IF IT’S TASTY...

Refining coffee with syrup, salt, spices…

The top 5 coffee additives, toppings, and other flavor additions. Actually, it’s weird that something as concise as coffee is “refined” in all sorts of taste-changing directions. Some sprinkle salt into it, dump caramel syrup or lemon into the cup, pimp it with alcohol – not necessarily something for baristas and purists. But who says that that’s not delicious? The result doesn’t have quite as much to do with “coffee” anymore, but hey…. So here are our top 5 coffee additives.

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BARISTA TIP

How to set your portafilter correctly.

How do you make the perfect espresso? Quite simple: By trial and error. Every coffee, every roast, every portafilter machine has its own characteristics – you don’t necessarily need barista training to harmonize them for a truly balanced, harmonious cup. But you should know which parameter causes what. And that is exactly what we have summarized for you here.

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BARISTA-TIPP

When the moka pot turns greasy.

Rancid? This is exactly what some baristas call the very musty taste of old coffee residue that spoils your favorite coffee in the pot, which definitely makes the coffee fan “rancid”(meaning it puts them in a bad mood). So, the big question is: How do you clean your bialetti aka caffettiera aka moka pot so that this doesn’t happen in the first place? Part of the rather surprising answer is: Not with dishwashing detergent. We tell you why.

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BARISTA TIP

How to keep your portafilter spic and span.

And, above all, ensure that it produces super-tasty espresso and a wonderful crema. This is (unfortunately) also a question of cleaning. And not just on the outside: Cleaning and descaling is vital for “La Macchina”. We explain how it is done.

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BARISTA TIP

How to clean which coffee maker

If you love your machine and your coffee – whether it’s a portafilter, a stovetop pot, a fully automatic machine, or a filter machine – you can’t avoid cleaning it (unless you have a cleaning fairy and entrust her with your favorite piece). Why and how to do it best (for the coffee, the machine, and yourself), we tell you in our little mini-series. First part: Reasons for cleaning and the best cleaning agents.

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BARISTA TIP

The fully automatic coffee machine – only for lazy people?

Isn’t this wonderful? You simply push a button – and there comes your cappuccino, espresso, latte, or café au lait. Sounds perfect. And for many it is. The so-called fully automatic coffee machine is very popular – also in private households. But is it really this great? We have put together the advantages and disadvantages of automatic coffee machines. A short guide for coffee aficionados to help with the decision making.

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STOVETOP ESPRESSO MAKER

A lucky find for every occasion.

The stovetop espresso maker or the Moka Express or the Bialetti (named after its inventor) is not a shiny, sexy, fancy coffee-pro gadget. But it’s really Italian. Very practical. And most of all: It makes a delicious espresso, which isn’t really one in the proper sense. Why not and everything else you need to know about the stovetop espresso maker, we tell you here.

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