Category Archives: World of Coffee

Use of coffee to administer mercury

There has been a rather alarming news story around of late and it all has to do with the use of coffee by a dental nurse, to poison her boss.

Sounds rather grim, doesn’t it?

Coffee is something that should be a joy, not a source of poison.

What’s the story?

Ravinder Kaur has hit the headlines thanks to her court trial.

As reported by the BBC, this dental nurse has been charged with poisoning her boss, by adding mercury to her coffee.

The administering of a poisonous substance is denied by Ms Kaur.

Why the alleged crime?

Apparently Kaur was in trouble after disappearing for lunch and leaving a patient in a dental chair.

She had also received warnings for bossing her colleagues around at work unfairly.

After receiving a final warning, Kaur is said to have put mercury in her boss’s cup of coffee.

Kaur’s boss then suffered from sickness and stomach cramps.

Her boss, Ms Knowles, thought that the coffee did not taste quite right and when pouring it away, she noticed the residue of grey sludge.

Ms Kaur argues that she has been set up because of the fact she gave them warning that she was going to report an alleged breach of patient confidentiality.

The case continues.

May 11, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

Do these latte-st sculptures make a mocca-ry of art?

THIS amazing latte art is all the work of one talented barista.

Reviewed by The Sun newspaper Kazuki Yamamoto, 26, creates the wacky creations for the customers at the shop where he works in Osaka, Japan.

And he now reckons he has notched up over 2,000 of the crazy coffee characters for his patrons.

He said: “I’ve been working in the cafe from the age of 20, but I started the designer cappuccino two years ago.

“I use a cocktail pin and spoon, steamed milk and delicious espresso. I have been practicing at the end of the working day and during breaks. It has become what I am known for when customers come to the shop.

“I do about 3 cups a day and estimate that I have drawn about 2000 types ever.

He added: “However, there is a drawback; the coffees can get cold because it takes time to do the more delicate designs.”

The foamy faces have now become a global web sensation, with people all over the planet admiring them.

May 9, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

What Goes Best with Coffee?

Many people who drink coffee often prefer to have it with cookies or pastries and even fruits. It’s been a long tradition.

Cappuccino-Biscotti-6
But did you know that there are specific food that go best with certain coffee flavors? Coffee and cake is a classic pair, for example. You need to find out more here so that the next time you go out with friends and family, you would know what to order together with your coffee regardless whether it’s the hot or cold type you want.

Chocolate cake is best paired with roast coffees, medium or dark. The chocolate mousse cake goes well with most Arabica coffees. Carrot cake, on the other hand, matches well with Columbian coffee. Then there’s coffee cake that can be eaten along with light- or medium-roast Hawaiian and Nicaraguan coffees.

Brownies can be paired with coffee from Indonesia or Guatemala.

Biscotti is perfect for coffee if you’d like to go Italian. The full flavored type can be paired with espresso. Biscotti comes in a variety of flavors including almond, cherry and chocolate.

Cinnamon buns go well with Guatemalan and Colombian coffees. The unique taste of cinnamon is always a nice mix with coffee, don’t you think?

Doughnuts, whether the plain or sweetened type, are also often paired with coffee. They’re best eaten with sweet Costa Rican coffee.

Muffins never go out of style when served with any coffee. Some people, however, prefer them with Costa Rican and Mexican coffee.

Breads are a perfect match as well. The short bread is ideally paired with Costa Rican or Brazilian coffee, the banana nut bread with Costa Rican, Kenyan and Kona coffee and the pumpkin bread with Colombian or Costa Rican coffee.

May 7, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

Coffee sausages

Most of us love a decent cup of coffee the past decade has seen the rise and rise of coffee the world over, as we fall in love with the humble coffee bean.

There are many ways of drinking our coffee from lattes to espressos to mochas to cappuccinos.

However, people are becoming more creative with the consumption of coffee.

Many of us will be familiar with the use of coffee in baking think of the traditional coffee and walnut cake, for instance.

However, a butcher in Lincoln has gone one step further in using coffee as an ingredient in his product.

The story was reported on by This is Lincolnshire and tells the tale of Andrew Beeson.

This butcher has won awards for his sausages the pork, leek and onion sausage was awarded the Butcher’s Choice at the Bucher’s Pride Sausage Competition 2013.

However, Beeson has been inventive with his new speciality sausages.

Why?

He has created the Mocha Real Ale sausage.

Apparently, these sausages were commissioned by Batemans Brewery, as the Mocha Coffee and Chocolate Ale was awarded the prize in the Great British Beer Hunt 2012.

What do you think?

Would you like to taste coffee in your sausage?

Or in your ale?

Or your cake?

Or perhaps you just prefer to leave it in your coffee cup.

May 3, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, New products, News | Leave a Comment

Coffee and cellulite

There have been some interesting articles about coffee and cellulite in the news of late.

Women, ever plagued by the orange peel effect on particular areas of their body (often areas such as thighs), are on the hunt for creams and treatments that can help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

The beauty market is littered with varied and expensive products.

What has coffee got to do with any of this?

There is a new product on the market called the Cinq Mondes Slimming Coffee Cream.

This 43 pot of cream includes caffeine as a key ingredient which, apparently, helps to drain toxins and break down fat cells this is all aimed at breaking down the fat under the skin that is held responsible for cellulite.

Alongside green coffee, the ingredients of this product also include grapefruit acids and kola nut.

For those who want toned and smooth pins on the beach, no doubt this new cream could be enticing.

But it’s not the only alternative.

Another beauty website has been promoting coffee as a way to reduce cellulite in a less expensive way.

They suggest a make-your-own scrub to banish cellulite, without breaking the bank.

However, the key ingredient is caffeine, as it is said to boost fat metabolism.

Check out the recipes on the web which mix ingredients such as oil, sugar, vanilla extract and coffee grounds, to make a scrub to slough away dead skin and apparently ‘absorb’ fat.

Fancy trying one of these out?

Think it will work?

May 1, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, New products, News | Leave a Comment

Coffee + Aspirin: Perfect Hangover Cure

Summer is coming, and I’m pretty sure that after your next BBQ get together you will be suffering from too much partying; and by extension, looking for the perfect hangover cure.

There are so many hangover cures that have been debunked by science over the years, but coffee remains to be one of the most widely accepted hangover cures. Sure there has been studies explaining why coffee doesn’t really help anyone with a hangover. Some even say that it can make a hangover worse. Two of the main reasons cited for this is that it can make a person more tired after the caffeine boost wears off, and can make a person even more dehydrated since it is a diuretic.

Well the ever fickle science community (or at least researchers of this particular study) finally agree to what we coffee lovers have known all along, the combination of coffee and aspirin is really perfect as a hangover cure…at least if you are a rat. According to Professor Michael Oshinsky, of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, rats who were given doses of caffeine and anti-inflammatories responded well to the treatment and were relieved of the headaches. The headaches, which were induced by making the rats drink ethanol (a pure form of alcohol), is similar to the migraines we experience after having a drink too many.

So while the scientists get stuck debating on whether the coffee will cure a hangover or not, I will just have my coffee maker and a bottle of aspirin on hand this summer.

April 22, 2013 | Posted in Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | 1 Comment

Brown Sugar and Coffee Barbecue Sauce recipe!

Coffee is obviously the beverage of choice here at Coffee Cups HQ, but that does not mean that we’re limiting our coffee addiction to espresso shots and steaming mugs of coffee because coffee can be used to turn ordinary dishes into something novel and more flavorful.

I’m sure you’re familiar with coffee-based desserts like tiramisu and affogato (scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream drowned in a shot of espresso), but have you ever used coffee as an ingredient for when making savory dishes? The Brown Sugar and Coffee Barbecue Sauce recipe below from Chef Art Smith is a great way to introduce your palate to the wonderful world of coffee-based and coffee-flavored dishes. The barbecue sauce can after all be used for a good variety of meats.

Brown Sugar and Coffee Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped white onions
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chile
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup hot water

Preparation:

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté until onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add brown sugar, chili powder, molasses, cilantro, and cumin; stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in crushed tomatoes with puree, broth, and coffee; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 4 cups, stirring often, about 35 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

For more coffee dish ideas, read Epicurious’ Cooking with Coffee article.

April 19, 2013 | Posted in Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

Coffee and cats

When you think about coffee, it is not a necessarily obvious connection to immediately think about cats.

However, there have been a variety of coffee and cat news stories of late.

First, have you heard about coffee houses which cater especially for cat lovers?

It is a Japanese trend to have cat cafes for animal-lovers who would like to pet a feline friend, while supping on their caffeine fix of the day.

These coffee shops have a variety of friendly cats on the premises that will charm and relax visitors as they sit and drink their beverage.

Often popular in cities where pet-ownership can be difficult, this idea has recently been taken on by a coffee shop owner in London.

The fad seems to be spreading.

Secondly, what about the cat coffee table?

Intrigued?

For those who are familiar with the ways of cats, our feline friends often like to find somewhere unusual and comfortable to chill out and snooze.

As reported on the Technabob website, a coffee table has been created which has a ‘cat bed’ built into the design an ideal space for a curious kitty to crawl in and make themselves comfortable.

This coffee table also uses a transparent material for the table top, so that you get a good view of the snoozing cat.

April 17, 2013 | Posted in Events, Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

The Art of Coffee Cupping

Cupping is to coffee as tasting is to wine. It is about getting to know the different tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Professionals who are into this activity are called master tasters.

Basically, cupping involves sniffing the coffee and actually sipping it to taste the flavor. Tasters then analyze and take note of the feel of the drink in their mouth or what they term as the body, its sweetness, acidity, flavor and aftertaste.

To effectively tell which kind of brewed coffee stands out, one needs to learn the technique of cupping.

By gaining this new skill, you will be surprised to find out the existence of a wide variety of coffee flavor and aroma. As you know, coffee is grown in the different parts of the world and if you’re a
coffee-holic, becoming a master taster might be for you.

There are many schools offering this course today that can take a few days. The sessions can take place at the roasters shop or at a cafe involving a number of interested adults.

russ-cupping_oct14-08-0017

Each session normally accommodates from six to 10 people. Then samples of each coffee are provided on the table.

Tasters do not always agree on which coffee is the best. That’s normal, though, because not everyone shares the same palette. What counts is that participants respect each other’s opinions and be open to learning more as time goes by.

The experts would say that practice and the willingness to learn from other people are the keys to becoming a successful cupper. Add to that are having a humble disposition and the commitment to contribute substance to every session.

April 15, 2013 | Posted in Events, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

Coffee Roasting Workshops Offered in London

It’s not all the time that workshops on coffee making and tasting are held particularly in London. But thanks to this one establishment, people are now eager to learn about the right way of roasting coffee which they can do so through such workshops.

In North London, Caravan Coffee Roasters is offering a series of workshops to interested coffee addicts. These activities take place at the restaurant’s roastery in King’s Cross.

The concept launched by the restaurant is to provide an avenue for diners interested to learn about coffee production to try their hand at making and tasting this most well loved drink worldwide. So apart from being a dining place, it also serves as an in-house roaster.

The workshop is very informative and when several people are in attendance, it can be a fun learning experience. The activity is lead by a head-barista, Baptiste Kreyder, who explains the different kinds of coffee beans, the production aspect, as well as the different tastes of beans and blends. Attendees are also taught how to match a specific type of coffee with food. At the end of the workshop, a mini-tasting event takes place with complimentary pastries.

Beyond the basics, those craving to learn more can try coffee roasting, home brewing, latte arts, espresso making and cupping. New coffee workshops will be introduced on April 13.

Caravan is the first establishment in London to house a restaurant and roastery in one site. It’s original site is in Exmouth Market while the second site which opened in August 2012 is in King’s Cross.

why not check out Caravan Coffee here- www.caravankingscross.co.ukand enroll yourself on one of there workshops

April 12, 2013 | Posted in Events, Latte Art lovers, Miscellaneous, News | Leave a Comment

Blog