Espresso Machines - Making The Best Coffee In The World, At Home

Think about having a fresh, coffee-shop-quality espresso when you get up in the morning – without having to leave the house. This is what your very own espresso machine can provide, but it is important to make sure you buy the right product, and know how to use it when you get it home.

Espresso is a syrupy, traditionally Italian, speciality coffee. Coffee shop owners will tell you that making mouth-watering espresso is just like pulling the perfect pint of beer. It requires patience, practice, and is much harder than it looks. Good quality espresso machines can make it easier by controlling the temperature and the internal mechanisms more exactly.

These machines function in several different ways. If, for instance, you value authenticity, and have strong arms, a Piston-driven espresso maker could be for you. The design for this fully-manual espresso machine comes from as far back as 1938. Many are now sold for decorative value in addition to making a good cup of espresso coffee,

There are various types of semi-automatic espresso machines. In all cases the water is delivered via a pump mechanism, but the grinding, preparation and insertion of the coffee must be done by hand. These may be more difficult to find, as recently automatic or super-automatic machines are becoming more popular and cost-effective.

Automatic espresso machines are very similar to the semi-automatic version, but the temperature and amount of the water is also controlled automatically. Super-automatic espresso machines are still mostly for the high-end of the market. These basically only require you to put the coffee beans in! They may also have many extra features, such as milk frothing or filter coffee making. However, some coffee fans believe the super-automatic espresso machines produce poor quality espresso

Prices for espresso machines range from below fifty dollars to over two thousand dollars. The most expensive are pump-controlled espresso machines, which are generally only used by coffee shops. If you are purchasing one of these, clearly it is vital to find a reputable provider with experience. Thanks to the Internet home espresso machines are becoming more easily available, even from non-specialist shopping websites.

The best advance the Internet has brought though is the increase in consumer reviews of espresso machines. This helps you to purchase based on the experience of others, rather than the sales materials provided by the manufacturer.

Once you have invested in the best espresso machine that suits your tastes, you will need to buy the best quality coffee beans. There is no point blaming the espresso machine if you have scrimped on this vital component! Espresso machine providers often offer their own range of coffee beans, which may be much wider than that available at your local supermarket.

An espresso machine is a perfect investment or gift for somebody really passionate about coffee. You should be willing, like the coffee shop connoisseurs, to put some time and effort into making the perfect cup. If you do this, and choose your espresso machine carefully, you could be well on your way to coffee heaven!

Choosing A Quality Cookware Set

The role of a good cook ware in the preparation of a sumptuous meal cannot be overemphasized. When one consider purchasing a good cookware the first point that comes to the mind is the budget. Buying a standard cookware within one's budget and at the same time obtaining all the pieces and features one has in mind is no simple task. If you belong to the category of people who take cooking a bit seriously you need spend some more time to look into the various aspects of a good cookware from the material from which it is made, to the number of pieces, features and the quality.

The first factor to be considered is the material in which the cookware is made. The first option is the stainless steel that is most popular, durable and convenient. It is also the most popular cookware material in North America being highly resistant against wear and tear and at the same time less expensive. It is also subject to criticism as the metals like iron, nickel, and chromium used in this alloy is said to create health hazards.

The other option for the home maker is the ceramic pottery, enamel or glass cookware. All these materials can be easily cleaned and are also heat resistant. The latest addition to this category is the plastic ware used for both cooking and storing. It has the advantage of being light weight, unbreakable and also being used in Micro wave ovens where other metals are not suitable. Cast iron cookware is normally pre coated with unsalted fat and heated to avoid rusting in the absence of porcelain coating.

The stainless cookware is to be washed in soapy water or warm ammonia with water solution. The cookware is to be rinsed and dried to obviate water spots in the cookware. Never one need use chlorine or alcohol instead only some mild cleaners. The copper cookware are to be cleaned by a commercial cleaner or a home made mixture of salt, flour citric acid, and ammonia if applied before washing would also serve the purpose. While copper cookware is highly expensive the stainless cookware with copper bottom is lesser costly. The copper bottom cookware does not spread the heat evenly and the bottom of the food gets heated faster and there are chances that the food at the bottom may get burned.

One need to buy a cookware that is less expensive, durable, and that distribute the heat evenly. Cooking pans with hot spots cooks at various speed at different spots and make cooking most unpleasant... The cookware made of cast iron, copper and aluminum may result in the food cooked to absorb the metal taste and sometimes even the metal content to get transferred to food. The fact remaining so, copper bowls are immensely useful in beating egg whites. Though aluminum is the least expensive it may cause reaction with certain type of food. If one chooses the Aluminum cookware the anodized is the best choice.

One need to remember that no cookware can be considered as the perfect and the most suitable for cooking on all occasions or for cooking of all types of foods. The ideal cookware depends on your budget, your cooking preferences and the food habits. However cookware made of stainless steel could be recommended as an ideal choice considering its price, economic life, easy cleaning, and less or no reaction with the food. No wonder it is also the most popular and sought after cookware in North America.

Aussie Chef Shares Culinary Secrets With Americans

What if a famous Australian chef came to your home and offered to make dinner?

That's the premise of a new television cooking show-but with a twist. Chef Curtis Stone is making his debut on American television, ambushing unsuspecting shoppers with an offer they simply can't refuse. Each episode in the series called "Take Home Chef," shown Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on TLC, begins with a covert Stone racing through a grocery store as he searches for the perfect culinary partner. Once he's found one he turns on the charm, offering to accompany the shopper home and prepare a gourmet meal using the items in his or her shopping cart-plus a few savory extras.

Once participants seem willing to go along with this culinary adventure, they take Stone home and work with him in their own kitchens or out at the grill to create a delicious dinner. And, as Australians are known for "throwing another one on the barbee," Chef Stone is likely to be sharing a lot of his grilling secrets from Down Under, while at the same time learning how to function in an average American kitchen.

Some of the grilling tips offered in "Take Home Chef" include:

• When cooking larger pieces of meat, like roasts, pile the coals on one side and place the food on the other. This allows for indirect cooking and reduces charring.

• Don't use charcoal lighter fluid or briquettes that have added starter fluid built into them. This will leave an unpleasant taste in the smoke.

• Rubs are one of the best things you can use to add flavor to your meat. They are combinations of spices that seal in the flavor of the meat, form a tasty crust, enhance color and pull moisture from the air while drawing juices from inside the meat, causing the meat to marinate itself as it cooks.

Chef Curtis Stone started his culinary career at The Savoy Hotel, in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia at the age of 18. The European and British chefs he knew there taught him the importance of working abroad to increase one's experience and skills. That's why, once he'd qualified as a chef, he set off for Europe to experience Italy, France and Spain before finally arriving in London.

There, he was eventually promoted to be head chef at the critically acclaimed Quo Vadis, a London institution since 1926.

So what's this new American TV show like for Chef Stone? "Cooking in someone else's home can be absolutely anything; it can be fabulous or a complete disaster," he says. "It's the fear of the unknown that makes it so exciting."

The Benefits (And Drawbacks) Of Buying Designer Kitchenware Products

If you are in the market for kitchenware, you may be considering making the purchase of designer kitchenware products. As you debate the purchase of designer kitchenware products, you may be wondering what are some of the pros and cons to making the purchase of these types of products in this day and age. As with so many things in the 21st century, there definitely are pros and cons to making the purchase of designer kitchenware products.

Of course, for many people, one of the downsides to making the purchase of designer software is the price. In many instances, these types of products can be rather pricy. Indeed, depending on what type of product that you are considering making the purchase of, when it comes to the designer brands, these items oftentimes can be budget busting propositions.

By shopping around -- including surfing around the Internet -- you can (on occasion) save at least a bit of money on designer kitchenware products. Many people in this day and age have found themselves living on very restrictive budgets. Thus, if you want to attempt to save a bit of money on designer kitchenware products, you will want to spend the time shopping around. Again, keep in mind that deals that might be available in regard to designer kitchenware are to be found both in cyberspace and in the brick and mortar world. You will not want to limit your shopping to only one of these two important shopping venues.

Even considering the price issue, there are many benefits to be had by purchasing designer kitchenware. The greatest benefit to be had through the purchase of designer kitchenware is the fact that you will be able to stylish kitchenware products in your own home. Because the kitchen really is the room that most people spend a great amount of their time, it is important for many people to have attractive and appealing kitchenware included in their overall kitchen décor. If you are such a person, you definitely will want to take a close look at the purchase of designer kitchenware.

Finally, one of the benefits of designer kitchenware is the fact that these products usually are of high quality. While you will end up spending a bit more for designer software at the outset, because these are well built products as a rule, they will be around for a long period of time.

An Ideal Way To Taste Lots Of Wines

There is no better way to get to know a variety of wine than going to a wine tasting. It is a unique opportunity to taste wines, have an expert guide you through the tasting, give them points according to your own tastes, and then, by the end of the evening, have a great idea of the type of wine that is your favourite.

When you are at a wine tasting, you taste the wine with a group of people, sometimes familiar people, sometimes strangers, making it a great opportunity to get ideas from others. Other people will have tried different bottles of wine to you previously and will be happy to share their views on which wine goes with which type of food and how to keep wine at its best once the bottle has been opened.

Wine tastings happen regularly across the country and beyond. They are usually held in interesting locations in city centres, such as art galleries, museums, or other heritage buildings. They often have producers of wine in attendance as well as experts, to guide you through the evening and offer advice if needed.

In addition to wine on offer, canapés or hors d'oevres are often served as well, making for a great night out, discovering new tastes and hopefully finding a new wine to fall in love with.

Not only are wine tastings a great way to get to know a new wine, it is also a fantastic way to meet fellow wine lovers and who knows, by the end evening, you could have made a new friend or two.

Most wine tastings only last for a couple of hours – any longer and you would have forgotten the first wine that you have tried. It is a good idea to make sure you don't drink too much too quickly, as you will be mixing different types of wine, and you don't want to end up buying something you didn't really like, or having a splitting headache in the morning.

Wine tastings are held all over the country, from Bristol to Durham, at Lancaster to Salisbury.

There is bound to be one close to you. In addition to wine tastings, some companies hold wine dinners, where you get to taste wine in conjunction with indulging in a great meal.

Wine tastings come in a couple of different formats. There is a more formal, intimate set-up, which could feature fine wines and more information on a smaller number of wines. There is also the less formal setting where you walk around tasting a larger variety of wines, but this lacks the intimacy and the expertise of the more formal gathering.

If you are interested in wine tastings, why not check out an independent online retailer where you will find more information on this service.

Coffee Five Ways!

Coffee has five primary ways of being brewed. Each method has brewing variables - introduction of water, brewing temperature, and separating the brewed liquor from the coffee grounds. These five methods are called Turkish brewing, concentrate brewing, percolating, drip brewing, and French Press brewing.

"Turkish" or "Greek" Coffee

Turkish coffee or kahve is the traditional name is made in small containers directly on the flame with water and finely ground kahve comes to a boil. Often times it is brewed up with sugar already introduced. In some traditions they will pour off a little into each cup and then bring it to a second boil, pouring the rest off into each cup insuring an even distribution of grounds. In some regions they serve the kahve with added spice which is usually cardamom. The coffee is not filtered from the liquor which leaves a thick pungent and muddy brew. The mud settles to the bottom of the tiny demitasse cups the coffee is served in. In many countries they read the coffee mud after you have drank your coffee and tell you your future.

Concentrate Brewing

Concentrate brewing is very popular in Latin America and other parts of the world. It is beginning to make a come back in the U.S.. Concentrate brewing takes large amounts of coffee that is brewed with small amounts of water to brew a concentrate. To make a cup of coffee you mix some of the concentrate with hot water. The concentrate is brewed either hot or cold. When it is brewed cold you must let the coffee sit for at least a day. This method creates a mild light-bodied coffee with little aroma and a little acidity with a muted flavor.

Percolating

This procedure involves a continuous brewing of the coffee grounds using boiling water which then turns to boiling coffee liquor brewing over the grounds. This method is practical but is an insult to the coffee bean. Brewing with boiling water is bad enough, then boiling the liquor is asking for a thin, bitter and tarry coffee.<


Though this produces an awful cup of coffee many people still prefer percolation. If its for you then more power to you!

Auto drip

This is the most popular way to brew coffee in the U.S.A. Pouring hot water over grounds in a filter and letting the brew drip out the bottom, simple. Drip brewing can produce an excellent cup of coffee if the proper equipment is used. One of the biggest issues with auto drip machines is they don't brew at the right temperature. Bunn is one of the few companies which calibrate their machines to the proper temperature. If you have a good auto drip brewing machine then the next hurdle to tackle is the filter. Paper filters can deposit a flavor in the coffee and also do not allow a lot of the coffee oils and organic compounds through. A gold-plated reusable filter is the perfect option for drip brewing. It will not deposit a taste in the coffee and doesn't trap as much of the coffee's essence as paper filters do.

French Press or Press Pot

French Pres brewing gives you complete control. It is more labor intensive than auto drip the brewing variables can be better controlled. Coarsely ground coffee is placed in a glass carafe. The hot water is then poured over the grounds. When the brewing is complete the top is placed on and a plunger that consists of a metal mesh plate is pressed down pushing the grounds to the bottom. The coffee liquor is on top ready to be poured off. The mesh filter allows the oils and fine coffee particles through without a problem. Also because a coarser grind is required a longer brewing time is required. A general rule of thumb is four minutes for a French press. This direct contact of the grounds to water allows a more complete, controllable, and even extraction. Even with the coarse grind though a coarse grind will still produce some fine particles. A cup of French-pressed coffee will be fuller, more body, and more flavor. It will also have sediment on the bottom of the cup.

How To Cook A Tender Juicy Steak

You invest a lot of time and money into the steaks for a special occasion and when dinner time comes, they are tough. What happened? How can you cook steaks as tender as your favorite restaurant?

The first step to cooking a good steak is to choose the right grade of steak. The top quality beef is graded USDA Prime and commands top prices. USDA Prime grade meats are sold to the restaurant industry and specialty markets and are not as likely to be found at your local grocery chain. The next grade of beef is USDA Choice. USDA Choice is tender, flavorful and only slightly lower in quality than USDA Prime. The meat is well marbled with fat and will be tender and juicy when properly prepared. USDA Choice makes up about 70% of all graded beef and is readily available in your supermarket. USDA Good graded beef is an acceptable grade of beef that has only minimal marbling of fat. It is leaner, but may not be as tender as USDA Prime or Choice.

Next, look at the color and texture of the meat. A good steak should be firm to the touch, moist, and bright in color. It should be well marbled with thin streaks of white fat throughout and a thin crust of steak on the outside. In our fat conscious society, we tend to look for lean cuts of meat, but the thin streaks of white fat marbled throughout the meat are the key to a tender juicy steak.

The most tender and juicy steaks come from the sirloin, the short loin, and the rib. These steaks include the sirloin steaks, porterhouse steaks, t-bone steaks, rib steaks, delmonico steaks, and the filet mignons. Steaks containing bone will weigh more than those without, but the bone adds flavor to the steak.

Aging is a desirable process that intensifies the flavors and makes the meat more tender. Aged steaks are more expensive and usually only found in high end supermarkets and specialty markets. An aged steak is recognizable by its darker color.

Once you have purchased your steak, you can further increase the tenderness and juiciness by marinating it. Try a marinade made of ½ cup each good wine and olive oil mixed 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice or herb vinegar. Add any seasonings that you like such as garlic, freshly ground pepper, onion, or herbs. Place the steak in a ziplock bag, pour in enough marinade to just cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Marinating a steak like this will add flavor and tenderness. If you routinely store steak in the freezer before cooking, try pouring the marinade over the steak before freezing. The steak will marinate when thawing and be ready to cook.<




There are meat tenderizers available to sprinkle onto your steak, and they certainly do tenderize the meat; however, meat tenderizers can sometimes over tenderize the meat, changing the texture of the meat into mush. If you should choose to go this route, do it carefully.

When ready to cook, slash through the outside fat layer on the steak in a few places to prevent curling, but do not cut into the meat. The more tender steak cuts can be broiled, grilled, or pan fried. Less tender cuts should be pan fried or slow braised. Steak should never be cooked in liquid. When pan broiling, use a very heavy skillet such as an iron skillet or griddle and heat the pan before adding the meat. The heavy metal will hold the heat for proper heat distribution and not cool down when the steak is added. A hot pan will quickly sear the outside, trapping the moisture inside.

When cooking, try to turn the steak only once. Cook the meat until browned on one side and half done, then turn and finish the other side. Turning too often will stew the meat rather than searing it and produce a less juicy steak. When the steak is done, remove from the pan and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

While the meat rests you can make a sauce with the pan drippings if desired. Use your favorite sauce, or fry mushrooms and onions in the pan. When nearly done, add a tablespoon each of butter and flour and cook until lightly browned. Add a splash of wine and loosen any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook until thick, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve over the steak. Enjoy!

Ready, Set, Grill

Today's backyard chefs are exploring all that backyard cooking and patio cuisine have to offer, grilling breakfast, lunch and dinner outdoors. They are using new and improved grills, new grilling tools and new techniques, all designed to keep up with this lifestyle shift outdoors.

If you're in the market for a new grill, consider how often you will use it, storage space and fuel type.

A portable charcoal grill may be the best choice for someone who will tailgate or occasionally barbecue at the beach or the park. Someone who plans to grill on the patio several times a week may need an easy-to-use propane or natural gas grill with temperature control. Electric grills are the right choice if you don't want to use gas or charcoal or your living requirements won't allow such a grill.

The availability of storage space is another consideration. A well-ventilated space and a grill cover are needed to store a grill outside. Grills can also be kept indoors if they are disconnected and the gas cylinder valve is plugged before storing the gas container outside. Never store the gas container in your house.

When buying the grill, consider the cooking surface, cooking system, burners and accessories. Porcelain is common and inexpensive; however, cast iron has better heat distribution and temperature control. Higher BTUs mean higher temperatures; lower BTUs mean better temperature control.

Burners, including rotisserie and back burners, allow for versatility in the amount, preparation and kinds of foods cooked.

Once you choose your grill, you may want to learn some grill safety skills:

• Never light any grill indoors, and place the grill at least 10 feet away from any structure.

• Children should be kept away from a grill that is in use or cooling down.

• For gas grills, always check the tubes, connectors and hoses for any sign of blockage, cracking, holes and leaks, and cover gas hoses to protect yourself from hot surfaces or dripping grease.

• For charcoal grills, never light or burn charcoal indoors-carbon monoxide buildup can be deadly-and never pour lighter fluid on charcoal that is already lit. Finally, never leave any grill unattended when lit.

The Home Depot offers a wide variety of gas and charcoal grills and "Grilling 1-2-3," a do-it-yourself book with tool selection tips, helpful techniques and step-by-step recipes for a safe and successful outdoor cooking experience.

Baking Flexibility

Everywhere you look, there is a lot of emphasis on cutting the fat out of our daily diets, but who wants to cut out the fat if it means cutting out the flavor? When it comes to baking, there is a way to cut down on your fat intake without changing the ingredients in your favorite recipes. If you switch to nonstick silicone bakeware, you can cut down on your fat intake with minimal effort. Because the bakeware is nonstick, you never have to use butter, shortening, or grease on your pans or sheets to ensure easy food removal.

The first silicone items made exclusively for baking were small silicone mats that fit nicely on your cookie sheet and allowed you to bake cookies with out greasing the cookie sheet or worrying about the bottoms getting burned. These little mats were a huge success and stores were hard pressed to keep them in stock.

As the popularity of these mats grew, manufacturers decide to explore the idea of making more bakeware from silicone. They began making spoons, spatulas, and whisks that could withstand high heats and could be used with nonstick cookware with no fear of ruining the coating. Silicone utensils were the perfect choice for candy making or any other project that required a boiling and sticky liquid to be stirred.

Kitchen supply manufacturers also introduced silicone potholders and oven gloves. Because they can withstand heats up to 500 degrees, they are the perfect insurance that you won't get burned when you pull a hot dish from your oven. They don't conduct heat the way that a cloth potholder does and they are much sturdier and easy to keep clean than traditional potholders. Home canners fell in love with silicone baker's mitts because they could actually reach into a pot of boiling water to remove a hot jar of food once it was done processing. As an added bonus these durable potholders do double duty as lid grippers making opening jars a snap.

Once silicone hit kitchens in the form of baking mats, utensils, and pot holders, kitchen experts began to see the potential of this material in everyday baking. Suddenly almost any type of bakeware that could traditionally be found in stainless steel, aluminum, glass, or stoneware was being offered in brightly colored silicone. Stores began selling muffin tins, bread loaf pans, cake pans, and pie pans. The most popular pieces tend to be the specialty designed cake pans that allow you to make cakes shaped like everything from roses to pumpkins. They even have mini cake pans that make individual, fancy shaped cakes.<




The popularity of silicone bakeware skyrocketed as cooks began to see the benefits of using this material in their kitchens. Foods pop out of silicone pans with amazing ease. You never need to grease, flour, or even use cooking spray on a silicone pan and that adds up to lots of calories and fat grams saved with each meal. Because silicone is very flexible, it is easy to bend and twist it so that cakes and breads pop out easily. You never have to force baked goods out of the pan, so they retain there shape and you don't see a lot of split and broken cakes.

Silicone is a bakers dream when it comes to making evenly cooked delicacies. The material distributes heat evenly, so you never end up with a cake that is burned around the edges and still not cooked in the middle. It also cools down quickly ensuring that you foods will not continue cooking and possibly drying out once you remove them from the oven.

Because silicone is nonstick, cleanup is a breeze. A little soap and water and any crumb left on your bakeware disappears. It is nonporous, so it never retains any odors from the foods you cook. Completely versatile it goes from oven to table to freezer and can even be thrown in the dishwasher. Once you are done cleaning it, storage is a snap. With its flexibility, you can twist it, bend it, fold it or mash it up so it can fit in the smallest of drawers or cupboards.

If you haven't tried silicone bakeware, add a piece or two to your kitchen. You will be surprised at its quality and flexibility.