This morning, I thought I'd share my coffee collection. We didn't really realize until we were unpacking in the new home that we had so much "coffee equipment" - we ended up dedicating a small cabinet to the coffee. While I am a big fan of the regular, drip-percolated coffee (I prefer to buy whole beans and grind them fresh - I do 1 tbsp ground bean per 6oz cup of coffee, sometimes stronger) there are a few other methods I enjoy:
The french press is great. It basically eliminates the filter. You grind the coffee coarse for this. You boil the water, pour it into the press with the grinds, and allow it to steep (I prefer 5 minutes). After it has steeped, like a tea, you push down the plunger which has a strainer on the end. Then, you pour out the liquid. The larger grinds are stopped by the strainer, but you will still get a little silt in the bottom of the cup. I prefer to use the french press with a French Roast.
One other use for the French press is to make lattés. Basically, brew your coffee. Then, put it in a pot and mix in your soy milk, regular milk, heavy whipping cream, or whatever you prefer to make a latté with. Now, wait until it starts to froth in the pot and then pour into the french press. Over the sink, pump the sieve up and down - this further "whips" the cream so you get a nice, frothed latté when you pour it out!
Turkish coffee is also awesome. Guess what? You use Turkish Coffee. This is coffee that has been ground very fine -finer than even an espresso grind - with cardamon seed, which adds the spice. You simply place 1 tbsp or more of ground coffee per "cup" you wish to make. Add water and set on the stove top. When it is ready, it begins to foam or bubble. You pour into an espresso cup and serve - this will typically have a thick sludge on the bottom. I love it!
I don't yet have an espresso machine, but this is how the traditional Cuban coffee which is essentially espresso with sugar is made (I skip the sugar). Basically, you pour water into the bottom. In the middle is a section where you place the grinds - this is an espresso grind, so it is very fine. You set it on the stove top. The water boils, steam goes through the grinds and then deposits the espresso in the top. YUM!
This was a parting gift from a previous job. The traditional ones are brass, this one is plastic. This is a cool way to make coffee, but takes a long time. You grind coarse grinds and place them in the top compartment. You then boil water and pour it in top. If you notice, there are tiny pinholes in the section between the top and bottom. When you put the lid on, it forms a vacuum seal so that air pressure cannot force the drip through. Instead, gravity pulls it through the pinholes and it collects in the bottom. This process takes a long time, probably about 2 - 4 hours. Of course, by this time, the coffee is cold. You then add this to a saucer pan with an equal part of cream. Mix the two together and wait until it comes to a boil/froth and then serve. It is the tastiest coffee I've ever had, but prepare to be wired - it's like drinking a pot of coffee in a shot glass.
There ya go! Four great ways to start the day.
Jeremy Likness
The french press is great. It basically eliminates the filter. You grind the coffee coarse for this. You boil the water, pour it into the press with the grinds, and allow it to steep (I prefer 5 minutes). After it has steeped, like a tea, you push down the plunger which has a strainer on the end. Then, you pour out the liquid. The larger grinds are stopped by the strainer, but you will still get a little silt in the bottom of the cup. I prefer to use the french press with a French Roast.
One other use for the French press is to make lattés. Basically, brew your coffee. Then, put it in a pot and mix in your soy milk, regular milk, heavy whipping cream, or whatever you prefer to make a latté with. Now, wait until it starts to froth in the pot and then pour into the french press. Over the sink, pump the sieve up and down - this further "whips" the cream so you get a nice, frothed latté when you pour it out!
Turkish coffee is also awesome. Guess what? You use Turkish Coffee. This is coffee that has been ground very fine -finer than even an espresso grind - with cardamon seed, which adds the spice. You simply place 1 tbsp or more of ground coffee per "cup" you wish to make. Add water and set on the stove top. When it is ready, it begins to foam or bubble. You pour into an espresso cup and serve - this will typically have a thick sludge on the bottom. I love it!
I don't yet have an espresso machine, but this is how the traditional Cuban coffee which is essentially espresso with sugar is made (I skip the sugar). Basically, you pour water into the bottom. In the middle is a section where you place the grinds - this is an espresso grind, so it is very fine. You set it on the stove top. The water boils, steam goes through the grinds and then deposits the espresso in the top. YUM!
This was a parting gift from a previous job. The traditional ones are brass, this one is plastic. This is a cool way to make coffee, but takes a long time. You grind coarse grinds and place them in the top compartment. You then boil water and pour it in top. If you notice, there are tiny pinholes in the section between the top and bottom. When you put the lid on, it forms a vacuum seal so that air pressure cannot force the drip through. Instead, gravity pulls it through the pinholes and it collects in the bottom. This process takes a long time, probably about 2 - 4 hours. Of course, by this time, the coffee is cold. You then add this to a saucer pan with an equal part of cream. Mix the two together and wait until it comes to a boil/froth and then serve. It is the tastiest coffee I've ever had, but prepare to be wired - it's like drinking a pot of coffee in a shot glass.
There ya go! Four great ways to start the day.
Jeremy Likness
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