PODcast Newsletter, Issue 7

Caffeine in Espresso
"Oh my! I can't drink espresso! The caffeine gives me the jitters!" — I can't tell you how many times I've heard some variation of that line. There seems to be a misconception among some that espresso is much stronger than drip coffee, caffeine-wise. My personal experience would suggest differently. I never get a caffeine buzz from espresso, but if I have a large cup of drip coffee I can feel my heart pounding. Am I crazy or is it them? (Answer: It's always them...)

Research on the Internet yields results in line with my experience. A double shot of espresso in general contains less caffeine than a regular (Starbucks "Tall") cup of coffee. Published numbers vary due to several factors, but typical numbers are 100mg of caffeine in 2oz. (a double shot) of espresso vs. 115 to 175 mg. of caffeine in a typical 7oz. cup of Joe. Well, sure, espresso is stronger per ounce, but no one drinks a 7 oz cup of espresso.

Looking for an explanation, I can guess that one cause of this misperception is that espresso is consumed relatively rapidly (e.g., in one gulp by evil Don Fanucci in The Godfather, Part II...) whereas the drip coffee might be sipped over a long period of time.
 

For your maximized espresso enjoyment, we present this issue's tip:

Tip No. 7:
(This is for users of machines not specifically designed for pods.)
E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) espresso pods work in a variety of machines from smaller grouphead home machines to professional machines with large groupheads. But to get decent results the pod must fit properly in the filter basket. Be sure to use E.S.E. pods in the single-shot basket and not the double-shot filter basket. If the manufacturer makes one, you should use their pod filter basket or dedicated portafilter handle. Some manufacturers have made pod adaptors — for example, Gaggia used to make an adaptor to convert their machines for pod-only use, but have recently redesigned some of their machines to properly handle pods. If you aren't getting the results that you think you should, be sure to consult your machine's user manual.

 

We've had lots of enquiries on the very cool Nuvo Koala in chrome but we've had none to sell. That will be changing soon as a new shipment has finally arrived in the US and an allotment is on it's way to PodMerchant. You can read our full write-up on the Nuvo Koala.

We are waiting on a large sea shipment from Italy with new products. Look for espresso pods from Izzo, as well as return of Lucaffé Colombia, which we have been out of since before Christmas 2005. We are also looking into carrying Lucaffé's Blucaffé coffee.
 

PodMerchant offers the following discounts only to our PODcast Newsletter subscribers. The discount is taken by redeeming one of the following coupon codes at checkout (Note: These coupons are only valid for PODcast subscribers. We check use of coupons against the subscriber list. Coupons expire 35 days after the newsletter is published, or when the next issue is published, whichever comes first):

$35 off Ascaso Dream espresso machines -- Enter code: XXXXXXXX (subscribers only)

$25 off all other espresso machines (Cafe Retro, Koala) -- Enter code: XXXXXXXX (subscribers only)

And just for being a PODcast subscriber, we're going to take...
$4 off your next order over $30. -- Enter code: XXXXXXXX (subscribers only)