The Coffee Resource

Thecoffeeresource.com is your resource for all things coffee, how to choose a coffee maker and information about the green coffee trade.

Coffee is an internationally popular drink that is the first thing consumed by many people across the world each day.

The earliest known coffee consumers were ninth century Ethiopians, who observed the impact of caffeine on goats.

Coffee spread from Ethiopia and by the 15th century it was consumed in the Middle East and northern Africa, before moving to Europe in the early 17th century.

About 75 percent of the world’s coffee trade involves the Coffea arabica bean, while a number of other coffee bean types comprise the remaining 25 percent.

The coffee production process is of interest to many people. Firstly, coffee berries are handpicked and sorted according to ripeness and colour. Their flesh is removed and the beans are left to ferment. They are then washed, dried and labelled.

The roasting process comes next, and this changes the chemical nature of the coffee bean. During roasting, the bean temperature rises to 200 degrees Celsius, and caramelization occurs, breaking down the starches in the bean.

Finally, the beans will be categorized according to colour: light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark or very dark.

The health effects of coffee remain contested, and scientific beliefs about the impact of coffee on the body and mind continues to evolve.

Some studies have suggested coffee can aid in the prevention of breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and type two diabetes among others.

But other research suggests coffee consumption can cause anaemia in mothers and infants, and can prevent absorption of supplemental iron.

In addition, some people are concerned about the caffeine content of coffee, which has been shown to temporarily increase the stiffening of arterial walls (and hence reduce blood flow).