If you are a true coffee lover, experimenting with different brews is always a great idea. Therefore, if you are yet to give green coffee a try, you are missing out on an exciting treat that packs more health benefits than your regular cup of joe. While it might seem unconventional and sound a little more complicated, green coffee is still relatively easy to make. You will not need any unique technique or use any special equipment when making this fantastic coffee. However, before you learn how to make green coffee, it is always better to start by understanding its potential benefits and what it is all about.
WHAT IS GREEN COFFEE?
Green coffee is a beverage brewed using unroasted coffee beans. Simply put, this coffee uses raw coffee beans yet to undergo any processing besides pulping and drying.
Using green beans to make your coffee ensures you do not lose compounds like chlorogenic acid that have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidants properties. Most of these compounds are typically lost when roasting coffee beans as the heat breaks them down.
Green coffee has become popular over the years as an effective weight loss solution. Many people also take it to manage other ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.
HOW TO MAKE GREEN COFFEE IN 5 EASY STEPS
Making green coffee is relatively straightforward as there is nothing much to do. Here is a more detailed breakdown of what you need and the few simple steps to follow. Also, make sure to also follow our tips for storing green coffee beans.
WHAT YOU NEED
- Whole, raw coffee beans
- Sugar, honey or cinnamon (optional)
- Filtered water
- Coffee filter
- Container
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1: SOAK THE GREEN BEANS
The first step is soaking the green coffee beans in the filtered water. Depending on how strong you want the coffee, you can leave them soaked overnight or even up to 24 hours.
Make sure you cover them as they soak to prevent contamination. The water should start turning green immediately, and the longer you soak the beans, the darker the color gets.
STEP 2: BOIL ON HIGH FLAME
When you are satisfied the beans have soaked long enough, the next step is to brew the coffee. Start by pouring them into a pot together with the liquid they were soaking in, and then boil the mixture at high flame.
After a few minutes of high flame boiling, you should lower the heat and allow the coffee to simmer in low flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
STEP 3: ALLOW THE COFFEE TO COOL DOWN
You can tell when your green coffee is ready from the aroma you get and the beverage’s darker green color. Once done, switch off the heat and allow the brew enough time to cool completely.
STEP 4: FILTER THE GREEN COFFEE
The next step is to filter the green coffee with a paper, metal, or cloth filter. Filtering is vital to ensure you catch the husk that comes off from the beans during brewing.
STEP 5: SWEETEN AND SPICE UP
If you prefer strong and plain green coffee, you can drink it straight away. But if you cannot withstand highly concentrated coffee, you should sweeten your brew with sugar or honey. Also, you can enhance the taste further by adding spices like cinnamon.
Note: This green coffee brewing method often results in a slightly too strong beverage for some people. However, you can reduce the strength by diluting with some warm water before sweetening.
MAKING GREEN COFFEE WITH GREEN COFFEE BEAN POWDER
If you do not have the time to wait for several hours as your green coffee beans steep in water, you can make the coffee faster using green bean powder. Here are a few steps to follow.
Step 1. Start by grinding the beans to a fine powder, but you can also keep it coarse if you do not want very bitter coffee. Also, keep in mind that grinding green coffee beans is harder than roasted ones, but you can always order ready green coffee bean powder.
Step 2. Measure enough ground coffee for the cups you want to make and pour it into a container. Pour some hot water (not boiling) over the ground coffee, stir and allow the mixture to steep for at least 10 minutes.
Step 3. Filter the coffee into cups, and your beverage is ready to drink.
Step 4. You can also add sugar or honey if you want to sweeten things a little.
GREEN COFFEE BENEFITS
Green coffee provides an excellent way to break away from the monotony of regular black coffee. It is also quite tasty and refreshing.
Additionally, this coffee comes with several health benefits, from helping with weight loss to blood sugar regulation. Here is an overview of some of the possible benefits of taking green coffee.
1. WEIGHT LOSS
Weight loss is probably the primary reason many people will consider taking green coffee. The high amounts of chlorogenic acid in green coffee help the body burn fat much faster and reduce carbohydrates absorption, leading to weight loss.
What’s more, regular green coffee consumption helps trigger metabolism and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, which are also vital for weight loss. There have been several studies over the years that support the effectiveness of green coffee in aiding weight loss.
2. DIABETES MANAGEMENT
By helping prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, the chlorogenic acid in green coffee can also help with diabetes management.
An increased intake of chlorogenic acid will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by lowering fat accumulation in the body. But, green coffee is only effective for diabetes management when combined with other things like healthy diets and active lifestyles.
3. LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE
Green coffee can help dilate blood vessels and, in turn, lower blood pressure. Also, it is known to help lower cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol often leads to high blood pressure and so keeping this hormone low can help keep it under control.
Nevertheless, it is essential to note that green coffee will not be a good remedy for lowering blood pressure for caffeine-sensitive individuals. For such people, taking the coffee will only increase blood pressure.
4. ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES
The higher percentage of antioxidants in green coffee can have potent anti-aging properties. These antioxidants are highly effective at eliminating free radicals. This then allows for skin cell regeneration and helps conceal wrinkles, leaving you looking much younger.
Furthermore, green coffee contains some compounds that can help protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV rays and keep it free of blemishes.
5. MOOD ELEVATION
Like any other beverage that contains caffeine, green coffee can help increase the release of dopamine. This brain neurotransmitter uplifts moods, improves brain function, and keeps you alert. Several studies, including one published in the International Journal of Food Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics, show that green coffee reduces the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Therefore, it may effectively enhance your cognitive performance and delay the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
GREEN COFFEE VS. BLACK COFFEE
Many coffee drinkers will drink black coffee often. Therefore, green coffee might look a little weird for those taking it for the first time.
However, the only difference is that green coffee is made with raw or unroasted coffee beans while black coffee uses roasted beans.
Roasting coffee beans causes changes in their chemical composition due to exposure to heat. Thus, green and black coffee will differ in taste, aroma, and even caffeine content.
Black coffee will typically contain more caffeine than green coffee, as roasting beans allow for more caffeine extraction from the beans. One cup of green coffee contains about 20mg caffeine, while a cup of black coffee will have around 100mg.
GREEN COFFEE VS GREEN TEA
If you are a regular coffee drinker, then chances are you will go for green coffee instead of green tea, and the reverse is true for tea lovers. However, if you do not love either, the choice can be a little more complicated than this.
Considering the taste, caffeine content, and health benefits should make it easier to decide between them.
When it comes to taste, this largely depends on one’s preferences. However, green coffee has a much bitter taste than green tea. It can be a little unbearable for some people without sweetening or diluting.
The caffeine content you get on both drinks depends on plant types and other things like the preparation mode. But, in most cases, green coffee contains more caffeine than green tea.
Although green tea has been in use for weight loss much longer than green coffee, the latter seems to be relatively more effective at speeding up the process. Green coffee contains high amounts of chlorogenic acid, which is proven highly effective at weight loss and boosting your overall health.
FAQS
Q: DOES DRINKING GREEN COFFEE HELP BURN FAT?
Yes, different studies have shown that the chlorogenic acid in green coffee aids in fat burning and is very useful for weight loss.
Q: DOES GREEN COFFEE HAVE SIDE EFFECTS?
Like most other beverages, green coffee can have some side effects. Most of them are the same ones you get from drinking regular coffee. They include things like restlessness, nausea, and insomnia.
Q: WHERE CAN YOU GET GREEN COFFEE BEANS?
Most green coffee beans go straight to roasters from producers, wholesalers, and other distributors in the production chain. Therefore, it is not always easy for homebrewers to get some since many grocery stores will not have them in stock.
That said, you can still get green coffee beans in specialty coffee shops, which is more so for those who roast their coffee in-house. Also, you can order online as many top coffee brands will include green beans in their product line.
CONCLUSION
Green coffee is delightful and refreshing for most coffee lovers. What’s more, it packs many health benefits, from helping with weight loss to blood pressure management.
Better still, it can also help you cut down your caffeine intake without skipping your daily cup of coffee. However, to enjoy the many benefits of green coffee, you need to make sure you brew it correctly. Since there are only a few steps involved, brewing green tea is relatively easy.
![Read more about the article Decaf Iced Coffee: A Complete Guide [2022]](https://i0.wp.com/wildbarista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Decaf-Iced-Coffee.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1)
![Read more about the article Mocha Boba: Facts & Recipe [2022]](https://i0.wp.com/wildbarista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MOCHA-BOBA.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1)
