Ask The Coffee Guy

“Nutty Irishman Latte.”

2011-03-02T16:32:00.001-05:00

Time for some Irish cheer! My drink special for March is the “Nutty Irishman Latte.” We’ve taken a classic hazelnut latte and added Irish cream flavored syrup to represent the Green Isle.

Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it yourself:

Nutty Irishman Latte
• 2 pumps (1/2 ounce) of hazelnut syrup
• 2 pumps (1/2 ounce) of Irish cream syrup
• 2 shots of freshly brewed espresso
• Finish off 16 oz cup with your choice of milk and ¼ inch of foam

You’d be crazy not to try one!

Dessert Time !!!!

2010-11-20T10:45:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Pudding Pie
(Serves 8)
Crust: Use this recipe or purchase a prepared graham cracker pie shell.
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter (melted)
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of ground cinnamon
dash of cloves
dash of ground nutmeg
Filling
8 oz. Quick & Easy® Chocolate Pudding mix
6 fl. oz. Dark Roasted brewed coffee
6 fl. oz. hot tap water
8 oz. fat-free sour cream
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
Topping
1 cup whipped cream
8 tsp. shaved chocolate
dash of cinnamon
dash of raspberry sauce

Use purchased graham cracker pie shell, or follow this recipe: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and mix well. The ingredients listed as "dash" should be according to your own personal taste. Mix in the melted butter and combine well with a fork. Press the crust mixture into a 9-inch pie tin and bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

For the filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over a small amount of cold water to hydrate; heat over a double boiler to melt. In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix with the coffee and tap water and stir until well blended. Stir in the sour cream until well blended and follow with the melted gelatin. Pour this mixture into the pie shell, cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, cut the pie into 8 equal portions. Place a slice on a plate drizzled with raspberry sauce. Equally divide the whipped cream among the portions, sprinkle shaved chocolate over the top and dust with cinnamon.

COFFEE & YOUR HEALTH

2010-11-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

Drinking Coffee Could Be Brewing Better Health for You.

In recent years, there’s been a lot of research percolating about coffee’s health benefits, along with some coffee-and-health misconceptions, too.

JAVA’S HEALTH

With 56 percent of the adult American population drinking at least one cup of coffee a day, according to the National Coffee Association, many people wonder if coffee drinking is healthy for them. Good news! A number of recent studies all found that coffee - in moderation(a few cups per day)— is a safe beverage and, in may cases, exhibits some health benefits. “Coffee has more than 2,000 different chemical components, including cancer-fighting antioxidants,” said Donald Hensrud, associate professor of Preventative Medicine and Nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, as quoted in a recent USA Today article. His statement is backed up by a 2009 study from the American Association for Cancer Research that shows men who drink the most coffee were nearly 60 percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than non-coffee drinkers.

Coffee is also associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis in heavy alcohol drinkers, and for people without heart disease, a long-term study in the Netherlands showed that coffee could lower heartdisease risk. “The Netherlands researchers studiedmore than 37,000 people for 13 years, and found that people who drank more than two, but no more than four, cups of coffee per day had about a 20 percent lower risk for heart disease,” said a story about the study on the WebMD website. The study did not include people with known heart disease, so it is unclear if drinking coffee is beneficial for them.

Interestingly, several of these studies included decaffeinated coffee, and the results were similar, so caffeine appears to not necessarily be coffee’s main
beneficial component; however, studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee does boost cognitive ability and attention span.

Recently, Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 (adult onset) Diabetes have been added to the “reduced risk” category for coffee drinkers, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Weekly News Bulletin. “Frank Hu, Harvard Medical School, noted that coffee contains caffeine, numerous bioactive compounds, chlorogenic acid, minerals and antioxidants, which may help explain coffee’s healthpromoting properties.” The article also said, “A large Finnish study of men and women, with a 21-year follow-up, found that drinking three-to-five cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 65 percent. A Canadian study of Health and Aging, with a 10-year follow-up, found that regular coffee consumption … resulted in
about a 28 percent reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. [Overall] cognitive decline was seen less in coffee drinkers.”

National Public Radio’s website expresses some caution about these results: ”…experts say the research only establishes a correlation between coffee drinking and brain protection … it’s possible that these regular coffee drinkers might have other habits in common that could explain the positive effect. Reisa Sperling, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Harvard University, cautions, ‘People who are very active in mid-life are more likely to be drinking coffee than are couch potatoes. Alzheimer’s is an incredibly complicated disease. Exercise and good nutrition do seem to be protective, but a person’s risk is largely determined by genes.’”

For More Information on Coffee/Tea and Health Issues:
Institute of Food Technologists: www.ift.org
Harvard Public Health: www.health.harvard.edu
Coffee Science (a division of the National Coffee Association): www.coffeescience.org
CoSIC, the Coffee Science Information Centre: www.cosic.org
WebMD: www.webmd.com (type coffee health in the search box)
Source...www.boyds.com

How to Cold-Brew Iced Coffee

2010-07-07T18:29:00.002-04:00

Lets skip the whole pour hot coffee over ice routine.

Start by filling your favorite pitcher or iced beverage container with filtered water. Add a coarse ground coffee, my sugestion would be a nice Ethiopian Harrar. This should be done at a 4 parts water to 1 part coffee ratio. This might seem like alot, but the flavor is yummy. Stir up the mixture and set in the fridge for 12 hours, overnight. Strain and pour over ice....

WARNING! If you like to sweeten your coffee please taste prior to doing so. The result is the best iced coffee you will ever taste.

The CBS Early Show & the $12 cup of coffee

2010-05-19T14:11:00.000-04:00

The CBS Early Show & the $12 cup of coffee

Check out the color difference....WOW what a great cup to be sure!

Classic Irish Coffee - The Recipe

2010-02-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner here is a time tested favorite!

The Ingredients
(as Oscar Wilde would describe them)
Cream as rich as an Irish brogue
Coffee as strong as a friendly hand
Sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue
Whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land

(as a bartender would describe them)
- 35 ml Irish whiskey
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- Freshly brewed coffee, press pot preferred
- Fresh cold whipping cream
- Use a traditional Irish Coffee glass, one with a handle and a short fluted design.

STEP by STEP

Preheat the cup
The traditional Irish Coffee cup is on a thick, short stem, with a handle. Preheat with hot water
Press is best
For the traditional Irish Coffee, you can't beat a freshly pressed pot of coffee. Don't skimp on the quality or preparation!
The Whiskey
Just as you wouldn't want to skimp on the coffee, don't skimp on the whiskey either
- I'm using Jamison's 12 Year for this tasty beverage.
Whip it up
Where a lot of people make a mistake on Irish Whiskey is the cream
- out of a can won't do. The cream has to be just short of stiff - pourable, but extra, extra thick.
Add the Whiskey
Add your whiskey first, after emptying the glass of the hot water. This allows the whiskey to immediately start releasing big aromas.
Pour the Coffee
As quick as you can, pour the coffee to infuse and distribute the whiskey, locking in the melange of flavours both beverages offer.
Add the brown sugar
Add the brown sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. The beverage is hot, and brown sugar melts quickly.
Fold the cream
As the boys in San Fran figured out, the secret to great Irish Coffee is folding the cream onto the beverage via a spoon. Gentle pouring and layering will create a great looking and even better tasting drink.
The finished beverage
The finished Irish Coffee beverage, ready to enjoy and savour.

That's it! Drink the hot coffee and whiskey through the layer of cold cream, as it's meant to be - don't stir! This fine Irish beverage is a must-have recipe for every bartender to have in their book. If you've ever experienced a cold Irish winter, you’ll know why this drink is worth every drop.

Holiday Drinks Made With Fresh Brewed Coffee

2009-11-06T09:20:00.002-05:00

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.

Fall Topic-Are you doing the right things to keep the customers you have?

2009-10-12T16:11:00.003-04:00

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

Fall Recipe

2009-10-12T15:42:00.002-04:00

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.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER TOPIC

2009-08-09T18:05:00.002-04:00

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.

DOG DAYS RECIPE

2009-08-09T17:58:00.002-04:00

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.

June / July Topic

2009-06-20T09:47:00.004-04:00

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

June / July Recipe

2009-06-20T09:36:00.004-04:00

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.

May Topic

2009-05-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

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

2009-05-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

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.

April Topic

2009-04-08T15:27:00.001-04:00

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...

Recipe of the Month

2009-04-08T15:18:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-04-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

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.

Brewing your coffee at home.

2009-04-04T09:43:00.000-04:00

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.

The History of Coffee…

2007-10-27T14:29:00.000-04:00

Creation Myth (c. 600 CE) Kaldi, an Ethiopian goatherd, is puzzled by his hyperactive goats; they are eating leaves and berries from a strange tree with glossy green leaves. Coffee is discovered. Cultivation soon spreads to Yemen.
c. 900 Arab physician Rhazes first mentions coffee in print, as a medicine.
c. 1400 In elaborate ceremony, Ethiopians roast, grind, and brew coffee beans. Coffee as we know it is born.
1475 Kiva Han, the world's first coffeehouse, is opened in Constantinople.
1511 Khair-Beg, governor of Mecca, bans coffeehouses when seditious verses are written about him there. The ban is reversed by Cairo sultan.
1538 Ottoman Turks occupy Yemen and parboil coffee beans (to render them infertile and maintain their monopoly) and export them from Mocha, hence coffee's nickname "mocha."
c. 1600 Pressured by advisors to condemn infidel coffee (imported through Venice), Pope Clement VIII instead blesses it.
1616 Dutch pirates spirit away coffee trees to a greenhouse in Holland. Around the same time Baba Budan smuggles fertile seeds to Mysore in India.
1650 A Lebanese named Jacobs opens first European coffeehouse at Oxford University, England. Over the next half century, coffee takes Europe by storm; coffeehouses are called "penny universities."
1658 The Dutch plant and cultivate coffee in Ceylon, later in Java and Sumatra, ultimately giving coffee the nickname "java."
1669 The Turkish ambassador to Paris, Soliman Aga, introduces coffee at sumptuous parties.
1674 In London, the Women's Petition Against Coffee claims that coffee renders their men impotent; men counter that coffee adds "spiritualescency to the Sperme." The following year, King Charles II fails in his attempt to ban coffeehouses.
1683 After their failed siege of Vienna, the Turks flee, leaving coffee beans behind. Franz George Kolschitzky uses the beans to open a café, where he filters coffee and adds milk.
1689 Café de Procope is opened in Paris opposite Comedie Francaise.
1710 Instead of boiling it, the French pour hot water through grounds in cloth bag for the first infusion brewing.
1723 Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu brings a coffee tree to Martinique; most of the coffee in Latin America descends from this tree.
1727 Francisco de Melho Palheta seduces the governor's wife in French Guiana; she gives him ripe coffee cherries to take back to Brazil.
1732 Johann Sebastian Bach writes the Coffee Cantata, in which a rebellious daughter demands her coffee.
1773 During the Boston Tea Party, rebellious American colonists throw British tea imports overboard; coffee drinking becomes a patriotic act.
1781 Frederick the Great forbids most Prussian coffee roasting, saying, "My people must drink beer."
1791 A slave revolt on San Domingo (Haiti) destroys coffee plantations, where half the world's coffee had been grown.
1806 Napoleon declares France self-sufficient and promotes chicory over coffee.
1850 James Folger arrives in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and makes his fortune from coffee.
1864 American Jabez Burns invents an efficient, self-dumping roaster.
1869 Coffee rust fungus, hemileia vastatrix, appears in Ceylon and soon wipes out the East Indies coffee industry.
1871 John Arbuckle opens a coffee factory in New York and makes millions from his pre-roasted, packaged, and branded Ariosa coffee.
1878 Caleb Chase and James Sanborn form Chase & Sanborn.
1881 The New York Coffee Exchange opens.
1892 Joel Cheek invents Maxwell House Coffee blend in Nashville, Tennessee.

1900 Hills Brothers introduces vacuum-packed canned coffee. Tokyo chemist Sartori Kato introduces instant coffee; it is sold the following year at the Pan American Exposition.
1901 Italian Luigi Bezzera invents first commercial espresso machine.
1906 In Bremen, Germany, Ludwig Roselius patents Kaffee Hag, the first decaffeinated coffee. In France, it is called Sanka (from sans caffeine).
1908 German housewife Melitta Bentz makes a coffee filter using her son's blotting paper.
1911 The National Coffee Roasters Association is founded; it later becomes the National Coffee Association.
1918 The U. S. Army requisitions all of G. Washington's instant coffee for troops in World War I.
1920 Prohibition of alcohol enacted in USA, making coffee and coffeehouses even more popular.
1938 Nestle introduces Nescafé, an improved instant coffee, just before World War II. Maxwell House follows with its instant brand.
1946 U.S. per capita coffee consumption reaches 19.8 pounds.
1960 The Colombian Coffee Federation debuts the character of Juan Valdez, the humble coffee grower, with his mule.
1965 Boyd Coffee introduces the Flav-R-Flo brewing system, pionerring the filter and cone home brewer.
1966 Dutch immigrant Alfred Peet opens Peet's Coffee in Berkeley, California, at what is considered the beginning of the specialty coffee revolution.
1970 Italian Luigi Goglio invents a one-way valve to let coffee de-gas without contact with oxygen.
1971 Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker open Starbucks in Seattle.
1975 The Black Frost in Brazil decimates the coffee harvest, leading to high prices over the next two years.
1982 The national charter for the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is created; specialty coffee companies are invited to join as "charter members."
1987 Howard Schultz buys Starbucks and begins to turn it into a worldwide specialty coffee chain.
1988 In the Netherlands, the Max Havelaar seal certifies Fair Trade coffee. Transfair USA follows suit in 1999.
2006 Specialty coffee accounts for 40% of the U. S. retail coffee market.
2007 The 25th anniversary of the founding of the Specialty Coffee Association of America is celebrated. Coffee is the world's second most valuable legal traded commodity, after oil.

Sustainability and Organic Coffee

2007-10-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

Is organic coffee really worth the extra money that it demands? "Sustainability" and "Green" are all the buzz of the new coffee world and many other industries, but who's really watching to make sure we get what we pay for. Not all certified sustainable coffees are organic and not all organic coffees are certified sustainable. Organizations that are hired and used as third party certifiers have their own agendas and are in business to make a profit. Some of them are allowing a small percentage of coffee used in a blend (say 30%) and calling it "certified sustainable by..." When in fact most of the coffee used in the blend is the same that could be used in any old blend the roaster is producing, yet they're charging more and making more money from it. When offered a certified sustainable coffee ask if it's 100% sustainable and remember not all certified sustainable coffees are created equal.