We love coffee, and here are some awesome facts to have more reasons to drink it!

1. Coffee doesn’t actually dehydrate you. Once thought to be a diuretic, coffee won’t dehydrate you unless it’s consumed in large quantities.

2. You don’t need coffee when you first wake up, your body releases a hormone called cortisol which helps you to feel awake and alert. So if you are in the habit of drinking coffee first thing in the morning you may want to wait a while so as not to waste the caffeine when cortisol is at its highest.

3. Coffee is healthy! It contains lots of antioxidants which helps the body fight free radical chemicals. As such, coffee drinkers are at a lower risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. Studies have also shown that coffee drinkers are up to 65% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Drinking coffee can help to burn fat. Caffeine increases your metabolism 3-11%.

5. Coffee is grown in an area called “The Coffee Belt”. Due to the regions that have conditions to grow coffee, such as sun and warm weather, coffee is grown in a “belt area” (see image).

6. Coffee works really quickly, it takes 10 minutes to start feeling the effects of it.

7. Coffee made from elephant dung is the most expensive brew, this is made by feeding coffee beans to elephants which is influenced by elephants’ digestive enzyme and broken down into coffee protein.

8. Coffee houses were originally banned in England because it’s where the cool kids with ideas hung out and where King Charles II thought they were conspiring against him. Read more about this in A history of coffee.

9. Caffeine improves performance when working out by increasing levels of adrenaline and releasing fatty acids from fat tissues.

10. Coffee was discovered by goats. It’s true, shepherds noticed that after eating coffee berries their goats became very spirited!

So grab yourself a cup of coffee today and enjoy!

Related articles:

· The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup

· How to brew coffee

 

Making a cup of tea just the way we like it is incredibly important. George Orwell even wrote about it – supported by his eleven rules to consider (article: A nice cup of tea). He suggested that:

“One should drink out of a good breakfast cup – that is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one’s tea is always half cold before one has well started on it.”

Here are our rules for making that perfect brew!

1. Do not leave the kettle when boiling water

Whilst making a proper British cup of tea you must be with the kettle at all times. After the kettle has boiled wait six seconds until it starts “ticking”, then the water is ready – so you must be ready.

2. Do not brew tea for less than three minutes

Leave the tea bag alone during the brewing period – no dipping, squeezing, stirring or wringing – these actions offend a British tea drinker.

3. Do not leave the tea bag in the cup

This is more of a health and safety tip than anything else, no one wants a scalding hot tea bag on their face whilst tipping tea into their mouth.

4. Avoid UHT milk

Whilst this type of milk saw us through our student days when we could pilfer it from the pubs by the bucket load as we were poor, it should not be allowed near tea now.

5. Never put the sugar spoon in tea

This contaminates the sugar! Tip the sugar using aforementioned sugar spoon, using an alternative spoon stir thoroughly until sugar has dissolved – you must stir. Keep stirring!

6. Never use a second-choice milk

No semi skimmed milk in the fridge? This is not a reason to use skimmed milk, using 1% milk is insulting to the cup of tea.

7. Never, ever pour the milk in first

Tea will never reach a tea colour if you pour milk into the cup first, it will still stay milk colour no matter how much you squeeze. Anyone you’re making tea for will not appreciate a cup of milk coloured water. Refer to rule 2 for correct method (no premature milk involvement).

8. Never use the microwave to heat your tea

Have you tried cooking a complete roast dinner in the microwave? It’s unheard of…

Only if you follow these rules will you enjoy a proper cup of tea!

 

Related articles:

• A history of Britain’s favourite drink
• Types of tea

There are more than 3,000 varieties of tea out there, generally classified into six basic categories: white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, pu-erh tea and flavoured tea. There are many herbal infusions out there also, but these cannot be classed as tea as they’re not made from Camellia sinensis leaves. Here we take a look at some of the teas available from Lincoln Tea & Coffee.

English Breakfast tea

Ironically developed by a Scot, English Breakfast tea was popular with Queen Victoria which in turn became popular with the rest of the country. A blend of black teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya, English Breakfast tea is a popular blended tea and the most common form of tea in British tea culture. The taste is known to be robust and blended to go well with milk and sugar; traditionally associated to accompany a hearty English breakfast.

Ceylon orange tea

Ceylon teas are generally lower in tannin and caffeine and have a crisp, refreshing taste. Despite its name, Ceylon orange does not contain an orange flavour. The name comes from “Orange Pekoe” – a term used to grade the size and quality of dried black leaves. Ceylon was the name of the country where it’s grown, now known as Sri Lanka.

Chamomile tea

Said to have many benefits such as reducing blood pressure, aiding sleep, calming nerves and helping digestion, Chamomile tea is actually a member of the sun flower family. Chamomile tea, also known as Camomile, has a distinctive apple fragrance and brewed using the actual flowers.

Earl Grey tea

Named after a British prime minister during William IV’s reign in the 1930s, Earl Grey is considered a classic English afternoon tea. Made up of black tea and flavoured with aromatic oil of bergamot, Earl Grey tea offers a fragrant and citrus taste.

Green tea

Green tea makes up around 10% of the world’s tea. Scientific studies show that green tea has many health benefits and is high in natural anti-oxidants and flavonoids which can protect the body, it’s also linked with weight loss as part of a healthy and balanced diet. The fermentation and oxidisation process of green tea is gentler than other black teas, giving it a light and delicate taste.

Peppermint tea

An infused herbal tea made from peppermint, Mentha piperita, which is also called mint tea. Peppermint tea is caffeine free and made from a blend of peppermint and spearmint leaves. Refreshing with a clean, crisp flavour, Peppermint tea can be served hot or cold.

Related articles:

· The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup

· How to brew coffee

Consider the world’s largest production of coffee and Brazil is definitely the biggest player in the business. Here we discover more about the Brazilian coffee industry and understand how important it is to the country’s economy.

History of coffee in Brazil

The coffee plant was first introduced to Brazil by French settlers in the early 18^th century, with coffee fields quickly spreading from the north of Brazil across the rest of the country, generally in areas close to the coastline.

By 1820, coffee had become the most exported product in the international markets, with production peaking once coffee plantations reached Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states. During the 19^th century Brazilian coffee was the number one beverage filling European and American cups, and by 1840 Brazil was recognised as the largest coffee exporter in the world.

During this time a new society formed in the country, governed by so-called ‘coffee barons’, who were the wealthy owners of the coffee plantations. These coffee barons not only held economic power in Brazil, but also had strong influence in the direction of the country’s future presidents’ elections.

Following the abolition of slavery in 1888, Brazil’s coffee production almost collapsed. Government programs were introduced to encourage European immigrants to work in Brazil’s coffee fields. This solution went a long way to broadening Brazilian society and accelerated the country’s urbanisation and internal markets.

However, the Great Depression of 1929 affected even the most profitable economic activities and coffee was no exception. The United States and Europe were the largest buyers of Brazilian coffee, but during the Depression prices plunged and thousands of bags of coffee had to be burned, bringing such a loss to some of its producers that they would never recover.

Brazil has been the world’s largest provider of coffee for the last 150 years, producing around a third of all coffee in the world. The country continues to be unrivalled in total production of green coffee, Arabica coffee and instant coffee.

 

Related articles:

• A history of coffee
• The Boston Tea Party

It sounds a very incongruous and innocent term; however the Boston Tea Party was a famed American revolt against taxation that the British Parliament introduced for the import duties of tea shipments. This changed the New World’s opinion of tea for the rest of time, causing Americans to now see it as an unpatriotic beverage.

Introduction of Tea Act

Since the beginning of the 18^th century, tea was regularly imported to the American colonies; it was estimated that American colonists drank around 1.2 million pounds of tea each year. Britain saw an opportunity to make more money off the New World’s lucrative tea trade by imposing taxes on American colonies.

As a result, the cost of British tea soared so American colonists began an alternative lucrative trade by smuggling tea from the Dutch and other European markets. Britain saw that the smuggling was undercutting their lucrative tea trade and as such the British Parliament imposed an Indemnity Act in 1767 which made British tea the same price as the Dutch were supplying it for. This reduced the smuggling of tea into America.

However, in 1773, the Tea Act was passed which granted the British East India Company control on tea sales within the American colonies. The colonists became outraged over this tea tax and saw it as an abolishment of human rights by being taxed without representation. As a result the smuggling of tea became prolific again.

What happened next...?

The Boston Tea Party occurred on the evening of Thursday, 16 December 1773, and lasted approximately three hours. 116 people were estimated to have taken part, many disguised as Mohawk Indians to protect their identity.

340 chests of British East India Company tea were smashed open and dumped into the Boston harbour; according to modern estimates the amount of destroyed tea could have brewed 18,523,000 cups of tea! The destruction of this tea was an expensive blow to the British.

After the Boston Tea Party

The 92,000 pounds of tea that was dumped in the harbour caused it to smell; as a result the British shut down the harbour until the 340 chests of British tea was paid for. This incensed the American colonists even more and they responded with protests and resistance.

The impact of the Boston Tea Party was enormous and was said to have fuelled the eventual American Revolution which began in Massachusetts on 19 April, 1775.

The permanent impact of the Boston Tea Party was that many Americans came to consider tea drinking to be unpatriotic. Tea drinking declined during and after the American Revolution, which ultimately resulted in the lasting American preference for coffee.

 

Related articles:

• When coffee came to Europe
• How to brew coffee

Roasting coffee is the process that converts the chemical and physical properties of the green coffee beans (see article: The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup) into the characteristic flavours which we all know and love.

The coffee beans are actually stored green in order to keep the quality and taste, so roasting usually takes place once the beans have reached their destination to ensure the best possible taste and quality.

The process

Roasting is all about the heat process that turns the coffee into four colour categories: light roasts, medium roasts, medium/dark roasts and dark roasts. The green beans are transferred into the roaster, and once the process is complete (depending on the strength) the roasted beans are then cooled immediately to halt the heat process.

The roasts

Light roasts: roasted until first crack of the bean; light brown in colour, high acidity. This roast is favoured for milder coffee varieties as they are not roasted for long enough for the oils to break through the surface.

Medium roasts: medium brown and muted acidity, higher bodied with a stronger flavour and oil free surface.

Medium/dark roasts: rich, dark brown with a little oil on the surface and a slight bittersweet aftertaste.

Dark roasts: shiny black beans with oily surface and strong bitterness. The bean sugars start to carbonise making the appearance very dark brown. Less acidity will be found in dark roasted coffee.

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to their coffee so finding the perfect roast for you will be a very personal choice.

Related articles:

· The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup

· How to brew coffee

In 1615, coffee was formally introduced to Europe, courtesy of Venetian traders who started to import it into Italy. However, whilst the consumption and popularity of coffee soon spread, the simple bean wasn’t without its controversy.

A group of Christian clerics believed that coffee was for Satan’s followers, and any Christians that drank the beverage would lose their souls to the devil. So strong was their belief that Pope Clement VIII was called upon to settle the dispute. However, before Pope Clement made a decision on banning coffee he insisted on testing it; after drinking his first cup he was so impressed with the flavour that he reasoned that such a drink couldn’t be the work of Satan and as such it should be baptised to make it a legitimate Christian drink.

Back in England, it was recorded that coffee was first brewed in Oxford, which led to the first coffee house opening in 1650. The most significant of the subsequent Oxford coffee houses was opened by Arthur Tillyard in 1655; Tillyards coffee house became a meeting point for a group of Oxford’s leading scientists to discuss theories, research and share ideas. Nicknamed the Oxford Coffee Club, this small club went on to become one of the leading scientific societies in the world, the famous Royal Society.

The first coffee house to be introduced in London was in 1652. Merchant Daniel Edwards served this new beverage each morning to his house guests, and as word spread the number of visitors to Edwards’ house grew over time. Eventually the first coffee house in London was opened in Cornhill, and following Oxford’s success with their coffee houses, by 1715 there were as many as 2,000 coffee houses around London.

A coffee house based on Tower Street in London saw the emergence of one of the world’s largest insurance companies, Lloyds of London. Opened by Edward Lloyd, the coffee house served seafarers and merchants; Lloyd would liaise with his customers creating lists of what ships were carrying, their schedules and their insurance requirements. This list attracted underwriters to the coffee house to sell insurance to those who needed it. The image above depicts ship owners and traders meeting in Lloyds of London coffee house in 1863.

It is thought that the custom of tipping started in English coffee houses; a small box was hung near the establishment’s counter with the words To Insure Promptness (TIP) inscribed on them. Customers would drop coins into the box to encourage a swift service.

Related articles:

• The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup
• How to brew coffee

There are many ways to brew a good cup of coffee, and everyone has their unique preferences – a hearty cup in the morning, a lunchtime cappuccino or an espresso following a meal?  Do you like a dark roast or a lighter blend?  What kind of coffee grind do you have?  No matter how you choose to brew your perfect cup, the suggestions below will help enhance your brewing routine…

The equipment

Ensure that your equipment is thoroughly cleaned and that there is no build-up of old coffee residue or grounds.  Residue can affect your fresh coffee, making it bitter.

The coffee

Buy your coffee in small amounts depending on how much you drink – ideally this should be every two weeks.  To keep the coffee as fresh as possible ensure that the bag is sealed and store out of sunlight, do not put it in the fridge or freezer as condensation can form and affect the beans.

The grind

If you buy whole bean coffee, grind the beans as close to the brew time as possible.  If your coffee tastes bitter then the ground may be too fine, however if it tastes flat it means that the grind is too coarse.  Try rubbing the ground between your fingers to establish the differences in size.

The water

The quality of water is underestimated when it comes to brewing your coffee, the condition of the water is very important.  Use filtered or bottled water, as tap water could contain chlorine which will make your coffee give off a strong odour or taste.  If you are using tap water, let it run for a few seconds before filling your coffee pot.

The proportion of coffee to water

Use the correct proportion of coffee to water; a general guideline is 1-2 tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water.  This can be adjusted to suit personal taste preferences.

The brewing time

The amount of time that water is added to the coffee is another important factor in affecting the taste.

• With a drip system the contact time should be around five minutes
• A cafetiere should be between two and four minutes
• An espresso, as the name suggests, should take around 20-30 seconds brew time

Experiment with the brew time until you make a cup that suits your tastes exactly.

So what makes coffee one of the world’s most favourite drinks?  As we know from The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup, the coffee bean is extracted from coffee cherries but what is its biological legacy?

Coffee traces its heritage to a species of plants known as Coffea and it’s been estimated that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 types of coffee plants.  In the commercial coffee industry there are two important coffee categories: Arabica and Canephora (commonly known as Robusta).

Coffea Arabica

Coffee Arabica descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia, and provides a mild, aromatic coffee representing approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production.

Arabica trees are costly to cultivate as the terrain in which they grow tends to be steep and makes access difficult (see image right).  Also, despite being self-pollinating, the trees tend to be more prone to disease than Robusta so require additional attention and care.

Coffea Canephora (Robusta)

Central and Western Africa, parts of south East Asia and Brazil tend to grow the majority of the world’s Robusta, and whilst production is increasing it accounts for only around 30% of the world market.

Robusta trees are heartier, resistant to disease and parasites and can grow at far lower altitudes than Arabica, which makes them easier and cheaper to cultivate.

Robusta beans tend to produce a coffee with a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine than Arabica. Robusta is generally used in blends and instant coffee.

Read up on the journey of the humble coffee bean here: The coffee bean: journey from seed to cup, did you know it takes three years from seed to get to your cup?