Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends

The Joys Of Drinking Coffee

I am a big coffee fan. Although I don’t drink it every day I have been won over by some of the flavored coffees, such as hazelnut, vanilla, coconut and chocolate. Possibly this makes me a lightweight coffee drinker and not a purist but I stand by my taste buds. You should too.

I was in a Bloomingdales recently where they demonstrate and sell the Nespresso® coffee machines at their Boutique at Bloomingdales. Buying one of these is definitely an investment. But I recently discovered Gourmesso where you can save 30% on premium compatible coffee capsules if you own a Nespresso® machine. These alternative capsules are compatible with all current OriginalLine Nespresso® machines but are NOT compatible with the new VertuoLine machines.

For all you home baristas who desire espresso and tea capsules (including decaf offerings), this European leader offers 17 different blends.

A friend of mine has gotten into crema, the delicious layer of foam that you find when you order an espresso. It can actually tell you a lot about the espresso you are drinking. Tara Alley wrote a complete article for Sally’s Place about this very topic. She says, “As basic as it sounds, there’s actually a lot that must happen to form a good crema. The foam is created as a direct result of CO2 within the coffee beans, which is created during the roast process. This means, first of all, the beans must be good quality, and secondly, the roasting process must not be underdone or overdone in order for the appropriate amount of CO2 to form. Although most of the gas evaporates after roasting as the beans cool down and come down to a rest, the gas that doesn’t escape then stays intact within the bean until it’s ground, when it will suddenly become exposed. This is important because the closer the brewing occurs to the time of grinding, the more CO2 present and the better quality of crema that will be present. Hence, a good espresso will be made with beans ground just moments before use.” Very interesting. To read the complete article, clickhere.

And then there is Kopi Luwak, one of the most exotic and expensive coffee beans in the world, thanks to a small marsupial mammal that inhabits the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi (formerly Celebes). But that is a whole other story.

So whether you are into cybercafés, your corner Starbucks, flavored coffees, roasting your own coffee beans, drinking chicory coffee and enjoying beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans, buying the perfect espresso machine, drinking iced coffee in the summer, consuming cappuccino or frappuccino, drinking only organic and sustainable coffee or enjoying spirits in your coffee (think Irish Coffee), take pleasure in coffee to the fullest. It is the drink of choice for many of us.

 


Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

Share this article with a friend:

Free eNewsletter SignUp

Sally's Place on Facebook    Sally Bernstein on Instagram    Sally Bernstein at Linked In




Global Resources

25 Great Flavored Coffees

Handmade Chocolates, Lillie Belle Farms

Food411 Food Directory