Coffee

The stove top coffee maker, also known as the “macchinetta” is one of the best ways to make espresso coffee at home. It applies pressure by means of heat and forces the water through finely ground coffee powder into a serving chamber.

The sizes of stove top coffee makers depend on its capacity and they range from 1 cup to 12 cups. Different people like different sizes of coffee maker. If you are a frequent traveler a one or three cup coffee maker is a very good option as you can carry it along easily.

Since, the stove top espresso maker is portable you can use it anywhere you like. Just supposing, you are out on a camp, then the coffee maker with less capacity is of great use. Imagine enjoying the aromatic brew of your favorite coffee in the midst of a forest.

Apart from other sizes available, the 12 cup stove top cafe maker can be very useful to those who have more frequent visitors at their place. The 12 cups coffee maker has the capacity to prepare espresso coffee faster than other rival products. It can also be very useful in small offices of 10 to 12 staff to prepare the aromatic espresso coffee for everyone.

Usually, the espresso cup can hold up to 4 ounces but it is a custom to fill the cup partly to get that perfect flavor. By tradition, a single cup of espresso coffee served is about 1.5 ounces. The 6 cups stovetop espresso makers can make about 9 ounces of that delectable liquid.

However, you cannot enjoy the actual taste of espresso coffee if you do not know the actual process of making one. Hence, to enjoy your coffee you have to know the best way to make the finest espresso from home or office. Below you can find the best way to make coffee using a stovetop coffee maker.

Take off the top and bottom chambers of your stove top coffee pot. Remove the coffee basket below and fill the bottom chamber with water till the safety valve which is noticeable from the outside and inside of the lower chamber. Then replace the coffee basket inside the lower chamber and fill with fine grind coffee. Firmly fix both the chambers.

Place the stovetop coffee maker on the stove at a medium flame. Make sure that the flame does not shoot past the bottom of the coffee pot. Lastly, after a period of 4 to 5 minutes check if the upper chamber is filled. Once the upper chamber is filled, immediately remove the coffee maker from the flames and serve hot.

Deciding on the size of a stove top coffee maker will depend upon your needs and your love for a good cup of coffee. If you are a loner or adventurous or frequent traveler then smaller sizes might be ideal for you. If you have a small office and like to serve espresso coffee to your staff or to your visitors, then coffee makers with bigger capacity can come very handy.

True lovers of coffee understand that Stove Top Coffee Makers produce the best tasting, flavorsome coffee that is a pleasure to drink. A Stovetop Coffee Maker comes in various sizes to meet everyone’s needs.

Author: Harley Peterson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Espresso is strongly brewed coffee made by forcing steam and hot water
through darkly roasted and finely ground coffee beans. The aroma of
espresso makes it especially hard for many coffee lovers to resist.
Coffee aficionados the world over know that a shot of excellent
espresso is crucial to making a good cup of coffee. There are a
variety of espresso machines in the market that can produce great
tasting espresso.

So how do you make a great cup of espresso? Here are the basic steps:

1. Remove coffee ground residue of the previous shot in the shot
holder before using the espresso machine to make a new cup of
espresso.

2. Have adequate ground coffee ready and place it in the grinder hopper.

3. Release seven grams of the ground coffee into the shot holder,
making sure that you get a full pull as you do so.

4. Using a hand tamper, even out the coffee grounds. Tamp only once
and do not twist the tamper as you tamp the coffee grounds. By doing
this, you are assured that the hot water and steam will evenly extract
the coffee. You can also correctly gauge the pressure if you use a
hand held tamper to pack down the coffee grounds as well as remove
excess coffee grounds from the shot holder.

5. Secure the shot holder in place and lock the espresso machine
handle so that water does not leak as it passes through the coffee
grounds at a high pressure.

6. Position a warmed up espresso cup under the the espresso machine’s
coffee holder spout. Start the espresso machine. Keep an eye on the
the color and consistency of the brew coming out of the spout. In 15
to 20 seconds, you should have about 1.5 ounces of freshly brewed
espresso in the cup.

Making a well-brewed cup of espresso does take time and practice. The
presence of a creamy honey-colored foam called crema that is about a
quarter of an inch thick sitting on the coffee’s surface is a sign
that you have successfully made an excellent cup of espresso. And if a
teaspoon of sugar can rest on the crema, you can probably consider
yourself an espresso guru!

The crema is the result of several important factors: the coffee
blend, fineness of the coffee ground, extraction time, water
temperature and amount of coffee used. You achieve a perfect cup of
espresso every time if you can consistently attain an optimum mix of
these factors.

* Most espresso aficionados will agree that the coffee blend should
include some Robusta beans.

* Several reasons could account for a dark color of crema: too much
coffee grounds may have been used; the coffee grounds were packed too
hard and too tightly in the shot holder, resulting to a longer
extraction time of the coffee; the coffee grounds used was too fine;
or too much water was used.

* There are several reasons, too, for less crema: the coffee used may
not have been enough; the time it took to extract the coffee may have
been too short since the coffee used was coarsely ground; there was
not enough water to pass through the coffee; the coffee grounds were
packed too lightly in the shot holder; or the water that passed
through the coffee was not hot enough.

* If the espresso machine, shot holder or cup is cold, it may affect
the amount of crema produced.

Espresso can be served as it comes out of the espresso machine or it
can be served in a variety of ways. In fact, many of the specialty
coffee drinks today has espresso as their base. Some of the specialty
coffee drinks that have a shot of espresso include macchiato (espresso
topped with foamed milk), espresso con panna (espresso topped with
whipped cream), cappuccino (espresso with milk and foam), café latte
(espresso with milk, but without the foam), mocha (espresso blended
with milk and chocolate syrup) and Americano (a “weakened” espresso
made by adding warm water).

For more great tips on making the perfect brewed coffee at home visit: http://www.coffee-paradise.com

Author: Tom Jensen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A question that is often asked is “does a serving of espresso have more caffeine than a serving of regular coffee?” It is not possible to state exactly what the serving size of coffee is because that varies based on personal choice, type and shape of cup or mug used, among many other factors.

However, it is reasonable to state that the average serving size of a cup of regular coffee is 8 ounces and the average serving of espresso is about 3 ounces. Based on such straightforward comparison, a cup of brewed coffee has more caffeine than espresso. However, this comparison is not exactly accurate because it does not take into consideration the amount of caffeine per ounce served.

From a concentration perspective; that is, in terms of caffeine per ounce served, it turns out that espresso has more caffeine than brewed coffee.

• Brewed coffee has about 65 to 120 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounces serving.
• Dividing 65-120 milligrams by 8 ounces results in about 8.125 to 15 milligrams of caffeine per ounce.
• Espresso, on the other hand, has about 25 to 50 milligrams of caffeine per 3 ounces serving.
• Again, dividing 25 to 50 milligrams of caffeine by 3 ounces results in about 8.3 to 16 milligrams of caffeine per ounce.

Therefore, from this concentration perspective, espresso has more caffeine than brewed coffee based on the amount of caffeine per ounce. However, the total number of cups of either brewed coffee or espresso per day is actually what will determine the total amount of caffeine consumed per day.

Ultimately, total volume is what matters in evaluating the amount of caffeine consumed per day. Espresso cups may be smaller in size but it does not take long for a frequent espresso drinker to consume much more caffeine per day than a moderate brewed coffee drinker.

Caffeine is also assimilated more quickly when taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.

• This is why drinking a shot of espresso can give a “jolt” faster than drinking a full 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee. The espresso method of preparation allows the coffee drinker to have fresh coffee “in a hurry” by forcing very hot water under pressure through the finely ground coffee.
• This method extracts the coffee’s aroma, flavor and body in a way that requires a special blend and a roast level of coffee, called espresso roast, instead of the roast levels used for the “regular” ways of brewing coffee.
• A great tasting espresso should be sweet, very aromatic and have a flavor similar to freshly ground coffee. The taste should be enjoyable without any additives but, if adding milk, the espresso taste should be bold enough not to “disappear.”
• Several minutes after consumption, the coffee drinker should still taste the pleasant and aromatic aftertaste on the palate.
• It is not possible to have a good espresso without a good espresso blend which should feature aromatics, sweetness and smoothness associated with espresso. The espresso blend should be fresh and not roasted too dark to prevent bitter, charcoal taste.

As a recommendation, grind and dose espresso on demand for one shot, dose properly, tamp and brew to enjoy each drop. The water pressure is responsible for the “crema” which is a unique feature of espresso and adds to the unique taste and drinking experience. Preheating the espresso cup with clean hot water prior to filling the cup with the espresso brew is always a good idea. Doing this helps retain the aroma and heat of the freshly prepared espresso. Deciding to drink 1 to 3 or more cups of espresso per day is a coffee drinker’s prerogative. Doing things in moderation is good advice to remember and is the way to control total caffeine consumption.

The best way to ensure preparing a great specialty coffee beverage is to apply exact standards of water quality, brewing temperature, and coffee to water ratio as much as possible.

• This is true whether the coffee is prepared as an espresso or as brewed coffee. The choice of coffee beans and flavors offer many opportunities for coffee tasting experiences and memorable times with family and friends.
• Brewing coffee is an art and a science. To coffee lovers, brewing coffee is fun, relaxing and enjoyable. Coffee drinking is both a habit and a ritual. It is a rewarding activity to several personal senses; literally, from the tongue to the nose and to the mind! In just about any language and culture, coffee is a very popular beverage.
• On a per serving basis, regardless of whether it is espresso or brwed coffee, the average cost of a cup of coffee is more affordable than the cost of drinking an equivalent amount of fresh juice, milk, bottled water, wine, beer, and soft drinks.

In addition, there are many health benefits from drinking coffee. Coffee has two main ways of improving the health of your body: antioxidants and caffeine.

• Both of these substances have health and anti aging benefits.
• Antioxidants help your body repair damage to cells caused by free radicals.
• These free radicals are produced as a by-product of cells through normal daily activities.
• The health benefits of coffee are many and the research supports the claims.

Obviously, check with your own physician regarding any medical conditions, treatments, diagnostics, pregnancy or special dietary plans for you.

Go ahead and drink coffee, brewed and espresso. They are both great tasting and varying the type of coffee brewed is fun. Enjoy a cup of Panama Boquete specialty coffee!

Timothy (“Tim”) S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him “The Gourmet Coffee Guy.”
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author’s website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com.

Copyright – Timothy S. Collins. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Author: Timothy S. Collins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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