Why do you need to put lemon there, what water to boil in, what the taste depends on, how to choose the right grind – experts from the BILLA supermarket chain told Wday.ru about all this.
The taste of coffee depends on many factors. The type of beans, the degree of roast, the size of the grind – all this affects how the drink opens. But don’t underestimate the role of the second ingredient – water!
The correct water for coffee is free of impurities and odors that can spoil the taste. You can get it in several ways: use a filter or buy water in a store (pay attention to the label – you need purified water, not mineral and even less carbonated). By the way, scientists have already explained somehow that making green tea with tap water (boiling it, of course) only spoils the tea.
In addition to quality, the temperature of the water also matters: the hotter it is, the less aromatic the drink turns out to be. Coffee makers, as a rule, operate at an average temperature of 90-95 degrees.
Decaffeinated coffee is made from specially processed coffee beans. They are doused with steam, and then placed in a solution that removes caffeine from the beans. The procedure is repeated up to twelve times.
This drink does not have a negative effect on the nervous system and does not accelerate the heart rate. Therefore, decaf is a good alternative to regular coffee for people with cardiovascular diseases.
But be careful: in decaf, caffeine does not disappear at all – its content drops to 1-3 percent. So if you’re advised to completely eliminate caffeine for your health, opt for herbal drinks.
Scientists have proven that coffee can increase physical endurance. That is why the drink has become so popular among athletes. The International Olympic Committee became interested in this phenomenon and prohibited athletes from excessive consumption of caffeine (more than 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of weight), equating it with doping. But later it turned out that even one cup of tea or coffee can affect the physical readiness of an athlete, so since 2004 the IOC has ceased to control the consumption of caffeine by athletes.
How finely you should grind your coffee directly depends on how you prepare the drink. Coarse coffee is suitable for brewing in a French press, medium grinding is a good option for an electric coffee machine or geyser coffee maker, for a Turk it is better to use finely ground coffee. If you do not have time for coffee ceremonies and you are going to brew coffee directly in the cup, choose superfine grinding beans (“into dust”).
The ideal time for a cup of coffee is half an hour to an hour after eating. It is not recommended to drink coffee on an empty stomach: the drink stimulates the stomach, which still has nothing to digest. Also in the morning in the body increases the level of cortisol – a hormone that dulls the invigorating effect of coffee. If you cheat, you will want more and more coffee, which can lead to addiction.
One way to avoid the harmful effects of coffee on the body is to prepare an espresso Romano (“Roman Coffee”). Or, more simply, add lemon juice to your coffee. Lemon, getting into boiling water, loses some useful properties, but neutralizes the effect of caffeine. Romano has a tonic effect. Moreover, it is believed that this coffee recipe was invented to fight hangovers.
Knowing just a few “coffee” rules, you can find the perfect drink variation for yourself and enjoy it without harm to your health.