adrienviani asked:

I compared 4 week old coffee with pressurized vs non pressurized portifilter and also used freshly 3 day ground coffee roasted 5 days ago.

Lynne Birch asked:




The French press style of coffee making produces very rich, aromatic and tasty coffee. It uses very coarsely ground coffee that basically steeps in the brewing water for several minutes allowing all the flavours to fully extract from the coffee grinds. Because of the filtering system there is always some sediment which some people don’t like.

A French press coffee maker has two parts: a straight-sided container usually made of glass, and a filter-plunger that pushes through the water to filter out the coffee after it has steeped. This plunger also serves as the lid. There are some models of French Press that are insulated which is good for keeping things hot while it steeps.

To brew coffee with a French Press, you should pre-heat the carafe while you boil your water. When ready, empty the carafe, add your coffee, and then add your brewing water. You may wish to stir the coffee grinds around to be sure all of them are in contact with water. You should now put the plunger/lid on the pot to help retain heat. DO NOT press it down yet, it needs to steep for about four minutes (a little more or less depending the coarseness of the grind).

Once you feel the coffee has brewed enough, slowly depress the plunger trapping the grounds on the bottom. Do not force the plunger. If it doesn’t want to go down, simply lift the plunger up slightly and try again. The filter can jam on grinds that are too fine. Just take your time and it will work.

Despite what some may say, it is usually best to decant the coffee into an insulated serving pot. If you leave the coffee in the French Press it will remain in contact with the grinds and keep brewing. This will quickly ruin your coffee. The other main reason to pour your coffee off is to keep it warm. French Press pots are not well insulated and coffee cools off very quickly.

Play with the brewing time and grind coarseness until you get the taste that you like best. Once you’ve done that you will have some of the most tasty coffee anywhere.

Sajith Joseph asked:




Coffee has been one of the most well-liked drinks on the world, basically for its aromatic flavour and invigorating qualities. It is made using the little beans which refresh our mornings and get most of us through the day.

When you select a coffee maker the first concern is about the pour over and automatic model. The pour over is the ordinary model where you pour the water through the top of the coffee machine whereas the automatic machine is directly connected to a waterline with sometimes a pour over option.

Coffee can come in various choices, such as fresh ground, whole bean, and instant. When you roast coffee at home, make sure that it is the freshest available for purchase. In the modern world, coffee suppliers offer a few more alternatives other than your usual, short black, long black, latte, cappuccino and further choices among these.
The quality of the ground coffee and coffee beans are much higher today than they have been in the past.

The caffeine that is present in coffee can act as a stimulant that has the ability to increase alertness and concentration levels. A cup of strong coffee can combat symptoms of tiredness and delay the strong desire to sleep.

Some people have the capability to blend their own flavored coffee in an instant in their home kitchens. There are marvelous coffee grinders now available in the market with various prices.

By using internet facility we get face to face contact with coffee suppliers of high quality. By choosing the most suitable coffee supplier, you can have fun experimenting with a variety of coffee flavors every day of the week.

Steve Turley asked:




There are many different models of Gaggia espresso machines, coffee makers, and coffee grinders. The Gaggia company started up in 1948 by Achille Gaggia, who was responsible for great changes in the way espresso is made. In 1938, Gaggia filed a patent for a new kind of machine that utilized virtually no steam; instead, it used a piston and lever mechanism that forced hot water through coffee grounds to create a new and better way to both create and drink espresso. This new machine also added a layer of cream, or “crema,” atop the finished espresso. At first, Gaggia focused on the production of espresso machines for commercial use, but in 1977 the company began creating espresso machines specifically for residential use. Two of Gaggia’s superior espresso machines geared for in-home usage are the Gaggia Coffee Deluxe and the Gaggia Classic Espresso.

The Gaggia Classic Espresso machine has many great features that make it a perfect choice for at-home espresso making. An ample cup warmer (it can fit five espresso cups at one time) is perfect for preheating your cup and keeping your drink warm. Its durable commercial-quality construction makes it a heavy-duty machine you know you can count on, but its stainless steel features are aesthetically pleasing in any residential kitchen. The Gaggia Classic Espresso machine can use both ground coffee and easy serving espresso, or ESE, pods. Illy espresso pods, as well as other brands, would work well in this machine.

The Gaggia Coffee Deluxe also uses both ESE cartridges and coffee grounds to create espresso drinks, and it features a cup warmer as well. This model features all the functionality of the Classic Espresso machine but at a lower cost. If you enjoy being able to regulate the amount of froth in your espresso, you will love the auto-frothing feature on the Coffee Deluxe. It is a silicone tube that creates froth quickly and allows you to control the milk-to-air ratio in your froth. The hot water dispenser allows the Coffee Deluxe to help you prepare tea, soup, and hot chocolate in a flash.

If you are thinking about purchasing a Gaggia espresso machine, both models outlined above are wonderful choices and would be great additions to your at-home espresso-making experience.

Steve Turley asked:




Even though illy espresso is produced in Italy, it may be easily purchased online through many different coffee-related and general merchandise retailers. While some people might find it more prudent to seek out discounted illy coffee from large Internet discount retailers or auction sites like ebay.com, there are some definite benefits to utilizing illy’s website for your coffee purchases, particularly due to the special products and memberships not available from other merchants.

Illy sells several different types of coffee that are all for sale on their website, including ground coffee and espresso, whole bean coffee, illy espresso pods, and unique espresso capsules known as iperEspresso. These capsules contain 7 grams of ground espresso and are compatible with a FrancisFrancis espresso machine; there are a couple different models that can be purchased on illy’s website. The allure of the iperEspresso capsules is that the perfect amount of grounds has already been measured out for your single serving of espresso, and due to its exclusive design, the grounds never touch the machine as the espresso is being brewed, allowing for your machine to stay in pristine condition.

A great way to save some money on illy coffee, particularly if you drink it regularly or purchase large amounts for an office setting, is by joining one of illy’s two membership clubs. The coffee membership is a flexible option that allows you to set your own delivery schedule. Just specify how often you would like your coffee to be sent and in what roast and quantity (a two-can minimum is required for each shipment), and illy will do the rest for you. For each order of $75 or over, illy provides free shipping. When you enroll in the coffee membership club, you will receive a free coffee cup with illy’s logo emblazoned on the side. It is important to make an informed decision before joining the illy coffee club and thoroughly examine how much coffee you consume on a monthly basis. The convenience of having two or more cans shipped to your each month is a viable option if you household drinks a large volume of coffee or if you are supplying coffee for an office environment, but if you do not drink a lot of coffee each month (or enjoy changing brands often), then the cost of buying large amounts of illy coffee on a regular basis may not be worth the membership benefits you reap.

If you drink illy coffee and have been considering purchasing either a Pasquini espresso machine or a Francis Francis espresso machine, an illy espresso membership has the opportunity to provide you with some significant savings. When you sign up for your introductory membership kit, you will receive one of three espresso machines (there are two FrancisFrancis machines and one Pasquini machine from which to choose), cappuccino cups, and a steaming pitcher, among other things. After you sign up for your introductory kit, you are obligated to purchase four cans of illy coffee for the next 12 months. After that point, you are not required to continue having illy delivered to your home if you do not wish. Because the introductory kits cost considerably less than the price of one of the featured espresso machines, you can save a great deal of money by using illy’s website to enroll in this membership club; however, like the coffee membership club, you will need to determine if your coffee drinking habit necessitates the purchase of four cans of illy each month.

While large online retailers often boast low prices in order to sell merchandise, illy’s website provides its loyal customers the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind products and membership clubs not found anywhere else.

VDJ44 asked:


I’m getting an espresso machine off of Target.com and I’m not sure what kind of coffee to buy.. is it better to grind your own, buy the pods, or just use regular ground coffee?? Thanks!

Chris Wen asked:




Espresso coffee is becoming one of the most popular types of beverage that people are drinking around the world. It is a blend of several different types of coffee beans from different countries. Many people believe that it translates as express because of the fact that in cafes it is traditionally brewed when a customer orders and is delivered straight to them. All over the world, the espresso coffee is synonymous with Italy and this is where the best coffee mixtures can be found and have been selected to celebrate the true flavor of the coffee.

Espresso, while apparently a simple drink, is in reality a complex product. Espresso or caffe espresso is a concentrated coffee brew brewed by forcing very hot, but not boiling, water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency that is between extremely fine and powder. If you go to a cafe or espresso bar and ask for an espresso, what you will get is a shot-sized glass holding a small amount of very strong coffee.

Making Good Espresso

There are many requirements in making a good mug of espresso coffee. First, espresso uses a greater dose of coffee per water then drip coffee. To pull a shot of espresso, a metal filter-basket is filled with 7 to 10 grams of ground coffee for a single shot or 12 to 18 grams for a double shot. The temperature and time of consumption are important variables that must be observed to enjoy an ideal espresso, as it should be consumed within 2 minutes from when it is served. Freshly brewed coffee must be served or mixed into other coffee beverages immediately, or it will begin to degrade due to cooling and oxidation.

The end result should be a cup filled with two 1-1 ounce shots of espresso, topped with of crema. An espresso shot that is brewed in less than 25-seconds is under-extracted. It will appear watery, have little or no crema, and taste weak and bitter. Where on the other hand an espresso shot that is brewed in over 30 seconds is over-extracted.

Making the perfect cup of espresso coffee is a combination of both art and science. Traditionally machines can only be used to make coffee, but most modern espresso coffee machines can also be used to make espresso and cappuccino, as they have a separate spout for frothing milk. And with the consumption of espresso coffee expected to grow as consumption shifts from the coffee bar to the home and to the office, no doubt more and more people are getting coffee machines for themselves.

The reason for my interest is that when I am at home, I am able to make and drink espresso coffee with ease anytime I want. You too can try it, and savor the great pleasure of having a great cup of espresso coffee.

mike asked:


I would assume I’d have to ground the coffee beans very finely….

Douglas Taylor asked:




The word espresso literally means an extraction of coffee using high pressure from a special espresso machine. But you may need some special espresso machine instructions if your machine is different from some of the other types of machines are available, but basically to make an espresso is much the same no matter what machine you use.

Below are some hopefully foolproof instructions, which will help you to make the ideal espresso.

1. It is important that you have a good quality machine. If you can purchase one that comes with a built in grinder (as the finest ground beans make the best coffee).
2. Get some cold clear water and pour this into the machines water tank. Then make sure that the boilers cap is secure. For one shot of espresso use one ounce of coffee for a double shot use two ounces of coffee. Some machines will give as much as four shots in one go.
3. Place the basket of coffee in the filter holder. If you want you can place a little pack in the ground coffee and the filter has a measure which will tell you the amount for the type of espresso you are preparing.
4. Brush off any grounds from the top and sides of the filter and then place the filter holder inside the machine.
5. Place the glass carafe that comes with your machine under the spout and then turn the machine one. The machine will warm the water up to the correct temperature and then force it into the coffee grounds. This should take between 15 to 20 seconds and as the coffee starts to flow into the cup the foam starts forming on top. This foam is brown in color and is known as Crema but once this foam becomes white in color then the best tasting liquid is not flowing any longer and you should stop the machine now.
6. Remove the cup immediately and your cup of espresso is now ready to drink.

In order to get the best results from your espresso machine you should select beans that are specifically for making espressos. These can be found in many coffee specialty shops as well as your local grocery store. If you want to get the best espressos then I suggest buying an espresso grinder, as this is efficient enough to produce a fine grind for making espressos with. Also use filtered or bottled spring water, as tap water is too hard.

Hopefully by following these espresso machine instructions you will be able to produce that perfect shot of espresso that you always wanted.

Shoiko asked:


I found a site that states 2 tbsp ground coffee to every cup of water. So i calculate this:

Coffe Machine makes: 12 cups

1 cup = 8 ounces

12 cups * 8 ounces = 96 ounces

96 ounces / 2 tbsp = 48 tbsp

48 tbsp of ground = 1 pot of coffee?

48 tbsp sounds too much…. Anyone know?