Today I had the idea of trying the Moka coffee pot as I have never tried it out before.
To summarize the experience: “Coffee was not bad at all, I would dare to say it was really good, but the overall experience was not that great because of the work involved.” Not quite the convenience mind set we love with our Keurig machines.
The beans I used were a moka blend, finely ground. I used a mill to grind the beans. Note the grind size variation below. This was just for fun, and it is just to show a wide range of grind sizes. For a Moka pot, in fact, we would grind finer than the finest size in the picture below.
The Moka pot looks interesting. The pot I bought is very thick – good for any heat source. I paired it with a coffee cup set to match the color, and I am very pleased with the aesthetics of it.
The Moka pot below is one of the best on the market, it is a Bialetti Moka Express, and this model is renowned in the entire world. However, my preference was a model that had some personality and a bit of color.
Here is how brewing a Moka pot coffee looks like. You wouldn’t open the lid, normally, but here is just so you can see the coffee brewing.
I got the recipe from this Moka pot brewing guide. The author seems to understand the process very well, and it seemed one of the best recipes I have read.
I filled the water up to the line. I used pre-heated water, and it started to brew on the stove after 2 minutes. I then added some hot milk and sugar.
The coffee tastes quite smooth – not too bitter with a nice balance of acidity, which is perfect for people like me who don’t like strong coffee. However, I really didn’t like grinding my coffee with the mill; it is too difficult to clean. So I recommend using a blade grinder if you need a little more convenience.
Blade Coffee Grinder
Having said that, for a good cup of coffee it’s worth it! If you are interested in more brewing techniques, check out my French Press Brew guide.
As a coffee lover, I know that espresso is what we are really looking for. Yep I know there are many people who like cappuccino; sorry you guys I only collected espresso K-Cups!
1. Timothy’s Rainforest Espresso
This blend is strong, thick and sweet, with no bitter flavor at all. It sells at $16.49 per 24 cups on their own site www.timothys.com. As always, you can buy cheaper on Amazon.com where you can get a two pack of the blend for $29.95.
It is 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified.
If you need a nice cup of wake-up coffee, this is blend is a great choice. Timothy’s offer decaf and extra bold versions as well.
2. Green Mountain Dark Magic® Extra Bold
This is a very popular blend. It offers you the rich aromatics and flavor qualities of espresso and tastes as delicious as a drip coffee as well. If you add milk and cream, you will get a delicious, different and surprising taste profile. If you like “bold” coffee, this is for you.
You can find several different options on Amazon.com such as a 2 pack, 3 pack or 6 pack of this blend. A decaf version is available too. Just search “Green Mountain Coffee Dark Magic” on Amazon.com and you will find what you need.
I am always keeping an eye on health issues related to coffee and reading every piece of research related to coffee. Today I came across a report that shows coffee does not increase risk of high blood pressure.
Data shown in the research is very persuasive. The study consisted of 72,567 participants and 37,135 incident cases of hypertension, more than enough to be able to draw a definitive conclusion. It turns out we don’t need to worry that we will develop very high blood pressure if we consume more than 3 cups of coffee a day.
As a coffee lover, I have to say this is a good news. I can now enjoy my coffee without worrying about heart attacks and high blood pressure that may be caused by coffee. I love my life.
Right now, Folgers Gourmet Selections contains several types of K-Cup. My favorite flavors are Black Silk Coffee K-Cup, Lively Colombian Coffee K-cup, Vanilla Biscotti Coffee K-Cup and Lively Colombian Decaf Coffee K-Cup.
Both Colombian K-Cups are medium roasted and Black Silk is dark roasted, as the name suggests.. It is obvious that Folgers know their beans very well. Colombian coffee beans are not optimally roasted dark, as dark roasting can take away from the natural flavor of the beans. Medium or even light roasting is better for Colombian beans.
The above picture is of those 4 K-Cup options. If you buy Folgers K-Kups packs, they will look like this.
Folgers K-Cup blends taste exactly the same as their regular coffee. Regardless of whether the coffee is brewed from single serve K or from ground coffee, the taste is always indistinguishable, which is why I like Folgers. You can see the advantages of Folgers designing their coffees like this. Let me explain. I like Black Silk very much, and I have been drinking it for years. When I am travelling, I will take some Folgers K-Cups with me so that I can enjoy my coffee in my car, on the plane or in the hotel. When I am at home, I buy their ground coffee, so that I can brew a cup whenever I am in the mood for coffee. No matter where you are, you can enjoy your favorite cup of Folgers coffee that will give you the same taste experience every time.
If you can’t find Folgers K-Cups at your local store, you can always buy them online. They can be purchased from Amazon or Smucker, Folgers’ online partner.
Check out some other popular K-Cups brands in this post.
With the world market being as big as it is, it is necessary to find K-Cup coffee brands that are the most trusted and popular because they have been tried and tested. If you are the owner of a Keurig coffee-maker, you can start looking for the kind of K-Cup coffee that you want to buy. Though most Keurig K-Cup brands are tasty, they are not created equal. There are definitely some brands that stand out from the crowd. So, if you want to know more about the best K-Cup coffee brands, keep reading!
Timothy’s World Coffee – This company has a collection of different coffee roasts as well as flavors, making it a preferred brand by consumers. With excellent blends that range all the way from light to dark and with various unique flavors, the consumer is left wanting more.
Green Mountain Coffee- Green Mountain has a wide assortment of Keurig K-Cup flavors and coffee roasts. Choosing from all the different options is a dream. On top of this, many of the different blends contribute to different charities. If you are just looking for classic flavors and roasts, Green Mountain Coffee also has you covered.
Gloria Jean’s Coffee- This could be the best product available, especially if you are looking for excellent flavors. They also proudly offer the Keurig K-Cup tea options. You can choose from the great tea flavors that obtained the maximum rating from all Keurig coffee manufacturers.
Newman’s Own- unlike the first two Keurig K Cup brands, there are just two types of K-Cup in the Newman’s Own range. These are the special blend and the decaffeinated version which are both excellent for consumers.
Diedrich Coffee Roasters- this manufacturer concentrates on the variety that they can offer their consumers instead of the quantity that they produce. They have created a variety of blends and roasts that cover all tastes and preferences for every coffee lover.
You can certainly find lots of K-Cup coffee brands on the market. The brands mentioned above are the highest quality K-Cup coffee manufacturers available today. So, all that is left is to choose the flavors and styles that best suit your preference! Take a look at my favorites here as well as my best espresso picks.
The French press was invented by the French in the 19th century then refined by the Italians. They added the carafe and plunger, with the last additions being done by Attilio Calimani in 1929. There has been little change since then. The French press is also known as a coffee press, cafetière coffee plunger or press pot.
Benefits of French Press Coffee
If you want to brew your cup of coffee as quickly and conveniently as drip coffee, while at the same time having coffee that tastes like espresso, then the French press is perfect for you. Indeed, coffee brewed in the French press is considered by many experts in the coffee industry to be the best “regular coffee”. The reason for this is its stainless steel filter screen: French press coffee makers does not use paper filters, like most drip coffee makers do. We all know that much of the flavor in coffee is held in the oil. However, when we use paper filters, the paper filters the natural coffee oils. This does not happen with the French press, as its filter allows colloids as well as lipids, which contain the more intense flavors, to pass into the coffee. There is, however, a drawback with this filter: you will find a little coffee sediment at the bottom of the pot, so don’t pour out the last bit of coffee from the pot.
How to choose a French Press
There are some factors for you to consider when choosing the perfect French Press.
The first factor is the material. If you want to take your French press travelling, plastic is a good option because it is not as fragile as glass; glass is very easy to break. It is also light. If you are looking for a French press for home use, it is better to stick with glass, as plastic can affect the taste to a certain extent. Of course, you can find stainless-steel pots, or versions that are a combination of glass and stainless-steel, which are very popular these days. For home use, I still prefer the traditional glass brewers, as they just look classic and beautiful, and they brew excellent coffee. Again, for outdoor use, plastic is recommended, as it is durable and keeps the coffee hot.
Secondly, size does matter. Generally, the bigger the pot, the more expensive. However, price is not the only thing to consider. You have to decide how many people you will be brewing French press coffee for. A 34-ounce French press, which is 8 cups, is more than big enough to serve a whole family of 4-5 people plus 1 or 2 guests.
The third factor is the brand. At the moment, a popular French press brand is Bodum. The company is known to be a leading maker of French press coffee makers. I recommend buying your plunger from Bodum for the best quality and service.
How to make coffee with French Press
Watch the video below the get the basic idea.
There are 3 main steps in French press brewing: add your ground coffee, pour in the hot water and press the plunger slowly down. However, this won’t produce a good cup of coffee, so let us get into more detail.
Before the first step, your coffee beans should be freshly ground. As shown in the video, coffee beans should be ground coarse. If the grind is too fine, the filter will be clogged in most standard French pots. It is best to use the beans immediately after grinding them for the best flavor. When storing coffee beans, keep them in an air tight container in a dark place to stop them from going stale.
When your beans are ready, the next step is to make sure the temperature of the water is between 195-205 degrees F. You should experiment within these parameters if you want to find out the best temperature for you. For me, 200 degrees work the best. Don’t use freshly boiled water immediately; leave it for a minute or two to let it cool down. It is best to use fresh water that has not been boiled before for the best taste.
Before you start brewing, pour a little hot water into the empty French press to warm it up.
When you start brewing, remember to pour water evenly over the grounds. Then stir slowly to make sure all the grounds are immersed in the water. This also helps with the extraction of those delicious oils and compounds.
Steep time is important. Four minutes is a good brew time for a regular coffee, as shown in the video. For anyone who likes darker notes, it is possible to steep for up to 10 minutes. Try out different times to find the best steep time for your taste.
How to Clean a French Press
Cleaning your French press is very easy, but it takes some time. In short: first you remove the plunger and lid, then you remove the coffee grounds from the pot, wash the pot with hot water, and, finally, wash your pot in the dishwasher (if it is dishwasher safe). Cleaning the French pot in the dishwasher when possible is important because hot water alone is not enough to clean the oily residue from the plunger. If not cleaned, those oils can turn rancid over time and affect the coffee taste. If the pot isn’t dishwasher safe or you don’t own a dishwasher, make sure to use soap with water that is good and hot to clean your French press.
If are interested in other home brewing methods, here is a post about Moka pot brewing.
Most people love drinking hot, aromatic coffee. However, they still don’t want to deal with brewing. By using a K-Cup coffee brewer, the user can have a cup of coffee with almost no effort. K-Cups are plastic containers with airtight seals that are packed with ground coffee beans. The K-Cup is simply slotted into the coffee maker. The machine then perforates the K cup, hot water passes through the ground coffee and the coffee is extracted and collected in the waiting coffee mug. The K-Cup is a disposable container, so you can throw it straight in the bin without worrying about cleaning.
The owner of K-Cup technology is the company Keurig. Keurig authorizes various coffee makers to use K-Cups with their products. Commercial coffee makers use a large amount of K-Cup capsules and dispose of them automatically. However, for the household brewers, the K-Cup is taken away manually. So, would you like to have the K-Cup coffee brewer that is best suited to your preference? Well, there are lots of K-Cup Coffee Brewers that you can choose from, with different features and styles. Here is one of the most popular K-Cup coffee makers that we recommend.
The B30 Mini
If you are looking for a brewer that is child friendly, you will need a machine that is small and convenient. The B30 Mini is the smallest K Cup brewer. You can even carry it with you in your bag. Indeed, the B30 Mini is known as the single cup brewer.
There are so many great benefits to drinking coffee. Drinking coffee gives us immediate energy, great taste and peace of mind. By using the innovative K-Cup coffee capsules, you can enjoy a great cup of brewed coffee and avoid the regular hassle of brewing, such as cleaning the filters and the mess that is created every time a coffee is made! If you think a K-Cup coffee brewer is for you, they can be purchased easily in stores and online. Whatever machine you decide on, it is now so easy to get a K-Cup brewer that best suits your tastes and needs.
Coffees that have lots of different flavors and extras are extremely popular. However, buying this type of drink at a cafe or restaurant is quite expensive. So, if you want a great coffee at a price that suits you, what should you do? Well, there is actually an easy way to make the same quality coffee in the comfort of your home, for the right price. The Keurig K Cup Coffee Pods are single, pre-measured coffee servings that are brewed effortlessly in a coffee maker and allow you to make a single cup of coffee at a time.
The Original Donut Shop Keurig Single-Serve K-Cup Pods
If you wish to try different K-Cup flavors but you don’t want to buy a big machine, smaller options are available. These brewers are convenient and perfect for people who are the only drinkers in the household. They are also very simple to maintain and usually take up little space within the kitchen.
On top of that, you can choose from various roasts that range from light to dark to decaffeinated. You can choose from lots of options and coffees that suit your taste. But what about people who don’t want to drink coffee? Various drinks including different hot chocolates and teas are also a great K-Cup option. Herbal teas are particularly popular and have been proven to be beneficial for health and mind.
So, when you are looking to purchase capsules at the best price for you, they can easily be easily bought online or even at your local store. However, if convenience is your priority, buying online is a great option. So many coffee drinkers have chosen K-Cups coffee pods, have you tried them yet? They are a great coffee brewing alternative that will save you money, so get yourself some now!
If you’re like me, and you love your single serve home coffee brewer, you’re likely familiar with this problem: namely, there are so many flavor options that K-Cup storage has become an issue. It is a pain trying to sort through the different K-Cup we have bought!
Fortunately, there are some really cool choices for storing K-Cups. Let me show you.
First up is the K-cup storage basket, coming in at about $22.90. Manufactured by Green Mountain coffee, this K-Cup holder has two layers and is a great option for storing K-Cups. You can also see all of your K-Cups really clearly. However, I think there is one disadvantage here: some counter top space is required. Therefore, the basket is not the best small kitchen K-Cup storage option.
The second alternative is my favourite. The Keuring K-cup Tower, at just $2 more than the basket, is pretty self-explanatory. Designed like a tower, it gives you a 360-degree view of your coffees. The tower can store as many as 30 K-cups, which really is very convenient. It is also definitely the best choice for saving kitchen counter space. The tower is very durable and long lasting, so you won’t need to replace it very often.
Storing K-Cups in the office
If you have a K-Cup brewer where you work, I highly recommend the K-Cup storage drawer for you K-Cup office storage. It really fits in with standard office couture and will make your work space look great!
If you have more than 30 K-Cups, no big deal! You can go for the K-cup Tree: it can hold 35 K-Cups for you and allows you and your guests to easily find the flavor you want. It also costs $22.90 and takes up very little space. This K-Cup holder has a really new and artsy feel to it and is great for storing K-Cups in a modern kitchen.
Storing K-Cups on a budget
If you are looking for something that can fit all types of kitchens, the most affordable K-Cup holder is the K-Cup Carousel. At $19 it is the cheapest storage option and also takes up very little space. This product doesn’t hold as many K-Cups but it is definitely worth trying out, especially if you have a small kitchen and are on a budget.
What is a safe temperature for storing K-Cups?
K-Cups are relatively stable which makes storing them a piece of cake. However, you should make sure that you are storing your K-Cups at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
What makes K-Cups the best option for coffee brewing? There are lots of great qualities of the K-cup that make it one of the best brewing choices. If you are looking for single-serve coffee capsules and you have a Keurig coffee machine, K-Cups are the right choice for you.
If you were to open up your K-Cup pack you would find a cup filled with ground coffee and a filter. The K-Cup has a foil lid, so the coffee stays fresh until you open it.
For one cup of coffee you just need a single K-Cup. Your coffee machine simply punctures the foil lid and feeds hot water through the cup. It then brews your coffee directly into your favorite mug.
Coffee lovers have a wide variety of choices in the K-Cup range, especially with the Keurig coffee machine K-Cups. There are many famous manufacturers that offer different K-Cup coffee flavors and also K-Cups that brew tea and hot cocoa. This means that even tea and cocoa lovers get wide selection of K-Cup choices, which is special and unusual for a coffee machine.
There are various reasons that K-Cup can be more advantageous than traditional coffee. The first reason for K-Cups being the best choice is the fact that they are easy to use. You must have heard people saying they don’t know how to make good coffee. With K-Cups, there is very little risk of brewing a bad cup of coffee. Even if you haven’t made coffee before you can brew a perfect K-Cup on your very first attempt.
With traditional coffee there is the hassle of measuring out the amount of ground coffee per cup of coffee. K-Cups also save you from creating a mess. You just need to place the K-Cup into the machine, put your favorite mug underneath, then fill the coffee maker with hot water and watch it brew. Then simply enjoy your delicious coffee, sip by sip. Say good-bye to pre-brewed flasks and bags of coffee!
When you are in a hurry to get to the office, K-Cups are an ideal choice for a quick, tasty cup of coffee. Get your coffee ready in two minutes!
There is one more advantage wit K-Cups. Namely, the taste and quality of coffee that you get is almost of the same standard as you would find in a coffee shop. A cup of coffee served at coffee shop is expensive, so making your coffee using K-Cups will save you a lot of money!
