Archive for January, 2007

Detailed coffee reviews

Coffee Review websiteThe Coffee Review website has some nicely detailed reviews of various coffees from major retailers. One thing I don’t like is that a lot of them are bought pre-ground, but I suppose they do this to better represent what the average American is actually buying. So as such, this website may not be the best source of information for self proclaimed coffee snobs. They have a nice reference section, too.

Add comment January 8th, 2007

Teflon-coated portafilter

Many people believe the flavor of espresso is altered by the brass of the portafilter used in brewing. To address this, Portaflon is selling portafilters that have been coated with teflon. Currently, they’re focusing on parts for La Marzocco, Faema, and Rancillo machines. It’s a cool idea, check it out at their website linked to above.

Add comment January 5th, 2007

The Italians define what a cappucino is

Italians sure do take their espresso seriously. Thank goodness too, for imagine what the coffee giants of the world may do to it otherwise? The latest news from Italy is that the National Institute for Italian Espresso has officially declared what a cappucino is. No, it’s not what you order at Starbucks. A proper cappucino contains a 25ml shot of espresso in a 150-160ml capacity ceramic cup. Add to that 125ml of milk (containing a minimum of 3.2% protein and 3.5% fat) that has been frothed and steamed to a temperature of 55C. Lastly, add sugar and stir gently, though I imagine that last step could be modified to suit personal tastes. Now, I’m not quite sure how these numbers add up, for if you froth 125ml of milk you’ll end up with quite a bit more than that volume, and thus your 150ml cup will be too small! This will require some further investigation. Anyway, Italian culture dictates that cappucinos are typically enjoyed in the morning; drink one after lunch and the Italians will know you’re a tourist! You can read more about this over at The Guardian.

Add comment January 1st, 2007

Amazing picture of a drop of milk hitting some coffee

drop of milk hitting coffeeCheck out this great photo of a drop of milk falling into some coffee! Very impressive work, from someone identified as ‘IreneM’ over at dpchallenge.com. You can see the full res image here.

Add comment January 1st, 2007

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