The secret of a great espressoLast week I promised to tell you the secrets of making good espresso...well here they are!
- You really must use freshly ground coffee
- You need a machine that creates sufficient pressure to extract the right flavours from the beans not the wrong ones (min 12bar)
- You should ideally use freshly roasted coffee beans (if you buy pre ground coffee from the supermarket then the first use will be ok; subsequent cups will show a marked deterioration. Coffee becomes stale very quickly and I mean hours not days or weeks)
You can read my full espresso guide
here
Free coffee grinder offer from Cuisinart
Cuisinart is an American company whom I bracket in the same class as Magimix or Kitchenaid.
They have recently produced a very good espresso machine with plenty of pressure (15 bars) and have now brought out a proper burr grinder to mill your coffee freshly with. I say "proper" because it works like a giant electric pepper mill that grinds the beans properly and helps extract the right flavours.
This new coffee mill retails for £59.95 and, believe it or not, they are giving one away (between now and end of November 2009) when you buy one of their new EM200U espresso makers (£179.95)
Features:
- 15 bar pump to produce perfect crema, aroma and flavour extraction
- Easy to use: Programmable pre set buttons for your favourite cup size and strength
- Cappuccino frother built in and comes with a stainless steel jug to make it in
- Suitable for any brand of coffee and E.S.E. pods as well
- Large 2 litre water tank for uninterrupted coffee brewing
- Trigger on the coffee holder makes knocking out the used grounds a doddle!
- I love the blue backlit buttons, reminds me of my brothers Audi!
If you're after a top class espresso maker for your favourite coffee then do the job properly and grind your coffee freshly every time and you will taste the difference it makes to the flavour.
No risk guarantee
In our usual no risk way, if you're disappointed in my recommendation on this or any other product you've ever bought from us, we will always take it back from you and refund you.
Exciting opportunity in Cobham
On another subject entirely I'm delighted to say we are looking for someone to work part time - 2 or 3 full days a week and to include most Saturdays - in our shop in Cobham. So if you're considering a job change, or even if you hadn't been for that matter, why not mix your passion for cooking with a job that will give you great satisfaction and a host of other benefits as well? You can
reply to this email or ring either me (01737 222996), Babette (01737 242302) or Philip Holt (01932 865508), our Cobham shop manager.
Next Week
Next week I'll be telling you about the brilliant new ranges of cake decorating accessories that we now have in store.
Kind regards
Andrew
