Irish coffee: A marvelous Irish invention. Brewed coffee spiked with whisky & topped with cold whipped cream. Ideally, the coffee should be sipped through the cream and not mixed into it.

Monsooned coffee: In India green coffee beans are purposely exposed to the monsoon winds for several weeks, a process which moistens the beans and develops a distinctive flavour that in former times characterised beans after a long sea journey from India to Europe.

Dry-Processed: coffee beans dried in the sun, with little rinsing or sorting. Typically results in a poorly graded coffee, as a result of the impurities that remain mixed up with the beans. Dry-processed coffee beans are sometimes referred to as ‘naturals’.

Green coffee beans: Fresh coffee beans that have been wet or dry processed, graded, and are ready to be roasted.

Organic coffee beans: coffee beans grown without chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Consumers should be aware that many small growers do not use chemicals anyway, simply because they can not afford them, but their product may not carry organic certification. This is particularly true for coffee grown at high altitudes where few insects or bugs may be present and therefore chemicals not really necessary, combined with very inaccessible terrain making it difficult for chemicals to be transported to the plantation, and of course poverty.

Washed coffee beans: wet-processed coffee beans, which are repeatedly rinsed and sorted. Because of this, washed beans are superior in quality to dry-processed beans.

Vacuum coffee maker: water is placed in a glass globe. A second glass globe is inserted into the top of the first, with a rubber seal binding them together & a unique glass rod acting as the filter. Medium ground coffee is placed in the upper globe. A heat source is placed under the lower glass globe. As the water in the lower glass globe expands it is forced into the upper globe. When all the water in the lower globe has been forced into the upper globe, the heat source is removed. The lower globe then cools, creating a lower pressure in the lower globe, than in the top globe, and so the coffee is sucked back down into the lower globe. The most famous and spectacular of these is the original one, being the Cona, from England.

Crema: the foam that gathers on the surface of a good espresso, being an emulsion of the essential oils contained in the coffee. For any given roast, the fresher it is, the more crema you will see on your espresso. It really is that simple. The crema should not be too pale in colour, nor should it be even close to approaching a chocolate colour. The colour of varnished pine is approximately the colour you should be targeting, or possibly a shade darker. The bubbles in the crema should be so fine that they are barely visible across the light.

Londinium: the best in bespoke suits. Londinium Espresso: the best in bespoke coffee. The smoothest espresso you have ever drunk, or your money back. If you are ready for bespoke, you are ready for Londinium Espresso. If you want a particular coffee…just ask! We are bespoke, remember?

If you are currently buying your coffee beans from Monmouth Coffee, Bullet, Sacred, Has Bean, The Bean Shop, Roast and Post, then you are no doubt a connoisseur of coffee.

We respect our competitors, as they are with us in the crusade against poor coffee.

However, we are the new boys in town & we are keen for your custom.

Do give us a try – I think you will find our roasts will meet or exceed your expectations, and just in case it is not to your liking we back every roast with a ‘prompt 100% money back guarantee’.

We also strive to back our products up with first class service. So even if you don’t need to order coffee beans today, but you have a coffee related question, do give us a call & we’ll do our best to find you the solution.

Thank you for visiting

Reiss.

Today’s blog is the start of the Londinium glossary of coffee. The idea is to provide you with a point of reference for any terms that you may be unfamiliar with, so here goes:

Acidity: a quality highly prized by connoisseurs, and more commonly found in high altitude varieties of coffee bean. Generally, the more acidity a coffee has, the less suitable it is for a straight espresso and the more suitable it is for a filter cup coffee.

Arabica: the fruit of the Coffea arabica bush, being one of two major species of coffee (the other being Coffea canephora, or Robusta as it is more commonly known), both believed to have originated in Ethiopia. Arabica coffee accounts for approximately three quarters of global coffee consumption. It is usually superior in quality, and lower in caffeine than Robusta.

Aroma: the fragrance given off by coffee as it is prepared, and in the mouth as it is being consumed. As we are only able to detect four tastes with our tongue, the aroma of coffee is vitally important to being able to detect the subtle nuances of a fine coffee’s taste signature.

Barista: the person who has been trained in the correct preparation of espresso, upon which they often develop their own specialities, such as ‘latte art’.

Bean (coffee): the seed of the coffee bush, found inside the fruit (the coffee cherry). It is typically referred to as the seed when cultivated, and the bean when subsequently marketed.

Blue Mountain: possibly the most famous coffee bean of all, and one of the most expensive. It is produced in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The taste is subtle, with underlying chocolate notes. Should always be sold as a single origin coffee (i.e. unblended).

Body: the term used to describe the texture of the brew, the impression the texture leaves in the mouth, and the length of time that impression lingers. A full bodied coffee is thick textured and has a lingering taste in the mouth. The espresso process generally produces a coffee that is full bodied, although in my view this more a reflection of the process than the coffee beans used.

Cafe Allonge: A French term to describe diluted espresso. The Italians use ‘Americano’. i.e. a full size coffee cup to which a shot/double shot of espresso is added, then topped up with hot water.

Cafe Liegeois: A French term referring to cold coffee poured over vanilla ice cream & topped with whipped cream.

Caffeine: an alkaloid stimulant contained in coffee beans. The caffeine content can vary by as much as fifty percent between arabicas and robustas. Generally speaking, caffeine is not harmful to your health unless consumed in irresponsible quantities (say 30 cups per day), you are pregnant, you have a heart condition, or you are sensitive to caffeine.

Caracoli: usually a coffee cherry will contain a seed comprising two beans. On occasions only a single bean develops, effectively a mutation. As the flavour is more concentrated in a single bean, caracoli beans are highly prized, especially those of the arabica variety.

Coffee cherry: the fruit of the coffee bush, which is round in shape and bright red in colour. The coffee beans are the seeds of the cherry, usually two, but occasionally a single bean (caracoli).

Chocolatey: the term used to describe the highly prized aroma found in the great arabicas, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, New Guinea Sigri, and Australian Skybury.

Decaffeinated coffee: coffee from which the caffeine has been chemically removed. Approximately 78% of decaffeinated coffee utilises fairly unpleasant chemicals to do so. The only exception is the ‘Swiss Water Process’, which is different to the ‘Water Process’ which uses chemicals. The taste and aroma of coffees that have been decaffeinated is diminished, but espresso suffers the least.

Click here to see a recent BBC article on coffee & health

Dr Trombetti says she hates the stuff herself – but points to a welter of scientific evidence to back her case. Coffee contains tannin and antioxidants, which are good for the heart and arteries, she says. It can relieve headaches. It is good for the liver – and can help prevent cirrhosis and gallstones. And the caffeine in coffee can reduce the risk of asthma attacks – and help improve circulation within the heart.

There is no denying that coffee is not for everyone. If you drink too much it can increase nervousness, and cause rapid heartbeat and trembling hands. Pregnant women, heart patients, and anyone with a stomach ulcer are usually advised to avoid it. And even Dr Trombetti says no one should drink more than three or four cups a day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7206801.stm

Don’t just take our word for it! Click on the above link to see the latest from the BBC. Caffeine isn’t the issue, too many calories is. Consume less fat & eat more fresh food. Obesity-related health issues are now the number one killer in much of the developed world.

Londinium Espresso is the solution. Just add water.

Click here to see the Cona concept ‘reinvented’ in Manhattan. It looks like they have just swapped the methylated spirit burner for a halogen heat source. The rest is instantly recognisable.

Today’s post throws the spotlight on a little known, but personal favourite of mine; the Cona coffee maker. I don’t think it is hyperbole to say it is an icon of the coffee world. The vacuum coffee maker is the purists’ way to enjoy coffee because the coffee only comes into contact with glass, and the water infuses with the coffee at the perfect temperature. OK, it isn’t espresso I hear you scream, but I like to throw light on unique products and encourage you to try something from the time of your grandparent’s youth that is still selling today. How many things can you say that about? The all glass Cona coffee maker is a work of art even when it is not in use. It is best suited to those few moments we have today when we are not under time pressure, such as serving coffee after dinner. Its detractors will say that it is fragile, slow, and the glass needs to be kept clean, all of which is true. For my money, the experience it provides outweighs the negatives. It is at the complete opposite end of the spectrum to an espresso, both in terms of the length of time it takes to make the coffee, perhaps 25 minutes, and in taste – it is a very delicate method of extraction, ideal for coffees with very subtle nuances. The legendary Cona was perfected in England way back in 1910! The Cona firm still exists in Wimbledon today. If I have whetted your appetite click on the link here: cona.co.uk (don’t be put off by the slightly off-beat website, the product is a gem and the service is like the product – old fashioned, but first class). And to answer the cynics (I am one myself, after all), no I am not in anyway connected or affiliated to Cona, or any of its subsidiaries, employees, or officers, other than being the proud owner of the Cona Classic Table Model ‘C’. If you know someone who loves classic cars, cameras, etc, or indeed has any appreciation for old machinery, I think this would make a superb gift.

You’ve come to the right place.

We stamp the date the coffee was roasted on our all bags, not the expiry date, so you know exactly how fresh your coffee really is.

Each bag has a one-way valve to allow the gas that freshly roasted coffee gives off escape so the bag doesn’t rupture, so dont be surprised if your coffee bag arrives ‘inflated’.

We also use a triple wall bag to protect the coffee and ensures it arrives at your door the way you like it: fresh.

We back it all up with fast, friendly service. And if you’re not completely satisfied you can return the product and receive a full refund. That’s The Londinium Guarantee.

Move up to Londinium Espresso today. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

1 part Londinium espresso
1 part Limoncello

Pour the Limoncello into the espresso
Garnish with a twist of lemon
Serve.