How to Choose a Coffee Grinder

Many people love the smell and taste of freshly ground coffee. They feel that it is richer and has a better flavor than the pre-ground, store-bought coffees. So, what do you need to know if you decide that you want to grind your own coffee? First you need to know about the different types of coffee grinders:

Burr Coffee Grinder:
In a burr grinder the coffee beans are ground between two burred plates. These plates can be either conical or flat depending on the model coffee grinder you have. One benefit of having a burr grinder is that it grinds the coffee beans to a uniform size of particle. This gives you a lot of flexibility in what size grounds you need. 

Blade Coffee Grinder:
Blade coffee grinders have a blade similar to that of a propeller that chops up the coffee beans. How fine you want your coffee grounds depends on how long the grinder operates (usually going by a built in timer). The longer this coffee grinder works the finer the coffee.

Manual Coffee Grinder:
Also on the market there are some manual coffee grinders, this type of coffee grinder is usually very aesthetically pleasing and looks like a gorgeous antique. But its exterior isn't the only benefit of a manual coffee grinder, the manual grinder allows you to monitor the grinding process so that you will wind up with evenly ground coffee beans every time.

Now that you know a little more about each type of grinder, you need to decide how much you can spend on a coffee grinder, how much time you can dedicate to using a grinder, and how often you will be using the grinder. Once you have all these things figured out, you will be ready to go shopping for your new coffee grinder!

Cleaning your Coffee Pot

If you are like me, you have high ambitions for coffee in the summer, but with the warm days, you end up drinking only 1 cup while the rest sits in the coffee pot waiting to be poured down the drain later. And while it sits there, do you know what that resentful un-drunken coffee is doing? It is staining. Yup, that beautiful glass pot is slowly becoming a  little grungier with each pot of coffee you make.

Ha, This pot will be STAINED!

So how do you clean off those stains? There are a few different tips around the various corners of the web, here are a few that I found:

• Soak in a 1/2 Vinegar, 1/2 water solution. Let it sit for quite awhile, then rinse and wipe out with papertowels.
• At restaurants they use salt and ice in the coffee pot after each shift to make it shine like new. To do this you need about two tablespoons of regular or chunky salt swirled around with ice in the coffee pot.
• Using a foaming mix of Baking Soda and Vinegar to scrub off the stains (using a soft sponge don't want to get all the stains off just to scratch the pot in the process...)

Coffee Grounds and Gardening

I've been hearing (and reading) a lot of talk about using coffee grounds on your garden. So I decided to delve into this topic a little further and share with you what information I can find.

Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen for soil, however, as with anything too much of a good thing can be bad. To keep from overwhelming your plants with coffee, use coffee in your compost instead of directly on the plant.

Now this isn't to say that coffee can never be used directly on a plant, you just have to be careful with it. Some sites recommend using coffee grounds as a mulch for fast growing vegetables such as tomato plants. You can also shred up the used coffee filters into this mulch.

Sprinkling coffee grounds around plants that slugs love to munch on can help keep those plants safe. As it is believed that coffee grounds are poisonous to slugs. Unfortunately, I was unable to find out why (if anyone has more information on this please share in the comments).

Coffee grounds can act as a great natural insecticide on tomato plants. Make your coffee double strength. Let your coffee cool down to room temperature before spraying on your tomato plants. You can even pour the coffee grounds on the leaves and fruit of the tomatoes. 


What other garden uses have you found for coffee grounds?

Warm Months mean Camping Trips

  And what is a camping trip without coffee?

Okay, I know, it is still a camping trip. But if you have a coffee lover (or coffee dependent person with you) it could be an unpleasant camping trip. So, just how do you make coffee when you are out in the wild with no power strip in sight?

Well, honestly it isn't that difficult. Just a few easy steps:

Materials you will need:
Coffee Percolator
Coffee Grounds
Water
Fire
Coffee cup/mug

Instructions:

Step 1: Fill coffee pot/percolator just below basket.

Step 2: Put the basket and stem into place in the pot.

Step 3: Add your coffee to the basket. (Add as much or as little as you like but one guideline is 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup of water, but this way is a bit strong for me)

Step 4: Place percolator over fire (it is best if you have a grill grate or something that it can set on vs. putting directly in fire, which I do not recommend).

Step 5: Wait for the water to boil then remove the percolator and set it to the edge of the fire. Let it percolate slowly for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 6: Remove basket and dispose of coffee grounds. You can now have a cup of coffee.

Keep in mind that as with any campfire you will need to be very careful to avoid injury while making coffee with your percolator. Open flames definitely need careful and safe actions around them to avoid them spreading and to avoid being burned.

Also for outdoor coffee makers, I personally would avoid using any percolators with plastic handles and knobs as it is hard to control how hot a campfire can get and these plastic pieces could overheat and start to melt.

Hope everyone who is going camping this summer has a safe and fun trip! Don't forget the coffee!

For more camping gear check out http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/Camping-Gear.htm

Making Iced Coffee

With warmer weather up ahead, we felt that it was time to discuss iced coffee. It is something that is quite simple to make and can be quite refreshing when you need your caffeine on a hot day.  Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Brew your coffee the night before (you may want to brew it twice as strong as usual since it will be diluted with ice cubes.
2. If you want your iced coffee to be sweet, you will want to add your sugar to the coffee before it cools as it will mix better.
3. Chill your coffee overnight, we recommend putting it in a pitcher in case you change your mind and want some hot coffee in the a.m. and if your carafe is in the fridge that might be difficult to do. Unless you have an extra or replacement carafe.
4. When you are ready for your iced coffee fill a tall glass full of ice.
5. Pour your cool coffee over the ice.
6. If you want any creamer, milk, or flavoring add it to your iced coffee and mix well.
7. Now your iced coffee is ready to enjoy.

What is your favorite flavorings to add to iced coffee? Also do you have any tips on making this sweet cold treat?

Keurig, New at Coffee Maker Outlet

We are excited to tell you that we are now offering the Keurig Premium Coffee Systems, along with their accessories, and a variety of K-cups.The Keurig Brewing Systems that we offer are:

• Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System - a full spectrum of features and impeccable styling.
• Keurig B60 Special Edition Brewing - smart styling meets a range of brew features.
• Keurig B40 Elite Brewing System - simplicity and ease meet the perfect cup of coffee.
• Keurig B31 Mini Plus Brewing System - Small in size, big on variety, ease, and convenience.

The accessories for your Keurig Brewing System that we offer include:

• Keurig K-Cup Carousel - holds 27 K-Cup® portion packs with a Lazy Susan base. 
• Keurig K-Cup Carousel Tower - holds up to 30 K-Cup® portion packs with a Lazy Susan base.
• One All Reusable Single Serve Coffee Filter System - use your own gourmet ground coffee.

And of course we offer 19 varieties of the K-Cup portion packs.

Red Hill General Store's Big News

Our main company, Red Hill General Store, is opening a new location in Raleigh, NC. Everyone is really excited about it. The Grand Opening is this Saturday, March 5, 2011.

At Red Hill General Store's new location they will offer many of the products of Coffee Maker Outlet, along with:

• Carhartt, Columbia, & Life is Good clothing
• Earthway products
• Case Knives
• Rada Cutlery
• Burt's Bees Personal Care Products
• Toys by Kikkerland 
• Rainbow Sandals
• Presto Kitchen Appliances, Pressure Cookers, Canners, & more
• Lodge Cast Iron Cookware
• Teas by The Republic of Tea
• Preserves and supplies to preserve with

And much much more. If you are in the Raleigh, NC area you should stop by and see the big event.