Coffee is the number one drink in the U.S. and one of the healthiest drinks we could ever enjoy. Recent scientific research and studies have identified coffee as containing a very high concentration of antioxidants which helps not only the healing process but assists the body’s immune system to fight free radicals which can develop into cancer.
Antioxidants can not only help stave off cancer but also heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, also scientific studies have confirmed that coffee is very effective as a preventative of Parkinson’s disease. Because of coffee being the number one drink preference in the U.S., it is now the number one source of antioxidants.
Now not only can we enjoy the pleasant aroma and taste of fresh brewed coffee and also served as cappuccinos, lattes, iced drink you can rest assured it has wonderful health benefits as well.
Costa Rica has some of the finest coffee in the world. The coffee plantations are divided into regions or growing zones. The best specialty coffee is produced due to four major factors, altitude, rain fall, nutrient rich soil, and sun to shade ratio. The regions that exhibit these four qualities produce world’s best renowned gourmet coffee.
A few small hints of brewing the best tasting coffee possible is to use the 18 minute rule, which is to only serve the coffee up to 18 minutes after brewing. The coffee starts to become more acidity and bitter after it is cooked for 18 minutes. The option is to brew your coffee into an insulated thermo carafe. If you use this technique the coffee stops cooking once it flows in the insulated carafe. It is always better to brew with bottled filtrated water or spring water. Using whole bean and grinding it each time you brew is much better to assure a fresher taste.
The ultimate for you gourmet enthusiasts is to purchase a home coffee roaster (available for about $99) and buy green (unroasted) coffee beans and roast it fresh everyday which only takes about 20 minutes. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee will drive you crazy with delight, but this process is only for coffee fanatics such as myself.
One of the extra benefits of retiring in Costa Rica is to have the world’s best coffee at your finger tips everyday of your life at prices far below gourmet coffee in the U.S.A. A cup of fresh ground and brewed coffee at most coffee houses or kiosks in Costa Rica is about 40 cents a cup, which is as good as or most of the time better than Starbucks which price for a cup of coffee averages $1.65 a cup and $2.40 for Latte.
Coffee is not the only savings when retiring in Costa Rica. The cost of living can be anywhere from 50% to 300% cheaper than the U.S. My food budget runs about $70 a week for four adults and 3 grandchildren and I don’t skimp on anything.