Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Manual Coffee Grinders with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:


manual coffee mill

A manual coffee mill.
Photo: Erin Meister

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

If a coffee appreciator buys small amounts of whole beans on a regular basis and has them ground fresh in the store -- and a coffee lover grinds those small batches at home just before using them -- then a coffee fanatic puts a little elbow grease into it, hand-cranking the burrs that chop the beans to bits seconds before brewing.

Just like when great-grandpappy had to go out back to turn over the engine on his Model T, folks would turn the lever on top of a wood-and-metal box-shaped grinder (like these) to start prepping their morning joe. But even without getting axle grease on your palms in order to start the car, you too can connect with your coffee in the same way your great-grandfolks did. Not only that, but after a while you'll have awesome guns to show for it.

If that doesn't make you want to become that coffee fanatic, keep reading after the jump.

Continue reading Manual Coffee Grinders with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>burr grindercoffeecoffee grindercoffee millcoffeemeistergrinderhand grinderhand millHandGrinderErin Meister2009-11-17T11:00:00+00:00Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Brewhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/#commentsFiled under: , ,

water in the coffee

Brewing coffee. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Since brewed coffee is more than 90 percent water, it only makes sense to use the perfect H20 for the job, right?

But what is the "perfect" water for coffee? Are we talking about highfalutin fountains that'll bleed you dry, or straight-from-the creek agua with turtles still in it? Will a Brita filter suffice? Read more after the jump.

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]]>brewing coffeecoffeecoffee watercoffeemeisterfiltered watertap waterTapWaterTDSwaterwater for coffeeWaterForCoffeeErin Meister2009-11-10T15:00:00+00:00Getting Robust(a) with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

unripened coffee beans

Robusta vs. Arabica beans, unripened on a coffee bush.
Photo: INeedCoffee / CoffeeHero, Flickr.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

 I know you thought we were through with the genus-species-kingdom stuff after high-school biology, but did you know there are two different species of coffee plant? Well, there are: Arabica, or high-altitude grown gourmet coffee, and Robusta, or the more environmentally tolerant (and much cheaper) sort of coffee often found in instant crystals and behind bodega counters around the world.

But is the latter really more "robust" than the haute Arabica? Find out after the jump.

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]]>arabicaarabica coffeeArabicaCoffeebeanscaffeinatedcoffeecoffeecoffee beansCoffeeBeanscoffeemeisterrobustarobusta coffeeRobustaCoffeetwo types of coffeeTwoTypesOfCoffeeErin Meister2009-11-03T15:00:00+00:00Fine Dining, Bad Coffee with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , ,

cappuccino

A typical cappuccino. Photo: Karen Roe, Flickr.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Ah, the triumphant leaning back in your chair after a great meal at the season's "it" restaurant, pushing away the licked-clean plate and wishing you could loosen your belt in polite company. "Why sure, we'd love to see the dessert menu. And I'll have a cappuccino."

But then the cappuccino comes. It's got bitter, thin espresso topped with stiff, dry peaks of overdone milk covered in heaps of cheap cocoa powder. And, well ... it's not worth the $6 they're charging for it.

Does it have to be this way? Can there be such a thing as truly great restaurant coffee? Find out after the jump.

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]]>baristascappuccinocoffeecoffeemeisterrestaurant coffeeErin Meister2009-10-27T15:00:00+00:00A Breathtaking Brew with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

A Japanese siphon pot in Portland. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

If some of your favorite things are "Gossip Girl," health-care-reform debates and game 7 of the World Series, it sounds like you might be drawn to the dramatic -- which says to me that maybe you'd like to try brewing coffee in an über-theatrical Japanese siphon brewer.

Ah, yes: the blazing heat, the cauldron-like bubbling, the unpredictable drop of the finished java and the clean, dynamic coffee flavor. It couldn't be more dramatic if it were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

How does it work? Find out after the jump.

Continue reading A Breathtaking Brew with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeecoffee brewingcoffeemeistersiphonsyphonvacuum potVacuumPotErin Meister2009-10-20T15:00:00+00:00Coffee (and Vino!) Varieties with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

Wine labels on coffee bags.
Wine labels on coffee bags. Photo: biskuit, Flickr.
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

As oenophiles know, variety is everything.

OK, not everything, but definitely something. And the same goes for coffee.

Much as wine grapes come in different cultivars (as anyone who prefers a Cabernet Franc to a Cabernet Sauvignon can tell you), coffee can be born to one of thousands of types, both heirloom and hybrid, which can have an impact on a coffee's productivity, appearance and, certainly, flavor.

While much is made of the variety of a particular grape (or apple, for fruit fans; or rose, for gardeners; or rice, for starch lovers), a large percentage of coffee farmers don't grow any one single type on their land, and many can't even be sure how much of their farm is one variety or another. Largely for this reason, any coffee that can be identified, with certainty, by its type is often cause for celebration among bean heads. The famous Esmeralda coffee I mentioned last week, for instance, is special in part because it comprises an exotic, transplanted Ethiopian variety called Gesha or Geisha (likely named for a spot in Ethiopia -- many African coffee varieties are christened for their proximity to certain villages or regions, such as Harrar and Sidamo).

Read more about coffee varieties after the jump.

Continue reading Coffee (and Vino!) Varieties with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeecoffee beanscoffee varietescoffee varietiescoffee varietyCoffeeBeanscoffeemeisterCoffeeVarietescounter culture coffeeCounterCultureCoffeecultivarsstumptownStumptownCoffeevarietiesErin Meister2009-10-13T15:00:00+00:00Breaking the Bank with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

How much are these beans worth? Photo: Erin Meister.
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Kobe beef, aged single-malt Scotch, a $1,000 pizza -- there's seemingly no limit on how much a foodie will spend on the ultimate taste experience.

So how about a nice, steaming hot cup of coffee ... for $10, or more?

Not unlike its more respected buddy made from fermented grapes, exceptional, rare and just plain wacky coffees have begun to fetch higher prices all over the world. Panama's now-famous farm Hacienda la Esmeralda, for instance, has been commanding record prices for its green beans, setting world records for auction sales in 2004 ($21/pound), 2006 ($50.25/pound) and 2007 (a whopping $130/pound).

But is it a matter of simply being impressed by the price tag, or is there something to these top-shelf beans? Read on to find out.

Continue reading Breaking the Bank with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeecoffeemeisterEsmeraldaSpecialexpensive coffeeExpensiveCoffeegeisha coffeeGeishaCoffeehacienda la esmeraldaHaciendaLaEsmeraldaKopiLuwakPTs coffeePtsCoffeeErin Meister2009-10-06T11:00:00+00:00Lucky Clover with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Well, what do you know? Clovers really are lucky.

Of course, I'm not talking about the four-leaf kind, though that type's pretty rare, too. No, I mean the Clover coffee maker, a high-tech gadget that dropped jaws all over bean circles a few years ago, with its deeply sophisticated, digital one-cup-at-a-time brewing (not to mention the $11K price tag).

At first, the machines were the pride of the serious coffee lover, with independent cafés snapping them up as a way of showcasing artisanal coffees one by one, instead of losing them to the murky depths of an insulated thermos. But when Starbucks bought the Clover technology last year, the funky-looking little metal boxes were suddenly less and less available to your average café owner, becoming proprietary to the green mermaid.

So why is this lucky? Because it started a revolution. Or, more accurately, a renaissance. Read more about getting lucky with cup-at-a-time coffee after the jump.

Continue reading Lucky Clover with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>cafe grumpyCafeGrumpycloverclover coffeeclover coffee machineCloverCoffeecoffeecoffee brewingCoffeeBrewingcoffeemeisterstarbucksErin Meister2009-09-29T15:00:00+00:00The CoffeeMeister Talks Coffee Filtershttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/#commentsFiled under:

An unbleached filter in a Chemex brewer. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Aside from beans and water, the coffee-brewing puzzle almost always requires at least one other element: a filter. Just about every method or machine utilizes them -- French press plungers have fine-mesh screens, espresso machines use perforated metal baskets, electric drip-coffee makers require the ubiquitous accordion-fold filters and even preground coffee pods come in their own little brew packs to keep the grounds at bay (that is, out of your teeth).

Understanding your filter situation can actually be a bit confusing, since there are myriad varieties available in a host of sizes, shapes and materials. Trying to make sense of the coffee-filter section at the market is not unlike trying to find the right replacement mop head (there's about an 80 percent chance of failure).

Read on for more about coffee filters.

Continue reading The CoffeeMeister Talks Coffee Filters

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]]>chemexcoffee filtersCoffeeFilterscoffeemeistererinmeistermanual brew systemsManualBrewSystemsmelittareusable filtersReusableFiltersErin Meister2009-09-22T13:00:00+00:00Chock full o'Nuts Coffee to Open Restauranthttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/chock-full-onuts-coffee-to-open-restaurant/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/chock-full-onuts-coffee-to-open-restaurant/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/chock-full-onuts-coffee-to-open-restaurant/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

chock full o'nuts neon sign
Photo: dangoldman, Flickr.
A well-known coffee company is returning to its roots in New York City.

This December, Chock full o'Nuts will open its first full-service restaurant since the chain shuttered its last restaurant in 1990, company officials tell Crain's New York Business.

The 2,800-square-foot restaurant will open less than a block from the Flatiron Building in Manhattan and serve up old favorites from its last bout decades ago in the restaurant arena, Crain's said.

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]]>chock full onutsChockFullInutsRestaurantChockFullOnutsChockFullOnutsRestaurantcoffeecrains new yorkCrainsNewYorkmanhattannutted cheese sandwichesNuttedCheeseSandwichesrestaurantwhole wheat doughnutsWholeWheatDoughnutswilliam blackWilliamBlackSara Bonisteel2009-09-15T15:00:00+00:00Home Espresso Machines with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,


rancilio silvia espresso machine
A Rancilio Silvia
home espresso machine.
Photo: Jay Ritmista, Flickr
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Hooked on espresso? Yeah, me too. But not because we need it, right? It's because we love it. It isn't just a caffeine fix -- it's an act of passion. It's a foodie's delight.

Brewing espresso at home is a luxury enjoyed by few but might be more accessible than you think: Decent equipment starts at a basic splurge level before moving into "coffee has taken control of my life" exorbitance -- I swear!

Here's a guide to finding a machine that fits your needs (and your bank account).

Continue reading Home Espresso Machines with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>brewing espressoBrewingEspressobrewtuscounter culture coffeeCounterCultureCoffeeerin meisterErinMeisterespressoespresso at homeespresso doseespresso machineEspressoAtHomeEspressoDoseEspressoMachinegaggiahomemade espressoHomemadeEspressola marzoccoLaMarzoccomaking espressoMakingEspressomokarancilio silviaRancilioSilviaErin Meister2009-09-15T14:00:00+00:00Decaffeinated Pride with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

coffee, decaf coffee, decaffeinated coffee, green coffee, unroasted coffee
Unroasted decaf coffee beans. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

I say nuts to baristas who turn their noses up at decaf. As far as I'm concerned, decaf drinkers are the salt of the earth, and I think it's high time they get their due.

Just think of it: There are millions upon millions of regular-coffee guzzlers who'll down 20 ounces of swill just to get a fix, but I see decaf devotees as folks who pursue coffee just for the sheer love of it. It's gotta be love, since the buzz isn't the main draw. Not only that, but poor decaffers are often stuck with the dregs: Stale coffee left sitting in an urn for hours, espresso poorly made by way of utter dismissal and even snide service from pro-caffeinators.

Well call me naive, but I just gotta stick up for the (probably pretty tired) underdog. Though the FDA has long considered caffeine a "safe" substance (though it is, strictly speaking, a kind of drug), try telling that to the folks who toss and turn all night as penance for a 6 p.m. cuppa. (And I can definitely sympathize.) Or worse yet, people who are allergic to the stuff!

But how does the buzz get out of that little bean? Click through to find out.

Continue reading Decaffeinated Pride with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeecoffeemeisterdecaf coffeeDecafCoffeedecaffeinatederin meisterErinMeisterswiss water methodSwissWaterMethodErin Meister2009-09-08T14:00:00+00:00Instant Coffee Taste Testhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/instant-coffee-taste-test/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/instant-coffee-taste-test/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/instant-coffee-taste-test/#commentsFiled under: ,

We chugged our way through more than two dozen different blends so you'll know which brands are worth sipping -- or skipping. After our jitters subsided, one clear winner emerged. Click on to see how your favorites fared.
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=694120&pid=694119&uts=1250801161
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Instant Coffee Taste Test
We're not coffee snobs, but we're hard pressed to think of a single instance where we'd pick the stir-in stuff over some java that's hot from a freshly-brewed pot. Still, sometimes we need a caffeine fix on the go or in a jiffy, and there's not a bean to be seen.

We chugged our way through more than two dozen different blends so you'll know which brands are worth sipping -- and skipping. Keep clicking to see our reviews from the deepest dregs to the creme de la cafe.
Rachel Been, AOL
Getty Images North America

Instant Coffee Taste Test

    We're not coffee snobs, but we're hard pressed to think of a single instance where we'd pick the stir-in stuff over some java that's hot from a freshly-brewed pot. Still, sometimes we need a caffeine fix on the go or in a jiffy, and there's not a bean to be seen.

    We chugged our way through more than two dozen different blends so you'll know which brands are worth sipping -- and skipping. Keep clicking to see our reviews from the deepest dregs to the creme de la cafe.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Chock Full O'Nuts

    Sip or skip? Skip. Skip very, VERY far away.

    Pass for brewed? No

    Tasting Notes: Wow, what a tease. We were beckoned in by a yummy smell, but the flavor -- ugh. It's cruelly sour with an undertone of rotting veggies and chock full o' yuck.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Nescafe Clasico

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? Never

    Tasting Notes: This barely even passes for instant java, and packs a bitter, chemical afterburn that took forever to get off our tongues. No mas, por favor.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Roast

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? No way

    Tasting Notes: It smells okay, but has no flavor whatsover. Sure, the pack's convenient -- if you have an on-the-go hankering for the taste of brown water.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Decaf

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? No

    Tasting Notes: No aroma, no flavor, no caffeine -- not a single reason to bother.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Rocket Fuel

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? As the worst gas station coffee you've ever had

    Tasting Notes: It smells like dust, and while it's billed as "rich, dark, powerful coffee," all we're getting is a seismic blast of bitterness.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Sanka

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? Really bad, burned decaf

    Tasting Notes: We're really feeling the burn on this one. The flavor is oddly reminiscent of scorched cheese -- not something we're looking to encounter first thing in the a.m.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Brown Gold

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? Perhaps for metallic conference room coffee

    Tasting Notes: It's got a strange dusty, papery smell and a tinny taste -- is that the "gold" part? And what the heck is an Excelsio bean?

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Folgers Classic Roast

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? No

    Tasting Notes: If this odor-free, sour, bitter blend is indeed the best part of waking up, we suggest you just stay tucked in bed.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    White Rose Original Blend

    Sip or skip? Skip

    Pass for brewed? Maybe at Homer Simpson's nuclear plant.

    Tasting Notes: Savor the taste and aroma of cardboard dunked in hot water? Have we got the brew for you!

    Rachel Been, AOL

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]]>brown goldBrownGoldcafe bustelocafe pilonCafeBusteloCafePilonchock full onutsChockFullOnutscoffeeespressofolgersfolgers coffeefolgers in your cupFolgersCoffeeFolgersInYourCupinstant coffeeInstantCoffeemaxwell houseMaxwellHousemount hagenMountHagennescaferocket fuelRocketFuelsankastarbucksstarbucks viaStarbucksViataste testtaste testsTasteTestTasteTestsSlashfood Editor2009-09-01T16:46:00+00:00A CoffeeMeister Q&A with Career-Change Cafe Ownershttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/#commentsFiled under: ,

alex clark and aaron hagegorn
Alex Clark and Aaron Hagegorn of New York's Ost Café. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Sometimes it seems like owning a coffee shop is on everybody's bucket list: Travel around the world, write the great American novel, retire and open a top-notch café. Last year, Alex Clark, 26, and Aaron Hagedorn, 33, checked that last one off, abandoning their steady (if somewhat boring) financial-sector 9-to-5s in midtown Manhattan for predawn mornings and late, overcaffeinated nights helming Ost Café in Gotham's Alphabet City neighborhood.

The friends traded in their office desks for Ost's beautiful corner location in an ever up-and-coming part of town -- complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of sunlight -- in order to live the proverbial dream as small-business owners... but do they think it was worth it? Leave it to the CoffeeMeister to find out.

Continue reading A CoffeeMeister Q&A with Career-Change Cafe Owners

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]]>aaron hagegornAaronHagegornalex clarkAlexClarkcafecoffeecoffee shopcoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterost cafeOstCafeowning a cafeErin Meister2009-09-01T11:00:00+00:00Cafecito with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

cafecito, cafe Cubano, Cuban coffee, coffee
A cafecito (with a Hemingway Special chaser). Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Doesn't the heat make you daydream about being someplace else?

Someplace tropical and friendly, where the heat is part of the romance -- bellying up to a Havana lunch counter, enjoying the languid spinning of a lazy ceiling fan, the cool droplets crawling down the side of a sweating glass, the tinny tenor of cantador Beny Moré. And, naturally, a coffee.

You're thinking, "Coffee?! Who daydreams about coffee while sweat is making tracks down your spine?"

Me, that's who.

Brutal summer days are made for cafecito -- the thick, strong Cuban-style espresso brewed with sugar that's best when belted first thing in the morning. It may look like a regular ol' espresso, but the extra sweet kick might just jump-start your day a little quicker.

A muy tropical cafecito video, after the jump.

Continue reading Cafecito with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>cafecafe cubanocafecitocoffeecoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeistervideoErin Meister2009-08-25T14:00:00+00:00Coffee, Seed to Cup, with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

hills
Coffee beans drying. Photo: william.neuheisel, Flickr

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Hey, wait a sec! Are you really about to dump out the rest of the too-big coffee you ordered this morning, drank a third of, forgot about and let get lukewarm? Come on, pal -- you think this stuff grows on trees?

Well, actually, it kind of does -- except they're more like bushes. And the beans that we enjoy roasted, ground and percolated in the morning are actually seeds, not beans: They're more like a cherry pit than any legume you put in your famous Super Bowl Sunday chili. And much like every other fresh fruit or vegetable we enjoy, the beauty and deliciousness of a coffee is fleeting, seasonal and really labor intensive.

Read more about coffee's journey from seed to cup after the jump.

Continue reading Coffee, Seed to Cup, with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterErin Meister2009-08-18T16:00:00+00:00Cool Coffee Ice Cubes - Feast Your Eyes http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/14/cool-coffee-ice-cubes-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/14/cool-coffee-ice-cubes-feast-your-eyes/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/14/cool-coffee-ice-cubes-feast-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

coffee
Coffee ice cubes. Photo: Joanne Choi, Week of Menus.
Whoever came up with the idea to put coffee over ice is an unsung hero to caffeine addicts everywhere, who, as a result, can snag their coffee fixes on 100-degree days without chugging 100-degree beverages.

The only drawback, of course, is when the ice melts and that much-beloved morning treat becomes an unappetizing coffee-water hybrid. Here's a twist on the coffee ice cubes we reminded you to make earlier this summer: Joanne Choi from Week of Menus busted out her cubes and plopped them into a glass of milk.

Both clever and appetizing, each chilly caffeinated cube looks good enough to savor on its own -- a coffee Popsicle, if you will -- but, when lounging in a glass of ice-cold milk, they create a sort of inverse iced coffee. Genius.

[Via Week of Menus]
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]]>coffeecoffee ice cubesiced coffeejoanne choiJoanneChoimilkweek of menusEmily Farris2009-08-14T10:00:00+00:00Test Your Coffee Knowledge with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

coffee, cup of coffee, java
Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

There are a lot of awesome jobs out there, but if I may say so, I think I've got one of the best: Getting paid to taste, learn and teach about coffee. (Great for the palate, maybe not so great for a night's sleep.) But as much as I've been able to learn while busily caffeinating New York City, there's always more to be discovered. Coffee's so fascinating, it could be its own Trivial Pursuit category. I thought I'd share five of the best facts I've picked up along the way about our favorite little buzzin' bean, for you to wow your coffee-loving friends with.

5. Espresso has less caffeine than a cup of drip coffee ... sort of. A 7-ounce cuppa joe averages about 150 mg of caffeine, while a 1.5- to 2-ounce shot of espresso yields roughly 100 mg (data varies from source to source). But yes, strictly speaking, drip coffee does have more caffeine per total volume -- but not per ounce. Espresso wins that round, hands down.

4. Coffee is one of the most complex things we consume. Clocking in with nearly 1,000 aromatic compounds (and more being discovered all the time), coffee runs laps around even red wine, which contains about a third as many.

Three more after the (jittery) jump!

Continue reading Test Your Coffee Knowledge with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>coffeecoffee factscoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterfactsliststhe coffeemeisterTheCoffeemeistertriviaErin Meister2009-08-12T15:00:00+00:00Affogatos with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , ,

affogato
Affogato al caffé. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Picture this: New York City, August, 2009. It's hot -- I mean really hot. Like, stick to the seats on the subway hot. You're feeling mighty low and mighty steamed, and all you want is a belt of something quick and cool to keep you moving. Something that'll put the spring back into your step.

You know what you need, buddy? A caffeinated dessert. An affogato al caffé.

When you finally get one and it does the trick, turn your re-energized self toward Italy and give 'em a salute: Not only did our friends on the boot give us both the espresso and gelato that make up this icy indulgence, but they did us one better by putting them together. The resulting dessert, often shortened to simply affogato -- literally "drowned" in Italian -- is heavenly in its traditional form (a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with freshly brewed espresso), so even tiny tweaks (chocolate ice cream) or additions (Frangelico) can make it sublime.

Continue reading Affogatos with the CoffeeMeister

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]]>affocato al caffeaffogatocoffeecoffeemeisterespressogelatoErin Meister2009-08-04T13:00:00+00:00Mona Lisa Recreated Out of Coffeehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/mona-lisa-recreated-out-of-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/mona-lisa-recreated-out-of-coffee/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/mona-lisa-recreated-out-of-coffee/#commentsFiled under: ,

mona
Photo: Andy_Tyler, Flickr
One of the world's most iconic paintings got a caffeinated makeover recently in Sydney, Australia, when eight people recreated her image using 3,604 cups of coffee and 564 pints of milk, the Telegraph reported Tuesday.

The "painting," which measured 20 feet by 13 feet, was part of an Aussie coffee festival. Different amounts of milk were used to produce the desired effects in skin tone. (A few up-close shots of the coffee cups can be seen here.)

Folks can't seem to get enough of recreating this visage in various edible forms. Remember the burger-grease Mona?

[Via the Daily Telegraph]
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]]>coffeemona lisaMonaLisastuntstelegraphAlex Van Buren2009-08-04T11:00:00+00:00