Tag: coffee

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Maximizing Coffee

This is interesting if you’re a coffee drinker or planning to start soon:

  1. Consume in small, frequent amounts. Between 20-200mg per hour may be an optimal dose for cognitive function. I used to drink a small cup for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. But since I lost my insulated bottle, I’ve only been drinking for breakfast. Maybe it’s time to look for a new one.
  2. Play to your cognitive strengths while wired. Caffeine may increase the speed with which you work, may decrease attentional lapses, and may even benefit recall – but is less likely to benefit more complex cognitive functions, and may even hurt others. Plan accordingly (and preferably prior to consuming caffeine!)
  3. Play to caffeine’s strengths. Caffeine’s effects can be maximized or minimized depending on what else is in your system at the time. The beneficial effects of caffeine may be most pronounced in conjunction with sugar. Unfortunately, I like my coffee black.
  4. Know when to stop – and when to start again. Although you may not grow strongly tolerant to caffeine, you can become dependent on it and suffer withdrawal symptoms. Balance these concerns with the cognitive and health benefits associated with caffeine consumption – and appropriately timed resumption.
  5. Finding good sources of caffeine. Black coffee for me.

Source: ScienceBlogs

 

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Starbucks VIA “Ready Brew” Coffee

Michelle gave me a pack (Thanks babe!) of Starbucks VIA “Ready Brew” (in other words: instant) Colombia Coffee. She got it for free when she ordered a drink. I wanted to compare it to Italian roast coffee home-brewed with my Bialetti Dama so I bought a pack of Italian Roast VIA (and they gave me another pack for free). As expected, it was no contest. Moka is full-bodied and strong while VIA is essentially still instant coffee: less aroma, less taste, less strength, less coffee, higher price. I’ll stick to my Moka coffee, thank you.

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Bialetti Dama

bialetti damaWe got this Bialetti Dama as a wedding gift from Bing. It is a stove-top coffee maker based on the classic Bialetti Moka Express. The  Dama is the newer, slightly modernized model.

The differences are actually pretty subtle: silicone rubber handle and “soft-touch” plastic knob instead of bakelite and a slightly rounded tank instead of octagonal. Both are made of aluminum and are functionally the same.

To make coffee, pour water (preferably filtered) into the tank, drop in the funnel, and put some coffee grounds (espresso grind but not too fine!) on the funnel. Screw the pot onto the tank, put on top of stove on low to medium heat (my preference), and wait as the water boils. Because of the gasket on the tank, the pressure and heat is higher. Once the water boils, steam drives through funnel into the coffee grounds, up the pot stem and into the pot. Remove from heat when, or preferably before, you hear the characteristic gurgling sound.

Pour and serve your freshly-made coffee! Okay, it’s not exactly espresso, since the pressure and heat is not high enough to produce crema and the thick consistency of true espresso. But it’s as close as you can get without spending a lot.

After use and enjoying the coffee, just wash with water. This lets the coffee oils coat and season the metal so that your espresso gets better and better as the years go by. You might want to clean the tank a bit more vigorously though since all the boiling leaves stains and calcium deposits. But, aside from replacing the rubber gasket, that’s about all you need to do to make it last.

A classic piece of coffee gear that you shouldn’t be without.