Dear Diva...

Dear Diva:
Should I store coffee beans in the freezer, the refrigerator or are they okay on my kitchen counter? How long should I keep my coffee? from Natalie, Los Angeles, California

Dear Natalie,
Whoa girl! Maybe you are buying too much coffee to begin with! Seriously, buy what you can consume within a week to ten days and you can keep those coffee beans on your kitchen counter. (Ideally, that coffee is in an airtight container in a cool dry place, so the volatile oils of the coffee don’t escape and it goes stale.) If you need to store coffee for longer than that, freeze the portion you can’t consume. Then take out what you need on a daily basis. Or if you’ve got time, pre-pack individual amounts of coffee you can use each day and freeze those separate packets, taking one out for each pot. But remember—FRESH IS BEST!

Dear Diva:
I’m remodeling my kitchen and would like to invest in an espresso machine, but I don't know where to start. How much do I have to spend to get a reasonably good one? from Rebecca, Louisville, Kentucky

Dear Rebecca,
First, ask yourself what you’re really looking for in an espresso machine. If your tastes run to the popular “milk” drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos, all you really need is a coffee brewing machine that will steam milk. Many of the less expensive machines can steam milk adequately. But they don't have the wherewithal to brew espresso at nine atmospheres of pressure (the level of pressure that more or less defines espresso). However, if your goal is to make and drink really great straight shots of espresso then you'll need an industrial strength machine and those generally run $500 or more. Visit your local culinary emporium or restaurant supply house to check out first-hand the many models available.

Dear Diva:
How are flavored coffees beans, like my favorite, Chocolate Raspberry, made? from Wendy, Washington, DC

Dear Wendy:
Flavored coffee beans are made by applying concentrated “flavors” to coffee that has just come out of the roaster. (These flavors are usually synthetic replicas of naturally found flavor molecules.) These flavor compounds are usually dissolved in a “carrying agent,” which is very runny and spreads quickly and evenly over all the beans.

The first “coffee” served in Europe was heavily spiked not only with cream and sugar, but also a variety of spices, like cardamom. (Try throwing a few cardamom pods or a piece of vanilla bean or cinnamon stick into your brew basket before brewing, and find out what truly delicious, naturally flavored coffee can be!) There is a long history of flavoring coffee and many flavored coffees produce an enjoyable beverage. But, some coffee grumps argue that flavored coffees are, at their best, crimes against nature. Really, it isn't that flavored coffees are so bad but that the flavor of a good coffee, in its pure form, already has so much to offer. Mulled wine is nice, but wouldn't you prefer an unadulterated bottle of Mouton-Rothschild? While most of us can’t afford a wine of such stature, almost anyone can afford a pound of a fine estate coffee!

Flavored coffee drinks may be made using flavoring syrups especially developed for use with coffee. (You can also make Italian sodas, flavoring syrup and club soda, with these syrups. For a real indulgence on a hot day, try an Italian cream soda by adding a dollop of whipped cream!) Certain high-end brands of these syrups have recently become available in lots of grocery stores. Rather than buying your coffee pre-flavored, using flavored syrups allows you to control which coffee you flavor. Also, by adding the flavoring afterward, you don’t contaminate your grinder and other coffee appliances with the aroma of flavored coffee, which will muddle future cups of coffee, either flavored or unflavored.

Dear Diva:
What is the best coffee? from Helen, Pacific Palisades, California

Dear Helen:
This is probably the most frequently asked question of anyone in the coffee business. People assume that there is one best coffee. Do they ask what the best wine is, or who composed the best music, or who is the best novelist? But when it comes to coffee, people assume that there is one best coffee for everybody. Well, there just isn't!

Coffee is grown in a variety of soil and weather conditions, and from different sub-species of trees. It is produced using a variety of different methods. Finally, once the roaster gets a hold of the coffee, variables are multiplied again. Many coffees are so different from each other they are hardly recognizable as the same beverage—yet each can be delicious and highly prized. Rather than limit your search for great coffee to a single, peak experience, try broadening your coffee palate by tasting as many great coffees as you can—you’ll still have a favorite—and probably appreciate it all the more.