Category Archives: Coffee

How To Brew The Best Coffee in a French Press

French Press Coffee Maker

The familiar French press coffee pot may not have the same following as the pour-over coffee method, but that glass carafe cradled in chrome is one of the best ways to brew coffee at home. Well, of course, great brewed coffee is only possible, if you do it right. In that case, you should follow this step-by-step guide to brewing your perfect cup of coffee.

#1. Start With a Coarse Grind

Brewing with a French press is fundamentally different from a pour-over method. With pour-overs, the water passes through a filter, but with the press, the ground coffee actually steeps in the water. Since your water and coffee are going to be hanging out for a while, start with a very coarse grind—the grounds should resemble breadcrumbs. Any finer and you will end up with a cup of bitter, undrinkable coffee.

#2. Fill the Carafe Halfway and Wait

When the water reaches a boil, take the kettle off the heat and let it cool for 30 seconds. Now your water is ready; time for your first pour. Fill the carafe to the halfway point. (This first saturation is known as the “bloom,”and it ensures your coffee will not be too weak or too bitter.) Put down the kettle and set a kitchen timer to four minutes. It is important to not rush the process when using a French press coffee maker.

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#3. After 60 Seconds, Stir the Grounds with a Spoon

While you are waiting, you might want to do something else. You can check Twitter, text your mom, or just think about how great this coffee is going to be. After 60 seconds, use a spoon to break up the cake-y layer of grounds that has formed on top of the water. Fill the carafe to the top with water, using a circular pouring method to soak all the grounds. Place the lid on the press, but resist the temptation to plunge immediately.

#4. When the Timer’s Done, Plunge

Once the timer hits the four-minute mark, it is time to plunge. The press should not offer too much resistance, but make sure the mesh filter is lowered evenly.

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#5. That Is It—Great Coffee

And, well, that is it. Pour out your perfectly brewed French press coffee immediately into mugs or a serving vessel, as any additional time spent in the carafe will continue the brewing process. We hope you try this French press coffee maker guide.

This is a collaborative guest post, the views and ideas expressed do not necessarily represent those of Mommy Ramblings. 


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Enter The Folgers Jingle Contest and You Could Win $25,000! #FolgersJingle #IC

“This post was sponsored by Folgers as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines concerning the use of endorsement and testimonials in advertising. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.”

For as long as I can remember, the heartwarming FolgersÂŽ Coffee Commercials featuring the iconic FolgersÂŽ Jingle-“The best part of wakin’ up, is Folgers in your cup” have been a favorite of mine. I am sure many of you reading are nodding your head in agreement right now. That simple jingle is one that has generations of Americans singing along.

Now FolgersÂŽ is celebrating the rich tradition of American Music by inviting musicians of all kinds to embrace their well-know jingle and make it their own!

Did you know that Folgers® has a long-standing tradition of inspiring musicians to follow their dreams? They certainly do, and this year, they’ve teamed up with country music singer-songwriter Chris Young to encourage aspiring musicians to get their creative juices flowing and come up with their own version of the iconic Best Part of Wakin’ Up™ Jingle in the Folgers® Jingle Contest.

How Do You Enter?

  • Submit a video of your best version of the jingle on the website from January 30th through February 27th. Your version of the Jingle must include the complete melody and complete lyrics of “The Best Part of Wakin’ Up is Folgers in Your Cup.”
  • From February 27th to March 19th, FolgersŽ will choose 5 semi-finalists who will each have a mentor session with Chris Young before the online vote.
  • From March 27th to April 24th, fans around the country will get the chance to vote daily for their favorite jingle. Every vote automatically enters you to win prizes up to $10,000.
  • Finally, in May, one winner will be selected to win the grand prize of $25,000!

So if you have always wanted to create a brand jingle, here is your chance! Check out the contest website HERE. You can stay in the loop with FolgersŽ on their website, Facebook and Twitter. So get some FolgersŽ in your cup and start composing! 


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Mighty Mug Go, Travel Mug Protects You Against Accidental Spills-Giveaway!

With more and more time spent on our computers, tablets and laptops it is inevitable that we will have a mug of coffee, tea or other beverage around our work area. This can lead to very unfortunate and devastating consequences if drink gets spilled. Travel mugs are good but they tip easily and if you have the top open which most do it will spill when knocked over. How about a mug that did not need any fancy maneuvers to get it to stay secure in place and stay upright even if you knock into it accidentally? One that was super secure but you could just lift right up to take a sip and then place it down and it would not tip.  Does that sound impossible. I am sure it does but then you have not met the Mighty Mug. Let me introduce you.

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Developed by a team of industrial designers and mechanical engineers, Mighty Mug, is the world’s only Mug that grips to your desk when knocked into, but lifts naturally.  Mighty Mug is powered by an innovative and patented Smartgrip Technology. Simply place Mighty Mug down on your desk and it creates a powerful airlock which allows Mighty Mug to resist accidental knocks to help avoid spills. When you lift Mighty Mug the pressure is instantly normalized allowing the airlock to release and Mighty Mug to lift naturally. You need to try it to believe it.

 

Mighty Mug Go comes in a variety of colors and holds 16 oz. It is BPA free, fits in car cup holders, is dishwasher safe and comes with a 100% Happiness Guarantee!  I tried the Might Mug Go in Lilac and I was very impressed at how it worked. It effortlessly performed exactly as stated. It gives me such peace of mind, I am a wreck when one of my kids comes bounding in my office with the energy of a tree monkey and I have a cup of coffee on my desk. Now I don’t have to tell them a dozen times to be careful, watch out, don’t hit my cup.

 

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Mighty Mug is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win a Mighty Mug Go in their choice of color (subject to availability) . Thank you  for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Mighty Mug Go Travel Mug Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Coffee, Giveaway, Home, Kitchen, Life, Mommy Ramblings, Review, Travel

How Coffee Lovers Can Mix Up Their Daily Grind #MixCups

Are you a coffee lover?  We are, our house runs on coffee.  We all have individual tastes and like to brew individual cups of coffee.  The coffee is fresher, doesn’t sit in a pot getting warmed over and over and from cup to cup, we can change roasts and flavors.  What’s one of the easiest ways to have a large selection of roasts and flavors?  MixCups Mix of the Month coffee subscription is the easy way to get a great selection of coffee delivered right to your door. Each month MixCups  will send you a box of  30  cups selected from newly released, seasonal and tried and true single-cup coffees.  The single-cups are for use in KeurigÂŽ original K-CupÂŽ brewers and K-CupÂŽ compatible brewers.

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We recently received a Mix of the Month box to try, I was so excited!  There was not one variety of coffee that I had ever tried before, a coffee lover’s dream!  I wasted no time and have been enjoying cup after cup of delicious coffee.  There were so many great varieties, Cake Boss, Marley Coffee, Brooklyn, Martinson and more. Mixed boxes like this are great when you are entertaining, you can be sure that there is something to suit everyone’s individual taste palate.

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The variety pack would be great as a hostess or thank you gift.  Who doesn’t like coffee? Oh, you like tea better, no problem because they have single cup tea too!  You can choose from a Mini Mix (10 assorted coffee or teas), Mix of the Month (30 assorted coffee or teas) and the Mega Mix (60 assorted coffee or teas).  You can send a gift to someone right on the website and you can also order packs of coffee as well as the mix boxes.  If you want to try a subscription, it is super easy and you can cancel whenever you want.  Check them out and let me know what you think.  Stay in the loop by following MixCups on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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This post was sponsored by BrandBacker.  As always my words and views are 100% my own.

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