Archive for April 10th, 2008

Is Coffee Good for Dieting?

If you’re dieting, that cup of black coffee sitting in front of you, starts out with zero calories, zero carbohydrates and zero nutritional value. And, it’s only when you begin to add the creamers, sugars and sweeteners that the calories in coffee begin to add up.

Many people add coffee to their diets because of its stimulating effects. Coffee and the unwanted calories that are in it will give you the energy and endurance to keep going at a fast pace throughout your day. Just how many calories are in your favorite coffee drinks may actually surprise you. Learning about the coffee drinks and the calories included in them will help you adjust the amount you intake while following any diet plan you are on.

Counting Calories In Starbucks Coffee

Everyone seems to love Starbucks, and they have created so many delectable beverages, that once you taste them the calories seem to be unimportant to most of us. However, a person who is dieting needs to be aware of the calories in these coffee drinks. For instance, a Frappucino in a large cup yields an amazing three hundred and thirty-one calories. That’s a lot for a drink that started out at zero. Another example of a high calorie drink is a latte. A tall one has an amazing two hundred and ten calories. Most dieters would agree that these drinks would not be beneficial to their diets, but without doing the research on the calories in coffee drinks there is no way to know what they are actually consuming.

Low Calorie Coffee Tips

When you fix coffee to your liking, chances are you will add calories. There is however ways that you can cut down your intake of calories consumed in coffee.
Start by choosing a small cup, either eight or 12 ounces would be fine. When ordering, ask that your coffee be prepared with fat free milk. This can save you from up to 80 grams of fat. Use a sugar substitute instead of sugar. (1 tablespoon of sugar is 15 calories) You should always order coffee without cream, whipped cream, coffee syrups etc. when you are trying to cut back on the calories in your coffee.
A good way to limit the calorie intake is to refrain from more than one or two cups of coffee.

Did You Know…?

Did you know that in order to burn off the number of calories in one of the fancy coffee house drinks you would have to walk for 1 hour continuously? This would only burn off the coffee drink calories and nothing else.

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April 10 2008 | coffee | No Comments »

How to Choose a Good Coffee Grinder

With so many choices on the market, it is hard to decide what coffee grinder is right for you. When you’re craving a great cup of coffee, nothing can beat a brew made from freshly ground arabica beans. Gone are the days when everyone bought their coffee already ground, but today finding a coffee grinder on your neighbor’s kitchen counter is becoming the norm.

Blade Grinder

There are two kinds of coffee grinders that are readily available to the average consumer - the burr grinder and the blade grinder. The blade grinder is the less expensive of the two and while it does a decent job of grinding the beans it doesn’t always grind them as fine as some might like and the grounds are uneven in size which can affect the flavor and strength of your coffee.

Burr Grinder – Wheel vs. Conical

The burr grinder is a bit more expensive but it allows for a more consistent grind and a consistent flavor in your coffee. There are two types of burr grinders and while they both grind the coffee well, the wheel burr is more noisy and messy than the conical burr. The latter does the same job with less noise and less clean up afterwards. The conical burr is recommended for flavored or oily beans.

Coffee grinders come in various shapes and sizes to suit any décor and they also vary in price from as low as under $20 up to hundreds of dollars. Keep in mind expensive does not always mean better; consider what your grinding needs will be in advance and then compare the coffee grinders that offer the features you are looking for before purchasing anything. There are many sites that offer a great deal of information on the latest coffee grinders along with reviews and opinions of many different brands and styles.

A coffee grinder can be an appliance that will last you many years if you are careful when selecting the right one instead of picking up the first coffee grinder that you run across or picking the one that looks pretty. While you want an attractive grinder, you also want one that is practical for you. Take your time and find the right one for you and then brew the best cup of coffee you will ever enjoy in the comfort of your own home.

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April 10 2008 | beans | No Comments »