Coffee, Balls and Comfort

What is the difference between a sophisticated, cultured and urbane coffee shop and a crude road side dhaba? Of course, differences are many. Differences in quality, differences in hygiene, differences in gentry, differences in prices and so on. Not just in this case, generally when you start counting differences between entities, you really don't have to ponder much. You ask for one and you get many. Its that easy.

And what if its about finding something in common? Something identical? Well, its much easier than finding differences, once you narrow down your search on it and allow yourself to ignore or disregard the mass of differences around. At least for a time being. Imagine a single white ball in a bunch of blacks. Which one is easier to find? Black one or the white one? Something in abundance or something in scarcity?

But do our differences outnumber our similarities?? Well, thats another story.

Getting back, I think that no matter how many aspects set the two apart, there are somethings very common between them. Between coffee shops and dhabas I mean. Common but very basic as well. "Purpose". Irrespective of the cup in which coffee or tea is served, it is served and drunken for one common and basic purpose. Similarly, regardless of the material used, the seating too has one common purpose behind. To provide comfort. Now, it isn't at all necessary that every cup of coffee and every chair satisfy the customer same way as it might not! The coffee at the dhaba might not be as rich or the chair might not be as comfortable, BUT! The very purpose stays same. Even if its a veteran coffee maker or a pathan at some dhabba or anyone, no one and really no one makes coffee for a purpose other than this. That is, to please the drinker [Exceptions are Hindi movie's villains who have a different purpose of making coffee, altogether!]. The purpose is satisfaction, comfort, delight. So would be with the chair makers. The same purpose is defined and basic in its core.

In the midst of all these disparities, if one focuses on the basic purpose, things get much simpler. You go to coffee shop or dhabaa to drink, to talk, to socialize or whatever... purpose should be the same. Your own satisfaction. Your own comfort. And when you learn to achieve it, differences won't matter anymore.

Noor Ali Noorani

Gourmet Coffee - A True Premium Product

It is a well known fact that coffee is a very popular drink throughout the world and the increase in coffee houses and outlets, due to the increase in demand for the beverage, only confirms this. As a result people are now trying to broaden their obsession for coffee by demanding more quality in the form of gourmet coffee.

Gourmet coffee beans are grown all around the world, usually within the best regions for producing coffee and by the best coffee farmers. The beans are hand picked on the plantations and great care is taken when doing so. Their qualities are varied and similar to that of the grapes that make the finest wines. It is usual for gourmet coffee beans to be handpicked, processed and stored in the growing country. Only once they are delivered to the consuming country are they roasted to perfection to ensure the best flavour.

Availability and Selection.

If you are a true lover of coffee and wish to experience it on a more refined level, then gourmet coffee is the way forward. Nowadays it is much easier to get hold of and it is not uncommon for most major supermarkets and grocery stores to offer a wide range of gourmet coffees as well as the more commonly branded varieties. There is no 'best flavour' that can be touted as just like anything else, your own taste buds will dictate this for you. Consider the following when choosing the right coffee:-

• The country and region of production.
• Roasting processes.
• Freshness and handling procedures.
• Balance of flavour.

Conclusion

Although gourmet coffee is more expensive than normal coffee, it's worth the extra investment in my eyes. The richer, fuller and smother tastes are a great experience. Nothing can beat a fresh cup of gourmet coffee, especially if you have your own coffee machine (which is essential if you consider yourself a true connoisseur). It is also worth noting that as the popularity of the internet has grown, so has our ability to source products from more far a field. It is now possible to buy batches of gourmet coffee from specialty producers located anywhere in the world via their own websites. So if you are finding that your local grocery store is not stocking the type of coffee you really want, don't despair. With a little common sense and an internet connection the coffee world is your oyster!

The Rancillio espresso machine is one for true coffee lovers. If your looking for quality coffee products then why not visit my site http://www.rancillio-espresso-machine.com where you will find info on machines as well as italian espresso coffee.

How To Choose The Best Coffee Maker For The Coffee Lover

Coffee is indeed one beverage that is well-loved by so many people all over the world. This is the main reason why there are a lot of coffee machines being developed and manufactured these days. In fact, you can find these machines in just about any place! You can easily find a coffee machine in any office, as expected. Most kitchens all over America, and perhaps the world, would also have their own coffee machine. Even dormitories for college students would also have coffee machines. But what exactly constitutes the best coffee maker for the coffee lover?

When choosing the ideal coffee machine, there are a number of aspects to consider. First and foremost, you have to consider your own needs as to why you want to get a coffee machine of your own. What do you need the machine for? Where would you be storing the machine? Would it be for the office, or for the house? Would you be taking your coffee maker with you during your many outdoor trips? By answering these questions, your search for the best coffee maker would be strategically narrowed down.

Another aspect to consider is the type of coffee machine that you want to get. There are actually many types of coffee machines that you can choose from. You can get the manual one, which gives you complete control on every step undertaken in coming up with a cup of coffee. From pouring water to the grinding of the beans, and even to the operation of the frother in producing foam for your lattes and cappuccinos, you are involved in every single step of the way. If the preparation of your drink is of importance to you, then you should get the manual coffee machine.

The semi-automatic coffee machine is another type you can consider. This type allows you to enjoy the semi-automatic features of operating the machine with just a push of a button. The machine then extracts espresso from the ground beans found in the grinder. All you have to do is switch the coffee machine on, to start the process going.

The last type is the fully-automatic coffee machine. With this type, you do not really have to get involved in the process anymore. All you need to do is push the appropriate button to get things going.

With these options, finding the ideal coffee machine for the coffee lover has indeed become an easier process to deal with. Just browse through the many features of these following types to determine which suits your needs best.

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Alice Morgan is an coffee lover and currently runs a website to provide more information on different coffee makers around the world at http://www.bestcoffeemakers.org

Lincoln Street Coffee

Lincoln Street Coffee is a locally owned gourmet coffeehouse in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. Our mission is to provide you with an enjoyable and memorable experience every time you visit us and taste our exclusively roasted premium coffees.

Grown in rich soil under a partially shaded sun, harvested only when fully ripe and at the peak of flavor, roasted daily and freshly brewed with the utmost care - -our premium coffee is an artistic expression to be savored.

We have carefully selected a roaster who shares our appreciation for quality coffee and commitment to purchasing beans from socially and environmentally responsible growers.

Whether in the relaxing, friendly atmosphere of our coffee house or in your own home, you will experience the art of Lincoln Street Coffee.

Our hours are: Monday - Thursday 7am - 7pm, Friday 7am-10pm, Saturday 8am-10pm, Sunday 8am-6pm.

Guadalupe Street Coffee

Guadalupe Street Coffee is a community development project operated by BCFS’ community ministries program which opened in October of 2006 thanks to your support. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s West Side, it provides educational support opportunities for local students that are aimed at increasing school retention and enhancing youths’ likelihood of graduation. It also serves as a positive gathering place for community members of all ages, featuring multiple seating areas as well as a conference room.

The “mission” of Guadalupe Street Coffee is to foster community development through sustainable provision of employment, education support, and microenterprise development. The coffee shop sells fair trade coffee and snacks: profits from sales provide the financial foundation for operations

A Little Coffee Trivia

Coffee is such a normal part of almost everybody's daily life that we don't give it much thought. The likelihood that you have coffee available to you at home at work and at every street corner where they could jam in a Starbucks are pretty good. And even if you yourself don't drink the stuff, there is no avoiding the plentiful supply of coffee in almost every sector of society and every building both public and private that you might wander into.

Coffee is so popular that a little trivia about it makes for some good chatter around the table at Starbucks. It is the most popular drink coming just under tea and water worldwide. And in terms of gross sales, coffee is by far the most actively traded product in the world second only to petroleum. So if there is ever a coffee embargo, we are all in big trouble!

You probably never thought about where the word "coffee" came from and just thought that that is what it's called and that's all there is to it. But the words from around the world that apply to the drink that comes from coffee beans are pretty diverse including caffe in Italian, keheh in Turkish, gahwa in the Arab world and bunna in Africa. But the word "coffee" may have come to us from Ethiopia where the plant that produces those luscious beans comes from the Kaffa region of the country. Ergo beans from Kaffa = Coffee. You can see the connection.

Despite the tremendous popularity of coffee worldwide, it has not been a drink that has been without controversy throughout history. Even today we occasionally see a scientific study that tries to prove that coffee is bad for you. Then almost the next week another scientific study comes out that proves that coffee is good for you so it's hard to say. For most of us who drink the stuff, it's very good for us indeed.

Even culturally coffee has had its trials and tribulations from time to time. Coffee actually came to the western world through Italy when the beans were imported to Rome from the Middle East. But even in Islamic countries where coffee started its trip to us from, coffee was outlawed from time to time.

When coffee finally reached Italy, it was branded the devils drink by the church because the countries that brought it to the western world were Islamic. It took the pope himself to step in when just as he was about to cave in and declare coffee evil, he insisted on tasting it.

One taste and he was a convert and instead of banning it, he baptized it as "very good indeed" and the Italian went on to give us some of the most delightful coffee drinks including espresso and cappuccino. In fact, it was in an Italian coffee shop that the founder of Starbucks decided to start his worldwide chain of coffee shops.

If you are interested in learning more about whole bean coffee then visit us at WholeBeanCoffee.org

Espresso Machine Brewing - Why Your Espresso Machine Makes a Better Cup of Coffee

When it comes to brewing a cup of coffee, there are plenty of choices available to today's coffee connoisseur. Consider the drip maker, where the hot water is sprayed across ground coffee inside a conical filter, working its way through the ground coffee and into a mug beneath; or perhaps the French Press, where the ground coffee and water are mixed together for a period of time while the water draws the flavor out of the coffee until the press is depressed to remove the grinds. Then there is the percolator, the stove top method... it can be a complicated endeavor just trying to decide how to make a cup of coffee!

But have you ever considered using an espresso machine as your brewing method for coffee? There is something absolutely unique about using an espresso machine to brew coffee, and it comes from the process that the beans go through to reach the state of liquid gold found in your mug - it literally makes the most of the coffee beans, using them to their full potential as nature intended.

Naturally, there are choices to be made here as well, as there are a number of different types of espresso machines available to the home barista. For a moment, let's compare espresso machines and how they can work to produce the perfect cup of brewed coffee:

Stovetop Espresso Machines

Strictly speaking, stovetop espresso machines are not technically designed to produce espresso - they're made to create rich, dark coffee with an extraction ratio that is highly similar to what would be produced by traditional espresso makers. Stovetop machines contain three chambers - the water on the bottom, the ground in the middle, with the top chamber empty - and are placed directly on the stove to be heated. The pressure from the heat forces the water up through the coffee grinds and into the top chamber, where the delicious dark coffee is ready to drink. Often, you'll hear these coffee espresso maker stove top devices referred to as 'moka pots'.

Superautomatic Espresso Machines

If you want your maker to work for you, a superautomatic espresso machine is the way to go - these espresso machines require little to no work on the part of the operator, and are typically considered the simplest machines to operate. They're extremely popular for home use, containing features like a built-in grinder, automatic filler and tamping, brew volume that works with your pre-settings, and even a waste disposal feature that dumps out the used grinds! The only thing the home barista needs to do is fill the hopper with beans and add water to the reservoir.

In addition, most superautomatic espresso machines have automatic frothers or steam wands that make it easy to steam your milk for a latte or cappuccino! For example, the Delonghi Magnifica super automatic espresso machine is an Italian model of machine that was designed to produce the perfect cup every time - all at the simple touch of a button.

Automatic Espresso Machines

Automatic espresso machines require a little more work by the operator, but they're still mostly hands-off. They produce coffee with a better consistency than a manual maker, and the brewing time is relatively short, compared to other machines.

If these machines aren't enough to convince you that brewing with an espresso maker is the way to go, there's one more thing you might want to note - with an espresso machine, the coffee you need to use is a much finer grind than is required for regular coffee brewing methods. Why? This is part of what allows the espresso machine to create a rich, thick crema on the top of a mug of coffee, which no other form of brewing method can do. You won't get a layer of tasty foam on top of your French Press or drip cup of coffee, which means that you literally aren't getting the most out of your coffee beans!

Make your coffee work for you - choose an espresso machine to brew your coffee, and savor the full, flavorful richness of the coffee bean.

About the Authors

Andréanne Hamel and Luc J. Cloutier are successful business partners combining their passions for coffee and online publishing into their own website. Learn more and compare espresso machines at My-Best-Coffee.