ROASTe Blogs

A couple of months ago, Time dedicated some lines to what the article writer thinks is a younger generation trend: preference of energy drinks over coffee.

She even mentions a research that seems to point to the fact (?) that under-25ers are becoming "coffee-resistant" and it seems that this is mainly due to the coffee bitterness.

The study was conducted by a reputable research firm and we must assume that the population samples and sizes were scientifically determined.

Vac pots are special in their combination of (1) total-immersion brewing (2) stable hot-but-not-too-hot temperature (3) cloth filtration. (2) and (3) are especially important I think. Cloth isn't necessary but in my opinion it's the best way to go. The agitation is more controlled than that through metal filters (I've tried them all...all), mouthfeel is denser than paper-filtered coffee but it lacks the sediment of metal-filtration. I did a post on maintenance some time ago.

I read on the Roaste Facebook page about adding salt to make coffee less bitter. I told that to my dad who was intrigued. He "found" his cup of coffee from this morning in the microwave (he forgot it was in there) and it had been in there since the morning. He decided to try the salt in it to see if it did anything to the flavor. 

 We were drinking Kana Cuban Roasters Havana Blend. Normally this is a bold coffee but very smooth. 

http://www.roaste.com/product/kana/Cuban-Coffee-Havana-Blend 

Douby partial, in the same way that history is: necessarily incomplete and subjective.

This post does double work too as both confession and (tentative) guide.

I'm a mostly recovered coffee upgrader/obsessive/pocket-protected-dork. That is, whenever I saw a cool new brewing gizmo at a progressive shop or heard about same through dubiously mediated...media (ahem)...I bought it uncritically. This was costly in more than just a couple of ways.

In the cafes of Naples Italy, it's an old tradition for a customer who has just benefitted from fortune or luck (getting a new job, getting engaged, having a baby, etc.) to order a "Caffe Sospeso" -- literally a suspended coffee.

They pay for two coffees and receive one.  The second coffee is considered "suspended" until someone indigent or in need comes into the cafe and asks for a coffee.  Then it is given to the indigent person gratis.

It might come as a surprise, but contrary to what many think, the coffee break - the two daily15-minute breaks that have become accepted in the US work world - are not mandated by law. Most unions include a clause regarding such breaks, but the US federal laws pertaining to the workforce do not mandate any such breaks for employees.

Have you heard WINE enthusiasts describe wines with bewildering language like "Up front, with green apple, melon and butter hints. Just tangy enough on the finish to keep it all honest.?"

 Sometimes wine reviews don't make a lot of sense, but coffee reviews very often do.

Here are 5 words that are worthwhile understanding when describing coffee.

If you haven’t finished your New Year’s toasting, you may consider making a toast in honor of the animals that have changed history. After all, it was a group of bears who discovered aspirin - and that is bear, not Bayer. It was thousands of years ago, when humans started noticing injured bears gnawing on the bark of the white willow trees. Curious to know why, one entrepreneurial-type human, probably looking for a good web-based home business, figured the bears knew a good thing when they saw it.

My Solofill adapter for Keurig brewers arrived today  - It is the eight hole "Octaflo System" model (missing the middle hole - a common manufacturing problem with these adapters). I will try it before deciding whether to convert to the "Octaflo-Plus System" using a thumbtack mod/repair to punch out the missing middle hole in the lid protrusion. 

Dried strawberries, notes of crushed rosemary, 61.5% cacao in the finish.

Kenya has plenty to offer the traveler investigating historical colonial cities, discovering the beauty of Masai Mara, or trekking the winding paths of Mount Kenya. For the coffee enthusiast, the highlands and farmland surrounding the capital, Nairobi, are sewn with the seeds that produce some of the worlds most respected coffees. The coffee here is unique and inspires many visitors to hop in a SUV and visit the source of Kenyan coffee creativity, the co-op.

There are quite a few ways that I make iced coffee, which I happen to think is delicious even in the middle of winter. The following is not my favorite method--might do a post on that later--but it can be convenient if you don't like making coffee everyday.

Martha Stewart coffee is now available on ROASTe.com!  We’ve just added Antica Tostatura Triestina  - normally called Antica Espresso – a very special coffee because it’s wood roasted with beechwood.

Today, Tuesday, December 21, Martha will be featuring Antica’s new organic coffee line on her show. The show is carried in the morning and in the afternoon. If you can’t watch it on the Hallmark channel, you can watch it online after Tuesday through her archives at http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/the-holiday-ba....

Purchasing your coffee whole bean and fresh produces a superior cup of
coffee, regardless of your favorite brewing method. The aromas and
tastes will strike your senses and awaken you to a truly better world.
However, when the last drop is poured and you gaze over to that open
coffee bag, its seal neatly cut and beans exposed, how do you maintain
the flavor you just enjoyed for the next 39 cups? Not by wrapping it and
tossing it into the pantry.

Taking the additional time to store your coffee properly will ensure

You know, for local consumption in Guatemala City, this may sound like a good strategy.  More places where coffee is served, more possibilities for people to choose the profile they like the most.

George Howell's Terroir Coffee hosted a cupping this past weekend at Boston University.

Here are some insights.

A couple of small American companies have been very progressive in bringing out high-quality metal filters for pourover. Coava in Portland has received a lot of love for their K-one, and they just unrolled a metal filter for Aeropress as well (called the Disk). Less well-known are the metalurgical exploits of Kaffeologie, which has a metal filter for pretty much every common brewing application around.

If you are looking for something to warm you up, this holiday season, and you enjoy both coffee and chocolate this may be just the beverage for you.

Coffee Infused Drinking Chocolate:

1 -  Bag Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate, Double Chocolate, or Dark Chocolate Pieces / Chips.  (Your choice of flavor)

1 -  Quart Room Temp. Half-and-Half or Whipping Cream. (you may use whole milk or 2% but it will not be as rich and decadent)

Dedicated Readers of this blog (hahaha...) may recall that I promised that I would devote a post to vac pot brewing. WHERE IS IT, my cherished Readers ask me. Reams, no veritable bales of digital paper have been wasted as they inquire about the mysterious vac pot method that I honed in the Himalayan hills under the taxing (actually tax-free) tutelage of a famed Arabican barista. Peace, dear Reader, peace, it shall come.