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I'm pleased to say that the coffee and espresso Holiday Gift Guide is back! This is the first year in some time that I've had this feature. We've got gift suggestions for every price range for the coffee lover in your life.
Side note: I've gotten a lot of e-mail lately from readers. I try to respond to every single mail as soon as I can. I apologize if your message slipped through the cracks (it happens) so if you don't get a response within the week, contact me again. I'll respond to every message (even if it's to say "I don't know.")
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No my dear readers, I have not forgotten about you. I've just been... busy. But now the site has finally had some updates in the form of fixing some broken links. Plus I've added this little news post you're reading, but you know that already!
I'm still doing my best to answer the mail I've been getting. I get anywhere from two to ten e-mails a week. If I can't answer your question directly, I'll always do my best to redirect you to where you could find the information.
I may add some new content in the near future. However, don't get your hopes up about a home coffee roasting page. I've moved into an apartment that makes roasting nearly impossible due to the smoke and the smell. Too bad! If I find a place where I can do some roasting again I will definintely get that article up.
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If you like espresso drinks but aren't sure exactly what's in them, check out this blog post by Lokesh Dhakar for an illustrated guide.
The page also contains pronunciations.
Link
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What do you get when you combine espresso and Hooters? The "sexpresso" craze is taking over the American Northwest, according to this article.
As one customer puts it, "If I'm going to pay $4 for a cup of coffee, I'm not going to get served by a guy."
Link to Seatle Times article
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The Aeropress is a new and extremely cheap way of making espresso. It's from the folks who brought you the Aerobie flying disk and I'd like to get my hands on one and try it out.
My guess is these sorts of little gadgets won't be replacing full-size espresso machines anytime soon, but if I were going camping I'd totally get an Aeropress.
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On March 15th from 10am to noon you can get a free cup of coffee from any Starbucks in the US. FREE. For the asking.
Good coffee comes from good beans and careful technique. Starbucks offers the exact opposite. So go get your free coffee -- it's the perfect chance to experience what coffee SHOULDN'T taste like.
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Want to know how caffeine keeps you awake? Marshall Brain of HowStuffWorks put up a short film on Google Video explaining how caffeine works in your brain.
Link to video (requires Flash)
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Espresso machines can take up valuable counter space in a cramped kitchen. Fortunately you can now buy an espresso machine that fits into the wall from Zanussi.
However, the product page offers virtually no details -- a bad sign. If this was intended for serious espresso drinkers they should offer basic specs (such as the boiler type and material and what kind of device controls the temperature.)
But according to Gizmodo the price is $775 (USD), so it had better make some good espresso!
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A recent NY Times article discuses the importance of a good coffee grinder (registration required.) And it's true -- you won't get good espresso without a good grinder.
At this point I couldn't tell you how many grinders I've been through. Most of them were terrible. But when I first got a Rocky Rancillio grinder, I was amazed at how much better my espresso tasted. With a better grinder, I was finally able to adjust the grind to level of perfection that otherwise would have been impossible.
Sound crazy? It's not. Cheaper grinders hide -- and in some cases destroy -- the flavor of the coffee. In addition, semi-commercial and commercial grinders let you set the grind to perfectly match your espresso machine's needs.
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I'm mixin' it up around here. Don't worry, your favorite pages are still on the site, but they may have moved, or even changed names. I'm trying to make the site extra friendly for people who haven't been here yet.
And speaking of which, there's a brand new guide to getting started making espresso. I've tried to make it a better place to start than the old guide, which was understandably too schizophrenic for most folks.
Also brand new is the tamper FAQ, which answers some common questions about tamping.
As always, please send any suggestions to me.
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