Here comes instant gratification for coffee lovers or for those who want portable flavoured coffee.   This invention by Heo Jeong Im layers coffee on a stirrer.

You unwrap the stirrer, dip in hot water, start swirling and you have instant hot coffee!  As you stir, the coffee dissolves.  The end result? Hot flavoured coffee instantly ready to drink.

The coffee on a stick comes in assorted flavours including cafe latte, cappuccino, caramel macchiato, mocha latte and Americano.

Instant coffee gratification might be good, but I'll wait for the brewed coffee.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

A tip of the mug to Yanko Designs for the heads up

I searched online and found the cup is by a company called Smart Cup.  Each cup has fresh ground coffee with hot water added. They put any additions, like milk or sugar, then seal the lid. You push down the plunger and several minutes, later…fresh brewed coffee.

So there's no more stale, burnt coffee.  And you don't have to settle for the coffee flavor of the day. You can taste and drink your way through many brews.

Great convenience for those of us who pick up a cup of coffee on the way to work in the morning. Now it really can be fresh brewed.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks to Ann who's at a seminar in NYC for the heads up

All is not totally lost though as the smartphone tied with intimate relationships as things the business professional can't live without. Gives me some hope, but then again if they had to choose between the phone and their spouse or girlfriend…

As for me, I'm keeping my coffee. But what about you?  Would you give up for your coffee for your smartphone?  Let me know what you think.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

A tip of the mug to the San Francisco Chronicle for the heads up.

My parents who are avid coffee drinkers (are you really surprised?) would never have coffee at Great Aunt Sara's.  My father, before my mother shushed him, would always mutter in the car about foul black water masquerading as coffee.

But amazingly enough the instant coffee market worldwide is over $21 billion dollars in value.  Guess that's the reason Starbucks wants in.  The new decaffeinated instant coffee has been sold in little tubes you pour in your cup since November 2009, so it looks like it isn't going away.

You can buy a single serve packet in a box of 3 for $2.95 or 12 packs for $10.95.  I'm just sorry Great Aunt Sara isn't here to try it out.  Guess I'll have to ask my Dad.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

When offered the opportunity for cupping at your local coffee roaster, take it. It will be a learning, coffee drinking experience like no other. In cupping you get to experience the coffee as a green bean, once roasted as a roasted bean and finally the end result—a brewed cup of coffee.

Some describe cupping as being similar to wine tasting. When listening to people describe their cupping experience the words are quite similar. I look at cupping as a way to sample the roaster's expertise as an artisan. At no other moment will a person be able to see, smell and taste a particular type of coffee in such detail.

Enjoy the opportunity as you get to experience the coffee roaster's expertise.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Kopi-Luwak-Producer

In addition to being one of the perfect places to grow coffee, Sumatra is home to a little creature called a Paradoxurus or luwak (Asian palm civet). The little creatures are especially fond of coffee cherries which cover the coffee beans. According to Wikipedia the luwaks are skilled in picking the sweetest and most ripe coffee berries.

After making their coffee berry selection, the luwaks eat the coffee berries. The coffee beans ferment in their stomachs and then exit in whole coffee bean form. Supposedly the pass through the luwak's insides eliminates the bitterness commonly found in coffee.

Locals collect the beans, clean them and then lightly roast the beans. Needless to say, the amount of coffee is limited so the coffee is expensive from $100-600 per pound. Wikipedia estimates only 1000 pounds are found and roasted each year. Not every local coffee shop is apt to carry this exotic coffee. The taste is supposed to be earthy, musty with caramel or chocolate.

As the supply is limited chemically treated coffee has been developed to reproduce the Kopi Luwak coffee taste. I'm not sure if I want to try either the original or simulated Kopi Luwak coffee experience.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Some people head into the shops first thing in the morning and leave around 5pm. And all they buy is one latte?

I can understand why shop owners are changing the rules. After all their shops are a business, not a non-profit organization.

I was taking a friend to lunch at one of the local coffee shops here in San Antonio. We couldn't find a table except outside. With the 100 degree weather here recently outside just wasn't one of our choices. But what amazed my friend was a number of the people in the coffee shop had packed their own lunch. These same individuals were eating their lunch without the shop owner getting a thin dime. Not fair, folks.

Found some good suggestions for laptop etiquette in the Houston Examiner from Becky Lam.

I. During the café’s peak hours, grab a latte or cup of coffee with a little something to munch on. It’s not exactly polite to stake out that entire table for an hour or more with only a 12 oz. drip or glass of water while lunchers wait around for seating.
II. The coffee shop is not a charging station. If you are plugging in, it better be because your laptop’s battery life is nonexistent. It’s a sign you are staying too long if you’re running through a fully charged battery.
III. Treat your local cafés as though they were your neighbors. They are giving you a place to get away from distractions at work and at home while letting you use their wi-fi, no less. Return a friendly favor by getting to know your baristas and cleaning up after yourself.
IV. Don’t forget to buy something. Being the most obvious point, these coffee shops survive to serve you and your laptop thanks to your patronage. Keep them going.
V. And as a side note, ask for a “for here” mug as well. It automatically shows your intention to stick around and produces less waste too!

Good tips and a way of thanking the shop owner for providing the service. Buy more than just one latte and keep wi-fi going.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

Is your coffee pot slowing down? It seemed to take forever for the coffee to drip out every morning. Now I admit I'm not the one to go looking for problems, but this time it was there in front of my eyes. My coffee maker was caked with white crusts. The water is full of minerals here in San Antonio and those minerals just accumulated over time.

If this happens to you here's a possible solution.

Try this:

• Fill your coffee pot with cold water.
• Add two tablespoons of vinegar.
• Start your coffee pot.
• After it is finished percolating, rinse it with cold water.
• Now add cold water again and start your coffee pot.
• After it is finished percolating, rinse it again.
• Now it should be ready to make coffee.

You may need to do this regularly depending upon the amount of minerals in your water.  So check for calcium deposits frequently and clean as needed.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

I took the plunge and tried to make cold brewed coffee last night.   Not for iced coffee but for hot coffee.

I used the formula outlined on Making Cold Brewed Coffee For Ice Coffee. The first cup I used the 1:1 ratio of syrup to water. The second cup I used 1:1/2 ratio of syrup to water.

The first cup was too mild for my taste and the second cup was OK. In both cases after mixing them I  heated them over the stove. I found just adding the hot water did not make the final mix hot enough.

Has anyone else tried cold brewed coffee? If so please share your comments.

I am willing to try this again if someone has a better recipe.

Your experience and thoughts would be appreciated.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy

I read an interesting article in the Houston Examiner called  "Coffeehouses101: What coffee has the most caffeine?". Some of the points they made are included here.

Types of coffee beans

There are two types of coffee beans – Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are grown at the top of the mountain and are considered to be of higher quality than the Robusta. Robusta is grown at the bottom of the mountains.

Roasting Coffee Beans

There can be a lot of variation in the roasting of the coffee beans. Lighter, darker and in between roasts. The darker roasts give a fuller flavor. But the beans used and how controlled the roasting determines the final taste. And over roasting can lead to bitter, rancid flavors.

Beans With the Highest Caffeine Levels

Roasting determines the caffeine levels of the coffee you drink.  The longer you roast the beans the more caffeine is lost.   So the lighter roastings are higher in caffeine.

Not the usual grind,

The Coffee Guy