get cleaner coffee

We may choose caffeinated over decaf, non-fat over regular milk, no foam over foam...but here's something you don't often think about when it comes to coffee. How clean is the equipment it's brewed on?

Urnex, the leading manufacturer, of specialty cleaning products for coffee and espresso equipment, offers up everything you need for the best brew.

Featuring an innovative collection of organic coffee and espresso machine cleaning products, Urnex leaves java lovers with a delicious and fresh-tasting cup of Joe. Whether it’s working to prevent coffee oil residues (which lead to bitter

taste) or helping to eliminate water-build up and clog flow in coffee equipment, Urnex is the essential coffee companion.

Cleancaf® Home Coffee & Espresso Machine Cleaner and Descaler − The only organically listed home coffee machine cleaner on the market; Cleancaf® is an odorless, non-acid scale inhibitor and detergent in one. Cleaning away old coffee in primary drip coffee brewers to prevent a bitter coffee taste, it is specially designed to clean coffee decanters and filter baskets and inhibit mineral deposits. Just use them bi-weekly or monthly for coffee you can feel good about drinking. Cleancaf® may also be used on home espresso equipment and to clean a French press. ($5.99 for 3 single use packets.)

Dezcal™ Activated Descaler − Designed to breakdown and remove the mineral build-up that can impact the performance of your coffeemaker, Dezcal™ is a citric acid based, non-toxic, biodegradable descaler solution used to decalcify brewers, espresso machines, pod and capsule machines. Use it two to four times a year. ($7.49 for 4 single use packets.)

Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner − Offering the serious coffee enthusiast grinding beans at home with a burr grinder a chance to clean and maintain their high priced equipment. The Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner is the first product developed to clean the burrs and casings of a coffee grinder without disassembly. Providing quick and easy cleaning, it eliminates all chance of old coffee oil residue co-mingling with fresh coffee –even flavored coffee odors. Use monthly or quarterly for best results. Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner is Star-K Kosher Certified. ($11.95 for 3 single use packets.)

Cafiza® Home Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets − Formulated for controlled solubility, easy rinsing and powerful cleaning of home super automatic espresso machine, Cafiza® Tablets are the only NSF certified home tablet and are conveniently packaged on a blister card. ($9.99 for one blister card with 8 tablets.)

Need a thoughtful gift for a java-loving hostess? Urnex delivers. Give the 1-2 Brew Gift Set. Complete with step-by-step instructions on how to brew a perfect cup of coffee. The 1-2 Brew Gift Set includes: Cleancaf ® Home Coffee & Espresso Machine Cleaner, Dezcal™ Descaler, a sample of Grindz™ Grinder Cleaner, a coffee scoop with bag clip along with space to insert a 12-16 oz. bag of the “giftee’s” favorite brand of coffee ($13.95, without coffee).

Urnex products are available at Bed, Bath and Beyond and at www.urnexathome.com

joyride: get your fix!

Moms all over town can relate: Sometimes you just really need a good cup of coffee.

I was walking home from Fairway last week and noticed a different kind of ice cream truck parked on Broadway. The inviting green outside and shiny cutting-edge kitchen equipment inside suggested that this was no Mr. Softie. I didn't have time to stop but a few nights later I noticed it again on 66th and Broadway and decided to check it out.

Joyride sells tart, frozen yogurt, made with a proprietary blend of all-natural and Greek yogurt. The two varieties include an Original, which is the regular frozen yogurt, and a Buzzed, which is the regular yogurt with an infusion of caffeine (but without the taste of coffee). So you can get the jolt you need without the bitter aftertaste--or the coffee breath! A plus: it comes with unlimited toppings including a wide selection of organic fruits, like strawberry, mango, kiwi, and raspberry, as well as other dessert-inspired toppings, like chocolate croquants (delish!), granola, and coconut.

But the Mr. Softies of the world aren't the only ones who should be shaking in their shoes. Starbucks will be getting a run for it's money too. Instead of stopping at your local Starbucks shop, a quick detour to the Joyride truck will offer a delectable selection of gourmet coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, whose beans are roasted locally in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The truck offers a selection of coffee drinks, including espresso, cappuccino, latte, and iced coffee. Imaginative coffee specials are also available, such as The Jeffrey Paul -- a double-shot of espresso with MarieBelle hot chocolate, chocolate shavings, and espresso grinds, and The Flat White -- a New Zealand standard featuring a shot of espresso and fresh, organic milk gently heated. I had an out-of-this-world hot chocolate that would be a treat any day, no matter what the temperature outside.

Joyride is the collaborative effort of three young men in their twenties, who left academic lives and jobs to pursue their entrepreneurial spirit. David Belanich is a graduate of Middlebury College and a former PhD student in Political Science at Yale University; Lev Brie is a graduate of Columbia University and former PhD student in French and Philosophy at the University of Chicago; and Adam Belanich is a graduate of Dartmouth College whose field of study was Art. With a desire to leave the academic world and pursue something more exciting, the three partners decided to open up a food truck from which they could sell two things they all love: healthy and delicious dessert and high quality coffee.

Probably the most fun thing about Joyride trucks is finding them. It's sort of like the moving party that you have to seek out at a new location each week. To get the latest information about the truck's location, you can follow it on twitter (@joyridetruck) or look at the 'Find' link on Joyride's website (www.joyridetrucks.com). And when you do find it, get out there and get your frozen yogurt or coffee fix. You never know when it will turn up next!