Cappuccino Secrets: Creating the Perfect Foam

Here is an article that tells the secret of creating the perfect foam with steamed milk for making a wonderful cappuccino. As you'll see creating the perfect foam isn't as easy as it may seem ...
Most places that serve cappuccinos in the United States have not trained their baristas in the art of properly frothing milk. The foam that they create is usually a dry, tasteless, large celled collection of bubbles that sit on top of the espresso like a meringue.
With a little care, you can create steamed milk that is velvety smooth like the texture of wet shaving cream. The bubbles will be so small that you can barely see them! This is the way it's supposed to be, because this way, it will blend with the espresso, creating a harmony of the flavors instead of a dry, tasteless cap floating on top. Let's Begin.

First off, it's important to start with cold milk that's just out of the fridge. Pour the milk into the steaming pitcher until it is just about 1/3 of the way full. Milk will double to triple in volume after the frothing process. A stainless steel pitcher works best. It will dissipate some of the heat, allowing more time to infuse air into the milk before the milk gets too hot.

For a home made cappuccino, you'll have to learn the art of creating a perfect foam.
Also use a thermometer to get the milk to the correct temperature of 145 degrees. There are many thermometers made for this purpose that will clip onto the side of the pitcher for convenience.

The Technique:
Purge the steam wand onto a damp towel by releasing the valve for a few seconds. Be very careful not to burn yourself, the steam will be extremely hot. This purging will get all of the water out so you don't get it in your milk.
Next, submerge the wand into the milk and quickly turn the steam on full power. Avoid letting the tip of the wand come out of the milk. This will cause splattering and create large, tasteless bubbles.
Adjust the wand so that it is pointing off center in order to get the milk to flowing in a rapid, circular motion. Maintaining this fast, circulating vortex is vital.
Then, slowly lower the pitcher until the tip of the wand is just below the surface of the milk (keeping the circulation going). When you can hear a hissing noise, similar to bacon frying, you have reached the perfect position for the wand to inject air into the milk.
Try to maintain this hissing noise while keeping the milk rotating. You will have to slowly lower the pitcher as the milk volume rises in order to keep the wand tip just under the surface.
By keeping the milk flowing in a rapid circle, any large bubbles that are accidentally created will be rolled into the milk and eliminated. Continue steaming until the milk reaches 145 degrees. Be careful not to get the milk too hot, it will scald giving it a bad taste.
That's pretty much it! If you have a few large bubbles, you can try to get rid of them by tapping the bottom of the pitcher lightly on the counter. Serve immediately and enjoy some of the silkiest frothed milk you have ever tasted!
One more thing, now that you know how to properly steam the milk, notice how few coffee houses have baristas that take care in this process. Very few use thermometers and end up scalding the milk, or leaving it too cold.
Most will just leave the pitcher sitting there while the wand blows into the milk. Some will use an up and down motion, but this does absolutely nothing for creating tiny, velvety bubbles. It's the rolling action of the milk that's needed.

If you find a barista that shows this skill of frothing milk, then stay with him! He's been trained and probably takes pride in what he does.

The Art Of Coffee Making - Best Tips

Who doesn't love a hot cup of coffee? First thing in the morning, it is just about the only thing that can kick start your day and on a cold day, it is the perfect beverage to warm you up and keep you going. It gives you a boost in the afternoon, and completes an evening meal.

Coffee is consumed more than just about any other beverage in the world, and the choices that you have are almost limitless. Flavored, regular, Columbian or Arabica beans, hot, iced, latte or espresso, there are so many different ways that you can prepare the perfect cup of coffee. You may be astounded at actual amount of choices that you have.
You can purchase your coffee ground or whole bean, however for the freshest flavor, it is recommended that you purchase whole bean because coffee looses its flavor slightly after it is ground. It is also recommended that you store your coffee beans in a cool dark place however not in the freezer.

Along with the choices that you have in choosing the perfect coffee, you may also be astounded at the many methods of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.
Percolator, automatic drip, single cup, multi cup and gallons at a time are just some of the choices that you have when you brew your coffee. There are many different coffee brewers on the market today and many people think that you have to have an expensive coffee station with fancy attachments that do everything under the sun to brew the perfect up of coffee. When in reality, it is all in the preparations that you use to brew your coffee.

There are guidelines that you can follow to brew the perfect cup of coffee every time, and the amount of coffee that you use differs with the type of coffee you purchase, and most coffee stations have the capacity to brew twelve cups of coffee at a time.

Water - ALWAYS use cold spring water to brew your coffee
Flavored coffee - use 3/4 cup of fresh ground flavored coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot of coffee
Regular coffee mild roast - use 3/4 cup fresh ground coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot of coffee
Regular coffee medium to dark roast - use 1/2 cup of fresh ground coffee beans for a twelve-cup pot coffee

There are many ways to prepare your coffee, whether you like it black or with cream and sugar, the perfect cup of coffee is not the difficult to make.

Types of Italian Coffee

If you are visiting Italy, you will want to check out the Italian coffee that is available there. Whether it is your morning pick-me-up, an after dinner drink, or simply something to enjoy mid-afternoon there are numerous varieties to choose from. Many Italians stop for coffee on their way to work, just as many Americans hit the local Starbucks. While you might not be getting up at 6 AM while on your vacation, you should still take the opportunity to enjoy a real coffee from one of the fancy machines.

Types of coffee

There are two main types of Italian coffee: caffe and caffe hag. Caffe is a strong coffee, similar to espresso, and has caramel-colored foam on top. Caffe Hag is the decaf version; it may also be labeled as decafinato. You can order these types of coffee any time of day. Drinks like cappuccino are not drunk by Italians after 11 AM, so if you see people drinking them in the afternoon it is likely a tourist bar.

Alterations

You can change how your Italian coffee is made by ordering a caffe lungo or a caffe ristretto. A caffe lungo is a long coffee, where there is more water added to make the coffee weak and bitter. It is also known as caffe Americano. Caffe ristretto is restricted coffee, where less water is added. The drink should be more concentrated, but not bitter.

Additions

If you enjoy Italian coffee or espresso there are numerous additions that you can add to it to personalize it to your tastes. These include:

o    Caffe con panna - espresso with whipped cream

o    Caffe con zucchero - espresso with sugar. In most places you will add sugar yourself, but in southern Italy you may have to order it sense zucchero if you do not like sweet coffee.

o    Caffe corretto - coffee with a drizzle of liquor, often cognac or grappa.

o    Caffe latte - Espresso with hot milk. However, if you are not at a tourist bar this could be milk or steamed milk.

o    Caffe macchiato - coffee with just a stain of milk added to it.

o    Cappuccino - a shot of espresso with steamed milk and foam.

o    Latte macchiato - steamed milk stained with espresso.

Specialty Coffees

If you are thinking of something different but still want to try an Italian coffee, here are a couple suggestions:

o    Bicerin - this Italian coffee is traditional in the area near Torino, and cannot be found outside of the Piemonte region. It features dense hot chocolate, espresso, and cream layered together.

o    Café della casa - this is "house coffee" and would be the specialty of that particular coffee bar.

o    Caffe freddo - cold or iced coffee

o    Caffe shakerato - this is a combination of espresso, sugar, and a lot of ice (and in some cases a bit of chocolate syrup) shaken until frothy

No matter what your coffee tastes include, there is sure to be an Italian coffee that will suit them and give you a unique coffee drinking experience.

Top Favorite Coffee Recipes Aimed to Please Everyone :)

If you would like to 'wow' your guests with a nice delicious serving of their favorite coffee drink, then you need to read this article. It's not about the fancy names or titles, but all about the flavor and refreshing taste of coffee based drinks that make them so appealing. In addition to the tastes, you can also count of the appearance of the froth and milk to give your drinks a finished look.
This article will cover the most popular coffee drinks that most people will agree are awesome. Remember that your coffee will vary based on the following ingredients; the coffee bean, the grind, water used and the temperature of the brew. There is a proper method to brewing that perfect cup for your recipes. We will cover them shortly. Here are the boil-down versions of the most popular recipes.
The Cappuccino
Cappuccinos are one of my favorites and you must have tried one yourself at one time or another. This coffee recipe is made up of half steamed and frothed milk with an espresso shot. After the milk is placed on top of the shot, you top it of with a dusting of either nutmeg or cocoa powder. The Cafe Mocha If you are a chocolate lover, then this is your drink. The simplest way to describe this recipe is a blend of coffee with hot chocolate. Again you will mix the hot chocolate with a shot of coffee. Then you top that with steamed and frothed milk. Finally, you will top off with cocoa powder.
The Latte
Lattes used foam and steam milk as half of the drink. The trick with Lattes is that you need to slowly add the milk down the side of the cup. This will enable to milk to mix properly with the shot of coffee. Remember, the ratio of coffee to milk is one to one. The real difference between a Latte and a Cappuccino is the way its presented. The Latte combines the milk and coffee together, while the Cappuccino keeps them separated.
The Espresso
Espresso is a rich and full bodied beverage. However, if you have even encountered a bad serving of espresso, it could be for the following reasons. If the wrong coffee is used to brew espresso, the taste will be awful.

The best type of coffee bean would be Kona Coffee. Try to use a Kona Blend when making espresso. It will be absolutely delightful. Espresso is served straight black. It's important to have the cup warm when its being served.

Iced Coffee Recipes for Enjoying!!

There are many refreshing iced coffee recipes available, and we have selected some of the most interesting for you. However, my favorite of all it the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe which uses freshly made espresso, a cocktail shaker and ice cubes. In fact, if you ask for an iced coffee in Italy this is the only recipe they will serve. Poured into a cocktail glass, the chilled Italian espresso is second to none.
When the heat is on try this traditional Italian iced coffee recipe ...
So, how is the Italian iced coffee recipe actually made? Simple, like all good things. Use your espresso machine, if you have one, to make a normal shot for one, two or more servings. Pour the freshly made espresso coffee into the cocktail shaker, add ice cubes (the ice doesn't get poured into the glasses with the coffee, so the flavor isn't diluted), close the shaker and shake like crazy! Pour into cocktail glasses and enjoy. Surprisingly, the iced coffee will not be a dark espresso brown color, but a creamy beige .
Here are a few more iced coffee recipes for you to try...
Bermuda Iced Coffee
For this recipe, you'll need coffee, cream, sugar and coffee flavor ice-cream. Pour the coffee, cream, sugar and 1 or 2 scoops of ice-cream into a blender. Blend, and serve cold in glasses or mugs. Tastes great, but if you're on a diet beware.
Fresh Lemon Cafe
Here you'll need 1/4 cup of coffee to which you add 2 oz of lemon sherbet, 1/2 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of grated lemon rind and 1 tsp of sugar. Place the contents to your blender and blend until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses.
Cinnamon Caramel
This recipe has an interesting taste. You'll need about 6 tsp of ground coffee, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup caramel syrup. Prepare a pot of coffee in the usual way, but add the cinnamon to the ground coffee. Add the syrup to the hot coffee and stir until dissolved. Chill the coffee and serve over ice with milk, cream or sugar. For an interesting variation, you could also use this coffee, but chill it in the way of the traditional Italian iced coffee recipe above.
Thai Iced Coffee
Here's another interesting variation. You'll need strong ground coffee for brewing 4 cups, 4 tsp sugar, 4 tsp heavy cream, 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp almond flavoring, crushed ice. Add the cardamom to the ground coffee and brew, when ready add the sugar and almond flavoring, mix well and leave to cool or chill in fridge. Fill four glasses  half way with the crushed ice, then add the coffee leaving about an inch or a little more from the rim of the glass. Hold a spoon over the coffee and gently pour the cream over the spoon so that the cream floats on the top of your iced coffee.

Well, that's it. These are just a few of the many iced coffee recipes that are available today. Part of the fun is also experimenting. Enjoy.

Top Coffee Recipes To Impress The Loved Ones!

Have you ever tried preparing fancy coffee adding whiskey or other things? Yes! Coffee can be prepared adding various recipes to it for the taste you want. The tradition of serving coffee with a different relishing flavor has been there since ages. There are as many ways to prepare coffee as there are races in the world.

Discover here the art of preparing a variety of the most experimented beverage in the world. There is no longer any need to step in a restaurant for sipping your favorite cup. You can prepare it with a difference, every day to the wish of your gusto and enjoy a cupful of it being hypnotized in its flavor. The modus operandi is very simple and you simply need the ingredients of the recipe for the kind of the taste you want.

Let's reveal the secrets of  some of the ecstatic flavors of coffee beans!

Cafe Borgia

This Italian serving needs hot chocolate, whipped cream and grated orange peels as its main ingredients. Take  two cups of strong Italian coffee and mix it with another two cups of hot chocolate. You can make the proportion as per your need but the coffee and the chocolate ratio must be the same. Pour it in the mug and add the cream and the orange peels...And its ready for an amazing sip!

Irish Coffee

A cup of Irish Coffee lights up the mood and fascinates truly in Irish way. A cup of it requires Irish whiskey, cream, and sugar. Prepare a cup of strong coffee, then add one shot of Irish whiskey and the amount of sugar you need. Put the cream over the top. It's ready for the shot!

Caribbean Coffee

This is a sweet coffee for a sweet mood. Feel the taste of coco in a tart flavor. You need baked grated coconut, coconut water, milk, sugar and cream if you are willing for a little change. Make three cups of strong coffee. Mix the grated coco, milk and coco water in a pan and heat it till it is creamy. Put some extra grated coconut in the cup to be served, pour the coffee and the milk mixture prepared along with some sugar. The sip of it will take you to the beaches of Caribbean!

The Mexican Mocha 

You require two cups of strong coffee, chocolate syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, whipping cream for the mocha to comfort you in the scorching sun. Mix the chocolate syrup, cream, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg in a cup. Pour strong coffee prepared into the mug and add little bit of cinnamon in it. Add some chocolate syrup and stir well. Pour the mixture of cream over it. Have it and feel it!

While trying these coffee recipes, you will be a coffee expert. Be innovative in your coffee preparations and give it name you want and surprise your friends and loved ones.

How to Make a Latte

The word 'latte' actually means 'milk' in Italian. An Italian cafe e latte ('coffee and milk') is coffee mixed with milk, much like the French cafe au lait ('coffee with milk'), but both are very different from the latte we know.
Nowadays outside of Italy, latte has come to mean a drink comprising one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk. Steamed milk is mainly hot milk with froth on top for effect.
Similar to cappuccino but with twice as much milk and hence a milkier taste, the latte is often flavored with sweet syrups.
With a bit of practice and the right tools you can make a great latte at home, saving money in the long run and impressing your friends.
This is what you need:

• An espresso machine
• A steam wand, which comes with most espresso machines, to heat the milk.
• A metal pitcher in which to heat the milk and make the foam. 
• Shot glasses
• Thermometer
• Homogenized cold milk - try whole and skim to see which you prefer
• Good quality espresso beans ground medium to fine
• Tall glass or a coffee mug
• Flavored syrup (if you wish) available from speciality stores and some coffee bars.

Start by steaming your milk:
Pour two thirds of a cup milk, or half a cup if using flavoring, into a cold pitcher.
Secure the thermometer inside the pitcher and steam the milk so it reaches a temperature of around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are not using a thermometer, you know the milk is hot enough when you can no longer hold the container.
Begin with the steam wand at the top of the pitcher to create the foam. Keep the tip close to the surface; diagonally, not straight and when it is lukewarm or 100 degrees Fahrenheit, lower the wand into the milk until it heats up to 150 degrees. Turn off the steam wand, set the pitcher aside on the espresso machine warmer plate and brew your espresso.
Putting it together:
Usually a latte comes in a tall glass on a napkin and saucer; other times, a cappuccino cup large enough for the barista to show off his surface latte art.
If using flavored syrup, pour a shot or spoon a few teaspoons into your glass/mug with sugar to taste.
Layer the beverage so it looks good. You do this by first pouring two shots of freshly brewed espresso into your latte glass and within 10 seconds, the milk.
Roll the milk around in the steam pitcher until glossy on top. With a spoon push the foam aside to stop it from pouring out with the milk. Then pour milk from the bottom of the pitcher over the espresso until the cup is about two thirds full. Stir if using flavored syrup and sugar before filling the cup with the froth which was at the top of the pitcher. Use the spoon to direct the flow of foam, or spoon it over the beverage so it blends nicely with the espresso crema. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or dust with ground chocolate, cinnamon or nutmeg if you wish, and enjoy.

Coffee Preparation & Presentation

As we all know coffee is a hugely sold product worldwide. From traditional Turkish coffee to more Americanized espresso based coffees that you often see in coffee shops or "coffee houses". Like with gourmet food professionally made coffee must be prepared and presented to a high standard, in the same way a chef would plate up his dish.
Coffee preparation and presentation is carried out by "Baristas". These people now are able to do amazing things with coffee, from smell to taste and even texture. Presenting coffee's is now growing toward art, Baristas are capable of manipulating milk to create patterns, they can use sauces and even chocolate powder.
The most common form of presenting a gourmet coffee is to use "latte art". This uses the texture of the milk and the crema of the coffee to produce patterns in the top of the finished drink. Unfortunately Latte Art isn't as easy as it sounds and does require a little bit of knowledge and a lot of practice.
You will probably already have seen Latte Art if you have been to a good coffee house as it is something all Baristas love to do and are always trying to perfect. The most familiar pattern is the "Rosetta", which looks like a small furn type leaf sitting on top of your drink.
Other patterns can be achieved by simply pouring the coffee such as hearts, other flowers, waves, apples and so on.
 However, with a simple tooth pick the Barista can then use the milk and crema to "draw" and further the pattern that is displayed.