Gourmet Coffee Corner

We’re all familiar with the traditional benefits of coffee: it tastes and smells great, and it gets us moving in the morning against all odds. It’s also one of the few beverages that’s associated with a culture. Coffee shops are not merely places to sip cappuccino, although that’s a large part of the draw. Something about drinking coffee makes people relaxed yet alert at the same time. That’s why we see so many people having stimulating conversations and reading books inside coffee shops.

Earlier this year, I discovered yet another use for the celebrated substance when I was cleaning out my automatic espresso machines. In the past I had simply thrown away the leftover grounds without a second thought. I looked from the grounds in the filter to an apple that was quietly rotting in the corner of the kitchen and back again. What better ingredients to start a compost pile?

Composting is a great way to recycle biodegradable goods, and it improves the richness of the soil in your garden. The process doesn’t just happen overnight, but it takes such little effort that you can easily mix a few plant pieces, some food scraps and coffee grounds in a container, soak it with some water and punch a few air holes in the middle. Just a few months later, you’ll have some of the best all-natural fertilizer available.

I’m not ashamed to admit that up until a year ago, I knew next to nothing about coffee. Back then, I merely looked at the stuff as fuel for the early morning – a substance that wasn’t even meant to be tasted, let alone savored. That’s why I didn’t discriminate between the 50-cent cups available at gas stations and the higher-end gourmet beverages one can order at a swanky restaurant.

That all changed one morning when I was sitting in a diner with a friend right before work. She implored me to try an espresso shot, promising that it tastes great and offers a swift pick-me-up as well. I remained skeptical until the small shot appeared on the counter and its rich aroma wafted up toward my nostrils. Before even drinking it, I was hooked. Over time, I’ve become just the sort of coffee snob that I once resented so strongly.

Now I have a few cappuccino makers of my own, and I’m constantly trying to create the perfect shot of espresso. There are so many variables associated with what at first appears to be a simple process. One must get the water pressure and temperature just right, the coffee must be ground to the right consistency, and the coffee should be packed down only so much. It’s the sort of passionate pursuit of perfection that could take a lifetime.

The theory behind fair trade coffee is that professional traders – basically middlemen – take the bulk of the profits from growers. In effect, this removes some of the incentive for farmers to grow coffee in the first place. Fair trade certification aims to bypass the trader and ensure a decent wage for producers. The intent is not to make these farm owners and laborers rich, but merely to secure enough for them to sustain a livelihood.

But the benefits of fair trade go well beyond providing compensation to farmers; in fact, it works in your advantage as a consumer as well. Imagine that some Colombian coffee beans are traded to Brazil, then another trader sends them to an island in the Caribbean. Only then does a final trader convince a large retail chain in the United States pull the trigger and bring them to the American market and eventually to our espresso machines.

Although the above scenario is just a hypothetical one, you’ve probably begun to question the quality and freshness of the beans after all that international travel. How were they handled? Have they been floating around South and Central America for more than two weeks? As previously discussed in this blog, coffee tastes best when the beans are fresh and newly ground. What if those beans were shipped directly from Colombia?

In the United States, small, family farms have been giving way to large agricultural conglomerates for many years. Some would call that the nature of competition in a market economy, where the party that offers high-demand goods at a lower price prospers. In the case of large factory farms, that product is the food we eat. Luckily here at home there are plenty of other lines of work a farmer can get into after his agricultural enterprise has proven unsuccessful. Not so in many developing countries.

Farmers in coffee-growing countries such as Colombia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica and many other tropical nations are constantly struggling to get a fair price for their product. These operators of family farms lack much in the way of capital or resources, so they are susceptible to middlemen who come into the picture and offer unreasonable prices to buy up the crops.

It’s incredible that these farmers – who are providing many parts of the Western world with the fuel that gets us through the day – barely make enough money to subsist. By filling your Solis espresso machines with fair trade coffee, you help ensure that coffee farmers can enjoy the fruits of their own labor. We’ll discuss the origins of the fair trade movement in tomorrow’s post.

As we’ve discussed previously in this space, brewing top-quality espresso takes practice and patience. After you’ve honed your barista skills enough that you feel confident in your espresso, it’s time to up the ante. Your next challenge is to create an Italian-style cappuccino that’s as refreshing as it is invigorating. Start off by brewing your patented espresso, and we’ll go from there.

Perfecting the foam’s consistency is half the battle here. To get an idea of what to shoot for, think about a can of whipped cream. That sweet treat is at its best when the foam is dense and compact, not bubbly and especially soft. The same theory applies to cappuccino foam. Use quality ingredients; fresh, cold milk will serve you well in this case. Remember that part of the idea behind adding foam to a coffee drink is that it cools your mouth, allowing you to sip right away. Overheating the milk will also change its texture for the worse.

Pour the milk into one side of the cup so that it pierces through the layer of foam and combines with the espresso beneath. If you want to make this process less complicated, try shopping around for a cappuccino maker online. Delectable coffee drinks become even more tempting in winter as people like to wake up to some warmth.

We’ve talked before in these pages about the idea that making great espresso is more of an art than a science. That merely implies that it will take numerous attempts for a beginner to craft an espresso that would be considered acceptable to coffee snobs. Of course experimentation is always encouraged. I’ve tried to boil down the essential ingredients to making quality espresso in the following few paragraphs.

No matter the precise type – espresso, cappuccino or plain, black joe – good coffee comes down to three basic factors. First, the variety and freshness of coffee beans makes a huge difference. It goes without saying that the use of fresh ingredients can take an otherwise uninspired beverage to the next level. Freshness should not be undervalued. If you end up with leftover coffee after opening the package, store it in an airtight container.

Second, the quality and integrity of the coffee machine itself can be crucial. Remember that you get what you pay for. A Saeco espresso machine is in a whole other league in terms of quality when compared to run-of-the-mill machines. Last but not least, the operator or barista adds personal flair and a trademark style to each cup of coffee or shot of espresso made.

Over the years, I’ve hosted more than my fair share of dinner parties. Each one has served as more than just a fun time with friends; these events are learning experiences from which the host can draw a wealth of knowledge. I’ve committed too many faux pas and errors of etiquette over the years to count, but the important thing is that I’ve learned from them. For instance, I’ve only forgotten to offer decaffeinated coffee once.

As a host, the selection of beverages you serve are just as important as the meal itself. The key is to be accommodating and to anticipate people’s individual tastes. Be sure to have a vegetarian option available if you’ve invited some herbivores over to dine. In fact, it might be best to serve a discreetly vegetarian main dish to the whole party – something like vegetarian lasagna wouldn’t make too much of a splash.

At the end of the meal – just as dessert is being served – it’s traditional to offer your guests coffee. Take note of the time of night; if it’s late, chances are not all your guests will crave a caffeine infusion. Be prepared to accommodate them with a pot of decaf. The comforting gurgle of the coffee maker should provide a nice background sound for your after-dinner small talk.

For several years adhered to the same weekday routine – I’d wake up at the last possible second in order to make the bus to work, throw on some clothes and make a harried pit stop at the corner coffee shop. There I would proceed to lay down a few dollars of my hard-earned money on an overpriced cup of coffee or an extortionate espresso shot. In my view, I was paying the cost for convenience.

Aside from this small extravagance, I had always been careful with my money. It struck me that buying coffee every day was creating a strain on my budget – all those lattes and cups of joe were adding up over the long term. Something had to be done, and I knew it would be a matter of changing my daily routine. “First things first,” I thought, and bought a Solis espresso machine online.

I started waking up one hour earlier than I had before, and the difference was immediately noticeable. Not only did I save money by brewing my own beverages, but I suddenly had some free time to take it slow in the a.m. Never before had I read the morning paper in the morning. This was a routine I could get used to. By the time I left for work – and not in a rush – I felt awake, alert and ready to tackle whatever tasks might come my way.