But a coffee isn’t just a coffee. The world loves it, for good reason.

Fine coffee, like wine, takes special preparation. Coffee is the antithesis of wine, but it requires the same amount of dedication, specialized processes and cultivation. Wine relaxes the body and tends to slow the mental processes. Coffee has quite an opposite effect. Coffee is calming, rather than intoxicating. It stimulates the senses, rather than dulling them. Someone once said that “It cheers the spirit without making one mad.”

Coffee requires blending and brewing, along with various other preparations that go into creating wine and other excellent beverages. There is also an entire vocabulary associated with coffee. If you wish to be truly familiar with your friend “coffee”, here are some of the terms that you must know:

Acidity

The acidity in coffee contributes to its special liveliness, color and brightness. Carrots and coffee have roughly the same levels of pH.

Arabica Coffee

Arabica is one of the primary types of coffee. The other is Robusta. Coffee Arabica contains less caffeine, but it is harder to cultivate as it grows best at altitudes between 3,500 to 7,000 feet. It has a superior full bodied taste compared to Robusta and is consequently more expensive.

Bourbon is an African variety of Arabica coffee. The cultivation was not seriously pursued for some time because, although it has delicious character and taste, crop yields are smaller than the other Arabica varieties. The growing popularity of coffee, however, has increased the cultivation of this wonderful bean.

Coffee Blends

The art of blending coffee is much like an artist mixing colors on the palette. Coffee blenders use beans from various coffee-growing regions, and then mix them to craft a specialized flavor that cannot be achieved with coffee of single origin.

Full Body

The “body” of the coffee is a term used to describe the way it feels in the mouth. The body may be thin, delicate, light, syrupy or buttery.

Decaf/Decaffeinating

This process is used to minimize the caffeine content of the coffee beans. Several processes can be utilized to remove the caffeine content. One is a method using chemicals, another makes use of a variety of water processes, while the third method uses carbon dioxide. In each of these decaffeinating processes, the chief concern is to preserve the natural flavor of the coffee bean.

Coffee Grades

Coffee beans are classified by their size and density. Premium coffee is the highest possible grade and it is sold at the highest price.

Methods of Processing

The separation of the flesh from the bean. The two types of processing are the dry and washed processes. With dry processing, the cherries are spread across the ground to dry out in the sun. The beans are raked several times each day so that drying is even. After two to three weeks, the dried flesh cracks off of the bean. Dry processing produces an earthy flavor and a syrupy texture in your coffee.

With washed processing, the skin is cut from the coffee beans and the beans are allowed to stand. When the beans begin to ferment, the skins are easily washed off with water. Then, the beans are dried. With this washing process, the natural flavors of the coffee are preserved.

Now that you can talk the talk, it’s time to walk the walk. Meet your friends for coffee and wow them with your inside knowledge of everyone’s favorite bean.

Columnist Benedict Neel contributes to several web magazines, on recreation and leisure and other hobby subjects.

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Want to know a few secrets to making a good cup of campfire coffee? There are lots of recipes for making coffee in a plain pot over a campfire or for your camping coffee pot. Try a few varieties to see what suits your taste the best. Here are a few good recipes to get you started so your morning or evening brew tastes good every time.

Traditional Campfire Coffee Recipes

Recipe 1. Bring two quarts of water to a good, rolling boil in a camping coffee pot. Take it from the fire and add 2 handfuls of fine ground coffee. Keep in mind that whoever makes the coffee will change the results of this traditional recipe. Steep for 4 minutes. The secret to good campfire coffee is adding a few tablespoons of cold water to the mixture after steeping. This settles the grounds to the bottom. Then pour slowly to keep as many grounds out of your cup as possible.

Recipe 2. Add 6 teaspoons of ground coffee into a camping coffee pot, and pour 3 pints of cold water over the grounds. Put the pot on the fire and bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat and let steep for 3 minutes. Don’t forget the secret. Add those few tablespoons of cold water to the mixture after steeping to settle the grounds. This makes about 6 cups of good campfire coffee.

Campfire Perculator Coffee Pot

Recipe 3. This is the most common method of making campfire coffee. Start with 1½ tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee for each 6 oz of water when using a perculator coffee pot. Here is a trick if you end up with grounds in your coffee. Poke a hole in a regular coffee filter and put it in the perk basket. Watch the percolator for the coffee color. The longer it perks the stronger your coffee will be. A perculator coffee pot takes practice but they make great campfire coffee.

Good Tip

If you use unpleasant lake, well or tap water your coffee will never taste very good. Coffee is 98% water so using good water will make all of difference in good or bad coffee. Bring good water with you and you will enjoy your campfire coffee a lot more.

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