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How To Buy Specialty Coffee The Right Way

To buy specialty coffee the right way, you should know a few things about what actually qualifies as a cup of specialty coffee. Sounds simple right? Unfortunately there are a lot of coffees out there being passed off as specialty when in reality, they are nowhere close.

Real specialty coffee is truly miles above and beyond the majority of options currently available. In fact most people's understanding of how specialty coffee should taste is even in need of some improvement. If you are not sure what you should be looking for, there is a good chance your next purchase may be gourmet coffee priced, without the specialty coffee flavor.

There are a lot of factors that go into a proper specialty coffee roast. Here are three things to look for in your search for the perfect sprecialty brew.

Coffee Bean Origin

Where the coffee beans are grown makes a MASSIVE difference in the flavor. The mineral content of the soil, the weather, events during the growing season, adjacent plants and wildlife and packaging all factor into the taste and specialty feel of the coffee.

Much like fine wine, a true specialty coffee will present its most noticeable characteristics based on the region in which the bean was grown. Indonesian coffees like Sumatra can have a full, earthy body. Whereas a central American coffee like Guatemala may present with a sharp and clean finish.

Check out which regions produce the type of bean you like.

Coffee Bean Quality

Obviously for someone looking to buy specialty coffee, the quality of the bean plays a major factor. Regardless of where the bean comes from, the discerning consumer needs to be sure the coffee beans are the select ones from the batch.

Lower grade coffee beans, ones that clearly don't qualify as specialty, are more prone to shriveled bean, small rocks and dirt, or even rat feces. You get what you pay for, regardless of what the label says.

If you want to be sure to only select high grade beans for your specialty coffee, a good coffee roaster will is the best option. A good roaster will know how to select the best grade bean to ensure the specialty coffee he sells is consistently top shelf.

Coffee Roasting Technique

Before you buy specialty coffee, make sure you know how the roaster cooks his beans. Most companies, in the interest of cost, roast in large, continuous batches. Sure this is faster, but it results in beans that are usually over or under roasted.

In a continuous batch, the beans are added as others come out. This creates a faster roasting, but it results in the beans being burned or over roasted so that they get up to temperature faster. The other option is just as bad.

In an effort to not burn the specialty coffee, the temperature is lowered, so the beans come out slightly green and under roasted. Neither option truly results in a batch of gourmet coffee.

Be sure to only buy specialty coffee from roasters that roast in small batches, and not continuous.

Mother's day in the hospital.Help! Need fun ideas to mark the occasion?
This is going to be a very special mother's day and I don't want it to be a bad one.My mother is hospitalized and struggling with cancer. It could be our last mother's day and I want to do something beyond balloons and flowers. My siblings and I want to make something original that she will enjoy but she cannot leave her bed and there are doctors and nurses coming in and out of the room all the time (no privacy). Baking or cooking aren't options because she cannot eat and as much as she loves dancing and singing it isn't going to be possible. She enjoys being read to,but we do that everyday. Here are some things my mother likes: Old hollywood movies. Chess. Taking pictures and professional photography. Doing people's hair (she doesn't have hair right now). Plastic arts. Fashion and accessories. Getting her nails done but she doesn't have good nails for manicures right now. Exotic teas and coffee. Gardening. Uh, the color red. Please help us.I am not the creative mind of the group but I want to get something special organized with time so it will be perfect and my mom will enjoy herself.

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Why do some claim that Mormons are intolerant?
The Advocate says Salt Lake City is the most gay friendly is the USA. There are more than a half-dozen hot spots for men and women, including the eco-friendly nightclub Jam (JamSLC.com), though the sustainable bamboo flooring is perhaps less of a draw than the packed dance floor. The Coffee Garden (878 South 900 East) is a gathering spot for those looking for a caffeine fix, the Sundance Film Festival brings LGBT film buffs to screenings downtown, and lesbian-owned Meditrina (MeditrinaSLC.com) is a true wine bar ? yes, you can get a drink in this town. http://news.advocate.com/post/15571734525/gayest-cities-in-america-2012

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