Basic Cappuccino Recipe

Basic Cappuccino Recipe
This recipe is quick and easy to prepare even without a machine.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup Strongly Brewed Coffee
1 cup Skimmed Milk
1 tsp Sugar


Preparation 
Put the sugar in the milk and thoroughly heat it in the microwave oven.
Pour the milk in a blender and blend till it develops a thick layer of froth. You can also use an electric whisk for this purpose.
Brew the coffee till it is strong, and fill only 3/4 of your cup with coffee. Pour in the frothy milk and sugar mixture.
Add in a pinch of cinnamon for a spicy flavor, or garnish the drink with some chocolate.

You have 2 cappuccinos ready to go! Freshly ground coffee can give your cappuccino a fresh and smooth flavor. If you want to add a delicious twist to your cappuccino, add 2-3 tablespoons of caramel or 2 tablespoons of chocolate, or both together, just before pouring in the frothy mixture.

"Difference Between Cappuccino and Latte"

Difference Between Cappuccino and Latte

If you visit a coffee shop and ask for a cappuccino and a latte, you will notice that both of them taste the same. The reason is that both of them are made from poor quality espresso and are topped with a lot of milk and foam. However, a point to be noted is that the cappuccino and latte have different identities of their own and they are not synonyms of each other. To understand the subtle differences between both, let's read about them further.

Along with the cappuccino vs latte debate, there is also a cappuccino vs latte calories debate. Latte consists of more calories than cappuccino. The number of calories per drink will vary from one coffee maker to another.

Latte

A latte is known as café au lait in French, café con leche in Spanish and Milchkaffee in German. In simple words, it is coffee milk. Latte often accompanies breakfast. Let's get to know why. Latte is actually a double shot of espresso, which is topped with steamed milk. Mind you I said steamed milk and not milk froth or frothed milk. Since it has a generous amount of milk in it, it is very filling. Therefore, a latte normally accompanies breakfast.

Latte ideally needs to be served on a 7-8 oz glass, which often is not the case. Since it consists of a generous amount of milk, the drinker should be able to see the amount of milk in this coffee. There are some café, where you can see some foam on top of a latte. It is used only for the sake of presentation such as to make it more attractive. On a latte, there is some latte art, which is used for garnishing. The designs, which are normally used, are in the shape of a heart or a leaf.

Cappuccino

Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee, 6-Count Packages

Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee, 6-Count Packages

Description
Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee is a crisp, cold, naturally flavored iced coffee wherever summer takes you. Using 100% natural roasted arabica beans, we created a blend of instant and microground coffee that is specially designed for mixing with cold water. Then we added just the right amount of buttery, velvety caramel flavor and pure cane sugar for the perfect balance of refreshment and sweetness.






user review 
i wasn't too eager to be paying $6 to $7 for only 6 packets of instant iced coffee mix at my local safeway supermarket but i had to remember how much i spent at Starbucks just for their coffees and iced coffees and so i wanted to try these out and I'm glad I did because I loved it and realized they were definitely worth the $$'s.

I'm not really a coffee drinker (i probably drink 1 cup of coffee once or twice a week max) and only drink coffee when I really need a pickup. I can't drink coffee straight either and need a moderate volume of milk or half and half in it because the coffee taste is too bitter for me. I'm ordinarily a tea drinker. But I love iced drinks in the afternoon or night, especially iced drinks that I can instantly make without having to wait a long time to heat water and having to cool them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Each pack contains 6 little packets of starbucks coffee mix powder. It's true as the other reviewer said that you can make 2 to 4 or 5 cups of iced coffee just with one packet so it's really worth the $$'s and really you can just use half or less of a packet to make your cup of iced coffee - the coffee is that strong!! If it had sugar, I could barely taste it because the coffee was VERY STRONG so I had to add 3 packets of stevia sweetener packets and 4 mini-moo half-and-half cups. The next time I make it, I'll make sure to buy some whipped cream too and add it on top for a luxurious iced dessert drink just like at starbucks.....mmmmmm......

order now 

Poundex 3-Piece Coffee Table, Dark Cherry

Poundex 3-Piece Coffee Table, Dark Cherry

 click here to get more details 

User review
I love these tables! Very inexpensive, but when you get them assembled they don't look "cheap"! Easy assembly. The color is a brown-cherry, exactly as pictured. One of the criss-cross slats on the main coffee table was damaged when we opened the box. This isn't a structurally significant piece (contrary to what the pictures depict, these slats don't actually HOLD the glass top...the glass sets on a ledge just above the slats). So, we were able to glue it with wood glue and it looks good as new. We contacted the company about the damage and they said if we chose to fix it ourselves, they would refund half of the shipping costs. But, this didn't seem fair since I was under no obligation to repair it myself and if I wanted to, I could ship it all back to them, ask for a replacement and they'd have to ship me a new set...all of which would have equalled THREE times the shipping costs. It was easy to communicate with the company via email and they were prompt in their responses. I explained that I expected half the shipping cost, plus my time and materials to repair the damage. They agreed to that and refunded me what we felt was a fair representation of our time and materials to repair the damage. In the end, I am very happy with the tables, and with the way the company handled our dispute. Would buy from Visiondecor again! 

Furinno Simple Design Coffee Table, Espresso

Furinno Simple Design Coffee Table, Espresso

Ten Steps to Cleaning a Coffee Maker

 Ten Steps to Cleaning a Coffee Maker

Step 1: Mix one part water with one part white vinegar.

Step 2: Place the filter in the filter basket. If your machine is of a type which does not take filter paper then skip step 2 and follow step 3.

Step 3: Replace the pot on the coffee maker.

Step 4: Pour the mixture of water and white vinegar into the water reservoir of the coffee maker. Turn on the coffee maker.

Step 5: Let the solution drain into the pot. Vinegar acts as a deodorizer during this process.

Step 6: Now turn off the coffee maker. Remove the mixture and wait for 15-20 minutes for the pot to cool down.

Step 7: Rinse the pot and the filter thoroughly. Use warm water for this.

Step 8: Pour clean water into the coffee maker. Now, turn it on again.

Step 9: Allow all the water to enter the pot. Let the pot cool down for 15 -20 minutes and then remove the water and rinse properly. Repeat step 8 and step 9 one more time to get the best results.

Step 10: Wipe the outer side of the coffee maker with a wet sponge. You can also dip the sponge in soap water and use it. Don't forget to wipe the bottom surface as it is many a time very sticky.

Substitutes for a Coffee Filter

Substitutes for a Coffee Filter

Muslin Cloth
A plain woven muslin cloth (or any unbleached cotton fabric) will work well as a coffee filter. Make sure the pores in your cloth are finer than the ground coffee you use. Use a new, clean, tightly woven cloth, which has been washed at least once. Washing cotton increases its absorbing power. If you are someone who prepares butter at home (not many people do) you can use butter muslin cloth as well. If you intend to reuse the cloth as a coffee filter, avoid using harsh, scented detergents to clean it as they can tamper with the flavor of your coffee the next time you use them.

Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth, generally made from loosely woven cotton gauze, can make for a good coffee filter substitute. The grades of cheesecloths can vary, from being coarse and rough to fine and smooth. A finely graded cheesecloth will work better, since it does not permit the coffee grounds to seep through. If you regularly make cheese and wine at home, you are bound to have a cheesecloth.

Metal Coffee Filter
 A stainless steel filter is now available at most stores. Easily washable, and definitely more user-friendly than a cloth or paper towel, this wire mesh filter is an excellent alternative to a paper coffee filter. They fit perfectly inside the coffee maker. You buy one, and you may never have to worry about running out of paper filters ever again. 

Reusable Cloth Filters
A wide variety of reusable cloth coffee filters are available in the market. Though they are washable, small particles of coffee can actually get stuck in them, which makes them difficult to clean. But they can definitely be used instead of the regular coffee filter. The advantage is they allow the essence of the coffee to seep through, and you get a strong flavored coffee.

Gold Coffee Filters
These filters are actually made of gold, as the name implies. While most use 23 karat gold, there are some that are made of steel, than gold-plated. Easy to clean, even in a dishwasher, and everlasting, the only disadvantage is they are expensive! But once you buy them, you won't have to ever bother buying any other kind of coffee filters again!

Paper Towels
These can make for a great substitute if you have run out of coffee filters. Being porous, they have the ability to absorb fluids. Cut them of the same size as your regular coffee filter so that they fit inside the coffee maker. Then brew your coffee just like you always do. Probably not the most ideal way to filter coffee, but then, desperate times call for desperate measures!