Search the Community

I have a 12 c Bialetti Moka coffee pot with a broken handle. I contacted Bialetti about how to replace it as it is not intuitive. There is a pin that goes through the handle and that the lid hinges on. I am informed that the handle does not come predrilled so I have to try to drill a precise pin hole in the metal base. Is it me, or does this seem like poor customer service?

After a brief flirtation with coffee in my youth, I have returned to the home of my grandmothers and am now, once again a tea drinker with a minor flirtation with decent coffee. Upon my return I realised that I much preferred China tea to Indian and Ceylon teas. Well, that wasn't a problem really, lazy human that I am, I could buy Twinings China Black in tea bags and be happy. In the summer I drank Lapsang with a little lemon or maybe a nice cup of Earl Grey, and all was well. For a little while. But the sudden influx of flavoured teas and ten varieties of green tea and whatnot invaded the supermarket shelves and suddenly China Black was no more. Oh well. For a little while I drank Russian Caravan, which wasn't quite it, but better than nothing. And then by accident I discovered Twinings Yunnan Tea and I was back in business. For a little while. I was even makiing special trips to the only supermarket I knew which carried the Yunnan. But then the Yunnan went the way of China Black and even Russian Caravan is losing ground to three hundred varieties of tea flavoured with white chocolate and toenails or used bandaids and rosewater, or whatever. So the question is now, what am I going to drink? I'm obviously going to have to break out my teapot and visit speciality stores, but I'm a little lost by the varieties of loose China tea available. I've visited Grey and Seddon online, and they look promising (I'm in Australia), but I don't know what to buy. I do drink White Tea and Chai tea, Yerba Mate sometimes and some herbal teas, but what I really want is a decent black tea as my every day tea, so that I can come home, put on the kettle and make myself a nice cup of tea. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

After just returning from an amazing trip to Italy, I have decided that I have to buy an espresso machine to make cappuccino. I loved the illy cappuccinos. I live in the mountains and there is not a good place to buy good capp's here. I figure that I buy an espresso drink a day at about $5 each. If I did the math right, that puts me at $1820 a year spent on crappy coffee. I will probably have to order the beans from the internet. I am at a loss between all the choices of machines to buy. At this point I seem to be pickier about the quality of the foam than the espresso. My goal is to learn how to make myself a delicious capp with the heart shape foam. This would be a machine for my home. On average, I would probably make 5 capp's a day. I thought I should budget in the $1500-2000 range. I am not sure about the water plumbing. My water has a lot of junk in it that builds up. Thank you for you input!!!

When at "The Dirty Duck, aka The Black Swan, at Stratford-Upon-Avon, we enjoyed the most delicious sweetened iced coffee. When I asked how it was made, the manager said they used a product known as kemp, and that it could be found in British grocery stores. He said it was chicory (or chicory like). I could not locate it anywhere ( in the UK). The closest I came was buying chicory here in New York, but I could not in any way duplicate the drink I had enjoyed in England. People who have visited the UK since then have not been able to locate it for me either. What is kemp? Did anyone ever have this drink? And how is it made???

Hello all! I've ben trying to make Greek coffee.I can't get it to foam up in the little pan/ Also I find that it is hard to balance that little tiny pan on the burners of my gas stove. So I want to know if anyone has any advice for me. I have read how to make Greek coffee in Greek cookbooks, online also, but it must be easier for everyone as there are never any troubleshooting tips/Why doesn't it foam up? I am using a tiny stainless steel pan.I don't have a briki but this pan is about the same size as a briki.I think it is a butter melting pan actually, but as the size is similar, and there is no odd coating or weird residue in it, I can't understand why I can't get the coffee to foam up properly. I am using BRAVO, a good brand of ground Greek coffee so it can't be a problem with the coffee. I use tap water (hmmmmm maybe that is the problem? Southern California tap water! Which is a scarey thing. I will admit).. Ok I will try filtered water but I THINK, with my luck, that it still won't work. In the meantime , any advice from anyone out there who is in the know about wonderful GREEK COFFEE?

I have a handy dandy Mukka, which I love dearly. I don't drink coffee on a regular basis, but I do love the milk coffee I get with my Mukka. Unfortunately, I have found that drinking it a) gives me something similar to heart palpitations and b) keeps me up at night. I've been experimenting, and so far I've found that finishing my coffee by 12 pm still keeps me awake for a few hours past my regular bedtime. So....I thought I'd ask...what say you all about decaffeinated espresso? I know it exists, because I did a search on it. But is it worth drinking? Or shall I just try to suffer through the palpitations and late nights? edited some bad typing...

New research suggests coffee prevents liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol. Thought you'd like to know!

I have had a Francis Francis X1 for about 3 years making espresso and lattes every day. I have nearly always used pre-ground coffee, usually Lavazza - or Illy when I'm feeling flush. I have usually been fairly pleased with the results. However the X1 is getting a bit tired and leaky and it seems a good excuse to upgrade. I may get an Isomac Giada or splash out for a Millenium. Everyone that writes about machines like these on sites like coffeegeek (a good title from the posts that are there) are grinding there own coffee fresh each time. So my questions: i) For very good quality machines do you think I will notice a big difference if I start grinding my own coffee? ii) If so are there any recommendation for where I can buy good beans in the UK? iii) Are Isomac machines the way to go? Thanks

article here See where your city ranks on these charts ...

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters just introduced a new beverage called "Double Bean Elixir" organic coffee soda. I saw it at a beverage trade show yesterday in Albany, NY. There are five varieties: Original, Vanilla, Almond, Hazelnut, and Mocha. Ingredients: sparkling filtered water, Fair Trade Certified Green Mountain organic coffee, organic evaporated cane juice, natural flavor. I tried the Original, Hazelnut and Vanilla. I really liked the Original and Hazelnut, even though I generally dislike flavored coffees. They were light and sparkling, not overpowering, with a distinct coffee taste. I did not like Vanilla because it overpowered the coffee flavor. I don't have information on pricing yet. Has anybody tried these? I'd be interested in other opinions. My only other comment is that I really don't care much about "organic" or "Fair Trade" ingredients in soda and think this is just a marketing ploy. Edited to say I meant to post this in the soft drink forum. Host may want to move it.

Ospina Coffee Company Is their coffee really worth $75.00 a pound?

Hi all, We are having trouble finding good coffee. Since Starbucks invented over-roasted, bitter, coffee for the masses we cannot locate a source for a non-acid, smooth brew. I remember having such a thing in French ($$$) restaurants a long time ago, but not any more, as people demand the stronger beverage. We have a Capresso drip coffee maker, so it's not an equiment issue. Does anyone share our taste? Any ideas? We're assuming it'll be an online supplier...

On holiday in Egypt, I had Nubian coffee in Aswan. This is similar in some ways to Ethiopian coffee: the beans are roasted then and there. It also has spices added, and the end result is an absolutely gorgeous strong, sweet, rich drink. However, I didn't see exactly what went in it, and have heard all sorts of suggestions since - none of which agree with each other - cloves, cardamom, figs, etc. Does anyone know exactly how this is made?

I think I just made the most disgusting coffee drink in existence. I wasn't paying attention, and had my melitta one-cup sitting on top of my breakfast/lunch mug (read: never-washed, oatmeal and ramen mug), and in my caffeine-reduced haze, I poured my hot water over my fresh grounds, and mixed my coffee into all of the detritus sitting in that dirty mug. I'm a little frightened to try my coffee. I have a second one, too. One morning, after a particularly rough night, I got some coffee from the store across the street from where the party ended, and as the coffee was bad, burnt, etc, I dumped about three spoonfuls of sugar in. But, the sugar was from the same bowl as the margarita salt. More undrinkable coffee. What sort of good-meaning problems have you had?

original article Looks like the worlds most beloved slightly wonky Austrian chef extraordinaire is soon to have a PR fiasco on his hands. Those self-heating single serving Wolfgang Puck branded packs are being pulled from the market faster than you can say Spago. Puck's namesake company demanded brand-licensee BrandSource Inc. pull the products from stores nationwide after complaints of incidents where the cans overheated, leaked, or the calcium oxide found its way into the hot coffee beverage, resulting in some severely burned consumers. It gets sticky though, because BrandSource only licensed the name; OnTech was the company who provided the cans, and they apparently shoddily subcontracted, which has resulted in litigation between the two companies over some very shady dealings. In other words, if you see one of these cans, steer clear, people. The silver lining is, of course, that the recall couldn't have happened at a better time, what with spring officially sprung, and summer just around the corner. Perhaps Wolfgang should start looking into self-cooling Frappucino knockoffs, eh?

A coffee business discussion thread I'm involved in elsewhere on the 'net raised an issue that warrants discussion. Nearly anyone who's made good espresso at home or observed the process of grinding, packing, tamping, pulling and milk steaming in a well run cafe most likely realizes that it's much more labor intensive and time consuming than "pushing the buttton" on a Starbucks superauto and waiting for the counter person to pour off some milk from a giant pre-steamed pitcher that's been sitting on the counter for awhile. But at what point will a long wait time prompt you to go elsewhere or switch to some other kind of beverage on that occasion? How long a wait can you tolerate on weekdays? Five minutes... ten... a bit more? How about weekends? Perhaps a bit longer than that? And would there be value in having an "express line" that was for orders consisting of drip coffee only? (assuming that the rule was strictly enforced).

We have a Krups that makes a real full-bodied pot of coffee, but it leaks and my wife isn't too happy about that. So I got a Braun, a brand I've come to trust, but with the same amount of beans, it produces a much weaker tasting brew. I don't want something with bells and whistles, timers, built-in grinder, etc. Any thoughts?

I just read the following in the April 26, 2006 "New York" magazine: "Mention American coffee, and your average laid-back Aussie gets all worked up like Russell Crowe attempting to dial overseas. Their quintessential cup, the flat white, is a strong, smooth espresso drink - less milky than a latte, and not as foamy as a cappuccino. It's done to perfection at Ruby's, a lively Aussie hangout (219 Mulberry St.; 2212-925-5755), and it's turned up recently in Fort Greene, where expat Basquali (he goes by one name) has opened the cafe Smooch (264 Carldon Ave., 718-624-4075)." This sounds like the cup of coffee I'm always looking for and can never find in the U.S. (okay, in the cities in the U.S. where I go). I have had it in Spain, I had it last year at Caffè Italia (6480 St-Laurent) in Montreal - it was their cappuccino. Of course, "less milky" could mean quantity, flavor and/or texture. Anyone know what this "flat white" is all about? Lonnie

Anyone have any experience with this company? They offer a free coffee maker and biscotti if you try a pound of their coffee - much like Gevalia. offer

As part of my kitchen renovation, I am thinking of installing a Miele coffee system. Here's the thing: I am not a coffee connoisseur. I'd be lucky if I can tell you the difference between coffee and espresso on any given day. So, the question for all you guys who knows about coffee out there is, is it worth it? Does it really make better coffee? The whole thing comes in at $2000.

Finally we bought a superautomatic espresso machine (Jura Capresso F7) and are now testing different coffee beans to find the ones we like most. In the moment we are trying the "standard" one like Illy, Lavazza but I would be curious to hear what kind of coffee beans you like (preferable not to oily, the machine won't like it) and which online shops/roasters you can recommend.

There is a little coffee shop in Tulsa called Doubleshot Coffee where they roast their own beans and have developed a loyal local clientel. Now, they are being told that they have to cease and desist using doubleshot in their name and on any of their materials. Apparently, Starbucks has decided that they own the name Doubleshot. A local television station is following the story closely. The lawyer for Doubleshot replies that According to Starbucks So does Starbucks really own title to a generic term like this? Does this mean we can only use the term doubleshot when we are ordering that particular can of product and not when ordering a 'doubleshot' at a Starbucks? Will Starbucks get out the coffee cops to stop us from using the term loosely so as to delute their proprietary product? I didn't know if this was the appropriate place to post this story, it can be moved if deemed proper. Thank you.

I was hoping to get a little help from the coffee experts. My wife is from the Dominican Republic and we like to try and to find dominican products (rum, sugar, produce etc) as often as possible here in NY. We can get Cafe Santo Domingo beans in NY or ground from my in-laws in DR (they taste like two very different coffees) and Cafe Mama Inez in the can and like and use both regularly. On this site there is a Cafe Bueno and Induban Gormet. Has anyone tried these two or know of any other Dominican grown coffee? We currently use a stovetop moka and grind beans in a krups. -Mike

John Hornall, well known barista and former co-owner of Hines Public Market Coffee in Seattle, has moved east and now runs the coffeee and espresso operation for Chestnut Hill Cafe Have you been there, tried it and can report on your experience? Hines was a legendary Seattle institution but lost its lease when the building they were housed in was demolished in the name of "progress". They have a street cart open and are working on a new space but John Hornall has landed in Philadelphia (score one for the east coast!). Reports will be appreciated.

I just returned from a short trip to the UK, and my nerdy word-geek self noticed that British people tend to refer to 'a coffee' as opposed to 'tea' (not 'a tea'), and usage suggests that coffee is a 'count noun' as opposed to a 'mass noun' (alternately an 'uncountable noun'). I have my own theory about this, but I wanted to ask the crowd here at egullet if anyone else can rep for my observations, or if anyone has noticed idiosycracies in how beverages are used in conversation. anyone?