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Australian Open 5 days to go.

Posted by Zoe Delany on January 24, 2009 at 9:02pm

Well with just 5 days to go until I strut my stuff on the stage for the open round of the Australian Barista Championships, I am starting to wonder if I am either too organized or something very vital has been forgotten. My grinder and equipment have all been sent on a pallet to Queensland, all we have to do is lug about 30kg of coffee up with us on the flight ( not quite as much as we took to Denmark for Dave's world gig).After finishing second in the Victorian Comp, I'm really hoping to do a comfortable performance as I did on that day. I have some really exciting coffee and a couple of new tricks up my sleeve. It is going to be tough though, I think if I can get in the Semi's I would feel really relieved.

The truth

Posted by Sara Louise on January 24, 2009 at 6:31am

God, I love LA.

I ate 8 oranges

Posted by Rita Kaminsky on January 22, 2009 at 9:08pm

If I were a character in Willy Wonka, my name would be Clementine.This afternoon I had some friends over for coffee and delights. I had a pretty good idea what coffees I wanted, but I started my day with a cupping at the Stumptown Annex for extra ideas. Megan set up a beautiful, bright table: Costa Rica, Panama Don Pachi, El Salvador Kilimanjaro, and Kenya Gaturiri. It was also an exceptional experience because there were only 3 cuppers! I was only familiar with the Kenyan coffee from work and was super amped to pick out my coffees. All were great, but as always the Kilimanjaro really stood out. I must admit that this is not my favorite crop, but still an exceptional experience. Complex. Deep. Rich. Ripe fruit flavors. Great acidity. Like a nice dry red. That said, I bought a bag of Panama Don Pachi (planned) and Colombia El Placer (on Liam's recommendation).Next I hopped over to Zupan's for some oranges. Citrus flavors are often used to describe coffees and I have been anxious to expand my cupping vocabulary. The store clerk stared curiously as I scribbled the names of tangelos and mandarins. I studied, smelled, and squeezed till I was confident in my choices and sure the manager was following me.On my way back to North side, I put together the rest of my menu. I entertain best with themes and chose foods that reminded me of coffee. Waking up reminds me of coffee. Coffee reminds me of breakfast. Breakfast reminds me of eggs, bacon, and oj. Bingo! I ended up serving deviled eggs, dates wrapped in bacon, baked brie with pears, and plain cake donuts. I stopped at New Season's for the food and picked out 5 more varieties of citrus. I probably could have brought home 10 more types of oranges, but please!In conclusion, the afternoon was a success. I love my friends and I love coffee and I love food. A few hours ago I sat down with all the left over citrus and began munching. I logged physical characteristics, how ripe I thought it was, how it peeled, flavors, smells, textures and aftertaste. I'm using a 1 to 10 scale to help me determine acidity, sweetness, and tartness. Some seemed too ripe, which is no fault of the fruit, so I may end up excluding them from the project, but I have one more of each varietal to try. Admittedly, I am feeling overwhelmed with the sheer volume of fruit I have consumed for research and have decided to extend this project further. I would like to visit a few other grocers, as well as reevaluate my picking skills. I'll let you guys know how it goes. So far the Murcott Tangerine RULES!!!PS: Thanks to Rachael for grinding 1/2lb coffee in the Ol' Peugeot!Satsuma Mandarin OrangeOrlando TangeloMinneola TangeloHoneybell TangerineBlood OrangeMurcott TangerinePage TangerineNaval OrangeMeyer Lemon

Coffee: The World in your Cup - Trabant at The BURKE MUSEUM in Seattle, WA

Posted by Alexa Baehr on January 22, 2009 at 7:13pm

Hello Everybody,So, The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the UW in Seattle, is doing a 9 month exhibit on coffee, and this weekend is the Grand Opening!! They've been hanging out in our cafe interviewing with camera crews, photographers, and have asked about a billion questions about coffee! It's actually been a fun experience to have them in the cafe wanting to learn so much about what makes coffee so amazing and what it is exactly that brings all of us together, from the plant and the cherry to the seed, from grower to migrant farm worker, mill operator, to taste tests, cupping, grading, international trading systems, buyers, roasters, baristas, and consumers, it's all here!There will be lot's of participants and interactive displays, along with coffee tastings and presentations by coffee shops, roasters, and of course your favorite specialty coffee geeks and baristas from Trabant Coffee & Chai!We will be doing a half hour tasting this Sunday, the 25th, at the grand opening event at the Burke Museum from 11:30-12:00. I'll be wearing my lab coat and we'll be serving up free coffee on the vacuum brewer, and pour overs! More dates and times to come, this is a 9 month exhibit, and we've been invited back to participate regularly!Tickets are $9.50 for adults and $6.00 for students.The Burke Museum is on the University of Washington campus at the corner of 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street (see link below for directions and more info about this awesome event).COFFEE: THE WORLD IN YOUR CUP!CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!!!~ Alexa

Origin Trip-Day One, Arriving in Colombia

Posted by Troy Reynard on January 22, 2009 at 12:46pm

After getting to Newark the night before and having dinner at Ruby Tuesday's in Elizabeth, New Jersey (the only walkable option from our hotel), Rik Kleinfeldt (New Harvest Coffee Roasters) and I met Jaime Schoenhut (Royal Coffee New York) at the Newark airport and off we went. After a full day of travel we met Oswaldo Acevado of the El Roble farm that produces Mesa de los Santos and Don Telmo Reserve, and Max Fulmer and Jennifer Huber, both of Royal Coffee-SF in Bogota, and flew with them to Bucaramunga, Colombia. After getting off the plane, we had an exciting ride to Mesa de los Santos and Finca El Roble. Miriam, who runs the house and cooks at El Roble, had a delicious soup ready for our dinner and it was off to bed to rest up for the day ahead.

Round three

Posted by Chad Smith on January 22, 2009 at 10:41am

Well, things got off to a good start today. I learned how to re-light the afterburner up on our roof, if it should ever fail us. Which it commonly does. I guess it's part of the weather here in Seattle that is to blame. All the sogginess and condensation gets into the rig during damp foggy or really wet weather, and prevents the pilot from lighting. Our afterburner is mounted horizontally, as opposed to the more common (?) vertical set-up, and this may have something to do with it too (?). Another piece to the roasting puzzle...No major screw-ups today on my part - in fact, more of the opposite. I was feeling pretty confident all morning, and am slowly getting on a longer leash. I did charge the roaster 5 degrees too early once, but that was nothing major, and actually served as a good learning situation to see how that affected the time/temperature targets along our roasting profile. Good stuff!Our Misty Valley right now is awesome!Later gang~Chad

SCAA Skills Building Workshop February 13th-15th

Posted by Brent hall on January 22, 2009 at 6:11am

Check it out.

Posted by Mo Hautala on January 21, 2009 at 8:30pm

www.opencoffee.comThey have some great info, as well as some interesting links. Lots of neat stuff.

Roaster up and running in new home

Posted by Mike McGinness on January 21, 2009 at 3:24pm

Sunday moved my little USRC 3k 8 pounder workhorse out of my cramped Paradise Cafe to it's new much bigger digs 80th and St Johns. Almost forgot how heavy that little puppy is! All went without a hitch. Took a few pic's, will get 'em up here later.Eventually will have a second cafe up and running St Johns, but will take some time. Yesterday got 31 feet of track lighting up for the main cafe seating area. Lighted ceiling fan still needs juice run where it'll go. Table tops, chairs, dish and hand was sinks sourced but boo-koo to go. Haven't even started building the bar yet. And my 4 group Linea yet to be rebuilt and dual PID'd etc. etc. etc. And of course funds be rather tight. Anyone got a spare 5 or 10 Grand they want to loan or invest?-)The main initial goal was to increase seating capacity at Paradise and get my roasting operation in a larger space were I could also store the greens and not have to keep bringing them in smaller bags for roast sessions!!! What a PIA that's been for the last year plus. That is done. Today after 7 hours at Paradise Cafe popped over to St Johns for a 3 & 1/2 hour roast session. Which included third coat on one of the solid wood round the tables I'm re-finishing...Tired, bone tired, good tired, and time for dinner.

TNT Charlotte February

Posted by Brent hall on January 21, 2009 at 8:40am

I hosted my first coffee cupping today....

Posted by Eric on January 20, 2009 at 8:00pm

Tonight Courtney(Girl) and I were able to throw together a coffee cupping at Kozy, it was only a week ago we put out a sign up sheet and watched it fill up within a day and a half. To our surprise we had almost twenty very interested people show up and dive into a world that they all agreed that they knew nothing about. On the menu the Girl and I decided that we would try a PNG, a Sumatra, a Bolivian, and a Brazilian(we were hoping for some kind of African coffee, but our roaster didn't show up today like he said he would to drop off coffee or else we would have done and Ethiopian). Everyone was really excited and very willing to have some input on what they tasted(one guy told me that his Sumatra tasted like licking a kitten or something to that degree, and I assured him that he wasn't wrong, but that everyone just tastes differently different things) this was honestly the most involved I have seen people at a coffee cupping before, and for it being my first time to put one on I was really nervous... and to end the night I did a demo on how to use a french press using some Mexican roasted at the Ugly Mug and a demo on how to properly use a moka pot with some Costa Rican Tarrazu roasted locally from Beanstro... After the night was over, people stuck around and chatted about the coffees and what they tasted, we talked about local community, about music and all sorts of things, but it was almost unanimously agreed on that we should have another cupping in a month or two and that it was very good and engaging for the everyone there... I'm very happy to see that on the same day in history that we get a new president, that a community can come together and share some coffee and have some laughs. It is sincerely heart warming and it feels good to be a part of the coffee community introducing people to something so familiar yet so alien to every body on the planet...

InterAmerican Coffee Sponsors Coffee Kids Reception at 2009 SCAA

Posted by Coffee Kids on January 20, 2009 at 9:36am

InterAmerican Coffee is the sponsor of the Coffee Kids Reception at the 21st Annual Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Exposition in Atlanta, Ga. The event will be held on Friday, April 17 from 5-7pm, in Room 302A at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“We’re very excited to have InterAmerican Coffee join us in presenting this fun event,” said Carolyn Fairman, executive director of Coffee Kids. “It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Coffee Kids and network with a number of coffee professionals interested in sustainability.”InterAmerican Coffee is a strong supporter of Coffee Kids’ mission to help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life. The company is an importer and distributor of high-quality green coffee.At the reception, Executive Director Carolyn Fairman, Board President Rob Stephen and other special guests will present a brief program about Coffee Kids initiatives. Food and beverages will be served.

baristas en mallorca

Posted by Jose on January 20, 2009 at 7:25am

Mallorca se mueve al ritmo del Barista

Singaporean Coffee Culture; beauty in contrast, contrast in diversity.

Posted by Alun Evans on January 19, 2009 at 1:52pm

There is something that is somewhat Colonial chic in drinking a coffee in a French Style Cafe on Beach Road in Singapore. The Cafe, Kafei Dian, is one of the many Singapore cafes that embraces a Parisian style approach to a cafe, fused with all things that are typically traditional Singaporean. The coffee is served in heavy white porcelain cups, complete with a ceramic Chinese Soup spoon for adding sugar. The coffee is Robusta, so it is very rare anyone drinks it without sugar! The cafe itself is in a colonial building, with colonial open veranda and colonial furnishings (marble top round tables, teak stools and chairs). With the ceiling fans gently turning you could be in any of Asia's former Colonial Cafes- from Ho-Chi-Minh City, to Penang or Malacca. The food menu though is not what you would expect to find in a European cafe, and rightly so as this cafe serves mainly Singaporeans. Soft boiled eggs, Kaya Toast and row upon row of Peking duck are customer favorites. The Coffee is good. The Robusta is a washed Robusta, lacking the rough burnt popcorn taste that the lower quality unwashed Robusta has. It is also laden with caffeine. The cafe is on a corner and opens up on both sides to the clean, well kept sidewalks of Beach road on one side and trendy Purvis street on the other. It is a pleasant place to spend an hour or two, downtown but discreetly sheltered from the noise of passing cars by trees.Singapore is a city of contrast. The Old and the New are often seen boldly displayed side by side. I should say the “Old” has on nearly ever occasion been renovated and restored to something like its pristine former glory. The result is spectacular and makes Singapore the unique place it is. This contrast is also found in the Cafe and Coffee sectors. Cafes such as Kafei Dian, are numerous and found all around the island. The more unique and older cafes often use the tag “Kopitiams”. They are found on the corners of many streets in the central areas of the City State. In the suburbs the cafes are more often than not found in the huge food-courts that have been built to service the HDB's HDB (or Housing Development Board state owned accommodation) is enjoyed my the majority of Singaporeans. You mention “State Owned” Housing to the average foreigner and they immediately imagine tenement type housing. Singapore is however a shining example of how state owned housing can be managed to a high level. Anyway in the food-courts that service the Housing Estates coffee is available from “Coffeehouses” that serve not only hot coffee, but also ice cold Tiger and Carlsberg beer!At the other end of the spectrum are the new, emerging specialty coffee talents of Singapore. There are two main chains of stores that can claim to be Singaporean. One of these, Spinelli Coffee, started in San Francisco. It now has almost 30 outlets in Singapore, as well as expanding around the region. The other chain, The Coffee Connoisseur (or TCC) is a local owned and managed company also with 20+ outlets around the island. Both of these chains have been very active in promoting specialty coffee to the average Singaporean, slowly weaning them off the Robusta that is traditionally drunk morning, noon and night.Apart from the type of coffee served (Robusta vs Arabica), the other major difference in the way the traditional cafes and the new specialty cafes operate is in the making of the coffee. Kafei Dian uses the very traditional, very Malay method of using a long mesh sock to prepare the coffee. Hot water is passed through this sock which is filled with coffee grounds. The method is called “tarik” or to literally “pull the hot water through the grinds using two alternate vessels that are similar looking to watering cans. A similar method is used in Northern Sumatra and of course Malaysia and dates back several hundred years. The sock length varies, but is normally around 20cm long. The shape is similar to a wind sock seen at small airports. When used properly it produces a good, clean cup as the water does not stay in contact with the coffee grinds for very long. It is also pure “theater” to watch what we would call the “barista” prepare the coffee. (see video)The new bred of cafes are epitomized by operators such as BX's own Danny (Geek Terminal) and Lee (Coffee Nations). These are both modern Cafes directed primarily towards the expatriate market, but also increasingly appealing to Singaporeans who are crossing the gap from the Coffeehouses of old to the espresso based drinks of the Specialty Coffee business. Lee's cafe has been going only four months, however he has built up quite a clientèle of Expatriate clients. Located on the fringe of the CBD Coffee Nations is catering to perhaps a different crowd than Danny at the epicentre of the city in Marina Bay.Danny has been in the specialty Coffee business for a number of years. His cafe, Geek Terminal, is a very busy outlet that serves both expatriates in suits and Singaporean business men and women. It has developed somewhat of a cult following with the regulars flocking there for coffee made by his talented barista using a 3 group LaPavoni lever machine. Competition is tough in this part of the city with a number of other chain and independent stores fairly close-by. Danny's success is doing the basics well and producing a consistent cup every time.Another fairly recent arrival is the Coffee Showcase. Situated out of the city on East Coast Road, they are attempting the unknown, taking specialty coffee to the heartland. In this area the market is different and tougher. There are fewer expatriates and the traditional Kopitiams are well represented. Nearby there are some branded cafes at a mall- Starbucks, TCC and McCafe. They are all doing well. Using a two group Elektra, and clad out in electric orange and beige, the Coffee Showcase have a comprehensive drinks menu supported by a range of foods. They also offer a range of Indian tea. A nice extra touch is a glass of chilled water served with fresh lemon that comes as soon as patrons sit down. It takes the sting out of having just walked in the door from a steamy 88 degree day outside. Like Coffee Nations, the Showcase is also owner operated. It makes a difference and really embraces the essence of Cafe Culture as found in New Zealand/Australia. Despite the tough task of pioneering a cafe in an area not renown for Specialty Coffee, they have fairly well to date. The Cafe received the “Most Promising Brand” Award from the Singapore in 2007.All in all Singapore promises to push coffee consumption to the limit over the next 5 years. Specialty Coffee is slowly eating into the traditional Kopitiam market, but actually both systems will continue to thrive in the Island State.

Now Serving Winter Blend

Posted by Stone Creek Coffee Roasters on January 19, 2009 at 8:00am

Posted by: Steve HawthorneIn case you haven't noticed, winter has arrived here in Milwaukee. Last week's record low temperature was yet another reminder to me of how much I LOVE coffee. Here at the Factory, we survived with many cups of our 2009 Winter Blend.We've combined our socially responsible Brazilian coffee with our French Roast and some fresh beans from El Salvador to create a blend that is the perfect brace against winter's wind and snow. Here's what our green coffee team has to say about this year's Winter Blend:'This coffee blankets the tongue with the smooth, warm flavors of blackberry and nuts along with a subtly smoky finish.'Winter Blend is available Online, in Our Stores, or by contacting our Wholesale Team.Get yours today!

1510 Meals to Brazil!

Posted by Stone Creek Coffee Roasters on January 19, 2009 at 8:00am

Posted by: Eric ReschJust before the Christmas holiday, I sent a note to people on our Stone Creek email list asking them to join us in donating meals to the children of coffee harvesters that grow our Brazilian coffee. We did this in lieu of sending holiday cards to our customers and friends because it was consistent with our values and helped to make the lives of people that support our business a little bit better.Wow...what a great response we had. I wanted to personally thank our staff and customers that purchased meals. Over the last few weeks 510 meals have been donated by friends, customers and employees of Stone Creek. I will personally be matching your generous donation. In total we will be buying 1510 meals for the school...this is a total of about $1000 that is going to the school. While this is not a huge number, the intent and impact is tremendous. I was overjoyed to see the donations come in from, not only our customers, but many Stone Creek Coffee employees.Take a few minutes to check out the Socially Conscious Coffee website to learn more about the farm and school.Your donation and our work with the school is the fulfillment of one of our companys stated missions and the embodiment of why I started this company. Fifteen years ago we embarked on this journey rooted in a belief that we could build a company that not only earns a profit but does so in sustainable socially conscious manner.My sincere thanks for your kind donation and your support of our company and our mission.-Eric

Indonique is on Twitter

Posted by George on January 19, 2009 at 3:52am

Watch us develop our revolutionary new business model, programT42, on Twitter at:www.twitter.com/indonique Any Social marketing suggestions are welcomed. The more direct sales we have, the more money is available for the communities where our teas are picked.

Kona Report.

Posted by mike cubbage on January 17, 2009 at 9:24pm

I wish I had already uploaded the photos off my camera, but I am too lazy to do that right now so bear with me. Imagine simply a cardboard box with a light green faded doma coffee roasters logo on it and another ripped open box with a black and orange amazon logo. Next to the doma box a beautiful bag of Organic Brazil NOSSA SENHORA DE FATIMA and a new 32oz Bodem french press with the unshatterable beaker (because I always break em). Next to the Amazon box four new books including The Bhagivad Ghita, The Upanishads, and a book on Zen Buddhism.You see I have been living on the Island for almost 3 months now. I am learning that if I want coffee as good as I was getting at home, well... I need to order it from home. I lucked out because Doma was running a special promotions for the month of January where you pay no shipping. If you haven't tried their coffee yet, now is the perfect time. I ordered my batch on a Monday and received it on Wednesday (roasted on the monday I ordered it). I could have bought a french press here, but why not shoot my dollars to my friends in Coeur d'Alene. My choices here were limited to Walmart, K-mart, Starbucks or TJ Max (or is it Ross?). Id rather support a small company I love any day.The coffee was mucho mucho welcome. I have been surviving off of the local coffee shops. When I first got here I found the coffee most foul especially the "Kona". Recently I haven't minded the coffee as much, which I think says more about my great ability to lower my standards than the quality of the coffee here. Now don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be negative or play myself up as a connoisseur. The coffee offered here just does not appeal to me and the fact that it is so expensive makes it that much more of a pain. Hence my brilliant idea to order coffee from my old haunting ground. It cost me less per pound, even if you include shipping, to ship my favorites over from the mainland than I can could purchase even the lowest quality of Kona here. The water out of the taps here is very minerally so I am still playing around with the best water to use to brew. I have been mixing distilled and tap and that seems to work out well.The press of the Brazil was heavenly. What stood out the most for me was chocolate. I remember trying it as a s.o. espresso last year when I visited the roastery and it was berries that stood out more then. The guys at doma are always trying to source the best and better coffee and they are doing it with a green consciousness and business ethic I am happy to support. Lets just say I am happy to have some Doma here. A delicious piece of home if I do say so. Thanks Terry and friends. mmm

it's going to be a cold one. . .

Posted by Steve MacDowall on January 16, 2009 at 10:34pm

wow it's time for a coffee! By the way: the weather: -24°C (-11° Fahrenheit) this morning in Moncton but it is going up to -19°C (-2° Fahrenheit), with lots of sun and a little cloud.

WBC Judges Certification

Posted by Zoe Delany on January 16, 2009 at 12:41am

Congratulations to all the judges who passed the WBC judges certification. Dave said it was quite challenging. I was lucky enough to be there as a barista where I was able to get a real insight into the level of judging that is expected, as well as a taste of how much judging has the potential to improve more over the next few years.Thank you to Emily, Brent, Justin, Chris, volunteers, judges and Box Hill Tafe for an enjoyable, exhausting and rewarding couple of days.zd

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