Make sure the luck of the Irish is with you this March by heeding our seven coffee dos and don'ts!
Don't Let them catch you with your finger in the coffee or littering with Earth-unfriendly disposable stir sticks.
Do Stir in style! Elegant stainless steel stirrers won't litter the landfills or burn your fingers.
Don't Resort to instant coffee on the road, yuck!
Do Pack a Handpresso. #11 of the "Top 100 Things that are Getting Better," according to Oprah; the Handpresso will keep you brewing on the go. Go with the Handpresso Wild for pods and the Handpresso DomePod for ground coffee.
Don't Swear off coffee because of a sensitive stomach.
Do Treat your tummy to gentle java, like Whole Latte Love Malabar Gold or Maromas Orphea, which have lower acidity levels.
Don't Let your beans go bad.
Do Store them in airtight containers like these Bodum Yohki Glass Jars with Stainless Steel Lids or the Vacu Vin Vacuum Coffee and Tea Saver to keep from losing precious flavor and aroma. Your favorite coffee will stay fresh much longer with a little TLC.
Don't Run out of steam.
Do Check out what's under the hood when you're buying an espresso machine. Double boilers will allow you to go straight from brewing to steaming with no downtime. Make sure your machine has enough oomph, especially if you like your lattes! One of my favorites is the Gaggia Baby Twin Espresso Machine.
Don't Spend all your time in front of an espresso machine.
Do Consider a super automatic model, if you're the type that likes to entertain. With one-touch controls, the machine will do all the heavy lifting while you're free to be the life of the party. A bonus for latte and macchiato drinkers...integrated milk solutions, like Gaggia's Milk Island.
Don't Let a good machine go bad.
Do Use pre-filtered water to cut down on scale buildup and remember to stick to a regular cleaning/maintenance schedule; your machine will thank you for it!