The coffee tree is a tropical evergreen shrub. Delicate white blossoms would entice you to the plant with the scent of jasmine. The flowers give way to cherries. Plump red coffee cherries, green fruit and flowers do at times grow on the branches all at the same time, and that means the ripe berries must be picked by hand. The coffee cherries look similar to cranberries in shape and color. This is a strong coffee and we often find ourselves adding hot water to the pot to "tame" the brew. Professional coffee makers recommend two tablespoons of coffee for every six ounces of water. If you use decaffeinated coffee, some of the aroma and flavor is lost in processing, so add two more tablespoons ground coffee for each pot of coffee. You can adjust the recommendation to suit your tastes. This is the coffee I find delicious with milk and sugar.

    6 (8-ounce) cups cold water (10 cup mark on coffee pot)
    ½ cup ground vanilla nut cream coffee beans

1.  Measure the ground coffee into a coffee filter. Pour water into      a
     coffee maker and let coffee brew.

2.  Pour steaming cups of coffee and serve straight or with milk   
     and sugar.

     Hint: Top with whipped cream and a dash nutmeg.

     Variation: Use less coffee for a weaker brew.

     Makes 10 cups coffee

Braun Coffemaker

Worry-Free Coffee or Tea, April 17, 2007 The Impressions Coffeemaker if perfect for anyone who wants to set up their coffee pot in the evening. All you do in the morning is flip the switch at the base of the unit and you have coffee in just a few minutes. The coffee maker also shuts automatically after 17 minutes and then your coffee stays warm in the thermal carafe. Tea drinkers may also want this beautifully designed coffeemaker because it is also perfect for making tea. Everything you make tastes better because of the unique filtering system from Brita that reduces chlorine and improves flavor. The highlights of this coffeemaker include fun things like an "automatic filter basket release button," "Permanent gold tone filter," and "double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel carafe." The best thing about this coffee maker is you can drink the coffee as soon as it is made and it is the perfect drinking temperature. Then, if you want more coffee later, the coffee is still warm and this works well with tea as well in the evening. If you live in an area with hard water, you will love the water filter cartridge which allows you to make worry-free coffee all year long without needing to decalcify the coffee maker. Simply remove and replace the water filter on a regular schedule. The smooth taste of coffee and tea will impress you and this coffeemaker also looks beautiful on the counter with its sleek design. What I love most about this coffee maker is that I can take the thermal carafe into the office while writing and have hot coffee or tea without having to return to the kitchen for another cup. Some of the things I did notice that may cause some concern if you don't like a permanent filter - there may be some finely ground coffee in the last cup. To solve this problem, just use regular coffee filters. The permanent gold filter is easy to clean under running water and easy to remove and replace. Also, if you like topping off your coffee with really hot coffee to keep your cup of coffee warm, this might not be the best unit since it produces coffee that is ready to drink at the perfect temperature. Also, the coffee/tea stays warmer if you use a full pot of water and less warm if you are only making say one to two cups. The carafe - to completely empty it you almost have to turn it upside down. This may be a concern. The handle is comfortable, but the design could be improved so you can just pour the coffee normally without such an extreme measure. A note about overflowing - If you fill the unit with the 10 cups of water as indicated on the side, it won't overflow in the coffee pot. It is almost impossible to overfill since the water won't stay in the unit and will overflow before you make the coffee. So, if you drink coffee or tea I can recommend this to you. Mostly I love using this to make herbal tea at night or coffee in the morning. ~The Rebecca Review