Bucket Ashtray for Guests

Going to be a little off topic again today, but we had a get together with some of my girlfriends this past Friday, everyone brought a desert and we had coffee to go along with it.  Now onto the ashtray dilemma:

A few of my friends that came over Friday are smokers; they know it's unhealthy, so I’m not going to lecture them about it.  Besides, I don’t really feel like I have that much room to talk since I used partake in that nasty habit. 

But I have been running into a slight problem, that since I do not smoke, my friends will excuse themselves to go outside when a craving hits.  Which I thank them for profusely. 

What I do not thank them for are the cigarette butts that were littering my yard.  Yuck!  I quit smoking so I do not want to have to go through my yard individually picking up each and every butt from someone else’s smoking addiction. (That and getting the smell of cigarettes on my fingers makes me start craving one, which is never a good thing. Must have willpower.)

But I have now found a way to solve my little dilemma.  I had a galvanized pail that a friend gave me (she’d ordered several of these metal buckets for centerpieces for her reception, and had some extra left over).  So I looked online to see what all needed to go into an outdoor ashtray.  For the most part you just fill the bucket within an inch of the top rim with sand and set it in a spot where the smoker’s will notice and use it. 

Some people put a few handfuls of charcoal into the bucket before pouring the sand, it is said to cut down on the smell, but since my bucket is outside I’m really not that worried about it.

To clean it out you can just use a kitty litter scoop or if you have an old deep fryer scoop it works too (I had ordered a few extras when I kept losing my original, I found it, so now its my cigarette butt scoop).

Broken Carafe

Not as much coffee talk today. Just a little venting.

Don't get me wrong, I love my cat I do. (look isn't she adorable):

But Java loves to jump on my counters.  And last night she thought it would be fun to push my coffee pot (just the carafe part) into the floor.  Well, tile and glass not play nice.  So now I am on a hunt for a Bunn Replacement Pot.  Luckily for Java I found one and have it ordered.  Even luckier for her, I have an extra coffee maker, its a little older and isn't necessarily my favorite to use any more.  But it beats not having my  morning cup of joe.  I just hope that the replacement I ordered is the right one.  It should be here in a week, so I'll let ya'll know if it works out for me.  Until then, hope each of you enjoys your coffee!

I found my Bunn carafe at http://www.coffeemaker-outlet.com/Bunn-Carafes.htm so if you need one you know where to go.

Tea Talk with Charlene!

Welcome back to Coffee Talk with Charlene!  Today we are going to broaden our discussion to include Camellia sinensis, more commonly known as tea.  Let me tell you about the different types of teas and some tips for brewing a good cup of tea.

Tea comes from the leaves and leaf buds of the Camellia sinensis plant.  Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world.  There are several different types of tea the most common varieties are white, black, green, yellow, oolong and pu-erh.  All teas are made from the same species of plant, probably different varieties, but the leaves are processed differently.  Herbal tea is actually an infusion of leaves, flowers, fruit, herbs or other plant materials that contains no Camellia sinensis. 

Oxidation is called fermentation in the tea industry.  Oxidation occurs when chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released.  The amount of oxidation that occurs changes the flavor of the tea when it is processed.  Tea is traditionally classified based on the techniques with which it is produced and processed. 

·         White tea: wilted and unoxidized

·         Yellow tea: Unwilted and unoxidized, but allowed to yellow

·         Green tea: Unwilted and unoxidized

·         Oolong: Wilted, bruised, and partially oxidized

·         Black tea: Wilted, sometimes crushed, and fully oxidized

·         Post-fermented tea: Green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost

Tips for making a perfect cup of tea
Mineral deposits and residues can taint the flavor of tea.  Properly cleaning utensils and teapots before brewing will ensure a pure brew.  Kettles, teapots, cups, strainers and other tea accessories need be washed with soap or baking soda. (I like a stainless kettle best, seems to be easy to clean).

Since tea is comprised of 99% water, the type of water you use will affect the clarity and taste of your beverage. So if your water tastes good then your tea will taste good.

The best type of water to use when brewing tea is filtered or bottled water (not distilled water) that is free of chemicals and chlorine. If that isn’t available and you are using tap water, run your faucet for around ten seconds and until the tap water is cold before filling your tea kettle.

For each cup of tea you prepare, you will want to heat 6 ounces of water. So if you are making a pot of tea, be sure you have pre-measured the amount of water the pot holds. The water temperature and length of steeping time varies by the blend of tea you are brewing.

One general tea brewing guideline for water temperature and steeping times is to adjust the heat and time based on your individual preferences.

If you are trying tea for the first time, you might want to try some of the teas made by The Republic of Tea.  They have some delicious flavors and are gluten-free.

Coffee Grinding and Brewing Methods

Charlene again here with Coffee Talk with Charlene!

Today we are going to talk about the different grinding and brewing methods associated with coffee. 

Grinding

There are four methods of grinding coffee beans: burr-grinding, roller grinding, pounding, and chopping. 

1. Burr mills are used to burr-grind beans.  These mills use two revolving abrasive elements, such as wheels or conical grinding elements.  The coffee beans are crushed or torn with little frictional heat between these elements.  This process releases the etherical oils that are more easily extracted during the brewing process making the coffee taste richer and smoother. 

Old time burr coffee grinders are still available to due this process manually.  I have found them for a great price at coffeemaker-outlet.com.  They have manual grinders as well as electric grinders.  I personally have a Fox run 5134 Coffee Grinder that I purchased for $17.49 plus shipping. It looks like an antique, but it brand new.  I have given one of these to all of my coffee connoisseur friends. I personally recommend the burr mill for home use.

2. In a roller grinder, the beans are ground between pairs of corrugated rollers. A roller grinder produces a more even grind size distribution and heats the ground coffee less than any other method.  But this is an extremely expensive piece of equipment and only used commercially. 

3. Pounding coffee requires that the grounds be almost powdery and you can do this with most burr grinders or with a mortar and pestle.

4. To chop coffee beans you use blades that rotate at a high speed like a home blender.  The problem with this method is that the grind is not uniform and the coffee is warmed by friction.  They also create coffee dust that clogs up sieves in espresso machines and French presses. 

Brewing

There are four main methods used to brew coffee grounds.  Brewed coffee kept hot will deteriorate rapidly in flavor.  Even at room temperature, deterioration will occur.  Electronic coffee makers boil the water and brew the infusion with little human assistance and sometimes according to a timer.  Some coffee makers even grind the coffee beans before brewing them.

1.      The first method for brewing coffee was boiling.  Simply pour boiling water over coffee grounds in a cup.  When the water cools the grounds sink to the bottom.  This is often referred to as “mud coffee.”  This is also sometimes referred to as “cowboy coffee.”  It is obvious that the grounds in the bottom of the cup will ruin the taste of your coffee, so other methods were developed.

2.      Steeping coffee is accomplished using a cafetiere or a French press.  This is a tall narrow cylinder with a plunger that includes a metal or nylon mesh filter.  Coffee or tea is placed in the cylinder and boiling water is poured in.  After a few minutes the plunger is pushed down, leaving the filter immediately above the grounds, allowing the coffee or tea to be poured out while the filter retains the grounds.  Just like there are tea bags, coffee bags can be purchased in some stores.  Using these bags will eliminate any need for extra filtering.   You can purchase a French press at coffeemaker-outlet.com.  They have them in two sizes.  They even come with a handle so you can leave the tea or coffee in the cylinder.

3.      Filters are used to “drip brew.”  This is the American method of brewing coffee.  Coffee is placed in a filter, hot water drips through the coffee grounds filter the coffee and leaving only the liquid with no grounds.  There are tons of different types of coffee makers from automated to manual, large to small and everything in between.  There are the old timey percolators that are used on a stove top.  They’re great for camping trips too.  The percolator has a bottom chamber that is filled with water, a middle section and an upside down pot placed on the top.  When the water boils, the coffee maker is flipped over to let the water filter through the coffee grounds.

4.      Pressure is used in making espresso.  Usually the water is 91 degrees Celsius and forced through a lightly packed matrix (called a puck) of finely ground coffee.  Espresso is traditionally served by itself or with dessert.  It is not usually drunk with a meal.

I love a good espresso from time to time, but you really can’t beat a good drip coffee maker!  American or not, they make a fantastic cup of coffee great for any time of day or occasion.  Next time we will look at American coffee makers and see which ones are the best for you.

How Coffee is made - The Coffee Plant

To start things off I would like to talk to you about the process of coffee making. 

Coffee comes from the beans of the coffee plant. Coffea arabica, is the most common plant used in coffee production.  The coffee plant is a tropical plant that grows more like a bush than a tree reaching 10-12 feet in height.  The coffee plant is not a winter hardy plant so it cannot be grown in temperate climate zones.  Coffee requires a lot of water, fertilizer and prefers alkaline (basic) soils.  The coffee beans are the seeds of the plant.  Many insects and animals eat these seeds.  The plant has created its on natural defense to these attacks, caffeine. 

Coffea arabica is considered to have the best flavor to produce brewed coffee.  Other types can be too bitter or too bold.  Cheaper brands of coffee may have a mixture of Coffea arabica and a substandard species.  You can usually tell the difference. 

There are a lot of politics surround coffee production and practices.  You can check that out on your own.  I have my own opinions, but I’m more interested in the processing of coffee after the beans have been harvested.

Coffee has to be ripened if picked green.  This is done in one of two ways, dry process, simpler and less intensive, wet process method, which incorporate fermentation yielding a milder coffee.  Fermentation results in a lot of coffee waste water.  Once the beans are ripened they have to be dried.  This is done either on a drying table or in the sun.  The best method is to use drying tables, but unfortunately this method is used less.  More modern methods have been introduced that produce inferior grade coffee.  More companies are returning to the traditional methods.

The next step is to roast the beans.  Roasting can change the taste of the beverage by changing the physical and chemical make-up of the coffee bean.  As the bean is roasted the weight decreases due to moisture lost.  When the temperature inside the bean reaches 200 degrees Celsius the roasting process begins.  Carmelization occurs as intense heat breaks down starches in the bean.  This changes the starch into simple sugars that brown changing the color of the bean from green to brown.  Aromatic oils are created when the acids weaken inside the beans.  These oils change the flavor.  One of the oils that give coffee its aroma and flavor is caffeol. 

The color of the bean determines the boldness of the bean.  If the bean is a darker brown it will have a more robust flavor.  Once the beans have dried they will be sorted into these different grades.  Darker roasts are bolder because they have less fiber content a more sugar.  Lighter roasts have a complex and stronger flavor. 

Decaffeinated coffee is somewhat of a misnomer.  Because coffee naturally creates caffeine it is difficult to remove all of it.  Decaffeination occurs when the beans are green.  They are soaked in hot water or steamed.  Then using a solvent to dissolve caffeine-containing oils the caffeine is removed.  The caffeine that is removed is often sold to the pharmaceutical industry.

To store the beans an airtight container must be used and placed in a cool, dark, and dry place.  This will help maintain the flavors of the coffee.  Ironically, the bags we often purchase coffee in are not the best method for storing coffee. 

If you think you would like to have a coffee plant in your house, go ahead and get one!  Don’t expect to get any coffee beans from it unless you live in the tropics.  The flowers are beautiful though!  If you live in a climate that is warmer most of the year they make a great ornamental plant.

Tune in next time to learn about the best ways to prepare coffee.