December 2011

Coffee Review: For the Love of Pumpkin

Paramount Coffee's Pumpkin Pie flavored coffee

I love coffee and I love pumpkin, so what could be better than pumpkin flavored coffee? I had grown addicted to my Seattle's Best Cinnamon coffee, so I had not gotten around to trying one of the pumpkin flavored coffees that are abundant during the holiday season. Many of them only come out around this time of year, so I had to try one before it was too late and I had to wait until next season.

I decided to try Paramount Coffee's Pumpkin Pie flavored coffee. It is available from their website, paramountcoffee.com, but I was lucky enough to grab a bag at Marshall's for a great price. So, what was the verdict?

Peppermint mochas: Holidays in a Cup

Tis the season, for the peppermint mocha! It is exciting when Starbucks starts bringing out their red cups and filling them with yummy holiday drinks. My personal favorite holiday espresso drink is the gingerbread latte. As this drink emerges it signifies the beginning of the holiday season. The peppermint mocha is a delicious treat to that I like to sip on from time to time.

Aerobie Aeropress Review

"It was the best cup of coffee I had had in quite a while."


I have always wanted to try out a French coffee press. Coffee connoisseurs often say that this is the best coffee maker for producing the best quality brew. I put off purchasing one for several reasons. First, most require coarse-ground coffee to be used in it, or you will end up with many coffee granules in your final cup. I do not have a coffee grinder at the moment and really like Seattle's Best cinnamon flavored coffee that only comes in regular drip grind. Second, I really did not know if I would be able to make iced coffee easily with a french press -- I love iced coffee and tend to drink it more than hot coffee. After researching french presses, the Aeropress seemed like a great idea, because you can use a finer-grind coffee in it, because it actually uses little, miniature filters to ensure there are no grinds in your cup. So, I ordered one on the Internet and it finally arrived yesterday. Here are my thoughts about it:

McDonalds Mochas: Don’t Believe the Hype

"McDonalds and quality do not exactly go hand in hand."

I’ve heard and read people raving about McDonald’s mochas, how they are better than ones found at Starbucks or other coffee shops. That is just wrong, ALL WRONG. Perhaps my opinion is because I’m from Seattle, aka coffee-land and I’m used to high quality espresso drinks at most locations. It’s rare that I get a mocha that I don’t enjoy. That was, until I tried a McDonalds mocha.

Bye, Bye, Tassimo - It Was Fun While It Lasted

I have been a coffee lover for many, many years. I first started drinking coffee on a daily basis when I was 12 years old -- yes 12! I had always made my coffee at home with a standard drip coffee maker, although I do love to experiment with different fun espresso-based coffee drinks when I purchase a coffee from a coffee shop. About a year ago, I decided to splurge on a Tassimo one-cup coffee maker, since I wanted to finally be able to make a good cup of coffee at home. I was also working long days outside of the home at the time, and never had time to drink more than a cup or two of coffee before I left for work.

I was debating between purchasing the Tassimo and the Keurig, and decided on the Tassimo after I read the reviews of both products. The Tassimo created a stronger cup of coffee, from what I had read, and was able to produce a delicious cup of chai latte, which I love. I could also use it to make cappuccinos and lattes if desired. I was sold. I was lucky enough to find a great deal on a brand-new Tassimo on eBay. I enjoyed the coffee it made and the chai tea latte, although the chai was a little light in the flavor department. I used this machine faithfully for a year. So why am I getting rid of it?

Mocha with a Side of Wine? Yes Please!

I wandered into my local Starbucks to sit and do some work and sip on a peppermint mocha. I was startled to see that they suddenly served wine and beer. Um, WHAT!? As an espresso connoisseur and lover of red wine, I was frozen in place and my head was spinning. I considered setting up shop and never going home. It’s an interesting concept and seems as though it could be a profitable one.