i quit coffee about 7 months ago and i am still fighting strong cravings for the taste. some days i just want to drink it for the sheer novelty of DOING it simply because its been so long! i was into it hardcore for two years, i only had two 12 oz cups a day and sometimes i would make a latte or a cappa. i roasted my own and got VERY good at that aspect of it to the point that i would say i was an expert master roaster of sorts...ok, just in my general area, i was the best fresh bean connoisseur in town exerpt for one small cafe. i would order green coffee off the net from almost everywhere and stick it in an old (70s) popcorn popper called the WestBend Poppery I, which was controlled by hand with a variac for the heating element and one for the fan pressure. i would monitor the temperature of the bean mass and make changes according to spikes in heat cause by first and second "crack"-the beans will pop like popcorn twice during a dark roast or just once for a light roast-and then i would let them "rest" for a few days in an air tight jar, after that i would grind every bean fresh just seconds before brewing. i even made my own two boiler espresso machine and used a very high quality hand grinder to get an extremely fine yet consistent grind and tamp it into the "porta-filter" of the espresso machine with the same pressure every time. and everything else technical and scientific to do with the entire process of making the finest coffee i could. and i mean really good coffee, ambrosia! especially shots, they were general very smooth and much less bitter than anywhere else i could find the stuff-sometimes quite sweet. and i didn't even have very good machines and i was able to "pull" that kind of shot!

you get the picture. i was into coffee for every other reason than for the caffeine.... i REALLY wish i had only been into it for the "buzz". but the fact is coffee actually made me have less energy, but it was way worth it for the pleasure of taste. so now im faced with what looks like a life of suffering lol cuz i cant stop wanting coffee!!

i broke today and had a cup of 'nasty' coffee at work from the vender. i would have never even thought of drinking that swill 7 months ago, but after so long i have sort of forgotten the taste of the "super coffee" i use to make, i think mentally i have tried to push out that sensory memory as i have been trying really hard not to drink it again. i was hoping to be free of a lot longer than 7 months, and one would think that's not too hard. but im just really weak when it comes to "harmless pleasures". but at the same time i really don't like the idea of being tied to something anymore, i want to be able to go though life ready for whatever happens without having to say "oh my god, where am i going to find a good cup of of coffee in this town?!!"
yea, i quit for health reasons, and by the way, the health benefits are far outweighed by the toxifying effect this highly acidic beverage has on the body. coffee has a ph of 4! thats only slightly better than soda. a normal blood ph is about 7.3. but yes, i think im willing to possibly drink it once or twice a week. but its also a moral issue. i would respect myself a little less for not having the self control to avoid something this small and menial, what am i if i cant even control a simple craving?! im very weak thats what. hard on myself?? maybe. but i dont know. another major thing is that drinking coffee is a direct contradiction to my resent drastic change in diet. i am 90% vegan and about 30% raw.(also for health reasons only, not for animal rights) so this means that the majority of what i eat is whole, fresh, living, organic, alkalizing, detoxifying food. long list hu? and coffee is the opposite of all this. not that it would make my efforts to eat cleaner that much less va

I have a espresso machine at home, but I have no idea where I can buy espresso. I know all it is a finely ground coffee beans but where can I buy that? Do regular grocery stores carry it. I live in Atlanta so we Have Kroger, Publix, and Whole Foods. Please help!!! It would save me a ton of money considering I go to Starbucks every morning. Thanks!

Or could I buy a separate frother and use that instead?

I want to get an inexpensive espresso machine in order to make lattes and other drinks that contain espresso (obviously). But the ones I'm looking at had sketchy reviews about their frothers.

If I CAN do this, what sort of equipment would I need? I've seen frothing machines, pitchers, and thermometers. I've also seen a frother like this one http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=milk+frother&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=15285042771434471703&sa=X&ei=GQe_TaiHKtOitgfkt4S0BQ&ved=0CIwBEPICMAQ# ; would still need the pitcher if I got something like this?

I want to buy an espresso machine to make my own lattes and cappuccinos, but I don't know much about them. Are there certain features that a good espresso machine should have? Any reccomendations? I want a decent one, but probably don't want to spend over 0. Thanks!

They steam eggs with an espresso machine. Are they safe to eat when pregnant?

So in short, I used to work at blenz coffee and I got fired because the manager was a bitch. Anyways i was real good at making the drinks and I found this job as a barista that strongly reccommends having experience as a barista. Now I obviously cant put blenz on my resume but i was thinking in my skills I could maybe put down that i know how to use the espresso machine and make basic drinks. Or maybe something along that?? Any thoughts o and please serious answers only

i don't have an espresso machine but i love experimenting with coffee recipes (I'm a starbucks addict as well) so if you know anything i could try thats easy i would be super-grateful

thank you!

<3 hil

I want to be able to make delicious espresso drinks from home, but don't have an espresso machine. Is there a way to use espresso powder or run espresso grounds through a normal coffee machine?

It's the Krups Model XP 1020 Espresso Machine; here's a link http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=15868996

Also is there a certain type of beans I should use?

Looking at this manual '05 Scion xB. Advice please?

http://shar.es/0HVt7

I just looked at this today, it's not in great cosmetic condition (well, I suppose it may not be in the best mechanical condition either - haven't test driven nor inspected it yet). It has 152k miles (mainly highway; owner used to transport espresso machine parts all over WA). Says he's gotten all his oil changes; new battery--not sure how new; fairly new tires--nitrogen; and the last major tune-up was @ 90k. It has a timing chain, not belt. IF it checks out with my grandpa (he knows tons more about cars than I), we're taking it to our mechanic at the Toyota dealership where he gets all his regular work done on the Camry.. but before I drop 0 on a PPI, does anyone recommend against it or have any advice on what more to ask the owner? Does anyone else own an xB with this many miles on it? Anyone ever have problems?
I don't need your opinion on the car's body style, and I especially don't need an answer if you don't know jack about cars. I am asking about the engine's performance and durability. Contrary to popular belief, many modern cars are designed to last well beyond 100k miles; we've all simply been conditioned to think that anything more than that is useless. The car I drive now (01 Accent) has 116k+ and runs just fine. Google things once in a while and educate yourself rather than sharing your childish dross with people who are looking for real answers. Seriously, are Yahoo! Answers points worth that much to you? I'm sorry for you if they are. Do something useful with your time.