latte (27)

Milk Steamer for Latte

Milk steamer for latte is perfect beverage for cappuccino and tea and for all occasions. The main function of milk steamer is produce steam that make the cappuccino smooth, foam, velvety and give good taste in your drink. There are various main two kinds of milk steamer forlatte. One is traditional manual milk steamer which is known as stovetop milk steamer and the other is modern automatic electric steamer. Many models of Milk Steamer for latte is available in market like Mrioco, HadinEEon, EZBASICS and Nestle. By the best milk steamer you can make perfect drink for you.Click here for read full article.

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5 Delicious Flavored Lattes to Try

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Many coffee lovers like trying new flavors, and lattes are often a favorite when it comes to flavored coffee drinks. Coffee shops often have seasonal drinks throughout the year based on popular flavors. The following is a list of 5 flavored lattes that you should try if you love coffee.

 

Pumpkin Spice

This flavor is the perfect drink if you love fall. It brings to mind falling leaves, warm fires, and fun fall activities like visiting a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin spice lattes usually have cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin. The spices are bold without being overwhelming. They complement the sweetness of the pumpkin and bring out the fall flavors.

 

Peppermint

The peppermint latte is the quintessential holiday drink and you'll probably love it if you're a fan of mint. It contains peppermint flavor, and many also have mocha. This drink is ideal for holiday shopping, caroling, or other fun holiday activities. Many peppermint lattes are garnished with a candy cane or candy cane sprinkles, which not only looks appealing but also adds that extra bit of minty flavor.

 

Salted Caramel

Caramel lovers will appreciate the salty sweetness of the salted caramel latte. This is a great dessert drink if you like coffee after dinner and it makes a fabulous iced latte during the warmer months. A salted caramel latte is fairly simple as it usually has caramel sauce and sea salt. You can also make a salted caramel mocha latte by adding chocolate for a truly indulgent drink.

 

Chai

This one is a bit different from a classic latte as it's made with chai tea instead of coffee. This traditional Indian tea is spicy and warm, an excellent drink for a cool evening. With the addition of milk and spices like cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger. This is the perfect drink for you if you like things a little spicy.

 

Gingerbread

This latte, created after a favorite holiday cookie, has ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and other spices. These spices make for the classic holiday taste for a great addition to a holiday celebration. Like the previously mentioned peppermint latte, the gingerbread latte is a wintertime favorite. If you enjoy gingerbread cookies, you'll probably love the gingerbread latte.

 

Flavored lattes are often created to bring happiness through seasonal flavors that remind you of holidays, fun activities, or happy memories. Although you can get great lattes at coffee shops, you can also make them at home. If you want to try any of these flavored lattes in your own home, you can find simple recipes online. Most only require strong coffee or espresso, milk, and a few flavorings such as Monin. Once you learn the basics of making a great latte you can even experiment with flavors of your own.

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4 easy ways to improve your office coffee

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With all the options that can be taken to improve standard office coffee, it is certainly foolish to settle for overall bad quality. A cup or two of the hot beverage is said to improve productivity at work and raise focus levels in order to get more tasks done in the least amount of time. Unfortunately, most employees have complaints about their office coffee; usually, it is either too weak or too strong. If you are sick and tired of sludge that tastes more like concrete than a tiny bit of paradise, then here are some helpful tips to help you easily improve its quality.

1. Invest in quality beans and a grinder

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Even though it may be slightly more expensive than the regular store bought coffee, getting your hands on quality whole beans can truly be a game changer. This is due to the fact that the beans roasted in your own city are fresher and more flavorful than those of commercial brands. Most importantly, run far away from the cheap stuff that comes in a basic vacuum-sealed container. If you are unsure how you can afford quality roasted beans, then try consulting with your buddies from work and convince everyone to contribute a bit or maybe manage the finances out of the office funds. Also, the way you prepare the beverage makes a lot of difference in the taste and overall quality of the end result. For example, common mistake coffee enthusiasts make when preparing a cup of Joe is to go overboard. In fact, by adding more than a tablespoon of coffee per cup can alter the taste for the worse and make the beverage taste bitter or just too strong. So, remember to keep things in balance and do not go ham with the star ingredient. On the flip side, less than a tablespoon can make the drink taste too watery. The bottom line is, practice makes perfect!

2. Always keep it fresh

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Another common mistake people make in the office space is that they are usually not careful and easily over brew the coffee. By over brewing, the drink can quickly turn from heavenly to horrible, in a matter of minutes. In addition, by leaving the drink on the hot plate, or forgetting about it (and letting it cool down), will also result in a horrible bitter aftertaste. To avoid this pitfall, it is recommended that the coffee is always prepared fresh and served hot. A helpful tip is to bring your own thermos and store the daily coffee in it, rather than leaving it unattended on the hot plate. Employees who simply cannot deal with bitterness in general, and who want to indulge in a few extra calories can easily bring their own milk or creamer from home and make the drink even more delicious. Are you vegan? In this case, simply choose a dairy-free alternative such as coconut cream, which tastes divine, mixed in with a cup of Java.

3. Clean the coffee maker

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Many people do not realize how filthy and disgusting a coffee maker can become after being repeatedly used without a good cleaning once in a while. As a matter of fact, have you ever wondered how moldy a coffee machine can be if everyone around is preparing coffee, but no one volunteers to clean it thoroughly? Coffee makers, like any other devices that are considered a Holy Grail in the office space, need to be emptied and scrubbed from time to time to avoid dirt and muck to accumulate. Luckily, it is unnecessary to run to the store and splurge on all kinds of cleaning products when the mess can easily vanish with the help of water and common vinegar. Espresso lovers who do not want to deal with an aging coffee maker can easily opt for a high-quality espresso machine by BluePod Office Coffee Machines. The best part is that fancy barista skills are absolutely unnecessary due to the fact that anyone can create the perfect cup of coffee in a matter of minutes. Thanks to the option of choosing between four preset built-in coffees, even latte and cappuccino lovers will have something to be excited about.

4. Desperate times call for desperate measures

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Lastly, if you truly do not care what others think about you, then you can always choose to brew your own coffee at home and bring it with you to work. Alternatively, a French press on your desk can be a true lifesaver! The reason why so many people pick this device to make freshly brewed coffee is due to the fact that it is certain that the coffee oils will not end up mostly in the machine’s filter. So naturally, more oils contribute to a richer tasting beverage. Also, by resorting to such a measure, you do not have to deal with your coworkers messing up your drink, because with the help of a French press, you are totally in control.

To round things up, no one needs to endure a lousy office-coffee experience, when there are different easy ways to get the most out of your drink. By making tweaks here and there, anyone in the office is able to enjoy a cup of paradise.

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Latte Art Competition Chicago

As the social media professional for Coffee Fest Shows, I’ve been fortunate the last 14 months to visit with many, many baristas and coffee professionals. Everytime I pop into a new coffeeshop, I ask the baristas if they will be competing in Coffee Fest’s Latte Art Competitions. Half the time, the baristas know what this competition is and I get an answer along the lines of

Oh I’m not good enough for that

or a reply like this

Yeah, I’m not much into that latte art competing

Here’s the backstory on why Latte Art competitions matter.

David Heilbrunn, others and I sat down with the Blenz Coffee franchisee from Tokyo the Monday after Coffee Fest Seattle in 2010. Near the end of the conversation, David asked the gentleman, who owns about eight Blenz Coffee stores in Tokyo, if he...........

The rest of the story is here at Leaf and Berry Blog. If you are on the fence about competing in Chicago, registrations close on Monday Jan 10th. Let's see you there! 

Coffee Fest Chicago Latte Art Competition Registration Page

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Raspberry chocolate brownies & coffee

I came across this chocolate brownies recipe in one of many supermarket magazines diligently collected during my supermarket shopping trips. I’ve never baked chocolate brownies before so I was really looking forward to results anticipating nothing but pure success.
After all the recipe promises a lot. I followed instructions to the dot but the result was far from what I expected. The brownies where too “wet”, they were not even baked properly in the middle despite the fact that I extend the baking time for another few minutes (you know… just in case). Yep, that’s not what I wanted to say the least!

I decided to make some changes. I swapped vegetable oil for butter, reduced the amount of cocoa and plain yogurt, added raspberries and vanilla to improve the taste. I modified baking time a little and after a few attempts I am really happy with the result but all this just shows how careful you have to be with recipes you get from books and magazines.

These yummy chocolate brownies have dry crust, they are not too sweet, have a moist texture, rich cocoa taste and wonderfully refreshing taste of raspberries. Of course, we tested them with coffee too but there is no
ultimate winner I guess. Cappuccino and espresso pair chocolate brownies really well but they would never be my “first” choice. Turkish coffee and cafe latte are much better if you ask me. Turkish coffee just
brilliantly teams with chocolate while cafe latte brings out milkshake like flavor from raspberries. Fantastic, I’m telling you!

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Batdorf & Bronson Throwdown!

Ok...So this event was Fantastic! I am so glad I showed up for this, for so many reasons. First and foremost, I got to meet a bunch of amazing people who are passionate about great coffee, pouring excellent drinks, and the turnout for just spectating was so cool! Out of the 30 people who participated, I finished 4th overall!! My friend and staff member, Gabbie competed also, and sadly, she did not go as far as I did, BUT, we made a good showing, bringing a posse with us for support. As far as I'm concerned, it was the best event I have attended in a LONG TIME!Along with the throwdown, I have made new friends, and built some new inroads with other barista in the Oly/Seattle area, and to me, that is more fun and more rewarding than just making awesome drinks for cash. (the cash would have been nice too... ;) but I did walk away with a couple new friends, and a set of four cups. Not bad. Its late, I have to ride 6 hours home tomorrow...so its off to bed,Night!ART
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Six days to Throwdown.

Last night, the OWC crew got together and cleaned the bejeezus out of the shop. It was an exorcism of old looks, old dust, as a way of welcoming our fall hours and new batch of students to get to know and serve. The U of I school year starts next Monday, meaning there's one week until we are in a deluge of students wandering the streets looking for good coffee, a study space and new friends. Six days remain until the Throwdown here in Moscow, ID, and I am so excited. I have all my prizes lined up, the judges are picked, and the format is set. Bring on your best pours, there are great prizes to be won: A beautiful Demi cup and saucer go to the winner, in addition to the cash, of course.. We are going to run it as blind as possible, so it is as fair as possible!A few details I still need to figure out: I need a camera and a short tripod, and I need one person to pull shots for each competitor.Other than that, we are READY! YAAY!
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Okay. Although I am helping www.splickit.com to launch their new online/text-message ordering system, I truly have dreamt of something like this being widely available.My reverie usually begins as I'm racing to an appointment, or more frequently, to the airport, and there is no way in hell that I'm going to risk pulling into my local coffee house and potentially find myself waiting in (what feels like) the world's longest, slowest line. But I need my coffee!!I have seriously weighed the pros/cons of missing a flight while waiting in line at a Starbuck's kiosk at You-Name-It-Airport. As the line of passengers boarding my flight dwindled down to none, I was just getting my latte ordered and hadn't paid, sugared-up or even taken that all important first sip so it wouldn't come burping out of the lid while I frantically jostled my way to the gate.So what if I could actually use my Blackberry to text in my coffee order (and my favorite coffee cake from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on S. Beverly), pre-pay for it, and have it waiting for me, piping hot and ready to go at a special pick up spot in the store (no line-jumping for me!)??A girl can dream can't she?Well, if splick-it gets off the ground in a way I think it will, I'm hopeful that my days of living on the edge will be reduced, and that my stress level will too.
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Portland, OR (February 9, 2009) – Two new half-day latte art and sensory skills training workshops will be held concurrent with this year’s United States Barista Championship in Portland at the American Barista & Coffee School on March 5th.

The Latte Art Workshop led by American Barista & Coffee School Director of Training Matt Milletto and Lead Instructor Jared Mockli, will teach students fundamental principles and advanced techniques necessary to pour consistently great latte art. This 3-hour intensive program will cover a wide range of pour types from the basic rosetta design to multi-art pours.

The Sensory Skills Workshop led by Andrew Hetzel, licensed Q-Grader and Director of Hawaii-based consultancy, Cafemakers, is a 3-hour course open to food and beverage professionals of all skill levels wishing to participate in exercises that improve taste and aroma identification proficiency. Workshop attendees will practice the SCAA sensory skills exam with guidance and training, as well as perform olfactory and coffee cupping triangulation exercises comparable to those required for Q-Grader licensing or barista competition judging certification. The fee to attend each class is $150 or $250 for both workshops. SCAA Barista Guild members in good standing receive an additional 10% discount. Advance registration is required and can be made online at coffeeschool.org or by calling (800) 655-3955. Class size is limited to the first 15 registered attendees for each session. March 5th, 2009 Latte Art Workshop 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, again 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Sensory Skills Workshop 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, again 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Location: American Barista & Coffee School 1028 S.E. Water St., Ste. 275 Portland, OR 97214 About the American Barista & Coffee School The American Barista & Coffee School (ABC) is the premier professional school in America devoted to specialty coffee business education and hands-on barista training. ABC Training Director Matt Milletto is a member of the SCAA Training Committee, featured coffee expert in numerous publications and frequent speaker at coffee industry conferences. In 2006, Mr. Milletto’s latte art techniques were featured in Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup’s award-winning Extreme Pours training video. More information is available at www.coffeeschool.org. About Andrew Hetzel Andrew Hetzel is the founder of Cafemakers, a coffee industry business consultancy based on the Big Island of Hawaii that provides management, brand and process consulting services for coffee retailers, roasters and producers worldwide. In 2007, Mr. Hetzel was named one of the top young business leaders in Hawaii by Pacific Business News and in 2008, became the state’s first licensed Q-grader for the Coffee Quality Institute. More information is available at www.cafemakers.com.
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Peanut Butter Bliss Latte Recipe; Peanut Butter Latte

Peanut Butter Bliss Latte Recipe; Peanut Butter Latte2 shots illy Espresso3/4 oz Monin Flavoring Syrup; Peanut Butter1/2 oz Monin Caramel SauceSteamed MilkAdd espresso, Monin Peanut Butter and Monin Caramel Sauce to cup and stir well.Fill with steamed milk.Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of Monin Caramel Sauce
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Sticky Bun Latte Recipe;

Sticky Bun Latte Recipe; Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte2 Tbsp. Torani Syrups; Brown Sugar Cinnamon syrup1 cup milk1/4 cup espresso*InstructionsIn a small saucepan, gently heat milk and Torani syrup together, whisking until frothy. Pour steamed flavored milk into tall glass and add brewed espresso*. Spoon a thin layer of foamed milk over top of beverage.*If needed, 1/2 cup illy coffee can be substituted for 1/4 cup espresso.Discount Illy Coffee Discount Espresso Pods
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Barista Exchange Podcast - #1

Woohoo! We now have our 1st Podcast available! I am very excited to start doing these podcasts every month or two, and will be inviting guests who have insight on the specialty coffee industry from a baristas perspective and more.

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This first Podcast features Christopher Nicely Abel Alameda who works at Vivace in Seattle, WA. Christopher went on a week long Barista Exchange to Puerto Rico to work at "Barista Espresso Bar" owned by Enid Guerra, fellow bXer who recently opened her shop after attending the American Barista & Coffee School. We also discuss the Millrock Latte Art Competition coming up at Coffee Fest in a couple weeks. Podcast is 15 minutes. Click here to listen to it in full. Thanks! - Matt
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