Cleaning your coffee maker is necessary to keep your machine producing great tasting coffee. Each machine type will require a different cleaning method. We discuss how to clean popular coffee machines such as espresso machines, moka pots (stove top brewers), French Press and Drip Filter brewers.Drip FilterThe Drip Filter brewer is very easy to clean. Just follow these 6 simply steps:1. Dissolve 1 oz of citric acid in 4 cups of hot water.2. Add 4...more
Coffee grinding helps us get to those wonderful oils trapped inside the coffee beans. The oils are the key to providing rich flavors and aromas. This is also why we say to use the freshest beans. You don't want beans that are dried or stale. The oils from fresh beans generates the crema at the top of an espresso. This is the coffee bean oils rising to the top of the cup. How does this relate to coffee grinding? Well, choosing the wrong grind type...more
Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish. Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.Let's start with the Drip Filtration style. Drip Filtration is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it. The most widely used conical filters are made of paper, while expensive stainless steel or gold conical filters are also available. Yes I did say gold. When buying paper filters, be sure to use oxygen bleached paper. Chemically treated papers may affect the taste of your coffee. Another point to be aware of with paper filters is that you may also have some of the flavorful coffee oils trapped by the paper filter. It is the oils that produce the rich crema when you make an espresso. The grind is also important with Drip Filtration. If the grind is too fine, you may clog the pores of your filter. You can avoid this by using a course grind (read...more
If you are a coffee drinker, you no doubt have asked yourself how much coffee is it safe for you to consume on a daily basis. This is not surprising since so much has been blamed on coffee. Heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, you name it. At one time or another, coffee has been made to blame.Here's a new question that you may have never asked...more
A quality cup of coffee can depend on many factors, such as:The time since the coffee beans were ground;The time since the beans were roasted;How clean the brewing equipment is;The quality of the coffee bean being used;The quality of the water being used.Some Interesting Facts About CoffeeThe quality of the coffee bean is the most important of...more
Coffee is a complex mixture of chemical components of the coffee bean. Some of these components are partially destroyed by the roasting process; however, many of these components are not. Caffeine is one of the components that is not affected by the roasting process. With the addition of hot water, the caffeine is extracted from the coffee bean.Caffeine was discovered in coffee in 1820. Caffeine is an alkaloid that acts as a mild stimulant. It increases the blood pressure, stimulates the central nervous system and the action of the heart and lungs, and promotes urine formation. It also acts as a diuretic and delays fatigue. Caffeine does have some positive side effects. It has been found to help treat migraines since it helps constrict the dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing the pain. It also has been documented to increase the potency of aspirin and to slightly relieve the affects of asthma attacks. It has been suggested that caffeine has been linked to possible cancers and birth defects. However, this has not been confirmed and there are no bans or warnings that have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).The amount of caffeine found in the coffee beans...more
The words "Gourmet Coffee" are coming up in conversation more often these days. Is there any substance to it or is it just a term some elite coffee snobs have come up? What makes a coffee "gourmet" and who decides this? This article attempts to sift...more
Did you know that coffee is the primary part of dietary antioxidants? Now let's be clear: that does not mean that your morning coffee is a substitute for fruits and vegetables. But serious java drinkers will surely get a jolt from the news that...more
Could you ever resist the craving to have a second cup of that beautiful, strongly aromatic and lazily steaming cup of coffee? Perhaps no one can do it. A passionate Gourmet's delight, freshly brewed, thick and dark brown and irresistible coffee just...more
Your coffee maker should be made part of your regular kitchen cleaning routine. Dried coffee oils, hard water buildup, and mildew will ruin the taste of even the best blend. Not to mention that mildew buildup inside the maker is hazardous to your...more
While some people only drink coffee in order to wake up in the morning, others are very selective about the coffee that they drink. If you fall in the latter category, you should try gourmet coffee. This coffee comes from beans that have been grown...more
Although there are different methods for producing a great cup of coffee - from instant coffee to complex cappuccino machines - most people tend to make theirs with the simplicity of an electric coffee maker. But there are other methods accessible to...more