Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kamal Haggerty on June 1, 2008 at 4:39pm

have you tried the ditting grind to order great machine it's not the deli one smaller and you can single and dbl shot.. or the gagia with ceramic blades no heat
and much sharper nice it has to be grind to order

Permalink Reply by Shawn Steiman on June 2, 2008 at 12:21pm

Coffee academics unite!

Hey everyone! What a great group. I'm a coffee scientist and am defending the dissertation on Wednesday (the effects of shade on physiology, chemistry and quality). Technically, I study horticulture but really I study all things related to coffee: horticulture, chemistry, physiology, ecology, sensory science...

Permalink Reply by Kamal Haggerty on June 3, 2008 at 2:34am

have you written anything essays.. I could read I am on the knowledge trail info info info please.
especialy chemistry and sensory what a great line of work.

Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on June 3, 2008 at 5:55am

excellent!! There are other academics out there!! Woohoo! I'd love to read any papers etc that you two have written. Please feel free to post anything on this group! I only started my PhD last October, so I have not got very far yet, it's more a case of designing the research at the moment. Any tips greatly appreciated!

Permalink Reply by Peter Tam on June 3, 2008 at 8:50am

what direction are you going to do with? Social or scientist? I would consider the social side. But, forget about the old stories and try to get some new idea about it.

For example, American people used to drink big cups of coffee due to the earlier time, they drank it when they are thirsty. It was told by some old man from US but not confirmed.

Permalink Reply by Shawn Steiman on June 3, 2008 at 11:01am

I haven't written any lay-articles or essays, unfortunately. I'm still trying to find a medium for that. I do have a published journal article but it is about coffee production and probably not overly entertaining to most folks.

Any specific topics you're interested in? I'm happy to answer questions or point you to sources. Just lemme know!

Permalink Reply by FinerGrind on June 18, 2008 at 6:58pm

Hi,

I'm a computer science major, geographer and cartographer by education, coffee roaster by passion. I'm currently working on concepts for the best method to visualize in 3D where coffee is grown, harvested, processed and distributed.

Woody

Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on June 19, 2008 at 4:21am

Peter and Shawn - mine is heavily social at the moment, I am not particularly scientifically minded, and technically I am in the human geography department at the uni.
I am kinda following coffee beans, the narrative behind getting it from farm to coffee shop, but told from the point of view of the people who actually work in this industry and produce the coffee, not so much the consumers.
I'm also interested in the idea of quality -perceived quality at least. Do the people who produce coffee (farmers and roasters and baristas) think that there are certain processes you can do to increase the quality of the coffee? It seems to me that there are so many stages in coffee production that everyone kinda has to work together, even if they've never met ie: you can have fantastic quality green beans, grown to perfection, a master roaster who really understands what properties to bring out in the roast, and then it all gets screwed up by an untrained/bored barista. I'm looking at this 'unspoken' cooperation between so many different people across the globe, where they only link is this one little plant. And of course, the reverse, looking at coffee waste, and what happens when this co-operation fails.
I'm probably over-romanticising here, but you get the general idea.
nothing published yet :-( but most of my university ramblings are on http://drcoffee.wordpress.com
feedback very welcome!

Permalink Reply by Peter Tam on June 20, 2008 at 5:38am

Bel,

Your work is great, and there are a lot of things to know about it.

The world coffee industry of the world is in a very strange status. Including WBC, their standards of coffee drinks may be wrong, or at least unclear, but it seems that they do not quite care of it. They promised they do, but never seen that they are doing something to improve it.

It seems that they are playing their game, and would expect it to influence the world. We, as Chinese together with our Italian partners in business is totally ignored, but it is quite possible that we are holding the right keys.

Sorry, this is not to talk about us, but the professionals in coffee are really doing something, which I can never understand.

Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on June 20, 2008 at 5:52am

I'm not sure I understand you Peter- do you mean the WBC have different quality standards than 'normal' baristas? If so, I agree completely. The coffee made at competition level is great, but it is not what you actually find in coffee shops - and it is coffee shops where people actually drink the coffee, not at competitions.
But do the WBC competitors have a better understanding of quality? I think No, their understanding of what makes a perfect coffee is different, but not necessarily better. Cappuccinos at barista championships are 'art', its a demonstration of skill, effort and dedication, and a love of the craft. Cappuccinos made by excellent baristas in coffee shops can also be a demonstration of skill and passion, but in a totally different context.

Why do you think the Chinese are somehow excluded?

Sorry if I've misunderstood you here, I think I'm wandering off topic somewhat here!

Permalink Reply by vincent on June 20, 2008 at 7:58am

Hi Uneducated American from Texas here, uh Americans drink a big giant cup of coffee (bad coffee usually) in the morning and all day. It has nothing to do with thirst, and all to do with image and just being excessive. Everything has to be big in the US of A, big SUV cars, big cup of coffee, big handbags and all (Even a big war budgets, to invade places like Iraq fo no bloody reason)
I agree with Bel the espresso used at the competitions are very high-end stuff that you won't find at your morning cafe. I have been reading about some of the WBC events in Barista Magazine, and it's coffees you never even heard of. They make drinks strictly for show and to be judged.
Can someone "research" why coffee futures are going crazy. Since it's being traded as a commodity on the stock market, the people who are playing with it have no idea what effect it's having on Farmers and Roasters.

Permalink Reply by Bel Townsend on June 20, 2008 at 9:43am

I've tried to get my head round coffee futures but I'm not very good. It's all gambling - betting whether or not Big Coffees will still be ultra-fashionable in a few years time. If these stockbrokers/gamblers think not, then the price of coffee futures falls...
Economics both fascinates me and unnerves me. Its incredible that such a small group of people who have no real understanding of any of the actual commodities they deal in, can wield so much power and make decisions that effect the lives of so many people, whilst seemingly feeling devoid of any responsibility.

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