All About Espresso

What is Espresso?

The word Espresso refers to two things: a beverage and a method of brewing.. Espresso is most often a blend of multiple coffees that are then roasted together. While roasted beans of any level can be brewed in the espresso method, the most common roast levels are dark. Brewing espresso requires a specialized machine that forces a small amount of hot water through finely ground beans to produce a concentrated beverage of about 1 fluid ounce. Though most people believe that espresso contains more caffeine than drip coffee, a single espresso shot has about half the caffeine of a typical 8 ounce cup of coffee.

A Brief History

The brewing of espresso is an Italian invention that dates back to the late 19th century. The earliest known reference to making coffee in this style is a patent registered in 1884 for a coffee machine that separately controlled the steam and water in brewing. It is regarded as the earliest invention of the espresso brewing method. Improvements were made to this invention during the early years of the 20th century, and the consumption of this beverage rose along with urbanization in Italy. In the 1950s, espresso became popular in the western United States,.. Not until the 1980s and '90s did gourmet coffee, including espresso, gain a strong footing in the United States with the emergence of Starbucks and other Seattle-based coffee roasters.

Popular Espresso Drinks

In the United States, the Latte has gained enormous popularity. Brewed espresso is poured in the bottom of the cup and then steamed milk and a small amount of foam is added to the top. Variations of this drink are many, made with different kinds of flavored syrups. The cappuccino is similar to a latte in that espresso is on the bottom, though a cappuccino has little or no steamed milk and considerably more foam. Additional popular espresso-based drinks include the macchiato (espresso "marked" with a small amount of milk on top), Americano (espresso diluted with hot water), and Cubano (a shot of espresso taken with sugar).

Straight espresso is most commonly drunk in non-chain coffee shops and quality restaurants where the quality of the coffee is high, and the coffee actually tastes good without additional flavoring.

The quality of an espresso relies heavily on the brewing process and freshness of the beans. It is recommended to grind the beans immediately before drawing the shots of espresso for the best results. While espresso may be brewed at home using specialized machines, most often it is made by a trained barista (Italian for bartender) in a coffee shop.

J. Martinez is the owner of J. Martinez & Company Fine Coffees, selling gourmet estate and single-origin coffees from all over the world, including Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and award-winning Espresso coffee.

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Reusable K-Cup Filters: The Next Big Trend?

In an attempt to save money, avid coffee users have begun using the reusable K-Cup filter, My K-Cup, as means of getting their morning cup of Jo.

The onetime $17.95 fee will leave you with a filter basket, filter holder and lid that is compatible with all Keurig coffee makers. The filter paper will need to be replaced, but several different websites offer 50 for about $6 so you won't have to dig too deep into your pockets.

When installing the My K-Cup into your Keurig brewer, you need to remove the black K-Cup original filter that comes with the brewer. This process is described on Keurig's website, "first lift the handle of the brewer, and then grasp the outside housing of the K-Cup Holder with the thumb and index finger of one hand and push up from below with the index finder of your other hand while holding the housing firmly. "

The process sounds harder than it is and should take no longer than five minutes. Look at the bright side, this is a onetime thing because once the reusable filter is installed it can be removed, cleaned and replaced in a matter of minutes.

My K-Cup is essentially a smaller version of filters used in regular coffee makers, but has the convenience of a single shot K-Cup. Keurig recommends that the filter holds two tablespoons of coffee beans for every six ounces of water, but when filling the filter you must be very careful.

The coffee grinds should be fairly loose and cannot exceed the top of the filter basket. When cleaning the owner must make sure that no grinds are left in the upper rim of the filter, a key part of cleaning that is often overlooked.

After every use, the filter needs to be cleaned with soap and rinsed through warm water. Be wary when cleaning because the filter, as well as your brewer, will be very hot, I'd say let it sit for at least 20 minutes before you start cleaning.

The paper filter can be disposed of after usage, while the reusable K-Cup, after rinsing, will be ready for reuse.

The filter should appear dry, this means that all the coffee was properly transferred into the cup. If the filter is indeed wet, that means there is a problem with the brewer's purge airflow and will not produce an ideal result. If that is the case, you should remove and reinstall the filter and if the problem consists contact Keurig's customer service.

The coolest aspect of My K-Cup is that you can use any type of beans you want, which is a first for any single shot filters. Although the process hasn't been perfected reusable K-Cups are still the cheapest, most convenient way to brew your early morning coffee.

If you have a Keurig Brewing Machine in your home, then check out BestKCupCoffees.com to find the best k-cups as rated by coffee lovers like yourself.

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Flavored Gourmet Coffee Is Great For Everyone!

Flavored gourmet coffee is a great way to have coffee with a bit of gourmet flair and sweetness. Flavoring coffee dates back to the Arabs in Yemen who from the very beginning began adding spices while the coffee was brewing. Today purveyors use natural and natural identical flavorings to create some of the most unique coffees in the world. The result is coffee with added sweetness and depth of flavor.

When I started drinking coffee, I would only drink flavored gourmet coffee or coffee that was loaded down with flavored coffee creamer. My palate was not used to the richness and robustness of the black coffee. My palate has changed, and now I enjoy drinking both flavored and non flavored gourmet coffee. Sometimes depending on the day, or if I feel like something sweeter and lighter, I will choose the flavored blends over non flavored.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of different kinds of gourmet flavored coffee on the market today. Some of the best sellers include: Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Irish Creme, Amaretto and Tiramisu. Today many find purveyors and suppliers of this wonderful beverage are offering more interesting flavors such as: Swiss Chocolate, Baked Alaska, Blueberry Cream and Caramel Apple. The flavors sound so intriguing and decadent, and in reality they are really not bad for you at all! Many companies use all natural flavorings or flavorings that do not add any extra calories.

Another great thing about gourmet flavored coffees is they are quite inexpensive! Many companies flavor only premium, high-grown, 100% Arabica coffees. That means treating yourself and your guests to superior coffee is not only delicious, but also quite cost-effective. The prices for this are right on par with the non-flavored choices and readily available for everyday drinking pleasure.

Gourmet flavored coffee is great for entertaining with as well. I like to serve a rich flavored coffee with notes of chocolate and cinnamon for after dinner. If I'm entertaining overnight guests I love to serve a sweet and light gourmet coffee with French vanilla or Hazelnut notes in the morning. This way the guests and my family can enjoy the different gourmet offerings. I also like to serve different choices depending on the seasons or holidays. One of my favorites is to serve Autumn Harvest Spice in the Fall. It has notes of pumpkin, nutmeg and spicy-sweet cinnamon which is perfect for Halloween and pumpkin harvest time!

Christine Rankin is a professional writer who provides information on coffee for Gourmet Coffee Guide - your premiere online resource for fine coffee!

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For The Perfect Cup of Coffee At Home

When creating the perfect cup of coffee, there are a few tips to keep in mind. When you're learning how to create the perfect cup of coffee, keep these things in mind and you won't be let down. For starters, you'll want to use a milk frother. This adds richness to your coffee that is unmatched anywhere. they can also be used for other things such as lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, hot chocolate and even milk shakes. Yes, you can even use ice cream! There are many things you can do with a good milk frothing machine.

For starters, use a quality bean. Don't use pre ground coffee beans - grind your own! The best coffee comes from freshly grounded coffee beans. The way you roast and toast your coffee beans has a huge impact on the overall taste of your cup of coffee. Roasting releases the natural flavor and aroma of the bean and has a big impact on whether your coffee is smooth, rich or mellow. Experimentation is key! Next up is to choose a good grinding method. Here are some general coffee techniques and the affect they have on your coffee. An automatic drip means you'll be getting a medium sized grind. A plunger/French press means you'll receive a coarse grind, where as a percolator grind gives you an even coarser grind. An espresso grind is extremely fine.

How to create the perfect cup of coffee can be confusing at first but if you use a good milk frother and a start with the guidelines I just wrote, you'll be makin a perfect cup of coffee in no time. Good milk frothers will also allow you to make great lattes, espressos, milkshakes, whipped cream and hot chocolate. Experiment until you find something you like!

Some of the most popular warm beverages are made from milk. This includes coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and even hot chocolate. The list goes on and on. In order to get the desired result, you will need to add steamed milk, which can be done by using a milk frother. However, there are lots of different types available to get your steamed milk. One that will automatically heat your milk up and keep it at a good temperature is a good starting point.

The type of you require depends on your needs. How much you expect to use it, how much milk you'll need and what type of jug to use are all things to consider. There are five basic types of milk frothers. This includes manual frothers, battery powered frothers, automatic electric frothers, espresso makers with steam wand and handheld milk frothers. When frothing with a jug, keep in mind that you will want to use milk that is right for the recipe you're using. This also determines what type of milk frother you will need.

The shape of the frothing jug is normally just for the type of "art" you would like your milk frother to produce. Bell shaped jugs are a great option that are good for creating a rolling or troidal pattern. The way you pour the resulting milk will also greatly impact the type of milk frothing you get. However, you'll want to use a smaller jug when you only need a cup or two at a time.

Below you find a list of the various types of milk frothers available with a short explanation of the pro's and con's of each type to aid you in making a choice of which type will suit your needs best.

for more info visit http://www.milkfrotherhq.com

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Precisely What Coffee Lovers Must Have

I do not drink coffee, though my nose likes the smell of brewed coffee in the morning. Maybe it is because at home, when I was still young, it was an indication that my mother was up and was preparing for us a fantastic meal for breakfast. We were so excited we just couldn’t wait. Sometimes it was at our grandmother’s house. 

A cup of brewed coffee and a slice of apple pie, that was what my grandmother served every time visitors came by the house and it was often.

For over 15 centuries, many have benefited from drinking Coffee. It sprung from the Kaffa, Buno and Ethopia regions. They had their chief coffee producer on the port city of Mocha, Yemen where Italian business people got a hold of it. Then in the 1600’s, it scattered all over Europe. The Turkish people had no idea that it could become one of the most favorite drinks in history. Coffee houses began ‘brewing’ all over North American in 1668 in towns such as Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Every American who drinks coffee, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, can consume an average of more than eight ounces a day.

You will be surprised of the benefits of drinking coffee. Coffee contains high levels of anti-oxidants, a substance that slows down the oxidation of body cells and eliminates free radicals. The Harvard Health Publication revealed that drinking coffee in moderation can lower the possibility of acquiring stones in the gall bladder, cancer of the colon, damage on the liver, and Parkinson’s disease. It also invigorates the body and stimulates the brain.

It is recommended that coffee be consumed in moderation since it is a stimulant. Too much of a good thing is also bad. With coffee, you only need to drink 2 cups a day. Too much coffee intake can create feelings of fear, worry, dread and can lead to panic, and in others, the increase possibility of having a heart attack. If you find that you are jittery or nervous after drinking coffee, cut back.

A good cup of brewed coffee is always the best when you grind the fine and fresh coffee beans.As soon as the beans are ground, precious oils that make your coffee taste great are lost. Sipping from a cup of delicious brewed coffee ground from newly picked beans. Simply think about it. To be able to savor the taste of a freshly brewed coffee, first you must have is a coffee grinder. You might also want to consider a personal suggestion from me, concerning coffee grinders.I have one and use mine to grind nuts and seeds to make a coating for food instead of breadcrumbs.I grind almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, mix them together with paprika, herbs, a little salt and pepper. When you are frying your food, this coating is excellent for your salmon cakes, or chicken and even fish. After that I fry it on the pan and then serve with mayonnaise, lemon, garlic and horseradish sauce, yummy! When I use herbs in my dish, there are times I want them very refined so I use my coffee grinder. Have you ever thought of using the coffee grinder for something else? If so, then buy two units, one for the coffee beans and the other for the nuts, seeds and herbs. Premium beans are the best choice for brewing coffee. They even have different tastes for you to choose from. If you have unclean drinking water, put a filter on or use spring water to brew your coffee. It will even taste better. You might think of getting organic coffee as well. Try various flavor beans to know your preference. When we were small, our parents allowed us to drink a bit of coffee. It was called coffee milk because it looked more like a milk but with a slight taste of coffee. It was pure delight!

Drinking coffee is easier by using coffee makers. If you’re considering getting coffee makers, you can get at http://www.safehomeproducts.com. 

Author: Erickson Dow, Drinking coffee is easier by using coffee makers. If you’re considering getting coffee makers, you can get at http://www.safehomeproducts.com.

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How Do Coffee Beans Become Coffee?

Coffee beans grow on shrubs in warm climates such as Africa, Latin America and southern Asia. They are actually referred to as coffee berries at this stage and they are a green or red, fleshy berry on the evergreen bush of the Coffea. They undergo several processes before they resemble the coffee you buy in a shop.

Plants need to be at least 3 years old before they produce anything useful and at the stage that the berries turn from green to red, they are ready to be picked.

Firstly, the berries are harvested (either by hand or mechanically). If the berries are picked by hand, only the ripe ones need to be harvested. If strip picked, the whole crop is harvested at once, whether by hand or by machine.

The flesh then needs to be removed to get at the seeds (beans) inside. There are two ways of doing this - the wet or the dry method.

In the wet method, the berries are put in water to sort the good ones from the bad. The berries are pushed through a screen and some of the pulp is removed. To remove the rest of the pulp, they are either fermented and then washed in clean water or mechanically scrubbed. The beans are then dried in the sun or by machine.

In the dry method, the berries are dried in the sun on large sheets. They are turned frequently and protected from rain. It can take several weeks to dry the berries to the required amount. This is the traditional method and good for places where water is in short supply.

The next stage is to hull the beans to take off any remaining layers of berry. This can leave behind silvery skin still but these can be removed if the beans are polished (an optional process). The now clean and dry beans are sorted by size, density and colour. This part of production is called Milling.

Some people like their coffee to have an aged flavour. The taste for this came about because the first coffee to arrive in Europe was brought on boats and took many weeks to make the journey.

The green beans need to be roasted to make the coffee you buy in supermarkets. This involves them being put into a drum and heated. They are kept on the move to stop them burning. It transforms the physical and chemical properties of the beans. This is actually this process that gives the characteristic flavours because the heat causes the beans to expand and change in colour, small, taste and density. At an internal temperature of approximately 400 degrees, the tasty oils (caffeol) start to come to the surface. The degree to which the beans are roasted will determine the flavour.

The beans all darken during roasting. Light roasts are ones such as cinnamon roast or New England, medium roasts are those such as American, and strong roasts are those such as Viennese.

Once roasted to the desired degree, the beans are removed and cooled.

The roasted beans can be sold to the consumer to grind at home, or they can be factory ground before they are packaged and sold on for home use.

By Rebecca G Wishford.
Try Pour Moi for coffee vending machines.

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Quick Tips for Better Coffee

When I was growing up, I remember my parents starting off every day with a freshly perked pot of coffee. I can still remember that sound as the hot water splashed off the top of the lid and worked its way down through the ground up coffee my mother had let me scoop into the filter chamber. Now that I'm older, I have developed my own love for the taste of properly brewed coffee. Many people are far too quick to hand over outrageous sums of cash for a cup of what is sold as premium coffee. If you follow some of the tips below, you may find that you are quite satisfied with the java you can make yourself in the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the cost.

· It may be tempting to buy large bulk containers of already ground coffee beans, but this can lead to a serious loss of flavor. For the best taste, use freshly ground coffee beans every time you brew a pot. This may sound like a major inconvenience, but small coffee grinders are fairly inexpensive and can last for a long time under normal home conditions.

· If you are considering getting a coffee grinder, a burr style grinder is best for getting consistent results. The coarseness of the ground up coffee should be adjusted according to the method you will use for brewing. Turkish coffee lovers will want an extremely fine ground size, while those who love to use a French press will need a texture that is much more coarse.

· Drink out of a good quality, clean mug. This may sound silly, but drinking out of a plastic refill mug or a disposable paper cup can definitely affect the taste of what you are drinking. Besides, using the same mug is much more friendly to the environment than using a new disposable cup every day.

· If you enjoy iced coffee, do yourself a favor and check your ice supply. Old ice tends to take on some rather unpleasant smells and tastes after it sits for a while in the freezer. Clean your trays and start off with fresh ice.

· One simple trick to improve the flavor of your coffee is to increase the coffee to water ratio. Many people use much less than coffeehouses use. Most people measure out about one tablespoon per cup. Try doubling that to two tablespoons and see if you like the difference. If that is too much, just scale back a bit.

Making great coffee is not rocket science. You will get the best results by using high quality coffee beans, good brewing equipment, and clean, pure water. The subtleties of the various brewing styles are there for you to explore until you find your favorite method. Enjoy the learning experience!

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy reading more about how to improve your coffee. Please visit my blog to learn more helpful tips like how to use a French press coffee maker in your home.

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