Coffee

From the regular drip coffee maker to the old fashioned coffee perker, and even the gourmet espresso machine, coffee makers and grinders are a common kitchen gadget. Many people around the world love a fresh cup of home brewed coffee, and they like to make it for their company or in the morning to go with breakfast. There are many ways to get the job done, and here are some of the most common.

In the majority of coffee makers, automatic drip machines, pre-ground coffee is placed in a paper or metal filter, which is over top a glass coffee pot . Cold water is poured in, the machine heats it up to boiling and it trickles through the coffee grounds, then into the pot. There are also single cup drip coffee makers which don’t use electricity, and you just pour boiling water into the top. These coffee makers are pretty easy to find in any department store, and can make from four to ten cups at once depending on the model.

There are single serving coffee makers that use a measured packet of coffee grounds like a tea bag. These are purchased in different flavors and varieties, ready to use. These are popular gadgets for houses that only need one cup of coffee made at once.

The coffee plunger, or French press, is another popular tool for making small amounts of coffee. It works by placing the coffee and hot water together, leaving it to brew for a few minutes, then pushing the plunger to the bottom to separate the grounds from the coffee. Since French presses don’t use paper filters that would remove the oils and sediment with the grounds, French pressed coffee can be stronger and thicker than drip-brewed coffee.

Finally, there are espresso machines which produce a concentrated coffee ‘shot’ using hot water forced under high pressure through very fine grounds. A shot of espresso is thicker than regular coffee and has more sediment in it. Espresso is used in many other coffee drinks, such as lattes, cappuccini, and mochas. This is a much stronger drink than many are accustomed to, although some would say it is the only ‘real’ coffee.

If you want the full flavor and aroma from fresh ground coffee beans, you need a way to grind them at home. There are many different coffee grinders on the market, most having steel blades. As with many things, a little more money gets you a product that will perform better. For the real gourmet, a burr grinder is a step up from the steel bladed variety.

My favorite coffee maker came with a timer and a coffee grinder built into it. Every morning the preloaded coffee beans go into the grinder and grounds pour down into the filter. By the time I get up, coffee is ready. What a way to start the day. Bottoms up!

Tim Ebl loves to try out new kitchen gadgets. He always has his eye on different tools to help with food preparation in his home. For more kitchen gadget articles, check out Kitchen Gadgets.

Author: Tim Ebl
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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While particular coffee roasts and grinds determine a lot of the flavor and aroma of the coffee in the cup, the method of brewing is also significant. While the perfect cup of coffee can depend on personal preference, including strength and flavor, there are 3 essential elements that are necessary for preparing a good cup of coffee, fresh filtered water, a good coffee maker and fresh quality coffee beans, ground to desired level.

There are several methods for brewing coffee, and they are significant as each yields a particular flavor and strength of the brew in the cup. Also, deciding on the brewing method and the best coffee makers for you depends on personal preference, including how much time one wants to invest in preparing coffee and the convenience factor.

Automatic Filter Drip

The automatic drip is probably the most common method of brewing coffee, remember Mr. Coffee? This type of coffee pot is also the most common in the United States and is least common in Europe. The automatic drip is also the easiest coffee brewing method, and many drip coffee makers can be set to auto and they will turn on and brew coffee on a timer, so you can wake up to an all ready made pot.

Automatic drip works by heating water in a chamber to almost boiling and slowly pouring the water over ground coffee beans. The two common ways are via an electronic drip machine where the water is sprayed over the coffee grinds, or manually poured over grounds in a cone-shaped filter.

French Press

A French press, also known as a press pot, coffee press or coffee plunger and is a very simple coffee brewing device.

A French press has a narrow cylindrical jug usually made of glass with a lid and a plastic or metal plunger, which fits tightly in the cylinder and has a fine wire or nylon mesh acting as a filter. Coffee is brewed by placing the coffee and water together, leaving to brew for a few minutes, then depressing the plunger to trap the coffee grinds at the bottom of the jug. The French press requires a coarse grind of coffee in order to get the best results.

Espresso

Caffe espresso or espresso is a concentrated coffee beverage brewed by forcing steam or hot water under pressure through very finely ground coffee. What defines espresso is a thicker consistency and a much stronger flavor than drip coffee because of the high-pressure coffee brewing process. All of the flavors and chemicals in a typical cup of coffee are concentrated with espresso, because it is so concentrated, espresso often becomes the base for other drinks, such as lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and macchiatos.

All though many do drink espresso straight up, especially in Europe, it is coffee on turbo and not intended for the first time drinker or the caffeine squeamish. In order to make espresso you need an espresso machine, which comes in a variety of types, from very elaborate ones to plain little pots that brew espresso on the stove top.

K-Cup Coffee Brewing

Recently there have been several coffee makers created that provide a new and innovative way to brew coffee because they brew gourmet coffee house java with the convenience of brewing immediately in your own kitchen. The innovation of these types of brewers is that they brew one cup at a time and make a fine cup of coffee in under a minute and takes away all the guesswork from making a consistently great cup of coffee. One of the best brands of these are Kuerig.

In reality, you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars a year getting your java from an expensive coffee house, such as Starbucks, you can brew a great cup of coffee at home with one of these brewing methods and save lots of money.

Learn more about coffee, coffee beans, grinds and Coffee Health Benefits and browse all types of cheap coffee makers, including, Espresso, French Press. Bunn and Kuerig coffee maker.

Author: JR Lang
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are many methods of coffee preparation. Each method has its own unique traits suited to a variety of tastes and lifestyles. Here are some of the more popular and interesting coffee preparation methods, and the types of machines or apparatus for each.

One of the most familiar manners of brewing coffee is the use of the PERCOLATOR. Boiling water is repeatedly filtered through the coffee grounds. This is an old favorite, particularly when used with very mild coffee. One drawback of percolation is the resulting bitterness of the coffee which is caused by prolonged overboiling.

AUTOMATIC DRIP brewing tends to take much of the guesswork out of preparing coffee. Cold water is poured into a reservoir and is heated to the appropriate temperature; the water pulses through the ground coffee awaiting it in a filter. Some models have a switch which slows the pulsing of the water to allow a rich brew, even if only a few cups are desired.

MANUAL DRIP coffeemakers use a paper FILTER CONE similar to the one used in the Automatic Drip machine. Water is heated separately, and at first a small amount is poured over the coffee grounds, allowing them to “blossom” – to open up and release their flavor (See “Agony of the Leaves” in Tea Through the Ages – before pouring in the rest of the water to drip through the filter.

COFFEE FILTERS strain grounds out of the brew. PAPER FILTERS are efficient in keeping out some of the strong flavor, leaving a “clean-tasting” cup of coffee. GOLD, GOLD-TONE, STAINLESS, and NYLON FILTERS permit more of the coffee’s flavor to flow through. No matter what type of filter is used, it is not unusual to find minute particles of grounds floating in your coffee.

PLUNGER POTS, otherwise known as FRENCH PRESS coffeemakers, are rapidly growing in popularity for many reasons. They are frequently used at professional coffee tastings as they are as close as possible of making the “perfect” cup of coffee. The
plunger pot permits full contact between water and coffee, extracting more of the rich flavors.You are also in control of bringing the water to its optimum temperature, just below boiling, making for a hot cup and full extraction.

There are a variety of sizes and styles of the FRENCH PRESS, accompanied by a wide range of prices. They have a tempered glass beaker or carafe plus a stainless or nylon filter/plunger. Place ground coffee and hot water in the carafe, stir once, and allow to steep. The strength of the coffee is determined by controlling the steeping time, 3 to 5 minutes. As soon as the pre-determined steeping time elapses, slowly push the plunger down, pressing the filter screen through the mixture. Hold most of the grounds securely at the bottom of the carafe as you pour your hot, extremely fresh coffee.

For those coffee drinkers who prefer their brew stronger, more flavorful and intense, there are ESPRESSO and CAPPUCCINO machines. Electric machines with an internal pump and a cold water reservoir usually produce the best brew.

When making espresso, only a small amount of water is automatically drawn, heated, and then pumped through the coffee grounds at a very high pressure, extracting the essence, richness, and intensity of the coffee. These coffee machines can also produce cappuccino, cafe au lait, hot chocolate, and tea. See wide selections of espresso machines at http://www.niftykitchen.com/site/339522/page/49348.

Cappuccino is espresso, only topped with frothed milk. To get the best froth, use only a small amount of milk, in a small, cold stainless or ceramic pitcher. To make the froth,place the tip of the steaming tube just beneath the surface of the milk and turn on the steam, allowing the milk to aerate by swirling around the bottom of the pitcher.

Many stovetop units are not true espresso machines; one of these is known as a MACCHINETTA, a fairly inexpensive, traditional coffeemaker which dispenses coffee by boiling water and then causing enough steam pressure to climb through the grounds. The payoff for using a stovetop machine is that the higher water temperature creates a cup that is strong but somewhat thin and bitter, as opposed to the espresso from a pump-type machine.

Coffee prepared by the COLD WATER METHOD causes less stomach discomfort to those who are troubled by the acidity in coffee. Using the TODDY COFFEEMAKER, one pound of coarsely ground coffee is steeped overnight in water and the filtered into a carafe. This resulting mixture is combined with water to taste and then heated when ready to serve.

TURKISH coffee refers to both the preparation and grind of this Middle Eastern specialty. It is ground nearly to a powder, mixed with equal parts of sugar, and is then boiled in water several times until it becomes almost syrupy in consistency. The froth is served between boils. Drunk in small cups that usually contain some of the grounds, the brew is exceedingly strong. The coffeemaker used is called an IBRICK.

VACUUM coffeemakers are a double delight, Besides brewing wonderful-tasting coffee, these makers give a great show to watch. Consisting of two carafes, water is held in the bottom while the coffee grounds rest in the top. When the bottom carafe is heated, the water is forced to the top carafe, where it steeps with the coffee. When the heat source is turned off after a couple of minutes of steeping, the “filtered” coffee is forced back to the bottom, ready to be served.

The NEAPOLITAN is one of the more traditional drip coffeemakers. The part without the spout is filled with water, and the special filter fitting in this part is filled with coffee. When a bit of steam comes out of the spout, the heat is turned off and the coffeemaker is then turned upside down. The hot water slowly drips down to the section with the spout. Remove the top part containing the coffee and serve.

For those coffee drinkers looking for the bizarre in coffeemakers, try the COFFEE SOCK. It is usually made of cotton and does look like a sock. Simply put some ground coffee in this intriguing device and infuse it in hot water. You can even use your own socks! This custom of preparing coffee is popular in South America.

Terry Kaufman is Chief Editorial Writer for www.niftykitchen.com, www.niftyhomebar.com, and www.niftygarden.com. 2006 Terry Kaufman. No reprints without permission.

Author: Terry Kaufman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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