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Does anyone have recommendations for brands of airpots or insulated dispensers? I'm looking for ways to keep 1-5 gallons of hot chocolate at serving temperature for about 6 hours. While hot chocolate is not quite coffee, I figured the same those of you with who deal with similar quantities of coffee might have some experience with the same equipment. It seems like my choices are multiple .5 - 1 gallon airpots, 1-3 gallon vacuum insulated dispensers, and 3-5 gallon plastic insulated dispensers. Here's some examples of what I'm looking at: Zojirushi 3 Liter Easy Serve Airpot http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-SRAG30-Sta...t/dp/B0000CEUQI Bunn 3.8 Liter Stainless Steel Airpot http://www.katom.com/021-367250000.html RegalWare 3 Liter Lever Pump Airpot http://www.katom.com/376-KPW9107.html Fetco Luxus Thermal Coffee Dispenser http://www.wholelattelove.com/commercial/p...s_dispenser.cfm Rubbermaid 5 Gallon Insulated Dispenser http://www.katom.com/007-9F18.html Cambro 5 Gallon Insulated Camserver http://www.katom.com/144-CSR5110.html Anyone have thoughts on these? Other things I should be looking at? Or corrections to my thinking? My current thinking is that: 1) Airpots with vacuum insulation are going to retain temperature much better than dispensers with foam. 2) Vacuum insulation with stainless steel is almost as effective for heat retention as glass, and better due to durability. 3) Airpots with lever pumps are easier to use than buttons, but that a dispenser with a pull spout will be significantly easier than both of these. 4) All else equal, one large container is going to maintain temperature better than multiple smaller containers. 5) Zojirushi and Luxus are great, but Bunn and Regalware are better value and will be just fine for light commercial use. Corrections and suggestions appreciated!

Anyone know of a website that sells great coffee. I am in houston and used to buy from cafe maison but i thiunk they went out of bussiness ( Thanks

We are starting a mobile cafe and selling fresh roasted, prepared coffee to commuters from our AirStream located south of Boston. We are trying to think of the best food to sell from the cart. One thought is muffins, scones, or "real" bagels (not easy to get here). Obviously, relatively neat, premade, quick, and easy to hold in one hand and eat on the train is the objective. The branding is cool and hip so the food needs to match and be of high quality to match the coffee. Does anyone have any thoughts and ideas? Really, any ideas are welcome so let your imaginations fly. Thanks so much! Goldie

Just in case anyone in this forum has ever thought about roasting coffee, a new home coffee roasting applicance has just hit the market. The Behmor 1600 This can roast up to 1 pound to a Full City roast. It has an afterburner to deal with the smoke and can be used inside on a countertop. I have no affiliation with Behmor or the inventor, Joe Behm. I have been home roasting coffee for about six years now, and just purchased a Behmor. This device has gotten a great deal of favorable attention at CoffeeGeek and other coffee forums.

I just got an email from Peet's that says its coffee will soon be carried in Stop & Shop. I love love LOVE Peet's and have it shipped every month. I just can't see it being of good quality while being distributed through Stop & Shop. It makes me glad on one hand; if we run out I can grab some at the story. But then it makes me sad -- I feel like it's the beginning of the end for such a wonderful product. Any thoughts, anyone?

ON HGTV this weekend there was a 1 hr show of International Housewares- There were several items for coffee and tea that were interesting- www.hgtv.com----search products to see items

A pop up appeared on my screen from coffeefool.com and it caught my eye. So I checked it out and read their claims to have the freshest coffee?? I'm wondering if anyone has ever tried it ?? I'm a bit leery of ordering coffee online but there really aren't any great places to buy coffee from around here (the capital district upstate NY) I'd love to hear your thoughts about the coffee from this site.

I recently took the bait in an online ad and "took the Boca Java challenge." I was actually quite pleased with the result. Boca Java is an online coffee roaster whose chief distinction is that it sells coffee the way Dell sells computers: They don't roast the beans until you place your order. The beans come in half-pound bags (not vacuum-packed) with the roasting date on a sticker on the back. I can honestly say that their beans definitely passed the smell test: I haven't been hit with a more powerful aroma ever. And the quality of the coffee they made was also first-rate. Like Gevalia, they operate on a subscription basis: once you place your initial order, the company will schedule deliveries to your door at regular intervals; you can go to their Web site ahead of the ship date to change the varieties you get and when you get them. (I just hope they don't make it difficult to cancel your subscription, though I don't see myself doing that soon.) I note that they got a nice plug from "Supermarket Guru" Phil Lampert on Today. Any of you tried their coffee yet? Your impressions, please?

I'm starting to branch out a bit and get in to lattes and other non-press coffees. I've found that I enjoy lattes, but when I make them at home, I don't make a true latte. I've been using a Bialetti stove top for the coffee, and then heating an equal part milk in the nuker, frothing it with a cheap handheld device, and then pouring in the coffee. So, two questions at this point: 1. If I order out, what do I order that is equal parts milk and coffee? Lattes are 3:1 milk to coffee, correct? 2. How can I get a better froth without spending a ton of money? Thanks!

This one is about Coffee Makers. Mainly the ever so common “Drip” Machines. Mine, a “ Gevalia 12 Cup “. Why are these makers marked with these ridiculous numbers, as these 12 cups will only hold about 57 ounces of water or 4.75 ounce per ‘cup’. Who uses cups in the Morning, and that’s when most Americans drink their coffee, that hold only or less then 5 ounces ?. Who even uses ‘cups’ ? Everyone I know drinks coffee out of ‘mugs’, and none of these holds less then 7 to 8 ounces of liquid. My Cobalt Blue eGullet mug holds 14 ounces and a nice looking Lavazza mug holds 9 ounces. So , you manufacturers of Coffee Makers, adjust or get mugged !! Next complaint, maybe even a bigger one. Did you ever try pouring water into these Coffee Makers ? Every single one has the reservoir in the back. One must move the maker away from the wall and the back of the counter in order to fill them. And on top of it, try to slide them back into place with these little rubber feet. Why can these manufacturers not come up with a more practical way ? More than once do I have to sop up a pool on the kitchen counter. My cat does not do it, unless I add Cream to it.

Hey all I"m new here and found a thread on coffee, one of my favorite things. At home we roast our own coffee, and it's by far the best tasting coffee I've ever had. It's super fresh all the time, and we get our coffee from a couple of different places who gets their supply from all over the world. So we get coffee beans from great crops, and it's also a lot less expensive this way. I don't know if this topic had been covered before but it didn't seem like it. Has anyone else on here tried roasting coffee? Or have you tried it from someone else? What do you think? Thanks! Jeanine

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I'm not sure if my system is changing or if there is truly a difference in the amount of caffeine found in a perked cup of coffee vs a cup of coffee made from one of those individual coffee filters that attach to the top of your mug?? Can anyone tell me if its the same amount and I'm doomed to drinking decaf from now on or if I will find coffee more soothing to my tummy if I perk it?? Thanks Stacy

When in Italy, what's your favorite brand of Italian coffee? I'm asking because we are in the throes of deciding what brand to use in our new restaurant, and would love to hear some biased opinions! Grazie mille!

I will be in the Pacific side of Costa Rica for some tasty waves next week and compromised with Mrs. that we will check out the butterflies farm and tour a coffee plantation. Are there any smaller coffee planters out there? I know there are some coop farmers but need the farm/plantation name. Any recommendation?

I thought this video might be of some interest. Hearts in a cappucino would be too easy for that artist. FYI: It has almost no sound, so it would be safe for work watching while muted. And, save your sanity and avoid the comments on that site *shudder*

Does freezing ground coffee help it to stay fresh for longer? or is this a myth? What is the best way to store freshly ground coffee?

I saw a Dualit Coffee Maker in a store for the first time yesterday and wondered if any members here are familiar with them. This one was of a large, squared, chunky design, much like some espresso makers. Probably about a 10 - 12 cup capacity.

A while back, a co-worker offered to get me a cup of coffee and asked if I wanted milk or sugar. "A little milk," I replied. He brought me a cup that was pale tan in color and had to have been 40 percent half-and-half. To me, it was undrinkable -- lukewarm and unpleasantly mouth-coating; yet another co-worker who got a virtually identical cup proclaimed it "perfect." (I ended up pouring half the coffee out and refilling the cup with straight coffee, at which point it was almost okay.) Since then, I've been paying attention to milk in coffee, and I believe I'm in the minority. Most people who drink milk or cream in their coffee seem to like much more than I do. I also prefer whole milk; although half-and-half is acceptable, it's much easier to overpour. "Reduced fat" milk is okay if I'm desperate, but non-fat is worthless in coffee. (And forget non-dairy "creamer" -- I'd rather not drink coffee than use it.) What kind of milk do others prefer? How much? Steamed or cold?

Hello to all the Coffee Lovers out there, I have a question for you from someone(me) that doesn't know a lot about high quality coffee... What kind of quality do the larger coffee chains have? poor, ok, good, or great quality coffee products... I'm interested in the chain stores like starbucks, coffee bean and tea leaf, peets coffee, etc.... I would love to hear your opinions on who is the best out of those three or other big chains and why... Thank you for your help in advance,

Hello Everyone, Well I am usually in the Baking and Pastry forum but I decided to jump the gap so we could discuss something....I am a chocolate expert and actually do pairings...yet most of the time that involves wine and chocolate. I really think the coffee and chocolate were made for each other when it comes to eating/drinking together or pairing. I was hoping to meet some coffee connoisseurs in here and learn a little bit about coffee and maybe try to match up some different origins of coffee and chocolate...I hope to learn some more about coffee and how it could go with chocolate...

Coffee and chocolate is, of course, one of the great flavor pairings of all time, and one of my personal favorite treats. Lately I've begun drinking tea occassionally in place of coffee, and this afternoon decided to try a bit of chocolate with it. Neither was a very exotic variety, Earl Greys and Baronie Bittersweet, but they certainly didn't enhance each other. Is this just a peculiarity of mine, a general rule of thumb, or are there some tea-chocolate combinations that work well? SB

Hey all, Thought I'd inform those of you who travel through or to the Capital District are about a new coffee cafe called Mocha Blend Espresso Bar and Panini Cafe. It is located in Brunswick Plaza on Hoosick Rd. I have yet to check it out but then again I'm not a coffee expert as most of you on this site are. So what I think is good may taste like swill to you ??? But I'm just happy there is a place on my side of the river that MIGHT be worth frequenting?? So, I'll let you know what I think for what's worth?? Stacy

Hello all eG coffee forum members. After a long hiatus I have renewed my membership. I am interested and curious as to what your best specialty coffee experience may be? No restrictions, can be any experience...... Cheers! Spence

I had a Krups 12-cupper for a long time, 10 years maybe. It was working fine when I gave it away and bought a blue Cooks (Penney's) 12-cupper which is just OK. It cost $30 and I bought it because it's a pretty blue. However, 10 months later it is dead. Amazon reviewers like these two (both free shipping): Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central, Black and Stainless Steel $80 Hamilton Beach 43253 Ensemble 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Red $50 My requirements: 1. 12 cups 2. stand-alone and no grinder attached (I use a separate) 3. Would love one that doesn't dribble with each cup of coffee poured. Any thoughts out there? Marge