China’s Medicinal Tea: Pu-erh Tea Health Benefits

China’s Medicinal Tea: Pu-erh Tea Health Benefits

By Varat Phong

The restorative and medical properties associated with Pu-erh tea is truly astonishing. Often referred to as the “Wonder Tonic” and the “Medicinal Tea”, Pu-erh tea has been hugely popular in China for over 1700 years. For centuries it was given as a tribute to the Emperor and high ranking officials within the Imperial Courts of China. Its high value and many health benefits lead to high demands and the frequency of the tributes gave it the title “Tribute Tea”.

Accounts on the health benefits and medical use of Pu-erh tea has been documented in various ancient scripts and famous books throughout Chinese history. Pu-erh tea is strongly believed to have wide ranging health benefits from anti aging, prevention of heart disease and cancer, diabetic control, removal of toxins to curing dysentery, inflammation, aiding digestion and weight loss, improving the eyesight, blood circulation and reviving those who are overly intoxicated with alcohol. [Read more…]

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The Surge in Popularity of Home Coffee Makers

The Surge in Popularity of Home Coffee Makers
By James McDonald

People have been brewing and drinking coffee for centuries. It was a staple of many people’s diets back then and remains a popular beverage in today’s times. With the availability of specialized coffee drinks in shops all around the world, it has never been easier than it is to get any flavored coffee drink you can imagine. The downside to this is it is quite expensive to buy a cup at your local shop every day.

One way to combat these rising costs is to buy your own coffeemaker. This will allow you to brew and enjoy coffee just the way you like it in your own home. Today’s coffee makers are highly advanced with such features as programmable timers, auto shut off, premade coffee pods, thermal carafes, and much more. It is quite easy to set your coffee machine up to begin brewing before you wake up every morning. By the time you get to the kitchen you will have a warm pot ready to go.

The somewhat cumbersome setup and cleanup tasks that traditional drip coffee makers come with have been addressed as well. If you don’t enjoy doing these chores then you could look into a pod based machine like those made by Keurig. With these coffeemakers, you purchase premade pods that slip right into the machine with no mixing of grounds at all. These pods are relatively inexpensive and come in a huge variety of flavors to satisfy just about any coffee lovers tastes. And the good thing about them is they are becoming so popular that other companies make interchangeable pods as well. [Read more…]

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The Joys of Fresh Coffee at Home

The Joys of Fresh Coffee at Home
By Andrew Emerson

Not all coffee machines are designed to make a whole range of different coffees. If you only ever drink tall black coffees at the coffee shop then you could probably buy a lower-end machine and this would work for you just fine. If on the other hand you prefer to get an espresso boost every now and then, or you enjoy relaxing with a cappuccino then you probably would be better investing a little more in a better quality coffee machine.

One of the features which all buyers should look for in a coffee machine is one which has an integrated bean grinder, also called a ‘bean to cup coffee machine’. Although at first this may be something which you discount due to the extra cost, there are a couple of really good reasons to think twice: [Read more…]

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Coffee Roasts 101

Coffee Roasts 101
By JR Lang

The best cup of coffee consists of the best roasted beans, appropriately ground and brewed. So, it all starts with the coffee bean and the roasting method.

Originally the coffee bean is stored in original green state and it’s quite different than the roasted bean. It is soft and spongy and smells like grass. The roasting process effects numerous chemical changes as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures. Roasted beans smell like coffee and are crunchy to the bite, ready to be ground and brewed. The roasting process brings out the rich aroma and flavor of coffee as we know it that is locked in the green bean.

Coffee roasting is a complicated technical process and while some roast at home in reality it takes a professional to roast the perfect bean.

There are many types of roasts and it is difficult to find an industry standard, there are however 4 general categories of roasts that will describe certain strength and flavor. [Read more…]

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