The Gourmet Cupboard

There has been much discussion amongst coffee lovers regarding the pros and cons of organic and inorganic coffee. There is actually one main aspect that sets the two apart. Organic coffee is made naturally, which limits environmental pollution. Those who make organic coffee stick to strict guidelines in order to bring you the highest quality cup of coffee.

On the other hand, the process of developing coffee through conventional methods is different in a sense that it is not done in such a way that is environmentally conscious. The conventional methods for cultivating coffee use a combination of chemicals and processing techniques that can be harmful to both the environment and consumer.

The biggest difference in the two cultivation methods is that inorganic coffee is made through the use of damaging pesticides and compounds. Chemicals such as this are never used during the process of cultivating organic coffee.

In addition, organic coffee does not pollute the atmosphere at all. The same cannot be said for conventional coffee, as these methods present a great hazard to the environment.

Next to petroleum, coffee is the commodity that is the second highest in demand. According to the statistics, roughly 11 million acres of land gets used exclusively for the production of coffee. This means that the environmental impact is vast.

There is also a big difference in the taste of these coffees. Due to the fact that organic coffee is produced in a purely natural way, the taste will always be more vibrant and flavorful. It is now becoming widely known that inorganic coffee simply cannot compete with organic coffee when it comes to flavor and aroma. Perhaps this is why the demand for organic coffee increases on a daily basis.

There is also a big difference in price. There is a lot more difficulty when it comes to the cultivation of organic coffee. For this reason, the price for organic coffee is always going to be significantly higher. However, most coffee drinkers will agree that the health benefits of organic coffee make it totally worth any additional cost. Many coffee lovers are now making the switch to organic coffee in order to avoid the harmful effects stemming from the many different chemicals used throughout the process of producing conventional coffee.

It has become quite obvious in recent years that anyone who is concerned about their health and the environment should immediately make the switch to organic coffee. Not only does it taste much better, but it is also better for you!

By Brent Arends

There was the up-and-down story of Linda Duerr, who, after having been dropped from JJ’s on the Plaza, had a brief comeback as executive chef of Zest. Midway through the year, she was down again when owner Joe DiGiovanni decided to sell that Mission Farms restaurant to the owners of Brookside’s Avenues Bistro. The happy ending for her is that she was picked up by The River Club. The sad ending for us is that her culinary talents (and her fantastic fish and chips) have now disappeared into a private kitchen.

But Duerr’s retreat means the happy reappearance of Howard Hanna, who first emerged as Ted Habiger and Andy Sloan’s right-hand man at the original Room 39 and spent a few years at The River Club. At the time this issue went to press, Hanna was on the cusp of opening Rieger Grill & Exchange in the old Rieger Hotel, the property vacated after the demise of Rob Dalzell’s downtown empire.

Though the Dalzell story was a sad one, with details too grim to repeat here, local restaurateurs have stepped up to bring success from the ashes of the four shuttered eateries it left in its wake.

While we lost Dalzell’s ChefBurger to the corporate world (at the time this article was written, it was slated to become Whopper Bar, a member of the Burger King family of restaurants), Dalzell’s other three spaces have been occupied anew by local, independent owners.

Quillen Glynn, who was Dalzell’s chef de cusine at 1924 Main, took over Pizzabella. He has kept the name but trimmed the menu to focus more on the restaurant’s Neapolitan-style pizzas. The results are great; the pies coming out of that wood-fired oven are better than ever.

You already know the fate of Dalzell’s flagship, 1924 Main. But did you know that his luncheonette, Souperman, is now Dog Nuvo? After leaving the McClain Restaurant Group in Independence, where he served as executive chef of Ophelia’s (now under the able direction of Chef Ray Blackman), Marshall Roth has opened the United Nations of hot dog stands in that narrow spot. This critic has yet to weigh in on the rainbow of toppings, which includes pico de gallo and peanut sauce. Stay tuned.

2010 was also the year that chefs and restaurants plugged into the social network.

Those of us on Facebook celebrated with Jamie Jamison, general manager of The American Restaurant, when he passed the Court of Master Sommelier’s advanced examination in May along with twelve others, making him eligible to be considered for the Master Sommelier Diploma. That’s quite a distinction and just one of the reasons this magazine has dubbed him Wine Professional of the Year.

We cheered again and dozens crowded Colby Garrelts’ and Bluestem’s online “walls” with congratulatory graffiti when he received his fourth James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef Midwest.

But even more than Facebook, Twitter proved to be the most effective marketing tool of the year for local food businesses.

As timely updates arrived from Shatto Milk Company, LatteLand and The Roasterie, we toasted the 21st birthday of Boulevard Brewery, an important milestone for any emancipated drinker.

From Lawrence, Kansas, we received frequent updates from Pachamamas, 715, Dempsey’s, and Robert Krause’s Esquina and The Burger Stand. And from the West Bottoms, R Bar’s mobile mouth sent daily headlines of their musical performers.

Christopher Elbow’s new ice creamery, Glacé, was a runaway hit from the get-go. Its tweets, which tempted us with seasonal flavors like butternut squash brown sugar, were infrequent but effective: There is always a line, and everyone happily waits their turn.

Celina Tio, named KC Magazine’s Chef of the Year, was recently the highest-placing female chef on the Food Network’s reality series “The Next Iron Chef.” She launched a Twitter campaign to become that show’s “fan favorite.” Though she missed the mark narrowly, she packed her house and her patio at Julian in doing so. Good for her; good for Kansas City.

Meanwhile, we were entertained by the hilarious, cyberspace announcer for Peter Grunauer’s eponymous Austrian restaurant, the newcomer that replaced City Tavern in Freight House Row. The restaurant’s tweets have been random, pithy and sometimes inflammatory. I look forward to more of them—and of Grünauer’s undeniably fantastic schnitzel.

And finally, Josh Eans might be the most charming Kansas City chef on Twitter. Tag-teaming with Blanc Burgers + Bottles, his messages have been clean and spirited, as much about healthy self-promotion as celebrating others. In February, he announced the successful move of Blanc’s headquarters to the Country Club Plaza, which vacated what Zagat has dubbed the “patty palace’s” Westport home to make room for Aaron Confessori’s brasserie, Westport Café and Bar.

In April, B:2, a suburban sequel to Blanc’s burger trilogy, opened in Lee’s Summit. And with the first Chiefs kick-off, Burger Box at Arrowhead Stadium began offering four of Blanc’s signature sandwiches in Section 122.

Despite the handicapped economy, 2011 is showing promise already. As this article goes to print, the aforementioned Rieger Grill & Exchange and two more Blanc Burgers + Bottles are about to open (of the latter, one is in Omaha, Nebraska; the other in Little Rock, Arkansas). Happy Gillis is opening a new lunch spot in the West Bottoms, and there are rumblings about a new project from the team at Bluestem.

Let’s make it a good year, Kansas City.

Looking to find more on KC Magazine “http://www.kcmag.com“>

By Byron Dyson

Rather than purchasing bread from the store, right now, a lot of people are making their very own bread. This could be a much healthier alternative and a a great deal more cost-saving alternative additionally. In regards to being healthy, lots of people don’t trust store-bought bread. There are a number of reasons why individuals desire to make their own bread, and generally, the most effective way to achieve this is by using a bread machine.

Because the machine does the majority of the work, utilizing a bread machine is the best way to make your own bread in your own home. You are certain to appreciate the bread that you get consequently as you will find that it is going to be incredibly delicious indeed. You are going to also save time as well as money. You should know, though, that you can obtain different kinds of bread mixes for your bread machine. If this is something you need more facts about, you should surely browse this small and yet informative article for a little bit of an understanding on these things.

If you are thinking you will simply be able to make simple breads in the bread machine like white or wheat, you are surely wrong. The number of choices are virtually limitless on the subject of the different forms of bread mixes that are offered for your bread machine. In fact, whatever kind of bread you would like, I’d say you could almost certainly locate a bread mix to accomplish that sort of bread at some point. You can get mixes that will help you make banana nut bread, raspberry bread, blueberry bread, strawberry bread, other fruit or nut breads, cheese bread, muffins, potato bread, pumpkin bread, buttermilk bread, poppy seed bread, raisin bread, sourdough bread, and so on. You will find undoubtedly plenty of choices.

A sensible way to get it done is to experiment with different types of mixes and see which ones you enjoy. So you know which mixes to get more of down the road, you could get a sample of different mixes at first and then see which ones you prefer the most. By mixing a few of the mixes, you might also be able to create interesting and unique breads. In terms of bread machines, you will be pleasantly surprised about the results.

Having a bread machine is a wonderful way to conserve money and eat healthier. Your whole family will no doubt appreciate the fact that you are able to have a wide selection of breads that you might not ordinarily have in your kitchen when you start getting into the different kinds of mixes. We all love unique and scrumptious bread. Don’t you wish to use these different mixes with your very own bread machine? I’d definitely recommend it for anyone.

Many individuals want to make their very own bread utilizing a bread machine mixes. If you would like to learn more about this you have to have a look at our bread machine mixes.

Is cooking a scary frontier for you? Are you nervous about entering your kitchen, remembering a previous disaster? If this is you, never fear! Plenty of people have trouble with cooking, and all it takes is a little practice and proper education to cook like a pro! Read on to find out how.

If you have stale bread, implement it in a recipe. Don’t just throw that stale loaf of french bread out to the birds. If the bread is still good, add it to a recipe. Crumble it up and use it in a seasoning. You can even make it into croutons for a salad.

Instead of rinsing fresh mushrooms under water, wipe them with a damp paper towel or a mushroom brush. Mushrooms already contain a high water content, and their porous flesh will absorb even more if you run them under the faucet. Wiping them gently removes the dirt while preventing sogginess or sliminess.

Wines

Make sure that you never use a wine with wine aerator in your food that you would not normally drink. By using a wine you do not like or one that you are unfamiliar with, you are jeopardizing the taste of your food. There are wines available that are used just for cooking purposes.

Wine

Rather than pouring out leftover wine with best wine aerator, pour it into an ice cube tray, then place the wine cubes in a labeled bag in the freezer. You can add these cubes to sauces, roasts, soups and other dishes for extra flavor, and wine that you don’t drink fast enough doesn’t go to waste.

Add some pizazz to your breakfast eggs with this unique sauce. After making them sunny-side up, use sherry or wine-vinegar to de-glaze the pan. Pour the liquid over the eggs for a delicious and interesting twist to the same old usual egg dish. Eggs made this way are great for dinner too.

Pan roast your chicken pieces. Chicken breasts benefit from pan roasting. Heat oil in an oven-safe saute pan until it is very hot. Place the chicken in, skin side down, and immediately shake the pan when you hear the chicken start to crackle. When it is golden brown on one side, brown the other. Place the entire pan in a 375 degree oven, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan, and place it back on the stove top. Add chopped shallots to the pan juices, and fry until golden. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter, and cook for a minute or two. Pour over the chicken and enjoy!

As was said in the beginning of this article, cooking is all about education and practice. This article has given you the building blocks to become a better cook, now all you have to do is practice, practice, practice! Soon you’ll be making great food that you’ll love to eat!

It is new wine time. This Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau was hanging on the vine a few short weeks ago. Many of us still remember when new wines, especially Beaujolais Nouveau, were a hot, hot marketing phenomenon. How times have changed. At least in our bailiwick you must keep your eyes really open to find them displayed this year. Have consumers finally wised up? Georges DuBoeuf is known as the roi (king) or even pape (pope) of Beaujolais and is the person most responsible for this phenomenon. They used to deliver BN to New York via the Concorde. Not any more; and not only because there are no more Concordes. Let’s not exaggerate, there are still a lot of New Wine parties and Beaujolais Nouveau is often the star, especially when it carries the higher class Beaujolais-Villages designation. You might want to check out the company web site and visit their wine theme park. The companion wine is an Italian Vino Novello costing a lot less.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2011, 12.5% alcohol about $15.

There were no marketing materials and the back label was silent so let’s quote the Duboeuf web site (only the non Villages offering was described). “For the nose, a veritable palette of bright floral aromas is interlaced among blackberries, wild strawberries and blueberries, with hints of black and red currants. Taste the Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 and revel in its full, smooth body with a fine, silky harmonious texture and exceptional richness.” And now for my review.

At the first sips these fermented grapes presented the taste of dark bubble gum. It was long. The initial meal featured slow cooked beef. This liquid’s acidity was raw. When paired with the accompanying potatoes our French friend’s bubble gum taste intensified. The other side dish was leeks sauteed in olive oil. In response the drink’s acidity was muted but I still noted some harshness. I doused the meat with Louisiana hot sauce and still got raw acidity.

My next meal started with a so-called pizza appetizer consisting of cabbage, carrots, and tomato paste in puff pastry. Now the Vin Nouveau was dark all the while presenting a tinge of bubble gum, slightly burnt bubble gum. Then came boxed Eggplant Rolatini that included Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes. I added lots of ground Parmesan cheese. In response to this disappointing dish the liquid was somewhat metallic. It was dark but not tasty.

My final meal centered on chicken meatballs. Now the libation was nutty and round but still had a raw aspect. The accompanying Basmati rice cooked with brown lentils had rendered the liquid long and I tasted black cherries. But it was raw. When paired with the other side dish of okra, garlic, onions, and crushed tomatoes the wine was round and almost tasty. Its harshness was gone but a tinge of bubble gum remained.

Final verdict. I can’t say never again as I am planning to do the 2012s. Maybe I should give some other winery a chance. Honestly I don’t think it matters much. If you ask this wine lover, six weeks of fermentation just doesn’t transform grapes into drinkable wine.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but definitely prefers drinking fine wine. He teaches computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines. Visit his Italian wine website www.theitalianwineconnection.com .

By Ed Masciana

Port, the smooth, opulent and rich dessert wine from Portugal, has been attracting dedicated supporters for nearly 300 years. It has the distinction of probably being the world’s first bottled “vintage” wine (1775), the first demarcated wine region ratified by the government (1678) and undoubtedly the most famous wine uncovered by accident.

Rumor has it that as far back as the 14th Century, red table wine was being exported to England in cask. Because the reds of Portugal were much coarser then their French counterparts, the trip made the wines “sick.” Brandy was added to help preserve them. Oddly enough, the wine which finally docked in England some three months later actually tasted better than the wine that left Portugal!

This revelation, coupled with England’s war with Spain which cut the source of Sherry (a British favorite), obliged them to very seriously look at Portugal as a source of supply for dessert wines. And so, almost 400 years down the road, we have a British “invention,” Port, to the pleasure of many aficionados.

It is because of this British “invention” that most of the premium Port producing houses are British in origin, as opposed to Portuguese. Names like Taylor, Croft, Dow and Grahams are unquestionably British and among the best esteemed names in the world of Port. This condition is shifting, however. Very respected houses are becoming more well-known with names like Quinta da Noval, Martinez and others.

“Port is produced in what must be the most unreachable wine region in the world,” Ben Howkins of Fonseca states emphatically. All true “Port” is grown in the Douro Valley, Portuguese for “river of gold,” on 900 acres of land covered with schist, a crystalline rock. “There is no soil.” says Howkins. “The roots must descend at least TWELVE feet to locate water.” Add to this the climate of the Douro which ranges from over 100 degrees in the summer to below freezing in the winter and one questions how anything can grow at all. “It’s remarkable.”

Port is produced by adding grape spirits to the fermenting wine and that stops fermentation and leaves residual sugar of between 8-14 percent. There are five basic grape varieties which become the master blend of red port with a further five or six potentially in the blend.

In this environment, 29 specialized firms, controlling 55 authorized Port shippers, make a mere 20 million cases of wine or roughly less than 10 % of what the Gallo winery produces! All ports, however are not made identical.

Port is divided into two groups, wood aged and bottle aged, with subdivisions in each group. The very best of all is Vintage Port. This is a bottle aged port which is produced only in the finest vintages, normally 3 out of every ten years making it extremely rare and correspondingly, pricey. After the wine is fermented and fortified in the Douro Valley, it is transported to Vila Nova de Gaia the place where by law each shipper must have his office and cellar. This was done, according to Howkins, to keep a very careful eye on each merchant, guaranteing that they didn’t mix wines from extra areas in with the Port.

After “two winters and one summer” the wine is assessed to ascertain if it’s worthy or being “declared” a vintage. Sample bottles are delivered to the Instituto do Vinho do Porto for analysis. This is only done in exceptional vintages where the sanction from the institute is simply a formality. In spectacular vintages like’ 63, ’77 and’ 85, 91, 94 and 2004 all the merchants announce a “Vintage” and there is a “run” of vintage ports on the market. In marginal vintages like’ 72, ’80 and ’83 some makers declare and others don’t.

These declared wines are a blend of only the finest lots of the vintage. After the wines are declared a vintage, they must be bottled after a minimum of two and a maximum of three years in cask. They then need to age for decades and, in some cases, centuries.

Vintage Character:
The wine that is left over, along with wines which come from non-vintages, can go in to Vintage character Ports. These are wines which emulate vintage ports but do not have the power and intensity. Fonseca’s Bin 27, Croft Character and Sandeman Character Ports are excellent examples. They are generally ready to drink upon release and will not benefit from additional aging.

Late Bottled Vintage:
These are selected wines from single vintages that are aged in cask for four to six years, bottled and then released. These too are normally ready to consume upon release and will not benefit from additional aging.

Single Quinta Vintage:
Such wines can become the nearest to a vintage at less than half the price. They are produced from single “quintas” or vineyards that are of extraordinary quality and virtually always go in to the vintage blend in declared years. Wines like Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas and Warres Quinta de Cavadhina are prime examples. These Ports are the only ones that, like vintage ports, can really improve in the bottle.

Ruby:
Ordinarily taken from the lesser lots of casks and stocks of wine, Ruby’s are typically aged three to four years in the barrel and available to consume on release. Bright, cherry flavors.

Tawny Aged:
in wood a minimum of three to ten years. Lighter weight than rubys, but more character and flavor. More of a mellow, aged taste reminiscent of caramel and oranges.

Old Tawny:
Labeled as 10, 20, 30 years old, older, which is the average port in the blend. Does not indicate a vintage year. Typically very rare and smooth and likewise steeply-priced.

The great Ports producers

Calem:
Superb producer of creamy, well balanced ports. Usually good values.

Cockburn:
Rich and concentrated with hints of brambleberries and lots of black cherries.

Croft:
The oldest and one of the finest makers. Very rich and intense flavors.

Fonseca:
The first name of the company which was temporarily changed to Guimarãens and then back one more time to Fonseca. Thought of one of the finest and richest made. Purchased by the Yeatman family of Taylor in 1948 but preserves its individual separate operation and style.

Graham:
Known for some of the richest and ripest Ports produced in the area. Also part of the Warre and Dow houses.

Quinta do Noval:
One of the most famous producers which makes the lighter, more easily accessible style of Port.

Sandeman:
One of the biggest shippers of both Port and Sherry, founded in 1790. Full force, very delightful style.

Taylor:
Usually the most significant and most striking Port in any vintage year. The fullest and richest of all. The originator of the “LBV” or Late Bottled Vintage style.

Warres:
The oldest existing Port producer, founded in 1670. Considered one of the best in any year.

Ed Masciana, author of Shortcut On Wine and newsletter editor to the Original Wine of the Month Club has engaged us with great articles on food and wine pairing. Ed has been the start-up Chef of many restaurants in Southern Califiornia. His approach to wine is “no-nonsense” and believes one of the best ways to acquaint oneself with wine and food is join a wine club

A water filter may seem like a luxury and an unnecessary expense, but it really can make a big difference to the taste and quality of your water.

Water direct from the mains tap should be of good enough quality for human consumption. Most of the time this is the case, but is that good enough? Mains water varies considerably. Not only from place to place across the country, but from week to week and day to day at the same location.

Very large volumes of water are processed in treatment plants. The sewerage treatment companies are under great pressure to treat and recycle the water as quickly as possible and return it for human use. Additives such as chloride compounds are used to quickly sanitise the water.

Flowing water will gather and transport contaminants on its journey. Water can become hard by flowing over chalk and limestone. It slowly picks up calcium ions over time as it slowly makes it way to the water table and into the water system. It may also pick up other contaminants such as heavy metals like lead and copper from pipes used to direct the water over huge distances and eventually into the home. Although most lead piping has been replaced over the years, water can still pick up traces of lead from the solder used to join copper pipes.

The best way to remove most of the impurities is to use a water filter. These are basically cartridges containing a propriety arrangement of activated carbon filters. Activated carbon has been altered so it has a very large effective surface area and any contaminants are removed by contact with the carbon surface. Most cartridge water filters will also dramatically reduce water hardness so the equipment used is protected from the effects of hard water and limescale damage.

A water filter should be fitted inline between the mains supply and the point if use. They are typically fitted to a coffee or vending machine to improve the quality of the final beverage. These cartridges are available in many sizes to match the equipment being protected. In simple terms a larger capacity filter is used where the volume of water used is high. These units are discarded after use and cannot typically be recycled. The unit will need to be discarded and replaced every six to nine months depending on how much water has passed through it. Normally they can be replaced by a non-technical person so a trained engineer is not required.

A properly fitted water filter is really a must for all coffee, espresso and vending machines. Everyone that uses your coffee machine will notice how much better their drink looks, tastes and smells..

If you feel that you’re beginning to outgrow your current kitchen space, or may have a new arrival on the way you might feel that change is in the air. Perhaps you’re moving into a starter home and renovation is called for. Perhaps you just want to make a change for change’s sake? One of the favourite places to initiate a makeover is the kitchen and there are so many different ways that you can go about it. This is not like a bedroom transformation which is far more straightforward in almost every respect. Here, you want to start out with a kitchen planner and answer quite a number of questions before you even start.

Yes, you may be a little frustrated with the way that this room is designed and laid out right now and you may wonder what on earth the original designer was thinking, but you don’t want to automatically sacrifice every single element as you move forward. This is why it’s important to ask yourself what you like about your existing place. There have to be some aspects that please you, that you would miss if they weren’t there, so you should certainly bear these in mind as you plan.

Perhaps you want to completely transform the style. There are many different kitchen designs, from eclectic to country, from traditional to contemporary and modern. Think about each one and don’t forget that you can mix and match certain elements if you want to come up with a completely handmade or bespoke version.

What do you use the kitchen for? It’s important to be completely honest here. Are you using it for certain elements of storage? Is it a socialising room? Do you tend to eat all your meals in or around the kitchen, or do you use a formal dining room, which is an element that seems to be, quite sadly, going out of fashion somewhat?

You also have to remember that there may be more than one master chef in this house. It’s great to encourage your children to take up cooking as a hobby, something that can benefit them throughout their lifetimes, but if you do have multiple cooks you have to bear in mind any specific requirements that they may have.

It almost goes without saying but you do have to be honest and ask yourselves whether you really use your kitchen to plan creative meals which may require a lot of preparation space, as well as storage areas for speciality items. If you’re always on the go and tend to use the microwave more than the stove, then factor this into your thinking.

When all is said and done, efficiency is a vital consideration. Remember the classic “triangle,” which is the path between the cooking area, refrigerator and sink. You may be dreaming up something very special, but you have still got to work here, day in and day out and be certain that improvements you make really are improvements and not just cosmetic.

The best way to enjoy coffee is freshly brewed. That is the philosophy of the Keurig Coffee Maker Company, and I wholeheartedly agree. There is nothing quite like the smell and taste of fresh coffee brewing in the morning, or walking into a coffee shop, no matter the time of day, and having the sweet delicious aroma of fresh ground coffee envelop your senses. Ahhh.

They have been creating fresh coffee since the early nineteen nineties. Olaf Keurig founded the Keurig Coffee Maker Company of Reading, Massachusetts, in 1992. It became a subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 2006. Presently, the Keurig Coffee Maker Company is the number one single cup brewing system in North America, brewing 2.5 million beverages a day. Their coffee makers are in over two hundred thousand offices, and a large number of homes. A Keurig coffee maker brews six percent of all the coffee brewed every day. Keurig first introduced the single cup brewing system, or K Cups in 1998, producing a consistent, freshly brewed cup of coffee or tea in less than one minute.

The k cups designed for Keurig coffee makers are ideal for office use. Employees can choose from a variety of types and flavors. Since K Cups are used to produce one cup of coffee, there is no waste from throwing out old, stale coffee. Many office coffee machines are installed with a direct water line to the coffee maker, eliminating the need to refill a water reservoir. K cups brew a perfectly proportioned cup whether you are filling a small or large cup. Some coffee makers even have removable cup trays, which enable you to place your travel mug under the brewer.

The same ingenious technique for brewing a fresh cup of coffee in the office works just as well at home. A Keurig coffee maker in your home is basically the same coffee maker used in offices, but on a smaller scale, and they generally do not have a direct water line installed. The price range for the home coffee makers is reasonable; starting at about $80 and running up to $250. The coffee makers are available at brick and mortar retailers, or may be purchased online. They use the same k cups as the office models, and depending on model, cup sizes range from 4oz up to 12 oz. The size of the water reservoir varies with the type of machine. Some of the models are fully programmable with an interactive touch screen capable of adjusting the brew temperature, setting the digital clock, auto on/off for saving energy, and even a language preference for touch screen instructions in English, Spanish, or French.

If you have ever heard of the “kitchen triangle” you must know that it harkens back to a day when everything had to be efficient, economical and logical, somehow. This 1940s idea was used as a staple of kitchen design for many generations, as it was felt that the sink, stove and refrigerator must be located at each point of the triangle, so that the cook would be able to complete all of those chores with barely a step and a turn. Back then we simply couldn’t afford to be inefficient, as the world at large dictated that we should keep waste to a minimum and utilize our space purely for one reason alone.

A lot has changed since then, hasn’t it? The kitchen today is a very different place and it goes without saying that the world around us has changed out of all recognition. We can see many more opportunities and seem to be more used to multitasking than we were back then. Now, the kitchen serves many different purposes and we are also able to integrate advanced technology to make the job a lot easier and also to allow us to do many different things at one time.

The concept of a triangle may still work today, but now our household unit is a very different thing. Back in the 1940s it was still commonplace for the mother to stay at home and be the housewife and to look after all of the duties in the kitchen. Today, we know that there may be several different chefs in the household and it’s expected that each family member will pitch in and help during food preparation from time to time. Indeed, the mother may not be simply a housewife anymore, but may also have a career to attend to. Consequently, there may be several people in the kitchen at one time and each may have a different task to perform.

Therefore, we need to think about different layouts and formats whenever we build a new kitchen. It could be that we have two separate preparation areas, one for pre-cooking and the other for cleaning. We might have two different refrigerators. One might be a simple drawer unit, located in the island in the center and this could be stocked with items for socializing purposes, for example. Remember that this room is often used for casual chats and simply to hang out. We might find it better to situate our appliances in sequential order. In that way we can get food from the refrigerator, transfer it to the adjacent preparation area, then to the stove, and have an adjacent cleaning area where we can transfer the utensils. Efficiency to the fore.

The home can be a busy place and it seems to be a lot busier than generations ago when the kitchen triangle was invented. After all, the general layout of the home is a lot different too. Just consider how many different bathroom spaces we have now, seemingly all in use at the same time!