PODcast #43 : Espresso Pods News

Welcome to The PODcast, PodMerchant's newsletter of espresso pod tips, news, education, and deals. Back issues of The PODcast are available online. This newsletter is published in HTML with images and styled text. If you are reading the "text only" version, you are missing much of the content.

Espresso Elucidations

The Balanced Cup

In this last of a three part series, I want to talk about the qualities of what I call "The Balanced Cup". In Part I, I started out the series with the Strong Cup. Part II explained about the Delicate Cup. Now the ends meet with the Balanced Cup.

The Balanced Cup strikes a balance between subtle qualities and hearty qualities. This is achieved by a mixture of Arabica beans and Robusta beans in a blend, favoring Arabica. The usual mixture is in the neighborhood of 80% Arabica and 20% Robusta. Arabica, having fine, yet delicate, qualities can be enlivened with the right amount of quality Robusta. It's sort of like Emeril when he goes "BAM!" and kicks it up a notch. In cooking you need a bit of spice, and in the coffee world, the right amount of Robusta can achieve this.

And this is verified by sales. The great majority of the pods we sell are balanced blends. Amigos, Borbone, Cafe del Doge, Izzo, Lavazza, Lucaffe, etc. all feature balanced Arabica / Robusta blends. illy and Danesi are the only roasters we represent that produce only 100% Arabica offerings. Blends are the bulk of the market in Italy, whereas the American Specialty Coffee market is virtually all 100% Arabica. I think the Italians are onto something here.

Balanced blends are good for use in cappuccinos and lattes. The Robusta presents coffee flavor when diluted with milk than do the 100% Arabicas.

My recommendations for Balanced Cup blends? I am partial to the PodMerchant House Blend, of course. Other personal favorites include Caffe del' Doge Rialto, Amigos Extra-Bar, Caffe Gioia, Lucaffe Classic, Izzo Grand Espresso, and of course the premium Lucaffe Blucaffe. When I have a yearning for a darker roast blend then Miscela d'Oro is on my list.

Interested in the Balanced Cup? Right this way to our listing of Balanced Cup espresso pods.

PodMerchant News

And just like that, we were out of Giamaica Blue Mountain... Sorry folks, we're only going to be importing small amounts of this coffee. We'll have more at the beginning of August. Same for Lucaffe Mamma Lucia. Not knowing how these products were going to sell, we did not purchase large quantities. We'll be sure to stock up big on Mamma Lucia. It's become one of my personal favorites.

PodMerchant Featured Product

Biscotti! Biscotti! PodMerchant is now carrying Nonni's Biscotti for your dunking enjoyment.

Biscotti means "twice baked," the process by which the cookie is dried. This was originally done to preserve the cookie — of particular use for journeys and wars. Our word biscuit is derived from the same root as biscotti.

Maybe you've tried biscotti and thought they were a bit on the dry and crunchy side. But as soon as you dunk the biscotto (singular for biscotti) — conveniently shaped to fit into a demitasse cup — the cookie comes alive with sweet flavors and sublime texture. Biscotti are the perfect sweet to consume with espresso — whether straight or as a cappuccino.

We have selected Nonni's Biscotti to sell in our store. We sampled other retail brands and found this brand to be the best biscotti available. The flavors are traditional Italian and the quality is first rate. Each box contains 8 individually wrapped biscotti.

Here is PodMerchant's Customer Support staffer, Rachel Cusick, with her favorite biscotto, Cioccolati, dunking with grace and style.

The elegant glassware is the Lucaffe Glass Demitasse Cup & Saucer.

FaceBook

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PodMerchant Coupons

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For 10% off your next order — Enter code: XXXXXXX (note, that is "P-C-Zero") and please press the "Redeem Coupon" button or the coupon will not be entered.

That's all for this issue of the PODcast.


Kevin Garrett, The PodMerchant.