Blog

La Casa del Caffe wins 3 medals in 2011 CSR Golden Bean Competition.

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:22:36 +0000

2011 CSR Golden Bean Competition results are in!

La Casa del Caffe won 3 bronze medals in the following categories:

Espresso Category (256 entries): Bronze medal for our Signature Blend Tropicana
Filter Coffee Category (107 entries): Bronze medal for our Fairtrade Organic Blend
Organic Espresso Category (106 entries): Bronze medal for our Fairtrade Organic Blend

How to recycle used coffee grinds

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:25:43 +0000

Here's a few ideas on recycling your used coffee grinds.

Use as compost or fertilizer. Grounds are nutrient dense and will aid in plant growth…especially those plants that like acidic soil.

Put on anthills or around plant bases in order to repel bugs, slugs, snails, and mites.

Sprinkle grounds in garden or in potted plants where the cat may be tempted to go.

When grounds are steeped, they can be used as a dye for fabric and paper; it also acts as a stain if needed for touch-ups on furniture.

Can be rubbed on hands to get rid of odors from food prep, or dried and put in the fridge or freezer to absorb odours.

and, we love this one...

Use it as a sunscreen, as mentioned in our previous blog, applying coffee to the skin has been shown to help prevent non-melanoma cancer in a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in America, the Herald Sun reported on 16 August.

A coffee a day keeps the skin cancer away!

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:12:09 +0000

There is often a lot of talk about how coffee affects the body, sometimes negative but lately this isn’t the case. Some studies show that it can protect against heart disease and stroke, diabetes, some cancers and Parkinson’s disease. All good news since most of us enjoy drinking coffee! Now studies have shown that caffeine may reduce the risk of skin cancer either by drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee a day or applying caffeine directly to the skin raising the prospect of adding caffeine to sunscreen or products designed to repair sun-damaged skin.

We're pretty excited about this news here at La Casa, because we've been making our own personal caffeine fuelled skincare for years - no wonder we look so good!!!

We use coffee oil because of it’s moisturising, softening, nourishing and toning qualities but the SPF is a bonus! Coffee seeds in general contain a significant amount of tannins which offer astringent properties found to be valuable in applications for oily skin. Green coffee seeds also have antioxidant, smoothing, restructuring and regenerating qualities which make it ideal for mature and damaged skin and for restructuring hair care products for dry and damaged hair… all this and now possibly sun protection.

So why do so many people still think coffee is unhealthy? Go figure!

Source: The recent study was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, and it was conducted by a number of medical and research organisations. The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS). Scientists have worked out how caffeine might protect against certain skin cancers – a finding that could lead to better sunscreens.

Size does matter! How to tell a good blend.

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:52:07 +0000

Coffea Arabica or simply Arabica (pronounced a-ra-bik-a) and Robusta are two of the species of the Coffea genus. The primary differences between them are taste and the conditions under which the beans are grown and processed.

Arabica has a smoother, sweeter and less bitter taste and typically have less caffeine than Robusta coffees. Arabica plants are delicate plants and require cooler tropical climates, high levels of moisture, fertile soil and an equal combination of shade and sun. These elements can be found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They are often handpicked and wet processed which is gentler on the beans and there is a higher chance that the beans will be perfectly ripe when harvested.

Robusta beans typically have a distinct earthy flavour with a less fragrant aroma. Robusta coffees generally have a higher caffeine level than Arabica coffees. Probably named after its robust nature, Robusta beans are hardier and are less susceptible to pests and disease, and therefore require much less herbicide and pesticide than Arabica. While still grown primarily in the same region as Arabica beans, Robusta beans are grown at lower elevations and are often machine picked and dry processed to remove the cherry. These methods are less discerning between the ripe, under ripe and over ripe beans and the processing is not as gentle on the beans.

The Italians traditionally use more Robusta than Arabica and the French will use about 30% Robusta with 70% Arabica. Robusta is also often used to produce instant coffees, and in espresso blends to promote the formation of "crema".

A good espresso blend needs a small percentage of Robusta because when the beans are ground the Robusta helps provide a better foundation for espresso extraction resulting in a thick crema which gives the coffee body. In our opinion, a full-bodied crema (which you’ll only get with a little robusta mixed in) is more desirable for the devoted espresso coffee drinker than a thin or mostly non-existent crema from a 100% Arabica coffee.

Next time you buy a pack of roasted coffee beans grab a handful of the beans and spread them out onto a flat surface. Look at both the shape and size. Arabica beans will be larger than the Robusta bean. They will be more oval in shape as opposed to the Robusta’s round shape, and the Arabica will sit flatter than the more dome-like Robusta bean. Work out the percentage of Robusta compared to the total bean count. If the Robusta is less than 10% of the total beans and they are whole and in good shape then you have an ideal blend for espresso coffee making for milk based drinks.

Enjoy…

Grand Opening!

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:31:32 +0000

We are very excited to launch our new website which has been many months in the making. We've updated the overall look and the new site also offers a more sophisicated ordering facility to make it easier and faster for you. The site will be continually updated with all our latest products, specials and news, so keep visiting us at www.lacasadelcaffe.com.au....

Many thanks for your continued support from all the staff at La Casa del Caffe.

The site was developed by twenty4.com.au