Recommended listening

Cold-Water Coffee Brewing

While I admit I’m not a big fan of coffee, I do drink it fairly regularly. The caffeine can’t be beat, and I’m a big fan of espresso and cappucino drinks. I generally like my coffee concentrated. Therefore, there’s this little item called The Toddy that looks awesome. You grind up coffee beans, and stick some cold filtered/spring water in there with them, and let this thing “brew” for 12 hours. It doesn’t need any electricity, so you can easily do it overnight or while you’re at work. What you get is a coffee syrup that’s 67% less acidic than normal coffee. You can keep it for up to 2 weeks in the refridgerator. You just add it to some hot or cold water, with some sugar, and bam! good instant coffee. None of that Folgers crap.

Naturally, I want to know how the syrup tastes. Screw diluting it, can it be drinken like espresso? And does anyone know how the caffeine fares with this system?

Amazon.com reviews are great for this thing…

The Toddy at Amazon.com

Coffee could provide shield from radiation

Indian scientists say coffee protects mice from radiation and could work the same way in humans.

Researchers at India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) discovered mice injected with caffeine survived high doses of normally lethal radiation.

Although the study was limited to animals, Kachadpillill George, the head of the research team, believes the findings could have implications for humans.

Full Story: ABC.

(thanks Dr. Menlo).

Drinking lots of coffee saves liver from alcohol damage, research finds

Drinking as little as one cup of coffee a day could help protect you from liver disease caused by alcohol, according to research published today.

People who drink one cup of coffee are 20% less likely to have alcoholic cirrhosis than those who abstain from doing so.

And the protective effect increases with the more coffee you drink: People who drink two or three cups a day are 40% less likely to contract cirrhosis, while those who drink four or more cups are 80% less likely to suffer the disease.

[…]

Drinking tea had no effect, suggesting the ingredient that protects against cirrhosis is not caffeine.

Full Story: Guardian.

ECAFE

After a couple of months of delay, the much anticpated ECAFE coffees finally arrived about a week ago. The ECAFE Gold auction features the best coffees from Ethiopia of over 65 cooperatives from five unions—the Sidama, Oromia, Yirgacheffe, Kafa Forest, and Tepi Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Unions. These coffees exemplify full traceability, sustainability, and, “last but not least, quality, which is the best guarantee for success in the international marketplace.” Jodi has been sample roasting like crazy and we had our first round of cupping yesterday. There are 27 coffees going up for auction tomorrow so you can be sure that we will be pretty caffienated by the end of the day today as we cup them all and figure out which one we want to buy.

How to make espresso coffee

Amazing espresso coffee is the result of several managed variables coming together at once. What is unique about this brewing method is that water is under atmospheric pressure as it passes through a bed of finely ground coffee. This creates a rich, concentrated brew that is recognizable by dense, dark brown foam at the surface of the coffee, also known as Crema. To get the perfect espresso coffee from your domestic machine follow the steps below:

• Allow the machine to reach operating temperature
• ...more...

Interview with Paul Bassett

Recently, I just got an oppurtunity to interview the host of Living With Coffee, also World Barista Champion, Paul Bassett! What a luck. Naaah, I’m joking. It’s not me, but this interview is taken from my local cable tv magazine. My intention is to share this article and also as inspiration to anyone who have intention to be a successful barista.
After his win, Bassett became Australia’s de facto coffee ambassador. He has also cp-written and produced Living With Coffee with Paul Bassett. Bassett, a brand ambassador for BMW in Australia as well as a contributing cafe’ lifestyle editor for Men’s Lifestyle magazine is a proof that coffee can indeed make a man.
What do you think that it has suddenly become hip to drink coffee?
Bassett rinking coffee offers an oppurtunity for people to come and meet a location and share the experience of coffee, which is something that has been happening for centuries.
What’s the Australian coffee scene like?
Bassett:Australia is a multicultural country, and coffee is consumed in different ways. I would say that we have a rather advanced espresso culture in Australia. These days, the cafe is becoming the more popular alternative to the pub as a meeting point. People do not want to drink alcohol all the time.
How do you take your coffee?
Bassett:I rarely drink coffee with milk. I usually have my coffee black. The reason for this is because I like to taste my coffee. I like to know where that particular brew is from, how it’s been roasted and how it’s been brewed. I don’t even like to put sugar in my coffee. I’m a bit of a purist.(more…)

Solving the mystery of the elusive “short” cappuccino

Here’s a little secret that Starbucks doesn’t want you to know: They will serve you a better, stronger cappuccino if you want one, and they will charge you less for it. Ask for it in any Starbucks and the barista will comply without batting an eye. The puzzle is to work out why.

The drink in question is the elusive “short cappuccino”?at 8 ounces, a third smaller than the smallest size on the official menu, the “tall,” and dwarfed by what Starbucks calls the “customer-preferred” size, the “Venti,” which weighs in at 20 ounces and more than 200 calories before you add the sugar.

Full Story: Slate.

Cool ad by Folgers

Originally from Wooster Collective. They have one more pic as well. I hate Folgers, but this is a pretty cool ad.

Coffee makes us say ‘yes’

If you want to bring someone around to your way of thinking you should make sure they’ve got a cup of coffee in their hand, according to research showing that caffeine makes us more open to persuasion.

The Australian researchers say a caffeine hit improves our ability to process information and increases the extent to which we listen to and take on board a persuasive message.

Full Story: Australian Broadcasting Company.

Latte art championship in the Netherlands

Photos.

(via Nuclear Toast).

Caffeine improves short term memory after all?

I could swear that that studies I’d seen before indicated caffeine decreased short term memory and attention… but this study finds the opposite to be true:

The caffeine found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate stimulates areas of the brain governing short-term memory and attention, Austrian researchers said on Wednesday.

Full Story: Reuters.

Be rude at Starbucks, get decaf

A gem at Post-Secret.

Making coffee with an aeropress

A video on how to make coffee with an Aeropress.

Espresso Counter-Cultures

Ritual is part of the new school of American coffee, the post Starbucks wave of shops that aim to distinguish themselves via an obsessive devotion to the perfectly pulled espresso shot. Visually this tends to manifest itself in the rosetta, or latte art, that the barista will cap off your milky drinks with. But the root identifier is probably behind the counter or in the office, where you’ll likely find a devout fan (or perhaps knowledgeable critic) of David Schomer of Seattle’s Espresso Vivace. Through books, videos, and extensive semi-scientific experimentation Schomer is the lead evangelist or perhaps religious leader of the next generation coffee house.

Full Story: Abstract Dynamics.

Too Much Coffee Man, The Opera?

This fall, cartoonist Shannon Wheeler is bringing his satirical comic strip Too Much Coffee Man to the operatic stage. While there have been several musicals based on comic strips, a comic book onstage as an opera is something else.

[…]

At this stage, Wheeler is beginning to cast the formal production and has recently met with his publisher Mike Richardson of Dark Horse Comics. Although no firm details have been set, Wheeler has said that it’s positive.

Full Story: Comixpedia.

Cuppa is Official English Icon

The quest is on to identify England’s cultural icons in a new online project being launched in January 2006.

A Portrait of England, being launched on 9 January 2006, will gradually paint a virtual portrait of the country through an exploration of everything cherished in the culture. One of the first 12 official ‘Icons of England’ to be announced is the humble cup of tea.

It is in good company because the others are: Stonehenge, Punch and Judy, the S.S. Empire Windrush, Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII, the FA Cup, Alice in Wonderland, the Routemaster double-decker bus, the King James Bible, the Angel of the North, the Spitfire and Jerusalem.

ICONS will identify what makes England what it is in the 21st century. Hundreds more nominations from the public are expected and ‘waves’ of new “Icons of England” will be announced each quarter, as the online collection grows bigger and richer in content. Already, other ‘iconic’ food nominations include Roast Beef, Cornish Pasties, Rice ‘n Peas, Curry and a Pint of Beer.

People are being invited all over England, from every community, to nominate their favourite icons. They can also vote on other people’s nominations and share anecdotes, photographs and memories online. Each official ‘Icon of England’ will be fully probed to reveal its innermost secrets, so people exploring the website can delve deeper into the icons’ history, associations and the threads that connect it to our wider culture.

“ Icons are powerful and really switch people on. What sums up England more than a humble cup of tea? ,” said Jerry Doyle, Managing Director of Icons Online.

Visit www.icons.org.uk to see more.

Cubed coffee recipe

Cubed coffee recipe.

(via Discordian Research Technology).

Coffee Might Help Women’s Blood Pressure

Here’s good news for women who love coffee: Drinking it doesn’t seem to cause long-term high blood pressure, a study suggests..

But for some reason, women in the same study who drank colas did seem to have a greater risk of high blood pressure. Researchers were surprised at that and cautioned that the study wasn’t conclusive.

Read More…

Tea as Art

Espresso Counter-Cultures

Ritual is part of the new school of American coffee, the post Starbucks wave of shops that aim to distinguish themselves via an obsessive devotion to the perfectly pulled espresso shot. Visually this tends to manifest itself in the rosetta, or latte art, that the barista will cap off your milky drinks with. But the root identifier is probably behind the counter or in the office, where you’ll likely find a devout fan (or perhaps knowledgeable critic) of David Schomer of Seattle’s Espresso Vivace. Through books, videos, and extensive semi-scientific experimentation Schomer is the lead evangelist or perhaps religious leader of the next generation coffee house.

Full Story: Abstract Dynamics.

Decaffeinated Coffee

Dyed-in-the-wool caffeine drinkers, including myself, approach the prospect of drinking decaffeinated coffee with feelings of trepidation and preconceived ideas of disappointment. We've had those watery cups of bitter brew that are labelled "decaf" and find it better to skip the cup of decaf rather than partake in a less than satisfying cup of coffee. This experience can be avoided altogether, if you follow some basic decaf rules.

Decaf has gotten a bad rap because of the careless and inconsistent brewing and holding methods employed by those who serve the stuff. It doesn't have to be this way. Every so often I find it a pleasant surprise to order a cup of decaf at the end of a meal and find it to be rich and dark and every bit as satisfying as the caffeinated versions I used to chug down by the mug full. So what's the problem here?

Personally, I think some of the food and coffee establishments have yet to acknowledge the growing decaffeinated market and therefore put out a consistently meagre cup. It seems to be brewed with a lighter touch (i.e.: less concern for a hearty, tasteful brew) so that it often tastes only a step above it's dismal cousin, decaffeinated instant coffees. To make matters worse, the pot of decaf can (and usually does) sit on a burner for much longer than the regular pot simply because decaf is not requested as much. After fifteen minutes on the warmer, the pot of decaf will begin to break down and turn bitter and flat -- just like all those awful cups of decaf we've all had. A conscientious establishment uses air pots to preserve the flavour of the coffee for a long period of time. But even the air pots loose their ability to maintain the original aromas and flavours. The solution is to make smaller, more frequent, batches of decaf.


Does this sound like your experiences with decaffeinated coffee... Juice and Java Lounge will make your experience with de-caff a good one. Come down to the lounge or simply proceed to our online shop and purchase some de-caff coffee from us.

Proceed to Online Shop!

You're Drinking Too Much Coffee When

• you grind your coffee beans in your mouth.


• you lick your coffee pot clean.


• the only time you're standing still is in an earthquake.


• you can type 60 words per minute with your feet.


• you want to be cremated so you can spend eternity in a coffee can.


• you short out motion detectors.


• you don't sweat, you percolate.


• your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.


• you get drunk just so you can sober up.


• you answer your door before anyone knocks.


• you sleep with your eyes open.


• your T-shirt says Decaf Rules!

If you can think of any more reasons why you're drinking too much coffee, Let us know!

Coffee Gifts & Tea Gifts

A while ago the team at GourmetStation decided we should add tea as a beverage option for GourmetStation’s four course dinners. At the time the company was offering only St. Ives European Blend Coffee made especially for GourmetStation international cuisine. While the coffee received excellent reviews, tea was requested from time to time.

So GourmetStation went on the hunt for the best tea. The result – Numi Organic Tea. What was interesting was how naturally the Numi collection aligned with the four GourmetStation menu lines. Simply Mint for Parisian, Earl Gray for Tuscan, Gunpowder Temple of Heaven for Cajun and Rainforest for Fusion.

At the same time GourmetStation saw a great opportunity to offer both coffee gifts and tea gifts. One St. Ives coffee gift set includes a beautiful mahogany lacquered basket with three flavors of 2 oz. St. Ives coffee, a campy coffee mug, and four 10 oz. Bags of Columbian Supremo, Costa Rican La Lap, Kenya Kirinyaga, and Guatemalan coffee, a good value at $69.99 plus shipping.

The Numi Flowering Tea Gift is probably the most unique of the offering.
A delicate glass teapot allows flowering teas to literally bloom before your eyes. The tea gift comes in a mahogany bamboo chest with the glass teapot and the following tea – Starlight Rose, Jewel, Dragon Lily, Lavender Dream, Emerald Sun, Jade Fortune, Jasmine Pearl, Midnight Peony, and Black Beauty. If you can’t think of a friend, family member or gift occasion to give this tea gift, I suggest you simply give it to yourself. Find a quiet moment, brew your flowering tea bag, then watch it unfold as you find a moment’s peace.

Teabags: How can I miss you if you won't go away?

The teabag versus loose leaf dispute makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like the Osmond Brothers. When 95% of all tea sold in the United States is pre-bagged, what's to argue? Isn't the customer always right? Well, yes and no ...

Without a doubt, teabags are convenient beyond compare. They're portable, easy to use, and make for non-messy disposal. But flavor is what counts in a cup of tea, and that's where a teabag's dirty little secret is exposed.

Tea leaves are graded according to size. The largest is the whole leaf, the smallest is called "dust" or "fannings." The dust tea is quite literally that; it's the pulverized leaves that sift to the bottom of the tea box. Prior to the invention of the teabag, it had next to no value. But once the teabag came into vogue, and especially the modern opaque paper bag which prevents consumers from seeing what they're drinking, dust became king.

With the resurgence of quality tea drinking's popularity, tea bag experimentation is picking up speed. Different materials such as nylon or silk, different sized bags, and different shaped bags such as pyramids are being marketed as the answer to the whole leaf drinker's dilemma. The unassailable truth remains, however: a tea leaf needs elbow room to unfurl and steep if it is to infuse to its fullest potential. So it's back to the drawing board for teabag designers.

Effects of Caffeine to Performance

In addition to various psychological and physiological benefits, numerous studies have documented caffeine’s ergogenic effect on athletic performance, particularly in regard to endurance. Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extended endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite distance runners and distance swimmers show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

Despite effects on endurance, caffeine produced no effect on maximal muscular force in a study measuring voluntary and electrically stimulated muscle actions. However, the same study did show findings that suggest caffeine has an ergogenic effect on muscle during repetitive, low frequency stimulation.

Caffeine’s positive performance-enhancing effects have been well documented. So much so that the International Olympic Committee placed a ban leading to disqualification for an athlete with urinary limits exceeding 12 mg/mL. Roughly 600 to 800mg of caffeine, or 4 to 7 cups of coffee, consumed over a 30-minute period would be enough to exceed this level and cause disqualification. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has a similar limit, set at 15 mg/mL.

New Tea Books for the coming Spring...

Getting technical with Green Tea

Scientific Name: Camellia sinensis

Uses (evidence based):

• Treating obesity (using green tea extract standardized to 25% EGCG)


• Cognitive performance improvement.


• Decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol).


• Lowering risk of breast, bladder, esophageal and pancreatic cancers.


• Treating Diarrhea.


• Reducing risk of Parkinson's disease.

Mechanism Of Action:

Green tea extracts rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) are thought to increase calorie and fat metabolism. 8 Antioxidant polyphenols (epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, epigallocatechin or EGC, epicatechin gallate or ECG) are thought to be responsible for protection against atherosclerosis and heart disease.

EGCG is thought to be responsible for reducing risk of cancer. Possible mechanism is prevention of new blood vessel growth in tumors (so essentially you starve the tumor).

Polyphenols in green tea are thought to produce its antidiarrheal effects.

Caffeine in green tea may prevent adenosine's inhibition of dopaminergic transmission. Thus allowing for more dopamine which results in decrease in clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Purchase Green Tea from Juice and Java Now

Brewing 101

With all the new crazy gadgets available to us these days, you may find yourself with a lot of questions about how to properly brew your coffee. The great news is that the basic rules for brewing apply to almost all brewing methods!

1. Make sure your gear is clean and ready. Coffee can stain, but did you ever stop to think that those stains carry flavors and odors that can go rancid? Clean your brewer after every use to ensure you taste the coffee and not the pot!

2. Use freshly roasted whole bean coffee. After roasting, you have roughly 10-14 days to use your whole bean coffee. Darker roasted coffee will stale a bit faster because oils on the surface of the bean are exposed to air, moisture, and varying temperatures. Pre-ground coffee will stale at an even faster rate.Buy your freshly roasted coffee on a weekly basis. Store it in an airtight container at just below room temperature.

3. Grind the coffee to the proper consistency for your brewer. Most home grinders have a setting that corresponds to your brewer. The brew time helps to check the grind you've selected. Notice the chart below. If you have a blade grinder, it's often trial and error or inconsistent, so get to know it well.

CONTINUE READING 'Brewing101'

Rainfores Allaince Coffee is Here!

Rainforest Alliance coffee has now arrived... and it's sensational! We have two single origins to choose from - Brazilian and El Salvadorian. They are two of the smoothest coffees I've ever tasted and both come with full body and aroma. They're 100% organic and you can really taste the difference! To sample these amazing coffees, simply ask for one of them to be brewed for you at our cafe or order a bag over the internet.

Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is grown on farms where forests are protected, rivers, soils and wildlife conserved; workers are treated with respect, paid decent wages, properly equipped and given access to education and medical care. The Rainforest Alliance seal ensures that experienced inspectors have verified that the farms meet demanding social and environmental standards, and are on a path toward true sustainability.

To experience a great coffee break you need great coffee - that's where we come in... Come on down to the Juice and Java Lounge and grab a cup or two of our fantastic coffee. If you unfortunately can't get to the Juice and Java Lounge head over to our website and purchase some coffee online.

La Esperanza #1, how do we love thee?

Our Colombia Cup of Excellence, La Esperanza #1, cupped out so beautifully this morning that we had to make a french press of it for ourselves in the roasting room. Mike “killed” on this roast and brought out everything we love about this coffee..big, juicy fruit, cranberry acidity, melon & honey. Coffees of this caliber don’t come along often. We are very proud to have it on our offering list.