Coffee Nova

How much do you really know about coffee? In this podcast by Science & The City, Andrea Illy, chairman of illycaffe S.p.A. discusses the chemistry and technology that produce a great cup of coffee. It’s almost an hour long, but definitely worth a listen.

I often get confused about all the milky concoctions that pretend to be coffee drinks. For example, what exactly is the difference between cafe latte and a cappuccino? Lokesh Dhakar claims to be new to the world of “fancy coffee drinks”. He’s made a very useful illustrated guide to coffee drinks. It makes it very easy to understand what goes into each drink, and what proportions of each ingredient are used. There’s also a pronunciation guide, so you can order your coffee with confidence.

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Watching an expert barista at work is often fascinating, and sometimes I wish it was possible to slow everything down so we can follow step by step. Thanks to photographer Irene Müller, you can see exactly what happens when the milk hits the coffee.

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In addition to being a great pick-me-up drink, coffee is a very versatile ingredient. Not only can you drink it, you can also eat it! Coffee provides just the right “kick” to your favourite dish. I recently discovered a great site for Coffee Recipes. You’ll find recipes for Banana Coffee Cake, Coffee Ice Cream, Coffee Cinnamon, different types of coffee creamers and lots more. Even if you don’t usually cook, the instructions provided are fairly easy to follow.

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