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Do You Really Need A Gourmet Coffee Maker To Make Good Coffee?

07 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

If you are a coffee connoisseur, you have probably invested some time and thought into the type of coffee you prefer (light, medium body, heavy), and you are probably familiar with all the different types of coffee makers available to you. But what exactly distinguishes gourmet coffee makers from the rest of the pack? And more importantly, do you need to invest in one to enjoy a truly good cup of coffee at home?

Types Of Coffee Makers

There are just as many ways to make coffee as there are flavors/types of coffee. The most standard home brewing method is with a traditional drip coffee maker, which consists of a basket for you to place a filter and grounds, and a reservoir for you to add water. The water is heated and filters over the grounds into your pot.

While coffee brewed in a traditional drip coffee maker is very popular, coffee aficionados would argue that filtered coffee loses a lot of flavor. If you are looking to experiment with less traditional, more gourmet, coffee makers you have a few options. The least expensive option is a French Press.

These are typically smaller, only brewing a few cups of coffee, but the finished product is unfiltered coffee. If you like dark, rich coffee, this is your best bet. To use a French Press you simply pour your coffee grounds directly into the bottom of the press, and then pour hot water directly over the grounds. After a few minutes you gently press down a strainer to push the grounds to the bottom of the press, and you are ready to enjoy an incredible cup of coffee.

More expensive gourmet coffee makers include vacuum coffee pots, which infuse the coffee and hot water through a vacuum process, like the name suggests. Some people prefer this over a French Press because there is no sediment found in the finished coffee, but like a French Press the coffee is also unfiltered. The highest end gourmet coffee makers are espresso machines, like the ones you see in cafes. The actual process of brewing the coffee is similar to a drip maker, except that you are tamping the grounds into a basket for the water to flow through, and no filter is involved. You can control the pressure of the water that flows over the grounds, which produces different tastes.

Whether or not you need a gourmet coffee maker to make a truly good cup of coffee depends on your taste. Ultimately the quality of the coffee depends on the beans themselves, but different coffee makers will produce different tastes even using the same beans. Experiment with gourmet coffee makers and see which one fits your taste the best.

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Espresso Coffee: The Grand Taste Experience

07 Apr.
Posted by johnyboy83 in Coffee | No Comments

If you are an avid coffee drinker, then chances are you are familiar with espresso coffee. This particular type coffee is very concentrated, has a strong flavor and the consistency is usually much thicker than your average coffee.

Espresso coffee is usually enjoyed alone with a rich, bold taste that stands up very well on its own. It has a distinctive aroma which is similar to freshly ground coffee, only richer. Many people like to enjoy a cup of espresso coffee in the afternoon as a pick-me-up. The concentrated flavor and caffeine level serves to give you an energy burst, especially if you are feeling sluggish after a big meal.

Espresso coffee involves extracting only the best parts of the coffee bean by using water and pressure. You can purchase machines for the home that will produce some surprisingly good espresso coffee. It is best if you do some research before purchasing one of the machines since they offer different ways to extract the coffee bean flavor. The cheaper home machines usually put out a bitter tasting espresso which is not that great to drink. By paying a little more for a quality machine you will find that the difference in the taste of the espresso is well worth the difference in price of the machine.

Enjoying the Perfect Grind at Home

Learning how to produce a great cup of espresso coffee will take practice and patience. Creating that special blend will take a lot of hands-on tasting experience. There are websites that offer suggestions and help with this process.

Espresso is quite often dark roasted which will turn out bitter. A light roast is usually sweeter and offers the best aroma. Espresso is best if brewed within four days of roasting. The grind is also an important factor in flavor. Typically espresso is ground finer than regular coffee. The best taste is achieved when it is brewed just after the grinding process. This is when you get the maximum benefit of aroma and taste.

Water temperature for brewing espresso coffee is usually best if it is just under the boiling point. This prevents the coffee from having a bitter flavor. When looking to purchase an espresso machine you should always look to see what temperature water the machine produces. This is a very important factor when you are looking for great taste.

The taste of espresso is also added to many other drinks to provide richness and flavor. Frozen espresso drinks are becoming a very popular item at specialty coffee stands. Espresso syrup is also used to flavor ice cream. For those people who really love coffee, espresso will be something they feel they must experience on a daily basis.

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Espresso Coffee Maker Available For Home Use

06 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

They are on movable carts on the sidewalk, in gas stations and vending machines, and now you can have an espresso coffee maker for your personal use at home. Available in many styles and colors, the price can vary from under $30 to several hundreds of dollars depending on the quality you are looking for.

Regardless of the size, espresso coffee makers all work on the same theory: forcing near-boiling water through finely ground coffee. It should take slightly less than 30 seconds to brew a single shot of espresso, about one and three quarters of an ounce, using an espresso coffee maker.

The difference between an espresso coffee maker and a regular coffee maker is that in a regular coffee maker, hot water is run through coffee grounds, which absorbs the flavor of the coffee and then enters a reservoir, or carafe. The heated water is usually pulled from a different reservoir from which the finished brew ends up. The coffee beans are coarse ground and can take from one minute to several minutes to brew a single cup.

How Beans Are Ground Controls Time

In an espresso coffee maker, the beans are finely ground, almost to the consistency of powdered sugar, and placed in a filter. Cold water is stored in a reservoir until the heating chamber is heated to the desired temperature. Water is then transferred into the heating chamber, which heats it to near boiling. This is accomplished either automatically or by use of a pump depending on the model espresso coffee maker being used.

The hot water is then forced through the grounds and into a cup, taking about 25 seconds to make a shot of espresso, depending on the grind of the beans. How fine the beans are ground can be adjusted to help control brewing time. The finer the grind, the longer it can take, but the water is forced through the grind at about 220 pounds per inch.

Some espresso coffee makers also have a steam wand to froth or boil milk for making various type of espresso. The same heating chamber used to heat the water can be tapped to allow steam to escape through a wand, which has been placed into a container of milk for heating or pressurized steam is blown across the top of the milk to create a froth to be added to the espresso.

There are even camping espresso coffee makers that obtain their heat from an open flame where water is heated in the bottom with the hot water rising through a tube running from the bottom reservoir, through the finely ground beans, and into a separate reservoir. Although they do produce espresso, the water is not forced through as quickly.

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Have An Espresso Coffee-Feel The Joy Of Getting Mugged

05 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

Espresso coffee is a coffee that is brewed by a high-pressure technique in which hot water under pressure is made to pass through grounded coffee. Espresso is an Italian word that means pressed-out. The first espresso coffee machine rolled out in Italy around the early 1900 and since then it has seen a whole lot of changes.

Today, espresso coffee machines are so sophisticated that they can prepare coffee using different hot water pressures, extracting different coffee tastes from the grounds in accordance with an individuals choice. The person who operates an espresso coffee machine is deemed to be a coffee expert and is referred to as a barista.

Espresso coffee machines are equipped with levers, which are pulled by baristas when they want to produce a cup of coffee. This act of pulling the lever is termed as pulling a shot.

The most important extract in espresso coffee is the crema. Crema is the reddish foam that you can see floating on top of the espresso coffee. It is a combination of natural ingredients like oils, proteins and sugar, present in the coffee grounds. The crema along with the caffeine in the natural coffee produces a thick syrupy liquid that is rich, full of heavenly aroma, and great to taste.

Normally, it takes a barista about half a minute to pull a shot of espresso coffee. A freshly brewed espresso coffee must not be stored, as it will lose its original taste and flavor.

Essentials Of A Great Espresso

You probably have downed many espresso coffees in your lifetime and may feel that you are numero uno in telling a great espresso coffee from a routine one.

Maybe you are right, but here are the essentials that a coffee drinker should know: (i) The roasted beans used should not be more than 2-4 days old. (ii) The beans should not be roasted dark; else they will lose their natural ingredients. (iii) The beans should be evenly ground in a good quality grinder. (iv) The beans should be freshly ground, preferably 30 seconds before producing a shot. (v) The water that a barista uses in an espresso machine has to be filtered. (vi) The espresso cup must be preheated not from the shot poured into it, nor from the espresso machine.

The cup should have thick walls and a narrow mouth so that it preserves taste and aroma of the espresso coffee.

Maybe you should check with your barista if he is aware of these factors. In the end, just as there is a slip between the cup and the lip, there is nothing like a perfect espresso. So long as you get a good-quality espresso coffee, you should be happy.

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Coffee Press-Control Your Tamper

04 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

A coffee press is a hot coffee brewing device. It sounds simple but there is a whole lot of history behind a coffee press. Ask any coffee-loving old-timer about a coffee press pot, you will not be dry of any conversation material for hours together. It may look simple and sound simple, but when it comes to brewing aroma-rich, full-flavored, wow-smelling coffee, the age-old press steals the honors. The press has been around since the late-1800s, but it gained its popularity around very early 1900.

How Does A Coffee Press Work?

The working of a coffee press is very simple. To be more accurate: It looks like a carafe, and it features a press, which is a piston-like rod, connected to a cylindrical-shaped filter. This press passes through the center of the carafe. So, here is how you work it: First, grind your coffee beans; in fact, give them a coarse finish because they need to pass on the flavors when hot water is poured over them. Place the ground beans in the filter and let the filter hang around in the middle of the carafe. Now, boil some fresh water, lift the handle and pour the water on to the press, and start applying pressure using the piston-handle. The hot water will connect with the ground beans in the filter and extract their flavor, acids and other substances.

Coffee Press: Pros And Cons

Any coffee-brewing device has its share of admirers and critics. The same goes with the coffee press. Any true coffee lover will tell you that a press produces a naturally flavored, richly textured coffee. You do not need a paper filter to filter out the wet grounds. So much for the advantages. Critics point out that the coffee brewed by a press must be consumed immediately if you give it time it will lose its aroma and texture. There are some sediment deposits (some of the coarsely grounded coffee beans that might have escaped the filter) left over in a coffee press, some people feel that these sediments make the coffee taste go bitter.

Conclusion

A coffee press is the original way to make coffee. A lot of things have changed since then. Technology plays a big part in our life and makes doing things easier for us. The same goes for the press. There are new automatic machines that grind, tamp, and make coffee at the touch of a button. But to each his own: many people want to save time, so they go for the newer variants, while others who like a rich, well-brewed coffee with all its natural ingredients go for the coffee press.

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Coffee Filter:The Grounds Are Grounded!

03 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

A coffee filter is nothing but a glorified strainer. it is usually made out of paper or steel (mostly steel) and is used in coffee brewing devices to filter out the soaked grounds. Ever heard of Madras Filter Coffee? That is a very famous coffee made in Tamil Nadu (earlier known as Madras), India, and it derives its name because of the place and because a coffee filter is used to make the brew.

History Of The Coffee Filter

The coffee filter has an interesting and amusing history: In the 1700s someone who was fed up with the sight of grounded beans in his coffee filled his sock-”Ewwwww!” with coffee grounds and poured hot water into the sock, and drank up the liquid that filtered out. Thus, the idea for the coffee filter was born!

In the year 1908, paper coffee filters that are available nowadays came into being. A German “Melitta Bentz” found the taste of coffee too bitter and the sight of soaked coffee grounds all over inside her coffee cup too messy. She desperately wanted to filter out the grounds from the decoction. So she used her sons porous blotter paper to filter out the grounds from the liquid. And, thus, the paper coffee filter was born.

Metal Coffee Filters

Metal coffee filters, that are in use nowadays, were first created around the early 1800s. Even at that time they were smash hits and sold like hot cakes. The principle was very simple: Fix a filter in a kettle-like pot, place the coffee grounds on the filter and then spread hot water over the grounds, and serve. Nowadays, these filters are available with an electrical heating mechanism, and many homes use them. A variant of these coffee filters is the drip coffee maker, which keeps the concoction heated and ready to drink for a long time. These drip coffee machines are used widely in USA and Europe.

Types Of Coffee Filters

A coffee filter can be made with different materials. Here are some examples: (i) Paper filters work on the Japanese concept of use once and throw, but they can be messy and cumbersome to use. (ii) Gold filters “yes, you read that right” last for a long time and maybe if you are the Sultan of Brunei you should buy one. (iii) Cloth filters are available too and they are considered environment-friendly, but they too are a bit messy. (iv) The normal strainer kind of filters are used mostly in making filter coffee. They last long and have gained wide acceptance.

To conclude, the question to be asked is whether you would prefer coffee made by the filter method or some other method. The answer lies in your taste buds: Drink coffee made using all the devices and go with what you prefer.

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Purchasing A Stylish Coffee Cup

02 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

For a great gift idea, you may want to consider giving someone you care about a coffee cup. It makes a great gift because it is so versatile and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can fit every need. There are even great colours and patterns available on the coffee cup, including slogans and logos that are sure to touch or get a laugh from the recipient of this tremendously excellent gift idea. Try giving a coffee cup to a loved one today and watch their face light up as they prepare to enjoy a hot steaming cup of coffee in their brand new specialty mug. It is truly a priceless gift.

There are several types of mugs or cups you could consider giving. For starters, you may want to consider the type of person you are giving the cup to and the occasion. If it is for a birthday or a holiday, you could give a coffee cup that corresponds to that special day and that will create a memory around it. Giving a Christmas cup near the holidays is a great way to get people to feel that Christmas spirit year round as they drink from their gift cup. Another great way to give it as a gift is a buy a coffee cup that designates the year of birth or the age of the person. This can also be a great novelty item.

There are also cups that represent local sports teams or organizations. These make great gifts for the sports fan in your family or a member of a special club. You can choose a colourful and creative design featuring their favourite sports teams logo and work from there to create an awesome gift experience. Today, there are even personalized cups. You can have a cup made with your face or a face of someone they love on the cup, or even the face of the gift recipient. Imagine the exciting humour of drinking a cup of coffee from a coffee cup with your face on it!

Great Additions

Along with your coffee cup, there is a variety of coffee-related gifts you can consider giving. Try actually giving coffee with the gift as a special treat. You can add the beans or grounds in the mug as part of a package and string it together with a special bow. You can also give matching coffee equipment or other items that work well with the cup such as coffee makers or specialty coffee tools such as a grounds press that helps crush those beans into luscious ground coffee. The possibilities are endless in terms of giving a gift to the coffee lover in your family, so try it out with a basic coffee cup and work your way up.

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A Cup Of Joe-About Coffee

01 Apr.
Posted by logiqueglobal in Coffee | No Comments

For many, going without a cup of coffee in the morning means they just cant function or go about their daily routine. It is usually an acquired taste; first time drinkers find the aroma very appealing, but the actual taste does not really taste as good as the aroma smells.

A Short History Of Coffee

Most believe that coffee was originally discovered by mankind in Ethiopia. Once local monks discovered it, they began to dry the berries and ship them to other monasteries. The berries would be refreshed with water and then the fruit would be eaten and the water that the berries had soaked in would be drunk as well.

By the time the dried berries made it to the Middle East, there was quite a lot of interest in them and farmers began growing them first in Yemen. In Turkey, the coffee beans were roasted for the first time and began to resemble what we would recognize as coffee today. After roasting, the dried beans would be roasted, crushed and boiled in water. This was a crude early version of what so many coffee lovers drink today.

Coffee was probably brought to Europe by Venetian merchants. Given its stimulating effect, there seemed to be some criticism among Catholics that the drink was evil. Oddly, the Pope at the time was already enjoying it and informed his constituents that it was not evil, it was just misunderstood.

Coffee houses spread across Europe and soon they became gathering places for those intellectuals who debated among themselves. Once settlers began to arrive in the Americas, the dark drink soon followed. By the time of the American Revolution, since the patriots had decided not to drink tea in protest, coffee was actually adopted as the national drink. Since that time, it has continued its domination and is the most popular beverage when you take into consideration all countries.

Coffee is a huge industry worldwide and employs millions of workers. It is a living for many people, but for others it is a great way to start their day and get a kick start in the morning when they need it. Even if you dont like to drink it, you probably still enjoy the smell of fresh coffee brewing. If you are someone who does not like to drink it, you are in the minority on a world wide scale. This dark pick me up drink is not for everyone, but for those who love it, they are very appreciative of their daily dose of caffeine and usually need it on a daily basis.

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Kona Coffee: When You Care Enough To Drink The Very Best

26 Mar.
Posted by johnyboy83 in Coffee | No Comments

There are many good coffees that are produced and developed world wide to give coffee connoisseurs a delightful variety of flavors and aromas to try. One of the best coffees by far that is on the market today is Kona coffee, which is grown and roasted with utmost care to provide the very best coffee experience for those who care to indulge.

Kona coffee is grown in the Kona region on the big island of Hawaii, and has been produced since the 1800’s. Coffee plants were originally introduced into the area by Samuel Reverend Ruggles, when he brought Brazilian cuttings into the region to grow. Although it took many years for the plants to take off, coffee has now become a big business in Hawaii, with over 600 Kona coffee farms in the area today.

Kona coffee beans are grown in the ideal conditions of this region, offering the plants the optimum amounts of sun, moisture and temperature to grow the best beans possible. The blooms appear on the trees in February and March, and the small, white flowers that cover the plants are known as “Kona snow.?The beans are harvested from August to January every year, and the trees are picked over many times to ensure that the harvest is complete.

Once the cherries housing the coffee beans have been picked and the beans are extracted, they will go through a sun-drying process before they are sold to roasters, or roasted by the farmer himself for a unique, customized coffee.

Where to find Kona Coffee

Many coffee distributors will offer Kona coffee, although it may not be available all of the time. It is important if you are shopping for Kona coffee to watch out for terms like Kona blend, or Kona roasted. Coffee makers who have picked up on the idea that Kona coffee is big business will try to use the terms in a variety of ways to market their coffees more effectively. Keep in mind that most Kona blends on the market are only ten percent Kona coffee, and the rest is probably Columbian or Brazilian. If a coffee is truly a Kona coffee, it will have been grown in the Kona region, and it will bear a unique stamp to that effect.

Kona coffee offers a flavorful cup of coffee with a rich aroma, and is known throughout the world as one of the best coffees available today. While it tends to be much pricier than many other types of coffee, one taste of this delicious beverage will convince you that Kona coffee is worth every penny.

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Counting The Calories In Coffee

20 Mar.
Posted by johnyboy83 in Coffee | No Comments

These days, it seems like everyone is on some type of diet. Low fat diets, low carb diets, and low calorie diets are the most popular diets with the American public today. With low calorie diets, the number of calories in every item that the individual eats, even the calories in coffee, is added together to make the individual aware of how many calories they are eating during the day. Knowing how many calories are being consumed helps the individual manage their diet and reduce the amount of calories they eat over the course of a day.

Variables That Affect The Calories In Coffee

Counting these calories correctly can be difficult. Take the calories in coffee for instance. The calories in a cup of coffee can differ widely from person to person because there are many variables that can change the number of calories in your cup. One major difference that can change the number of calories in coffee is the size of the cup. One person may define a cup of coffee as an 8-oz mug full, while another may classify it as the 12-oz Styrofoam cup that they pick up every morning on the way to the office. To get an accurate count of the calories in coffee, a standard measurement is 8 fluid ounces or 1 Cup.

Another variable that affects the amount of calories in coffee is the specific type of the coffee. Flavored coffees generally have many more calories than a cup of plain black coffee. Differences can also range between specific brands and styles, such as Columbian Roast or Breakfast Blend. The number of calories in coffee brands is typically indicated on the label of the coffee container for consumer review.

The amount of calories in coffee has a lot to do with how it is prepared for consumption. Calories are added with each spoonful of sugar or creamer used to make the coffee more palatable. Just remember, as more things are added to the coffee, the calorie count rises. One of the additions that add the most calories is whitening agents such as cream, milk, or creamer. Depending on the amount used, an individual can add between 40 and 90 calories to eat cup of coffee with whitening agents alone.

Many of the additives used to flavor coffee, such as vanilla syrup or chocolate syrup, can also add to the calories in coffee. These flavored syrups can add 70 calories or more per shot added to the coffee. Some of these flavorings do come in sugar-free varieties, so opting for the sugar free flavorings will reduce the amount of calories in coffee drinks. By remembering that these agents all add calories to your cup of coffee, you can effectively manage your diet and reduce the amount of calories in your coffee.

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