Blog

All Posts (25)

Sort by

Fresh Cup's April issue is now available

Posted by Fresh Cup Magazine on April 2, 2010 at 5:00am

FEATURES
IT'S NOT EASY SOURCING GREEN: Coffee pros work toward origin improvements by Chris Ryan
MOVE 'EM OR LOSE 'EM: How to design a shop with fantastic flow
by Dan Leif
APHRO-TEA-SIACS: Exploring the sexy side of infusions
by Steven Krolak
ARABIAN BLIGHTS: Morocco's delightful coffee culture marred by subpar beans by Bruce Milletto
SPROUTING HOPE: Mushrooms grown in coffee pulp empower African women
by Libby Evans with David Pohl
DEEP ROOTS: Cerrado-area producers unearth cherished Brazilian coffees
by Chris Ryan


Click here to read the entire April issue online

Read more…

Your stories needed

Posted by Sam Title on March 29, 2010 at 8:14am
Hello coffee servers, baristas and other cafe staff;

I'm doing research for an article about today's cafe culture and am looking for your stories, anecdotes, opinions, advice and anything else you'd like to impart about your store's group of regular customers.

What's the longest period of time any customer has spent/spends in your store?

What types of business have you seen conducted at your location?

Describe your best/worst customer experience.

I would require your full name, email address, employer information (for future permission to publish) plus your permission to use your information in the report.

Please send your stories to samtitle+baristastories@gmail.com. If I use your story, you will be contacted for fact checking and final written approval.

I look forward to your replies.

Thank you.

Sam Title


Read more…

Would You Like Some Cheese with That...Coffee?

Posted by Doug Rice on March 29, 2010 at 12:16am
Traditionally, wine and cheese pairings have been staples of culinary connoisseurs. Recently, I have gotten into learning about artisan cheese. Surprisingly, there is a niche market out there for pairing coffee with cheese. The Pacific Northwest Cheese Project, an artisan cheese co-op in the U.S., has been one of the many contributors to this culinary endeavor. Coffee is tasted or 'cupped' much like wine is, involving the same amount of sophistication and technique among professionals. So, though it may seem repulsive at first, why not try coffee and cheese?

The other day, I tried some Peru Chanchamayo (coffee) with some Wisconsin Cheddar (cheese). The results were bewildering. The sharp notes of the cheddar melted perfectly into the tangy tangerine notes in the Peruvian coffee. It was like the two were made for each other. Cheese and Coffee may take a while to catch on in both the mainstream specialty coffee and mainstream artisan cheese worlds. But my personal experience gave me an idea to log away for the future.
Read more…

Singapore National Barista Championship

Posted by Suhaimie Sukiman on March 25, 2010 at 10:23pm

SNBC 2010 that was held at Suntec Convention from the 25th-27th was by far, receiving the most awarness in its 4 year of history. Not only was there a huge crowd during the 3 days event, SNBC 2010 also had by far, the biggest participation in term of participating competitors.

In total of 23 Baristas representing big coffee chains and well known independently owned cafes took part and this year edition also had a new Champion. Keith Loh from Oriole was 1st, John Ting also from Oriole was 2nd and Suhaimie from CuppaChoice, 3rd. SNBC 2010 also introduced the first ever Pura National Latte Art competition, which was also won by the same trio in the same consecutive order.

Here, we can summarised that as the championship progress on each year, the level of difficulty and bar of competitiveness goes higher. Barista from all over are exposed to media coverage of overseas competition, internal competitions from individual company and participating in short coffee workshops/barista courses that are offered by external coffee companies in Singapore. This we believe not only enriches every individual Barista but also every paying coffee drinkers as when the skills get better, the end result are happy customers with a good cup of coffee.

We hope to have a better and bigger SNBC 2011 and for sure, preparation for 2011 has already started for some Barista that we know. Go Coffee Industry, Go!!!!

Read more…

the 'wiggle'

Posted by demart denaro on March 23, 2010 at 4:51pm
anyone have any advice on the "wiggle" lol when pouring, whenever i make a rosetta its ALWAYS a curved one. ...the only thing i think though that will probably help me would be to just practice practice practice...but any advice would definitely be appreciated
thanksss :D
Read more…

coffee cafe for sale

Posted by Tina Putman on March 23, 2010 at 11:50am

If anyone has ideas for a quick sell of my established coffee shop please let me know.

I'm selling very cheap as I need to get out for health reasons. Also if you know of anyone buying equipment please let me know.

Thanks

Read more…

Who will be the next "Barista On Duty" to be featured on my blog? Nominate here

Posted by Jennifer Vaaler on March 19, 2010 at 7:18am

Searching for the next Barista On Duty to Interview for future blog posts. Click the link to
nominate yourself or a fellow barista (that follow the guidelines) and explain why they deserve the shining light.


Looking for next month's featured Barista to Interview. Do you want to nominate yourself or another barista? This will not only let one barista shine each month, but also free advertising for the company they work for.

Nominate yourself or your friend here explaining why you orthey should be featured for future interviews.

BaristaQualifications for Interviews:

1) Must have a passion for whatthey do and what it stands for.

2) Must be a Barista- whether themain barista on duty, a trainer, or even the cafe' owner. As long as
they are making drinks for someone on a daily basis somehow.

3)Always improving their technique

4) Active within the coffeecommunity

5) Great customer service

6) Educate customers

7)Doing what they can for the greater good of the coffee industry

Click here to nominate now.
Read more…

Spring Cleaning - it's that time of the year!!

Posted by Urnex/Puro Caff® on March 18, 2010 at 9:03am
In honor of the annual efforts that fall into the category of Spring Cleaning, the Urnex team thought it would only be fitting to get some information out reminding everyone that machines need cleaning love too!!

In addtion to the traditional Urnex and Puro Caff product lines, we want to get the word out about our newest line of equipment cleaners - the Full Circle Brand. This is a complete line of equipment cleaners - backflush powder/brewer cleaner, milk wash, and tablets - all made from renewable, sustainable and naturally occurring ingredients. Our ultimate goal with these products was to formulate a new portfolio that would meetthe performance standards of Urnex and Puro Caff, while still considering the worldaround us. We think we've been able to achieve that, but you guys are the real people who can challenge/confirm things! If you haven't had a chance to try the product(s) or would like to know more info about Full Circle distributors in your area, please let me know and I can hook you up with samples and info :)

Last month we also had a Bike Tour/sampling kick off in San Francisco, where we teamed up with Green Cafe Network to get Full Circle Coffee Equipment Wash into the local area green cafes that are a part of the GCN community. We had a biker hand deliver each sample to the cafes, where he was able to chat about the product with the resident baristas at each location. Check out the cafes we visited here: www.urnex.com/greencafe.html and for more info on Green Cafe Network, check out their website here: www.greencafenetwork.org!

We had a great time with the event and we're hoping to launch similar initiatives in other cities around the country (especially as it gets warmer), so let us know if you would be interested in helping out in your city!

If you run into any problems in your spring cleaning efforts, or just want more info on Full Circle or other products, please feel free to reach out at any time!!

And last, but not least, stay tuned for the new Full Circle website - coming soon!!
Read more…

Cupping is perhaps one of the most important skill anyone can develop within the coffee industry

Posted by Spyridon Gkinnis on March 15, 2010 at 12:09pm
CuppingBy aboutcoffeegrCupping is perhaps one of the most important skill anyone can develop within the coffee industry. Developed by green coffee buyer – cupping – provides a consitent methodoloy for evaluating a coffee’s quality before determining a price on a lot. In much the same way that a wine connesour would evaluate a fine Cabernet or Chardonnay – cuppers use a strict set of tasting protocols to assess quality.The practice, however, is relatively subjective and subject to the likes and dislikes of potential buyers, but it is nonetheless the de facto practice when discussing coffee quality. Cupping is usually done in both countries of origin and in consuming countries, usually before and after a shipment arrives.Any serious coffee buyer should take the time to invest in setting up ac upping lab. Although not dificult setup, the lab should be in a clean, well-lit area, free of excessive noise. Table 1 below lists some basic equipment need for any lab.Table 1: List of Equipment / ConditionsCupping Table Sample RoasterDigital Balance Color discsCupping Form GrinderHot Water (195-205oF) Silver cupping spoonClipboard, pencil Quiet, well lit area.5 – cupping glasses (6-8oz) Cupping FormIntroduction to Cupping TerminologyMuch like learning a new language, cupping is a ritual of its own and as such has its own set of terminology. Understanding what these terms mean, along with the repeated practice, will set you on the right path towards becoming a competent cupper. Although the terminology is relatively straight forward, you will see that many terms differ in meaning from country to country. For our discussions here, we will be using the SCAA Cupping Protocol which is the most commonly used within the specialty coffee industry. Table 2 below summarizes some of the most commonly used terms during cupping.Table 2: Commonly used cupping terms.Term DescriptionFragrance aromatic aspects of dry ground coffee.Aroma aromatic aspects of ground coffee when infused with hot water.Acidity brightness and/or sourness of coffee.Body the mouthfeel or heaviness perceived on the surface of the tongue.Flavor defined as taste and aroma, mid-tones of coffee.Sweetness subtle pleasant sweetness in coffee.Clean Cup transperancy in the cup, should be free of off-flavors and defects.Balance overall rating of coffee, no one parameter should dominate.Aftertaste duration of positive flavor attributes in coffee.Overall your overall rating of this coffee.The Cupping FormNow that we have defined the cupping “language”, lets move on to the actual form. Within the cofee industry you will see a number of cupping forms in use – some customized while others taking bits and pieces to form their own (ie. Cup of Excellence, etc). But within the specialty coffee world, the de facto standard is the SCAA’s Cupping Form.Revised in the early 1990’s, the SCAA cupping provides cuppers with an objective way of capturing some of the most important sensory aspects in coffee. The form which is broken up into ten parameters allows panelists to rate and penalize for any defects found in the cup(s). The system is based on a 100 point scale thereby allowing for the classification of very low quality “Off Grade” coffees to “Super Premium Specialty” coffee. According to the system any coffee which has passed physical grading and cups with a score over 80 points is considered “Specialty” grade. Figure 1 below illustrates the SCAA Cupping Form.SCAA Cupping Form (pdf )Preparing the CoffeeNow that we’ve covered the basics in cupping theory, lets get the coffee samples ready. The first step is to ensure that the coffee to be “cupped” is of a light to medium roast. Typically a small sample roaster is used as these roasters provide for greater control and consistency with minimal use of samples. Roast the coffee to a light to medium roast, typically corresponding to an Agtron value between 55-65. The SCAA specifies an Agtron value of exactly 58 for whole bean (+/- 1 pt), but as long as your within this range your fine.For those without access to an Agtron, the SCAA sells color discs that serve as great points of reference during roasting. It is imperative that a coffee not be roasted past a medium roast, as important flavor notes and potential defects can easily get masked – obviously defeating the point of cupping. All coffee used should be freshly roasted with no more than 24-48 hours in age, be uniform in color, air cooled, contain no quakers, and have no scorching or tipping present.Preparing the InfusionOnce the coffee has been roasted allow it to rest overnight in a clean area. Weight out approximately 12-12.5g of coffee per cup – this will vary depending on the size your cups, but so long as your using the standard brew formula of 8.25g per 150mL of water you can easily adjust to your needs. A minimum of five cups needed per sample to ensure uniform representation of the coffee sample. Once all the cups have been weighed out, grind the coffee to a coarse grind and cover the top of the glass with a small sheet of paper (well return to this later).Although not mandatory, it is common to have samples of both green and roasted coffee present on the cupping table during the actual cupping. As this allows cuppers to visually inspect for any defects and lack of uniformity before the cupping process.The CuppingNow that the coffee is prepared, lets begin with the first step in cupping – assesing the coffee’s “fragrance“. Although “fragrance” and “aroma” are used interchangibly they are quite different. Fragrance refers to the olfactory characteristics of the dry grounds themselves, while “aroma” is in the wet stage. To asses fragrance, simply raise glass to your nose and deeply inhale the coffee’s fragrance – being careful not to inhale any coffee grounds. Rate the coffee’s fragrance along with any notes that you pick up on your cupping form.The next step is to asses the coffee’s “aroma”. Before adding hot water, ensure that the water has reached a temperature of 92o-96oC (195o-205oF), as this will allow for proper extraction of all flavor compounds. Pour hot water into the cup and allow it to steep for 3-4 minutes – use a digital timer for this. Once the time is up, gently take your spooon and break the top layer of coffee otherwise known as the “crust” . As you break the crust, place you nose as close to the top of the grounds and inhale – as soon as the crust is broken, it will release a large number of volatile compounds. Record on your score on the cupping form.Once recorded, continue stirring the coffee two to three times allowing the foam to run down the back of the spoon. At this point the coffee will probably be too hot for most people to cup, wait another 3-5 minutes and allow the coffee to cool before proceeding. Using a rapid suction motion, aspirate the coffee over your tongue and write down your observation for every one of the ten parameters – see Table 2 above.Defects, Taints and FaultsEven though great care is taken to select and process only the best beans at origin, mistakes do happen. And as such, the type and intensity of the defect can manifest itself in a number of different ways in the cup. Luckily, the SCAA Cupping form allows for this assesment in two ways.The first is called a “taint” and is any defect that is noticable but usually not overwhelming in aromatic aspect. Any taints present in the cup are penalized 2 points.Another defect – called a “fault” is an overwhelming defect typically characterized as a sour, ferment, or phenolic. Faults are subject to 4 points of penalization.To determine the total number of defects, simply multiply the number of cups that contained the defect by its intensity. Record this total pointage, as it will be subtracted from the overall score (below).Classification ScaleOnce all the parameters have been assessed, we subtract any defects that may have been present and get a Final Score. To classify the coffee based on SCAA standards refer to Table 3 below.Final Score Classification95-100 Super Premium Specialty90-94 Premium Specialty85-89 Specialty80-84 Premium75-79 Usual God Quality (UGQ)70-74 Average Quality60-70 Exchange Grade50-60 Commercial Grade40-50 Below Grade< 40 Off GradeFinal WordsAlthough cupping may seem intimidating at first, with continued practice, the process will soon become second nature. For detailed instructions on the SCAA Cupping Protocol please click here . In addition there are a number of books that will walk you thru the basics of cupping. But perhaps your best resource is the SCAA itself as it hosts a number of training sessions during their annual conference. For more information contact them directly at www.scaa.org.
Read more…

Seeing it Firsthand: Board Visits Oaxaca, Pt. 2

Posted by Coffee Kids on March 15, 2010 at 5:38am
Coffee Kids Board Member, Bill Mares. recently traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to visit one of Coffee Kids’ partners and learn more about our efforts. He shares a bit of his visit below. Coffee Kids Board President Guy Burdett, who traveled on the trip, also contributed a blog entry here.
imageTwo weeks ago, several Coffee Kids board members tagged along with staff to watch how one of our partner organizations works with indigenous farmers in a remote region of the Mexican state of Oaxaca.CAMPO, the acronym of the 20-year old group, began as a quasi-political entity to help indigenous people fight social and economic oppression at the local and national levels. Ten years ago they switched their focus to technical assistance, environmental protection and women’s empowerment in some 60 rural communities across the entire state.In a poor land, CAMPO works with some of the poorest. Illiteracy is over 40 percent. The average wage is less than $4 per day.In Santo Tomas Texas, a community of 100 families, we saw a microcosm of the challenges that CAMPO and the people face. First of all, it’s remote, six hours from the capital of Oaxaca down white-knuckle mountain roads with enough hairpin turns to run a beauty shop. Political scientists and sociologists would quail at the overlapping governmental jurisdiction, ambiguous land tenure rights, and complex social customs.imageUndaunted, the CAMPO staff has helped develop a range of activities to supplement coffee income. There were greenhouses to extend the growing season, composting with red worms, chicken-raising, and smallscale fish-farming. Some farmers were even producing rare and valuable honey from stingless bees.To me, the most fascinating experience was to observe the community discussions between CAMPO staff and people in the villages. CAMPO staff know they walk a fine line between inviting questions and giving advice, between nurturing leaders and anointing them. As we all do, they struggled to find the right words to use in “constructive criticism.” Just as important, they had to know when to be silent, and listen.Gradually, people spoke up. First, it was objective matters, like repairing green houses, or building a community center. Then they moved on to some of their fears. The coffee crop was way down this year, said one man. “Some people have migrated to the city. A couple of farmers came close to suicide.” imageThey knew they needed alternatives but, as one said, “We are slaves to coffee. It’s what we know. We want to improve the quality of our coffee to get a better price.One of supplements to coffee income is honey production. A group of women had formed their own group of beekeepers. One woman said, “The bees sting me. So what! I can earn good money selling the honey!”One young man about 25 just back from the States where he worked for six years. After thanking CAMPO, he said, “I came back to live and help in this village. “The United States is a beautiful place, but you suffer a lot there. I’m glad to be home.”Check out pictures from the trip on Flickr.
Read more…

Making your own Masala Chai, is it worth it?

Posted by Mike McGinness on March 10, 2010 at 1:33pm

Just mixed up another 5LB of my chai blend. Quality tea and spices are expensive! Or so it seems when buying all the ingredients. Is it worth it? Besides customers raving is it really worth it bottom line!

Crunched the numbers using my wholesale selling price of $25 for 400g Brewed makes 4 half gallons concentrate, my suggested mix 1:1 milk, soy etc. So 2 gallons milk ~$6. Honey and dark cane sugar when brewing ~$3. Makes four gallons of lattes. Total cost for 4 gallons chai lattes $34. 4 gallons equals 72 8oz lattes. . ToGo setup ~$0.10x72=$7. Now total cost $41. I sell 8oz chai latte for $3 = $216 - 41 = $175 net on initial $25 expense, not too bad at all

And of course my cost as the wholesaler making the blend is lower, more like $13 per 400g not $25, so for me buying it from myself makes that $185 net. (Cost of overhead, labor etc. excluded of course)

Yeah, I think it financially makes sense to make kick ass chai rather than use mass marketed gaggingly sweet where's the tea and spices anyway drivel like Oregon in the box on the shelf...

Read more…

bX's Jennifer Vaaler Featured in CoffeeTalk

Posted by Jennifer Vaaler on March 4, 2010 at 2:21pm
I am so excited to announce that I had the opportunity to write a couple articles for this month's issue of Coffee Talk on pages 8 & 10. The theme for the articles is Eco Innovation for items like cups, lids, sleeves, to-go boxes, and Packaging.

I hope you find the articles useful for cafe' purchasing decisions. I appreciate any comments.

Stay Caffeinated!

Jennifer Vaaler (Daily Demitasse)
Read more…

Latest Blog Posts

Most Popular Blog Posts

Blog Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives