Coffee! The greatest antioxidant

I am always confused entering Blenz, Starbucks, etc. There are so many different types, roasts, and brands. It is also as confusing when I am choosing coffee for my own coffee maker. Here are some interesting simple facts to have in mind.

There are two main types of coffee. The most common ones are Coffea arabica being the most espensive one and the other robusta. "Other species include Coffea liberica and Coffea esliaca, believed to be indigenous to Liberia and southern Sudan respectively."
Coffee roasting can be classified under 4 categories for darkness: Light (e.g. Cinnamon roast), medium (e.g. American, preferred in North America), dark (e.g. French) and darkest (e.g. Italian).

Coffee can be prepared in a number of different styles. Coffee makers requires drip fine grind coffee. Espresso need very fine grind (uniform tiny particles). Coffee press or French press, in the contrary, needs large particles. This is where a good grinder stands out from a cheaper one.

This article describes with illustrations how to prepare coffee using a press pot. And see how espresso machines work.

Starbucks defines 4 main elements contributing to brewing a great coffee as Proportion, Grind, Water and Freshness.

• Proportion: " two tablespoons of ground coffee (10 grams) for each six fluid ounces (180 milliliters) of water" then adjusted to the tast.
• Grind: "The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind ... for instance, coffee ground for an espresso machine should be very fine, in part because the brew cycle is only 19 to 22 seconds long. But for a coffee press, the coffee should be coarse ground."
• Water: "Use fresh, cold water heated to just off the boil."
  
• Freshness: "The enemies of coffee are oxygen, light, heat, and moisture." So keep the ground coffee for a short time in "opaque, airtight container at room temperature," And the original box, air tight in the fridge.