When a friend mentioned to me that they had a new coffee maker I naturally assumed there would be a shiny new coffee pot and heater unit sitting on the kitchen counter top. But that wasn’t the event at all. My friend had been introduced to a new ‘Barista’ whose new espresso coffee recipes were making a big stir with the local office crowd.
My knowledge of such a profession was sadly lacking but I became very impressed with the skill, knowledge of beans and roasts, and the deft handling of a large variety of complex and subtle coffee drink recipes. Indeed, the whole art of making coffee requires an array of skills, an advanced knowledge of product and months of practice and that was something that was very impressive.
The actual word ‘Barista’ is really Italian for bartender but in the English language it has come to mean someone who prepares espresso based coffee drinks, although in North America generally the term has been used for any one employed in a coffee house situation. I like the comparison with the word for wine expert which is ‘Sommelier’ as a ‘Barista’ must also be highly trained in all aspects of coffee, roasting, blending and the use of espresso equipment. Goodness knows how many different types of coffee there are in the world or even more relevant, how many different blends!
A coffee maker can be a finely educated ‘athlete’ when it comes to mixing exotic espresso drinks and there are competitive events around the globe where a barista can show his or her skills, but it takes flair, training and much practice to be considered for such performances. The Olympians of the coffee makers world.
Monte Carlo was the site of the first World Barista Championship and that was in 2000 and it quickly caught on. Almost ten years later, the World Championships are held in a different country each year and host the winners of the various national titles. Judges assess the drink made and the person who made it. The score includes not only taste but presentation and speed, as preparation is against the clock with only fifteen minutes being allowed for each Baristas performance.
Every entrant must use the espresso machine provided but many bring a whole grab-bag of exotic ingredients. Syrups, sprinkles, fruits, ground spices and even their own blended coffee roasts. In fact they must prepare four signature drinks, four different cappuccinos and four espressos while four judges sample, taste and smell: all with foam art and graphics, to complete the presentation. Fifteen minutes can mean a whole lot!
Winners have made coffee drinks with cane sugar, pepper-gel, lavender, white pepper, infused sage leaves, honey and dark chocolate squares. The 2004 World Champion from Canada named Sammy Piccolo, used raw sugar, egg yolks, curry, bittersweet chocolate and milk with his specially blended coffee roast and called his winning creation ‘Insieme’.
These competitions require dedication and hard training, just like any athlete working towards a World Championship and this puts a whole new perspective on the phrase ‘Coffee Maker’, so when you are considering your next cup of espresso, think about some new recipes and some new flavorings and maybe you could be our next representative.
Dave is the author of , a regularly updated blog on finding and evaluating that perfect coffee maker for your next cup of coffee. Everything coffee from Article Source:
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You might have seen it in the movies, or in TV shows, or on the cover of a gangster novel. The big boss – be he a mafia don, drug lord, or your plain, run-of-the-mill CEO – is sporting a large cigar, and is smoking it unaffectedly. He seems to like it, that tight, large wad of smoke and leaves. But what makes cigars so prized, and why is it often associated with wealth and business?
Very simply, a cigar is a rolled-up heap of dried, fermented tobacco. One end is lit with fire, and the other is the opening by which smoke can enter a user’s mouth. Cigar tobacco is special: its flavor is reputedly richer and deeper than the tobacco used for ordinary cigarettes. Such tobacco is grown in tropical countries, with Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, and Mexico leading the pack. Cuban cigars, in particular, are considered to be the best varieties, although experts contend that Nicaraguan and Honduran cigars easily rival the mighty Cuban.
Cigars were once extremely expensive, and were usually confined to banquets, where “smokers” were held. These were gatherings where important politicians convened to discuss important issues while they smoked. When the U.S. imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in the 20th century, the price of cigars rose much higher, and the use of them was confined to those who could afford them.
In mid-2005, however, cigar prices declined, allowing many smokers (and smoking beginners) to taste and enjoy cigar smoking. But what is there to enjoy in cigars? According to aficionados, cigars have less of the smoky taste of cigarettes, and can even take on the taste of whisky, chocolate, or even wine!
How are cigars made? Choice tobacco leaves are first harvested, then aged by a combination of heat and shade. This serves to lower the leaves’ water and sugar content, without causing leaves to rot. Once the dried leaves are ready, they are made to “die with grace” by a slow process of fermentation. During this time, humidity levels and temperature are controlled, such that the lea will ferment without disintegrating or rotting. In this critical period are ushered out of the leaves the flavors and aroma that characterize the cigar into which it will eventually be made.
When fermentation is done, leaves are sorted out depending on whether they will be used as filler for the cigar, or as wrapper. Leaves must be kept moist, and should be handled very carefully. As soon as they are sorted, a cigar maker will roll them into any of the various cigar shapes, carefully, and by hand.
The flavor of a cigar depends on the leaves used for its wrapper and filler. Wrapper leaves usually come from the widest part of a tobacco plant. Their color can range from the very light, mildly greenish brown shade called the Double Claro; to the oily, black Oscuro grown in Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, or Brazil. The color of a wrapper also describes the color of a cigar.
Most of a cigar is made up of fillers, or the interior, where smoking tobacco leaves are bundled together by elastic leaves called binders. Some cigar makers mix up a variety of leaves of various tastes and strengths, in to produce different flavors of cigar.
To keep their flavor, cigars should be stored at room temperature, but at relatively high humidity. A humidor, or a special wooden box, usually comes with cigars when they are purchased.
Although most certainly damaging to human health, cigars still retain their mystique, whether they are seen on the silver screen, or read about in books.
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“Zojirushi, which means ‘elephant brand’ in Japanese, is called this for good reason. It feels as big as an elephant itself, with its 27 pounds of bread making mass. Be sure to use a tape measure on the committed space to ensure there’s sufficient room. At 17 inchese x 12 inches, it’s not a little appliance. With a height of about 9 inches when the lid is closed, you have to place it someplace that can take the lid opening. Be sure to measure cautiously if you will be placing it below any kitchen cupboards.
With the Zojirushi 2lb Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker, 2 pound loaves of bread can be creaed with the dual paddles. You’ll find the pan shape to be similar to typical oven bread pans. The dimensions of the pan are 5 inches x 9 inches x 5 inches, which is pretty typical. It can also be used to bake a 1.5 pound bread loaf. A highly domed lid provides adequate space for rising dough. You can make raisin bread or pizza dough with this machine, making it diverse in terms of its baking capability.
Bread’s not all it’s limited to making. Jam can be created too. You read that correctly; you can use fresh or canned fruit to produce your own jams from home. It will likewise bake whatever flavor of cake you might desire. You won’t a more durable and longer lasting Bread Maker anywhere. Even though it’s so powerful, you’ll scarcely hear it kneading the dough.
Displays and buttons for most bread appliances are on the face or cover, but the Zo’s are placed on a slanted panel which makes them a lot easier to see and read. People who use the Zojirushi it the Zo, and love that it comes from a almost century-old brand with a long history of manufacturing bread appliances. Manufacturers like this only survive that long if they’re careful about satisfying their clients, and try to satisfy the consumer as much as they possibly can. For example is most home bread appliances are able to be programmed (i.e. at most 13 hours with this bread maker) so you get homemeade, hot bread upon waking.
The Zojirushi breadmaker tendsto be quieter than many others. This is superb because, if you reside in the real world, you likely don’t desire to hear the knocking and thumping that is experienced along with most bread machines. Using the Zo, nevertheless, you are able to expect ultraquiet operation, so you will be able to sleep easily all nighttime and not being woken up to noisy bread kneading. With most of the bread machines you usually have various selections for making new varieties of bread, crust color and texture, or also the dough only mixing cycles. With the Zojirushi bread maker you’re able to create, and save, 3 custom-made cycles that are 100% yours. If you have that favorite recipe from childhood you want to make in the Bread Maker, just program it inot the machine.
If you lose power, in particular in the summer months when numerous people run their air conditioners, then the Zo has a feature that you will love. If you experience a brownout or a quick blackout, the Zo will save the progress in memory, so it can finish the process once it has electric. This feature gives you up to 10 minutes to get back power. It can upset you to have made a loaf on a less reliable breadmaker and then wind up dumping the half-baked mess due to your electricity went out and the machine reset itself to the beginning.
The instruction book provided is easy to understand in plain English, simple instructions, and a number of starter recipes are clearly explained. Even with the minor typos you come across in the manual, it will not hurt your comprehension of the information within it. Zojirushi is concerned about its customers, and therefore provide a 800 support line that you can contact with any problem that come up. For example, many breadmakers include a wire handhold that bends down on the baking cooking pan, the Zo doesn’t feature this. Luckily, you can find out through the help center that the horizontal cooking pan is better without the wire handle, and you should just use oven mitts. One time I discovered that I produced an uneven crust to my loaf of bread. When I phoned Customer Service, they informed me that this happens from time to time with breads that are heavier during the cycle for kneading. It is able to be easily fixed with a spoon by gently leveling off the top of the bread before it commences baking.
The Zo makes great gluten-free breads and wheat breads. It also manages a decent job using fast-rising yeasts used for 2 hour recipe loaves. If you have had it with the noise and uneven results of generic appliances, then the Zo will remind you of the delight of making fresh bread. “