Talking Espresso and Great Coffee

Yes, we have seen plenty of infographics on coffee and the varieties of coffee drinks. Some are cool and some are… well, not. This one is on the fun and cool side.

The graphic, created by the folks at Plaid, is more for the average joe coffee drinker but would be very nice to see in every coffee house around the US. Not many folks know what is in a drink they see on the board or they order something they heard about only to find out that it contains something they don’t like.

Small corner of the master “A guide to the complex world of coffee” works:

The Plaid Blog mentions they may be doing a print soon so check in there from time to time if you want something more than the gif they are providing.

Yogurt is one of those food items that has never really caught on with me. From time to time I will have a berry one as a snack but it isn’t part of my regular meal plan. It can be interesting to see all the flavors available though. Why have just Strawberry when you could have Strawberry and Banana… or Strawberry, Banana and Blueberries. Each one on the shelf is just more flavors mixed in than the previous. Until I hit the end of the row, there was Coffee Flavored. Just Coffee and Yogurt. I just had to know.

You have to be a drip coffee lover to like Yoplait’s coffee flavored yogurt. It has a rather strong coffee flavor with an aftertaste you would expect from drinking a cup of coffee. Of course, there is the weirdness to a coffee flavor to something with the consistency of yogurt. The coffee flavoring doesn’t completely hide the yogurt flavor. An unusual mix of flavors, I can imagine this has a very limited market of either lovers or haters. It isn’t the flavor that someone will buy a second time if they didn’t like it. Personally, it wont be my first grab since I enjoy more than just the flavor of coffee from my cup of coffee. But, sure, I’ll buy it again.

While this ‘treat’ is 99% fat free, it isn’t free of calories. 170 calories isn’t ‘no calories’ but it is definitely on the low side of your options for an afternoon snack. Those afternoons when you want the flavor of coffee but aren’t worried about the ‘stay awake’ of your afternoon cup.

Brandy has gotten her hands on the Starbucks Iced VIA, here are her thoughts!

I was so excited to read that Starbucks now has Iced VIA! I order frappuccinos and iced coffee year-round, even if it’s 26 degrees outside. You can make regular Starbucks VIA® iced, but you have to be patient (which I’m not).

At first sight, mixing Starbucks VIA® Iced Coffee in the cold water made me a little nervous. Initially, a film surfaces while you stir and I wasn’t so sure it was going to dissolve, after all. I should’ve had more faith in Starbucks! The directions say to start with the cold water first; I disagree. It works much better if you pour the mix in the cup first and the water on top. Stirring with a spoon took longer than I’d hoped to dissolve the grounds. (Did I mention I’m impatient?) However, shaking the mixture in an enclosed container (like the VIA Shaker Tumbler, which comes complete with measurements on the side) works much more efficiently. Another trick (while not ideal if you’re truly “on-the-go”) is to use two cups and pour the coffee from one to another until it’s fully dissolved. Once dissolved, just add ice & you’re good to go! VIA comes lightly sweetened, but I prefer to add sugar and milk (and occasionally a little chocolate syrup for an iced mocha). And, the taste? Iced VIA does not disappoint. Each packet makes 16 oz. of coffee. A 5-pack box costs $5.95, but Starbucks and Starbucks.com are currently issuing $1 instant coupons, for a total of $4.95 per box.

There are a lot of really, er… interesting coffee pot designs that we all know will never make it to our local supplier. Every now and then there is a design that is simple and really should get a manufacturer’s attention. Sadly, this one looks and works in concept very well but will get missed by the masses.

There is nothing new here in the science of coffee making. In fact, there are makers on the market that look similar. This ‘gravity defying’ coffee maker by Lina Fischer would look great in the middle of the table when coffee drinkers come together. The Yanko Design site has this posted on their Form Beyond Function Web site. Hmmm…. think someone should tell IKEA about this design?

Randy Krum and his CoolInfographics site is well known for digging up fun Infographics all sorts of subjects. Many of the graphics on his site he did himself, including The Caffeine Poster.

He has taken the time to research and create a graphic that takes us through the many popular drinks that contain Caffeine (excluding Tea). Colas, drip coffee, Starbucks, Einstein Bros, the Energy Drinks and many more top brands. As well, Randy noted key items in the chart, like coffee half life in the human body is 4.9 hours and ‘the jitters’ set in at 300mg of caffeine.

Fun for this particular poster is that he took the time to do a ‘Making-of. It covers how he collected data, what software he used to build the infographic and even his notes in his moleskin along the way. I enjoyed his parts on where the data came from and his first few attempts at the graphic till he got it just right. I would say he had a winner here. Maybe there will be enough interest for him to end up doing a poster, which he mentions is under consideration. Also under consideration is looking over this poster before you buy your next drink now that you have the facts.

Doing so many meetings at a variety of coffee houses around the world, I see and hear folks order some interesting combinations of drinks. Most get to the point that I’m not sure why they have coffee in the mix, they end up with a super sweet drink to push down the coffee taste. I appriciate everyone has their own tastes. That is why when I saw the below, I just had to mention it. The folks back at the office will try it when our order gets in, just because they will try ‘anything’ bacon.

In full disclosure, I heard about the coffee from visiting one of my advertisers over on the right. Just looking around at what was different, and this option really hit me as ‘different’.

Even though they list the name as Maple Bacon flavored, I’m wondering if it will be less sweet than adding syrups in the finished drip coffee. More of a flavor ‘with’ the coffee rather than over the top.

Watch for a review here. Maybe some face shots if folks really love it or… they don’t. They loved the Mint Chocolate I brought in last week from the same folks, but this might be a stretch. Fun!

Nestle is recalling 100g jars of Nescafe Alta Rica, Alta Rica Decaff, Cap Colombie, Suraya & Espresso. Due to the possibility of small pieces of glass in the jars. Customers should be expecting refunds. The company reports that the recall shouldn’t be needed for any other products.

The recall is getting news all around the world, which really shows how far reaching the product is. The Times Live – South Africa, CBC - Canada, Arab News, Irish Independent,  and the Voice of Russia.  There doesn’t seem to be any mention of a particular bar code, ID coded or expiration date to limit down which are OK and which are not.

Brandy has been keeping her eyes open for new instant coffee offerings. And it appears she has found a box of Cappuccino that Costco is selling under their Kirkland brand name. Here is what Brandy found:

Kirkland Signature Café Cappuccino™ is a little like a coffee house in a packet. You can make it hot, iced, or blend it for a cost-efficient, do-it-yourself frappuccino.

Ideally, I appreciate the convenience of premeasured, prepackaged coffee, but only if it’s worthwhile. This one is. Personally, I love that it comes in a premeasured packet, as opposed to a canister. I can carry it with me (and I don’t have to worry about how much mix to use).

The consistency of this mix is much better than similarly marketed easy-prep cappuccino mixes. This one doesn’t settle to the bottom quickly and doesn’t come off as watery-tasting (which I find to be the fatal flaw in Folgers and Hills Bros. cappuccino mixes). That gave me the confidence to be a little more creative. (Such liberties are not recommended with inferior coffee mixes; trust me.)

But, let’s not lose sight of the most important part: The espresso! Many competitors’ brands contain the instant coffee, but lack the instant espresso. What’s the point? So, if you’re too lazy to lug your espresso machine around with you (or too cheap to buy one in the first place), this could be a viable alternative.

I prefer iced coffee, which we were able to easily achieve. The package also suggests blending, which I also did. Simply add milk (or water) and ice and mix in the blender. I topped it off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and even forewent my morning trip to Starbucks. (We also blended it with vanilla ice cream and served it in shot glasses with whipped cream and sprinkles for a dessert treat.)

Kirkland Signature Café Cappuccino retails for about $1 a serving, which allows you to give your wallet and your barista a break.

These are big packets! Here is the Kirkland instant cappuccino next to the Starbucks VIA.

There is that point when the really dark coffee from your espresso machine starts to lighten – known as the crema. What if you cut the pressure off just before the color changes? What if you let it go a bit longer as the color goes light? How about steaming your milk… while having the foaming head just below the surface froths the best, what if you went deeper initially. Will the milk taste a lot different if you heat from the bottom or the top of the milk container? How much difference does 160 vs 165 vs 180 degree milk?

There is the text book ‘right’ answer to all of the above. Very specific rules that you can find if you look around the internet or learn in a school. To understand the difference between acceptable espresso compared to great espresso is more than if it is more bitter or mild. There are many items you will want to take into consideration when rating a drink.

The International Coffee Organization has a long list of items that you may want to look over to think about when you take your cup in hand. Aromas… ashy, burnt, medicinal, chocolate-like, carmel, and many more. Tastes… acidity, bitterness, sweetness, saltiness and sourness. Mouthfeel… body and astringency. A lot of descriptive words, that they offer more detail to so you can use the information to narrow down what your really experiencing.

Randy Glass back in 2006 did a very nice reading post called “A Beginners’ Guide to Tasting Espresso”. He took a similar list to the one I referenced above to work his way through his settings and bean options. You may relate to everything you have heard about wine tasting, espresso is very similar.

After paying attention to the aroma, taste and feel of different coffees… you will have an advantage of knowing what your drinking and if the preparer has done it with care and fresh products. It’s all about enjoying your espresso!

If your a iPhone or iPod Touch owner… and a Espresso Fan, here is a few free images you can use as backdrops. They are all sized to be backdrops so you do not need to alter them. If you do not know how to use/install these, I have included instructions at the end of the post.

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