Coffee Guide

There are several factors to consider when shopping for a Bunn Coffee Maker. By analyzing these, you are able to narrow down your choice to the type which is best suited for you. Decisions made early on will cut down on problems encountered later on.

First, ask yourself where the machine will be permanently placed, how many people will be utilizing it, as well as how much space is available for the machine. Is it for large-volume application or small-volume application? Home models can make 10 cups at one time while standard commercial models can churn out 12. To take the middle ground, choose the small, commercial model known as A10 or A10A which can brew 10 cups.

Second, make your selection from the following types: Regular which makes coffee by the pot and has warmers to keep the liquid hot; Pod which relies on coffee pods to make coffee by the cup (rather than employ coffee grounds); Airpot which allows coffee to remain hot and fresh for longer periods of time and which can be moved from location to location because it lacks a warmer; Thermal which deposits the coffee into thermal carafes or thermal servers; Satellite that makes .5 to 1 gallon of coffee at a fast clip; SoftHeat which makes .5, 1 or 1.5 gallons at a time; ThermoFresh which permits the user to make various types of brew through different coffee recipes; Liquid that relies on liquid coffee concentrate to produce huge volumes of coffee at a time; and Urn that can brew 11.4 to 18.8 gallons per hour (this differs according to the model.)

Third, consider the waterline hook-up. A pourover feature requires the operator to funnel water into the top of the machine prior to operation. This feature can be found in regular, airpot and thermal models. The automatic feature allows the coffee maker to be connected to a waterline which lets the hot water reservoir to be automatically filled. With the automatic feature, users can still rely on its fallback pourover feature to fill the machine if a waterline is not available.

Fourth, look at the number of warmers the machine has. This, however, is only available on regular brewers, with options ranging from 1 to 6 warmers.

Fifth, does it have a hot water faucet? Such a feature can be found on regular, airpot and thermal brewers. Pourover machines lack this option. This feature is standard for the bigger brewers such as Satellite and Urn.

Sixth, look for the Digital Brewer Control feature in those coffee making models with DBC in their model name. This means it has touchpad digital technology which offers integrated electronic diagnostics, automatic shut-off, higher brewing volume, faster recovery time, additional hot water from the faucet, and improved temperature control. This type of machine does not have a pourover feature.

Once you?ve decided which features you want in your Bunn Coffee Maker, you are ready to select which model is best suited to your needs.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Bunn Coffee Maker please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Wouldn’t you like your coffee the way it was meant to be? The best way to get the real thing is by using a burr coffee grinder.

You may have thought that all coffee grinders are alike; as long as they grind the coffee that’s all there is to it right? Wrong! It makes a big difference to your taste buds. There are two key types of coffee bean grinder (the burr coffee grinder and the blade grinder) and you want to make the right choice. You see, blade coffee grinders have spinning blades that generate heat by the friction of blade hitting coffee bean at high speed. That’s not good. It’s actually rather sad because the heat kills the flavoids in your coffee beans. We love those flavoids, in fact some of us are addicted to them, so we will do everything we can to preserve them. We will therefore only consider the burr coffee grinder here as our quest is for the perfect cup of java.

With the burr coffee grinder, the coffee beans are loaded into a holding hopper which feeds them into the bean grinding mechanism, or burr’s as they are known. The burrs provide a slow grinding of the coffee beans which is perfect for best results. The burr coffee grinder then directs the ground coffee into a holding pot ready for brewing. There are also some models that will send your ground coffee directly into the coffee filter.

The main advantage of a burr coffee grinder is that it delivers a more consistent fineness of grain in the coffee grounds which is very important in achieving the most flavor from the coffee brewing process. Another advantage of the burr coffee grinder is that it can operate at slower speeds so your coffee beans are not subject to heat buildup as they are being ground.

You really must go for the trifecta to create the quintessential cup of coffee. That is the best coffee beans plus the best grinding process plus the best brewing procedure. Oh yes and it’s also important to use the coffee grinds within two weeks as our good friends the flavoids start to deteriorate with time.

So if you’re over the instant ‘plastic coffee’ syndrome, get yourself a burr coffee grinder and start enjoying the sensual aromas of a real ‘caught in the moment’ experience. You can pick up a great deal on a burr coffee grinder from the many coffee specialty stores online. So if you’re convinced that the burr is the way to go, then it’s time to do some product comparison research. I think you will find that the added expense of a burr coffee grinder will pay dividends for years to come. After all, this is an investment in your lifestyle, not just a cup of coffee.

Bo Collins

Bo Collins is a coffee afficionada and publisher of Gourmet Coffee Beans A website catering to the interests of the coffee and chocolate connoisure with advice on selecting the best coffee bean roaster and coffee accoutrements.

You may be wondering, just what is a burr coffee grinder? Simply put, a burr coffee grinder is a coffee grinder that relies on the grinding method to produce ground coffee from coffee beans. It is the most common type of coffee grinder available, compared to those coffee grinders that rely on the chopping method to produce ground coffee.

The burr style of grinding is renowned for its ability to produce uniformly ground beans. This is very important since uniformly ground coffee offers an even surface area to extract from while brewing your coffee. In addition, when brewing espresso, the burr coffee grinder supplies uniformly ground coffee that allows for an easier wetting and packing of coffee grounds in the espresso machine.

What can a burr coffee grinder do for you? Well, conical burr grinders can grind quite finely at a consistent pace while keeping aroma intact the most. The sophisticated design of its steel burrs permits a high gear reduction to reduce grinding speed. Aroma is preserved at an optimum level since less speed means less heat filters to the ground coffee.

Burrs are the main feature of a high-quality grinder with the conical burr type being the best. Burr coffee grinders are ideal for any kind of coffee machine (such as French Press, Percolators, Drip and Espresso) due to the variety of grind settings. You may opt to buy higher-end conical burr grinders to create Turkish coffee since these grinders have an extra fine grind to them, with grinding speed usually below 500 rpm.

Those burr grinders featuring disk type burrs have a faster grinding speed compared to conical burr grinders. Though they do produce more warmth in the coffee by using speeds of 10,000 to 20,000 rpm, these grinders are deemed the most economical at producing consistently ground beans via a comprehensive range of applications. They are perfect for the majority of home pump espresso makers. Still, their grind is not as fine as those produced by conical burr grinders.

You should also consider ease of cleaning, safety, noise and static when shopping for a burr coffee grinder.

For ease of cleaning, some models feature removable upper burrs and a cleaning brush so the grinding chamber can be reached.

For safety reasons, certain burr grinders will not start grinding until beans have been placed in the grinding chamber, whether or not the grinder is open or closed. Others will not grind until the bean container has been set properly in place.

You may want to select grinders which are not so loud since the noise can be quite annoying.

As far as the static cling of the ground coffee is concerned, there are 2 steps to follow: when removing the grounds container for any type of burr grinder, tap it gently and take it out slowly; then when removing the blade grinding lid, again tap the top of the grinder and take away the lid slowly.

By analyzing these details and following them, you may be able to find the burr coffee grinder that is just right for you.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Burr Coffee Grinder please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/

Can you imagine starting the day without a cup of hot coffee to perk you up? A breakfast get-together with friends or an early business meeting will not be complete without mugs of coffee being passed around.

Coffee if one of the most popular beverages in the world. Its origin can be traced back centuries ago, from Ethiopa where it made its way onto Egypt and Europe. From then on, the preparation of coffee has become a tradition as well as a craze in the modern pop culture.

This stimulant drink is made of coffee beans, roasted to perfection and blended into the perfect hot or cold drink. There are basically two kinds of coffee plants: Robusta and Arabica.

Arabica is the older kind of coffee, which many think tastes better than the other variant.

Robusta, which contains almost half as much caffeine as an Arabica is much bitter tasting than its predecessor.

A lot of farmers in Central America, Africa, and Asian countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia depend on coffee planting as their main source of livelihood. Brazil is the largest coffee-producing country in the world.

Here is a quick run-through on how this addicting beverage is prepared:

1. Coffee plants are grown and once they mature enough, they are picked and harvested.

2. Once the coffee beans or coffee cherries are picked, they are sorted and dried. This is where the term ?first pick? came from.

3. After the coffee beans are sorted, they are either dried or aged, depending on the variety of coffee.

4. Then, the beans are either roasted or ground to make instant coffee, or the beans are sold by themselves for coffee to be made in your own home.

There are a thousand and one ways to prepare your coffee. You can use instant coffee and dissolve it in hot water for a quick, reviving cup during a long day.

It can also be prepared using the good old coffee machine where ground coffee is steeped through a paper filter, combined with hot water, to come up with the perfect brew.

There is also the more complicated espresso machines, which give the drinkers an added punch to their caffeine fix. These machines combine steam or boiling water with the ground coffee beans to produce a stronger aroma and flavor.

?Go Loco over Latte Coffee?

When you go to any establishment specializing in coffee preparation, if you are not a coffee enthusiast, you might get confused with the unique language.

Terms like espresso, macchiato, java, espresso, shot, skim, whip, dry and foam are casually thrown around. They all relate to one?s personal preference on how they like to take their daily caffeine fix.

Caf? latte is one popular flavor of gourmet coffee.

This refreshing drink has three layers. First, one serving of espresso is poured over the cup or mug. This is followed by a generous serving of steamed milk. Lastly, a spoonful or more of foamed milk or cream adds the final touch to the perfect cup of caf? latte.

No matter how you prefer to take your coffee, be it black, with cream, or gourmet like cafe latte with all the exquisite and creamy toppings, there is no doubt that this beverage’s popularity will not wane anytime soon.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Latte Coffee please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com.

First of all, what is this beverage called espresso? The word espresso itself is derived from the Italian word meaning express. This is because espresso is ordered by and delivered quickly to the customer. A good espresso must taste sweet with a strong aroma whose flavor is like freshly ground coffee.

The wonders of science have made it possible for people to make their own espresso using espresso machines at home – instead of having to visit commercial coffee houses for it. Before, coffee houses employed professional baristas to brew each and every cup of coffee for their customers. Now, people can just buy an espresso machine to enjoy their own coffee at their convenience.

How does one select the best espresso machine for their purposes? Ideally, consumers should test-run each espresso machine and judge every one based on taste, build-quality, features, and ease of use. However, since this is not practical, consumers can rely on testimonials from their friends or turn to the reviews published by reputable coffee afficionado magazines. They can also go around the stores and window-shop, asking pertinent questions from the salespeople in order to make the best buy.

How does an espresso machine work? An espresso machine shoots out water that is 90 degrees Centigrade hot (or at a temperature equal to 195 degrees Fahrenheit) using 9 bar of pressure into a puck of freshly ground coffee. The oils in the finely ground coffee are thus extracted and emulsified to create a rich, nearly syrupy liquid.

Ideally, a machine can churn out a double shot of espresso within 20 to 25 seconds from when its pump is initially switched on. The amount of time necessary can be adjusted by putting in coffee that is either of a finer or coarser blend. Or you can change the tamping pressure.

Certain espresso machines are combination machines that rely on a steam wand to create milk-based espresso beverages like the latte and cappucino. The machine steams and froths milk to produce these drinks.

The different kinds of espresso machines are called the pump-driven espresso machine, piston-driven espresso machine, steam espresso machine, stovetop espresso machine, automatic espresso maker and lastly the super automatic espresso maker.

The key to good espresso is using an excellent espresso blend. Coffees must be specially blended to produce the smoothness, aromatics and sweetness inherent in good espresso. However, the blend should be freshly ground and brewed within four days from roasting.

Another element of good espresso making is that the espresso must be roasted light so that its sugars and aroma will not be lost. Darkly-roasted espresso produces a bitter liquid that tastes like charcoal.

You must filter water used for brewing since if the water tastes weird it can affect the final outcome of brewing.

Make sure that the espresso machine you choose can maintain water temperature between 92 to 96 degrees Centigrade to assure a consistent espresso.

Many machines are made to be as easy to clean up as a standard coffee machine.

So there?s no reason to feel intimidated about buying your own espresso machine. Clearly, the benefits do outweigh the difficulties.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Food and Drink. For more information regarding Best Espresso Machine please drop by at http://www.hotcoffeeplus.com/