Relief for the Latte Factor

You may have heard of the “Latte Factor”, a term made famous by best selling author David Bach. The thought behind the Latte Factor is that each day a person spends a small amount of money on a cup of coffee or latte. While the money spent on this small indulgence does not seem like much at the time, over several weeks or months this miniscule expenditure can turn into a large expense. Some gourmet coffee stores charge nearly two dollars per 20 ounce cup of coffee. Making that purchase just five days a week can add up to $40 per month and $480 per year. And if your spouse or partner has the same coffee habit, you could be spending nearly $1000 a year on coffee outside of the home. 
 
In tough economic times it becomes important to cut corners and save every penny possible. Treats like a daily stop at the neighborhood café are among the first expenses to land on the chopping block. Yet if you switch to making gourmet coffee for yourself at home, you can enjoy your daily “treat” and still save money.
The biggest drawback most people imagine when switching to home-brewed coffee is a loss of convenience. Having to set up and clean a coffee pot can be a hassle that only adds stress to an already hectic daily routine. But it doesn’t have to be that way! With today’s most modern coffee makers (a Keurig coffee maker, for instance, can brew a single cup of coffee at a time with virtually no set up or clean up), and a few other ideas to help you save money on coffee, you can cheaply and easily keep or add gourmet coffee as part of your daily routine. 
 
Find a coffee maker that works for you
With the wide variety of coffee makers available in today’s marketplace – from traditional 12-cup drip coffee makers to single cup brewing machines, there really is something available for everyone. Is time an issue? Single-cup coffee makers, which use individually packaged coffee pods, can brew a cup of coffee in less than a minute. Many drip coffee makers now include clocks that will start the brewing process while you are still snoring through your last few minutes of sleep.
While you can peruse weekly store circulars and visit stores to find the machine that is right for you, many prefer the convenience of shopping online. In addition to being able to compare the various features of each machine side-by-side, you can also read reviews from other customers, and search around for the best price. Concerned about paying extra shipping charges? Many sites offer free shipping or special discounts for loyal shoppers. 


Keep your coffee fresh so you waste less 

While purchasing a coffee maker that uses individual pods to brew single servings is a great way to get the freshest gourmet coffee at home, there are other alternatives that can help you keep your coffee tasting great, right down to the last bean. Contrary to what you may have heard, storing your coffee in the refrigerator or freezer does not help keep your coffee fresher over time. The refrigerator can expose your coffee to excess moisture and the freezer will only make your coffee very, very cold. The best solution is to store your ground coffee or coffee beans in a container that keeps as much air and light out as possible.
Another idea that will help keep your coffee fresh is to invest in a bean grinder. If you grind just the beans you need each day, you will be able to keep the coffee fresher than you would if you purchased pre-ground coffee. Again, air exposure is a critical factor. The less your coffee is exposed to air, the longer it will remain fresh.
Before you start brewing, there are two things to consider that will keep you from wasting extra coffee. First, estimate how much you and your family will actually be able to drink. Brew only what you will drink in one sitting. Once the coffee has finished brewing, pour everyone a cup and immediately transfer the remaining coffee from the pot to an insulated carafe. The carafe will keep the coffee hot and fresh over the next several hours. Sometimes, when you leave the brewed coffee in the pot for an extended period of time, the coffee can acquire a “burnt” taste that will make drinking it less enjoyable. You can also side-step this issue entirely by brewing single servings using a one-cup coffee maker. DeLonghi, Nespresso, and Saeco make good coffee machines.

No time to brew at home? Downsize!
You might not always have time to brew fresh coffee at home, but that does not mean you have to forego coffee altogether. To save money during the recession and beyond, consider ordering your coffee in a smaller cup. Over time, you will be able to save a significant amount of money by downsizing from a large to a medium coffee or from a medium to a small coffee.
You should also consider investigating alternative coffee shops. While you may have fallen into the routine of visiting a particular café, others in your area may offer great tasting coffee at a lower price point. Some shops may offer special discounts to frequent coffee drinkers. You can also try switching to an every-other-day routine. By brewing coffee at home or drinking free coffee at your office every other day of the week, you will ultimately save money.
As you can see, enjoying gourmet coffee has the potential to be both convenient and cost-effective – in addition to being delicious. By making some sensible changes to your gourmet coffee routine, you can easily save money without having to sacrifice your daily coffee fix.

Coffee & Espresso Fun Facts

Coffee enthusiasts everywhere argue about the finer points of their favorite brew. But we can all agree, coffee is great. Following are some fun facts about coffee that will make you laugh as well as make you smarter!

-"Cowboy coffee"? It was said they made their coffee by putting ground coffee into a clean sock and immerse it in cold water and heated over campfire. When ready, they would pour the coffee into tin cups and drink it.

-Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances. Athletes who test positive for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine may be banned from the Olympic Games. This level may be reached after drinking about 5 cups of coffee. Ouch! Any coffee athletics out there?

-The word "coffee" was at one time a term for wine, but was later used to describe a black drink made from berries of the coffee tree. This black drink replaced wine in many religious ceremonies because it kept the Mohammedans awake and alert during their nightly prayers, so they honored it with the name they had originally given to wine.

-The word 'cappuccino' is the result of several derivations, the original of which began in 16th century. The Capuchin order of friars, established after 1525, played an important role in bringing Catholicism back to Reformation Europe. Its Italian name came from the long, pointed cowl, or cappuccino, derived from cappuccio, "hood," that was worn as part of the order's habit. The French version of cappuccino was capuchin, from which came English Capuchin. In Italian cappuccino went on to describe espresso coffee mixed or topped with steamed milk or cream, so called because the color of the coffee resembled the color of the habit of a Capuchin friar. The first use of cappuccino in English is recorded in 1948 in a work about San Francisco. There is also the story line that says that the term comes from the fact that the coffee is dark, like the monk's robe, and the cap is likened to the color of the monk's head.

-Both the American Revolution and the infamous French Revolution were born in coffee houses. The American Revolution grew from roots planted by patriots in the Green Dragon (some say it was the Green Lion) Public House in the Lloyd's District of London. The infamous French Revolution happened in 1789 when the Parisians, spurred on by Camille Desmoulins's verbal campaign, took to the streets and two days later the Bastille fell, marking the overthrow of the French Government and changing France forever.

-When the beans reaches the temperature of 400F during the roasting process, the beans "crack." The bean develop oils in a process called pyolysis. The outer part of the beans darkens. When the beans "crack" a second time, the hot beans are then dumped from the roaster and cooled immediately, usually with cold air. During the process of roasting coffee beans, coffee oil gathers in pockets throughout the bean. This substance is forced out to the surface of the beans of darker roasts, as moisture is lost. Hence the bean has this oily appearance.

-Coffee beans are graded in various ways. Example: Kenya coffees are graded as A, B and C. AA is the best coffee. In Costa Rica, coffees are graded as Strictly Hard Bean, Good Hard Bean, Hard Bean, Medium Hard Bean, High Grown Atlantic, Medium Grown Atlantic, and Low Grown Atlantic. Those coffee beans from Colombia are labeled as "Supremo" "Excelso", "Extra" and the lowest grade, "Pasilla". 

-Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce! (Ouch!)

-The Italians drink their espresso with sugar, the Germans and Swiss - with equal parts of hot chocolate, the Mexicans - with cinnamon, the Belgians - with chocolate. Moroccans drink their coffee with peppercorns, the Ethiopians - with a pinch of salt. Coffee drinkers in the Middle East usually add cardamom and spices. Whipped cream is the favourite amongst Austrians. The Egyptians are extremely fond of pure and strong coffee. They seldom add sugar to it, nor milk nor cream. They serve unsweeteened coffee to mourners and sweetened coffee at weddings. The Italians are the unrivaled World Masters of Espresso.

-Special studies conducted about the human body revealed it will usually absorb up to about 300 milligrams of caffeine at a given time. About 4 normal cups. Additional amounts are just cast off, providing no further stimulation. Also, the human body dissipates 20% of the caffeine in the system each hour.

Hope you like! More to come...