Make sure the luck of the Irish is with you this March by heeding our seven coffee dos and don'ts!

Don't Let them catch you with your finger in the coffee or littering with Earth-unfriendly disposable stir sticks.
Do Stir in style! Elegant stainless steel stirrers such, as these engraved stirrers from Illy, won't litter the landfills or burn your fingers.

Don't Resort to instant coffee on the road, yuck!
Do Pack a Handpresso. #11 of the "Top 100 Things that are Getting Better," according to Oprah; the Handpresso will keep you brewing on the go. Go with the Handpresso Wild for pods and the Handpresso DomePod for ground coffee.

Don't Swear off coffee because of a sensitive stomach.
Do Treat your tummy to gentle java, like Whole Latte Love Malabar Gold or Maromas Orphea, which have lower acidity levels.

Don't Let your beans go bad.
Do Store them in airtight containers like these Bodum Yohki Glass Jars with Stainless Steel Lids or the Vacu Vin Vacuum Coffee and Tea Saver to keep from losing precious flavor and aroma. Your favorite coffee will stay fresh much longer with a little TLC.

Don't Run out of steam.
Do Check out what's under the hood, when you're buying an espresso machine. Double boilers will allow you go straight from brewing to steaming with no downtime. Make sure your machine has enough oomph, especially if you like your lattes! One of my favorites is the Gaggia Baby Twin Espresso Machine.

Don't Spend all your time in front of an espresso machine.
Do Consider a super automatic model, if you're the type that likes to entertain. One-touch controls, the machine will do all the heavy lifting while you're free to be the life of the party. A bonus for latte and macchiato drinkers...integrated milk solutions, like Gaggia's Milk Island.

Don't Let a good machine go bad.
Do Use pre-filtered water to cut down on scale buildup and remember to stick to a regular cleaning/maintenance schedule; your machine will thank you for it!

Have an espresso no-no that we missed? Share it here!

-Tho
Writing Department

The Seattle Times recently ran a piece on the city's dwindling coffee cart presence. It seems, the city at the center of the American coffee craze, is down to only one sidewalk coffee stand.

Amazingly enough it was the coffee cart that birthed some of the country's most prestigious names in espresso. La Marzocco and Espresso Vivace anyone? It's true; world-famous barista David Schomer pushed big wheels in Capitol Hill when he first started Espresso Vivace. Kent Bakke and John Blackwell of La Marzocco made their first cart, before such a thing was available for sale. So, why has this star-making tradition gone the way of the dodo?

Blame it on the rules. Coffee cart entrepreneurs are subject to health and transportation department regulations, which have dampened the spirits of many a street vendors. But, even with Seattle's proposal to loosen the reins and do away with size restrictions, it may not be enough to save the cart scene. The blossoming cafe business in Seattle has all but pushed coffee carts to the brink of extinction.

Have you ever had coffee-cart java? Why have the hot dog stands been able to co-exist with restaurants, while coffee carts flounder in the wake of cafes? Thoughts, please!

Tho
Writing Department

My mouth always waters at the sound of a vanilla or hazelnut flavored espresso drink. And when strolling through the supermarket I've begun to notice more and more the many varieties of coffee beans available. Flavors from French roast to raspberry to chocolate... all with flashy, yummy looking labels to lure you in. But, it's only because I know better that I don't buy them. These beans get their flavors through oils that are added during the roasting process. If you were to purchase a package and take a look at the beans, you would notice that they are shinny and slippery. This is because of these flavor oils. Most people wouldn't think anything of it, but if you use flavored beans in your Super Automatic espresso machine or with your home grinder, you'll be quick to notice that the constancy and quality of brew will diminish. As the beans are ground to an espresso fineness, the oils cause the grounds to be more paste-like than powdery. In a Super Automatic machine, you'll start to experience a much slower brew, or clogging of the machine. You'll have to adjust your grinder to a coarser grind more often to insure that the beans move fluently through the machine. This will diminish your brew quality, thus wasting the money that you've spent on these seemingly scrumptious beans. Instead, I would recommend purchasing a nice medium roast or blended roast bean like our Lavazza Super Crema. This bean will always grind up nice and give you the smooth, bold flavor that you're looking for. Then for the added kick of flavor, look into our Monin syrups. When using a home grinder to grind these flavored beans, the oils of the beans will stick to the inside of the grinder and burrs and you will always have a hint of this flavor. You'll get the taste that you crave, without the added headache of grinder adjustments or additional clean up. Next time you are out and about and need a coffee, watch the Baristas at your local cafe. You'll notice that they add syrup to your cappuccino or latte and do not use flavored beans in their grinders. With that said, when adding the flavor after brewing you can make all kinds creative coffee drinks. Bon-appetit!

Espresso goliaths, Lavazza and Nestle--whose holdings include Nespresso--have a lot to compete over, but what's it got to do with Clooney? Well, the much-celebrated actor includes European commercials in his portfolio of work. One such commercial, filmed for Nespresso with fellow thespian John Malkovich, featured a heavenly scene that has piqued rival Lavazza's interests.

Lavazza, who has long running campaign revolving around the concept of coffee beyond the Pearly Gates, is crying foul. The company has filed a complaint with the Istituto dell'Autodisciplina Pubblicitaria, the official Italian advertising regulatory association, and is eagerly awaiting the verdict. For its part, Nespresso maintains that the commercial is based on an original concept and not lifted from Lavazza's playbook.

In this clash of coffee giants, who will you side with? Take a look at the commercials in question and judge for yourself.

Lavazza's Commercial Montage:

Nespresso's New Commercial:

Some say it's a Lutheran tradition, others claim it's a Scandinavian or Norwegian thing. Regardless of origin, egg coffee isn't very well-known in America. Yes, I said egg coffee. Curious? Check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• ¾ cup ground coffee (stick to coarse or medium grounds)
• water

Preparation

Begin by boiling nine cups of water in a saucepan. While your water is being heated, mix the coffee and egg together, along with ¼ cup of lukewarm water. Once your water has been brought to a boil, pour the egg-coffee mixture into the saucepan; if necessary, turn down the heat to prevent the contents from boiling over. After 3-5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the stove and pour in one cup of cold water. Let the coffee settle for 10 minutes then pour the contents of the saucepan through a strainer; serve and enjoy!

At your next holiday gathering, don't ask guests if they want coffee and eggs; ask if they'd try egg in coffee!