Do you like your cappuccino with whipped cream and grated orange peel?

Also, the narrator mentions the freshness of the water but not the freshness of the coffee, which seems to be pre-ground and canned. And, of course, all the water is boiled. Heat is not mentioned as one of the "carefully measured" elements.

LOL... that video was priceless. "6 to 8 minutes over gentle heat and then, the liquid is ... soup" or in my case a hair rinse. I think I own half that 60s kitchen ware.

OO

Cool idea, but what's this got to do with coffee? Espresso Book Machine

Today's hint from Heloise:

Dear Heloise: I am writing to ask if you know the best way to make a "good" cup of INSTANT COFFEE. Many years ago, your mother printed some hints concerning instant coffee, and it did help! -- Joyce S., Findlay, Ohio

Joyce, you made me smile thinking of my mother, the original Heloise (1919-1977). Here are some hints for you to try: Always start with fresh, cold water. Boil the water. Add the correct coffee amount, according to the brand's directions, to a cup, add water and stir. Try using a small whisk or even a fork to stir it, instead of a spoon, and add a pinch of salt. For more hints and recipes on coffee AND tea, send for my Heloise's Flavored Coffee and Teas pamphlet. To order, send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Coffee, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. If lemons are too expensive, but you still want the flavor in your tea, just add half a teaspoon of powdered lemonade mix! -- Heloise

Is it the fork? The salt? The powdered lemonade mix?

RapidCoffee wrote:Today's hint from Heloise:

Is it the fork? The salt? The powdered lemonade mix?

The salt might actually work to reduce the bitterness and some off flavors.

Dear Heloise: I am writing to ask if you know the best way to make a "good" cup of ESPRESSO from my La Pavoni? Many years ago, Jim Schulman printed some hints concerning espresso, and it did help! - Tim W., Oslo

Tim, you made me smile thinking of Jim, who is always helpful no matter how stupid your question might be. Here are some hints for you to try. First, do you have the pre-Mellenium version? If you do, then make sure you check the group-head piston and if it's plastic, just replace it with the solid brass version! Always start with fresh, cold water. Boil the water. Does your model has the dual switch or just one, and if it has just one, then does it have the pressurestat? If it has the pressurestat does it have a gauge? Whatever - it's very helpful to stick a temperature strip on the group to make sure you're not using water that is too hot. If the water is too hot - boy oh boy, where do I start with all the switching and the flushing and the timing - well, never mind. Just add the correct amount of coffee, and remember that it will be different if you have the old 49mm baskets instead of the newer ones, so just follow all the simple advice on the Lever Machines Forum. To make your espresso, push the lever down, hard but not too hard. If you have a bottomless PF, crouch down and crane your neck upward while pulling down the lever from above - remember again, hard but not too hard! - to watch the pour and make sure you don't have any channeling. If you get that white foamy gushy stuff, try just do a little WDT with a small whisk or even a fork to stir the grinds in the filter basket. If you believe that white foamy gushy stuff is "crema," then if you like salty coffee, add a little salt. If you like sweet coffee, add a little sugar. If you like really sweet coffee, add a lot of sugar - whatever: Heloise likes iced caramel chai and does not have a dog in this fight. If your espresso still tastes awful after adding all that salt and sugar, just do what Starbucks does and add 20 oz. of milk and you won't taste the coffee at all (19 oz. in NYC). For even better ristrettos, normales and lungos, you can always get a Cremina: to order, send $1,795 via PayPal to some guy on eBay and hope for the best. And if you think normal lemons are too expensive, just wait 'til your Cremina arrives needing a new heating element and group-head because of a broken roller guide slot. After all that, if you still want that special flavor, just add a packet of Via. -- Heloise

thanks Anthony - you made me smile

Did HB's ad server send this to everyone, or was it just me?

Just you!!! The ads are based on your search history (at least that's been my impression)

Your impression is absolutely right