Farms that have been growing coffee for years, sometimes as long as two centuries, have the growth, cultivation and processing of coffee down to a fine art. But some coffee lovers like the challenge of do-it-yourself, or their interest in coffee leads them to try their hand at growing their own coffee plants. You can grow coffee from seed or purchase small plants, if you want to give this growing hobby a try. While it’s unlikely that you’ll grow enough to keep yourself in coffee year round, growing coffee can be a fun and rewarding hobby. Unlike fruits and vegetables, you can’t simply pick the coffee and drink it. When coffee growing, your satisfaction will come more in that you actually grew a beautiful coffee plant, than the coffee it produces. And it is a hobby that requires a great deal of patience, as it can be years before the coffee berries appear. Growing coffee isn’t difficult once you coax the seed to germinate, so even someone who hasn’t quite developed a green thumb can probably produce a lush and beautiful coffee plant. Coffee is easy to take care of, and is quite a lovely and dramatic plant to grow. The most ideal way to start is with a freshly picked coffee cherry, but it’s unlikely that most of us will ever have to access to one. Instead, purchase green coffee beans, the freshest and most recently picked as possible. The reason the beans need to be fresh is that coffee can only be germinated from about 4 months after picking. While it can happen after that, it’s unlikely. Fresh seeds generally take between 2 and 3 months, so it’s a lengthy process that requires patience, even if you manage to find fresh beans. To start growing coffee, soak the seeds in water for about a day then put them in damp sand or even vermiculite which you can find anywhere you can buy seeds. Make sure it’s wet but well-drained with no standing water. After the seed has germinated you can replant it in good soil that will drain well, and fertilize it. Water it every day to make sure that the soil is moist, but beware it staying too wet. A little too much water, or too less, and the seed will die. When you first begin growing coffee, germinate several seeds and keep track of your watering each one so you can get a feel for the right amount of water and you’re more likely to end up with a plant instead of just a few dead seeds! Artificial indoor lighting works great for coffee plants. Once you have a plant, water about twice a week and fertilize once. In two to three years, if you care for the plant properly you can expect flowering and cherries, and if you choose, you can learn the rather detailed process required to allow you to drink the coffee your plants provide. If not, a coffee plant makes a wonderful conversation piece.

Coffee drinking has become very popular around the world, especially since it’s available on nearly every street corner coffee shop and quick mart. Coffee beans are grown in many regions between the Tropic of Cancer to the North and the Tropic of Capricorn below the equator. Coffee can grow anywhere from sea level up to about 7,000 feet, which leads to many different possibilities to satisfy any taste. However, the highest quality grades of coffee are grown at the higher altitudes. There are over eighty countries that produce coffee. The following are some of the larger coffee producing regions in the world today: Brazil: Coffee was first introduced to Brazil in 1727. Today, Brazil is the world’s largest producer of coffee producing about 25% of the world’s supply. About 80% of the coffee beans grown in Brazil are Arabica. Brazil is also known in the specialty coffee industry. Brazilian farms grow primarily Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and Mundo Novo coffee cultivars. The Brazilian harvests take place between March and October. The farmers harvest the coffee cherries by strip picking and other mechanical methods. Depending on the weather conditions, either the dry or wet method of bean processing is used. Columbia: Coffee was introduced in Columbia in the early 1800’s. Today Columbia is second only to Brazil as the world’s largest coffee producer. Columbia produces about 12% of the world’s supply of coffee. The Columbian coffees are rich in flavor with a heavy body and bright acidity. They are known to be intensely aromatic. The Columbian harvests take place between October and February, and then again between April and June. Columbian farms grow Bourbon, Typica, Caturra and Maragogype coffee cultivars. Mexico: Coffee was first planted in Mexico in the late 1700’s. The coffee bean grown in Mexico is generally considered to be an uncomplicated bean, and is used more as a base for blending. The Mexican farms grow Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Caturra and Maragogype cultivars. These are usually grown organically on small farms. Guatemala: The climate in Guatemala is very diverse due to the soil, rainfall, humidity, altitude and temperature. For this reason, Guatemala has seven distinct coffees that are produced. The time of harvest varies throughout the regions, but is primarily October through January. Indonesia and New Guinea: Sumatran coffees are some the heaviest, yet smoothest and most complex coffees in the world. Their most notable coffees are the Mandheling and Lintong types. These are grown inland. Honduras: The coffees produced in Honduras are generally considered unremarkable in quality, but are a good base for use in blending. The Honduran harvesting takes place between October and March and generally the wet process method is used. The Honduran farms grow Bourbon, Caturra and Typica coffee cultivars. Very little of the Honduran coffees or coffee blends reach the United States. Ethiopia: The coffees grown in Ethiopia are widely considered the most unique and fascinating coffees in the world. The three common types of coffees grown in Ethiopia are Harrar, Ghimbi and Sidamo. These are known for their full bodies and rich aromas, and each has its own fruit-like tastes. Some other countries that also produce coffee are Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Uganda and Venezuela.

So, you are the happy owner of a coffee/espresso machine. But do you really know how to get the most out of it? Here are a few handy pointers that should help you to make the perfect espresso coffee time and time again. Tip 1 – Let Your Coffee/espresso Machine fully Heat Up The inner workings of your coffee machine that hold water items like the boiler are classically made of metal. Allowing this equipment to heat up by turning on your coffee machine at least 10 min preceding the 1st coffee will make a more steady heat for your coffees. Also use this time to heat your coffee cups before use, use the steam nozzle in hot water mode to fill the cups. Some coffee machines have built in cup heaters that take a few minutes to warm up. Tip 2 – Use Fresh Water With coffee, everything has to be fresh. Empty out your coffee machine water container every day when you are making your 1st coffee. You should use filtered water and you will definitely taste the difference. Using filtered water will also lengthen the life of your coffee machine; reducing calcification and lime scale build up. Tip 3 – Use Fresh Coffee beans If you do not have an automatic coffee machine that has a grinder built in then you will need to buy a separate one. Every time you use your coffee machine, only ever grind enough coffee beans for that measure of coffee. This will give you a glowing creme on top of your coffee or espresso. Store your beans in the freezer until its to use them, this will help them to hold their flavour. Tip 4 – Use The Correct Grind And Correct Tamping Talk to your coffee supplier about your coffee machine and make sure that he is giving you the correct ground coffee. If possible use your own grinder to attain the most favourable fineness. Gently pack your freshly ground coffee into the filter handle, do not pack to much or press to hard or you wont reach a decent flow rate. A excellent rule of thumb is that it should take about 25 seconds for 30ml of coffee to be poured. Tip 5 – Experiment There are so many variables at work with a coffee machine that you will need to make a lot of coffees to truly realize the different coffees you can make. The temperature, the beans, the grind and the flow rate will all give diverse tasting coffees. You will know you are getting it right when your coffee machine produces a thick golden creme and a sweet, rich espresso coffee.

There’s nothing quite like a cup of coffee in the morning. The aroma alone seems to wake you up and fill you with energy. How do you like your coffee? There are so many varieties anymore that it’s hard to choose. It may even take an entire lifetime to taste all the kinds of coffee available today. Where do you think the perfect cup would come from: a coffee maker or a person? Coffee drinkers use coffee makers for the convenience these machines offer. Some critics, however, claim that the appliances sacrifice some of the taste. Recent innovations in coffee maker technology, however, try to prove the critics wrong. Coffee makers now prepare each cup with amazing accuracy, getting the temperature right, the timing down to a split-second and the ingredients measured to near-perfection. Designed to make the best possible cup of coffee, these smart coffee makers make each cup as delicious as possible. Regardless, coffee makers are still machines. And machines can only accomplish so much. Coffee makers are confined by their functions. Beyond their functions, they can do nothing else. They can’t customize each cup of coffee to fit your character; they make each cup the same way. Some people are comforted by the fact that each cup the coffee maker brews will turn out exactly the same. But are you? Isn’t uniqueness a part of living? And don’t our little quirks determine who we are? Do we not all have an ideal blend of coffee in our minds? Coffee makers do not really take that imagined ideal into account. They simply make a cup of coffee considered by their designers to be “perfect.” They are nothing more than tools, needing human guidance and input. And machines also have the inclination to break down. A coffee maker will, eventually, stop making that “perfect” cup of coffee. How about a barista? Who are baristas? A barista is a person dedicated to creating the perfect cup of coffee for the right person. They blend, brew, taste, test and do everything they can do ensure that your coffee is just right. They innovate, always thinking of new ways to delight you with that ever-flavorful coffee bean. They are also human, so every cup will be unique — a flavor infused with the humanity of the barista. However, their humanity is also a limitation. Unlike a coffee maker, baristas can’t just start making coffee whenever you want them to. You can’t just turn on a barista at any time of the day and tell the person to make you coffee. Also, being human makes the barista imperfect. Unlike coffee makers, baristas cannot be preprogrammed to make the exact same cup of coffee every time. Sometimes, the quirks of a barista make the coffee taste horrible. But sometimes, the barista includes just enough human quirks to make the cup just perfect. When you think about it, the coffee maker is necessary to modern baristas. They need all the help they can get, if they want to succeed. Coffee makers and baristas work mutually. The barista chooses the ingredients, finds the right flavors for the right people and guarantees that the coffee will turn out with the quirks and personality of each person. The coffee maker takes those ingredients and transforms them into what the barista envisions — the right cup for the right person.