WHAT DOES “A CUP OF JOE” MEAN TO YOU?

What is the best cup of coffee you have ever had?

by: http://www.orgnatlife.com

Well that could be a long list or a very short one. The bigger BOXED coffee shops as Star$$$$’s really does not appeal to me. Boring, run of the mill. It’s the smaller shops that actually make a good cup of coffee, or maybe it’s the atmosphere that makes it taste so good. Either way the atmosphere is comfy and inviting. Big oversized chairs to relax in and read a book or chat with others while you sip that wonderful drink.. Sounds like home.

Speaking of terminology.. Lord give me a break. If one more establishment comes up with another tongue twisting drink that takes 5 minutes to order and another 20 minutes to make, I will have to stop altogether. What ever happen to the good Old days when a cup of Joe was just that a cup of joe?

Well we are about to find out… When espresso came to America and where did espresso come from originally? Italy you say…  NO.

Espresso first appeared in Italy in the early 20th century. Coffee had already become a necessity to Italian daily life thanks to North African Muslims who brought it through Venice’s ports during the Renaissance. We owe much of the mystique coffee to Venetian merchants who charged wealthy patrons hefty sums to try out this newfangled drink when the first coffeehouses opened in the 1640’s.

Fast forward about 200 years and we find business man Luigi Bezzera tinkering away with this coffee pot to find a way to make coffee faster. In 1903, Bezzera owned a manufacturing business and was frustrated by the time-consuming process of brewing his own coffee at home each morning.

He soon found that adding steam pressure to the machine not only cut down on the brewing process but also produced a stronger, more robust cup of coffee. This new quick-brew process drew out the coffee bean’s best qualities but somehow avoided over extraction.

Bezzera immediately named his invention the “Fast Coffee Machine”. Since the word ‘espresso’ means fast in Italian, the name of the beverage the machine produced was quickly shortened to what we know today.

Unfortunately, Bezzera wasn’t as talented at marketing and sales as he was at engineering. In 1905, another businessman named Desidero Pavoni purchased the machine’s rights from Bezzera and had it patented.

Nowadays you don’t have to travel to Italy to experience Bezzera’s handiwork. The recent boom in espresso’s popularity has brought this Italian treat to every mall and street corner. Next time you decide to pick one up, take a moment to think about the more than 100 years of history inside your cup.

BREWING…

There are several ways to brew the black magic. Easy, put the water in and walk away to grinding, tampering, brewing and mixing the syrups to get that special taste.

For myself I threw out the Drip coffee maker and opted for the french press carafe. To have a rich full bodied aroma wafting through the house is like a beautiful melody running through your mind over and over.

I still say the best was the Percolator, back in the day. I can remember my grandma making coffee on the stove. Watching the coffee going up into the glass bubble on top and back down again, becoming darker in color each time it reached the bubble. Then the electric percolator my mom used was the highlight of the 60’s. Same technique just plug it in and watch it go.. No more standing by the stove and waiting for that perfect cup of coffee.

The Automatic drip machine came into the light. Wow everyone thought this was the BOMB.. Yes it gave you your pot of coffee in 5 minutes. But where was that rich wafting aroma? Gone with the 5 minute cup.

Then we step up to the home brew station for espresso. Ohh, what magic we have in our possession. Soon every house had an espresso machine big and small.

The latest is the One Cup Brew machine. Bringing you pre-made espresso in 50 flavors with no hassle or mess. Every day is a coffee rainbow.

Have fun and try a different blend and technique today…. You might be surprised at the difference a “Technique” actually makes.

Don’t forget about the health benefits of coffee. Black Coffee, not that candy coated crud or Super Hype added extract.

Please!!! Regular black coffee is just fine for me.

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