 |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
 |
|
||||||||
FAQs about the Website and Navigation How do I find quickly the information about a specific type of coffee? We organized the entire website to minimize the amount scrolling and the number of clicks a visitor needs to make to get the desired information. You can go to the page for a particular coffee several different ways:
For more complete information about a particular coffee, click on the More Info gadget for that product. Several coffees have links to related products. FAQs about Products, Services, or Information Excellent question to which there is no simple answer since each individual's health status is different. We deal with the health issue on a separate page, Coffee and Health, for you to click on and "jump" to. Forget all the truisms you've heard before. More recent scientific research shows daily coffee consumption in moderate amounts (typically 2 to 4 cups) may actually have positive effects on health for the typical person. Of course, discuss any concerns about your individual condition with your qualified health professional. Be sure to navigate to the Coffee and Health page for the excellent information it contains. Oh, "just one more thing," always drink freshly brewed coffee, not something that has been sitting on the warmer too long; and never, ever boiled whether brewed or reheated. Specialty coffee is the term given to the top twenty per cent in quality of Arabica coffee grown and harvested from select regions worldwide. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with "gourmet" or "premium" coffee, yet specialty coffee refers to coffees "made from exceptional beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates. They tend to feature distinctive flavors, which are shaped by the unique characteristics of the soil that produces them" (source: Specialty Coffee Association of America). Many specialty coffee growing countries have associations of growers, companies, and agencies who deal with enhancements for cultivating, exporting, and marketing coffee; as well as rural community development (infrastructure, medical, and education), and working in harmony with the environment. The 560,000 independent coffee grower members of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC) is an excellent example. Nearly all, if not all, specialty coffee is made from Arabica coffee beans grown at higher altitudes. See what drinking that cup of specialty coffee from Our Gourmet Coffee can do? What do you mean by Gourmet Coffee? This term applies to select specialty coffee beans that are roasted to perfection, the correct degree to bring out the beans characteristics. These fresh roasted coffee beans are immediately packed (unless they are ordered flavored) and shipped to the customer to brew and enjoy. Gourmet coffee will always be prepared with select specialty coffee beans roasted fresh when ordered, ground to the correct fineness or coarseness for the brewing method used, and brewed with fresh cold water heated to the correct temperature. At OurGourmetCoffee.com, you always get top quality specialty coffee beans roasted fresh after you order them, packed and shipped the same day. (Our roast master will grind your fresh roasted beans before packing them, if you select this option: Espresso blends - espresso grind; all others - automatic drip grind) We provide you with information on the recommended methods for grinding and brewing your coffee so you will have the best gourmet coffee experience with each sip! Convection roasting™ uses only hot air to roast the dried, raw (or "green") coffee beans for the appropriate amount of time to attain the desired roast level for that varietal or blend. This method yields uniformly roasted beans for each batch.
With the traditional roasting method, the raw coffee beans are placed inside a hollow metal cylinder and heat is applied to the outside as the cylinder is rotated. The coffee beans get "tumbled" in the hot cylinder until reaching the desired roast level. This method yields a batch of unevenly roasted coffee beans; some are scorched, while others are under roasted. Also, the impact against the inside cylinder wall causes breakage in some to the roasted beans, affecting their freshness and uniform size when ground. Clearly, we find the convection roasting™ method to be superior at yielding coffee beans uniformly roasted to the desired level for brewing the perfect tasting cup of coffee, without that scorched or burnt taste. We call it "Shalina's Secret" because convection roasting™ is a patented and trademarked coffee roasting process owned exclusively by Specialty Coffee Roasters and is labeled Shalina Gourmet Coffee®. It is the only one we carry to insure our customers get the freshest roasted, finest quality gourmet coffee anywhere. It is so good that several years ago, the officials from a 5 star luxury cruise line, Silver Seas Cruises, looked for the finest coffee they could find to meet the discriminating tastes of their customers. They compared dozens of specialty coffee roasters and selected the Custom House Blend from Shalina Gourmet Coffee® as the official coffee for their luxury cruise line, and they have ordered it ever since. That's quite a testimonial! What do the coffee terms acidity and body mean? Coffee growers, exporters, roasters, and marketers use specific words to describe the way a particular coffee's attributes will be experienced by the senses of the coffee drinker. The terms aroma and taste (or flavor) are pretty straightforward in meaning. Acidity refers, not to the coffee's actual pH, but to the lively, bright, cleansing feel to the tongue and palate. Acidity has to do with the attribute that determines a coffee's intensity, and is rated as low, medium, or high. A lower acidity equates to a more intense coffee, a higher acidity equates to a less intense coffee. Body has to do with the feel of a coffee's weight, texture, or density to the mouth and tongue; the coffee's "strength" or character. Body is described as light, medium, or full (heavy); a full bodied coffee will feel and taste as if lingering on the tongue and in the mouth after swallowing, a light bodied coffee will not. Many coffee connoisseurs prefer a lighter bodied coffee in the AM or in warm weather and a heavier bodied coffee in the PM or in cool/cold weather. A balanced coffee has each attribute noticeable to the same degree, no particular one predominates. What do you mean by Fresh Seal bags and why do you use them? Fresh Seal refers to the type of bag and the way your "just roasted" gourmet specialty coffee gets packed and sealed in the bag. The bag has a one way seal that keeps air and moisture outside away from the freshly roasted coffee. This seal allows the harmless gases naturally given off by the roasted coffee beans to escape, avoiding excess pressure build up. How much coffee and water should be measured for the best cup or coffee? The standard guideline is 1 rounded Tablespoon (Tbsp) of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water (the standard coffee "cup" amount). Use more ground coffee for a stronger brew, less for weaker coffee. Measuring too little coffee will not only make a weak brew, but also allow the water to extract the more bitter components of ground coffee. Lighter bodied, milder flavored coffees should be brewed on the strong side. From experience, for a full 10 or 12 "cup" sized pot of brewed coffee, Our Gourmet Coffee recommends one rounded Tablespoon per 6 ounces of measured cold water, then add 1 more Tbsp of ground coffee just to be sure it will be strong enough. If you prefer a coffee measure scoop (about 1/8 cup in size), use 5 or 6 rounded scoops. Each scoop is equal to about 2 Table spoons. If you then want your cup of coffee to be not so strong, add a Tablespoon or two of hot water to "thin" the coffee to your taste preference. How do I keep my fresh roasted coffee fresh after I open the bag? Good question. The best way is to store the unused coffee in the bag in which it is packaged and place the entire bag inside an airtight container away from light and moisture at room temperature (or cooler). A pantry or cabinet shelf is ideal. Do not store in the refrigerator or freezer. Both places are too cold and dry, and you will allow moisture buildup in the roasted coffee (whole bean or ground) each time you open the bag at room temperature to measure the coffee to brew. Air, moisture, and light exposure will degrade the aroma and taste of coffee. To close the bag so you keep your coffee fresh, fold each corner inward ("dog ear") and then tightly fold the bag over two or three times while pressing out the air. Secure the folded part to the bag with a strip of freezer tape or packing tape; both will retain more than enough adhesion to keep your bag of coffee tightly closed. A ceramic (opaque) or glass container with a sealable lid are best for placing the tightly closed bag inside. If you do not have one of these containers, just use a plastic freezer bag and press out the air before sealing it. Note: If you are not going to consume your freshly roasted coffee for more than 3 weeks, you can store unopened bags of whole bean coffee in the freezer for up to 6 months if placed inside a securely sealed freezer bag. Before opening for use, thaw the unopened coffee (still in the freezer bag) in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, followed by 24 hours at room temperature. This procedure will minimize the formation of condensation inside the bag. How fine or coarse should the coffee beans be ground before brewing? The type of grind depends on the brewing method you will use. Grind the beans at a coarse setting for brewing with a coffee press ("French press"). Use the finest setting for Espresso brewing. Automatic drip, the most common brewing method, uses a grind level a little finer than medium. The percolator brewing method works better with a grind level of medium or a little coarser. The vacuum brewing method uses a grind level about the same as automatic drip. The finer the coffee's grind level, the greater the surface area for brewing. Generally, the more quickly the coffee brews (the less time the water is in contact with the ground coffee), the finer the coffee should be ground. Some drip coffee makers brew better coffee with a finer grind level, so try a finer setting if the coffee is too weak for your preference and you used the correct amount of coffee for the amount of water measured. Why do you use the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box as your primary shipping method? Several reasons, the main ones being: cost, time, coverage, and reliability, plus confirmation of shipping and delivery date. Cost wise, the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box is the least expensive way to get your fresh-roasted-after-ordered gourmet coffee to you from our South Florida roasting facility for nearly all the United States. We use the standard sized, clearly marked, official Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, which your USPS carrier is used to handling (the perfect package for 1 to 12 one pound bags of your just roasted gourmet coffee). This method gets your coffee to you in 2 to 3 days from date of shipment, Sundays excluded. Also, the USPS already delivers to every residential and business address nationwide 6 days per week with great reliability and with no surcharge for Saturday delivery (just in time for you to enjoy over the weekend). Plus, we get confirmation of pickup for shipment and of delivery to your address. There you have it!  |
Credit Card Processing
What Is Our Coffee's Secret? Find out
|
||||||||
|
Email: sales@OurGourmetCoffee.com * Convection roastingTM is a patented and trademarked coffee roasting process owned exclusively by Specialty Coffee Roasters and is labeled Shalina Gourmet Coffee®. Our Gourmet Coffee is proud to market Shalina Gourmet Coffee®. It is the only one we carry to insure our customers get the freshest roasted, finest quality gourmet coffee anywhere.
|
|||||||||
