The Press Hacker

Drop these terms at your next dinner party or social outing! They are guaranteed to impress.

Flavour is the most important term, encompassing aroma, acidity and body. It is used to describe the overall impression you get when you take that first sip. The term is also used to individualise characteristics such as ‘chocolaty’, ‘caramel’, ’smoky’, or ’spicy’.
Some coffees have a very distinctive flavour, as in a chocolaty Ethiopian, or a nutty, caramely Nicaraguan. Sumatran has a rich, spicy flavour. Mellow coffees, such as Brazil have little acidity and smooth, well-rounded body.

Aroma is your first impression of coffee, and it signals its taste. Your sense of smell allows you to differentiate between thousands of distinct aromas. Your sense of taste is capable of distinguishing only four basic sensations. The aroma of a coffee is responsible for its popularity and allure.

Acidity should not be confused with sour, bitter or PH level. It is used to describe the sharp, snappy, bright flavour of high-grown Arabica coffees. Much acidity, as in Ethiopian Mocha coffee, is described as a winey taste. Coffee from India or Papua New Guinea, may be sweet.

Body is the sensation of consistency, texture and fullness created by coffee. It can be compared to the difference in ‘mouth-feel’ that red wine has over white wine.

Some coffees feel heavier in the mouth. Coffee from Indonesia, especially Sumatra, is very heavy and has much body. Ethiopian Mocha has the least body. Brazilian coffee is in the middle. With light-bodied coffees, the flavour is so delicate that milk should not be added. If you prefer milk with your coffee you should choose a medium to heavy-bodied coffee.

Buttery is a pleasant term most commonly associated with espresso. It is used to describe the buttery feel created in the mouth by the oils and fats transferred from the beans to the brew. The fat content of the bean is crucial for the formation of the ‘crema’ or froth that contains the aroma of a good espresso.

Bitter, burnt and scorched are unfortunate attributes. Bitter and burnt are flavour characteristics related to the roasting process. Bitterness is a taste found in dark-roasted coffees. The darker the roast, the greater the bitterness. Bitterness can also be experienced if the coffee grinds are over-extracted. This can happen if the grind is too fine, not enough coffee is used, or too much coffee is brewed from the grinds. Burnt is obviously a most undesirable flavour. Scorched flavours are caused by the water temperature of the espresso machine being too hot.

A Blend is a combination of two or more single origin coffees. It offers the roaster the opportunity to explore flavour potential not possible with a single origin coffee. Many roasters believe blends are necessary in order to provide all the elements essential for a great espresso.

Central American coffees have a lot of snap and acidity. Sumatran coffee adds body and richness. Papua New Guinean coffee adds sweetness. Flavour and aroma, which is distinctive, comes with Indonesian and Colombian coffees. The rich, winey, almost chocolaty flavour comes from Ethiopian Mochan and Kenyan coffees.

Witham’s Coffee Blends Explained…….
Super Mocha: This blend is rich and full-bodied. South American beans contribute medium body, strength and a caramel sweetness, while the true Mocha coffees add rich chocolaty tones and a lovely winey acidity. The blend has a smooth, rounded finish. A great blend for white coffee lovers.

Brazil Supreme: A blend of aromatic South American beans give full body, medium strength, a sweet, sharp acidity and a smooth finish. This blend is finished with Nicaraguan Maragogype which adds delicious hints of honey and caramel. A lovely blend for black coffee connoisseurs.

Withams coffee can be bought at www.coffeemachine.com.au or at www.withams.com.au.

Jim Storey is the owner of Discount Coffee Machines. Jim discovered coffee when working in a desk job and never went back to his desk. For further information please visit http://www.coffeemachine.com.au.

In my opinion gaming notebooks have lost their once held specialist status. I can think back to when they were not so popular. They were pretty much like a small quantity production line. Didn’t ship many but generated a lot of markup on each unit. They were the type of laptop computer that everyone desired, however the cost didn’t fit in their price range. They were pretty much desktop computer rivals and the most powerful, best laptop you could obtain. They would create a lot of excitement however I doubt lots of buyers would go out and buy laptops at steep prices. As the massive computer companies distinguish the potential profits in gaming portables, the sector is altering.

In my view they can get off by retailing them at a greater price if they desired. Profit margins have been so low lately that this is a good opportunity to get more money by retailing computers. This was perhaps the remaining sector left where everybody would buy laptops from smaller system builders. I’m rather certain that littler retailers will be forced to drop their prices for them to compete. In my opinion the large players will dictate the market trends. Local companies cannot actually take advantage of a brand name like the larger manufacturers can.

I reckon its unfair that as it comes with an established brand name they’re seamlessly perceived as the best laptops. In my opinion though, this is indeed a bright spot of hope for the little companies in retail. Being able to purchase exactly what parts they want is a big factor for the majority potential purchasers who are considering purchasing a gaming laptop. These picky potential customers are normally really acquainted with the technology and can judge each of the specs individually. More often than not these kinds of people are to a greater extent interested in the specs than the design. All the changes are really good from the consumer’s view. As this drives down the prices even more, top end technology will get even more acquirable to the mass market. Though I say that, I’m not actually assured with my predictions. Prices should be held high because of the continuous creation of new notebooks. Seeing as the large brand companies have already begun releasing gaming laptops, I guess we will have to wait to witness what results.