Coffee Shop

Peugeot Nicaragua Coffee Mill, Black Matt

2010-06-01T21:23:00.000-04:00

manual coffee mill

Peugeot Nicaragua Coffee Mill, Black Matte

PEUGEOT: France, since 1810. Peugeot mills are renowned by chefs and gourmet cooks the word over for the consistent grind results they produce, their incredible resilience and proven reliability. Compromise is not a word that fits into the Peugeot vocabulary. For each spice, there is one – and only one – Peugeot grinding mechanism: peppercorns; coarse dry salt; chilies; herbs and spices; wet salts; and nutmeg. Add the coffee mechanism, which started it all, and there are seven unique Peugeot mechanisms. Each is designed to derive the most flavor and greatest aroma from its complementary spice. Aesthetically pleasing, Peugeot mills deliver the height of quality, durability, reliability and innovation; making these mills the ones to which all others are compared. Coffee mills started the whole Peugeot grinding legacy. These manual burr-type mills quickly and efficiently crack and grind coffee beans to the desired consistency, ensuring the maximum flavor and aromas are released and ready for brewing. Providing grinds ranging from espresso fine to percolator coarse, Peugeot coffee mills have been providing the perfect grind since 1840! Nicaragua Coffee Mill is 8-1/4-inches tall with a black matte finish.

Castomer Reviews

I recently received a Peugeot Nicaragua coffee mill and I am very impressed with it. I was looking at both this style and the open-top style and decided on this one because of the closed hopper design and the grind selection lock.

First off, the grinding mechanism feels smooth and heavy. I make a course grind for a small french press pot and the hopper holds more than enough beans for my use. It takes me ~30 seconds to grind beans for a single pot. The grinder is not silent by any means, but it is a much softer noise than any electric grinder I have used and obviously I control the noise by the speed of the grinding.

The wooden grinder box looks and feels well made - not much more to say about it, it is serving its purpose as a frame for the grinder.

The one thing I would possibly change about this grinder is either to add sticky feet or more weight to the grinder base. Grinding would remain a 2 handed job, but right now it takes a lot of downward pressure to keep the whole thing still as you turn the crank.

I imagine that grinding for espresso or grinding for a much larger pot would take a lot more time, but for my purposes this is a perfect grinder.

Yedi Houseware Classic Coffee and Tea Blue Saphyre Teacups and Saucers

2009-07-12T10:59:00.003-04:00

Product Description

We present the Blue Saphyre Collection. Observe the gold swirls on a beautiful ocean blue colored cup along with a dark chocolate saucer. Comes in its own Satined-lined hatbox with elegant and pretty artwork. Fine Porcelain. Set of 6 Cups & Saucers. Capacity: 6 ounces.
Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #50704 in Kitchen & Housewares
Brand: Yedi Houseware
Model: CC 304
Dimensions: 2.50" h x 6.50" w x 13.25" l,

Features

Blue saphyre collection set of 6 teacups & saucers. Comes in its own satin-lined hatbox.
Made of high quality porcelain
Do not put in microwave
Hand Wash Only, Do not put in dishwasher
7 -ounce Capacity

Coffee Drinks cookbook with great anticipation

2009-07-12T10:51:00.002-04:00

I was looking forward to Michael Turback's Coffee Drinks cookbook with great anticipation. I absolutely adored his Mocha and Hot Chocolate. They're adventurous books, and require a willingness to hunt down unusual ingredients or get creative if you're missing a piece of equipment, but despite that they're eminently usable by a creative and open-minded cook. Unfortunately, I can't entirely say the same about Coffee Drinks.

When you can get to the finished products in this book, they are quite delicious. So if you have an espresso machine, a frother, and a whipped cream canister that takes nitrous oxide chargers, then you won't have any trouble making some amazing drinks out of here. That said, there are still other concerns. One is that, while the book does include sources for all of the unusual ingredients and equipment, there's still the possibility that some things won't be available for very long or are very expensive. For example, there's a recipe that uses fennel pollen as an ingredient. In addition, many of these recipes are quite complex---a much larger proportion of them, it seems to me, than in those previous books.

I don't mind a coffee drinks book that's designed to cater to people with expensive or gourmet tastes. However, the previous Turback books always reined that in with an edge of practicality. That isn't the case this time, in my opinion.

This is also the first of his books where I've found anything in a recipe that appeared to be a mistake. For example, the reason why some of the recipes in this book require a whipped cream canister with nitrous oxide chargers is because they make whipped cream out of a mixture that's mostly half-and-half. One of those recipes says that you can use a mixer instead. However, having tried to do so (and yes, we have a good, high-powered mixer), I can assure you that no matter how long you sit there going at it on the highest speed, it isn't going to whip up---it simply doesn't have enough fat content to do so without help.

I'm rating Coffee Drinks as highly as I am because of those delicious results, and because it does have one ideal audience---professional and hobby baristas. People who have all the expensive gadgetry that goes with making fine coffee and don't mind hunting down expensive or rare ingredients. People who don't mind spending an hour or so on one set of drinks, making a variety of syrups or other components. I'm disappointed, however, that the book doesn't make it clear on the outside that its value is so limited outside of this audience---and I'm even more disappointed that Turback didn't write this book to appeal to the wider audience of his other books.

When coffee beans are vacuum sealed

2009-07-12T10:29:00.008-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how much folks all around the globe love coffee. In fact, java has got to be the most popular beverage worldwide. Naturally not just any old coffee will do for most java lovers.

The coffee beans used play a major role in the route to a great latte, espresso shot or cappuccino. This is something everyone should truly consider before investing their hard-earned dollars in just any old cup of caffeinated liquid.

It makes no difference if you are getting coffee beans or grounds for home use or buying a latte at the local coffee house. It’s important to bear in mind that there are so many choices. You’ll always have plenty of Joe to pick and choose from in a world that virtually runs on espresso and coffee beans.

It’s high time you took into account the cup of coffee you sip on a daily basis. Where does it come from or do you make it yourself? If you do produce your own java in-house, then you should think about buying only the freshest coffee beans.

In reality they won’t cost you much more than the commercial stuff you’ll find in the local grocery store isles. Many select coffee shops and high-end grocers carry exquisite coffee beans. You can actually purchase them by the pound and enjoy them at your leisure.

Look on the bag to see a packaging date if you do choose to buy “fresh” coffee beans. This allows you to estimate and calculate how much longer the beans will be fresh. A general rule of thumb for coffee beans is approximately two weeks.

The difference between fresh java and the stuff you’ll find in air-tight cans at the local grocery store is massive. The truth is that once you try fresh beans that are freshly ground, you’ll likely never go back to old coffee. One way to improve your chances of getting fresh coffee beans is by checking for vacuum sealed bags in coffee shops and chains.

When coffee beans are vacuum sealed, their life span is increased to about three months or even more. Therefore if you’re buying a Starbuck’s blend from your local Starbuck’s, be sure it is vacuum packed for freshness. Once you open it, the smell will inform you immediately of its freshness.

Article by Van T, you can learn more about him at his profile

Coffee: Scrumptious Drinks and Treats

Coffee: A Guide to Buying

2009-07-12T10:17:00.002-04:00

I WAS a TEA drinker! until I read this book. It was ordered BY MISTAKE in order to qualify for free shipping (thought it was a cup warmer!). I was so annoyed and was about to send it back but - READ it anyway and once started was so intriqued and hankering for real coffee I could smell the aroma right out of the book.
If an author can do that to an avowed tea drinker, and make you run out and buy the best coffee beans and grind them and pour boiling water over the grounds in a strainer with coffee filter until buying a coffee machine when convinced... and DRINK the stuff that does NOT taste like tea but something AMAZING - wow! and bow wow!

Buy this book - whatever you drink now. Read not only all the directions from buying to brewing to drinking, then the history culture and everything connected to Coffee - you're getting the full scope from a first class story teller. (I think I'll go back and read it again, and brew some coffee!)

The pumps used in many machines

2009-07-12T10:11:00.001-04:00

Semi Automatic Espresso Machine Requires User Involvement

Many people view a semi automatic espresso machine much as they look at a traditional coffee maker. They put in the grounds, add some water, turn it on and wait for the shot to be ready to be pulled from the machine. For the most part, this type of semi automatic espresso machine is available from many different sources, but some companies have a different opinion of what the term semi automatic means to the user. Essentially, it means the user will be required to measure and tamp the grounds as well as force the water through them by using a manual pump.

Many of the makers of a semi automatic espresso machine are happy with this as they can sell their brands for less money while others believe that some of the guess work needs to be left out of the hands of the user. Their machines will have an internal grinder and usually a large water reservoir to reduce the number of times they have to add water or beans to their semi automatic espresso machine.

The type of grinder is probably the most important part of any semi automatic espresso machine and the less expensive the machine, the lower quality of grinder. Many users are OK with that as they are willing to spend as much for a separate grinder as they spend for a semi automatic espresso machine.

Not Intended For Commercial Enterprise

The time it takes to set up a semi automatic espresso machine for the next shot makes them not convenient for commercial coffee shops. Even those with built-in grinders are not as fast in pushing out shots as a fully automatic espresso coffee machine. However, the semi automatic espresso machine allows the user to make adjustments in the amount of grounds used in each shot to achieve the flavor and strength they prefer.

The pumps used in many machines may have a double plunger to make applying pressure easier as well as more evenly applied, which can affect the quality of the finished shot. The user can also use a semi automatic espresso machine that has a single or dual heating chamber for milk and steam to infuse into the sot of espresso or for making latte. Flavored shots are also easier to adjust when using a semi automatic espresso machine as the flavoring can be adjusted to meet the taste of the user. However, consistency can still be achieved for the home user of a semi automatic espresso machine by simply using the same amount of grinds and the same brewing time for every shot they make.

New Brands of Decaf

2009-07-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

New Brands of Decaf

Decaffeinated coffee often has a reputation for poor taste. This loathing is largely attributed to the common methods of caffeine extraction. There are two most commonly used methods of decaffeination: First, chemicals are used to draw the caffeine and flavors out and then the flavors are subsequently soaked back into the beans. The second is to use carbon-dioxide-infused sparkling water to decaffeinate the beans. In either case, essential oils and flavors are removed and then soaked back into the bean before roasting. This process occurs while the coffee bean is still green. This can affect overall taste, and each method produces a different flavor range.

The Great Good Place-Coffee Shops

2009-07-10T15:20:00.005-04:00

The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community (Paperback)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The Great Good Place has put into words and focus what I've been doing all my life, from the barbershop I remember as a child to the bookstore I now own. My goal at Horizon Books is to provide that third place in which people can "hang out." Ray Oldenburg has defined those good places while still recognizing the magical chemistry they require. The Great Good Place is a book to read, to recommend, and to quote. -- Victor W. Herman, owner of Horizon Books, with locations in Traverse City, Petoskey, and Cadillac, Michigan

A book that should be read by everyone in North America over the age of 16 -- The World of Beer

A day doesn't go by that I don't refer to Ray Oldenburg's The Great Good Place. At a time when all great, good independent bookstores everywhere are under siege, we're fortunate that Mr. Oldenburg has articulated our message so clearly. -- Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, Miami, Florida

Examines gathering places and reminds us how important they are. People need the 'third place' to nourish sociability. -- Parade

Oldenburg believes that the powerful need in humans to associate with one another will inevitably lead to the revival of places where, as the theme song to the TV show Cheers so aptly put it, 'everyone knows your name.' We'll drink to that. -- Booklist

Ray Oldenburg is inspirational. He is the first to recognize and articulate the importance of the greeting place (third place) for the well-being of the individual and society at large. -- Ron Sher, President, Terranomics Development and founder of Third Place Books, Seattle, Wash.

The great value of this book is that Mr. Oldenburg has given us an insightful and extremely useful new lens through which to look at a familiar problem. -- New York Times Book Review

This wonderful and utterly important book verifies our need for fun through conversation in "great good places." Oldenburg writes passionately of our country's current and urgent problems resulting from our ever-increasing social isolation and provides us with a very simple solution. America must read and react to this rational common-sense solution to salving our stressed lives. And our government needs to promote, permit, and zone responsible neighborhood hospitality, recognizing the value of "a vital informal life." -- Lynne Breaux, owner, Tunnicliff's Tavern, Washington, D.C.

Well-written, informative, and often entertaining. -- Newark Star-Ledger

Product Description
The Great Good Place argues that "third places" - where people can gather, put aside the concerns of work and home, and hang out simply for the pleasures of good company and lively conversation - are the heart of a community's social vitality and the grassroots of democracy.

Product Details

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press; 3rd edition (August 17, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1569246815
ISBN-13: 978-1569246818
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches