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Coffee Tips
How to buy,grind,and store coffee.
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Buying Coffee Beans
The fresher the grind, the more flavorful and aromatic the brew. Coffee
is best if used a day or two after roasting, so ask when it was roasted.
Coffee kept in an air tight container is usually good for about ten
days. Very oily beans usually means the coffee is old and the aroma
will be diminished.
Grinding Coffee Beans
Don't grind more coffee than you can use for immediate brewing. Grinding
beans just prior to brewing results in a much stronger and fresher flavor.
Coffee begins to lose its flavor almost immediately after being ground
as the oils in ground coffee when exposed to air quickly evaporate and
result in diminished flavor. Different methods of brewing will require
different grind consistencies. Usually coffee used for drip brewing
should be ground to a consistency similar to granulated sugar.
The type of grind you use should correspond to the way you brew your
coffee. You should use the finest grind possible for your brew method
without going too fine. Using a very fine grind on a drip coffee maker
can clog the filter, but using too fine a grind on a French press, allows
the coffee to pass through the filter.
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.
Water
Use only clean, cold tap water, or quality bottled spring water. Do
not use mineral water, distilled water, or tap water with an odor. If
you are using a manual brewer, use water just off the boil.
Storing Coffee Beans
Do not refrigerate coffee beans. Store ground or whole beans in an airtight
container in a cool, dark place. Coffee absorbs odors and flavors from
food. Freezing coffee beans protects the flavor but should only be used
when you need to keep the beans for a period of time.
Dosage Porportions
A recommendation of a 1:1 ratio. Meaning, 1 tablespoon of freshly ground
coffee per 1 cup measure on the coffee maker. For stronger coffee, increase
the ratio of coffee to water. When making brewed coffee, allow 2 to
2 1/2 level tablespoons for each 6 ounces of water. For espresso, 7
to 8 grams for a single shot, and 14 to 16 grams for a double shot.
French Press
Coffee ground to a very coarse consistency is used for this method.
If your grind is too fine, a bitter flavor may result. It will also
be difficult or impossible for you to push the plunger down in your
pot if the grind is too fine. Now here is an application for your French
press. Heat a cup of milk until it is too hot to put your finger in
it. Don't overheat or you will scald the milk. Next, pour the milk into
your clean, empty French press. Insert the plunger, and pump the plunger
up and down like a butter churn for several minutes. The milk will expand
and increase in volume by three or four times, creating beautiful frothed
milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
Moka Pot
It is an old Italian secret to mound the coffee grounds high in the
filter basket of the Moka pot before screwing the two pieces together.
Do not compact the coffee! To ensure a tight seal, wipe the rim of the
bottom of the pot to remove any grounds. When the top half of the pot
is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You
should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end
of brewing.
Filter Drip
Be sure to use a filter, which is designed to fit your filter basket.
Bleached white paper filters are most common, however unbleached brown
filter papers are usually available. Permanent gold-plated wire mesh
filters also work very well and are environmentally friendly.
Espresso at Home
To select a machine for home, look for one that drives the water through
the coffee with the aid of a pump as opposed to a steam driven machine.
Good pump machines cost between $200 and $1,000. A steam driven machine
[typical $50 model] won't produce a palatable product. With a limited
budget use a Moka pot. Beautiful milk froth can be created for cappuccinos
using a plunger pot.
Cleaning Equipment
Whatever brewing method chosen, keep equipment clean, inside and out.
A good soak and scrub in baking soda and water is helpful for glass
pots.
Serving Coffee
Leave it on a warmer no longer than 20 minutes. To keep coffee warm,
use a carafe or thermos.
Flavoring Coffee
Make your own speciality coffees with spices: nutmeg, cinnamon and flavorings:
vanilla or almond.
Coffee Ice Cubes
Freezing coffee in ice cube trays avoids watering down coffee drinks.
Brew and cool coffee before preparing iced coffees.
Chill the coffee thoroughly first for frostier coffee drinks even when
the recipe calls for hot coffee. Don't leave coffee out too long while
still warm. Place coffee into refrigerator both to cool and to avoid
bacteria buildup.
Jazz Up Coffee With Whipped Cream
Add a dolp of whipped cream on top of your favorite iced coffee recipe.
Use a Cold Brew Method
Soak the coffee grounds overnight in cold water, rather than heating
the water.
Choosing The Right Roast
Roasting is the heat treatment which transforms the green beans
into the aromatic brown nuggets that are bought whole or ground. Here,
from lightest to darkest, are some generally accepted categories to
choose from. Terms for different roasts vary throughout the country
AMERICAN ROAST
A light roast with a very mild sweet flavor
VIENNA ROAST
A light to medium roasted coffee Used in most commercial canned coffees,
it has a more intense aroma and acidity than American but lacks flavor.
BREAKFAST/BOLD ROAST
All-purpose roast. Breakfast imparts a fuller body with a lighter acidity.
A popular morning coffee.
FRENCH/CONTINENTAL/SPANISH ROAST
A dark brown roast with beans that are oily and rich in flavor. French
roast is often used instead of espresso roast.
ESPRESSO ROAST
Espresso contains less caffeine than any other roast, the beans have
been roasted to nearly black in color and are shiny with oil.
Tips for a perfect cup of delicious coffee:
Before brewing rinse the coffee pot in clear clean water
Always use fresh coffee, grinding only at the time of brewing.
When using preground coffee use only the correct grind for your machine.
Before pouring, stir the coffee for uniform flavor
Distribute the coffee evenly within the filter.
Brew with fresh filtered water and use the correct size filter paper.
To gain a consistent flavor, use the same amount of coffee each time
you brew.
Keep the coffee container tightly sealed after opening. Air is a flavor
killer.
The best tasting coffee is brewed at 96° C. and then served at
85° C.
Coffee is at its most delicious immediately after being brewed.
The coffee maker must be kept clean. De-scale the coffee machine on
a regular basis.
Hard water means cleaning more often.
Use a thermal server to keep the coffee after brewing.
History of The Espresso Machine
Luigi Bezzera patented the world's first "espresso" machine
in 1901. Bezzera was the owner of a manufacturing company and he wanted
to cut down on the time his employees spent on their coffee breaks.
He invented a coffee maker that used steam and water, forced under high
pressure through coffee grounds to make coffee really fast. It was dubbed
the "espresso machine".
The only problem with the fast brewed coffee was that it was so bitter.
Desiderio Pavoni, who purchased Bezzera's patent in 1905, realized that
the bitterness was the result of the steam and the high temperatures
used in the brewing process. Pavoni then began experimenting with various
temperatures and pressures, and came to the conclusion that brewing
at 195 degrees with 8-9 BAR of pressure produced the best flavored coffee.
This is the basis for espresso as we know it today.
Modern espresso machines date back to 1947 when Gaggia introduced the
Gaggia Crema Caffe machine. The Gaggia machine was the very first espresso
machine that could consistently get pressurized water between 8-9 BAR
into a bed of coffee. The Gaggia machine was also the first to produce
coffee easily and cheapily for everyday commercial use. Before the invention
of the Gaggia espresso machine, most commercial and consumer espresso
machines were steam driven. By 1950 other companies began to copy the
Gaggia espresso machine and made the modern day espresso machine common.
Any coffee bean can be used for espresso
In 1927 the first espresso machine came to America as NYC's Regio's
Bar with the installation of a La Pavoni two-group machine that is still
there on display
Not all espresso machines are the real thing. These so-called espresso
machines are usually sold for under $75 in major department stores.
A good indicator that an "espresso machine" is actually a
steam driven electrical moka pot is whether or not in includes a carafe
- usually a 4 cup model. If it has one, it most likely is not a true
espresso machine. A modern espresso machine must produce high pressures
(at least 9BAR or atmospheres or 135 pounds per square inch pressure)
to push water through a very finely ground, compacted bed of coffee.
There are many faux espresso machines that are in effect electrical
"moka" style pots, relying solely on steam pressure to push
water through the ground coffee. Steam pressure can produce at best
50 PSI or about 1.5 BAR of pressure. These machines cannot produce the
true crema that pump-driven and lever operated espresso machines can
produce.
Speaking of moka pots, these also are not espresso machines in the
modern sense of the word. They produce an excellent coffee when used
properly, but again, rely solely on steam pressure for producing the
coffee it makes.
These are very popular brewers in Italy, and are found in most Italian
homes. You may recognize them - typically they are a hexagonal shaped
device with two parts - a bottom where the coffee and water sit, and
a top with a lid and spout, where the brewed coffee ends up.
The reason for not using the pressurized water from the boiler to brew
the coffee is that the temperature is much too high. Espresso should
be brewed with water that is below the boiling point, usually at about
92 °C. Of course, the steam is needed to make cappuccino.
An alternative to the electric pump is a manual lever
that operates a piston to pressurize the water. The lever-action classical
models la Pavoni introduced long ago are easily recognized. In principle,
the lever-operated piston offers more control in the making of each
shot.
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