Nestle subsidiary Nespresso has built a $2.6 billion business with sleek espresso machines demanding single-serve pods only it can supply. But the Wall Street Journal says the company’s lock on the market is threatened both by rival machines and competing coffee capsules. Sara Lee (SLE) and a Swiss startup, Ethical Coffee Co., say they’ve found a chink in the company’s patent armor, and they’ve each used it to create cheaper alternatives for the 8 million people who own Nespresso machines. “The consumer wants the right taste and a good price,” says Ethical Coffee founder Jean-Paul Gaillard, who used to run Nespresso himself.
more info at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704388304575202402216730116.html?mod=WSJ_business_MediaMktNewsBucket

you have to be a Wall street journal subscriber though

Fun article, happy to share.

By Dominic Milner
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/main-course-articles/okay-i039ve-made-my-espresso-now-what-do-i-do-with-the-milk-2174901.html#axzz0lyJ2u1hj

I did all of the right things to make espresso at home. I bought myself a good espresso machine. I learned which espresso beans have the best taste and how to grind them to the correct fineness. I managed to insert the gadget with the grinds, known as a portafilter, into the espresso machine, lock it into place, turn on the machine and let her rip. Great espresso!

But I wanted a cappuccino. Sue wanted a latte. Time to figure out how to steam the milk.

Sue is always dieting, so she wants nonfat milk. I found out that low fat and nonfat milk foam really easily. Whole milk takes more practice. Same thing with half and half if you want a breve.

Some espresso machines have a built in steam nozzle and some don’t. You may need to buy a separate steamer. I recommend getting an espresso machine with one built in. Saves space.

The first thing to do is to put that stainless steel pitcher and milk into the refrigerator to get cold. Always start with them cold. And then my next learning curve came with remembering to fill the pitcher about a third to a half full. Milk expands really well when it’s steamed. It takes only once for it to foam up, overflow and hit the floor to remember to start with a pitcher no more than half full.

Start by putting the nozzle on the surface of the milk and turning the steam on full. The milk is going to begin to foam, so keep lowering the pitcher so that the nozzle is just under the surface of the milk. About a half inch will do fine. You can turn down the pressure when the foam really begins to rise, or just take the pitcher away. Now the milk is just about at the boiling point.

Now here is something important. Don’t let it boil. This is another way to get the milk to overflow the pitcher. Or even worse, it will taste burnt. Ugh. Nasty.

Your steamed milk should have little bubbles all the way through it, and there should be a light foam on the top. There you are. That’s it. Now you go make whatever espresso drink you want.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/asia/18civetcoffee.html?pagewanted=2&ref=world&src=me

By NORIMITSU ONISHI

SAGADA, the Philippines — Goad Sibayan went prospecting recently in the remote Philippine highlands here known as the Cordillera. He clambered up and then down a narrow, rocky footpath that snaked around some hills, paying no heed to coffins that, in keeping with a local funeral tradition, hung very conspicuously from the surrounding sheer cliffs.
The New York Times

More than 30 families are involved in the civet coffee business in Liwa.

Reaching a valley where coffee trees were growing abundantly, he scanned the undergrowth where he knew the animals would relax after picking the most delicious coffee cherries with their claws and feasting on them with their fangs. His eyes settled on a light, brownish clump atop a rock. He held it in his right palm and, gently slipping it into a little black pouch, whispered:

“Gold!”

Not quite. But Mr. Sibayan’s prize was the equivalent in the world of rarefied coffees: dung containing the world’s most expensive coffee beans.

Costing hundreds of dollars a pound, these beans are found in the droppings of the civet, a nocturnal, furry, long-tailed catlike animal that prowls Southeast Asia’s coffee-growing lands for the tastiest, ripest coffee cherries. The civet eventually excretes the hard, indigestible innards of the fruit — essentially, incipient coffee beans — though only after they have been fermented in the animal’s stomach acids and enzymes to produce a brew described as smooth, chocolaty and devoid of any bitter aftertaste.

As connoisseurs in the United States, Europe and East Asia have discovered civet coffee in recent years, growing demand is fueling a gold rush in the Philippines and Indonesia, the countries with the largest civet populations. Harvesters are scouring forest floors in the Philippines, where civet coffee has emerged as a new business. In Indonesia, where the coffee has a long history, enterprising individuals are capturing civets and setting up minifarms, often in their backyards.

Neither the Indonesian government nor the Association of Indonesia Coffee Exporters breaks down civet coffee’s tiny share of Indonesia’s overall coffee production. The Association of Indonesian Coffee Luwak Farmers, created in 2009 to handle the rising demand for civet coffee, or kopi luwak, as it is called in Indonesian, said most civet producers were small-time businessmen who exported directly overseas.

Given the money at stake, fake and low-grade civet coffee beans are also flooding the market.

“Because of its increasing popularity, there is more civet coffee than ever, but I don’t trust the quality,” said Rudy Widjaja, 68, whose 131-year-old family-owned coffee store in Jakarta, Warung Tinggi, is considered Indonesia’s oldest.

Competition is touching off fierce debates. What is real civet coffee, anyway? Does the civet’s choice of beans make the coffee? Or is it the beans’ journey through the animal’s digestive tract? Can the aroma, fragrance and taste of beans from the droppings of a caged civet ever be as tasty as those from its wild cousin?

Vie Reyes, whose Manila-based company, Bote Central, entered the civet coffee business five years ago, said she bought only from harvesters of the wild kind. Ms. Reyes exports to distributors overseas — Japan and South Korea are her biggest markets — and also directly sells 2.2-pound bags for $500, or about $227 a pound.

Maintaining quality was a constant challenge because distinguishing the real stuff from the fake was never easy. One time, harvesters sold her regular beans glued to unidentified dung.

“I washed it,” she said. “But the glue wouldn’t come off.”

One of her suppliers, Mr. Sibayan, 37, buys beans from collectors throughout the Cordillera, a mountainous region in the north that can be reached only after a punishing 12-hour drive from Manila. On a recent day, he dropped by to see the Pat-ogs, who own a 1.7-acre lot just outside this town.

Until Mr. Sibayan began buying their civet coffee four years ago, the Pat-ogs had never given much thought to the droppings left behind by the civets that came to munch on the family’s coffee trees at night. They discarded the beans or mixed them with regular beans they sold to agents. Now, they were getting about $9 a pound for the civet beans, or about five times the price of regular coffee beans, which, furthermore, required labor-intensive harvesting.

Mr. Sibayan inspected their batch and said he would pay just under top-grade price. He had found some impurities — inferior beans that the civet had spat out; beans chewed on, not by civets, but bats — that were indiscernible to all but Mr. Sibayan’s expert eye or, rather, tongue.

Licking one bean, he explained that real civet coffee beans should have lost their natural sweetness and acquired a rough texture. “This is pure, good quality,” he said, adding, “Once, some farmers tried to fool me by slightly roasting regular beans to remove the sweetness.”

Alberto Pat-og, 60, a retired school principal, said he did not understand why foreigners were willing to pay so much for a cup of the stuff.

“We are a bit surprised,” he said. “A bit perplexed.”

His son, Lambert, 20, added, with a big grin, “We are ignorant.”

The Pat-ogs wished they could expand their business but said there were simply not enough civets around. Compounding the problem, farmers around these parts tended to trap civets, which also have a taste for chicken. Local residents still prized civets less for their coffee-picking ability than their meat, which was typically dried before being prepared adobo-style.

“It’s very difficult to convince my neighbors not to kill civets because they’re considered such a delicacy here,” the father said.

In Indonesia, too, a shrinking civet population is creating obstacles for those hoping to ride the civet coffee boom. Civet coffee has long been centered in the western island of Sumatra, where a growing human population, economic development and deforestation have eroded their habitats.

Mr. Widjaja, the Jakarta store owner, said that the Dutch, who ruled Indonesia for more than three centuries, and Japanese soldiers, who occupied the country during World War II, were the most die-hard drinkers of civet coffee. But the coffee all but disappeared after the late 1950s, he said, and resurfaced on the market only after its reputation began spreading overseas. After he began fielding inquiries in 2007 from interested buyers in the United States, Japan and Taiwan, he secured a regular supply of wild civet coffee and began selling it only last year — at $150 a pound.

In Liwa, a small town in southwestern Sumatra, more than 30 families were involved in civet coffee.

Mega Kurniawan, 28, entered the business two years ago by setting up shop in the backyard of his family home. He had already expanded to three other locations and was now in civets full time. With a total of 102 civets, he gathered about 550 pounds of beans a month.

During the day, Mr. Kurniawan’s civets slept inside their small wooden cages before growing active at dusk. At night, the animals ate from fresh plates of coffee cherries, replenished every two hours, or paced back and forth at a brisk, caffeinated clip.

Though caged, the civets ate only about half of the beans placed before them, choosing only the best specimens, Mr. Kurniawan insisted. He dismissed connoisseurs’ criticism that stress felt by the caged animals invariably affected the taste of the beans.

“It’s the same,” he said, acknowledging, however, that some buyers preferred wild civet coffee. “Maybe it’s the prestige.”

A few blocks away, Ujang Suryana, 62, had his own firm opinions about what constituted real civet coffee. A reflexologist, Mr. Suryana began moonlighting in civets three months ago after catching a local television report on the brew’s popularity abroad. He pooled $1,000 to buy three civets and cages.

He had already found a way to increase the civets’ output exponentially by mechanically stripping the coffee beans from the cherries and mixing them in a banana mash. The civets gobbled it all up. This way, no beans were wasted. What is more, he had raised the dung production from 2.2 pounds a week to a whopping 6.6 pounds a day.

But wasn’t Mr. Suryana denying the civet its renowned ability to sniff out the best beans?

He scrunched up his face as if to wave away the suggestion. “The most important thing is that the beans go through its stomach and are fermented,” he said. “It all tastes the same, anyway.”

Another good source for Espresso lovers

Source:http://www.baanling.com/coffee-pods-articles/espresso-machine-101-a-guide-to-making-espresso/

A person who operates an espresso machine to a life of a bartender. Equivalent to traditional cooking, knowledge and skills necessary for the best espresso drinks do a job in Italy. Bartenders will be increasingly in the United States recognizes it as such.

When you make a shot of espresso is called, take a shot. This is because the traditional espresso machine that is used Barista required to tow a long handle to produce a hit. For a single Espresso shots, from 7 to 10 grams of finely ground (almost a powder), coffee is required. For a double shot used is 12-18 grams. A single shot espresso is 30 ml of liquid, a double shot is 60 ml.

Can be produced in front of the house must be stuffed. To block expressed in the bartender had to compress the ground coffee in a thick disk. The process of beer production begins, it is almost boiling (90 degrees), even if the coffee under pressure. Espresso is the result.

If the water is too cold, the coffee will be bitter. If the water is forced through the coffee too hot, the drinks will be bitter. The best espresso machines control the temperature of the water that is always within a few degrees, the ideal temperature.

This process of fermentation extracts and emulsified oils in ground coffee, producing a thick, rich drink. A shot of espresso is about 25 to 30 seconds passed the puck and ground coffee into the cup sitting in the car waiting for the espresso. This is an ideal area, and the water, stopper and the degree of grinding can have an influence on this time zone. Cup that you drink the coffee is called by a demitasse, and where better to be preheated.

Source: http://www.diagolo.com/espresso-machines/espresso-coffee-pods-what-are-they

I am not in the favor of the coffee pods, but I have a couple of friends who are very satisfied with their pod enabled espresso machines. Coffee pod have a huge market share in espresso business. Therefore for some of you who would like to learn more about espresso/coffee pods this article might give you the insight. Enjoy!

Have you ever wanted an espresso machine to hurry up and give you an espresso before it was actually finished with the job? There are actually many automatic espresso coffee machines on the market today, but the automatic feature of the machines simply don’t make them one bit quicker. In fact, waiting for a good ol’ cup of espresso probably will even make you late for work if you get the machine started later than normal on a work day. However, there is one way to speed up the process and that is with an espresso coffee pod. If you have never tried using a coffee pod at all then you are probably in for a pleasant surprise, but an espresso coffee pod is something for all espresso beverage lovers that want their cup of espresso on-demand!

How the Espresso Coffee Pod Works

An espresso coffee drinker that likes his or her espresso made just right may be a bit skeptical at the sight of an espresso coffee pod. After all, espresso beverages are supposed to be made with care and espresso maker machines are practically the only way that can be done. On the other hand, espresso coffee pods can be a great tool for those people who are always on the go because all the flavor and benefits of the espresso stay the same.

What the espresso coffee pod is, though, is essentially like a regular looking coffee pot that will automatically make instant coffee for you. If you have ever been to the grocery store then you probably have seen the many different espresso products on the market, but one of these is the espresso coffee beans that are ground up and already pre-packaged. Essentially, these pre-packaged espresso coffee beans are the tool that you’re going to use to make the espresso in the morning. The coffee beans are placed between the coffee filters and the machine is turned on, allowing a great cup of espresso to be made.

Of course, these coffee pods are also designed to work with many of the espresso machines on the market so buying them with the concern that they won’t work for you is unnecessary. Many people feel that the espresso coffee pods that they can purchase in a grocery store, though, essentially has all of the same great taste that an espresso is known for. The only difference with these coffee pods, though, is the fact that the espresso is able to be made much quicker than a regular cup of espresso would take in a normal coffee espresso maker machine. Buying them regularly from the grocery store would save a lot of time, especially in the mornings when you may be rushed anyway!

If you have never tried one of these espresso coffee pods, however, rest assured that many people throughout the world use them to obtain the best cup of espresso possible, but just at a faster rate. Espresso coffee pods are readily available most anywhere, though, which makes finding them a breeze as well!

For you – cappuccino lovers ( including me)

Source: http://www.prlog.org/10583186-cappuccino-espresso-machines-6-easy-steps-to-make-your-own-coffee.html

By Samantha Smart.

Cappuccino and espresso are usually dark, rich, delightful brews typically enjoyed in small amounts as dessert coffees. This fragrance captivates the gourmet coffee enthusiast.

Cappuccino and espresso are usually dark, rich, delightful brews typically enjoyed in small amounts as dessert coffees. This fragrance captivates the gourmet coffee enthusiast. With the proper equipment, along with a ability to follow directions, you will have a brew that will be the envy of the Capuchin monks for whom the rich coffee was named. Making cappuccino isn’t quite as easy as brewing typical drip coffee. Pressure is a key factor in the function of a cappuccino espresso machine. One more difference is the fact that boiled water is forced through the coffee grounds. Take time to get thoroughly familiar with your cappuccino espresso machine prior to attempting to make your initial cup of this well-known coffee. Many people who are unsatisfied with their cappuccino espresso machines haven’t carefully read and followed the directions.

Step 1. Fill the glass carafe with enough water to make the amount of espresso wanted, plus a little extra water for frothing milk. The carafe will be marked on the side so you know how many cups you’re making.

Step 2. Make the espresso. This is a lot like preparing coffee and you may simply set the machine and allow it to brew. Typically, this will involve heating up the water and forcing it through the coffee grounds. You can actually buy your espresso pre-made if you wish so that you could get to your cappuccino sooner. Cappuccino espresso machines are made to steam and froth milk, so it does not matter all that much where your espresso comes from.

Step 3. Fill the frothing pitcher approximately 50 % full with cold skim milk. This milk will eventually end up being turned in to the delicious foam on top of the cappuccino.

Step 4. Set the machine to froth the milk. Set the machine at the position indicated by a “cup” icon. Move the selector switch to the “O” position when the espresso reaches the steaming mark on the carafe.

Step 5. Froth the milk. Place the steam nozzle about halfway into the frothing pitcher that contains the milk. Turn the switch to the “steam” position and leave it there for around one minute. After frothing, let the milk settle prior to turning the switch back to the “cup” position in the final step of making the espresso.

Step 6 Create your cappuccino. Fill your mug with espresso then add steamed milk and frothed milk. Congratulations you have made your first coffee using a Cappuccino Espresso Machine. Enjoy!!