Cricketscoffee Blog

 How hot is too hot for that great cup of coffee?    The brewing temperature of the water used is very important. It should be between 195 F (91 C) and 205 F (96 C).  205 F (96 C) is considered best. Boiling water (212 F - 100 C) should never be used, as it will burn the coffee. Keep in mind your altitude as it will have a large effect on when your water will boil. The 212 F is the boiling point at sea level. The higher your altitude the lower the temperature needed to boil water and burn your coffee.    Water that is less than 195 F (91 C) will not extract properly. Keep in mind that if frozen beans have been ground, the aggregate will drop the temperature of the water upon contact. In this instance the temperature of the water being added to the aggregate should be right at 205 F (96 C).

  We love red wine for many reasons. We love it for its deep, rich, earthy notes, for its air of sophistication, and, because the last decade of red wine research has a terrible confirmation bias on its hands, for its supposed health benefits. Each year, a handful of studies say red wine is good for heart health.  Chocolate has a similar status as red wine, according to the Mayo Clinic. There could be some heart benefits, such as lower blood pressure, but any consumption should be in moderation. If you want to add chocolate, make it cocoa or dark chocolate. Chocolate could boost memory, but that study has many of the same drawbacks as the red wine research.   Research suggesting that there may be some potential health benefits to coffee is growing. One recent study found that those who sipped several cups every day had a decreased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Another, published in the journal Heart, found that consuming three to five cups a day was associat...

  One years of used K cups will more than circle the Earth is the big coffee buzz. Okay so what's the problem. This could be said of countless items we use everyday.  The world uses disposable packaging by the countless millions of pounds. With the vast majority disposed of in a proper way.  The most pressing problem with K cups is the cost, not the used K cup that goes into the trash. A cup of coffee from a K cup can be four times the cost of other methods of brewing your morning coffee.  Is a K cup easy to use and  faster? Yes. Faster and easy cost money it's a way of life.  So don't let those used K cups keep you up all night. If the environment is that big of a concern for you then buy an electric car and keep your Kreurig. .

Consuming four cups of coffee a day linked to reduced risk of MS   The good health news on coffee just keeps coming.  A Swedish study say's that people who did not drink coffee in the year prior to MS symptoms were about 1.5 times more likely to develop MS, compared with those who consumed six or more cups of coffee each day.  The researchers also identified a protective effect against MS among people who consumed large amounts of coffee at 5 and 10 years prior to onset of symptoms.  In a US study, the team also found that people who did not drink coffee in the year prior to symptom onset were approximately 1.5 times more likely to develop MS, compared with those who consumed at least four cups of coffee a day.   The team says the protective effect of coffee consumption against MS may be down to the main ingredient of the beverage - caffeine.

A chemical long known to cause rapid, severe lung damage remains unregulated by federal labor officials, according to a recent report. The report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel concerns diacetyl, which is used in its liquid form to flavor an array of food products, including as candy, chips and popcorn. It has been cleared to eat in trace amounts by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and occurs naturally during production of butter, beer and coffee. Inhaling diacetyl, however, causes severe damage to bronchioles in the lungs and results in additional scar tissue, an irreversible condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans. It has led to a handful of worker deaths and hundreds of injuries. The report said connections between diacetyl and lung disease dated to the mid-1980s, while officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had established the relationship between the two since the early 2000s.  A Journal Sentinel report chronicled workers at a Texas co...

  Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S., according to researchers at the University of Scranton.   Joe Vinson, Ph.D., lead author of the study, said that "Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close." The authors of the study emphasize moderation, stating that only one or two cups a day appear to be beneficial. Coffee may help prevent Parkinson's disease  Researchers in the U.S. carried out a study that assessed the link between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease risk. The authors of the study concluded that "higher coffee and caffeine intake is associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson's disease". In addition, caffeine in coffee may help control movement in people suffering from Parkinson's, according to a study conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC). Coffee may be good for the hea...

 Imperial Tobacco, the world's third largest cigarette manufacturer owns the world's best-selling e-cigarette brand, Blu, acquired from Lorillard in July. Although e-cigarettes are growing in popularity, sales are still dwarfed by regular cigarettes. According to Euromonitor, global e-cigarette sales were only $3 billion compared to over $700 billion for cigarettes.   A new brand, which is also available online in the U.K., is being promoted with the line, "Reon. Bring it on," and is aimed at professionals aged 25-to-45. A pack of eight strips costs $4, with each stick containing 20mg of caffeine, or roughly a third of the amount in a shot of espresso. The sticks, which are sugar-free and contain only one calorie each, dissolve on the tongue to give an instant energy hit.  As of yet Cricketscoffeeblog has yet to find an e-cigarette with caffeine flavor. Well keep you updated if we come across one.

Ingredients Nutrition Servings 1 Units US 4 ounces coffee mocha ice cream. 6 ounces hot coffee 2 tablespoons butterscotch topping 2 teaspoons almond liqueur whipped topping 1 tablespoon toffee pieces or 1 tablespoon chopped chocolate-covered english toffee bar Directions Spoon ice cream into a large coffee mug;pour coffee, butterscotch topping and almond liqueur over ice cream. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of toffee chips.

Ingredients; 4 cups strong brewed Kona coffee 1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons 1/2 cup Irish whiskey, plus 2 tablespoons 1 cup whipping cream Instructions; Place coffee in a saucepan with 1/4 cup of sugar. Add 1/2 cup Irish whiskey and heat thoroughly but do not boil. Beat 1 cup whipping cream with a mixer until light. Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey. Pour coffee into mugs and spoon flavored cream on top.

The Hario Skerton is a ceramic burr mill that's hand operated, portable, and affordable. It'll set you back about $28.00 It holds plenty of coffee for your morning brew (about 100g at a time, so if you're making a lot it may take a couple of grinding sessions), offers a nice, consistent grind and a comfortable grip while you're using it, and it's easy to clean out when you're finished. It's lightweight, and even if you don't use it with the included coffee container, it fits a standard mason jar, so you can attach it to one of those and grind to your heart's content. The bottom is rubberized so it doesn't slide around your countertops while you grind, either.  

  Ingredients 1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk, chilled 2 tablespoons Folgers Classic Roast ® Instant Coffee Crystals 1 (14 oz.) can Magnolia ® Sweetened Condensed Milk , chilled Ice cubes Directions COMBINE coconut milk and coffee crystals in blender container until coffee is dissolved. Add sweetened condensed milk. PROCESS 2 minutes or until blended. Pour over ice in glasses.

Is it just me or is the price of a iced coffee at a coffee shop seem a little high?  Well the buzz is that not only with the up tick in bean prices partly to blame but it's the ice, the special cup, the amount of coffee used in iced coffee. Cry me a river! A typical 16 oz iced coffee is over $2.75 in my location. If you cant turn a profit at that price on something that is over 90% water. Your overhead is out of control. Oh! it takes a lot of ice they say and ice is expensive to make or buy.  The cup is not a typical paper cup and is more expensive.  It takes almost twice as much coffee to make iced coffee. Bean prices are going up. Sounds like big oil talking to me. Or perhaps big coffee.  

            Ingredients 1/2 cup chocolate soy milk or low fat chocolate milk, chilled 1 teaspoon Folgers Classic Roast ® Instant Coffee Crystals 1 (4 oz.) container whipped chocolate yogurt 1/3 cup chocolate whey protein powdered drink mix 2 tablespoons Smucker's ® Natural Creamy Peanut Butter , stirred Ice cubes Cinnamon, for garnish Directions COMBINE soy milk and coffee crystals in blender container u...

Ingredients 3/4 cup hot brewed Folger's coffee 2 tablespoons Jif® Mocha Cappuccino Flavored Hazelnut Spread Or 2 tablespoons Jif® Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread Whipped cream Ground cinnamon, for garnish Directions 1. FILL coffee mug with hot coffee. Stir in mocha cappuccino spread mixing until blended. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired

     Last year Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano to the International Space Station. His main complaint was the lack of decent espresso. Seeing a new market, Italian espresso manufacturer Lavazza said it had partnered with Argotec, an Italian aerospace engineering company, to create a space worthy espresso machine for the International Space Station.     Called the “ISSpresso,” the new machine uses a capsule system to make espresso, caffè lungo, coffee, and other hot beverages. The company says the space coffee machine weighs 44 pounds and works under extreme conditions. It even works upside-down.     Lavazza says it expects the ISSpresso to be ready to go into orbit in November, when the Italian Space Agency sends its second long-term mission to the space station.  But with the recent drought and rust problem will the space station be able to afford the coffee? tags; space station, nasa, decaf, moca...