Archive for August, 2008
What to Look for when Buying a Tree
What to Look for when Buying a Tree
Although the process of growing and caring for a tree is generally
challenging and even difficult at times, sometimes one of the hardest
parts is choosing which kind you want. You have to choose between the many
sizes, fruit, and other attributes. The different sizes include: dwarf,
semi-dwarf, and standard. Your choice can affect everything about your
growing experience, including the amount of work you have to put in and
the amount of rewards (fruit) you will obtain.
Dwarf trees are ideal if you only have a limited amount of open space in
your yard. They take up as little as only as eight-foot diameter plot of
land. Although the dwarf fruit trees are smaller than the others, their
fruit is just the same size and the shortness makes them easier to prune
and harvest. Dwarf fruit trees aren’t known for living quite as long as
larger fruit trees. They begin to bear fruit after three to five years, so
if you are going to buy a dwarf fruit tree from a nursery you should
always check and see how old it is.
Semi-dwarf trees are medium sized, and when they are full grown they take
up a fifteen-foot diameter. Semi-dwarf fruit tree’s height can range from
as low as ten feet to as high as sixteen feet. To keep them from getting
to large you should prune them at least once a year. Occasionally
semi-dwarf fruit trees take a season off and produce little or no fruit,
but mostly they produce hundreds of fruit every year. Many people enjoy
having semi dwarf fruit trees because they produce more fruit than a dwarf
tree, and they are generally easier to harvest and maintain than a
standard fruit tree.
Standard sized fruit trees take up much more area the then any of the
smaller tree varieties, and they are also harder to keep manageable and to
harvest all of the fruit. If you do not prune them at least once a year
they can grow as large as thirty feet. If you are just looking for a good
tree to provide you with plenty of delicious fruit from and to keep your
yard shady, a standard sized tree would be the perfect tree for you.
Standard sized fruit trees take a very long time to reach their full
height, but they usually begin to bear fruit after only three to five
years.
The best variety of fruit tree to buy would be one that carries fruit and
does well in your area, because a local fruit tree takes less work and
grows the best. Although fruit trees bearing other, more exotic kinds of
fruit may seem more exciting, they usually won’t grow as well in your
area. That’s not to say it’s impossible. You can definitely try to grow a
more exotic tree, but it will take much more commitment and time.
Another factor involved in deciding on a type of tree is what kind of soil
you have, because some trees do better in damp soil while others are
better suited for drier soil. If it rains often in your area you would do
well to plant a plum tree. But if you do not get very much rain you would
do better to plant a pear tree or an apple tree. Before choosing which
type of fruit tree you would like, consult your local nursery or gardening
guru to find out which trees would do well in your area.
Other things that you should look for while looking for a fruit tree at
the nursery are things like how sturdy it is, if all of the branches are
evened out, how straight the tree stands, the condition of the roots that
support the tree, the length of the stem, and the height of the fruit from
the ground. Making a careful and deliberate decision can mean the
difference between having the stunted fruit from your lopsided tree being
eaten by animals all day long.
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Wine Tasting For Beginners
Wine Tasting For Beginners
Attending wine tasting events can be a great experience and a lot of fun, although a lot of people choose not to attend out of fear - or not knowing what to do or what to expect. Even though there are no mysteries to wine tasting, there are some things that you should always remember.
During a wine tasting event, women are always served before the men. Some tastings will serve you bottled water between tastings, so you can clean your mouth out and be ready to taste the next wine that is served. When you take the wine, you should always handle the glass by the stem, to avoid heating it with your hands. There will also be crackers and other goodies on hand as well, to help you cleanse your mouth between wine tastings.
As you may already know, you can tell quite a bit about the wine by the color. When you attend a wine tasting for the first time, you’ll notice that the glasses are clear. This helps you to examine the wine better. There should also be white tablecloth on the table as well, to help you see the color the wine more clearly. You should never go by the name of the wine alone, as it can easily fool you.
You’ll also notice the more experienced wine tastes swirl their wine around in the glass before they taste it. Although it may look weird, slightly swirling the wine actually helps to bring out the flavor. Most wines have been aging in bottles for long periods of time, sometimes even years. When the wine is swirled around in the glass, the swirling will release the flavors in the wine and bring them out when the wine is tasted.
At wine tastings, you’ll need to look at the wine, smell it, then after swirling it around in the glass - taste it. Smells play an integral part of the process, as you’ll get a lot more from the wine by smelling it first. Wine has quite an intriguing aroma, which helps to bring out the taste that wine is so well known for. Once you have smelled the wine, you should allow a few moments to take in the smell and think about the wine that you are smelling.
Last but not least, you’ll want to know how to properly taste the wine. Your tongue has taste buds in the front and the back, which helps to detect flavors. Wine is full of flavors, and how you taste it will make the biggest impact. When you put the wine in your mouth, you should always swish it around in your mouth for a few seconds, and allow the flavors plenty of time to dance on your palate. Once your taste buds have started to discover the wine, you can think about what you are tasting. After swallowing the wine, the aftertaste that remains in your mouth should give you even more of an idea as to the type and flavor of the wine.
Before you attend a wine tasting, you should always learn as much as you can about the many different flavors and varieties of wine. This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what you should look for in both taste and flavor. Even though you may be new to wine tasting, you should never pass up an opportunity to go. You’ll get a great experience in the world of wine tasting and get to experience wines that you may have never heard of before.
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Cooking with Children
Cooking with Children
I am fairly certain that most of us have either seen or at the very least heard of the hit situation comedy “Married with Children” that dominated television for quite a few years and is still shown in syndication in many markets around the world. There are some wonderful insights that are shown by this often dysfunctional family and a few pearls to bring into your every day lives. The same can be said when it comes to cooking with children.
There is little on this earth that can teach you about yourself and the way your children view you as easily as cooking with your children. Of course, this is the perfect opportunity for many of us to let our hair down a little, relax, and have fun in the kitchen. Unfortunately, if you are anything like me, this is a difficult process to say the least. I am a bit of a control freak in my kitchen. It is my domain or sovereign territory so to speak. For this reason it is difficult to give up that little bit of control and hand over the reigns to any one of my children.
On the other hand, I know they are learning important skills that they honestly need to know in life. This knowledge of course doesn’t make it any less difficult when I’m scraping tomato sauce out of places I would never have thought to discover it on my own. If you are considering cooking with children you need to make sure you have the proper ingredients on hand before beginning. You certainly do not want to be caught without that cup full of patience you will be requiring nor do you wish to need to leave in the middle of things for a run to the local grocery store to pick up the missing ingredients.
Another great rule of thumb when it comes to cooking with children is the KISS rule. Keep it simple silly. This rule will help out more than you ever realize. First of all, most children have relatively short attention spans. While they want to learn and help mommy out, they also do not want to have enough time to get bored with the details. Use simple recipes when cooking with children and your chances for success will be much greater than with overly complicated or ingredient intense recipes.
As if this wasn’t enough to absorb another very important rule when it comes to cooking with children is to clean as you go whenever possible. Trust me on this. While there is part of you who will want to put off the task of cleaning the messes that are made until later, or wait till the end and only clean once, this allows the opportunity for messes to layer and compound themselves. Constantly clean throughout the process for the best possible results. You should enlist your children in the cleaning process as well. While it may be easier to do yourself, it is far more important to teach them the basics of cleaning as you go. Remember one day they will more than likely invade your kitchen while you’re not looking.
Cooking with children can be an incredible way to have a fun day if you are able to let go of the control that you too often hold over the kitchen. Give over the keys to your kingdom for a day of fun and frolicking among the flour and sugar and see just how many wonderful memories you can make with your little ones along the way.
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Cooking for Sunday Dinner
Cooking for Sunday Dinner
From as far back as I can remember there have been special church occasions when dinner on the church grounds was the order for the day. Far too many times I watched as person after person walked in with store purchased fried chicken. Whether the reason for this was lack of time, lack of planning, or lack of ideas I was never quite certain. I was certain however, that this was not isolated to my church alone.
It may seem odd but I have traveled all over the country and lived in many different areas of the culture. One thing that seems constant no matter where I live is that someone inevitably brings fried chicken from a local restaurant or deli as his or her potluck offering. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but there are so many great recipes available for Sunday dinner cooking that it seems odd that so many would resort to this tired old tradition rather than spicing things up with a spicy taco casserole or sweetening the deal with some delightfully delicious and simple to make dessert.
Sunday dinners obviously aren’t the only time when cooking a casserole or making a dessert is a good decision for the day. They are, however, the most common from my childhood, which is why I often refer to them. There are also ‘pitch ins’ at work that require a contribution and these are an excellent opportunity to make coworkers envy your culinary talents. Even for those who are health conscious however, there are many wonderful types of salads that can be prepared for occasions such as this that will provide you with a guilt free entr
Coffee Maker Glossary
Coffee Maker Glossary
Coffee has a language all its own. Here are a few of the frequently used coffee maker terms.
Auto Frother: device that automatically froths milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker: machine that automatically heats water and filters it through the coffee.
Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: an espresso machine featuring controllable, programmable coffee dosing.
Bean to Cup: fully automated coffee making process. Machines with bean to cup capability do everything from grinding the beans to filling a cup with coffee.
Boiler: steam machine inside coffee maker. Machines with larger boilers usually are more powerful and produce more hot water for beverages.
Boiler Element: electric element that heats boiler in electric espresso coffee makers.
Cappuccino: Italian espresso based beverage.
Cup Warmer: metal portion at top of espresso coffee maker where cups are placed for warming.
Dosing: refers to either the number of grams of coffee per cup or the amount of brewed coffee per cup.
Drip Tray: Part of espresso coffee maker where coffee cup sits for filling.
Espresso: Italian black coffee which preceded specialty coffees. Rich black coffee.
Filter Basket: Metal filter where grounds are placed for brewing.
Filtered Method: process of brewing coffee with a filter, coffee is separate from the water.
French Press: aka plunger pot. A cylindrical coffee maker in which ground coffee is steeped then filtered. Coffee grounds are pushed to the bottom of the pot with the plunger. Coffee stays in the top of the pot.
Fully Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machines which automatically manage the brewing process from coffee bean to fresh cup of coffee.
Grind: process of preparing coffee beans for coffee brewing.
Group: Portion of espresso coffee maker that brews coffee.
Group Handle: Portion of espresso coffee maker that holds the filter basket that ground coffee goes into.
Heat Exchanger: heats water for coffee without taking water from the boiler.
Hopper: portion of grinder that holds coffee beans.
French Press coffee maker:
Knock-out Box: container used to knock the used coffee grounds from group handle.
Latte: Hot beverage made with one quarter coffee, three quarters of steamed, hot milk with little froth.
Mocha: term used to describe hot beverage made from espresso, chocolate and milk.
Moka Pot: Classic Italian espresso-maker used on top of the stove.
Percolator: coffee maker that continuously runs water through the coffee grounds to make coffee.
Pod: a self-contained, single serving unit of ready to use coffee.
Pour/Pour Speed/Pour Time: the amount of time required to pour coffee from group into cup. Should be 25 to 30 seconds for espresso.
Pump: device that moves water through the coffee maker.
Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machine without pre-set dosing capability.
Steam Arm/Wand: metal tube delivering steam to froth milk.
Super Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machine which automatically manages brewing process from coffee bean to fresh cup of coffee in addition to other features such as a water filter.
Tamping: act of pressing ground coffee into filter basket.
Vacuum coffee maker: machine using vacuum process to make coffee.
Traditional espresso coffee maker: machine that is not a bean to cup automated model.
Water Filter: filters contaminants from water for better coffee taste.
Water Font: nozzle used to dispense water from machine boiler.
Water Softener: filters lime and minerals from water, preventing build up of scales in the coffee maker. This is a must have for anyone using hard water.
candy corn
Candy corn is a replica of dried corn seeds or kernels. They are made from sugar and corn syrup which has a flavor of marshmallow. Though candy corn is fat free they are rich in taste. These yellow, white and orange triangle shaped candies are distributed all over the country during the Halloween festival.
Traditional candy corn comes in three stripes white at the top, orange in the centre and yellow at the bottom. It is also available in a variety of flavors and colors which depends up on the occasion.
Red, green and white is the reindeer corn for Christmas; red, white and pink are the cupids that serve as perfect gifts on the Valentines Day. Whereas, brown white and orange is regarded as the Indian corn for Thanks Giving; also, bunny corn which are pastel colored are for Easter
Candy corn was originally made by hands. The mixture of candy corn includes corn syrup, sugar and water which are cooked till the mixture becomes a little thick. Then this mixture Fondant is mixed with marshmallows for getting a signature soft texture. Then the mixture was poured in the corn shaped moulds and then heated. Each band of color was poured in three separate moulds.
Many new methods of making the candy corn have been introduced but the recipe or the ingredients used in the manufacturing have not changed much. Candy corn is now made in the machines. The recipe for making the veggie candy corn is as follows:
Ingredients: 1 cup whole sugar, 5 tbsp any vegetarian margarine, 2/3 cup corn syrup, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence/ extract, a pinch of salt, 1/3 cup soy milk (powdered) and yellow and red food color.
Procedure: Add sugar, margarine, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about five minutes on a medium flame. Stir the mixture in intervals and then remove from the heat after five minutes. Mix the soy milk powder, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Pour this mixture in a pan and stir till they mix properly together. Heat this mixture for twenty minutes or till the mixture becomes warm. Then divide this mixture into three equal parts/ pieces. Add few drops of each food color to these three parts of the dough and mix properly. Make rolls of these dough’s and bid them together to make them into a rectangle. Cut out the triangle shaped pieces from the rectangular box with a sharp knife.
Your veggie candy corn is ready to eat. The candy corn will be edible if stored away from the sunlight in an air tight container.
There are various ways and methods used to make different types of candies. Some are made by boiling the mixture at a very high temperature to get the hard textured candies and some are boiled at a lower temperature to get the soft textured candies. Animal fat is also used in some recipes. All the various types of these sweets are available in the market at a wholesale as well as bulk rate.
They Got It Where
They Got It Where?
Signature dishes. It’s enough to make a gourmand’s hands tremble in anticipation. Signature dishes are the kind of food that stories are told about. Every restaurant that has ever been called “famous” or “great” is noted for its signature dishes. Fierce business competition among eating establishments makes offering these dishes a necessity. A restaurant that boasts fifteen chefs will usually offer a signature dish created or developed by each one. “Developed” because many such recipes don’t happen overnight, but evolve through a lengthy process of alteration, ingredient substitution, experimentation and refinement. That said, where do the original pieces of paper - the first versions of the recipes that benefit from all of this tweaking come from?
Is there really nothing new under the sun? In truth, most of the signature recipes used in restaurants are adaptations of older versions of the kinds of recipes that are often the provenance of families. This is almost always the case when a restaurant is a family business. Once a restaurant achieves some reputation, it is also not unusual for friends to offer their family’s heirloom recipes to the restaurateur for consideration, counting it a delight and an honor to see their grandmother’s shortcake immortalized by inclusion on a praiseworthy restaurant’s menu.
“Family” recipes that later become restaurant recipes lurk in drawers, mixed in with other papers; often they are jotted down on the end papers of cookbooks, their graphite-penciled or even eyebrow-penciled script becoming nearly illegible over time. Their owners open cabinets and these recipes float to the floors of their kitchens, sepia-tinted snatches of paper that tell them how to make the same rich shortbread their ancestors made in Scotland two hundred years ago or finally revealing the secret of a great aunt’s pickled rosebuds.
Some recipes, family and otherwise, make their way into the hands of restaurateurs as behests. This occurs when the recipe’s owner refuses to allow anyone else but himself to make the dish during his lifetime, a not uncommon attitude in small American towns during the early 1900’s. At that time when the world was becoming more modern and more accessible through the invention of radio, telephone, film, and later television, many women who through economic circumstance and location of birth had been denied more than a simple education found themselves in the uncomfortable position of being seen as somehow less. Many of these women excelled at cooking in self-defense and would have cut off their arms before giving you their biscuit, cornbread, or cobbler recipes. Those recipes became who they were, the one area in their lives where they received notice. Sadly, the instructions for many of their fine dishes accompanied them to the grave, leaving children and grandchildren to wonder forever how those wonderful biscuits or relishes were made.
Other restaurant recipes were passed down orally, not to be written except under special circumstances, although over time the list of reasons for not making a written copy of a restaurant recipe has grown smaller and smaller. Somewhere, sometime, recipe thievery might have been an issue, but the current hunger for originality in everything would make copying someone else’s restaurant recipe counterproductive. What restaurants seek today are signature dishes that are different from those made by other restaurants. Nor do restaurants seem reluctant to share the mechanics of making those dishes with the public. Highly regarded and well-reviewed eating establishments such as Chez Panisse, The Silver Palate, Galatoire’s and Georgia’s Blue Willow Inn have gathered many of their signature dishes into publications that anyone can buy. Nowadays it is almost expected that a restaurant of good reputation will come up with a cookbook.
Sometimes restaurant recipes have come from the memory of watching someone else cook; sometimes they are basic recipes urged into more vivid life by deductive cooking - something taken away rather than added. More than several restaurant recipes have been created under pressure when a “failed” dish and the imminent necessity of serving a crowd has made a chef rely upon his imagination to rework the disaster into a masterpiece. Some restaurant recipes are born from musing and can be said to come “out of the clear blue sky”.
Often the sale price of a restaurant or bakery business includes the recipes for the food it sold. Restaurant recipes have even been the result of misinformation and of misreading. No doubt at least one has been “channeled” from the Great Beyond. One, for a fact, was offered as payment for a night’s lodging and a meal during the Great Depression.
Speculation about the original source of restaurant recipes is fraught with mystery. Behind those impersonal lists of ingredients and directions, we can sense the presence of panting flights in the night across war torn landscapes or the serendipitous discovery of an old green journal left behind in a hospital-stored suitcase by someone who died in the great flu epidemic of 1918. Wherever restaurant recipes come from, they are part of the airy substance our culinary dreams are made of and when prepared with sufficient care and attention, they almost always taste very, very good.
Tips For Selling Wine
Tips For Selling Wine
In the world of wine, the Internet has drastically changed the business and landscape for a lot of industries and manufacturers. Retails and wineries alike are using the Internet to sell their unique wine to the public, reaching more people than they ever could before. For the public, the Internet provides a lot of options for buying or even selling wine.
The key to selling wine is knowing the conditions of the bottle, such as how it was stored, how old it is, and the price you are asking for the wine. Age worthy wines are normally the best selling, as they all have one thing in common - all can be held for quite a long time. These types of wines are high in demand, some dating back to the 1940s. They are still selling strong today, some even going for an high as $5,000 dollars a bottle! If you have any bottles of age worthy wines, you should hang on to them for as long as you can - then sell them for a hefty profit.
Vintage Port is one of the best age worthy wines. Being a fortified wine, Vintage Port brands can age for nearly 100 years or more. The big names include Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca, among others. Port wine is very popular these days, with people buying and selling it to rake in the profits. As long as you take care of the bottles and store them properly, they can bring in a lot of money.
Fine Italian wine is also great to have, as they are normally bought and sold online. You can store these types of wine for several years, as they still provide great taste. Top California Cabernet is another type of wine that sells great, although it can be hard to get. If you buy the right type of Top California wine, you can sell it for 2 - 3 times the price you paid for the bottle.
If you are looking to sell wine, online auctions are a great place to start. By using an online auction, you can list your wine that you are selling, and get the current prices on wines that you are thinking of selling as well. If you look around on the Internet, you can find some great auction web sites that will allow you to sell wine. There are several out there, giving you plenty to choose from. When you find one that you like, make sure that you look at the prices and how things work - before you decide to use it to sell your wine.
Another great place to go online are wine message boards. Most wine message boards offer a buying and selling area as well. Almost all message boards are free to join, although you should become active with your postings to gain trust on the boards. Members of the boards sell their wines to each other. Selling is done privately, which eliminates any type of transaction fee.
Proper storage is also important when selling wine. Not only for the seller, but the buyer as well. In order to sell wine, the wine needs to be stored properly, with the proper temperature. If it isn’t, the wine will be nothing but mere vinegar once it is opened up.
All things aside, wine can be a very profitable hobby, providing you do things right. If you have a passion for wine and a passion to succeed - selling wine can be very profitable. When selling wine, you should always put quality first. Money will come with time - although you should always think about the quality of the wine - and not just the dollars and cents.
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Yeast Infection and Diet
Yeast Infection and Diet
Most anyone knows the importance of a balanced diet. But to some, the balance is a bit different from that of others. For some, foods that stimulate yeast overgrowth or yeast allergies cause the imbalance.
Refined sugars, corn syrup, white flour products, soft drinks, instant cereals, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, dried fruits, mushrooms, condiments, canned or bottled juices, leavened bread, pretzels, pastries, crackers, pizza, alcoholic drinks, apple cider, root beer, and any liquid, cereal, or candy containing malt products must be eliminated for the person with yeast problems.
“So,” you may ask. “What’s left to eat?” Fresh is the word! Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains, some nuts, seeds, unprocessed oils, yogurt containing live cultures of lactobacillus acidophilus, flax seed, canola and olive oils, and grain alternatives (buckwheat is one).
Even checking your vitamins may pay off. Anything you put into your mouth should be considered when trying to control your dietary problems. Yeast-free, sugar-free, and color-free are the key words when choosing vitamins and herbal supplements.
Herbal remedies have gained in popularity and deserve consideration. Herbal oils that have strong antifungal properties are the better choices. Herbs that boost the immune system are good choices. Herbs that promote the growth of good bacteria are important. Teas that soothe inflammation are helpful.
Low-fat granola is a good breakfast choice and can help in more ways than one.
One belief is that people who are allergic to yeast-containing foods should place the most emphasis on removing all yeast from their diets. But a person who has symptoms caused by Candida albicans may not have problems caused by other kinds of
yeasts. Some yeasts may be harmless.
The yeasts in most foods and beverages are the servicia or saccharonyces. Peanuts and pistachios are full of molds, so avoiding these types of nuts is best if you are allergic to molds or yeasts.
Going fresh with your diet may seem expensive. When trying to make a complete dietary change, it can be hard to see the benefits at first. But the costs of making this change will pay off in the long run by saving you on medications and doctor visits alone! Not to mention the costs of other things associated with your recurring yeast infections. It can also be a challenge to have to share a household with others who don’t have a problem with yeast containing products or with food allergies. If looking into the refrigerator is causing you a problem with sticking to your diet, maybe you could consider purchasing a small refrigerator of your own to hold your special dietary needs. Take a section of the kitchen for yourself to help you maintain your goal.
Clear out a cabinet or a drawer to use for your own personal food choices.
Family cooperation is a must, and your health should be taken seriously. Loved ones should know how important and how appreciated their cooperation would be to your recovery. Maybe setting a goal when you can all celebrate would be welcome motivation.
Coffee Maker Style Guide
Coffee Maker Style Guide
According to some statistics, 52 percent of Americans are coffee drinkers. This translates to more than 100 million people who drink coffee daily. Americans are a diverse population and far from unanimously agreeing on what makes a good cup of coffee. Fortunately, there are several different styles of coffee makers available today.
Coffee lovers can choose the brewing machine that fits their preferences. Common coffee maker styles include Automatic Drip, Automatic Espresso, French Press, Percolator, Stovetop Espresso, and Vacuum style. Each has its own pros and cons and gives the user varying control over the end result.
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
Automatic drip coffee makers are probably the most popular choice for Americans. They are easy to use and are inexpensive to purchase. Most operate on the same principle. Inside the coffee pot is a filter basket where a paper filter holds the coffee grounds. Cold water is poured into the reservoir where it is heated before being poured over the grounds. The resulting coffee flows into a carafe. The brewed coffee is kept warm by the hot surface beneath the carafe.
Those who don’t like to use automatic drip coffee makers complain that they do not make a good cup of coffee. Keeping the coffee maker and carafe clean, using quality coffee and disposable paper filters will help ensure a better result.
Automatic Espresso Coffee Maker
Automatic espresso coffee makers come in semi-automatic, fully automatic and super automatic versions. Semi-automatic models tamp the coffee grounds, brew the coffee, fill the cup and eject grounds. Fully automatic models also grind the coffee. Super models offer a wide variety of features, including built in water filters.
French Press Coffee Maker
French Press coffee makers are also known as press pots or plunger pots. The pot is a glass or porcelain cylinder which contains a stainless, mesh plunger that works as a filter.
The user measures coffee grounds into the pot and adds nearly boiling water. The plunger is put in place but not pushed until the coffee has steeped a few minutes. After steeping, the plunger is pushed and the coffee is ready.
There is no hot surface to maintain coffee temperature so the coffee must be served immediately or placed into a thermal carafe of some sort.
Percolator Coffee Maker
Percolator coffee makers are available in stove top styles and in electric styles. Most modern ones are both electric and can be programmed. Some models make only one cup of coffee, others can make 12 cups at a time. The large coffee urns used by many organizations work on the percolation principle but brew more than 100 cups of coffee at a time.
Percolator coffee makers are not used as often as they used to be. These machines continuously run the water over the grounds and the water is boiled. Many coffee lovers claim that both actions violate the laws of making good coffee.
Coffee made via percolator tends to be stronger and often bitter tasting than coffee made with other brewing methods.
Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker
Stovetop espresso coffee makers are simple to use and can be made anywhere there is heat, whether on a stove or over a campfire. Water is put inside the bottom boiler. The funnel filter is then placed in the boiler and filled with coffee. The top is screwed on lightly and the unit is placed over the heat source.
Once the top of the boiler is filled with brewed coffee, the coffee maker is removed from the heat source and the coffee is served.
Vacuum Coffee Maker
Vacuum coffee makers look more like chemistry lab equipment than coffee machines. This type consists of two overlapped containers that are connected by a syphon tube. There is a filter in the bottom of the upper container.
The user places water in the lower container and coffee grounds in the upper container. The machine is then put on top of the stove where the heated water vaporizes and passes through the syphon tube into the upper container.
A brewing cycle lasts approximately three minutes. When the unit is removed from heat, the vapor turns back to water and is forced through the filter and back into the lower container. Farberware created the first automatic vacuum coffee maker model while Sunbeam made the first truly automatic modern one.
There are few companies making vacuum coffee makers these days. Antique stores and auction sites such as eBay carry the traditional Silex and Sunbeam machines.
Coffee lovers can choose from a wide variety of coffee makers. From inexpensive stove top coffee pots to high end super automated coffee makers, there’s a coffee maker for every preference as well as every budget.
