Ultimate Coffee Recipes: Hot Buttered Toffee Coffee

This coffee is for those who like theirs on the sweeter side.

Ingredients

4 ounces coffee mocha ice cream

6 ounces hot coffee

2 tablespoons butterscotch topping

2 teaspoons almond liqueur

whipped topping

1 tablespoon toffee pieces or 1 tablespoon chopped chocolate-covered english toffee bar

Directions:

Spoon ice cream into a large coffee mug;pour coffee, butterscotch topping and almond liqueur over ice cream. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of toffee chips.

The Art Of Coffee Roasting

Is there anything better than a hot, fresh brewed cup of coffee? As you open that can of pre-ground Maxwell House Coffee, did you even know that coffee comes in different roasts? Did you know that you can roast your own coffee beans at home? If you think that the aroma of your fresh ground coffee beans can't be beat, get a home coffee roaster, you'll be in Java Heaven.

Roasting the coffee beans is what imparts flavor. Similar to the making of a fine wine or a hand rolled cigar, some consider the roasting of coffee beans as an art. Those that describe coffee use some of the same vocabulary they use to describe wine. Depending on the roast level chosen the beans take on different flavor characteristics. The lighter the coffee bean the less flavor it will have, the darker the coffee bean the stronger the flavor it will have.

There are generally four different categories of roast: A light roast (American) , a medium roast (Breakfast), a dark roast (French), and darkest roast (Italian or espresso). Each type of roast imparts a different appearance to the coffee beans.

When a coffee bean is roasted to an American roast, the beans will have a very light color to them and they will appear dry. A medium roasted bean, or Breakfast roast will have a rich brown color and will be oily in appearance. A French roasted coffee bean will have a very oily appearance with the beans appearing very dark brown. The darkest roasted beans or Espresso beans will appear black.

Coffee roasting can easily be done in your home. Depending on the roast that you desire you can roast coffee in five to fifteen minutes. Green beans are available online from a number of sellers, as are coffee roasters. Choose different types of green coffees to sample. Drum roasters are very popular for use in the home. It's best to consider purchasing a roaster as it will give you the most consistent finish to your beans. Some try to roast beans in frying pans, some use hot air popcorn poppers. While each of these techniques will work, as mentioned above they don't give a consistent finish to all the beans and you will most likely be disappointed in the result.

Enjoy!

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee; Worth every penny

The island of Jamaican is known for many things, sandy beaches, reggae music, Bob Marley and coffee. The high regard for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee among avid coffee drinkers has driven its price up to between $26 and $40 a pound. What is it about this particular brew that warrants such a high price tag?

True to its name, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is grown in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, generally located between Kingston to the south and Port Maria to the north. Rising to 7,500 feet, the Blue Mountains are the highest point in the Caribbean. The area is characterized by cool, wet weather and dark, rich soil with good drainage, ideal conditions for cultivating coffee. Though coffee is not native to Jamaica, it is the chief export of the island.

Not just any old cup of Joe can call itself Jamaican Blue Mountain. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica must certify every bag of coffee to ensure only the highest quality beans bear the prestigious trademark. The Board only recognizes beans grown in specific parishes of Jamaica: St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland and St. Mary.

The Coffee Industry Regulation Act established a system of three grades of Jamaican Blue Mountain based on the screen or size of the bean. The term "screen" refers to the literal screens of various dimensions used to sort the beans according to their size. The theory behind this practice is that beans grown in higher altitudes are larger and make better-tasting coffee than those grown in lower altitudes.

The rigorous quality standard for Jamaican Blue Mountain excludes beans that would probably be considered fine for other coffees. The screening process also helps to eliminate maragogipe (elephant beans). A mutant strain believed to have originated in Brazil, elephant beans are large, green, porous beans that seem to absorb the flavor of the soil they grown in. The jury is still out on their worth, but they are considered an insufferable defect for Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee production.

At least 96 percent of the beans used must be of the same size and bluish-green tint. No more than two percent can stray from that standard in any way. Sour or black beans, or foreign matter of any kind, are considered unforgivable defects and do not fall under the two-percent rule. The most unbending benchmark is needed to maintain the traits that coffee drinkers have come to expect.

The geographical area that grows Jamaican Blue Mountain beans is relatively small and can only produce so much coffee. The limited quantity, the matchless quality resulting from painstaking cultivation, the alluring aroma and the renowned name of Jamaican Blue Mountain have undoubtedly contributed to its reputation as one of the most sought-after coffees in the world. As long as hard-core coffee drinkers continue to demand it, it will also be one of the most expensive.

How to Brew A Perfect Cup Of Coffee

Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on a number of things, like the quality of the coffee bean, the quality of the water being used, the type of brewing being done, and the grind of the coffee.

Now quality of bean and water is something you can easily take care of, just use good quality beans and pure water. However, the relationship between the grind of the coffee and the type of brewing being done is more detailed and could use a little explanation.

We all know that we make coffee by passing hot water through crushed coffee beans. However, for it to really work well we need to understand just how long the water should be passing over the beans. The purpose of this article is to help you understand how to match your coffee's grind to the type of brewing you are doing in order to make the best coffee possible.

Generally speaking, the 'soaking' time relates directly to how coarse the coffee is ground. This means that smaller coffee grinds need less contact with the water, and coarser grinds need longer contact. Espresso coffee is only exposed to water for 20-40 seconds, and as a result, is made using extremely fine grind coffee. A French press coffee maker can take as much as 4 minutes and uses an extremely coarse grind. If coffee is left contacting water for too long for its grind size, unwanted extracts emerge and make the coffee taste bitter. Of course, if the grind is too large and the water passes very quickly (like using French press grind in an espresso maker), very little of the caffeine and flavours are extracted, and your coffee will have poor flavour.

Filters play an important role in managing the balance between over and under brewing your coffee. Not only do they keep the grinds out of your cup, but they also control how fast the water passes over the grinds. Paper filters are the most common, but many people are also using metal varieties. Paper filters can however, absorb some of the coffee flavour, and some people claim they can taste the paper in the final coffee. Metal filters are normally made from stainless steel or gold plated mesh. They have very fine weave and filter out the coffee grinds very well. They also do not alter the taste of the coffee at all. Metal filters are also more environmentally friendly than the paper alternative.

Whichever you choose, be sure to buy decent quality. Cheap filters often clog or don't allow the coffee to brew properly. A decent quality metal filter will last years and save money in the end.

Brewing a cup of coffee is not that hard. Brewing a great cup takes a little more understanding and patience, but isn't really any harder. Start with fresh beans and good clean water, and then match your brewing style to the proper grind. Mess around with the exact proportions and pretty soon you'll be brewing killer coffee every time.

Storing Your Coffee – Should you freeze your coffee?

There are many different suggested ways to store coffee in order to maintain freshness. One of the suggested methods is to put your ground coffee or coffee beans in the freezer.

Is storing coffee in the freezer a good way to maintain freshness?

Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Freezing has been used for centuries as a way to extend the life of many foods. A diverse selection of foods can be frozen. Bread, meat, fruits, vegetables and even butter can be successfully stored in your freezer. Freezing even maintains many of the vitamins and nutritional value of a wide variety of foods. Coffee, however, isn’t as likely a candidate for storage in the freezer.

Coffee has four main enemies against freshness: air, heat, light and moisture. At first, freezing doesn’t seem to contain many of the offending enemies. However, appearances can be deceiving.

Coffee beans have been roasted in order to enhance flavor. The beans are also porous. Unfortunately a freezer can contain many other foods which have odors. The porous beans can absorb the flavors of many other frozen foods. Flavored coffees can be pleasant, but no one wants to drink seafood or garlic flavored coffee.

Moisture can also be absorbed by the coffee beans. Moisture can cause deterioration and loss of flavor. The more often you take coffee out of the freezer and put it back in, the more moisture absorption takes place into the bean. If you absolutely need to freeze some coffee because you have a large excess you’d like to keep, only freeze it once. The more you take it in and out of the freezer, the more damage you do.

Freezing also breaks down the oils in the beans. The oils contribute to the flavor of the coffee. Breaking down the oils means taking away flavor, and let’s face it, a large part of a good cup of coffee is the flavor.

When it comes down to it, freezing is not the best way to store your coffee. Keep coffee stored in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light. Freezing coffee is possible, and is best if you only freeze it once. The resulting loss of flavor and quality from repetitive freezing makes it a method of storage to stay away from. Your best bet is to purchase only enough beans or ground coffee to supply you for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy the coffee at its freshest!

A Coffee Lover's Best Friend - The Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Cuisinart Corporation prides themselves on making innovative culinary tools.

They were brought into the limelight through world renowned chefs like Julia Childs and James Beard, who used the Cuisinart food processor and hailed it to be the future of cooking. This started a worldwide interest in food processors, and Cuisinart was there from the beginning. They make a whole repertoire of cooking gadgets like Citrus Juicers, cutlery, food processors, Toasters, Waffle makers and the Cuisinart Coffee Makers.

Cuisinart collections are available in four different styles. There is the brushed stainless steel collection for the sleeker contemporary décor. The Matte Black Metals collection can blend into almost any interior décor style. The Red Collection is reminiscent of the 50s and can be used as the focal point in your Retro décor style. Finally the White and Stainless steel collection is perfect for your Country style kitchen. No matter what your décor style there is a Cuisinart collection to suit your need.

The Cuisinart coffee bar collection is an impressive collection of more than 15 different types and styles of coffee makers. They range from four cup to twelve cup Cuisinart coffee brewing machine, cuisinart thermal coffee makers and the popular cuisinart grind and brew thermal coffee maker. The Cuisinart coffee maker has a stylish design making it attractive; it is also very durable and most importantly brews an excellent cup of coffee. With a stainless steel exterior the Cuisinart coffee makers are a welcome addition to any kitchen décor.

Cuisinart’s latest product is a twelve cup coffee percolator. This coffee maker is very versatile and mobile allowing it to be moved around the kitchen and plugged into different outlets. The attractive stainless steel percolator has a detachable chord which allows it to be used as a coffee decanter as well. The Coffee Percolator has a no drip sprout with a transparent knob that allows you to monitor the progress of the coffee percolation. The stay-cool bottom of the Cuisinart percolator allows it to stand on any surface without causing any damage. Although the suggested retail price tag of $90 may be more than you are willing to spend, Cuisinart products come with a three year warranty and their quality and reliability justify the price.

Cuisinart coffee maker parts are easy to procure. Simple visit the company’s website and find the Cuisinart retailer closest to you and contact them to find your replacement parts. Cuisinart Corporation prides itself in producing proven superior quality products and offering superior customer service. On the company website you will find links to retailers that sell their products. They also have an online catalogue that allows you to shop easily.

Cuisinart products can be found in fine and upmarket department stores, and specialty stores all over the world. If you are in the market for a Cuisinart Coffee Maker visit the Cuisinart website and find the closest retailer. There are also many different retailers online offering a variety of Cuisinart Coffee Makers. Online auctions sites also have a collection of the Coffee makers at deeply discounted prices.

A Brief History of Espresso

Luigi Bezzera, the owner of a manufacturing business invented Espresso at the turn of the century. 

Luigi Bezzera was simply trying to figure out a way to brew coffee faster. He figured if he could just add pressure to the brewing process it would speed things up. Thus the "Fast Coffee Machine" was created. His idea of a fast cup of coffee turned out much better than he had planned, what he ended up with is a better, fuller tasting cup of strong coffee, as well as a much faster process. He found that the quicker more efficient brewing method allowed for the quality of the beans to be extracted as opposed to over extracting he had previously experienced. The term "Espresso" means fast in Italian, hence the term.

It wasn't until later when Desidero Pavoni purchased the rights from Mr. Bezzera for the espresso machine that it became popular. Pavoni was extremely successful in marketing the product and probably changed the way people drink coffee from then on. Just look around! Coffee and Espresso shops are popping up everywhere, even in the U.S. it has become not only popular for the delicious beans, but has given us a new place to socialize.

Espresso Timeline:

In 1901 Luigi Bezzera filed a patent for the espresso machine that contained a boiler and four "groups". Each group could take different size filters that contained the coffee. Boiling water was forced through the coffee and into a cup. Ambrogio Fumagelli says that this was the birth of (fast) espresso coffee.

In 1903 Luigi Bezzera's patent was then purchased by Desiderio Pavoni and put to market in a big way.

In 1905 The Pavoni company begins manufacturing the espresso machines soley based on Bezzera's patent.

In 1927 First espresso machine was installed in the United States. It was a La Pavoni Espresso Machine installed at Regio's in New York.

In 1938 Cremonesi designed a piston pump that forced hot water through the coffee. It was installed at Achille Gaggia's coffee bar.

In 1946 Gaggia begins manufacturing the commercial piston machine. Resulting foam or cream layered coffee or cafe'.