My friends and family know I’m a huge fan of the TV show LOST. I was excited and sad to see a show that I have never missed for six seasons straight finally come to an end. The twist and turns presented each week always made for great conversation at lunch. It was intriguing to discuss the previous episode and hear how my co-workers interpreted it.

So, before bidding a final farewell, I thought it would be fitting to discuss what the heck they did on that island for coffee?

It wasn’t until Season Two that we were introduced to the others and the small houses that had electricity. Surely with electricity they had to have a coffeemaker. Did they have coffee that was 30 years old down there, stored in a standard coffee can with DHARMA etched on the outside? I have to admit; I wouldn’t care how old it was, as long as I could enjoy my six daily cups of coffee.

In Season Three, we did see one coffee scene. Ben captures Kate and while explaining to her that “The Others” were not savages he uses a Bonjour French Press to make coffee.

If it were up to me, the writers would have had Sun growing coffee beans. Just think what they could have accomplished if they had caffeine every day! Perhaps I should have sent them a Handpresso. Handpresso makes unique handheld espresso machines that do not require electricity to operate. You simply pump it up to pressure using simple bike-pump technology. Once the machine is up to 16 bars, add ground coffee or a coffee pod and brew the perfect shot of espresso! The Handpresso Wild works with ESE pods and the Domepod can brew ground coffee. Only one challenge; where would they get the coffee or ESE Pods? Perhaps Jack could have placed some in his bag as he was returning to the island after enjoying several years in society?

What do you think they should have done for coffee? What would you do if you were stuck on an island?

Tracy
Sales Department

First comes the real deal; then comes the knock off. It's an unbroken circle of life. Those monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbags? They were once reserved for the rich, now every 12-year-old within a subway-radius of a street vendor has one.

And, so it is with Kopi Luwak coffee, the world's most expensive beans, easily costing $100-$600 per pound. Venture into a reputable café, request Kopi Luwak from the barista, and you'll be charged $30 a cup...if you're lucky. A brasserie in London is reportedly selling a blend of Kopi Luwak and Blue Mountain coffee for $99 per cup! What's the big hoopla? Well, produced when civets ingest coffee beans and defecate, Kopi Luwak coffee is famous for being rare and lacking bitter characteristics.

But, buyer beware, not all coffee advertised as Kopi Luwak is from genuine civet poop. With SARS sending the world into a panic a few years ago, many of the civets thought to be carriers of the disease were exterminated, causing the Kopi Luwak production to take a hit. In the mean time, simulated civet coffee, most notably the Vietnamese substitute Legendee produced by Trung Nguyen Coffee Company, is becoming more prevalent. While some of the simulated beans are soaked in enzymes to simulate the civet digestive track others are simply nothing more than flavored coffee. Word on the Web is while many vendors do specify when selling simulated civet coffee, others aren't so straightforward. So, caveat emptor...buyer beware.

Be it authentic or simulated, have you ever had or are you interested in Kopi Luwak?

Tho
Writing Department

As a third-year owner of a Gaggia MDF Coffee Grinder, I'd like to share a few of my not-so-secret tips for using this machine.

Since this machine has 34 settings, I'll save you quite a bit of time (and coffee) and say that the best grind setting for espresso is going to be right around a number 6. Of course, there are going to be variables to this setting, based on the type of coffee or espresso machine being used; but a 6 would be a good starting point. You'll be able to adjust up or down a number or two from there. The first time I used the MDF I started at the halfway point, around an 18, and then adjusted down one setting at a time from there. After a well-spent hour of my life, I can now share my experience with you in hopes that you'll have a quicker and easier time dialing in your MDF.

I also know from personal experience that this grinder can actually grind too fine, basically turning your coffee puck in to cement in your portafilter. Quick word of wisdom: Don't run your espresso machine for more then 10 or 15 seconds if there is no water coming out of the portafilter, as you run the risk of ruining your pump...not that I've ever done this before or anything.

I use my MDF once a week to grind a pound of coffee for my drip coffeemaker. As most people know, drip coffee requires a courser grind than espresso. In this instance, I find that a 15 grind setting on the MDF works best.  Most might consider the resulting grind to be too fine for drip coffee; but I feel I get a nice, rich, full-bodied extraction out of my drip coffeemaker with this grind setting. 

In a nutshell, the best grind is going to be whatever suites your palate; so practice, taste test, and enjoy! Do you have a Gaggia MDF at home? If you do, share your favorite grind settings with us.

Darren
Sales Manager

As anyone knows traveling can be a very tiresome experience, especially at the end when all you really want to do is go home. My husband and I had an amazing trip to Paris, but after five days we were ready to come back to our family. Unfortunately, the ash cloud from the nearby volcano was not going to make this an easy task....

We started our adventure home on Sunday morning, arriving at the airport the recommended three hours before the flight. This is where the fun began. Upon entering the airport we were faced with a line that came outside of the terminal, this line was for US-bound flights. We waited about two hours before arriving at the security checkpoint. Once we made it through security we arrived at our gate and waited some more, before learning after six hours of sitting around the terminal, that the flight was cancelled. The ash cloud had struck again.

We were transported to a hotel, fed, and told to meet in the lobby at 4:30AM for breakfast. After four hours sleep, I arrived downstairs for breakfast, which consisted of three croissants and some brown water described as "coffee."

The airline bus was scheduled to pick us up by 6:00AM to take us to the airport for our 9:00AM flight.  It didn't come until 10:30AM, and then only to tell that our flight had, once again, been cancelled. It took another 2.5 hours but we were switched to another airline carrier. This is when life started to look good again. We were transported to the airport and went to our gate. Upon arriving, we were told once again that our flight was delayed. At this point I began wonder if I was ever going home.

I decided to spend some time and search out coffee during the delay. To my amazement I found an oasis right in the airport. Before my eyes, was the most beautiful Illy café I have ever seen. It was complete with a three-group-head La Marzocco machine and a real barista!

I looked at the menu and they offered a Cappuccino Viennois for 4.20 euros. I decided to give this a try. The drink was perfect; it was a Cappuccino with a double shot of espresso and the sweetest whip crème I have ever tasted. The Cappuccino Viennois helped me wait the additional six hours for our flight. We finally arrived in the United States that evening after 9:30PM. Unfortunately, it would take another day to get back to our hometown. I hope everyone enjoys the photos from the oasis I found in the airport. Check back for more on my experiences with coffee abroad.   

If you've had a travel nightmare take a turn for the better due to great coffee, or if your trip was ruined thanks to bad java, share your story here!

Is it nobler to suffer the wipes and cleanup of static electricity, or to time the shots exact into yon portafilter?

Apologies to Mr. Shakespeare, but that essentially is the question when one wants to decide between a dosered or a doserless grinder, like the Rancilio Rocky, which is available in both versions.

Need help deciding? Here are the main highlights and pros and cons of each:

Doser

The doser really shines, if you have a lot of people using the grinder in a house or office setting. It catches all of the grounds from the grinder, and dispenses them with a pull of the dosing arm.

Pros: The doser will help keep your counter clean and prevent coffee grounds from being wasted. If you overload the portafilter, you can just dump the excess grind back in to the doser.

Cons: If you grind multiple types of coffee, there can be a cross-contamination of the grounds. While espresso grind mixed in with French press coffee isn't a big deal, the reverse can mean a bad shot. And, unused grounds may sit in the doser until the next use, when they may not be fresh.

Doserless

A doserless grinder is much more straightforward. You grind directly into your portafilter or container, and eliminate the doser from the equation.

Pros: No possible mixing of grind sizes; what you grind is exactly what is coming out of the machine. Once you perfect your timing, you'll be able to grind only what you need for fresh coffee every time.

Cons: Neat freak alert! A few coffee grounds may go astray, every which way, from the static electricity that normally results from the grinding process. But, if you're ok with a wipe of the counter, it's not a huge trade off.  Also, if you don't have your timing down, chances are you will end up wasting some grounds.

When it comes down to it, your preferences will determine which kind of grinder you should get. Try to make your decision based on your lifestyle and coffee routine; if you're really stuck call us at 888-411-5282 (JAVA).

Already have a grinder? Tell us if your grinder has a doser or not and share your experiences here!

Mike
Sales Department