As I talk with more restaurant owners, I am learning that coffee is often a required menu item that does not get much forethought. In the old days, it was typical to have a simple “Bunn” style coffee brewer and glass carafe pots warmed on a heating element and refilled as needed. This has led […]
You’re a barista. Maybe at home, or maybe you’ve been working in a shop, and you hear all sorts of theories about how to tamp your espresso, ultimately deciding that how you tamp, doesn’t really matter that much. I’m here to tell you, that it matters a great deal, and the reason is not among […]
Your coffee-loving friends have already told you that it’s a bad idea to buy ground coffee. They say it’s not as fresh, that ground coffee goes stale quickly. But hey, you’ve been drinking coffee for years, buying it already ground, and you’ve been perfectly happy with it, right?
I often have people ask me for coffee recommendations and they tend to say one of two things, either “I like dark roasts” or “I like coffee that doesn’t have acidity”. As a roaster, I find this really interesting because the current trend of “Third Wave” coffee is all about emphasizing the uniqueness of coffee […]
In coffee roasting, there isn’t a single formula or method that you can call “tried and true”. The variables are numerous, and knowing how to address each variety of coffee is what makes a roastmaster. In How Roasting Style Changes the Flavor of Coffee, I discussed how a faster application of heat can lead to sweeter […]
You might be surprised to learn that the way a coffee is roasted can have a huge impact on the flavor. And we’re not talking about air roasting versus drum roasting, or home roasting versus commercial–different roasting styles that influence coffee flavor can be performed on any roasting equipment. Roasting coffee is as much an art […]
It was simply a matter of perspective. Honeydew Donuts of Mansfield, Massachusetts felt pretty strongly that our local Honey + Dew Coffee Company was encroaching on their territory… like coffee and donuts. Rather than fight a battle with a well-established and well-heeled franchise business, Jessica and Zac decided to make a new name for themselves by […]
This is one of the most frequent questions that I get when talking to people who are interested in learning more about artisan coffees. My answer is often ambiguous, and here’s why.
Is this site paid for by Starbucks? There's too much mention of them. If anyone has read "Where Am I Eating" or listened to the author speak here in Evansville last month, you would refrain from giving your money to that corporation.
Coffee aficionado Nate Templeton has been teasing friends for years with his coffee explorations, from small batch roasting to coffee catering at events, but now it appears that he has found his niche in the bottled cold brew market.