The Coffee Maker Store

The Beginner’s Guide to Common Coffee Drinks

rimam1 — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:15:22 +0000

This article is a guest post written by Victoria of Ratelines.com, a financial portal to find the best money market rates.

We all love it, its smell, taste, and the aura it produces when around us. We could be in the middle of work, sitting at home on our couch, sitting in traffic on the way to work or sitting by the beach. Wherever we are, the small and thought of it takes you to another world. That’s the feeling of the rich, strong, bold and sometimes sweet flavor of our beloved friend, coffee.

Since most of us aren’t coffee snobs, aficionados, etc. It’s helpful to understand the differences between the most common types of coffee. For example, the difference between coffee and espresso. Coffee is not as strong as espresso, and when brewed, espresso has a much richer taste than coffee. When espresso is brewed, it is pushed and padded into a small compression, and hot water is pushed through the pressed coffee, creating a strong, bold flavor, also called an espresso shot.

The Latte: Besides the cup of coffee (which is a very American thing), the latte is the most common type of espresso drink. Depending on the size, the smallest latte size (American small) has one shot of espresso, 3/4 a cup of steamed milk, and topped off with the foam from steamed milk. Sometimes people go the extra mile by adding a shot of vanilla or hazelnut syrup.

The Cappacino: Commonly confused with the latte, the cappacino is a widely-known drink in Europe. The smallest size comes with one shot of espresso, approximately ¾ cup of steamed milk foam, and about 1/3 cup of steamed milk. Again, the capachino is highly recommended plain, or with a shot of spice.

Caffe Americano: Not as common for the Starbucks lovers, but the Americano is rightly named for its founding in the American way – the love for a fresh cup of coffee. The Americano is probably the freshest ‘cup o’ joe’ you’ll order at Caribou or Starbucks. The rich, bold taste will enchant you but the way the Caffe Americano is made will shock you. A small Americano is made with two shots of espresso and the rest is hot water, mixed to perfection, don’t let the make of this bold cup fool you on the surprisingly robust taste.

Cafe Au Lait: Also called a “Cafe Misto” for the Starbucks junkies , the Au Lait is the perfect blend of regular coffee and steamed milk or cream with a small amount of foam on top. Usually not ordered with syrup, it also tasts nice with a shot of peppermint or raspberry.

Espresso Macchiato: More of a French espresso drink, this is ordered not by the size but by the shot of espresso. A double is two shots of espresso that is poured over not steamed milk, but just the steamed foam.

Espresso Con Panna: Again, another European language, this drink is served as a shot over whipped cream. Ordered by the shot amount, not by the size.

Written by Victoria of Ratelines.com, a financial portal to find the best http://www.ratelines.com/money-market-rates/“>money market rates.

How Much Caffeine Does It Take To Kill You?

rimam1 — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:33:50 +0000

I’ve been looking at a lot of coffee related infographics and came across this stunning caffeine chart. It came from CoolInfographics.com and is worth a look. It charts the amount of caffeine in drinks from the common cup of coffee up to the most caffeine-laden energy drinks.

Got a death wish? Then check out the Death by Caffeine app. It shows how much caffeine it’ll take to kill you. Choose the energy drink of choice and enter your age. The app will tell you how many cans of your favorite energy drink it’ll take to kill you. But like they say, people can actually die from this stuff, so please don’t be stupid.

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Cat Hammock Coffee Table

rimam1 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:55:57 +0000

I saw this on CrunchGear this morning and thought it was too funny. It was created by Japanese designer Case-Real, but it’s not actually in production. This kitty-hammock-coffee-table will probably be very well received by your cat. The sound of coffee cups clinking on the tabletop will probably freak her out, so I’m not sure it’ll be her favorite hiding spot, but it’s pretty unique nonetheless.

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‘The Pure’ Is One Fancy Induction Coffee Maker

rimam1 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:09:20 +0000

I just read about this futuristic coffeemaker at TheAppliancist.com. It’s called “The Pure ” and it’s an induction coffee maker. The manufacturers says it is made of environmentally friendly materials. Its design helps speed up the brewing process it is quite easy to use. It has a ballpoint pen mechanism that helps control how much coffee is poured. Additionally it is made of double glass tubes which help insulate the coffee, and of course protect your hands from getting burned.

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Moccamaster Coffee Maker Is a Classic

rimam1 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:50:29 +0000

If you’re looking for a classic coffee maker, you need look no further than the Moccamaster. This hand crafted coffee maker, made in the Netherlands, has looked the same for over 40 years. It has many loyal fans in European coffee strongholds like Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. Not only is it stylish, but it is a high quality coffee machine that holds a consistently high temperature, and brewing a good pot of coffee quite quickly. Just look at one of it’s fans had to say:

“can HIGHLY recommend this coffee maker–have had it for about 7 years.
LOVE it. we have the one with the thermos, which is just great. heats
up the water to a higher temperature than any other drip maker–it’s
terrific.”

This coffeemaker is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. As noted in the comment above, it singular heating element in Scheuer is a Debruin temperature remains less than optimal 200°F throughout the brewing cycle. at one cup per minute, it can crank out 10 cups of high-quality coffee faster than most conventional home coffee makers. No wonder it’s a kitchen favorite for real coffee buffs.

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12 Uncommon Uses for Coffee Filters

rimam1 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:15:26 +0000

Here’s a goofy article I read at the Miami Herald today about creative uses for the common coffee filter. Apparently you can use them for a lot more than your coffee maker. It’s not a particularly practical list, but there are some pretty funny uses:

• Coffee filters are great to cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave

• Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling; use them for mirrors and chrome too

• Place a coffee filter between good china plates to protect them

• Put a coffee filter in a cast-iron skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. (my wife just bought a cast-iron skillet and will love this tip)

• Use a coffee filter to recycle used cooking oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter

• Weigh chopped foods. Place ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale

• Line the pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes. This will help you stop the soil from leaking out of the pot

• Do you think we need expensive strips to wax our eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters instead. Ouch!

• Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors

• Use filters to strain soup stock. Or tie fresh herbs in a coffee filter and put the bundle in soups and stews

• Show kids how to sprout seeds. Just dampen the coffee filter, put seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout

• Use as a disposable “snack bowl” for popcorn, chips, etc

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7 Easy Coffee Grinding Tips

rimam1 — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:11:19 +0000

Because grinding coffee can be an art in and of itself, here are a few tips that I found to help you make a great cup of coffee at home, especially if you grind your own beans.

Amount: If you don’t know how much coffee you want to grind, a good rule of thumb is to use 2 tablespoons of coffee beans for every 6-8 ounces of water. Of course, you can feel free to adjust it to your specific tastes
Timing: It’s best to grind your beans right before brewing, because the oxidation process begins immediately and can cause flavors to degrade noticeably in just a few hours. Make sure that you only grind enough coffee for one pot to make sure it is as fresh as possible
Water Temperature: Another tip I read about issues make sure that you always start with cold water. Cold water has more oxygen and helps to flavor of the coffee. But if you are using a French press or drip coffeemaker, put a small amount of hot water on the grounds for a minute so that the grounds swell just a little. Then you can poor the rest of the water
Use Egg Shells:Another little tip, and this is taken straight from the cowboys guide to coffee drinking, is to add eggshells to coffee grounds because it helps make a smoother cup of coffee
A Pinch of Salt: Some people like to add a pinch of kosher salt to their coffee grounds just before brewing, they say it helps take the better edge of the coffee and results in a smoother brew
Double-Up: Lots of people like using to coffee filters and brewing because it helps remove some of the oils which might cause bitterness but they still let the coffee flavor come through
Quick Bursts: If you using a blade grinder, make sure that you grinder coffee in short bursts. This prevents the coffee grinder from overheating and burning your coffee grinds. You should also hold it near the top and give it a good shake every few seconds so the grounds get mixed while grinding. Distal make sure you have a consistent grind throughout

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The Perfect Temperature for Brewing Coffee

rimam1 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:44:04 +0000

One of the most important parts of making coffee, after choosing the right grind, is making sure that the water is the right temperature. The common electric coffee maker makes this a little bit tricky, so it’s important to understand what type of coffee maker will produce the best results. With a dizzying variety of carafes, filter types, aesthetics, and colors, it can sometimes be hard to choose the best one.

Coffee experts will tell you that the first criteria to look for in a home coffee maker is that it can produce the correct brewing temperature. If the machine cannot maintain a proper brewing temperature you should not buy it. Lower brewing temperature is caused problems like bitterness, because they take too long to brew, extracting the bitter flavor of a coffee bean. Another side effect is insipid coffee, which happens from lower temperature extraction. Inexpensive coffee machines have a smaller water heater. This results in less waterflow and longer brewing times. so you end up with bland bitter coffee.

High-quality drip coffee makers can reach a temperature of 200°F and brew in about 4 minutes. You can’t get that type of performance from most home coffee makers, but there are a few that do live up to have standard. If you prefer brewing at home, look for a coffee machine that can get to 200°F in 6 minutes or less. If you’re having a hard time finding one, Consumer Reports Magazine actually did a study in late 2009 where they researched 40 coffeemaker’s on several criteria. One of the criteriawas the ability to maintain proper temperature and brew within 6 minutes. They range in Price from $40 to over $250. The Technivorm KBT741 ($265) and the Mr. Coffee JWX27 ($40) both did quite well.

If you looking for at home coffeemaker, just make sure that you do some research. You can even through water and measure how long it takes and the temperature just in case you have to return it.

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Introducing the Eco-Friendly Coffee Tips Widget

rimam1 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:59:06 +0000

Eco Friendly Coffee Tips

More cool coffee makers
and coffee tips…

Here’s a little project we’ve been working on here at TheCoffeeMakerStore. It’s an eco-friendly coffee tips widget that displays ways to make your coffee habit more gentle on the environment.

Copy the text below and paste it in your blog or website:

`Eco Friendly Coffee Tips`





More cool coffee makers

 and coffee tips...

It displays 13 environmentally friendly coffee tips. Please add this to your website and tell your friends about it. It’s a great way to teach others how to reduce their toll on the environment.

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Japanese Designed Tea and Coffee Maker

rimam1 — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:09:22 +0000

Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa created this compact 6 cup tea and coffee maker combo. It uses a double activated charcoal filter and brews in less than 10 minutes. It’s been on the Japanese market since 2007 and is now being released to the US and Europe for about $240. It’s good for small, compact kitchens and living spaces and has a one hour automatic shut off function to prevent your coffee from burning. It may look no more complex than a Brita water filter, but its simplicity and clean design have won it (and this designer) a fair share of design awards.

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