Your coffee maker could be killing you. Well it is if your morning cup of coffee is a matter of life and death and you have a filthy coffee maker. When was the last time you thoroughly cleaned your coffee maker? Washing the pot is important but getting the internal components of a coffee maker clean is a task that shouldn’t be skipped. Did you even know that you were supposed to clean it? A clean coffee maker can be the difference between a good cup of coffee and a nasty cup of sludge.

A clean coffee maker really makes a big difference in how your coffee tastes. Left over coffee oils can accumulate inside your coffee maker. Also mineral deposits can form especially in areas with hard water. These deposits are called “scale”. There are two kinds of scale, lime scale and mineral scale and you don’t want either one. Scale can affect the heating unit and the water flow of your coffee maker and reduce it’s efficiency. How quickly scale forms depends on the quality of your drinking water. If you use bottled water to make your coffee, scale probably won’t form as fast but you still have to worry about accumulated coffee oils. Better to play it safe and clean your coffee maker regularly.

Cleaning your coffee maker is not a hard task to accomplish and in fact it’s as easy as making coffee. All you have to do is pour a pot of half vinegar and half water into the coffee maker’s water reservoir. It goes without saying that white vinegar should be used. Steer clear of the red wine or apple cider vinegar varieties. Then just turn on the regular brew cycle. You’re kitchen will probably have a nice salad smell while it’s brewing which you may even like. If you’re not a salad fan though, just remember that it’s a small price to pay for a good cup of coffee.

Now rinse the coffee maker out by using only water this time in the water reservoir and running the brew cycle again. You may have to do this a few more times if you still smell vinegar.

Another easy way to keep the coffee maker clean is to put a glass marble in the water chamber. All the mineral deposits that would usually accumulate inside the coffee maker will instead accumulate on the marble. Every once in a while just remove the marble, wash it and then place it back in the chamber. How much easier could that be?

The best solution would be to clean your coffee maker with vinegar monthly while also using the marble method. Change the marble once a week and you’re coffee maker will be in great shape.

If you have an old coffee maker and you aren’t happy with the taste of it’s brew, why not try cleaning it. A clean coffee maker will brew better tasting coffee.

” Oomph is the intricate inner feeling of that touch of power, unexplained yet real, that comes with the drinking of coffee”

I had been a long term tea drinker, preferring tea to any other beverage for years, until one day, I had a new assistant. I was working as a dealer representative for stocks and shares at that time, and that means in a really stressful environment, being in the trading room all the time. So taking some time off to catch a cuppa and to be back to trading and watching the trading screens for the best prices was the perfect break anyone could hope for.

My new assistant was a young lady in her mid twenties, and it was interesting to see her prepare her drink.

No, she wasn’t a tea drinker like me. Instead, she was a coffee fan, perhaps even an addict to coffee, you may say. On her first day at work, she took out of her handbag three packs of instant coffee 3 in 1 – namely instant coffee, sugar and non-dairy creamer, and then proceeded to empty the three packs into one cup,adding hot water, making a strong coffee. She wasn’t through yet, because she also opened another pack of chocolate powder and sprinkled the chocolate powder on to her hot coffee, creating a tremendous aromatic smell that pervaded the trading room.

That was some “oomph” in her coffee.

After a period of three months, I found I was suddenly drinking coffee myself and wasn’t a pure tea drinker anymore. It was a subtle conversion process, and soon I found I really need that coffee in the afternoon trading session.

Now, looking back, I have learnt a lot of techniques to add more “oomph” to my cup of coffee.

One way is to enhance the taste with some special add-on ingredients.

My most popular add-on ingredient is powdered ginseng. Ginseng is the traditional chinese herb which is a root, and american ginseng is preferred to korean or chinese ginseng. This herb makes one alert when taken, and is normally taken to strengthen one’s immune system or body. You can get the ginseng powder from the Natural Herb Store or in the form of capsules that you can empty into a cuppa when you need the “oomph”.

Be reminded that the ginseng root powder carries a somewhat bitter taste. So don’t equate quantity with more “oomph”. You just add sufficient to give you the enhanced aroma and the “oomph” you need.

Another way is to add the “tongkat ali” root powder, which may be slightly harder to obtain. This root is from an original plant in Malaysia and is a well researched herbal root with aphrodiasic features. The aborigines of the tropical jungles of Malaysia use this to enhance their “maniless” and this they prove by having big families. Commercially, you can get a bottle of this Tongkat Ali powder under the brand name “Power Root” throughout the world. Just add a small pinch and you will find the difference in your taste and feel the subsequent well-being.

Now you can have that extra edge and “oomph” when you next take your coffee, irregardless whether it is an espresso or a latte.

While coffee may be one of the most popular drinks around, millions are forced to do without it because of heartburn, acid reflux, chronic stomach discomfort and other gastrointestinal issues. The problem, it seems, has to do with the very thing that gives coffee so much flavor: the roasting. But that may soon change.

Joseph Schmer, M.D., a gastrointestinal medical specialist and former co-chief of gastroenterology for Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, has seen for years just how large of a problem stomach issues are for coffee drinkers. “During the coffee-roasting process, natural acids form which can lead to heartburn, indigestion and upset stomach,” he explains. “Reducing these irritants allows coffee drinkers with sensitive stomachs to enjoy coffee.”

People with sensitive stomachs may want to check out brews such as Coffee Legends’ Gentle Java, a new coffee designed specifically for coffee drinkers who say coffee upsets their stomachs. The java is made from an all-natural steam process-popular in Europe for about 60 years-that reduces around 70 percent of all impurities and irritants. The steaming leaves the coffee aroma, flavor and caffeine completely intact-meaning coffee drinkers without sensitive stomachs can enjoy the brew, too.

Gentle Java is good news for those who rely on coffee to help focus or for anyone who wants to benefit from coffee’s antioxidant qualities.

While caffeine has long been known to help asthmatics prevent attacks, recent studies have shown coffee consumption can have several other health benefits.

Drinking coffee has been associated with a lower risk of gallstone disease in men, reduced risk of kidney stone formation and a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Other studies have found coffee to be a good source of potassium, helpful in promoting the effectiveness of migraine medications, and a way of protecting against free-radical damage to tissues. One study found it had more antioxidant activity than red wine, green or black tea or orange juice.

Few coffee drinkers fully appreciate the fact that frothed milk is what makes a cappuccino or latte. Without the milk and foam, it is just plain espresso. Like anything worth learning, it takes a bit of practice, even the most capable baristas have a hard time at first. Let us take a look at the frothing process.

Most experts agree that it is best to begin with a stainless steel pitcher, some cold milk and an espresso machine with a steaming wand. Past that, there are as many differing ideas about the frothing process as there are blends of espresso.

Stainless steel is preferred for its easy maneuverability, but any non-plastic container will work as long as it will not melt or crack with heat. The kind of milk you start with depends on the texture of foam you want to achieve. The higher the fat content, the more dense and more difficult to froth the milk with be. Skim milk produces light, airy foam, and is probably the easiest for beginners to practice with.

To determine how much milk is needed, fill the cups you plan to drink from with half the milk the drink requires. For example, a cappuccino is half espresso and half steamed milk, so you would fill the cup one-fourth full will cold milk because steaming will cause the milk to roughly double in volume. Pour the milk in the pitcher.

It is important that the tip of the steam wand is consistently held just below the surface of the milk. If it is too held too deep, the milk with scorch or boil before it froths. If it is not deep enough, it will blow the milk out of the pitcher and make a mess. Keep the palm of your free hand flush with the bottom of the pitcher. This will help you monitor the temperature of the milk without interrupting the process.

Slide the pitcher away from the machine as to keep the tip of the wand just under the surface as the milk expands. At this point, if the milk is about the same temperature as the palm of you hand, plunge the wand deeper into the milk to warm it up. If the pitcher feels too hot, turn off the steam and tap the pitcher against the work surface. This lets large bubbles to escape and helps cool the milk. It is important to never let the milk boil.

Using a long-handled spoon to carefully hold the froth back, add the milk to the drink. Be careful to pour in one continuous stream. A spoon may be used to add the desired amount of froth on top of the drink, but if the frothing is done well, the result is a fine micro foam that can be poured directly from the pitcher. Cinnamon, nutmeg or grated chocolate is a nice addition to any drink