Besides being the much needed boost in the morning, coffee is also being increasingly used as a cosmetic. There are a lot of products that now make use of coffee in order to help you take care of your skin.

Source Of Antioxidants

CoffeeBerry is a range of patented product that has been developed by VDF FutureCeuticals, Inc. and that make use of the antioxidants properties of the coffee fruit. Research that has been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that the antioxidants found in coffee fruit is 25-times higher than those present in coffee powder.

These properties have allowed the development of a whole range of beauty products that is laden with powerful antioxidants in order to keep your skin in good health. Who said that coffee was bad for your health?

Many other companies have started making use of Coffeea Arabica or Green Coffee in creams meant for skin-smoothening and anti-ageing purposes. The Academy of Dermatology in the US has given a nod to this nutrient as a promising advancement in the beauty industry. Coffeea Arabica basically works by helping in getting rid of free radicals. It is said to have astringent qualities which helps in rebuilding skin damaged by UV rays.

Cosmetic products, such as coffee-flavored lip balms, are affordable and easily available. Green coffee extract and shea butter form the main ingredients of many conditioning balms. Other coffee-enriched products include Coffee Butter and Mochacchino Butter that promise silky smoothness. These products claim to provide protection from UV light, quick penetration of cream into skin, excellent moisture retention and have, of course, a strong aroma of yummy coffee.

Other cosmetic options available are lip colors made out of coffee. Some of the popular cosmetic brands have come up with a range of lip liners and lipsticks that primarily contain coffee seed oil and other organic ingredients such as beeswax, seed oil, pomegranate, aloe, cocoa butter, ginseng, and chamomile. Coffea Arabica also helps lipstick spread smoothly.

Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee is an effective body scrub especially when it comes to dealing with cellulite and varicose veins. In fact it is the caffeine that is present in coffee that helps in redistributing the fat content in our skin thus serving as an effective cellulite remedy.

If you prefer to enjoy your coffee in a mug, drop in for a visit at Strictly Coffee Robertson or order some of our excellent coffee, from our coffee club to try at home.

Winter is fast approaching in the Cape, shorter days and longer evenings lend themselves to warm fire places and warm drinks. One that has been with us for a long time is the humble Irish Coffee. Below is the tale of how this humble drink came into being and has crept into our hearts – and tummies …

The tale of Irish Coffee

According to legend the humble Irish Coffee had it’s origins in the Port of Foyne, a busy air traffic point between Europe and United States in the 1930s and 1940s, carrying a diverse range of people from refugees to Royal Family members. It was here in the winter of 1934, that a  flight from Foyne left to New York in extremely bad weather. Battling the elements the  flight eventually had to turn around.  Chef Joe Sheridan working at the airport restaurant in the terminal building offered tired passengers the coffee drink mixed with Irish whiskey. One American passenger asked the chef  if it was Brazilian coffee, and the chef answered, “No, that’s Irish coffee.”

In 1952 Jack Koeppler, owner of Buena Vista in San Fransisco brought the Irish Coffee recipe back to the United States and made it famous. Every year, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum holds an Irish Coffee Festival in August. Where the world’s best Irish Coffee is judged
Below is  the traditional recipe for The Original Irish Coffee

• Cream – Rich as an Irish Brogue
• Coffee- Strong as Friendly Hand
• Sugar – Sweet as the tongue of a Rouge
• Irish Whiskey – smooth as the Wit of the LandIn a warm stemmed whiskey goblet, pour one tot of Irish whiskey. Add one spoon of brown sugar and fill with strong black coffee within one inch of brim. Stir to dissolve the sugar and top off with whipped cream, slightly aerated by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Do not stir after adding the cream as the true flavor is obtained by drinking the hot coffee and Irish whiskey through the cream.

  Classic Irish Coffee
  - 2 oz Irish Whiskey
  - 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  - 5 – 6 oz freshly brewed strong black coffee

  Stir thoroughly and top off with a layer of heavy whipping cream, poured gently over the back of a spoon.

  Hot Irish Monk
  - 2 oz Irish Whiskey
  - 1 oz Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
  - 4 oz hot chocolate

  Stir thoroughly and add a thick cap of whipped cream; sprinkle with chopped, toasted hazelnuts.

While there are several different coffee species, two main species of coffee are cultivated today.  Coffea arabica, known as Arabica coffee, accounts for 75-80 percent of the world’s production.  Coffea canephora, known as Robusta coffee, accounts for about 20 percent and differs from the Arabica coffees in terms of taste. While Robusta coffee beans are more robust than the Arabica plants, but produces an inferior tasting beverage with a higher caffeine content.  Both the Robusta and Arabica coffee plant can grow to heights of 10 meters if not pruned, but producing countries will maintain the coffee plant at a height reasonable for easy harvesting.

Although Arabica and Robusta coffee may appear similar appearance there are a number of differences – physical, chemical and genetically – that significantly differentiate them.

1. Growing Conditions: The arabica coffee shrub typically grows between 2.5-4.5 meters in height, requires a temperature between 15^o-24^oC and an annual rainfall of about 1200-2200 mm/yr. Whereas robusta grows slightly taller 4.5 -6.5m, requires a warmer temperatures of 18^o-36^oC and slightly more rainfall (2200-3000 mm/yr) than arabica. Arabica typically also yields less coffee per hectare than robusta – meaning higher costs in production.

2. Bean Shape: Arabica coffee beans are a slightly larger/elliptical shape than the smaller, more round robusta beans. Structural differences also exist between the beans, which may explain why both beans roast differently under identical conditions.

3. Caffeine and CGA content: - Both caffeine and CGA have been documented as potential insect deterrents and chemisterilants. Arabica generally has less caffeine and chlorogenic acid (CGA) than robusta.

4. Lipid and Sugar Content: Arabica contains almost 60% more lipids and almost twice the concentration of sugar than robusta. Increased levels of sugars in coffee play an important role as its decomposition during roasting increase the level of perceived acidity and dissolved solubles in coffee.

5. Pollination: Arabica is self-pollinating plant, meaning the plant will have fewer mutations and fewer variations throughout its life cycle as compared to robusta.

6. Chromosomes: Arabica has double the number of chromosomes at 44 than robusta at 22.

At Strictly Coffee we only carry Arabica coffee, try some today from our Coffee Club .

Growing Coffee Beans at Home

Growing coffee plants at home is a rewarding experience that will help you learn and appreciate the work involved in producing coffee.  It is a very easy plant to take care of and is a great conversation piece, especially during flowering or cherry development.

Germinating Coffee Beans

If coffee cherries are not readily available, green coffee can be purchased from a green coffee supplier like Strictly Coffee, but it is essential that the bean is of a recent crop and recent shipment.

The potential for germination will continue for almost four months, but after this time the germination rate is several fold less and germination time is significantly longer.  Fresh seeds should germinate in 2.5 months, but old seeds can take as long as 6 months. Coffee in pergamino is even better. If this is available plant the coffee face down in the pergamino.

It is advisable to pre-germinate the seeds.  First soak the coffee seeds in water for 24 hours.  Then sow the seeds in damp sand or wet vermiculite in which the excess water has been drained.  Otherwise, you can place the seeds between moist coffee sacks, which should be watered twice a day and drained well.

Once the coffee seed germinates, very carefully remove it from the sand, vermiculite, or burlap bags.  Make a  hole about 1.25 cm deep in a friable loam soil with a high humus content.  Rotted manure, bone meal, and dried blood can also be added.  If this type of soil is not readily available try a light weight and porous soil.  Place the seed flat side down in the hole and sprinkle soil over the hole.  Do not press the soil down firmly.  Placing a 1/2 inch of mulched grass on top will help preserve moisture, but should be removed when the seed has fully germinated.

The seeds should be watered daily.  Too much water or too little water will kill the seed.  The soil should remain well drained, but moist at all times.

After germination, the coffee plant should either be left alone or carefully removed and planted in a soil with a low pH (acidic) and high nitrogen content.  The soil should be porous.  Therefore, course sand or basalt gravel dust can be added.  Manure can also be added.  A fertilizer that is appropriate for orchids can be used sparingly for the coffee plant to maintain mineral levels and a low pH.

Coffee Plant Care

The coffee plant thrives under artificial plant lighting indoors.  The outside temperature in countries outside the Tropic belt is too volatile and too cold to allow the tree to develop. Water the tree twice per week in what is called a full watering and a half watering.  In a half watering, simply add some water to the soil and allow it to drain.  In a full watering, add water, allow it to drain, and then add water with fertilizer and allow it to drain.  The key is to keep the soil most, but well drained.

After two or three years flowering and possibly cherries can be expected, but do not expect high-quality coffee unless you are at a high altitude and are monitoring the conditions of the artificial microclimate carefully.  For more coffee growing details please see the rest of the agriculture section.  In theory, it is feasible to grow a high-quality coffee at home under the right conditions.

To spur flowering, wait until the beginning of winter and significantly reduce watering for 2-3 months.  When Spring begins water the plant well, which should shock it into producing flowers.  From this point forward, water well and regularly.  Arabica coffee is self-fertilizing so you will not need to worry about pollinating.

Once the cherries mature you can harvest, pulp, ferment, dry, roast, and drink the coffee.

Some studies have shown that drinking coffee before exercise can enhance exercise performance, particularly for endurance events such as longer distance running. Not all studies have shown a benefit though. A recent, well publicized study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that even moderate amounts of caffeine, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, can impair athletic performance. It seems that the caffeine in coffee alters the amount of blood flow that reaches the heart during an exercise session. Normally, blood flow to the heart increases with exercise, but when caffeine tablets were given to athletes, this increase in blood flow was reduced, meaning less oxygen and nutrients were reaching the heart muscle.

Despite this, many people still believe that drinking coffee before exercise helps them to exercise longer and harder. Some people who drink coffee before exercise feel more focused due to the effects of caffeine; and there’s some evidence that caffeine can reduce fatigue allowing a person to exercise longer. The effects of caffeine on sports performance may vary depending upon the individual and the amount of caffeine consumed, making it difficult to generalize. Nevertheless, it would be wise to avoid drinking coffee before exercise particularly if you have hypertension or are at an increased risk of heart disease.

Many people grind their beans themselves, to ensure a fresh and flavorful cup of coffee. But not as many people roast their own. Whether you are a home-roaster or not, knowing the different roast levels and their taste characteristics can be helpful when purchasing coffee.

What exactly does roasting do? The sugars, fats and starches that are within the bean are emulsified, caramelized and released. This creates the delicate coffee oil. This oil is what gives coffee its distinctive aroma and taste.

In general, lighter roasts are sharper and more acidic than the darker roasts. Darker roasts have a fuller flavor. Beans that have been over-roasted will take on a burned, smoky or charcoal flavor. Also, there is less caffeine in the darker roasted coffees than in the lighter ones. The roast alone doesn’t determine the resulting coffee taste or quality. The origin of the beans makes a big difference. A bean from Ethiopia will taste differently than a bean from India, even if they are both French roast.

Here are the basic roast terms.

Cinnamon
The bean is light brown, and dry (no oil visible). The flavor is baked or “bready”, like toasted grain. There will likely be definite sour tones. There is not much body in cinnamon roasted coffee.

New England
A term not as frequently used as the others, though this roast is apparently common in the eastern United States. It’s a little darker than the cinnamon roast, but without the grainy flavour. New England roast will still have some sour tones to it.

American, Light
Medium light brown beans. This roast is the norm for eastern USA. This roast (and sometimes cinnamon as well) is the most often used for cupping or professional tasting.

City, Medium
The color is darker still, more of a medium brown (think chocolate). This roast is common in the western parts of the USA. This roast is a good choice to taste the differences between varietals.

Full City
Medium dark brown beans. The beans will start to show some oily drops on the surface with this roast. Full City will have caramel or chocolate undertones.

French, Espresso
Beans are starting to get dark brown, and French roasted beans are shiny with oil. There is less acidity, but with burned undertones. This roast is often used when making Espresso. Many people think this is the darkest roast available, but that’s not true.

Italian, Dark French
Similar to regular French, but more so. Darker and oilier looking, and with a stronger burned flavour.

Spanish
Darkest roast of all. Color is nearly black, and the flavor is flat with a charcoal undertone.

Strictly Coffee leans towards a medium roasted bean as we believe this brings out the best in the flavor, try it for your self in the comfort of your own home, order from our Coffee Club today

Don’t get tired of grinding your own coffee. Return to the daily grind and enjoy the taste of fresh coffee.

Every time you buy fresh coffee beans and ask the Barista  at the Strictly Coffee shop to grind your beans you are opening up the “flavor cells” and causing your beans to begin losing their flavor rapidly. The purpose of grinding the beans is to create a larger surface area that will release the flavor and oils to the surrounding hot water. If coffee is prematurely exposed to air, it “breathes”, leaving less and less flavor for the brew, when the water finally hits the bean.

If you brew your own coffee every morning then you know how important the details can be when taking steps to create the perfect cup, but one step that many people don’t give enough attention to is how they grind their coffee beans. Of course many people do their own grinding, but how many pay attention to exactly how?

Timing
Coffee beans should be freshly ground immediately before brewing, so you should grind just one pot at a time. Oxidation begins immediately and flavors will degrade noticeably in just a few hours — if you’re looking for perfect coffee, no grinding should be done the night before.

Method
there are two main types of coffee grinders: blade grinders and burr grinders. Blade grinders are the most common and the least expensive, and although they can grind coarse and medium sizes nicely, they can also have inconsistent results and are noisy (especially first thing in the morning). Also, when using a blade grinder it’s important to grind in small bursts of a few seconds at a time to prevent heat from building up and burning the grounds.

Burr grinders, on the other hand, are more expensive and have more settings to learn, but always yield precision results and can be adjusted to fit any brewing method (especially those requiring fine and super fine grounds).

Size
The size of grind you use when brewing coffee is based on two things: the brewing method and personal taste. Coffee grounds can be broken into the following sizes:

Coarse Chunky, distinct particles, like potting soil.
Medium Less chunky, like rough sand.
Fine Like fine sand, sugar, or salt.
Super Fine Like gritty flour or powdered sugar.
Turkish Grind Very powdery and smooth, like flour or powdered sugar.

Fitting the grind size to the brewing method is all about how much of the coffee’s surface area is exposed to the water and for how long: desirable flavors come out first in brewing, while bitterness and other undesirables come out later (if the coffee is brewed too long). Coarse grinds are best suited to French press style coffee makers because they let the water and coffee steep together for several minutes. Medium or fine sizes work best for drip coffee machines, and fine or super fine are best for making espresso because the water is pushed through the grinds fairly quickly.

Try it for yourself, make your next coffee order from the Strictly Coffee Coffee Club, coffee beans and experience for yourself the joy of grinding your own coffee.

Most barista’s spend the majority of their day taking and making custom drink orders. Most seasoned barista’s have the numerous customizable options memorized, and pride themselves on creating their own signature coffee.

Gregory - Barista Strictly Coffee

If you are interested in taking your coffee brewing skills to the next level,then read on…

So what is a Barista?

A barista is the person called the “coffee bartender”, and is usually someone who works in a coffeehouse. Barista is actually an Italian term that literally means “bartender ” and has become popularized in American culture, probably due to Starbucks slang. Many people actually begin to consider themselves to be a “coffee sommelier”, which is an expert coffee professional who is experienced in coffee and espresso drinks as well as knowledgeable in all types of coffee beans and blends.

Here are some things that you will need to know as you begin your journey into expert coffee preparation…

- Take the time to explore different coffee roasts and beans to bring out the inner coffee “sommelier” in you.

- Practice your tasting skills  so that you can easily taste test the difference between roasts. (This is not just a party trick, it is something that will be very useful in your coffee preparation career)

-  As with a wine taster, you too must be able to tantalize your taste buds with all that each specific coffee roaster has to offer.

- Every single customized coffee blend has a story to tell, so what is it telling you? Is it dark? Light? Chocolatey? Smokey?

Tony - Strictly Coffee Barista

These are all things that your need to know as you embark on your coffee education and begin to recommend specific coffee beans and roasts to other people. Next, you will want to focus on your coffee and espresso brewing practice. This is something that can be perfected by repetition, With enough practice you will soon be able to pull shots and steam milk simultaneously, all the while creating multiple drinks for your family and friends. Start by learning the basics, such as making espresso shots, cappuccinos, and lattes, and from there you can begin your own drink creations.

Having your own signature drink is something that is completely imperative to becoming a top notch a barista, and you may be interested to know that this is one of the main things that the contestants are  judged  on  at the World Barista Championships. With this goal in mind, just know that nothing is off limits to you as a coffee connoisseur and brew master. If you begin to roast your own beans at home, you can have even more control over the coffee taste and blending process that you use in your drink creations.

As a final note, focus on using optimal temperatures in all of your espresso and coffee purring, so you know that you are always producing the best drink possible. This is your time to shine as you learn. If  you would like to know more about becoming a Barista and would like to  observe a professional Barista at work, pop into Strictly Coffee in Robertson. Our friendly Barista’s Gregory and Tony are always on hand to provide advise to budding brew masters.

If you have ever been in a top quality coffee shop like Strictly Coffee, you’ve probably seen Kenyan brands of coffee listed. But did you know that Kenyan coffee is considered by connoisseurs to be one of the world’s top coffees?

Known for its premium brand, Kenya AA coffee, Kenya produces some of the world’s best coffee and is also a leading exporter of Arabica coffee.
Due to its unique taste, Kenyan coffee has also been blended with poorer quality coffees from different countries over the years, in order to improve the other coffee’s quality and flavor.

Kenya coffee is grown in the high altitudes of Kenya’s highlands and along the Mount Kenya region. The rich volcanic soil, temperate climate and seasonal rains combine to produce coffee that is so well balanced it is almost sublime. The ripe berries are handpicked twice a year; the main picking season runs from October to the end of the year, while the second and smaller harvesting season runs from June to July or early August.
The Flavor of Kenyan Coffee

Kenyan coffee has a strong, distinctly bold flavor and a high, smooth acidity with a mellow after-taste similar to wine. If you want to enjoy the most delicious aroma to ever come from coffee, then try Kenya’s roasted coffee beans.
Kenya Coffee Grades

Coffee in Kenya undergoes a grading system. For each coffee lot produced, the coffee beans are rigorously tested for quality and then sorted into various grades depending on size, weight and shape. Kenya AA coffee, Kenya’s premium grade of coffee, is simply a measure of the size, weight and shape of the bean. The grade sizes, ranging in order from the largest to the smallest, are AA, AB, PB, C, E, TT and T.

Why is size important? Because bigger beans mean more aroma and flavor – two qualities which are of the utmost importance to coffee drinkers. Bigger coffee beans are perceived to produce better quality coffee, all other factors remaining the same.

If you are looking for a great cup of African coffee packed with delicious, rich and delightful flavor, coffee from Kenya will delight your taste buds. The good news is you don’t have to travel to Kenya to enjoy the fabulous taste because Kenyan coffee can be purchased from the Strictly Coffee Club and enjoyed in your own home.

Malawi Coffee is meticulously processed and graded, using internationally approved standards and quality control measures, to provide a high quality offering.  Relatively unknown, Malawi coffee has of recent times made extensive developments in quality control, throughout from coffee producing (from harvest to green bean), in the brewing and cupping thereof and finally in packaging and marketing. This revolution has resulted in the emergence of an exciting, fresh, flavorful cup that can be compared with the finest of East African Coffee.

Coffee in Malawi grows in high areas, with elevations starting from 1,000 metres above sea level. It is mainly cultivated in the mountains of the Northern Region, where climate conditions are particularly good for the crop.

Malawi Coffee is grown at altitudes ranging from 1200m to 2500m. This coffee embodies the softer, more floral and fruity style of East Africa coffee: sweet, delicate, shyly bright. You will taste tropical and summer fruit from this cup, with juicy mangos, passionfruit and tangerines dominating (some people get orange zest as well), with wild strawberries and a little apple peeking through in the undertone.

Malawian coffee tends to be softer on the palate and have lower acidity than its African counterparts. The acidity is bright and lively, really making the fruits come alive in your mouth. The body is moderate at first and compliments the flavours well, then as the coffee cools, it becomes extremely syrupy and thick in the classic African dry processed way. The sugars come into play then and you could be mistaken for thinking this was warm mulled juice with a hell of mule kick to it. The finish is slightly spicy and sharp, but balances out with a lingering sweetness.

This coffee works best in the cafetiere or other gentle brew methods, and drunk without milk. The Strictly Coffee, Coffee club has stock of Malawian Coffee, why not give it a try.