Emmi Caffe Latte - Swiss Espresso

I am always on the lookout for a new Espresso drink, especially a decent quick drink to grab on the run. The latest find is Emmi's Caffee Latte that I found in Wegmen's markets. The 7.7 ounce drink comes in a plastic cup and can be found in the chiller. I grabbed the Macchiato, but it also comes in Cappuccino, Mocha and a Light. The Macchiato was decent and not as strong as a Starbucks Doubleshot, but instead mostly a milky flavor with a coffee flavor. Not my favorite, but still decent.

Cost was about $1.69, 170 calories, and made from: Milk, Fair Trade Coffee, Sugar, Trisodium Phosphate and Carrageenan.

More at Emmi's Website

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Nigella Lawson Espresso Cups

For the UK, Nigella Lawson probably doesn't need much introduction, but for those of us from the US, we need to think of her as a younger Martha Stewart. An accomplished critic, and cookbook author, she also has her own TV show and now has her own cookware line. From that line, we find the Nigella Lawson espresso cups, an interesting design that keeps with the egg shape of the rest of the line. Not only is it visually appealing, but very functional. The extra space is a great place to hold some petit fours, or maybe a cookie for the rest of us. The cups come in three colors, black, cream and blue.

At Amazon - Nigella Lawson Espresso Cups

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Brunopasso - Sportscar Inspired Espresso

The Brunopasso PD-1 is not a Formula 1 race car, it's a finely tuned espresso machine. The look and feel of the machine has got to be just as precise and just as high quality. The price is pretty steep at about $850, but with a 15-bar pump to drive this machine, the stats look pretty good. I like the dashboard look of the control panel and the fine wooden handle to engage the pod holder. Yes, it's an ESE pod machine, and you had better enjoy the beauties to invest in this. Oh, yea, and you will need to order from Sweden.

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Nespresso Le Cube - New Black and Bronze out for the Fall

Nespresso is releasing two new bold colors of their popular Le Cube Nespresso capsule brewer just in time for the weather, and the start of a big old coffee brewing season. Nespresso continues with their Le Cube minimalist design backed by superb functionality based on the capsule platform. Le Cube uses the Nespresso capsule, available in a dozen varieties, as well as seasonal specials that spice things up. What never fails to blow me away is the crema in the Nespresso shots, and how easy and quick they are to brew. Look for more news on Le Cube as it hits the shelves.

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Illy Crystal Espresso Cups by Matteo Thun - Free Shipping

The latest cups in the Illy Espresso cup collection will let you see all of that beautiful crema and espresso that you brew and while you drink. The crystal espresso cups are the latest expression of what the espresso drinking experience can rise to. The lead free crystal will undoubtedly impress. It is also available with free shipping until midnight August 21st. Hurry.

Use the Code ESHIPA8 at checkout.

at Illy the Matteo Thun Crystal Espresso Cups

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FrancisFrancis! X8 Hyper Espresso - Now Shipping

The espresso capsule entrant from Francis Francis is now shipping, bringing their style and quality to the market in a retro look that is a pretty cool addition to the line. The black unit with chrome accents is less than eight inches wide with a 15-bar pump inside to crank out the crema topped espressos day in and day out.

The patented capsule houses more than coffee, but quite a bit of technology as the full brew process takes place there, while the espresso never touches the machine - very easy for clean up. The two-stage capsule brews then emulsifies the oils, water and air to get a crema that is tall, full-bodies and long lasting. The capsules are available at Illy.com.

At Sur la Table - FrancisFrancis! X8 Espresso Machine

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Free WiFi at Starbucks - Finally back to the Coffeehouse Roots

I think all coffee shops should have free WiFi; I mean who doesn't? Somehow, the smell of the espresso, the newspapers lying around and the sound of the milk frother whipping up another latte, just fits with some Free WiFi. I am not talking camped out all day sipping one drip coffee hogging three tables with your papers type Free WiFi; I mean the We are thankful for your business and here's an oasis from the world, surf away type Free Wifi.

Well, if you hadn't heard, if you are a part of the Starbucks Rewards program, you can get free WiFi when you are at a company owned Starbucks. You do have to set up an AT&T; account, have a Starbucks card that is part of the rewards program and have used it in the past 30 days to get a free 2 hours of use per day. Not bad; grab a latte and grab a few hours of 'Net time.

More at Starbucks Rewards Site

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Krups 888-43 Caffee Centro 10-Cup Coffee/ Pump Espresso Combo Machine - Perfect for the Dorm?

A quick check of a few students heading back to school and they are looking for Combo Coffee units for their dorm room. Blame it on all those lattes at Starbucks or the local coffee shop in High School, but this batch of students likes coffee and likes good espresso. This means getting a decent maker, and on the espresso side, that means a pump driven machine.

The Krups Caffe Centro 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Driven Espresso machine might just be the reasonable combo unit that will look good and perform well late night, cramming for the next exam. There are a couple of things I like in the unit that make a lot of sense:

• Espresso and Coffee Maker in one space saving unit.
• It's a 15-bar pump driven espresso machine - better flavor and extractions
• The Espresso side has a 37-ounce reservoir - plenty for a lot of shots.
• The 10-cup coffee side is a nice bonus when you want straight cup of "Joe"
• Coffee Maker has a 2-hour timed shut-off safety feature
• Coffee Maker has a pause and serve type switch that allows you to grab a cup of coffee while still brewing.
• Finally - the Price. At the price just over $100, it means that you qualify for a special $20 off deal for items over $100; at this writing: $104 - $20 = $84. THe $20 deal requires you to use Bill-Me Later. If you don't want to use that, the $104 is a great price anyway. This is a pump driven machine and at this price point, you usually only get an inferior steam driven machine.

At Amazon - Krups Caffe Centro 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Driven Espresso Maker

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Health Effects of Coffee - Good and Bad

The NYT has a pretty good look at the health effects of coffee, and walks through what the science says. It walks through a lot of the issues that we've heard of over the years, coffee and Heart Disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, cancer, bone loss, weight loss, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes. Whew!

Net the article seems to say that the science is leaning in favor of moderate coffee consumption - good for us! Cheers, here's a double shot to you.

ReadMore at NYT

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Factory Reset on Nespresso Essenza C100

I ran into this the other day, and needed to reset my Essenza C100. After digging out the manual from a pile of papers, I figured I would save someone else some time.

Factory Reset Nespresso Essenza C100

1. Switch the unit off.

2. Press and hold the Big Cup Button.

3. Switch the unit on - that's it.

Programming the fill level is easy too. I was playing around with the buttons and such and messed mine up, so here's another easy set of things to do to get everything aligned again.

Program Fill Level Nespresso Essenza C100

1. Lift Lever and insert capsule.

2. Press and hold the button (which ever one you want to program) for at least 3 seconds

3. Release the button at the desired fill level - Done!

If you need the manual, you can download the very graphic, very basic manual at Nespresso (PDF Link).

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Jura Capresso Ena 5 Automatic Coffee Center - Thinnest Coffee Center

Jura Capresso broke the molds and started over with this one, the Jura Capresso ENA 5 has a lot of innovation packed into its slim shell. At less than ten inches wide, the unit is the slimmest Auto Coffee Canter on the market, offering a full bean to brew capability while only taking up inches of counter space.

Eco-Friendly Green is in - We all are pretty aware that conservation is a good idea, and the Ena comes with a Zer o Energy Switch, which fully disconnects the unit from the electrical grid, drawing zero power. Some people aren't aware of all the power consumed by those components around the house which by staying in "standby" mode, still gobble up power. Not the Jura Capresso Ena 5.

The unit also has a multi colored text display that allows you to quickly figure out what mode you are in: Red for a warning message, Yellow for programming and Green - ready for coffee.

While slim, it doesn't miss out on the features though:

JavaFit - Java with all the benefits

Did you want your Java with a little extra? Here's Javafit with a few varieties, including the Extreme Latte; with an extra kick of green tea extract. Diet Plus Latte - help shed some pounds with a little latte. Focus and Immune round out the line of these ready to drink 11-ounce packs that are sold in four packs. Easy to drink, and maybe a little extra while you enjoy your favorite drink.

More at JavaFit

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Caribou Iced Coffee

Tried these? Caribou has three flavors of iced coffee out for the warm summer months, that sound pretty good. Espresso, Regular and Vanilla; and I dig the bottles. Might just contain some powerful aid to make your stronger, smarter and more beautiful; twist drink, enjoy life.

More at Caribou Coffee

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Art Kept Me out of Jail - Espresso Cups

At Illy

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Cuisinart EM200 Espresso Machine Review

I have had the Cuisinart EM-200 for a while now, and have pumped hundreds of shots through it while playing with it and testing it. The Cuisinart EM-200 is a semi-automatic espresso machine that has a lot going for it. The unit has a great look backed up by the guts too; 15-bar pump 1050 watt boiler, and a pretty big reservoir.

The nice thing about the Cuisinart EM-200 is the semi-automatic capability that allows you to hit a button, and watch the unit brew right before your eyes, while you do something else; seconds later it will shut off leaving you with a good shot in your favorite cup time and time again. The EM-200 comes with three portafilter inserts, a single, a double and a pod holder. This makes for a good differentiation between what you are making and offers some good control over strength. the downside is storing the little buggers; I drop them in the drawer below the Espresso maker and fish around in there for them when I need to change.

See my Unboxing of the Cuisinart EM200 and my First Impressions Review of the EM200 for more information.

Continue reading: "Cuisinart EM200 Espresso Machine Review"

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