what is good alcohol to mix with coffee?

Brewing Great Coffee

Only a few can disagree that a great day starts with a cup of rich coffee. A great flavored cup of hot coffee is a perfect way to begin your day. And most of the readers interested in this article like it that way only. The most important part in getting close to the perfect cup of coffee is brewing. This part is quite crucial once you have selected and grinded the fine gourmet coffee beans. Of course, brewing only starts after you have grinded the coffee well. For those who know less about brewing let us make it clear that the basic principal which is common to all methods brewing coffee is to immerse ground coffee in hot water to extract the flavor and aroma of the coffee so that the drink you get is rich in both mentioned above. So lot many things are to be understood with absolute clarity if you are planning to brew the coffee all by yourself.

While brewing the coffee, the coffee maker also plays an important role. The most commonly used coffee maker is the one which uses drip method and so it is essential to understand how to brew the coffee using it. The least bothered about element while brewing coffee is water. But a bit consideration to this element can drastically change the flavor of your coffee. We suggest you to use fresh filtered water for brewing. Always add fresh and cold water to your coffee maker. It is a misconception that it is better to add hot water for brewing coffee. Adding hot water directly to your coffee make not only changes the overall flavor of the coffee but can also ruin the coffee maker. So better add cold water only. Another factor is cleaning the coffee maker. Always ensure that your coffee maker is absolutely clean as the unwanted elements like water sediments and coffee oil can add to the brewing process and will change the taste of the coffee for the worst of it. That is why it is very essential to clean your coffee maker regularly so that nothing gets mixed up with the process of brewing coffee.

The most important step is to measure the proper amount of coffee for your brew. The most common method is to use two level teaspoons for every six ounces of water. You can always adjust it according to your taste to make your coffee either darker or lighter. It is better not to trust the measurements on your coffee pot as these are often wrong and sometime it is found that the machines cup is four ounces instead of six. Another aspect to remember while you brew the coffee is to brew only the amount of coffee that you will be consuming in the next hour. Keeping the coffee in the burner for more than this time may result in the coffee losing flavor, taste or even the aroma that eventually makes it stale.

Coffee Liqueur Brownies
Submitted by: Lisa Jane
Original recipe yield: 4 – 8×8 inch pans.
Prep Time:
30 Minutes
Cook Time:
35 Minutes
Ready In:
9 Hours 5 Minutes
Servings:
72 (change)
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 pounds semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup instant coffee granules
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 8 eggs
* 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour four 8×8 inch baking pans.
2. Place the chocolate chips and the coffee granules in a double boiler over simmering water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs two at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, then mix in the melted chocolate. Mix in flour until just blended. Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans, and spread smooth.
4. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until the edges pull from the sides of the pans. Cool on a wire rack. Cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours. Cut the cold brownies into bars to serve.
Cappuccino Brownies
Original recipe yield: 4 – 8×8 inch pans.
Prep Time:
30 Minutes
Cook Time:
35 Minutes
Ready In:
9 Hours 5 Minutes
Servings:
72 (change)
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 pounds semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup instant coffee granules
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 8 eggs
* 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour four 8×8 inch baking pans.
2. Place the chocolate chips and the coffee granules in a double boiler over simmering water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs two at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, then mix in the melted chocolate. Mix in flour until just blended. Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans, and spread smooth.
4. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until the edges pull from the sides of the pans. Cool on a wire rack. Cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours. Cut the cold brownies into bars to serve.

Melitta Coffee Pod Tutorial

By R.L. Fielding

As hectic as life can be from minute to minute and day to day, coffee lovers out there always seem to be able to find time for a refreshing cup of joe. Whether you are trying to jumpstart your day in the morning or searching for that late afternoon pick-me-up, coffee pods might just be the secret to conquering your hankering.

For the coffee or tea enthusiasts who are sick of the messy clean-up and tired of waiting for their coffee to brew at home or in the office, the Melitta One:One, may be the perfect solution. What is the Melitta One:One?

The Melitta One:One java pod coffee maker is a single cup coffee maker that brews fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute. They are designed for use with Melitta coffee pods, which are individually packaged portions of freshly ground gourmet coffee or tea. The pod-filter design guarantees perfectly sized servings every time with no mess and no clean up.

If pod coffee brewing appeals to your tastebuds, but seems a bit foreign to you, here’s a tutorial to help you get started:What do I need?

Not a whole heck of a lot! Obviously, you’ll need to purchase a Melitta pod brewer, which costs approximately $49.99 and can brew two sizes – the 5 oz. bold European-style coffee or the 8oz. traditional American style. The beauty of this pod brewer is that there is no measuring or mess involved. Once you fill up the 28-ounce metered tank with water, you can make up to 5 consecutive servings without refilling. The only other thing you will need to get started is a supply of coffee or tea pods, whichever your preference and, of course, an electrical outlet to plug the brewer in! What can I brew?

The Melitta Coffee Pod brews just about anything, including light coffees like the Melitta One: Breakfast Blend; medium coffees like the Melitta One: Love at First Sip Pods; or dark coffees like the Melitta One: Buzzworthy Pods. The Pod also brews speciality flavored coffees like Crème Brulee, Pumpkin Spice or Southern Pecan. And for those coffee connoisseurs who love the taste, but hate the caffeine, you can always find decaf coffee pods such as the Melitta One: Skip the Buzz Pods.

Tea drinkers will also be pleased to know that they can enjoy their tea pod-style as well. Melitta One makes a variety of tea pod flavors such as green, raspberry and chai tea.

Coffee drinkers can even get a bit creative and enjoy their favorite brands of store-bought coffee by making their own coffee pods. Simply pour a few scoops of your favorite coffee into a small drip-style filter, fold over the edges and press the pod folds firmly with a vitamin jar, for example, and you can enjoy your very own homemade coffee pods. Brewing How-To

Once you have your favorite Melitta coffee pod or homemade pod in hand, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get brewing:

1. Fill the water tank with water up to the “MAX” line. A full tank will yield up to 24-oz of coffee or tea, which is approximately three 8 oz. mugs.

2. Press the power light/indicator button. The indicator light will flash while the water heats up and heating will take approximately 1 – ½ minutes.

3. Open the lid.

4. Assemble the drip spout to the pod chamber.

5. Place the drip spout assembly inside the One:One. Clean Up Is a Snap!

One of the great benefits to using a coffee pod like is that there is little cleanup and maintenance. Each of the pods can be used approximately two times, then discard. The water tank should be refreshed every day for best results and the drip spout assembly rinsed and thoroughly cleaned every few days.

It’s a good idea to keep coffee pods in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Storing them in an airtight container may yield ultimate freshness.

Melitta coffee pods should be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct light. To lock in freshness, always store coffee pods in an airtight container. The coffee pods provide easy and quick solutions for those coffee and tea lovers who are on the go. They are simple to use and maintain – and in this day and age of hustle and bustle – are a real time saver.About CoffeeCow

CoffeeCow.com goes to great lengths to provide the highest quality products, the fastest service, and the deepest discount prices you will find on Melitta coffee pods, single cup coffee makers, and a wide selection of related coffee supplies. Developed by coffee professionals with over 35 years of experience in fulfilling any coffee service need, CoffeeCow offers all the coffee conveniences for your home or office. Visit http://www.coffeecow.com for more information.

Trying to make a coffee blancmange. Recipe calls for coffee essence.
Can this ‘coffee essence’ which I believe is artifical coffee favour, be replaced by a few teaspoons of instant coffee?

Coffee Brewing Methods range from popular Espresso or French Press methods to lesser used methods like Turkish. Here we explore the four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods: Espresso, French Press, Drip Filtration and Mokta or Stovetop method. Espresso
Probably the most popular of the Coffee Brewing Methods in recent times is making an Espresso using a machine. Super hot, pressurized water is forced through fine ground, tightly packed coffee. The pressurized infusion process ensures that the water stays in contact with the coffee grounds long enough to draw out much of the coffee ground flavor. The water then finds a path through the coffee grounds. And the coffee commences to pour into your cup. When the water finds a path through the coffee grind it is referred to as the ’shot being pulled’ through the group.
The sign of a good espresso, using fresh coffee beans, is the richness of the crema. Crema is the hazelnut foam that sits on the surface of the coffee. This is produced by the pressurizing process and the oils of the coffee bean. Oils break down with time, and so a rich crema will be produced using fresh beans. And if you didn’t catch it when I started talking about Espresso, use a fine grind. Using a course grind allows the water to ‘brush past’ the grind rather than infuse with it. Using a course grind will still produce a good coffee, but it will taste more like a coffee produced using a Drip Filter coffee brewing method rather than true Espresso coffee. French Press
One of the simplest of all Coffee Brewing Methods is the French Press or Plunger. This is probably the easiest way to make great coffee! The French Press works by directly mixing ground coffee with near boiling water. The coffee flavors get drawn out into the water and then the press or plunger is depressed, separating the exhausted coffee grind from the brew. While the process has a similar taste to the Drip Filtration style, the French Press can extract more flavor from the coffee grind by extending the brewing time. Manual infusion requires you to get your timing right. If you let the brewing process run too long you may end up with a bitter coffee. Conversely, if you brew too quickly you will have a weak tasting coffee.
One more point, use a course grind. You don’t want fine ground coffee escaping through the metal filter and into the brew. A dusty cup of coffee is not an experience worth having. Drip Filtration Let’s start with the Drip Filtration style. Drip Filtration is probably the most popular method of all. The Drip Filtration machine works by spraying hot water across ground coffee that is held in a conical shaped filter. The hot water then slowly moves through the ground coffee. Once the water reaches the bottom of the conical filter, it drips into a container beneath it.
The most widely used conical filters are made of paper, while expensive stainless steel or gold conical filters are also available. When buying paper filters, be sure to use oxygen bleached paper. Chemically treated papers may affect the taste of your coffee. Another point to be aware of with paper filters is that you may also have some of the flavorful coffee oils trapped by the paper filter. It is the oils that produce the rich crema when you make an espresso. The grind is also important with Drip Filtration. If the grind is too fine, you may clog the pores of your filter. You can avoid this by using a course grind (read about grinding here).
Finally, if you do not expect to drink the full pot of coffee, either by yourself (all that caffeine….) or with friends, beware the constantly heated coffee. It loses its flavor and may even become bitter. And the golden rule….never reheat coffee. Mokta Pot/Stovetop The Moka Pot style is also known as a Stovetop coffee pot. Moka pot’s come in several sizes including 2, 4 or 6 cup capacities. The Moka Pot a simple 3 piece pot. The water reservoir is at the base, with a coffee basket in the middle and the brewed coffee ends up in the top.
The coffee brewing method is very simple. The pot is placed on a stove top which heats the water in the lower reservoir. As the water reaches boiling point, the steam rises and the water starts to push upward through the coffee grounds. This continues to travel up the central funnel and seeps into the top chamber where it comes to rest. The process finishes when the coffee stops moving into the top chamber. This should only take a few minutes to brew depending on the cup size of the Moka pot. The grind should be a fine grind, similar or finer to that used in an Espresso machine. If you want to fill the coffee basket the way traditional Italian drinkers do, then heap the coffee grounds high in the coffee basket and screw the two pieces together. Don’t worry about compacting the coffee. When the top half of the pot is screwed on, the grounds will be compacted by the filter screen. You should end up with a dry, compacted puck of coffee grounds at the end of brewing.
So there you have it. The four most popular Coffee Brewing Methods.

i love baking brownies and i used to have a good recipe for coffee brownies but i lost it. preferably the ones using cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips.. i appreciate it a lot..thanks!

For coffee lovers, whats not to love in gourmet coffee? For those who are hooked on coffee, gourmet coffee is what gets the day off to a good start, and it picks us up in the middle of the day. Coffee has been around for thousands of years. Gourmet coffee however, has been around for less than one hundred years, and it has fast become the favorite of millions of coffee connoisseurs throughout the world.

There are hundreds of different types of gourmet coffee. These include Colombian coffee which has a bold, strong flavor, with a rich aroma guaranteed to satisfy every coffee lover. There are also flavored gourmet coffees, which include French Vanilla, Toasted Almond, Cookies and Crème, and Hazelnut. The gourmet coffee lover can enjoy specialty coffee such as Pumpkin Spice, a rich savory coffee that is like a slice of pumpkin pie. These types of gourmet coffees are not available year round. My opinion of some of the best coffee comes from Kona, Hawaii. Now that is gourmet coffee to die for. Of course, I am biased, since I sell 100% Pure Gourmet Coffee from Kona, Hawaii.

When you do a Google search for gourmet coffee, you will find that there are a variety of Internet sites that are dedicated to it. The Internet sites offer specials and discount just for trying their coffee. These offers include a special type of coffee maker designed especially for one brand of gourmet coffee.

When driving through small town America, and a roadside coffee shop pops up on the horizon, one can imagine how the bigger chains got started. The bigger gourmet coffee shops have teams of coffee roasters who are dedicated to creating new and delicious flavors of coffee.

The gourmet coffee consumer will undoubtedly look forward to all of the new flavors that are created. The true gourmet coffee consumer will travel out of their way to try a great cup of coffee that they heard mention of either in conversation or through a crowd. Virtually at any event, sporting or otherwise, college of professional, there are gourmet coffee shops everywhere. The Gourmet Coffee consumer will unquestionably look forward to all of the new flavors that are created.

True gourmet coffee can offer a unique experience that is different from other coffee experiences. Although the consumer can often find gourmet coffee in stores and coffee shops, there is nothing quite like brewing your own. When you are making gourmet coffee at home, you will need whole coffee beans, (grinding the beans just before brewing insures the freshest coffee) fresh spring water, light cream and sugar. These are the key ingredients for the freshest, best tasting cup of coffee you will ever taste.

Iced Coffee Slushie … First brew some ‘extra strong’ (at least twice as much coffee as you usually make) coffee and put it into the fridge to cool. Have some ‘half and half’ (a quart will make several of these) on hand. When the time has come to ‘indulge, using the ‘highest’ setting on your blender, ‘crush’ enough ice to fill a glass ‘loosely.’ Pour two ’shots’ (use a coffee ’shot’ or an ‘alcohol shot’ or measure out two ounces in a measuring cup) of coffee into the ice, then ‘fill the glass’ with half and half. The ice will ‘melt a little’ and blend with the half and half and you’ll have a ‘wonderful’ slushie. If you want a ‘flavor’ then add 1 tablespoon of any ‘coffee flavoring’ or 1 teaspoon of any ‘flavoring’ on your ’spice rack shelves’ … in the summer, MINT is excellent and very ‘cooling’ and those ’slushies’ will be even more ‘wonderful.’
For a good ’smoothie’ … I don’t like mine ‘milky’ so I ‘puree’ fresh berries (any kind, plain or mixed) and then ’stir them’ into a glass half full of UNSWEETENED SODA WATER. If you want ‘milky’ then use three tablespoons of PLAIN yogurt, and stir, then add milk and stir, or just the yogurt and add the ’soda water’ … they’re all ‘very tasty’ …
You can also use bananas, orange juice, lemonade, and ‘mix’ them IN THE BLENDER for a ‘real smooth smoothie’ … just add yogurt, milk, soda, or any combination … and don’t forget MELONS … and mango, and kiwi, and … go shopping and buy as ‘much’ as you can to ‘try out’ and have a ’smoothie party’ with your friends to ‘taste, and compare’ the different things you can ‘make’ with JUST your new blender!
ENJOY!

Before we get all excited over the recent news about coffee being our new antioxidant, we need to take a look at the entire picture. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? If there is, how exactly is coffee an antioxidant? Does it become the antioxidant when it’s heated? Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us?

Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.

For years and years we’ve heard bad things about coffee. For example: it’s bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don’t just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.

Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.

Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You’ll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn’t like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?

Coffee alone isn’t the antioxidant, it’s several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it’s heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it’s bad for YOU personally. If you can’t get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can’t sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.

Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it’s the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.