Caffeine Trivia 04.19.15

Freshen your breath: What to do when you’re all out of breath mints? Just suck on a coffee bean for a while and your mouth will smell clean and fresh again.

Caffeine Trivia 05.26.14

Remove strong odors from hands: If your hands smell of garlic, fish or other strong foods you’ve been handling, a few coffee beans may be all you need to get rid of the odor. Put the beans in your hands and rub them together – the oil released from the coffee beans will absorb the foul smell. When the odor is gone, wash your hands in warm, soapy water.  Coffee beans…they’re not just for grinding and brewing!!

Caffeine Trivia 02.21.14

With whole beans you know what you´re getting

When you buy whole beans from a reputable source, you know what you´re buying. The trouble with a lot of ground coffees is that they contain a whole mix of different beans from different growing areas. And sometimes, when coffee prices go up, even big coffee companies will add cheaper coffee types to their ground blends, just to keep the price down.

Caffeine Trivia 02.18.14

What if your coffee tastes too weak?

If your coffee tastes a little on the weak side, here are the three commonest causes:

1. You didn´t use enough coffee in the brew. Make sure you use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee beans for every 6 ounces of water.

2. The coffee was too coarsely ground. In other words, you´re not leaving the beans in the coffee grinder for long enough.

3. The coffee wasn´t brewed for long enough. (For example, if you are using a French Press, you didn´t leave the coffee to brew for long enough before pushing down the plunger.)

If you are doing everything right, but still want a ´stronger´ taste, you´ll want to look at the origin of your coffee beans and the darkness of the roast. These don´t, strictly speaking, relate to the ´strength´ or ´weakness´ of the brew. But they do impact the body, flavor and taste of the final cup.

Caffeine Trivia 02.10.14

I was just asked for a couple of tips on grinding coffee beans…so here are three:

• Course Grind – for electric percolators grind for 5-10 seconds.
• Medium Grind – for electric drip or French press 10-15 seconds.
• Fine Grind – for espresso machines grind approximately 30 seconds

Caffeine Trivia 1.25.14

COFFEE MYTH TO AVOID:

Storing coffee in your freezer. Whether ground or whole bean, store your coffee in a cool place, but avoid the freezer as it generally hastens flavor loss.

Caffeine Trivia 01.22.14

Famous Coffee Drinker:  Louis XV (1710-1774)

The reign of Louis XV is fondly remembered for giving rise to aristocratic cuisine. The cuisine itself was on the path to refinement, and the noble men and women of the king’s court were known to partake of the actual cooking. Louis XV went as far as to grow his own crop of coffee beans in greenhouses on the Versailles Palace grounds. He handpicked the beans, roasted and ground them. He derived the greatest pleasure from making his entrance in a salon with coffee pot in hand, ready to pour for his guests. Needless to say, when a certain Madame du Barry exclaimed “Hey, la France, your coffee’s lousy,” she was not addressing the king, but rather, a steward by the name of La France!

Source: spresso.com

Caffeine Trivia 05.26.13

Remove strong odors from hands: If your hands smell of garlic, fish or other strong foods you’ve been handling, a few coffee beans may be all you need to get rid of the odor. Put the beans in your hands and rub them together – the oil released from the coffee beans will absorb the foul smell. When the odor is gone, wash your hands in warm, soapy water.  Coffee beans…they’re not just for grinding and brewing!!

Caffeine Trivia 05.26.12

Remove strong odors from hands: If your hands smell of garlic, fish or other strong foods you’ve been handling, a few coffee beans may be all you need to get rid of the odor. Put the beans in your hands and rub them together – the oil released from the coffee beans will absorb the foul smell. When the odor is gone, wash your hands in warm, soapy water.  Coffee beans…they’re not just for grinding and brewing!!

Adventures in Caffeine – December 19th

I have had my new Keurig Coffee maker for two weeks now…an early Christmas present that my little four-legged guy opened for me.  He just couldn’t resist ripping the wrapping open and of course…I didn’t discourage him.  It was too much fun just watching him.

                   

What an adventure this has been…number one, learning to use and deal with one cup at a time…but after I adjusted, I find that I now love it.  The first day I tried 5 different new and intriguing flavors and strengths.  But I have graduated and I am now grinding my own beans and brewing and I am also making my own mixes and blends.  This morning it was a cup of Cinnamon infused followed by Vanilla infused brew.

I’m also discovering that I like to use a wide variety of coffee cups and mugs…from playful and whimsical to thoughtful and once in a while graceful and elegant…the blend and the strength dictate which cup or mug I choose.  As crazy as it may sound to someone not as obsessed with caffeine as I, it really enhances the enjoyment of each and every cup.

                       

Strong…Bold…Dark…that would describe the brews I drink from the mugs above…they make me smile & start my day off!

Starbucks French Roast…smooth…mellow…relaxing…a china coffee pot and cups…aahh – the wide brim of the cup allows the aroma to be enjoyed to the max….after dinner, with friends…Sunday morning on my patio watching the sun come up…life is good!

The adventure continues….