Coffee – Page 7

Espresso-Based Beverages At Home

04/19/201204/20/2012Leave a comment

Espresso-Based Beverages At Home

Ristretto, Macchiato, Cappuccino, Mocha, Americano… Most coffee lovers have heard of these gourmet drinks at one time or another, but how many have attempted to prepare these coffee house espresso-based beverages at home?

Creating these coffee house drinks in your own kitchen is simple with our Guide to Espresso-Based Beverages. We recommend having a Capresso espresso machine and a Capresso automatic milk frother on hand when preparing these recipes.

Guide to Espresso-Based Beverages

Drink Name	Preparation
Espresso	1-1.5 ounce shot of coffee brewed at high pressure for 20-25 seconds. Espresso is the basis for many gourmet coffee specialty drinks.
Ristretto	0.5-0.7 ounce shot of coffee brewed at high pressure for less than 20 seconds. The ristretto has a very intense flavor that is bolder with more body than a traditional espresso.
Lungo	2-4 ounce shot of coffee brewed at high pressure for 45-60 seconds. The lungo is more bitter than espresso as more water is extracting the coffee’s flavor.
Macchiato	A shot of espresso topped with a spoonful of frothed milk served in a demitasse cup.
Espresso con Panna	A shot of espresso topped with whipped cream in a demitasse cup.
Espresso Affogato	A scoop of gelato or ice cream “drowned” in a shot of espresso.
Cappuccino	A shot of espresso topped with 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 frothed milk in a large cup.
Latte	A shot of espresso topped with 2/3 steamed milk and a few spoonfuls of frothed milk in a large cup.
Latte Macchiato	Fill a cup with steamed milk and top with a few spoonfuls of frothed milk. Pour a shot of espresso on top of the foam to “mark” the latte.
Hazelnut Latte	A shot of espresso mixed with hazelnut syrup, topped with steamed milk and a few spoonfuls of frothed milk.
Vanilla Latte	A shot of espresso mixed with vanilla syrup, topped with steamed milk and a few spoonfuls of frothed milk.
Caramel Macchiato	Fill a cup with steamed milk and caramel sauce, and then top with a few spoonfuls of frothed milk. Pour a shot of espresso on top of the foam to “mark” the latte. Add caramel sauce to the top if desired.
Mocha	A shot of espresso mixed with chocolate syrup topped with steamed milk. Add whipped cream and cocoa powder to the top is desired.
Americano	A shot of espresso top with 6-8 ounces of hot water.

Freshly Ground Flavor

03/15/201203/16/2012Leave a comment

Looking for a simple way to brew a more flavorful cup of joe?

Grinding fresh whole coffee beans immediately before brewing is one of the easiest ways to improve the taste of home brewed coffee, because freshly ground coffee beans extract more flavor and oils, producing an irresistible taste and aroma.

Our line of coffee grinders offer a consistent, high-quality grind that’s perfect for any coffee lover, but there are many other aspects that play a role in grinding coffee beans. This Guide to Grinding Coffee Beans offers tips and suggestions on how to create the most flavorful grind every time.

Guide to Grinding Coffee Beans

Grinding tips:

Grind right before brewing for the freshest flavor and aroma.
Store ground coffee in a dry, dark container with a tight closing lid.

Check out the chart below to determine which grinder is best for your preferred brewing method.

Grind Size	Brewing Method	Recommended Grinder	Visual Comparison
Coarse	French Press/ Percolator	Blade or Burr	Similar to the texture of soil
Medium	Drip Coffee	Blade or Burr	Similar to the texture of soil
Fine	Steam Espresso	Disk or Conical Burr	Similar to the texture of sea salt
Super Fine	Pump Espresso	Disk or Conical Burr	Similar to the texture of fine sugar
Turkish	Turkish	Conical Burr	Similar to the texture of sifted flour

For the widest grinding range with the most precision, grind with a conical burr grinder.
Disk or blade grinders tend to be the most economical options.

Storing Coffee: Tips to Maintain Freshness and Taste

03/08/2012Leave a comment

For coffee lovers, nothing is better than the fresh taste and strong aroma of a morning cup of joe. And nothing is worse than sipping a stale cup. Flavor can be greatly affected by how coffee beans are stored, so we’ve put together a few tips and suggestions on how to properly store coffee to ensure your brew is at its best every time.

Guide to Storing Coffee

Be sure to store coffee in favorable conditions. Avoid:

Moisture
Air
Light
Fluctuating temperature
Strong odors

To help coffee keep its flavor:

Store coffee in an air-tight container, preferably ceramic or non-reactive metal with an airtight gasket.
Keep coffee in a cool, dark place.
Buy an amount of coffee that can be consumed within 7-10 days of purchase.
Do not pre-grind your coffee.

We don’t recommend storing coffee beans in the refrigerator. This will expose the beans to an excessive amount of moisture and odor that will damage the coffee’s flavor. The freezer is a better option for storing large amounts of coffee beans.

Do’s and Don’ts of freezing coffee beans:

Do store fresh coffee beans in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Do divide the coffee beans into weekly portions so the beans freeze and defrosted once.
Do use an opaque, freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag.
Do allow at least one hour for the frozen coffee beans to defrost before grinding.
Do use defrosted beans within 7-10 days.
Don’t return thawed coffee beans to the freezer. This will ruin the flavor.
Don’t freeze pre-ground coffee. Coffee grounds absorb odors more quickly than whole coffee beans.

You’ll Enjoy This Investment

01/12/201201/13/2012Leave a comment

Since we like money as much as cappuccinos and lattes, a recent feature by Kathy Kristof of CBS MoneyWatch caught our eye:

“If one of your resolutions is to cut costs this year, it might be worth nothing what your coffee habit is going to cost you over time. If you buy one $4 latte a day, that coffee habit will set you back $28 a week, about $120 a month and $1,460 per year. Keep that up for five years, and you’ve slurped away $7,300, not including any money you might have earned by investing your cash instead.”

She goes on to suggest that you might want to find a cheaper way to enjoy your daily jolt of joe, since the ingredients to make espresso-based drinks cost just a fraction of the coffeehouse price. (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-your-starbucks-habit-really-costs-you.html)

Which brings us to one of the best investments a coffee lover can make: the Capresso EC100. With this $149.99 pump espresso and cappuccino machine, you can be your own barista at home and enjoy the full taste of espresso, cappuccinos and lattes any time you want.

Combining the advantages of one-cup pod machines and traditional pump espresso machines, this full-featured machine can brew from either E.S.E. pre-packed espresso pods or pre-ground coffee. It brews one or two cups of espresso in seconds, and then it’s ready right away for frothing or steaming milk with its easy-to-use swivel frother.

Click here for more on the Capresso EC100.

To bring more of the coffeehouse to your home, pair a Capresso Burr Grinder (Model #559) with the EC100. This professional-quality coffee grinder has a suggested retail of $49.99, just a sliver of the money you’ll save by brewing at home.

Capresso EC100 and Burr Grinder (Model #559)