10 Odd Ingredients to Put in Your Coffee

We all love a black, simple cup of coffee, and we can always indulge in the sugar and cream for giving it a sweet touch. But have you ever tried to get out of your comfort zone by adding other flavors to the equation?

Today That Coffee Roasters examines 10 ingredients guaranteed to add extra flavor to your coffee, this will help you discover even more interesting and exotic coffee mixes that will delight your taste buds. We hope you give some of them a try.

10) Cardamom: Give your morning coffee an exotic touch by adding this Middle Eastern spice to your brew, which will also act as a neutralizer for the effects of caffeine. Cardamom was also commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to improve the mood, reduce pain, and induce a calm state of mind. If that’s not enough, it can also help stimulate the appetite and help settle your stomach. The Spice that dreams are made of.

09) Eggs: Culture plays a role in the matter of coffee recipes. Scandinavian egg coffee is a traditional drink in some parts of Scandinavia, Norway, and even the American Midwest. It’s made just by mixing a whole raw egg into coffee grounds, then boiling it all together in water. This results in a separation of the coffee grounds and the water, free of sediment or cloudiness. Straining it results in an amber-colored brew that is slightly bitter and that still contains all of the essential oils from the coffee beans.

08) Ice cream: This is a must. Ice Cream is the perfect substitute for cream and sugar, making your coffee that much sweeter and adding a creamy texture to it.

07) Coconut oil: Coconut oil is used for a myriad of purposes, so adding it to your coffee doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Experts maintain that coconut oil enhances coffee, making it taste better and coming along with many health benefits. A spoonful of this oil will help speed up your metabolism and boost your immune system.

06) Oatmeal: Breakfast and coffee served all together. Adding raw oatmeal to your hot cup of coffee until the oatmeal is cooked through is a way of improving your breakfast. Add cinnamon, honey, or sugar for some sweetness.

05) Lime/Lemon: As odd as it might sound, this one is delicious. Give your morning brew a dash of acidity by throwing in a piece of fresh lemon or lime peel. The peel will get rid of the bitter flavors of your coffee and enhance its natural sweetness.

04) Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract is a great replacement for any artificial sweeteners or sugars that you would often use in your coffee, especially if it’s pure. Just adding a few drops of the extract will sweeten your brew and put additional flavor minus all the fake preservatives in commercial flavor syrups.

03) Condensed milk: If you try this, you might as well forget about milk and cream. Sweetened condensed milk put into your coffee will make it so much sweeter and creamier; with this, you will need no extra sugar. A traditional drink in Vietnam, it’s quite easy to make and also cheaper than any of the lattes at most coffee shops.

02) Nutmeg: If you’d like a hint of earthiness in your morning brew, you may want to consider nutmeg. Its taste is more on the sweet side, which will delight your earthy taste buds. Although, it does far better with the sense of smell, giving your coffee a sweet smell that is truly unique and one that will fill your home and heart.

01) Star anise: This is a tricky one, but perfect for licorice and coffee lovers along. When blended with specialty beans, the flavor that star anise brings to your coffee is nothing if not unique. Avoid overdoing it, though. A half a pod of anise is more than enough for a single cup of coffee. If you add too much, the licorice-like flavor will overthrow that of coffee and ruin the balance of it.

Go on and try some of these odd ingredients and let us know your opinion in the comment section; you might want to try them with the coffee grounds from That Coffee Roasters! Don’t forget to contact us to get the best-roasted coffee, made with exclusive blends, just to fit your needs.

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters.

Coffee as They Drink It in Latin America

In Colombia, coffee is made with agua de panela.

From Mexico to Argentina, Latin America is a region full of great coffee and creative people. No matter where we are, we have our unique way to do even the most common activities. Our coffee is famous, so we take it seriously. Very seriously. And by ‘seriously,’ we mean that coffee is the perfect excuse to have fun and share the best moments with the people we love the most.

There is no “Latin American” method to brew coffee. Our cultural diversity makes it impossible to pick simply one. That’s the reason why, today, we’re going to explore some of the most popular ways of enjoying our favorite drink all across the continent. If you’re a fan of the flavors of Latin American coffee, live the whole experience by trying these recipes!

Costa Rica: Café chorreado

Careful planting, harvesting, and processing characterize Costa Rica’s coffee culture. In the final part of the process, Ticos brew coffee with a chorreador, a wooden tool that holds a filter made of cotton. Café chorreado is part of a tradition that goes back to many generations. Everyone learned it from their grandparents and continued brewing coffee like this today.

According to Costa Ricans, café chorreado has deep flavors and aromas.  To brew a chorreado, we need to preheat the chorreador and measure how much coffee and water we’re going to use. We then put the coffee in the cotton filter and start dampening it with hot water. We continue to pour the water slowly, with patience, and we never let it fill the filter all the way to the top. When it’s done, we don’t let the filter dripping, but put it away and clean it thoroughly. And there we have it! Our very own café chorreado.

Argentina: café cortado and lágrima

In the city of Buenos Aires, you’ll never walk for three blocks without finding a new café. For Argentinians, stopping to drink a cup of coffee in the middle of the day, whether it’s to enjoy it alone or with friends, is part of their coffee culture and traditions.

The most famous ways to brew coffee are café cortado and lágrima. To prepare a cortado, you need to use a proportion of ¾ of coffee for ¼ of milk, and add a fine layer of foam on the surface. It’s the most popular way to have coffee in Buenos Aires.

When it comes to the lágrima, we talk about a black coffee to which you only add a “tear” or a drop of milk. Just enough to change the color of the drink.

Cuba: sweet and strong

Cuban coffee is famous for its strong flavor and full body. To brew it, you’ll need to pour cold and clear water into the coffee maker. It’s important that the coffee is prepared with extremely clean water. Afterwards, introduce the coffee inside the filter and start heating it up.

Cuban coffee is very sweet. Sugar is one of the most important ingredients in the mix. As coffee starts to boil, add a small dose of sugar to the pot and start stirring. Once it has boiled, pour more sugar inside and stir until you get the thick and dense consistency that’s so traditional of Cuban coffee! An extra layer of foam on the surface of your drink at the end will do the final trick.

Colombia: Tinto

In Colombia, coffee means family. Their traditional ways of brewing coffee pass down from generation to generation and have stayed in the hearts of Colombian people for many years. Not everyone like Colombian tintos, though. Many coffee experts believe this brewing method is wrong and doesn’t bring the best out of the famously excellent Colombian coffee beans. We still encourage you to try it and decide on your own!

In order to brew a tinto, follow these instructions: Lit the fire and start boiling the water. Right before it’s boiled, add four tablespoons of ground coffee. In a separate pot, make agua de panela by adding unrefined sugarcane to boiling water. After three or four minutes, remove the coffee from the boil and add the sweet agua de panela. Focus on the flavors of the panela mixed with coffee and tell us how you like it! At That Coffee Roasters, we love to explore the different coffee nuances of every region. We know we’re not simply talking about a drink, but about a cultural experience that has been engraved in our traditions and families for centuries.

Cuban coffee is known for its sweet and strong flavors.

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

The Top 5 Best Countries to Grow Coffee

Where do coffee farmers do better?

Picking the best coffee producing countries is no easy task. As we’ve discussed before, coffee beans are highly susceptible to the climate conditions and soils in which they grow. For example, most of the great quality coffee come from lands that are close to the Equator, because of the warm temperature. Coffee also has very specific harvest seasons and depending on the country where it’s produced, different characteristics and flavors will flourish in your cup.

So yes, it’s also a matter of taste and preferences, but when it comes to defining which countries produce the best coffee, we need to consider quality, profiles, how much they produce per year, among other factors. There is no official list, but considering what we know from each region and how much they’ve grown over the last years, you should definitely keep your eyes open for coffees that come from these places.

Kenya

Kenya has definitely made itself a place among the world coffee industry and producers. It produces around 750,000 bags per year, and they’re known for their high-quality and acidity. Coffees from Kenya have a unique profile, they’re sweet and bright, leaving a lingering tingle on your lips. This is in part because its primary coffee production regions are on deep, fertile and acidic volcanic soils, found in highlands between 1,400 to 2,000 meters above sea level.

However, despite being famous for its high-quality coffee, Kenya hasn’t been able to recover from the decline in the commodity prices during the 80s. Kenyan producers have to fund coffee research, and there’s still much work to be done to increase the effectiveness of cooperatives.

Honduras

Honduras is an example of how coffee can help a country’s economy grow exponentially over the decades. In the last 25 years, coffee production has become a story of hard work and success for Honduras. In 2011 it became Central America’s most prominent coffee producer, and in 2012 it ranked seventh in the world and was the second-biggest exporter of high-quality Arabica beans on the planet, competing ably with heavyweights such as Colombia and Brazil. Quite impressive for a country that has historically struggled with poverty and violence. It has fairly earned a place on our list.

There are now around 110,000 coffee producers registered in the country, 92 percent of which are classified as small producers. So when it comes to artisanal coffee, Honduran single-origins are very popular among the specialty coffee lovers. Honduras produces around 4.2 million bags of coffee per year, and their coffee is known for their hazelnut and red currant flavors.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is pretty much a bastion of progress and environmental policies in Central America; it’s also home to some great specialty coffee. Costa Rica produces around 1.4 million bags of coffee per year and its beans are known to have a medium body and sharp acidity, enough to balance flavors like honey or toasted nut, so the coffee is never too sweet or too dull.

In Costa Rica, small estates and cooperatives have been developing relationships with coffee buyers for years, which allows them to work together to focus on quality, increased production, and environmental sustainability. Over the last years, Costa Rica has transformed itself from a volume producer of average quality coffee to a significant producer of high-market specialty coffee. Worth a try, huh?

Colombia

As many people know, one of the greatest things about Colombian coffee is its diversity. The country’s different micro-weathers allow coffee production to be unique and nuanced all across the land. Here you can find both low and high acidity coffees, as well as fruity and nutty notes. Colombia was also responsible of producing 11 million bags of coffee in 2013, and due to its close location to the Equator, many regions experience two harvest seasons, giving us the opportunity to have fresh Colombian coffee all year round.

Colombia has also been ranking high regarding sustainable production, and many small-scale producers are thriving in Colombian coffee culture. Craft, handiwork and great climate conditions explain the extraordinary flavors of Colombian coffee.

Ethiopia

This list wouldn’t be complete without the birthplace of our favorite beverage. Ethiopia has the perfect climate and biological conditions for coffee. Wherein other countries, coffee is “produced,” in Ethiopia coffee naturally grows. Ethiopian coffee tends to be bold and full-bodied, although flavors differ according to how the bean is processed.

Ethiopian beans come both natural (where the fruit covering the grain is dried before being removed) and washed. Ethiopia produces around 6.6 million bags of coffee a year, making it one of the world’s greatest coffee producers. Because of being a natural plantation to these lands, it rarely incites climate or disease-born chaos. Coffee still grows wild all over Ethiopia, and there are thousands of undiscovered varietals, it’s a real coffee paradise.

Have you tried cups of coffee from any of these countries? Which one is your favorite? Tell us what you think! At That Coffee Roasters, you can find coffee roasts and products coming from all these countries. Contact us and start living an authentic coffee experience!

Sources: Solidaridad Network, Thrillist, The Daily Meal, Telegraph, Huffington Post, Time, Agriknowledge, Business Daily Africa.

Have you ever thought about having your own coffee farm?

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Learn How to Grow Your Own Coffee Trees Successfully

Coffee can't grow well in hot climates.

The process that every cup of coffee undergoes through to end up on our tables is seen as an art by many people. It’s a long, carefully crafted practice that begins with growing trees and harvesting the gifts of nature. Today, coffee has been transformed into a worldwide industry that has distanced us from those very first steps. Now, we barely think about the way beans are produced. Fortunately, coffee trees are not only perfect for satisfying our caffeine cravings whenever we want by growing our own coffee beans, but they also make for some wonderful plants for our garden, and it’s an excellent way to connect with our roots.

However, coffee can’t grow in all climate conditions, and although it’s a fairly easy plant to tend to, there are some details that should be taken into account if you want your tree to be strong and healthy. Are you ready to grow your own coffee and enjoy the benefits of your efforts and hard work? We’re sure that those cups will be like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. Follow these tips and give it a go!

Climate conditions

As you might already know, coffee never does well in hot, dry areas. They need very specific amounts of water and sunshine to grow healthy. Temperatures between 21°C and 22°C, 1,800 hours of sunshine annually, and a yearly rainfall between 1,500 and 2,000 mm are perfect for arabica seeds. In case there isn’t enough water, or there’s too much sunlight, you can plant coffee under shade trees to make up for the lack of humidity.

When it comes to the soils, they should stay moist and have good drainage. You can set it on a water-filled pebble tray to keep the humidity. Use organic potting soil that’s rich in nutrients as well. When the winter comes, you need to keep your plants from freezing temperatures. They won’t need as much water as in the summer. Coffee trees love the shade, so make sure to provide an indirect source of morning light.

Seeds

Seedlings that are planted in small pots or bags will have development problems in their roots. Use 17 cm x 23 cm as the ideal size at first. Once it’s grown and its roots have spread, you can move it to a 30 cm pot. You can use nitrogen to help it keep growing. If you want your tree to keep going up, tall and strong, then move it to an even larger pot.

You also need to make sure that your seeds are fresh. They shouldn’t be older than 3 months old. Fresh seeds should germinate in 2.5 months, but old seeds can take as long as 6 months. It is advisable to pre-germinate the seeds. For this, soak the coffee seeds in water for 24 hours.  Then sow the seeds in damp sand.  You can also place the seeds between moist coffee sacks, which should be watered twice a day and drained well.

Daily care

A happy coffee plant can grow up to 6 feet tall. Provide enough space for the plant and fertilize it once every two to three months in the spring and summer. It can take around 3 or 5 years for the plant to fully mature and start producing coffee berries. Unless you take really good care of all conditions in which the plant grows, you shouldn’t expect high-quality coffee. It’s possible to do it, but you need to take it seriously.

Water the tree twice per week in what is known as a full watering and a half watering.  In a half watering, simply add some water to the soil and allow it to drain.  In a full watering, add water, allow it to drain, and then add water with fertilizer and allow it to drain once more. Arabica coffee pollinates itself, so you don’t need to worry about that.

In any case, coffee plants produce a very sweet aroma and good shade that will give a great touch to your yard or garden. If you can grow more than just one, then you might be able to produce your own coffee and go as organic as you can when it comes to your coffee consumption. Have you ever tried to grow your own coffee trees? Tell us about it at That Coffee Roasters!

Live the whole experience!

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

7 Latte Artists So Talented You'll Never Want To Drink Anything They Brew

It’s been a few years since Instagram became the land of baristas and latte artists. If you haven’t posted a pic of your cup of coffee or your favorite coffee mug, have you truly lived? Probably not. And sometimes, when we see what some baristas are capable of when brewing a cup of latte, we really wish we could frame their work instead of drinking it.

This year, the World Latte Art Championship celebrated some of the best artists around the world. The event took place in the city of Budapest, and it gathered the champions from each country. Here we’ve collected some of the best so you can find them on Instagram. Follow their work and fall in love with a new latte cup every day!

1 Arnon Thitiprasert - Thailand

Everybody have their own dark side and yes! even Santa have one, sorry kids. Merry 8mas anyway #latteart #santa #badsanta #ristr8to #merrychristmas

Una publicación compartida de 2017 World Latte Art Champion (@ristr8to) el Dic 25, 2017 at 3:00 PST

Arnon started working as a barista in 2007. He then proceeded to fund his own business called Ristr8to Lab in the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. He believes the secret behind great latte art is simple: you only need practice and creativity. When asked when he started to get involved in the coffee industry, he said “In Australia, when I saw the 2007 World Latte Art Champion Jack Hanna, who was working in the same cafe pouring his latte art in the morning. Since then I have been practicing, aiming to become World Latte Art Champion like him one day.”

2 Michalis Karagiannis - Greece

⛄ Loveramics combo snowman ❄ #latteart #latte_art #no #freepour 😂 #barista #baristalove #latteartporn #baristalife #baristadaily #christmas #tree 🎄 #mood #snowman ☃#drawing #art #coffee #espresso #cappucino #colour #gifts #different #size #loveramics #puzzle #cups #santaclaus #snow #free #time #merrychristmas 😀

Una publicación compartida de Michalis Karagiannis (@michalis_karagiannis) el Dic 20, 2017 at 3:23 PST

Michalis has been working as a barista for the past seven years. He gives seminars on latte art and claims he loves everything about coffee: taste, aromas, origins, specialty coffee – but especially latte art! His secret? Practice, perfectly steamed milk, patience, dedication.

3 Agnieszka Rgewska - Poland

Hello old friend ... #latteart #latteartfun #latteartjunkies #latteartporn #latteartporn #latteartgrapes #grapes #specialtycoffee #coffeegram #instacoffee #trainhard #pourhard #workhard #loveramics #wlab #milkfun #milkart #rojes #gorojes #newhand

Una publicación compartida de Agnieszka Rojewska (@agarojewska) el Jul 25, 2017 at 11:33 PDT

Agnieszka has accumulated 9 years of experience in the coffee industry. She says latte art was her first interest and now she works as a barista trainer and a coffee consultant. For her, it started as a part-time job and then it became her passion. She got the third place in this year’s championship!

4 Jervis Tan - Singapore

#虎 #latteart

Una publicación compartida de jervis (@baristartist) el Nov 20, 2017 at 2:31 PST

Jervis has a mobile coffee company, and he brings coffee to all regions of his country. He was asked to learn how to make coffee when he was working in an Italian restaurant, and ever since, his love for coffee hasn’t stopped. He suggests beginners make sure they dominate the basics patterns before trying more complex things.

5 Matteo Beluffi - Italy

giornata di formazione terminata! #latteartbase #corsocaffetteria #corsolatteart #training #latteart #caffetteria #freepourlatte #freepouringlatteart #designerlatte #baristaschool #baristapassion #barista #formazione #ostacolare #cappuccinotime #cappuccino #instacappucccino #instalatteart #ispirate @giuseppe_fiorini design & @ristr8to design @gimacaffe_official

Una publicación compartida de MatteoBeluffi (@matteobeluffilatteart) el Dic 14, 2017 at 10:36 PST

Italian Matteo Beluffi also supports the idea that training is the most important part of dominating latte art. He was Italy’s national champion this 2017 and has been participating since 2014.

6 Aaron Shin - Australia

#latte #latteart #barista #cafe #coffee #art #beautiful #artwork #Australia #follow #coffeeporn #coffeelover #instadaily #likes #freepour #Melbourne #espresso #heart #먹스타그램 #좋아요 #일상 #카페 #라떼아트 #뉴질랜드 #바리스타 #팔로우 #호주 #멜번

Una publicación compartida de 🇰🇷🇦🇺 (@baristaaaronshin) el Dic 20, 2017 at 6:08 PST

Aaron had a very different life before discovering coffee. He studied architecture and enrolled in the Korean military forces. “I came to Australia for a holiday three years ago and immediately fell in love with its coffee culture. I now call Melbourne home and work at Short Black Café,” he explains. He claims that you need to understand and respect the basic foundations of coffee before dominating latte art.

7 Sebastian Farces - Romania

#latteart

Una publicación compartida de Sebastian Ioan Farcas (@sebastian_ioan_farcas) el Nov 3, 2017 at 3:04 PDT

Sebastian is 28 years old and has been brewing coffee for 10 years. He’s now a barista trainer at Barista School and has been competing since 2012. “I used to be a bartender, and then I realized that I love coffee more than mixing alcohol,” Sebastian explains. Can’t say we blame him…

Follow them on Instagram and enjoy the best of the latte art world! Want to try some of it yourself? Get our coffee products at That Coffee Roasters’ online shop and start practicing on your own. Hard work and a deep interest in coffee culture are all you need!

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters