Dark Roast Coffee

Videos For The Week Of October 24, 2011

2011-10-31T10:23:00.005-06:00

More Methods For Roasting Your Own Green Coffee Beans

I found three additional methods for roasting your own Dark Roast Coffee. I am finding that a lot of folks out there are very inventive when it comes to making devices to make their own dark roasted blend. I hope you will find these as interesting as I have. I don't recommend two of them for the obvious safety issues they have. Do these at your own risk - I don't want to be responsible for anyone burning down their home.

As Always, may your next cup be your best.

I-Roaster

Another home roasting machine - it is fairly automatic and seems to work well. The Australian machine is designed to run on 220-240 volts. If you can set up the correct electrical power for it, it will run you around $424.95, in Australian Dollars. The information on the web site says that those wanting it for international use should contact them about it.

Using A Bread Maker To Roast Coffee

In this method, the roaster uses a bread making machine to stir the beans and uses a hot air gun to roast the beans. If you don't mind having chaff all over your kitchen, I guess it is a great way to roast your beans. I don't endorse this one for safety reasons!

Coffee Roasting African Style

This contraption uses an old computer case as a power supply, an electric screwdriver to spin the basket full of beans over a burner. It is messy and looks like a really big fire hazard - do this at your own risk!!

Café Solano by Peet's Coffee - Review

2011-10-28T09:32:00.005-06:00

Peet's Coffee Café Solano

With the very first taste of this coffee, you can tell it's a medium roast. It has a pleasant mouth feel, and some good depth to the flavor. (I know, I am supposed to stick to dark roast coffee for the blog, but wait this is good stuff - read on!)

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. This blend has no noticeable bitterness and is very pleasant as an unsweetened coffee; the roasters at Peet's Coffee have been very successful in bringing out the best in these particular coffee beans.

As the coffee cools you notice a slight amount of bitterness - this coffee is very smooth.

This is an excellent coffee for sipping all day and would also be excellent with almost any meal.

If you have a guest that prefers the more traditional coffee such as Folgers or other commercial brands I would recommend this for them. This coffee is not overpowering and not excessively strong. It just has a great taste and smoothness that almost anyone can appreciate.

Upon sweetening, this coffee shows it's smooth character even further. This would be a great coffee for after dinner as a desert by itself. A good pairing with this would be a slice of apple pie or even just some freshly sliced apples.

This is a quality coffee that will not disappoint. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this at 9.3 - the quality of this coffee is obvious from the very first sip.

I hope this will help you in your search for a great cup of coffee. And, as always, may your next cup be your best!

Video For The Week Of October 10, 2011

2011-10-18T12:14:00.005-06:00

The Swiss Water Process for Decaffeination

In an earlier blog I discussed decaffeinating of coffee. I would like to go back to this subject with this video. It shows, with simple illustration, how your dark roast coffee is decaffeinated. The green coffee beans are carefully selected, then processed using carbon filters and water. The thing that is unique is that the water is saturated with the extract of green coffee beans, minus the caffeine. This allows the water to remove ONLY the caffeine from the green beans.

I think this is a very informative video and I hope you will enjoy it.

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Videos For The Weeks Of September 19 and 26, 2011

2011-09-27T09:43:00.006-06:00

I failed to get my video of the week post out last week, so I decided to give you a complete set of videos on Home Coffee Roasting. With a few simple tools, and some green coffee beans, you too, can roast your own coffee.

Disclaimer - roasting your own coffee can be hazardous, due to the high temperatures involved and the fact that the chaff that is released from the beans is highly flammable - do this at your own risk!

Simple Pan Roasting Coffee

In this video, you discover that all you need is a pan, some green coffee beans, and a colander to make your own dark roasted blend.

Roasting Coffee In a Hot Air Popper

This method uses a modified hot air popper to roast your own dark roast coffee. This is much simpler than using the pan method and disposes of the chaff automatically - into the sink.

Roasting With the Gene Cafe Roaster

For those who can afford it, there is the commercially-built hot air roaster. It comes complete with automated temperature control, a countdown timer to track roast time, and an automated cool-down system. My only complaint on this ready-made system is that it won't cool the beans down quickly - which is key to optimum coffee roasting.

I hope these videos have helped you see that you can roast your own coffee - with a little time and effort.

As always, thanks for stopping by and may your next cup be your best!

Starbucks Anniversary Blend - Review

2011-09-23T08:53:00.006-06:00

Starbucks Anniversary Blend

The first taste of this coffee has a lot of depth. This is an extremely smooth dark roast blend with a really great mouth feel. The unsweetened brew is very enjoyable with no noticeable bitterness. Starbucks rates this as an "Extra Bold" coffee, which definitely classifies it as a dark roast coffee.

Coffee drinkers that don't normally drink a coffee without sweetener could probably drink this very easily as it is such a mild blend. As the coffee cools you notice a definite bitterness that hits the tip your tongue. Even though that bitterness becomes a little more noticeable as the coffee cools further, it is still a great coffee for those who normally take sweetener in their Joe.

When this coffee is sweetened, it takes on a very friendly character. It is such a smooth blend that one would consider having it as a desert by itself.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this at 9.8 as it is such an excellent blend. The folks at Starbucks did an excellent job of getting the most out of these coffee beans. My complements to them for a really top-notch coffee.

Since this is a limited-edition coffee, I recommend that you go to Starbucks or go online and order some Anniversary Blend - you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Blended Coffee

2011-09-19T13:05:00.008-06:00

Why Is Coffee Blended?

You may have noticed some of your dark roast coffee says that is a particular blend of coffee. Coffee is blended for various reasons. It is often blended to get flavors and characteristics from different coffees, thus creating a cup that has the best characteristics of each of the coffees that have been blended together.

Another reason for blending is to get a flavor that fits a signature coffee type such as Starbucks, Folgers, Seattle's Best, Izzy or any other well-known brand.

Sometimes blends are used to make a coffee if that is fairly low-grade taste better than it actually is by putting in some better grade beams with the lower grade ones, producing a better cup.

One thing that must be decided when making a blend is whether to put all the green coffee beans together and roast them or to roast them separately and then blend them together.

One type of blended roast is in called a melange. In this type of blend you have some beans dark roasted, some medium, and some light roasted to get the best characteristics out of each of the different coffees in the blend. You may be trying for the boldness of the dark roast the smoothness of the medium roast and perhaps even some of the higher flavor tones from a light roasted coffee.

Blended coffees offer us a greater variety of coffee choices and give us many opportunities to experience more of our favorite brew.

One school of thought on blending is that you have signature blends in which you want to produce a consistent flavor to be sold exclusively at a particular chain store or Café - Starbucks and Gloria Jean's are in this category. There are consistency blends which have a very large number of bean sources in them - this makes it possible to substitute another kind of bean in place of one that is not available without the consumers noticing the change. Low cost beans - basically you're adding robusta beans or cheaper arabica beans to produce coffee at a lower price. Then there are single origin blends - they will get coffee from different parts of a certain region and put them into a blend.

In most cases, blending gives you a coffee that brings out favorable characteristics that are not available in an unblended one.

I hope you found this information useful and thank you for stopping by.

Feel free to comment, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Videos For The Week Of September 12, 2011

2011-09-14T11:43:00.006-06:00

Roasting Stages and Using a Homemade Coffee Roaster Videos

Sometimes you just can't make up your mind. That was my problem when I was trying to choose a video for this week, so I chose two distinctly different videos. The first one shows some of the color changes that coffee goes through in the roasting process. It gives you information on how the coffee beans develop in color and how their chemistry changes as they are brought to your favorite roast - be it light roasted coffee or dark roast coffee.

Coffee roasting is something that can be done at home, and there are several methods of doing it - roasting in a pan, roasting in a popcorn popper (don't laugh, its good stuff), or building and roasting in a "custom" homemade coffee roaster - using an old gas grill for the heat source. One disclaimer - if you do your own roasting, I am not responsible for your injuries you may incur - you are supposed to use common sense in handling hot stuff. Enough said, enjoy the videos, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Roast Development Stages For Coffee Video

Watch for the second time he samples the roast in the first crack stage - one of the beans actually pops out of the sampler!!

Using a Homemade Coffee Roaster Video

Video For The Week Of August 29, 2011

2011-08-29T09:47:00.005-06:00

Light Roast Coffee versus Dark Roast Coffee

I got to thinking - what is it about coffee that most of us don't know much about - my answer - roasts and roasting. What happens to turn green coffee beans into a dark roasted blend?

So I looked around and found several great videos about the topic of roasts and roasting. This video covered some basics that you should know to understand more about your favorite dark roast coffee blend - or ANY coffee you consume.

The video is short, but informative - enjoy!

And as always, may your next cup be your best!

Peet's Café Domingo - Review

2011-08-26T09:02:00.009-06:00

Review Of Café Domingo By Peet's Coffee

I don't blog on medium roasts often, but Peet's Coffee always seems to have some great roasts, so I thought I would give Café Domingo a try.

These coffee beans have only a little oil on them, so I was uncertain about the level of depth this coffee would have. A taste of the unsweetened brew yielded a smooth mouth feel with only a slight bitterness. There is also a hint of earthiness in the brew, but I think it would not be noticed by a casual drinker.

After several more sips the coffee still gives you a pleasant taste on your tongue. For this reason i think this is an ideal coffee if you have a guest that prefers Folgers or some other coffee that is for the general market. It isn't overpowering, nor is it as strong as most premium blends. It is the kind of coffee you would have at breakfast, then sip on all day. In my opinion, Peet's has once again created an excellent coffee that would easily be accepted by the average consumer and the coffee gourmet alike.

My personal rating on this coffee would be a 8.9 out of 10. This is based on my personal tastes, since I prefer the darker roasts. (Yes, I am a fanatic for dark roast coffee!) I would gladly purchase this if I were going to have a guest that doesn't care for my "fancy" coffee. This way, I could have a really nice cup and enjoy it with my guest.

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Video For The Week Of August 8, 2011

2011-08-12T08:27:00.007-06:00

Coffee Health Benefits Video

I have been out for a couple of weeks, enjoying the summer while I can. I kept trying to decide what might be good for this week, and I thought that it would be good to put out my video pick for the week.

I found this an interesting video as it covers some of the things that coffee does to our body, and more specifically, our minds. Coffee beans contain caffeine, along with antioxidants, so your morning cup of dark roast coffee affects you physically and mentally as well. I believe that it is always important to look at what we eat and drink and how it may effect our health.

I hope you find this video informative. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think of it.

Thanks for coming by and, as always, may your next cup be your best!

Video For The Week Of July 25, 2011

2011-07-29T22:24:00.013-06:00

Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever

The featured video for Dark Roast Coffee this week is filled with trivia and interesting facts about our favorite beverage. It is enlightening and funny. The video gives you some interesting facts that you may or not be aware of, so pour up a cup of your favorite dark roast blend and watch it. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for stopping by and may your next cup be your best!

Boyer's French Roast Dark Roast Coffee - Review

2011-07-29T21:44:00.006-06:00

French Roast by Boyer's

The first taste of this coffee puts a pleasant bitterness on the tip of your tongue. As you sip more of this brew and you get more familiar with it, the flavor grows on you. It has a slightly earthy quality that is very subtle. This is one coffee that is very easy to drink without any sweetener. It doesn't have the depth of French Roast from Starbucks of Seattle's Best, but it is a very pleasant brew to drink, indeed.

Boyer's has traditionally made very good coffee, and I have drank it several times and have always been very satisfied with their offerings. I purchased this particular coffee at a Sam's Club and got it for a very good price.

On a Scale of one to 10, I would rate this coffee about an 8.8 - this coffee is very dependable and it gives you excellent value for the money spent.

With the addition of sweetener this coffee gets even better. I've had this coffee with milk chocolate and it is wonderful stuff.

Thanks for coming by and may your next cup be your best!

Video For The Week Of July 18, 2011

2011-07-20T16:08:00.007-06:00

This Is Coffee - Video

I am starting a new addition to Dark Roast Coffee. Each week, I will find a video for your pleasure and information.

This week's choice is a video from 1961, titled "This is Coffee." It has some interesting information, including video of coffee beans being harvested and processed.

I hope you will enjoy it. Comment and let me know what you want to see videos of, or just leave me your opinion of the week's video.

Thanks for coming by and may your next cup be your best!

Oxo Stainless Steel LiquiSeal Travel Mug Review

2011-07-15T16:02:00.020-06:00

Review of Oxo Stainless Steel LiquiSeal Travel Mug

Several months ago I reviewed a plastic travel mug manufactured by Oxo. It is an excellent mug but it has a couple of drawbacks:

It only keeps coffee hot for a couple of hours
The lid can fill up with grime that cannot be cleaned out

The good folks at Oxo Softworks have a vacuum insulated stainless version of this mug that can be opened up for cleaning and can keep coffee drinkable for over 4 hours (see temperature chart).

I used this mug for a few days and one morning it disappeared - I discovered my wife had grabbed it for her use. Both of us were impressed by the mug. The triple silicone seals in the
OXO Stainless Steel Mug work as well as they do in the plastic mug, and it has the advantage of having an easy to clean lid. The inner seal has an arrow showing you how to loosen it for clean up. It isn't a perfect solution, but it is a vast improvement.

The mug has a 13.5 ounce capacity and a very comfortable non-slip grip just below the lid. Like the previously reviewed mug, it opens and closes with a press of its push button seal.

The downside to this mug is that it is supposed to be hand washed and because it is stainless, you can not reheat your coffee in the microwave. Because of the ability to keep the coffee temperature for so long, this should not pose a problem if you put in coffee that is good and hot. I would rate this as a 9.5 on a scale of 10 - this is a great mug for taking your dark roast coffee along with you.

Click HERE to get an OXO Stainless Steel Mug

Choosing A Quality Coffee Cup

2011-06-20T13:30:00.013-06:00

The Importance Of A Quality Coffee Cup

I had an awesome Father's Day this year. My wife fixed me a great breakfast, I went to church after eating breakfast with my family. My youngest kids were better than usual, and I got to have a long phone conversation with my eldest daughter.

The day was awesome and one item that made it that way was my gift - a box of sugar-free chocolates, a pound of Starbucks Cafe Estima coffee beans and a new coffee cup.

This brought to mind something I have not blogged on - the importance of a quality cup. I cannot stress how important a good, quality cup is in your search for a perfect cup of coffee. Let's say you have a metal cup. A stainless mug looks nice and will not alter the flavor of the brew, but it could burn your lips if the coffee is very hot from a French Press. This also applies to the porcelain-covered cups you use when camping - these cups require that you use something as an insulator on the handle - go to a place that serves "chuckwagon" dinners if you doubt me on this.

Use of glass or Pyrex cups is good, but there is always the danger of chipping them. You can have a small chip that can cut you - so always inspect this type of cup before use. In addition, a thicker glass cup helps keep the coffee hot longer, so you may want to consider this when purchasing one.

Insulated mugs are great for keeping your coffee hot. Unfortunately the first few mugs seem to have a plastic or metal taste to them. I suggest you "sacrifice" one strong cup that you let sit in the mug for an hour or so. This seems to lessen the number of times you have before the mug has no artificial taste. I also recommend that you just rinse this type of cup with hot water and never scrub it with soap - unless you want to waste another mug full to break it in again.

If you are going to be someplace where your cup can be broken, you need to look for a good plastic cup. Get one with thick walls as these are more durable and will hold the heat for a longer time. Break this type in as described for insulated mugs to get the best flavor from the coffee.

My favorite cup is a nice, large ceramic cup. Stoneware cups are fine, but a ceramic cup is just so much better for getting the most out of your cup of Java. Over the years I have received several great ceramic cups and this year's cup is a really great one (see photo). A good ceramic mug will seem light for its size, and it will ring when you thump on it with your finger. A good stoneware mug will seem heavy for its size and will have a duller ring when you thump on it. The ringing sound indicates that the ceramic or stoneware is tightly bound together - thus insuring no leakage and good insulating qualities. This type of cup, if clean, will not alter the flavor of the dark roast coffee you put into it.

If you don't have a good ceramic or stoneware cup, I suggest you treat yourself and get one - you won't regret it.

You can pick up a nice ceramic travel coffee cup with a silicone lid by DCI Decor here.

Get a dozen Carlisle Food Service 8 Ounce Stone Double-Wall Insulated Coffee Mugs here.

Get a Set of 6 Anchor Hocking Mocha Color 16 oz Cafe Mugs here.

I hope this information has helped you, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Caribou Coffee Daybreak Morning Blend Review

2011-06-17T12:11:00.008-06:00

Review Of Daybreak By Caribou Coffee

Although I normally blog on dark roast coffee, in the interest of being fair, this time I decided to take on a lighter roast. Even I will break from my regimen of dark roast coffee to sample some of the other great coffees out there.

When I opened the bag, the aroma reminded me a lot of Gevalia Coffee.

The coffee beans are fairly light in color and have little oil on them.

My first taste of this lighter roast blend is impressive. The flavor is very much like a medium roast - more so than the light roast that it actually is. There is some great depth of flavor to this coffee. It has, as I assumed, a similar flavor to some of the Gevalia offerings.

It would be an excellent offering as a breakfast coffee. In addition it would work well as a midday coffee with a slice of cake or some chocolate.

As is typical of most light roasts, there is no excessive amount of bitterness. This coffee works out so well you don't need any sweetener for it.

As the coffee cools, I noticed some earthiness, and the level of bitterness did not increase.
This is definitely a great coffee to have around your house. It is especially good for those who do not like dark roast coffee and prefer a lighter roast.

On a scale of one to 10, I would rate this blend at about a 8.8 to a 9.3 - it definitely is a coffee worth having in your house.

I hope this review has helped you in your search for the perfect cup of coffee and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Peet's Columbia - Review

2011-05-31T22:49:00.010-06:00

Columbia by Peet's Coffee

This coffee was already ground, but I had to grind it down to espresso grind for my Americano. The ground coffee is almost black in color. After grinding, the coffee has a very sweet rich aroma that is hard to describe.

The first taste of this coffee has some earthiness to it. The bitterness of the coffee hits right at the tip of the tongue very quickly and then dissipates just as quickly as it came. It definitely has a very clean finish.

This roast is very typical of Peet's Coffee in the fact that it has a very smooth mouth feel and isn't overpowering in its flavor. The one thing I can say about the roasters at Peet’s – they give you a consistent, great coffee every time.

As the coffee cools the bitterness of the coffee doesn't increase noticeably. This would be an excellent coffee to have if you're going to be somewhere and cannot reheat your coffee.

I added sweetener to the coffee and realized I added too much. This blend does not require a lot of sweetener. Be careful if you drink sweetener in your coffee - don't add too much. Add a little, taste and add a little more if needed.

This dark roast coffee would be great for after dinner. It has a very dessert-like flavor when sweetener is added - it definitely would complement just about any dessert you might have with it. This would include any good chocolate recipe - such as the ones in Chocolate Lovers Recipes.

I would rate this coffee at 9.4 to 9.5 on a 10 point scale.

I hope this coffee review will help you in your search for that perfect cup of coffee and as always, may your next cup be your best.

How To Find A Really Good Coffee Grinder Part 2

2011-05-24T13:30:00.006-06:00

The Search For An Affordable Quality Coffee Grinder Continues

Step two in purchasing a coffee grinder should always be research. Be realistic when doing this. Stick to your budget and your needs to find the right grinder for your coffee beans.

I decided upon a price point of $100 or less – as this fits my budget best. No, I am not getting rich on this blog – if you want to help, click on the donate button on the left, or buy one of my sponsored products on the blog. (No charge for this Public Service Announcement.)

You should always base your coffee grinder choice upon your needs. Since I grind coffee for French Press, Drip and Espresso, I need coffee a grinder that will do all grinds equally well. Unfortunately, this cuts out a lot of the low cost coffee grinders on the market. One drawback to most low cost coffee grinders is that there is a lot of static in the ground coffee – which can make a big mess on your counter if you aren’t careful. What follows below is a brief selection of some the coffee grinders I looked at in my research for the ideal grinder for my dark roast coffee.

I thought of purchasing another Cuisinart DBM-8 coffee grinder, but based upon my experience with it, I knew that it would not grind coffee well for espresso. This grinder does great on coarse and it is really great on drip grinds, so if you have need for only these type of grinds, it's perfect. I personally recommend it for those that do drip and french press only. You can buy a
Cuisinart DBM-8 grinder here.

I looked at the Kitchenaid Pro Line grinder and was not really happy with the price - after all I'm trying to keep this under $100 and the Pro Line ranges in the $200 price range. According to most of the reviews I read, it is an excellent choice if you have the cash. The entire unit is metal and glass with few plastic parts in it. It is designed to last. You can buy a KitchenAid Pro Line Grinder here.

Another candidate was the Nesco BG-88 Burr Mill - the price is very good, but according to the user reviews, this coffee grinder seems to have a fairly high failure rate.

The Black & Decker CBM210 burr mill has an excellent price - around $30, unfortunately, I saw a few negative reviews and some users said that the finest grind is too big for espresso - so that leaves this one out of my possible selections. If you want a low-cost grinder for drip or french press, You can buy a
CBM210 grinder here.

I looked at the Krups GVX1–14 grinder - this one is a little bit higher-priced. It usually sells for $50. It seems to have some problems with failure rate, static build up in the coffee grounds and overall reliability.

Another grinder I considered was the Cuisinart CBM–18 burr mill.burr mill. The downside to this particular grinder, according to a lot of folks, is the noise level. It is very noisy and so therefore it might not be a great choice if you want to keep your house quiet. The grinder seems to be of reasonable quality - some reviews are saying it grinds great coffee. I don't know how it does on espresso since none of the users said anything about the espresso grind. The noise level is still something you have to consider unless you live alone. If noise is not an issue, you can buy a
Cuisinart CBM-18 grinder here.

I also considered the DeLonghi KG79 burr grinder - at $50 it's a good buy. The thing is that I can't find very many reviews on it so I'm not really sure if it's a really great grinder or if there are just not that many people buying it. You can buy a DeLonghi KG79 grinder here.

Another grinder I'm considering is the Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder. This grinder has a glass receiving container which cuts out the static problem that most of the lower end grinders have. It does have several grind settings and a timer to be able to set the grinding time.The only negative thing I found so far was from one reviewer that said that it does not grind a extremely fine espresso grind for the higher end machines. Since I don't have a higher end machine this is still a possible grinder for my selection – it sells for under $100 online. You can buy a
Bodum® Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder here.

So now I have found several candidates, but most of them have been knocked out of the running because of problems in their manufacturing or the quality of their components.

In the next blog in this series, I will let you know which grinder I chose, why I chose it and my review of it as a match to my criteria.

Thanks for reading, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

How To Find A Really Good Coffee Grinder

2011-05-19T10:41:00.006-06:00

The Search For An Affordable Quality Coffee Grinder

My Cuisinart DBM-8 Burr Mill Coffee Grinder is dying. It has produced very nice drip and french press coffee, and with a little help, espresso. The reason I say a little help is that you must run the coffee through the grinder as many as 5 times to achieve an acceptable espresso grind. I even tried to modify the grinder - with some success - it now only takes 2 passes to make espresso ground coffee. It now only runs when you press down on the bean hopper - the safety switches are somehow messed up, so it doesn't run unless you play around with it a lot. Sometimes I just take the second-pass ground coffee and run it through my old Braun push-button blade grinder just to get the job done. For this reason I am shopping for a replacement grinder for my dark roast coffee. I have got to find an excellent low-cost grinder for my coffee beans.

The quality and consistency of the coffee grind is critical to successful coffee preparation. See my blog post on the importance of grind in coffee making here. Although blade grinder may do the job, but for a more consistent grind, you need to use a burr mill grinder. This type of grinder runs slower than a blade type and heats up the coffee less as it grinds, retaining more of the coffee flavor.

There are a few common problems with the low-cost burr grinders:

Because they are mostly plastic, the ground coffee builds up static in it and tends to spill everywhere

The low-cost grinders range from around $50 to $200 - a lot more than the blade units

The failure rate on some of these units seems to be fairly high - read the reviews people give for this info

Quite a few of them don't produce a very uniform grind - which is why you are trying to buy this kind of grinder in the first place

If you do find a really good one for the price - it always seems to be out of stock (I wonder why...)

Finding one that does excellent french press and espresso grind is difficult, at best

In the last week I have discovered several possible replacements - and some really bad ones. In my next post, I will detail what my findings are, and what I am going to use as a new replacement grinder.

I hope this information helps you in your search for great coffee, and as always, may your next cup be the best!

Breakfast Blend by Archer Farms - Review

2011-05-11T16:30:00.000-06:00

Review of Archer Farms Breakfast Blend

First taste:
This is supposed to be a milder roast - not even a medium roast, but it has definitely got a bite to it. My first taste of this blend has a definite bitterness to it that is very noticeable. The coffee also has a got a noticeable amount of oil on top of the finished brew. It does not have the flavor depth of a dark roast or medium roast and it is very true to what archer Farms says this roast is.

The flavor is good but it is not as excellent as some of the other coffees I have tasted and reviewed in this blog. This coffee has a smooth mouth feel and a clean finish.

The flavor of the unsweetened blend is definitely okay for the average consumer and it's good enough to keep on hand as a spare coffee in your cabinet.

I would rate this coffee about an 8.4 to 8.5 on a 10 point scale. I would not make it my main coffee just because the flavor doesn't have a great deal of depth.

Since I tend to like dark roast coffee I might be a little bit critical of this particular blend, but It isn't as impressive as some of the other archer coffees that I have drank.

You could do a whole lot worse than this particular blend. It is definitely better than some of the rank-and-file commercial coffees that are out there but it is not to be confused with the top of the top-of-the-line Starbucks, Gevalia or Seattle's Best blends. A is definitely better than traditional Folgers, Maxwell House or other coffees in that genre.

Below is a photo that has some Breakfast Blend next to Starbucks Sumatra for comparison of the roasts - note the difference in color.

Archer Farms has a lot of really nice products, including their coffees. Breakfast Blend is not one of Archer’s best coffees, but it would be good if you are on the road and all you have in a small town is a local Target store.

I hope this review has helped you in the search for that truly good cup of coffee. As always, may your next cup be your best!

Review - Caribou Coffee Mahogany

2011-05-02T13:07:00.006-06:00

Mahogany by Caribou Coffee

This roast is a medium dark roast. I tasted this coffee as an Americano. The coffee I purchased was already ground, so I can’t tell you anything about the coffee beans themselves. I can state that when I re-ground it to get it to espresso grind, the coffee stuck together quite well – this indicates a lot of good, quality oils being present in it.

There's a definite earthiness with this blend and the flavor has a pronounced bitterness that has a little bit of a bite to it.
The flavor lingers in your mouth for several seconds - it has a very smooth mouth feel. Due to the earthiness of the coffee, the finish of the coffee comes off a little bit dry.

Since this is my first Caribou Coffee, I didn't quite know what to expect. I will state that I'm pleasantly surprised by the excellence of this coffee. The folks at Caribou Coffee really know what they're doing.

Without sweetener, this coffee has a very pleasant taste and aroma. It is very comforting and relaxing. Despite this being classified as a medium dark roast coffee the flavor comes off more like a true dark roast.

Upon adding adding sweetener to it, I found that the flavor of the coffee became very desert like - almost like drinking a chocolate bar. As I am not a trained coffee taster this is the best way I can describe it.

I'm scale of 9 to 10, I would rate this between 9.1 and 9.2 - it is definitely a coffee that will please almost anyone.

This is a brew that will please almost anyone, even very picky coffee drinkers. If your guests are very picky, add a little sweetener and let them drink it as a dessert coffee.

I hope you found this review beneficial and as always be your next cup be your best!

Review – Peet’s House Blend

2011-04-19T10:25:00.005-06:00

House Blend by Peet’s Coffee

When you first open the bag, this coffee fills the room with its aroma.

The beans of this dark roast coffee have a very nice sheen of oil on them and they have small oily spots where it pools up on each bean - see the photo.

I made up the coffee I tasted in a French Press. The beauty of French Press coffee is that it is unfiltered so you get the true coffee flavors from the brew with nothing lost.

With the first taste of this coffee I noticed a very smooth mouth feel.

Despite this coffee being a very definite dark roast, the flavor was not exceptionally strong or overpowering.

As the coffee cooled I noticed a slight bitterness. This is exceptional as I brewed a very strong French Press of it.

The flavor of this coffee definitely hits the back of your tongue and has a very nice pleasant flavor. I can see this as a really great coffee to serve at a bed and breakfast or even a high-end bistro. If you want to impress your guests, brew up some of this and let them enjoy this pleasant experience.

This is a very good dark roast coffee that I would definitely rate in the mid-nine range probably about 9.3 to 9.5 out of 10. It is very comparable to the top offerings from Starbucks, Seattle’s Best or Gevalia. It can stand on its own against almost any top quality blend.

Thank you for reading and have a great day.

May your next cup be your best.

Review - Thermos CSS1010 Stainless Steel Tumbler

2011-04-11T19:17:00.012-06:00

CSS1010 Stainless Steel Tumbler by Thermos

This mug is made by Thermos. The mug is stainless steel with a black handgrip and a sliding cover on the top. It holds 16 ounces of liquid and it uses Thermos' TherMax vacuum insulation technology.

The cover seals relatively well although there is a slight amount of leakage when you tip the mug or shake it vigorously. My only complaint about the seal is that it tends to keep you from getting very much liquid out at a time. There is a side benefit in this in the fact that if you have very hot coffee in it you will not burn yourself by getting a large swallow of the hot liquid.

I have used this mug for the last three days and have been very pleased with the results of it holding temperature and quality of construction.

I had it outside on a windy day with it about half full of coffee and it did not blow over. This surprised me as most stainless mugs are usually very top-heavy.

For my temperature tests I used some coffee that I had French Pressed. The starting temperature of the coffee that was poured into the mug stabilized at 171°F - this is rather surprising since it is an all stainless cup. I assumed that I would lose more than the 20° I lost when I poured it in. If you preheat this cup with hot water before putting coffee into it you probably will not have this problem.

The results of my temperature tests are in the chart below.

This tumbler keeps coffee warm enough to keep it drinkable for over 4 hours - definitiely a winner in my book!

Overall I think this is a very good product and I would personally endorse it as being a good purchase.

Click here to purchase your own Thermos Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler.

I hope this review has helped you in your search for a great mug for your dark roast coffee.

Have a great day and may your next cup be your best!

Review - Colombian Supremo by Safeway Select Gourmet Coffee

2011-04-06T11:16:00.007-06:00

Safeway Select Colombian Supremo

The first taste of this coffee is somewhat earthy and definitely tastes similar to some of the dark roast coffee produced by Gevalia or the special roast used by McDonalds. This is surprising for some stuff off the grocery store shelf.

Colombian Supremo is a medium roast that is one of Safeway's Select store branded products. It has some of the depth of a dark roasted blend. I tasted the coffee brewed with my drip coffee maker. It was pre-ground coffee so there may have been some flavor lost due to it not being whole bean.

I can’t find the exact words to use to describe it, but this coffee has a definite sharpness to the flavor. It is probably due to the roasting process used. There is a light bitterness that hits the back of your tongue. This roast has got a spicy initial flavor. It is a very good coffee for breakfast or early morning drinking.

Sometimes you're very surprised by what you find on a grocery store shelf versus what you find in a coffee shop. The quality is definitely here - it is a coffee that shouldn't be turned down whenever you can't get your regular roast. This can easily happen if you are on the road and you are in a small town. A Safeway store may be available to you when a Starbucks or other brand-name coffee shop is not.

This coffee definitely gets more bitter as it gets colder. The bitterness is more noticeable as it gets close to room temperature. I think it is still a very good coffee but definitely one that you want to drink warm versus drinking it cold - unless you like the bitterness of the cold coffee.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this between 8.3 and 8.5 - it is definitely a quality coffee and one that should not be overlooked when you're shopping the supermarket shelves at Safeway.

As always, may your next cup be your best

Starbucks Sumatra Coffee - Review

2011-04-03T16:52:00.008-06:00

Sumatra Coffee by Starbucks

My first impression of this coffee was when I was grinding it. This coffee has a wonderful slightly smoky sweet smell when it's being ground. The beans are nice and oily. They have a nice little sheen on them but they are not excessively oily. It is a fairly dark roast. Starbucks rating of this coffee is extra bold. If the aroma is any indication of the flavor, it should be really awesome.

Sumatra is one of the largest of the thousands of islands that make up Indonesia. Almost 90 percent of the coffee grown there is robusta, so finding high quality arabica beans is difficult to do. Most of the growers are independent farmers who grow this coffee close to their homes. This certainly makes for better quality control of the growing beans.

Buy Some Starbucks Sumatra Single Origin Coffee Here

I brewed this coffee as a Americano. The first taste of this blend is very rich - it has a lot of depth and dark roast coffee flavor. This coffee isn't very bitter despite it's extra bold designation by Starbucks.

It has a smooth flavor and very clean finish. This is arguably one of Starbucks better coffees. I have not drank it before and I am really impressed with the overall flavor and taste of this coffee.

After sweetening, I noticed a distinct earthiness in the coffee. The flavor of this coffee lingers in the mouth considerably longer after you sweeten it. It has a definite chocolate taste after sweetening as well.

On a flavor scale of one to 10, I would rate this somewhere between a 8.8 to a 9.2 - is definitely a real winner and is good for almost any coffee drinker. It has a really likable flavor, even when it is made up as a strong brew. According to one source, this is Starbucks best selling single origin coffee.

As always, may your next cup be the best.

How To Keep Your Dark Roast Coffee Hot And Tasting Good

2011-03-31T09:10:00.006-06:00

The Best Ways To Keep Coffee Hot and Tasting Good

Keeping our coffee fresh and hot is a major item for some of us coffee drinkers. There is nothing worse than a tepid mouthful of stale coffee. How you keep your coffee hot depends a little on where you are and what you're doing. What happens to coffee as we keep it warm? Are there things I should never do to keep my coffee warm? Knowing a little more about coffee will help you understand how to keep it hot and tasting great.

The following set of points should help to insure better tasting coffee:

Use a thermal cup or mug for commuting or to keep it hot for short periods of time

Glass and stainless steel thermos style bottles barely effect coffee taste at all

French Press brewers (like Bodum) are not good for keeping coffee hot. They continue to brew and can produce very bitter coffee

Try to not use direct heat from an element or hotplate if possible

A sealed or closed container slows the loss of essential aromas that influence coffee flavor.

You get the best flavor from coffee that is kept at least 170° F.

There are a number of taste related components in a cup of coffee that change or degrade over time. This means that the taste of a cup of coffee will continue to change, for the worse most would say, just because time passes. The best way to manage this problem is to simply brew smaller amounts of coffee more frequently. As we all know, the best cup of coffee is a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

One Starbucks employee said that in a training session they were told to not let the shot sit for more than 15 seconds before mixing it in the milk mixture, and about 20 seconds is the “optimal” brewing time for a shot of espresso.

So as you get your next pot of coffee ready, think about how you are going to consume it. If you plan on having it right away, no problem. But if you are thinking about drinking it over a longer period of time, keep the points we made above in your mind. Plan out how you will keep it hot and tasting fresh. Only then start the brew.

Now That My Espresso Is Made - What To Do With The Milk?

2011-03-27T04:06:00.007-06:00

How To Froth Milk For A Cappuccino

I did all of the right things to make espresso at home. I bought myself a good espresso machine. I learned which dark roast espresso beans have the best taste and how to grind them to the correct fineness. I managed to insert the gadget with the grinds, known as a portafilter, into the espresso machine, lock it into place, turn on the machine and let her rip. Great espresso!

But I wanted a cappuccino. Sue wanted a latte. I guess it's time to figure out how to steam the milk.

Image: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sue is always dieting, so she wants nonfat milk. I found out that low fat and nonfat milk foam really easily. Whole milk takes more practice. Same thing with half and half if you want a breve.

Some espresso machines have a built in steam nozzle and some don't. You may need to buy a separate steamer. I recommend getting an espresso machine with one built in - it saves space.

The first thing to do is to put that stainless steel pitcher and milk into the refrigerator and get it cold. Always start with them cold - this will give you the best results. The next critical success factor is to fill the pitcher about a third to a half full. Milk expands really well when it's steamed. It takes only once for it to foam up, overflow and hit the floor to remember to start with a pitcher no more than half full.

Start by putting the nozzle on the surface of the milk and turning the steam on full. The milk is going to begin to foam, so keep lowering the pitcher so that the nozzle is just under the surface of the milk. About a half inch will do fine. You can turn down the pressure when the foam really begins to rise, or just take the pitcher away. Now the milk is just about at the boiling point.

Now here is another important tip. Don't let the milk boil. This is a sure way to get the milk to overflow the pitcher - or even worse, it will taste burnt - not good.

Your steamed milk should have little bubbles all the way through it, and there should be a light foam on the top. There you are. That's it. Now you go make whatever espresso drink you want. Next up, you can start learning how to make all those fancy designs in the top.

I hope this will help you to make an awesome cappuccino, latte or breve.

As always, May Your Next Cup Be The Best!

Seattle’s Best Henry's Blend - Review

2011-03-19T00:42:00.010-06:00

Henry's Blend by Seattle’s Best

I've always enjoyed Henry's Blend from Seattle's Best. Although I have drank this blend for years, this is the first time I have written a blog on it. Henry's Blend has always been one of my favorites. It is a well-rounded coffee that is an excellent dark roast blend. It is rated as a Level 4 coffee. There is more information about the "Level" system HERE.

For this review, I tasted the coffee as an Americano. The unsweetened coffee hits the tip of the tongue with a definite bitterness that you won't forget. The finish of this coffee is very clean – it does not linger long in your mouth.

This coffee has always been one of my favorites from Seattle's best in fact it was one of the first Seattle's Best coffees I have drank.

After sweetening the brew is more like a desert than a coffee I would recommend that if you drink it with sweetener that you don't even bother to eat any sweets or any kind of cake with it because it is an excellent sweet treat all by itself.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would easily rate this at 9.5 - it is arguably one of the best coffees on the market and I think that it's one that you will find very enjoyable - no matter how picky you are

You should go out and get some Henry's Blend. Just click on the link that follows and get yourself some great coffee.

Click here to get Henry's Blend.

As always, I want to thank you for coming by and may your next cup be your best!

Seattle's Best Breakfast Blend - Review

2011-03-17T12:43:00.008-06:00

Breakfast Blend by Seattle's Best

I prepared this coffee as an Americano, and did my first taste test on the unsweetened brew. This coffee is a Level 4 coffee in their new coffee rating system - dark roast, but one step below their darkest roast which is Level 5. In additon to the standard Breakfast Blend, they also offer an Organic Breakfast Blend that is Certified Organic. This blend comes from organic plantations in Costa Rica, Sumatra, Guatemala and Peru.

The first taste of Seattle's Best Breakfast Blendhas a pleasant bitterness that hits the tip of the tongue and works its way to the middle. This is a very good coffee for serving with breakfast or any meal. There is a certain earthy quality to this blend along with a very pleasant mouth feel. The flavor doesn't linger very long and clears out of the mouth within about three or 4 seconds. The folks at Seattle's best have done a very good job of coming up with a coffee that has universal appeal.

After sweetening the taste is very pleasant with no noticeable bitterness to speak of. There is a slight sweetness in the flavor that is very similar to that of peaches. This would be a great coffee to sip in the afternoon or evening while sitting on the porch watching the sunset. It is obvious why Seattle's best has kept this particular coffee in their lineup for a number of years. It is a very pleasant coffee that is ideal for breakfast. This is one dark roast coffee that you should not miss out on. The reason that this particular coffee is a dark roasted blend and not a single origin is pretty obvious - there are flavors that are being created that can only be made by combining coffee beans with different qualities.

On a 1 to 10 scale I would easily rate this coffee at a very solid 9.3 points. It isn't the very best coffee on the shelf but it is among the top choices I would make.

I hope you have found this review helpful. Thanks for stopping by and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Storing Your Coffee - Should You Freeze Your Coffee?

2011-03-11T01:40:00.007-07:00

Is It Good To Freeze Your Favorite Dark Roast Coffee To Keep It Fresh?

There are many different ways to store coffee in order to maintain freshness. One of the suggested methods is to put your ground coffee or coffee beans in the freezer. Is storing coffee in the freezer a good way to maintain freshness? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Freezing has been used for centuries as a way to extend the life of many foods. A diverse selection of foods can be frozen. Bread, meat, fruits, vegetables and even butter can be successfully stored in your freezer. Freezing even maintains many of the vitamins and nutritional value of a wide variety of foods. But is your dark roasted blend a candidate for storage in the freezer?

Coffee has four main enemies against freshness: air, heat, light and moisture. At first, freezing doesn’t seem to contain many of the offending enemies. However, appearances can be deceiving.

Coffee beans have been roasted in order to enhance flavor. The beans are also porous. Your freezer can contain many other foods which have odors. The porous beans can absorb the flavors of many other frozen foods. Flavored coffees can be pleasant, but no one wants to drink seafood or garlic flavored coffee.

Moisture can also be absorbed by the coffee beans. Moisture can cause deterioration and loss of flavor. The more often you take coffee out of the freezer and put it back in, the more moisture absorption takes place into the bean. If you absolutely need to freeze some coffee because you have a large excess you would like to keep, only freeze it once, or freeze it in small containers. The more you take it in and out of the freezer, the more damage you do.

Image: markuso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Freezing also breaks down the oils in the beans. The oils contribute to the flavor of the coffee. Breaking down the oils means taking away flavor, and let’s face it, a large part of a good cup of coffee is the flavor.

When it comes down to it, freezing is not the best way to store your coffee. Keep coffee stored in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light. Freezing coffee is possible, and is best if you only freeze it once. The resulting loss of flavor and quality from repetitive freezing makes it a method of storage you should avoid.

Your best bet is to purchase only enough beans or ground coffee to supply you for 1-2 weeks. If possible, you should only grind enough for immediate consumption to retain all the great flavor in your coffee. Enjoy your coffee at its freshest!

Thanks for coming by and may your next cup be your best!

Can Coffee Reduce The Risk of Type 2 Diabetes?

2011-03-08T01:37:00.005-07:00

Coffee May Reduce The Risk of Diabetes

Here at Dark Roast Coffee, we try to give you information on coffee, especially information on dark roasted blends. There is a lot of information about diabetes and coffee. It is hard to say what is true and what is not, as there are so many sources of information. We hope the following information helps you or your loved ones and friends who have diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. Another element that may be part of the problem is consumption of a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates.

Coffee reduces risk of diabetes
Research suggests that people who drink coffee are less likely to get type 2 diabetes. It isn't known whether the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee is responsible for its protective effects.

The researchers wanted to see whether there is a link between diabetes and drinking coffee and green, black, and oolong tea. Participants completed a detailed questionnaire about their health, lifestyle habits, and how much coffee and tea they drank. The questionnaire was repeated at the end of the 5-year follow-up period.

When other factors were accounted for, researchers found that the more green tea and coffee participants drank, the less likely they were to get diabetes. People who drank six cups or more of green tea or three or more cups of coffee each day were about one-third less likely to get diabetes. The link was stronger in women than in men. No pattern was seen with black or oolong tea. (see Diabetes Symptoms)

Vitamin D and Calcium May Lower the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women
A lack of vitamin D and calcium may be linked to getting type 2 diabetes. More than 80,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study. Over the course of 20 years, over 4,800 women developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that a combined intake of over 1,200 milligrams of calcium and over 800 units of vitamin D was linked with a 33% lower risk for type 2 diabetes (as compared to women who took much smaller amounts of calcium and vitamin D). The results show that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D and calcium help lower the risk for type 2 diabetes in women.

Diabetes is a disorder characterized by hyperglycemia or elevated blood glucose (blood sugar). Our bodies function best at a certain level of sugar in the bloodstream. If the amount of sugar in our blood runs too high or too low, then we typically feel bad. Diabetes is the name of the condition where the blood sugar level consistently runs too high. Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorder.

For those seeking information about Diabetes and things to help diabetics and those who care for diabetics, go to my website: Helping Diabetics.

Thanks for coming by and may your next cup be your best!

Seven Steps To World Class Gourmet Coffee

2011-03-06T03:03:00.007-07:00

Seven Simple Steps For Top Notch Coffee

A good, quality cup of coffee is always nice to have. It does take some time and some energy to find a great cup of gourmet coffee these days. If you do know of a good coffee shop, you are one of the lucky ones. But, did you know that you can also make a nice cup of coffee on your own at home?

Here are seven simple steps that you can take to produce the perfect cup of coffee every time.

Image: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Start with quality. One of the most critical aspects of coffee drinking is the grade of the coffee that you start off with. If you love dark roast coffee, or a dark roasted blend, get the best and freshest you can. If you have a favorite flavor, then purchase whole beans in that flavor. In doing this, you get the freshest coffee available.

Grind away. Purchase a quality coffee grinder. Some of the best grinders available today are easy to use and easy to clean up. By grinding your own coffee beans, youll be able to grind only what you need, meaning that you will have complete freshness in your coffee. Always match the grind to the coffee maker being used.

Store It Right And Tight. It is very fundamental to store your coffee tightly. Air oxidizes the coffee and can make it to get bitter quickly. Metal canisters can also enable a metal taste to get into the coffee, making it taste bad. The best solution is to use a plastic or ceramic air tight container for your coffee and coffee beans. Store it at room temperature because the moisture in the fridge or freezer can make it go bad at a faster rate.

Getting To The Coffee

The Maker. The coffee maker that you use is also critical. No matter what style that you go with, you can get a good cup of coffee out of it if you take the time to prepare the coffee and the machine correctly. You should insure that the coffee maker is cleaned after each use. You should detail clean it, with the assistance of vinegar, every so often as well. Your preferences will ultimately determine which style of coffee maker you will use. Make sure that it uses a permanent filter in it.

The Water. Even the water that you use is central to the quality of the coffee you will get from it. It is essential that you use water that is free from chlorine and minerals. Using bottled water rather than tap water will improve the quality of the coffee. It also helps to keep the water nice and hot. A good temperature for brewing coffee is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use The Right Amount Of Coffee. It is also central for you to use the right quantity of coffee beans and coffee grounds in the maker. Too many and you will have a very strong cup of coffee and too few will make it to be too weak. Follow the directions provided by the coffee producer for the best cup of coffee.

Lastly and probably the most vital aspect of getting a great cup of gourmet coffee is to make sure to enjoy your coffee when it is hot and fresh. Most restaurants are told to keep coffee for less than thirty minutes, but at home, the best coffee is the coffee that hasn't sat for more than twenty minutes.

Cool Coffee Recipes #3 and #4 - From Dark Roast Coffee

2011-03-02T00:37:00.008-07:00

Black Forest Coffee

Ingredients:

6 oz Fresh brewed coffee
2 tbsp Chocolate syrup
1 tbsp Maraschino cherry juice
Whipped cream
Shaved chocolate/chips
Maraschino cherries

How To:

Combine coffee, chocolate syrup, and cherry juice in a cup; mix well. Top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a cherry.

Iced Mocha Cappuccino

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Chocolate syrup
1 cup Hot double espresso or very strong coffee
1/4 cup Half-and-half
4 Ice cubes

How To:

Stir the chocolate syrup into the hot coffee until melted. In a blender, combine the coffee with the half-and-half and the ice cubes. Blend at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately in a tall, cold glass. This recipe yields 1 serving.

I hope you like these recipes. Get more free recipes by filling out the form above. Thanks for visiting Dark Roast Coffee - may your next cup be your best!

Caffeine - Comparing Espresso to Coffee and Coca-Cola

2011-02-28T17:53:00.006-07:00

Comparison of Caffeine in Espresso Versus Coffee or Coke

Image courtesy of: healingdream / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is a high probability that you have heard the rumor that an espresso shot is filled to the brim with caffeine. It is true that many people are simply referring to the beverage as "caffeine shots."

Have you ever wanted to find out more about espresso and how much caffeine it contains? Is there any such thing as caffeine-free espresso, a term primarily used for "decaf" coffee? How unhealthy for you is espresso, really? And if espresso is so unhealthy then why hasn't it been taken off the market? All of these are great questions that could come from anyone who would like to know more about the myths surrounding espresso shots and their caffeine content. But there is one thing for sure - that espresso shots are definitely not as unhealthy for you as alcohol shots are.

The whole problem surrounding espresso is the fact that most people have heard that espresso contains so much more caffeine than other beverages that it is deemed almost dangerous to consume. This is a myth and simply isn't true! Even though espresso does contain quite a lot of caffeine in one shot, here is how the caffeine content of espresso compares to other popular beverages:

How Much Caffeine in Espresso and Coffee

When comparing the amount of caffeine in an espresso shot as compared to a cup of coffee, there are many things you should consider. When it comes to espresso, there are as many varieties of espresso as there are of coffee. We will user the term "espresso" to means one plain shot of espresso that has no extra flavor of frills, and for "coffee" we mean a regular black cup of coffee that most people drink at their breakfast table in the morning.

You may be surprised to find this out that a regular black cup of coffee actually has more caffeine than one shot of espresso. It's true that espresso does contain more milligrams of caffeine per ounce, but espresso shots are typically only consumed in 1-ounce shot glasses. Espresso contains about 67 milligrams of caffeine per ounce and coffee contains around 148 milligrams in an average full cup. Most people only consume one shot of espresso at a time, but most people consume multiple cups of coffee throughout their day. If a person only consumes 2 shots of espresso, he/she will take in 14 milligrams more coffee if only one 8 ounce cup of coffee is consumed.

How Much Caffeine in Espresso and Coca-Cola

So what would be the better choice: having a can of Coca-Cola in the morning to jump start your day, or continuing with your espresso routine? As mentioned above, espresso shots usually contain about 67 milligrams per 1-ounce shot glass. On the other hand, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains only about 35 milligrams of caffeine. It is obvious which beverage has less caffeine. On the other hand, Coca-Cola has sugar or NutraSweet to sweeten it, neither of which is really very healthy for you. In fact, NutraSweet had over 50 things wrong with it when it was released, and the medical profession is advising less consumption of sugar and other refined carbohydrates. So if you are drinking unsweetened espresso, the best "morning boost" would be the espresso shot.

Based on this information, you can see an espresso shot is really doesn't appear to be all that bad for you when compared to a can of soda pop or even a regular cup of coffee. In the whole scheme of things one can probably say that espresso is about average when it comes to the amount of caffeine in a single serving, and now you know just how espresso shots stack up!

Additional Web Resources:

mayoclinic.com Caffeine
FDA 92 symptoms - aspartame
321 Recipes - Aspartame

Buying An Espresso Maker

2011-02-23T20:27:00.008-07:00

Buying the Right Espresso Machine

Just as there are many different kinds of espresso flavors and drinks on the market today, there are just as many different ways to make an espresso beverage. The main difference in making an espresso base coffee beverage lies in the machine that is used to make it.

There are multiple types of espresso machines on the market today and buying the right one is crucial to having the best espresso beverage for yourself and for others you have purchased the machine for. Many people use an espresso machine in their business, and coffee shops are the perfect example of businesses that typically invest thousands of dollars in espresso machines.

There are more than five different types of espresso machines and the taste of the espresso will be slightly different when made from each one even though the process of making the espresso is basically the same. Many people purchase a
steam-driven electric espresso machine because of its low cost. The disadvantage is that the espresso that it produces can have a burnt taste due to the high extraction temperature.

Another popular type is the consumer-level pump machine. This delivers coffee that has a better flavor than the low-end steam machine, but not usually as good as the commercial pump machines.

Consumer pump machines are usually a more expensive than the steam machines. A common problem with these units is a tendency of the pump to wear out - usually at the end of the one-year warranty. For this reason, you should try to get one with a good warranty, like the Hamilton Beach unit I blogged about in December of 2010.

Sometimes you will find pump machines in a
combination that is designed to make high-quality coffee as well as pump-driven espresso.

There are others that want what is in the restaurants and coffee shops. The most popular type of espresso machine that is used throughout American coffee shops and breakfast restaurants is the commercial pump-driven espresso machine. This type of espresso machine is interesting because it streamlines the whole espresso-making process and makes the process of getting espresso very simple. Many of these espresso machines are automatic, which means that a single button just has to be pushed in order to get some espresso out of it.

In some countries, espresso drinkers routinely use a
stovetop espresso machine . This is a machine that, as the name states, sits on your stove and produces espresso. This type of machine is a true steam-driven espresso machine. Hot water is heated in the bottom of the machine, which is forced up to the middle of the espresso machine where the actual beverage is made.

When trying to buy the right espresso machine you'll probably first and foremost want to invest in one of the easiest to use espresso machines, which is a fully automatic pump-driven machine. You might even consider purchasing a motor-driven espresso machine. These espresso machines can be quite expensive. Your budget and how enthusiastic you are about your favorite coffee beverage will probably dictate how much money you're willing to spend. For most consumers, an inexpensive espresso machine around $150 may be just the perfect one to start with. Commercial units, like the one pictured above, can run over $15,000.00 - click on the photo to go to a website if you want to price the commercial units.

One thing to consider when buying the right kind of espresso machine is to make sure that it allows you to have the most control over your espresso as possible. For example, does the machine have a built-in grinder? If it does have a grinder does it have different settings for the grinding of the coffee beans? Does the espresso machine that you are interested in contain an automatic whipped cream dispenser, along with a timer for the espresso?

All of these things are important when trying to buy the right type of espresso machine. If you are an avid espresso drinker then you probably will want to invest in an espresso machine that will suit your tastes, desires and budget.

Cool Coffee Recipes #2 - From Dark Roast Coffee

2011-02-23T01:07:00.005-07:00

Arabian Coffee

Ingredients:

1/2 liter (about 1 pint) water
3 tablespoons coffee
3 tablespoons (or more) sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla sugar

How To:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until foam gathers on top. Do not pass through a filter. Stir it up before you serve it.

I hope you like this recipe. Get more by filling out the form above. Thanks for visiting Dark Roast Coffee - may your next cup be your best!

Cool Coffee Recipes #1 - From Dark Roast Coffee

2011-02-21T17:10:00.005-07:00

Alpine Carnival

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Instant coffee
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tsp Water
1 1/2 cup Boiling water
1/2 cup Whipping cream, whipped

How To:

Divide instant coffee and vanilla evenly between two Spanish coffee glasses. In a small heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar in the teaspoon of water. Over medium heat, stir dissolved sugar until it reaches a full boil. Immediately remove from heat and stir in boiling water. Divide sugar mixture between coffee glasses and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
Makes 2 x 6 oz servings.

I hope you like this recipe. Get more by filling out the form above. Thanks for visiting Dark Roast Coffee - may your next cup be your best!

Organic Yukon Blend by Starbucks Coffee

2011-02-21T16:07:00.017-07:00

Review of Organic Yukon Blend by Starbucks

I walked into my local Starbucks today and spotted a bag of Yukon Blend. I know it is too cold in the Yukon to grow coffee, so I thought to myself, "perhaps this is what you need to keep you warm on those cold nights in the Yukon." I just had to check this one out.

Upon further investigation, I discovered that this coffee was created as the result of a request from a sea captain. He wanted a coffee to keep his crew happy, way back in 1971. As a result, Starbucks came up with this multi-region blend that is sure to please you on cold, winter nights.

When I opened the bag and spread a few beans on a plate to photo it, the room quickly smelled of a rich, smoky dark roasted blend. I decided to do a french press of this dark roast coffee, so I ground up some coffee on the coarse setting. Note - always match the grind of your coffee to the preparation method - more on that HERE.

After steeping for 4 minutes, I poured up the french press brew. As you can see in the photo, the coffee was nice, dark and rich.

Get Some >==> Starbucks Coffee 1-lb. Organic Yukon Blend Coffee Beans, Regular Yukon Blend®

The first taste of the unsweetened Yukon Blend hit the back and the tip of my tongue with some great flavor and virtually no bitterness. Because of the short contact time, french press coffee usually has a very slight bitterness, but this was exceptionally clean and free of the bitter I was expecting. The flavor of this coffee, though labeled extra bold, did not seem to be overpowering, and lingered only for about 3 seconds, giving it a very clean finish.

This would be a good dinner coffee, to be served with the meal. It would only enhance a good meal and never steal center stage from the main course.

Starbucks recommends pairing this with a hot bowl of Oatmeal.

I think that after adding sweetener, it would be an excellent desert on its own. If you don't like a sweetener, I recommend you drink it with a nice, rich dessert, such as German chocolate cake.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

Italian Roast by Starbucks Coffee

2011-02-20T14:32:00.011-07:00

Starbucks Italian Roast

This dark roast coffee has a very pleasant aroma, not quite what you would expect from a offering that Starbucks says has an "Extra Bold" flavor.

I purchased this as a venti coffee of the day from my local Starbucks. The mouth-feel of the unsweetened coffee is very smooth, indeed. It has a light bitterness and could easily be served to folks who aren't coffee connoisseurs. I always try to note this kind of information because my mother was very used to her "standard blend" coffee and she would rarely drink any of my "gourmet" coffee, but this one is so pleasant to the taste buds, I think it would win her favor.

The overall flavor hits the middle of the tongue with a slight acidity, followed by a nice, deep coffee flavor that is lighter than an espresso or french roast. Italian Roast has depth that is definitely that of a dark roasted blend, but it would be an awesome all-day coffee that would be good to wake up with and it would be just as good at dinner time.

When this coffee cools down to room temperature, it does not gain any additional bitterness, so it is great for busy folks that find themselves finishing a cup after the coffee has cooled down.

=> Get Some Starbucks Ground Coffee - Italian Roast - Extra Bold <= 3 Bags (12 oz ea)

For food pairings, Starbucks recommends Tiramisu, but my personal recommendation is a Ghiradelli Chocolate Square with Caramel Filling - I loved this combination and I hope you do too!

The sweetened brew is not as dessert-like as I expected. The smokiness of the coffee comes out when lightly sweetened. This dark roast would be a great accompaniment with any sweet or by itself.

I hope this review helps you in getting the best coffee you can find. As always, may your next cup be the best!

Recycled and Recyclable Tumbler by Aladdin

2011-02-20T10:38:00.025-07:00

Aladdin Blue Recycled and Recyclable Tumbler

The need to recycle is key to sustaining our natural resources. Makers of coffee products are doing their part to help with the recycling effort. Aladdin has some offerings that target consumers that want environmentally sound products. One of their offerings is a coffee mug made from recycled plastic that is also a recyclable product. Unlike a lot of recycled products, the price for this mug is low - in most cases, less than $15, shipped to your door.

Aladdin 16 Oz Blue Recycled And Recyclable Tumbler

I tested this 16 ounce mug for convenience and heat retention. I also looked at the more practical aspects, such as the ability to use it in the microwave and to be washed in the dishwasher.

The mug is made of high-quality recycled plastic. It has a double-wall insulation that is as good as many non-green products out there. The lid is a screw-on type with a quality seal that does an excellent job of keeping the coffee in and bad stuff out. The top has a quarter-turn seal that works reasonably well, although tipping the mug on its side will result in some leakage - the seal just slows it down. It acts more like a dust or debris cover, not a liquid tight seal.

The mug holds temperature fairly well if the liquid that is put in it is above 150°. It holds a good enough temperature for 2 hours, after which, it can be warmed up in the microwave. I strongly recommend you heat it with the lid removed so you don't damage the seal.

This mug is dishwasher safe, which a lot of mugs aren't. Thank you, Aladdin, for thinking of the consumer.

I would rate this mug a 9.5 out of 10. If it held heat longer and had a better seal on the top, it would be a 10, easily. Great job, Aladdin!

I hope this review helps you in getting that perfect cup. As always, may your next cup be the best!

Starbucks Kenya

2011-02-09T10:48:00.006-07:00

Kenya Coffee from Starbucks

Starbucks Kenya is labeled by the company as a bold coffee. It is bold, but it is some of the smoothest dark roast coffee that you will ever taste.

When you look at the beans, they remind you of a good, rich, milk chocolate. The beans have a light sheen from the oil that is in them. The aroma of the beans has great depth, letting you know in advance, what to expect from this starbucks offering.

I brewed this coffee as an Americano, and in my drip coffee maker as well. In each case, the coffee is very satisfying.

The first taste of the coffee has a slight earthy quality, and the flavor of it fills your mouth with a slightly bitter, yet pleasant taste. The flavor of Kenya lingers upon the tongue for around 5 or 6 seconds. This is when the pleasant bitter taste can be sensed. As the coffee cools to near room temperature, it does not become more bitter. This is the sign of an excellent roast that is sure to please almost all coffee drinkers.

When it is sweetened, it tastes more like a dessert than a coffee. It could be served after a meal as a dessert, or with some milk chocolate or apple pie as a really great accompaniment to either dessert item. I would also say that this would be a good coffee for serving with a breakfast or dinner meal. It is an excellent all-around coffee that will not disappoint.

I hope this review helps you in your search for the perfect cup. As always, may your next cup be your best!

Review of Java Paradise Dark Roast by Distant Lands Coffee

2011-02-06T02:40:00.015-07:00

Distant Lands Coffee - Java Paradise Dark Roast

When I saw this coffee on the store shelf, I thought "Nice package, but is the coffee inside any good?" The apparent price of this dark roasted blend seems rather low when compared to the premium coffees sitting on the shelf beside it. So you look at what appears to be a price that is one dollar or more lower than other brands surrounding it, you think that it might not be a quality coffee. The price is lower for a simple reason - the package of dark roast coffee that they are selling is a 10 ounce size, not the typical 12 ounce or 1 pound one. The price per ounce calculates to be a few cents cheaper than Seattle's Best Coffee that is sitting very close to it.

On the package they refer to it as an Arabica blend that produces, "a bold, yet smooth cup." The coffee that is in this blended coffee is 100% Arabica that is a Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Coffee. For more information on what this means, check out the information on it on the Mother Earth News website. If you are interested in doing the "right thing," for the planet, Mother Earth News is a great place to go - I recommend them highly. In addition, you can find out more by visiting the Distant Lands Coffee web site.

The coffee that I purchased was already ground, so I decided to taste it as a drip coffee. A couple of days later I tried it in my french press. The flavor results were similar, so I decided to report on my findings about the drip coffee that resulted.

Upon opening the bag of ground coffee, I could smell the richness of a dark roast that had a "sharpness" to the the aroma - I personally thing it was due to the acidity of this blend. Once I brewed up a pot, I smelled a slight scent of rubber in the brew. Note - this is more typical of Robusta coffees and not of Arabica blends. I confirmed the aroma that I was smelling by rubbing some of the coffee between my fingers - there is a faint rubbery smell - could be due to a higher caffeine content - I am not sure.

The color of the grounds also looked like a deep medium roast mixed with dark roast, but the first sip definitely was dark roast coffee.

This coffee has a pleasing taste that has a certain earthy quality. The acid level of this blend is a little higher than most, but it is a good coffee to keep on hand and it definitely is good enough for my tastes. The cup it produces is bold, yet not overpowering. I would say the statement that Distant Lands put on the package is correct.

For food pairings, I would say desserts or fruit that is not terribly sweet. I tried it with one of my favorite items, a Snickers bar, and found that it goes well with the blend of chocolate, caramel and peanuts that are present in the candy. Strawberries without chocolate or with a good dark chocolate would be excellent for this brew.

I discovered a couple of nice .pdf information articles on the Distant Lands site, so I thought I would share them:
The Perfect Roast
The Ultimate Cup

I hope this review helps you in your search for better coffee and, as always, may your next cup be your best.

Peet's Uzuri African Blend

2011-01-24T15:38:00.015-07:00

Review - Peet's Uzuri African Blend Coffee

Sometimes the very name of a dark roast coffee intrigues me. That was the case with Uzuri African Blend. The Name caught my eye, then when I found that it was a dark roasted blend, I had to try some and pass on the information I obtained.

This coffee is grown on small farms in East Africa. Uzuri, when translated from Swahili into English means excellent or beautiful. Peet's is very involved in helping the farmers grow better coffee. On Peet's website, there is a photo slideshow about the growing and processing of the coffee cherries.

When I got home with the coffee and opened the bag up. The aroma of the unground beans hit me - it smelled like the smoke from a fire - but instead of the smoke odor being bitter, it was slightly sweet. I had a couple of things that distracted me before I could grind the beans up. In that time, the kitchen filled with this rich, smoky, dark roast aroma.

The beans were very dark and oily - this is usually the sign of a top notch coffee. Upon grinding, the smoky aroma became deeper. I thought, "If the aroma is this good, the coffee must be really tasty stuff."

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. The brewed liquid was very dark in color and smelled wonderful. The first taste of the unsweetened brew had an exceptionally smooth mouth feel with only a slight bitterness. As the coffee cooled, I did not notice the usual bitterness that seems to accompany most dark roasts as they get cold.

After I sweetened the brew, I noticed that the flavor lingered a bit longer than it did when it was black. The finish was very clean.

I think that this coffee is excellent for just about any time of day. It would be very good for having with any meal during the day. The flavor is bold, but will not overpower any food that it is served with.

Here is a video about the folks who grow Uzuri Blend...enjoy!

As always, may your next cup be your best.

Seattle's Best French Roast - Review

2011-01-16T17:57:00.011-07:00

Seattle's Best French Roast

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. When I was brewing the coffee, it filled the house with the aroma of dark roast coffee. This coffee is definitely a dark roasted blend that has aroma (and flavor) to spare.

The first taste of the unsweetened brew yielded a bitterness that I would say is more sour than bitter. The flavor of this coffee hits all over the tongue, but especially hits the tip and back of the tongue. It is not an overpowering dark roast, it just has a good, solid flavor from the beans used and the dark roast. The flavor lingers only briefly, then has a nice clean finish. The folks at Seattle's Best have created a very fine coffee that they rate at their darkest roast level - level 5.

After adding sweetener, the coffee had a near-perfect blend of sweet and sour. It was almost like drinking a dessert. This is arguably one of Seattle's Best finest coffees.

Buy Some - Seattle's Best Coffee 2.25-lb. Whole Bean Coffee, French Roast

This coffee is excellent as an Americano. I have also drank it several times as regular drip coffee. In each case, this french roast is an excellent drink that will not disappoint. If you love dark roasts, you should try this one out.

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Starbucks Casi Cielo - Review

2011-01-12T10:46:00.015-07:00

Starbucks Casi Cielo

What can you say about a coffee that has a name that means "almost heaven?"

The local Starbucks had sold out of this brew by 7 pm, so I was offered a cup if I didn't mind waiting - it was definitely worth the wait.

This brew smells more like a Gevlia or McDonalds coffee. As to the aroma, I would describe it as having a sharp smell. It is very unique for a Starbucks roast. In many ways it reminds me of Gevlia Mocca Java. This is not your usual Starbucks dark roast or medium roast coffee - it is unique among their coffees.

When you first taste this dark roast coffee, the bitter hits the tip of your tongue. It has a very bright flavor with clean finish. There is a hint of chocolate flavor that is very subtle. This coffee has a complex flavor that is hard to describe - but as I said before, if you like Gevalia's Mocca Java, You will love this stuff.

It is a seasonal blend that is only available during the spring of the year, so you had better get some quick, or else wait until next year to get some.

After sweetening, flavor depth and richness becomes more noticeable. This dark roasted blend is complex in flavor. In addition, I noticed that the hint of chocolate flavor is much more noticeable.

This is a great coffee for early in the morning. it really wakes you up. Even though I had it around 8 pm, it woke me up like a shot of espresso.

As to food pairings, I think that it would be excellent with waffles or pancakes in the morning. Starbucks states that it would be good with a large meal - one with 5 courses!

Historically, this Guatemalan coffee was only available to select restaurants. It was created to match gourmet cuisine in a restaurant, but Starbucks decided to offer it to the mass market once a year.

Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company Kona Sunrise

2011-01-03T13:45:00.009-07:00

Review - Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company Kona Sunrise

When you first smell this coffee, it has a nice smoky aroma. After grinding it to espresso grind, the aroma has a bit of what I would call sharpness to it. With an unusual aroma like this, I was curious about what this blend would taste like.

When brewed as an Americano, Kona Sunrise has a very smooth mouth feel and taste. The finish on this coffee is very clean. It is the type of coffee that anyone, including those who prefer sweetened coffee, could easily drink black. As the coffee cooled, there was only a slight bitterness that developed. The roasters at Hawaiian Isles really know what they are doing.

The folks at Hawaiian Isles classify it as a full/dark roast coffee. I agree. The resulting brew is nice and dark. It is a full bodied coffee without the bitterness that seems to be so common in dark roasted blends. This coffee is ten percent kona coffee, the remainder being quality arabica beans from around the world. One of my favorite features of this company's coffee is the clip that is included for re-sealing the bag. it is a lot more convenient and effective than the usual wire and plastic strip that comes with most coffee.

I am going to have to get some of this coffee in bean form - the "general purpose grind" stuff that my wife got from her co-worker is so good that I just have to get some coarse grind made up for my french press.

For a 10 ounce package of their general purpose grind, it will cost around fifteen dollars, shipped. Not bad for a great quality coffee, delivered right to your door.

May your next cup be your best!

Cracker Barrel Gingerbread Coffee

2011-01-02T15:01:00.011-07:00

Review - Cracker Barrel Gingerbread Coffee

I received several coffee-related gifts this Christmas, so I decided to review some of them. One gift was some gingerbread flavored coffee and a nice mug from Cracker Barrel. I have been writing a lot about medium roast coffees instead of dark roast coffee or a dark roasted blend, but there are a lot of special coffees during this time of year that are lighter roasts.

Get a Cracker Barrel Gift Card - $25

This coffee is a medium roast that was pre-ground for a drip coffee maker. Since I tasted this coffee as an Americano, I ran it through the grinder to bring it to espresso grind. When I removed it from the grinder, I smelled it, and noticed it smelled like freshly ground nutmeg. It reminded me of a lot of egg nog.

When I tasted this brew, I noticed a flavor that was bitter with a hint of ginger. The drink was smooth and would easily compliment typical holiday fare.

Upon sweetening, I noticed more of the ginger flavor coming out. This is a really nice flavored coffee that is a great compliment to the Holiday Season. I don't think I have ever had any coffee at The Cracker Barrel when I have been there - but now I know - the coffee that they have is good stuff! Maybe I'll stop by and have a piece of pie with some java.

By the way, the coffee mug is nice, heavy and large - a coffee drinker's dream!

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Kauai Coffee Company Chocolate Macadamia

2010-12-31T18:16:00.005-07:00

Review of Kauai Coffee Company Chocolate Macadamia

I recently ran out of coffee and made a mad dash to the grocery store. I started to grab a well-known dark roast coffee, when this flavored coffee from Kauai Coffee Company caught my eye. I decided that I had to try it out.

Upon opening the package, the aroma of the macadamia and chocolate flavoring hit my nose. I have found more often than not, that when the flavoring comes out in the dry coffee that the flavoring will overpower the coffee. In this instance, my presumption was wrong.

The first taste of the unsweetened brew, which I made up in my drip machine, was earthy in flavor. The flavoring that was there was a mild chocolate and macadamia flavor - it was nice and pleasant and complemented the coffee, and did not overpower it. The mouth feel and finish on this coffee are very smooth.

The package says it is a medium roast and the flavor is just that with no noticable bitterness. Without sweetener it is a very nice drink that you could sip all day and really enjoy.

After sweetener is added the chocolate flavor is more noticeable, as is the macadamia flavoring, but it is still just enhances the coffee flavor and doesn't taste sugary or excessively sweet.

This is a single origin coffee from the island of Kauai. The company says that they process all their beans at the source location. This is an excellent quality control method as it insures that you get the freshest coffee available.

I really enjoyed this coffee and hope that you can get some too. It is a very nice flavored coffee and would be great for serving guests by itself or with some dessert.

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Customer Service and Espresso Machines

2010-12-30T17:14:00.008-07:00

Warranty Service on Espresso Machines from Hamilton Beach

I purchased an espresso machine from a local Wal-Mart in February of this year (2010). This was the third one I had bought during the last six months. I had exchanged a couple of the previous units when the pump went out on them at the store I had purchased them from. Wal-Mart has an excellent return policy on items for the first 90 days - I really think they are awesome for this!

Click Here to Buy Hamilton Beach 2-c. Cappuccino Plus Espresso Machine, Black

Anyway, about six months out on the latest machine, the pump died on it. I guess I am terribly hard on espresso machines built for home use - I make up to 4 or 5 Americanos a day and sometimes an occasional cappuccino. When I had purchased the machine I had registered it on Hamilton Beach's site - this ended up being very much in my favor.

I called HB's customer service and after a few minutes they had checked to see if my machine had a recall or any known problems - there were none. Despite the fact that I had lost my receipt (which I later found), they agreed to replace the machine. All I had to do was to pay them $12 for the shipping of the new machine and send back a specific part of my non-working machine.

In a couple of weeks I had my new machine producing the same great dark roast coffee that the old one did. Thank you, Hamilton Beach for being true to your warranty agreement!

This goes to show that there are still companies out there that are good and fair to the customer. Always choose reputable companies to buy from and buy equipment made by companies that have a good customer service reputation - and make sure you register your products just in case you lose your receipt!

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company Vanilla Macadamia Nut

2010-12-29T12:46:00.006-07:00

Review of Vanilla Macadamia Nut by Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company

The holiday season always seems to make it possible to try out some great new food and drink items. This season I was fortunate enough to get some coffee from Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company. I sampled their Vanilla Macadamia Nut coffee as an Americano.

This coffee is a medium roast, with some bitterness that is similar to a dark roast. The aroma is not overpowering with vanilla or macadamia nut smell. It is subtle and pleasant, with the macadamia flavor being the stronger of the two essences.

The first taste of this ten percent Kona blend has a good deal of earthiness to it. Despite this, the mouth feel is very smooth for a flavored coffee. It definitely hits the back of the tongue with a good bitterness that is characteristic of good coffee.

After I sweetened it, the vanilla and macadamia flavors came to life. This coffee is almost like a desert when sweetener is added. I would assume that it would be a good pairing with anything that is really sweet, especially if the brew is not sweetened at all. If you do sweeten your coffee, add just a bit and you will be fine, add too much, and it will ruin the great flavor of this blend.

This coffee is an excellent drink, by itself or to accompany any really great dessert. I personally like it by itself, with a little sweetener.

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Starbucks Christmas Blend

2010-12-22T19:04:00.011-07:00

Review of Starbucks Christmas Blend

Starbucks always takes pride in its special blends produced for the Holiday Season. This is true of their seasonal offerings such as the Thanksgiving Blend, and more recently, Christmas Blend.

This coffee hits the palette with a taste that is more reminiscent of some of Starbucks competitor's coffee. The first one that comes to mind is Gevalia, because the first taste of this blend hits the middle of the tongue with a slight bitterness and bite that reminds me of some of Gevalia's traditional offerings. The mouth feel of the coffee is good, with a slight "bite" to it. The bitterness comes through even when I add my usual sweetener to it. This makes it a very good pairing with the very sweet items you will find yourself snacking on during the Christmas holiday season.

As the coffee cools, it doesn't seem to get more bitter - thanks to the great work of Starbucks roasters. This is a great feature in this brew for people like me, who don't like the bitterness of cold coffee. In addition, as the coffee cools, you notice some earthiness that comes into play. At times, I tasted and smelled a hint of cinnamon in the blend - a very classic holiday spice, indeed.

Just like any specialty blend, this coffee is not for everyone, but if you want to enjoy a cup that will go well with cinnamon, chocolate, or any really sweet treat, this IS your coffee. It also is just a great change from the regular Starbucks line, and should provide a good pick-me-up during the holiday season.

I hope you try some of this great blend to make your Christmas merrier. You might even think of having a hot cup available for Santa when he pops by - that, with some cookies will make the jolly old elf happy, for sure.

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Archer Farms Kona Blend

2010-12-17T13:33:00.006-07:00

Kona Blend Coffee by Archer Farms

Before I started this blog, I had never tasted Archer Farms' coffee. After I had some of their Fair Trade Tierra Del Sol coffee, I was convinced that this Target store brand had some serious merit.

This Kona Blend has an aroma that reminds me of freshly sanded wood. I know that this is not an aroma on the traditional coffee aroma wheel, but that is what I smelled. It is a very relaxing aroma, indeed.

This is a very likable brew, which I tasted as an Americano. I would say that the flavor is that of a medium roast, although the scale on the package states it is a mild roast. It has a mouth feel that is good. The flavor of this blend hits the tip of the tongue at first, then works its way to the middle at the finish. The result is a nice little "bite" of at the end of each sip.

This coffee would pair well with traditional holiday sweets such as fudge or cookies. Unsweetened, it would be a near perfect match.

Archer Farms has done a good job with this blend. I don't think has as much universal appeal as the Tierra Del Sol, but it is a quality coffee that won't disappoint.

May you have a joyous Holiday Season, no matter what you are celebrating. Take care when travelling, as there are others who may be drinking something much stronger than coffee before they drive.

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Seattle's Best Organic House Blend

2010-12-12T18:55:00.011-07:00

Review - Organic House Blend by Seattle's Best

Seattle's Best has changed the look of their packaging. It is so much unlike the familiar red bags that it caught me off guard. At first I thought the store had removed one of my favorite coffee brands from the shelves. Fortunately, there were a few of the old-style packages next to the new ones to get my attention.

Besides being an organic coffee, it is a fair trade blend. When you purchase it, you are not only getting a coffee that is free of pesticides, which is good for the planet, you are also making sure that those who produce it are not taken advantage of financially. This is a win-win for everyone involved.

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. The coffee is definitely a dark roast coffee, but it is not as overpowering as most. The folks at Seattle's Best rate this coffee, according to their new scale as a "Level 4". This means it is a dark roast that is one step below their maximum scale of Level 5. Click on Seattle's Best Level System to download a pdf document of the press release that gives more info about the new packaging.

There is a definite earthiness to the coffee, although it is not exceptionally strong. The flavor has a mild bite to it with a really nice bitterness. This is a coffee that should only be sweetened a little, as too much sweetener would detract from the coffee's dark roast flavor. The flavor is definitely deeper than a medium roast, but not as strong as most dark roasts. The mouth-feel is smooth, and the finish of this blend is very clean - it dissipates in about four seconds.

I would recommend this coffee for pairing with fruit, such as strawberries or perhaps peaches. It will not cover their flavor, it will only enhance. I tried this blend with some homemade Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chip cookies with pecans in them and found it to be a very pleasant combination. Again, this coffee seems to pair well with a little sweetness, not a large amount.

The new packaging on Seattle's Best is very informative. Those familiar with the old packaging will like the large number on the package - finding your desired roasts is very easy with the level system.

Thermos Sportsman Mug

2010-12-08T15:03:00.014-07:00

Review - Sportsman 20 Ounce Travel Mug by Thermos

This mug is nicely made - it has a plastic inner lining with a tapered plastic bottom. The center portion on the outside of the mug is made of textured stainless steel. This mug is definitely made to last.

In between the walls of the mug is foam insulation, not the usual dead air space you find in most low-cost mugs. This mug can be purchased for around $6.00, so it is a great choice for the economy-minded shopper. The fact that it is durable is definitely an asset when you are outdoors.

I found that the tapered bottom worked nicely in my cup holder in both my cars. The only time I found that it gave me any trouble was when I tried to put it into my cup holder in my folding chair I use when I go fishing. The mug was too top heavy when filled to capacity and it just kept trying to fall out. I guess you can't have everything!

I tested the mug on how well it kept my dark roast coffee warm and was pleasantly surprised. The mug kept my coffee at a drinkable temperature for 2 hours. After that, the temperature seems to fall off rather quickly. See the chart below for details.

I noticed that due to the foam insulation it holds temperature better than some of the dead air space insulated mugs I have tested. It does lose temperature more quickly in a cold breeze outside, though.

The mug lid seals with a half-turn of the lid. You can place the opening can be placed wherever you want it by placing the opening directly across from where you want it to be, then rotating it on to the cup. This allows you to have the handle in a left or right handed position.

Seattle's Best 6th Avenue Bistro

2010-11-28T12:19:00.008-07:00

Review of 6th Avenue Bistro by Seattle's Best

When you smell the ground beans of 6th Avenue Bistro, you immediately notice a rich, smoky aroma. This is a dark roast coffee with a lot of depth to the flavor.

When you first taste this brew, you notice that it hits the entire tongue with a very smooth, rich flavor. Despite its depth, it is not overpowering. It pairs very well with good milk chocolate as well as breakfast foods such as quiche. So it doesn't matter whether you are serving it with a desert or a meal, this coffee will not disappoint.

I don't normally enjoy coffee when it is cold, but I have taken it in my mug on fishing trips and 6th Avenue is still tasty when it is being drank by a cold Colorado lake.

I am especially impressed by the fact that the rich flavor lingers on the tongue for a while, allowing you to savor the smoky flavor of its dark roast. Most coffees that linger this long on the tongue seem bitter to me - but not this brew!

I have tasted this coffee several times as an Americano. If you like smooth, rich, dark roast coffee, this is an ideal choice. I personally recommend this coffee for those who want an exceptional cup to start their morning.

Thanks for reading, and may your next cup be the best!

Gevalia Mocca Java

2010-11-22T11:02:00.005-07:00

Mocca Java by Gevalia

Visit the Gevalia Shop

This coffee is a special blend consisting of “Moka” Harar beans from Ethiopia and aged Sumatra beans. The blending of the two makes for a very unique coffee. Like a lot of people out there, I assumed that the title Mocca Java meant that it was a flavored coffee, containing a chocolate flavoring. I was wrong.

I brewed this up as an Americano. The aroma of the brewed beans produced a nice aroma that didn’t make my house smell like the local coffee shop. Because of this, I wondered whether the coffee would be lacking in flavor. I just had to taste it and see what the folks at Gevalia had provided in this roast.

The first taste of this coffee has a hint of a chocolate flavor to it, perhaps this is due to the Moka beans. All I know is that this is what I tasted. It is a very pleasant surprise, indeed.

The coffee hits the back of the tongue with a pleasant bitterness. When tasted without any sweetener, it is very bright and gets your attention. I added a small amount of sweetener and was pleased with the light chocolate flavor I found.

The mouth feel of this coffee is pleasant, and it lingers on the tongue just briefly – just long enough for you to appreciate its flavor. This seems to be very typical of Gevalia’s coffees. I found myself looking forward to the next sip of this blend – it is that good.

I think this coffee is really great for people like myself, who find that the moca that they pick up at their local Starbucks or Seattle’s Best shop is just a little too rich with chocolate flavor. This blend gives you a natural chocolate flavor that comes from the beans themselves.

This has to be one of the best offerings I have ever tasted from Gevalia. The flavor was so good that I have got to order some more.

Thanks for reading, and as always, may your next cup be the best!

Peet's Coffee - Major Dickason's Blend

2010-11-15T15:37:00.008-07:00

Review of Major Dickason's Blend

First impressions are important. When I first smelled of the ground coffee, I thought to myself, “this is really rich stuff.” The aroma of the ground beans has a depth that is hard to describe…it is just that rich in aroma.

This is a nice, full bodied coffee with a very smooth mouth feel, suitable for all day sipping. Major Dickason's Blend® has some earthy undertones which become even more apparent as the coffee cools down a bit. The flavor is very active on the back of the tongue at the first part of a sip, then it moves to the front of the tongue. This is, by my personal standards, a medium roast that has some of the depth of a dark roast.

I decided to try this brew with some dark chocolate. Peet’s Coffee has a real winner here – the coffee really enhances the chocolate’s flavor. It is good with milk chocolate, don’t get me wrong, but this coffee is meant to go with dark chocolate.

Since I bought 12 ounces of this blend, I will definitely enjoy it for a several days – no problem! If you have guests coming over that aren’t into dark roast coffee, but you still want to give them a nice rich cup, this is the one to brew.

Thanks for reading, and may your next cup be the best!

Coffee and Health Problems Part 2

2010-11-06T21:31:00.005-06:00

Coffee and Risk of Heart Disease – Is That Cup of Dark Roast Coffee Bad For You?

In this two-part blog I have been discussing some recent information about coffee and health. Part 1 focused on the correlation between coffee and stroke, in Part 2, we will focus on heart health and other health related concerns.

The information below is a summary of multiple articles on the subject of heart disease, other health issues, and coffee consumption. It is up to each person that reads this to do his/her own research on the subject. In addition, this is not meant to replace a consultation with your health care provider. This article is for informational purposes only.

While some studies have shown that coffee and tea are bad for your health, more information surfaces that indicates that coffee and tea, in moderation are actually good for most of us. Some studies do indicate there may be a correlation between coffee and heart disease.

In one recent Dutch study, it was determined that moderate consumption of tea or coffee reduces the risk of heart disease.

This study of 37,514 men and women was conducted over a period of 12 years. It appears that those who drank between 2 and 4 cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of heart disease than those who drank less than 2 cups of coffee a day and those who drank over 4 cups a day. Moderation appears to be the key element here.

Those who drank over 6 cups of black tea per day had a 36% lower risk of getting heart disease and a 45% lower risk of death from heart disease.

In a study from 2002, a group of about 3,000 subjects with no history of cardiovascular disease were tested for compounds that either promote or are markers of inflammation. The subjects were asked to fill out questionnaires about the quantity of their coffee intake. When compared to individuals that drank no coffee, those that drank about a cup a day had higher levels of the compounds in their bodies.

So it appears that there are two distinct camps on the subject of heart disease – those who think coffee is bad and those who think that, in moderation, a cup or two of java is a good thing. More studies should help to clear the air on this one.

Some studies say that coffee seems to help reduce the liklihood of gall bladder problems and there are studies that say it may help reduce the liklihood of the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Although there are no clear-cut answers, it appears that coffee does have an effect on our health. It does appear that caffeinated coffee may have some benefits when drank in moderation. But this is almost always true with anything – a little of something can be good and a lot can be bad.

Maybe that 4th cup of java isn’t really so bad...

May your next cup be your best!

Coffee and Health Problems

2010-11-04T10:01:00.004-06:00

Coffee and Risk of Stroke – Is That Cup of Dark Roast Coffee Bad For You?

In this two-part blog I will discuss some recent information about coffee and health. Part 1 will focus on the correlation between coffee and stroke, while Part 2 will focus on heart health and other health related concerns.

The information below is a summary of multiple articles on the subject of stroke and coffee consumption. It is up to each person that reads this to do his/her own research on the subject. In addition, this is not meant to replace a consultation with your health care provider. This article is for informational purposes only.

Coffee may not be quite as bad for you as most people think. In one study, it was found that regular coffee drinking appears to reduce the risk of stroke. The study consisted of 23,000 men and women who were followed 12 years. The study concluded that stroke risk was inversely proportional to their coffee consumption. in this study people who reported any intake coffee were at 27% lower risk of stroke than those who had said they never drank coffee.

The results of a 24 year study reported in the February 2009 issue of the journal Circulation said that drinking caffeinated coffee diminishes the risk of stroke for women. The study followed a group of 83,000 female nurses. Among those who were non-smokers, those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee apparently lowered the risk of stroke by 43% compared to those who drank no coffee. An important point in this is that coffee lessened the stroke risk over time. Other important factors to consider whenever you are doing stroke prevention are to maintain a healthy diet, exercise daily, control your weight and don’t smoke. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are usually the start of stroke problems and should be controlled.

There are also studies that say that coffee can increase the risk of stroke. In one study, researchers said the stroke risk increases in the hour after drinking a cup of coffee and that the risk decreases within two hours after consumption.
Among people who reported drinking one cup of coffee a day or less, stroke risk doubled in the hour after they consumed a cup of coffee. Coffee has been documented to have negative physiologic effects, such as increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In addition, some studies have proven that caffeinated coffee increases stiffness in the arteries. The findings in this study don't seem to have any application to those who drank more than one cup of coffee per day. Those who drink coffee more frequently apparently developed a tolerance to the short-term effects of caffeine.

So there are those that say coffee increases the risk of stroke and those who say it lowers the risk. Time and more studies will tell the tale.

In my next blog post I will cover the effects of coffee and heart disease along with other ailments. Thank you for coming by, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Starbucks Café Estima Blend

2010-10-06T19:42:00.009-06:00

Café Estima Blend by Starbucks

Café Estima Blend is a Fair Trade Certified coffee from East Africa and Latin America. For those who don't understand what Fair Trade is about, a simple explanation is that the farmers in poorer countries get the same price for their coffee as farmers in wealthier nations, rather than being paid a low price for their product.

I got my first taste of this blend a couple of days ago - they had run out of what they had brewed up earlier, so a young barrista made me up a venti serving. I had to wait about 5 minutes to get my coffee, but it was worth the wait.

This is a rich, bold blend, which hits the tip of the tongue at first taste. I noticed some earthiness to the flavor, along with a hint of fruit. After tasting a few more sips, I decided that the taste had a hint of peach flavor to it.

After sipping a little more, I noticed that it starts to hit the back of the tongue as well. Some awesome bitterness is in this blend that makes it a great all-around coffee. In addition, it doesn't linger on the tongue very long, so it is good for just about any food, and I think it would be an excellent coffee for breakfast with bacon and eggs.

After I finished my tasting, I decided to try it with one of my favorite coffee pairings - coffee and a candy bar. This coffee is fantastic with a Payday candy bar. It is a real treat, that enhances the flavor of the candy very nicely. I think that next time I will try it with some chocolate, as its richness is guaranteed to work very well with just about any good chocolate.

Starbucks suggests pairing with a chocolate chip cookie - this would be a near-perfect combination. Another suggestion is to pair it with chocolate-dipped fruit. Personally, I would skip the fruit and go straight for a Café Estima with some good milk chocolate - heaven on earth, for sure!

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Copco Acadia Mug by Wilton - Review

2010-09-23T23:15:00.009-06:00

Review of Copco Acadia Mug by Wilton

Buy a Copco Acadia Mug by Wilton

I ran across this mug in a local grocery store and decided to check it out. The manufacturer is targeting those who want to cut down on the paper and styrofoam coffee cups going into the landfills.

The mug holds 16 ounces of liquid and is just as suitable for tea or other beverages as it is for coffee. It features double-wall insulation and it is made from BPA-free plastic. It has an integrated sleeve to allow you to hold very hot coffee without burning yourself.

This mug is microwave-safe (you are supposed to take the lid off before microwaving to prevent damage to the seal), it is dishwasher safe, it is made of break-resistant plastic, and it has a reasonable amount of insulation with the double walls.

In use, the mug is very user-friendly. It is easy to clean up, it seals with about 1/8 turn of the lid, and it does keep coffee warm. Unfortunately, it does not keep it warm for a long time, but that seems to be its only failing (see table below).

If you drink your coffee within the first hour or so, this cup is a real winner. If you drink slowly, perhaps you will need to be near a microwave for reheating of your brew. I would give it a rating of 9 out of 10.

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Fair Trade Tierra Del Sol by Archer Farms

2010-09-15T13:51:00.006-06:00

Fair Trade Tierra Del Sol

Archer Farms is the store brand of premium foods offered by Target Corporation. Because it is their "premium" line, is it really good enough to rank well with other fine coffees out there? I had to find this out for myself.

The coffee that I sampled was their Fair Trade Tierra Del Sol. This is sold as a medium roast coffee, and it is available in the sampler size as well as the larger packages for general consumer use.

The coffee that I purchased was the sample size, which is already ground for drip coffee makers. I usually make my coffee in a french press or as an Americano in my espresso machine. Since the coffee was already ground, I decided to grind it down to a very fine grind for my espresso machine.

As espresso, the coffee comes out nice, rich and dark. The resulting brew is more like a dark roast than a medium in color. The taste of the coffee is smooth and it hits the tip of the tongue with a little bite, that says, "I am here to please your taste buds." This single origin coffee does just that. It is very smooth tasting and after several sips I noticed it started hitting the back of my tongue with a nice, mild bitterness.

This is a first rate organic coffee that I think any coffee lover would enjoy. Just because it comes as the store brand from a chain known for discount merchandise, it doesn't mean that it is a coffee with a low-cost taste. I am very impressed with this coffee and I will definitely get some more. It is worth the few extra miles to travel to the nearest Target to buy some.

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!

Village Inn Dark Roast Coffee

2010-09-07T08:53:00.009-06:00

Village Inn Dark Roast Coffee - Is It Any Good?

It seems that everyone is trying to find a competitive advantage to stay alive in our slow economy. Restaurants are no exception to this new trend. Everyone wants for you to get their latest offering. Village Inn has done this in the areas of pie, and most recently, coffee. Since a large number of Americans drink coffee with their meal (or their pie), it only makes sense to have some excellent Joe on the menu.

When you look at Village Inn's menu, you notice they have Premium Roast Coffee and Dark Roast Coffee. I have tasted their Premium Roast and it is good, but being the dark roast coffee lover I am, I had to try their Dark Roast Coffee out.

When I first tasted the coffee, I noticed a hint of apple, with a light bitterness that hit the back of my tongue.

I drank two cups of this brew and the one thing I noticed was that it had a very smooth finish that doesn't linger very long on the tongue. This is a really great characteristic for coffee in a restaurant. It will have to work well with almost any dish, from pie, to salad, to steak, without overpowering the taste of the food. This coffee is excellent in this regard.

I tried this coffee with half and half and without. Unlike a lot of coffee served in restaurants, this coffee is not so strong or bitter that you must use creamer to "tame it down." Without creamer it is excellent.

When creamer is added this coffee holds its own - the cream doesn't overpower it - just enhances it. I was at Village Inn with my son and I thought to myself that I don't dare tell my son - he will be begging for some of this coffee instead of his hot chocolate.

Village Inn's Dark Roast Coffee is a real winner in my book. I will have more of this the next time I go there to have some pie...

Feel free to comment, I enjoy the feedback. And, as always, may your next cup be your best!

How Do They Decaffeinate Coffee?

2010-07-15T08:08:00.008-06:00

How Caffeine Is Removed From Coffee

Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 different plants. Coffee is one of them. Caffeine stimulates our minds and affects our bodies. The thing is that some of us, for one reason or another, want to restrict the amount of caffeine we get in our coffee. The demand for decaffeinated coffee is so great that approximately fifteen percent of the coffee that is sold is decaf. This has created a need for a safe, cost-effective method of removing caffeine from the coffee beans.

In most processes, the beans are washed with a solvent which removes the caffeine.

The Roselius Process
In 1903, the first successful commercial decaffeination process was invented by Ludwig Roselius and Karl Wimmer. This process used steam to soften the beans, then benzene was used as a solvent to remove the caffeine from the coffee. This process is no longer used due to health risks associated to benzene.

Direct Method
When this method is used the beans are first steamed then they are rinsed with dichloromethane or ethyl acetate to remove the caffeine. The beans are then steamed again to remove the solvent from the beans. This process takes over 20 hours to complete.

Indirect Method
With this method, the beans are soaked in hot water for several hours, then they are rinsed with dichloromethane or ethyl acetate to remove the caffeine. This process causes less loss of flavor due to the fact that the water part of the process creates what is essentially a strong pot of coffee. There is less loss of flavor for this reason. Beans processed with this method are often labeled "water processed," which seems inaccurate since chemicals are used in the process.

CO₂ Process
Beans are steamed, then soaked in a bath of carbon dioxide at a pressure of 73 to 300 atmospheres (1,073 - 4,409 psi) and 200° F. The CO₂ and caffeine are removed by simply lowering the pressure and allowing the carbon dioxide to evaporate, or by rinsing with water or by using charcoal filters.

Triglyceride Process
In this method, beans are soaked in a hot water/coffee solution, then the beans are moved to another vessel where they are immersed in oils that came from spent coffee grounds. These oils are at a high temperature, and the triglycerides in the oils remove the caffeine from the beans.

Swiss Water Process
This process uses coffee that has no caffeine in it to extract the caffeine from the coffee beans. The solution goes through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine. See the video clip below for details - the video is a bit corny, but it is very informative.

An Additional Note
Because Ethyl Acetate occurs naturally in some fruits, coffee that has been decaffeinated with this method is often referred to as "naturally decaffeinated." This is interesting, as the Ethyl Acetate that is used to process most coffee is made synthetically. As a former chemical plant operator of 10 years, this bothers me - sorry, it is just my view on it.

Maui Coffee Company - Vanilla Macadamia Nut

2010-07-04T09:12:00.003-06:00

Vanilla Macadamia Nut by Maui Coffee Company

I used to LOVE flavored coffees. If I had the choice between a flavored or unflavored coffee, I would choose the flavored one. Over the years my tastes changed, and it has gotten where I don't drink flavored coffee as much. Once in a while, I find a very good flavored coffee, and this is one.

My wife picked this up locally, paying a little over $8 for a half-pound of beans. The beans are chocolate brown in color, and they have an even sheen of oil on them. This is unusual for flavored coffee, as it often looks very dry. This told me that the coffee - flavored or not - had to be good.

The aroma is typical of macadamia nut flavored coffee. Nothing special here. The taste of the coffee has good depth. It doesn't linger on your tongue for long, and has a pleasant mouth-feel.

The finish on the coffee hits the back of the tongue with a slight bitterness. It is really nice and I recommend to that those that use a sweetener add it a little bit at a time so the cup is not over-sweetened. This brew is not overpowering, and is a great all-day sipping coffee.

An additional note on the packaging. Maui Coffee Company includes a small clip that you can use to close the bag once you have opened it. I think it is a nice touch - much better than tape or the oversized twist tie that is so popular on coffee these days. They get an A+ on this from me for sure!

Besides giving their website information on the bag, they give you a toll-free number to call and order from them - it is (800) 909-5662. Online prices are comparable with in-store. Definitely a good place to shop for some good Maui Coffee.

Feel free to comment. As always may your next cup be the best!

Millstone Organic Mayan Black Onyx Blend

2010-06-24T10:58:00.006-06:00

Organic Mayan Black Onyx Blend by Millstone

When you think of Millstone, you think of a coffee with good quality that is sold primarily in grocery stores. To get some, you just go to a local grocer that carries this brand and get your coffee. But is this coffee really GREAT enough for the coffee connoisseur? In this review I will try to answer that question.

With a ten-dollar name, you expect this coffee to be exceptional - well, let's see...

The beans are almost black in color - hence the name - black onyx. Before I ground the coffee, I smelled of the beans, there was an aroma that was somewhat familiar, but one that I could not get a handle on. After grinding some up for my french press (coarse grind), the mystical aroma still had me confounded - what was it? Finally, after I added the hot water to it, and stirred the grind in, I could smell a definite smoky aroma. It was similar to the aroma that you often smell during the early fall or winter, when only a few people are burning wood in their fireplaces - it is there, but not overpowering.

The coffee has a nice, deep flavor that is similar to what you might expect from a good Starbucks or Seattle's Best dark roast. The difference is that this coffee doesn't come on as aggressively, and doesn't stay on your tongue as long as the other two brands do. The finish is very clean and lingers only a little at the back of your tongue.

Unlike some dark roasts, this blend just doesn't overpower your taste buds. Instead, Millstone's roasters have created a good all-around coffee that would work well for a meal, or for just sipping all day long.

If you add a sweetener to your coffee, be careful not to put much in - I recommend you taste and add until you get the desired sweetness - this coffee has very little bitterness to it.

My only complaint about this brew is that there seemed to be a good amount of fines in the bottom of my cup. I guess this is due, in part, to the very dark roast on the beans. This would make the beans more brittle, and would cause you to have more fine ground coffee, even with a burr grinder, which is what I use for all my grinding.

As to whether a coffee lover should get this blend, I will just say I am going back to the store to get some more of this great coffee!

Feel free to comment - let me know what you think.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

OXO SoftWorks LiquiSeal Travel Mug - Review

2010-06-22T11:24:00.023-06:00

OXO SoftWorks LiquiSeal Travel Mug - What is Good and What is Bad

In my search for the ideal travel mug, I have tried out several mugs. Each mug I try has its good and bad points, and this one is without exception.

I purchased my LiquiSeal Travel Mug for under $11. I had heard that this was an awesome mug that would keep my coffee hot for hours, and that it had a great sealing system for preventing spills.

On the first point, keeping coffee hot, the mug did not do as well as I had hoped.
See the tables below for details.

Test #1 - mug cold, poured in coffee at 140° Fahrenheit:

Test #2 - mug preheated with hot tap water at 110° warmed for 5 minutes, emptied, then poured in 150° coffee:

It doesn't seem to matter whether you preheat the mug or not, it still loses approximately 20 degrees each hour that the coffee is in the mug. After the second hour you would want to reheat the coffee. This is a problem since the enclosed information sheet says, "Do not place in the microwave." I guess this is to make sure that the sealing mechanism is not damaged.

On the second point of being very spillproof, it excels in this area. It has a push button sealing system that, when closed, keeps it from leaking even with the mug upside down. Being a bit of a klutz, and having kids that bump into everything, this is a must.

The mug holds 12 ounces of liquid and the screw-on lid is easy to put on. This is much nicer than some mugs that are easily cross-threaded.

I did not test the mug on cold liquids, but it is safe to assume it will keep things cold for a while.

The care instructions tell you not to wash the mug in the dishwasher, and to avoid chlorine-based cleaners when you hand-wash it.

I would rate this mug a 7.5 on performance. The facts that you aren't supposed to microwave it, that it only keeps the coffee warm for 2 hours, and having to hand-wash it bring the score down on this one for me.

Still, it is a good mug for the money. If you drink your coffee within 2 hours and don't require the ability to reheat coffee in it, this could be an ideal mug. The fact that is spill-proof is awesome if you ask me.

Next week I will give you a review on another coffee mug - be watching for it. If you have a favorite mug or coffee that you want me to review, let me know by posting a comment on the blog.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

3 Region Blend Coffee by Starbucks

2010-06-09T13:07:00.007-06:00

Starbucks 3 Region Blend - Unique Coffee or Just Another Blend?

According to Starbucks, this limited edition coffee originates in 3 different coffee growing regions: Latin America, Africa/Arabia and Asia/Pacific. To be a little more specific, the beans originate from Guatemala, New Guinea, and Tanzania. They are processed by a "wet" or "wash" method which is supposed to enhance the flavor of them. I bought a cup from my local Starbucks this morning, wanting to see what was so special about this limited edition coffee.

There is a fruity aroma I detected in this brew. It is not overpowering, it is subtle in nature - I had to smell the coffee several times to narrow it down. The taste is pleasant, with an very nice finish. The coffee hits the tip of the tongue, and tasted a little salty to me. It doesn't linger on your tongue like a lot of Starbucks' blends. This coffee has a medium body and the mouth feel is excellent. Although Starbucks rates this coffee as bold, I would say it is what I would term as medium - halfway between bold and bright.

3 Region Blend is one that I just HAVE to try with some good chocolate later today. It is so smooth that it would easily pair with chocolate or just about any fruit - it would only enhance the flavors as it is not an overpowering coffee.

This is a coffee that you have just got to try - I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

McDonalds Coffee - A Coffee Lover's Opinion

2010-06-09T09:39:00.007-06:00

Is the Coffee Served at McDonald's Good Enough for a Coffee Lover?

When most coffee lovers think of McDonald's, they think of taking their kids or grandkids to the playplace, or a menu that is traditionally tailored around their hamburgers and fries. Like all misconceptions, this is not totally correct. Most of us don't think of McDonald's as a coffee shop, but they do serve coffee, so it requires investigation.

I arrived at noon with my kids. They were exited about playing, I was exited about drinking a cup of Joe. I have had their coffee before, but it was with other food items, so I had never looked at McDonald's coffee as a serious "I am going out to get a cup of coffee," choice. So I decided to give it the Dark Roast Coffee test - does it cut the mustard (or should that be the cream and sugar)?

This coffee appears, by taste, to be a medium roast. It is has a smooth taste and a really nice mouth feel which is not very heavy or excessively strong. The coffee has an aroma that reminds me of the smell of my parent's coffee from my youth (Folgers - percolated).

McDonald's coffee is a very good match for breakfast, or any other meal for that matter. When tasting it, the taste hits the back of the tongue lightly and is very definite when it hits the middle of the tongue. The fact that it hits the back of the tongue indicates a slight bitterness which is something that a lot of us love in our coffee.

This coffee is custom-roasted for McDonald's by Gaviña. According to the information about this brew, Gaviña created this roast of coffee for McDonald's 25 years ago. Click on the links at the top or bottom of this article to get the full story or to go to the Gaviña Gourmet Coffee website.

So - is McDonald's a good place for coffee - my vote on this one is a definite YES! I really enjoyed my cup there and will do it again for sure.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

What Effect Does The Grind Have on Brewing Coffee

2010-06-04T02:45:00.004-06:00

Why Can't I Just Grind All My Coffee At One Time?

Like many others, I used to think that I could just grind up all my coffee at the grocer's or have them grind it up at the coffee shop and I would be set for the next week. Then I found out that coffee loses a large portion of its flavor within a few hours of being ground. This loss of flavor in coffee that you have paid a good price for just doesn't make sense. If you haven't invested in a coffee grinder, I strongly suggest you do. For less than twenty dollars, you can get a small grinder that will do the job. If you want automation and better control over the grind, you can get a decent burr grinder for under thirty-five dollars - it is well worth the investment.

Why Is It Important To Control The Size of the Grind of Coffee?

The way we get the flavor out of the coffee bean and into our coffee is through extraction. Each type of coffee maker is different on how it extracts the coffee. The only common thread to this is the fact that all coffee makers use water as the solvent to get the flavor out of the ground coffee beans.

That being said, we need to look at why each grind should be a certain way to properly match the extraction method that we are using.

We will start with coarse ground coffee. The french press is commonly paired with coarse ground coffee for several reasons. The grind needs to be coarse to allow the metal screens to separate the grounds from the extracted coffee. In addition, coffee made in this device is made with water that is just below the boiling point. This means that a lot of extraction can occur in a very short time - usually three to four minutes. By using a coarse grind the coffee is not over-extracted. Too much extraction will result in you getting a pot of bitter coffee - not a good thing.

Next, let us look at medium grind. This is most suitable for extraction times that are still fairly short (3 to 5 minutes), but at lower temperatures, much like those produced by a drip coffee maker. The temperature here is usually around 165° Fahrenheit. The lower temperature means that you need smaller particles of coffee to extract adequate flavor from the coffee. If the grind is too coarse, it will take a LOT more coffee to get good flavor in the pot. If the grind is too fine, the coffee will be over-extracted and be bitter to the taste.

Finally, we look at fine grinds, including espresso grind. The contact time here is only a few seconds at high pressure and with pump machines, a temperature just below boiling. With this type of extraction, you must have very fine coffee or a very weak brew will result. The short contact time insures that you don't over-extract the coffee and get a bitter cup.

I hope this information helps to clarify WHY we use certain grinds of coffee for a brewing method, and why it is very important to grind the coffee just before you brew - it is all to get that perfect cup of Joe.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

Dunkin' Donuts Coffee

2010-05-25T13:30:00.005-06:00

Dunkin' Donuts Original Blend Coffee

Today I had to go to the appliance parts store to get a thermostat for my clothes dryer. Since I was headed into a part of town with several coffee shops in it, I decided to make a slight detour to get myself some coffee and reward myself.

I decided that I would go by Dunkin' Donuts and get a cup and a blueberry cake donut. This is a combination you can't beat with a stick. After I had consumed the donut, I decided to do a coffee tasting on the remaining coffee so here it is...

The aroma of the coffee has a very subtle smell of grass. Don't ask why, but that is what the undertone of it seems to be. The richness of this brew is targeted at mainstream America, not too strong and not too heavy on taste.

When tasting it, I notice a slightly bitter and salty mix. The body of it is medium, again, I think that the roasters knew what they were doing, as it is a perfect complement to sweet items, such as donuts.

The finish on this coffee has a sharpness to it that is like Dutch Bros or Gevalia - although I think it is a bit smoother than the Dutch Bros coffee.

Overall, an excellent brew - one that wakes up a lot of people every single day. Dunkin' Donuts has quite a bit of coffee information on their website, including brewing tips and a coffee glossary. They also have a slideshow on their website that covers, in some detail, how they get this great tasting coffee to you, the consumer. I hope you enjoy it.

May your next cup be the best!

Making Coffee With a French Press

2010-05-22T21:00:00.013-06:00

How to Make Coffee With a French Press

When it comes to coffee, most Americans just go to Starbucks or some other coffee shop to buy their brew, while others use a drip coffee maker at home to get the job done. Then there are those of us that must have espresso, americano, or cappuccino - so we use the espresso machine at home.

That covers probably 85 to 90 percent of the folks out there (my estimate). That only leaves fifteen percent - or less - of U.S. coffee drinkers using the french press. That seems unusual for a device that was invented in France in the 1850's, and patented in Italy in 1929. Not only has this device been around for a long time, but it makes some of the best coffee you will ever taste - I'm serious!

One of the pastors at my church told me that coffee from the french press was awesome several months ago. Since I have a coffee blog and my job is to inform you about coffee, I decided I had to get a press and try it out. The thing that kept me from getting one over the years is that I thought it would be hard to use - quite the opposite is true - it is very easy to use, and not really that messy. So much for my complaints...

I started searching for a local solution to my need for a low-cost french press. I quickly found out that the local Walmart didn't have one in stock (according to the website). I did find several listed online that were available at the local Target stores. I targeted the Brazil, which is made by Bodum. This pot is a 8-cup unit. Note: these are 4 ounce coffee cups, so this particular model brews 32 ounces of high-quality coffee - just enough for my wife and myself to have a good cup in the morning...nice! I got out of Target for $19.99 plus tax - not bad for a great coffee maker.

Ok, so now to the preparation. I took the unit home, washed it up, set up my video equipment and proceeded to make my first french press coffee. Yes, you are watching me brew my first pot! Here are the steps I followed:

Heat up 34 ounces of water to between 195° to 205° Fahrenheit.
Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of Coarse ground coffee per cup to the pot (8 Tbsp).
Pour in the water - stop filling at about one-half inch from the top of the pot.
Stir with a plastic or wood spoon - remember, THE POT IS GLASS.
Let the coffee steep for 4 minutes.
Stir the coffee at the end of the 4 minutes, remove the spoon.
Carefully put in the plunger unit.
Press down slowly - take 10 seconds or so to do this - you will be rewarded with few, if any, grounds in your coffee.
Once you reach bottom, you are done. Pour up a cup and enjoy!
Suggestion - pour remaining coffee into a heat-resistant container to keep from over-brewing your remaining coffee.
Rinse out coffee pot and dry for next time.

That's it. Here is the video to show you how simple it is to make awesome french press coffee.

May your next cup be the best!

Coffee Mugs - Starbucks Red To Go Mug

2010-05-18T09:26:00.007-06:00

Starbucks Red To Go Mug

I don't know about you, but I like to drink my coffee almost everywhere. I also like for it to stay hot, so I have spent my fair share of money on travel mugs.

The majority of travel mugs don't keep coffee warm for long, and are very often, not microwave or dishwasher safe. I am not sure about the reasoning for this. Coffee is a drink that is best served hot or warm, so why do so many of the cup manufacturers make and sell non-microwavable cups? In addition, most homes have a dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher, you most likely want to wash your cup in it to keep it sparkling clean and germ-free. So why are these two criteria ignored? Over the next few months I will review at least one coffee mug a week and give you my good bad and ugly about it. I will give you my unvarnished opinion on each mug and supply you with a link for more information or to a site to purchase the item.

Earlier this week I bought a Starbucks Coffee 12-oz. (STARBUCKS)^RED To Go Mug. This mug cost me eleven dollars, plus tax. It is designed to look like the traditional Starbucks take out cup, but it is not made of paper - it is ceramic and plastic. The ceramic portion of the mug is double-layered with airspace between the layers. This provides a noticeable insulating quality. The lid is made of a heavy plastic with a silicone seal that is held down by a 1/8 turn twist of the lower part of the lid. It seals well and I can state I haven't spilled a drop of coffee from this mug all week.

Because it is a double-layered ceramic container, the Starbucks Red To Go Mug has some weight to it. The only way I knew I was out of coffee was the fact that I tilted it up and had no coffee to drink.

Coffee mugs usually leave a certain amount of coffee in the cup because of poor lid design. This cup lets you get all but about half a tablespoon of coffee out when drinking through the lid. The cup is easy to hold. You do notice a little warmth since the cup's design does have some thermal leakage. The coffee stays warm for an hour or so, making it a better solution than the paper cup, and in the long term, a better choice for the environment. I wish it did keep the coffee hot for a longer period of time, but it is a trade-off. The cup is not dishwasher or microwave safe - although I think a lot of this has to do with the lid an its seal. You might want to contact Starbucks if you REALLY need these features.

One additional nice feature of this mug is that you can use it with the lid off if you wish. It is one nice looking cup.

Overall, I would rate this mug between 6.5 to 7.0 on performance. I really prefer a mug that keeps coffee hot longer and I would prefer for it to be microwave safe. A couple of notes here - I have tried pre-heating the cup by leaving hot water in it for a couple of minutes before filling and have noticed that it does extend the time that the coffee stays warm. I have also "cheated" and microwaved the cup with coffee in it for 30 seconds WITHOUT THE LID with no negative results - do this at your own risk - I don't know if there is a danger of the thing exploding or anything else.

Next week I will give you a review on another coffee mug - be watching for it. If you have a favorite mug or coffee that you want me to review, let me know by posting a comment on the blog.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

Starbucks Komodo Dragon Blend

2010-05-17T16:03:00.011-06:00

Starbucks Komodo Dragon Blend

is an interesting coffee. Starbucks says that it is spicy - I differ and say it is more of a fruit-like flavor. At first I thought it was like apples, then I changed my mind and after a little more tasting, decided it was like peaches or watermelon.

I purchased a cup while I was in town taking care of business. I decided that a cup would be a good reward for me, so I went in, planning to get a cappuccino, but when I saw that they had Komodo Dragon Blend as a coffee of the day, I just had to get some. I was not disappointed.

Besides having a spicy or fruity taste, this coffee is very smooth to the last drop. Komodo is bold - but it is not as bold as Starbucks House Blend. It is full-bodied coffee with an excellent mouth-feel and smooth finish. If you serve this up with a little cream and sweetener it is as good a dessert as you can find. It is excellent stuff, I promise.

When selecting coffee for my home use, I try to find a coffee that has universal appeal. I want something I can brew as espresso or as Americano with equally good results. This is definitely a quality blend with a great taste from start to finish.

I will have to get some Komodo Dragon Blend as soon as I deplete my reserve of Sumatra Organic Reserve. (Any other coffee lovers out there that have over three pounds of coffee in their cabinets?)

As always, may your next cup be the best!

Dutch Bros Coffee

2010-05-14T14:11:00.009-06:00

Recently I did a post about the awesome mocha drinks at Dutch Bros Coffee. Today I visited them again to get an Americano and to provide you with the details of the tasting.

Most coffee places just do a drip grind of their coffee, run it through a drip coffee maker and serve it up. This is not the case with Dutch Bros. They don't make drip coffee for their customers. Instead, they brew up a 4-shot Americano for their tall drink. Then they put the coffee into a cup that has a second one on the outside to serve as an insulator (Has anyone besides me had the little insulator sleeves fall off or get stuck in their coffee cup holder in the car?).
The drink I received was piping hot. The barrista even added my Splenda to the cup for me. This is part of the good customer service I have received from this coffee company. I was asked for my coffee card (10 drinks and the next one's free), which I surrendered to get closer to that free cup - did I say that I LOVE coffee discounts and freebies?

The americano I received was flavorful with a mild acidity that really would work well in a mocha drink. I now know why the mocha I got the other day was so good. There is a definite taste of chocolate in this coffee - without any chocolate being added. The brew wasn't overly sweet as my usual 2 packets of Splenda did not make the coffee too sweet - it was just right, and could not be any better. The "3 bean blend" that is used by Dutch Bros is very similar in flavor to some of Gevalia's coffee I have tasted. It does seem to be smoother, however. If you like Gevalia's coffee, you will really enjoy a Dutch Bros Americano.

If you have a Dutch Bros store in your area, I highly recommend them. If you don't, here is a link to the Dutch Bros website.

As always, may your next cup be the best!

Peru Chanchamayo by Starbucks Coffee

2010-05-13T08:38:00.003-06:00

I got up this morning and decided that I wanted something different for my morning brew. I went to the local Starbucks and got a venti cup of their Peru Chanchamayo.

Peru Chanchamayo is classified as a medium roast. Coffee made with these beans is very smooth and satisfying. It only has a little acidity and is a coffee that I think would be an ideal brew for serving with breakfast. It would also be great for serving by itself as an after-meal treat. On the Coffee Tasting Wheel, Peru Chanchamayo would come up in the Mild category.

It definitely has a sweetness to it that I quickly noticed. I usually drink my coffee with Splenda. When I buy a large cup, such as the venti size, I put in 2 packets of the sweetener. For bolder blends, this is perfect. I found that with this Peruvian coffee - that 2 packets are too much sweetener. If you drink sweetener in your coffee, add the first packet, taste, THEN add more if you need it. At least the cup didn't taste like syrup from over-sweetening.

The aroma of Peru Chanchamayo could be characterized as a cross between chocolate-like and syrup-like. This only makes sense since this brew is mild and sweet in flavor.

If you like a quality, mild coffee, this is definitely for you. Starbucks usually has fairly strong coffee, but Peru Chanchamayo does not come off strong at all. It is excellent stuff - I know you won't be disappointed.

May your next cup be one of the best!

Quality is Important When Brewing Coffee

2010-05-11T09:52:00.007-06:00

Quality is Important When Brewing Coffee. This is a fact that most coffee lovers will not deny. For the best quality Coffee, you should provide the best quality ingredients, then prepare them with quality tools, followed by quality brewing of the coffee.

It may sound difficult, but it is not. Following is the "formula" for awesome coffee:

Get quality beans
Use quality water
Grind with a quality grinder
Brew the coffee in quality equipment

Quality beans are a somewhat subjective item. You should select a coffee that you like the flavor of. Don't fall for the hype of commercials in the media, or your friends' opinions - choose what you like in a coffee. What is the taste you want from your coffee. Do you prefer dark roast, medium roast or light roast? Does a particular company produce coffees that meet your needs better than others. You have to be the judge here. A good example of this is my Mom. She always loved her Folger's coffee. That is what she liked, even after I tried for years to make her aware of other coffees that are available. That is what she wanted, so that is what she drank - all her life. I also know of some folks who will only drink Starbucks, or Seattle's Best, or Peet's, to name a few. The important thing here is to get quality beans to produce quality coffee.

Tap water can be used to make your coffee if it is of high quality and good taste. Bottled water is the answer in some parts of the country where the water is very hard or has a bad taste to it. Here in Fountain, bottled water is the best solution. One little note here - if the water you are using has too much hardness (minerals in the water), it can scale up and even ruin the boiler on an espresso machine or the heating coils on a drip coffee maker.

There are two important things related to grinding:

The fineness of the grind
The evenness of the grind

If you have a burr grinder, you can have coffee that is very evenly ground and can be as fine as you need, in most cases. My grinder didn't do well with espresso grinds until I modified it to do so - this voided the warranty, but it now grinds espresso and coarse coffee equally well. You can also do well with a small grinder. In the case of a burr machine, you will pay from 30 dollars and above. In the case of the small grinders, you are looking at twelve to eighteen dollars for a really nice one. Believe it or not, you can grind coffee in a blender, but the coffee grounds are not real consistent in size - and in this case - size does matter. You should have a fine grind for espresso, a medium grind for drip coffee and a coarse grind if you are using a french press.

The last item here is the brewing equipment. Every time I wear out a drip coffee maker, I end up replacing the dead Bunn coffee maker with another one similar to it. The advantage to this machine is that the water is always hot, so you get a coffee pot and hot water machine that dispenses 165° water on demand. (No, I am not affiliated with them, just know they make good stuff that I like - I won't lie to you here.)

In the case with espresso machines you can go with the steam-type or the pump type. The steam type is lower in cost and produces small amounts of espresso in batches. The hassle with these is you usually have to unscrew the boiler lid to refill for each batch. Because of the quantity of coffee lovers out there, individuals can get inexpensive pump espresso makers. Many of the home variety of pump machines seem to produce good coffee. They usually produce more crema than the steam machines, so the coffee they produce can be noticeably better in flavor. I have found that for the price, Hamilton Beach has a couple of nice pump machines for around seventy dollars. They do advise you to grind the coffee slightly coarser than espresso grind for the best results. The biggest problem I have had with the pump machines is that I tend to cause the pumps to fail. I think this is due to my heavy use of any coffee maker I have. Remember, these are not commercial-duty machines.

French press coffee makers are relatively inexpensive and those who use them to brew their favorite cup say there is nothing better to make that perfect cup of coffee.

I hope this information is helpful and that your next cup is as awesome as your last.

Peet's French Roast

2010-05-08T15:50:00.007-06:00

The beans of this coffee look very much like dark chocolate. The beans are very nicely coverered with oil. They shine but the oil does not bead up into pools like it does on some coffees. When you open the bag, you are captured by a smell that is a sweet, burnt aroma - I would say it reminded me of incense made from flower petals. I would characterize it as sweet and smoky in layman's terms.

Every coffee has its characteristics and Peet's French Roast has a definite earthy quality that is very nice. The line on the package just below the type of coffee says it all - "Our deepest and most intense roast." The roast is definitely dark, rich and flavorful.

I drank my first cup of Peet's Coffee over a year ago. I got it at a Peet's store they had in Colorado Springs. I couldn't find the store on the Internet, so I called information - it was not listed. I guess it is safe to say the store in the Springs went out of business - there were three other coffee shops within a half mile of it - too bad - this coffee is good stuff. I got the beans I brewed up from Safeway. It appears that Safeway and King Soopers carry this coffee in the region around Colorado. I am not sure about other areas of the country. I purchased it for just under ten dollars for a 12 ounce bag of beans.

My impressions about this coffee are based upon me running it through my drip coffeemaker. This coffee is very smooth in nature and is ideal for coffee and espresso - a good all-around coffee. The mouth-feel is not as smooth as a medium roast, but it is smoother than most of the dark roasts I have tasted over the years. This is an ideal coffee to serve with breakfast. Any restaurant would do well to serve this with their meals. The result would be very happy customers.

You can't go wrong getting some of this coffee. I am certain you will be pleased with it. I hope this information has helped you and that your next cup of coffee will be as good as this one was for me.

P.S. Thanks to my Aunt Jodene for the idea on getting some of this coffee! I forgot how good this stuff was.

Dutch Bros - Awesome Mocha Drinks

2010-05-07T02:41:00.005-06:00

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of trying out a Mocha from Dutch Bros Coffee. I like mocha drinks, but I don't love them as some folks do. Buying the drink from Dutch Bros may have changed my view on Mocha and how good it really can be.

I purchased a "Caramelizer," which is a drink that contains Espresso, Caramel Sauce, and their special Dutch Chocolate Blend Milk. This was an awesome drink - full of flavor and very satisfying. This was my kind of drink, for sure.

I was informed that Dutch Bros was a privately owned company, with locations in the western states, specifically Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, Arizona and Colorado. They have a really neat concept on Franchising - they want employees to open their own stores. Train 'em in right, then give them the opportunity to run their own store - good thinking.

I have decided that I really need to go back and try some of their Americano in the next couple of days. With as much website development as I have been doing, it will help to keep me awake. I also have gotta try out the ER-911 drink (lots of caffeine and Irish Cream with something called Kick Me Mix). Just might be a good way to restart your heart...or so the drink's name infers!

Check out my next post - I promise to include a link to their website so you can get some quality beans. Until then, may your next cup be the best!

Sumatra Organic Reserve

2010-04-27T13:11:00.005-06:00

Today we are taking a look at Sumatra Organic Reserve from Growers Trust by Beantrees.

This is a medium roast that is a USDA certified organic coffee. The folks marketing the coffee have labeled it aptly - Earthy, Fruity and Refined. The earthiness of this coffee is apparent when you smell the freshly ground coffee. There is an aroma that is akin to that of fresh earth or mature compost. It also has a rich aroma that arouses your sense of smell - even before you brew your first cup. I could also smell a slight ester scent in the freshly ground beans - this coffee appeared to be real winner.

The beans have small spots of oil on them, and the oil has an aroma that has an earthy quality that is smooth and relaxing. Despite the lack of a large quantity of oil, the espresso grind of this stuff is very dense and clings together like coffees with much more oil - very unusual.

I brewed up an Americano to try this coffee out, and is did not disappoint me at all. The medium roast that was used for this particular coffee is perfect. It produces a cup that should only be slightly sweetened, just so you don't miss out on the great taste of these beans. The mouth feel is smooth and relaxing.

This coffee is a good one to purchase if you are planning on having guests over for coffee and cake. I can't wait to try this with a slice of low-carb cheesecake or a bite of chocolate - it should complement any dessert because it is both smooth and rich in flavor.

I bought this in a one-pound package at Sam's Club for under four dollars. Since Sam's marks down products to keep the quality up, I am not sure if this is the regular price for it, or if it is a markdown. If it is the regular price, you have a quality, low-cost organic coffee that should please almost any palette. This is good for even the biggest fuss-budget, like myself.

Starbucks House Blend

2010-04-19T12:20:00.008-06:00

Review of Starbucks House Blend Coffee

Every coffee vendor has certain characteristics that seem to follow their blends and roasts of coffee. Starbucks is no exception. They have coffee that is consistently good and rich in flavor. This is due, in part, to some very rigorous rules that they have in place about how the coffee in their stores is to be brewed, mixed and served. I have never seen Starbucks roasting process, nor have I been told how it is done, but I can state that to get the level of quality they are getting on a consistent basis, you have got to have some very strict rules in place for the roasting and selection of the coffee beans. It only makes sense. Even artists have certain rules they NEVER break to get the best results.

Starbucks House Blend is considered a medium roast coffee. The beans have a nice coating of oil on them - just enough to give them a nice sheen - and a smooth flavor.

This blend has a bit of acidity - it has a slight bite to it when you first taste it. I like to sweeten my coffee and I discovered that it is very easy to add too much sweetener to this brew. I have drank it in the form of Americano and as espresso - in both cases it is very satisfying and a pleasant drink from start to finish. There is little aftertaste, so this is a great coffee for having with a dessert as it will not cover the flavor of the dessert with an overpowering coffee taste.

I normally don't like to drink coffee when it is cold, but this stuff is so good that it is good at lower temperatures as well as its "normal" drinking temperature. The flavor has some depth, but not as much as their Espresso Roast. There is a slight sharpness in the flavor, but it only adds to the overall experience of this excellent coffee.

To sum it up, House Blend is an obvious winner in my book. Even though I do prefer dark roasts, this coffee is excellent for drinking all day long... oops, I am running out... sounds like I need to brew up some more House Blend.

Have a great day with a great cup of coffee!

Seattle's Best Blend

2010-04-12T15:15:00.011-06:00

When you name a coffee after your company, it better be real good.

With Seattle's Best Blend, this is definitely the case. This coffee is considered a light roast, but it definitely has some of the richness of a dark roast coffee.

I enjoy this brew more often as coffee, but I do like it in the morning as an Americano - which is what I had this morning. As Americano, it has little bitterness, so those who like to add sweetener to their brew will find that you use less sweetener to get the desired taste.

One other thing I noticed about this blend, is that it has an extremely smooth finish, with virtually no aftertaste to it. This is one blend that you can serve to those you know who, "don't like that fancy coffee," without them having any reason to complain. If brewed right, it will compare nicely with their favorite brew - it will just be a lot richer and fuller in flavor.

I haven't had Seattle's Best Blend in a while and I had forgotten how well I liked using it as a standard house coffee. Espresso or cappuccino made from it come out almost as rich and full as those made with dark roast beans. The ground coffee has a definite reddish-brown color that I usually associate with coffee that has a slight "bite" or sharpness to it - so the color is deceiving - you don't get what you normally expect. Instead you get a smooth tasting brew that is awesome.

Rocky Mountain Thunder

2010-04-09T12:37:00.004-06:00

I recently purchased 2.5 pounds of Boyer's Rocky Mountain Thunder. This coffee is, in my opinion, one of Boyer's best roasts.

It is a dark roast coffee that has a really smooth flavor as coffee. It is excellent if you are like me and sip coffee all day.

Rocky Mountain Thunder is not excessively oily, but the beans do have a light sheen of oil to them, and this is obviously where the real flavor in this brew comes from.

As espresso, it makes a very smooth cappuccino, and it is equally nice as espresso. I also found it to be really nice as a cup of "Strong Americano," as mentioned in my post on Starbuck's Espresso Roast.

All in all, an excellent coffee that is pleasing to the pallette, and pleasing to the pocketbook, as it can be purchased at Sam's club in the money-saving 2.5 pound bag. It is also available online at Boyer's Store and other places as well.

Thanks for reading and have a great day with a great cup of your favorite coffee!

Espresso Roast Coffee

2010-04-07T09:57:00.006-06:00

Lately I have been very interested in espresso roast coffee.

One of my favorites is Starbucks Espresso. It has a very rich, full-bodied flavor that is extremely satisfying. It does make an awesome cappuccino or breve, but it has a low level of bitterness, which makes it ideal for a shot of espresso or for that "killer cup" of coffee in the morning.

In the morning I really like to fill up the filter in my espresso machine to the 2 shot mark with this coffee, then brew 20 ounces with this. It makes a cup that is stronger than an Americano, but a little weaker than a straight shot of espresso. Just the right pick-me-up for my morning.

Hope you enjoy the content of this site, and have a great day with some great coffee.

Check back often as the information will change regularly to meet the needs of the coffee consumer in all of us. Thanks for dropping by. May every cup you drink be the best!

Dark Roast Coffee

2010-04-06T10:04:00.000-06:00

Why a blog on Dark Roast Coffee?

To an avid coffee drinker, there is nothing quite like dark roast coffee. Other roasts are fine, but the flavor of dark roast coffee is unique and rich in flavor.

This blog is intended to give you links to a lot of coffee information, all in this one location. Everything is geared to the coffee lover, so the information provided will be about dark roast coffee, medium roast coffee and light roast coffee.

Check back often as the information will change regularly to meet the needs of the coffee consumer in all of us. Thanks for dropping by. May every cup you drink be the best!