Coffee Espresso - Coffee Maker - Latte - Cuppuccino - Indian Recipes - Gayatrivantillu

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Recipe Text

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Take a coffee grinder to grind the coffee beans. Do not grind spices using the same coffee grinder as the flavor of spices when mixed with coffee powder, spoils the taste of coffee. So it is always advisable to use separate grinders for coffee grinding and spice grinding.

Add coffee beans (15gms) into a coffee grinder and close with lid. Press the switch attached to the coffee grinder lid, to grind the beans---do not continuously hold the switch---press for 10 seconds and release and again press—in this method grind the beans. Grind the beans to a slightly coarse texture. The coarse coffee powder does not clog the tiny holes of coffee filter and it also allows the steam to pass through. So remember to grind coarsely only but NOT to a fine texture. Transfer the ground coffee powder into a paper plate.

As the jar is not detachable in a coffee grinder, do not try to wash them using water---instead wipe them clean using a paper napkin. Always store the coffee grinder in a dry place.

Preparations:

Open the tank of coffee maker and pour water (150ml) into it. Cover the tank with lid and secure it tightly. Add the ground coffee powder to the filter bowl and tap it lightly to level the powder in it. Using the back of the spoon provided with coffee maker, press lightly to level the powder in the bowl. Place the filter in its holder and fix the holder to the coffee maker. Place the coffee carafe on the drip tray. Now the coffee maker is ready to make a good espresso.

Method:

Before switching ON the coffee maker, ensure that the steam control knob is fully closed. Now move the selector knob from extreme left to the centre and position it at the place where there is a picture of steaming cup of coffee on coffee maker----at this point we get strong espresso. Now switch ON the coffee maker to heat water in the tank. After few minutes, observe a thick foamy espresso flowing from the filter holder into the coffee carafe. That steam when passed through the coffee powder in filter, it brings out the essence of coffee. That strong espresso passes through the tiny holes of filter with some pressure into the filter holder and hence comes out as a thick foamy liquid. When coffee reaches one shot level, (first mark from the bottom of the carafe) turn the selector knob to the extreme left to stop espresso flow. Pour the freshly brewed espresso into a shot glass. Pure espresso lovers would like to have it as it is. Observe the nice coffee aroma filling the space around. Some may not like the bitter taste of coffee but everybody likes the smell of coffee. Using this espresso let us learn to make coffee!!!

Take milk foaming mug and add artificial sweetener or powdered sugar to taste. Then add chilled milk into the milk mug and fix the digital thermometer to it. Ensure that steam selector knob is to the extreme left position. Insert the steamer nozzle into the milk mug just below the top layer –so that only a small portion of the steamer nozzle is inserted into the milk. Holding the milk mug with the steamer nozzle in it (positioned as mentioned) in one hand, open the steam control knob liberally to allow steam to gush through the milk. When the steamer nozzle is positioned as mentioned in the milk mug, the steam gushing through the milk on the top layer swirls the milk causing foam. Hold the milk mug firmly while steaming milk and also keep a watch on the reading of the thermometer. The reading on the thermometer indicates the temperature of the milk. The hot steam heats up the milk. Observe that the level of milk in the mug is increasing (actually it is the foam). When steam is gushed through the milk, micro bubbles are formed due to the swirling of milk---as the bubbles are too tiny (micro) it appears as if the milk is thickened---milk and foam gets mixed up and gives that appearance. With experience one would be able to get micro bubbles while foaming milk using a coffee maker. When the temperature on the thermometer reads 70^oC, then close the steam control knob to stop steam passing through the steamer nozzle. Coffee made with milk at this temperature would not burn the tongue and one can enjoy the drink comfortably. Pour the prepared espresso into a serving cup. To make good designs on the coffee make espresso also foamy—to do this insert the steamer nozzle into the espresso in cup and steam for few seconds and observe micro bubbles forming in the espresso. Now switch off the coffee maker or else the water left in the tank gets heated up further. Holding the milk mug firmly, slowly pour the foamy milk into the espresso in the serving cup and observe the color contrast formed due to the espresso foam and the milk foam. If one is good at coffee art make designs on the prepared espresso coffee and enjoy.

Mocha Coffee:

When we know how to make a good espresso coffee, it is very easy to make a mocha coffee with a slight variation.

Take 1/4level teaspoon of cocoa powder and add it into the coffee carafe. Place the coffee carafe on the drip tray and prepare one espresso shot as mentioned above. Pour this mocha espresso into a serving cup and add foamy milk (prepare as mentioned above) and enjoy a good cup of mocha coffee.

Designs:

Though I am not good at coffee art, I try few simple methods.

Take a toothpick and swirl around the edges of the white part of the foam on the coffee and observe it forms a design.

Add some coffee foam on the white part of the foam on the coffee as drops in a circular path. Run a toothpick from the centre of the coffee foam drops to get heart shaped drops forming a chain.

Add some chocolate syrup on the foam and swirl using a toothpick to get a separate design.

Use your imagination or learn from net to enjoy coffee designs or watch another compilation made into a movie on coffee art on my website.

Cleaning And Maintenance Of Coffee Maker:

First ensure that machine is switched OFF and unplugged from the socket. Place a bowl below the steamer nozzle and fully open the steam control knob to pass the steam built inside. If steam is not passing through the nozzle, insert a safety pin inside the nozzle to clear blockage. As the steamer nozzle is put inside milk and heated, milk forms a thin membrane on cooling and the nozzle gets blocked. If possible wipe the steamer nozzle as soon as you stop steaming milk---but it hurts as the steamer nozzle would be too hot---so I prefer to clean it later only after enjoying my coffee first. But ensure that all steam is removed from the tank before removing the filter holder from the machine---otherwise the steam blocked in the tank passes through this opening at once and cause accidents. As we all know, steam accidents are unbearable and take long time to cure---so remove steam and then only open the filter holder. Observe the coffee powder forming a cake in the filter bowl which indicates that entire coffee essence is extracted from the powder. Clean the filter and its holder. Now remove the drip tray and separate its parts and clean them too. Open the lid of the tank and remove any excess water in the tank. As the tank is made of aluminum, it is not advisable to store water when not using the coffee maker. Take a scrubber and wet it. Using the wet scrubber wash the steamer nozzle thoroughly. The thin membrane of milk which got stuck during steaming milk needs to be cleaned well. Wipe the coffee maker with a dry cloth and push the steamer nozzle rod inside. Then cover the tank with lid but do not close it tightly---as the tank is still wet inside, keep it loosely covered for air to pass through. Now coffee maker is ready for next use!!!

Points To Remember:

I do not intend to promote any particular brand of appliances while mentioning them here. As I own them, I am using them and have shown them here.

The Coffee maker shown in this movie is a lower end machine which is having only 7 bar pressure whereas to get good espresso we need 15 bar pressure. With a 15 bar pressure machine (Seen at coffee shops) we get fine micro bubbles when milk is steamed. Similarly the espresso also would have a nice crema (fine micro bubbles) on it with a 15 bar pressure machines. When I have purchased this machine, this was latest. Still I have no regrets as far as the taste of the good espresso coffee which I make using this machine when compared to the commercially available coffees---Only regret is that I could get only one shot of good espresso per use.

For this lower end coffee maker as I could get only one shot of good espresso, I have to use only 150ml of water to get that pressure to get good espresso. Though according to the instructional manual one can make 4 shots of espresso, with trial and error I have reached to the conclusion of getting only one good espresso shot that too with double the quantity of coffee powder. As one might have observed in the movie that coffee powder taken is for two shots but made only one shot to get foamy thick one shot espresso.

Use pure coffee beans variety which would not be that bitter. Always grind beans freshly to make good espresso coffee. Use a separate grinder for grinding spices and for grinding coffee beans so that flavors would not get mixed up to enjoy a good coffee.

Never use Chicory mixed coffee powder while making coffee using a coffee maker. The chicory powder clogs the pores of the filter and hence is to be avoided. Similarly o not add cocoa powder in the coffee powder to get mocha coffee—as the fine cocoa powder clogs the holes of the filter it is not to be added along with coffee powder.

Steam when passed through the coffee powder with some pressure, we get espresso. That strong espresso passes through the tiny holes of filter with some pressure into the filter holder and hence comes out as a thick foamy liquid. So always remember to grind the coffee beans slightly coarsely only so that it would not clog the tiny pores of the filter bowl. If the powder is too coarse, then steam just passes through and we get lighter coffee, if the powder is too fine it would clog the holes of the filter and we would not get good espresso. If the coffee powder is SLIGHTLY coarse, then only we get good espresso.

Always use chilled milk to get better foam. No need to use full cream milk, I have used 3% milk and milk from which cream has been removed (no fat milk) and got good results.

Add sugar according to taste. It is advisable to add sugar powder than sugar granules for easy mixing. Add sugar to the milk before foaming so that the foam also tastes sweeter. I generally use artificial sweetener for this preparation to cut on calories.

A good digital thermometer is necessary as one cannot guess how hot the milk is by just holding the milk jug. To stop steaming milk after it has reached a particular temperature, a digital thermometer would be of great help---so that one can enjoy their drink without burning their tongue.

A foaming mug which has a spout is required to make good designs on the coffee once perfected.

Be very careful while handling the hot appliance parts like steam nozzle rod, filter holder. First enjoy the coffee, immediately after making it. Then open the steam control knob fully to remove built in steam from the tank. Then open the filter holder or else the steam escapes through this opening and causes accidents. Remember, steam accidents would take longer time to get healed.

To enjoy a good coffee as we have made here, it is charged heavily in the malls. The ambience in which we sit and enjoy this drink is supposed to be neat and clean---and HOME!!! Is the neatest place where one can enjoy a good cup of coffee!!! Here we have seen, even with a lower end machine we can make a good espresso coffee which is much cheaper and hygienically made with fresh ingredients. So investing on a good coffee maker is a reliable choice to enjoy good coffee with family members.

Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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