Archive for January, 2009

As far as we’re concerned, coffee is a dinner party essential. As the perfect way to end dinner and as a great way to brew some conversation, consider trying out these great coffee recipes for your next party. Remember to stock up on whip cream chargers and a Cream Whipper from Zaccardis.com to make your after dinner drinks even more delicous! Enjoy!

Irish Coffee
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 jigger of Bushmills Irish Whiskey or 1 1/2 jiggers Bailey’s Irish Cream
2/3 cup of Gourmet Roasted Coffee
1/4 cup of whipped cream
Ground cinnamon

Add the hot coffee with the teaspoon of sugar and stir. Add the alcohol, and top with the whipping cream. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Do not stir.

Mint Cocoa Coffee
1 jigger of chocolate mint liqueur
Dash of shaved chocolate
Whipping cream
Regular coffee

Brew your regular coffee, add the jigger of liqueur. Add some whipping cream and sprinkle with shaved chocolate.

Coffee Milkshakes
1 pint of coffee ice cream
1 cup cold coffee
4 to 6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Spoon the coffee ice cream and coffee into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of the vanilla ice cream to each glass for a special touch.

Great news for coffee lovers! Coffee may not only give you an energy boost, but help your mental health later in life. The New York Times reports on a new study that shows drinking coffee may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well.

A team of Swedish and Danish researchers found that subjects who reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65-percent less likely to develop dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. The study tracked the habits of more than 14-hundred middle-age men and women for more than 20 years.

Dr. Miia Kivipelto, an associate professor of neurology in Stockholm and lead author of the study, doesn’t advocate drinking coffee as a preventive health measure, but does acknowledge the beverage’s benefits. Calling the work, an “observational study,” she says, there is no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking it will have a protective effect.” She says drinking coffee may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which has also been linked with a greater risk of dementia. Dr. Kivipelto noted that previous studies ave shown that coffee drinking may also be linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

So there you have it. Coffee lovers, rejoice and drink up!

Brew Your Own: Eliminate your need for disposable cups and save in the process by making your own coffee at home, either hot or iced. Zaccardis.com offers a great selection of Coffee Makers to help you get started.

Buy Organic, Shade Grown, and/or Fair Trade: Organic coffee is grown without the use of pesticides; shade grown coffee is grown without unnecessary clearing of rainforest, which disrupts bird habitats (shade grown is also sometimes referred to as “Bird-Friendly”); and Fair Trade refers to the practice of providing fair wages and conditions for workers. Ideally, choose a coffee that meets all three standards.

Invest in a Reusable Filter: It reduces waste, increases savings, and can even make your coffee taste better.

Use a Thermos: Rather than leaving the coffeemaker on “warm”, making multiple pots, or reheating in the microwave, conserve energy by making a day’s worth of coffee and pouring it into a vacuum-sealed thermos. This will ensure that you have a constant supply of hot coffee to keep you going, while reducing your environmental impact. Zaccardis.com stocks some fantastic Nissan Thermos Travel Mugs that are sure to keep your coffee hot and delicious all day long.

Compost the Coffee Grounds: Finally, make sure your grounds make it into the compost bin. Or, during the growing season, sprinkle the grounds over flower and vegetable beds as a nitrogen-rich mulch.

As a former cafe employee, I have first-hand knowledge that the average teenager has been drinking coffee long enough to know what’s good, and what’s awful.  While most Americans have been introduced to the wide variety of java options and brewing methods slowly, kids going into college now have always had the best stuff at their disposal.  They were raised during our coffee revolution, and a cup of instant isn’t ever going to cross their lips!

This refined palate means young coffee connoisseurs will have a few more things to pack for college.  Late nights and tight budgets can make $4.00 lattes a thing of the past.  That doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste – the right equipment and coffee can make for the best brew you’ve ever had in the comfort of your home (or dorm!).

The Eva Solo CafeSolo Gift Set makes a great present for your favorite college student.  This award-winning coffee maker comes complete with glasses, spoons and a neoprene cover to keep the coffee hot and tasty, without a heat source.  Similar to a French Press, the CafeSolo is non-electric (you add boiling water). Outlets can also be a commodity in dorm rooms, so having the ability to heat water in the common kitchen and take your coffee to go is a definite bonus.  It is also small and attractive, making it perfect for tight spaces, and a decoration when not in use!

If you prefer convenience for one, check out the Bodum Travel Press.  A travel tumbler with a built-in French Press, which is also great for tea, makes for the most sophisticated simple mug on the market.  This also cuts down on dishes!

Do you have any must-haves you’d like to share for students?  Or any opinions about these products?  Let us know here – we’d love to hear from you!

Us! The EspressoTop50.com has ranked your very own Zaccardis.com at #9 on their list of the 50 top espresso web sites. We’re proud of our #9 status, and although we strive to provide our customers with the most high quality yet affordable espresso machines and coffee products, our #9 status symbol is all because of you! The EspressoTop50.com counts the number of unique visitors coming into our site against all the other coffee sites out there. Thank you for taking the time to visit our site, and tell your friends to come visit us, too!

Starbucks, meet Clover. The shiny coffeemaker, at a pricey $11,000 each, wooed Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder. Schultz, dazzled by the beautiful Clover, exclaimed it procured “the best cup of brewed coffee I have ever tasted,” according to Wired.com’s article, “The Coffee Fix: Can the $11,000 Clover Machine Save Starbucks?”.

So, Starbucks bought the company.

Image courtesy of Wired.com, Photo by RJ Shaughnessy

The marriage of Clover and Starbucks will hopefully put a much-needed bounce in the Starbucks step. The Clover brews a fresh cup of coffee in less than a minute, and comes equipped with an Ethernet port so users can store their recipes for specific beans. It’s crafted from coffee and stainless steel and can take several hours to assemble, but the wait is worth it.

All eyes on the Clover, sparking much praise and perhaps a hint of jealousy towards Starbucks. But hey, when you’re Starbucks, you can have what, and whomever, you want.

Are you a coffee lover? Does the smell of freshly roasted coffee in the morning make you go mmm? Then you’ve found a friend at Zaccardis.com! We’re all about the art of making the perfect cup of coffee and embracing that vibrant coffee culture we all know and love. We’ve been in the coffee business for years, and we’ve got quite a bit of stories to tell you about our always interesting excursions just to find that perfect cup of coffee, and of course we want to keep you up on all the coffee news out there. But most of all, our blog is for you – share your own stories, leave us comments, rants, whatever you want!