by Kenneth Davids; reviews by Kenneth Davids and Ted Stachura
India is a considerably better-known coffee origin in Europe than in the United States. And even in Europe it tends to be a source whose profound coffee originality is hidden inside blends rather than foregrounded in single-origin or trophy coffees. For example, India provides some of the world's most valuable coffee types for espresso blends, yet these same exotic coffee types are seldom offered as single origins. They are simply too intensely odd for American palates accustomed to the high-grown, cleanly bright profiles of classic Latin America. On the other hand, the majestic, deeply forested old India coffee estates do produce quietly distinctive Arabicas capable of pleasing even the most purist of coffee drinkers. And the quest for small lots of coffee that play distinctive variations on the more familiar Arabica profile is beginning to turn up some pleasant surprises in India, as it has elsewhere in the world.
All of these types and trends are represented in this month's reviews, representing a set of ten often wildly different coffees, the best and most interesting from the thirty or so we cupped. Here they are in summary:
1) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, heavy-bodied, sweetly nutty profiles: The Paradise Roasters Indian CxR Mandarin (89), a coffee from trees of an interspecies cross between an heirloom Indian variety of Robusta and the coffee species Congensis.
2) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, richly malty profiles with a little twist of fermented fruit: Three different Monsooned Malabars, the unique Indian coffee type created by allowing dry-processed coffees to absorb the salt- and moisture-laden air of monsoon winds in an effort to mimic the flavor of coffees once carried in the holds of wooden ships from India to Europe. The Julian Coffee Roasters Monsooned Malabar (89), the Josuma Coffee Monsoon Medley (88) and the Storehouse India Malabar (87) all represent variations on the musty/malty, sweetly pungent monsooned theme.
3) For I'll-try-anything coffee adventurers, a coffee from trees of the Liberica species. Liberica was first experimented with as a disease-resistant alternative to Arabica, but was pretty much abandoned after the development of Robusta. It is still grown on some farms in India, however, as well as in Malaysia, where it is often a valued component in the pungent, heavily intense blends that Malaysians enjoy buffered by quantities of milk. The Badbeard's India Anokhi Liberica is reviewed here at 87, a basically arbitrary score. There are no criteria I know of by which this coffee could be rated 90, for example, or even 88. On the other hand, we have no business completely trashing a unique coffee type on the basis of standards of judgment developed mainly for fine Arabicas. As Libericas go, this seems like a rather attractive one. Therefore, well, with a mix of confusion and generosity, plus respect for originality, we settled on 87. But pick your own number: 0, 50, 80, 90? If you try it, do it the Malaysian way, brewed strong and taken with a lot of hot milk or warm half-and-half.
4) For the purist, three estate-grown, traditionally wet-processed Arabicas, the top-rated Tony's Coffee & Tea Balmaadi Estate (91), the Zingerman's Elk Hill estate (88) and the rather unusual salty-sweet, floral-toned Badbeard's Kattehollay Estate Peaberry (88).
5) Finally, for those interested in small-lot trophy coffees that reflect experiments with botanical variety and processing method, we have the Kaapi Royale Selection 9 Pulped Natural (91), a coffee from trees of a variety (Selection 9) with Ethiopian heritage, processed by the unorthodox pulped natural method, in which the skins are removed but the sweet fruit pulp is allowed to remain on the beans as they dry. The result here is a subtle, delicate balance of aromatic wood, flowers and dark chocolate notes. The "natural" or dried-in-the-fruit Arabica from Sethuraman Estate (90) is a restrained and elegant version of the fruity style of natural dry-processed coffee.
Nothing this month soared in the ratings, yet the range of coffee expression in the cupping was impressive, even startling in its variety. As relationships between American roasters and Indian producers mature, I expect we will not only continue to experience a continued variety of coffee expression from India, but more refined and precise versions of that expression as well.
November 26, 2009
November 22, 2009
Coffee May reduce cancer risk
A recent study conducted by the researchers of Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (IRFMN) in Milan, Italy showed that drinking coffee may help reduce the risk of liver cancer. Led by Francesca Bravi, the team combined all published data to find the link between coffee drinking and hepatocellar carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a primary cancer of the liver. Liver cancer is the third largest cause of cancer deaths around the world, just behind lung and stomach cancer. At least 11 studies that were conducted in southern Europe and Japan were the foundation of the IRFMN study.
The IRFMN study was a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included how much coffee patients had consumed. Researchers combined all published data to obtain an overall quantitative estimate of the association between coffee consumption and HCC development.
The figures showed that coffee drinkers have at least 41 percent reduction of HCC risk compared to those who never consumed coffee. The beneficial effects of coffee consumption were highly progressive in studies that were done in southern Europe, widely drank, and from Japan, where coffee drinking is less frequent, and in subjects with chronic liver diseases
Animal and laboratory studies have shown that some compounds in coffee may act as blocking agents that work by reacting with enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification. Caffeine is a component of coffee that has been shown to give beneficial effects on the liver enzymes and other enzymes of the body. Coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced risks of liver diseases and cirrhosis, both of which can lead to liver cancer.
Separate studies also show that caffeine may aggravate the symptoms of menopause or intensify the effects of certain antibiotics. On the other hand, heavy caffeine consumption may cause miscarriage. Other animal studies show that skin cream added with caffeine may lower the risk of skin cancer in mice.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups. The authors note that despite the consistency of the results of the study, it is difficult to derive causal collaboration based on the observational studies alone. It may be that patients with digestive tract diseases, including liver disorders, naturally reduce their coffee consumption, even though avoidance of coffee is not routinely recommended.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups to be more concrete.
The IRFMN researchers note that the perception of coffee consumption was solely based on patients’ reporting, although the recollection of coffee drinking has been shown to be accurate. Factors like hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, social class indictors, alcohol use, and smoking suggests that these factors did not influence the results of the studies.
The results from this research may provide some evidence of a link between coffee consumption and liver cancer. However, the interpretation of this research remains unclear because of lack of long-term evaluation of the results of the said study.
Reference : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801112146.htm
The IRFMN study was a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included how much coffee patients had consumed. Researchers combined all published data to obtain an overall quantitative estimate of the association between coffee consumption and HCC development.
The figures showed that coffee drinkers have at least 41 percent reduction of HCC risk compared to those who never consumed coffee. The beneficial effects of coffee consumption were highly progressive in studies that were done in southern Europe, widely drank, and from Japan, where coffee drinking is less frequent, and in subjects with chronic liver diseases
Animal and laboratory studies have shown that some compounds in coffee may act as blocking agents that work by reacting with enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification. Caffeine is a component of coffee that has been shown to give beneficial effects on the liver enzymes and other enzymes of the body. Coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced risks of liver diseases and cirrhosis, both of which can lead to liver cancer.
Separate studies also show that caffeine may aggravate the symptoms of menopause or intensify the effects of certain antibiotics. On the other hand, heavy caffeine consumption may cause miscarriage. Other animal studies show that skin cream added with caffeine may lower the risk of skin cancer in mice.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups. The authors note that despite the consistency of the results of the study, it is difficult to derive causal collaboration based on the observational studies alone. It may be that patients with digestive tract diseases, including liver disorders, naturally reduce their coffee consumption, even though avoidance of coffee is not routinely recommended.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups to be more concrete.
The IRFMN researchers note that the perception of coffee consumption was solely based on patients’ reporting, although the recollection of coffee drinking has been shown to be accurate. Factors like hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, social class indictors, alcohol use, and smoking suggests that these factors did not influence the results of the studies.
The results from this research may provide some evidence of a link between coffee consumption and liver cancer. However, the interpretation of this research remains unclear because of lack of long-term evaluation of the results of the said study.
Reference : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801112146.htm
November 17, 2009
Keeping hot Coffee Hot with a Thermos
When you hit the middle age years, like I have, you start to take things for granted. One of those things happens to be hot coffee. I like my coffee hot, even though I've consumed iced coffee on occasion. In Japan, iced coffee is way more popular than it is in the US, or just about anywhere else. In the US, however, hot coffee is preferred by the average coffee drinker. Keeping coffee hot can be a challenge, depending on what you use to make it and where you intend to drink it.
A thermos is not necessarily a Thermos
The first vacuum flasks were made by the Thermos Company in Germany in 1904. Over the years, the word "thermos" became a generic word to mean any kind of vacuum flask. In fact, the US declared it as a generic trademark in 1963 and now the word can be used alone or as "thermos bottle" and it means the same thing.
I thought it was a just an American thing, like so many things I've become accustomed to since I was a child. For instance, when I was a kid, my siblings called every kind of soft drink a "Coke" because Coca-Cola was the most popular brand at the time. One of my older brothers would send me to the neighborhood market to buy him a Coke and I would have to ask him "What kind of Coke?" because he didn't always mean Coca-Cola.
My in-laws here in the Philippines share the same hot water dispenser, from my mother-in-law's house. Trekking back and forth to her house can be a pain, so they don't do it often. One day, one of my brothers-in-law came out of his house with a hot cup of coffee and I knew he hadn't been to her house in hours. I asked him how he was keeping his water hot and he told me he was keeping it in a thermos. Obviously, thermos has become a generic word in the Philippines as well as the US.
How a thermos is used
Despite what you may think, I'm not talking about how to add and remove beverages from a thermos. I'm talking about how they're used in certain environments, based on what I've seen.
When I was young, I saw my father packing a thermos in his metallic lunch box before heading off to work each day. It was kind of vacuum flask that had a screw-in stopper that was covered by pop-on/pop-off metal cup. The thermos had a metal exterior as well. Nowadays, you can find a thermos made of mostly plastic.
When I was in the military and went to certain functions (where a conference table came into play) as well as after the military and working for various companies, multiple thermos bottles were kept nearby in order for hot coffee to be available at all times and without having a coffee maker in the room as well. Some of these functions took place in rooms where it wouldn't be a good idea to have a coffee maker area set aside. Rooms with computer equipment, for example.
Using a thermos can save you money
I don't have a thermos bottle yet, but I plan to get a large one. A hot water dispenser uses a lot of electricity due to the heating coil involved. Maybe not as much as a hot water heater, but still more than I like to pay. If I just want hot water, it would be so much more economic to boil water or make hot water through a coffee maker than to use a hot water dispenser. A thermos can keep hot water hot or hot coffee hot for up to eight hours, but by the 8-hour mark, it's usually just a little warmer than lukewarm. That's still better than cold, especially in a cold environment.
I wouldn't be storing hot water in a thermos. It makes more sense to store hot coffee in the thermos unless I'm intent on drinking instant coffee and that doesn't work well unless I'm in the house. I sometimes spend a few hours outdoors with relatives, in the early morning hours after daylight appears. Having a thermos nearby would keep me from having to go back and forth from the house for refills because I usually drink two or three cups of coffee during that part of the day.
A thermos is not necessarily a Thermos
The first vacuum flasks were made by the Thermos Company in Germany in 1904. Over the years, the word "thermos" became a generic word to mean any kind of vacuum flask. In fact, the US declared it as a generic trademark in 1963 and now the word can be used alone or as "thermos bottle" and it means the same thing.
I thought it was a just an American thing, like so many things I've become accustomed to since I was a child. For instance, when I was a kid, my siblings called every kind of soft drink a "Coke" because Coca-Cola was the most popular brand at the time. One of my older brothers would send me to the neighborhood market to buy him a Coke and I would have to ask him "What kind of Coke?" because he didn't always mean Coca-Cola.
My in-laws here in the Philippines share the same hot water dispenser, from my mother-in-law's house. Trekking back and forth to her house can be a pain, so they don't do it often. One day, one of my brothers-in-law came out of his house with a hot cup of coffee and I knew he hadn't been to her house in hours. I asked him how he was keeping his water hot and he told me he was keeping it in a thermos. Obviously, thermos has become a generic word in the Philippines as well as the US.
How a thermos is used
Despite what you may think, I'm not talking about how to add and remove beverages from a thermos. I'm talking about how they're used in certain environments, based on what I've seen.
When I was young, I saw my father packing a thermos in his metallic lunch box before heading off to work each day. It was kind of vacuum flask that had a screw-in stopper that was covered by pop-on/pop-off metal cup. The thermos had a metal exterior as well. Nowadays, you can find a thermos made of mostly plastic.
When I was in the military and went to certain functions (where a conference table came into play) as well as after the military and working for various companies, multiple thermos bottles were kept nearby in order for hot coffee to be available at all times and without having a coffee maker in the room as well. Some of these functions took place in rooms where it wouldn't be a good idea to have a coffee maker area set aside. Rooms with computer equipment, for example.
Using a thermos can save you money
I don't have a thermos bottle yet, but I plan to get a large one. A hot water dispenser uses a lot of electricity due to the heating coil involved. Maybe not as much as a hot water heater, but still more than I like to pay. If I just want hot water, it would be so much more economic to boil water or make hot water through a coffee maker than to use a hot water dispenser. A thermos can keep hot water hot or hot coffee hot for up to eight hours, but by the 8-hour mark, it's usually just a little warmer than lukewarm. That's still better than cold, especially in a cold environment.
I wouldn't be storing hot water in a thermos. It makes more sense to store hot coffee in the thermos unless I'm intent on drinking instant coffee and that doesn't work well unless I'm in the house. I sometimes spend a few hours outdoors with relatives, in the early morning hours after daylight appears. Having a thermos nearby would keep me from having to go back and forth from the house for refills because I usually drink two or three cups of coffee during that part of the day.
November 8, 2009
Art of Coffee Barista Training
Art of Coffee is dedicated to providing the best home and commerical barista training in New Zealand. We use only the best quality equipment and materials which ensures that you will be able to achieve the perfect espresso that you have been aiming for. We endeavour to provide courses throughout the year which cover everything that you want to know.
We have recently launched a new coffee course in Christchurch, The Coffee Connoisseur, which focuses on home baristas and providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the entire coffee process. If you're looking to buy an espresso machine or want to learn more about how to use and maintain yours then this is the perfect opportunity for you to pick our tutors brains.
We have recently launched a new coffee course in Christchurch, The Coffee Connoisseur, which focuses on home baristas and providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the entire coffee process. If you're looking to buy an espresso machine or want to learn more about how to use and maintain yours then this is the perfect opportunity for you to pick our tutors brains.
November 6, 2009
Coffee Candy...?
The store where I usually get the Kopiko coffee candy recently ran out of the bags in the size that I normally buy. They have a huge bag available for 300 pesos, but I don't want big bags. When my nieces and nephews see a large bag of candy, they won't stop hounding me until it's gone. Their teeth are bad enough as it is and they don't need MORE candy to make them worse (they already eat candy every single day).
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
September 29, 2009
September 4, 2009
Espresso Or Cappuccino - The Secret To Great Coffee
No two professional coffee makers or baristas can come up with a cup of coffee that tastes the same. The reasons are legion. Here are a few answers to your unasked questions.
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
September 3, 2009
Coffee connoisseur/home barista class
If you would like to know more about coffee and also how to make the perfect espresso cup, then join our Master Roaster and barista trainer, David Rosa, for one of our classes. David will teach you how to make coffees like a real professional! We go through the basics of getting the best grind, the perfect extraction and milk texturing techniques. We set this against a backdrop of the history of coffee and a tastings of different coffee origins and blends. Prepare to be transported to the coffee estates of Brazil, then the mountain altitude of Africa and finish off in the cafes of Rome!
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
August 21, 2009
All About Espresso
Espresso coffee is one much cherished aspect of Italian culture which has conquered the world, much like pizza, cafes all over the world are now fitted with espresso machines which make wonderful coffee. The espresso machine has truly taken the world by storm with its shiny machinery, techniques and drinking rituals, menu lists and jargon; they speak to us of espresso, ristretto, latte, and crema. Most of all it is the rediscovered appeal of the splendid aromatic, syrupy taste and creamy heaviness of espresso and delicate clouds of milk foam floating on top that have caused this love affair with the simple espresso.
Manual Espresso Pot 1) To make the coffee in an espresso pot, first you must fill the lower chamber of the pot with cold freshly drawn water to just below the safety valve.
2) Fill the filter basket with finely ground dark-roasted coffee
3) Using your finger, wipe around the outside of the basket to remove any loose coffee grounds and place the basket in to the lower chamber.
4) Very firmly screw on the top chamber, keep the pot in an upright position, this will avoid getting the coffee wet too soon.
5) Place the espresso pot onto a low heat. After the water boils its steam will start to push the water up the funnel and through the coffee into the top chamber. If the heat is too high the water will flood through very quickly and the coffee will be very acidic and 'thin' tasting.
6) Immediately reduce the heat once the water has started to boil
7) When most of the water has left the lower chamber the bubbling sound will become more intermittent. You must remove the pot from the heat at this time and wait for the bubbling to ease before serving. You cannot keep espresso coffee hot.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - When you place the coffee in the basket it should be slightly compressed and any space in the basket filled; this holds the water in the coffee grounds longer and prevents the coffee being too watery
Electric Espresso Machines
1) To use an electric domestic espresso, follow the manufacturers instructions, which will incorporate most of the following points. Assuming that the correct roast and grind are being used, place a sufficient amount of water in the reservoir and turn on your espresso machine.
2) Wait for a light to come on or go off indicating that steam is available, then decide whether to brew one or two cups, with the appropriate filter holder in place, use the 'brew' mechanism to run some water through the filter to warm it.
3) Remove the filter holder, shaking out and water and then load it with espresso grind coffee using approximately 7g/1 tbsp per cup.
Electric Espresso 4) Tamp (press) the coffee down evenly and firmly using a tamper.
5) Clear loose coffee grounds from around the rim of the filter holder (group). Position the filter holder under the water aperture by holding the filter holder level with the handle on the left hand side (usually). raise the filter holder to the brewing aperture until it feels securely in place.
6) Lock the filter holder in to place by pulling the handle to the far right.
7) Place the cup(s) under the group and press the brew button.
8) Stop the brew when the cups contain about 40ml/1 1/2fl oz.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - Making slight adjustments to the grind, dosage and tamping pressure can result in the perfect cup that will take between 15-20 seconds to brew a maximum of 40ml/1 1/2fl oz of coffee. The appearance of the crema on the surface is an excellent diagnostic tool in determining what has gone wrong. If the crema is more white than brown, the coffee is under extracted will taste 'thin' and watery, to counteract this adjust the grind to a slightly finer one and/or firmer tamping. If the crema look burnt or very dark brown the coffee is over extracted and will taste very bitter, perhaps the coffee is too fine, the dose too large or too much water was allowed to run through the coffee.
SARAH'S ULTIMATE ESPRESSO TIP - Remember that oxygen destroys caffeine so drink your espresso very quickly, as within 30 seconds flavour is starting to disappear and your espresso will start to turn bitter.
from morethancoffee.co.uk
Manual Espresso Pot 1) To make the coffee in an espresso pot, first you must fill the lower chamber of the pot with cold freshly drawn water to just below the safety valve.
2) Fill the filter basket with finely ground dark-roasted coffee
3) Using your finger, wipe around the outside of the basket to remove any loose coffee grounds and place the basket in to the lower chamber.
4) Very firmly screw on the top chamber, keep the pot in an upright position, this will avoid getting the coffee wet too soon.
5) Place the espresso pot onto a low heat. After the water boils its steam will start to push the water up the funnel and through the coffee into the top chamber. If the heat is too high the water will flood through very quickly and the coffee will be very acidic and 'thin' tasting.
6) Immediately reduce the heat once the water has started to boil
7) When most of the water has left the lower chamber the bubbling sound will become more intermittent. You must remove the pot from the heat at this time and wait for the bubbling to ease before serving. You cannot keep espresso coffee hot.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - When you place the coffee in the basket it should be slightly compressed and any space in the basket filled; this holds the water in the coffee grounds longer and prevents the coffee being too watery
Electric Espresso Machines
1) To use an electric domestic espresso, follow the manufacturers instructions, which will incorporate most of the following points. Assuming that the correct roast and grind are being used, place a sufficient amount of water in the reservoir and turn on your espresso machine.
2) Wait for a light to come on or go off indicating that steam is available, then decide whether to brew one or two cups, with the appropriate filter holder in place, use the 'brew' mechanism to run some water through the filter to warm it.
3) Remove the filter holder, shaking out and water and then load it with espresso grind coffee using approximately 7g/1 tbsp per cup.
Electric Espresso 4) Tamp (press) the coffee down evenly and firmly using a tamper.
5) Clear loose coffee grounds from around the rim of the filter holder (group). Position the filter holder under the water aperture by holding the filter holder level with the handle on the left hand side (usually). raise the filter holder to the brewing aperture until it feels securely in place.
6) Lock the filter holder in to place by pulling the handle to the far right.
7) Place the cup(s) under the group and press the brew button.
8) Stop the brew when the cups contain about 40ml/1 1/2fl oz.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - Making slight adjustments to the grind, dosage and tamping pressure can result in the perfect cup that will take between 15-20 seconds to brew a maximum of 40ml/1 1/2fl oz of coffee. The appearance of the crema on the surface is an excellent diagnostic tool in determining what has gone wrong. If the crema is more white than brown, the coffee is under extracted will taste 'thin' and watery, to counteract this adjust the grind to a slightly finer one and/or firmer tamping. If the crema look burnt or very dark brown the coffee is over extracted and will taste very bitter, perhaps the coffee is too fine, the dose too large or too much water was allowed to run through the coffee.
SARAH'S ULTIMATE ESPRESSO TIP - Remember that oxygen destroys caffeine so drink your espresso very quickly, as within 30 seconds flavour is starting to disappear and your espresso will start to turn bitter.
from morethancoffee.co.uk
August 18, 2009
Car Audio and Video Buying Guide
Do you want to make your car more stylish? Do you want to add some additional audio and video? Well, as a matter of fact, many people love to have a stylish car. They love to modify their car with various accessories. In fact, since the modification is intended to add the values of the car, we certainly need to choose the right accessories. We have to be able to choose the quality ones among the many kinds of accessories.
To be able to choose car accessories simpler and easier, we can consider the guide from Shopwiki.com. The website provides comprehensive guide that will enable us to buy the right product. We can consider the guide whenever we want to buy the right Car DVD Players. The guide tells us the right players which best fits our car. There is detail information about how to choose best quality players. If we need others products for Car Audio and Video, the website has extensive information about it.
Further, we can also find comprehensive buying guide on GPS Devices. This device is very helpful for car drivers who don’t know their surrounding maps. In sum, the website is very helpful in our attempt to modify our car using the right accessories. We should consider the website as our main resource whenever we want to modify our car.
Choose the Right TV Provider
Do you want to find a television provider that can provide quality television service? Have you fed up with the cable television that cannot meet your needs? Well, if you are experiencing such condition, you certainly need to reconsider your television provider. You might need to consider using satellite television as it is able to provide high quality pictures. Its perfect signal availability makes lots of people considering satellite television as a better choice.
If you are interested in satellite television, you will need to decide the right provider. As what you can see at Directsattv.com, there is comprehensive information about Direct TV, a reliable and trusted satellite television provider that is able to provide quality services.
The website also provides information about best deals, special offers and promotions from Directv. This information will enable you to choose the right deal that meets your needs.
You will also find comparison information between cable television and this provider. From the comparison you will find out that this provider is much better than cable TV. This satellite television is available everywhere enabling you to find Direct TV in New York.
Therefore, if you are looking for a reliable satellite television provider in your local area, this satellite television provider is a perfect choice. Visit the website now and find further information you need.
August 13, 2009
How to Make Vietnamese Coffee (Ca Phe) Cup
Vietnamese coffee is like nothing else. I developed a taste for it when I was living close to a small Vietnamese lunch counter. Normally, I ordered a cup of American coffee with my meal. One rainy evening when I was the only customer in the place, the owner stood by my table while I ate, talking about this and that and the other. When it came time for my coffee, he smiled and said, “You try my coffee tonight.” In an agreeable sort of mood, I – well – agreed. Sublime does not do the flavor justice. Nor does mere description. If someone had told me that Vietnamese coffee is very strong coffee mixed with sweetened, condensed milk, I could no more have imagined the flavor of Vietnamese coffee than if someone had told me that ice cream is frozen milk with sugar and flavoring added.
In the early part of the 20th century, Vietnam was a major exporter of coffee. Originally brought to the hilly interior of the country by the French, it rapidly became a major cash crop. Those wet, mountainous inner regions are ideal for growing robusta coffee, which is often regarded as being less flavorful and more bitter than arabica coffee. Coffee production and export slowed to a mere trickle during and after the Vietnam war, but in the early 1980s, Vietnamese coffee once again began to creep into the marketplace. Without much fanfare, Vietnam gradually increased the size of its export coffee market. As of 2004, Vietnamese coffee exports were second only to Brazil. While robusta coffee is seen as making inferior coffee to arabica beans, it is often blended with arabica beans in supermarket blends for sale to the general public. The robusta beans grown in central Vietnam are ideal for making Vietnamese coffee, and many espresso afficionadoes favor robusta beans for espresso as well.
Like Turkish coffee and espresso, making Vietnamese coffee involves its own little secrets and rituals. The coffee, called ca phe, is actually brewed in a miniature drip pot that sits on top of your coffee cup. The “cup” is more usually a glass, because Vietnamese coffee is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the tongue. The Vietnamese coffee pot looks a bit like a top hat. The rim is designed to sit on the rim of the glass. Inside, the coffee pot consists of the chamber and a filter. The filter lid unscrews from the body of the coffee pot so that you can add the coffee and then cover it.
How to Make Vietnamese Ca Phe with a Vietnamese Coffee Pot
Unscrew the filter insert and remove it from the pot.
Spoon about two tablespoons of very finely ground Vietnamese coffee into the pot. If you can’t find Vietnamese coffee, try Luzianne coffee with chicory. In fact, many experts claim that it isn’t Vietnamese coffee without the chicory.
Replace the filter insert and screw it down tightly over the coffee grounds. This serves the same purpose as tamping the filter basket when making espresso. It compresses the coffee into a hard puck and slows the process of the water through the ground coffee, giving it time to extract all the flavor.
Pour about 1/3 of an inch of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of your coffee glass or cup. Place the Vietnamese coffee pot over the rim of your cup or glass.
Pour one cup of water just off the boil into the pot over the filter top. Cover the pot and wait.
The coffee will take its time. More than almost any other method of making coffee save perhaps Turkish coffee, drinking Vietnamese coffee encourages a leisurely attitude. It is not coffee for the rushed and impatient. It can take ten minutes or more for the water to finish dripping through the coffee grounds into the glass, transformed into thick, rich, velvety coffee. The coffee, being of different density, simply sits on top of the milk, forming three distinct layers – the creamy milk at the bottom, a very thin layer of caramel colored coffee that has dissolved some of the milk, and the thick coffee on the top.
Remove the coffee top hat from the glass and set it on a saucer or plate beside you. Stir up the coffee and milk with a spoon and enjoy.
In the early part of the 20th century, Vietnam was a major exporter of coffee. Originally brought to the hilly interior of the country by the French, it rapidly became a major cash crop. Those wet, mountainous inner regions are ideal for growing robusta coffee, which is often regarded as being less flavorful and more bitter than arabica coffee. Coffee production and export slowed to a mere trickle during and after the Vietnam war, but in the early 1980s, Vietnamese coffee once again began to creep into the marketplace. Without much fanfare, Vietnam gradually increased the size of its export coffee market. As of 2004, Vietnamese coffee exports were second only to Brazil. While robusta coffee is seen as making inferior coffee to arabica beans, it is often blended with arabica beans in supermarket blends for sale to the general public. The robusta beans grown in central Vietnam are ideal for making Vietnamese coffee, and many espresso afficionadoes favor robusta beans for espresso as well.
Like Turkish coffee and espresso, making Vietnamese coffee involves its own little secrets and rituals. The coffee, called ca phe, is actually brewed in a miniature drip pot that sits on top of your coffee cup. The “cup” is more usually a glass, because Vietnamese coffee is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the tongue. The Vietnamese coffee pot looks a bit like a top hat. The rim is designed to sit on the rim of the glass. Inside, the coffee pot consists of the chamber and a filter. The filter lid unscrews from the body of the coffee pot so that you can add the coffee and then cover it.
How to Make Vietnamese Ca Phe with a Vietnamese Coffee Pot
Unscrew the filter insert and remove it from the pot.
Spoon about two tablespoons of very finely ground Vietnamese coffee into the pot. If you can’t find Vietnamese coffee, try Luzianne coffee with chicory. In fact, many experts claim that it isn’t Vietnamese coffee without the chicory.
Replace the filter insert and screw it down tightly over the coffee grounds. This serves the same purpose as tamping the filter basket when making espresso. It compresses the coffee into a hard puck and slows the process of the water through the ground coffee, giving it time to extract all the flavor.
Pour about 1/3 of an inch of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of your coffee glass or cup. Place the Vietnamese coffee pot over the rim of your cup or glass.
Pour one cup of water just off the boil into the pot over the filter top. Cover the pot and wait.
The coffee will take its time. More than almost any other method of making coffee save perhaps Turkish coffee, drinking Vietnamese coffee encourages a leisurely attitude. It is not coffee for the rushed and impatient. It can take ten minutes or more for the water to finish dripping through the coffee grounds into the glass, transformed into thick, rich, velvety coffee. The coffee, being of different density, simply sits on top of the milk, forming three distinct layers – the creamy milk at the bottom, a very thin layer of caramel colored coffee that has dissolved some of the milk, and the thick coffee on the top.
Remove the coffee top hat from the glass and set it on a saucer or plate beside you. Stir up the coffee and milk with a spoon and enjoy.
July 30, 2009
Coffee and Cafein
A couple of weeks ago, I was having trouble sleeping. I have never had any sleeping disorders to speak of, so I thought that maybe switching to decaffeinated coffee would help me get back to sleeping the way I normally do, like a log.
Like many things in my life, I was wrong. The difference between regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee has had absolutely no effect on my sleep pattern.
Caffeine Fears
As I've previously mentioned, the caffeine in coffee has never had an effect on me. Drinking decaffeinated coffee for the past couple of weeks has proven it to me. I'm still having trouble sleeping, but I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that I have the head cold from hell, picked up from one of my nieces who picked it up at school. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid something like that is to become a hermit (not a bad idea).
You might think the real reason for my switch would be to avoid the caffeine curve. Sorry, but I don't believe that crap for a moment. The real reason is exactly as I stated. I needed to prove to myself that caffeine really doesn't have any effect on me and I did.
The only fear I had when I switched is that I would have caffeine withdrawals (headaches or freaking out). I didn't.
Discriminating Taste
Although I don't own a coffee maker, I drink a lot of coffee. It's all instant coffee. Even though both the regular and decaffeinated coffees I've been drinking are both instant, they are of the same brand. I can tell the difference in the taste. The decaffeinated version doesn't taste as good as the regular. With me and coffee, it's all about the taste, not the caffeine.
I like brewed coffee so much more than instant and I plan to buy a coffee maker of some kind in the near future. I have no idea what kind I'll be able to find here in the Philippines, so I may have to get one shipped in. In the meantime, and when I go grocery shopping again, I'll be buying regular instant coffee.
Article Credit RT Cunningham
Like many things in my life, I was wrong. The difference between regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee has had absolutely no effect on my sleep pattern.
Caffeine Fears
As I've previously mentioned, the caffeine in coffee has never had an effect on me. Drinking decaffeinated coffee for the past couple of weeks has proven it to me. I'm still having trouble sleeping, but I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that I have the head cold from hell, picked up from one of my nieces who picked it up at school. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid something like that is to become a hermit (not a bad idea).
You might think the real reason for my switch would be to avoid the caffeine curve. Sorry, but I don't believe that crap for a moment. The real reason is exactly as I stated. I needed to prove to myself that caffeine really doesn't have any effect on me and I did.
The only fear I had when I switched is that I would have caffeine withdrawals (headaches or freaking out). I didn't.
Discriminating Taste
Although I don't own a coffee maker, I drink a lot of coffee. It's all instant coffee. Even though both the regular and decaffeinated coffees I've been drinking are both instant, they are of the same brand. I can tell the difference in the taste. The decaffeinated version doesn't taste as good as the regular. With me and coffee, it's all about the taste, not the caffeine.
I like brewed coffee so much more than instant and I plan to buy a coffee maker of some kind in the near future. I have no idea what kind I'll be able to find here in the Philippines, so I may have to get one shipped in. In the meantime, and when I go grocery shopping again, I'll be buying regular instant coffee.
Article Credit RT Cunningham
What is POSTUM
A better question would probably be "What was Postum?", since Postum is no longer being manufactured. The name of the product should give you an idea of the name of the person who was behind the development of the product.
I have some Postum-related articles on another blog and I believe it's more appropriate to move them here because Postum was a popular coffee alternative. This is just one of the articles I wrote — the only changes are the reformatting. I moved another article from a different blog (it was the only one on the subject) and it has already been here on this blog for some time.
Postum History
Postum started as a caramel cereal coffee that was being brewed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan while Charles William Post was a charity patient there. Post found the recipe when he was snooping in the kitchen and obtained it from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of the corn flakes breakfast cereal. Kellogg gave the recipe to Post willingly, having no way of knowing it would be the start of a major corporation.
C. W. Post founded the Postum Cereal Company in 1895, which was headquartered right there in Battle Creek, Michigan, with Postum as his first product. It was a powdered, roasted grain beverage made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. Post and Dr. Kellogg both believed that caffeine was unhealthy and Postum was marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee.
Postum became very popular with the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Mormons, or the Church of Latter Day Saints. The people of both religious groups didn't drink hot, caffeinated beverages and didn't suffer from the jittery side effects that coffee gave some people. According to the director of the estate of an Adventist co-founder, Post himself was not an Adventist.
Postum Cereal Company changed its name to General Foods Corporation in 1929 after acquiring other food brands and merged with Kraft Foods in 1989. Kraft Foods spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati told Taashi Rowe of the Adventist News Network that the company stopped making Postum in the fall of 2007 because the demand for it was so low that manufacturing it no longer made sense.
Postum Future
There are people attempting to revive Postum in one way or another. I'll be adding some of that information to the other posts I'm moving over here.
Article Credit : RT Cunningham
I have some Postum-related articles on another blog and I believe it's more appropriate to move them here because Postum was a popular coffee alternative. This is just one of the articles I wrote — the only changes are the reformatting. I moved another article from a different blog (it was the only one on the subject) and it has already been here on this blog for some time.
Postum History
Postum started as a caramel cereal coffee that was being brewed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan while Charles William Post was a charity patient there. Post found the recipe when he was snooping in the kitchen and obtained it from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of the corn flakes breakfast cereal. Kellogg gave the recipe to Post willingly, having no way of knowing it would be the start of a major corporation.
C. W. Post founded the Postum Cereal Company in 1895, which was headquartered right there in Battle Creek, Michigan, with Postum as his first product. It was a powdered, roasted grain beverage made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. Post and Dr. Kellogg both believed that caffeine was unhealthy and Postum was marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee.
Postum became very popular with the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Mormons, or the Church of Latter Day Saints. The people of both religious groups didn't drink hot, caffeinated beverages and didn't suffer from the jittery side effects that coffee gave some people. According to the director of the estate of an Adventist co-founder, Post himself was not an Adventist.
Postum Cereal Company changed its name to General Foods Corporation in 1929 after acquiring other food brands and merged with Kraft Foods in 1989. Kraft Foods spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati told Taashi Rowe of the Adventist News Network that the company stopped making Postum in the fall of 2007 because the demand for it was so low that manufacturing it no longer made sense.
Postum Future
There are people attempting to revive Postum in one way or another. I'll be adding some of that information to the other posts I'm moving over here.
Article Credit : RT Cunningham
July 22, 2009
June 24, 2009
Aroma coffee for character in a cup: coffee that won’t make your heart beat faster
All you coffee-lovers put on your mocha loafers, for it's time for a trip down memory lane. Don't spill your beans, but let them drain. Aroma's Coffee Factory has been in the business of making good earnest coffee since the 1930's. That's right, the times when booted, mustached cursing Dutchmen were still playing command-and-conquer in Indonesia . All that dividing and ruling sure took its toll upon their energy level. Alas, Extra Joss wasn't available back then, so they built Aroma's Coffee Factory to keep spirits up. Now, more than 70 years later, Aroma's is still doing its mission: making coffee the way it should be, without artificial flavorings, pesticides or even vanilla essence.
When you enter the small shop on Jalan Banceuy, central Bandung, its wooden interior and antique coffee paraphernalia such as old coffee machines and bronze scales will make you think that you stepped into a movie set. Luckily the all-pervasive smell of freshly ground coffee beans will bring you back to reality, and as the second-generation owner takes you around on a tour that will explain all the nooks and crannies of the coffee business to you, the decor will come alive. It is a rare thing that in this day and age where profit margins dictate people's life, and actually in many occasions, their coffee intake, Aroma's coffee factory remains dedicated to entrepreneurial craftsmanship that keeps rusty German made coffee burners from the 1930's a foundation instead of a relic from a long forgotten past.
Everything in the factory is still hand-labor, from the picking and sorting of the beans to the roasting and packing. The coffee beans coming mainly from Sumatra and Jawa are dried in the back yard for an hour and then piled sack upon sack rising more than 10 meters above our heads in the storage room, where the Robusta beans will dry for 5 years, while the Arabica beans require an astonishing 8 years of lying around. In that time the acidity of the beans will drop in a natural process, and as an end result Aroma's coffee is not only tastier but also a lot healthier. ‘Arabica is fit for people with high blood pressure, and Robusta for people with low blood pressure' explains the owner. The health of his customers is more important to him than the amount of beans he sells. He is a man who believes in God...and good coffee, ‘What is the purpose of praying everyday, when in the end you cheat on your customers?' he asks.
After the years of drying, the beans are then hand-roasted in a rusty but reliable oven fired by rubber wood, and then according to customers' wishes ground or sold as whole beans. ‘It is very simple, but you need a lot of patience' the owner twinkles. Back in the shop people line up to buy their essential provision of Arabica or Robusta. Many of them have been coming here for years in search of a flavor and quality; these are real coffee drinkers who will instantly say no to instant coffee. Get a taste of authenticity and drop by at Aroma's. Open daily, if you want a behind the scenes look on the coffee making process, be there before 2 o clock or call in beforehand.
When you enter the small shop on Jalan Banceuy, central Bandung, its wooden interior and antique coffee paraphernalia such as old coffee machines and bronze scales will make you think that you stepped into a movie set. Luckily the all-pervasive smell of freshly ground coffee beans will bring you back to reality, and as the second-generation owner takes you around on a tour that will explain all the nooks and crannies of the coffee business to you, the decor will come alive. It is a rare thing that in this day and age where profit margins dictate people's life, and actually in many occasions, their coffee intake, Aroma's coffee factory remains dedicated to entrepreneurial craftsmanship that keeps rusty German made coffee burners from the 1930's a foundation instead of a relic from a long forgotten past.
Everything in the factory is still hand-labor, from the picking and sorting of the beans to the roasting and packing. The coffee beans coming mainly from Sumatra and Jawa are dried in the back yard for an hour and then piled sack upon sack rising more than 10 meters above our heads in the storage room, where the Robusta beans will dry for 5 years, while the Arabica beans require an astonishing 8 years of lying around. In that time the acidity of the beans will drop in a natural process, and as an end result Aroma's coffee is not only tastier but also a lot healthier. ‘Arabica is fit for people with high blood pressure, and Robusta for people with low blood pressure' explains the owner. The health of his customers is more important to him than the amount of beans he sells. He is a man who believes in God...and good coffee, ‘What is the purpose of praying everyday, when in the end you cheat on your customers?' he asks.
After the years of drying, the beans are then hand-roasted in a rusty but reliable oven fired by rubber wood, and then according to customers' wishes ground or sold as whole beans. ‘It is very simple, but you need a lot of patience' the owner twinkles. Back in the shop people line up to buy their essential provision of Arabica or Robusta. Many of them have been coming here for years in search of a flavor and quality; these are real coffee drinkers who will instantly say no to instant coffee. Get a taste of authenticity and drop by at Aroma's. Open daily, if you want a behind the scenes look on the coffee making process, be there before 2 o clock or call in beforehand.
June 14, 2009
Crazy combo
Crazy Combo
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
June 2, 2009
Starbucks Quest
And I thought I was addicted to coffee! Have you heard of this guy from California who is on a quest to visit every Starbucks store in the world? Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., who now goes by the name Winter, started his quest way back in 1997. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that because it is only now that I came across his story.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
June 1, 2009
Caffeein is serious threat or not
We all know that, in a way, caffeine is a drug. It gives you a buzz (quite unlike the buzz I get from Jack and Coke, though). It can make you high strung. It can give you the energy to keep going and going…and going…just like the Energizer bunny.
But we also know that it can have some negative side effects. Headaches. Tummy problems. Addiction?
According to experts, caffeine should not be taken lightly. The Daily Comet narrates:
“It’s the type of drug that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Bill Aronson, a representative with the Caffeine Awareness Association, a group claiming that caffeine has long-term adverse health effects, such as high blood pressure and anxiety disorders. “Caffeine is the type of drug abused frequently because it’s so accessible.”
Particularly popular among college students, caffeine has become an increasingly central part of many young people’s lives, said Aronson, adding to the risk of chronic health problems as a result. He believes that young people use diet sodas and coffees for a variety of irresponsible activities, like extreme late-night study sessions and weight loss.
“The more that you take it, the more that you want to take it,” said Aronson. He said conditions such as depression, mood swings and irregular heartbeat can emerge after pro-longed consumption.
I think that I am already experiencing some of these side effects, especially irregular heartbeat (smoking does not help either). However, I think that awareness and moderation is the key. There is no need to treat coffee as if it were coke (the powder) or something like that!
But we also know that it can have some negative side effects. Headaches. Tummy problems. Addiction?
According to experts, caffeine should not be taken lightly. The Daily Comet narrates:
“It’s the type of drug that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Bill Aronson, a representative with the Caffeine Awareness Association, a group claiming that caffeine has long-term adverse health effects, such as high blood pressure and anxiety disorders. “Caffeine is the type of drug abused frequently because it’s so accessible.”
Particularly popular among college students, caffeine has become an increasingly central part of many young people’s lives, said Aronson, adding to the risk of chronic health problems as a result. He believes that young people use diet sodas and coffees for a variety of irresponsible activities, like extreme late-night study sessions and weight loss.
“The more that you take it, the more that you want to take it,” said Aronson. He said conditions such as depression, mood swings and irregular heartbeat can emerge after pro-longed consumption.
I think that I am already experiencing some of these side effects, especially irregular heartbeat (smoking does not help either). However, I think that awareness and moderation is the key. There is no need to treat coffee as if it were coke (the powder) or something like that!
Starbucks Slash it's price ..?
When was the last time that you went to Starbucks for a coffee? I have to be honest here and say that I think it was more than a month ago! I know, it is quite strange especially if you consider that I used to go there at least three times a week. I guess it is a combination of high prices and busy times. In any case, from what I hear, we just might have more reason to visit Starbucks pretty soon. News has been going around that the giant coffee chain is going to slash its prices because of plunging profits. Sky News has this story:
The chain reported a net profit of £17m for the 13 weeks to March 29 compared with £73m for the same period last year. The company has announced plans to close 960 stores globally as consumers cut back on their spending. Since July it has shut 507 stores in the US and 64 shops in other countries. The closures are part of a plan to close underperforming stores and shave costs companywide.
Starbucks has also been stung by suggestions that some of its drinks are too expensive. Chief executive Howard Schultz said prices on some products in some markets would now be cut. The perception that its coffee is too expensive has led to companies such as McDonald’s making inroads in the speciality coffee market.
ll I can say is that it is about time that they lowered their prices. After all, we do have a lot of other choices and just because their prices are high does not mean that their coffee is better than the others, no?
The chain reported a net profit of £17m for the 13 weeks to March 29 compared with £73m for the same period last year. The company has announced plans to close 960 stores globally as consumers cut back on their spending. Since July it has shut 507 stores in the US and 64 shops in other countries. The closures are part of a plan to close underperforming stores and shave costs companywide.
Starbucks has also been stung by suggestions that some of its drinks are too expensive. Chief executive Howard Schultz said prices on some products in some markets would now be cut. The perception that its coffee is too expensive has led to companies such as McDonald’s making inroads in the speciality coffee market.
ll I can say is that it is about time that they lowered their prices. After all, we do have a lot of other choices and just because their prices are high does not mean that their coffee is better than the others, no?
May 25, 2009
Another coffee Facts
Drinking coffee is one of the most popular hobbies of nearly all people in the world. It may be considered a pleasurable and healthy vise but can also provide bad effect in the body if consumed excessively.
Coffee, whether it is dark or decaffeinated or combined with milk or creamer, is a beverage that all people would love to have on a day to day basis. It is a liquid refreshment that can be sipped excitingly whether hot or cold and the best mate when we have deadlines, interestingly talking with someone or just reading our favorite books.
Coffee has truly evolved throughout the years. Its industry has made several people rich and accomplished in various places. The thousand coffee shops are one of its clear evidences. More than just wealth, drinking coffee can also make every person happy and relaxed. This is because of its main compound found in every granule that is known to affect the human body chemistry - the caffeine. This main component acts as a stimulant that pleases the body.
One of the well known good effects of drinking coffee is the energy gained. Hence, many people who have deadlines or need to be awake at night are taking coffee to keep them going. It also stimulates the bowel and provides more fascinating benefit to serious diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia, as well as gallstones and Parkinson's diseases.
In some studies, coffee has also proven to reduce the incident of acquiring diseases in liver and Type 2 Diabetes, as well as oral, esophageal, and pharyngeal cancer. The anticancer compound, methylpyridinium found in coffee also serves as an antioxidant that helps in preventing cancer.
However, despite of these proven facts about coffee, it can also produce unhealthy effects on our body if we consumed more than what is recommended and our body can take in a day. Common disorders and diseases of excessive drinking of coffee include anxiety and sleep changes, gastrointestinal problems, blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
Indeed, drinking coffee is something that we should not be guilty of. However, we should keep in mind that it is still about balance. The recommended consumption per day is four cups (24 fl oz or 600 mL) or fewer. Let's not abuse the benefits that it can give us. Instead, let us just enjoy the pleasure of drinking a cup or two every day - that will definitely satisfy and keep us healthy.
Coffee Machine ...? which one suits you
This article outlines the main advantages and disadvantages of the traditional espresso machine and bean to cup systems.
There are other types of coffee machine available too, such as the filter coffee machine, pod machine or instant coffee machine, but these are not considered in this article as they cannot produce 'proper' speciality coffee drinks such as latte, espresso, ristretto etc.
The basis of all luxury speciality coffee drinks is the espresso which both our systems produce. This is made by passing hot water under pressure through a wad of ground coffee, to produce a short, strong and concentrated coffee liquor. When the espresso shot is blended with foamed or steamed milk then most popular types of specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato can be made.
Both the traditional espresso machine and the bean to cup machine are able to produce espresso shots and foamed milk.
Firstly we will consider overall drink quality. Here the traditional espresso machine comes out on top. This is assuming that the operator (barista) is well trained and both types of equipment are clean and well-maintained.
An espresso based drink produced on a traditional espresso machine and prepared by a top barista is the best you can get! Coffee beverages made from a bean to cup machine are very good, but don't quite make it to the standard set by a traditional system.
Secondly when considering the consistency of the final beverage the bean to cup machine would usually win. The quality of drink from a traditional espresso machine depends on the barista and his frame of mind at the time and so can vary greatly. Bean to cup machines however produce the same drink at the push of a button and are not dependent on the operator.
Thirdly, ease of use. Here again the fully automatic bean to cup machine comes out on top as most drinks are prepared by the push of a button. To prepare and serve a quality beverage from a traditional espresso machine is a skilled art and takes considerable practise to master.
Fourthly to consider is 'theatre' or ambience of the drink preparation. Whilst a bean to cup machine is purely a functional device to produce a quality beverage, the traditional espresso machine adds that special magic to the whole coffee experience. Customers can enjoy the overall coffee experience as they watch the skilled barista at work.
Our of our four criteria, you will notice that both have 2 wins each, so choose whatever best suits your set-up. Decide which are the most important factors in your particular case before contacting your local coffee machine supplier.
Enjoy.
There are other types of coffee machine available too, such as the filter coffee machine, pod machine or instant coffee machine, but these are not considered in this article as they cannot produce 'proper' speciality coffee drinks such as latte, espresso, ristretto etc.
The basis of all luxury speciality coffee drinks is the espresso which both our systems produce. This is made by passing hot water under pressure through a wad of ground coffee, to produce a short, strong and concentrated coffee liquor. When the espresso shot is blended with foamed or steamed milk then most popular types of specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato can be made.
Both the traditional espresso machine and the bean to cup machine are able to produce espresso shots and foamed milk.
Firstly we will consider overall drink quality. Here the traditional espresso machine comes out on top. This is assuming that the operator (barista) is well trained and both types of equipment are clean and well-maintained.
An espresso based drink produced on a traditional espresso machine and prepared by a top barista is the best you can get! Coffee beverages made from a bean to cup machine are very good, but don't quite make it to the standard set by a traditional system.
Secondly when considering the consistency of the final beverage the bean to cup machine would usually win. The quality of drink from a traditional espresso machine depends on the barista and his frame of mind at the time and so can vary greatly. Bean to cup machines however produce the same drink at the push of a button and are not dependent on the operator.
Thirdly, ease of use. Here again the fully automatic bean to cup machine comes out on top as most drinks are prepared by the push of a button. To prepare and serve a quality beverage from a traditional espresso machine is a skilled art and takes considerable practise to master.
Fourthly to consider is 'theatre' or ambience of the drink preparation. Whilst a bean to cup machine is purely a functional device to produce a quality beverage, the traditional espresso machine adds that special magic to the whole coffee experience. Customers can enjoy the overall coffee experience as they watch the skilled barista at work.
Our of our four criteria, you will notice that both have 2 wins each, so choose whatever best suits your set-up. Decide which are the most important factors in your particular case before contacting your local coffee machine supplier.
Enjoy.
Vietnam Coffee
Introduced by French Jesuits in the 1870s, Vietnam has risen to be the second largest coffee exporting country after Brazil.
Producing between 800,000 and 1m tons per year, Vietnam only consumes about 10% of its production. The remainder is purchased by some of the world’s best known instant coffee brands.
The large majority of local production is done by small households with 2-5ha planted. State owned companies produce around 15% on larger farms.
Production is centered around Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak province, in the Central Highlands.
Robusta is the main crop in Vietnam, due to suitability of geography, climate and elevation. The Government is making its strategy of supplementing Robusta production with the farming of Arabica in suitable areas. While producing lower quantities, Arabica earns roughly twice as much as the same weight of Robusta.
With over 150 years of coffee heritage, Vietnam drinkers have made coffee a key part of their social culture. Sitting around catching up while the strong, rich brew percolates through the ‘phin’ (filter), the only choice to make is whether to add ice, condensed milk or both.
May 24, 2009
Decaf coffee facts
*Decaf coffee drinkers consume 17.7 % of annual coffee sales.
*More pounds of decaffeinated coffee are sold worldwide than organic and fair-trade coffee combined.
*All decaffeinated coffee actually contains some level of caffeine.
*Researchers have been working on a coffee tree that will produce decaffeinated coffee.
*Most of the caffeine removed from coffee is manufactured for use in other products, such as medicines and soft drinks. As a side note, many soft drinks have no inherent caffeine; it is all an addition from coffee.
*My last coffee fact is something all coffee drinkers should know. Different coffees contain varying levels of caffeine depending on their botanical variety. Robusta coffee is grown at a lower elevation, and has more caffeine than arabica coffee which is grown at higher elevations. Arabica coffee is considered "specialty" coffee for is complex flavor and character. Robusta is, for the most part, not spectacular coffee but it does have more "buzz" and is used by some roasters as a component for Espresso blends.
May 20, 2009
Coffee Grinding Tip
Grinding Tip
Never grind more coffee than you will use for immediate brewing. Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor of your coffee. Once ground, coffee will begin to lose its flavor almost immediately. Different methods of brewing will require different grind consistencies. Typically, coffee used for drip brewing should be ground to a consistency similar to granulated sugar. The complete drip cycle should occur within four to six minutes. If the drip cycle is completed in less than four minutes, grind your coffee finer. If the cycle takes longer than six minutes, grind your coffee coarser. When using a French press, the coffee will need to be ground extremely coarse. Espresso requires an extremely fine grind...almost powder-like with a slight grittiness. The key to the proper espresso grind is the extraction time. After the proper dose and tamp, one ounce of espresso should be extracted in approximately 25 to 30 seconds. Like drip coffee, if the one ounce extraction occurs in less than 25 seconds, grind your coffee finer. If the extraction occurs in longer than 30 seconds, grind your coffee coarser. Talk to you local coffee professional for additional information.
May 14, 2009
Coffee Accesories
Personalized Coffee Mugs - How Do I Love Thee?
Limited summarize by Damen Choy
Whatever form your coffee mug takes, the fact remains that we coffee aficionados love our mugs almost as much as we love our beans. Probably the most popular way to personalize a coffee mug is to have a favorite photograph printed on it. Business can order mugs in their company colors, with their company logo or slogan printed for all to see. Yes, our personalized coffee mugs are most commonly used for transferring our favorite beverages to our mouths, but what happens when we ask our mugs to break the mold? Here are some creative ways to put your personalized coffee mugs to work.
* Fill the mugs with candy, wrap with saran wrap, and tie with a colorful bow.
* Buy a pair of personalized coffee mugs and arrange them in a basket with a bag or two of organic coffee beans and surprise a coffee-loving friend or loved one.
Coffee mug sizes are perfect for growing a variety of herbs, ready to snip and use!
Whether you use personalized coffee mugs to drink your favorite java or hot chocolate, or you find other creative uses, enjoy surrounding yourself with mugs that express your individuality.
May 11, 2009
The Ultimate Coffee Machine - Senseo Crema
The Ultimate Coffee Machine - Senseo Crema
Limited Summarize by John J. James
Having a breakfast is a regular routine for most of us. Breakfast is often prepared quickly and hastily. Therefore you need equipment that can assist you in preparing your breakfast easily so you do not have to worry about being late for work.
This makes you feel faint having to walk out of the door without having a proper breakfast. The Senseo Crema of Philips and Douw Egberts (a Sara Lee company) is the most widely used coffee brewer worldwide. Buy your Senseo Coffee Pods and make your mornings hassle free!
An advantage of this product is the low price compared to others other coffee machines. So the next time you can not wake up in time you do not need to worry about preparing your coffee, as Senseo prepares the coffee in a minute.
Philips is known for its huge amount of discount. You can buy your machine at nearby store or buy the product from the Internet.
Also there is a huge variety of products available. It is therefore recommended that if you plan to buy a Senseo you visit an online store and choose from the enormous collection
May 3, 2009
Coffee Blader Grinder Is More good Than Blade Because…
People accept coffee blader grinder because cutting a coffee is actual important to accede in coffee making. It should be done anxiously to be able to accept a appropriate bullwork coffee.
There are about two methods: the Coffee Grinder and the Blade Grinder. These methods are broadly acclimated by altered individuals and coffee shops.Although, as mentioned earlier, association adopted the brier grinders.
Burr Grinder has two pieces of burred metal, sometimes flat, sometimes cone-shaped, that lie on top of one another. The metal pieces rub together, beans canyon through, and the area are mashed out into a alembic or a chute.
The afterpiece anniversary burred allotment of metal is to the other, the bigger the consistent coffee grain. In able brier grinders, the grinder is calibrated by ambience the selector to the coarsest grind, and adjusting the adept punch aloof until it squeals or whistles, and again anytime so agilely borer it aback a cleft in the about-face direction. Again the punch is anchored down.
A blade grinder uses blades to grind. A blade grinder works like a dry mix blender. It chops the coffee beans into little bits. Generally, the best you grind, the abate the $.25 get.
In adjustment to get an espresso maker out of a brand grinder, you accept to bullwork for sixty abnormal and sometimes more. If you appetite a base grind, you are about activity to bullwork amid ten to twenty-five seconds. For best dribble coffee makers, you are attractive at twenty to blaster abnormal of grinding.
Now actuality comes the catch. First, the coffee beans get arena almost unevenly, or in a not uniformed way. Some are ample chunks, some tiny ones, and some aloof right. So, aberration of bullwork admeasurement may clog the machine. Secondly if the metal blades that kept on spinning about will aftermath calefaction that affects coffee bullwork beans taste.
With the characteristics of the two methods, I can say that coffee brier grinder is added more good than brand grinder. That is the acumen alone I chose the brier grinder. To me, a appropriate admeasurement of coffee atom will aftermath a abundant aftertaste cup of coffee.
There are about two methods: the Coffee Grinder and the Blade Grinder. These methods are broadly acclimated by altered individuals and coffee shops.Although, as mentioned earlier, association adopted the brier grinders.
Burr Grinder has two pieces of burred metal, sometimes flat, sometimes cone-shaped, that lie on top of one another. The metal pieces rub together, beans canyon through, and the area are mashed out into a alembic or a chute.
The afterpiece anniversary burred allotment of metal is to the other, the bigger the consistent coffee grain. In able brier grinders, the grinder is calibrated by ambience the selector to the coarsest grind, and adjusting the adept punch aloof until it squeals or whistles, and again anytime so agilely borer it aback a cleft in the about-face direction. Again the punch is anchored down.
A blade grinder uses blades to grind. A blade grinder works like a dry mix blender. It chops the coffee beans into little bits. Generally, the best you grind, the abate the $.25 get.
In adjustment to get an espresso maker out of a brand grinder, you accept to bullwork for sixty abnormal and sometimes more. If you appetite a base grind, you are about activity to bullwork amid ten to twenty-five seconds. For best dribble coffee makers, you are attractive at twenty to blaster abnormal of grinding.
Now actuality comes the catch. First, the coffee beans get arena almost unevenly, or in a not uniformed way. Some are ample chunks, some tiny ones, and some aloof right. So, aberration of bullwork admeasurement may clog the machine. Secondly if the metal blades that kept on spinning about will aftermath calefaction that affects coffee bullwork beans taste.
With the characteristics of the two methods, I can say that coffee brier grinder is added more good than brand grinder. That is the acumen alone I chose the brier grinder. To me, a appropriate admeasurement of coffee atom will aftermath a abundant aftertaste cup of coffee.
Coffee matter and Your Health
If you are a coffee daily drinker, you no agnosticism accept asked yourself how abundant coffee is it safe for you to absorb on a circadian basis. This is not hasty back so abundant has been abhorrent on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been fabricated to blame.
Here's a fresh catechism that you may accept never asked yourself: is coffee anytime acceptable for you? The acknowledgment may abruptness you.
Here is a accomplishment to ponder: did you apperceive that there are over 160 actor coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In agreement of consumption, the boilerplate American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But accede this: the apple baton in agreement of burning is Finland which comes in at about 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!
Another accomplishment is that there accept been able-bodied over 19,000 studies done to assay the furnishings of coffee. Now, studies can about be skewed to appearance whatever the columnist wants, but actuality is what is about agreed: arresting 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is about advised added benign than harmful.
But, back everyone's anatomy is different, we all abide things differently. In some bodies alike the aboriginal bulk of caffein can account agitation and irritebility. Accede additionally that a being may absorb caffein in added means besides coffee. And about after alive about it.
A little accepted actuality is that coffee contains antioxidants which accept been apparent to improve overall health. Actuality is a abbreviate account of some allowances which accept been apparent to be present in coffee:
* Abate affection of Parkinson's Ache
* Antibacterial capacity
* Abate the accident of developing gallstones
* Preserve brainy accuity
* Abate accident of developing blazon 2 Diabetes (if you accept diabetes, abate your burning
* If you are chargeless of hypertension, coffee will not acceptable aftermath it
* Headache abatement
* Abate the accident of some types of blight
* Improve concrete ability
This is not to say that there are not some austere abrogating after-effects of bubbler coffee. It is nice to know, however, that a cup or two in the morning may not aching you. But how do you apperceive for sure? Be abiding to allocution to your bloom able and get their admonition on arresting coffee. They (and you) apperceive what altitude you may accept that you charge to be accurate of back it comes to coffee. Then do you analysis and, if appropriate, get pleasure your coffee.
Here's a fresh catechism that you may accept never asked yourself: is coffee anytime acceptable for you? The acknowledgment may abruptness you.
Here is a accomplishment to ponder: did you apperceive that there are over 160 actor coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In agreement of consumption, the boilerplate American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But accede this: the apple baton in agreement of burning is Finland which comes in at about 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!
Another accomplishment is that there accept been able-bodied over 19,000 studies done to assay the furnishings of coffee. Now, studies can about be skewed to appearance whatever the columnist wants, but actuality is what is about agreed: arresting 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is about advised added benign than harmful.
But, back everyone's anatomy is different, we all abide things differently. In some bodies alike the aboriginal bulk of caffein can account agitation and irritebility. Accede additionally that a being may absorb caffein in added means besides coffee. And about after alive about it.
A little accepted actuality is that coffee contains antioxidants which accept been apparent to improve overall health. Actuality is a abbreviate account of some allowances which accept been apparent to be present in coffee:
* Abate affection of Parkinson's Ache
* Antibacterial capacity
* Abate the accident of developing gallstones
* Preserve brainy accuity
* Abate accident of developing blazon 2 Diabetes (if you accept diabetes, abate your burning
* If you are chargeless of hypertension, coffee will not acceptable aftermath it
* Headache abatement
* Abate the accident of some types of blight
* Improve concrete ability
This is not to say that there are not some austere abrogating after-effects of bubbler coffee. It is nice to know, however, that a cup or two in the morning may not aching you. But how do you apperceive for sure? Be abiding to allocution to your bloom able and get their admonition on arresting coffee. They (and you) apperceive what altitude you may accept that you charge to be accurate of back it comes to coffee. Then do you analysis and, if appropriate, get pleasure your coffee.
May 2, 2009
Folgers coffee
By Dylan Jackson
Folgers coffee has been brewing in people's homes and offices for years. The decaffeinated, classic roast and ultra roast coffees have a sweet aroma that fills the air when it is brewed. Folgers was bought by Procter and Gamble in 1963 and became known as the coffee of choice. After the food giant bought the coffee brand, it has doubled production and sales to become the number one in coffees. There are many different flavors to choose when you need a fine cup of coffee.
Different Tastes of Folgers
There is the classic decaffeinated, classic roast, coffee Columbian, gourmet supreme, ultra coffee and the ultra decaffeinated. Folgers coffee also makes the ultra urn, ultra urn decaffeinated, Gemini urn, Signia classic café decaffeinated and the gourmet selections lively Columbian coffee. Then they have the gourmet selections morning café, gourmet selections espresso and gourmet selections chocolate.
When you are looking for a coffee brand you can taste, Folgers is the only coffee that comes to mind. You want a rich taste with a smooth flavor. The Folgers brand is always on top of other brand names. The gourmet selections are tasty and have an aroma that attracts everyone. Folgers also has different filters for their different flavored coffees.
The gourmet flavors include bold java, which is a rich coffee taste with a bold smooth finish. The Brazilian sunrise is a smooth taste created from the beans from Brazil and the lively Columbian is a full-bodied distinctive taste. The Morning café has a delicate aroma and taste while the Bistro blend is made from specially blended and roasted beans. The hazelnut crème has a smooth finish and an enticing aroma while the vanilla biscotti is a vanilla flavor that has a creamy finish. The chocolate truffle is a fantastic chocolate flavor and the crème brulee has a warm caramel finish with a vanilla flavored taste. The caramel drizzle is a rich caramel taste.
Coffee Recipes
There are many different recipes for making gourmet coffee daily even more tasteful. There are recipes for Folgers coffees in desserts, breakfast delights and drinks. You can make Blender Chocolate Mousse, Biscotti, Coffee Sauce and Easy Chocolate Pie as well as many more. When you use the recipes and coffees, you should always use the flavor or type asked for in the recipe. Deviating away from the required recipe can result in a bad taste in the finished product.
The Folgers coffee line has been waking up people for years. The fresh sweet aroma that fills the air when the coffee is brewing is what people look forward to in the mornings. The taste that you expect from Folgers is all you need to wake up and get ready for the day. There are many brands of gourmet coffees to try, but after you taste all the different flavors offered, you will only want one instant coffee in the morning or for a mid morning pick me up. Folgers is the coffee everyone loves to drink.
Folgers coffee has been brewing in people's homes and offices for years. The decaffeinated, classic roast and ultra roast coffees have a sweet aroma that fills the air when it is brewed. Folgers was bought by Procter and Gamble in 1963 and became known as the coffee of choice. After the food giant bought the coffee brand, it has doubled production and sales to become the number one in coffees. There are many different flavors to choose when you need a fine cup of coffee.
Different Tastes of Folgers
There is the classic decaffeinated, classic roast, coffee Columbian, gourmet supreme, ultra coffee and the ultra decaffeinated. Folgers coffee also makes the ultra urn, ultra urn decaffeinated, Gemini urn, Signia classic café decaffeinated and the gourmet selections lively Columbian coffee. Then they have the gourmet selections morning café, gourmet selections espresso and gourmet selections chocolate.
When you are looking for a coffee brand you can taste, Folgers is the only coffee that comes to mind. You want a rich taste with a smooth flavor. The Folgers brand is always on top of other brand names. The gourmet selections are tasty and have an aroma that attracts everyone. Folgers also has different filters for their different flavored coffees.
The gourmet flavors include bold java, which is a rich coffee taste with a bold smooth finish. The Brazilian sunrise is a smooth taste created from the beans from Brazil and the lively Columbian is a full-bodied distinctive taste. The Morning café has a delicate aroma and taste while the Bistro blend is made from specially blended and roasted beans. The hazelnut crème has a smooth finish and an enticing aroma while the vanilla biscotti is a vanilla flavor that has a creamy finish. The chocolate truffle is a fantastic chocolate flavor and the crème brulee has a warm caramel finish with a vanilla flavored taste. The caramel drizzle is a rich caramel taste.
Coffee Recipes
There are many different recipes for making gourmet coffee daily even more tasteful. There are recipes for Folgers coffees in desserts, breakfast delights and drinks. You can make Blender Chocolate Mousse, Biscotti, Coffee Sauce and Easy Chocolate Pie as well as many more. When you use the recipes and coffees, you should always use the flavor or type asked for in the recipe. Deviating away from the required recipe can result in a bad taste in the finished product.
The Folgers coffee line has been waking up people for years. The fresh sweet aroma that fills the air when the coffee is brewing is what people look forward to in the mornings. The taste that you expect from Folgers is all you need to wake up and get ready for the day. There are many brands of gourmet coffees to try, but after you taste all the different flavors offered, you will only want one instant coffee in the morning or for a mid morning pick me up. Folgers is the coffee everyone loves to drink.
May 1, 2009
Green coffee is the best coffee...?
I haven’t ordered any new green coffee of late (see the bit about it being cold) and so what I have left is really remnants of seasons past… in some cases, several seasons past. Some Ethiopian coffees from the last eCafe competition, Guatemalan greens from the spring before, and some Sumatra from — gosh, I really can’t be sure — maybe two years ago?
And so I roasted some of just about everything.
The Ethiopian coffee is quite decent, really. For a day or two, anyway; and then the cup just sort of… winds down. Aromatics are fleeting, flavors fading. It’s not a tragic thing, really. It’s just tired.
The Guatemalan beans have a similar tale to tell. Notably, they roast dry and hot — they’ve apparently lost a lot of moisture — and the cup quality is not only faded, but also bitter. Very much so.
The Sumatran beans — the oldest of the lot — well they’re something of a different story. They roast well within parameters I might expect of new crop beans. Fresh from the roaster the cup is quite nice (if a bit sharp.) In a day or two, they’re still quite good; caramel and cocoa aromas, turf and bittersweet chocolate flavors, long and mellow finish. And enough so that I suspect they could keep this up a week more (though I don’t know that they’ll last that long… herselfis a big fan of the coffees of Sumatra.)
Is it something about how Sumatran coffees are processed at the mill that lends them more staying power? Not necessarily… the eCafe Ethopian I sampled was a dry-process (or natural) too.
Was there perhaps more moisture in these beans to begin with, so that they’ve retained more over time? I don’t know… but if there was *that* much moisture I’d wonder that there hadn’t been something icky growing in the bag with them. And besides — they’re more than twice as old as the other beans I’d roasted of late.
Is it something about Sumatra? After all, there’s lots of beans that are marketed as Aged Sumatra… how many other origins actively market aged beans? On purpose? Um… I’m thinking. And coming up empty.
Maybe it’s really about the characteristics the coffee started with. The Ethiopian and Guatemalan beans were both bright, acidy, fruit-forward cups; the Sumatran earthy and dark-toned even when it was young. Perhaps fruit and floral esters are more delicate, more prone to age, while dusky chocolate just gets… mellow.
And so I roasted some of just about everything.
The Ethiopian coffee is quite decent, really. For a day or two, anyway; and then the cup just sort of… winds down. Aromatics are fleeting, flavors fading. It’s not a tragic thing, really. It’s just tired.
The Guatemalan beans have a similar tale to tell. Notably, they roast dry and hot — they’ve apparently lost a lot of moisture — and the cup quality is not only faded, but also bitter. Very much so.
The Sumatran beans — the oldest of the lot — well they’re something of a different story. They roast well within parameters I might expect of new crop beans. Fresh from the roaster the cup is quite nice (if a bit sharp.) In a day or two, they’re still quite good; caramel and cocoa aromas, turf and bittersweet chocolate flavors, long and mellow finish. And enough so that I suspect they could keep this up a week more (though I don’t know that they’ll last that long… herselfis a big fan of the coffees of Sumatra.)
Is it something about how Sumatran coffees are processed at the mill that lends them more staying power? Not necessarily… the eCafe Ethopian I sampled was a dry-process (or natural) too.
Was there perhaps more moisture in these beans to begin with, so that they’ve retained more over time? I don’t know… but if there was *that* much moisture I’d wonder that there hadn’t been something icky growing in the bag with them. And besides — they’re more than twice as old as the other beans I’d roasted of late.
Is it something about Sumatra? After all, there’s lots of beans that are marketed as Aged Sumatra… how many other origins actively market aged beans? On purpose? Um… I’m thinking. And coming up empty.
Maybe it’s really about the characteristics the coffee started with. The Ethiopian and Guatemalan beans were both bright, acidy, fruit-forward cups; the Sumatran earthy and dark-toned even when it was young. Perhaps fruit and floral esters are more delicate, more prone to age, while dusky chocolate just gets… mellow.
Coffee Green
One beverage that has almost a worldwide reach is definitely coffee, lot of people drink coffee daily.The flavor and savour of coffee differs greatly with region with every community accustomed to a particular flavor. Caffeine addiction is so deep rooted in many persons that some of them turn out to be connoisseurs of coffee or coffee tasters. Green coffee bean is hard to come by and for those die hard coffee tasters,an organised scheme of various flavors of coffee in various parts of the world will be a great boon.
April 30, 2009
Lello Ariete Espresso makers
Lello Ariete is the best value among stainless steel-encased espresso maker machines. Some say it has minor flaws -- the crema enhancer is a gimmick that many owners dislike, and the drip tray is plastic -- but most are delighted with this inexpensive espresso machine. Many say it's durable, and the coffee tastes great, though we read a number of complaints that it eventually leaks or that the heating unit fails. Some experts note that the internal components are plastic, not metal, but it's extremely rare to find a stainless steel-encased espresso machine at this price point. If you want an espresso machine that's built to last 10-15 years, reviews point to the Rancilio Silvia (*est. $700) which has been on the market long enough to be called a classic by many reviewers. Espresso makers is another type of the Coffee grinders
April 28, 2009
Krups Burr Coffee Grinder
Krups Burr Coffee Grinder
From: $49.00
If you're attractive for a abundant coffee grinder you've begin it! This Krups Brier Coffee Grinder -Black will complete your home.these are one the machines coffee, Our featured online food will put your worries to blow with their fast and reliable service. If you're attractive for added means to save, bang on the advertisement figure abutting to the artefact advertisement to see what appropriate offers and advertisement codes are available.
The abstruse to delicious, aged coffee is bound aural the bean. Coffee that's not afresh arena may be appetizing but time erodes the complexities and nuances of the audible flavors. That's why austere coffee drinkers bullwork the beans anon afore brewing. Be it for American Coffee or Espresso or French Press, the Krups GVX1-14 uses above brier cutting accepted for absolution all those backdrop that advice accomplish the coffee bean unique. What you accretion is a added adorable coffee. Frankly, isn't that what it's all about? Appreciate your coffee added with this brier grinder from Krups. Removable arena coffee alembic is dishwasher safe (top rack, please) Rubber anxiety accumulate grinder durably in abode Anti-static coffee alembic with lid holds up to 8 ounces of arena coffee for a 12-cup pot of coffee Blue aflame On/Off Airtight bean alembic keeps beans beginning Appropriate assurance appearance - Will not accomplish unless lid to bean alembic and coffee alembic are in abode. Overall this maschine will make your coffee-daily routine better
Cuisinart DGB-900 Grind & Brew Thermal
I accept been absent a coffee maker with a bullwork and beverage affection for some time now so aback the Cuisinart DGB900 came on the bazaar with a brier grinder congenital in I anticipation I had begin my apparatus at last. I accept brewed 3 pots of coffee with beginning beans and accept not yet brewed that abysmal affluent cup of coffee I am acclimated to accepting with my old Capresso machine. I will accumulate aggravating to acclimatize the bulk of baptize to beans to see if I can acquisition the appropriate blueprint for my aftertaste but my hopes are not high. There are 3 settings from light-strong for the adapted beverage strength, but the able seting misses the mark by a continued shot. With my old Capresso I acclimated a hardly angled coffee beat per cup and it consistently angry out altogether affluent and aromatic. I absitively to get a fresh apparatus so I could deathwatch up to a pot of afresh arena & brewed coffee. I accept to say admitting that alike my old Capresso which acclimated preground beans brews a far above cup of coffee.This is my coffee-daily ritual
What's Best About this Machines coffee ?
My belief for a fresh apparatus were: a congenital in grinder, programable alpha time, thermal canteen and a minimum of 10-12 cups of coffee and accessible to clean. The Cuisinart DGB900 has all of these so I was captivated aback it came out on the bazaar recently. I like to deathwatch up to afresh brewed coffee so cutting beans in the morning is not an option. This is article I will alone do occassionally on wknds aback I accept the time and inclination!
Some Helpful Tips For Using this Product:
Keep tweaking the bean to baptize arrangement until you acquisition your absolute formula.....but it shouldnt be this adamantine should it? Perhaps I'll acknowledgment this one and try the Capresso with the congenital in grinder...the alone acumen I didn't acquirement the Capresso is that I heard it was difficult to clean. Maybe I should aloof go aback to affairs preground beans and purchasea simple programmable thermal Capresso machine.
by Paula Grassi
April 27, 2009
How to clean you Coffee Grinder Daily
Your grinder may accept a few awful habits it’s not too appreciative of: Namely, it’s adhering and has adversity accepting rid of things. While we acknowledge the packrat sentiment, it’s important that you actuate your grinder to consistently apple-pie up its act — and back it’s an azoic object, you’ll accept to booty the lead.
How to advance your coffee grinder's burrs Depending on how abundant you grind, you’ll appetite to abolish balance area from the burrs on a approved base — home grinders should do this monthly, while bistro grinders will charge to do it weekly. If it’s accessible for you to pop out the burrs on your grinder, do so and thoroughly besom the burrs chargeless of any congenital up coffee grounds. If you can’t calmly get at the burrs, you can use a artefact such as Grindz, which is a hard, civil artefact advised to bright out the oils and lodged particles from the burrs.
We accept heard that some bodies use raw rice or aureate to accomplish the aforementioned after-effects as Grindz, which is a wheat-based food-friendly product. However, we haven’t approved this out and don’t apperceive how acknowledged or safe it is for your burrs.
In accession to the aliment on the burrs, we additionally acclaim wiping out the alembic consistently to cut bottomward on adipose body up that could become rancid over time.
April 25, 2009
KALADI Brothers - Cofffee from Alaska
Unique Coffee
What makes our coffee unique? The answer is simple: we employ a mix of arts and science to create the standard by which all coffees are judged. We strive to maintain the utmost freshness and quality and educate our customers on the best methods to care for their Kaladi Coffee once it leaves our roasting facility.
We go further than most coffee companies to create a truly unique coffee experience, but the effort is worth it when you taste the Kaladi Difference.
Man leaning to carefully smell and taste coffee with a spoon
Finding the Perfect Aroma
The Process
Green arabica bean icon
We begin by selecting the finest beans available, using a stringent process of tasting and comparing. We buy only high-grade, shade grown, washed mild, Arabica green coffee from the best coffee-growing regions in the world.
Orange bean icon showing fast movement
Our Sivetz Fluid Bed Roaster represents the most advanced technology in coffee roasting to date. Our roaster uses fresh, hot air to roast coffee rather than a heated surface used by traditional barrel roasters. The result is a clean, uniform roast, that’s free of the bitter-tasting tars left behind in traditional roasters.
Blue bean icon with ice crystals
To preserve the superior properties our roaster creates, we freeze all coffee not used within 18 hours of roasting. This process ensures our coffee is absolutely "roaster fresh" when you purchase it. Freezing coffee in an airtight container is the only scientifically proven method for extending the life of roasted coffee beyond a few days.
April 24, 2009
MyCuppa Coffee Mug
Everyone likes a nice cup of tea or coffee. Here at Firebox HQ our caffeine-intake is staggering. But then it has to be because we're up all hours searching for cool products. The problem is, much as we love our hot drinks it's difficult getting brews just right when you're making them for friends and colleagues.
April 23, 2009
STARBUCKS's selling Instant Coffee..?
I almost do not believe my eyes when I saw the Starbucks introduced a new line of coffee. You know, I love Starbucks coffee, more often than others , I want to walk to Starbucks coffee shop, even if it is a farther than others . However, the soluble coffee ? This is only others the name of a beautiful instant coffee.
Yes, you read that right. Starbucks launched a series of instant coffee. What is the world, what they think of it?
Fast Company reports:
But it did not stop the country's largest chain of coffee ready to start the VIA beer, a new series of real-time - I'm sorry, "soluble" - cafes in March to visit the United States 3rd
There are two Flavors in Brew, Colombia and Italy grilled. This is a typical mixture of packaging and Starbucks: the back of the three services in each bag (2.95 U.S. dollars), providing content, "is not without a lot of coffee."
I am very pessimistic about the whole thing. But Fast Company is not a blind taste test, this is a very surprising result. This is the Starbucks of the VIA - Colombia (instant):
From the coffee powder and hot water. But I do not know why this beer all the positive reviews. Raved the taste of their flavor ( "balance, rather than painful"), texture (smooth so far ") and smell (smells like a fancy coffee"). And call - Ironically, the warning! - "You buy the Starbucks coffee." Nuff said.
I can say, WOW. Instant coffee, or if it is true, a good cafe or coffee is bad. I look forward to try their own.
Yes, you read that right. Starbucks launched a series of instant coffee. What is the world, what they think of it?
Fast Company reports:
But it did not stop the country's largest chain of coffee ready to start the VIA beer, a new series of real-time - I'm sorry, "soluble" - cafes in March to visit the United States 3rd
There are two Flavors in Brew, Colombia and Italy grilled. This is a typical mixture of packaging and Starbucks: the back of the three services in each bag (2.95 U.S. dollars), providing content, "is not without a lot of coffee."
I am very pessimistic about the whole thing. But Fast Company is not a blind taste test, this is a very surprising result. This is the Starbucks of the VIA - Colombia (instant):
From the coffee powder and hot water. But I do not know why this beer all the positive reviews. Raved the taste of their flavor ( "balance, rather than painful"), texture (smooth so far ") and smell (smells like a fancy coffee"). And call - Ironically, the warning! - "You buy the Starbucks coffee." Nuff said.
I can say, WOW. Instant coffee, or if it is true, a good cafe or coffee is bad. I look forward to try their own.
Did you grind your coffee alone
I think that this question has been asked so many times that it has gotten quite old. However, the fact that people keep asking it over and over again means that it is not that clear to many how grinding your own coffee beans can make a difference in the quality of your coffee.
To be honest with you, I was one of those people who kept asking this question. I normally use my good old drip coffee machine. It is just really more convenient than using my espresso machine . When I did get a grinder (Krups) and tried grinding my own beans, however, I discovered what I had been missing out on.
All that I can say is that when you buy freshly roasted whole beans and then you grind a small amount to brew, the flavor is just so wonderful! Naturally, the quality of the drink would depend on the kind of beans that you get but given the same kind, freshly ground beans are the best.
Other ways about grinding your own beans and preserving the flavor of the coffee is you can store the whole beans for a longer period of time than you could store coffee grounds. I have noticed that even if you store coffee grounds in a sealed container, the freshness deteriorates much more quickly than if you stored the whole beans.
To answer that question – yes, grinding your own coffee beans is definitely worth the extra effort that you have to put into measuring out the beans, grinding them, and then cleaning out the grinder. It’s a small price to pay, really.
April 21, 2009
Miss USA 2009 | Kristen Dalton on coffee daily
Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA 2009 on Sunday, beating out 50 other beauty queens in the live pageant televised from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The 22-year-old aspiring motivational speaker and entertainer from Wilmington edged out first runner-up Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, of San Diego, and second runner-up Miss Arizona USA Alicia-Monique Blanco, of Phoenix.
"It feels really natural," Dalton said of her win. "I've worked so be here and this has been my lifelong dream and it's finally here. And whoever knew you could win in a turquoise gown?"
Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia competed in the pageant, aired live on NBC. Contestants were judged by their performance in swimsuit and evening gown modeling contests and their responses to a question asked onstage; unlike the rival Miss America pageant, Miss USA contestants do not perform a talent.
Another Turkish Coffee - Turkish dee-lite
Inspired by reading about the preparation and practice around Turkish coffee, we decided to take a stab at creating a drink that incorporated the flavor of the traditional pairing of Turkish Delight. This is definitely an exotic flavor — one that the crew here found surprisingly tasty!
Ingredients
* 1/4 oz. Monin Rose Gourmet Syrup
* 1/2 oz. Monin Cinnamon Gourmet Syrup
* 2 shots of espresso
* Hot water to taste
Directions
Combine the syrups in the bottom of a warmed mug. Add espresso and mix thoroughly. Top off with hot water to taste.
A Cup of Coffee each day...
Can you complete that sentence? I tried and these are the phrases that I came up with:
…gives you hyperacidity.
…keeps you awake.
…makes you happy.
…stains your teeth.
…keeps you going.
Lame, isn’t it? All of those statements are true for me, though, and are probably true for some of you as well. But, did you know that coffee just might have the ability to kill cancer cells?
In the February 26 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, findings that caffeine might have the ability to kill skin cells that have been damaged by UV rays were disclosed. Live Science reports:
Several studies have shown that people who regularly drink coffee or tea seem to have lower incidences of nonmelanoma skin cancers. One recent study of more than 90,000 Caucasian women found that with each additional cup of caffeinated coffee consumed, there was an associated 5 percent decreased risk of developing one of these skin cancers (decaf coffee had no effect).
More than this, other studies have had similar results:
Caffeine also seemed, in another study, to have a protective effect on mice that had been exposed to UV light, whether they ingested it or it was applied to their skin.
While we do not know if this caffeine will actually prevent cancer, this sort of finding is quite encouraging for us regular coffee, drinkers, right? Perhaps, in the future, we will find out that all these years of enjoying a cup (or two, or even three) of joe every day has benefited us more than we ever thought it would!
April 19, 2009
Coffee can cures cancer...?
A great deal is written on diet and all forms of cancer and recently researchers have suggested that we may be able to prevent about 35% of cancer cases by altering our diets. Each year 10.9 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and there are 6.7 million deaths from the disease and, of these, nearly one million are in the EU (1). It is understandable when we see such figures, to expect that any possible relationship between what we do, what we eat and drink, and the risk of developing cancer, has been extensively studied. Coffee, as a popular beverage, has been included in such studies.
German medics arrived at the conclusion that consumption of large caffeine doses prevents baldness.
Male's hormone testosterone is responsible for baldness in men, meaning that the more testosterone a man as, the more prone he is to losing his hair. Head of the research team Professor Peter Elsner states that hormonal boldness could in fact be prevented by means of caffeine.
As a result of their extensive research studies, German scientists arrived at a fascinating conclusion! Apparently, claim the scientists, it is possible to prevent baldness at an early age by means of treating hair with products containing caffeine (for instance by rubbing a special solution into the scalp).
However, the scientific team advises coffee lovers against consuming their favorite beverage in excess to fight baldness. According to an expert-cosmetologist Adolf Klenka, “one would need to consume 60-80 cups of coffee per day for the caffeine to reach hair follicles.” Professor Elsner in turn notes that “even though a person would be willing to do just that for beauty’s sake, our research did not cover the way caffeine intake influences one’s scalp. We did prove however that caffeine should be used as an external substance that should be applied directly onto the scalp.”
According to him, those men who are genetically predisposed to baldness, should consider such “caffeine therapy” while they are still relatively young. German medics consider that rubbing coffee ground into the scalp is the most effective way to prevent baldness.
As a result of their extensive research studies, German scientists arrived at a fascinating conclusion! Apparently, claim the scientists, it is possible to prevent baldness at an early age by means of treating hair with products containing caffeine (for instance by rubbing a special solution into the scalp).
However, the scientific team advises coffee lovers against consuming their favorite beverage in excess to fight baldness. According to an expert-cosmetologist Adolf Klenka, “one would need to consume 60-80 cups of coffee per day for the caffeine to reach hair follicles.” Professor Elsner in turn notes that “even though a person would be willing to do just that for beauty’s sake, our research did not cover the way caffeine intake influences one’s scalp. We did prove however that caffeine should be used as an external substance that should be applied directly onto the scalp.”
According to him, those men who are genetically predisposed to baldness, should consider such “caffeine therapy” while they are still relatively young. German medics consider that rubbing coffee ground into the scalp is the most effective way to prevent baldness.
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November 26, 2009
Something for Everyone: India Coffees 2009
by Kenneth Davids; reviews by Kenneth Davids and Ted Stachura
India is a considerably better-known coffee origin in Europe than in the United States. And even in Europe it tends to be a source whose profound coffee originality is hidden inside blends rather than foregrounded in single-origin or trophy coffees. For example, India provides some of the world's most valuable coffee types for espresso blends, yet these same exotic coffee types are seldom offered as single origins. They are simply too intensely odd for American palates accustomed to the high-grown, cleanly bright profiles of classic Latin America. On the other hand, the majestic, deeply forested old India coffee estates do produce quietly distinctive Arabicas capable of pleasing even the most purist of coffee drinkers. And the quest for small lots of coffee that play distinctive variations on the more familiar Arabica profile is beginning to turn up some pleasant surprises in India, as it has elsewhere in the world.
All of these types and trends are represented in this month's reviews, representing a set of ten often wildly different coffees, the best and most interesting from the thirty or so we cupped. Here they are in summary:
1) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, heavy-bodied, sweetly nutty profiles: The Paradise Roasters Indian CxR Mandarin (89), a coffee from trees of an interspecies cross between an heirloom Indian variety of Robusta and the coffee species Congensis.
2) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, richly malty profiles with a little twist of fermented fruit: Three different Monsooned Malabars, the unique Indian coffee type created by allowing dry-processed coffees to absorb the salt- and moisture-laden air of monsoon winds in an effort to mimic the flavor of coffees once carried in the holds of wooden ships from India to Europe. The Julian Coffee Roasters Monsooned Malabar (89), the Josuma Coffee Monsoon Medley (88) and the Storehouse India Malabar (87) all represent variations on the musty/malty, sweetly pungent monsooned theme.
3) For I'll-try-anything coffee adventurers, a coffee from trees of the Liberica species. Liberica was first experimented with as a disease-resistant alternative to Arabica, but was pretty much abandoned after the development of Robusta. It is still grown on some farms in India, however, as well as in Malaysia, where it is often a valued component in the pungent, heavily intense blends that Malaysians enjoy buffered by quantities of milk. The Badbeard's India Anokhi Liberica is reviewed here at 87, a basically arbitrary score. There are no criteria I know of by which this coffee could be rated 90, for example, or even 88. On the other hand, we have no business completely trashing a unique coffee type on the basis of standards of judgment developed mainly for fine Arabicas. As Libericas go, this seems like a rather attractive one. Therefore, well, with a mix of confusion and generosity, plus respect for originality, we settled on 87. But pick your own number: 0, 50, 80, 90? If you try it, do it the Malaysian way, brewed strong and taken with a lot of hot milk or warm half-and-half.
4) For the purist, three estate-grown, traditionally wet-processed Arabicas, the top-rated Tony's Coffee & Tea Balmaadi Estate (91), the Zingerman's Elk Hill estate (88) and the rather unusual salty-sweet, floral-toned Badbeard's Kattehollay Estate Peaberry (88).
5) Finally, for those interested in small-lot trophy coffees that reflect experiments with botanical variety and processing method, we have the Kaapi Royale Selection 9 Pulped Natural (91), a coffee from trees of a variety (Selection 9) with Ethiopian heritage, processed by the unorthodox pulped natural method, in which the skins are removed but the sweet fruit pulp is allowed to remain on the beans as they dry. The result here is a subtle, delicate balance of aromatic wood, flowers and dark chocolate notes. The "natural" or dried-in-the-fruit Arabica from Sethuraman Estate (90) is a restrained and elegant version of the fruity style of natural dry-processed coffee.
Nothing this month soared in the ratings, yet the range of coffee expression in the cupping was impressive, even startling in its variety. As relationships between American roasters and Indian producers mature, I expect we will not only continue to experience a continued variety of coffee expression from India, but more refined and precise versions of that expression as well.
India is a considerably better-known coffee origin in Europe than in the United States. And even in Europe it tends to be a source whose profound coffee originality is hidden inside blends rather than foregrounded in single-origin or trophy coffees. For example, India provides some of the world's most valuable coffee types for espresso blends, yet these same exotic coffee types are seldom offered as single origins. They are simply too intensely odd for American palates accustomed to the high-grown, cleanly bright profiles of classic Latin America. On the other hand, the majestic, deeply forested old India coffee estates do produce quietly distinctive Arabicas capable of pleasing even the most purist of coffee drinkers. And the quest for small lots of coffee that play distinctive variations on the more familiar Arabica profile is beginning to turn up some pleasant surprises in India, as it has elsewhere in the world.
All of these types and trends are represented in this month's reviews, representing a set of ten often wildly different coffees, the best and most interesting from the thirty or so we cupped. Here they are in summary:
1) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, heavy-bodied, sweetly nutty profiles: The Paradise Roasters Indian CxR Mandarin (89), a coffee from trees of an interspecies cross between an heirloom Indian variety of Robusta and the coffee species Congensis.
2) For coffee adventurers with a taste for low-acid, richly malty profiles with a little twist of fermented fruit: Three different Monsooned Malabars, the unique Indian coffee type created by allowing dry-processed coffees to absorb the salt- and moisture-laden air of monsoon winds in an effort to mimic the flavor of coffees once carried in the holds of wooden ships from India to Europe. The Julian Coffee Roasters Monsooned Malabar (89), the Josuma Coffee Monsoon Medley (88) and the Storehouse India Malabar (87) all represent variations on the musty/malty, sweetly pungent monsooned theme.
3) For I'll-try-anything coffee adventurers, a coffee from trees of the Liberica species. Liberica was first experimented with as a disease-resistant alternative to Arabica, but was pretty much abandoned after the development of Robusta. It is still grown on some farms in India, however, as well as in Malaysia, where it is often a valued component in the pungent, heavily intense blends that Malaysians enjoy buffered by quantities of milk. The Badbeard's India Anokhi Liberica is reviewed here at 87, a basically arbitrary score. There are no criteria I know of by which this coffee could be rated 90, for example, or even 88. On the other hand, we have no business completely trashing a unique coffee type on the basis of standards of judgment developed mainly for fine Arabicas. As Libericas go, this seems like a rather attractive one. Therefore, well, with a mix of confusion and generosity, plus respect for originality, we settled on 87. But pick your own number: 0, 50, 80, 90? If you try it, do it the Malaysian way, brewed strong and taken with a lot of hot milk or warm half-and-half.
4) For the purist, three estate-grown, traditionally wet-processed Arabicas, the top-rated Tony's Coffee & Tea Balmaadi Estate (91), the Zingerman's Elk Hill estate (88) and the rather unusual salty-sweet, floral-toned Badbeard's Kattehollay Estate Peaberry (88).
5) Finally, for those interested in small-lot trophy coffees that reflect experiments with botanical variety and processing method, we have the Kaapi Royale Selection 9 Pulped Natural (91), a coffee from trees of a variety (Selection 9) with Ethiopian heritage, processed by the unorthodox pulped natural method, in which the skins are removed but the sweet fruit pulp is allowed to remain on the beans as they dry. The result here is a subtle, delicate balance of aromatic wood, flowers and dark chocolate notes. The "natural" or dried-in-the-fruit Arabica from Sethuraman Estate (90) is a restrained and elegant version of the fruity style of natural dry-processed coffee.
Nothing this month soared in the ratings, yet the range of coffee expression in the cupping was impressive, even startling in its variety. As relationships between American roasters and Indian producers mature, I expect we will not only continue to experience a continued variety of coffee expression from India, but more refined and precise versions of that expression as well.
November 22, 2009
Coffee May reduce cancer risk
A recent study conducted by the researchers of Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri (IRFMN) in Milan, Italy showed that drinking coffee may help reduce the risk of liver cancer. Led by Francesca Bravi, the team combined all published data to find the link between coffee drinking and hepatocellar carcinoma (HCC). HCC is a primary cancer of the liver. Liver cancer is the third largest cause of cancer deaths around the world, just behind lung and stomach cancer. At least 11 studies that were conducted in southern Europe and Japan were the foundation of the IRFMN study.
The IRFMN study was a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included how much coffee patients had consumed. Researchers combined all published data to obtain an overall quantitative estimate of the association between coffee consumption and HCC development.
The figures showed that coffee drinkers have at least 41 percent reduction of HCC risk compared to those who never consumed coffee. The beneficial effects of coffee consumption were highly progressive in studies that were done in southern Europe, widely drank, and from Japan, where coffee drinking is less frequent, and in subjects with chronic liver diseases
Animal and laboratory studies have shown that some compounds in coffee may act as blocking agents that work by reacting with enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification. Caffeine is a component of coffee that has been shown to give beneficial effects on the liver enzymes and other enzymes of the body. Coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced risks of liver diseases and cirrhosis, both of which can lead to liver cancer.
Separate studies also show that caffeine may aggravate the symptoms of menopause or intensify the effects of certain antibiotics. On the other hand, heavy caffeine consumption may cause miscarriage. Other animal studies show that skin cream added with caffeine may lower the risk of skin cancer in mice.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups. The authors note that despite the consistency of the results of the study, it is difficult to derive causal collaboration based on the observational studies alone. It may be that patients with digestive tract diseases, including liver disorders, naturally reduce their coffee consumption, even though avoidance of coffee is not routinely recommended.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups to be more concrete.
The IRFMN researchers note that the perception of coffee consumption was solely based on patients’ reporting, although the recollection of coffee drinking has been shown to be accurate. Factors like hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, social class indictors, alcohol use, and smoking suggests that these factors did not influence the results of the studies.
The results from this research may provide some evidence of a link between coffee consumption and liver cancer. However, the interpretation of this research remains unclear because of lack of long-term evaluation of the results of the said study.
Reference : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801112146.htm
The IRFMN study was a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included how much coffee patients had consumed. Researchers combined all published data to obtain an overall quantitative estimate of the association between coffee consumption and HCC development.
The figures showed that coffee drinkers have at least 41 percent reduction of HCC risk compared to those who never consumed coffee. The beneficial effects of coffee consumption were highly progressive in studies that were done in southern Europe, widely drank, and from Japan, where coffee drinking is less frequent, and in subjects with chronic liver diseases
Animal and laboratory studies have shown that some compounds in coffee may act as blocking agents that work by reacting with enzymes involved in carcinogenic detoxification. Caffeine is a component of coffee that has been shown to give beneficial effects on the liver enzymes and other enzymes of the body. Coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced risks of liver diseases and cirrhosis, both of which can lead to liver cancer.
Separate studies also show that caffeine may aggravate the symptoms of menopause or intensify the effects of certain antibiotics. On the other hand, heavy caffeine consumption may cause miscarriage. Other animal studies show that skin cream added with caffeine may lower the risk of skin cancer in mice.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups. The authors note that despite the consistency of the results of the study, it is difficult to derive causal collaboration based on the observational studies alone. It may be that patients with digestive tract diseases, including liver disorders, naturally reduce their coffee consumption, even though avoidance of coffee is not routinely recommended.
While the study found a statistically significant relationship between drinking coffee and having less liver cancer, the authors note that it needs to be repeated in other groups to be more concrete.
The IRFMN researchers note that the perception of coffee consumption was solely based on patients’ reporting, although the recollection of coffee drinking has been shown to be accurate. Factors like hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, social class indictors, alcohol use, and smoking suggests that these factors did not influence the results of the studies.
The results from this research may provide some evidence of a link between coffee consumption and liver cancer. However, the interpretation of this research remains unclear because of lack of long-term evaluation of the results of the said study.
Reference : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801112146.htm
November 17, 2009
Keeping hot Coffee Hot with a Thermos
When you hit the middle age years, like I have, you start to take things for granted. One of those things happens to be hot coffee. I like my coffee hot, even though I've consumed iced coffee on occasion. In Japan, iced coffee is way more popular than it is in the US, or just about anywhere else. In the US, however, hot coffee is preferred by the average coffee drinker. Keeping coffee hot can be a challenge, depending on what you use to make it and where you intend to drink it.
A thermos is not necessarily a Thermos
The first vacuum flasks were made by the Thermos Company in Germany in 1904. Over the years, the word "thermos" became a generic word to mean any kind of vacuum flask. In fact, the US declared it as a generic trademark in 1963 and now the word can be used alone or as "thermos bottle" and it means the same thing.
I thought it was a just an American thing, like so many things I've become accustomed to since I was a child. For instance, when I was a kid, my siblings called every kind of soft drink a "Coke" because Coca-Cola was the most popular brand at the time. One of my older brothers would send me to the neighborhood market to buy him a Coke and I would have to ask him "What kind of Coke?" because he didn't always mean Coca-Cola.
My in-laws here in the Philippines share the same hot water dispenser, from my mother-in-law's house. Trekking back and forth to her house can be a pain, so they don't do it often. One day, one of my brothers-in-law came out of his house with a hot cup of coffee and I knew he hadn't been to her house in hours. I asked him how he was keeping his water hot and he told me he was keeping it in a thermos. Obviously, thermos has become a generic word in the Philippines as well as the US.
How a thermos is used
Despite what you may think, I'm not talking about how to add and remove beverages from a thermos. I'm talking about how they're used in certain environments, based on what I've seen.
When I was young, I saw my father packing a thermos in his metallic lunch box before heading off to work each day. It was kind of vacuum flask that had a screw-in stopper that was covered by pop-on/pop-off metal cup. The thermos had a metal exterior as well. Nowadays, you can find a thermos made of mostly plastic.
When I was in the military and went to certain functions (where a conference table came into play) as well as after the military and working for various companies, multiple thermos bottles were kept nearby in order for hot coffee to be available at all times and without having a coffee maker in the room as well. Some of these functions took place in rooms where it wouldn't be a good idea to have a coffee maker area set aside. Rooms with computer equipment, for example.
Using a thermos can save you money
I don't have a thermos bottle yet, but I plan to get a large one. A hot water dispenser uses a lot of electricity due to the heating coil involved. Maybe not as much as a hot water heater, but still more than I like to pay. If I just want hot water, it would be so much more economic to boil water or make hot water through a coffee maker than to use a hot water dispenser. A thermos can keep hot water hot or hot coffee hot for up to eight hours, but by the 8-hour mark, it's usually just a little warmer than lukewarm. That's still better than cold, especially in a cold environment.
I wouldn't be storing hot water in a thermos. It makes more sense to store hot coffee in the thermos unless I'm intent on drinking instant coffee and that doesn't work well unless I'm in the house. I sometimes spend a few hours outdoors with relatives, in the early morning hours after daylight appears. Having a thermos nearby would keep me from having to go back and forth from the house for refills because I usually drink two or three cups of coffee during that part of the day.
A thermos is not necessarily a Thermos
The first vacuum flasks were made by the Thermos Company in Germany in 1904. Over the years, the word "thermos" became a generic word to mean any kind of vacuum flask. In fact, the US declared it as a generic trademark in 1963 and now the word can be used alone or as "thermos bottle" and it means the same thing.
I thought it was a just an American thing, like so many things I've become accustomed to since I was a child. For instance, when I was a kid, my siblings called every kind of soft drink a "Coke" because Coca-Cola was the most popular brand at the time. One of my older brothers would send me to the neighborhood market to buy him a Coke and I would have to ask him "What kind of Coke?" because he didn't always mean Coca-Cola.
My in-laws here in the Philippines share the same hot water dispenser, from my mother-in-law's house. Trekking back and forth to her house can be a pain, so they don't do it often. One day, one of my brothers-in-law came out of his house with a hot cup of coffee and I knew he hadn't been to her house in hours. I asked him how he was keeping his water hot and he told me he was keeping it in a thermos. Obviously, thermos has become a generic word in the Philippines as well as the US.
How a thermos is used
Despite what you may think, I'm not talking about how to add and remove beverages from a thermos. I'm talking about how they're used in certain environments, based on what I've seen.
When I was young, I saw my father packing a thermos in his metallic lunch box before heading off to work each day. It was kind of vacuum flask that had a screw-in stopper that was covered by pop-on/pop-off metal cup. The thermos had a metal exterior as well. Nowadays, you can find a thermos made of mostly plastic.
When I was in the military and went to certain functions (where a conference table came into play) as well as after the military and working for various companies, multiple thermos bottles were kept nearby in order for hot coffee to be available at all times and without having a coffee maker in the room as well. Some of these functions took place in rooms where it wouldn't be a good idea to have a coffee maker area set aside. Rooms with computer equipment, for example.
Using a thermos can save you money
I don't have a thermos bottle yet, but I plan to get a large one. A hot water dispenser uses a lot of electricity due to the heating coil involved. Maybe not as much as a hot water heater, but still more than I like to pay. If I just want hot water, it would be so much more economic to boil water or make hot water through a coffee maker than to use a hot water dispenser. A thermos can keep hot water hot or hot coffee hot for up to eight hours, but by the 8-hour mark, it's usually just a little warmer than lukewarm. That's still better than cold, especially in a cold environment.
I wouldn't be storing hot water in a thermos. It makes more sense to store hot coffee in the thermos unless I'm intent on drinking instant coffee and that doesn't work well unless I'm in the house. I sometimes spend a few hours outdoors with relatives, in the early morning hours after daylight appears. Having a thermos nearby would keep me from having to go back and forth from the house for refills because I usually drink two or three cups of coffee during that part of the day.
November 8, 2009
Art of Coffee Barista Training
Art of Coffee is dedicated to providing the best home and commerical barista training in New Zealand. We use only the best quality equipment and materials which ensures that you will be able to achieve the perfect espresso that you have been aiming for. We endeavour to provide courses throughout the year which cover everything that you want to know.
We have recently launched a new coffee course in Christchurch, The Coffee Connoisseur, which focuses on home baristas and providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the entire coffee process. If you're looking to buy an espresso machine or want to learn more about how to use and maintain yours then this is the perfect opportunity for you to pick our tutors brains.
We have recently launched a new coffee course in Christchurch, The Coffee Connoisseur, which focuses on home baristas and providing you with the opportunity to learn more about the entire coffee process. If you're looking to buy an espresso machine or want to learn more about how to use and maintain yours then this is the perfect opportunity for you to pick our tutors brains.
November 6, 2009
Coffee Candy...?
The store where I usually get the Kopiko coffee candy recently ran out of the bags in the size that I normally buy. They have a huge bag available for 300 pesos, but I don't want big bags. When my nieces and nephews see a large bag of candy, they won't stop hounding me until it's gone. Their teeth are bad enough as it is and they don't need MORE candy to make them worse (they already eat candy every single day).
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
The store is on Magsaysay Drive, near the Olongapo City Mall, and the sign says "Circle J" outside (very similar the Circle K stores in the US). Some of the labels and racks inside the store say "J-Mart", so I can only assume they decided to change their name at some point and didn't change all the references. Anyway, since I wanted coffee candy, I decided to buy another brand.
X.O. Coffee Candy
The X.O. Coffee Candy comes under the brand name of "Jack 'n Jill" for the candy division of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC). URC is one of the largest brand food product companies in the Philippines and they have a ton of candies under the "Jack 'n Jill" brand, including candies that resemble cough drops.
I don't know how much a bag of X.O. Coffee Candy costs. I wasn't paying attention, but it's near to the same price as Kopiko. Kopiko is made in Indonesia whereas the X.O. products are all made in the Philippines.
Ingredients
Like Kopiko, X.O. Coffee Candy isn't the healthiest candy to have around. I'll live with the consequences. The ingredients are sugar, glucose syrup, hydrogenated vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, coffee powder, soya lecithin and iodized salt.
When I see "hydrogenated" on anything, I tend not to buy it or consume it. I've seen and eaten worse and I want my coffee candy, so I'll live with it.
The Taste Test
While a piece of Kopiko coffee candy is a little dark brown square, a piece of X.O. Coffee Candy is oval-shaped and a little thicker. Kopiko comes in bags of 150 grams (the regular size anyway) and X.O. Coffee Candy comes in bags of 175 grams, which means X.O. provides 25 grams more for about the same price.
To be honest, I can't tell the difference in taste. Kopiko is a little stronger in flavor and that's about it. I think I'll be sticking to X.O. Coffee Candy from now on, unless they run out of it as well. In that case, Kopiko is the backup treat.
September 29, 2009
September 4, 2009
Espresso Or Cappuccino - The Secret To Great Coffee
No two professional coffee makers or baristas can come up with a cup of coffee that tastes the same. The reasons are legion. Here are a few answers to your unasked questions.
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
Strange as it may seem the quality of water can affect your brew. The fresher and hotter it is, the better. The temperature of water should reach 203º F / 95º C, which is near boiling point. If water is allowed to stand for too long, it tastes stale. Mildew could form as well. If the utensil used to store water is not clean, it could have a bearing on your cup of coffee. So could water that has been insufficiently filtered.
While selecting coffee beans, Arabica is a good choice. The plantations are 3000 ft. above sea level and even higher. It doesn’t matter if the beans are from Brazil, Bogota or the many other areas where coffee is grown. The thing that matters is that the beans should be freshly roasted. Whether you do it yourself or get it a few days after roasting, the aroma should have a satisfying freshness. Over roasting could result in a burnt flavor!
Robusta does not have as pleasurable a flavor as Arabica does, as it contains more caffeine. This coffee plant thrives and is comparatively less prone to disease. The beverage is fine for a quick energy booster, but it is not used in the making of espresso coffee. The latter is a coffee to be enjoyed at leisure, sip by tasty sip.
Roasting plays an important part in the pleasure a cup of coffee affords. The beans are roasted to a dark French or Italian color and ground not with blades but burrs. Blades tend to chop the beans. Burr grinders, on the other hand, with pyramidal teeth fixed on two plates, work efficiently. The closer the plates, the finer the particles. Sand-like granules are preferred over powder or small gravel-like granules. Once the beans have been pulverized, the product should be put into airtight containers. Failure to do so immediately will lead to oxidation and the absorption of ‘alien’ odors.
It is imperative to buy a good machine. Do not invest in one where steam is necessary to build pressure. Go with a boiler or thermoblock to generate heat. A pressure pump that produces 9 bar or more is ideal. Above all, the machine should be well maintained.
The method is to pour clean, fresh water into the machine. Switch on the machine. Once the water gets heated, allow a cup to warm up the machine and to clean it of any residue. The heated water goes through the machine to the pump. Meanwhile, put in the roasted granules of coffee and press down till the packed coffee is springy to the touch. Make sure nothing spills out.
With the hopper firmly in place, put a cup under the spout from where the espresso will flow out. It takes just 5 seconds to get that piping hot cup of espresso and 20 seconds if a double is your requirement.
If cappuccino is your preference, heat a little organic milk (approx. half a cup) in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. Beat it up till it becomes froth and float it on the espresso. You can have your choice of topping - chocolate may appeal to some, while others may prefer cinnamon or nutmeg. Those with a sweet tooth could add organic sugar.
Armed with this information, it shouldn’t be difficult to turn out a refreshingly, delicious cup of coffee. Espresso or cappuccino, the choice is yours!
September 3, 2009
Coffee connoisseur/home barista class
If you would like to know more about coffee and also how to make the perfect espresso cup, then join our Master Roaster and barista trainer, David Rosa, for one of our classes. David will teach you how to make coffees like a real professional! We go through the basics of getting the best grind, the perfect extraction and milk texturing techniques. We set this against a backdrop of the history of coffee and a tastings of different coffee origins and blends. Prepare to be transported to the coffee estates of Brazil, then the mountain altitude of Africa and finish off in the cafes of Rome!
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
Our fee is just $88.00 and includes morning coffee with a selection of pastries. The classes are held at our showroom at 1/44 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills (see below for details of how to get there). Classes run from 10.00am to 12.00 pm on selected Saturdays.
To book yourself into one of these classes, please fill out the booking form on the on-line store of this website. You will find the dates of the courses listed there. If you have any queries, please call Elizabeth on 8084 3479.
In our classes we cover the following:
* A brief history of coffee
* Coffee origins – includes cupping & discussion of different origin characteristics
* An outline of coffee growing and processing, and the art of blending and roasting
* Hands-on espresso skills including:
o How to use a espresso machine
o How to achieve the correct grind
o Extracting the perfect espresso shot
o Milk texturing
o Coffee layering
o Cleaning and maintenance of your espresso machine
August 21, 2009
All About Espresso
Espresso coffee is one much cherished aspect of Italian culture which has conquered the world, much like pizza, cafes all over the world are now fitted with espresso machines which make wonderful coffee. The espresso machine has truly taken the world by storm with its shiny machinery, techniques and drinking rituals, menu lists and jargon; they speak to us of espresso, ristretto, latte, and crema. Most of all it is the rediscovered appeal of the splendid aromatic, syrupy taste and creamy heaviness of espresso and delicate clouds of milk foam floating on top that have caused this love affair with the simple espresso.
Manual Espresso Pot 1) To make the coffee in an espresso pot, first you must fill the lower chamber of the pot with cold freshly drawn water to just below the safety valve.
2) Fill the filter basket with finely ground dark-roasted coffee
3) Using your finger, wipe around the outside of the basket to remove any loose coffee grounds and place the basket in to the lower chamber.
4) Very firmly screw on the top chamber, keep the pot in an upright position, this will avoid getting the coffee wet too soon.
5) Place the espresso pot onto a low heat. After the water boils its steam will start to push the water up the funnel and through the coffee into the top chamber. If the heat is too high the water will flood through very quickly and the coffee will be very acidic and 'thin' tasting.
6) Immediately reduce the heat once the water has started to boil
7) When most of the water has left the lower chamber the bubbling sound will become more intermittent. You must remove the pot from the heat at this time and wait for the bubbling to ease before serving. You cannot keep espresso coffee hot.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - When you place the coffee in the basket it should be slightly compressed and any space in the basket filled; this holds the water in the coffee grounds longer and prevents the coffee being too watery
Electric Espresso Machines
1) To use an electric domestic espresso, follow the manufacturers instructions, which will incorporate most of the following points. Assuming that the correct roast and grind are being used, place a sufficient amount of water in the reservoir and turn on your espresso machine.
2) Wait for a light to come on or go off indicating that steam is available, then decide whether to brew one or two cups, with the appropriate filter holder in place, use the 'brew' mechanism to run some water through the filter to warm it.
3) Remove the filter holder, shaking out and water and then load it with espresso grind coffee using approximately 7g/1 tbsp per cup.
Electric Espresso 4) Tamp (press) the coffee down evenly and firmly using a tamper.
5) Clear loose coffee grounds from around the rim of the filter holder (group). Position the filter holder under the water aperture by holding the filter holder level with the handle on the left hand side (usually). raise the filter holder to the brewing aperture until it feels securely in place.
6) Lock the filter holder in to place by pulling the handle to the far right.
7) Place the cup(s) under the group and press the brew button.
8) Stop the brew when the cups contain about 40ml/1 1/2fl oz.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - Making slight adjustments to the grind, dosage and tamping pressure can result in the perfect cup that will take between 15-20 seconds to brew a maximum of 40ml/1 1/2fl oz of coffee. The appearance of the crema on the surface is an excellent diagnostic tool in determining what has gone wrong. If the crema is more white than brown, the coffee is under extracted will taste 'thin' and watery, to counteract this adjust the grind to a slightly finer one and/or firmer tamping. If the crema look burnt or very dark brown the coffee is over extracted and will taste very bitter, perhaps the coffee is too fine, the dose too large or too much water was allowed to run through the coffee.
SARAH'S ULTIMATE ESPRESSO TIP - Remember that oxygen destroys caffeine so drink your espresso very quickly, as within 30 seconds flavour is starting to disappear and your espresso will start to turn bitter.
from morethancoffee.co.uk
Manual Espresso Pot 1) To make the coffee in an espresso pot, first you must fill the lower chamber of the pot with cold freshly drawn water to just below the safety valve.
2) Fill the filter basket with finely ground dark-roasted coffee
3) Using your finger, wipe around the outside of the basket to remove any loose coffee grounds and place the basket in to the lower chamber.
4) Very firmly screw on the top chamber, keep the pot in an upright position, this will avoid getting the coffee wet too soon.
5) Place the espresso pot onto a low heat. After the water boils its steam will start to push the water up the funnel and through the coffee into the top chamber. If the heat is too high the water will flood through very quickly and the coffee will be very acidic and 'thin' tasting.
6) Immediately reduce the heat once the water has started to boil
7) When most of the water has left the lower chamber the bubbling sound will become more intermittent. You must remove the pot from the heat at this time and wait for the bubbling to ease before serving. You cannot keep espresso coffee hot.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - When you place the coffee in the basket it should be slightly compressed and any space in the basket filled; this holds the water in the coffee grounds longer and prevents the coffee being too watery
Electric Espresso Machines
1) To use an electric domestic espresso, follow the manufacturers instructions, which will incorporate most of the following points. Assuming that the correct roast and grind are being used, place a sufficient amount of water in the reservoir and turn on your espresso machine.
2) Wait for a light to come on or go off indicating that steam is available, then decide whether to brew one or two cups, with the appropriate filter holder in place, use the 'brew' mechanism to run some water through the filter to warm it.
3) Remove the filter holder, shaking out and water and then load it with espresso grind coffee using approximately 7g/1 tbsp per cup.
Electric Espresso 4) Tamp (press) the coffee down evenly and firmly using a tamper.
5) Clear loose coffee grounds from around the rim of the filter holder (group). Position the filter holder under the water aperture by holding the filter holder level with the handle on the left hand side (usually). raise the filter holder to the brewing aperture until it feels securely in place.
6) Lock the filter holder in to place by pulling the handle to the far right.
7) Place the cup(s) under the group and press the brew button.
8) Stop the brew when the cups contain about 40ml/1 1/2fl oz.
SARAH'S TOP TIP - Making slight adjustments to the grind, dosage and tamping pressure can result in the perfect cup that will take between 15-20 seconds to brew a maximum of 40ml/1 1/2fl oz of coffee. The appearance of the crema on the surface is an excellent diagnostic tool in determining what has gone wrong. If the crema is more white than brown, the coffee is under extracted will taste 'thin' and watery, to counteract this adjust the grind to a slightly finer one and/or firmer tamping. If the crema look burnt or very dark brown the coffee is over extracted and will taste very bitter, perhaps the coffee is too fine, the dose too large or too much water was allowed to run through the coffee.
SARAH'S ULTIMATE ESPRESSO TIP - Remember that oxygen destroys caffeine so drink your espresso very quickly, as within 30 seconds flavour is starting to disappear and your espresso will start to turn bitter.
from morethancoffee.co.uk
August 18, 2009
Car Audio and Video Buying Guide
Do you want to make your car more stylish? Do you want to add some additional audio and video? Well, as a matter of fact, many people love to have a stylish car. They love to modify their car with various accessories. In fact, since the modification is intended to add the values of the car, we certainly need to choose the right accessories. We have to be able to choose the quality ones among the many kinds of accessories.
To be able to choose car accessories simpler and easier, we can consider the guide from Shopwiki.com. The website provides comprehensive guide that will enable us to buy the right product. We can consider the guide whenever we want to buy the right Car DVD Players. The guide tells us the right players which best fits our car. There is detail information about how to choose best quality players. If we need others products for Car Audio and Video, the website has extensive information about it.
Further, we can also find comprehensive buying guide on GPS Devices. This device is very helpful for car drivers who don’t know their surrounding maps. In sum, the website is very helpful in our attempt to modify our car using the right accessories. We should consider the website as our main resource whenever we want to modify our car.
Choose the Right TV Provider
Do you want to find a television provider that can provide quality television service? Have you fed up with the cable television that cannot meet your needs? Well, if you are experiencing such condition, you certainly need to reconsider your television provider. You might need to consider using satellite television as it is able to provide high quality pictures. Its perfect signal availability makes lots of people considering satellite television as a better choice.
If you are interested in satellite television, you will need to decide the right provider. As what you can see at Directsattv.com, there is comprehensive information about Direct TV, a reliable and trusted satellite television provider that is able to provide quality services.
The website also provides information about best deals, special offers and promotions from Directv. This information will enable you to choose the right deal that meets your needs.
You will also find comparison information between cable television and this provider. From the comparison you will find out that this provider is much better than cable TV. This satellite television is available everywhere enabling you to find Direct TV in New York.
Therefore, if you are looking for a reliable satellite television provider in your local area, this satellite television provider is a perfect choice. Visit the website now and find further information you need.
August 13, 2009
How to Make Vietnamese Coffee (Ca Phe) Cup
Vietnamese coffee is like nothing else. I developed a taste for it when I was living close to a small Vietnamese lunch counter. Normally, I ordered a cup of American coffee with my meal. One rainy evening when I was the only customer in the place, the owner stood by my table while I ate, talking about this and that and the other. When it came time for my coffee, he smiled and said, “You try my coffee tonight.” In an agreeable sort of mood, I – well – agreed. Sublime does not do the flavor justice. Nor does mere description. If someone had told me that Vietnamese coffee is very strong coffee mixed with sweetened, condensed milk, I could no more have imagined the flavor of Vietnamese coffee than if someone had told me that ice cream is frozen milk with sugar and flavoring added.
In the early part of the 20th century, Vietnam was a major exporter of coffee. Originally brought to the hilly interior of the country by the French, it rapidly became a major cash crop. Those wet, mountainous inner regions are ideal for growing robusta coffee, which is often regarded as being less flavorful and more bitter than arabica coffee. Coffee production and export slowed to a mere trickle during and after the Vietnam war, but in the early 1980s, Vietnamese coffee once again began to creep into the marketplace. Without much fanfare, Vietnam gradually increased the size of its export coffee market. As of 2004, Vietnamese coffee exports were second only to Brazil. While robusta coffee is seen as making inferior coffee to arabica beans, it is often blended with arabica beans in supermarket blends for sale to the general public. The robusta beans grown in central Vietnam are ideal for making Vietnamese coffee, and many espresso afficionadoes favor robusta beans for espresso as well.
Like Turkish coffee and espresso, making Vietnamese coffee involves its own little secrets and rituals. The coffee, called ca phe, is actually brewed in a miniature drip pot that sits on top of your coffee cup. The “cup” is more usually a glass, because Vietnamese coffee is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the tongue. The Vietnamese coffee pot looks a bit like a top hat. The rim is designed to sit on the rim of the glass. Inside, the coffee pot consists of the chamber and a filter. The filter lid unscrews from the body of the coffee pot so that you can add the coffee and then cover it.
How to Make Vietnamese Ca Phe with a Vietnamese Coffee Pot
Unscrew the filter insert and remove it from the pot.
Spoon about two tablespoons of very finely ground Vietnamese coffee into the pot. If you can’t find Vietnamese coffee, try Luzianne coffee with chicory. In fact, many experts claim that it isn’t Vietnamese coffee without the chicory.
Replace the filter insert and screw it down tightly over the coffee grounds. This serves the same purpose as tamping the filter basket when making espresso. It compresses the coffee into a hard puck and slows the process of the water through the ground coffee, giving it time to extract all the flavor.
Pour about 1/3 of an inch of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of your coffee glass or cup. Place the Vietnamese coffee pot over the rim of your cup or glass.
Pour one cup of water just off the boil into the pot over the filter top. Cover the pot and wait.
The coffee will take its time. More than almost any other method of making coffee save perhaps Turkish coffee, drinking Vietnamese coffee encourages a leisurely attitude. It is not coffee for the rushed and impatient. It can take ten minutes or more for the water to finish dripping through the coffee grounds into the glass, transformed into thick, rich, velvety coffee. The coffee, being of different density, simply sits on top of the milk, forming three distinct layers – the creamy milk at the bottom, a very thin layer of caramel colored coffee that has dissolved some of the milk, and the thick coffee on the top.
Remove the coffee top hat from the glass and set it on a saucer or plate beside you. Stir up the coffee and milk with a spoon and enjoy.
In the early part of the 20th century, Vietnam was a major exporter of coffee. Originally brought to the hilly interior of the country by the French, it rapidly became a major cash crop. Those wet, mountainous inner regions are ideal for growing robusta coffee, which is often regarded as being less flavorful and more bitter than arabica coffee. Coffee production and export slowed to a mere trickle during and after the Vietnam war, but in the early 1980s, Vietnamese coffee once again began to creep into the marketplace. Without much fanfare, Vietnam gradually increased the size of its export coffee market. As of 2004, Vietnamese coffee exports were second only to Brazil. While robusta coffee is seen as making inferior coffee to arabica beans, it is often blended with arabica beans in supermarket blends for sale to the general public. The robusta beans grown in central Vietnam are ideal for making Vietnamese coffee, and many espresso afficionadoes favor robusta beans for espresso as well.
Like Turkish coffee and espresso, making Vietnamese coffee involves its own little secrets and rituals. The coffee, called ca phe, is actually brewed in a miniature drip pot that sits on top of your coffee cup. The “cup” is more usually a glass, because Vietnamese coffee is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the tongue. The Vietnamese coffee pot looks a bit like a top hat. The rim is designed to sit on the rim of the glass. Inside, the coffee pot consists of the chamber and a filter. The filter lid unscrews from the body of the coffee pot so that you can add the coffee and then cover it.
How to Make Vietnamese Ca Phe with a Vietnamese Coffee Pot
Unscrew the filter insert and remove it from the pot.
Spoon about two tablespoons of very finely ground Vietnamese coffee into the pot. If you can’t find Vietnamese coffee, try Luzianne coffee with chicory. In fact, many experts claim that it isn’t Vietnamese coffee without the chicory.
Replace the filter insert and screw it down tightly over the coffee grounds. This serves the same purpose as tamping the filter basket when making espresso. It compresses the coffee into a hard puck and slows the process of the water through the ground coffee, giving it time to extract all the flavor.
Pour about 1/3 of an inch of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of your coffee glass or cup. Place the Vietnamese coffee pot over the rim of your cup or glass.
Pour one cup of water just off the boil into the pot over the filter top. Cover the pot and wait.
The coffee will take its time. More than almost any other method of making coffee save perhaps Turkish coffee, drinking Vietnamese coffee encourages a leisurely attitude. It is not coffee for the rushed and impatient. It can take ten minutes or more for the water to finish dripping through the coffee grounds into the glass, transformed into thick, rich, velvety coffee. The coffee, being of different density, simply sits on top of the milk, forming three distinct layers – the creamy milk at the bottom, a very thin layer of caramel colored coffee that has dissolved some of the milk, and the thick coffee on the top.
Remove the coffee top hat from the glass and set it on a saucer or plate beside you. Stir up the coffee and milk with a spoon and enjoy.
July 30, 2009
Coffee and Cafein
A couple of weeks ago, I was having trouble sleeping. I have never had any sleeping disorders to speak of, so I thought that maybe switching to decaffeinated coffee would help me get back to sleeping the way I normally do, like a log.
Like many things in my life, I was wrong. The difference between regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee has had absolutely no effect on my sleep pattern.
Caffeine Fears
As I've previously mentioned, the caffeine in coffee has never had an effect on me. Drinking decaffeinated coffee for the past couple of weeks has proven it to me. I'm still having trouble sleeping, but I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that I have the head cold from hell, picked up from one of my nieces who picked it up at school. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid something like that is to become a hermit (not a bad idea).
You might think the real reason for my switch would be to avoid the caffeine curve. Sorry, but I don't believe that crap for a moment. The real reason is exactly as I stated. I needed to prove to myself that caffeine really doesn't have any effect on me and I did.
The only fear I had when I switched is that I would have caffeine withdrawals (headaches or freaking out). I didn't.
Discriminating Taste
Although I don't own a coffee maker, I drink a lot of coffee. It's all instant coffee. Even though both the regular and decaffeinated coffees I've been drinking are both instant, they are of the same brand. I can tell the difference in the taste. The decaffeinated version doesn't taste as good as the regular. With me and coffee, it's all about the taste, not the caffeine.
I like brewed coffee so much more than instant and I plan to buy a coffee maker of some kind in the near future. I have no idea what kind I'll be able to find here in the Philippines, so I may have to get one shipped in. In the meantime, and when I go grocery shopping again, I'll be buying regular instant coffee.
Article Credit RT Cunningham
Like many things in my life, I was wrong. The difference between regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee has had absolutely no effect on my sleep pattern.
Caffeine Fears
As I've previously mentioned, the caffeine in coffee has never had an effect on me. Drinking decaffeinated coffee for the past couple of weeks has proven it to me. I'm still having trouble sleeping, but I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that I have the head cold from hell, picked up from one of my nieces who picked it up at school. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid something like that is to become a hermit (not a bad idea).
You might think the real reason for my switch would be to avoid the caffeine curve. Sorry, but I don't believe that crap for a moment. The real reason is exactly as I stated. I needed to prove to myself that caffeine really doesn't have any effect on me and I did.
The only fear I had when I switched is that I would have caffeine withdrawals (headaches or freaking out). I didn't.
Discriminating Taste
Although I don't own a coffee maker, I drink a lot of coffee. It's all instant coffee. Even though both the regular and decaffeinated coffees I've been drinking are both instant, they are of the same brand. I can tell the difference in the taste. The decaffeinated version doesn't taste as good as the regular. With me and coffee, it's all about the taste, not the caffeine.
I like brewed coffee so much more than instant and I plan to buy a coffee maker of some kind in the near future. I have no idea what kind I'll be able to find here in the Philippines, so I may have to get one shipped in. In the meantime, and when I go grocery shopping again, I'll be buying regular instant coffee.
Article Credit RT Cunningham
What is POSTUM
A better question would probably be "What was Postum?", since Postum is no longer being manufactured. The name of the product should give you an idea of the name of the person who was behind the development of the product.
I have some Postum-related articles on another blog and I believe it's more appropriate to move them here because Postum was a popular coffee alternative. This is just one of the articles I wrote — the only changes are the reformatting. I moved another article from a different blog (it was the only one on the subject) and it has already been here on this blog for some time.
Postum History
Postum started as a caramel cereal coffee that was being brewed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan while Charles William Post was a charity patient there. Post found the recipe when he was snooping in the kitchen and obtained it from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of the corn flakes breakfast cereal. Kellogg gave the recipe to Post willingly, having no way of knowing it would be the start of a major corporation.
C. W. Post founded the Postum Cereal Company in 1895, which was headquartered right there in Battle Creek, Michigan, with Postum as his first product. It was a powdered, roasted grain beverage made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. Post and Dr. Kellogg both believed that caffeine was unhealthy and Postum was marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee.
Postum became very popular with the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Mormons, or the Church of Latter Day Saints. The people of both religious groups didn't drink hot, caffeinated beverages and didn't suffer from the jittery side effects that coffee gave some people. According to the director of the estate of an Adventist co-founder, Post himself was not an Adventist.
Postum Cereal Company changed its name to General Foods Corporation in 1929 after acquiring other food brands and merged with Kraft Foods in 1989. Kraft Foods spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati told Taashi Rowe of the Adventist News Network that the company stopped making Postum in the fall of 2007 because the demand for it was so low that manufacturing it no longer made sense.
Postum Future
There are people attempting to revive Postum in one way or another. I'll be adding some of that information to the other posts I'm moving over here.
Article Credit : RT Cunningham
I have some Postum-related articles on another blog and I believe it's more appropriate to move them here because Postum was a popular coffee alternative. This is just one of the articles I wrote — the only changes are the reformatting. I moved another article from a different blog (it was the only one on the subject) and it has already been here on this blog for some time.
Postum History
Postum started as a caramel cereal coffee that was being brewed at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan while Charles William Post was a charity patient there. Post found the recipe when he was snooping in the kitchen and obtained it from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of the corn flakes breakfast cereal. Kellogg gave the recipe to Post willingly, having no way of knowing it would be the start of a major corporation.
C. W. Post founded the Postum Cereal Company in 1895, which was headquartered right there in Battle Creek, Michigan, with Postum as his first product. It was a powdered, roasted grain beverage made from wheat bran, wheat, molasses, and maltodextrin from corn. Post and Dr. Kellogg both believed that caffeine was unhealthy and Postum was marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee.
Postum became very popular with the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Mormons, or the Church of Latter Day Saints. The people of both religious groups didn't drink hot, caffeinated beverages and didn't suffer from the jittery side effects that coffee gave some people. According to the director of the estate of an Adventist co-founder, Post himself was not an Adventist.
Postum Cereal Company changed its name to General Foods Corporation in 1929 after acquiring other food brands and merged with Kraft Foods in 1989. Kraft Foods spokeswoman Laurie Guzzinati told Taashi Rowe of the Adventist News Network that the company stopped making Postum in the fall of 2007 because the demand for it was so low that manufacturing it no longer made sense.
Postum Future
There are people attempting to revive Postum in one way or another. I'll be adding some of that information to the other posts I'm moving over here.
Article Credit : RT Cunningham
July 22, 2009
June 24, 2009
Aroma coffee for character in a cup: coffee that won’t make your heart beat faster
All you coffee-lovers put on your mocha loafers, for it's time for a trip down memory lane. Don't spill your beans, but let them drain. Aroma's Coffee Factory has been in the business of making good earnest coffee since the 1930's. That's right, the times when booted, mustached cursing Dutchmen were still playing command-and-conquer in Indonesia . All that dividing and ruling sure took its toll upon their energy level. Alas, Extra Joss wasn't available back then, so they built Aroma's Coffee Factory to keep spirits up. Now, more than 70 years later, Aroma's is still doing its mission: making coffee the way it should be, without artificial flavorings, pesticides or even vanilla essence.
When you enter the small shop on Jalan Banceuy, central Bandung, its wooden interior and antique coffee paraphernalia such as old coffee machines and bronze scales will make you think that you stepped into a movie set. Luckily the all-pervasive smell of freshly ground coffee beans will bring you back to reality, and as the second-generation owner takes you around on a tour that will explain all the nooks and crannies of the coffee business to you, the decor will come alive. It is a rare thing that in this day and age where profit margins dictate people's life, and actually in many occasions, their coffee intake, Aroma's coffee factory remains dedicated to entrepreneurial craftsmanship that keeps rusty German made coffee burners from the 1930's a foundation instead of a relic from a long forgotten past.
Everything in the factory is still hand-labor, from the picking and sorting of the beans to the roasting and packing. The coffee beans coming mainly from Sumatra and Jawa are dried in the back yard for an hour and then piled sack upon sack rising more than 10 meters above our heads in the storage room, where the Robusta beans will dry for 5 years, while the Arabica beans require an astonishing 8 years of lying around. In that time the acidity of the beans will drop in a natural process, and as an end result Aroma's coffee is not only tastier but also a lot healthier. ‘Arabica is fit for people with high blood pressure, and Robusta for people with low blood pressure' explains the owner. The health of his customers is more important to him than the amount of beans he sells. He is a man who believes in God...and good coffee, ‘What is the purpose of praying everyday, when in the end you cheat on your customers?' he asks.
After the years of drying, the beans are then hand-roasted in a rusty but reliable oven fired by rubber wood, and then according to customers' wishes ground or sold as whole beans. ‘It is very simple, but you need a lot of patience' the owner twinkles. Back in the shop people line up to buy their essential provision of Arabica or Robusta. Many of them have been coming here for years in search of a flavor and quality; these are real coffee drinkers who will instantly say no to instant coffee. Get a taste of authenticity and drop by at Aroma's. Open daily, if you want a behind the scenes look on the coffee making process, be there before 2 o clock or call in beforehand.
When you enter the small shop on Jalan Banceuy, central Bandung, its wooden interior and antique coffee paraphernalia such as old coffee machines and bronze scales will make you think that you stepped into a movie set. Luckily the all-pervasive smell of freshly ground coffee beans will bring you back to reality, and as the second-generation owner takes you around on a tour that will explain all the nooks and crannies of the coffee business to you, the decor will come alive. It is a rare thing that in this day and age where profit margins dictate people's life, and actually in many occasions, their coffee intake, Aroma's coffee factory remains dedicated to entrepreneurial craftsmanship that keeps rusty German made coffee burners from the 1930's a foundation instead of a relic from a long forgotten past.
Everything in the factory is still hand-labor, from the picking and sorting of the beans to the roasting and packing. The coffee beans coming mainly from Sumatra and Jawa are dried in the back yard for an hour and then piled sack upon sack rising more than 10 meters above our heads in the storage room, where the Robusta beans will dry for 5 years, while the Arabica beans require an astonishing 8 years of lying around. In that time the acidity of the beans will drop in a natural process, and as an end result Aroma's coffee is not only tastier but also a lot healthier. ‘Arabica is fit for people with high blood pressure, and Robusta for people with low blood pressure' explains the owner. The health of his customers is more important to him than the amount of beans he sells. He is a man who believes in God...and good coffee, ‘What is the purpose of praying everyday, when in the end you cheat on your customers?' he asks.
After the years of drying, the beans are then hand-roasted in a rusty but reliable oven fired by rubber wood, and then according to customers' wishes ground or sold as whole beans. ‘It is very simple, but you need a lot of patience' the owner twinkles. Back in the shop people line up to buy their essential provision of Arabica or Robusta. Many of them have been coming here for years in search of a flavor and quality; these are real coffee drinkers who will instantly say no to instant coffee. Get a taste of authenticity and drop by at Aroma's. Open daily, if you want a behind the scenes look on the coffee making process, be there before 2 o clock or call in beforehand.
June 14, 2009
Crazy combo
Crazy Combo
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
What is the most expensive drink at Starbucks? A New York software engineer, Billy Chasen, decided to find out when he was given a voucher for a free drink of any variety. A venti white mocha is the priciest on the menu. He asked a barista at a Manhattan branch to squeeze as many extra shots and syrups into the cup as possible. The result? A 13-shot venti soy hazelnut vanilla cinnamon white mocha with extra white mocha and caramel. The cost was $13.76 (£6.97). His verdict? "It was very sweet and I'm still shaking a bit," he reported on his blog. "I didn't attempt to drink the entire thing, since I'd like to sleep tonight."
June 2, 2009
Starbucks Quest
And I thought I was addicted to coffee! Have you heard of this guy from California who is on a quest to visit every Starbucks store in the world? Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., who now goes by the name Winter, started his quest way back in 1997. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that because it is only now that I came across his story.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
June 1, 2009
Caffeein is serious threat or not
We all know that, in a way, caffeine is a drug. It gives you a buzz (quite unlike the buzz I get from Jack and Coke, though). It can make you high strung. It can give you the energy to keep going and going…and going…just like the Energizer bunny.
But we also know that it can have some negative side effects. Headaches. Tummy problems. Addiction?
According to experts, caffeine should not be taken lightly. The Daily Comet narrates:
“It’s the type of drug that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Bill Aronson, a representative with the Caffeine Awareness Association, a group claiming that caffeine has long-term adverse health effects, such as high blood pressure and anxiety disorders. “Caffeine is the type of drug abused frequently because it’s so accessible.”
Particularly popular among college students, caffeine has become an increasingly central part of many young people’s lives, said Aronson, adding to the risk of chronic health problems as a result. He believes that young people use diet sodas and coffees for a variety of irresponsible activities, like extreme late-night study sessions and weight loss.
“The more that you take it, the more that you want to take it,” said Aronson. He said conditions such as depression, mood swings and irregular heartbeat can emerge after pro-longed consumption.
I think that I am already experiencing some of these side effects, especially irregular heartbeat (smoking does not help either). However, I think that awareness and moderation is the key. There is no need to treat coffee as if it were coke (the powder) or something like that!
But we also know that it can have some negative side effects. Headaches. Tummy problems. Addiction?
According to experts, caffeine should not be taken lightly. The Daily Comet narrates:
“It’s the type of drug that shouldn’t be taken lightly,” said Bill Aronson, a representative with the Caffeine Awareness Association, a group claiming that caffeine has long-term adverse health effects, such as high blood pressure and anxiety disorders. “Caffeine is the type of drug abused frequently because it’s so accessible.”
Particularly popular among college students, caffeine has become an increasingly central part of many young people’s lives, said Aronson, adding to the risk of chronic health problems as a result. He believes that young people use diet sodas and coffees for a variety of irresponsible activities, like extreme late-night study sessions and weight loss.
“The more that you take it, the more that you want to take it,” said Aronson. He said conditions such as depression, mood swings and irregular heartbeat can emerge after pro-longed consumption.
I think that I am already experiencing some of these side effects, especially irregular heartbeat (smoking does not help either). However, I think that awareness and moderation is the key. There is no need to treat coffee as if it were coke (the powder) or something like that!
Starbucks Slash it's price ..?
When was the last time that you went to Starbucks for a coffee? I have to be honest here and say that I think it was more than a month ago! I know, it is quite strange especially if you consider that I used to go there at least three times a week. I guess it is a combination of high prices and busy times. In any case, from what I hear, we just might have more reason to visit Starbucks pretty soon. News has been going around that the giant coffee chain is going to slash its prices because of plunging profits. Sky News has this story:
The chain reported a net profit of £17m for the 13 weeks to March 29 compared with £73m for the same period last year. The company has announced plans to close 960 stores globally as consumers cut back on their spending. Since July it has shut 507 stores in the US and 64 shops in other countries. The closures are part of a plan to close underperforming stores and shave costs companywide.
Starbucks has also been stung by suggestions that some of its drinks are too expensive. Chief executive Howard Schultz said prices on some products in some markets would now be cut. The perception that its coffee is too expensive has led to companies such as McDonald’s making inroads in the speciality coffee market.
ll I can say is that it is about time that they lowered their prices. After all, we do have a lot of other choices and just because their prices are high does not mean that their coffee is better than the others, no?
The chain reported a net profit of £17m for the 13 weeks to March 29 compared with £73m for the same period last year. The company has announced plans to close 960 stores globally as consumers cut back on their spending. Since July it has shut 507 stores in the US and 64 shops in other countries. The closures are part of a plan to close underperforming stores and shave costs companywide.
Starbucks has also been stung by suggestions that some of its drinks are too expensive. Chief executive Howard Schultz said prices on some products in some markets would now be cut. The perception that its coffee is too expensive has led to companies such as McDonald’s making inroads in the speciality coffee market.
ll I can say is that it is about time that they lowered their prices. After all, we do have a lot of other choices and just because their prices are high does not mean that their coffee is better than the others, no?
May 25, 2009
Another coffee Facts
Drinking coffee is one of the most popular hobbies of nearly all people in the world. It may be considered a pleasurable and healthy vise but can also provide bad effect in the body if consumed excessively.
Coffee, whether it is dark or decaffeinated or combined with milk or creamer, is a beverage that all people would love to have on a day to day basis. It is a liquid refreshment that can be sipped excitingly whether hot or cold and the best mate when we have deadlines, interestingly talking with someone or just reading our favorite books.
Coffee has truly evolved throughout the years. Its industry has made several people rich and accomplished in various places. The thousand coffee shops are one of its clear evidences. More than just wealth, drinking coffee can also make every person happy and relaxed. This is because of its main compound found in every granule that is known to affect the human body chemistry - the caffeine. This main component acts as a stimulant that pleases the body.
One of the well known good effects of drinking coffee is the energy gained. Hence, many people who have deadlines or need to be awake at night are taking coffee to keep them going. It also stimulates the bowel and provides more fascinating benefit to serious diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia, as well as gallstones and Parkinson's diseases.
In some studies, coffee has also proven to reduce the incident of acquiring diseases in liver and Type 2 Diabetes, as well as oral, esophageal, and pharyngeal cancer. The anticancer compound, methylpyridinium found in coffee also serves as an antioxidant that helps in preventing cancer.
However, despite of these proven facts about coffee, it can also produce unhealthy effects on our body if we consumed more than what is recommended and our body can take in a day. Common disorders and diseases of excessive drinking of coffee include anxiety and sleep changes, gastrointestinal problems, blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
Indeed, drinking coffee is something that we should not be guilty of. However, we should keep in mind that it is still about balance. The recommended consumption per day is four cups (24 fl oz or 600 mL) or fewer. Let's not abuse the benefits that it can give us. Instead, let us just enjoy the pleasure of drinking a cup or two every day - that will definitely satisfy and keep us healthy.
Coffee Machine ...? which one suits you
This article outlines the main advantages and disadvantages of the traditional espresso machine and bean to cup systems.
There are other types of coffee machine available too, such as the filter coffee machine, pod machine or instant coffee machine, but these are not considered in this article as they cannot produce 'proper' speciality coffee drinks such as latte, espresso, ristretto etc.
The basis of all luxury speciality coffee drinks is the espresso which both our systems produce. This is made by passing hot water under pressure through a wad of ground coffee, to produce a short, strong and concentrated coffee liquor. When the espresso shot is blended with foamed or steamed milk then most popular types of specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato can be made.
Both the traditional espresso machine and the bean to cup machine are able to produce espresso shots and foamed milk.
Firstly we will consider overall drink quality. Here the traditional espresso machine comes out on top. This is assuming that the operator (barista) is well trained and both types of equipment are clean and well-maintained.
An espresso based drink produced on a traditional espresso machine and prepared by a top barista is the best you can get! Coffee beverages made from a bean to cup machine are very good, but don't quite make it to the standard set by a traditional system.
Secondly when considering the consistency of the final beverage the bean to cup machine would usually win. The quality of drink from a traditional espresso machine depends on the barista and his frame of mind at the time and so can vary greatly. Bean to cup machines however produce the same drink at the push of a button and are not dependent on the operator.
Thirdly, ease of use. Here again the fully automatic bean to cup machine comes out on top as most drinks are prepared by the push of a button. To prepare and serve a quality beverage from a traditional espresso machine is a skilled art and takes considerable practise to master.
Fourthly to consider is 'theatre' or ambience of the drink preparation. Whilst a bean to cup machine is purely a functional device to produce a quality beverage, the traditional espresso machine adds that special magic to the whole coffee experience. Customers can enjoy the overall coffee experience as they watch the skilled barista at work.
Our of our four criteria, you will notice that both have 2 wins each, so choose whatever best suits your set-up. Decide which are the most important factors in your particular case before contacting your local coffee machine supplier.
Enjoy.
There are other types of coffee machine available too, such as the filter coffee machine, pod machine or instant coffee machine, but these are not considered in this article as they cannot produce 'proper' speciality coffee drinks such as latte, espresso, ristretto etc.
The basis of all luxury speciality coffee drinks is the espresso which both our systems produce. This is made by passing hot water under pressure through a wad of ground coffee, to produce a short, strong and concentrated coffee liquor. When the espresso shot is blended with foamed or steamed milk then most popular types of specialty coffee drinks such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato can be made.
Both the traditional espresso machine and the bean to cup machine are able to produce espresso shots and foamed milk.
Firstly we will consider overall drink quality. Here the traditional espresso machine comes out on top. This is assuming that the operator (barista) is well trained and both types of equipment are clean and well-maintained.
An espresso based drink produced on a traditional espresso machine and prepared by a top barista is the best you can get! Coffee beverages made from a bean to cup machine are very good, but don't quite make it to the standard set by a traditional system.
Secondly when considering the consistency of the final beverage the bean to cup machine would usually win. The quality of drink from a traditional espresso machine depends on the barista and his frame of mind at the time and so can vary greatly. Bean to cup machines however produce the same drink at the push of a button and are not dependent on the operator.
Thirdly, ease of use. Here again the fully automatic bean to cup machine comes out on top as most drinks are prepared by the push of a button. To prepare and serve a quality beverage from a traditional espresso machine is a skilled art and takes considerable practise to master.
Fourthly to consider is 'theatre' or ambience of the drink preparation. Whilst a bean to cup machine is purely a functional device to produce a quality beverage, the traditional espresso machine adds that special magic to the whole coffee experience. Customers can enjoy the overall coffee experience as they watch the skilled barista at work.
Our of our four criteria, you will notice that both have 2 wins each, so choose whatever best suits your set-up. Decide which are the most important factors in your particular case before contacting your local coffee machine supplier.
Enjoy.
Vietnam Coffee
Introduced by French Jesuits in the 1870s, Vietnam has risen to be the second largest coffee exporting country after Brazil.
Producing between 800,000 and 1m tons per year, Vietnam only consumes about 10% of its production. The remainder is purchased by some of the world’s best known instant coffee brands.
The large majority of local production is done by small households with 2-5ha planted. State owned companies produce around 15% on larger farms.
Production is centered around Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak province, in the Central Highlands.
Robusta is the main crop in Vietnam, due to suitability of geography, climate and elevation. The Government is making its strategy of supplementing Robusta production with the farming of Arabica in suitable areas. While producing lower quantities, Arabica earns roughly twice as much as the same weight of Robusta.
With over 150 years of coffee heritage, Vietnam drinkers have made coffee a key part of their social culture. Sitting around catching up while the strong, rich brew percolates through the ‘phin’ (filter), the only choice to make is whether to add ice, condensed milk or both.
May 24, 2009
Decaf coffee facts
*Decaf coffee drinkers consume 17.7 % of annual coffee sales.
*More pounds of decaffeinated coffee are sold worldwide than organic and fair-trade coffee combined.
*All decaffeinated coffee actually contains some level of caffeine.
*Researchers have been working on a coffee tree that will produce decaffeinated coffee.
*Most of the caffeine removed from coffee is manufactured for use in other products, such as medicines and soft drinks. As a side note, many soft drinks have no inherent caffeine; it is all an addition from coffee.
*My last coffee fact is something all coffee drinkers should know. Different coffees contain varying levels of caffeine depending on their botanical variety. Robusta coffee is grown at a lower elevation, and has more caffeine than arabica coffee which is grown at higher elevations. Arabica coffee is considered "specialty" coffee for is complex flavor and character. Robusta is, for the most part, not spectacular coffee but it does have more "buzz" and is used by some roasters as a component for Espresso blends.
May 20, 2009
Coffee Grinding Tip
Grinding Tip
Never grind more coffee than you will use for immediate brewing. Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor of your coffee. Once ground, coffee will begin to lose its flavor almost immediately. Different methods of brewing will require different grind consistencies. Typically, coffee used for drip brewing should be ground to a consistency similar to granulated sugar. The complete drip cycle should occur within four to six minutes. If the drip cycle is completed in less than four minutes, grind your coffee finer. If the cycle takes longer than six minutes, grind your coffee coarser. When using a French press, the coffee will need to be ground extremely coarse. Espresso requires an extremely fine grind...almost powder-like with a slight grittiness. The key to the proper espresso grind is the extraction time. After the proper dose and tamp, one ounce of espresso should be extracted in approximately 25 to 30 seconds. Like drip coffee, if the one ounce extraction occurs in less than 25 seconds, grind your coffee finer. If the extraction occurs in longer than 30 seconds, grind your coffee coarser. Talk to you local coffee professional for additional information.
May 14, 2009
Coffee Accesories
Personalized Coffee Mugs - How Do I Love Thee?
Limited summarize by Damen Choy
Whatever form your coffee mug takes, the fact remains that we coffee aficionados love our mugs almost as much as we love our beans. Probably the most popular way to personalize a coffee mug is to have a favorite photograph printed on it. Business can order mugs in their company colors, with their company logo or slogan printed for all to see. Yes, our personalized coffee mugs are most commonly used for transferring our favorite beverages to our mouths, but what happens when we ask our mugs to break the mold? Here are some creative ways to put your personalized coffee mugs to work.
* Fill the mugs with candy, wrap with saran wrap, and tie with a colorful bow.
* Buy a pair of personalized coffee mugs and arrange them in a basket with a bag or two of organic coffee beans and surprise a coffee-loving friend or loved one.
Coffee mug sizes are perfect for growing a variety of herbs, ready to snip and use!
Whether you use personalized coffee mugs to drink your favorite java or hot chocolate, or you find other creative uses, enjoy surrounding yourself with mugs that express your individuality.
May 11, 2009
The Ultimate Coffee Machine - Senseo Crema
The Ultimate Coffee Machine - Senseo Crema
Limited Summarize by John J. James
Having a breakfast is a regular routine for most of us. Breakfast is often prepared quickly and hastily. Therefore you need equipment that can assist you in preparing your breakfast easily so you do not have to worry about being late for work.
This makes you feel faint having to walk out of the door without having a proper breakfast. The Senseo Crema of Philips and Douw Egberts (a Sara Lee company) is the most widely used coffee brewer worldwide. Buy your Senseo Coffee Pods and make your mornings hassle free!
An advantage of this product is the low price compared to others other coffee machines. So the next time you can not wake up in time you do not need to worry about preparing your coffee, as Senseo prepares the coffee in a minute.
Philips is known for its huge amount of discount. You can buy your machine at nearby store or buy the product from the Internet.
Also there is a huge variety of products available. It is therefore recommended that if you plan to buy a Senseo you visit an online store and choose from the enormous collection
May 3, 2009
Coffee Blader Grinder Is More good Than Blade Because…
People accept coffee blader grinder because cutting a coffee is actual important to accede in coffee making. It should be done anxiously to be able to accept a appropriate bullwork coffee.
There are about two methods: the Coffee Grinder and the Blade Grinder. These methods are broadly acclimated by altered individuals and coffee shops.Although, as mentioned earlier, association adopted the brier grinders.
Burr Grinder has two pieces of burred metal, sometimes flat, sometimes cone-shaped, that lie on top of one another. The metal pieces rub together, beans canyon through, and the area are mashed out into a alembic or a chute.
The afterpiece anniversary burred allotment of metal is to the other, the bigger the consistent coffee grain. In able brier grinders, the grinder is calibrated by ambience the selector to the coarsest grind, and adjusting the adept punch aloof until it squeals or whistles, and again anytime so agilely borer it aback a cleft in the about-face direction. Again the punch is anchored down.
A blade grinder uses blades to grind. A blade grinder works like a dry mix blender. It chops the coffee beans into little bits. Generally, the best you grind, the abate the $.25 get.
In adjustment to get an espresso maker out of a brand grinder, you accept to bullwork for sixty abnormal and sometimes more. If you appetite a base grind, you are about activity to bullwork amid ten to twenty-five seconds. For best dribble coffee makers, you are attractive at twenty to blaster abnormal of grinding.
Now actuality comes the catch. First, the coffee beans get arena almost unevenly, or in a not uniformed way. Some are ample chunks, some tiny ones, and some aloof right. So, aberration of bullwork admeasurement may clog the machine. Secondly if the metal blades that kept on spinning about will aftermath calefaction that affects coffee bullwork beans taste.
With the characteristics of the two methods, I can say that coffee brier grinder is added more good than brand grinder. That is the acumen alone I chose the brier grinder. To me, a appropriate admeasurement of coffee atom will aftermath a abundant aftertaste cup of coffee.
There are about two methods: the Coffee Grinder and the Blade Grinder. These methods are broadly acclimated by altered individuals and coffee shops.Although, as mentioned earlier, association adopted the brier grinders.
Burr Grinder has two pieces of burred metal, sometimes flat, sometimes cone-shaped, that lie on top of one another. The metal pieces rub together, beans canyon through, and the area are mashed out into a alembic or a chute.
The afterpiece anniversary burred allotment of metal is to the other, the bigger the consistent coffee grain. In able brier grinders, the grinder is calibrated by ambience the selector to the coarsest grind, and adjusting the adept punch aloof until it squeals or whistles, and again anytime so agilely borer it aback a cleft in the about-face direction. Again the punch is anchored down.
A blade grinder uses blades to grind. A blade grinder works like a dry mix blender. It chops the coffee beans into little bits. Generally, the best you grind, the abate the $.25 get.
In adjustment to get an espresso maker out of a brand grinder, you accept to bullwork for sixty abnormal and sometimes more. If you appetite a base grind, you are about activity to bullwork amid ten to twenty-five seconds. For best dribble coffee makers, you are attractive at twenty to blaster abnormal of grinding.
Now actuality comes the catch. First, the coffee beans get arena almost unevenly, or in a not uniformed way. Some are ample chunks, some tiny ones, and some aloof right. So, aberration of bullwork admeasurement may clog the machine. Secondly if the metal blades that kept on spinning about will aftermath calefaction that affects coffee bullwork beans taste.
With the characteristics of the two methods, I can say that coffee brier grinder is added more good than brand grinder. That is the acumen alone I chose the brier grinder. To me, a appropriate admeasurement of coffee atom will aftermath a abundant aftertaste cup of coffee.
Coffee matter and Your Health
If you are a coffee daily drinker, you no agnosticism accept asked yourself how abundant coffee is it safe for you to absorb on a circadian basis. This is not hasty back so abundant has been abhorrent on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been fabricated to blame.
Here's a fresh catechism that you may accept never asked yourself: is coffee anytime acceptable for you? The acknowledgment may abruptness you.
Here is a accomplishment to ponder: did you apperceive that there are over 160 actor coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In agreement of consumption, the boilerplate American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But accede this: the apple baton in agreement of burning is Finland which comes in at about 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!
Another accomplishment is that there accept been able-bodied over 19,000 studies done to assay the furnishings of coffee. Now, studies can about be skewed to appearance whatever the columnist wants, but actuality is what is about agreed: arresting 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is about advised added benign than harmful.
But, back everyone's anatomy is different, we all abide things differently. In some bodies alike the aboriginal bulk of caffein can account agitation and irritebility. Accede additionally that a being may absorb caffein in added means besides coffee. And about after alive about it.
A little accepted actuality is that coffee contains antioxidants which accept been apparent to improve overall health. Actuality is a abbreviate account of some allowances which accept been apparent to be present in coffee:
* Abate affection of Parkinson's Ache
* Antibacterial capacity
* Abate the accident of developing gallstones
* Preserve brainy accuity
* Abate accident of developing blazon 2 Diabetes (if you accept diabetes, abate your burning
* If you are chargeless of hypertension, coffee will not acceptable aftermath it
* Headache abatement
* Abate the accident of some types of blight
* Improve concrete ability
This is not to say that there are not some austere abrogating after-effects of bubbler coffee. It is nice to know, however, that a cup or two in the morning may not aching you. But how do you apperceive for sure? Be abiding to allocution to your bloom able and get their admonition on arresting coffee. They (and you) apperceive what altitude you may accept that you charge to be accurate of back it comes to coffee. Then do you analysis and, if appropriate, get pleasure your coffee.
Here's a fresh catechism that you may accept never asked yourself: is coffee anytime acceptable for you? The acknowledgment may abruptness you.
Here is a accomplishment to ponder: did you apperceive that there are over 160 actor coffee drinkers in the Unites States alone? In agreement of consumption, the boilerplate American consumes 8.8 lbs. of coffee per year. But accede this: the apple baton in agreement of burning is Finland which comes in at about 30 lbs per year. That's a lot of coffee!
Another accomplishment is that there accept been able-bodied over 19,000 studies done to assay the furnishings of coffee. Now, studies can about be skewed to appearance whatever the columnist wants, but actuality is what is about agreed: arresting 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day is about advised added benign than harmful.
But, back everyone's anatomy is different, we all abide things differently. In some bodies alike the aboriginal bulk of caffein can account agitation and irritebility. Accede additionally that a being may absorb caffein in added means besides coffee. And about after alive about it.
A little accepted actuality is that coffee contains antioxidants which accept been apparent to improve overall health. Actuality is a abbreviate account of some allowances which accept been apparent to be present in coffee:
* Abate affection of Parkinson's Ache
* Antibacterial capacity
* Abate the accident of developing gallstones
* Preserve brainy accuity
* Abate accident of developing blazon 2 Diabetes (if you accept diabetes, abate your burning
* If you are chargeless of hypertension, coffee will not acceptable aftermath it
* Headache abatement
* Abate the accident of some types of blight
* Improve concrete ability
This is not to say that there are not some austere abrogating after-effects of bubbler coffee. It is nice to know, however, that a cup or two in the morning may not aching you. But how do you apperceive for sure? Be abiding to allocution to your bloom able and get their admonition on arresting coffee. They (and you) apperceive what altitude you may accept that you charge to be accurate of back it comes to coffee. Then do you analysis and, if appropriate, get pleasure your coffee.
May 2, 2009
Folgers coffee
By Dylan Jackson
Folgers coffee has been brewing in people's homes and offices for years. The decaffeinated, classic roast and ultra roast coffees have a sweet aroma that fills the air when it is brewed. Folgers was bought by Procter and Gamble in 1963 and became known as the coffee of choice. After the food giant bought the coffee brand, it has doubled production and sales to become the number one in coffees. There are many different flavors to choose when you need a fine cup of coffee.
Different Tastes of Folgers
There is the classic decaffeinated, classic roast, coffee Columbian, gourmet supreme, ultra coffee and the ultra decaffeinated. Folgers coffee also makes the ultra urn, ultra urn decaffeinated, Gemini urn, Signia classic café decaffeinated and the gourmet selections lively Columbian coffee. Then they have the gourmet selections morning café, gourmet selections espresso and gourmet selections chocolate.
When you are looking for a coffee brand you can taste, Folgers is the only coffee that comes to mind. You want a rich taste with a smooth flavor. The Folgers brand is always on top of other brand names. The gourmet selections are tasty and have an aroma that attracts everyone. Folgers also has different filters for their different flavored coffees.
The gourmet flavors include bold java, which is a rich coffee taste with a bold smooth finish. The Brazilian sunrise is a smooth taste created from the beans from Brazil and the lively Columbian is a full-bodied distinctive taste. The Morning café has a delicate aroma and taste while the Bistro blend is made from specially blended and roasted beans. The hazelnut crème has a smooth finish and an enticing aroma while the vanilla biscotti is a vanilla flavor that has a creamy finish. The chocolate truffle is a fantastic chocolate flavor and the crème brulee has a warm caramel finish with a vanilla flavored taste. The caramel drizzle is a rich caramel taste.
Coffee Recipes
There are many different recipes for making gourmet coffee daily even more tasteful. There are recipes for Folgers coffees in desserts, breakfast delights and drinks. You can make Blender Chocolate Mousse, Biscotti, Coffee Sauce and Easy Chocolate Pie as well as many more. When you use the recipes and coffees, you should always use the flavor or type asked for in the recipe. Deviating away from the required recipe can result in a bad taste in the finished product.
The Folgers coffee line has been waking up people for years. The fresh sweet aroma that fills the air when the coffee is brewing is what people look forward to in the mornings. The taste that you expect from Folgers is all you need to wake up and get ready for the day. There are many brands of gourmet coffees to try, but after you taste all the different flavors offered, you will only want one instant coffee in the morning or for a mid morning pick me up. Folgers is the coffee everyone loves to drink.
Folgers coffee has been brewing in people's homes and offices for years. The decaffeinated, classic roast and ultra roast coffees have a sweet aroma that fills the air when it is brewed. Folgers was bought by Procter and Gamble in 1963 and became known as the coffee of choice. After the food giant bought the coffee brand, it has doubled production and sales to become the number one in coffees. There are many different flavors to choose when you need a fine cup of coffee.
Different Tastes of Folgers
There is the classic decaffeinated, classic roast, coffee Columbian, gourmet supreme, ultra coffee and the ultra decaffeinated. Folgers coffee also makes the ultra urn, ultra urn decaffeinated, Gemini urn, Signia classic café decaffeinated and the gourmet selections lively Columbian coffee. Then they have the gourmet selections morning café, gourmet selections espresso and gourmet selections chocolate.
When you are looking for a coffee brand you can taste, Folgers is the only coffee that comes to mind. You want a rich taste with a smooth flavor. The Folgers brand is always on top of other brand names. The gourmet selections are tasty and have an aroma that attracts everyone. Folgers also has different filters for their different flavored coffees.
The gourmet flavors include bold java, which is a rich coffee taste with a bold smooth finish. The Brazilian sunrise is a smooth taste created from the beans from Brazil and the lively Columbian is a full-bodied distinctive taste. The Morning café has a delicate aroma and taste while the Bistro blend is made from specially blended and roasted beans. The hazelnut crème has a smooth finish and an enticing aroma while the vanilla biscotti is a vanilla flavor that has a creamy finish. The chocolate truffle is a fantastic chocolate flavor and the crème brulee has a warm caramel finish with a vanilla flavored taste. The caramel drizzle is a rich caramel taste.
Coffee Recipes
There are many different recipes for making gourmet coffee daily even more tasteful. There are recipes for Folgers coffees in desserts, breakfast delights and drinks. You can make Blender Chocolate Mousse, Biscotti, Coffee Sauce and Easy Chocolate Pie as well as many more. When you use the recipes and coffees, you should always use the flavor or type asked for in the recipe. Deviating away from the required recipe can result in a bad taste in the finished product.
The Folgers coffee line has been waking up people for years. The fresh sweet aroma that fills the air when the coffee is brewing is what people look forward to in the mornings. The taste that you expect from Folgers is all you need to wake up and get ready for the day. There are many brands of gourmet coffees to try, but after you taste all the different flavors offered, you will only want one instant coffee in the morning or for a mid morning pick me up. Folgers is the coffee everyone loves to drink.
May 1, 2009
Green coffee is the best coffee...?
I haven’t ordered any new green coffee of late (see the bit about it being cold) and so what I have left is really remnants of seasons past… in some cases, several seasons past. Some Ethiopian coffees from the last eCafe competition, Guatemalan greens from the spring before, and some Sumatra from — gosh, I really can’t be sure — maybe two years ago?
And so I roasted some of just about everything.
The Ethiopian coffee is quite decent, really. For a day or two, anyway; and then the cup just sort of… winds down. Aromatics are fleeting, flavors fading. It’s not a tragic thing, really. It’s just tired.
The Guatemalan beans have a similar tale to tell. Notably, they roast dry and hot — they’ve apparently lost a lot of moisture — and the cup quality is not only faded, but also bitter. Very much so.
The Sumatran beans — the oldest of the lot — well they’re something of a different story. They roast well within parameters I might expect of new crop beans. Fresh from the roaster the cup is quite nice (if a bit sharp.) In a day or two, they’re still quite good; caramel and cocoa aromas, turf and bittersweet chocolate flavors, long and mellow finish. And enough so that I suspect they could keep this up a week more (though I don’t know that they’ll last that long… herselfis a big fan of the coffees of Sumatra.)
Is it something about how Sumatran coffees are processed at the mill that lends them more staying power? Not necessarily… the eCafe Ethopian I sampled was a dry-process (or natural) too.
Was there perhaps more moisture in these beans to begin with, so that they’ve retained more over time? I don’t know… but if there was *that* much moisture I’d wonder that there hadn’t been something icky growing in the bag with them. And besides — they’re more than twice as old as the other beans I’d roasted of late.
Is it something about Sumatra? After all, there’s lots of beans that are marketed as Aged Sumatra… how many other origins actively market aged beans? On purpose? Um… I’m thinking. And coming up empty.
Maybe it’s really about the characteristics the coffee started with. The Ethiopian and Guatemalan beans were both bright, acidy, fruit-forward cups; the Sumatran earthy and dark-toned even when it was young. Perhaps fruit and floral esters are more delicate, more prone to age, while dusky chocolate just gets… mellow.
And so I roasted some of just about everything.
The Ethiopian coffee is quite decent, really. For a day or two, anyway; and then the cup just sort of… winds down. Aromatics are fleeting, flavors fading. It’s not a tragic thing, really. It’s just tired.
The Guatemalan beans have a similar tale to tell. Notably, they roast dry and hot — they’ve apparently lost a lot of moisture — and the cup quality is not only faded, but also bitter. Very much so.
The Sumatran beans — the oldest of the lot — well they’re something of a different story. They roast well within parameters I might expect of new crop beans. Fresh from the roaster the cup is quite nice (if a bit sharp.) In a day or two, they’re still quite good; caramel and cocoa aromas, turf and bittersweet chocolate flavors, long and mellow finish. And enough so that I suspect they could keep this up a week more (though I don’t know that they’ll last that long… herselfis a big fan of the coffees of Sumatra.)
Is it something about how Sumatran coffees are processed at the mill that lends them more staying power? Not necessarily… the eCafe Ethopian I sampled was a dry-process (or natural) too.
Was there perhaps more moisture in these beans to begin with, so that they’ve retained more over time? I don’t know… but if there was *that* much moisture I’d wonder that there hadn’t been something icky growing in the bag with them. And besides — they’re more than twice as old as the other beans I’d roasted of late.
Is it something about Sumatra? After all, there’s lots of beans that are marketed as Aged Sumatra… how many other origins actively market aged beans? On purpose? Um… I’m thinking. And coming up empty.
Maybe it’s really about the characteristics the coffee started with. The Ethiopian and Guatemalan beans were both bright, acidy, fruit-forward cups; the Sumatran earthy and dark-toned even when it was young. Perhaps fruit and floral esters are more delicate, more prone to age, while dusky chocolate just gets… mellow.
Coffee Green
One beverage that has almost a worldwide reach is definitely coffee, lot of people drink coffee daily.The flavor and savour of coffee differs greatly with region with every community accustomed to a particular flavor. Caffeine addiction is so deep rooted in many persons that some of them turn out to be connoisseurs of coffee or coffee tasters. Green coffee bean is hard to come by and for those die hard coffee tasters,an organised scheme of various flavors of coffee in various parts of the world will be a great boon.
April 30, 2009
Lello Ariete Espresso makers
Lello Ariete is the best value among stainless steel-encased espresso maker machines. Some say it has minor flaws -- the crema enhancer is a gimmick that many owners dislike, and the drip tray is plastic -- but most are delighted with this inexpensive espresso machine. Many say it's durable, and the coffee tastes great, though we read a number of complaints that it eventually leaks or that the heating unit fails. Some experts note that the internal components are plastic, not metal, but it's extremely rare to find a stainless steel-encased espresso machine at this price point. If you want an espresso machine that's built to last 10-15 years, reviews point to the Rancilio Silvia (*est. $700) which has been on the market long enough to be called a classic by many reviewers. Espresso makers is another type of the Coffee grinders
April 28, 2009
Krups Burr Coffee Grinder
Krups Burr Coffee Grinder
From: $49.00
If you're attractive for a abundant coffee grinder you've begin it! This Krups Brier Coffee Grinder -Black will complete your home.these are one the machines coffee, Our featured online food will put your worries to blow with their fast and reliable service. If you're attractive for added means to save, bang on the advertisement figure abutting to the artefact advertisement to see what appropriate offers and advertisement codes are available.
The abstruse to delicious, aged coffee is bound aural the bean. Coffee that's not afresh arena may be appetizing but time erodes the complexities and nuances of the audible flavors. That's why austere coffee drinkers bullwork the beans anon afore brewing. Be it for American Coffee or Espresso or French Press, the Krups GVX1-14 uses above brier cutting accepted for absolution all those backdrop that advice accomplish the coffee bean unique. What you accretion is a added adorable coffee. Frankly, isn't that what it's all about? Appreciate your coffee added with this brier grinder from Krups. Removable arena coffee alembic is dishwasher safe (top rack, please) Rubber anxiety accumulate grinder durably in abode Anti-static coffee alembic with lid holds up to 8 ounces of arena coffee for a 12-cup pot of coffee Blue aflame On/Off Airtight bean alembic keeps beans beginning Appropriate assurance appearance - Will not accomplish unless lid to bean alembic and coffee alembic are in abode. Overall this maschine will make your coffee-daily routine better
Cuisinart DGB-900 Grind & Brew Thermal
I accept been absent a coffee maker with a bullwork and beverage affection for some time now so aback the Cuisinart DGB900 came on the bazaar with a brier grinder congenital in I anticipation I had begin my apparatus at last. I accept brewed 3 pots of coffee with beginning beans and accept not yet brewed that abysmal affluent cup of coffee I am acclimated to accepting with my old Capresso machine. I will accumulate aggravating to acclimatize the bulk of baptize to beans to see if I can acquisition the appropriate blueprint for my aftertaste but my hopes are not high. There are 3 settings from light-strong for the adapted beverage strength, but the able seting misses the mark by a continued shot. With my old Capresso I acclimated a hardly angled coffee beat per cup and it consistently angry out altogether affluent and aromatic. I absitively to get a fresh apparatus so I could deathwatch up to a pot of afresh arena & brewed coffee. I accept to say admitting that alike my old Capresso which acclimated preground beans brews a far above cup of coffee.This is my coffee-daily ritual
What's Best About this Machines coffee ?
My belief for a fresh apparatus were: a congenital in grinder, programable alpha time, thermal canteen and a minimum of 10-12 cups of coffee and accessible to clean. The Cuisinart DGB900 has all of these so I was captivated aback it came out on the bazaar recently. I like to deathwatch up to afresh brewed coffee so cutting beans in the morning is not an option. This is article I will alone do occassionally on wknds aback I accept the time and inclination!
Some Helpful Tips For Using this Product:
Keep tweaking the bean to baptize arrangement until you acquisition your absolute formula.....but it shouldnt be this adamantine should it? Perhaps I'll acknowledgment this one and try the Capresso with the congenital in grinder...the alone acumen I didn't acquirement the Capresso is that I heard it was difficult to clean. Maybe I should aloof go aback to affairs preground beans and purchasea simple programmable thermal Capresso machine.
by Paula Grassi
April 27, 2009
How to clean you Coffee Grinder Daily
Your grinder may accept a few awful habits it’s not too appreciative of: Namely, it’s adhering and has adversity accepting rid of things. While we acknowledge the packrat sentiment, it’s important that you actuate your grinder to consistently apple-pie up its act — and back it’s an azoic object, you’ll accept to booty the lead.
How to advance your coffee grinder's burrs Depending on how abundant you grind, you’ll appetite to abolish balance area from the burrs on a approved base — home grinders should do this monthly, while bistro grinders will charge to do it weekly. If it’s accessible for you to pop out the burrs on your grinder, do so and thoroughly besom the burrs chargeless of any congenital up coffee grounds. If you can’t calmly get at the burrs, you can use a artefact such as Grindz, which is a hard, civil artefact advised to bright out the oils and lodged particles from the burrs.
We accept heard that some bodies use raw rice or aureate to accomplish the aforementioned after-effects as Grindz, which is a wheat-based food-friendly product. However, we haven’t approved this out and don’t apperceive how acknowledged or safe it is for your burrs.
In accession to the aliment on the burrs, we additionally acclaim wiping out the alembic consistently to cut bottomward on adipose body up that could become rancid over time.
April 25, 2009
KALADI Brothers - Cofffee from Alaska
Unique Coffee
What makes our coffee unique? The answer is simple: we employ a mix of arts and science to create the standard by which all coffees are judged. We strive to maintain the utmost freshness and quality and educate our customers on the best methods to care for their Kaladi Coffee once it leaves our roasting facility.
We go further than most coffee companies to create a truly unique coffee experience, but the effort is worth it when you taste the Kaladi Difference.
Man leaning to carefully smell and taste coffee with a spoon
Finding the Perfect Aroma
The Process
Green arabica bean icon
We begin by selecting the finest beans available, using a stringent process of tasting and comparing. We buy only high-grade, shade grown, washed mild, Arabica green coffee from the best coffee-growing regions in the world.
Orange bean icon showing fast movement
Our Sivetz Fluid Bed Roaster represents the most advanced technology in coffee roasting to date. Our roaster uses fresh, hot air to roast coffee rather than a heated surface used by traditional barrel roasters. The result is a clean, uniform roast, that’s free of the bitter-tasting tars left behind in traditional roasters.
Blue bean icon with ice crystals
To preserve the superior properties our roaster creates, we freeze all coffee not used within 18 hours of roasting. This process ensures our coffee is absolutely "roaster fresh" when you purchase it. Freezing coffee in an airtight container is the only scientifically proven method for extending the life of roasted coffee beyond a few days.
April 24, 2009
MyCuppa Coffee Mug
Everyone likes a nice cup of tea or coffee. Here at Firebox HQ our caffeine-intake is staggering. But then it has to be because we're up all hours searching for cool products. The problem is, much as we love our hot drinks it's difficult getting brews just right when you're making them for friends and colleagues.
April 23, 2009
STARBUCKS's selling Instant Coffee..?
I almost do not believe my eyes when I saw the Starbucks introduced a new line of coffee. You know, I love Starbucks coffee, more often than others , I want to walk to Starbucks coffee shop, even if it is a farther than others . However, the soluble coffee ? This is only others the name of a beautiful instant coffee.
Yes, you read that right. Starbucks launched a series of instant coffee. What is the world, what they think of it?
Fast Company reports:
But it did not stop the country's largest chain of coffee ready to start the VIA beer, a new series of real-time - I'm sorry, "soluble" - cafes in March to visit the United States 3rd
There are two Flavors in Brew, Colombia and Italy grilled. This is a typical mixture of packaging and Starbucks: the back of the three services in each bag (2.95 U.S. dollars), providing content, "is not without a lot of coffee."
I am very pessimistic about the whole thing. But Fast Company is not a blind taste test, this is a very surprising result. This is the Starbucks of the VIA - Colombia (instant):
From the coffee powder and hot water. But I do not know why this beer all the positive reviews. Raved the taste of their flavor ( "balance, rather than painful"), texture (smooth so far ") and smell (smells like a fancy coffee"). And call - Ironically, the warning! - "You buy the Starbucks coffee." Nuff said.
I can say, WOW. Instant coffee, or if it is true, a good cafe or coffee is bad. I look forward to try their own.
Yes, you read that right. Starbucks launched a series of instant coffee. What is the world, what they think of it?
Fast Company reports:
But it did not stop the country's largest chain of coffee ready to start the VIA beer, a new series of real-time - I'm sorry, "soluble" - cafes in March to visit the United States 3rd
There are two Flavors in Brew, Colombia and Italy grilled. This is a typical mixture of packaging and Starbucks: the back of the three services in each bag (2.95 U.S. dollars), providing content, "is not without a lot of coffee."
I am very pessimistic about the whole thing. But Fast Company is not a blind taste test, this is a very surprising result. This is the Starbucks of the VIA - Colombia (instant):
From the coffee powder and hot water. But I do not know why this beer all the positive reviews. Raved the taste of their flavor ( "balance, rather than painful"), texture (smooth so far ") and smell (smells like a fancy coffee"). And call - Ironically, the warning! - "You buy the Starbucks coffee." Nuff said.
I can say, WOW. Instant coffee, or if it is true, a good cafe or coffee is bad. I look forward to try their own.
Did you grind your coffee alone
I think that this question has been asked so many times that it has gotten quite old. However, the fact that people keep asking it over and over again means that it is not that clear to many how grinding your own coffee beans can make a difference in the quality of your coffee.
To be honest with you, I was one of those people who kept asking this question. I normally use my good old drip coffee machine. It is just really more convenient than using my espresso machine . When I did get a grinder (Krups) and tried grinding my own beans, however, I discovered what I had been missing out on.
All that I can say is that when you buy freshly roasted whole beans and then you grind a small amount to brew, the flavor is just so wonderful! Naturally, the quality of the drink would depend on the kind of beans that you get but given the same kind, freshly ground beans are the best.
Other ways about grinding your own beans and preserving the flavor of the coffee is you can store the whole beans for a longer period of time than you could store coffee grounds. I have noticed that even if you store coffee grounds in a sealed container, the freshness deteriorates much more quickly than if you stored the whole beans.
To answer that question – yes, grinding your own coffee beans is definitely worth the extra effort that you have to put into measuring out the beans, grinding them, and then cleaning out the grinder. It’s a small price to pay, really.
April 21, 2009
Miss USA 2009 | Kristen Dalton on coffee daily
Miss North Carolina USA Kristen Dalton was crowned Miss USA 2009 on Sunday, beating out 50 other beauty queens in the live pageant televised from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The 22-year-old aspiring motivational speaker and entertainer from Wilmington edged out first runner-up Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, of San Diego, and second runner-up Miss Arizona USA Alicia-Monique Blanco, of Phoenix.
"It feels really natural," Dalton said of her win. "I've worked so be here and this has been my lifelong dream and it's finally here. And whoever knew you could win in a turquoise gown?"
Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia competed in the pageant, aired live on NBC. Contestants were judged by their performance in swimsuit and evening gown modeling contests and their responses to a question asked onstage; unlike the rival Miss America pageant, Miss USA contestants do not perform a talent.
Another Turkish Coffee - Turkish dee-lite
Inspired by reading about the preparation and practice around Turkish coffee, we decided to take a stab at creating a drink that incorporated the flavor of the traditional pairing of Turkish Delight. This is definitely an exotic flavor — one that the crew here found surprisingly tasty!
Ingredients
* 1/4 oz. Monin Rose Gourmet Syrup
* 1/2 oz. Monin Cinnamon Gourmet Syrup
* 2 shots of espresso
* Hot water to taste
Directions
Combine the syrups in the bottom of a warmed mug. Add espresso and mix thoroughly. Top off with hot water to taste.
A Cup of Coffee each day...
Can you complete that sentence? I tried and these are the phrases that I came up with:
…gives you hyperacidity.
…keeps you awake.
…makes you happy.
…stains your teeth.
…keeps you going.
Lame, isn’t it? All of those statements are true for me, though, and are probably true for some of you as well. But, did you know that coffee just might have the ability to kill cancer cells?
In the February 26 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, findings that caffeine might have the ability to kill skin cells that have been damaged by UV rays were disclosed. Live Science reports:
Several studies have shown that people who regularly drink coffee or tea seem to have lower incidences of nonmelanoma skin cancers. One recent study of more than 90,000 Caucasian women found that with each additional cup of caffeinated coffee consumed, there was an associated 5 percent decreased risk of developing one of these skin cancers (decaf coffee had no effect).
More than this, other studies have had similar results:
Caffeine also seemed, in another study, to have a protective effect on mice that had been exposed to UV light, whether they ingested it or it was applied to their skin.
While we do not know if this caffeine will actually prevent cancer, this sort of finding is quite encouraging for us regular coffee, drinkers, right? Perhaps, in the future, we will find out that all these years of enjoying a cup (or two, or even three) of joe every day has benefited us more than we ever thought it would!
April 19, 2009
Coffee can cures cancer...?
A great deal is written on diet and all forms of cancer and recently researchers have suggested that we may be able to prevent about 35% of cancer cases by altering our diets. Each year 10.9 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and there are 6.7 million deaths from the disease and, of these, nearly one million are in the EU (1). It is understandable when we see such figures, to expect that any possible relationship between what we do, what we eat and drink, and the risk of developing cancer, has been extensively studied. Coffee, as a popular beverage, has been included in such studies.
German medics arrived at the conclusion that consumption of large caffeine doses prevents baldness.
Male's hormone testosterone is responsible for baldness in men, meaning that the more testosterone a man as, the more prone he is to losing his hair. Head of the research team Professor Peter Elsner states that hormonal boldness could in fact be prevented by means of caffeine.
As a result of their extensive research studies, German scientists arrived at a fascinating conclusion! Apparently, claim the scientists, it is possible to prevent baldness at an early age by means of treating hair with products containing caffeine (for instance by rubbing a special solution into the scalp).
However, the scientific team advises coffee lovers against consuming their favorite beverage in excess to fight baldness. According to an expert-cosmetologist Adolf Klenka, “one would need to consume 60-80 cups of coffee per day for the caffeine to reach hair follicles.” Professor Elsner in turn notes that “even though a person would be willing to do just that for beauty’s sake, our research did not cover the way caffeine intake influences one’s scalp. We did prove however that caffeine should be used as an external substance that should be applied directly onto the scalp.”
According to him, those men who are genetically predisposed to baldness, should consider such “caffeine therapy” while they are still relatively young. German medics consider that rubbing coffee ground into the scalp is the most effective way to prevent baldness.
As a result of their extensive research studies, German scientists arrived at a fascinating conclusion! Apparently, claim the scientists, it is possible to prevent baldness at an early age by means of treating hair with products containing caffeine (for instance by rubbing a special solution into the scalp).
However, the scientific team advises coffee lovers against consuming their favorite beverage in excess to fight baldness. According to an expert-cosmetologist Adolf Klenka, “one would need to consume 60-80 cups of coffee per day for the caffeine to reach hair follicles.” Professor Elsner in turn notes that “even though a person would be willing to do just that for beauty’s sake, our research did not cover the way caffeine intake influences one’s scalp. We did prove however that caffeine should be used as an external substance that should be applied directly onto the scalp.”
According to him, those men who are genetically predisposed to baldness, should consider such “caffeine therapy” while they are still relatively young. German medics consider that rubbing coffee ground into the scalp is the most effective way to prevent baldness.
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