Coffee as Medicine

I've finished my bowl of cereal, fruit and yogurt, have taken my vitamins, and now I'm taking my coffee. Yes, that's right, I'm "taking" my coffee. Coffee is medicine after all. It's good for your sense of well-being and in a long line of news stories about how coffee can be good for you, not bad for you, I came across yet another in this morning's LA Times. In a small piece titled "Caffeine, exercise may fight cancer" the piece reports that exercise combined with moderate caffeine consumption could help prevent the occurrence of skin cancer. In a study done by Rutgers University, NJ, the scientists found that rats could reduce the likelihood of pre-cancerous sun-damaged cells from becoming cancerous by 100% if the rats either exercised or drank caffeine. However, when both the exercise and caffeine were combined, the preventative qualities of the combo raised the efficacy to a whopping 400%

Well I should be a good case study for this. Growing up in New Zealand, like all others of my generation, I experienced severe over-exposure to the sun as a kid and carry the evidence on my skin. But I do exercise and I do drink caffeine - perhaps sometimes to excess. So if any scientists are interested in meeting me, here I am... Meantime, once you finish taking your daily dose of caffeine, don't forget to get out of that chair or up off that couch and do some exercise.

Time to extract a double shot espresso

It should take between 20 and 30 seconds to pull a double espresso shot. Shorter than that and you have either a problem with the grind being too course, or your tamping pressure being insufficient. If it takes longer than 30 seconds, the reverse applies: grind it too fine, or tamping too hard.

EspressoCoffeeSnobs.com's step by step guide to making the perfect espresso shot.

Books on making espresso at Amazon.com.

What is a "skinny latte"?

"Skinny" is used in New Zealand and Australia to refer to coffee drinks such as latte and cappuccino made with non-fat milk. Simply order a "skinny latte" and the barista will whip you up a non-fat latte. It's as easy as that.

Can you microwave milk to make lattes?

Someone asked today if you can microwave milk to make lattes. My unequivocal answer is "yes". At the risk of being lambasted by purists who insist you have to steam the milk using the steamer wand on your espresso machine, some time ago now I abandoned that for the more convenient method of preparing the milk for my lattes and flat whites by heating the milk in the microwave and then whisking it with an Aerolatte battery-powered milk whisk. Believe me, I get the same outcome that I used to get using the steamer wand, without the cleanup hassle. The Aerolatte just needs a quick rinse under the tap when done. For more specifics, read my article on steaming your milk with the steam wand or alternatively using an Aerolatte whisk.

Removing calcium deposits from your espresso machine

Regular cleaning of your espresso machine is a key step to being able to continue to pull the perfect espresso shot just like you did when your machine was new. All tap water, and even most bottle water, contains minerals, and over time calcium forms a hard deposit in the plumbing of your machine. Unless you remove these deposits on a regular basis, your machine will become less able to pump the water and maintain the correct pressure necessary for making espresso. The calcium deposits, which are the same ones you may have observed on the insides of a kettle, are gray and very hard. The chemical composition of the calcium is alkaline and is removed by exposing it to an acid solution. Most of the descalers you buy off the shelf have citric acid in them. Another "home remedy" is to use a vinegar solution. I recommend and use an inexpensive cleaner called Cleancaf which is available from Amazon.com. Just like your teeth, regular cleaning of your espresso machine avoids bigger problems down the track.

Can you run coffee through the maker a second time

That was the search phrase from someone on the Boston University domain today. It gave me a great idea: create a new tag for these posts for "crazy coffee questions". I guess this could be a starving student; how else would you explain a question like this? What's the intention of brewing a pot of coffee and then running the coffee through the machine a second time? To extract the last mg of caffeine from the beans? To reheat the coffee, perhaps? Or is it simply a science experiment? Any other suggestions? Post them here with a comment.

How much ground coffee to make espresso

We all start with whole beans, right? I always make my espresso-based drinks with a "double shot". The other day I heard an expression I'm not familiar with, what was it now? Oh yeah, something that sounded like "single shot". If you know what that is, please let me know. So for my double shot of espresso, 2 x 2 tablespoons of whole beans works out perfectly. The scoop that comes with your machine will be calibrated to fit your portafilter, so after grinding I get two scoops of ground coffee. That's perfect for the perfect cup of espresso coffee. You'll find that your portafilter will have a sweet spot: too little or too much and you end up with an inferior extraction. Just experiment to find your machines sweet spot but essentially, it's close to 2 tablespoons per shot.

Can you make espresso with regular coffee

That was a question asked in the server log today. By "regular coffee" I'm presuming the questioner meant coffee beans that aren't specifically an espresso roast, such as say "French Roast".

Well you can certainly grind the beans and pull a shot, but it's not likely you will get good crema production, or any crema at all, and that's what espresso is all about, right? I have tried it myself, of course, and normally end up with a cup of black coffee without crema which is very unsatisfying when you are hoping for that elixar of espresso coffee. I have managed to squeeze a little crema out by grinding the beans more finely than I normally would and tamping with my full body weight.

So, answer to the question is basically "No, you can't use regular coffee beans to make espresso". Buy espresso roast beans from a premium roaster such as Espresso Vivace Rosteria in Seattle. You can order online.

Correct Temperature when Steaming Milk for Espresso Drinks

The correct temperature when steaming your milk is between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit (60 and 70 degrees Celsius). Once you get above the upper limit the milk will be scalded and the flavor of the drink will be ruined. Everyone of course has a personal preference; some like it not so hot, some like it very hot, but be careful with the very hot end; the flavor of your drink will be ruined by going above 160F.

If you are someone who likes to use soy milk in your espresso-based drinks, then the upper limit is 120F degrees (50C).

Most experienced baristas can judge when the milk is at the right temperature by the feeling the sides of the pitcher, but if you want to learn where your "sweet spot" is, get a milk thermometer.

What to do if espresso coffee extraction is too fast

If when you are extracting espresso, the water is passing through the ground coffee too quickly, you will not achieve good crema and the coffee will not pick as much flavor from the beans. There are essentially two things you can adjust: the fineness of the grind, or the pressure used for tamping. Either of these steps will create greater resistance to the water passing through. Tamping should ideally be around 30lbs of pressure (practice using some scales to find out how much weight you need to put behind your tamper). The grind for espresso is fairly fine, but you should use a grinder that has multiple grind settings so that you can adjust it till you find the right grind. The extraction should take about 20 or so seconds. If it's happening faster than 20 seconds and you aren't getting good crema production, then vary either or both of these things.
Hint: Did you know that once you open your coffee beans, unless you are storing them in a vacuum container, they will quickly start to dry. As they dry, you should adjust the setting on your grinder to be more fine as the beans dry - that way you will still be able to produce crema. The other thing is to use your beans up quickly!

What are Demitasse Cups

Demitasse cups are the small cups used for espresso coffee. The word comes from French and translates literally as "half-cup". Demitasse cups come in a wide variety of styles these days, and many are almost works of art and design. When drinking straight espresso coffee, you should always use a demitasse cup since using a regular sized cup results in a lot of the crema being left behind on the sides of the cup.

Making Espresso Coffee in the Microwave

Yes, believe it or not, this question comes up from time to time. Well my answer would be no unless I don't know of some fancy-dancy gaget that has been developed. For a start the correct temperature is absolutely essential for making perfect espresso, so how can you control temperature in a microwave oven? If you can't afford an espresso machine, then go for the option of a stove-top espresso maker.

How Much Coffee Do Americans Drink Each Day On Average

About half of all Americans drink coffee everyday and they consume it at an average rate of 3.4 cups per day. I guess that must be why in military slang coffee is referred to as "Lifer juice".

Source: National Coffee Association and its 2004 National Coffee Drinking Trends survey

Correct Water Temperature for Making Coffee

According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the optimal water temperature for coffee is 92 - 96C (197.6 - 204.8F) for 90% of the contact time.