Coffee

For those who love coffee, I mean really truly love their coffee, as in they are passionate about what makes a good coffee, it can be a dilemma. The coffee aficionado will have their preferred cafe that they frequent because they know the Batista will make the coffee just the way they like it. The passionate coffee connoisseur can tell you if the coffee is burnt, the milk too hot, the type of coffee used acceptable and so it goes on. They know the difference between a Latte and a Cafe au lait, a flat white and a cappuccino.

So what happens when the coffee wise wish to bring the sacred brew into their own home? Many realise that the same results just cannot be duplicated at home. They know and understand the artist that is the coffee Batista and respect his craft. Others however will attempt to produce a great cup themselves and there begins the pursuit of the ultimate coffee making implement.

The truly dedicated coffee lover will have in his or her kitchen an assortment of coffee brewing devices. It is likely they will have a filter coffee machine. This appliance usually takes the form of a heating plate where a tempered glass pot is placed into which the coffee drips as heated water percolates through the coffee grounds, which are contained within a paper filter inside a filter holder. The coffee from these machines, I find is usually quite weak or “watery” and lacks richness or body.

They may also have a plunger or “French press”. Coffee grounds are placed at the bottom of a straight-sided glass jug then boiling water is poured over them. The coffee is then left to brew for a few minutes before the plunger is slowly pushed down forcing the water through a fine strainer. The coffee from this method is far superior to the filter maker in my opinion, but still not up there with my local coffee house.

Then there is the caffetiere. This handy little device is loved by people of European extraction everywhere. Frankly, I never could master the technique of making coffee with this utensil. Again, it is based on the steam and pressure principal. Water is placed in the bottom section with coffee grounds placed in a perforated container above the water. After screwing the top section on the caffetiere is placed over a flame. Once the water reaches boiling point it percolates through the coffee and up into the top section. Once all the water has gone from the bottom section your coffee is made. The caffetiere makes a nice strong coffee just the way I like it. But I was never sure whether I was then supposed to top it up with boiling water or hot milk and in the end I ended up leaving it in the back of my pantry.

Not so long ago I came across a wonderful new product which seems to answer all my wishes. It is called the AeroPress and it is quite an amazing item. It processes the coffee using steam and pressure and the coffee that results is rich and not at all bitter. To add to this is the price. This is an incredibly well priced device. This handy little appliance takes up very little space in my cupboard and I am not restricted in the choice of coffee I can use. What a great find!

To find out more about the Aeropress Coffee And Espresso Maker visit Really Good Coffee

Author: Lynne Schroeder
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It is hard to imagine a modern home without a coffee maker. Even if you don’t own a coffee making machine you will more than likely own a kettle and coffee granules. Coffee has become such a popular drink all around the world, it is had to imagine that it was originally brewed using a small copper container called a Turkish Ibrik. The coffee was very strong as it was not filtered and you can still get coffee prepared like this in the Middle East today.

If you are looking for an easier way to prepare your morning brew there are many options available to you. You can choose a very fancy, complex coffee maker or a more simple, straight forward machine.

The largest selection of coffee makers these days is, of course, the inexpensive drip model. Once you have poured the water into the top of the machine, it’s heated by an electric element inside, the water then passes through coffee grounds and is collected in the glass pot which sits on the heating plate.

But beyond these basics, there are a few functions it’s nice to have.

Controls have changed to the stage that many makers look like a modern stereo. LCD screens display the time, the time to brew, temperature, a timer and several options even more unmentionable .

Getting the strength of your coffee correct is very important. Modern coffee makers have many options for you to adjust the strength of your coffee. There are almost as many options as there are coffee beans! Auto shut-off is a very useful feature. If you have every been unable to wait until your coffee has finished being brewed and you have removed the pot from the hot plate too soon you will have noticed the drips on the hot plate. Auto shut-off stops the coffee dripping into the pot the second it is removed from the heating plate. Once the pot is returned to the heating plate it will carry on brewing.

Walking into your kitchen on a cold, dark morning and seeing the illuminated display telling you your coffee is ready is also a very useful and comforting feature.

Cleaning has been made easier, too, by the invention of coffee ‘pods’ – small pre-measured paper containers of coffee through which the water flows. They have the added advantage of providing good filtering for grounds. Once the brewing is complete you just pop them out (after they’ve cooled!) and toss them into the waste bin. Essential for the active – and opposed to cleaning up – coffee drinker.

With a lot of latest machines now using pods this make the whole process a lot quicker but some people question the paper quality of these pods and the effect on the environment. Others also feel that the paper may effect the quality of coffee. This is a personal choice and one you will have to consider before purchasing your machine.

Having a water filter attached to your coffee maker can be a very useful feature. This can make your choice of machine a little more expensive but if you live in an area where your water quality is not great it can be necessary to ensure your coffee tastes great.

With so many options to chose from and a bevy of coffee machines available it may seem like an impossible task to finally decide on your perfect coffee maker. But you can take comfort in that fact the once you have chosen you can enjoy your perfect cup of coffee whenever your want for a long time to come.

To find your perfect Coffee Maker take a look at www.doyoulovecoffee.com.

This is the prefect site for all coffee lovers. The site is owned by Lyndsay Whittaker who is an avid coffee drinker.

Author: Lyndsay Whittaker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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To make a perfect cup of coffee every time you need:

- A Drip coffee maker

- A Stainless steel or gold mesh coffee filter, brown unbleached paper if you are insistent on paper

- A stash of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning

- A good quality whole bean coffee bean not the 1.99 a pound kind

- Fresh clean filtered water

- 30 minutes of you time (start to finish)

If you want a perfect cup of coffee, instant is not going to be in your vocabulary. To make an absolute unadulterated cup of coffee you need a little time and a few essential ingredients.

First off, almost any drip coffee maker will work. The 19.99 one all the way to the 99.99 ones all do the same thing. They heat the water and siphon it over coffee grounds. As the water is soaked into the coffee, picking up the flavor it is then drained through a filter into a glass pot. Honestly the coffee pot is not what makes the cup of coffee. If what you are looking for is the best tasting cup of coffee for your money and time, here is how to do it yourself.

A clean glass coffee pot is what you need to start off with. To clean this well, you need to place about ¼ cup of baking soda into the glass pot and with your fingers add a few drops of water. Use your fingers to spread the baking soda all over the pot, up the sides and such. After you have used this as a mild abrasive, add 1 cup of vinegar. Swirl and swish allowing the baking soda and vinegar to bubble away. Next, use a clean cloth to wash the inside of the glass pot. Now, rinse well under hot water. When you think it has been thoroughly rinsed, give it one more good rinse. We are trying to make sure our pot is clean with no residues of soaps, coffee oils, or vinegar and baking soda. A clean pot will make a lot of difference. No more washing the pot once a week, or just running it under the water and calling it good.

Second step to a great cup of coffee is the filter you use. Most of us buy the cheap white 150 for 1.25 coffee filters. Why are they cheap? Because, they are not good. Not only are they paper, but they add chlorine and bleach, and starches to your coffee. How are you supposed to have a good cup of coffee if you add those things to it. I recommend a metal strainer. Gold mesh or stainless steel is good. These are a little more expensive, but are not disposable so you can reuse them for a good long time. Average cost for these run 12.99-19.99. Clean these the same as the coffee pot. Rinse well!

Third step to a great cup of coffee is using good filtered water. I am not saying you need to use bottled water. But getting a Brita filter and filtering your water before brewing will take the extra minerals and chlorine and any other extras often found in tap water. Since coffee is mainly water that is heated and flavored doesn’t it make sense to use good quality clean water?

And of course the last step to a great cup of coffee is using a good whole bean coffee. No, coffee that is sitting on the shelf at Safeway will not do. You need to buy coffee beans from a good small company that buys their coffee in small batches, that are roasted daily or weekly. Only then can you be sure that the coffee you are getting is fresh. Choosing coffee this way runs about $12 a pound. But remember this is whole bean, you are getting a lot of coffee for the price. Grinding your own coffee bean at home is the best way to assure your very own perfect cup of coffee.

One more tip, do not reheat your brewed coffee, or leave it on for hours and hours. Brew only enough coffee that you will drink within the hour or so. Reheating and micro waving coffee just breaks the coffee down even faster. Yes, coffee does break down. When this happens you end up with a strong, sour taste. Not the perfect cup if you ask me. How do you brew just a few cups of coffee at a time? For every 6 ounces of water you add to your pot, add only 2 tablespoons of fresh ground coffee beans to the filter. When putting the ground coffee beans into the filter make sure it is level and spread evenly across the bottom of the filter. This assures even brewing. You now have no excuse to not enjoy your own perfect cup of coffee.

The author is from Medford, OR. Linda Cramer is owner of http://www.babygiftbasketco.com a wholesale site for baby gift baskets and gourmet food baskets.

Author: Linda Cramer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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