Seattle Coffee Gear - The Grind Newsletter

The Grind - May Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

May 2009

Recipe: Turkish Dee-Lite

Inspired by the traditional pairing of Turkish coffee with the rose-flavored candy Turkish Delight, we developed this exotic and surprisingly delicious concoction to give a yummy twist on our morning coffee.

Ingredients
1/4 oz. Monin Rose Gourmet Syrup
1/2 oz. Monin Cinnamon Gourmet Syrup
2 shots of espresso
Hot water (to taste)

Directions
Combine the syrups in the bottom of a warmed mug. Add espresso and mix thoroughly, then top off with hot water to taste.

Seattle Coffee Gear TV

Kat & Gail have been hard at work filming handy tips and machine reviews for your viewing pleasure. Check out this month's additions:

Brew Tip: Superautomatic to the Max

If you love strong coffee, you might not love a superauto's proclivity for producing what some consider to be a "weaker" shot. Here's how you can produce the strongest shot possible from your machine: The standard quantity of dry ground coffee to make a single shot of espresso is between 7-9 grams and 14-18 grams for a double. Calibrate your grinder to the finest allowable (the oilier your coffee, the coarser the grind) and then set the quantity to be ground to match the standard specified above. On a Saeco, Gaggia or DeLonghi, you can only program up to 10 grams of ground coffee, so you'll need to either do the double tap (available on newer Saecos and Gaggias) or just run it through the brew cycle twice for a double shot. Juras allow you to program up to 18 grams of ground coffee, so you can set it to basically produce a one-touch double shot. Water-wise, you want about 1.5 oz. volume for a single and 3.0 oz. for a double -- and you can cut these volumes down for a ristretto.

Ask the Experts

Q. How can I make amazing coffee in a french press?

A. Even though we have an undying appreciation for smooth, rich espresso, our first caffeinated love may be found at the bottom of a french press. In a relatively short amount of time and with a minimum of equipment, we can brew up a delicious cup of coffee that can be truly customized for our tastes.

In the cafe community, there is a growing movement toward offering self-serve french press bars or individually brewed french presses that are customized to the drinker's specifications -- you choose the type of coffee, the steeping duration and, sometimes, even the water temperature. This renaissance speaks to the tasty flexibility offered by the french press, which can truly be as simple or as complex as you'd like it to be.

The main components are to choose a tasty water (we dig minerals!) and don't skimp on the grinder -- just because you're grinding coarser than espresso, it doesn't mean that the uniformity of the particle size should be less consistent.

While there are recommendations around the best brewing process for french press coffee, we encourage you to experiment with different coffees, water temperatures and steeping times to find what tastes best to you.

Want to learn how we make french press coffee? Check out our tips.

Featured Products
Hourglass Cold Brew Coffee Maker Perfect for those summertime iced coffee drinks, the innovative Hourglass Cold Brew coffee maker brews up delicious, concentrated coffee with 69% less acidity than traditional drip coffee. $69.95	Vita-Mix Professional Series Blender - in Ruby Smoothly whip up your favorite blended drink, gourmet sauce or tasty dip with the only blender endorsed and used by the Culinary Institute of America. Available in Platinum, Onyx and Ruby. $499.00	Rocket Cellini Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine A bit sleeker, the Cellini has all the excellent performance of the Giotto Premium+: The patented E61 brew group, heat exchange boiler and 40% more steaming capacity than other machines in this class. $1,699.00

We really dig the new Hourglass Cold Brew coffee maker and think its smooth and delicious concentrated brew will woo espresso lovers, drip coffee savorers and french press connoisseurs alike! Treat yourself to this super-green brewing device and we'll give you $10 off the purchase between 5/7/09 and 5/31/09! To redeem, enter the code HGMAY09 during checkout. Offer not valid with any other coupons or discounts.