The Preparation of a Cup of Coffee
August 30, 2009 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders, Facts
The first thing that has to happen to produce a cup of coffee with to ground the beans. The important thing to remember is that coffee grounds deteriorate quite fast so it is always best to ground the beans just before you want to use them in order to get the freshest flavour.
The fineness of grind must match the brewing method in order to get the best results. Brewing methods which expose coffee grounds to heated water for longer require a coarser grind than faster brewing methods. If a too fine a ground is used a bitter, harsh taste may results. At the other extreme, an overly coarse grind will produce weak coffee unless more is used.
Coffee may be brewed by several methods:
- Brewing coffee by boiling was the earliest method, Turkish coffee being an example of this method. It is prepared by pounding the beans with a mortar and pestle, then adding the powder to water and bringing it to a boil in a pot called a cezve or, in Greek, a briki. This produces a strong coffee with a layer of foam on the surface.
- Machines such as percolators or filter coffee makers brew coffee by gravity. In a filter coffeemaker hot water drips onto coffee grounds held in a coffee filter made of paper or perforated metal, allowing the water to seep through the ground coffee while absorbing its oils and essences. Gravity causes the liquid to pass into a carafe or pot while the used coffee grounds are retained in the filter. In a percolator, boiling water is forced into a chamber above a filter by pressure created by boiling. The water then passes downwards through the grounds due to gravity, repeating the process until shut off by an internal timer.
- Cafetiere is a coffee brewing device consisting of a narrow cylindrical jug usually made of glass or clear plastic, with a lid and a “plunger” which fits tightly in the cylinder. The end of the “plunger” has a fine wire or nylon mesh which acts as a filter. Coffee is brewed by placing the coffee and water together in the jug, leaving to brew for a few minutes, then depressing the plunger to push the coffee to the bottom of the jug. Coffee for use in a Cafetiere should be of a consistent, coarse grind. The use of a burr mill grinder gives a more consistent grind than the whirling blade variety. The coffee produced is usually stronger and thicker and has more sediment than filter-brewed coffee.
- Espresso is made with hot water forced, under pressure through a lightly packed matrix (called a puck) of finely ground coffee. It can be served alone but it is also the basis for many coffee drinks. It is one of the strongest tasting forms of coffee regularly consumed, with a distinctive flavour and crema, a layer of emulsified oils in the form of a colloidal foam standing over the liquid. Espresso-based coffee has a wide variety of possible presentations. In its most basic form, it is served alone as a “shot” or in the more watered down style café américano; shot or two of espresso with hot water. The Americano should be served with the espresso shots on top of the hot water to preserve the crema. Milk can be added in various forms to espresso: steamed milk makes a caffè latte, equal parts espresso and milk froth make a cappuccino, and a dollop of hot, foamed milk on top creates a caffè macchiato. What’s your Cup of Coffee? Take a look at how to produce your favourite.
- Instant coffee is dried into soluble powder or freeze dried into granules that can be quickly dissolved in hot water.
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Burr Mill – Bean Grinder
December 17, 2009 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Cuisinart – Burr Mill – Bean Grinder from Cook In Style
Discover the extra rich flavor of coffee made from freshly ground beans! The elegant brushed stainless Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill consistently grinds coffee beans to preserve delicate natural oils, maximizing both flavor and aroma. It’s as simple as selecting the desired grind consistency and cup quantity; this Burr Mill will automatically stop when just the right amount of coffee has been ground. Heavy duty burr grinder, brushed stainless steel housing, 225g/1.2lb of whole beans capacity, 18 position grind selector for all types of coffee, 4-18 cup quantity selector with auto shut off, built-in safety interlock, removable parts for easy cleaning, removable grind chamber with lid to store freshly ground coffee. Please Note: All electrical products sold by cookinstyle (InStyle Products Limited) are supplied with a UK 3 pin plug.
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Black Artisan Burr Grinders
December 17, 2009 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
KitchenAid – Black Artisan Burr Grinders from Cook In Style
The KitchenAid Pro Line Series burr coffee mill delivers the finest coffee and espresso possible by combining professional performance with an elegantly compact design. Die cast metal construction, large diameter precision grinding burrs, 15 grind settings, 198g capacity glass bean hopper, 241g capacity glass coffee grounds containers, includes cleaning brush and coffee scoop, 2 year guarantee. Blade grinders chop and re-chop each bean turning them into thousands of unevenly sized coffee fragments. The longer you chop the finer the blend becomes, but no matter how careful you are some of the coffee will be over ground and some will be under ground: so the coffee will never be as good as the beans you started with. Burr grinders crush the coffee to a pre-determined size turning the beans into thousands of uniformly sized fragments fine enough to release flavour but not so fine as to destroy it. With a burr grinder, the coffee you make will be every bit as good as the beans its made from. Please Note: All electrical products sold by cookinstyle (InStyle Products Limited) are supplied with a UK 3 pin plug.
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Burr Grinder
December 16, 2009 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
La Cafetiere – Burr Grinder from Cook In Style
For true coffee aficionados, this electric burr grinder is perfect for creating cafetiere grounds. Features easy-use grind selection and one-touch grinding. When you think of La Cafetiere, you probably think of the Classic La Cafetiere French Press – a design icon that’s still going strong after almost 50 years. But there’s more to La Cafetiere than that. La Cafetiere are constantly exploring new styles and new ways to capture the chic, sophisticated flavours of cafe society so you can experience a little of ‘La dolce vita’ in the comfort of your own home.
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Coffee Burr Grinder
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Dualit – Coffee Burr Grinder from Cook In Style
The Dualit coffee grinder comes in professional-looking black and steel and has a bean capacity of 250g. Its one to ten portion control switch makes grinding more efficient if you want to make just one cup and it has a choice of settings, ranging from fine to coarse. Variable control from fine to coarse grind, automatic settings for 1-1- cups, stores 250g beans ready for grinding, black/silver finish Please Note: All electrical products sold by cookinstyle (InStyle Products Limited) are supplied with a UK 3 pin plug.
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Conical Burr Grinder Baby Pink
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Ascaso – Conical Burr Grinder Baby Pink from Cook In Style
Conical burr grinder with easy-to-operate mechanism for changing the grind setting. Clever doser mechanism: grinds directly into your filterholder, so you always grind exactly the right amount. Precision engineered metal body and removable bean hopper. 1200 RPM.
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Conical Burr Grinder Cloud White
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Ascaso – Conical Burr Grinder Cloud White from Cook In Style
Conical burr grinder with easy-to-operate mechanism for changing the grind setting. Clever doser mechanism: grinds directly into your filterholder, so you always grind exactly the right amount. Precision engineered metal body and removable bean hopper. 1200 RPM.
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Conical Burr Grinder Kid Blue
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Ascaso – Conical Burr Grinder Kid Blue from Cook In Style
Conical burr grinder with easy-to-operate mechanism for changing the grind setting. Clever doser mechanism: grinds directly into your filterholder, so you always grind exactly the right amount. Precision engineered metal body and removable bean hopper. 1200 RPM.
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Conical Burr Grinder Love Red
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Ascaso – Conical Burr Grinder Love Red from Cook In Style
Conical burr grinder with easy-to-operate mechanism for changing the grind setting. Clever doser mechanism: grinds directly into your filterholder, so you always grind exactly the right amount. Precision engineered metal body and removable bean hopper. 1200 RPM.
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Conical Burr Grinder Night Black
March 10, 2010 by Linda
Filed under Coffee Grinders
Ascaso – Conical Burr Grinder Night Black from Cook In Style
Conical burr grinder with easy-to-operate mechanism for changing the grind setting. Clever doser mechanism: grinds directly into your filterholder, so you always grind exactly the right amount. Precision engineered metal body and removable bean hopper. 1200 RPM.
