The Abosolute 10 Greatest Tips for Purchasing a Home Espresso Machine

Choosing the right home espresso machine is a difficult task but with some basic knowledge and wisdom of how a coffee and espresso maker works and what features are available, selecting the right option is easy. One point is clear. If you are spending money at a coffee shop at least 3-4 times per week, the payoff on a home espresso machine is well worth the investment:

Let’s do the math:

1. Average cost for a coffee specialty drink such as an espresso or cappuccino: $3.50
2. Number of trips to the Coffee Shop per year: 52 weeks * 4 visits per week = 208 yearly visits
3. Yearly Cost: $3.50 espresso drink cost * 208 yearly visits = $728 Annually

For $728, one can purchase a full-featured super automatic espresso machine. Ok, now that you see that an home espresso machines is good investment, let talk about some tips on how to buy one:

1. Decide what type of espresso drinks you like - Do you like a cappuccino or mocha or just a straight shot of espresso? How about a regular cup of coffee? The choices for home espresso machines will vary greatly. Most super automatic espresso coffee machines can brew you a strong cup of coffee just like you find at the coffee houses as well as the espresso drinks. Perhaps you would like to choose between regular coffee and decaf in which case a bypass doser on the home espresso machine is a good option. Choose between a super automatic, semi automatic, or automatic home espresso machines. The most popular type of espresso machine is a super automatic espresso machines.

2. Cost - While many people like to have all of the bells and whistles, buying a quality espresso machine is much like buying a car. Do you need heated seats if you live in Arizona? Same principle. Decide on what type of drinks you like, find a machine with those features and set a budget. The most common question we get is how much do I have to spend for a quality machine? If you are spending $750 - $1,000 on a fine brand super automatic such as Saeco or Gaggia, you will be purchasing a quality home espresso machine with standard features suitable for most people. If you want the highest quality espresso drinks, a semi automatic espresso machine such as a Rancilio or Pasquini are priced in the $700 to $1,500 range. Semi-automatic espresso machines are a bit more work but results are outstanding. All excellent choices.

3. Popular Espresso Features - Milk based drinks – If you love the lattes, mochas, and cappuccino’s make sure you buy a machine with two boilers or dual heating elements. Using a single boiler is ok for standard espresso drinks but a dual boiler will produce the fastest steam. This is typically a feature that separates the cheap $100 - $200 espresso machines from the quality home espresso machines.

4. Adjustable water volume and coffee dose - Some machines will only have the ability to adjust the water so the more water you have the weaker the cup. Having both an adjustable doser and water volume gives you the most control. Excellent features to have especially if want a standard cup of coffee.

5. Digital or Analog (dials) – There is much debate on which is better to have. This comes down to a personal choice. With digital machines, your options are greater and you can really get dialed in on the coffee / water ratio. You also get statistics on your home espresso machine and most digital espresso machines will tell you when to clean it. Another key feature digital machines typically have is the ability to regulate when the machine is on or off.

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6. Key features

Look for a large water reservoir typically over 40 ounces.

Cup height adjustment – make sure your cup will fit. Most espresso cups are 4 – 6 inches.

Water filter – espresso machines with a water filter will produce better coffee and keep you machine in better condition. Water filters are highly recommended.

Bean hopper size – Get a machine with a minimum or 8 ounces. You do not want to be filling the bean hopper every day.

Cup Warmer – Coffee maintains its best flavor when poured into a heated cup.

Grinder Settings – Make sure the espresso machines have at least 3 grinder settings. This is essential for dialing in the right grind.

Heat up time – you do not want to be waiting over 5 minutes for an espresso machine to heat up. A good machine will be ready for a second cup of espresso is just under 1-2 minutes after the initial heat-up.

7. Size and Construction – Make sure you have adequate counter space for the home espresso machine. These espresso machines are generally larger than a typical coffee pot so make sure you measure. Also, having a movable base will allow you to pull the machine out to fill it with water and beans. Almost all of the super automatic home espresso machines body’s are made of heavy duty plastic or stainless steel. The inside boilers are either stainless steel or aluminum. Often people make the mistake of thinking the plastic is not as durable but in reality, it is. It is what is on the inside that counts. A stainless steel boiler will offer years of service if properly maintained. The espresso machines of today feature sleek, modern designs. If you are purchasing a semi-automatic espresso machine, consider stainless steel because of all of the interaction with the machine. If you choose a super automatic, a plastic design with stainless steel or aluminum boilers is sufficient.

8. Proper Cleaning and maintenance – The number one problem with home espresso machines is scale build-up. If you own a quality machine, regular descaling and back flushing is not recommended, it’s required. What I mean is that if you want to maintain your warranty, you must complete these maintenance items. It takes about 15 minutes each month but will keep your machine operating for years. Don’t let your machine sit idle for a long time with water loaded as the minerals in the water can cause issues in the boilers and metal components.

9. Water and Coffee – Buying quality coffee and using filtered water will provide the ultimate coffee experience. Many espresso machines have built in water filters such as the Aqua Prima Water Filter. If you use tap water and cheap brand name coffee don’t waste your money on a quality espresso machine. Fine coffee and filtered water contribute significantly to the quality of the brew. Use a coffee such as Lavazza or Gaggia especially made for a higher end coffee espresso machine.

10. Choosing where to buy a home espresso machine – You can buy these machines from many of the major stores but the issue is support and buying guidance. You simply cannot call the “red dot” store or “overstock” stores and expect to find someone that is knowledgeable about quality espresso coffee machines. Try calling one of the major chains for support and they will refer you to the manufacturer. The truth is that your retailer should be able to answer most questions and get you technical support if you need it. You are not going to get the level of support from a big chain store or large retailer.

Today’s home espresso machines are sophisticated machines. Buy the machine from a reputable online retailer who specializes in espresso machines or coffee makers. Retail stores that specialize in espresso and coffee machines have knowledgeable staff that can assist you with questions, problems, tips, and service. And guess what, the prices in the espresso coffee machine specialty stores are typically less because of the volume of machines they sell.

Choose a store that has a Better Business Bureau accreditation so you can be sure you are buying from a reputable dealer. Beware of stores that do not specialize in coffee and espresso machines. Where is the best place to find the best cup of coffee or espresso? It is your own kitchen of course. Happy shopping.

Homecooking Vs Takeaways

Yes we all love a good takeaway but given the choice would you rather have a takeaway or enjoy a tasty home cooked meal just like our mums used to make us in the good old days. I remember the gorgeous sunday roasts and the homemade lasagne that came with a lovely helping of salad.

How could you resist it?

With having a child you have to embrace the fast food culture but if I was childless I would probably go two years without any fastfood and I wouldn't miss it at all.

There is so much fat in takeaways but it is the other bits that my wife hates she is part of the anti-salt crowd and dislikes the way you can't have a mcdonalds without it being full to death of salt. Part of it is a scam though as they will over salt your order just so that you will spend more on drinks.

My wife reluctantly had a Mcdonalds at the weekend just to keep our son happy though the taste from the local restaurant serving roast dinners did get to be too much from time to time. Not to mention the fact that we were in a large shopping centre and the wiff from the local chinese restaurant with all the fresh produce was getting to us rather a lot. But you do it for the kids and would feel guilty if we had dragged him elsewhere.

If you are a fastfood addict why not make it yourself. By doing this you can be controlling every single item that goes into it and it is so much nicer to do it with the kids. Make a homemade pizza and let the kids decorate the top of it, they could even arrange the vegetables in a certain way so that it creates a smiley face. You could even make homemade beefburgers with a pack of minced beef that you have picked up on special offer at the supermarket.

For a more adult feel why not make your own curry rather than heading to the indian takeaway as there is so much rubbish in the ones that you buy and it will taste so much nicer. The spice jars last forever so the ingredients won't actually cost you that much and you would be saving yourself an absolute fortune. You could even make your own chinese at home if that is more to your taste.

The ideas are endless and like the Asda advert you will have money spare in the back pocket of your jeans for once!

Whether you want to enjoy home cooking or takeaways you can have the best of both knowing exactly what ingredients have been used and the savings that it has created for you. 

Fresh Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate

Strawberries dipped in chocolate are the perfect gift for your family, friend, and special someone. Hand dipped in gourmet chocolate, these strawberries are the most demanding and wonderful gift for anyone around. Occasions, events and celebrations are part of our busy lives, but now traditional gifts like purchasing an expensive jewelry, selecting a tie, or choosing a book; are no longer practiced. An innovation in gifts is brought to you by some creative people in form of dipped strawberries”. Before this wonderful idea people were using strawberries to decorate desserts, making juices and shakes, adding in cakes and eating as a fruit. Chocolate covered strawberries are now liked and admired by anyone as a gift or as a wonderful dessert.

Imagine the pleasure of tasting a juicy, big sized strawberry dipped in White, dark or milk chocolate! Decorate them with sprinkles of different colors and arrange them to give as a gift for any occasion. These are ideal to give on birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Best wishes, Get well soon, new born baby, get together, graduation, thank giving or many more daily events.

Chocolate covered strawberries are healthy desserts, since strawberries have no fat, cholesterol or salt, they are high in vitamin C and a good source of potassium and fiber. They are low in calorie. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are fun to make and more entertaining to eat. Dip strawberries according to occasions and celebrations. Wish someone a chocolaty strawberry birthday with colorful sprinkles over them. Garnish each strawberry with drizzle and candies in festive party colors. Definite to be a perfect for all ages!

Dip the berries in the melted semisweet chocolate and drizzle with the melted white baking chips. Incredible, mouthwatering dipped strawberry gifts are simply divine! Each luscious strawberry is hand-dipped and covered with nuts, coconut or sprinkles. The end result is a blissful combination of flavors. Even though they are sugar free, they are sweet and delicious.

Cover the fresh, red and ripen strawberries in unforgettable taste of gourmet dark chocolate and cover them with white chocolate to decorate and make designs over them. The end result of these double dipped fruity strawberries is a heavenly combination of colors and flavors.

Another innovation in dipped strawberries is by sinking them in rich white yogurt and decorating with a hint of orange, strawberry and lemon flavored swizzles, and creating a taste that is simply unbelievable. This can be presented as a formal business gift, and a superb gift for a good friend and colleague.

Peanut butter lovers have another new dessert for their night meals and parties. Double-dipped and decorated with swizzles or peanuts, hand-dipped strawberries convey a combination of flavors, and will tempt the recipient. Arrange and place this gift carefully in a beautifully and decently decorated handmade box of dozen strawberries and deliver to your loved one. Sure to please them and perfect to remain long in memories.

The Art of Coffee Blending

As a culinary art, creating exceptional gourmet coffee is similar to the creation of an exceptional wine. Each crop, and even different harvests of the same crop, will have unique characteristics that result from differing conditions over time with respect to the soil, temperature, water, time of harvest, etc.

High quality Specialty coffees are harvested over time from the same plant during the growing season as the beans ripen, leaving the green ones until they are ready. This process creates early and late crops containing differing percentages of nutrients and moisture content affecting the flavor characteristics of the beans. ‘Specialty” grade coffees are distinctly superior to those coming from the mechanical harvesting resulting in the bulk of coffees grown for ‘grade’ coffees sold on the worlds commodity exchanges.

These factors necessitate the coffee roaster to continuously select coffees with the necessary profile of body, taste, acidity and other attributes to meet the objective of the end product in order to consistently maintain a semi-predictable expectation for the consumer.

Each coffee blend will be a combination of these carefully chosen coffees from the current harvest, blended together in a complimentary fashion to achieve numerous variations of flavor, aroma and complexity.

Mocha Java is the earliest known descriptive coffee flavor known for its delicious full bodied and bittersweet chocolate highlights. Early cocoa was named after the Mocha coffee from Yemen.

Latin American coffees that achieve Specialty grade are almost all grown at very high altitudes compared with the coffees of Africa. In general these coffees are known for their full body, acidity and spicy flavors.

Africa is where coffee originated from. Its soil and climate combination produces outstanding coffees that have an exceptional balance of body and refined acidity creating distinctive aromas of flowers and fruit, with complex flavors ranging from citrus to winy.

Espresso will have a stout body and rich coffee essence, with thick creamy consistency as a result of the inclusion of more soluble beans blended with others that add desired flavors. Bold and robust are descriptions often used to describe a desirable espresso. An Italian style espresso will often include ‘natural’ or unwashed beans that help enhance its creamy consistency. These dry processed coffees are not typically considered Specialty grade, but are what create a traditional espresso flavor.

Natural or ‘unwashed’ coffees contribute nutty and earthy flavors, while ‘washed’ Specialty coffees are known for their desirable acidity and refined flavors that are essential to the master roasters ability to create a variety of gourmet style blends.

Specialty gourmet blends are the result of blending specifically selected coffees to achieve any combination of well-rounded, complex, rich, mellow, smooth and even exotic flavors in the final cup.

Tips On Making A Low Fat Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, especially kids. This is great and pizza is a great thing, but there is one single problem that parents can’t ignore: Pizzas tends to be very unhealthy, made by very fat cheese, bad meat etc. But it is possible to make a pizza that doesn’t contain that much fat. Here are some tips: 

1.Use a low carb flour 

Don’t only use normal flour, but look in your supermarket for special coarse pizza flour, it exist! 

2.Don’t use normal salami/pepperoni 

The standard salami/pepperoni that many pizza restaurants use is very unhealthy. Often it has nothing to do with meat at all and is almost only fat. Find a good Spanish chorizo sausage, but don’t put too much on, because it contains fat as well, but the quality is much higher. 

3.Use the right cheese 

A pizza isn’t a pizza without cheese, but cheese is the one thing that really makes a pizza unhealthy. When using grated mozzarella, find the low fat one in your supermarket. Always remember that the cheese is the evil bastard. 

4.Vegetables, vegetables and vegetables 

Teach your children (or yourself) to eat vegetables. For pizza topping I can recommend using red pepper (it’s so good on pizza!), mushrooms, onions and chilli (chilli helps you loose weight!). 

5.Combine the pizza with salad 

Nothing is more delicious than a newly baked pizza served with a green salad consisting of rucola, tomatoes and red onions on top of it. 

6,7,8,9 and 10 

Use your head! I bet you know what isn’t healthy. Just use your imagination and come up with great low fat pizza ideas! 

Choose The Right Champagne For Your Celebration

Champagne is a key part of how many people celebrate special occasions. Whether welcoming in the New Year, or toasting to the bride and groom at a wedding, Champagne is a must for many celebrations. 

Choosing the right Champagne for your celebration can be confusing unless you know what to look for. Much like wine, there are dry, sweet, fruity, spicy and other aromas of Champagne, depending on what ingredients were added before aging. The age of a Champagne also determines flavour and character, and the type of grapes or fruit used to make the wine base should also be considered. 

Champagne is a sparkling wine that is created through a second fermentation which causes the carbonation. Champagne is derived from and produced with the same grapes, fruits or ingredients that wine is, but the secondary fermentation adds a different dimension. 

Champagne was originally named for the region in France where it originated. Now many are produced in other areas, yet they still use the name Champagne to define the type of sparkling wine they produce. Typically it is a term for white sparkling wines, although some may also be rose wine. 

The traditional method for producing champagne involves adding more yeast and several grams of sugar for the second fermentation. Typically, a minimum of 1.5 years is required for the flavour to develop and the best Champagne is aged at least 3 years. 

In the 1700’s Dom Perignon was ordered to figure out how to get rid of the bubbles since the pressure was causing some cellars to lose 20-90% of their aging wine. In fact, cellar workers had to wear heavy iron masks for protection from the explosion of breaking glass. Today, Dom Perignon Champagne is considered one of the best ways to celebrate a special occasion, and it is also one of the more exclusively priced labels too. It is matured in cellars for seven years and has blending hints of angelica, dried flowers, pineapple, coconut, cinnamon, cocoa and tobacco added to give it an earthy, smoky and pearly taste that includes a peppery spice undertone. 

There are cheaper Champagnes and there are more expensive ones. Cristal Rose Vintage Champagne is one of the ones that are more expensive than Dom Perignon, and it is only available in limited stock, which is the primary reason for its pricing – along with quality of course. Since champagnes are blended and aged using different flavouring techniques and aging time, their taste can vary greatly, with only the second fermentation carbonation in common. 

Typically, Champagnes from the same region will have some of the same characteristics. French Champagne is still considered some of the best and some of the less expensive ones may go by the name of sparkling wine instead of Champagne. To choose the right Champagne for your celebration, you have to decide whether you want drier, spicier Champagne or prefer a sweeter, fruitier one. Often it is determined by what it is going to accompany, for example wedding cake would be better with a sweeter or fruiter one. 

Whatever Champagne you choose, it is considered a part of many special occasion celebrations, and there is good Champagne to fit any budget. 

Trail Mix with Gourmet Nuts – A Perfect Snack

Don't you agree that "Trail Mix" sounds a lot more appealing than "Gorp?" GORP is short for Granola, Oats, Raisins, and Peanuts, a name which has been in existence ever since the early 1900’s. No matter what the name, this treat contains energy-boosting ingredients such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, with candy sometimes added in the latest versions. This treat has been around forever, although in the olden days it contained dried meats as well. It's portable and is great for hikers or anyone wanting a quick, healthy snack. This is called "Scroggin" in New Zealand and Australia. If you ask me, I'd rather eat "Trail Mix" than "Scroggin". 

When you think of trail mix, you may think of wagon trains struggling across the desert with pioneers walking along munching on nuts and berries to survive. According to the U.S. Patent Office, "Trail Mix" came to the U.S. officially in 1968 thanks to the efforts of Harmony Food Company. This California based company introduced us to its "Original Trail Mix" snack. 

Wherever the term came from, this treat is very much in demand and even comes in vending machines for employees who desperately need some energy in the middle of the afternoon. Hikers, cyclists, hunters, soldiers, and athletes have all used trail mix as a pick-me-up while going about their activities. When it comes to trail mix, there are enough versions to suit everyone. The cheapest, most common blend contains peanuts, raisins and chocolate bits. 

I buy a special version of trail mix for myself that contains dark chocolate, white chocolate, dried cranberries, and my all time favorite, pistachios! Sadly, the vendor can’t ship chocolate in the warmer months, so I buy a bunch of the mix in advance. When it runs out, I just mix up a batch myself. I buy dark chocolate covered coffee beans, dried banana chips, and pre-shelled pistachios to make my own, custom trail mix. If you want a snack that is high in fiber, antioxidants, protein, vitamin B6 and the good fats, you can't beat pistachios. With both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, they have been proven to lower cholesterol levels. It is really healthy because there are antioxidants in the dark chocolate, potassium and vitamins in the banana chips, and energy in the coffee beans! 

There are people who might say that pistachios are too costly to include in a treat like trail mix. I think they're wrong. I get it at a cheaper rate per pound by always buying in bulk. This is a healthy, fast and easy meal replacement for when you are short on time. Six dollars worth of trail mix is a lot more nutrition than six dollars worth of fast food. 

Don't hesitate; sample some trail mix that includes pistachio nuts. I am certain that you will enjoy it as much as I do.