What is black coffee? Benefits, pros and cons of black coffeeWhat is black coffee? Benefits, pros and cons of black coffee

 What is black coffee? Benefits, pros and cons of black coffeeWhat is black coffee? Benefits, pros and cons of black coffee

Black coffee is the simplest and oldest coffee-based drink. Black coffee is also known as distilled coffee and has an amazing variety of ways to prepare it. It can be boiled, soaked or squeezed. Unsurprisingly, brewing coffee by boiling was the first method. Even today, authentic Turkish coffee is made using this method.

So when exactly did humans start drinking coffee? Since drinking coffee dates back centuries, it is not easy to determine where, when and how to drink it for the first time. According to one legend, it was discovered in the 9th century in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia. 

However, the earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking similar to the way we follow it takes us to fifteenth century Yemen in southern Arabia. In Sufi shrines, coffee beans were first roasted and then fermented. Coffee allowed mystics to focus and reach what we can see as spiritual exaltation. During the Sufis' travel they introduced coffee to the rest of the world. By the 16th century, the drink had reached the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, and later spread to Europe.

How to make black coffee.

While black coffee may be the simplest of coffee, there is still a lot of variation in how it is made in different countries. Some European coffee shops may serve an extended shot of espresso as black coffee while in the United States it is referred to as Americano while black coffee just means drip coffee.

Even within distilled coffee, there are many ways to prepare. Let's cover the most popular methods:

• Before you can make your own drink, you need to grind the coffee beans. It is possible to buy already ground coffee, but some people prefer the freshness that comes from making a cup of ground beans beforehand.
• In the event that you want to grind coffee beans yourself, there are three main methods and only one method which is considered employment. You can grind coffee the old-fashioned way with a mortar and pestle, but we don't recommend it. The second method is to use the rotary blades which can work if you are not too picky but the only way to get a uniform grind is to use a coffee grinder.
• Let's get rid of instant coffee first. Simplest way to make coffee if you are out camping or don't have any coffee maker. Simply mix the required amount of coffee into the hot water and you are done.
• The other most common way to make black coffee is to use a drip coffee machine. All you have to do is pour the ground coffee into the filter, pour some water into it and press start. It takes about 5 minutes for your cup to be ready. However, with this method (and with most others), it is important to use the correct proportions of coffee and water. The correct ratio of drip coffee is 1:17, which is 60 grams of coffee per liter of water.
• Then comes the coffee carafe that pushes the boiling water into the coffee chamber to steep the coffee beans. This cycle is repeated until you remove it from the heat or with an internal timer or thermostat that turns off the heater when the entire pot reaches a certain temperature.
• This pour-over coffee machine is self-explanatory. Hand pour hot water over coffee. For this you need a special type of filter that can be reused even though it is very expensive.
• French press is recommended by many for use at home. You can use two tablespoons of coffee for one cup of water. Boil the water until it is hot enough (ideally 195 F), then pour it over the coffee in the juicer. Stir the granules into the water to saturate them well. Let it stand for 3 minutes. All coffee oils remain in the liquid due to direct contact with water, making it a stronger drink. Push from top to bottom and advance. This method leaves more sediment than coffee made with an automatic coffee maker, but this can be reduced by using the right type of grinder that gives you a uniform grind size.

Pros and cons of black coffee.

• Black coffee is low in calories which means it has no calories on its own without milk or sugar.
• Black coffee regulates blood sugar levels and is beneficial for weight loss.
• It is a readily available vegetarian drink.
• There is a variety of coffee beans with different roasts and flavors available for you to choose from.
• Black coffee can be made using a number of different methods, and it is not a complex drink to master unlike cappuccino.
• Black coffee has a moderate amount of stimulating effects.
• To make black coffee, you don't need a frothing machine or an espresso machine which can be expensive.

Negatives of black coffee. 

• Black coffee can be acidic, depending on the beans used.
• The caffeine in black coffee may worsen acid reflux because it boosts the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Drinking on an empty stomach in particular can damage the stomach lining. It can also cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), stomach acid, and stomach ulcers.
• Drinking too much black coffee can increase stress and anxiety and in people with bipolar disorder it can lead to mania.
• Black coffee has fewer nutritional benefits than espresso.
• It can lead to a disturbed sleep routine.
• Coffee beans contain cafestol and coheel, which may raise levels of bad cholesterol.
• Poor quality coffee can be toxic because of the impurities in it and can cause illness, headache, or an overall bad feeling. Buy only high quality coffee.

Black coffee versus espresso.

• The main difference between black coffee and espresso is the brewing method. The ingredients, hot water and coffee, are the same for both.
• Espresso is made using espresso machines that can pass a high-pressure jet of hot water through ground coffee. The pressure ranges from 9 to 15 bar and results in a more concentrated drink. A single shot of espresso is typically made with 8 grams of coffee and is one ounce in size, while one cup of drip coffee is made with about 10 grams for an 8-ounce cup. It has the highest amount of caffeine with 63 grams of caffeine while drip coffee contains only 12 to 16 mg of caffeine per ounce.
• Espresso has a layer of reddish-brown foam on top called crema but black coffee has no foam.
• Espresso has a more complex structure and a fuller body because it retains the essential oils from the coffee beans that are lost during drip black coffee making as the filter used gives it a lighter texture and lower nutritional value.
• There is more control over determining strength and flavor in brewing black coffee due to the many methods available. When making espresso, the machine does almost the entire job.

Benefits of drinking black coffee.

• Some people who go to the gym often like to drink a cup of coffee an hour or so before and find that they have a lot of energy which improves performance.
• Coffee can aid in weight loss by regulating blood sugar levels and helping to break down body fat. In addition, black coffee contains hardly any calories.
• Drinking black coffee regularly can prevent liver disease, reduce the risk of death by 25%, and reduce the risk of cancer or stroke.
• Since coffee helps the body use insulin, it prevents or at least delays the development of type 2 diabetes.
• As anyone who works long hours can tell you, black coffee is a lifesaver. It can be made quickly, using only water and ground coffee, and keeps you alert and focused.
• Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants that act as little warriors that fight and protect the body from free radicals.
• High levels of caffeine in the blood reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and also reduce the risk of dementia.
• Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and increases the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which are essential for good mood, sleep, energy and motivation among others. Drinking coffee daily prevents the risk of suicide by an astonishing 50%.

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