Saturday, July 10, 2010

Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill (CCM-16PC1)

I'm a self proclaimed whole bean coffee snob. I've owned several grinders over the years and have become addicted to grinding my own beans when I'm ready for brewing my trusty cup o' joe. Since I have an espresso machine, drip coffee maker, and a variety of french presses I can't just use the one-grind-fits-all approach. But why have 2 or 3 grinders taking up cupboard or counter space when I can now just use this?

The traditional whirling blade grinders take a lot of practice to get the timing just right depending on what level of grind you are looking for. More often than not I ended up settling for something a little too fine or a little too course. Enter the first burr grinder of my amateur barista world: I loved the consistency of it but couldn't get a fine grind for espresso. So for the last year or so I've had to use both...

No longer! This Cuisinart grinder has been a blessing from coffee brewing heaven! The variability of grind options is amazing with this machine! I can grind up my beans to a powdered perfection for espresso or chunky enough to make cowboy coffee worthy of Jack Palance's Curly from City Slickers.

As far as the quality concerns another reviewer mentioned it must have been a bad unit. I've used this one daily for over a month and not even a hiccup! This grinder is well worth the price!

Farberware Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator

Perked coffee is old school, to be sure, but a well-made cup of percolated brew is robust and satisfying in a way that drip coffee isn't. Not only does the percolation process provide a deeper and fuller mouth, I think, but a percolator, bubbling away, is a lovely sight and sound. If you don't like perked coffee, don't bother with any percolator. But if you are interested in something other than drip brew, consider this Farberware percolator. I'm not one to ooh and ahh over design, but this is a darned handsome piece of kitchen equipment. Take a look and the large picture and I will spare you the adjectives. :)
The stainless steel construction makes it sturdier and heftier than thin-metal percolators you might buy in the camping gear section of a chain store. While the name "Yosemite" evokes coffee bubbling over a campfire, I'd probably not use this on a wood fire to avoid blackening. I mean, this thing really is shiny and pretty. But as heavy-duty as it is, perhaps it would clean up well.
It's a capacious pot, making eight cups of coffee. The interior basket and rod are well made, fitting tightly together and clamping in place with the lock-down lid. It makes more coffee than my old electric percolator, but it does take up a burner on the stove-top.
Lastly, should you buy this unit, remember: Perked coffe may be good, but it's a danged sight hotter than drip brew. Of course, you'll probably figure that out for yourself...

Aloha Island Signature Diamond Kona Coffee Blend, Whole Bean or Ground, the Perfect Gift for Coffee Lovers

The Diamond II is great. Rich but very smooth, not bitter at all. This is one that people will try and comment on without knowing anything about the coffee beforehand. I ordered it as a present for my dad, who loves coffee, but as soon as he brewed a pot it disappeared because of the amazing aroma. Everyone would suddenly decide to have coffee once they could smell it. The only people who didn't seem to really enjoy it both drink coffee that I find revolting. My stepbrother, who regularly drinks coffee that's been heated all day, and his girlfriend, who loves instant coffee, thought it was too weak. My advice: if you really love good coffee, then keep the Kona for yourself.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Jablum story part 2

 Today I am proud to be Jamaican

Mavis Bank remains a place where time seems to stand still. It is a corner of the world where modern conveniences sit quietly amid unspoiled terrain, where simple sounds and the slightest temperature changes are amplified. Favored by the ultimate combination of the ideal altitude, mineral-rich soil, gentle cloud cover, mountain shade and ample sunlight, the berry grown in the Blue Mountains takes longer than other to mature. More time, some claim, for its rich flavor and aroma to develop. Others argue, for its signature character to evolve.
     Coffee aficionados agree- the JABLUM taste is wonderfully exotic- a balanced medley of fleeting richness, sweetness and tempered acidity. But it is the lingering experience, the haunting aftertaste that still defies description. JABLUM's coffee experience, after all, has been cradled in well-guarded tradition for generations.


You can get your wide array of coffee and other spices right here www.realjamrock.com

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Who like a little fruit in there coffee ?

  
 Have your Gloria Jean the way you want it

I'm not really a fan of fruity flavored coffees like raspberry chocolate frappa-mocha-cina or french vanilla twist or what-have-you, but occasionally I do like a hint of hazelnut in my cup of joe, and Gloria Jean's Hazelnut K-Cups handily fill the bill. The hazelnut taste is fairly subtle, blending well with the rich flavor of the coffee. I've tested brewing on all 3 settings on our Keurig, and prefer the medium and large cup settings in terms of coffee strength.

Buying these on Amazon ends up cheaper than pretty much anywhere else (yes, even cheaper than Bed, Bath and Beyond with the coupons) and the frustration free packaging is great. Open up the box with your bare hands (no wasteful shrink wrap to throw away or hard plastic that needs to be cut with a knife), and fold the box up for recycling when you're finished.

This is my second time ordering this set from Amazon and it won't be my last. And writing about it reminded me how good it is so I've just gone and made myself another cup!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Jablum story part 1




Up in the lofty Blue Mountains of eastern Jamaica, where daybreak must sift through the early morning mist, lies Mavis Bank, a small rural town. This is the site of Jamaica's exalted "black gold", the home of the Mavis Bank Central Factory, the domain of the world's beloved Blue Mountain Coffee, JABLUM.

    The Mavis Bank Factory was built on just five acres of land in 1920, when Victor C. Munn, an English planter and processor, established what would become a family business for generations. But the origin of Blue Mountain Coffee dates further back to the early 18th century when, in 1720, a few precious Arabica coffee seedlings were brought from Hispanola by the British Governor in Jamaica. This gave birth to coffee cultivation on the island, but its subsequent extraordinary growth could be attributed to the diligence of Haitian coffee growers who fled their island during its 1790 revolutions, and the enterprise of newly freed Jamaican slaves who retreated to the quiet of the Mountains to start new lives. The latter, now free to cultivate crops on their own lands, immediately claimed their share of the coffee trade. One thing had become clear to those who settled in the area- the coffee berry grown in the Blue Mountains was unlike any other. The Blue Mountains slowly became the focal point of those who began to take notice of the unique special qualities of the coffee produced there. Indeed, the dedicated farmers who cultivate the coffee berry boast of a long lineage between their families and the JABLUM's Blue Mountain Coffee.

For great prices on Jablum and other authentic Jamaican products please visit www.realjamrock.com

More on the lovely K-Cup



Introducing the new 50 count K-Cup package from Timothy's World Coffee. The same top quality coffee K-Cups are now available in a single 50-count package exclusively on Amazon.com. This new larger package optimizes for our customers. It is more efficient resulting in both a lower cost and a green sensibility, given the reduced waste. You can find this package on our most popular K-Cups including Midnight Magic, Breakfast Blend, Kona Blend, Rainforest Extra Bold Espresso, and Decaf Columbian. So go ahead and explore all the great K-Cup varieties in the new 50-count package. 

 

K-Cup Brewing Process
The K-Cup brewing process allows you to make the perfect cup of gourmet coffee -- every time. No more guessing how much water or how many beans to grind, and best of all no more mess! Timothy's ensures that coffee is sealed immediately into individual K-Cup, protected from air and light until you brew them -- all you need to do is insert your K-Cup, hit the button and allow the Keurig machine to brew your next cup of gourmet coffee.

Remeber the K-Cups

Currently, this is the only K-Cup 50 pack listed as "mild" on Amazon. I was expecting something with only a little flavor and bitterness, but these K-Cups surprised me. They're not as strong as the bold or extra bold flavors, but the difference is reasonably subtle. They're certainly not bland or tasteless. Also, they do taste to me a little sweet and smoky - just as they are described above.

A note about packaging: when I bought a Coffee People 50 pack from Amazon, the K-Cups came in only one box - a thick, corrugated cardboard Coffee People box. Amazon just stuck the mailing labels on the box and gave it to USPS. When this coffee arrived, the K-Cups were in a thin Timothy's cardboard box, which Amazon had put inside one of their standard corrugated cardboard boxes. The upshot is that these Timothy's 50 packs are mailed double-boxed, unlike the Coffee People 50 packs, and so it seems less likely that the Timothy's 50 packs will get damaged in the mail.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Get your 12 cup of cofee in style

Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker


A few weeks ago, I needed a new coffee maker. The Krups Aroma Control maker is in all the stores and catalogs, so I bought one in the local mall BEFORE reading the Amazon reviews. BIG MISTAKE. Lesson learned - read the reviews - many negative comments. I used it for 3 days, and readily understood the description (...) of "eye candy" (looks nice, but seems like cheap plastic) and weak coffee (what they describe as a feature - allowing the coffee to steep - is really a euphemism for a poorly designed system that is guaranteed to give you a weak cup of coffee). One redeeming feature - the carafe is very nice.
Within 2 days of having the Krups, i was on Amazon looking for a replacement coffee maker (a good cup of coffee is critical in the morning!). I went out on the risk curve and ordered the new Cuisinart - no reviews yet. The Cuisinart has a more classic brewing system (water goes through grinds via gravity), yields a delicious cup of HOT coffee, has a variable temperature hot place, and looks and feels solid. We happen to have stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, freezer, stove), and it matches beautifully. Best news - excellent coffee!. I would highly recommend the Cuisinart.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Enjoying your Coffee in the morning the better mate to have

If you're reading this review, you're most likely doing research and trying to decide between the Keurig line (B40,B50,B60), the Tassimo, or the Senseo. Out of those three, the Keurig is the best looking, the most durable, has the best heating and pumping mechanism, and has the largest variety of coffees and teas available. The Tassimo's versatility is tempting, but variety of coffees is lacking, the machine is a first-run model that does not feel as quality as the Keurig (I could barely find a piece of metal in the entire thing), and it cannot be set to warm itself up like the Keurig. The Senseo isn't bad and I may even consider getting it as a second machine, but it is kind of lame how you need two pods to brew an 8 oz cup of coffee. Considering the price of pods that I was looking at, it would outprice both the Keurig and the Tassimo for daily usage.

Between the Keurig models (B40,B50,B60), I spent a lot of time trying to decide and eventually went with the B60, mainly because the B60 is the only model that brews 3 different sizes of coffee--5.25, 7.25, and 9.25oz. The B50, a favorite amongst shoppers, does not offer the 9.25oz size. This large size allows my Oxo travel mug to almost completely fill after using one Extra Bold K-cup. As an added benefit of the B60, you get beautiful blue LEDs behind the display and the water tank, as well as a polished chrome handle and polished chrome outer-ring to the display. It looks very modern and very classy in my otherwise boring kitchen. Highly recommended.

Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinders Coffee Lovers

  Krups 203-42 Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, Black 

Best product for your money

There are two things I take very seriously in this life: one is books, the other is coffee (not surprisingly, the often go together). While the bulk of my reviews are children's books, I felt it necessary to go against type and review this coffee grinder. Most coffee experts as well as everyday, casual drinkers agree that the best tasting coffee is brewed with freshly ground beans. Once beans are ground, they begin to oxidize, much like an opened bottle of wine. Old preground coffee has a tendency to taste bitter, and with the proliferation of inexpensive grinders, more and more people are buying whole bean coffee to grind right before they brew. Of course, finding the RIGHT grinder for the price is the tough part. Grinders exist in every form and size and expense bracket. Quite a lot of round, domed grinders I've used have unsharpened blades on a mount that is too high to really grind beans fine enough for specialty coffee like espresso or Turkish. The Krups has a few advantages over other grinders, namely these: ** The blades are sharp and mounted low in the housing. Maybe other manufactures are saving a few pennies by putting flat tongues of metal in their grinders, but they don't have the edge to pulverize beans like the Krups can. ** The machine has a higher RPM than other machines. This makes it easier to reduce grind times and with additional speed, can reduce whole beans to powder in less than a minute (I've had a Black n' Decker that couldn't grind beans for Turkish coffee if you held the button for half an hour). ** the housing is oval and the lid is flat. I'm not an engineer or physicist, but I think the flat lid and oval shape allow the beans to fall back towards the blades for further grinding (again, my Black n' Decker allowed the beans to spin around the lid in a whirlpool pattern that was pretty to look at, but pointless for actually reducing the grounds to the small particles I wanted). ** it has a large capacity. Do you like strong coffee?? Use more grounds, then!! The box says that you can grind up to 20 cups of java at a time. I don't know about the sorts of demitasses they must be using to gauge the volume of a "cup", but I do know that this machine can grind up enough beans for a number of very stiff MUGS of coffee. In the disadvantages column, the only one I could site is that the housing cup is slanted down, I'm assuming for decorative purposes. Hence, I'm forever spilling beans out of the lower side. My new secret is to measure the beans out in the LID, first, then turn the whole thing upside down and put the housing into the lid. Since I only use it to grind coffee (and while I drink my fair share, I don't have the thing running nonstop day and night), I can't speak with any aplomb about how sturdy a machine is or how long it lasts. I once dropped one after a year and broke it, but it seemed nowhere near quitting, so I can't vouch for how long it would work under normal, non-butterfingered conditions. My assumption is that anything with such a high RPM rate isn't intended to be kept running for long periods of time-- creates too much heat and friction-- so if you plan to grind coffee night and day, it's probably best that you spend the money on a professional model intended for cafes. All in all, a fine piece of workmanship and definitely worth the extra few dollars over many of the other, cheaper, more poorly-designed grinders on the market today.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Coffee lover

I am a coffee lover and I am not afraid to admit that, coffee hot or cold that just my drink morning noon or night coffee will make my day bright. But the fun part of coffee is roasting it yourself Home roasting coffee beans provides a simple way to enjoy the aromas and tastes of freshly roasted coffees. Roasted coffee stales very quickly and is dramatically diminished in days so home roasting ensures your coffee is always fresh. It's fun and easy and takes only about 20 to 30 minutes from roasting to brewing and about half the cost of store.

For a reasonably priced Roaster and other coffee making equipment please visit : www.moonbuckscoffee.com