Coffee Breath
The girls got together for our day out. Our agreement is that this is a girls only day; no husbands, boyfriends, life partners, kids, parents or work allowed to intrude. It is time to take care of the women and enjoy one day without responsibilities. Thankfully, our families understand.
One of the girls mentioned that she recently had a meeting with a client. She walked in the door and as he spoke, she felt a bit dizzy. No, it wasn’t his gorgeous good looks that caused the
sensation. It was his coffee breath!
Most people are unaware that they have halitosis. Everybody gets them at some point. Coffee drinkers smell coffee on their breath and think absolutely nothing of it since they love coffee.
Unfortunately, the smell of coffee on someone’s breath isn’t always pleasant. Coffee is acidic. The acid combined with the bacteria in our mouth isn’t exactly the best scent around. The odor can ensure that people will give you a wide berth. Hmmm…not the reaction you want if you are running for Hunk or Babe of the Year.
Fortunately, there are some simple solutions that do not require you to give up your favorite coffee drink.
- Develop good oral hygiene
- Brush your teeth properly and carefully twice a day
- Floss at least once a day before brushing
- Rinse your mouth with water especially after drinking or eating
- Clean your tongue well
- Drink a lot of water. Two glasses for every cup of coffee is good for cleansing.
- Add food that can help improve the scent of your breath to your diet such as apples, carrots and celery.
In a pinch, there’s always Altoids of course. People around you will appreciate it.
What Makes A Good Cafe
Most people will tell you that a good cafe must have great coffee. That is true. How can you call yourself a cafe and not serve a good cup of joe?
A good cafe will have a great variety of brews. Remember that nursery rhyme: “peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold”? That’s what a good cafe would be like. It will have coffee that is hot and coffee that is cold. Espresso, cappuccino, machiatto should be on the menu. They’ll most likely have a special house recipe that is uniquely their own and a crowd favorite.
A great cafe will also have a variety of beans and blends. You’ll have a choice of drinking the familiar Arabica or Robusta. You can also choose beans you’ve never tried: Brazilian, Columbian, maybe even the rare Jamaican Blue Mountain.
A good cafe isn’t just about the coffee though. It’s also about the ambiance. A good cafe has a relaxed feel to it. It feels homey and is a great place to sit and chat. The aroma of coffee subtly, deliciously scents the air, giving everyone a chance to unwind.
A good cafe is busy but not noisy. There is a fluid flow of customers yet people aren’t deafened by the sound of everyone coming and going. People can have a decent conversation, a heart to heart or a casual chat as they feel like it.
In this day and age, a really good cafe isn’t just a place to have a cup of coffee. It is also a great place to work as a second office. This usually means having a wifi connection since most people will need to be able to keep in touch with their offices and clients no matter where they are. Wifi zone cafe’s are truly a blessing. You can have a space to work that serves great coffee and have meetings in a relaxed atmosphere at the same time.
Have you found a good cafe in your area yet?
The 4M’s of Espresso
The making of espresso is both a science and an art. Over the years they have found that precision is required to make a great espresso. There are four factors that affect the making of a great shot. They are also called the four M’s.
The first factor is Macinazione or the proper grinding of the beans. Great baristas in fact will only grind beans for an espresso right before using them. 30 seconds after they have been ground, the beans are already too stale for a good espresso. The proper grind is between fine and powdery. The grind has to be uniform in order to insure the best taste. Instant powder will definitely make an awful espresso.
The second factor is Miscela or the coffee blend. Good beans means better tasting coffee. Perfectly logical, right?
The third factor is the Macchina or the espresso machine. Thanks to many inventors, you now have eay to use tools to help you make your espresso. But it will not magically make perfect espresso if you don’t know how to use it properly. The Rancilio Silva is considered the best by most espresso lovers but feel free to shop around til you find the machine that you are comfortable with.
The last factor is Mano or the skill of the barista – that means you. More than half the battle is knowing how to use your equipment properly. You need to know how to properly fill your filter basket. Some espresso lovers will tell you to tamp the ground coffee, others will tell you not to. Like all skills, making the perfect espresso takes practice so that your every espresso shot has that beautiful crema that is the mark of true espresso.
Espresso
Most people are familiar with coffee. If you ask them to describe it, they’ll probably describe their cup of coffee as putting a teaspoonful or sachet of coffee powder and sugar in their favorite mug and mixing it with water and milk. Others may describe their coffee as freshly brewed referring to coffee made by drip using their coffee makers. This is the most familiar way most people make their brew.
Many have heard the term espresso. They may have seen it on the boards or menus but not knowing what it was, have never tried it. Little do they realize that they may already have had some with their favorite cappuccino or other mix they bought in the coffeeshop. You are not a true coffee lover it is said unless you have tried espresso.
Espresso was first made in Italy. It is formally called Caffe Espresso. Unlike in any other part in the world, espresso is not just a beverage. In fact in Italy they make time to drink their espresso. This is one brew that is an experience, not just a drink.
Espresso is drunk in shots and is usually served in glasses. It is a rich tasting brew that has a great aroma. Hard to explain its taste but it is rather like dark chocolate though definitely not the same.
Espresso is made with hot (not boiling) water being pressured through ground coffee beans. It has a distinctive reddish-brown color and a delicious aroma. It should also have crema – the tan colored foam found on top of every good shot of espresso. If it has no crema, it is a bad shot. Have it replaced immediately.
