Monthly Archives: April 2014

Everybody loves a good cup of coffee. It wakes you up instantly, it tastes fantastic and you have to admit, the conversations over coffee are incomparable to any other beverage. Associate a cup of coffee with an intellectual, stimulating conversation about life, the universe and everything, with friends that matter the most. A cappuccino might make you more productive for a while, but nothing is as zesty and an instant kick like a shot of espresso. We’ve all been there: We spend so much time at coffee shops, but somewhere deep inside, we realize that these outlets are over-priced like much else on this planet these days. So we think, how difficult can it be to make a shot of espresso at home? What could possibly go wrong? We try that out and once we’re done, the concoction is nothing short of a deadly dosage of caffeine that tastes awful and leaves an even awful-er after taste. Here’s how to make that perfect cup of espresso at home. You’ll never have to go to a coffee shop again. All you need is an espresso machine and these handy tips. Here’s what you have to do:

1.     Start out with water

If you have an espresso machine at home, refrain from using tap water. You may not know this, but tap water contains a small concentration of limestone which deteriorates the quality of coffee. Use mineral water instead.

2.     It’s all about the beans

You cannot make good espresso without good quality beans. Can you make a beautiful gown without good fabric? The same concept applies here too and you cannot blame your coffee machine for this faux pas. Freshly roasted beans are your best friends because they give you a kick like no other.

3.     Grinding the beans

If you use pre-ground beans, you’re not doing it right. Grind your beans into a fine powder (but not too fine; it has to be just right) just before brewing. You’d want to select the fine grind setting on your espresso machine for the perfect result. Once ground, press the coffee with a tamper to ensure that the beans are evenly distributed in the filter. I’ll have you know that most chain coffee shops rarely tamp the coffee. Huh.

4.     Water temperature matters

The water needs to be just below the point of boiling. If the water is too hot, the espresso will taste bitter, if it’s cool, it will taste flavorless and blegh. Basically, the temperature needs to be just right.

5.     Good mechanics

The most important step is to clean your machine thoroughly once you’re done, because coffee remnants will make your next tryst taste a tad odd, and who wants that? Properly maintain your machine. Brewing pressure is all important and needs to be 15 bars or more for the greatest espresso ever! Once the foam, or “crema” at the top of your espresso starts looking more white than brown, remove your cup from the machine, and voila, your espresso is ready! Remember to clean the machine

6.     When to drink

Most people ignore this point, but it’s almost as important as anything else on this list. You must drink your shot within 20 to 30 seconds of you making it, while it’s still hot, otherwise it becomes bland and bitter. So drink it fast. It’ll taste way better if you don’t wait.

So remember these steps, the next espresso shot you make at home will not disappoint. Also keep in mind that practice makes perfect. It’s fairly easy to make the perfect espresso cup at home, so go on. Give these tips a try!

Coffee has been around for a long time ever since the 13^th century, in fact. That’s how long mankind has had to perfect this aromatic cup of elixir. We’ve come a long way since then. Now you can become the perfect barista right in your own home with coffee grinders and coffee makers specially designed for family use.

The perfect cup is all up to you and your preference of taste but did you know that a lot depends on the coffee grind? Here are the basics you should keep in mind to achieve that perfect cuppa.

Grind that coffee to perfection! Mornings are generally a time of haste and we often don’t have the time to wait for that coffee to grind properly even after having been told many times - good things come to those that wait! So, let’s put that waiting into action, assuming you do want that “jump start” cup of Espresso. Just make sure you grind your coffee fine or super fine depending on whether you are using a stove pot or an Espresso machine.

Coffee should be ground to match your favored brewing technique.

Not so hard even for beginners! Easy-peasy, there are five basic coffee grinds. Here’s breaking it down for you.

Coarse Grind

 A coarse grind has large chunky pieces of the coffee bean as it has not been crushed completely. It tends to feel like larger chunks of rock salt. A coarse grind is good when you use a percolator, the French press or a Toddy maker.

Medium Grind

The medium grind is simply ground a little bit longer than the coarse grind. It has the consistency of coarse sand or smaller chunks of rock salt and can be used with drip makers with flat bottom or cone shaped filters.

Fine Grind

The perfect fine grind feels like salt or sugar or finer sand. Stove top Espresso pots work great with this kind of grind.

Super Fine Grind

This kind of grind feels very fine and almost soft to the touch. It is almost like a powder but not quite and works brilliantly with an Espresso machine.

Turkish Grind

Of course this is the finest grind you can make and it feels finer than a super fine grind.  And guess what, the coffee grounds left after you drink your Turkish grind can be used for telling your fortune!

Now there are basically two types of coffee grinders - The blade and the burr. A coffee grinder with a blade is quick but doesn’t always grind your coffee bean to the right consistency especially if you like it finer. Sometimes it burns the coffee bean too which isn’t always good for the taste of your coffee. So the blade is usually better for coarser grinds. It doesn’t do super fine very well. Bearing that in mind, the burr on the other hand takes a while longer to break that bean down but it can give you a coarse grind to a Turkish grind with absolute precision. And remember, the fresher the coffee grind the more flavor in your cup!

Coffee cigarettes!? What's that? Have they come up with another bizarre coffee flavor? I've heard of some interesting flavors but never before a cigarette flavor. How good can that be unless you're a chain smoker? Never fear. This is something better than just another coffee flavor. Have you ever seen those smokers on their coffee break sitting outside on the steps with a coffee in one hand, a cigarette in their mouth and with the other hand they're catching up with the latest on their smartphone. Quite complicated isn't it? Listen to the solution some creative teenagers have come up with to help them multitask. Simple as smoking coffee! Yup that's right. They take ground coffee and roll it up in cigarette paper or they smoke it with a pipe. They claim it gives them an extra energy boost. Now that sounds like something to try. But I still like my cuppa coffee - wouldn't change it for some smoke.