clearlycoffee

Lavazza Crema E Gusto Classico Coffee: My Taste Test

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by Nigel Ong

Lavazza is one of North America’s most popular Euro-style coffee roasters, and it is easy to find their roasts. I have found some of their coffee enjoyable, such as the Qualita Oro, while the Qualita Rossa is a bit wanting.

What about the Lavazza Crema E Gusto? From the packaging, the coffee looks impressive. But the real test will be on how it tastes. 

In this review, I will sample the Lavazza Crema E Gusto. I’ll brew the coffee several ways and then sample it with popular flavorings. I’ll also compare the roast with relevant coffees to see if you should try it.

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Cupping Coffee: What I Have Learned From 7 Years of Experience, and How You Can Hold a Coffee Cupping at Home

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By Darren Oliver

When you enter the world of coffee for the first time, many things can seem difficult and overwhelming. For me, this type of issue was recognizing the flavor notes in the coffees I tried. For the first few months that I fell in love with specialty coffee, I couldn’t understand how some people could smell the aroma of apples, elderberries, nuts, or chocolate in coffee. 

Eventually, however, I was able to possess this valuable skill for any coffee lover. Perhaps you, too, would like to learn how to distinguish flavor notes in coffee. Maybe you’d like to learn how different types of water affect the taste of coffee (to choose the best one). Maybe you’d like to learn to identify by aroma alone where a particular bean comes from. If you want to learn the ins and outs of the coffee world, you will have to try cupping at some point on your coffee path.

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What Is Laurina Coffee? (Bourbon Pointu)

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QUESTION: Many might know that caffeine is not recommended during pregnancy. So, when the barista behind the bar was asked about decaffeinated options, he replied that he did not have strictly decaffeinated coffee, but could offer a low-caffeinated variety called Laurina. This sparked curiosity. What is this variety and how much caffeine does it have? – Eva U

DARREN OLIVER AT CLEARLY COFFEE REPLIES: No wonder you haven’t heard of Laurina coffee! It’s a relatively unknown variety (although it was discovered over 200 years ago) and it’s only just coming into wider consciousness in the coffee world.

Laurina is a variety that contains much less caffeine than standard coffee. It’s also… incredibly delicious, as evidenced by the fact that it helped Swiss barista Emi Fukahori win the 2018 Brewers World Cup. Laurina is an extremely fascinating variety: so let’s delve into its history, find out what it tastes like, how to brew it, and, most importantly, learn the answer to the question: how much caffeine does it have?

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Espresso Tonic: An Explanation and My Personal Recipe with Photos

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two glasses of espresso tonic
Toasting my two favorite recipe flavors for espresso tonic.

by Darren Oliver

Summer is coming to an end, and with it, we are slowly saying goodbye to the iced coffee drinks on the menus of our favorite cafes. So let’s take advantage of the warm weather that will be with us for the last month of summer! On this occasion, I would like to introduce my favorite coffee iced drink – the espresso with tonic, which is gaining in popularity.

In this article, I will talk about what this popular coffee drink is, how it was created, and also… how to make it yourself! After all, I believe that there is nothing better than a homemade tonic paired with your espresso of choice. I also believe that the greatest advantage of homemade tonic is the infinite possibility of exploring flavors: that’s why today I will present up to two variants of this amazing drink.

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I Tasted the Best Robusta Coffee Brands in the USA (Review & Photos)

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coffee beans

By Darren Oliver

Entering the world of high-quality coffee surely you have come across a basic distinction: arabica and robusta. These are the two most popular (though not the only!) varieties of coffee on the planet. You’ve also certainly encountered the opinion that arabica is really the only variety worth considering. This stereotype has its basis, which of course we will mention. 

However, people associated with specialty coffee are known to break stereotypes and expectations. More and more coffee shops and roasters want to redefine what robusta is, and so in their offerings you will find high-quality beans of this very variety.

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I Taste Tested Burger King Iced Coffee: Review with Photos

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Iced Coffee at Burger King location
The Burger King mocha and vanilla iced coffees pictured side by side inside my local Burger King restaurant.

by Lars H

Recently I realized that even Burger King serves iced coffee now. I’ve never tried it, but was curious to see if it was any good. I dropped by a Burger King not to far away from my workplace in Dallas and ordered both of the two iced coffee options. A vanilla iced coffee and a mocha iced coffee.

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Iced Coffee vs. Iced Latte, Explained

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by Darren Oliver

This year we have experienced a hot summer. Record-breaking temperatures are taking their toll on everyone, so everyone is looking for a good way to refresh themselves. In our opinion, the way to deal with the heat is one: delicious iced coffee! However, we understand that tastes vary: some prefer sweet coffee, others black, and still others with the addition of milk or syrup. In the maze of different names used by chain coffee shops, one can get lost. After all, it’s not always clear if iced coffee in one coffee shop is the same as in another! So today we’ll talk about iced coffee and iced lattes at three popular chains: McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks. 

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What is traditional Greek Coffee? (Explanation with photos)

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Traditional Greek coffee poured from a briki / tzisves (Ibrik)
Traditional Greek coffee poured from a briki / tzisves (known elsewhere as an Ibrik).

by Darren Oliver

As a region, the Balkans definitely stand out on the coffee map of the world. Here you will find brewing methods that are not as popular in other parts of the world. As someone who enjoys new coffee experiences, I couldn’t help but try Greek coffee when I found myself just in this picturesque country. What is Greek coffee, how to prepare it, and how does it differ from Turkish coffee? Here’s what I learned during my visit to the Mediterranean.

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