Archive for the ‘Coffee’ Category
Coffee Espresso Machine: Tips for Buying the Perfect One for You
Imagine yourself relaxing into your favorite chair, at your favorite table by the window, holding your warm cappuccino. You savor the aroma and admire the frothy, foamy peak your barista brought to life. It’s nice and peaceful. No noisy chatter. Just quiet.
And here’s the best part: your car keys are sitting on your dresser, and you’re still in your pajamas. And that talented barista who has mastered the art of foam? That’s you! You’ve created your own quaint little cafe right here at home, with your very own coffee espresso machine.
Think this is impossible? Think again! There are many different types of espresso machines on the market that are made especially for home use, ranging from very basic and affordable, right up to the same machines used by professional baristas.
However, before you rush into investing in a coffee espresso machine, take some time to do your homework and consider your needs and preferences. How often do you plan to make espresso drinks at home? Do you also drink a lot of brewed coffee? (Some machines have dual brewing capabilities.) How important is the milk frothing capability to you? If you have preferences in any areas such as these, this will help you narrow down the possibilities.
Also consider any preferences you may have about how your espresso drinks are made. For instance, my favorite part of an espresso shot is the crema – that’s the caramel-colored, creamy foam that forms on a perfectly pulled shot. When you pour shots from a shot glass into the mug, most of the crema gets left behind, so I prefer a coffee espresso machine that is tall enough to fit the whole mug, so I can enjoy the entire shot in my drink.
Here are the basic types of coffee espresso machines on the market:
What is the Pump Coffee Espresso Machine?
This is the best but most expensive type of machine to buy. The pump coffee espresso machine is called this because they use a pump to keep the water pressure at the appropriate level, which produces the best and most consistent shot of espresso. These machines are primarily made for commercial use, and are usually very large, heavy, and noisy, but can be used at home.
About the Piston Coffee Espresso Machine
This type of machine uses a piston or lever system to manually maintain the optimum pressure required for a great shot of espresso. This type of coffee espresso machine requires little maintenance, and is much quieter than the pump machines. However, the lever may require a good deal of arm strength to keep the pressure at the right level, and it may take some practice to get the timing down. But if you’re willing to experiment and work out the process, you’ll be rewarded by a great shot, and a sense of accomplishment.
About the Steam Coffee Espresso Machine
This type of coffee espresso machine is typically smaller, easily accessible and relatively affordable, using heat to produce steam instead of a pump or piston to create the pressure. While the lower prices are definitely an advantage for steam machines, if you’re very particular about the quality of your espresso shots, you may find that the steam does not always produced the optimum pressure for the best tasting coffee. Also, maintaining enough steam to both pull shots and steam milk at the same time is sometimes difficult.
About Moka Pots
This type of machine costs the least of all the options, and requires only your stovetop. The moka pot is a two-part pot which uses boiling water and the steam to create pressure, which pushes the boiling water up through the espresso grounds rather than gravity simply pulling heated what down. The coffee tastes great, but since you cannot froth milk with a moka pot, it’s not for you if you really like your lattes and cappuccinos. But if you like a good espresso or a shot in the dark (brewed coffee with a shot of espresso added) and have a limited budget, give the moka pot a try.
Don’t be put off by the high prices on a coffee espresso machine. Take a few moments to consider what that daily latte is costing you. A latte can cost you as much as $4. If you’re like me, you average about five a week. That’s $975 a year! Over the course of time you may find that dropping the money once up front is worth the investment – especially when you consider the convenience of enjoying your favorite espresso beverage at home.
So take a little time to consider each of these options and how they fit with your preferences and needs. Whichever coffee espresso machine you choose to create your own cafe at home, you’ll be making your own espresso drinks for you and your friends and family – with or without the frothy foam peaks – in no time.
Coffee(s)… back to basics
A coffee is just a coffee, right? … But then why so many kinds of coffee? Just leave your coffee machine at peace for a couple of days and try these traditional recipes of coffee, just to start your day better!!!
1) COFFEE WITH MILK
4 tbsps coffee
3 cups milk
3 tbsps sugar
In a pot, boil the milk with the sugar. Add the coffee and leave it to cool a little bit. Serve with cocoa powder on top. ![]()
2)COCOA COFFEE
3 tbsps cocoa powder
3 tbsps powdered sugar
3 cups milk
3 cups coffee (already made, concentrated)
100 g whipped cream
a pinch of salt
Boil the milk. In a bowl, mix well the sugar and the cacao powder, and add bit by bit the hot milk, stirring carefully. Continue until all the milk is incorporated, add a pinch of salt and start boiling the mixture at a small flame. After 10 minutes remove the pot from the fire and whip it well until it has a foam texture. Add the hot concentrated coffee, stir well, and serve in big cups with whipped cream on top.
3) MOCCA COFFEE WITH MIL K
3 cups milk
3 tbsps coffee
3 tsps grated chocolate
4,5, tsps sugar
Prepare 3 cups of very strong coffee. While it is still hot, mix it well with 3 cups of the grated chocolate melted in hot milk. Add sugar to taste. Serve hot.
4) CHOCOLATE COFFEE
150 g chocolate
1 cup coffee (already made, very strong)
3 cups milk
100 g whipped cream
sugar to taste
Melt the chocolate in the microwave until it becomes creamy. Add it to the hot coffee, stirr well, and then add the milk. Add sugar to taste and serve it hot with whipped cream on top, and a chocolate chip cookie.
5) COFFEE CREAM
500 ml milk
150 g sugar
2 cups of coffee (already made, very strong)
4,5, tbsps cream
Cameroon Boyo Coffee: The Taste of West Africa
The Republic of Cameroon is an African nation well known for both its geographic and ethnic diversity. Lying in the Northwest province of Cameroon, there is a mountainous region known as Boyo that is seeking to improve the standard of living for its many farmers. In the late 1990’s a farmers’ cooperative initiative was started with the goal of delivering back to the farmers a fair price for their coffee. The means to do so has been through the standardization of the cultivation and processing steps to produce a consistently high quality Arabica coffee. They market their coffee under the name – Boyo – of their region.
The farmers appear to be on the right track, producing a high quality, robust coffee. The flavorful characteristics of Boyo coffee are purported to result from the nutrient rich, dark volcanic soil in climatic conditions ideal for coffee growing. The onset of the first rains coincides with the blossoming of the coffee plants. And then just as the coffee berries begin to ripen, the dry season begins. The abundant sunshine stimulates the coffee berries to quickly attain their optimal sugar content. That is the secret to Boyo’s distinctive flavor.
Boyo coffee undergoes thorough and all natural processing – from cultivation to harvesting to selection. The Boyo coffees of Cameroon are grown alongside other crops to spread out the individual trees, thereby minimizing the risk of infection among the coffees trees and avoiding the need for herbicides and pesticides. To supplement the soil, farmers mix the coffee berry pulp with the soil around each tree after the de-pulping process. The farmers and their families facilitate the hulling, polishing and grading of their coffee beans and then hand-pick the very best of their crop to bear the Boyo coffee label. Select beans of Cameroon Boyo are also selected, graded and marketed as a Cameroon Peaberry coffee. Cameron Boyo coffee is classified as organic.
The next time you are looking for an African coffee, I suggest you stray from the African standards – Kenyan AA, Tanzanian Peaberry, and Ethiopian – to try Cameroon Boyo coffee. Beyond enjoying a fine cup of coffee, you may just be helping out some very hard-working and intrepid farmers in Cameroon.