Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-an-Espresso-Machine-a-Good-Choice?&id=6293536
By Sharon V Chapman

Drive through any city and it is practically impossible not to see at least one coffee shop. The reason of this goes beyond coffee and lies in espresso and coffee based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. Consumers have come to realize that an espresso machine for their kitchen might be a better choice than a coffee maker. Before going out and buying an espresso maker from the nearest big box retailer, consumers should weigh whether or not it will be to their advantage.

A home espresso machine can be a money saving appliance if the owner is a heavy coffee drinker who prefers cappuccino or latte over a typical cup of coffee. The average price of a latte or cappuccino can be upwards of $5. This can become an expensive habit that owning an espresso machine can help to eliminate.

On the other hand, the coffee drinker who only rarely drinks cappuccino or latte may wind up spending money on an espresso maker that they rarely use which means they don’t get their money out of it. These coffee drinkers are probably better off simply stopping and getting their favorite drink when they have the urge.

Many people avoid purchasing an espresso maker because they are afraid it will be hard to use. That might have been true years ago before the designers made espresso machines for home use. Learning to pull a shot of espresso with the older machines is a complicated experience and not something many people would want to do every morning.

Today’s espresso machines are available in fully automatic models that require little more than adding water. The fully automatic models dose the coffee into the filter basket, brew the coffee and empty the basket all without any input from the coffee drinker. This eliminates the need for lengthy studying and reading manuals to make a cup of coffee.

One of the best reasons for owning an espresso machine is the convenience of having a coffee shop at home anytime the urge hits for an espresso or after dinner drink made with a coffee base. True coffee lovers will attest that not much can be worse than craving a steaming hot cappuccino or espresso and realizing that to get one means leaving home and driving to the nearest coffee shop. Having an espresso maker at home makes it easy to brew up an espresso anytime day or night.

An espresso machine is an excellent choice for coffee drinkers who like their espresso, cappuccino or latte drinks and don’t want to continue shelling out the big bucks necessary to have on every day. Today’s home espresso makers are simple to use, take up very little space and can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Coffee lovers should consider this when making decisions for the small appliances they want in their kitchen.

This is my beauty:

Source: http://articles.worldprofit.com/2010/10/31/how-a-good-quality-espresso-machine-means-espresso-enjoyment/
By TriciaJones

There was a time when you ordered a cup of coffee and knew what exactly you would be getting. However today with so many options and varieties of coffee available on the market, I sometimes wonder what else magical can be done using coffee beans and hot water.
The Italian coffee drink “espresso” which is famous all over the world is produced using an espresso machines. After the invention of the machine in 1901 there have been lots of design and technical changes done in order to make espresso coffee taste even better.
Right from cappuccinos to lattes or to just a simple espresso, drinking coffee has become a vital part of our daily routine and even a source of social gatherings. There are coffee houses in many cities and towns in the UK and most cafes and restaurants have an espresso machine.
There is an art to creating a fine quality espresso. The person who operates the machine in a coffee house is known as Barista who would learn the skill through in house training or a special training. In the old style machine there use to be a long handle and therefore espresso is actually also referred to as “pulling a shot”.
The latest espresso machines have had more advanced and sophisticated features added to them to make brewing much faster. However the taste and flavor of the coffee depends on the fineness of the grind. Today most of the espresso machines use retrofits or PID controllers. Technically speaking it is used for maintaining the rising temperature and helps in producing great quality espresso.
There are a wide variety of espresso makers in the market today and these are designed bearing in mind the consumers needs and usage.
If you are looking for a coffee maker for home use you can really take your pick. You can choose according to your needs and usage or indeed your spending power. If you want to go for a fully automatic machine that does everything for you except drink it then be prepared to pay a premium price.
When making your selection you need to consider the size and make sure that you have enough room for your coffee machine as different machines can range from counter top models to the size of a mini refrigerator. Also make sure that your machine which comes with at least a one year guarantee so that in the case of damage you can get it replaced or repaired free during that time.
For an espresso lover, investing in a good coffee maker can save a lot of money on what might be spent in expensive coffee houses. Imagine sitting in the comfort of your home on your own or with your family and friends with a hot cup of delicious espresso coffee, just as good and at a fraction of the cost. A good quality espresso machine will bring years of espresso enjoyment.

Source:http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-14/lavazza-may-consider-boosting-green-mountain-stake.html
By Armorel Kenna

Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) — Luigi Lavazza SpA, the coffee company founded by Italy’s Lavazza family in 1895, said it may increase its stake in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.

“In the future, if Green Mountain decides to make acquisitions, maybe Lavazza can help and increase its stake,” Giuseppe Lavazza, vice president of the company, said in an interview in Milan today.

Lavazza agreed to buy a 7 percent stake for $250 million in Green Mountain in August to expand in the U.S., three months after Green Mountain acquired Diedrich Coffee Inc., a maker of single-serving coffee packets. The companies plan to jointly develop single-serve espresso machines and capsules, and Green Mountain may sell Lavazza’s machines in the U.S. and Canada.

Green Mountain said last month that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating how it recognizes revenue and the relationship with one of its vendors. The SEC informed Green Mountain about the probe on Sept. 20, requesting documents and other information, according to a Sept. 28 regulatory filing.

The Italian company isn’t “afraid” of the SEC probe, Lavazza said. “We know the company quite well and we think it has high potential for developing in the country.”

Green Mountain, based in Waterbury, Vermont, gained 65 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $30.19 at 1:22 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. They have gained 11 percent this year, giving the company a market value of almost $4 billion.

Turin, Italy-based Lavazza’s sales fell to 1.1 billion euros ($1.55 billion) in 2009 from 1.12 billion euros the year before.

Source: http://www.espressomachines-review.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-making-java/
See How To Brew Coffee. It is one thing to buy a coffee maker. The only way to make it last a few years is knowing the do’s and don’ts because it takes money to have this repaired or buy a new one.

Here are some Do’s that people should remember.

1. Coffee machines need to be stored in a clean and dry place when these are not in use. When this is brought out, this has to be placed a few feet away from other appliances to ensure maximum freshness at all times.

2. Before making a cup, it will be a good idea to check how many will be drinking. This will prevent wastage that often happens when this is not properly calculated. A good indicator will be a tablespoon per cup.

3. If the coffee will be brewing for 30 minutes to an hour, it is best to use a thermal carafe. This will ensure that the flavor stays the same as though this was just made.

4. The decanter should be cleaned on a daily basis. One way to make the job easier will be to throw away the old filters and grounds immediately since this could affect the taste when a new batch is prepared the following day.

5. Lastly, the rest of the coffee machine must be cleaned at least once a week. The person should dismantle each part and clean this using water, a washcloth and some vinegar if there are any hard stains.

The don’ts for brewing coffee are the following;

1. The person must never mix old coffee with a new one. This dilutes the taste which affects the flavor in the new pot.

2. Most machines have timers that will keep the coffee warm. The user must never turn it on again to reheat below a temperature of 175 degrees because this will also affect the flavoring.

3. Although it is still safe to drink, the individual must never serve coffee after the freshness date.

4. Coffee maker owners should never wash away the decanter or pot with just water alone. This should be done with soap because acids and other organic elements may affect the overall taste of the new batch.

People who know the do’s and don’ts will have a better chance of enjoying the rich taste of coffee as though this was just purchased from the store. Guests will be able to know the difference if such practices are not being done at home.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704913704575453790784473302.html

By CHRISTINA PASSARIELLO And LAURENCE ILIFF

CUICHAPA, Mexico—From the lush Veracruz forests in Mexico all the way to Indonesia, Nestlé SA is cultivating a new investment: a $487 million global push to increase the quantity and quality of its coffee.

Nestlé—the Swiss company whose Nescafé instant coffee and upscale Nespresso brewing machines make it the world’s largest coffee company—plans to train thousands of farmers over 10 years and provide them with new coffee trees. The company won’t own the plantations or bind farmers into long-term contracts, but Chief Executive Paul Bulcke thinks the relationship it develops with the farmers will lead them to sell to Nestlé.

“We shouldn’t just be the world’s biggest coffee buyer, we should be involved upstream,” says Mr. Bulcke, who was scheduled to present the company’s plan in Mexico City on Friday. “We’re doing it for better quality and securing our raw material.”

The push comes as food companies such as Nestlé, Unilever and Kraft Foods Inc. struggle for better control of essential ingredients such as coffee, cocoa, wheat and milk. The effort has become more urgent in recent years, as volatile raw-material prices have wreaked havoc on margins, boosting profit one year, sinking it the next. Prices for coffee beans recently reached nearly 13-year highs because of bad weather.

Yet the coffee industry also faces long-term problems. Farmers persist with older trees that yield fewer and lower-quality beans. Nestlé, which makes pantry staples such as Kit-Kat chocolate bars, Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Nestea iced tea, this month predicted a “challenging” second half because of rising commodities prices.

Nestlé’s coffee investment follows a similar move in cocoa last year. The company committed $106 million to replanting cocoa trees in Ivory Coast in West Africa with a more robust variety engineered by Nestlé’s scientists. Nestlé in the past has had coffee-planting projects in countries such as Mexico, Thailand and the Philippines. But the new one will involve more than 10 times as many trees as the last.

Other companies also are wrestling for more control over their agricultural ingredients. France’s LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton helps farmers for Champagne grapes with growing and harvesting to ensure supply for such brands as Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon.

Nestlé invented instant coffee in the 1930s to preserve a bumper Brazilian coffee harvest. Now, emerging markets are driving much of the growth in instant coffee. Consumers in countries such as China, Thailand and Mexico are becoming coffee drinkers via instant brew. Half of Nescafé sales now derive from emerging markets.

But Nestlé also is catering to high-quality coffee trends in more-affluent countries. Nespresso, a system of espresso machines using capsules of high-quality ground coffee, has propelled Nestlé into the lucrative and fast-growing premium coffee market.

Despite the high cost of this coffee—about 42 cents a shot—Nespresso survived cautious consumer spending during the economic downturn. That’s because coffee drinkers saved money by brewing at home instead of going to a café. Nespresso sales rose 30% last year.

Nestlé’s aim is for the new initiative to boost sales. To prepare for that, Nestlé is building its largest instant-coffee plant, outside Mexico City, which will produce jars of Nescafé for Mexico, Canada and the U.S. The coffee also will be used for Nestlé’s high-end coffee.

Some of that coffee will start its journey in the coffee-growing region of Mexico’s Veracruz state. Farmers are preparing for the harvest, which starts next month and runs until March.

In the Barrio de Guadalupe village in Veracruz, peasant farmers care for a special coffee crop. The 100,000 knee-high trees represent a new breed of plants that Nestlé developed by cross-breeding varieties in its research center in France. The plants have been developed for the region’s climate to generate more beans, resist disease, and reach a midsize height that makes them easier to harvest by hand. The plantings in Veracruz essentially make up a pilot program that will spread globally.

“No other mainstream coffee roaster in the world is doing this, none,” says Orlando García of Nestlé Commodities and Supply Development, based in Marysville, Ohio. His job is to look decades down the road and make sure the company has supplies in sufficient quantity and quality to continue making a variety of coffee products, including Nespresso pods.

Until recently, the outlook was poor for Mexican coffee farming and many farmers abandoned coffee when prices plummeted.

Now Nestlé is developing a new generation of robusta plants and arabica plants in Mexico. Of the 100,000 trees in the Veracruz plantation, 60% are robusta, or relatively inexpensive beans that make up the bulk of instant coffee, and 40% are arabica, which are used in higher-end coffee but can only be grown at high elevations, limiting their potential. They are just a tiny fraction of the 220 million plants that Nestlé will distribute to coffee growers world-wide over the next 10 years.

Some farmers worry that Nestlé’s favoring of robusta beans is taking Mexico down the wrong path. Rather, they say, growers should seek higher-end markets, like those for organic arabica, which generate above-average prices.

“There has to be a balance,” says Angelino Espinoza Mata, who heads a small coffee-growers’ organization in the Huasteco region of Veracruz. “Each region has its own characteristics.”

Despite the major investment in the new plants, Nestlé is not locking the recipients of the plantlets into contracts.

“It’s not possible and it’s not fair,” says Mr. Bulcke, the Nestlé CEO. “We want to build a relationship where the farmer wants to sell to us.”

To do that, part of the company’s plan involves offering farming and harvesting advice to 10,000 farmers world-wide. Nestlé will also double the amount of coffee it buys directly, so that it buys directly from 170,000 growers.

Veracruz farmers seem ready to return the favor. Coffee-cooperative organizer Hildiberto Escobar says of the 1,000 producers he represents, 600 are working with Nestlé and intend to sell to the company.

“Price is important, but so is the attention and the commitment they have shown us,” he says. “That certainty is very important.”

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Cappuccino+Prince/3366000/story.html

By John Gilchrist

Back in the days before triple-grande caramel frappuccinos, before minivans with mega-cupholders, before Phil and Sebastian were even a twinkle in their parents’ eyes, Vince Izzo was at the forefront of the Calgary coffee scene. Arriving here from Pietramelara, Italy in 1968, Izzo knew he’d need a good cup of coffee. So he brought along an espresso maker and began sourcing beans from Italian roasters in Toronto and Vancouver.

When Izzo shared his coffee with friends, they liked what they tasted and asked him to bring in some beans for them, too. Then a few restaurants wanted espresso machines so they called on Izzo. Soon, Vince Izzo Imports was born.

Izzo fed and caffeinated the Calgary Italian community with the creation of the Napoli Sports Club (1974) and then broadened his reach with La Dolce Vita (1978). By the early 1980s his burgeoning import business (he’d changed the name to Cappuccino King) consumed all his time so he sold his restaurant interests. Huge art nouveau brass-and-copper Elektra espresso machines– the ones that look like R2D2–were his signature item. They held pride of place in long-lost joints like Mancini’s, Cafe Le Chat, and the original Divino.

Cappuccino King has reigned over a caffeine kingdom for more than three decades. And now, with King Vince retired to sunnier climes in Penticton, the throne has been passed to son Peter. Some call him the Cappuccino Prince, if only because, as Peter says, “It’s too expensive to organize a palace coup.”

Peter Izzo grew up around the coffee business. He tasted his first espresso at about the age of 12 but pulled his first years before that. “As soon as I was tall enough to reach the handle on the old pull-style machines,” he says. But he decided that coffee wasn’t his calling, so he traded in his espresso-pulling skills for a teenage job pumping gas. Then he worked on the railroad for a while. But eventually, the coffee business drew him back in. He began servicing the many machines that his father had sold to local restaurants and cafes. And just as he had with the coffee itself, he became hooked on the business.

Izzo now oversees all aspects of the business: handling sales, servicing new high-tech coffee machines, and providing the products to go along with them: tampers, Italian syrups, home-roasting kits, the new “red” rooibos espresso. And beans. Continuing the blend Vince developed with a Montreal roaster back in the 1970s, Peter now has it roasted locally at Kienna Coffee.

Izzo and Cappuccino King also support the local coffee industry and the many people who work in it. Three years ago, he helped create the Prairies Regional Barista Competition, which feeds into national and global contests. This year’s event goes tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 7) at Fratello Coffee Roasters (4021 9th St. S.E.). The top ten baristas in the prairie provinces will compete to see who pulls the best shots and who makes the best espresso-based drinks. (The event kicks off at 8:30 a.m.; admission is $5.) The top three will move on to the national championships in Toronto later this year.

Izzo sees the coffee business as always changing, always improving, always broadening its consumer base. “Good espresso is mainstream now,” he says. It’s taken over 40 years, but these days the Izzos can have a good cup of coffee almost anywhere. And they don’t have to bring their own espresso machine anymore.

Cappuccino King is located at 410 23rd Ave. N.E., 403-277-5169.