The Coffee Spill

When it comes to coffee there are a lot of fancy words out there. Each one stands for a new piece of equipment, a new brew method, or so forth. Espresso is one of those words. You can find espresso on cafe menus, on bags of roasted beans, and on a variety of specialized coffee machines. So, what is espresso?

Espresso Beans

In the coffee making process, the first time you will hear the word “espresso” is in term of a specific kind of beans. Many people believe that there is something special about these beans that make them the only option for making espresso drinks. However, that isn’t the case. The term is really used to describe a dark and rich roast of beans. These beans are often used to make the coffee, espresso. However, you can use espresso beans in a variety of different types of brewed coffee including the type you brew in your drip coffee maker (as long as you like dark, bold roasts).

Espresso Grind

The next time in the coffee making process that you may hear the word espresso is in the grind. An espresso grind is finely ground up in order to make the best espresso possible in a maker that is designed to be used to make espresso. This doesn’t mean that the espresso grind can only be used to make espresso, but that is it’s most common use.

Espresso Maker

Espresso is usually made with pressure. This pressure forces hot water through the tightly packed fine ground coffee to make the espresso. Because of this most espresso makers are of the electric sort in a wide range of prices and quality. Some also call a small silver pot a “stove top espresso maker”. While this pot makes strong coffee, it isn’t technically espresso and the pot is traditionally called a Moka pot.

Espresso Coffee

Espresso is a very strong coffee. It is thick, rich, and brews very quickly. In many cultures drinking a small cup of espresso is common. In the United States most people enjoy their espresso in a different kind of drink. This includes an Americano where the espresso is combined with hot water to give a weaker cub of coffee. Other drinks include lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas. These drinks are combined with milk and are often flavored.

Espresso is a great beverage. However, the word is well used and knowing what all falls into the category. Knowing your coffee will help you to enjoy it even more.

In an ideal world everyone who wanted to have better coffee and grind their own would be able to afford the Ranicilio Rocky Burr Coffee Grinder with a price tag around $300 or an even more expensive variety of coffee grinder. However, we don’t live in a perfect world and just because we love coffee doesn’t mean that we can dish out hundreds of dollars for a coffee grinder. So, for all of the coffee lovers out there who want to have the best coffee, but just don’t have the money for all the equipment here are the best coffee grinders under $100.

We really wanted a grinder, but money is usually tight around here. The first time we bought a $20 grinder. It was cheap and we had no idea what to expect of our random (off the shelf) impulse buy. The truth was really disappointing. The ground coffee was the perfect picture of “boulders and dust”. There were lots of large chunks combined with a lot of dusty pieces. So, we put it on the shelf and only tried to use it on occasion. Come Christmas the following year we were once again impulsive with the idea that “you get what you pay for”. Well this time we grabbed a $50 machine on sale for $35. This machine did produce better results then the one before it. However, for the most part all the different settings produced coffee that was pretty much the same and it too had some boulders and dust issues. It is on top of our cupboards to this day. We have yet to buy a really good grinder, so this research will help me decide whether or not we will try an inexpensive machine (my husband really wants us to get into roasting our own coffees which will require we have a grinder) or whether we will hold out until we have $300 for a more reliable machine.

Burr Coffee Grinders Under $100

As a rule of thumb, burr grinders are better than grinders that use a blade and conical burr grinders are better than just any burr grinder. However, these machines usually cost more money. You can still find a few options that are highly rated and under $100, but you will be paying closer to the hundred than the $20 or $30 that you will spend for different grinder so it will depend on how much you are looking to spend.

Capresso 560.04 Infinity Commercial Grade Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Bundle with Grindz Cleaner

While the Capresso 560.04 Infinity Commercial Grand Conical Burr Grinder comes in at barely under $100 it is worth mentioning. This is an upgrade to the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder. You can still get the older and very highly rated one for less money then the newest variety. This is something to keep in mind when you are picking out the one that you want. Additionally, there are a lot fewer reviews on the newer model and more than 800 on the old one.

This coffee grinder is supposed to be able to grind coffee at lower speeds and therefore with less heat (reserving the flavor of your coffee beans). It is supposed to be able to grind consistently at a wide range of grinds so that it can be used for espresso, drip coffee, percolator coffee, and for French press coffee. It holds up to 4 ounces of coffee at one time and grinds in 1 minute or less depending on your grinding needs.

The reviews say that the newest Capresso Infinity machine does indeed grind consistently and it is also very quiet for a coffee grinder. The only complaints from reviewers are that it has some static which causes some of the coffee to gently stick to the side of the collection container. This isn’t a major problem, but should still be noted.

If you have a full $100 to spend and you aren’t in need of a fancy colored machine (such as the Bodum Bistro offers) then this is a great machine for the price. There are better machines out there, but you will be paying a lot more for them ($300 or more).

Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

The Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder made it onto our list of best conical burr grinder for a reason. While it isn’t the best, it is a really good grinder and more affordable for many people. While it is a lot more expensive then a $30 or $20 grinder, there are a number of reasons that this grinder is worth it for a lot of people.

This coffee grinder has 14 settings which makes it easier to grind a variety of textures from your beans. It has a glass catch container that reduces the static electricity so that you don’t lose all your beans stuck to the side of the container. Additionally the hopper makes it possible to grind a fair amount of beans at one time. It also comes in a variety of colors including black, orange, red, green, and white.

This coffee grinder has more than 280 reviews with a 4.5 rating out of 5 stars. That’s pretty impressive. It’s positives are high quality materials used to make it, good coffee grinds for French press and drip brewed coffee, and a long life. However, the negatives include that it won’t grind fine enough for most espresso lovers and it also tends to run in short spurts making it hard to get a lot of coffee out of it. Even with the negative reviews it seems that this is a great option if you are looking for a conical burr grinder in this price range.

Krups GX600050 Conical Burr Grinder

The Krups GX600050 Conical Burr Grinder doesn’t have very many reviews yet, but at a $50 price tag and the features of a more expensive conical burr grinder. The reviews that it does have are all positive, it just doesn’t have that many.

It features 20 grind settings so you can pick out the grind that you want. It also allows you to grind 2 to 20 cups worth of coffee. It has easy controls and even a one touch control panel. This is a coffee grinder without a high power motor so it should do the job with a good amount of force, but it shouldn’t heat your coffee grinds up. When coffee grinds get hot they release a great deal of their flavor and that in turn reduces the flavor of your coffee. This machine shouldn’t do that. All in all, if you are willing to gamble a bit and you want to try a conical burr grinder without dishing out more than you might want to give the Krups conical burr grinder a try.

A Hand Coffee Grinder Under $100

I am always learning more and more about coffee, ways to make coffee, and coffee equipment. While I wasn’t really shocked by these hand grinder, I was pleasantly surprised that they have high ratings. This intrigues me and I really want to add one of these to my ever growing list of items I desire to own. I have to be careful though, with limited space it could be really easy to outgrow our house on coffee tools, equipment, and supplies alone!

Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder

For just over $30 you can get this easy to clean hand mill. It holds 1 cup of coffee, isn’t very large and has a space saver with slim design, and it has a handle to grind it at the top. This is a highly rated coffee grinder with a 4.5 star rating out of five stars and with 100 customer reviews.

This is a very small grinder that stands around 7″ high and 2″ wide. It definitely feels like a mini coffee grinder. It has a nut on the bottom that can be used to adjust the grind of the coffee so you can grind coarse to fine coffee. It does take some work to get the coffee ground up and the finest grind is really hard to work. It also only grinds a little bit of coffee at a time so it is best for personal use and for grinding right before you use it and not grinding up a whole bunch of coffee at one time. This is a great working

The Best Coffee Grinders Under $50

Mr Coffee IDS77-NP Coffee Grinder

This machine’s reviews aren’t as fantastic as the others listed on this page, but I thought it was worth mentioning because it has pretty good reviews and it has some really awesome features as well as a unique look.

The Mr Coffee IDS77-NP Coffee Grinder has a removable grind chamber. This lets you fill it up really easily and it’s easy to clean because this portion is stuck in the dishwasher whenever you need to clean it. It also has an LED control panel that lets you set how much coffee you are grinding (from 4 to 12 cups) and how fine you want it (three settings). These things are really unheard of in a grinder this price. Plus it has a cleaning system that removes the grinds from the sides of the grinder chamber. This makes your job easier.

The reviews go back and forth. Some people love the features and think that they work very well. Others feel that none of these great features live up to their potential. This coffee grinder is easy to use and often produces an even grind very quickly.

Toastess DLCG559 Coffee and Spice Grinder, Stainless Steel

This is a very attractive and inexpensive grinder. It doesn’t have very many reviews, but has received a good average score. While I am a little hesatint to include it on this list I decided we would go ahead and give you the information on it and let you decide.

It has a hands free operation design and lets you choose the grind you want and the cups of coffee you are brewing. These are rare features in a coffeemaker this way and it has five grind settings from coarse to fine and lets you choose to grind 2, 4, 8, and 12 cups of coffee. It also has a quiet motor that is powerful with a high speed blade system. It’s supposed to be easy to clean and has a locking lin and retractable cord. It also has a removable bowl that makes it easier to clean then many other inexpensive coffee grinders (including both of the ones that we have owned).

The reviewers are saying good things including that it really works, that it grinds beans uniformly, and that it even grinds up coffee fine enough for espresso. Some say that the grinder is really loud and others say that it isn’t that bad. This may be an issue of a machine that is louder than normal or it may be that the person just expected it to be quieter than it is. All in all, this looks like it might be a really good option if you are looking at spending less then $50.

The Best Coffee Grinders Under $20

Toastmaster 1119 Push-Button Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder

On it’s own the name of this machine scares me. Anything sold as a spice grinder seems like a bad idea for a coffee grinder. However, this machine is very inexpensive and costs (as of this writing) $15 on amazon so you could always use it as a spice grinder if it doesn’t work for coffee.

It features a 2 ounce capacity which will give you enough coffee for around 8 cups of coffee. It has stainless steel blades and a push button pulse control which will let you grind until you are satisfied

The surprising thing about this little grinder is that it currently has an average of 4.1 stars out of 5 with 102 customer ratings. This is amazing for a cheap grinder. Several people are very happy with this grinder and feel it can grind for a drip coffee maker as well as an espresso maker. There are some complaints that include a mess (we have always had a mess with both grinders we used, kinda seems to go with coffee grinds) and the noise. It can also be a huge pain to clean because none of the pieces can be removed.

I am still a little skeptical about getting a coffee grinder that you will love for around $15. However, that being said, more than 50 people gave it a 5 star review and more than 20 gave it a 4 star review. For a blade grinder that is really cheap, that’s impressive. If you are on a really low budget then this one might be worth considering. The things you want to make sure that you are ready for is that it will be a pain to clean and if you drink a fair amount of coffee each day then you will want to make sure that you are prepared to grind a very small amount each time you use it.

Krups 203 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel Blades

These coffee grinders will cost around $20 each. They come in black and white and have the word “spice grinder” in it’s name. That will always put me off a bit. That being said more than 650 reviews and an average of 4.3 stars out of five.

It features a 200-watt motor for faster grinding. It grinds 3 ounces of beans at a time which will be enough for a full pot of coffee. It is supposed to grind them evenly because of it’s oval shape.

The people agree that it grinds coffee well and uniformly. Consistency is easy to do by counting out consistently so you can create a grind that you like every time you grind coffee. People are very pleased with the results and some who really know their coffee say that this machine can do a great job grinding beans for drip brewed coffee, espresso, and even Turkish coffee. While more than 400 people gave it a 5 star review with some of those people having owned the product a long time, there are still more than 30 people who gave it a 1 star review. The negatives have to do with defective machines that gave out really early and it doesn’t make a good spice grinder because it is hard to clean and your spices mix together. That might work for some spices, but not cinnamon and pepper (for example).

In the end, this seems like a great machine. It will have the problem of it being difficult to clean, so you will need to be prepared to work with that. It does seem like a good choice for those loving more than one type of coffee, though it does sound like it might be hard to get a good grind for a French press since it is so powerful. Since it will grind 3 ounces of beans you should be able to get enough for a whole pot of coffee out of it instead of falling short with 6 to 8 cups of coffee ground per time.

Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder

This Capresso grinder can be had for around $20 and comes from a company that is pretty well known for pretty good products. This particular product gets about a 4 star rating out of 5 stars which isn’t too bad for a cheap coffee grinder. It also has some features that make it nicer than some of the other really inexpensive coffee grinders.

The first thing about this stainless steel blade coffee grinder is that it holds more coffee beans than most allowing you to grind a full pot of coffee worth of beans whether you like weak coffee or strong coffee. It is a lower watt grinder keeping your coffee cool and not changing the flavor with the heat. It has a pluse action that allows you to grind coarse or fine beans.

Many people think that these coffee grinders are cleaner than most inexpensive coffee grinders and do a good job allowing you to grind the coffee into whatever type of grind that you desire. The negative reviews it does have sounds like defective equipment rather than issues with this coffee grinder. However, some have complained that it is messy and that it can be hard to get sticky grinds out of the bottom of it. This is a common problem with blade grinders and doesn’t seem like a good reason not to buy this one.

Instead, it seems like it is one that you should consider if you are looking for an inexpensive coffee grinder that you can use for a wide variety of uses. It will grind you a pot of coffee or make it for other types of coffee brewing.

There are a few things you should consider when you are looking for the coffee grinder that is perfect for you. You will want to figure out what you can afford, what types of coffee you are looking at grinding, and what features are most important to you. This list includes highly rated coffee grinders from the very inexpensive all the way up to the $100 line. There are a lot of coffee grinders that are worth a lot more money, but you are likely to find something you can afford here.

There are a lot of different coffee creamer brands for you to choose from and there are plenty of things that you can consider before you choose the one that is right for you. When you look at coffee creamer brands you should consider what is available at the stores that you shop, what you want from your coffee creamer, what flavors it comes in, and also how much it costs.

Coffee Creamer Types
There are two main types of coffee creamers out there. The first type is a powdered variety. This doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it has a very long shelf life making it the best choice for locations with limited space in the fridge (or no fridge at all) or in homes where it will take a while to finish the coffee creamer. The other type of coffee creamer is a liquid variety. It is stored in the refrigerator and has to be used up within 7 to 10 days of opening it.

What Do You Want From Your Coffee Creamer?
In most cases coffee creamer is added to make coffee creamier. It is used to replace cream or milk in your coffee. However, flavored coffee creamers have become very popular and they are used to add flavors to the coffee. However, when you are choosing a coffee creamer you will need to figure out if you want more from your coffee creamer then creaminess and good flavor. Many coffee creamer brands are non-dairy creamers, some are vegan or organic coffee creamers, and or if you are looking for the healthiest coffee creamer you can then you will want to consider those things as well. Sometimes finding these special coffee creamers takes a little extra work.

Coffee Creamers Available In Your Store
The availability of coffee creamers varies from store to store. Many common ones are found in a number of stores such as Coffee Mate and International Delight Coffee Creamer. However, the store will determine which coffee creamers that they carry and what flavors are available. You will want to shop around if you are looking for a store that carries a particular kind of coffee creamer in a particular flavor.

Coffee Creamer Cost
When choosing a coffee creamer you also need to consider how much it cost. Each coffee creamer has it’s own cost. You can buy coffee creamer on sale as well as find coupons that will help you save money on various coffee creamer brands. However, if you don’t have a coupon and you are looking at the price this can help you choose which brand you are interested in.

Coffee Creamer Brands
There are several common coffee creamer brands that offer full lines of coffee creamers in a wide variety of styles and flavors. They include the following:

• Coffee Mate Coffee Creamer
• International Delight Coffee Creamer
• Bailey’s Coffee Creamer
• La Creme Coffee Creamer

You can find the perfect coffee creamer for you or you can enjoy trying them all. There are many appealing flavors that will help you to get more out of your coffee. Coffee creamer can be the perfect addition to a cup of coffee for a delicious treat.

You can get a coffee roaster for around $150. However, there are many things that the Gene Cafe Roaster can do that an inexpensive coffee roaster just can’t handle. This is a coffee roaster that is well worth the $500 to $600 price tag that it comes with.

The Gene Cafe Roaster can roast up to 1/2 pound of coffee. This is a lot more than most coffee roasters. However, that’s not the features that make this coffee roaster unique. This coffee roaster has two knobs that control the temperature and the duration of the roast. You can make adjustments at any time during the roast. This allows you to see the beans as they roast and make changes as you see fit during the roasting process. I really can’t emphasize how amazing this feature is. Whether you are just starting to roast coffee or you have been roasting it for some time the ability to control your roast in a way that no other machine allows is a huge advantage. You can experiment like never before and as you learn to roast better and better coffee you can make adjustments as never before. This is the only machine at this price range that will allow you to have all of the control.

In addition to being able to control all of the factors of the roast you will also be able to enjoy the other features of this machine. The Gene Cafe Coffee Roaster has a glass roasting barrel that tumbles the beans while swirling hot air around them. It has a cooling cycle that can be started manually or by completing a programmed roast. This cooling cycle cools the beans to 140 degrees and then allows you to remove the beans to finish cooling them.

The Gene Coffee Roaster also includes a chaff collection system and roasts a very good bean while remaining quiet. It does produce a fair amount of smoke, but in the end it produces a fair amount less then many other machines. Many people find it enough to use this machine inside near an open window or under and exhaust hood rather than having to take it outside. Another feature that is available in the Gene Roaster. It comes in red and black so you can choose the style that you want.

The Gene Cafe Coffee Roaster is a great machine and doesn’t have a lot of the issues that many less expensive machines have. However, it does require that you be able to spend a lot more money on the machine. This coffee roaster has all of the features that you want and in turn has the ability to keep you in the perfectly roasted coffee for a nice long time. It isn’t one that can be used commercially and should only be used for at home personal use, but it will be perfect for light to heavy use at home.

Caffeine is naturally found in coffee beans. Unless the coffee goes through a process to remove the caffeine you will find it in your cup of joe. Instant coffee goes through a special process to turn it into an instant powder that makes a quick and easy drink. However, that process doesn’t remove the caffeine.

Many coffee drinks are hard to measure the caffeine. This is because different coffee beans have different amounts of caffeine in them, but also because everyone makes their coffee a little different. Some like weaker coffee and others prefer stronger varieties. That being said is agreed by many that there is about 57mg of caffeine in one rounded teaspoon of instant coffee. For most companies this is the recommended amount added to 8 ounces of coffee. The average amount in your cup of coffee will directly relate to how much coffee powder you use. The range in most instant coffees is somewhere in the vicinity of 40 mg to 108 mg.

On the other hand, decaf instant coffee has significantly less caffeine, but it isn’t completely gone. A rounded teaspoon of instant decaf coffee will have about 2.5 mg of caffeine. So the range of coffee enjoyed by most would be around 1.75 mg to 4.7 mg of caffeine.

While regular instant coffee has a fair amount of caffeine, it has less than other types of coffee and can be controlled to some extent by how you make your instant coffee. Most decaf coffee has some caffeine and instant decaf coffee is no different, but it doesn’t have much. If you like instant coffee then it is probably well worth it and you have to drink a lot of instant coffee in order to drink more than the maximum daily recommendation of 600 mg.

You can always buy a beautiful coffee gift basket or you can find coffee gift mugs all ready for you to purchase. All you need to do is find one you like with items you like, buy it, and give it as a gift. However, these gift baskets are less personal and more expensive then ones you can make yourself. Plus making your own coffee gift baskets and coffee gift mugs can be lots of fun.

Making Coffee Gift Baskets

1. Choose your “basket” wisely. You can choose the first basket you come to and call it good or you can look for a basket, box, or other container that will also be useful. For example, if you choose a nice square box they can store items in it later on or you can make a small coffee gift “basket” in a vacuum sealed coffee storage container or vault.
2. Add coffee. For small containers you can choose small samples of coffee. If the person who is getting it has their own grinder then you can get whole beans or you can choose pre-ground if they don’t or you don’t know. Larger baskets can have larger packages of coffee. Include two or three so they can try a variety.
   
3. Add accessories. You can choose a great coffee mug as part of the accessories, a coffee scoop, or even a hand grinder with your whole beans. If the person you are giving the basket to likes to try new things then you may also want to include a French press, pour over coffee maker, or a Moka pot to give them a new experience.
4. Add treats. Treats can include chocolate covered coffee spoons, peppermint sticks, kisses, biscotti, coffee cake, or other coffee related foods.
5. Add decorations. You can simply add a bow to this or you can choose to decorate it full out. Adding a couple of Christmas decorations can really add to the look of the basket. You can also use your accessories carefully placed in your basket as decorations.
6. Wrap. To wrap this you should use cellophane wrap and some pretty curling ribbon. You can choose a clear variety and let how you put the basket together show or you can choose to go with a colored cellophane which will make it more mysterious. You can even purchase cellophane bags that will make your job really easy.

Making Coffee Gift Mugs

1. Choose a mug. You want to choose a decent size mug so that there is room to put stuff in it. If you know the person you are giving the mug to then it is a good idea to pick out a mug that will meet their interests. You can also choose a general coffee mug or a holiday themed mug.
2. Add coffee. Choose a small coffee sample that will make a pot of coffee or if the person has a personal coffee maker you can use K-cups, pods, or single serve coffees.
3. Add treats. Treats can include creamer samples, chocolate pieces or kisses, or chocolate coffee spoons.
4. Add decorations. You can add a ribbon to the handle or a bow to the top.
5. Wrap. The best option is to wrap these with cellophane as well. You can finish with a big bunch of curling ribbon or a bow.

Making your own gifts can be rewarding and it can be easy. If you don’t have the time or aren’t feeling creative enough you can always choose to buy one already put together. However, don’t feel intimidated. It can be really easy. Did that sound too contradictory?

Today is Black Friday and it suddenly hit me that I really wish I was a lot farther on this site. There is a lot of potential here. However, that being said I am going to throw up some last minute gift articles for the people to read (hopefully) this year, but more likely next year. Buying coffee gifts for coffee lovers is a great idea. After all, it’s something they are likely to enjoy and you can find a huge variety of options. You can stick with straight forward ones or go for the things that are a bit different. You can choose according to their needs, tastes, or get them something (or make them something) that touches on a wide variety of tastes. Coffee gifts make great options for Christmas, but it isn’t limited to that holiday. You can use any of these gifts for coffee lovers as Valentine’s Day gifts, anniversary gifts, birthday gifts, and any other occasion to say that they are special and you care.

Coffee Gifts – The Equipment

The first option you have when looking for gifts for coffee lovers is equipment. This will require you know the person you are buying for at least a little bit. You will want to make sure that they don’t have what you are looking at buying them or that they would be interested in owning that piece of equipment. Here are some great pieces of equipment that will get you started in your quest for the perfect coffee gifts for your coffee lover.

• Coffee Makers – If you know that the person you are buying for could really use a new or upgraded coffee maker then this can be a great gift. You can pick out one of a million different coffee makers to surprise them with.
• Espresso Makers – If they have an inexpensive espresso maker then you can upgrade them. Many of the more expensive models really do produce a lot better results. If they don’t have an espresso maker at all, but love espresso based drinks (such as lattes or cappuccinos) then even a less expensive machine can be lots of fun.
• Odd Coffee Brewers – For those who really like coffee and like playing with the results there are a wide variety of inexpensive brewers out there that make great coffee gifts. There are cold brewers, French presses, moka pots, and many stove top brewers.
• Coffee Grinders – A good coffee grinder can really improve the taste of your coffee. You will want to carefully research the best options in your price range and go from there.
• Coffee Roasters – Coffee roasters aren’t cheap, but for the hands on coffee lover this can be a fantastic coffee gift. Coffee roasters let you take green coffee beans and roast them yourself producing the freshest beans you can ever get.
• Coffee Accessories – Even if you don’t have a lot of money there are a lot of cool little accessories that make cool gifts for coffee lovers. This can include milk pitchers and frothers, coffee scoops, coffee shot glasses, and all sorts of things.

Coffee Gifts – It’s All In The Beans Coffee beans can be a great gift to give whether you are giving whole beans or coffee grinds. There are several options for you to choose from and each one can make a great gift for a coffee lover.

• Your favorite beans – If you have a favorite coffee then you can feel free to give your favorite coffee beans.
• A bean sample pack – If you don’t have a favorite coffee then you can choose to give a sample pack. These offer a variety of options and can be a great way for any coffee lover to discover new favorites.
• Really expensive coffee – Most people don’t have the money to buy expensive coffees. You can choose one that costs a fair amount of money such as Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee.

Coffee Gifts – Think About Coffee Gear

• T-shirts – You can find hundreds of coffee t-shirts that let coffee lovers show how much they want, need, and enjoy coffee as a part of their daily life. Many of these are humorous, but not all of them.
• Coffee Mugs – Coffee mugs could fall under the accessories category since you need coffee mugs in order to enjoy your coffee and having a good travel mug is important. However, you can also get coffee mugs that have coffee sayings and coffee humor on them. This can also make for great options as gifts for coffee lovers.
• Key Chains – Key chains are another great gift for coffee lovers that come in a wide range of coffee humor and coffee images.
• Others – There are some others that make for great coffee gear. Have fun looking around and you are sure to give a great gift.

For a tad bit of self promotion. The Coffee Spill has opened their own Cafe Press shop where we are working hard to get a variety of coffee related items up. It’s still new, but growing each week! You can check out The Coffee Spill on Cafe Press today.

The CoffeeCozyProject offers some really cool coffee cozies. There's something for everyone. Click on the picture to check out the shop!

Coffee Gifts – Unique and Hand Crafted
While there are lots of choices in the categories above (and I make money if you buy through my links or from my shop) it doesn’t change the fact that there are some amazing choices offered by artisans around the world. One amazing place to shop for unique gifts is at Etsy.com. They have some very good sellers offering some very cool items. Here are just a few that I picked out while I should have been doing something to make us some money (Warning: shopping there can be addictive.) All of these are great products I personally like and got permission from the shop owners to post them on this site. I don’t make any money if you click through the links (or purchase anything), but these are items worth advertising for free.

• Coffee Cozies. There are literally hundreds of great handcrafted coffee cozies on Etsy right now. I really struggled finding or rather choosing just one to show you. These can make great gifts for coffee lovers. Choose ones that fit on cafe cups for the person who loves to go to the coffee shop or choose ones that wrap around coffee mugs for the person who drinks a lot of coffee at home.
  

  Coffee soap isn't the only thing that SweetSallysSoaps has to offer. You will also find coffee scrubs and more in her shop. Click the picture to check it out!

• Coffee Bath Products. Coffee is great for your morning and the scent is one that many people like. It is also good for the skin and bath products that have coffee in them can provide a wide range of benefits. Most coffee lovers will enjoy these bath products and there are many that are geared toward women and their skin needs.
• Coffee Mugs. You can get coffee mugs printed with a wide variety of sayings, pictures, and other stuff or you can get these hand made ceramic mugs. They come in a wide variety of shapes, styles, and colors so you can find the perfect one to give to anyone.
• Coffee Art. Another great option is coffee art. You can find a huge variety of different kinds of art that make for great gifts.

Coffee Gift Baskets

You can purchase gourmet coffee gifts in the form of coffee gift baskets. There are many specialty locations you can purchase them from or you can pick out one or more on Amazon. You can also make your own coffee gift baskets. This can be fun and easy to do. If you would like to learn more about making your own coffee gift baskets then check out this article: Coffee Gift Baskets and Gift Mugs.

There are many different gifts for coffee lovers that make awesome options to give any of the people you know who are coffee fanatics. You can always choose to pick them out a good piece of coffee equipment, coffee beans, or coffee merchandise. However, you don’t have to stop there. You can go shopping for the unique and interesting or buy a coffee gift basket. If you want to get really creative make your own coffee gift basket!

WildCraftPottery makes a lot of great ceramic items from bowls to mugs, but these Monster Coffee Mugs are just too cute. You can check out all of the items offered at their shop, just click on the picture!

You can roast your own coffee at home without a fancy coffee roaster using a variety of different methods from a heat gun to a popcorn popper. However, if you want a really easy way to make your own roasted coffee then you will want to purchase a coffee roaster. There are several options of home coffee roasters that you can choose from. These take the work out of roasting coffee by doing it automatically. They don’t need to be watched through the whole process. Many brands have filters and methods of eliminating the smoke and collecting the chaff so it doesn’t make a mess in the house. All of these things make spending the extra money worth it if you are going to be roasting a lot of your own coffee.

One of the most readily available machines is the Nesco Coffee Raoster. This roaster looks a bit intimidating and has a large footprint at over 18 inches wide and more than 10 inches deep. However, Nesco roasters are hands free, easy to use, and they roast your beans really well. It is also reasonably priced at about $150.

Nesco Coffee Raoster Details

Before I ramble on too long. Here are the details of the machine that you will want to consider when looking at home coffee roasters.

• The machine is about 18.2 inches x 10.5 inches x 12.6 inches
• It includes technology that eliminates the smoke
• It has a roaster chamber, a auger, a chaff collection cup, and a protector screen that all fit together and then sit on the heating element.
• It holds 1 cup of green coffee beans if you are roasting to a light or medium roast and about 3/4 of a cup if you want a dark or very dark roast.
• It contains digital controls that allow you to set the length of time that you want the beans to roast. The last five minutes are a cooling off period. It is recommended to start at about 20 minutes and go up from there according to your own preferences.
• It is sold as the Nesco Professional Coffee Roaster, but wouldn’t be able to handle the demands of a professional setting.
• 2.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon with 22 raters choosing 1 star.
• It costs around $150 or so to buy this roaster.

Nesco Roster Pros

While the Nesco has several complaints about it, the things that are good about it are really good. This is definitely a machine you should be careful about when you are choosing the home coffee roaster for you. The Nesco Coffee Roaster offers the following benefits:

1. The biggest benefit of the Nesco Roaster is that it has a catalytic converter that reduces the smoke a lot. Roasting methods that don’t use a home roaster produce a lot of smoke and many of the roasters you buy for your home still produce a fair amount of smoke. You will get very little of that with the Nesco Coffee Roaster.
2. Very easy to use. You don’t need to know much in order to use the machine and produce pretty good results.
3. The roast that is produced is very even.
4. This machine is great for City Roasts (Medium), City Plus Roasts (Medium into dark), and the top of the dark range roasts.
5. In addition to being really easy to use, it is also really easy to clean.

Nesco Roaster Cons

1. Air doesn’t flow through the chamber much. This means that most of the chaff of the coffee beans is mixed in with your roasted beans rather than collected in the chaff collection cup. This doesn’t hurt the quality of the roast or your coffee beans, but it does mean that you will need to remove the chaff yourself before grinding the coffee.
2. The cooling time doesn’t stop the roasting because it doesn’t cool them down very quickly. Your beans will still be warm after they have completed the five minutes of cool time. You will want to get them out of the roaster as quick as possible.
3. Making darker roasts is harder. This is in part because it doesn’t get very hot and in part because you can only set a maximum roast time of 30 minutes and add up to 5 minutes to it while it is roasting. This means that the maximum amount of time that you can have this machine on is 35 minutes (including the 5 minute cool time). You can get a darker roast by using fewer beans in the roast chamber, but getting a very dark roast such as a French roast or an espresso roast is very hard to do.

What People Are Saying About the Nesco Coffee Roaster

The number one reason that it has such bad reviews is that it fails. Some have had their machine catch fire, others have had the auger stop working, and still others have had the heating element stop doing it’s job. In most of the cases it was 10 to 15 months into their ownership. On the other hand, people tend to be pretty happy with their machine. Some of them have even chosen to get more than one Nesco Roaster after the first one fails (one person is on their 4th Nesco Roaster in the last 8 or 9 years).

Directions For Using the Nesco Coffee Roaster

One of the huge advantages of the Nesco Coffee Roaster is that it is very easy to use. You will want to open the lid and remove the screen and chaff collection cup. Pour in 3/4 cup of beans for a dark roast or 1 cup for a regular roast. It has a fill line for each so you don’t have to pre-measure it if you don’t want to. Then you put the chaff collector and the screen on. Shut the lid. Using the digital controls you will want to set the timer and turn the machine on. It is important that you stay close by to make sure that nothing goes wrong or else a fire could start. You can also increase or decrease the roast time according to the results. You will want to remove the beans as soon as they are done. You need to give the Nesco Coffee Roaster plenty of time to cool before you start another batch.

Storing Your Roasted Coffee

You want to store your coffee in an air tight container, preferably one that is vacuum sealed. This will allow them to remain fresh. Nesco recommends that you wait at least 6 hours before grinding and consuming your coffee beans. Most experts suggest you wait two days. You have five to seven days to enjoy these beans and have them remain fresh tasting.

Conclusions

Being the opinionated woman that I am, I of course have some conclusions. “I want one of these!”. There are several reasons that I would personally choose this machine over many of the others. First of all the reduced amount of smoke that they prefer is worth the risk to me. Yeah, they tend to break down, but so do cars and we all want one of those. It’s also more in my price range than many of the coffee roasters. Finally, the complaints with this machine are often the complaints with other coffee roasters, only the Nesco Coffee Roaster offers that smoke free thing and a price that is more affordable. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely on my personal wish list.

Good coffee comes from a wide range of things. You have how the beans are brewed, ground, and stored. However, on a deeper level you also have how they are roasted and even more specifically when they are roasted. The coffee beans peak in flavor about 2 days to 5 days after roasted. Roasting happens a long time before you buy the beans at the store and while air valve technologies have increased freshness in beans, it isn’t the same as fresh roasted ones. If you don’t have a coffee roasting house near you or you want to get hands on with your coffee then roasting your own coffee is the best thing that you can do.

Why Coffee Beans Are Roasted

Coffee beans are the seed or pit of a coffee cherry. The beans are green after the fruit is removed. The oils in them are trapped and they don’t taste the way that they do when you roast them. They also don’t brew the same way as roasted coffee beans do. Coffee beans are roasted to change the flavor and to give it body. You can roast your beans from a green color to a light tan all the way to a dark brown.

What Happens To the Beans As You Roast Them

Your beans will start out green. They will start to turn yellow. As they change colors you will notice a bit of steam. This is actually the moisture in the beans being released. When they get to a tan color the sugars in them start to caramelize and they will crack. This is a soft sound rather than a really loud one. This noise that they make has been labeled as the first crack. You will want to keep roasting until all of the cracking noises stop. The beans can be removed from the heat element at this point. However, this is a light roast. If you want a darker roast then you will need to continue roasting them.

To move from a light roast to a darker one you will want to keep them heating up. You will notice them getting darker as more of the sugars are caramelized. A louder crack will then happen as the beans cellular structure is destroyed by the heat. This second noise has been labeled the second crack. Once you hear the first second crack you should remove the beans from the heat if you want a medium roast.

If you continue to roast all the way through the second crack then you will have a dark roast coffee. If you wait just a bit longer after the second crack then you will be waiting till all of the sugars in the beans have been burned. You will smell the coffee strongly at this point. This is a very dark roast. However, if you aren’t careful you can easily burn the coffee and then it won’t be any good.

Choosing Green Coffee to Roast

At one time it was really hard to find green coffee beans to roast at home. Now that more and more people are learning how to roast their own coffee at home there are lots of places that you can find green coffee. While how long you roast the coffee will effect flavor a lot, it isn’t the only thing that determines how a coffee will taste. Therefore it is recommended that you start with a sampler pack of beans to get a feel for the different coffees from the different coffee growing locations.

Warnings To Consider When You Roast Your Own Coffee

It should be noted that roasting your own coffee isn’t without it’s own risks. It requires very high temps when you make your own coffee. It also requires you to be there through the whole process because coffee beans can ignite when left in the heat too long. While these instructions have been done before by others, I have not tested them all and there is always a risk with roasting your own coffee at home in anything other than a coffee roaster.

In addition to the high temperatures being dangerous it should also be noted that fires can ignite if you aren’t careful. This is for two reasons. First the beans are getting really hot. While they do that they are shedding their skins. This chaff can fly into the air and can also ignite. Be prepared to put out a fire should one happen (better safe than sorry is always recommended).

Finally, the chaff can make a great deal of mess. You will want to make sure that you are ready for it to fly around the room, especially while cooling.

Roast Your Own Coffee
You can learn how to roast your own coffee at home. The basic instructions for each method are pretty easy and the whole process is simple. However, the more you do it the easier it is to identify the sound, smell, and look of the coffee roast you desire the most.

You can roast your own coffee using the following methods:
-Heat gun and glass bowl
-Fry pan, skillet, or wok
-Stove top popcorn popper
-In the oven
-Air popper
-Coffee Roaster

Most of the methods are pretty inexpensive and locating the tools to get the job done can be easy. You can enjoy this project and be as hands on about your coffee as you can be without living on a coffee farm.

Roast Your Own Coffee With a Heat Gun

If you don’t already own a heat gun then this is a method I wouldn’t recommend. You can get a heat gun for $20 to 30, but you can also get an air popcorn popper for that price and you aren’t as likely to hurt yourself with it. A heat gun blows out hot air and can get up to temperatures as high as 1200 degrees depending on the model. With this in mind, it is very important to be very careful.

To use a heat gun to roast your own coffee you will want a good size, heat proof bowl. You want to add at least 1/2 inch of coffee along the bottom and can fill it as much as 1/2 way full. You don’t want to go more than that because the coffee beans will expand as they cook and because you want plenty of room to heat the beans.

Hold the heat gun at an 45 degree angle so that the heat is going over the top of the beans and stir them as they warm up. Be careful because the bowl and heat gun will get hot. The process of roasting coffee takes 4 to 5 minutes for a light roast and around 7 to 9 minutes or so for a dark roast. You need to be watching the beans at all time so you can determine when to stop.

Roasting Your Own Coffee In a Fry Pan, Wok, or Cast Iron Skillet

You will want to start by turning the stove on medium (both for electric burners and gas flames). Put your pan, skillet, or wok on the burner with the lid on. It works best if you have an oven thermometer in there and can check the heat. After a few minutes you will want to see if you are 500 degrees. If you are, toss your green coffee beans in the pan.

Put the lid back on and cover your hands with oven mitts. Then start shaking it. You will want to listen for the first crack and you will want to smell for smoke. After four or five minutes check the color. You will now want to check it every minute or so to make sure you aren’t overcooking it. Once it has reached your desired color/roast you will remove it.

Roasting Your Own Coffee In a Stove Top Popcorn Popper

The stove top popcorn popper works the same ways as the fry pan, wok, or cast iron skillet does. You will want to heat up the interior and toss in your beans. Then you put the flap down and turn the handle (like you would if you were popping popcorn). You will need to listen, smell, and check it often. Use a wooden spoon to pull a sample of beans out if you think they are nearly done. This will let you check the color.

Roasting Your Own Coffee In the Oven

Roasting coffee in the oven is best done in a gas oven. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it in an electric oven. The best method is to place the beans in a wire or metal collander or strainer. Then set it on a cookie sheet. You will need to heat the oven to 500 degrees and place the cookie sheet on the middle rack. You will want to stay near by to listen for the first crack. You should roast the beans about 5 minutes or so before you hear the first crack. Then let them roast another two minutes or so. Now start checking the color of the beans for the one you want. The beans should be done before 12 minutes.

Roasting Your Own Coffee In an Air Popcorn Popper

This is one of the best options that you have if you have a little bit of money to spend and you want a safer and cleaner method of roasting your coffee beans. First you want to put in the same amount of coffee beans as you would popcorn. So you will need to follow the directions offered on your popcorn popper. You will need to put the chute and the top on the popcorn popper. You will also want to put a bowl under the chute or you will want to put the popcorn popper above the sink so that the chafe can be collected there as it comes off and flies out of the popcorn popper. You will need to roast the coffee beans for about 3 to 4 minutes before you hear the first crack. You should wait one minute before you start chickening their color. Check their color every minute until it reaches your desired roast.

Roasting Your Own Coffee In a Home Coffee Roaster

There are several different coffee roasters out there that can allow you to roast coffee in a machine designed to do just that. If you want to spend the extra money and plan on roasting your own coffee regularly then it is definitely worth it. You will want to find the coffee roaster that meets your needs.

Cool Your Roasted Coffee

No matter what type of method you use to roast your coffee and no matter what roast that you have it is very important to cool the coffee as soon as possible. To do this you will want to pour your hot beans into a metal or wire colander or strainer. You want a single layer of beans on the bottom of the colander to let them cool quickly. If you can it is even better to pour the beans into one colander and shake a bit and then move them into another colander. This way you can get them to cool down quickly. If you do not cool the beans quickly then you will continue to roast them.

Learning how to roast your own coffee beans is easy. From there you will need to practice. As you practice with your chosen method you will be able to figure out just how long it will take in order to get to the perfect roast. You will learn to hear the first crack and to smell the differences as you roast your beans. Practice makes perfect in a lot of things and in this case practice makes some amazing coffee. You can try your roasted coffee right away, but giving it a couple of days to reach peak is the best option. You can try a wide range of coffee types to enjoy your coffee more than ever before.