For years the CaffiNation has been only about coffee, at least perceptually. The logo is a coffee bean the old tagline was “Tunes and Tech, Coffee and all things Caffeine”, or “Fear the Bean”. But it hasn’t been true I love tea,, good tea, and I drink it almost as often as I drink coffee. Yes, the truth be told, I have an addiction to good tasting tea. I still have Coffee in quantities that would stun a horse, but I mix it in with a healthy dose of fine tea.
My preference is Loose tea, and Recently I was gifted with a wonderful bag of Loose Earl Grey from NeedCaffeine.com. The tea was fresh and the aroma stunning. A rich body of citrus taste carries the tea wonderfully to a smooth finish. My wife dislikes coffee, so we are a coffee and tea family I the morning, usually. But since this tea entered the house I have been rocking the teacup alongside her. I usually make all my loose tea in a french press, with very little emphasis on the press. Drop in two scoops of loose tea, near boiling water and let it steep for 3-4 minutes. Pour out the tasty beverage into your travel mug of choice and enjoy on the run. What kind of geek would i be if i didn’t present my wife with her “Earl Grey… Hot”, each morning?
NeedCaffeine has a fine assortment of other wonderful teas on hand, one of my favorite things besides loose tea is tea satchels, which is loose tea bundled into little mesh disposable tea bags / balls. You get all the flavor of the loose tea in the proper dose, without the stale tea taste of a standard bagged fair.
*Disclosure: I was sent the tea at no cost for the purpose of reviewing the product. No preferential treatment was given, all thoughts and comments are my own.
Certain things in life need to be enjoyed to their fullest. Close your eyes, sip by gentle sip taking the world’s cares and pushing them to the side for one mug at a time. Do this enough and your problems might melt away.
I was recently sent a wonderful care package by NeedCaffeine.com a fine purveyor of Coffee Beans, Loose Leaf Tea, and Espresso Machines. They wanted to show off their new design, and the designer in me lept at the chance to eyeball and give my opinion, while the coffee nut was happy to have some Intelligentsia Coffee. You see the famed roaster has a wonderful reputation but there are very few places you can buy their coffee online. NeedCaffeine just so happens to be one of those places, if not the only place that I’ve found outside of the roaster’s own.
The roasted date on the bag is a great indicator of just of quickly the orders are filled. No chance for old coffee, just good coffee.The coffee is unbelievable. Sweet berry notes, and a wonderful aroma that makes you stand up and try to find a mug stat. The Flying Blend lived up to the literature that came with it. I don’t drink my coffee with anything but coffee in the mug so having a roaster confident enough to suggest enjoying their coffee sans help is a bonus. My only regeret was that i didn’t request whole bean. but the coffee arrived fresh and very promptly.
If you get a chance you need to stop by NeedCaffeine.com to grab some of this blend. Available in one and five pound bags. I’ve had a hard time brewing other things with this stuff in the house! For more actions shots check out the gallery below.
*Full disclosure: i was sent these products at no cost to me by the folks at needcaffeine.com, for review and sampling. No outcome, positive or otherwise was promised. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The french are know for a great many refined things in the world, dainty cheeses, varied wines, and champagne. Well you can add another culinary masterpiece, with a little geek flair thrown in.
Enter, with appropriate music of course, the Darth Vader (apprently Vador in french) Burger! Actually the picture looks even more epic when you play the linked video in the back…
This is a special kind of awesome, although it needs to have three patties, just so you could say the force is strong with this one. without knowing any french I can only assume that the Sith Burger would be spicy and awesome and have lots of bacon hidden on it., while the Jedi burger is nondescript, generic Jedi. If it was an Obi Wan burger it would be pious and a little bitter, if it was a Luke burger they would have to serve it with whine.
Because let’s face it is this was a Yoda Burger it would be white castle slider small, and have Guacamole on it… And would still be more awesome than the other two Jedi burgers combined. OK that’s it I need to make my own versions of these now…
I recently got to try out Third Street Chai‘s Wonderful Festivus Chai. Little know fact this Coffee lover also happens to really enjoy Chai and Tea in various forms. If they are done well. This all natural Savory blend comes in at just the right time. Heat a little milk, throw in the concentrate and boom you have a fantastic alternitave to Hot Choloate in terms of creamyness, and a wonderful low caffeine solution for Holiday Nights wrapped in close with your family.
This blend has a full bodied flavor rich in black tea, cocoa, nutmeg and cardamom, and other flavors all swirling around that I couldn’t quite pick out. Fantastic in both hot and cold form, but come on if the weather outside is frightful its time to try some of this delightful beverage.
Most of you know Festivus from Sienfeld, but I wasn’t aware that it was an offshoot of a family holiday that has turned into a secular celebration of celebrating. A little wink and a nudge are always included.
A huge thank you to Third Street Chai for Sending this Sample to my doorsteop as the weather turned chilly in Philly. I guess this would classify as a Festivus Miracle? This product is available exclusively at Whole Foods!
*Full disclosure: I was sent this sample at no cost for the purpose of review. This did not affect my conclusions or was any desired outcome specified
We all love having our tasty hot beverages on the go, and now with KeepCup the options to do so are growing in a much more earth friendly manner. I’ve been play testing this replacement for a take out cup for about a month now. And I’d like to share my findings with you.
What is a Keepcup? A Keepcup is a replacement for getting yet another disposable cup from Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Saxby’s or anywhere else your thirst finds you. They come in all of the standard sizes used by Barista’s and the smaller sizes even fit under the portafilter for dosing with espresso.
The Good: My wife and I have traveled with these cups for about a month and never once was a drop spilled in the car with the lid on and the plug in the right position, a huge improvement over disposable cups. And the Silicone band aroudn the center of the cup makes for a nice insulation from the heat.
I know a bunch of people who worry about throwing a travel mug up on the counter at a Starbucks or coffee establishment only to have it turned away. these cups are perfectly sized at 16, 12, 8, 4 ounce sizes.
They are BPA free and dishwasher safe. They fit perfectly into all of the cup holder’s I have found so far.I’ve seen products that claim to look like a styrofoam cup, but are made of ceramic, or hardened plastic shells drop one of them and see how practical they are.
We actually use them around the house to prevent accidental coffee spills and milk for the kids at night. Everybody loves having a little barrier between you and the couch when its movie night and milk & coffee is dispensed.
The Bad: There is really only one downside to this cup, and that is the insulation. Pour a hot beverage into the cup and much like a paper or Styrofoam cup the product is cool an hour later. A sad fact when my usual commute is an hour. And I like to make beverages at home and drink them in the office. You can feel the heat seeping right out through the sides of the cup. Maybe a silicone liner or total cup sleeve would fix this?
But should this affect the normal consumer? No Most people buy coffee from the store to drink it right away. So perk up and grab one.
And while yes they are spill proof, or splash proof. they are not airtight, this isn’t a bad thing. just not ready to be thrown into a gym bag while full or anything crazy like that.
Cost & Color:
Costs are mighty simple, and pretty awesome when you consider the life of the cup.
16oz $14.20
12oz $12.20
8oz $10.20
4oz $8.50
The color combinations are almost endless. Choose from 9 cup colors, 13 lid colors, 22 Band Colors, and 17 plug colors. Any combination of any of those colors is fine. And hey the band actually comes with pre printed words for use by your coffee establishment to mark off the style of beverage you orders. Flat White, Doppi, Tea, Chai, you can have it all.
And via their online ordering system you can customize, and share your design acumen with others.
The Earth Friendly Upside: When your cup is at the end of its life simply placer it into the recycle bin. How nice is that? And besides that you are slowly eliminating the disposable cup menace, it’s like the dark side’s craft services department.
Conclusion: This is a great and serviceable durable mug. It completely should replace your need for disposable cups from any of the coffee establishments out there. Not too much. Keepcup is a fantastic idea and a great product at a great price. I give this travel mug a 8 out of 10 grade!
*Full Disclosure Keepcup Sent me samples to evaluate at no cost to me, this did not reflect the review.
I like making coffee almost as much as I like drinking coffee. Which I guess is helpful, but the problem with loving coffee is that you need to be able to repeat the results for company. Now I previously posted 5 tips for making coffee for company. Please consider this an update. Secrets on making coffee people will love.
Choose the right coffee: Coffee comes in many different forms, between roasting level and blend. You aren’t trying to find the one perfect coffee, but rather a coffee everyone will enjoy. So hit for the middle of the road.
1.) Avoid Dark Roasted Coffee, Especially if you aren’t familiar with the roaster. More often than not a dark roasted coffee can taste burnt and bitter to some people. So in striving for a middle ground go with Medium or city roast.
2.) Blends! Here is the cheat sheet. African coffees are usually bold flavors, South American Coffees are usually earthier, and if you are picking coffee from an Island (Jamaican, Kona, Sumatran) Just go with that coffee, don’t go for a blend, and your guests will thank you.
3.) Get Whole Bean! Buy a grinder let it do the work, store the coffee in a cool dry place, not the freezer, or the fridge. A Mason Jar, or a Canister on the countertop is a good solution. The Bag is not your friend. If you know you are having company grind a helping of coffee before they get there, no its won’t be at peak freshness, but the speed at which you produce the first cup is important
4.) French Press: Not only does the process look impressive, and smell fantastic but the cup produced is unmatched, save for espresso in its ability to make almost any coffee really shine. Grind the coffee coarse to reduce the sediment in the cup, and have all the fixings nearby. I usually suggest to have the guests try to coffee black first.
But lets be honest the secret to good coffee isn’t in all of these tricks. its in repetition, if you can make yourself a cup of coffee that makes you want to stop what you are doing sit down and enjoy the sip. Then you are doing it right. Coffee has a job to do, it wakes most of us up in the morning, it refreshes us when we are tired. but if you don’t know your way around the apparatus then you are just making coffee. You aren’t enjoying doing it. I think this calls for some practice.
Some stories start out as a simple review. get a product, review the product, publish findings. I’m not going to lie, I love getting coffee sent to me to review.
AgroEco Nicaraguan coffee did more than teach me how to spell Nicaragua, it opened my eyes a bit. But before we get into the heavy stuff lets clear out the formalities.
The light roasted coffee which I received went through the standard taste testing here in the CaffiNation HQ, Grind, French Press and review. Simple and efficient. The fine folks at the Santa Cruz Roasters let me know that this roast was a light city roast, in that it wasn’t as dark as most americans usually drink their coffee. No problem here. This would be a bit lighter than the medium most people see in the stores.
Look: The beans look to be a nice deep brown color, with no imperfections or burnt beans in the batch that I saw. they were dry with absolutely no oil on the outside. You can wrap and handful up in a paper towel, and it’s still clean when you’re done. All that being said the coffee varied widely in size in this batch. This is one of the hallmarks of a true small production. It isn’t a bad thing either.
Smell: This coffee has a wonderful light smell with earthy tone to it. A light hazlenut vibe was going on in the backround with a bit of fig in there too.
Taste: A smooth low acid cup with slight sour notes. Not bold at all. More fig and raisin notes with a bit of a mellow finish. Mild aftertaste.
Conclusion: Awesome Coffee, and a fun new addition to my mug.
What do you get when you mix real ingredients, with actual sugar and a commitment to being environmentally friends? Well a tasty treat if you do it right. The fine folks at Savor Sweets are home to a whole host of different examples of how to do this right. And they were kind enough to send some samples along to us to try out.
Lets get to the meat and the potatoes (not actual flavors at this time but hey you can contract with them for a specialty flavor… Thanksgiving lollipops anyone?) These are not your garden variety lollipops. the samples that i got where Chai, Black Tea and Espresso. So throw the idea of a sweet citris lolli out of your heads. These are full bodied rich and flavorful.
The Black tea was the first one to go, and I neglected to get pictures of it, because i also gave ti to my wife to try. We both thought it tasted exactly like a nice tall glass of sweet tea. Except with a flavor like that you expect it to be cold. A very strange thing but if you closed your ices you could almost imagine putting a glass of iced tea in your mouth instead of a lollipop.
The second flavor i tried is the Espresso. This one took a couple of seconds to develop but made with real espresso a real brewed treat came to life in my mouth. It had all the kick of a sweetened cup of black coffee… my Favorite!
And last but most certainly not least the Chai flavored Lollipop. This was probably the most off the wall flavor out of the three. It had all the making of a great cup of chai, the rich spices the zing of citrus, but for some reason rather than a piping hot cup of chai it was frozen into a liollipop. It was a rich a nuanced flavor. I loved it just as well.
Other offerings. At this point looking down the list of lollipops they offer i’m greeted with such off the wall flavors as Ghost Pepper! and Habanero! I love me some spicy food so i might want to get down on that action soon!
Packaging: Usually when I focus on packaging there is something dazzlings about it but this is brilliant in its simplicity. After you are done eating your tasty candy everything else is compostable. The cellophane is made from wood fibers… who knew a clear tree grows somewhere, just kidding. The labels are printed with compast safe ink, everything! The ribbon used to tie the thing shut, the stick and even the production process are all geared towards creating a low waste savory treat.
Ingredients: Candy when we were kids tasted different. Candy from other countries even does. Wonder why? Its the sugar. Most candy in the USA uses Corn Syrup, which like it or not tastes different from actual sugar. In my opinion it takes away a lot of the flavor, and the jury is out on what else it may be doing to people. I’d much rather use plain old sugar. And that is all you will find in Savor Sweets. They use real sugar, and natural flavors. These aren’t marketing buzzwords. if you see a lollipop that is easpresso flavoured that means there is espresso all up in it! How novel, how awesome.
I can’t recommend these lollipops enough. If you have a coffee nut on your gift list this holiday season… these are the perfect stocking stuffers. Now i can only wait for the inevitable Bacon Lolli!
*Full disclosure the fine folks at Savor Sweets sent me a lovely care package at no cost to me. this did not influence my review one way or another.
On episode 507, we talked a bit about the Pumpkin Pie Brownies from Foodbeast. Well I also sent Mrs CaffiNation the same story. And since I’m all laid up after shoulder surgery she made a couple chnges and whipped up some sinfully tasty goodies.
Thick fudge Pumpkin pie goodness. Rather than use the Brownie mix as a basis for a cake she made the brownies as they were listed on the box, throwing the pumpkin pie chunks into the mix, and baking the whole shebang at 325 for around 75 minutes. Holy hot damn are they good, and gone…
What would happen if you were able to enjoy your favorite breakfast food and have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, without the spill hazard? Well the folks at Wired Waffles have the answer. They recently sent us a sample of their wares to run through its paces. We have previously covered these culinary oddities on the site, but up until now we hadn’t had the chance to taste them.
The claims made by this Waffle Company are that each cake, which is done in the style of an Authentic Belgian Liège waffle, contains 200 mg of caffeine. A Liège waffle is a small cake, about the size of the palm of your hand with pearled sugar baked right into the dough. These are not intended to be like the american waffles, covered in syrup. But rather similar to a cake or cake based pastry.
Without beating around the bush, I loved this waffle, it was sweet and tasted like pound cake, just a bit. Without being nearly as dense. The pearled sugar were sweet explosions as I bit through the waffle. I started to eat it during one of our episodes, but quickly had to stop, because lets be honest talking with your mouth full is just rude.
While the waffle had a definite kick, it wasn’t too noticeable to me, I’m a bit of a hard sell when it comes to coffee / caffeine products. If you get my heart racing you’re probably over the line. However this was enough to push me through the taping and keep my motor running for a bit that night. For the normal person it would probably replace a nice tall glass of iced tea or a large coffee.
They cost $3.50 a pop, which considering they are pastries, and coffee all rolled into one isn’t that bad. The only complaint I had about them was that I did need a drink to go along with them as they are mighty tasty, but a tad dry. Of course if I slowed down while eating that may have helped too.
There are a great many Caffeinated products in mix right now. Everything from pills to water, soap to bacon. The idea of throwing an extra kick into a culinary device isn’t a new one. but making the food tasty is the trick. Far too often the folks who put together the zippy products do so without really understanding that caffeine has a bitter taste, and without proper attention being paid to the Caffeine. The folks at Wired Waffles did their job spot on and this is a tasty treat for anyone.
My only regret is that I didn’t take any pictures f the waffles before I had eaten them. And at that point there isn’t much one can do to fix things.
One fun fact I learned while researching what a Liège waffle was supposed to look like, was that in the late 1800′s here in america we used to have Waffle Frolics, or Waffle Parties, since a Waffle was a relativity new pastry to the Americas… Why on earth did this tradition stop? I could go for a good waffle frolic.
*Full Disclosure: We were sent a sample of Wired Waffles at no cost for the sole purpose of reviewing their product. Our conclusion was not influenced by this
The following recipes have been shared with me by the fine folks at Lipton, so I pass them along to you as they look mighty tasty. I love when brands share out recipes for any event, and as per usual you can substitute your favorite brand of tea or brew your own into the recipes as you see fit. But I do say they all look mighty fine.
Cinnamon, Spice and Iced Tea
This recipe offers a tasty twist on a long-standing holiday drink tradition: grog. Spice up each cup by bringing together sweet-scented cinnamon and crisp apple cider.
TEA-SPICED GROG
6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes Stand time: 20 minutes
2 bottles 100% Natural Lipton® Iced Tea with Lemon
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Bring all ingredients to a boil over high heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. Strain out spices and serve warm. If desired, garnish with sliced apples.
TIP: For spiked grog, add 1/4 cup light rum or brandy.
A Sangria Recipe for All Seasons
This sangria recipe is a great go-to for get-togethers because you can mix it hours in advance, leaving you more time to mix with what matters-your guests.
BLACK TEA SANGRIA
6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes Chill time: 2 hours
2 bottles 100% Natural Lipton® Iced Tea with Lemon
1 cup unsweetened grape juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 small orange, sliced
1 Gala apple, cored and sliced
1 lime, sliced
Combine all ingredients in large pitcher. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
TIP: For an adult version of this Sangria, use dry red wine instead of grape juice.
Also a huge plus to Lipton for realizing a good spiked drink is always welcome at Holiday celebrations. Let me know what you think of these tasty treats.
A carvered Pumpkin, the black speech. I dare not utter it here. But this is a flava flave style pendent if you were to try and wear it around your neck. What does it make invisible?
You know… I was just thinking how much I would love to be able to play retro video games (1980′s Style), and enjoy the fine atmosphere of a night out with my friends all at the same time. I’ve talk about the Barcade in Brooklyn, mostly in hushed reverential tones. Never in my wildest dreams Had I imagined such a venue opening up in Philadelphia. But little to my knowledge one was under construction all along, and it opened up, yesterday!
Much like a Death Star, constructed in Secret (Ok secret from me, apparently other people knew all along and kept the info to themselves.) the Barcade is prepared to destroy many a productive night with enjoyable retro gaming and libations. I’m feeling… Road Trip.
The band The Grateful Dead is a great many things, musical pioneers, community trailblazers. But up until now they haven’t been wine. And now they are. joining the Wines that Rock collections along with the likes of the Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. Available online in 3, 6, and 12 bottle packs. Enough for the whole convoy. Starting at 49,99 for 3 bottles.
My preference is Loose tea, and Recently I was gifted with a wonderful bag of Loose Earl Grey from NeedCaffeine.com. The tea was fresh and the aroma stunning. A rich body of citrus taste carries the tea wonderfully to a smooth finish. My wife dislikes coffee, so we are a coffee and tea family I the morning, usually. But since this tea entered the house I have been rocking the teacup alongside her. I usually make all my loose tea in a french press, with very little emphasis on the press. Drop in two scoops of loose tea, near boiling water and let it steep for 3-4 minutes. Pour out the tasty beverage into your travel mug of choice and enjoy on the run. What kind of geek would i be if i didn’t present my wife with her “Earl Grey… Hot”, each morning?
I like making coffee almost as much as I like drinking coffee. Which I guess is helpful, but the problem with loving coffee is that you need to be able to repeat the results for company. Now I previously posted 
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