Hot Peppermint Mocha Coffee
8oz. Dark Roast Coffee
¼ oz. Peppermint Syrup (Peppermint Schnappes optional)
¼ oz. Chocolate Syrup
Combine coffee and syrups. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Holiday Mexican Coffee
8 oz. Medium Roasted Coffee
¼ oz. Chocolate Syrup
Ground Cinnamon
Sugar
Combine coffee a dash of cinnamon & sugar and syrup. Garnish with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon or chocolate sprinkles.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fall Topic-Are you doing the right things to keep the customers you have?
SEVEN VALUE ADDING SALES STRATEGIES
Robert Tucker says that poor service is the leading reason why customers switch vendors. But 65-85% of customers who leave a supplier claim to have been satisfied, which indicates that customer satisfaction is not enough to ensure longterm loyalty. A business achieves customer loyalty by offering exceptional value, something customers feel they can not get anywhere else. The problem is that value is constantly changing. Value means different things to different peopleand what customers value today may not satisfy them tomorrow.
"Value is nothing more than the right price, the right service, and the right quality — in the right combination for the customer. Your Value Proposition — the blend of price, service, and quality you tailor to your specific customers — is a formula that needs perpetual fine-tuning to keep pace with the changing staffing market."
In order to retain customers, businesses must continuously create new ways of adding value. Tucker has formulated seven specific value-adding strategies that will help a business focus on adding value:
1. Make Customers Value Your Driving Force - everyone in your company must be dedicated to delivering value.
2. Adopt the Customer's Problems - selling value means becoming your customers' consultant, problem solver, advisor, planner, innovation coach, marketing mentor, and partner. You have to anticipate and respond to each customer's problems.
3. Make the Customer's Life Easier - Ultimate convenience is what the customer really wants. Re-examine your marketing materials, brochures, forms, advertising, phone routing system, message taking, voice mail, invoicing, and policies and procedures from the standpoint of customer ease of use. Don't forget to get customer input.
4. Empower the Customer with Knowledge - Empowerment means enabling, encouraging, and guiding customers to seize opportunities and solve problems.
5. Provide Greater Responsiveness - responsiveness is second only to quality.
6. Offer Greater Customization - customers are willing to pay more if they believe that they have greater needs than your competition can provide.
7. Customer Value Comes From People - customer value comes from people are valued. Value adding concepts should be applied to employees as well as customers.
Customer satisfaction and what a customer values consists of more than a good price. Businesses should continually strive to improve value in an effort to keep customer loyalty.
Work Cited:
Tucker, Robert. Seven Value Adding Sales Strategies. 4 November 2000
Robert Tucker says that poor service is the leading reason why customers switch vendors. But 65-85% of customers who leave a supplier claim to have been satisfied, which indicates that customer satisfaction is not enough to ensure longterm loyalty. A business achieves customer loyalty by offering exceptional value, something customers feel they can not get anywhere else. The problem is that value is constantly changing. Value means different things to different peopleand what customers value today may not satisfy them tomorrow.
"Value is nothing more than the right price, the right service, and the right quality — in the right combination for the customer. Your Value Proposition — the blend of price, service, and quality you tailor to your specific customers — is a formula that needs perpetual fine-tuning to keep pace with the changing staffing market."
In order to retain customers, businesses must continuously create new ways of adding value. Tucker has formulated seven specific value-adding strategies that will help a business focus on adding value:
1. Make Customers Value Your Driving Force - everyone in your company must be dedicated to delivering value.
2. Adopt the Customer's Problems - selling value means becoming your customers' consultant, problem solver, advisor, planner, innovation coach, marketing mentor, and partner. You have to anticipate and respond to each customer's problems.
3. Make the Customer's Life Easier - Ultimate convenience is what the customer really wants. Re-examine your marketing materials, brochures, forms, advertising, phone routing system, message taking, voice mail, invoicing, and policies and procedures from the standpoint of customer ease of use. Don't forget to get customer input.
4. Empower the Customer with Knowledge - Empowerment means enabling, encouraging, and guiding customers to seize opportunities and solve problems.
5. Provide Greater Responsiveness - responsiveness is second only to quality.
6. Offer Greater Customization - customers are willing to pay more if they believe that they have greater needs than your competition can provide.
7. Customer Value Comes From People - customer value comes from people are valued. Value adding concepts should be applied to employees as well as customers.
Customer satisfaction and what a customer values consists of more than a good price. Businesses should continually strive to improve value in an effort to keep customer loyalty.
Work Cited:
Tucker, Robert. Seven Value Adding Sales Strategies. 4 November 2000
Fall Recipe
RASPBERRY FROTHY COFFEE
This is a delicious drink to take on the road if you are heading out to the game or off for a nice spooky hay ride.
Better than any "pumpkin" coffee drink I have ever tasted!
1 Pot Brewed Medium Roast Coffee-A Costa Rican or Guatemalan work great!
½ cup Sugar or Splenda (Lite)
½ cup Raspberry Syrup
½ cup Heavy Cream
Chocolate or assorted colored sprinkles
Place coffee, sugar, syrup, and cream in a blender to froth.
Pour in mugs and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.
This is a delicious drink to take on the road if you are heading out to the game or off for a nice spooky hay ride.
Better than any "pumpkin" coffee drink I have ever tasted!
1 Pot Brewed Medium Roast Coffee-A Costa Rican or Guatemalan work great!
½ cup Sugar or Splenda (Lite)
½ cup Raspberry Syrup
½ cup Heavy Cream
Chocolate or assorted colored sprinkles
Place coffee, sugar, syrup, and cream in a blender to froth.
Pour in mugs and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER TOPIC
Specialty Coffee Fun Facts
• Specialty coffee is defined as a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup.
• Specialty coffee, a term that refers to the highest-quality green beans roasted by true craftspeople, is surprisingly
affordable. One cup costs about 24 cents---making it cheaper than bottled water.
• Every day, Americans drink more than 300 million cups of coffee; 75 % of those cups are home-brewed.
• Last year, 13 % of the adult American population enjoyed a daily cup of specialty coffee.
• Like wine and honey, specialty coffee has a unique flavor thanks to the micro-climates that produce it.
• In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as four acres of land.
• To be considered truly fresh, coffee should be ground right before brewing and brewed within three to seven days of
roasting.
• Surprisingly, espresso contains less caffeine than a regular serving of drip coffee. In fact, in the espresso brewing
method, water is in contact with the grounds for only 20 to 25 seconds and extracts less caffeine than methods that put
water in contact with the grounds for several minutes.
• Strong-tasting coffee has no more caffeine than its weak-tasting counterpart. Caffeine contributes no taste; it's a product
of the type of bean, water-to-coffee ratio, and brewing method.
• The vast majority of the world's coffee is the Arabica species.
• Thanks to some popular commercials, most of us believe that coffee originated in Colombia or Brazil. Not so; it
originated in Ethiopia.
• The global coffee industry employs more than 20 million people.
• It takes approximately 42 coffee beans to make an average serving of espresso.
• Specialty coffee is defined as a coffee that has no defects and has a distinctive flavor in the cup.
• Specialty coffee, a term that refers to the highest-quality green beans roasted by true craftspeople, is surprisingly
affordable. One cup costs about 24 cents---making it cheaper than bottled water.
• Every day, Americans drink more than 300 million cups of coffee; 75 % of those cups are home-brewed.
• Last year, 13 % of the adult American population enjoyed a daily cup of specialty coffee.
• Like wine and honey, specialty coffee has a unique flavor thanks to the micro-climates that produce it.
• In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as four acres of land.
• To be considered truly fresh, coffee should be ground right before brewing and brewed within three to seven days of
roasting.
• Surprisingly, espresso contains less caffeine than a regular serving of drip coffee. In fact, in the espresso brewing
method, water is in contact with the grounds for only 20 to 25 seconds and extracts less caffeine than methods that put
water in contact with the grounds for several minutes.
• Strong-tasting coffee has no more caffeine than its weak-tasting counterpart. Caffeine contributes no taste; it's a product
of the type of bean, water-to-coffee ratio, and brewing method.
• The vast majority of the world's coffee is the Arabica species.
• Thanks to some popular commercials, most of us believe that coffee originated in Colombia or Brazil. Not so; it
originated in Ethiopia.
• The global coffee industry employs more than 20 million people.
• It takes approximately 42 coffee beans to make an average serving of espresso.
DOG DAYS RECIPE
ICED VANILLA FRAPPUCINO
1-1/2 cups cold brewed coffee
1/2 cup Half 'n' Half
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp. chocolate syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (Real is best)
3 cups crushed ice
Combine the coffee, Half 'n' Half, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in blender on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve Splenda. Add the vanilla and ice then blend on high until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon to help blend. Pour drink into two 16 oz. glasses.
1-1/2 cups cold brewed coffee
1/2 cup Half 'n' Half
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp. chocolate syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (Real is best)
3 cups crushed ice
Combine the coffee, Half 'n' Half, sugar, chocolate syrup and salt in blender on medium speed for 15 seconds to dissolve Splenda. Add the vanilla and ice then blend on high until smooth and creamy. Stir with a spoon to help blend. Pour drink into two 16 oz. glasses.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
June / July Topic
HOT & COLD BEVERAGE TRENDS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
Here is some information to help independent restaurant owners compete:
Hot and Cold Options:
When cold, chilled and iced versions of beverages (not including carbonated) are aggregated, Cold Beverages have a greater menu presence, with 58.1% of menu listings, but there is a net loss of 3.5 menu share points when compared to a benchmark MenuMine survey conducted in 1996. Hot Beverages, with 41.9% of menu listings, have shown a 3.5 menu point share gain.
Coffee;
Specialty coffee now accounts for over half of all coffee on the menu. Currently, 55% of all coffee menu listings are specialty coffee varieties. Regular and decaffeinated coffee, account for 31% of menu listings and chilled or iced coffee 14%. Any restaurant that does not serve a Specialty Coffee is locking itself out of a profit bonanza. At an average menu price (median) of $2.95 the market for Specialty Coffee will bear a price that is double that of Regular Coffee at $1.45. Selling Chilled or Iced Coffee is an even better idea, because there is a willingness to pay a premium price ($3.55) that is almost two and one half times more than regular hot coffee.
Coffee Type - Menu Items - Menu Share - Average Price:
Coffee, Hot (reg and decaf) 682-31%-$1.45
Coffee, Hot, Specialty 1197-55%-$2.95
Coffee, Iced/Chilled 294-14%-$3.55
Specialty Coffee:
Specialty Coffee is really any coffee other than normal-typical-regular (or decaffeinated coffee). Flavors and types abound and overlap, but there seem to be eight definable groupings of Specialty Coffee.
1. Espresso
2. Cappuccino, which is a shot of Espresso with steamed and frothed milk is very popular on menus. Cappuccino makes up one of every four specialty coffee menu listings (24%).
3. Mocha, or chocolate flavored espresso, adds up to 22% of all specialty coffee menu listings.
4. Lattes have a little bit more steamed milk and more froth and account for 19% of all listings. For those consumers preferring a more subdued espresso, the
5. Americano
6. Machiato is recommended for those who like caramel flavoring.
7. Cafe Au Lait is made more with brewed than with espresso.
8. Flavored, the most popular seem to be French Vanilla, hazelnut, Almond, Almond Mocha, Mint, Butter Pecan, Cinnamon, Mocha, Chocolate and Mint.
Coffee Share:
Cappuccino - 24%
Mocha - 22%
Latte -19%
Espresso -16%
Flavored - 8%
Americano - 4%
Machiato - 3%
Au Lait - 4%
What Chains Are Doing?
Chains have reasoned it is best to be prepared when it comes to satisfying specialty coffee tastes.
Specialty Coffee on the Menu:
Flavored Cappuccino at Tim Hortons Caffe
Machiato at Il Fornaio
Mint Condition at Caribou Coffee
Double Espresso at Panera Bread
Pumpkin Spice Coffee at Gloria Jean's
Mocha Latte at Mimi's Café
Caramel Machiato at Barnes & Noble
Steamers at Borders Books Café
Caffe Espresso at Olive Garden
Flavored...Javahh at Breugger's Bagel Bakery
Caramel Mocha at Cosi
Nescafe Cappuccino at Target
Cool Mint Mocha at Champagne Bakery
Cappuccino at Krispy Kreme
Macciato at Caribou Coffee
Cappuccino at Le Petite Café
Mocha at Pret a
Manger Espresso Coffee at Samba Room
Espresso at Landry's Seafood
Cafe de Olla at Frontera Grill
Caramel Swirl at Dunkin Donuts
Espresso at Lawry's Prime Rib
Cappuccino at Chicago Chop House
White Chocolate Mocha at Ghiradelli
Iced/Chilled Coffee:
There are now three times as many chains offering Iced/Chilled Coffee on the menu as there were when tracking began in 1996. ( Almost half (47%) of these beverages use the term Iced). Other popular terms are Mocha (15% use), Latte (10%), Cappuccino (9%), Cool (9%), Espresso (5%), Chill (5%) and Drink (5%).Iced/Chilled Coffee on the Menu:
Iced Caffe Machiato at Barnes & Noble Cafe
Caribou Coffee Cooler at Caribou Coffee
Mocha Freeze at Borders Book
Cafe Iced Cappuccino at George Webb Restaurants
Iced Coffee Toddies at Cafe Brazil
Iced Coffee Mocha at Cheesecake Factory
Frozen Latte at Corner Bakery
Coffee Coolata at Dunkin Donuts
Mint Arctic Mocha at Cosi
Vanilla Espresso Chiller at Gloria Jean's
Iced Cappuccino at Daily Grill
Iced Jumpin Java at Manhattan Bagel Co
Cool Mint Mocha at Champagne Bakery
Iced Cappuccino at Mimi's Café
Gingerbread Latte at Starbuck's
Iced Cappuccino at Tim Horton's
French Vanilla at Shari's
Thai Iced Coffee at Stir Crazy Café
Cafe Frio Mocha at Seattle's Best Coffee
Iced Coffee Concoction at Samba Room
Iced Caffe Mocha at Panera Bread
Iced Mocha at Peet's Coffee & Tea
Here is some information to help independent restaurant owners compete:
Hot and Cold Options:
When cold, chilled and iced versions of beverages (not including carbonated) are aggregated, Cold Beverages have a greater menu presence, with 58.1% of menu listings, but there is a net loss of 3.5 menu share points when compared to a benchmark MenuMine survey conducted in 1996. Hot Beverages, with 41.9% of menu listings, have shown a 3.5 menu point share gain.
Coffee;
Specialty coffee now accounts for over half of all coffee on the menu. Currently, 55% of all coffee menu listings are specialty coffee varieties. Regular and decaffeinated coffee, account for 31% of menu listings and chilled or iced coffee 14%. Any restaurant that does not serve a Specialty Coffee is locking itself out of a profit bonanza. At an average menu price (median) of $2.95 the market for Specialty Coffee will bear a price that is double that of Regular Coffee at $1.45. Selling Chilled or Iced Coffee is an even better idea, because there is a willingness to pay a premium price ($3.55) that is almost two and one half times more than regular hot coffee.
Coffee Type - Menu Items - Menu Share - Average Price:
Coffee, Hot (reg and decaf) 682-31%-$1.45
Coffee, Hot, Specialty 1197-55%-$2.95
Coffee, Iced/Chilled 294-14%-$3.55
Specialty Coffee:
Specialty Coffee is really any coffee other than normal-typical-regular (or decaffeinated coffee). Flavors and types abound and overlap, but there seem to be eight definable groupings of Specialty Coffee.
1. Espresso
2. Cappuccino, which is a shot of Espresso with steamed and frothed milk is very popular on menus. Cappuccino makes up one of every four specialty coffee menu listings (24%).
3. Mocha, or chocolate flavored espresso, adds up to 22% of all specialty coffee menu listings.
4. Lattes have a little bit more steamed milk and more froth and account for 19% of all listings. For those consumers preferring a more subdued espresso, the
5. Americano
6. Machiato is recommended for those who like caramel flavoring.
7. Cafe Au Lait is made more with brewed than with espresso.
8. Flavored, the most popular seem to be French Vanilla, hazelnut, Almond, Almond Mocha, Mint, Butter Pecan, Cinnamon, Mocha, Chocolate and Mint.
Coffee Share:
Cappuccino - 24%
Mocha - 22%
Latte -19%
Espresso -16%
Flavored - 8%
Americano - 4%
Machiato - 3%
Au Lait - 4%
What Chains Are Doing?
Chains have reasoned it is best to be prepared when it comes to satisfying specialty coffee tastes.
Specialty Coffee on the Menu:
Flavored Cappuccino at Tim Hortons Caffe
Machiato at Il Fornaio
Mint Condition at Caribou Coffee
Double Espresso at Panera Bread
Pumpkin Spice Coffee at Gloria Jean's
Mocha Latte at Mimi's Café
Caramel Machiato at Barnes & Noble
Steamers at Borders Books Café
Caffe Espresso at Olive Garden
Flavored...Javahh at Breugger's Bagel Bakery
Caramel Mocha at Cosi
Nescafe Cappuccino at Target
Cool Mint Mocha at Champagne Bakery
Cappuccino at Krispy Kreme
Macciato at Caribou Coffee
Cappuccino at Le Petite Café
Mocha at Pret a
Manger Espresso Coffee at Samba Room
Espresso at Landry's Seafood
Cafe de Olla at Frontera Grill
Caramel Swirl at Dunkin Donuts
Espresso at Lawry's Prime Rib
Cappuccino at Chicago Chop House
White Chocolate Mocha at Ghiradelli
Iced/Chilled Coffee:
There are now three times as many chains offering Iced/Chilled Coffee on the menu as there were when tracking began in 1996. ( Almost half (47%) of these beverages use the term Iced). Other popular terms are Mocha (15% use), Latte (10%), Cappuccino (9%), Cool (9%), Espresso (5%), Chill (5%) and Drink (5%).Iced/Chilled Coffee on the Menu:
Iced Caffe Machiato at Barnes & Noble Cafe
Caribou Coffee Cooler at Caribou Coffee
Mocha Freeze at Borders Book
Cafe Iced Cappuccino at George Webb Restaurants
Iced Coffee Toddies at Cafe Brazil
Iced Coffee Mocha at Cheesecake Factory
Frozen Latte at Corner Bakery
Coffee Coolata at Dunkin Donuts
Mint Arctic Mocha at Cosi
Vanilla Espresso Chiller at Gloria Jean's
Iced Cappuccino at Daily Grill
Iced Jumpin Java at Manhattan Bagel Co
Cool Mint Mocha at Champagne Bakery
Iced Cappuccino at Mimi's Café
Gingerbread Latte at Starbuck's
Iced Cappuccino at Tim Horton's
French Vanilla at Shari's
Thai Iced Coffee at Stir Crazy Café
Cafe Frio Mocha at Seattle's Best Coffee
Iced Coffee Concoction at Samba Room
Iced Caffe Mocha at Panera Bread
Iced Mocha at Peet's Coffee & Tea
June / July Recipe
Thai Iced Coffee Drinks
THAI ICED COFFEE-ESPRESSO
1-single shot of espresso
3-fl. oz. White Chocolate Syrup
Mix well and pour over ice, stir and enjoy
THAI ICED COFFEE-DOUBLE STRENGTH COFFEE
4-fl.oz.double-strength-coffee*
3-fl. oz. of White Chocolate Syrup
Mix well and pour over ice, stir and enjoy
*Use 2oz of fresh ground coffee for every 20oz. of water.
THAI ICED COFFEE-ESPRESSO
1-single shot of espresso
3-fl. oz. White Chocolate Syrup
Mix well and pour over ice, stir and enjoy
THAI ICED COFFEE-DOUBLE STRENGTH COFFEE
4-fl.oz.double-strength-coffee*
3-fl. oz. of White Chocolate Syrup
Mix well and pour over ice, stir and enjoy
*Use 2oz of fresh ground coffee for every 20oz. of water.
Friday, May 01, 2009
May Topic
SEVEN STEPS TO EXCELLENT BREWED COFFEE
- The Equipment: The cleaner the equipment, the better the taste. Always clean your grinder, dispenser, coffee maker, filter devices, brewing containers and servers thoroughly after each use. Coffee oils, when left to accumulate will develop into coffee tars which will partially dissolve when contacted with either water or coffee, and impart a bitter or astringent flavor into the finished coffee beverage.
- The Water: When brewed properly coffee contains 98.5% to 98.85% water, using good quality water is essential. Fresh cold tap water or bottled water is recommended.
- The Temperature: Heat fresh cold water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit plus or minus 5 degrees. Hold brewed coffee at 185° Fahrenheit, preferably in a preheated insulated server. Never hold brewed coffee on a burner longer than 20 minutes, nor reheat brewed coffee.
- Grind & Time: Use the grind designed for your coffee maker. Too fine a grind for your equipment will produce an over-extracted astringent coffee beverage. Too coarse of a grind will produce a weak flavorless coffee beverage. The grind determines the length of time coffee and water should be together.
- The Formula: No one formula will satisfy all coffee drinkers, but with proper brewing conditions, optimum flavor can be achieved using a formula of 14 to 20 ounces of fresh cold water to 1 ounce of fresh ground coffee.
- The Coffee: Start with top-quality coffees from a source whose standards you trust. Evaluate the origin of the bean, the roast, the blend and the coffee's freshness to make a selection most suitable for your taste and the occasion.
- The Freshness: Always use fresh coffee. The three elements that most affect the staling process are air, moisture, and heat. To best protect against these elements store your coffee in a cool dry place, avoiding the refrigerator and the freezer. The flavor of coffee deteriorates after roasting when exposed to air. Ground coffee will age more rapidly as more surface is exposed. For maximum freshness, buy roaster-fresh, nitrogen-flushed, portion pack or valve-pack coffee.
Recipe for May
Spring is in the air and it's warming up. Let's take a look at an easy, cool coffee drink for everyone to enjoy.
ITALIAN ICED CREAM COFFEE
4oz. Brewed double strength* coffee. A nice dark roast works best.
2oz. half & half
2oz. Vanilla Syrup
Mix well (hot). Fill a 12 oz. glass with ice, pour and stir.
Top with whipped cream and drizzle w/chocolate or caramel syrup
Yummy!
Use sugar free syrup and low fat milk for a healthier alternative.
*Use 2oz of fresh ground coffee for every 20oz. of water.
ITALIAN ICED CREAM COFFEE
4oz. Brewed double strength* coffee. A nice dark roast works best.
2oz. half & half
2oz. Vanilla Syrup
Mix well (hot). Fill a 12 oz. glass with ice, pour and stir.
Top with whipped cream and drizzle w/chocolate or caramel syrup
Yummy!
Use sugar free syrup and low fat milk for a healthier alternative.
*Use 2oz of fresh ground coffee for every 20oz. of water.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
April Topic
Tips for the Best coffee & Best dessert choices :
#1- Pair more acidic, lighter roast coffees with berry and fruit dishes. Light Roasts such as a snappy but balanced Mocha Java or a medium light Kenyan AA with Fruit torte, Fruit plate, or Blueberry pie
#2- Medium bodied coffees, with a reduced acidity and lesser roast time work well with similarly textured desserts. Medium Roasts, such as a Costa Rican, Guatemalan, or Vienna blends go with Lemon tarts, Custards, Tiramisu, Cheesecake or Cheese plates.
#3- Heavy, full-bodied coffees are best with decadent chocolate or heavy cream desserts. Dark roasts, including French and Italian roasts/blends work with Tortes, Dark chocolate, Vanilla & chocolate ice creams, Rich chocolate cakes, and Mousses.
Check back next month for Mays topic...
#1- Pair more acidic, lighter roast coffees with berry and fruit dishes. Light Roasts such as a snappy but balanced Mocha Java or a medium light Kenyan AA with Fruit torte, Fruit plate, or Blueberry pie
#2- Medium bodied coffees, with a reduced acidity and lesser roast time work well with similarly textured desserts. Medium Roasts, such as a Costa Rican, Guatemalan, or Vienna blends go with Lemon tarts, Custards, Tiramisu, Cheesecake or Cheese plates.
#3- Heavy, full-bodied coffees are best with decadent chocolate or heavy cream desserts. Dark roasts, including French and Italian roasts/blends work with Tortes, Dark chocolate, Vanilla & chocolate ice creams, Rich chocolate cakes, and Mousses.
Check back next month for Mays topic...
Recipe of the Month
It's a little past St. Patty's Day, but this is a great drink all year round.
HOT MOCHA MINT
8oz. 100% Aribica coffee (I like a nice Costa Rican)
1 tsp. Your Favorite Crème De Menthe Syrup
1 tsp. Your Favorite Thick Chocolate Syrup
Combine coffee and syrups. Garnish with whipped cream and drizzle with Crème De Menthe Syrup and a fresh mint leaf.
For all of you in warmer climates-Next month we go ICED!
HOT MOCHA MINT
8oz. 100% Aribica coffee (I like a nice Costa Rican)
1 tsp. Your Favorite Crème De Menthe Syrup
1 tsp. Your Favorite Thick Chocolate Syrup
Combine coffee and syrups. Garnish with whipped cream and drizzle with Crème De Menthe Syrup and a fresh mint leaf.
For all of you in warmer climates-Next month we go ICED!
Saturday, April 04, 2009
How to find the best coffee makers for home, among a wide variety of choices.
The best coffee makers are not necessarily the most sophisticated or expensive.
You can make a great cup of coffee with some of the simplest coffee makers – like a French press or $10 manual drip coffee cone.
In this post we’ll look at some of the best coffee makers available – and some that are not so great.
The French Press
The French press is essentially a glass jar with vertical sides and a plunger with a mesh filter on it. You put the coffee grounds in the jar, pour in the hot water, put the lid on and press down the plunger after 3 – 4 minutes.
Presto. You have a wonderful, rich cup of coffee.
It's one of the best coffee makers you'll ever use.
Coffee Percolators
I suggest that you don’t make your coffee with a percolator. Those are the pots you put on the stove and leave for hours. It’s not a good way to make the most of your carefully selected coffee beans.
When you brew coffee, whatever the coffee maker, the water temperature should be slightly below boiling point, 200 degree's F. Percolators just boil the flavor out of your beans. If you are completely indifferent to the flavor of your coffee, by all means keep that old percolator. But if you want to enjoy the flavor you paid for when you bought those coffee beans, use a different kind of coffee maker.
Coffee Drip Brewers
This is the most common and one of the best coffee makers, if the right model is chosen. You probably have one at work, and maybe at home too. You just put ground coffee in a paper filter, fill a reservoir with water, turn the brewer on and watch the glass carafe fill with coffee.
So long as you have a good model, and the water hits the coffee grounds at the right temperature, 200 degree's F, and hold that temperature throughout the brew cycle, drip brewers can make a great cup of coffee. Most retail models do not do this!
But they do have one disadvantage. And if you have ever poured yourself a cup of coffee an hour or two after it was made in a drip brewer, you know what that problem tastes like.
Here’s what happens...these glass carafes are on a hotplate, to keep the coffee hot. The trouble is, after a while, the heat from the hotplate starts “cooking” the coffee.
What can you do? Use a thermal carafe to hold your coffee. A good thermal will hold the coffee at the proper serving temperature, 180 degrees F, for a couple of hours without changing the flavor profile by evaporation and cooking.
My personal recommendation for the best home brewer is a Bunn model A-8 or A10 either brewer has a built in water tank that keeps the water hot all the way through the brew cycle....Just like the ones at your favorite restaurant or coffeehouse.
The best coffee makers are not necessarily the most sophisticated or expensive.
You can make a great cup of coffee with some of the simplest coffee makers – like a French press or $10 manual drip coffee cone.
In this post we’ll look at some of the best coffee makers available – and some that are not so great.
The French Press
The French press is essentially a glass jar with vertical sides and a plunger with a mesh filter on it. You put the coffee grounds in the jar, pour in the hot water, put the lid on and press down the plunger after 3 – 4 minutes.
Presto. You have a wonderful, rich cup of coffee.
It's one of the best coffee makers you'll ever use.
Coffee Percolators
I suggest that you don’t make your coffee with a percolator. Those are the pots you put on the stove and leave for hours. It’s not a good way to make the most of your carefully selected coffee beans.
When you brew coffee, whatever the coffee maker, the water temperature should be slightly below boiling point, 200 degree's F. Percolators just boil the flavor out of your beans. If you are completely indifferent to the flavor of your coffee, by all means keep that old percolator. But if you want to enjoy the flavor you paid for when you bought those coffee beans, use a different kind of coffee maker.
Coffee Drip Brewers
This is the most common and one of the best coffee makers, if the right model is chosen. You probably have one at work, and maybe at home too. You just put ground coffee in a paper filter, fill a reservoir with water, turn the brewer on and watch the glass carafe fill with coffee.
So long as you have a good model, and the water hits the coffee grounds at the right temperature, 200 degree's F, and hold that temperature throughout the brew cycle, drip brewers can make a great cup of coffee. Most retail models do not do this!
But they do have one disadvantage. And if you have ever poured yourself a cup of coffee an hour or two after it was made in a drip brewer, you know what that problem tastes like.
Here’s what happens...these glass carafes are on a hotplate, to keep the coffee hot. The trouble is, after a while, the heat from the hotplate starts “cooking” the coffee.
What can you do? Use a thermal carafe to hold your coffee. A good thermal will hold the coffee at the proper serving temperature, 180 degrees F, for a couple of hours without changing the flavor profile by evaporation and cooking.
My personal recommendation for the best home brewer is a Bunn model A-8 or A10 either brewer has a built in water tank that keeps the water hot all the way through the brew cycle....Just like the ones at your favorite restaurant or coffeehouse.
Brewing your coffee at home.
Buyer beware!
I have been reading that single cup brewers sale are up 100's% due to the fact that coffee is so expensive to purchase at your local Starbucks or coffeehouse. My question to all of you is....Is it really? I say NO! I have been selling coffee for over 15 years and I've always tried to sell coffee to end-users....Restaurants, coffeehouses...etc. By the serving, when customers always want the coffee they are looking at priced out by the pound. I say always price your coffee by the serving. If you purchase an average cup on the go you'll pay, depending on size, $1.00-$2.00 MAX. If a $2.00 cup is 24oz. that's $.08 per oz. To really get technical that would equate to about $5.12 per pot. If this is a cup you like I would recommend between 3 & 4 oz of fresh ground coffee be used for a great flavor profile. What does that equate to per pound? $27.30 WOW I can tell you now that person selling you that coffee paid no more than $6.00-$8.00 per pound...What a profit margin. 337%
When brewing at home in a single cup brewer, you know the ones that use little single serve cups or pods. The cost per pound works out to at least that much. Not only that, but because of the fact the brewer you bought only works with the pods, or cups that are made for it, your stuck, until you purchase another way to brew. Listed on the manufacturers web site these portions sell for $13.95 for a pack of 24. That's $.58 per 6-8oz cup. Lets break that down just like we did earlier....$.07-$.08 per ounce. (look familiar?) Price per pound of fresh ground product @ .5oz per brew $18.58lb @.25oz per brew $37.12lb. I don't know about you, but I can buy coffee in any store for $5-$10lb, depending on quality and roaster, and brew it at home with the taste I enjoy for about $1.88 per pot /$.62 per 20oz / $.20 per 6-8oz cup.
If your trying to save money in these difficult times check back into this blog for ways to change your enjoyment of brewing and saving at home.
I have been reading that single cup brewers sale are up 100's% due to the fact that coffee is so expensive to purchase at your local Starbucks or coffeehouse. My question to all of you is....Is it really? I say NO! I have been selling coffee for over 15 years and I've always tried to sell coffee to end-users....Restaurants, coffeehouses...etc. By the serving, when customers always want the coffee they are looking at priced out by the pound. I say always price your coffee by the serving. If you purchase an average cup on the go you'll pay, depending on size, $1.00-$2.00 MAX. If a $2.00 cup is 24oz. that's $.08 per oz. To really get technical that would equate to about $5.12 per pot. If this is a cup you like I would recommend between 3 & 4 oz of fresh ground coffee be used for a great flavor profile. What does that equate to per pound? $27.30 WOW I can tell you now that person selling you that coffee paid no more than $6.00-$8.00 per pound...What a profit margin. 337%
When brewing at home in a single cup brewer, you know the ones that use little single serve cups or pods. The cost per pound works out to at least that much. Not only that, but because of the fact the brewer you bought only works with the pods, or cups that are made for it, your stuck, until you purchase another way to brew. Listed on the manufacturers web site these portions sell for $13.95 for a pack of 24. That's $.58 per 6-8oz cup. Lets break that down just like we did earlier....$.07-$.08 per ounce. (look familiar?) Price per pound of fresh ground product @ .5oz per brew $18.58lb @.25oz per brew $37.12lb. I don't know about you, but I can buy coffee in any store for $5-$10lb, depending on quality and roaster, and brew it at home with the taste I enjoy for about $1.88 per pot /$.62 per 20oz / $.20 per 6-8oz cup.
If your trying to save money in these difficult times check back into this blog for ways to change your enjoyment of brewing and saving at home.
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