techniques, they have characterized the key enzymes in the sucrose metabolism during coffee bean development.

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Tuesday, February 06, 2007

FOOD | Room temperature is best for coffee beans

A. No. A generation of yuppies ruined their coffee by keeping it in the refrigerator. The best coffee comes from beans stored at room temperature in an airtight container. At the store you'll find that the best beans are packaged in vacuum-sealed bags with freshness dates. Once a bean is ground, it's more exposed to air, "which makes it easier for coffee to lose its flavor," says Nicole Soley, a coffee-and-tea education specialist for Starbucks. A few tips for a better brew: -Buy just two weeks' worth of beans at a time. One pound makes about 35 8-ounce cups. Do the math to figure out how much to buy. -"You want to protect it from air, moisture, light and heat," Soley says. That doesn't mean keep it cool — a refrigerator or freezer can kill the flavor.

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Sunday, February 04, 2007

Red Roaster coffee may just wake you up

Noe will open the Red Roaster Hand Crafted Coffee shop in the College Green Commons, Monday, the culmination of a dream that started six years ago, was nearly destroyed a year or so ago, and something she says she is very passionate about. The Red Roaster isn't your run-of-the-mill coffee shop like those that have been popping up all over the place in recent years. This one has a living room, a fireplace that separates the living room from what could best be described as a den, a counter, a kitchen, a couple of display cases and its very own red coffee roaster. In all, almost 2,000 square feet of space, big enough for small meetings for those who might desire one. It will have 12 employees. And it's also next door to An Open Book LLC, which Ann Lacefield opened late last year.

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Friday, February 02, 2007

Tests spill beans on tastiest coffee

The Golden Arches beat out java giants Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, along with Burger King, in a coffee taste test run by Consumer Reports magazine. The magazine proclaimed McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee had "no flaws" - and was easiest on the wallet as well. "Try McDonald's, which was cheapest and best," Consumer Reports said in its March issue. "Or make your own coffee." Out of the four restaurants tested, McDonald's cost the least, just $1.35. It "was decent and moderately strong," the magazine said. "although it lacked the top notes needed to make it rise and shine." Starbucks might have the most vocal fan club among the caffeine crowd, but its brew was deemed decidedly ordinary. "Strong, but burnt and bitter enough to make your eyes water instead of open," the report said.

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

911 caller alerts police to coffee shop break-in

A 911 caller helped London police nab two people after a break-in at a coffee shop on Wortley Road yesterday. The caller reported seeing two people smash the front door of the Little Red Roaster at 138 Wortley Rd. about 1:30 a.m., police said. The pair was then seen going into the coffee shop and running out with items. Several officers responded to the break-in. Just before 2 a.m., an officer saw a person on Elmwood Avenue who matched the description of one of the suspects. He was arrested. Officers then went to another address on Elmwood Avenue where they arrested a second suspect. Some of the stolen property was also found, but couldn't be salvaged for re-use, police said. Chad Munroe, 18, is charged with three offences related to breaking and entering.

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Monday, January 29, 2007

Coffee beans kill six workers

Six Honduran coffee workers died on Wednesday when an overhead storeroom collapsed, dumping around 1,000 sacks of coffee beans on them. The six men, mostly young seasonal workers, were packing harvested beans at a coffee farm near the town of Villanueva in northern Honduras, when a wall gave way and the storeroom above them collapsed, emergency services officials said. "They were all young men; one of them was only 16," rescue worker Francisco Alvarenga told Reuters by telephone. "We've recovered five of the bodies, and there's one left," he said. Honduras, Central America's 2nd biggest coffee exporter after Guatemala, is in the busiest period of the annual harvest. Coffee bean sacks when full usually weigh from 60 to 70 kilograms each.

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Pugster Enamel Paint Coffee Cup Aqua Stainless Steel Italian Charm Link

Show off your personality, hobbies, or significant affiliations with this Pugster Coffee Cup Aqua Italian charm. This enamel charm features a small blue coffee mug filled with dark coffee. Crafted of the finest stainless steel with soldered faces (as opposed to less durable glue), these charms are sure to be a hit as you build your Italian charm bracelet or anklet. You can build your bracelet all at once, or gradually over the years. Either way, these bracelets are a great way to express your enduring values and style. Also a great gift for friends and family that rise at the crack of dawn. Crafted and authenticated by Pugster (TM) Inc., these Coffee Cup Aqua Italian charms are available for both retail and wholesale purchase in our store and are compatible with charms from all major brands. var ww = document.body.clientWidth;var wh = document.body.clientHeight;document.write('');

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Coffee could help cure baldness

London, Jan 23 Drinking coffee could help cure baldness as caffeine blocks the effects of a chemical known to damage hair, say researchers. Tobias Fischer of the University of Jena in Germany took scalp biopsies from 14 men in the early stages of hair loss. He extracted hair follicles and placed them in test tubes with solutions containing different levels of caffeine. .

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