Archive for March 2011
Travel Coffee Mugs
Top quality travel coffee mugs are a must when you need to take your coffee with you on the road. Keeping your coffee hot and keeping it from getting it all over you are two requirements a good travel mug should accomplish.
We search the Internet and recommend only top rated stainless steel travel coffee mugs that we know you’ll be happy with.
When you fly out of the door with one of these travel coffee mugs filled with steaming hot coffee you can be assured that your coffee will stay in the mug and will be hot and fresh until the last drop.
Seattles Best Coffee
Seattles Best Coffee has been selling custom roasts and original coffee house blends since 1970.
Seattles Best Coffee began with one store on Seattle’s waterfront, and now have cafes internationally. They are the coffee of choice for thousands of restaurants, hotels, universities, and many other venues.
There are many great coffees roasted in the world, but only one offers the bold flavor and smooth taste that is Seattles Best Coffee.
How To Clean A Coffee Maker
Ever wonder how to clean a coffee maker the right way? Drip coffee makers need to be cleaned at least once a month to keep your coffee tasting good.
Cleaning your coffee maker takes away hard water deposits, old oils from previously brewed pots and other impurities that can make your coffee taste bad.
This is the preferred method of how to clean a coffee maker.
A mixture of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water is the best way to clean a drip coffee maker.
Mix a full pot of the vinegar and water mixture, pour it in your water reservoir and turn the coffee maker on.
Once the mixture has run completely through, turn the drip coffee maker off and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Pour the vinegar and water mixture down the drain. If you are cleaning a coffee maker that hasn’t been cleaned regularly, repeat this step again with a fresh vinegar and water mixture.
Next, rinse the pot out thoroughly with warm, plain water. Then, fill the water reservoir again with clean water and turn the coffee maker on to start the rinsing process.
To make sure all of the vinegar and water solution is completely gone repeat the rinsing process one more time after letting the pot cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
This is how to clean a coffee maker the right way. Cleaning your drip coffee maker on a monthly basis will make it last longer and keep your coffee tasting the best it can possibly be.
Travel Coffee Cups
Looking for a good a travel coffee cup? If you like your caffeine to go and are tired of those Styrofoam cups that are too hot or paper cups that taste really bad, a good travel coffee cup is the perfect answer.
It used to be that finding a decent travel coffee cup was quite a dilemma, but not anymore.
Perfect Coffees.com, as well as many other online sites, offer you a lot of choices to keep your coffee tasting fresh and hot whenever you are mobile.
A double-walled stainless steel coffee mug is great for any coffee drinker who gets tired of having to warm up their coffee in the microwave every fifteen minutes.
Good thermal coffee mugs also come in handy on trips. Instead of having to drink your coffee from plastic hotel cups or cheap gas station coffee holders it’s nice to have your own travel coffee cup.
Travel coffee cups also make great gifts because there are unique coffee mugs for women or men.
Perfect Coffees.com recommends double-walled stainless steel travel coffee mugs because they are very durable and keep your coffee or tea hotter longer.
Even though stainless steel initially costs more, it will give you much better value for your money.
Stainless steel also cleans up easier than plastic and the plastic liner over time will absorb coffee or tea.
So if you need to take your coffee with you to work, to a sports game, on vacation or wherever you go, a quality travel coffee cup is the perfect answer.
Iced Coffee Recipes
Want some good iced coffee recipes for a cool Summer drink? Iced coffee recipes are a unique twist from soft drinks especially when you have friends over.
Besides, no get together can be boring when all that caffeine is running through everyone. Make iced coffee drinks when it gets hot and just see how many people comment on how great they are.
These are all non alcoholic drink recipes but you can use your imagination if you prefer a little kick to it.
Sometimes it’s fun to vary an iced coffee recipe to see what kind of combination you can come up with.
Here are some of the best iced coffee recipes we have found.
Coffee Coke Float
A simple yet tasty iced coffee recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup light cream
2 1/2 cups strong coffee
4 scoops coffee ice cream
1 bottle of Coke
PREPARATION:
Mix the cream and coffee, pour into 4 glasses (half full).
Add a scoop of ice cream to each, then top off with coke.
Makes 4 iced coffee drinks.
Coffee Latte Shake
This iced coffee recipe is thick like a shake and flavored with coffee and chocolate.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup coffee, strong and cold
1 cup cold milk
10 ice cubes
1/3 pkg of instant pudding mix (chocolate)
2 tbs cocoa powder
Hazelnut creamer, to taste
Sugar, to taste
PREPARATION:
Combine everything in a blender, and blend until ice is crushed and shake is thick.
Coffee Soda
This iced coffee recipe is an interesting mix of fizzy rich creaminess.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups strong coffee, chilled
1 cup half & half
4 scoops coffee ice cream
3/4 cup club soda
1 tbs sugar
Whipped cream
PREPARATION:
Mix coffee, sugar and half & half. Fill 4 tall glasses about halfway. Add 1 scoop of ice cream to each, then fill up with soda. Top with whipped cream. Makes 4 iced coffee drinks.
Chocoholic Heaven
An iced coffee recipe that any chocoholic will love.
INGREDIENTS:
6 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp malt powder
3 tsp cocoa powder
1 tbs chocolate ice cream
milk
PREPARATION:
Put the powders in the bottom of a tall glass. Add a little boiling water, just enough to turn the powders into a thick paste. Fill the rest of the glass with milk, then mix in the ice cream.
Chilled Out Espresso
With this iced coffee recipe no espresso machine is required.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbs instant coffee
3/4 cup cold water
1 cup ice cubes
2 tbs sugar
PREPARATION:
Combine everything in a blender, and blend until smooth. Makes 2 iced coffee drinks
Frozen Coffee Mist
The perfect iced coffee recipe for a cool Summer drink.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup coffee
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
PREPARATION:
Dissolve sugars in coffee while it is hot. Let cool, and add almond. Pour into a metal tray and freeze until nearly solid. Beat well, then freeze again until it reaches a sherbet texture. Serve topped with whipped cream Makes 4 iced coffee drinks.
Iced Cafe au Lait
This iced coffee recipe is quick and easy.
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups coffee, cold
2 cups milk
2 cups crushed ice
PREPARATION:
Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.
Iced Honey Coffee
A creamy iced coffee recipe that’s sweet with honey.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbs instant coffee
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup cold water
1 quart milk
1 cup ice cubes
PREPARATION:
Dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Stir in honey and mix well. Add cold water, and pour over ice in glasses. Top of with milk. Makes 4 iced coffee drinks.
Iced Raspberry Chocolate Cappuccino
A light cappuccino iced coffee recipe with a cool raspberry taste.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 oz chocolate syrup
1/2 oz raspberry syrup
1/2 cup strong coffee, chilled
1 cup milk
PREPARATION:
Combine ingredients and stir well, to dissolve the syrups. Pour over ice and serve.
Instant Iced Cappuccino
A frothy, iced coffee recipe, using instant coffee cyrstals.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp instant coffee crystals
4 tbs heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
4 ice cubes
3/4 cup water
2 tsp sugar
PREPARATION:
Combine everything in a blender, and blend until smooth and frothy. Makes 1 iced coffee drink.
Smooth Lemon Cafe
This iced coffee recipe is a tangy and unusual blend of coffee and lemons.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup coffee
2 oz lemon sherbet
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp sugar
PREPARATION:
Combine everything and blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass.
Tropical Crunch Shake
An iced coffee recipe with a lot of ingrediants but well worth the trouble.
2 shots espresso, 1 hot and 1 cold
2/3 cup frozen yogurt, vanilla
1 banana
1/4 cup coconut cream
3 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs peanut butter, crunchy
1-5 strips of dried mango, chopped
2 Brazil nuts, chopped
1/2 tsp coconut, shredded
Mix the brown sugar into the hot shot of espresso, and let cool. Blend everything except fruit and nuts, in a blender until smooth. Stir in the chopped mango and nuts. Top with coconut.
Makes 1 iced coffee drink.
Thai Iced Coffee
This is an iced coffee recipe with a Thai flair.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp cardamom, ground
4 tbs sugar
4 tbs heavy cream
1 tsp almond extract
PREPARATION:
Use your favorite brewing method to make 4 cups of coffee, mixing the ground cardamom in with the grounds first. Add sugar and almond to the hot coffee, and mix until dissolved. Let cool. Half-fill 4 tall glasses with crushed ice, then fill up with chilled coffee. Add a spoonful of cream to each, just before serving. Makes 4 iced coffee drinks.
Cinnamon Caramel Blast
An iced coffee recipe with a unique twist.
INGREDIENTS:
6 tbs ground coffee
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup caramel dessert syrup
PREPARATION:
Mix the cinnamon and the ground coffee and brew a pot of coffee as usual. Add the syrup to the hot coffee and stir until dissolved. Chill through and serve over ice, with milk or sugar to taste.
We hope you enjoy these fantastic iced coffee recipes. Here are a few iced coffee tips and ideas to make your iced coffee drinks a cool hit.
Chiapas Coffee
Have you ever heard of Chiapas coffee? Chiapas is located in the southern moutain region of Mexico next to the Pacific Ocean.
With a land mass of nearly 46,000 sq. miles, the Chiapas climate ranges from tropical to sub-humid due to the vast changes in altitude.
Chiapas coffees from this region are sought after for their delicate aroma, medium body, natural chocolate flavor and bright acidity. These coffee beans produce a well balanced cup of coffee with an acidity reminiscent of dry white wines.
The best Chiapas coffees are grown in the southeast corner of the state near the border with Guatemala, and may bear the market name Tapachula after the town of that name.
At their best, Tapachula or Chiapas coffees display the brisk acidity, delicate flavor, and light to medium body of the better known Mexican coffees of Oaxaca and Vera Cruz States.
Coffee production is nothing new to the farmers of Chiapas. Since the arrival of the plantations in the early 1900s they worked as hired hands during the coffee harvest and learned about production and processing.
Soon, seeds began trickling back to the Highland communities of Chiapas. Once the farmers started their own coffee fields, they eventually organized into producer cooperatives in search of better markets.
Most coffee growers in Chiapas, Mexico, live in ejidos, which means, land held in common by the entire community, and worked by individual families.
The coffee fields are usually 2 to 10 acres each and are spread out high in the moutains. Farmers must walk two or more hours over extremely steep terrain just to get to their fields.
Entire families are involved in the coffee harvest requiring many trips to the coffee field and back. The 100 pound coffee fruit sacks of are carried on their shoulders. The women often carry a child on their backs as well.
But for the coffee farmers, the work is just beginning with the harvest. The fresh picked coffee must be processed with a hand cranked machine that is first used to depulp the beans.
Next, the beans are soaked and stirred in several changes of water over several days to begin fermentation. Then the coffee is spread out on a concrete patio to dry in the sun.
The beans must be raked and turned daily, and sometimes taken up and covered if rain comes. In the Chiapas highlands it’s not uncommon to have rain ten months out of the year.
Finally the dried green coffee beans are selected, with only the best beans sacked for sale. The sacks of beans are again hauled on their backs, hoisted into trucks and taken to the cooperative’s warehouse for further quality checking and weighing.
Then they are reloaded onto trucks to go to the beneficio or dry-processing facility, where the outer husk of the bean will be removed and the Chiapas coffee will be roasted.
These farmers work unbelivably hard to offer you a coffee with truely amazing flavors. If you are looking for a unique taste experience, Chiapas coffee is a good choice.
Coffee Trivia
Finland holds the per-capita title, with each person man woman and child consuming more than 22 pounds of coffee a year This means, that a family of four will make about 15 cups a day.
Caffeine content is nearly identical in all shades of roasts of coffee. In fact, it is slightly less in a very dark roast.
The US Navy used to serve alcoholic beverages on board ships. When Admiral Josephus “Joe” Daniels became Chief of Naval Operations, he outlawed alcohol on board ships, except for very special occasions. Coffee then became the drink of choice, hence the term “Cup of Joe”.
Coffee berries do not ripen uniformly. The same branch may display ripe red berries, unripe green berries and overripe black berries. Conscientious pickers select only the ripe berries.
Coffee has been in use since about 900 A.D. It was first used as a stimulant, a wine, and as a medicine.
Johann Sebastian Bach was so taken by the romance of the beverage, he wrote his “Coffee Cantata” and in it hailed coffee as “the most precious of blisses….”
Irish cream and Hazelnut are the most popular whole bean coffee flavorings.
Coffee is generally roasted between 400F and 425F. The longer it is roasted, the darker the roast. Roasting time is usually from ten to twenty minutes.
Caffeine does contribute to a coffee’s flavor. Caffeine content decreases as the darkness of the roast increases.
We can recognize over 3,000 smells and can continue to notice the aroma of an espresso up to ten minutes after we have finished drinking it.
The prototype of the first espresso machine was created in France in 1822.
Italy now has over 200,000 coffee bars, and still growing.
Adding sugar to coffee is believed to have started in 1715, in the court of King Louis XIV, the French monarch.
Roasted coffee beans start to lose small amounts of flavor within two weeks. Ground coffee begins to lose its flavor in one hour. Brewed coffee and espresso begins to lose flavor within minutes.
The most widely accepted legend associated to the discovery of coffee is of the goatherder named Kaldi of Ethiopia. Around the year 800-850 A.D., Kaldi was amazed as he noticed his goats behaving in a frisky manner after eating the leaves and berries of a coffee shrub.
A good coffee picker can pick 10 baskets of coffee cherries in a day. Roasted and brewed that translates to 2,400 cups.
A pound of tea, on average, has nearly twice the caffeine of a pound of roasted coffee.
Caffeine content is directly related to the altitude at which the coffee is grown. The higher the altitude, the less caffeine. Therefore; gourmet coffees are naturally lower in caffeine than typical supermarket canned coffee blends.
Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting the beans each year.
The first “coffee break” on the moon took place at 7:27pm, July 20, 1969. It was three hours after landing and four hours before the historic walk that an astronaut on the Eagle spacecraft radioed Houston control to say, “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I’m going to have a cup of coffee.”
In general, West Coast coffee drinkers prefer darker roasted coffees while East Coast coffee drinkers prefer a lighter roast.
A scientific report from the University of California found that the steam rising from a cup of coffee contains the same amount of antioxidants as three oranges. The antioxidants are heterocyclic compounds which prevent cancer and heart disease.
The modern day espresso street vending cart evolved from a Boeing Company shuttle cart, purchased from surplus. It was first utilized to serve people espresso at an arts and crafts fair in Edmonds, Washington.
All coffee is grown within 1,000 miles of the equator, from the Tropic of Cancer in the north, to the Tropic of Capricorn in the south.
When you travel you may notice differences in the taste of your coffee simply from the altitude at which you are located. Taste buds are less sensitive at higher altitudes than at sea level.
Ever heard of “cowboy” coffee? In the 1800′s, cowboys put their ground coffee into a clean sock and immersed it in hot water heated over the campfire.
In the Caribbean, coconuts are more common than cows and many use coconut milk instead of cow’s milk to add to morning coffee.
There are over 1,200 chemical components in coffee and over half of these contribute to the unique flavor of coffee.
The aroma and flavor derived from coffee is a result of the little beads of the oily substance called coffee essence, caffeol or coffee oil. This is not an actual oil since it dissolves in water.
Coffee is bought and sold 4 to 6 times before it finally reaches the consumer who drinks it.
Juniors Cheesecake
In 1950 Harry Rosen founded Juniors cheesecake restaurant, and named it after his two sons, Walter and Marvin. Harry and master baker, Eigel Peterson, hit upon the secret formula for the legendary cheesecake recipe and it has been part of the Rosen family now for three generations.
Juniors cheesecake New York is located in Brooklyn and many New Yorkers call it a favorite restaurant. New York Magazine rated it #1 in the 1970’s and people started to come from all over the world for an award-winning slice. In 1982, Governor Mario Cuomo declared May 27th as Junior’s Restaurant Day.
In 1989 Juniors cheesecake became available through mail-order and can now be ordered online.
It can be shipped frozen anywhere in the United States. Each 8” Juniors cheesecake arrives in a special, stay-fresh container and is guaranteed for freshness.
Today, people still come from every corner of the planet to have their favorite slice of famous Juniors cheesecake. For over 50 years the saying is still true: You haven’t lived until you’ve had cheesecake at Juniors.
For those of you that can’t make it to Brooklyn, here is the Famous No. 1 Juniors cheesecake recipe. It really is that good.
Pure Cream Cheesecake — “The Best of the Best”
For Thin Sponge Cake Layer recipe(see below)
For Cream Cheese Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages regular cream cheese, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 extra-large large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F (180*C) and generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan. Make the batter for the sponge cake as the recipe directs. Evenly spread the batter on the bottom of the pan and bake just until set and golden, about 10 minutes. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool (don’t remove it from the pan).
2. While the cake cools, make the cream cheese filling: Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese.
3. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after adding each one. Blend in the heavy cream. At this point mix the filling only until completely blended (just like they do at Junior’s). Be careful not to over mix the batter.
4. Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer. Place the spring form pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.
5. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the sides of the spring form pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or if you wish, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. If any cake is left over, cover it with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Thin Sponge Cake Layer for Cheesecake
One suggestion: keep an eye on this cake while it bakes. There’s not much batter, so it needs only about 10 minutes of baking — only enough time for the cake to turn light golden and set on the top.
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 drops pure lemon extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F (180*C) and generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
2. Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 minutes. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of the sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Then blend in the butter.
4. In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks but not be dry). Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites — don’t worry if a few white specks remain.
5. Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
Serves 12 to 16.
Source: From the cookbook, “Welcome to Junior’s! Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant”.
Travel Coffee Makers
If you are tired of lukewarm coffee served in paper cups when you travel, a travel coffee maker might be the perfect solution. They offer you a fresh, hot cup of coffee anytime you want it.
Travel coffee makers are not as bulky as a regular coffee maker so they can tuck easily in your suitcase. Real coffee lovers even take their own coffee.
Most brands offer coffee that is brewed directly into coffee travel mugs. That makes making a fresh cup quick and easy without any mess. You can choose one that makes a single cup or two cups at once.
If you figure the expense of buying coffee at gourmet coffee shops, a travel coffee maker could pay for itself quickly. On top of that, you are in control over how your coffee is brewed.
Have you ever paid for an expensive cup of coffee at a gourmet coffee shop and still had it taste bad? Even if you get a good tasting cup of brew, drinking from a paper or styrofoam cup is not ideal.
If you want to brew your own cup in your hotel room, you don’t have to try and figure out how to make a fresh cup of coffee with the pot in the room. With your own travel coffee maker, your coffee is hot, fresh and in a cup that is enjoyable to drink from.
One consideration is make sure the coffee travel mug that the coffee is brewed in is easy to hold and easy to drink from. There is a wide selection of travel coffee makers and getting the right cup to drink from is important.
Before you buy one, make sure you read how your coffee is brewed so you’ll know exactly what you are getting and there are no surprises. You want your travel coffee maker to be easy and hassle free.
Just read the manufacturer descriptions carefully and choose one that makes sense for you. No one likes to buy something and then be unhappy with it because they didn’t realize it worked differently than they had pictured in their mind.
Once you get the right travel coffee maker you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner. It really does make that much of a difference. If you like to enjoy your coffee hot and fresh when you travel, a travel coffee maker is a solution you should consider.
Tazo Tea
Tazo Teas were created for one purpose: to reinvent tea and the gourmet tea experience. By using high quality ingredients and a tremendous amount of experience and creativity, Tazo Teas have produced unique products that create an emotional connection with the consumer at many levels.
Tazo Tea Company continues to expose consumers to the ancient traditions of tea, but presents this in a way that is bold, interesting and intriguing.
Unlike other tea companies, Tazo purchases teas in their original container as packed at the garden to ensure the tea inside the chest or bag stays garden fresh and is not exposed to the heat and moisture in a blending facility at one of the tea shipping points.
The blending process is a very subtle art form that relies on subjective measurement of taste, color and aroma. Tazo Tea constantly tastes and determines which teas will go in which blend in what percentage, so flavor profiles remain consistent and are of the highest quality possible.