Ok. So, I was asked what I think of this video, and since I took the time to type up my thoughts, may as well share with more people. :) Keep in mind, personal preference always reigns supreme - drink the coffee the way you like it - but being open to new info can sometimes lead to pleasant discoveries. 1. turning old coffee into iced cubes is an interesting idea, but coffee goes stale as it cools, so by the time its considered old its probably also developed bitterness. Youd be better off making cold-brewed coffee and turning that into ice cubes. Furthermore, it wont give you an instant iced latte because the coffee wouldnt make it into the milk until the cubes melted. So, really youd have milk with a hint of coffee flavor (maybe.) Even after the cubes melt, there still might not be enough coffee for a balanced flavor profile. Coffee ice cubes are neat because they wont water-down your drink as they melt, but you still need to have an initial coffee base for your beverage. 2. I have never tried putting salt in coffee to counter-act bitterness, so cannot comment on its efficacy. If you get quality, freshly-roasted coffee, however, it wont be bitter. Side note: milk (especially properly steamed) can also help tone down bitterness. (Ok. I just tried the salt thing - its weird and Im not sure it works.) 3. Spices in coffee is kind of a classic. While I love my coffee pure, it can also be a great base for playing with. Ive had fun adding lots of different spices (and flowers) to Greek/Arabic brew methods. Different coffees can really be highlighted and flavors accented by what you add to them. Playing with that can be lots of fun. Id be wary about adding the spices to my beans in the grinder, though, but Im a bit of a purist with my grinder - only coffee goes in it. I would worry that I wouldnt be able to get the flavors out, and even if theyre good flavors, what if you want to try something different. 4. Havent tried the trick of shaking milk in a jar, and I dont have a microwave. Foam can be fun. Shrug. Youre really getting into the realm of personal preference here, so that makes it harder to comment. Some people really like the effect of adding cold milk to hot coffee. Some people really like foam, some really hate it - for me, it depends on what kind of foam it is. What is interesting about warming milk is that it breaks down the proteins/complex carbs already in the milk into sugars, so it develops a slightly sweet taste. This is part of the trick to a good cappuccino. Be careful not to over-heat the milk though because doing so causes those sugars also to break down (they dont come back when it cools) and youre left with bitter milk. 5. Yeah, drinking old coffee is not going to be as good. It gets bitter. I would recommend just not brewing as much at a time. Get a pour-over or an aero-press or a french press and just make it one cup at a time. The aero press really is kind of amazing - simple to use, easy clean-up, and you can even play with the final temp. of your cup of coffee w/o mucking with the actual brew temp., which affects extraction. So, there you go. My thoughts. Happy playing!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:11:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015