How to Make the Best Coffee by Jeffrey Dach
jdach
I wrote this article two years ago, and since I wrote this, a few
things have changed. I no longer use the plunger on the press,
instead, I use a Gold Filter to pour off the coffee. Also, the coffee
beans mentioned may no longer be available.
Making Coffee Out of This World by Jeffrey Dach
The very best coffee is made with fresh whole coffee beans, freshly
ground and mixed with boiling water in a French Coffee Press. The
most important component is the quality of the coffee beans. And the
very best beans are the Sulawesi Toraja and Rwandan Mibirizi, limited
roast hand picked which I was surprised to find at Target and labeled
kosher. These are "out of this world", and far better than Starbucks
coffee, in my opinion.
First Step to Make Coffee:
The first step is to boil water in the kettle. While waiting for the
water to boil, get out your French coffee press, and remove the
plunger. Also get out your electric coffee bean grinder.
The Coffee Bean Grinder:
Fill the coffee grinder with whole beans, replace the lid, and turn on
the grinder. After 30 seconds or so, the beans will be fully ground
into small particles. Dump these small particles into the large glass
beaker called a French Coffee Press.
The French Coffee Press:
A whistling kettle is recommended since it will alert you when the
water comes to a full boil. Once boiling, the water is now ready to
pour into the French coffee press. Be careful as you fill the glass
beaker about ¾ full, because the water is scalding hot.
Stir once and let the coffee sit for a variable length of time
depending on your taste and experience. I usually give it 30-60
seconds and then push down on the plunger which then pushes the coffee
grounds down to the bottom of the glass beaker. Others suggest giving
it 3-4 minutes before using the plunger.
This is how your coffee should look:
Now you can pour off the coffee into your coffee cup or mug. The
surface should have a rich creamy bubbly look (see above image). I
usually add a small amount of milk, and wait a few minutes to cool
off, and then the coffee is ready to drink. This is the really good
part. It’s heaven.
How Does Caffeine Work? Natural Medicine at its Best
Left Above image is caffeine, and right above image is adenosine. Note
the red arrow points to a module in adenosine which is very similar to
caffeine.
Caffeine is the Drug in Coffee
The active ingredient in coffee is a drug called caffeine, a stimulant
of the central nervous system. This natural plant drug is the reason
we all drink coffee. The chemical structure of caffeine (see above
image) is similar to adenosine, which is an inhibitory
neurotransmitter in the brain. Caffeine blocks the action of
adenosine, and therefore acts as a brain stimulant. There are about
200,000 research articles on caffeine in the scientific and medical
literature. Because caffeine is a CNS stimulant, it can product
dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms just like any other
addictive drug.
Another mode of action of caffeine is blockage of an enzyme called
Phosphodiesterase which normally degrades cyclic AMP. This allows the
build-up of cyclic AMP which intensifies and prolongs epinephrine, a
potent stimulant in the body.
Left Image: Cyclic AMP, which has structure of adenosine with a
phosphate group attached (blue ellipse). Notice the red ellipse
outlining the caffeine-like structure at the upper right.
Enjoy your cup of "Out of This World" Coffee, plant based Natural
Medicine from your own kitchen.
For the original article with illustrations and links see:
http://www.jeffreydach.com/2008/12/31/making-coffee-out-of-this-world-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx
For the Amazon page for my book, Natural Medicine 101 see:
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Medicine-101-Medical-Information/dp/1439211221
Note: I have no financial interest in or relationship with any coffee
companies or products.
Jeffrey Dach
7450 Griffin Road Suite 190
Davie Fl 33314
http://www.jeffreydach.com
http://www.drdach.com