Author: Admin


Thermoblock vs Heat exchanger

When looking for a home or commercial espresso machine, it’s best to find one that suits your needs.

And while a lot of the features that espresso machines offer can seem like complete jargon, understanding that jargon can be the difference between buying what you need and want, and buying something not suited for you. In this section, we’ll go over what thermoblocks are and how they work when compared to a heat exchanger and broiler configuration. Continue reading Thermoblock vs Heat exchanger


Bottomless portafilters

For anyone looking to up their espresso without spending a ton of money, a bottomless or naked portafilter is one of the best ways to do so.

A bottomless portafilter is essentially a normal portafilter, but without spouts, leaving the brew basket completely exposed.

While it might not seem very different, the lack of spouts actually has a greater impact on the espresso shots than one would think. Continue reading Bottomless portafilters


Effects of Humidity on stored coffee

Keeping coffee beans and grounds fresh is imperative to the overall flavor yielded by the desired brewer, meaning that fresh coffee is usually the best. One of the biggest threats to all kinds of coffee is humidity.

When it comes to green coffee beans, too little humidity will cause the beans to dry out too much, but too much humidity will cause mold growth. Continue reading Effects of Humidity on stored coffee


Hand vs electric grinders

The process of grinding coffee beans is pretty essential to brewing. The only type of coffee I know of that does not use ground beans, is a type made for cupping.

There are tons of different ways to grind coffee, such as an electric grinder, hand grinder, or even mashing the beans between a couple rocks if that’s your thing. While some grinders are better than others, it is better to use freshly ground coffee from a not-so-great grinder, than it is to use coffee ground a while ago. Continue reading Hand vs electric grinders


History of Coffee

Coffee is a drink that has been around for a long time, since about 850 A.D or so, actually. Starting from humble beginnings, coffee has throughout the years has become a commodity that touches base with oil.

The first documented case of coffee consumption comes from the goat herder, Kaldi, in 850 A.D in what is present day Ethiopia. Kaldi noticed his goats started to act strangely energetic after eating berries from a certain shrub. Continue reading History of Coffee


Coffee without a coffee maker

Camping coffee – cowboy coffee brewing!

Making coffee yourself while traveling, especially while camping, is no easy feat. Either you have to travel light to avoid paying extra fees at the airport, or you lack the electricity to use a standard coffee pot. In any situation, here are a few ways you can make coffee using a minimum amount of stuff.

First off, in all of these situations, the option of freshly ground of pre-ground coffee is up to you. If you are somewhere that does not have electricity, the Hario Skerton hand coffee grinder is a popular choice for many. Continue reading Coffee without a coffee maker


Coffee canisters and containers

Coffee is expensive, especially good coffee. While it may not cost as much as a diamond ring, or put a hole in your wallet equivalent to filling the gas tank of a Hummer, everyone wants to have their coffee beans last as long as possible.

Storing coffee is not as difficult as it may seem, though, there are some caveats. Just what do you do after opening that bag of freshly roasted coffee beans? Continue reading Coffee canisters and containers


Indian filter coffee

Making Indian coffee

Indian filter coffee, as it is known, is the traditional coffee beverage of India. This beverage is great for relaxing after a long day, and unsurprisingly popular when you taste how smooth the final coffee is.

It is wonderfully simple to make and produces a very nice smooth tasting drink. Continue reading Indian filter coffee


Buying the best home espresso machine

When shopping for a home espresso machine, it is easy to feel bombarded by the numerous brands, functions, and styles of machines. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping!

For me, one of the main features I prefer is a manual/traditional steam wand, meaning that technique is needed to properly steam milk.

Continue reading Buying the best home espresso machine


Italian stove top Moka pot

Italian Moka pot Coffee maker

In 1933, an Italian man named Alfonso Bialetti designed the first stovetop espresso machine, dubbed the Bialetti Moka Express. During this time period, people in Italy only had one choice when it came to getting delicious espresso, and that was to go to a cafe.

The Moka pot revolutionized the way people in Italy consumed coffee, making it easily brewable in a home setting. Continue reading Italian stove top Moka pot


Wacaco Minpresso Review and guide

Have you ever been traveling or camping, and you crave the sweet flavor of espresso, but there is no cafe in sight?

The Wacaco Minipresso just might be the product for you. This portable and hand held espresso machine is simple to use, and produces very drinkable espresso shots.

Continue reading Wacaco Minpresso Review and guide


Coffee Tasting

Here is a step by step guide to drinking coffee! To fully appreciate the coffee and assess it quality an expert will adopt a methodical approach and some of this method will allow you to fully appreciate every sip of coffee you take.

Coffee tasting, or cupping as it also goes by, is the art of trying to taste and smell everything about a specific type of brewed coffee in order to build a flavor profile for it. When cupping, there are numerous things people look for, including aroma, taste, and mouthfeel. Continue reading Coffee Tasting


Making Turkish coffee

What is Turkish coffee.

Turkish coffee, sometimes known as Greek coffee, has quite the history. The Turkish coffee brewing method is unlike any other, not only is it a full immersion brewing method, but the coffee grounds stay in the cup you drink from.

There is an old saying that describes Turkish coffee, saying it should be, “black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love,” meaning that the coffee should not have milk, it should be strong, but with an optional sweetness. Continue reading Making Turkish coffee


Avoiding sour or bitter coffee

If your coffee has a very sour or bitter taste it could be down to the following factors. So if you are struggling to work out why your coffee tastes bitter or sour, read on and take note.

However if you prefer lemons, vinegar, bitter greens and sour sweets then you can use this information to make your coffee even more bitter or sour!

Coffee is very much a matter of personal preference and taste. Some people appreciate a hint of bitterness in their coffee whereas others prefer a nice smooth taste. Our aim here is to help you to adjust your coffee making method to produce the taste you prefer. Continue reading Avoiding sour or bitter coffee


Compare coffee types

Many people get confused with popular coffees so we are going to take a look at the most common ones people compare and see the differences in our coffee 1 vs coffee 2 guide.

Because coffees can have similar names or due to unfamiliarity it can be confusing so hopefully this simple pocket guide will help sort our the nuances of difference between the coffees. Continue reading Compare coffee types


Guide to making good coffee

We often get asked how to make a good coffee. There is a wide variation on opinion as to what a good coffee actually is.

However there are some priorities that you should pay attention to if you are serious about the quality of your coffee.

For good coffee we recommend you focus on the following priorities (in order of importance)… Continue reading Guide to making good coffee


Most expensive coffees in the world.

In most hobbies, there are entry level products, mid level products, and higher end products. With fountain pen collecting, some pens cost only a couple dollars, while some can cost a few thousand dollars.

Coffee is very similar in this sense, meaning that there is inexpensive coffee that is widely available, and there is some coffee that costs hundreds of dollars per pound. Here is a list, in no order, of some of the most prized coffee in the world.

Continue reading Most expensive coffees in the world.


Frothing milk for coffee

Foamed or frothed milk is a crucial part of some espresso based drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos, seeing how it is often the only other ingredient involved. While just about all coffee shops steam their milk using an espresso machine, there are a few ways to do it at home that can yield steamed milk just as good as an espresso machine.

As far as frothing milk on an espresso machine, there are two different styles of steam wands offered by manufactures. One being the standard manual steam wand that requires proper technique, and the other being known as a Pannarello wand, which will automatically aerate the milk to perfection, without any input from the user. Continue reading Frothing milk for coffee


Cleaning Espresso makers

Espresso machines are the heart and soul of the professional and home cafe world. But, much like cars, espresso machines of all makes and models require preventative maintenance to be done on them to ensure their lifespan.

Be it the tiny steam powered espresso machine that can be purchased at any supermarket, or the kind seen in professional cafes that cost thousands upon thousands of dollars, all of them need some love now and again. In this article, I will focus mainly on semi-automatic machines, as they are some of the most common ones used. Continue reading Cleaning Espresso makers


How to do a leaf design on a flat white

Latte art: the beautiful designs made in espresso beverages that highlight the contrast between the white milk, and the dark espresso.

The trend started around the 1980’s and 1990’s, and latte art has been a growing trend in the professional cafe business, and home barista. The chances are, if you frequently go to a cafe, you’ve had one of these masterpieces perched atop your latte at one time or another. Continue reading How to do a leaf design on a flat white


Siphon coffee makers

First made in the 1940’s, the vacuum, or siphon, coffee maker looks like it came straight from a chemistry set, and they pretty much are.

Siphon coffee makers come in several shapes and forms, but they are all fundamentally the same thing, and can range greatly in price, and aesthetic. Continue reading Siphon coffee makers