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Welcome to The Black as Midnight Coffee Blog! Here you'll find the latest on coffee makers & espresso machines, coffee information, recipes, brewing tips, coffee beans, gourmet coffee, and more.

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Latest Articles

Oct 01 2008

What You Need To Know About Keurig Coffee Makers

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

There are a lot of coffee maker manufacturers ready to cater to your hot caffeinated beverage needs.  Although Starbucks seems to be a permanent part of many people’s routines, more and more people cannot afford to go out for coffee anymore.   So, why should you consider a Kuerig coffee maker?

One Cup At A Time

You only drink one cup of coffee at a time (I hope), so why should you make more than one cup of coffee at a time?  When coffee sits and waits to be consumed, it gets flat and not as tasty.  Most coffee makers made will at the least make two cups of coffee each time they are used.  With a Kuerig coffee maker, you only make one cup at a time when you need to make one cup at a time.

And if you or your guest is not in the mood for coffee, you can use your Keurig coffee maker for tea or for hot chocolate.  You don’t have to do a lot of fumbling about with coffee filters and clumps of old coffee grounds – you just insert a little disc of the coffee, tea or cocoa that you want and the Keurig coffee maker does all the rest.

Hot Technology For Your Cup

Although you can make only cup at a time, you don’t have to.  A Keurig coffee maker gives you the choice of programming it to make one cup or four cups.  You can even program it when to brew so coffee will be ready for you when you wake up in the morning (or whenever you wake up).  It’s controlled by a microchip that tells the coffee maker what to do.  It has a digital readout which helps you to communicate with it.

Filling your Kuerig coffee maker with water is easy – you just remove the reservoir (which looks like a water bottle) without having to juggle all the other bits of a coffee maker.  You remove, fill and replace it as needed, so you don’t waste water and then waste coffee.

K-Cups

You don’t mess around with coffee grounds with a Keurig coffee maker.  You just insert convenient K-cups filled with your favorite coffee, hot chocolate, black tea or herbal tea.  The Keurig coffee maker does all the rest.  You should be able to get replacement K-cups from wherever you buy your Kuerig coffee maker, or you can go to Keurig’s web site and order directly from them.

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Sep 27 2008

Finding the Right Industrial Coffee Maker

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

Buying an industrial coffee maker can be daunting, especially if you are new to the restaurant business. The process is not that complicated and with a few guidelines you can buy the industrial coffee maker that is right for you and your business. The wrong one can cost you money and business, something you want to avoid.

Break down the process and think of it like buying a regular coffee maker for home use and you should be able to buy the right industrial coffee maker for you. The first step to do this is to ask the question, how much coffee do you need? From there it’s all smooth sailing.

Different Styles and Sizes

The industrial coffee maker that you choose has to fit your needs in terms of the amount of coffee it can brew. If you end up buying a coffee maker that does not brew enough coffee in a specific amount of time you may have to go out and buy another one that will take up more space and money. It’s much better to just buy one machine that will serve all your needs.

Calculate how much coffee is needed in say an hour and shop around for industrial coffee makers that will be able to fill this requirement. Take the busiest time of day in your shop or restaurant and calculate if your coffee maker will be able to handle the amount of coffee needed during your ‘rush hour’.

You also need to factor in the type of coffees you will be making. Can the coffee maker you are buying make all the types of coffee that you plan on serving? If it can’t and you need an additional machine to brew just one or two types of coffee then reconsider that model. Choose something that will brew all the coffee you plan to serve.

Compare for the Best Deals

Just because you have found an industrial coffee maker that fits all your needs doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and buy it. Shop around first to see that you are getting the best deal. Look at well-known brands that have been around for a while. They will probably be able to give you the best in terms of value.

Such brands will also be able to keep researching what needs to be improved and can offer innovative machines that newer companies are unable to offer. Established companies will also be able to offer the best machines for commercial use.

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Sep 26 2008

A Guide on How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

This article is a step by step guide on how to clean a Bunn coffee maker.  While many people own coffee makers, there are almost as many who have no idea how to clean a Bunn coffee maker.  Some people probably never have even considered how to clean a Bunn coffee maker, or that they even should.  If you are one of those people have no fear as this guide will walk you through it.

How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker – A Step by Step Guide

This guide is meant for the Bunn coffee makers without a self cleaning feature, if you have one of those then simply press the button and let the machine work its magic.  If you do not, then how to clean a Bunn coffee maker is a very easy process.  First take the carafe off and gently wash it in the sink.  It is not recommended to run the carafe through the dishwasher as the extreme heat can damage some of the seals on it.  Simply use warm soapy water, rinse, and then towel dry.  Set the carafe aside and let it air dry the rest of the way.

Next, remove the plastic filter basket.  Again do not wash this in a dishwasher, but use warm soapy water to clean thoroughly.  Set next to the carafe and let this dry as well.

After you have completed the first two steps, unplug the brewer and place an empty container where the carafe normally goes.   Pour a pitcher of cold water through the system to drain out any loose deposits.   Then gently remove the spray head (the round disk above the brew funnel) by turning it gently counter clockwise.  Wash this piece in warm soapy water, rinse then set down to dry next to the carafe and filter basket.

Take the brew off your counter and quickly turn it upside down over your sink.  Be careful to do this quickly as water can easily splash around and make a mess.   Keep the unit upside down until all the water has drained out.  Set the unit back in its normal location.

After the carafe, the filter basket and spray head have dried, reassemble your coffeemaker.  Fill the water receptacle with warm white vinegar and set the unit to run a pot of coffee.  Do not add a filter or coffee grounds, as the vinegar should dissolve most mineral deposits and do not want to collect those.

Pour out the vinegar, and then run another pot of coffee with just warm water.  That should do it.  Your Bunn coffee maker should be clean and mineral free.

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Sep 08 2008

Should I Buy a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker?

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

This article will take a look at 12 cup Hamilton Beach coffee maker.  There are plenty of twelve cup coffee makers available so standing out in the crowd can be tough.  This Hamilton Beach coffee maker however does a good job of separating itself from its competitors with some unique features.

Features of the Twelve Cup Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker

The first thing one notices with this Hamilton Beach coffee maker is its unique styling.  Simplistic and clean it should look nice in almost any kitchen.   The only thing that may be a bit of a problem is the height of the machine, but it should fir nicely in almost any kitchen.   The reason for this height becomes readily apparent with some examination:  there is no carafe!  After brewing the coffee, all of it is held in a reservoir so that you do not need to constantly remove the carafe when filling up.  A nifty innovation that is probably the unit’s best features also has some drawbacks.

One of the biggest is that if the seal on the dispenser is at all faulty the coffee maker will drip.  Without a carafe to fall into this can make quite a mess quickly.  Usually this is easily remedied, but it can prove to be a problem if you are not attentive.

Another major feature of the Hamilton Beach coffee maker is that it has an internal water filter.  This is great for those of us that do not have a water filter on the tap and do not want to keep filling up with the water from the fridge.  Simply fill up the unit and your water is filtered automatically.  In addition there is a handy dial that keeps track of when you need to change the filter.  It is recommended to change after sixty brew cycles, so if you make a pot of coffee everyday it should last you about two months.

Most of the other features are fairly standard.  The unit accepts standard coffee filters, and in addition there is an option to purchase a lifetime filter.  Since coffee filters cost a buck for about a hundred of them, there really is no need to invest in the lifetime filter unless you really feel it is needed.

The front is a see through plastic that lets you know exactly how much coffee is left so there is no guess work as to when to brew another pot.   It also has a clock with timer so that you can set up your coffee to brew automatically, a handy feature for those of us on the go.    In addition it automatically shuts itself off after two hours so there is no danger of accidentally leaving it on.

All in all for the price this is one heck of a little coffee maker and is a great buy for people who want their coffee with little fuss.

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Sep 06 2008

French Press Coffee Makers Make the Grade

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

Mmmmm…coffee.  Sometimes it feels like the only thing helping us make the transition from half-awake ghoul to normal person with the ability to smile at the start of a new day.  Once you are into coffee, it’s hard to stop.  The good news is, coffee is full of antioxidants.  That, and a little extra effort is all it takes to make a good cup of coffee great.  You can do that with a French press coffee maker!

Coarser Grind, Finer Coffee

French Press coffee is made from a courser grind of beans.  It’s one step coarser than percolated coffee, and two steps away from ultra-fine espresso.  The grounds should be the size of small grains of gravel.  Unlike a percolator, a French press coffee maker type is generally favored by connoisseurs who know their coffee because of a French Press’s ability to produce coffee with a taste full of richness.

Look complicated?  It isn’t

Making French Press coffee is a breeze.  In fact, I picked up a French Press coffee maker originally because I thought automatic percolators were too difficult!  You just need to trust yourself a little.  Take the carafe (the pitcher) of a Press kit and throw in some grounds, a layer about an inch thick.  Pour in some boiling hot water and let sit until grounds rise to thetop.  Stir it, let sit another minute, and plunge!

The plunger, usually a mesh made of wire or nylone, separates the coffee grounds from the water.  After you have plunged, do not add more coffee!  This will ruin your coffee and make it “sandy” with clumps.  The French press coffee maker has been fine tuned to reveal a delicious, muddy brew that goes down easily.

French press coffee makers are found all over the world, and have different names all over.  They’re called “press pots,” “coffee presses,” “coffee plungers” or “cafetieres” in British English.  It was, however, popularized by the French, who seem to prefer electric percolators these days.  If you’re in South Africa and request a “French Press” they will give you a quite a stinkeye until you say “plunger coffee, please!”

French press coffee makers are very popular.  They make a coffee superior to most drip machines, they don’t require much work to clean (a few rinses with soap and water usually does the trick).  They are extremely portable, and green, too.  They can be powered with no electricity with a little hot water and someone to push the plunger…and you’re ready to enjoy!

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Sep 01 2008

Choosing a Filter Coffee Maker

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

The process of choosing a filter coffee maker is not necessarily as easy as it sounds. With all the different makes and models out there today it can often get intimidating and even frustrating just trying to decide on a particular one. With a few helpful tips however, you will understand more about the selection available to you and be able to decide on the right filter coffee maker for you.

Buglatti Vulvano 3-Cup Coffee Maker

One filter coffee maker that should definitely be considered here is the Bulgatti Vulvano 3-Cup coffee maker. Right away you know that you are getting a superbly made coffee maker because the Bugatti Company creates products of only the highest quality.

Then you take a closer look at this coffee maker and can do not but agree. The body of this 3-cup espresso maker is made of cast aluminum and the handle and knob are made in poliamide to give more resistance.

Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Another filter coffee maker that you may want to consider is the Cuisinart coffee maker. With this filter coffee maker you can set the timer and wake up to delicious freshly ground then filtered coffee.

It automatically grinds coffee before brewing, is fully programmable and use friendly, will also use ground coffee, offers commercial quality brewing, double-wall insulated carafe with vacuum sealed lid that will help to keep the coffee fresh for hours, built in water filter, and a robust and durable brushes stainless steel housing.

A di Alessi Espresso Coffee Maker

The final filter coffee maker to be discussed here is the A di Alessi espresso coffee maker. This is a divine coffee maker that brews up to three times at a ray, and one that should definitely be considered here.

When you are trying to make the decision on a coffee maker, it is important that you take the time to find one that is going to offer you all the features and components that you are looking for. If you are going to be serving several people coffee with it for instance you are going to want to get a larger coffee maker.

Just make sure that it is a coffee maker you are going to want to use for years to come, and always be sure to find out what type of warranties and return policies are available so that if anything does go wrong with your coffee maker you will be able to return or exchange it.

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Aug 23 2008

Farberware Coffee Maker Percolates Through Appliance History

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

The name Farber has been associated with gifts and kitchen products since about 1900, and when electrical appliances first began to emerge in 1930, Farber’s wares began to take a new approach to kitchen convenience. Today, there is a Farberware coffee maker to meet many different needs, from the simple four-cup coffee maker to the 36-cup stainless steel coffee urn. While the company produces some of the most recognized kitchen utensils and products, owning a Farberware coffee maker can make a difference in the kitchen.

For some coffee drinkers, the convenience of drip brewing is all they may know. Percolators, after all went out of favor many years ago, despite innovations and improvements enabling coffee to be brewed without grounds falling through their internal metal baskets. Most of the Farberware coffee makers on the market today use the percolating method of brewing coffee, which some claim provide a better tasting product while using less coffee.

Prior to the use of electric coffee makers, percolators were the most common as they could be filled with water, a basket and the upper basket filled with coffee grounds and placed over an open fire or on a wood stove. As the water was heated, it traveled up through the inner tube, was released over the grounds and dripped back into the pot. Farberware coffee maker still uses this type of brewing and as the water picks up the flavor of the grounds, it is recirculated into the water waiting to be passed through the grounds.

Remember Appropriate Cup Size When Brewing

One of the things about a Farberware coffee maker, and most others for that matter, is the amount of brewed coffee rarely matches the number of cups claimed to be made. For instance, a four-cup Farberware coffee maker has a capacity of 20-ounces of coffee and most coffee cups are designed to hold between six and eight ounces. Most coffee makers use four-ounces as their standard for a cup size.

The number of cups of coffee produced by a Farberware coffee maker, as well as most others, will be determined by the size of the cup being used. Why five ounces was chosen as the standard has yet to be adequately explained as even with the standard unit of measure, a cup is eight-ounces.  However, most people simply adjust to the cup size promised by coffee makers and instead of asking why, they accept coffee maker claims and buy one accordingly.

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Aug 22 2008

Shopping For A Home Espresso Machine

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

Don’t let the jitters of caffeine withdrawal force you into making a hasty decision on buying an espresso machine for your home use.  You could go to the corner coffee shop, but that is getting too expensive.  More and more financial advisers stress how much money you can save by making your own espresso instead of going out for it.  In these tight economic times, every penny helps.

What Kind?

First off, you need to know that there are two main types of home espresso machines.  There are pump driven espresso machines and steam driven espresso machines.  Many coffee connoisseurs claim that there is a big difference in both kinds – with the more expensive pump driven espresso type giving the best quality.

So, how important is espresso in your life?  Are you going to use this machine only occasionally or almost every day for the rest of your life or the life of the espresso machine – whichever comes first?  If you are only an occasional drinker, then there is no sense plunking down your dollars and cents for the more expensive pump driven kind.  Keep in mind that steam driven espresso machines must cool down between brews to be used safely.

Bells And Whistles

Besides the basic difference in how they make their beverages, there are also other things to consider when choosing your espresso machine, but most of them are minor choices about the extras that come with certain machines.  These extras include how big they are, removable drip trays, programmable timers, warming trays and even a frothing cup if you want to try making cappuccinos.

Ideally, you should try a cup made from the espresso machine you are thinking of purchasing before you buy it.  But this opportunity doesn’t happen always in the real world.  So it is essential that you find out your store or website’s return policy before you buy your espresso machine.  You also need to have a warranty on it (these usually are only for a couple of months).

You also need to find an espresso machine that fits into your kitchen – or wherever you are planning on keeping it.  This might seem like a no-brainer, but I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard about a friend or relative who bought a cooking appliance and brought it home to discover that the only place it fit was on the floor.  Color and appearance should be the last concerns when shopping for your home espresso machine.

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Aug 12 2008

Make yourself a pod of coffee

Published by Jennifer under Coffee

Coffee Pods

Coffee Pods

(NC)—Forget about brewing a pot of coffee. Now can you make a pod of coffee. Pod brewers are becoming more and more popular among java lovers who need a quick little fix to get them through the day. The pods reduce waste, cut down on electricity and allow several people to enjoy different flavours at the same time.

The Strauss family of Kamloops, B.C. has launched a new line of gourmet coffee pods for single servings. The company has also introduced herbal coffees as well this spring. You can find out more at straussherbco.com.

- News Canada

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Aug 04 2008

Electric Espresso Makers: Sling a Quality Drink

Published by Author under Coffee Makers, Espresso Machines

Electric espresso makers are now the industry standard, and are becoming the standard for at-home baristas.  While a four-spout model can easily run upwards of $3000, you can purchase a quality electric espresso maker for under $100 from many retailers.  You may be familiar with the Café Moka model.  It’s aluminum, it’s squat, and it’s difficult to use.

Using an Electric Espresso Maker

It’s easy to use and clean an electric espresso maker.  While there are propane espresso makers, these are a minority.  In fact, many propane espresso makers are dual-phase, able to be operated with propane gas or electric.  The process of producing espresso is simple, although you may have a method that you adher to.

Great espresso is essential.  Espresso is not, in fact, a bean, but refers to the method of preparation.  An extremely fine powder is used in electric espresso makers, unlike with other methods drip coffee, which features medium-sized grains, and French press coffee, which is some of the largest you’ll find.

Grind the espresso into that fine powder.  This should be ground every time a drink is made.  A lack of freshness makes for a big lack of taste.  Next, take a little bit of the coffee and place it in a metal filter basket, about 3/4 full.  Now you are going to tamp it—there is an optimal pressure for electric espresso makers, and you’ll learn it quickly.  It should be firm, with no powder adrift on top of the espresso.

Now, on electric espresso makers, you simply insert the basket and swing the handle of the basket into place.  Make sure the reservoir in the electric espresso maker has water in it, and push the button.  Within seconds, you will have a shot of delicious espresso.  Often electric espresso makers are fitted for double shots—make sure you have two cups ready.

Often, electric espresso makers have a separate wand for frothing milk.  Most electric espresso makers are designed to shoot out water at a steaming gallop.  This intensity is necessary for the finely frothed milk that espresso drinkers demand when they ask for a cappucinno or latte.  The milk should be heated to around 145°.  Too cold, and the milk doesn’t sweeten.  Too hot, and the milk can burn.

How do you know if your electric espresso maker is functioning right?  Listen for a delicate whirring noise during the espresso pull, and a distinctive breathy whirring noise when the milk is frothed.  And of course, the look of your espresso.  It should have a delicate red-brown foam at the top.  This is the crema, or schiuma.  If you’ve got that, you’ve got espresso!

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