Black As Midnight Blog – All Coffee, All the Time
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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.
Have a look around and feel free to drop us a note in the comments section!
Aug 03 2008
If you want to make a purchase that you will never end up regretting, go with a Delonghi coffee maker. With a Delonghi coffee maker you know that you will be getting delicious, perfectly brewed coffee each and every time, and never again have to worry about getting charred or burnt roasts.
The Selection
There is the 14-cup programmable Delonghi coffee maker for one, which features a 14-cup capacity, 24-hour programmable timer which is convenient and easy to use, internal water level indicator which lets you know how much water is left in the tank, permanent gold-tone filter, shower head design, aroma button, and freshness indicator with LED lights that illuminate every 15 minutes for the first hour to let you know how long the coffee has been brewed.
There is also an advanced water filtration system used here which helps to optimize the taste of your coffee by eliminating any off-flavors that are caused by chlorine, a decalcification warning which uses an indicator light to let you know when it is time to clean the machine, a non-stick warming plate, and a pause n’ serve function which allows you to interrupt the brewing cycle to pour a cup of coffee before the full brew is complete.
This is an ideal Delonghi coffee maker for the average household and one that is truly high quality but also affordable. If you are shopping for your first coffee maker this is definitely one that should be considered, and one that will not break your budget.
Another Delonghi coffee maker that you may want to consider is the Delonghi EC701 Espresso Machine. This is a durable and full featured machine, one that produces a perfect shot of authentic espresso, cup after cup. Two portafilters are included with the machine, one that uses convenient ESE espresso pods and the other which enhances the brewing process to ensure full espresso extraction.
A few of the many features offered include rugged stainless steel housing, 15 bar electric pump, anti-drip design, ESE pod compatible, Sempre Crema portafilter, cappuccino system frother, removable drip tray, on/off indicator light, integral coffee tamper, cup warming surface with rails, and more.
Making the Decision
You may find it a bit difficult to make a decision, what with the various different models available to you, but as long as you take a bit of time and consider the different features and components that you need, then you will be able to find the perfect coffee maker for you.
Aug 02 2008
With a Cuisinart coffee maker you can have perfect coffee and an appliance that looks amazing. There is nothing that says simple modern elegance than this coffee maker. There are different models to go with your lifestyle, whether you need to hit the ground running in the morning or have the time to relax and unwind over a cup of coffee and the papers. Every model considers that you have a life that needs to be lived, not one that needs to be spent waiting around for the machines in your house to do their jobs.
Coffee for Two
If you and your partner need to be out the door first thing in the morning with no time to sit down and have coffee then there is a Cuisinart coffee maker that is just for you. The ‘Two to Go’ coffee maker makes coffee that is brewed directly into two travel coffee mugs.
All you have to do it turn the machine on first thing in the morning and by the time your done with your shower and are ready to go to work you have two cups of coffee that will be ready for your car ride or commute.
Barista Perfection
Sick of going to Starbucks? Use the Cuisinart Espresso coffee maker to make your favorite coffee right at home. This espresso machine makes perfect espressos and has steam nozzles that will allow you to steam milk and make your espresso a latter or cappuccino.
Add your favorite syrups and sprinkles and you have the perfect latte, probably better than what they have at the coffee shop down the block. You can get as creative as you want and you’ll enjoy creating new flavors in your kitchen.
Busy Lives
If you only want certain cups of coffee at a time and hate the idea of a carafe sitting around with coffee all day then there is a Cuisinart coffee maker for you. The ‘Coffee on Demand’ machine will dispense your coffee cup by cup. You can program it the night before so that you don’t have to worry about waking up to brew coffee.
You can be guaranteed of enough coffee to last you throughout the day even in a household of more than one coffee addict, it can hold 12 cups of coffee. Whatever your choice there is sure to be a Cuisinart coffee maker that suits you and your tastes.
Aug 01 2008
Everyone loves a bargain, but if you can’t use it, than it’s not much of a bargain. If you love coffee and a bargain, it might be tempting to buy a commercial super automatic espresso machine just because it’s for sale, at a government auction or the featured item at a local garage sale. Resist the temptation, unless there are areas in your life that you could actually use a commercial super automatic espresso machine.
Fundraisers
Are you a member of a church, Meetup or PTA that does a lot of fundraising? Then this is one of those instances where getting a used commercial super automatic espresso machine may tip not only in your favor, but in the favor of any charity your support. The espresso could be sold during fundraising events like bake sales, car washes or whatever else your group does to interact with the community and get donations from them.
Small Businesses
If you have your own small business that can somehow tie into giving out or selling coffee, then you should think about getting a used commercial super automatic espresso machine. Having your customers drink an espresso might make them want to stick around and shop in your store more instead of just dashing in and out. This could work for small bookstores, diners, bakeries or massage parlors (LEGAL massage parlors).
Where Would You Find These Things?
It’s amazing what you can find on the internet, especially in online auction web sites like eBay and on online classifieds like Craigslist. Some people also haunt bankruptcy sales and government auctions, which more and more put up web sites of the stuff for sale rather than making you travel out to a tiny drafty warehouse to look the merchandise over and then hang around for hours so you can put in a bid.
You can also find used commercial super automatic espresso machines for sale in regular newspaper classifieds, especially if any local restaurant has gone out of business. One way of trying to pay off all of their debtors is to sell all of their equipment and furnishings.
Who knows? The way the economy is going, you might walk down the street and see a used commercial super automatic espresso machine on a street corner with a sign around its neck saying, “Will work for coffee”. Just think really long and hard before bringing one of these monsters into your life.
Jul 25 2008
Commercial propane coffee makers enable anyone to set up a coffee cart or kiosk anytime or anywhere. Even if there’s no electricity around, propane coffee makers—especially commercial-sized ones—will enable you to make fresh, piping hot coffee for all your customers. If you wish to expand your cart concession business, coffee is a great place to form the foundation of your personal brand. And propane is the perfect fuel to remain off the grid. This is the best way to avoid paying someone else’s utility bill.
The Economics
If you’re considering a business in cart-based food services, a commercial propane coffee maker makes perfect sense. Coffee is one of the most popular luxury items, and for good reason; it tastes good cold on a hot day, and is a delicious way to warm up when it’s chilly. Propane runs extremely cheap, usually less than a dollar a gallon, and with an efficient commercial propane coffee maker, you can make a significant profit in a short time. The initial investment of a good commercial propane coffee maker can run around $3000, a price easily recouped by establishing a dedicated clientele. This is not hard with a popular beverage like coffee.
Propane Pros
Propane is green, a byproduct of natural gas. It’s a very safe, efficient fuel; there are still propane-run cooler from the thirties that function today! It requires very little compression to form a liquid gas (called LPG) and is thus easy to store and transport. You may be concerned about dealing with gas leaks, but propane, thanks to the additive ethanethiol, is easily detected by the human nose when released into the air.
Propane is easily stored in 20 gallon tanks; these are the squat, rounded-off drums you usually see people using when barbequing. A full propane tank is usually very distinct from an empty one; once you become familiar with your commercial propane coffee maker, you will be able to judge the fullness by the heft. If not, the weight of the empty tank is conveniently embossed on the side.
A Great Cup
Of course, moving your product will be greatly facilitated by being able to make a great cup o’joe. This is where investing in a quality commercial propane coffee maker becomes key. The industry standard is using Italian models, although there are makers from the US and German who have also come a long way in perfecting the art of fine coffee. With a commercial propane coffee maker, you’re on your way to a flourishing business!
Jul 24 2008
It was not too long ago that getting a beverage from a coffee vending machine was done so out of desperation as their reputation for providing a good cup of coffee was not real good. Typically, the drinks produced were either too strong, too weak or just downright nasty and despite the complaints of those that bought drinks from a coffee vending machine, buy them they did. It may have been because of the some of the fancy cups they used because in most cases it was not because of great tasting coffee.
Typically, many of the old style coffee vending machines simply provided hot water that was run through a portion of instant coffee that did not always completely dissolve during the process. The result was often hot water with some grounds floating on the top of the water or settled on the bottom of the cup and tasted more like coffee that was made two or three days previously. However, after years of complaining about the drinks produced by a coffee vending machine manufacturers finally made headway in making their product more pleasing to coffee drinkers.
Today, a coffee vending machine can produce a cup of brew that might even be close to the coffee produced at home in a brewer. Once activated, some of the machines grind the right amount of beans, run water heated to 110-degrees through the grounds and pour the coffee into an insulated cup.
Most Machine Coffee May Be Good But Not Great
Travelers and many others who work for a company that provide a lunch room may be limited in their sources of a good cup of coffee and if they feel a need for a burst of caffeine will buy a cup from a coffee vending machine. Even with the improvements made to the machines and improved quality of the finished product, it will never equal the product available from a coffee shop or that brewed at home.
However, there are going to be some that enjoy the brew made by a coffee vending machine, but remember that a machine is a machine and cannot adjust they way it was instructed to brew the coffee. A coffee vending machine will produce coffee that it too strong for some and too weak for others and still, to this day, will carry the stigma that the drink was made by a coffee vending machine, therefore it cannot possibly be good.
Jul 23 2008
Having too many appliances in the kitchen can take up valuable space. This is especially true if you live in a small apartment or have small kitchen. In both cases you need to optimize the space you do have and reduce the appliances that take up counter space. A coffee maker with water dispenser is both space and time saving.
You can have the convenience of an appliance that does the two essential things and at the same time will give you better coffee. It’s also perfect if you have someone in the house that drinks something besides coffee but still needs the hot water. With this coffee maker with water dispenser you can keep everyone happy.
Convenient
A coffee maker with water dispenser will allow you to have a supply of hot water on hand all the time without worrying about heating up water. This is useful for many things, for example cooking becomes easier when all you need to do for hot water is to press a button.
If you need to make a cup of tea or make up some hot chocolate this is also an easy and fast way to get things done. Perfect for early in the morning when you have more things to do than time to do them in.
Using a coffee maker with water dispenser does not really differ from other coffee makers in any other way. It will still make a great cup of coffee or tea. Despite the water dispenser feature it does not take up a lot of space. It has been designed to be compact as the main reason you are buying a coffee maker with water dispenser is to save space.
Choosing the Right One
When choosing the right coffee maker with water dispenser the big factor is the amount of water that you need. Is something that can hold 12 ounces of water enough for you? If you continually need hot water throughout the day then get something with a bigger water dispenser allowance.
If you need it to brew drinks other than coffee make sure that it can perform this function. A permanent filter for coffee and tea grounds is a good idea to look out for in the models you might prospectively buy. The amount of time that it takes to heat up water should also be taken into account. If it is too lengthy then the convenience factor is lost.
Jul 21 2008
A good coffee maker with a stainless steel warming plate made my coffee experience one day, and the rest has been coffee bliss ever since. My first year in college, I never liked coffee. I never had the chance to see what it could really be because I was only exposing myself to low-quality brews. Even when I knew the coffee beans used were good, the resulting coffee never did much to grab me. I only drank it to keep myself going through hours of econ homework—you try reading Adam Smith at 3AM!
Finally, I got my own place with a friend. She was also a late-night studier. One night, after I’d served her another cup of my coffee (I had a coffee maker with no warming plate, stainless steel or otherwise), I saw her discretely pour it into a potted plant. I asked her just what she thought she was doing, and she explained meekly that my coffee was, well, shoddy. “Of course it’s shoddy…coffee doesn’t taste good.” She asked me to explain my process and she said I was doing nothing wrong. Then she asked to see my coffee maker.
“Oh! You don’t have a coffee maker with a stainless steel warming plate!” We had been drinking coffee all night, and I had been rewarming the hot cups o’ joe in the microwave. Not good. She showed me her coffee maker with a stainless steel warming plate and explained that it would keep the coffee hot and fresh-tasting throughout the night. We could brew a whole pot of coffee and the coffee maker with the stainless steel warming plate would keep it from acquiring a foul taste from cooling and reheating.
Stainless Steel Makes All the Difference
Why is it so important to get a coffee maker with a stainless steel warming plate? Stainless is just the best way to go when it comes to something as powerful as coffee—there’s a reason coffee drinking stains your teeth. Spills are bound to happen, and stainless steel remains the most corrosive resistant and rust-free. It’s so easy to clean up and make sanitary, people line their entire kitchen with stainless steel, or even put it through their earlobes!
Finding a coffee maker with a stainless steel warming plate isn’t too difficult, and it’s certainly worth the couple extra dollars for high quality coffee. If you work at a place with a high flow of coffee traffic throughout the day—as so many of us do—you may want to be specific in your search for a coffee maker. Get one with a stainless steel warming plate and appreciate the difference.
Jul 19 2008
Convenience is what drives people to buy a coffee maker with grinder built in, but that same convenience is what may drive many away from such devices. It is no secret that coffee tastes so much better when it is made with freshly ground beans and many would rather buy whole beans and grind them to the texture that suits their own tastes. Once coffee beans have been ground they begin to lose their flavor and using a coffee maker with grinder where the grounds are made seconds before being used can provide the best tasting coffee available.
The problem most people confront is if one or the other should happen to break. They either have a coffee maker with a useless piece of equipment attached to it or they have a grinder for their beans that is slightly larger than a coffee maker. In these instances, they will need to replace the entire coffee maker with grinder even though only part of the unit is defective.
Another potential issue with having a coffee maker with grinder built in is in cleaning the grinder part of the machine. With coffee makers, the brew pot can be cleaned in the sink and water with a little vinegar can be run through the machine to keep the pipes clean. However, al good coffee beans have some oil on them and cleaning the grinding portion of the coffee maker with grinder can be a tough job.
Built In Units Offer Additional Challenges
As more coffee drinkers seek more conveniences in their home, coffee makers that can be built into the wall or cabinet are becoming increasingly popular. They do not take up space on the countertop and when connected to a water line do not require manual filling of the water reservoir. Building in a coffee maker with grinder is also adding to convenience of the homeowner, but cleaning them presents additional challenges.
When looking for a coffee maker with grinder, whether it is going to be built into the wall or free standing on the counter, be sure to understand how the blades of the grinder can be cleaned and how often they should be cleaned to prevent a build up of old grounds from affecting the taste of the coffee. The reputation of the brand should also be considered, with the understanding that if one part breaks, you will need to replaced the entire unit.
Jul 18 2008
We’ve all used a coffee grinder in the grocery store and noticed the dial on the side, running all the way from “Extra Coarse” to “Extra Fine”, perhaps with a little symbol of the brewing method used. You probably skip to the one that your type of coffee maker uses, but all these settings work with different coffee maker types produce a very distinct coffee product.
Perking up with a Percolator
The most popular coffee maker type is the percolator. They’re virtually idiot-proof, or at least, that’s the idea behind many designs. They’re quite popular for those of us who might be a little pressed for time in the morning. Simply grab a filter, pour some ground coffee in there, fill the reservoir, and set the time. A nice guarantee of a hot cup when you come zooming by in the morning.
Turkish Coffee is a Delight
The Turkish coffee maker type produces a brew that is unique among flavors. It’s strong,thick, and “muddy”. Extremely fine coffee grounds are placed in an Ibrik, which is then carefully brought to a boil three separate times before being served. This is the classic method of making coffee.
The French Press
With its glass carafe and mesh plunger, the French Press is an elegant way to serve your favorite coffee. With the French Press type of coffee maker, however, a coarser grain of coffee is necessary. Fans of the French Press have their own technique, but in the short time the French press coffee maker takes, the type of coffee produced is quite tasty.
Espresso – the Coffee Shop Mainstay
Espresso is all about pressure, pressure, pressure. The brew begins with a small dose of powdery grind tamped to just the right level for the espresso machine—there are aluminum stovetop types of coffee makers, but many find the machine produces the best brew. This tamped coffee is then the medium through which a stream of hot water is sent, resulting in a golden brown shot.
Vacuumed Coffee?
No, it doesn’t involve your Dirt Devil, and it doesn’t suck. It’s called the vacuum method, and it’s for true coffee connoisseurs. If the French Press features a nice-looking setup, the vacuum coffee maker type reveals an apparatus that is positively Da Vincian. With its two glass containers, it involves heating the coffee over an open flame and brewing the coffee through a temperature gradient. It’s fascinating to watch.
People are creating new ways to enjoy coffee beverages all the time! You may have your favorite method which isn’t anywhere on this list. For the committed coffee drunker, a journey through all the various coffee maker types is always a worthy one. How do you like your coffee?
Jul 13 2008
When you read about the features of the fabulous new coffee maker that you are about to buy there seems to be no downside to this machine. Why? That’s because the pitch is written by the company and all they want to do is sell you the coffee machine. If there are any defects you won’t hear it from the company.
So how do you find a good coffee maker without being mislead by all its good points without taking into account its downsides. There are now unlimited coffee maker reviews out there for you to research the coffee maker of your choice. People who have used the coffee makers and spell out the pros and cons clearly write these coffee maker reviews.
User Reviews
The best coffee maker reviews are written by users just like you who are out there looking for the best coffee makers on the market. These are the most honest coffee maker reviews, as most likely these people just want to help others find the best machine.
It is easy to find such reviews, as there are now many places that will offer price comparisons between different models. There are often reviews attached and you can judge from these reviews how well a particular model works.
Coffee maker reviews will cover some basics but not all will be as comprehensive as you might like. However the bad coffee makers will stick out. Any model that has plenty of negative reviews is one that you should stay clear of. If there is an overwhelming amount of negative experience with a particular model, chances are the same thing will happen to you.
Research Carefully
Different things are important to different people when it comes to coffee makers. For some people adequate brewing is enough and most models will do this for you. If you want something durable but are stuck on a tight budget then look carefully at the coffee maker reviews for cheap models. Cheap models can either be good bargains or flimsy machines that will need replacements soon. Careful research can point you towards the former.
Coffee maker reviews will also help you to choose a coffee maker that makes specific types of coffee. For example lattes, cappuccinos and espressos at a professional level. If you are interested in specialized types of coffee then you will probably find very detailed coffee maker reviews telling you all about the product.