Originally published on thedailybeast.com.
by Carrie Arnold
Many of our favorite foods, from beer and chocolate to cheese and coffee, are actually made by microbes. This microbial help in our kitchens has historically been rather slapdash and imprecise. People simply used the microbes that were available, often not even realizing that tiny bacteria and fungi were actually helping. Even now, some of the best cheesemakers and brewers still don’t know exactly how the microbial magic...
La Cimbali is a well-known, Italian manufacturer of professional espresso and cappuccino equipment. While it was initially established in 1912 as a manufacturer of copper goods, the company didn’t produce its first coffee-related machine until 1930.
The “Rapida” was created as Cimbali’s first columnar coffee machine. These machines had a copper boiler, which could be heated using wood or coal-burning systems. It functioned by forcing the water through the ground coffee by the pressure of steam from the boiler.
While this met and exceeded the standard for technology at the time, it also...
Of course, the second ingredient of espresso is water. However obvious this statement may seem, the role of the quality of the water used in the preparation process should not be taken lightly. Even if the water coming from public waterworks is safe for consumption, further treatment for the use of coffee and espresso purposes may be required. An operation should consider water treatment for two main reasons: the taste of the final product and the longevity of your machine. Strange flavors that linger in the water after it’s purified for public consumption must be removed. Oftentimes,... |
As a coffee retailer, you probably have a solid working knowledge of the coffee world, as so many new products, purchasing decisions, and flavors continue to surround such an antique drink. While your understanding is important to running a successful business, it is just as vital that your staff understands the product they are serving as well, as they are the link between the customer and that cup of joe. Here are a few basic questions that your staff should be able to answer: How does the cost of the coffee relate to its quality? Oftentimes, the cost of specialty coffee pertains to the... |
Freshness: One of the biggest issues in terms of quality problems is the freshness. Oftentimes, it is recommended that you don’t brew more coffee than you can use in 45 minutes. Brewing an overabundance of coffee and leaving it to sit on heating elements until it is gone drastically changes the flavor of the coffee, regardless of the quality of the beans. Cleaning: One of the most common problems is also one of the most basic: cleaning. Especially if you are switching between regular and flavored coffee, a thorough cleaning regimen is of the utmost importance, as the oils will linger and... |
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