Best One Click Espresso/Cappuccino/Latte Maker Yet...

I just got back from a trip to Hawaii and wow, my love for coffee is as strong as ever. The coffee shops littering the highway all serve fresh roasted Kona and it’s GOOD. There is nothing better than a fresh shot of espresso with a steaming crema, or a made-to-order cappuccino. I’ve held out purchasing a home espresso machine because, frankly, the home machines mostly suck – or the good ones are up around $1000, I’ll stick to having them made for me at $4 a pop.

The new Nespresso Lattissima Plus delivers. With 19 bars of pressure (8 bars is minimum to get the crema…and pressure is usually the limiting factor in home espresso makers), this one delivers. Plus, it steams the milk accurately with it’s special container. I should mention this does it all with one click, so you don’t need to go through barista training. Click and ahhh.

Earlier editions of this machine retailed for more than double the price…we love when coffee technology comes down in price.

On sale now for just $360 including free shipping and $75 of coffee…

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mmm...espresso on the go...

Now this is cool: the Mypressi Twist Portable Espresso Maker. How it works: hot water + espresso grounds + pressure from CO2 cartridge = your own espresso maker…anywhere. The problem with homemade espresso is almost always lack of pressure because, frankly, it’s hard to build it up without some serious tubes and whatnot.

But some genius has figured it out: use the pre-pressurized cartridges. Each cartridge will make 8 shots (or 4 double shots) of espresso. This little device is also really portable and really sturdy so you can take it with on trips if you need (which I do) a decent shot to keep you going. Think how much better you’ll be able to make those portages in the BWCA – you’ll be running through the woods with 2 packs and a canoe on your shoulders.

Or work? Your ass may be glued to that seat, but your face will be holding back 1000hp of pure brainpower.

Or maybe not. But people do love this thing – it’s almost universally well-regarded. We’ve reviewed lots of coffee makers and it’s topping the list, especially of portables.

Happy drinking.

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Powerless espresso maker makes powerful shots

Here’s a cool discovery: the espresso maker from Presso. Notice: there is no plug. You boil a little water, fill the espresso handle, then crack your knuckles and bear down on the handles to force the water through. Normal espresso makers use a lot of energy just to idle. So we call this a green machine.

Online reviews generally rate it (and the espresso it produces) favorably. The only down side is you need to warm/steam milk yourself if you want a cappuccino, latte, or our favorite, the flat white.

You can take it camping or on road trips. And it looks cool and is cheaper than any other espresso machine we’ve seen…

$150

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Pump up your coffee

We keep hearing about this little device: the AeroPress. Imagine what would happen if a French press pot mated with an espresso maker, but then the result was re-tooled by the makers of ShamWow and the SlapChop. Now you’re getting the idea. Everyone loves this little coffee maker (on Amazon, with 411 reviews, it has a 4 1/2 star – out of 5 – rating).

Why is it so good?

- It’s easy: you put coffee in the chamber, you put water in the chamber, you stir, you press

- The coffee is good – a pocket of air between the coffee and the plunger forces the coffee through the filter, giving a strong flavor and reportedly cutting down bitter and astringent compounds and acidity

- It’s easy to clean up

- You can re-use the filter. Yup. +1 for the green team

- It’s quite portable. Unlike your drip coffeemaker, you can carry it. Unlike a French press, it’s plastic and won’t break. Great for an office coffee maker or even for camping.

Plus, it’s only $26.

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Yama Syphon Coffee Maker

The Yama Syphon Coffee Brewer puts a new twist on the brewing process. It uses the vacuum process to brew coffee.  At first we kind of thought that it was similar to those “espresso” pots that look great but never seemed to make a great pot of espresso, have filter problems and are a pain to clean. But we found that the Yama will brew coffee similar to a decent French press, but without the residue.

It works like this: you heat up the water, this will cause evaporation and at a certain point, the top chamber (where the grounds are) will create a vacuum that sucks up all the hot water when it is at an ideal temperature. Then, when you remove it from the heat source, the infused water filters back through the coffee grounds (the cloth filter is the key to it’s success) and settles into the bottom pot where it can be drunk, drank, drinked and savored.

A reasonably inexpensive way to make great coffee…and it looks cool, too.

Good video on the why and the how of siphon brewing.

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NOT a paper cup

Think of all the disposable cups served by Starbucks and McDonalds all over the world in a single day. A lot. A friend here in Los Angeles started BringYourOwn.org to promote and educate about all this waste. And for most of us, it’s all a matter of convenience.

Like remembering to bring a bag or two to the grocery store.

Or a decent mug to the coffee shop. If you haven’t got one you like, check out this one: I’m not a paper cup. It’s not, though it surely looks like one. A good way to freak people out.

Just a little.

And then remind them they should bring their own damn mug, too.

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Delicious Chemistry @ Home

We have a bit of a problem, or more technically speaking, the author does. I break glass. The nicer it is, the more likely it is to shatter once I get my hands on it. I’ve had the great wine glasses – you know the ones, giant bulbous crystal Riedel jobs made for one specific varietal in one specific region…but I digress.

The reason I bring up my problem is because I broke one (or maybe 2) of these coffee makers. And it sucked. Yeah, it sucked picking up all the shards from the kitchen floor, but what really sucked was that we ultimately ended up replacing it (due to my little “issue”) with a “real” coffee maker. So now I don’t get the delicious, nutty brew that looks oh-so-damn good when it drips down into that beautiful chem-lab-come-home glass pot. There was something so satisfying about seeing the slightly brown bubbles floating in it, having to pour the hot water in oneself, filterfull by filterfull.

But here’s the deal: three strikes and you’re out. And yup, I broke three of these suckers. So from here out it’s stainless carafe for me.

For you?

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(note: the link goes to 1-3 cup maker…it’s also available in a 6 cup size…)

Better than coffee...?

South Africa, for those who haven’t been there, is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. From the Drakensberg mountains to the Natal beaches and the Wild Coast, to the flourishing (though endangered elsewhere) White Rhinos in Hluhluwe Umfolozi park. Home of  the Bushveld and one of the most amazingly beautiful  cities in the world: Capetown.

Visitors there will find hospitality from all South African people of all colors. And undoubtedly they will be served rooibos tea. Rooibos means red bush in Afrikaans, the Dutch dialect some speak there. It is native to Southern Africa and is drunk regularly by everyone there. Recent studies have shown rooibos to be extremely rich in antioxidants, surpassing even green tea. And it’s caffeine free.

And the taste is wonderful: hints of vanilla and pear with a rich backbone. It’s incomparable – the best way is just to taste it.

The geniuses at Red Espresso have come up with a way to make rooibos even more appealing – they’ve presented it in a brewable form. This can be used in espresso makers or French press coffee makers (there are a number of ways to prepare it), yielding a richer brew. Mmm. We’ve tried it warm and cold and couldn’t be happier.

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