ChairLook up chair in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.A chair is a piece of furniture for sitting, consisting of a seat, a back, and sometimes arm rests, commonly for use by one person. Chairs also often have legs to support the seat raised above the floor. Without back and arm rests it is called a stool. A chair for more than one person is a couch, sofa, settee, loveseat (two-seater without arm rest in between) or bench. A separate footrest for a chair is known as an ottoman, hassock or poof. A chair mounted in a vehicle or in a theatre is simply called a seat. Chairs as furniture are typically not attached to the floor and so can be moved. The back often does not extend all the way to the seat to allow for ventilation. Likewise, the back and sometimes the seat are made of porous materials or have holes drilled in them for decoration and ventilation. The back may extend above the height of the head. There may be separate headrests. Headrests for seats in vehicles are important for preventing whiplash injuries to the neck when the vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision. See history of the chair for an extended look at chairs from antiquity to the modern day. Design and ergonomicsThis unusual rocking chair is made of rough wood to give it an old-fashioned look.Chair design considers intended usage, ergonomics (how comfortable it is for the occupant), as well as non-ergonomic functional requirements such as size, stackability, foldability, weight, durability, stain resistance and artistic design. Intended usage determines the desired seating position. "Task chairs", or any chair intended for people to work at a desk or table, including dining chairs, can only recline very slightly; otherwise the occupant is too far away from the desk or table. Dental chairs are necessarily reclined. Easy chairs for watching television or movies are somewhere in between depending on the height of the screen. Ergonomic designs distributes the weight of the occupant to various parts of the body. A seat that is higher results in dangling feet and increased pressure on the underside of the knees ("popliteal fold"). It may also result in no weight on the feet which means more weight elsewhere. A lower seat may shift too much weight to the "seat bones" ("ischial tuberosities"). A reclining seat and back will shift weight to the occupant's back. This may be more comfortable for some in reducing weight on the seat area, but may be problematic for others who have bad backs. In general, if the occupant is suppose to sit for a long time, weight needs to be taken off the seat area and thus "easy" chairs intended for long periods of sitting are generally at least slightly reclined. However, reclining may not be suitable for chairs intended for work or eating at table. The back of the chair will support some of the weight of the occupant, reducing the weight on other parts of the body. In general, backrests come in three heights: Lower back backrests support only the lumbar region. Shoulder height backrests support the entire back and shoulders. Headrests support the head as well and are important in vehicles for preventing "whiplash" neck injuries in rear-end collisions where the head is jerked back suddenly. Reclining chairs typically have at least shoulder height backrests to shift weight to the shoulders instead of just the lower back. Some chairs have foot rests. A stool or other simple chair may have a simple straight or curved bar near the bottom for the sitter to place his/her feet on. A kneeling chair adds an additional body part, the knees, to support the weight of the body. A sit-stand chair distributes most of the weight of the occupant to the feet. Many chairs are padded or have cushions. Padding can be on the seat of the chair only, on the seat and back, or also on any arm rests and/or foot rest the chair may have. Padding will not shift the weight to different parts of the body (unless the chair is so soft that the shape is altered). However, padding does distribute the weight by increasing the area of contact between the chair and the body. A hard wood chair feels hard because the contact point between the occupant and the chair is small. The same body weight over a smaller area means greater pressure on that area. Spreading the area reduces the pressure at any given point. In lieu of padding, flexible materials, such as wicker, may be used instead with similar effects of distributing the weight. Since most of the body weight is supported in the back of the seat, padding there should be firmer than the front of the seat which only has the weight of the legs to support. Chairs that have padding that is the same density front and back will feel soft in the back area and hard to the underside of the knees. There may be cases where padding is not desirable. For example, in hot climates, padding with fabric or plastic covers is often uncomfortable against the skin. Where padding is not desirable, contouring may be used instead. A contoured seat pan attempts to distribute weight without padding. By matching the shape of the occupant's buttocks, weight is distributed and pressure at any given point is reduced. Actual chair dimensions are determined by measurements of the human body or anthropometric measurements. Individuals may be measured for a custom chair. Anthropometric statistics may be gathered for mass produced chairs. The two most relevant anthropometric measurement for chair design is the popliteal height and buttock popliteal length. For someone seated, the popliteal height is the distance from the underside of the foot to the underside of the thigh at the knees. It is sometimes called the "stool height". (The term "sitting height" is reserved for the height to the top of the head when seated.) For American men, the median popliteal height is 16.3 inches and for American women it is 15.0 inches[1]. The popliteal height, after adjusting for heels, clothing and other issues is used to determine the height of the chair seat. Mass produced chairs are typically 17 inches high. For someone seated, the buttock popliteal length is the horizontal distance from the back most part of the buttocks to the back of the lower leg. This anthropometric measurement is used to determine the seat depth. Mass produced chairs are typically 38-43 cm deep. Additional anthropometric measurements may be relevant to designing a chair. Hip breadth is used for chair width and armrest width. Elbow rest height is used to determine the height of the armrests. The buttock-knee length is used to determine "leg room" between rows of chairs. "Seat pitch" is the distance between rows of seats. In some airplanes and stadiums the seat pitch is so small that there is sometimes there is no leg room for the average person. For adjustable chairs, the aforementioned principles are applied in adjusting the chair to the individual occupant. Arm restsTraditional Japanese chair with zabuton and separate armrest Bus shelter with seats with arm rests in betweenA chair may or may not have armrests. If so, armrests will support part of the body weight through the arms if the arms are resting on the armrests. Armrests further have the function of making entry and exit from the chair easier (but from the side it becomes more difficult). Armrests should support the forearm and not the sensitive elbow area. Hence in some chair designs, the armrest is not continuous to the chair back, but is missing in the elbow area. A couch, bench, or other arrangement of seats next to each other may have arm rest at the sides and/or arm rests in between. The latter may be provided for comfort, but also for privacy e.g. in public transport and other public places, and to prevent lying on the bench or coach. Arm rests prevent or complicate both desired and undesired proximity. A loveseat in particular, has no arm rest in between. See also seats in movie theaters, and pictures of benches with and without arm rests. Chair seatsA bench is long enough for several people to sit onChair seats vary widely in construction and may or may not match construction of the chair's back. Some systems include: Solid center seats where a solid material forms the chair seat.
Open center seats where a soft material is attached to the tops of chair legs or between stretchers to form the seat.
Standards and specificationsDesign considerations for chairs have been codified into standards. ISO 9241-5:1988[2], "Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements " is the most common one for modern chair design. There are multiple specific standards for different types of chairs. Dental chairs are specified by ISO 6875. Bean bag chairs are specified by ANSI standard ASTM F1912-98[3]. ISO 7174 specifies stability of rocking and tilting chairs. ASTM F1858-98 specifies lawn chairs. ASTM E1822-02b defines the combustibility of chairs when they are stacked. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) defines BIFMA X5.1 for testing of commercial-grade chairs. It specifies things like[4]:
The specification further defines heavier "proof" loads that chairs must withstand. Under these higher loads, the chair may be damaged, but it must not fail catastrophically. Large institutions that make bulk purchases will reference these standards within their own even more detailed criteria for purchase [5]. Governments will often issue standards for purchases by government agencies (e.g. Canada's Canadian General Standards Board CAN/CGSB 44.15M [6] on "Straight Stacking Chair, Steel"). AccessoriesIn place of a built-in footrest, some chairs come with a matching ottoman. An ottoman is a short stool to be used as a footrest but can sometimes be used as a stool. If matched to a glider, the ottoman may be mounted on swing arms so that the ottoman rocks back and forth with the main glider. A chair cover is a temporary fabric cover for a side chair. They are typically rented for formal events such as wedding receptions to increase the attractiveness of the chairs and decor. The chair covers may come with decorative chair ties, a ribbon to be tied as a bow behind the chair. Covers for sofas and couches are also available for homes with small children and pets. In the second half of 20th century, some people used custom clear plastic covers for expensive sofas and chairs to protect them. Chair pads are cushions for chairs. Some are decorative. In cars, they may be used to increase the height of the driver. Orthopedic backrests provide support for the back. Obus Forme is a major brand in this category and helped develop this market niche. Car seats sometimes have built-in and adjustable lumbar supports. Chair mats are plastic mats meant to cover carpet. This allows chairs on wheels to roll easily over the carpet and it protects the carpet. They come in various shapes, some specifically sized to fit partially under a desk. Remote control bags can be draped over the arm of easy chairs or sofas and used to hold remote controls. They are counter-weighted so as to not slide off the arms under the weight of the remote control. English phrases relating to chairsA movie or a story is said to keep you on the edge of your chair, if it is suspenseful and engaging. If you nearly fell off your chair, it was because you were very surprised. Activities that are likely to be made insignificant or undone by some future event are said to be like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. When English-speaking philosophers talk about the material world as opposed to ideas, their phrase is tables and chairs. This page about Chair includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Chair News stories about Chair External links for Chair Videos for Chair Wikis about Chair Discussion Groups about Chair Blogs about Chair Images of Chair |
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When English-speaking philosophers talk about the material world as opposed to ideas, their phrase is tables and chairs. Large coffee shop chains may have a policy of composting coffee grounds or giving them away to those who ask. Activities that are likely to be made insignificant or undone by some future event are said to be like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Coffee grounds can be obtained inexpensively (usually free) from local coffee shops. If you nearly fell off your chair, it was because you were very surprised. When added to a compost pile, spent coffee grounds compost very rapidly. A movie or a story is said to keep you on the edge of your chair, if it is suspenseful and engaging. Many gardeners report that roses love coffee grounds and when furnished with the same become big and colorful. They are counter-weighted so as to not slide off the arms under the weight of the remote control. Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus, and many other trace elements that aid plant development. Remote control bags can be draped over the arm of easy chairs or sofas and used to hold remote controls. Spent coffee grounds are a good fertilizer in gardens because of their high nitrogen content. They come in various shapes, some specifically sized to fit partially under a desk. Filtered coffee only contains trace amounts of cafestol. This allows chairs on wheels to roll easily over the carpet and it protects the carpet. A study has shown that cafestol, a substance which is present in boiled coffee drinks, dramatically increases cholesterol levels, especially in women. Chair mats are plastic mats meant to cover carpet. One variable is the type of decaffeination process used; while some involve the use of organic solvents which may leave residual traces, others rely on steam. Car seats sometimes have built-in and adjustable lumbar supports. The health risks of decaffeinated coffee have been studied, with varying results. Obus Forme is a major brand in this category and helped develop this market niche. This is a detrimental effect of coffee on the cardiovascular system, which may explain why coffee has so far only been shown to help the heart at levels of four cups (20 fl oz or 600 mL) or fewer per day. Orthopedic backrests provide support for the back. The study concluded that consumption of coffee is associated with significant elevations in biochemical markers of inflammation. In cars, they may be used to increase the height of the driver. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 2004 which tried to discover why the beneficial and detrimental effects of coffee are conflicting. Some are decorative. Women still worried about chemical solvents in decaffeinated coffee should opt for beans which use the Swiss water process, where no chemicals other than water are used, although higher amounts of caffeine remain. Chair pads are cushions for chairs. As such, these chemicals, namely trichloroethane and methylene chloride, are present in trace amounts at most, and neither pose a significant threat to unborn children. In the second half of 20th century, some people used custom clear plastic covers for expensive sofas and chairs to protect them. These concerns have almost no basis, however, as the solvents in question evaporate at 80–90 °C, and coffee beans are decaffeinated before roasting, which occurs at approximately 200 °C. Covers for sofas and couches are also available for homes with small children and pets. Decaffeinated coffee is occasionally regarded as a potential health risk to pregnant women, due to the high incidence of chemical solvents used to extract the caffeine. The chair covers may come with decorative chair ties, a ribbon to be tied as a bow behind the chair. This study has not yet been repeated, but has caused some doctors to caution against excessive coffee consumption during pregnancy. They are typically rented for formal events such as wedding receptions to increase the attractiveness of the chairs and decor. fl oz or 1.4 L) were at 220% increased risk compared with nondrinkers. A chair cover is a temporary fabric cover for a side chair. Those who drank eight or more cups a day (48 U.S. If matched to a glider, the ottoman may be mounted on swing arms so that the ottoman rocks back and forth with the main glider. "The results seem to indicate a threshold effect around four to seven cups per day," the study reported. An ottoman is a short stool to be used as a footrest but can sometimes be used as a stool. A February 2003 Danish study of 18,478 women linked heavy coffee consumption during pregnancy to significantly increased risk of stillbirths (but no significantly increased risk of infant death in the first year). In place of a built-in footrest, some chairs come with a matching ottoman. fl oz or 1.4 L or more). Canada's Canadian General Standards Board CAN/CGSB 44.15M [6] on "Straight Stacking Chair, Steel"). There are also gender-specific effects, in some PMS sufferers it increases the symptoms, and it can reduce fertility in women, also it may increase the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and there may be risks to a fetus if a pregnant woman drinks 8 or more cups a day (48 U.S. Governments will often issue standards for purchases by government agencies (e.g. It can also cause anxiety and irritability, in some with excessive coffee consumption, and some as a withdrawal symptom. Large institutions that make bulk purchases will reference these standards within their own even more detailed criteria for purchase [5]. Coffee can also cause insomnia in some, while paradoxically it helps a few sleep more soundly. Under these higher loads, the chair may be damaged, but it must not fail catastrophically. Coffee can also increase blood pressure among those with high blood pressure, but follow-up studies showed that coffee still decreased the risk of dying from heart disease in the aggregate. The specification further defines heavier "proof" loads that chairs must withstand. Many coffee drinkers are familiar with "coffee jitters", a nervous condition that occurs when one has had too much caffeine. It specifies things like[4]:. Many notable effects of coffee are related to its caffeine content. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) defines BIFMA X5.1 for testing of commercial-grade chairs. Practitioners in alternative medicine often recommend coffee enemas for "cleansing of the colon" due to its stimulus of peristalsis, although mainstream medicine has not proved any benefits of the practice. ASTM E1822-02b defines the combustibility of chairs when they are stacked. Therefore it has been variously suggested that the cognitive effects of caffeine are limited to those who have not developed a tolerance, or to those who have developed a tolerance and are caffeine-deprived. ASTM F1858-98 specifies lawn chairs. Some controversy over these effects exists, since by its nature coffee consumption is associated with other behavioral variables. ISO 7174 specifies stability of rocking and tilting chairs. fl oz or 0.95 L or more). Bean bag chairs are specified by ANSI standard ASTM F1912-98[3]. fl oz, 700 mL), but others occur at 5 or more cups a day (32 U.S. Dental chairs are specified by ISO 6875. Some of these health effects are realized by as little as 4 cups a day (24 U.S. There are multiple specific standards for different types of chairs. It also changes the metabolism of a person so that their body burns a higher proportion of lipids to carbohydrates, which can help athletes avoid muscle fatigue. ISO 9241-5:1988[2], "Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDTs) -- Part 5: Workstation layout and postural requirements " is the most common one for modern chair design. Many people drink coffee for its ability to increase short term recall and increase IQ. Design considerations for chairs have been codified into standards. However, coffee can also cause loose bowel movements. Open center seats where a soft material is attached to the tops of chair legs or between stretchers to form the seat. Coffee is also a powerful stimulant for peristalsis and is sometimes considered to prevent constipation; it is also a diuretic. Some systems include: Solid center seats where a solid material forms the chair seat. 6. Chair seats vary widely in construction and may or may not match construction of the chair's back. It is present in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and even in instant coffee. See also seats in movie theaters, and pictures of benches with and without arm rests. Methylpyridinium is not present in raw coffee beans but is formed during the roasting process from trigonellin, which is common in raw coffee beans. A loveseat in particular, has no arm rest in between. This compound is not present in significant amounts in other food materials. Arm rests prevent or complicate both desired and undesired proximity. Coffee contains the anticancer compound methylpyridinium. in public transport and other public places, and to prevent lying on the bench or coach. At the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 2005, chemist Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton presented his analysis showing that for Americans, who as a whole do not consume large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee represents by far the largest source of valuable antioxidants in the diet.[4]. The latter may be provided for comfort, but also for privacy e.g. Also, coffee reduces the incidence of heart disease, though whether this is simply because it rids the blood of excess fat or because of its stimulant effect is unknown. A couch, bench, or other arrangement of seats next to each other may have arm rest at the sides and/or arm rests in between. Coffee can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a variety of liver cancer (Inoue, 2005). Hence in some chair designs, the armrest is not continuous to the chair back, but is missing in the elbow area. Coffee can also reduce the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver and prevent colon and bladder cancers. Armrests should support the forearm and not the sensitive elbow area. While this was originally noticed in patients who consumed high amounts (7 cups a day), the relationship was later shown to be linear (Salazar-Martinez 2004). Armrests further have the function of making entry and exit from the chair easier (but from the side it becomes more difficult). Coffee intake may reduce one's risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 by up to half. If so, armrests will support part of the body weight through the arms if the arms are resting on the armrests. Some of the beneficial effects may be restricted to one sex, for instance it has been shown to reduce the occurrence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in men. A chair may or may not have armrests. For this reason some aspirin producers also include a small dose of caffeine in the pill. For adjustable chairs, the aforementioned principles are applied in adjusting the chair to the individual occupant. Coffee increases the effectiveness of pain killers—especially migraine medications—and can rid some people of asthma. In some airplanes and stadiums the seat pitch is so small that there is sometimes there is no leg room for the average person. See the caffeine article for more on the pharmacological effects of caffeine. "Seat pitch" is the distance between rows of seats. Caffeine dependence is widespread and withdrawal symptoms are real. The buttock-knee length is used to determine "leg room" between rows of chairs. There are also tisanes that resemble coffee in taste but contain no caffeine (see below). Elbow rest height is used to determine the height of the armrests. Decaffeinated coffee usually loses some flavor over normal coffees and tends to be more bitter. Hip breadth is used for chair width and armrest width. Extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide has also been employed. Additional anthropometric measurements may be relevant to designing a chair. Another solvent used is ethyl acetate; the resultant decaffeinated coffee is marketed as "natural decaf" due to ethyl acetate being naturally present in fruit. Mass produced chairs are typically 38-43 cm deep. This is coffee from which most of the caffeine has been removed, by the Swiss water process (which involves the soaking of raw beans to absorb the caffeine) or the use of a chemical solvent such as trichloroethylene ("tri"), or the more popular methylene chloride, in a similar process. This anthropometric measurement is used to determine the seat depth. For occasions when one wants to enjoy the flavor of coffee with less stimulation, decaffeinated coffee (also called decaf) is available. For someone seated, the buttock popliteal length is the horizontal distance from the back most part of the buttocks to the back of the lower leg. Coffee contains an as yet unknown chemical agent which stimulates the production of cortisone and adrenaline, two stimulating hormones. Mass produced chairs are typically 17 inches high. Recent research has uncovered additional stimulating effects of coffee which are not related to its caffeine content. The popliteal height, after adjusting for heels, clothing and other issues is used to determine the height of the chair seat. Many office workers take a "coffee break" when their energy is diminished. (The term "sitting height" is reserved for the height to the top of the head when seated.) For American men, the median popliteal height is 16.3 inches and for American women it is 15.0 inches[1]. Students preparing for examinations with late-night "cram sessions" use coffee to maintain their concentration. It is sometimes called the "stool height". For this reason, it is often consumed in the morning, and during working hours. For someone seated, the popliteal height is the distance from the underside of the foot to the underside of the thigh at the knees. Coffee contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant. The two most relevant anthropometric measurement for chair design is the popliteal height and buttock popliteal length. Fairtrade labelling is becoming more popular in many developed countries, allowing consumers to ensure that co-operative producers receive a viable minimum price for their goods. Anthropometric statistics may be gathered for mass produced chairs. (Mai, 2006). Individuals may be measured for a custom chair. Prices are expected to either remain constant or rise in 2006. Actual chair dimensions are determined by measurements of the human body or anthropometric measurements. Many coffee bean farmers can now live off their products, but not all of the extra-surplus trickles down to them, because rising petroleum prices make the transportation, roasting and packaging of the coffee beans more expensive. By matching the shape of the occupant's buttocks, weight is distributed and pressure at any given point is reduced. This rise was likely caused by an increase in consumption in Russia and China as well as a harvest which was about 10% to 20% lower than that in the record years before. A contoured seat pan attempts to distribute weight without padding. In 2005, however, the coffee prices rose. Where padding is not desirable, contouring may be used instead. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, in 2004 16% of adults in the United States drank specialty coffee daily; the number of retail specialty coffee locations, including cafes, kiosks, coffee carts and retail roasters, amounted to 17,400 and total sales were $8.96 billion in 2003. For example, in hot climates, padding with fabric or plastic covers is often uncomfortable against the skin. Ironically, the decline in the ingredient cost of green coffee, while not the only cost component of the final cup being served, was paralleled by the rise in popularity of Starbucks and thousands of other specialty cafes, which sold their beverages at unprecedented high prices. There may be cases where padding is not desirable. (Mai, 2006). Chairs that have padding that is the same density front and back will feel soft in the back area and hard to the underside of the knees. The market awarded the more efficient Vietnamese coffee suppliers with trade and caused less efficient coffee bean farmers in many countries such as Brazil, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia not to be able to live off of their products, forcing many to quit the coffee bean production and move into slums in the cities. Since most of the body weight is supported in the back of the seat, padding there should be firmer than the front of the seat which only has the weight of the legs to support. Coffee prices had been falling for about a decade until 2004: among the reasons for this decline included the expansion of Brazilian coffee plantations and Vietnam's entry into the market in 1994 when the United States trade embargo against it was lifted. In lieu of padding, flexible materials, such as wicker, may be used instead with similar effects of distributing the weight. This is where coffee futures contracts, a financial asset involving a standardized contract for the future sale or purchase of a unit of coffee at an agreed price, are traded. Spreading the area reduces the pressure at any given point. Coffee is also bought and sold as a commodity on the New York Coffee, Sugar, and Cocoa Exchange. The same body weight over a smaller area means greater pressure on that area. For instance, in Brazil alone, where almost a third of all the world's coffee is produced, over 5 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants; it is a much more labour-intensive culture than alternative cultures of the same regions as soy, sugar cane, wheat or cattle, as it is not subject to automation and requires constant attention. A hard wood chair feels hard because the contact point between the occupant and the chair is small. Worldwide, 25 million small producers rely on coffee for a living. However, padding does distribute the weight by increasing the area of contact between the chair and the body. With over 400 billion cups consumed every year, coffee is the world's most popular beverage. Padding will not shift the weight to different parts of the body (unless the chair is so soft that the shape is altered). Coffee is one of the world's most important primary commodities; it ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. Padding can be on the seat of the chair only, on the seat and back, or also on any arm rests and/or foot rest the chair may have. See also dunk (biscuit) for the habit of dipping a biscuit (cookie) or cake into a coffee. Many chairs are padded or have cushions. This has encouraged customers, especially from the working world, to relax over a cup of coffee and eat something while being able to check their e-mail and surf the Web all from the comfort of their seat. A sit-stand chair distributes most of the weight of the occupant to the feet. In recent years, cafés have begun to offer wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) connectivity to attract customers. A kneeling chair adds an additional body part, the knees, to support the weight of the body. This is ironic in that coffee is a stimulant. A stool or other simple chair may have a simple straight or curved bar near the bottom for the sitter to place his/her feet on. Contemporary advertising tends to equate the term "coffee break" with rest and relaxation. Some chairs have foot rests. Social habits involving coffee in offices include the morning chat over coffee and the coffee break. Reclining chairs typically have at least shoulder height backrests to shift weight to the shoulders instead of just the lower back. Because of the stimulant properties of coffee and because coffee does not adversely impact higher mental functions, coffee is strongly associated with white collar jobs and office workers. Headrests support the head as well and are important in vehicles for preventing "whiplash" neck injuries in rear-end collisions where the head is jerked back suddenly. Besides coffee, the host or hostess at the coffee party also serves cake and pastries, hopefully homemade. Shoulder height backrests support the entire back and shoulders. In some countries, notably in northern Europe, coffee parties are a popular form of entertaining. In general, backrests come in three heights: Lower back backrests support only the lumbar region. Some shops are miniature cafés that specialise in coffee-to-go for hurried travelers, who may visit these on their way to work as a substitute for breakfast. The back of the chair will support some of the weight of the occupant, reducing the weight on other parts of the body. Most cafés also serve tea, sandwiches, pastries, and other light refreshments. However, reclining may not be suitable for chairs intended for work or eating at table. Coffee is so popular in the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe that many restaurants specialize in coffee; these are called "coffeehouses" or "cafés". In general, if the occupant is suppose to sit for a long time, weight needs to be taken off the seat area and thus "easy" chairs intended for long periods of sitting are generally at least slightly reclined. However, consumption has also vastly increased in the United Kingdom in recent years. This may be more comfortable for some in reducing weight on the seat area, but may be problematic for others who have bad backs. Finland consumes the most coffee per capita, an average of four to five cups a day. A reclining seat and back will shift weight to the occupant's back. The United States is the largest market for coffee, followed by Germany. A lower seat may shift too much weight to the "seat bones" ("ischial tuberosities"). The machines used to process it can handle up to 500 cups an hour, or 1,000 if the water is preheated.[3]. It may also result in no weight on the feet which means more weight elsewhere. Its primary use is in large institutional situations where coffee needs to be produced for thousands of people at the same time. A seat that is higher results in dangling feet and increased pressure on the underside of the knees ("popliteal fold"). It costs about 10 cents a cup to produce. Ergonomic designs distributes the weight of the occupant to various parts of the body. It is described as having a flavor about as good as low-grade robusta coffee. Easy chairs for watching television or movies are somewhere in between depending on the height of the screen. Another type of premade coffee is liquid coffee concentrate. Dental chairs are necessarily reclined. Other premade coffee drinks are also commercially available, but tend to be less popular. "Task chairs", or any chair intended for people to work at a desk or table, including dining chairs, can only recline very slightly; otherwise the occupant is too far away from the desk or table. They also sell a canned espresso drink, Double Shot, lightly sweetened and blended with cream. Intended usage determines the desired seating position. In the United States, Starbucks sells its popular Frappuccino drinks in glass bottles, a beverage consisting primarily of milk, coffee, sugar, and flavoring (like vanilla or caramel). Chair design considers intended usage, ergonomics (how comfortable it is for the occupant), as well as non-ergonomic functional requirements such as size, stackability, foldability, weight, durability, stain resistance and artistic design. Japanese convenience stores and groceries also have a wide availability of plastic-bottled coffee drinks, which typically are lightly sweetened and pre-blended with milk. . To match with the often busy life of Korean city dwellers, companies mostly have canned coffee with a wide variety of tastes. See history of the chair for an extended look at chairs from antiquity to the modern day. Vending machines typically sell a number of varieties of canned coffee, available both hot and cold. Headrests for seats in vehicles are important for preventing whiplash injuries to the neck when the vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision. Canned coffee is a beverage that has been popular in Asian countries for many years, particularly in Japan and South Korea. There may be separate headrests. Instant and soluble coffee has been dried into soluble powder or granules, which can be quickly dissolved in hot water for consumption. The back may extend above the height of the head. Connoisseurs shun such conveniences as compromising the flavor of the coffee; they prefer freshly ground beans and traditional brewing techniques. Likewise, the back and sometimes the seat are made of porous materials or have holes drilled in them for decoration and ventilation. Some even grind the beans automatically before brewing. The back often does not extend all the way to the seat to allow for ventilation. Electronic coffee makers boil the water and brew the infusion with little human assistance and sometimes according to a timer. Chairs as furniture are typically not attached to the floor and so can be moved. However, if it is kept in an oxygen-free environment it can last almost indefinitely at room temperature, and sealed containers of brewed coffee are sometimes commercially available in food stores in America or Europe. A chair mounted in a vehicle or in a theatre is simply called a seat. For this reason aficionados frown upon the hotplate which is sometimes used to keep brewed coffee warm prior to serving. A separate footrest for a chair is known as an ottoman, hassock or poof. Brewed coffee continually heated will deteriorate rapidly in flavor; even at room temperature, deterioration will occur. A chair for more than one person is a couch, sofa, settee, loveseat (two-seater without arm rest in between) or bench. The usual ratio of coffee to water for the style of coffee most prevalent in Europe, America, and other Westernized nations is between one and two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces (180 millilitres) of water; the full two tablespoons per six ounces tends to be recommended by experienced coffee lovers. Without back and arm rests it is called a stool. If the water is too hot, some undesirable elements will be extracted, adversely affecting the taste, especially in bitterness. Chairs also often have legs to support the seat raised above the floor. Any cooler and some of the solubles that make up the flavor will not be extracted. A chair is a piece of furniture for sitting, consisting of a seat, a back, and sometimes arm rests, commonly for use by one person. The recommended brewing temperature of coffee is 93 °C (204 °F). seat cycle strength of 100,000 repetitions of 125 pounds (57 kg) dropped from 2 inches (50 mm) above the seat. Water temperature is crucial to the proper extraction of flavor from the ground coffee. seat strength of 225 pounds (102 kg) dropped from six inches (150 mm) above the seat. The fineness of the grind required differs by the method of extraction. leg strength of 75 pounds (34 kg) applied one inch (25 mm) from the bottom of the leg. Coffee in all these forms is made with coffee grounds (coffee beans that have been roasted and ground) and hot water, the grounds either remaining behind or being filtered out of the cup or jug after the main soluble compounds have been removed. chair stability if weight is transferred completely to the front or back legs. If the method allows the water to pass only once through the grounds, the resulting brew will contain mainly the more soluble components (including caffeine), whereas if the water is repeatedly cycled through the beans (as with the common percolator), the brew will contain more of the relatively less soluble compounds found in the bean; as these tend to be more bitter, that type of process is less favored by coffee aficionados. chair backstrength of 150 pounds (68 kg). Coffee can be brewed in several different ways, but these methods fall into four main groups depending upon how the water is introduced to the coffee grounds. Metal, Metal mesh or wire woven to form seat. There are two methods of producing coffee grounds ready for brewing. Splint, ash, oak or hickory strips are woven. With the rise of coffee as a gourmet beverage, it has become much more popular to grind the beans at home before brewing, and there are many home appliances available which are dedicated to the process. Caning, woven from rush, reed, rawhide, heavy paper, strong grasses, cattails to form the seat, often in elaborate patterns. The rate of deterioration increases when the coffee is ground, as a result of the greater surface area exposed to oxygen. Tape, wide fabric tape woven into seat, seen in lawn chairs and some old chairs. At the other extreme, an overly coarse grind will produce a weak, watery, under-flavored result. Fabric, simple covering without support. Beans which are too finely ground for the brewing method in which they are used will expose too much surface area to the heated water and produce a bitter, harsh, "over-extracted" taste. Leather, may be tooled with a design. Brewing methods which expose coffee grounds to heated water for a longer duration of time require a coarser grind than faster brewing methods. Wicker, woven to provide a surface with give to it. The fineness of the grounds has a major impact on the brewing process, and matching the consistency of the grind with the brewing method is critical to extracting the optimal amount of flavor from the roasted beans. Stone, often marble. However, as is said in the coffee industry, "the proof is in the cup.". Molded plastic. Some companies have tried to extend the freshness using a nitrogen-infusion system that flushes the inert gas into the roasted coffee, replacing the oxygen, ostensibly reducing oxidation. Metal seats of solid or open design. Despite the varying claims of "what is fresh" when it comes to coffee, the industry leaders in specialty coffee generally agree that roasted coffee should be ground and brewed no more than about 14 days off-the-roast. Stuffed fabric, similar to padded leather. Once roasted, the volatile compounds that give coffee its complex flavors dissipate quickly. Padded leather, generally a flat wood base covered in padding and contained in soft leather. This CO2 also affects the flavor of the brewed coffee, and most experts recommend a two- to five-day "resting" period post-roast for the CO2 to sufficiently escape. Wood slats, often seen on outdoor chairs. For this reason, many roasters who package whole beans immediately after roasting do so in bags with one-way valves, allowing the CO2 to escape but nothing in. Solid wood, may or may not be shaped to human contours. Because coffee emits CO2 for days after it is roasted, one must allow the coffee to degas before it can be packaged in sealed containers. Computerized drum roasters are available which simplify homeroasting, and some home roasters will simply roast in an oven or in air popcorn makers. Today homeroasting is becoming popular again. This form of roasting requires much skill to do well, and fell out of favor when vacuum sealing of pre-roasted coffee became possible. In the 19th century coffee was usually bought in the form of green beans and roasted in a frying pan. In the United States, major national coffee suppliers tailor their product to tastes in particular regions of the country; for instance, a can of ground coffee purchased in the northeast or northwest will contain a darker roast than an identically appearing can purchased in the central United States. Contrary to popular belief, the darker roasts and more strongly flavored coffees do not deliver any more caffeine than lighter roasts. The dividing line between extremely dark roast and "burnt" is a matter of some debate. These roasts are sold by the degree of roast, ranging from "Vienna Roast" to "French Roast" and beyond. At darker roasts, the "roast flavor" is so dominant that it can be difficult to distinguish the origin of the beans used in the roast. As the beans darken to a deep brown, the origin flavors of the bean are eclipsed by the flavors created by the roasting process itself. A roasting method native to the Ipoh town in Malaysia involves the inclusion of margarine (palm oil-derived) and sugar during the roasting process, producing a variety of roast known as the Ipoh "white" coffee. Coffee beans from famous regions like Java and Kenya are usually roasted lightly so their signature characteristics dominate the flavor. At lighter roasts, the bean will exhibit more of its "terroir" —the flavors created in the bean by the soil and weather conditions in the location where it was grown. The beans will continue to darken and the oils will begin to be expelled to the surface until the beans are removed from the heat source. "First crack" and "second crack" are benchmarks that a roaster will use to gauge how the roast progresses. Coffee beans will crack during the roasting process, not unlike popping popcorn. This oil contains the distinctive compounds which give coffee its flavor; the more oil released, the stronger the flavor. When the inside of the bean reaches about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it begins to turn brown and the oil is released from the interior of the bean. During this stage the moisture in the beans is expelled. As the bean absorbs heat, the color shifts to yellow and then to a light "cinnamon" brown. When roasted, the green coffee bean expands to nearly double its original size, changing in color and density. The roasting process is integral to producing a savory cup of coffee. However, most coffee experts agree that a green coffee peaks in flavor and freshness within one year of harvest, because over-aged coffee beans will lose much of their essential oil content. Several of these coffee producers sell coffee beans that have been aged for as long as 3 years, with some as long as 8 years. Although it is still widely debated, certain types of green coffee are believed to improve with age; especially those that are valued for their low acidity, such as coffees from Indonesia or India. Automatic sorting is cost-effective for large producers where quantity and throughput are important factors in production. Elsewhere, beans are sorted automatically by sophisticated machines that employ CCD cameras and can determine both size and color. In many less developed countries, hand sorting is still done because of the low cost of labor. Discoloured, rotten, and damaged beans are also removed at this point. The first step in preparation is sorting of beans by color and size. At this stage, the beans are referred to as "green coffee". The beans are repeatedly raked into rows and spread out over the course of several days until they are largely dry. Coffee beans are spread over a large concrete or rock surface where they are dried by air and sunlight. Each produces its own flavour profile and each is, in essence, a different way of handling the process of defruiting the beans. Other coffee processing methods include the Pulped Natural process, the Indonesian "semi-washed" methods as well as aguapulping and re-fermentation. This creates a unique flavour profile with reduced acidity and increased body, though if done poorly can lead to defect. Washed coffees tend to be described as "clean" and "bright." Coffees called "naturals" are those where the fruit is not immediately removed from the beans, but is instead allowed to dry and partially ferment. These coffees tend to rest in water (the "ferment" stage) for a set amount of time (depending on the origin and producer). The defruited coffee bean is flushed with water to remove clinging fruit and additional sugars before drying. For "washed" coffees, after harvesting, the flesh of the coffee berry must be quickly removed by soaking, scouring and/or mechanical rubbing. The coffee berries are a type of drupe, with fruit flesh directly covering the coffee bean. As such coffee picking is one of the most important stages in coffee production, and is the chief determinant for the quality of the end product. Red berries, with its higher aromatic oil and lower organic acid content are more fragrant, smooth, and mellow. Mixes of green and red berries, or just green berries, are used to produce cheaper mass consumer coffee beans, which are characterized by a displeasingly bitter/astringent flavour and a sharp greenish odour. This discernment typically only occurs with growers who harvest for higher end/specialty coffee where the pickers are paid better for their labour. Depending on the grower, coffee pickers are sometimes specifically instructed to not pick green coffee berries since the seeds in the berries are not fully formed or mature. An experienced coffee picker can collect up to 6-7 baskets a day. As of 2003, payment per basket is between US$2.00 to $10 with the overwhelming majority of the labourers receiving payment at the lower end. Coffee berries are most commonly picked by hand by labourers who receive payment by the basketful. Much processing and human labour is required before coffee berries and its seed can be processed into roasted coffee with which most Western consumers are familiar. So-called Ethical coffee is produced or traded under specific conditions and guidelines, which are generally more environmentally friendly or economically equitable to the producers. A number of classifications are used to label coffee produced under certain environmental or labor standards. Often these beans are blended with other, less expensive varieties and the suffix "blend" added to the labelling, such as "Blue Mountain blend" or "Kona blend" even though they only contain a small amount of the coffee mentioned. Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona coffees are perhaps the most prominent examples. Some bean varieties are so well-known and so in-demand that they are far more expensive than others. In addition to those blends sold commercially, many coffee houses have their own signature "house blends". Nowadays, the Mocha-Java blend is often blended with some other varieties to provide variety. The chocolate flavor notes peculiar to Mocha gave rise to the popular chocolate-flavored beverage, the Cafe Mocha, which may have been invented in circumstances where no Mocha beans were available. One of the oldest traditional blends is Mocha-Java, combining beans of the same name. Coffees are often blended for balance and complexity, and many popular blendings exist. Some well-known arabica coffees include:. These are dependent on the local environment where the coffee plants are grown, their method of process, and the genetic subspecies or varietal. The beans are collected from the droppings of the Common Palm Civet, whose digestive processes give it a distinctive flavor. One unusual and very expensive variety of robusta is the Indonesian Kopi Luwak and the Philippine Kape Alamid. Robusta coffees (traded in London at much lower prices than New York's Arabica) are preferred by large industrial clients (multinational roasters, instant coffee producers, etc.) because of their lower cost. In 1997 the "c" price of coffee in New York broke US$3.00/lb, but by late 2001 it had fallen to US$0.43/lb. Many experts believe this giant influx of cheap green coffee led to the prolonged pricing crisis from 2001 to the present. The largest coffee exporting nation remains Brazil, but in recent years the green coffee market has been flooded by large quantities of robusta beans from Vietnam [2], due to low costs and to financing provided by the World Bank indirectly through the French Government. Coffee aficionados may even distinguish auctioned coffees by lot number. The modern coffee trade is much more specific about origin, labeling coffees by country, region, and sometimes even the producing estate. Arabica coffees were traditionally named by the port they were exported from, the two oldest being Mocha, from Yemen, and Java, from Indonesia. In Italy many espresso blends are based on dark-roasted robusta. Good quality robustas are used as ingredients in some espresso blends to provide a better "crema" (foamy head), and to lower the ingredient cost. Compared to arabica, robusta tends to be more bitter, with a telltale "burnt rubber" aroma and flavor. This has led to its use as an inexpensive substitute for arabica in many commercial coffee blends such as Folgers, Maxwell House and almost all instant coffee products. It is more susceptible to disease, and considered by professional cuppers to be greatly superior in flavor to Coffea canephora (robusta), which contains about twice as much caffeine—a natural insecticide (paralyzes and kills some of the insects that attempt to feed on the plant) and stimulant— and can be cultivated in environments where arabica will not thrive. It is thought to be indigenous to Ethiopia, but as the name implies it was first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula. Coffea arabica is the older of them. There are two main species of the coffee plant. It should kept in mind, however, "cafe" can most likely be a shortened form of "cafeteria," i.e., a place where meals are served. In South African English cafe can refer to a convenience store rather than a place where coffee or other beverages are served. There is also often a selection of desserts or light sandwiches and other snacks. In French, Spanish, and German, a "café" is typically a place that serves a wide variety of beverages, usually several types of coffee, tea, and often alcoholic beverages. This usage of the word has also spread to other languages. Also, in the Netherlands, the word coffee shop is used for places where marijuana is sold (the reason being that one needs fewer permits for a coffee shop). In Dutch the word refers to a bar and is thus more associated with alcohol consumption. In English, "cafe" refers mostly to places where meals are served, as well as coffee. The mother plant for much of the arabica coffee in the world is kept in the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus. For many decades in the 19th and early 20th centuries Brazil was the biggest producer and virtual monopolist in the trade, until a policy of maintaing high prices opened opportunities to other growers, like Colombia, Guatemala and Indonesia. The success of coffee in 17th-century Europe was paralleled with the spread of the habit of tobacco smoking all over the continent during the course of the Thirty Years War (1618– 48). The first coffee plantation in the New World was established in Brazil in 1727, and this country, like most others cultivating coffee as a commercial commodity, relied heavily on slave labor from Africa for its viability until abolition in 1888. Another more credible story is that the first coffeehouses were opened in Krakow in the 16th or 17th century because of closer trade ties with the East, most notably the Turks. Legend has it that the first coffeehouse opened in Vienna in 1683 after the Battle of Vienna, taking its supplies from the spoils left behind by the defeated Turks. Women were not allowed in coffeehouses, and in London, the anonymous 1674 "Women's Petition Against Coffee" complained:. By 1675, there were more than 3,000 coffeehouses in England. Largely through the efforts of the British and Dutch East India companies, coffee became available in Europe in the 16th century, at the latest from Leonhard Rauwolf's 1583 account, with first coffeehouses opening in the mid-17th century: in Cornhill, London in 1652, in Boston in 1670, and in Paris in 1671. Coffee was introduced in England in the 1430s by the Greek professor in Oxford, Ioannis Servopoulos. In 1554, the first coffeehouse in Istanbul opened. Consumption of coffee was outlawed in Mecca in 1511 and in Cairo in 1532, but in the face of its immense popularity, the decree was later rescinded. Qahwa originally referred to a type of wine, and need not be the name of the Kaffa region. A similar myth ascribes the discovery to an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi. When traveling in Ethiopia he observed goats of unusual vitality and, upon trying the berries that the goats had been eating, experienced the same effect. One legendary account (though certainly a myth) is that of the Yemenite Sufi mystic named Shaikh ash-Shadhili. Coffee beans were first exported from Ethiopia to Yemen. One possible origin is the Kaffa region in Ethiopia, where the plant originated (its native name there being bunna). Its ultimate origin is uncertain, there being several legendary accounts of the origin of the drink. The word entered English in 1598 via Italian caffè, via Turkish kahve, from Arabic qahwa. . Coffee is one of humanity's chief sources of caffeine, a stimulant. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, trailing only petroleum. These seeds are usually called coffee beans, although they are not technically beans. Coffee is a drink, usually hot, prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. Arfé. Latte art. Soy Coffee (e.g, Soyfee). During wartime, a grain substitute was made from grain, chicory and roasted acorns. Teeccino). Herbal Coffee (e.g. Dandelion root. It is made from malted barley, chicory, and rye. Pero, a coffee substitute from Switzerland. Postum. Chocolate-covered roasted coffee beans are available as a confection; unless the beans have been decaffeinated, these will deliver the same caffeine content as brewed coffee and have the same physiological effects. Spanish Coffee consists of Spanish brandy and hot coffee. Mexican Coffee contains a 1/2 ounce of tequila, one ounce of coffee liqueur, and five ounces of hot coffee. Jamaican Coffee is served steaming with one ounce of coffee-flavored brandy and 3/4 ounce of light rum added to coffee. Italian Coffee consists of a 1/2 ounce of Amaretto, hot coffee, and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of coffee ice cream. Irish Cream and coffee is a very popular drink, often served as an after dinner drink. Irish coffee is made by adding 1 and 1/2 ounces of Irish Whiskey to a glass of black coffee, and then layering on 2-3cm of cream with a spoon. It is best presented when it is topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Hot Kiss includes Creme de Menthe (white), one ounce Irish Whiskey, 1/2 ounce Creme de Cacao (white), and hot coffee. Handicapper's Choice consists of Irish Whiskey, Amaretto, and hot coffee. It can be finished with a topping of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Doublemint is made with 1 ounce of spearmint schnapps, hot coffee, and a dash of Creme de Menthe (green). Chocolate Coffee Kiss contains 1/4 oz coffee liqueur, 1/4 oz Irish cream liqueur, 1 splash of Creme de Cacao (brown), 1 splash of Mandarine Napoleon, 1 and 1/2 oz chocolate syrup, and hot coffee. Capriccio consists of 1 tbsp of sugar, 1/2 ounce brandy of choice, 1/2 ounce Creme de Cafe, 1 ounce of Amaretto, and hot coffee. Caffè Corretto consists of a shot of espresso with an added shot of liquor, usually grappa or brandy. It is topped with whipped cream. Caffe Di Amaretto is simply prepared with one ounce of Amaretto and a cup of hot coffee. Optional whipped cream and a cinnamon stick can be added. Cafe L'Orange is prepared with 1/2 ounce cognac, 1/2 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce Mandarine Napoleon, and 4 ounces of hot coffee. The rim of the coffee cup should be dipped in lime juice and sugar. Boston Caribbean Coffee is made with 1 ounce Creme de Cacao (brown), 1 ounce dark rum, and hot coffee, sprinkled with ground cinnamon and with a cinnamon stick. A cinnamon stick may also be added for additional flavoring. It is topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate shavings. Black Gold is made with 4 ounces of hot coffee, 1/4 ounce triple sec, Amaretto, Irish Cream liqueur, hazelnut liqueur, and a dash of cinnamon schnapps. It consists of coffee, ice, and sweetened condensed milk. Thai iced coffee is a popular drink commonly offered at Thai restaurants in the United States. A frappuccino is an iced latte, mocha, or macchiato mixed with crushed ice and flavorings (such as vanilla/hazelnut if requested by the customer) and blended. Another prominent example is the Javakula at Seattle's Best Coffee. One commonly used by many stores is Ice Storm. Other coffeehouses serve similar concoctions, but under different names, since "Frappuccino" is a Starbucks trademark. Frappuccino is a variation of iced coffee created by Starbucks. Frappé is served cold, with a drinking straw, either with or without sugar or milk. This type of coffee is probably consumed in Greece more than traditional Greek coffee, especially in the spring and summer months. It was created in Greece in 1957 in the city of Thessaloniki. Frappé is a cold coffee drink made from instant coffee. Iced coffee can also be an iced form of any drink in this list. Since sugar does not dissolve well in cold coffee, it is conventionally added while the coffee is hot. Iced coffee normally contains milk and sugar. Chicory has historically been used as a coffee substitute when real coffee was scarce, as in wartime. Chicory is sometimes combined with coffee as a flavoring and mellowing agent, as in the style of coffee served at the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. It is popular on the islands of Java and Bali and their surroundings. However, kopi tubruk is made from coarse coffee grounds, and is boiled together with a solid lump of sugar. Kopi tubruk is an Indonesian-style coffee similar in presentation to Greek coffee. In many places it is customary to serve it with a tall glass of water on the side. (See above for preparation method.) It is usually made sweet, with sugar added before the brew process begins, and often is flavored with cardamom or other spices. The crema or "face" is considered crucial, and since it requires some skill to achieve its presence is taken as evidence of a well-made brew. Traditional Turkish coffee cups have no handles, but modern ones often do. Turkish coffee, also called Greek coffee or Armenian coffee (Surj), is served in very small cups about the size of those used for espresso. It is also highly popular in Cambodia and Laos. Due to the high volume of coffee grounds required to make strong coffee in this fashion, the brewing process is quite slow. In this form, hot water is allowed to drip though a metal mesh into a cup, and the resulting strong brew is poured into a glass containing sweetened condensed milk which may contain ice. Vietnamese-style coffee is another form of drip brew. The ratio is usually 1/4 decoction, 3/4 milk. The coffee is drip-brewed for a few hours in a traditional metal coffee filter before being served with milk and sugar. Indian (Madras) filter coffee, particularly common in southern India, is prepared with rough-ground dark roasted coffee beans (e.g., Arabica, PeaBerry). Common flavors are caramel and vanilla, but others are sometimes used. As with the latte and the caffe macchiato, sugar or syrup can be added to a latte macchiato. Latte macchiato is the inverse of a caffè macchiato, being a tall glass of steamed milk spotted with a small amount of espresso. The most commonly used flavors are caramel and vanilla, but others can be added as well. As with latte, sometimes sugar or flavored syrup will be added to a macchiato. Caffè macchiato — macchiato meaning "marked" or "spotted" — is an espresso with a small amount of steamed milk added to the top, usually 1-2 oz. Mocha is a latte with chocolate added. In the Maghreb, the orange blossom is used as a flavoring. Other flavorings include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or Italian syrups. Chocolate is a common additive that is either sprinkled on top or mixed with the coffee to imitate the taste of Mocha. Flavored coffee: In some cultures, flavored coffees are common. Long black is espresso, usually a double shot, with equal parts hot water, favored in New Zealand and Australia. Americano style coffee is made with espresso (normally several shots) and hot water to give a similar strength (but different flavor) from drip-brewed coffee. Some add sugar. Café au lait is similar to latte except that drip-brewed coffee is used instead of espresso, with an equal amount of milk. Common flavors are caramel and vanilla, yet other flavors are often added as well. Often sugar or flavored syrup will be added to a latte. A latte is also commonly served in a tall glass; if the espresso is slowly poured into the frothed milk from the rim of the glass, three layers of different shades will form, with the milk at the bottom, the froth on top and the espresso in between. More frothed milk makes it weaker than a cappuccino, and a traditional latte is served an average 10–20 degrees Celsius cooler than a black or white coffee or cappuccino. A latte comprises one-third espresso and nearly two-thirds steamed milk. Latte (as it is known in the USA, Italian for "milk" - originally caffè e latte or café latte) is espresso with steamed milk, traditionally topped with froth created from steaming the milk. This is a specialty of Australia and New Zealand, particularly favored in the latter. Flat white is a shot of espresso in a cappuccino cup, topped up with steamed milk but no foam. Cappuccino comprises equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and milk froth, and is occasionally garnished with spices or powdered cocoa. (Note: though having a similar term, this is not to be confused with the Beirut herbal tea or Ipoh town coffee blend). Some add sugar. White coffee is black coffee with milk added. A demitasse is somewhat similar to an espresso without the crema: a small cup of strong black coffee often served after a meal. Some add sugar. Black coffee is drip-brewed, percolated, vacuum brewed, or French-press-style coffee served without cream. This method is especially suitable for use with local-brew coffees in Malaysia, primarily of the varieties Robusta and Liberica which are often much stronger in flavor, allowing the ground coffee in the sock to be reused. Malaysian coffee is often brewed using a "sock", which is really just a muslin bag shaped like a filter into which coffee is loaded then steeped into hot water. Coffee bags (akin to tea bags) are much rarer than their tea equivalents, as they are much bulkier (more coffee is required in a coffee bag than tea in a tea bag). This style of "total immersion brewing" is considered by many coffee experts to be the ideal way to prepare fine coffee at home. The coffee and hot water are combined in the cylinder (normally for four minutes) before the plunger, in the form of a metal foil, is depressed, leaving the coffee at the top ready to be poured. A cafetière (or French press) is a tall, narrow glass cylinder with a plunger that includes a filter. Steeping:
The common electric percolator — which was in almost universal use in the United States prior to the 1970s, and is still popular in some households today — differs from the pressure percolator described above. By convention, regular coffee brewed by this method is served in a brown or black pot, while decaffeinated coffee is served in an orange pot. Strength varies according to the ratio of water to coffee and the fineness of the grind, but is typically weaker than espresso. Drip brew (also known as filter or American coffee) is made by letting hot water drip onto coffee grounds held in a coffee filter (paper or perforated metal). Gravity:
Water is placed in the pot, the coffee grounds are placed in the bowl, and the whole affair is set over a burner. The bottom of the bowl is blocked by a filter of glass, cloth or plastic, and the bowl and pot are joined by a gasket that forms a tight seal. A vacuum brewer consists of two chambers: a pot below, atop which is set a bowl or funnel with its siphon descending nearly to the bottom of the pot. Some models feature a glass or plastic top to view the coffee as it is forced up. It usually sits directly on a heater or stove. The resultant coffee (almost espresso strength, yet without the crema) is collected in the upper section. A mocha/moka pot is a three-chamber design which boils water in the lower section and forces the boiling water through the separated coffee grounds in the middle section. It is one of the strongest tasting forms of coffee regularly consumed, with a distinctive flavor and crema, the emulsified oils in the form of a colloidal foam standing over the liquid. It can be served alone (often after an evening meal), and is the basis for many coffee drinks. Espresso is made with hot water at between 91°C (195°F) and 96°C (204°F) forced, under a pressure of between eight and nine atmospheres (800–900 kPa), through a tightly packed matrix of finely ground coffee. Pressure:
While the name suggests that this method was derived from or used by cowboys, presumably on the trail around a campfire, it is also seen among others who do not drink coffee frequently and/or lack any specialized equipment for brewing. "Cowboy coffee" is made by simply boiling coarse grounds with water in a pot, letting the grounds settle and pouring off the liquid to drink. The result is imbibed in small cups of very strong coffee with foam on the top and a thick layer of sludgy grounds at the bottom of the cup, often referred to as the "mud". It is usually drunk sweet, in which case sugar is added to the pot and boiled with the coffee; it is also often flavored with cardamom. Water is placed together with very finely ground coffee in a narrow-topped pot, called an ibrik (Arabic), cezve (Turkish), briki (Greek), or dzezva (Štokavian), and allowed to briefly come to the boil. Turkish coffee, also called Greek coffee or Armenian coffee (Surj), was a very early method of making coffee and is still used in the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans. The advantages of this method are that it is simple and that the water temperature is just right. One should not drink this to the end unless one wants to "eat" the ground coffee. The simplest method is to put the ground coffee in a cup, pour hot water over, and let it stand to cool and allow the grounds to sink to the bottom. Boiling: Despite the name, care should be taken not to actually boil the coffee (or at least not for too long) because that would make it bitter.
They are not recommended for use with pump espresso machines. They also can do a great job for grinding spices and herbs. These type of grinders are (in theory) only suitable for drip coffee makers though even here the product is inferior as a result. Blade grinders create “coffee dust” which can clog up sieves in espresso machines and French presses. The ground coffee has larger and smaller particles and is warmer than ground coffee from burr grinders. Blade Grinders “smash” the beans with a blade at very high speed (20,000 to 30,000 rpm). Although enjoying a much longer life before wearing out the blades, the results are dramatically less effective in producing a homogeneously ground result and, as a result, will create inconsistent extraction and a degraded product in the cup.
They are well suited for most home coffee preparation. They are the most economical way of getting a consistent grind in a wide range of applications. Burr Grinders with disk-type burrs usually grind at a faster speed than conical burr grinders and as a result tend to create a bit more warmth in the coffee. Grinding speed is generally below 500 rpm. The better Conical Burr Grinders can also grind extra fine for the preparation of Turkish coffee. Because of the wide range of grind settings, these grinders are ideal for all kinds of coffee equipment: Espresso, Drip, Percolators, French Press. The slower the speed, the less heat is imparted to the ground coffee, thus preserving maximum amount of aroma. The intricate design of the steel burrs allows a high gear reduction to slow down the grinding speed. Conical Burr Grinders preserve the most aroma and produce very fine and consistent grounds. Coffee experts consider burr grinders to be the only acceptable way to grind coffee.
Grinding: burr based with two revolving elements crushing or "tearing" the bean and with less risk of burning. TransFair USA is the primary organization currently overseeing Fair Trade coffee practices in the United States, while the Fairtrade Foundation does so in the United Kingdom. Fair Trade Coffee is produced by small coffee producers; guaranteeing for these producers a minimum price. Organic coffee is produced under strict certification guidelines, and is grown without the use of potentially harmful artificial pesticides or fertilizers. Purchases of this coffee blend may also take place to support environmentally friendly coffee farms. These shade cycles are said to be better for the coffee. Bird-friendly or shade-grown coffee is produced in regions where natural shade (canopy trees) is used to shelter coffee plants during parts of the growing season. Peaberries are naturally occurring and account for approximately 10% of any crop. "Peaberry" means that the beans come one to a cherry (coffee fruit) instead of the usual two. Tanzania Peaberry — grown on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Not to be confused with the preparation style (coffee with cocoa). Mocha is believed to be the first coffee used in a blend, along with beans from Java. Mocha — Yemeni coffee traded through the once major port of Mocha. Because of it's semi-dry processing, it may roast a bit unevenly, but don't cull the odd beans-they add to the complexity of the cup. It is an excellent coffee for darker roasting. It has dark chocolate and ripe fruit undertones. Celebes exhibits a rich, full body, well-balanced acidity (slightly more than Sumatra) and is multi-dimensional in character. Kalossi is the small town in central Sulawesi which serves as the collection point for the coffee and Toraja is the mountainous area in which the coffee is grown. Sulawesi Toraja Kalossi - Grown at high altitudes on the island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in the middle of the Malay archipelago in Indonesia. Lintong on the other hand, is named after the Lintong district, located in North Sumatra. Contrary to its name, no coffee is actually produced from the "Mandheling region," and "Sumatra Mandheling" is used as a marketing tool by Indonesian coffee producers. Sumatra Mandheling and Sumatra Lintong — Mandheling is named for the Mandheling region outside Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Known among coffee enthusiasts to have an "acidic" flavor. It might come from any one of a number of districts. The "AA" is a grade/rating within Kenya's coffee auction system. Kenya AA — from Kenya. This coffee was once so widely traded that "java" became a slang term for coffee. Java — from the island of Java, in Indonesia. Due to its popularity, it fetches a high price in the market. Jamaican Blue Mountain — From the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica. Hawaiian Kona — grown on the slopes of Hualalai in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe — from the area of the town of Yirga Cheffe in the Sidamo (now Oromia) region of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Harrar — from the region of Harar, Ethiopia. Guatemala Huehuetenango - Grown at over 5000 feet in the northern region, one of the most remote growing regions in Guatemala. Costa Rican Tarrazu - from the Tarrazu Valley in the highlands outside of San José, archetypal estate coffee is La Minita. Colombian Milds - Includes coffees from Colombia, Kenya, and Tanzania, all of which are washed arabicas. Colombia produces about 12% of the coffee in the world, second only to Brazil. When Colombian coffee is freshly roasted it has a bright acidity, is heavy in body and is intensely aromatic. Today Maragogype, Caturra, Typica and Bourbon cultivars are cultivated. Coffee was first introduced to the country of Colombia in the early 1800's. |