Coffee Month

Many coffee drinkers are stuck in a rut, drinking to same coffee all the time. Usually the one brand they claim as their favorite. However, if you have only tried a handful of coffee brands how do you know there is not one out there you like more. You don’t. In addition, I get board with drinking the same kind of coffee all the time. That is why coffee subscriptions are great. Having got one as a gift a few years back, I got to see how much fun it is get different coffees/teas on a regular basis. I like subscriptions that you do not choose what they send. That way, you are more likely to get something you have never tried.

If you like a certain brand you should check to see if they have some kind of coffee subscription available. Almost all of them have one these days, Starbucks, Dukin’ Donuts, etc. If you do an internet search using the words “coffee subscription”, you get a ton of results.

Shop around; the subscriptions all vary in price. I like ones that include shipping and handling in the price and send shipments frequently (every two months or so). Of course, the ones that ship often cost more. Check out what kind of coffees they offer before you sign on the dotted line, if you are a decaf drinker make sure they offer decaf and stuff like that. I go for the ones that offer free gifts for signing up (like Gevalia’s free coffee maker) over ones that do not. I also like ones that send free gifts through out the subscription (just for being a member), you might as well get all you can from them.

They make great gifts for people that love coffee (men especially). Like I said before coffee subscriptions can be expensive, so if you are thinking about getting one for someone as a gift, be nice and pay for at least half the months in the subscription. You can even get coffee subscriptions that support issues important to you (or the person you are buying it for), which is cool. It may take a little looking around to find the one you want (or one that is close enough to the issue, Example: for animal lovers get one that supports the humane society). People that do stuff like that will appreciate the gesture. There is nothing better than enjoying a great cup of coffee knowing that you are helping a cause.

Note: there are coffee subscriptions that offer “pods” for single serve brewers.

What I am drinking now: Boca Java’s Jamaican Blue Mountain Reserve

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This is a review of my second Keurig Brewer.

Keurig’s B60 Brewer Special Edition

The B60 brewer is very similar to the other Keurig’s brewers, it has all the features you would expect in a Keurig machine (a cup brews in about one minute), and a few more new features. The one feature I am most excited to see is the three different cup sizes (5.25, 7.25, and 9.25oz for those travel size cups). It is great for entertaining with its single serve brewing, guests love choosing their K-cup flavor. Now you can get reusable K-Cups (My K-Cup) that you can fill with any coffee grounds if you cannot find a K-Cup flavor you like (over 70 varieties to choose from). Each of the My K-Cup’s is good for around 500 brews.

The machine itself measures 13 ¼” H by 10”W by 13D, which isn’t bad. I think it is a little wide, but it is not a deal breaker. The B60 is one of the best looking of the Keurig machines. It also has a durable and good heating and pumping mechanisms.

With the B60, you have control of the brewing temperature and time. The patented one-touch technology allows you to brew your beverage at the standard temperature of 192 degrees F or a cooler 187 degrees F. The lower brewing temperature is great for tea, and regular tea drinkers will appreciate this feature. It has a forty-eight ounce water reservoir that you can remove for easy fill-up. There is also a removable stainless steel drip tray, which makes cleaning up quick.

The 24-hour digital clock that is displayed on a LCD with striking bright-blue backlight is nice. I also like the programmable on/off timer. However having a timer on a single serve machine does seem a bit silly, unless you are on a tight schedule that almost never changes or you always get up at the same time each day. With the indicator you do not even have to think about it, just do what the light tells you to do.

Using the B60 is easy and simple, just open the lid, insert a K-Cup and chose your cup size. Using only 1500 watts, there should be no need to worry about energy consumption. 1500 watts is what most hair dryer’s use, if that helps you understand how much power it uses while it is brewing. The chrome handle and faceplate are a nice touch, they make the machine look fancy. The B60 would fit in great with almost any kitchen or office décor.

Cost, approximately 149.95 and it’s well worth it!

What I am drinking now: Newman’s Own Special Blend Extra Bold K-Cup

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Once and a while I end up with some leftover coffee. For me it is usually the second pot I cannot finish. When it is over half a pot, I just hate to let it go waste. Good thing I know what to do with my leftover coffee (and the used grounds).

One of the few ways to keep coffee drinkable later is freezing it properly. You can make ice cubes, popsicles in many variations with leftover coffee. To ensure the best flavor, freeze the coffee as soon as you know you are done with the pot. I would not recommend freezing or saving coffee that has been sitting the whole day, even a few hours is pushing it. You can use these coffee cubes for cooling down hot coffee, making a variety of smoothies. (Some recipes at the bottom of post)

There are mixed views about refrigerating leftover coffee, some say it is just as good and some say it is awful tasting. I say it depends on how long you plan to store it (one day, two days) and, how you store it (must be in an airtight container). I would not save it longer than a day in the refrigerator, and maybe four days in the freezer. It all boils down to personal preference, whether or not you like the way it taste after a certain amount of time. Tip: if you know ahead of time you will have leftover coffee (like it is the second pot and you hardly ever finish) mix a pinch of salt in the grounds before you brew. It will take the bitterness out of the coffee and will make the leftover coffee taste better; of course, you can do this whenever you brew coffee.

Within the same day of refrigerating, you can use the leftover coffee to marinate meat. I have heard it is great for steaks. You really do not get much of the coffee flavor in the meat, so do not worry about your steak tasting just like a cup of joe. It mostly gives it a nice dark color. There are so many recipes for using coffee in marinates that all use different amounts of coffee, you should be able to find one that makes your mouth water. If not, just try adding a cup or so to a marinate recipe you already make. Also, try some in stews, pork chops, brownies, gravy, roast, etc. almost anything. You can add coffee in to the mix when you are making brownies, cookies, cakes, anything you want some coffee flavor in, just remember it is mostly water to you may have to cut back on some other liquids in a recipe so it is the right consistency. Coffee ice cubes can be thawed for use in baking.

Mix coffee with some chocolate milk mix, use enough that thickens up the coffee a little, add some vanilla extract (and creamer if you want), mix it thoroughly.
Put is airtight container and refrigerate. Use this concoction with a day on ice cream, brownies, cakes, etc. or you can go light on the chocolate milk mix so it is a drink instead of syrup.

As for the grounds, here are some things you can do with them:

• Used coffee grounds are really good for plants. You can mix them in the dirt when transplanting (in vegetable beds too), or sprinkle some on top of the soil (indoor and outdoor plants) before watering or rain for slow release nitrogen that your plants love.
• Your compost pile will benefit greatly from used coffee grounds, and go ahead and throw the filters in there too. They break down (used tea bags are almost as good as coffee grounds so save them as well)
• Mix used coffee ground with eggshells to get rid of pests, encircle the base of a plant with the mixture to repel pests.
• Make a fast acting and gentle liquid fertilizer by soaking the used grounds in water (about a half-pound of wet grounds per five gallons of water. Let mixture soak outside.

Recipes:
• Red Eye or a Turbo Hot as Dunkin Donuts calls it is a shot or two of espresso in coffee. Try it cold! Add one shot for a 10-12 oz cup of iced coffee, two shots for a 16oz coffee and three for a 20oz.
• Black and White milkshake, it is made with vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup with two shots of espresso.
• To make an iced version of a Starbucks latte use about half a dozen coffee ice cubes, around ½ cup of milk, and sugar and vanilla (as you like it) in a blender. Blend until frothy and light.
• Make a cool White Russian by using coffee ice cubes instead of regular ice. Use coffee cubes in other Kahlua or Coffee Liqueur based drinks.

What I am drinking now: Tully’s Keurig K-Cup Italian Roast

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