Coffee pot nepal

A cup of espresso coffee

Espresso is short and strong. If you are new to it, it may not be, er, your cup of tea. But espresso coffee is the base for making other drinks like Americano, Macchiato, Capuccino and Latte.

Americano

Most simple is turning a strong, short coffee into a weaker, taller cup by just adding boiling water.

http://www.ehow.com/how_962_make-caffe-americano.html

Macchiato

The name Macchiato refers to coffee being ‘marked’ by a little milk. So still strong and short but a little bit softer due to the addition of hot milk. Find instructions on how to make a macchiato here.

For cappuccion and latte you need to froth milk. Normally this is done by passing steam through cold milk creating millions of tiny bubbles in the milk giving it a velvety texture. Without a good espresso machine, this is hard to do. However, it is not impossible.

Cappuccino and latte

Frothing milk: Jar and shake

One first way is to introduce air bubbles into the milk by shaking it damn hard! Try it yourself. Here are some instructions: http://www.ehow.com/how_4750814_steam-milk-espresso-machine.html

Frothing milk: use a french press

Maybe you have a french press at home. This also lends itself well to making frothy milk. More instructions here: http://www.ehow.com/how_2149949_froth-french-press.html

Making cappuccino and latte

There is a line between latte and cappucino. I have heard people in cafés here describe a real cappuccino as a ‘dry’ cappucino, which I guess just means a latte. Simply put – espresso with added warmed milk is a latte, and with added foamed milk is a cappucino. Feel free to argue about this below in the comments section!

A packet of Annapurna Organic Coffee

Another one I have not tried…

Any feedback on this coffee? Please add below.

It’s Royal Everest Coffee! Perhaps this is aimed at those people nostalgic for when the country was ruled by a super-wealthy, rotund gent and his super-wealthy, rotund family.

Any thoughts on the taste of this one?

Don’t have a picture of this one. Café Olla is opposite mandala Book Point on Kathipath (see map on http://www.lukeko.com/posts/716 ). They grow their own coffee in Gumdi somewhere in Lalitpur. The beans are roasted freshly upstairs on the premises. If you buy some coffee from them, they will grind it there in front of you. So at least you know it is super fresh. And it is pretty powerful – the smell is fantastic. Its 100% arabica and perhaps a little strong for some. Was very good in this morning’s latte though.

Jalpa Gold (Fine espresso / cappuccino blend)

I have bought a packet of this stuff a few days ago. Have yet to try. Will report back soon. Your opinion please?

We’ve been on the web here looking for tips and tricks about making good coffee. If you are not into reading, this short and exciting video shows how to use one of these things to get nice coffee in your cup.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Make-Espresso-with-a-Moka-Pot

Some people recommend the following:

• Turn the gas heat right down (or off) when the coffee first starts to come through). When the water is already boiling inside, it needs less heat to finish the job.
• When 2/3s of the coffee is through, take the coffee pot off of the heat and serve immediately – this is the best part of the espresso. If you wait until it is full and are serving in more than one cup, stir briefly with a spoon before serving. This mixes the weakest last part in with the strongest first part.

Some more (paraphrased) wise words on storing and using coffee:

• …coffee (especially when pre-ground) is highly perishable and will maintain its optimal flavour and taste for just a few days at best [though tightly sealing and storing in the fridge help a lot]
• Whole beans will be OK for 10 to 15 days if you store them in a cool place, away from light and moisture. Pre-ground may last 3 to 7 days max under the same conditions, as more of the surface comes into contact with air. …you can safely store it in the refrigerator to slow the ageing process further.
• Best to buy the correct pre-ground rather than try grinding at home unless you have a good grinder. Most simple grinders can’t grind fine enough. That said, if you have freshly, freshly roasted beans, then this will be better than some old pre-ground coffee
• Freshly roasted coffee should smell as such when you open the bag. Trust your nose, not what the manufactures say!

There’s much more art required to get espresso right using a moka than there is in using an idiot-proof espresso machine, but that only makes a successful end-result more enjoyable!

Says someone on this site. To summarise their tips:

• For very best results, freshly grind your coffee beans just before making espresso if possible – whatever method you’re using. The oils that give coffee its complex flavours deteriorate rapidly in contact with air, and are best kept locked inside the beans until just before coffee-making. Invest in a little bean-grinder if you can. Otherwise, keep ground coffee well-sealed until use.

Actually go to the site and read the article, it’s good … See here:

http://www.helium.com/items/986602-tips-for-making-espresso-in-a-moka-pot