In storing your coffee, you need to take into account the reasons that affect coffee’s freshness AND flavour. Coffee loses freshness easily when exposed to air, so this means always going for an air-tight container. Coffee also absorbs moisture easily, so this means no storing it in damp places like your freezer or fridge. Aside from absorbing moisture, it also absorbs the flavours of other food near it, again this means making sure that you get an air-tight container.

For soluble coffee (think Nescafe and Taster’s Choice), the above tips are enough to address their storage needs, since they have a very long shelf-life anyway. This means that the air-tight glass containers they come in are good enough, as long as you remember to keep the lid on tight.

When it comes to ground coffee though, you have to be extra careful about storage. Ground coffee loses flavour and spoils the fastest, which means that you should always keep it in air-tight containers that won’t let light pass through. The reason for this is that the coffee interacts with sunlight, making it lose flavour. The best containers in this case are air-tight non-reactive cans. Even if you do store ground coffee properly though, you can expect them to spoil in a week or two (if not days). So never ever try to store ground coffee in bulk.

You can store coffee beans in greater bulk than ground coffee, but again you have to make sure that they are stored away from the light. At the least, make sure your air-tight containers are stored in a cabinet or in the pantry where it is cool, dark, and dry. Do not open the container every day, but take a small amount and transfer it to a smaller coffee can to decrease the number of times you expose the stored coffee beans to the air.

If you follow the above advice, you can ensure that your coffee will give the full-bodied flavour every cup should give.

Fairmont and Main Script Coffee Storage Jar Courtesy of Coffee-Maker.org.uk

Stimulants and ADHD. As you probably know, most common ADHD treatments are stimulants – usually in the form of amphetamine and methylphenidate. That is because stimulants actually have a calming effect on children with ADHD. Therefore, it seems to make sense that caffeine might be useful for treating the symptoms of ADHD. Also, it is probably safe to say that most parents would prefer to give their children caffeine over amphetamines.

Dosage. The general claim is that 100 mg of caffeine has the same effect as 5 mg of Ritalin – only with fewer side effects. That means the helpful caffeine benefits may be achieved with as little as two soda drinks.

Variety. You don’t necessarily have to feed your children coffee, either, or load them up with sugar-based beverages. Many parents are opting to give their ADHD children caffeine pills like Vivarin to help them maintain focus and behavioral discipline.

Warnings. Caffeine effects heart rate and blood pressure, and can elevate anxiety, tension, irritability, nervousness, insomnia and more. In children, all of these effects are compounded because of their small stature. Therefore, it is important that you express extreme caution when administering caffeine to children with ADHD, especially if they are already on a stimulant medication. Always consult your doctor before trying any sort of home remedy.

What the medical community has to say. Doctors are coming forward to stress to parents that, as of yet, significant studies have not been administered to prove the safety and efficacy of using caffeine as an alternative or supplementary ADHD treatment. Until there is more information and support from the medical community, it is a good idea to only proceed with such treatment under a doctor’s close supervision.

As a parent, it is understandable that you want to do everything within your power to treat your child’s ADHD. Even more, the thought of replacing a synthetic chemical like amphetamine with a naturally occurring substance like caffeine can be very tempting. Just make sure you do your research and consult your physician before testing the caffeine theory on your ADHD child.

Parker Crumbly loves coffee and is a huge advocate of alternative treatments for childhood conditions, including ADHD. He gladly gives his daughter a cup of coffee each morning and even her teacher can tell if she has not had one. When not researching ADHD, Parker can be found referring friends to groups like Adecco USA recruitment agency to help others find work.

Tiramisu. The next time you are out at your favorite Italian restaurant, you simply must try this classic coffee-laden desert. Featuring coffee soaked lady fingers, a sweet, creamy bed of mascarpone cheese, and chocolate shavings, this luxurious treat will change the way you see coffee forever . . . and may even haunt you in your dreams. Yes, it is that good.

Coffee bean candy. Pick up a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans at any coffee shop and snack on these tiny treats on the go. There’s nothing quite like that coffee bean crunch nestled in a firm-but-soft layer of white, milk or dark chocolate. What’s more, coffee bean candy can make a great ice cream or brownie topping, or cookie filler, if you really want to indulge.

Coffee flavored ice cream. This simple classic is a great way to cool those summer days and still get your coffee fix. Try any of the variety of store bought coffee flavored varieties for an easy and delicious coffee experience.

Coffee Liqueur. Chances are you’ve heard of Kahlua, the most well-known of the coffee liqueurs, but are you aware of the great variety of yummy coffee-flavored beverages you can make with a coffee liqueur? Look it up online. You’ll be amazed at what you can create . . . and you’ll have a whole new arsenal of party drinks to serve at your next coffee lovers gathering.

Coffee cheesecake. What do you get when you cross a favorite classic desert with a favorite beverage? Heaven, of course.

As you can see, there is no shortage of coffee flavored treats to entice the taste buds. If you are a coffee lover (and how could you not be?), then you owe it to yourself to experience each of these delicious indulgences at least once (or twice . . . or much, much more).

Patria Bigger loves coffee and cooking and loves combining the two even more. She’s a finance writer who specializes in bankruptcy processes, the things that happen 30 days after a filing, and issues concerning the final discharge.

The benefits of a coffee enema. The caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine in coffee are the ingredients that make coffee enemas so effective. These substances combine to stimulate relaxation of the anus’ smooth muscles and dilate the bile ducts and small blood vessels of the anus in order to clear the body’s toxins out from the intestines and usher them out via the colon. Coffee is also very useful for stimulating the liver to release toxins – even more so than traditional enemas.

History of the coffee enema. Natural and holistic health practitioners have been administering and recommending coffee enemas for years. Coffee enemas were introduced in 1917, but they were brought into the public eye about seventy years ago by Dr. Max Gerson, who made it part of his “Gerson Therapy” program.

Coffee enema how-to. You can purchase an enema kit from any pharmacy in order to perform an in-home coffee enema. Just be sure to use distilled water and organic coffee. Prepare the coffee with a French Press, using a bleached and organic coffee filter, and then allow the coffee to cool for about an hour – until it is room temperature. Pour the coffee into the enema bag and follow the directions that came with the enema kit.

Warnings. There are some things to keep in mind when considering doing your own coffee enema. First off, never used flavored, sweetened, or café au lait coffee blends for the enema procedure. It is important that you understand most medical professionals would advise against administering a coffee enema without the supervision of a physician. Coffee enemas should only be done as part of a total health program that addresses physical, spiritual, emotional and nutritional wellness. Additionally, pregnant women should not attempt coffee enemas, under any circumstance.

If you are looking for a way to detoxify your system and increase your overall well-being, then you may want to consider coffee enemas. Just use coffee enemas responsibly – do your research and know exactly what you are getting yourself into so that you don’t end up visiting gov site for cash for emergency medical care – because your health is a serious matter, not something to experiment with.

Coffee Reduces Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

If you have dark circles under your eyes, they could be caused by a variety of factors: fatigue, allergies, dehydration, or heredity. You may not be able to eliminate those noticeable circles completely, but an application of coffee beneath your eyes will help minimize the puffiness and inflammation at least temporarily.

Coffee Helps Decrease Cellulite

Researchers discovered that an application of skin cream containing caffeine reduces the size of cellulite cells by as much as 17 percent. In addition, another study showed that when caffeine skin cream was applied regularly to cellulite, 70 percent of the study’s participants saw a reduction in their hip measurement. There are numerous skin creams that contain caffeine, but you can save some money and create your own simply by adding instant or ground coffee to your everyday skin lotion or body scrub.

Coffee Reduces Inflammation

Researchers at the Seoul National University found that caffeine is almost as effective as aspirin when it comes to reducing inflammation and redness. Another team of researchers at the University of Tennessee found that when caffeine was added to anti-inflammatory creams, it increased their effectiveness significantly. Because coffee is a vasodilator, an application in skin cream leaves your skin firmer and tighter, with a beautiful, even tone and it looks less puffy. I personally recommend white tea and you can buy tons of it from China although you have to order in large quantity. If you want some cool items like kettle something totally new try out Presta.

Coffee is a Great Exfoliate

Exfoliation helps to slough off dead skin, revealing fresh, new skin beneath it, and also minimizes pores. A coffee facial mask will leave your skin clean, dewy, and baby soft to the touch. You can make this at home with your own used coffee grounds from your morning pot of java. Try blending ¼-cup used coffee grounds with either one egg white or a little milk. Stir the mix until it becomes a spreadable paste. Gently massage it into your face, avoiding the eyes and lips, and let it dry. After 15 minutes, rinse it off with warm water, massaging with your fingers as you go. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Coffee is Rich in Antioxidants

Coffee is rich in antioxidants. Using coffee in skincare products helps fight free radicals that can cause damage to your skin. Washing with coffee helps protect your skin.

Coffee may be your favorite drink when you need a boost, but now there’s another reason to love your java. Give your skin a boost, too, with coffee skincare treatments. You’ll look good, smell good, and feel great about your complexion.

About the Author: Dillon Getman is a professional writer with a passion for all things coffee – it keeps him going, after all. When he’s not enjoying a cup of java he can be found writing about sites like Presta where you can lease to buy electronic products over time.

There is, perhaps, no finer marriage in the world than a fantastic dessert and brewed coffee. It’s an interplay of flavors and textures. But not many people realize that (like wine and food) certain kinds of coffee work especially beautifully with certain kinds of dessert. It depends on the flavor personality of the coffee.

There are essentially three kinds of coffee flavors: nutty, fruity and floral. These depend on where the beans originated. An Ethiopian and a Costa Rican coffee are very different.  You can become more sensitive to the nuances of saltiness, bitterness, sourness (or acidity) and sweetness. For example, brewed coffee from roasted nuts tend to be sweet, while others tend to be bitter.

Temperature plays a large role: colder coffee tends to highlight the flavors, while hot coffee tends to have a more “blended” taste.  Iced coffees also tend to be diluted with water or mixed with syrups which can hide the taste of the coffee—so if you’re serious about understanding coffee, take your cup hot, brewed and plain!

To detect the flavor of the coffee, take a sip and let it sit on your tongue awhile before swallowing. Try to make out whether it is sweet, sour, bitter or salty. Then take a sip of water to wash the palate and taste your dessert. Again, pinpoint the different flavors and textures. Now take some coffee and some dessert and see how they play off against each other. What a wonderful way to end your  food adventure!

So remember that the next time you go to a restaurant! After all, most of us dine out in order to enjoy a full flavor experience; in fact, there are gastronomic delights like seven course meals that promise a full range of tastes and textures. Many of them even offer discount vouchers!

Enjoy the play of these flavors on your tongue—from the appetizer down to the dessert and the brewed coffee. In fact, the more you dine out the more you can educate your palate. This is a great way to learn more not just about brewed coffee but about flavors.  That’s a real bargain!

Many fine dining restaurants know this and offer a complete coffee menu. Others will have a house brew, meant to cleanse the palate and settle the stomach. In fact, they consider coffee such a big part of the dining experience that their discount vouchers will include complimentary brewed coffee.

Royal Kona Pumpkin Spice

Warm a cold Halloween night or provide a stimulating after Thanksgiving-dinner aperitif with this light to medium roast, pumpkin-flavored blend. While many holiday-themed coffees tend to cater to the winter holidays, this blend is special in that it’s more specific to the fall season.

Sisters Coffee Company Toasted Chestnut Flavored Coffee

If you prefer a rich, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness, this is the blend for you. All you need is an open fire and a warm blanket to complete the experience. This holiday coffee also comes in a metallic green package, adorned with holly berries, so it’s also perfect for gift-giving.

Lion Coffee Jingle Bell Caramel

This fine, Hawaiian coffee is a medium roast with a smooth, caramel flavor. To compliment the caramel, a bit of buttercream flavor is added to the mix, creating a truly tempting dessert coffee. This blend was previously called Caramel Christmas Crème, and comes in a delightful Christmas-themed bag featuring a Santa costume-clad lion in a rocking chair.

Royal Kona Cinnamon Gingerbread

The holidays just wouldn’t be complete without mention of the traditional cinnamon and gingerbread flavors that have come to be synonymous with the Christmas season. This medium roast blend is just the right mix of sweet and spicy, and comes in a blue “Starry Palm” bag, just for the holidays.

San Francisco Tea & Coffee Egg Nog Coffee Beans

This blend brilliantly combines two holiday classics, coffee and egg nog, to create a warm and fuzzy feast for the senses.

The holiday coffee tradition is one that dates back to – well, to the beginning of coffee. For that reason, coffee growers and retailers alike go to great lengths to provide us with coffee experiences that can add to our holiday cheer. There is sure to be something for everyone on this list of awesome coffee blends for the holiday season, so why not try all of them, and give your holiday guests warm tummies, stimulating scents, and tickled taste buds.

About the Author: Deborah Grames can’t start her day without a hot cup of java. When she’s not thinking about picking a new blend, she can be fond tracking the UFX Markets trading and studying day trading strategies.

The Guardian reported yesterday that Starbuck’s Sustainability Director, Jim Hanna, expressed their concern over the effects of climate change, as well as their seriousness in finding ways to tackle the problem. Being a business though, Starbucks concern for climate change is obviously not just for the welfare of the environment, but its possible effects on the global coffee supply chain, which will obviously hurt their bottomline. As Jim Hanna said, “If conditions continue as they are – is a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean…If we sit by and wait until the impacts of climate change are so severe that is impacting our supply chain then that puts us at a greater risk. From a business perspective we really need to address this now, and to look five, 10, and 20 years down the road.”

Starbucks is definitely not taking this problem sitting down; in fact they have been implementing their “climate change strategy from 2004, focusing on renewable energy, energy conservation, and collaboration and advocacy.”

Early this month, Starbucks also renewed their partnership with Conservation International, which involves a $3 million, 2-year renewed commitment that will “expanding pilot programs in coffee-growing communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and Sumatra, Indonesia, which are designed to support and reward coffee farmers and coffee-growing communities for efforts taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

So who says that profitability and environmental responsibility can’t go hand-in-hand? Not Starbucks.

The suit, a discrimination charge against the company, was filed by Elsa Sallard, who was born with dwarfism. Sallard claimed that she was discriminated because of her height. During an orientation for possible Starbucks employees, Sallard suggested that she can use a stool so that she can perform other tasks that are part of the job. But on the same day of the orientation, she was fired allegedly because she will likely put her co-employees and customers in danger.

Sallard’s suit was filed through the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, and charged Starbucks of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The settlement amounts to $75,000 which Starbucks will pay to Sallard. The company will also give ADA training to all of Starbucks’ managers and supervisory employees.

I understand Sallard’s grievance and equality should be something that all companies and people should strive for. But I do understand where Starbucks is coming from. Handling extremely hot beverages is a work hazard and there really is an increased likelihood of a mishap or accident if a person, even if she is extremely capable, goes up and down a stool. There’s political correctness but then there’s also common sense.

Better Memory Retention

David Foster’s research along with colleagues from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has discovered that taking a break helps the brain to retain information better.

They experimented on rats to repeatedly run on a track. Their brain has memorized a pleasurable pattern on the track. What’s surprising is that when they repeated the experiment after the rats’ break, their memory retention is 20 times faster.

So, having a coffee break will help you perform better at a mentally-demanding work. Actually, taking any break from work, like enjoying other office refreshments or self-grooming, is also beneficial for memory retention.

Activate Mind and Body

Better have a coffee break than just any other break. Coffee has caffeine that activates mind and body, keeping you perform better at work. It’s the reason behind sleeping difficulty when coffee was taken within two hours before bed time.

In fact, a study from France found out that taking at least three cups of coffee everyday by women 80 years old and over can reduce their risk of having memory decline to about 70 percent.

But don’t overdo your coffee break. Drinking more than four cups of coffee everyday will lead to caffeine addiction with symptoms like depression, fatigue, irritability, brain dilate, and jumpiness. Your boss will never be happy with a caffeine-addicted employee, for sure.