GingerSpiced Coffee

Inspired by Kiteman's Conmuter Coffee, here is a ginger-spiced coffee. I'm using an espresso machine, but you could use any type of coffee maker for this by scaling the recipe and adapting it for the desired method.

Step 1: A word for espresso machine adicts

This Instructable may damage your espresso machine. Probably, most of baristas will not add anything than coffee in the filter basket: if you put fine granulated ingredients that can pass trough the head mesh, and have a reflux into your machine's head, it may harm your head, pipes or even boiler (I will dose the ginger between two layers of coffee so I will minimize the chances of wreking up my machine). This is not likely to happen, but you must consider this. I'm using an old Saeco machine, soon to be replaced.

Comments

[Doug The Dog]

Just wondering if you'd get the same taste if you used a dripolator and added fresh slices of ginger to the coffee in the filter basket, or even in the bottom of a french press?

[Limadito]

Mmmm.... may be, but probably won't be as effective as grounded ginger. The slices, even being bigger tham the grounded ginger, have less surface exposed to the extraction solvent. This means that probably (just guessing, as never tried by myself) you will need more ginger to achieve similar results. The overall method will work with drip machines or french presses.

[undefinedmonkey]

I'm guessing an Aeropress would work for this as well. Going to try this tonight.

[SpiroExDeus]

Okay. How about this? Get root ginger and simmer it in water. Most of the juices of the ginger should transfer to the water. (Altthough to be fair I've only done this with milk to make ginger cocoa - I may have to experiment with this to make my first instructable). It's not worth being silly and risking your espresso machine IMO.

[Limadito]

That's why I put the ginger between two layers of coffee. In this way, you can't damage your machine even if you experiment a reflux.

[SpiroExDeus]

Forgot to mention that you would then use the water to make your espresso - may have been obvious but I figured I'd mention it anyway.

[Limadito]

In this case, most of aroma and flavor will be lost by heating the infused water.

[SpiroExDeus]

If the water has already been heated to infuse the ginger then it will be hot enough to make espresso and simmering (rather than boiling) the ginger wouldn't be enough heat to lose the flavor/aroma but I guess if using an electric espresso then it WOULD end up being reheated. I have an aeropress myself (I didn't believe something hand-operated could provide enough pressure until my friends bought it for me) so I could probably use the same water - but then I could use your technique without risking breaking the machine (as it isn't exactly a machine per-se), although I could end up breaking my wrist...

The other solution is that if you like your coffee with milk or cream you could easily add the ginger essence to that. There are some people who are coffee 'purists' who don't like to add milk/cream but then THEY probably wouldn't add ginger. Or of course if you like your coffee black then only using your technique or using an aeropress would work.

MUST get round to experimenting. Will let you know the results.

[Kiteman]

Thanks for the name-check! I get fed up of seeing the various chocosweet flavourings added to coffee these days. Anybody roast their own coffee beans? What would adding nutmeg, ginger etc do if added at the roasting stage?

[Limadito]

To the Ceasar, what belongs to the Ceasar! As far as I know, flavouring agents are added after the roasting as they are usually alcohol-based. During roasting you get a lot of debris ("chaff", the most external layer of bean's skin separates fron the bean itself) and this will drift out the flavours applied at this stage. At the same time, if you add nutmeg, ginger or any other aromatic ingredient it will be modified as the coffee is roasting, resulting in a loss of flavour and aroma (basically, we find in spices volatile or essencial oils and this is what recognoze as the characteristic and peculiar aroma/taste on any spice. This is one of the reasons to use allways fresh spices when you're cooking).

[Kiteman]

Ah, it's obvious, now that you say it. Thanks.

[Limadito]

You welcome!!

[SpiroExDeus]

The problem with adding flavourings at the bean stage is that they tend to remove the coffee's own flavour. Making your own syrups with more essence and then adding less syrup to the coffee might be a solution to your problem. (Syrup is easy. Just sugar, water and essence).

[SpiroExDeus]

(Oh and you need to boil the ingredients in a pan)

[islander555]

A crushed cardamon seed is a great alternative too

[killerjackalope]

You can keep ginger root out for years as long as you do some strange trick my mum does to the cut ends, the bark sides are fine also keeping it in with your coffee adds a nice hint to the coffee and keeps the ginger well dried out due to coffees hydroscopic effects (if you do this with instant the effect is much more obvious and immediate)

[ckoehler1904]

Sounds like a winner! However, it's often difficult to keep fresh ginger on hand. A trick I learned is to peel fresh ginger root and then store it whole in a small, tightly sealed glass jar in the freezer. Then, whenever you need fresh ginger, just grate as much of the still-frozen root as you need. Keeps for a long time in the freezer and tastes ALMOST as good as the fresh stuff. Saves money too.

[Limadito]

Thanks! Another tip: soak the root in cold water for a while and peel it with a tablespoon (results in less root waste).

[GorillazMiko]

Sounds good? No. It LOOKS good. It IS good. :-) Cool Instructable.

[Limadito]

I'm happy you like this!

[jessyratfink]

Sounds good! I've thought about doing things like this with the instant espresso we have. We've already tried sweet flavors - now it's time to move on to something else!

[Limadito]

I'm glad you like it!