Great Beans For The Perfect Espresso

The popularity of coffee is ever growing with coffee chains like Starbucks on every high street, espresso machines in every restaurant and a coffee vending machine in every office. Considering the number of countries that now produce coffee beans; over seventy around the globe, the conditions necessary for coffee growing are highly specific and the overall output is not that high.

Although we always refer to coffee beans, the term is actually misleading as the green or red object that is roasted to make coffee is in fact a seed. It is found at the center of fruits that grow on trees, often about twenty feet tall but often reaching up to forty feet. The fruit looks a little like a cranberry and has a soft sweet flesh covered by a silver skin membrane. Usually seeds within these fruits are in pairs, although certain types such as the Peaberry only have one seed.

Ideal conditions for growing coffee are moderate temperatures of consistently between sixty and seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Coffee requires a high level of rainfall and humidity, over six inches of rain monthly is the required amount. These conditions are generally found near the equator, roughly...