Blog Archives - Page 26 of 51 - Buy Coffee Beans & Ingredients Online UK Wholesale

What is Kona coffee?

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you’re a fan of good quality coffee, here’s something you might not have heard of – Kona coffee. Considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious coffee varieties, it’s relatively unknown in the UK.

Native to Hawaii, Kona coffee is made from beans from the Kona district, in the west of the Big Island. The coffee is grown on the fertile slopes of an extinct volcano. Hawaii may seem an unusual location for a coffee crop, and indeed the plant isn’t native to the islands. It was imported by missionaries and merchants in the early 19th century, and for a while growers struggled to get it to thrive. A few years after the beans became available, Reverend Samuel Ruggles managed to grow them successfully, using beans imported from Brazil. English merchant Henry Nicholas Greenwell was responsible for establishing Kona as a brand in its own right in the 19th century. Nowadays, the coffee is grown on hundreds of independent farms, whose owners lavish care and attention on their precious crops to produce a high quality result.

The mineral-rich soil and climate with its unique mix of sun, cloud and mild nights combine to produce a sweet, mild flavour. Coffee connoisseurs prize the beans for their complex taste, with much of the coffee having chocolaty, floral or fruity overtones.

If you’re thinking of trying Kona beans, look at the bag contents carefully before purchase. Many retailers stock ‘Kona style’ or ‘Kona blend’. Kona blend coffee is legally required to contain only 10% Kona beans, while ‘Kona style’ is not required to contain any. Look for labelling boasting a content of 100% pure Kona beans to make sure of what you’re getting.

Although at the Wholesale Coffee Company we don’t stock Kona beans, we do stock a great range of excellent value, top quality beans from all over the world. To browse our range, visit our coffee beans page.

Bespoke printed paper cups

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Sara Walker

Every modern business knows the importance of brand awareness, and cafés and restaurants often invest large sums of money on branded napkins, coasters or staff uniforms. If you’re a food business offering a takeaway service, though, you could be missing an important branding opportunity. Did you know that the takeaway paper cups offered for customers wanting hot drinks ‘to go’ can be easily branded with your own colour scheme or logo? As the cups are often carried through streets, taken into offices and left on desks all day, there’s an excellent chance of them being seen by more potential customers.

The idea of printing on paper cups isn’t a new one. Originally, the designs were printed using rubber blocks mounted on cylinders, and needed a different cylinder for each colour. As technology developed, more complex designs became easier to print with the use of flexography, a technique that uses flexible relief plates. Flexography is ideal for long print runs, and is often used to print cup runs of 10,000 or more. More recently still, newer printing techniques have meant that it’s now possible to produce smaller print runs, making having your own bespoke printed paper cups achievable for the smaller business.

At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re proud to supply bespoke printed cups with your own logo. Qualities start at just 1,000 cups, and we offer a wide range of cup sizes to suit all requirements.

Once you have your personalised cups, don’t forget to reinforce the corporate message with your own personalised coffee bags. Printed with your own logo or colour scheme, these bags are perfect for retailing your own house blend, or for stacking on shelves in your shop for brand enforcement.

To find out more about these fantastic, powerful marketing tools, please visit our bespoke paper cups section and customised coffee bag section.

How paper cups are made

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you like to grab a coffee on your way to the office, the chances are it’s served in a disposable paper cup. Like many everyday objects that appear deceptively simple, the paper cup is actually a precision-made piece of engineering, designed to be insulated, safe, sturdy, long lasting and completely watertight. Here’s how it’s done:

Paper cups are made from a special grade of paper called ‘cup board’. The board is made from several layers of paper, to keep it stiff and strong even when wet. The board also needs to be supple enough to be rolled into shape. Paper cups feature a ‘mouth roll’, which is a rolled edge around the rim. This not only feels more comfortable for the drinker, but also helps keep the cup rigid and in the correct shape.

The paper cups start life as one large roll of paper. One side is coated with a layer of plastic or wax, which provides a waterproof barrier and becomes the inside of the cup. Then, the rolls are printed with any logos, designs or colours required to feature on the finished product. The rolls is cut into pieces by machine to make individual cups, which are then heat sealed. Circles of paper are also machine cut then heat sealed into place for the bottom of the cup.

Originally, before modern manufacturing methods, paper cups were glued together. To make them last longer, a method had to be found of waterproofing them. This was done by dropping a small amount of clay in the bottom, which was spread up the sides via centrifugal force. Unfortunately, this had the unwanted side effect of tainting the drink, so the process of using a layer of wax or plastic instead was developed, which also helps weld the seams together.

To browse our wide range of paper cups, suitable for hot drinks such as coffee, please visit our paper cups section.

The history of paper cups

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Sara Walker

Nowadays, modern life is so busy that it’s often more efficient to grab a cup of coffee ‘to go’, served in a disposable, single use paper cup with a lid. These cups are so common now we don’t think about them, but they have a surprisingly long history.

Exactly when paper itself was invented isn’t known, but it was known to have been in use in imperial China in the second century BC. Paper cups followed soon afterwards, used for serving tea. They were made in different colours and sizes, and adorned with decorative designs just like modern-day paper cups.

These early paper cups weren’t capable of holding liquid for any length of time, and the paper cup as we know it today wasn’t developed until the 20th century. Shared water fountains and barrels in schools and public buildings generally had communal ladles or glasses, which became a matter of concern due to the health implications.

In 1908, the first commercial, disposable paper cup was invented in America. Called the ‘Dixie cup’, it was clean, hygienic and easily available, and quickly replaced the communal glasses and ladles.

As well as takeways, cafés and restaurants, many other industries use paper cups, sometimes for ease and sometimes for hygienic reasons. In some cases, the cost of a single use, disposable cup can be cheaper than the proper sterilisation and re-use of a glass or ceramic container.

Cups intended for hot drinks are made in a different way to those intended for water or cold drinks, and usually incorporate an insulated layer, both to keep the drink hot and to help protect the drinker’s fingers from heat.

When fitted with a lid, modern paper cups are a safe, easy options for taking your coffee with you, wherever you go.

To browse our wide range of paper cups, suitable for hot drinks such as coffee, please visit our paper cups section.

The story of Colombian coffee

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Sara Walker

Situated in the north west corner of South America, Colombia has had a long relationship with coffee. It’s thought that the beans were first brought to the country in by Jesuit priests, although the date of the importation varies from the 1500s to the 1800, according to different sources.

What’s sure is that the plant acclimatised very well, giving the native coffee beans a rich, smooth flavour. Colombia first exported its own coffee to the rest of the world in 1835, with a tiny offering of just 2000 bags. Now, millions of Colombian beans travel all over the world every year, and form a significant percentage of the global total.

Colombian coffee is exclusively Arabica, as the volcanic soil, dry climate and high altitude of the growing conditions provide a perfect environment.

The country boasts two main coffee growing regions, eastern and central. The central region is sometimes referred to as ‘MAM’, an acronym for ‘Medellin, Armenia and Manizales’. The eastern area is the more mountainous region round Bogota, and the beans from this area tend to be lower in acidity.

In 1927, the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia) was founded to help support the small estate growers, and provide uniform controls and guidelines. Under their guidance, Colombian coffee growing has gone from strength to strength.

Although, as with any other product, commercialism has seen the advent of cheaper, lower quality grades of coffee being exported, pure Arabica Colombia coffee is still seen as one of the best in the world. It’s a very versatile coffee that can be blended to make a espresso blend, or drunk as it is.

At the Wholesale Coffee Company, we’re proud to supply expertly-blended beans from a variety of countries. To browse our range, please visit our coffee beans page.

Coffee bread and butter pudding

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Sara Walker

Bread and butter pudding is a great everyday family standby. It’s quick and economical to make, and useful for using up odds and ends of none-too-fresh bread. With a few extra ingredients, though, you can elevate it to the status of dinner party dessert while keeping the ease of preparation.

To serve four, you’ll need:

300ml milk
100ml single cream
3 tablespoons very strong espresso coffee, made from freshly ground coffee beans
4- 5 tablespoons sugar
75g butter, softened
4 free range eggs
6 slices white bread, crusts on
200g dried dates, stones removed

Ideally, start this recipe the night before so that the bread has time to absorb lots of liquid. If you run out of time, though, it will still work made on the day. Make the coffee and pour it into a measuring jug or bowl. Chop the dates roughly into small pieces, and drop them into the coffee while it’s still hot. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, put the milk, cream and eggs into a bowl and whisk vigorously until the liquid looks frothy on top. This will help trap air into the mixture and help the pudding rise.

Butter the bread generously, and cut it into triangles. Layer half of it into a shallow ovenproof dish, and sprinkle with half the sugar. Pour over the coffee and date mixture, and add another layer of bread. Sprinkle the top with sugar.

Cover with clingfilm, and leave in the fridge overnight.

The following day, heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. While the oven’s heating, remove the dish from the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature, then put it in the oven and bake for around 30 minutes. When ready, the pudding should look risen and golden, and the custard should be just set, with a slight wobble.

Serve immediately, with cream or coffee sauce.

To browse our range of great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, please visit our coffee beans page.

Coffee sauce and coffee syrup

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Sara Walker

Need a quick coffee fix? These two recipes should meet your coffee-flavouring needs – the coffee sauce is smooth and chocolaty, and makes a perfect partner for ice cream or chocolate desserts, while the syrup is perfect for flavouring milk, or pouring over ice-cream for an instant pud.

Coffee sauce

340g sugar
400ml water
40 to 50 good quality roasted coffee beans
180g good quality cocoa powder
60g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

Put the sugar in a pan and heat very gently until the granules begin to dissolve. Once the sugar is completely liquid, heat, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to turn a pale golden brown colour, meaning it’s starting to caramelise.

Add the rest of the ingredients carefully, as the hot sugar may spit. Stir everything until completely mixed, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, and allow to simmer until slightly thickened. Pour through a sieve to remove the coffee beans, then allow to cool completely before serving. This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Coffee syrup

300g ground coffee, made from freshly ground coffee beans
300g sugar
750ml water

Put the sugar and water together in a saucepan, and bring them to the boil. Boil for about five minutes, then add the coffee. Reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for another five minutes until the liquid is reduce and thickened.

Strain through a very fine sieve or a muslin, and pour into a clean, sterilised jar. The syrup should keep for several weeks in the fridge.

To browse our range of great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, visit our coffee beans page.

The perfect Irish coffee

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

Coffee cocktails – mixtures of coffee and alcohol – have been around a long time, but the traditional Irish coffee is one of the best known and most popular. Called ‘Irish coffee’ as it was invented in Limerick, Ireland by head chef Joe Sheridan, it’s a mixture of hot coffee and Irish coffee. Sheridan invented the drink for group of passengers who got off a flight on a cold winter evening in the 1940s, adding whiskey to hot coffee to warm them up.

The drink quickly became so popular it spread worldwide, and it’s particularly well known in the US.

A traditional Irish coffee consists of strong black coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and double cream (not whipped cream). The secret lies in pouring the cream over the back of a spoon so that it forms a floating layer on top of the coffee. The coffee is then sipped through the layer of cream.

Irish coffee recipe (makes two servings)

425ml strong black coffee, made from good quality, fresh coffee beans
25g brown sugar
4 tablespoons Irish whiskey
90ml double cream

You’ll also need tall, heatproof glasses, preferably special Irish whiskey glasses, although it’s possible to improvise with mugs.

Start by dividing the whiskey and the sugar evenly between the two glasses, and stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

Carefully pour the hot, fresh coffee into the glasses, finishing about 4cm from the top. Slowly pour the cream over the back of a tablespoon, so that it forms a layer on top of the coffee. Continue to pour the cream until it almost reaches the rim of the glass, then serve immediately.

To browse our range of quality coffee beans online, please visit our coffee beans page.

Chocolate and coffee terrine

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

Chocolate and coffee are the ultimate dinner party pairing, and what better way to combine them than this sophisticated dessert? It incorporates coffee in both the terrine and the sauce for a double caffeine hit.

To serve 8, you’ll need:

600 g good quality plain chocolate, 70% cocoa solids or more
600ml double cream
125g sugar
8 egg yolks
125g sponge fingers
200ml strong black coffee
For the custard sauce:
200ml double cream
8 – 10 roasted coffee beans
6 egg yolks
75g sugar
200ml milk

Start by making the coffee using your usual method, and let it cool before putting it in the fridge to chill. Line a 1.5kg terrine dish or loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure you press it firmly into the edges and try not to leave too many wrinkles, as these will show on the finished terrine. Break the chocolate into small pieces, and place it in a heatproof bowl. Melt in the microwave in short bursts until fully melted. Stir in half of the double cream, and set aside.

Bring a pan of water to the boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Put a heatproof bowl over the pan, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Put in the egg yolk and sugar, and whisk until the mixture looks pale and thick. Add the egg and sugar mix to the chocolate, then whisk in 75mml cold water.

In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining cream until it stands up in soft peaks. Fold it into the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon, trying not to break up the volume too much.

Immerse the sponge fingers briefly in the cold coffee, then use them to line the tin or dish vertically. Make sure each biscuit buts right up to its neighbour without leaving a gap.

Spoon the chocolate filling into the tin, pushing it right into the corners. Cover the tin, and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours until the filling is set.

To make the coffee custard, put the milk, coffee beans and cream into a pan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and thickened, then pour in the cream mixture, and cook the custard over a low heat for three or four minutes. Pass the custard through a sieve to remove the coffee beans, then allow to cool before putting in the fridge to chill.

Serve slices of the terrine with a drizzle of custard and a chocolate covered coffee bean.

For great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, visit our coffee beans page.

Coffee flavoured vodka

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Sara Walker

If you’re feeling a little tired after the excitement of Christmas and New Year, treat yourself to a small tot of our coffee-infused vodka as the perfect pick-me-up.

Vodka is a particularly good partner for the strong flavouring of coffee, as it’s not strongly flavoured itself. You’ll need:

A bottle of vodka
About 30 good quality ready-roasted coffee beans
A teaspoon of sugar

Start by cracking the coffee beans. This is most easily done in a pestle and mortar, or you can put the beans in a plastic bag and gently crush them with a rolling pin or the back of a spoon. You’re not trying to make coffee grounds, only to open the beans enough to let the flavour infuse.

Place the beans and the sugar in a clean, sterilised bottle or jar (you can re-use the empty vodka bottle if you decant the liquid into a secondary container first. Make sure it’s thoroughly clean, though.) Pour the vodka over the beans until they float on top of the liquid. Seal the bottle tightly, and shake it vigorously for 30 seconds.

Put the bottle in a cool dark place, and every day for five days shake it vigorously.

When the five days are up, the liquid should look a uniform clear brown colour. The final stage is to filter out the coffee beans.

Please a clean muslin cloth or tea towel over a large bowl to make a filter, and tape it round so that it’s taut. Very slowly, pour the vodka over the filter. The coffee beans may come out in a rush, so be ready! Once all the vodka has gone through the filter, remove the cloth, wash out and sterilise the original bottle and pour the vodka back in.

Taste the vodka. If the coffee flavour isn’t as strong as you’d like, you can start the process again by adding more crushed beans. If it’s a little too strong, dilute the liquid with some plain vodka.

For great quality coffee beans at wholesale prices, visit our coffee beans page.