Page 2 - Coffee Facts

Do you sometimes find espresso a bit too intense, but still want to enjoy a clear coffee flavour? Then you'll quickly come across lungo coffee. A lungo is made with more water than an espresso, giving you a larger cup with a milder, rounder flavour.

Here you'll find out exactly what lungo coffee is and why this coffee choice is so popular among lovers of a balanced cup.

What is Lungo coffee?

Lungo coffee is a coffee speciality made with the same amount of ground coffee as an espresso, but with more water. During brewing, you let the water run through for longer, resulting in a larger cup of coffee. On average, a lungo contains about 80 to 120 ml of coffee, while an espresso stays around 25 to 30 ml.

The name lungo comes from Italian and literally means 'long'. This refers not only to the amount of coffee in your cup but especially to the brewing method. Because the water stays in contact with the ground coffee for longer, different flavour compounds are extracted than with an espresso.

Yes, but it's about coffee grounds, not leftover brewed coffee with milk or sugar. Coffee grounds can enrich your soil and contain nutrients that some plants love.

Still, it's not a miracle cure. Too much coffee grounds can actually cause problems, like compacted soil or mould growth. So how exactly does it work? And which plants really benefit? Below you'll read how to use coffee smartly in your garden or with your houseplants.

Read here about what else you can do with coffee grounds!

Is it coffee grounds or brewed coffee?

When people say coffee is good for plants, they almost always mean coffee grounds. These are the wet coffee leftovers in your filter, percolator or French press. Coffee grounds still contain some nutrients and organic material, which can give your soil or compost a boost.

Brewed coffee is something else. A splash of black coffee in the pot usually isn't a disaster, but it doesn't add much useful either. And once there's milk, sugar or syrup in it, you definitely shouldn't

For healthy people, the short answer is: no, not if you drink in moderation. Several studies show that normal coffee consumption has no harmful effect on healthy kidneys.

Still, you often hear that coffee is diuretic or that it would "strain" your kidneys. That sounds worrying, especially if you drink several cups daily. So what's the real story? The answer depends on your health, the amount of coffee you drink, and whether caffeine plays a role in your situation.

Always seek medical advice from a doctor if you experience health issues after drinking coffee. This blog article is not medical advice.

What do your kidneys actually do?

Your kidneys act as a filtering system for your body. They remove waste products from your blood, regulate your fluid balance, and ensure important minerals like sodium and potassium stay balanced.

Every day, your kidneys filter tens of litres of blood. What you don't need leaves your body through your urine. That's why many people think everything you drink,

The short answer: usually Kahlúa. This is the most widely used coffee liqueur worldwide in this cocktail. But it doesn't stop there. The choice of a particular liqueur determines how sweet, powerful or intense your Espresso Martini tastes.

Do you want a full, sweet cocktail with soft coffee notes? Or a sharper version where the espresso really takes centre stage? By choosing the right coffee liqueur, you give your cocktail exactly the balance you enjoy. Below you'll find your options and what to watch out for.

The classic choice: Kahlúa in your Espresso Martini

In almost every cocktail bar, Kahlúa is used as the coffee liqueur for an Espresso Martini. This liqueur originally comes from Mexico and is made from arabica coffee, rum and sugar. The result is a smooth, lightly sweet liqueur with notes of coffee, caramel and vanilla.

Why is Kahlúa chosen so often? Simple: it provides balance. The sweetness rounds off the bitterness of the espresso and ensures your cocktail remains accessible

You want to make a Spanish coffee or order one at the bar, and the question quickly arises: which coffee liqueur actually goes in Spanish coffee? The answer is simpler than you think, but there are indeed differences that affect the flavour.

The classic Spanish coffee combines warm coffee with a sweet, aromatic liqueur that stays nicely balanced with the coffee flavour. By choosing the right liqueur, you give your Spanish coffee exactly the flavour experience you're looking for.

What is coffee cream?

Coffee cream is condensed milk specially intended to add to coffee. During production, some of the water is removed from milk, making coffee cream fuller and creamier than regular milk.

Because coffee cream is more concentrated, it mixes well with warm coffee and keeps your drink from cooling down too quickly. It softens the flavour of coffee without overpowering it, which makes it a nice choice for many people with their daily cup.

What exactly is Spanish coffee?

Spanish coffee is a warm coffee

You brew a fresh cup of coffee and take a sip right away… too hot. Or you wait a bit and think: now it suddenly tastes much better. The temperature of coffee plays a bigger role than many people think, both for flavour and drinking comfort.

Coffee is brewed hot, but not necessarily drunk hot. There’s a clear difference between brewing and drinking, and that’s often where confusion arises. When is coffee actually at its best, and when is it simply too hot?

Here you’ll read how hot coffee ideally should be to drink, why temperature affects flavour and how you can easily improve your coffee moment.

What is the ideal temperature to drink coffee?

For most people, coffee tastes best at a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. Within this range, you can really enjoy the aromas without the coffee feeling too hot.

If coffee is hotter than this, you often taste less nuance and are more likely to burn your mouth. So let your coffee sit for a moment before drinking, so the flavour comes through

Coffee milk is a staple addition to the daily cup of coffee for many coffee drinkers. It makes the coffee softer, creamier and a bit milder in flavour. Yet coffee milk is different from regular milk, and you can taste that difference immediately.

Because coffee milk is specially made for use in coffee, it behaves differently in your cup. It blends well, cools your coffee less quickly and provides a full flavour experience. At the same time, it also raises questions, such as which types there are and when it’s best to use coffee milk.

Here you’ll read all about coffee milk: what exactly it is, which variants exist and how to choose what best suits your coffee moment.

What is coffee milk?

Coffee milk is concentrated milk specially intended to be added to coffee. During production, some of the water is removed from milk, making coffee milk fuller and creamier than regular milk.

Because coffee milk is more concentrated, it mixes well with hot coffee and cools your drink less quickly. It softens

Do you love coffee with lots of flavour but don't need a big cup? Then ristretto coffee is an interesting choice. This coffee is known for its intense character and full aroma, while surprisingly tasting smooth.

Here you'll read exactly what ristretto coffee is, how its flavour stands out, and how to brew a good ristretto yourself.

What is a ristretto coffee?

A ristretto coffee is a very short coffee specialty made with the same amount of ground coffee as an espresso, but with less water. While an espresso typically contains around 25 to 30 ml, a ristretto usually measures about 15 to 20 ml.

The name ristretto comes from Italian and means 'restricted'. This refers to the limited amount of water that passes through the coffee during brewing. Because the extraction is shorter, mainly the first flavour compounds are released. This results in a concentrated coffee with lots of aroma and a full flavour, without bitterness dominating.

Ristretto is often seen as the purest form of espresso-like

The smell of fresh coffee on the stove, a familiar bubbling sound and a small cup full of flavour. The Bialetti percolator is inseparably linked to Italian coffee culture for many coffee lovers. Simple to use, but with a characterful flavour you won't forget quickly.

In this article, you'll read exactly what a Bialetti percolator is, how it works and how to use it for a successful cup of coffee.

What is a Bialetti percolator?

A Bialetti percolator is a classic Italian coffee machine that you use on the stove. The best-known model is the Bialetti Moka Express, which has been found on almost every Italian kitchen counter since the 1930s.

The percolator consists of three parts: a water reservoir at the bottom, a filter for the ground coffee and a top chamber where the coffee ends up. Heating creates steam pressure, which pushes the hot water up through the coffee. This way, you make a full-bodied, powerful coffee without using electricity.

Although it's often called a percolator, a Bialetti

Coffee stays warm for an average of 4 to 12 hours in a thermos flask. In the first few hours, the temperature remains highest and the coffee is clearly hot, after which the heat gradually drops.

With a standard thermos flask, the coffee is still nicely warm to drink after about 4 to 6 hours. If you use a better quality thermos flask with good vacuum insulation, the coffee often stays warm for 8 to 12 hours. After this period, the coffee is usually still lukewarm but no longer really hot.

How quickly the coffee cools depends on factors such as the insulation of the flask, the amount of coffee, and how often you open the thermos flask. We’ll go into more detail on this later.

How long does coffee stay warm in a good thermos flask?

Coffee usually stays warm for 8 to 12 hours in a good thermos flask. This is because quality thermos flasks use a vacuum wall that greatly limits heat loss.

A good thermos flask is often made of double-walled stainless steel and seals completely airtight. This means