Do you remember a time when coffee was served black with sugar on the side, no cream, flavors or any other such fancy alterations. Coffee was meant to give you with a good dose of energy and nothing else therefore it was served in tiny little cup which still exist today. Those small cups are still used to serve black coffee which is called espresso.
Over the years a desire to enjoy the magic drink of coffee evolved into a desire for more than just the small espresso cup. People began to use larger cups and mugs to desire the quantity they desired.
Well, that was not the only thing that changed. In order to add color to that magic cup of coffee in our lives people started experimenting with different ingredients. This was the beginning of the specialty coffee.
What is specialty coffee? At first it was flavored coffee. The flavor was added to the grounds and brewed to create a flavored coffee. Coffee evolved even more though.
Cappuccino, cafe latte, mochas, machiatto and all other coffee drinks that are different than the original clack coffee are specialty coffee types. There are many different types of coffee creations like cinnamon, chocolate, hazelnut, caramel and vanilla flavored coffee to name only a few. Only your imagination limits what you can invent as your own specialty coffee. You can put in anything you desire your coffee to taste like.
The most common specialty coffees however remain cafe latte, cappuccino and cafe mocha. It is these coffee drinks that have been practiced and passed on from country to country. Today they are so famous that anywhere you go you will be safe to order a cafe latte and not worry that the coffee shop will not understand your order.
Does the experience of specialty coffee diminish over time? Not at all and if anything, it enhances the coffee experience by adding the extra spice or flavor for your enjoyment. Many people simply cannot have coffee just by itself. They find it too strong and overpowering thus, a bit of flavor helps them to enjoy a cup of coffee as well.
The advent of specialty coffee has opened the doors to many other possibilities as far as drinking coffee is concerned. Yet those who prefer to have black coffee can still do so by ordering the famous coffee espresso.
Regardless of how you take your coffee, rather it be black or with cream, flavored or plain, a cappuccino or a cafe latte, you have to admit that this wonderful drink has only improved our lives with its rich aromas and taste morning, evening and night,whenever you desire. You do not have to have a day without coffee.
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Boca Java is one of the many suppliers who has "answered the demand" and markets gourmet coffee beans and accessories from around the globe, via the internet. This article will provide an independent review of Boca Java products and service.
According to the suppliers, they pride themselves in using only handpicked, specialty-grade Arabica coffee beans, chosen from selected high altitude tropical regions. Each location produces coffee beans of distinct taste and character.
Their biggest claim is freshness. They don't start roasting your coffee beans until after your order is received.
Boca Java also claim an interesting online shopping experience. You can choose your coffee blend by country of origin, by flavour (I counted about twenty different flavours), or if you're just looking for a quick smooth tasting dark roast with full bodied satisfaction, they have a webpage especially for that.
They also provide coffee accessories, such as brewing and grinding apparatus, coffee pots and cups, coffee storage devices, scoops, filters, milk whips, coasters - you name it. You can also order tea and cocoa as well... with all the accessories to go with it.
Finally, there's the "coffee club". Here's where you get all the specials and discounts and also earn "boca bucks" which can be exchanged for gifts and prizes. At the coffee club you can learn anything you want to know about coffee, including coffee's health benefits. You can also place 'standing orders' and choose your own delivery terms, which can be changed at your whim. Just love it.
I've read that you need to be careful about accepting one of their introductory "special offers" for a "free" coffee grinder and sample packages.The claim is, that Boca Java take this as a green light to provide you a regular supply of their coffee and extract money from your account. Whilst I have not experienced this myself, I believe that if you want to avoid any misunderstanding, you need to join their "coffee club". It costs nothing and you are given the option to modify or cancel your orders anytime. They notify you by email seven days before coffee is due for delivery and this is when you opt to cancel, change or reduce the order.
Their website looks very impressive. Just the pictures alone make you want to buy. You can almost smell the coffee coming out of your screen. All in all, it appears an attractive alternative for gourmet coffee lovers, with all the convenience of online orders and delivery to your door.
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The Francis! Francis! X3 espresso machine is one that, at first glance, seems a lot of style, and perhaps not much substance.
Early on when Francis! Francis! first became a known "espresso maker" name, the only machine we had to go by was the X1, the funky looking, wild colours, "is that a clock or is it a gauge" centre dial with the daughter of the company's owner pictured, tongue sticking out (…"I told you, you keep making that face, and one day it will stay that way!"). The X1 was uber-cool, but had a big problem - the first versions couldn't make a very good espresso. Temperatures were low, the materials and parts used inside the machine seemed to be below the common standard, and well, it seemed like all the bux went to looks, and not much to function, beyond being a "passable" pod machine.
How things have changed in a few years. More machines in the X lineup have shown up, including the X2, which is essentially two X1s, merged; the X4, which is a super high tech, temperature controllable automatic machine; the X5, which is Francis! Francis! version of a budget machine; and the X3, the third machine introduced by the company.
But more changes than the skin and shape took place. Francis! Francis! Has heard the complaints and pooh pooh commentary of espresso purists' (including myself) about the interior and performance of the machine, and have done a series of revisions. Gone are alum and steel boilers; now you find all brass heating systems inside. Gone are weak pumps, and you now have the same type of pump found in $1,000 machines. Gone are sub par thermal controls - now you have an electronic brain inside that, according the manufacturer, keeps very close tabs on the ideal brewing temps. And gone are the days of 185F temps. The current lineup, from the X1 to the X5 (X4 is excluded - you can control the temps directly on that machine) all feature heating systems that brew closer to Illy standards - that is, above 195F in the grouphead.
But that's what the manufacturer says. At CoffeeGeek, we've put the machine through a wide series of tests to find out if the marketing material is more than just marketing fluffery. The machine looks damned good; question is, can it walk the walk? We found out if it could, and I invite you to read on to see for yourself.
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