March 3, 2009

Barista..........??? mm mm mm don't know what is this about...



Barrista....?

What is this.,
kind of thing ? product, brand or profession

What is the different with Barrister...?


If you were to visit a bar or coffeeshop in Italy, you might very well encounter a uniformed bartender called a barista. In Italy, a barista is a trained mixologist familiar with both alcohol and coffee-based drinks. He or she might even wear an elaborate jacket similar to that of a bandmaster or military officer. A barista is usually treated as a respected specialist, in the same vein as a wine steward or sommelier.

When the gourmet coffee industry exploded onto the scene during the 1980s and 1990s, however, the term barista took on a slightly different meaning. A barista in the coffeehouse sense is an expert in producing espresso and espresso-based drinks. Expresso is an intensely-flavored form of coffee generally served in a small cup called a demitasse. In order to brew a perfect cup of espresso, a barista must place a measured amount of ground coffee into a wire basket and tamp it down firmly. The wire basket is then locked under the spout of an espresso machine.

A trained barista should know precisely how much hot water should be forced through the mesh and for how long. If the time is too short, the espresso will be weak and watery. If the barista spends too much time, the espresso will be too strong to drink. It is this intimate knowledge of an espresso machine's capabilities that make a good barista indispensable to a coffeeshop. A barista may also have to create a good froth from steamed milk or allow the espresso to form a natural dark layer on top called a crema.



The skills of a barista go beyond being a good coffee maker. In some coffeeshops, a barista is also expected to have a working knowledge of all of the different blends of gourmet coffees offered. Customers may also ask a barista about roasting times or which grinder settings work best. A good barista also learns different garnishing techniques, such as creating signature designs with stir sticks and cream. There are national and international barista competitions which put all of these skills to the ultimate test.


Oh almost forgot..so what is barrister...?
from Wikipedia..A barrister is a lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions that employ a split profession in relation to legal representation

March 2, 2009

How much caffeine consumed from your coffee drink




The majority of all caffeine consumed worldwide comes from coffee—in some countries, this figure is as high as 85%.

Depending on the type of coffee and method of preparation, the caffeine content of a single serving can vary greatly. On average, the following amounts of caffeine can be expected in a single cup of coffee—about 207 milliliters (7 fluid ounces)—or single shot of espresso—about 44–59 mL (1.5–2 fl oz)

Drip coffee: 115–175 mg
Espresso: 100 mg
Brewed: 80–135 mg
Instant: 65–100 mg
Decaf, brewed: 3–4 mg
Decaf, instant: 2–3 mg


Taken from www.coffeefacts.com

March 1, 2009

Vietnamese drip coffee - Ca phe phin:




My coffee-aficionado friend has had plenty of ca phe sua da or Vietnamese iced coffee before, but he was particularly intrigued with this old-school method of using a phin or metal coffee filter for ca phe phin, Vietnamese drip coffee. You can find it at restaurants in Little Saigon but they're increasingly switching over to pre-made iced coffees. It's really easy to do it yourself at home, just takes a bit o' patience.


You can buy the phin or metal filter at most Little Saigon supermarkets for under $3.

It comes with three pieces, clockwise, from left to right: The filter, the lid and the press (the flat disc with a metal rod coming out of it).

First, pour some condensed milk into a glass. Pick a clear glass if you're a nerd like me and like watching the coffee action. I usually go with several tablespoons as it helps to cut the super potent and dark roast Vietnamese coffee, but you can always add more later.

You can also pick up a bag of dark roast coffee grounds at most Vietnamese markets, typically at the cash register. My folks go to Vien Dong Supermarket in Garden Grove for their ca phe. About $5 a bag.

Put a kettle of water on to boil. Then, before you put the coffee grounds into the filter, be sure to take out the press. Add a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds into the filter until it's almost halfway full for a strong serving. (Or roughly three teaspoons.) Place the press back into the filter and screw the rod back into place if need be. (Erik did a great job his first time -- betcha thought those large hands were mine, huh?)

Then pour the boiling water into the filter to the top. Cover with the lid and wait about 15 minutes or so.

The coffee will start drip, drip, dripping ... be patient ... after the water goes down, you'll likely want to add one more round of hot water.

Then you just stir up the condensed milk and coffee together and either drink it hot or add ice. And some more condensed milk if need be. Enjoy! your delightful cup of Vietnamese Coffee

Taken from

World rarest and unique Coffee brew - Cold Brew Coffee




The notion of cold-brewed coffee sounded to us, frankly, weird, to most people, brewing coffee minus the heat is quite impossible
After all, heat seems intrinsic to the coffee process. Why would you possibly want to leave grounds soaking for half a day in an ugly plastic pitcher, like so much Kool-Aid? There's only one possible reason we were willing to try the Toddy coffee system, one of a handful of cold-brew options available: It works.

In the beginning
The idea of commercializing the method of brewing coffee without the heat or cold brewing came from a chemical engineer, Todd Simpson. It is said that in 1964 he got the idea in a small cafĂ© in Guatemala. This is when he received a small flask of cool concentrate and some boiling water upon ordering. This makes him wonder whether his mother, who couldn't stomach coffee, might be able to enjoy the cold coffee instead. Eventually his mother could and this leads him to develop the cold brewing device known as the “Toddy system” which is being commercialized now.
Todd Simpson believes that it may be an ancient Peruvian method, and coffee concentrates first showed up in 19th-century America. Another theory traces it back to Java. However, nobody knows for sure where cold coffee brewing method came from.
No heat, no plug
It's not an immediately comfortable transition. The technology is profoundly low-tech: a plastic pitcher with a fabric filter, sitting atop a carafe that catches the finished product. No electricity needed, just gravity, a pound of ground beans and nine cups of cold water. That and 10 to 12 hours steeping time.
It is said that the coffee produced through this method is less acidic, less caffeine and also friendly to sensitive stomach. Toddy claims to brew up two-thirds less caffeine than regular coffee; in a side-by side test using Starbucks' regular blend, the Toddy version had a pH of 6.31 and 40 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of coffee, while Starbucks store-brewed clocked in at a pH of 5.48 and 61 mg of caffeine. (Lower numbers on the pH scale, which is measured logarithmically, denote more acid.)

February 28, 2009

World rarest and unique coffee drinks - Kopi Luwak





Kopi (or coffee) Luwak from Sumatra, Indonesia is one of the rare type of coffee in the world. The current price of a pound of Kopi Luwak about $ 500 or more, and this is one of the most expensive coffee in the world.

In addition to the excellent taste of coffee, and coffee, is rare, since they are produced.
Coffee cherries are picked, as well as other premium coffee market. In fact, the beans from the feces of pet cats Civets (scientific name: Paradoxurus), the local called "Luwak". It is believed that these mammals in the world's best coffee cherry picker. The Luwak chose coffee, ripe cherry and red and eat them. Eat only the skin, but he swallowed the beans to coffee beans are exposed to the process of fermentation in the digestive system and describe the cat Civets alien tastes. Coffee, beans and get rid of the cats Civets .

The Farmer collect the feces and cleaning the coffee.
Why interest in coffee, which violates cultural taboos, ...because of his travel through the digestive system of animals? "All the calls for education and vocational training is the cat coffee," says Michael Sharp Australian cafe owner, was quoted as saying the Australian Associated Press.

High demand for coffee is folly Pyle got a forest floor, at first glance surprising. However, it is a taste of the coffee and the reasons for people to overcome the challenge of drinking "the cat, coffee, education, vocational training," says Reuters.

Kopi Luwak taste is different from other coffee in many different ways. Kopi Luwak coffee reports less protein, and there is also less other bacteria, possibly digest Civets floor. It has been absorbed by the feces of cats Civets beans are also available as the best and selected beans, because these animals only to get the best cherries of the coffee consumption.

Coffee drinkers, said it was a rich taste with hints of chocolate and candy flavors, it is lighter than other flavors of the coffee blends. Some describe as a simple, practical and musty taste, as the results of the digestion. Even the taste of coffee takes longer in the mouth.

The finished brew reportedly tastes smoother than other coffee blends and has an earthy, exotic flavor.
Actually, similar coffee can be found in Vietnam and it is called “caphe cut chon” by the locals (which literally means fox-dung coffee).

March 3, 2009

Barista..........??? mm mm mm don't know what is this about...



Barrista....?

What is this.,
kind of thing ? product, brand or profession

What is the different with Barrister...?


If you were to visit a bar or coffeeshop in Italy, you might very well encounter a uniformed bartender called a barista. In Italy, a barista is a trained mixologist familiar with both alcohol and coffee-based drinks. He or she might even wear an elaborate jacket similar to that of a bandmaster or military officer. A barista is usually treated as a respected specialist, in the same vein as a wine steward or sommelier.

When the gourmet coffee industry exploded onto the scene during the 1980s and 1990s, however, the term barista took on a slightly different meaning. A barista in the coffeehouse sense is an expert in producing espresso and espresso-based drinks. Expresso is an intensely-flavored form of coffee generally served in a small cup called a demitasse. In order to brew a perfect cup of espresso, a barista must place a measured amount of ground coffee into a wire basket and tamp it down firmly. The wire basket is then locked under the spout of an espresso machine.

A trained barista should know precisely how much hot water should be forced through the mesh and for how long. If the time is too short, the espresso will be weak and watery. If the barista spends too much time, the espresso will be too strong to drink. It is this intimate knowledge of an espresso machine's capabilities that make a good barista indispensable to a coffeeshop. A barista may also have to create a good froth from steamed milk or allow the espresso to form a natural dark layer on top called a crema.



The skills of a barista go beyond being a good coffee maker. In some coffeeshops, a barista is also expected to have a working knowledge of all of the different blends of gourmet coffees offered. Customers may also ask a barista about roasting times or which grinder settings work best. A good barista also learns different garnishing techniques, such as creating signature designs with stir sticks and cream. There are national and international barista competitions which put all of these skills to the ultimate test.


Oh almost forgot..so what is barrister...?
from Wikipedia..A barrister is a lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions that employ a split profession in relation to legal representation

March 2, 2009

How much caffeine consumed from your coffee drink




The majority of all caffeine consumed worldwide comes from coffee—in some countries, this figure is as high as 85%.

Depending on the type of coffee and method of preparation, the caffeine content of a single serving can vary greatly. On average, the following amounts of caffeine can be expected in a single cup of coffee—about 207 milliliters (7 fluid ounces)—or single shot of espresso—about 44–59 mL (1.5–2 fl oz)

Drip coffee: 115–175 mg
Espresso: 100 mg
Brewed: 80–135 mg
Instant: 65–100 mg
Decaf, brewed: 3–4 mg
Decaf, instant: 2–3 mg


Taken from www.coffeefacts.com

March 1, 2009

Vietnamese drip coffee - Ca phe phin:




My coffee-aficionado friend has had plenty of ca phe sua da or Vietnamese iced coffee before, but he was particularly intrigued with this old-school method of using a phin or metal coffee filter for ca phe phin, Vietnamese drip coffee. You can find it at restaurants in Little Saigon but they're increasingly switching over to pre-made iced coffees. It's really easy to do it yourself at home, just takes a bit o' patience.


You can buy the phin or metal filter at most Little Saigon supermarkets for under $3.

It comes with three pieces, clockwise, from left to right: The filter, the lid and the press (the flat disc with a metal rod coming out of it).

First, pour some condensed milk into a glass. Pick a clear glass if you're a nerd like me and like watching the coffee action. I usually go with several tablespoons as it helps to cut the super potent and dark roast Vietnamese coffee, but you can always add more later.

You can also pick up a bag of dark roast coffee grounds at most Vietnamese markets, typically at the cash register. My folks go to Vien Dong Supermarket in Garden Grove for their ca phe. About $5 a bag.

Put a kettle of water on to boil. Then, before you put the coffee grounds into the filter, be sure to take out the press. Add a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds into the filter until it's almost halfway full for a strong serving. (Or roughly three teaspoons.) Place the press back into the filter and screw the rod back into place if need be. (Erik did a great job his first time -- betcha thought those large hands were mine, huh?)

Then pour the boiling water into the filter to the top. Cover with the lid and wait about 15 minutes or so.

The coffee will start drip, drip, dripping ... be patient ... after the water goes down, you'll likely want to add one more round of hot water.

Then you just stir up the condensed milk and coffee together and either drink it hot or add ice. And some more condensed milk if need be. Enjoy! your delightful cup of Vietnamese Coffee

Taken from

World rarest and unique Coffee brew - Cold Brew Coffee




The notion of cold-brewed coffee sounded to us, frankly, weird, to most people, brewing coffee minus the heat is quite impossible
After all, heat seems intrinsic to the coffee process. Why would you possibly want to leave grounds soaking for half a day in an ugly plastic pitcher, like so much Kool-Aid? There's only one possible reason we were willing to try the Toddy coffee system, one of a handful of cold-brew options available: It works.

In the beginning
The idea of commercializing the method of brewing coffee without the heat or cold brewing came from a chemical engineer, Todd Simpson. It is said that in 1964 he got the idea in a small cafĂ© in Guatemala. This is when he received a small flask of cool concentrate and some boiling water upon ordering. This makes him wonder whether his mother, who couldn't stomach coffee, might be able to enjoy the cold coffee instead. Eventually his mother could and this leads him to develop the cold brewing device known as the “Toddy system” which is being commercialized now.
Todd Simpson believes that it may be an ancient Peruvian method, and coffee concentrates first showed up in 19th-century America. Another theory traces it back to Java. However, nobody knows for sure where cold coffee brewing method came from.
No heat, no plug
It's not an immediately comfortable transition. The technology is profoundly low-tech: a plastic pitcher with a fabric filter, sitting atop a carafe that catches the finished product. No electricity needed, just gravity, a pound of ground beans and nine cups of cold water. That and 10 to 12 hours steeping time.
It is said that the coffee produced through this method is less acidic, less caffeine and also friendly to sensitive stomach. Toddy claims to brew up two-thirds less caffeine than regular coffee; in a side-by side test using Starbucks' regular blend, the Toddy version had a pH of 6.31 and 40 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of coffee, while Starbucks store-brewed clocked in at a pH of 5.48 and 61 mg of caffeine. (Lower numbers on the pH scale, which is measured logarithmically, denote more acid.)

February 28, 2009

World rarest and unique coffee drinks - Kopi Luwak





Kopi (or coffee) Luwak from Sumatra, Indonesia is one of the rare type of coffee in the world. The current price of a pound of Kopi Luwak about $ 500 or more, and this is one of the most expensive coffee in the world.

In addition to the excellent taste of coffee, and coffee, is rare, since they are produced.
Coffee cherries are picked, as well as other premium coffee market. In fact, the beans from the feces of pet cats Civets (scientific name: Paradoxurus), the local called "Luwak". It is believed that these mammals in the world's best coffee cherry picker. The Luwak chose coffee, ripe cherry and red and eat them. Eat only the skin, but he swallowed the beans to coffee beans are exposed to the process of fermentation in the digestive system and describe the cat Civets alien tastes. Coffee, beans and get rid of the cats Civets .

The Farmer collect the feces and cleaning the coffee.
Why interest in coffee, which violates cultural taboos, ...because of his travel through the digestive system of animals? "All the calls for education and vocational training is the cat coffee," says Michael Sharp Australian cafe owner, was quoted as saying the Australian Associated Press.

High demand for coffee is folly Pyle got a forest floor, at first glance surprising. However, it is a taste of the coffee and the reasons for people to overcome the challenge of drinking "the cat, coffee, education, vocational training," says Reuters.

Kopi Luwak taste is different from other coffee in many different ways. Kopi Luwak coffee reports less protein, and there is also less other bacteria, possibly digest Civets floor. It has been absorbed by the feces of cats Civets beans are also available as the best and selected beans, because these animals only to get the best cherries of the coffee consumption.

Coffee drinkers, said it was a rich taste with hints of chocolate and candy flavors, it is lighter than other flavors of the coffee blends. Some describe as a simple, practical and musty taste, as the results of the digestion. Even the taste of coffee takes longer in the mouth.

The finished brew reportedly tastes smoother than other coffee blends and has an earthy, exotic flavor.
Actually, similar coffee can be found in Vietnam and it is called “caphe cut chon” by the locals (which literally means fox-dung coffee).