I was a barista. We are moving in a lot of directions at once right now so it's hard to really say what I have moved from barista to doing specifically. As I go forward, given the reputation I had on bar, there has been a lot of discussion by those in our circle and around us that is making me feel a bit introspective. One friend described my time behind bar as a cult with it's own mythology. Like the legend of what we were doing behind bar became greater than the actuality. In some way... Read Full Story

10. Water - There are times when water plays an issue in what tastes are coming from a brew. Use good water, filtered, or even bottled if you are not sure. Sample different waters and compare. 9. Grind - The grind is off or worse, your blades are dull and worn out. Worn out blades are the most common problem in cafes and frequent home users. 8. Brew time - Over or under steeping can leave you with an undeveloped cup or some unpleasantly bitter or dry notes. Pay attention to time. 7... Read Full Story

This is one of my least favorite things to do. Reading a bit on the Wendelblog about re-bagging Kenyan coffee's, it reminded me how much I hate doing it. We had a lot of Brasil coffee that were worrisome. We transferred them out of jute (as we do any coffee not sealed at origin) and had them in liner bags until we vacuum packed them a bit later when the equipment arrived. It was not fun packing. You really had to be careful how you bagged them and how you stacked them because if the seal... Read Full Story

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } IMG_3453, originally uploaded by edwinfvh. I saw this photo and it reminded me to take a moment and breathe. This is a photo of some of the first Guatemalan coffees to exit Guatemala in something other than jute. We are proud to have a hand in that process and look forward to seeing more lots exit the country that... Read Full Story

Take one coffee roaster. Replace every single wire and connectors. Sprinkle in some new components. Add a lot of sweat and frustrations... b-spec! Before: After: Read Full Story

I have gotten the requests for coffees via text messaging and email. When the Guatemalan coffees arrive at the end of this month, I will be sending out samples. I am a bit overextended right now trying to juggle several things so pardon the space in emails. With a little help from friends, the project is coming together as I write. So about those Guatemalan coffees. Earlier this year, we had an interesting venture organized in Guatemala. The idea was to identify three things: 1... Read Full Story

Photo blogger and roaster Steve Ford was traded from team Ecco to team Ritual for Drew Caitlin and a bag of coffee to be named later. Details of the across the bay blockbuster are still mum. Rumors of a Ryan Brown (Ritual) for Aleco (Stumptown) trade still swirl but appear unlikely in the wake of this deal. With a starting rotation bolstered by the addition of crafty veteran Ford, it relieves the pressure on rookie Owens and the oft injured Brown. It is rumored team Ritual will now be... Read Full Story

The following is an interview with Jamin Haddox of Cafe Imports. This flows from conversations in early November 07. It's good that the questions asked then are still so pertinent. Jamin's boss has a scathing article on storage/transport bagging methods for green coffees in the recent issue of Roast Magazine that is worth a read. His opinion's on freezing are worth noting as they break with notable wavers on the subject. We will follow up this green storage focus with a post of our own... Read Full Story

I get asked a lot about how to store coffees once roasted. Freezing, vac sealing, canning, you name it, I have heard it. So here is a bit of advice for those using fresh coffee: Oxygen is your enemy. Do not use anything with head space for storage. Canning jars with the nifty valves do not work. Even small amounts of Oxygen expedite the coffee's volatiles toward flavor degradation. For oily darker roasts, it can even speed up the development of rancid flavors so think about keeping the... Read Full Story

Drip Coffee, photo by Ben Kaminksy To many, drip coffee is the ugly blemish that they want to forget. I mean, no self-respecting "waver" will ever allow that dreadful Fetco compared side by side with Clover at their shops. The truth is, drip coffee accounts for quite a bit of business and is probably the most common method that home users (the normal kind, not your "geek" type that make up very small percentage of the market) utilize to prepare their daily coffee. I have to admit that we... Read Full Story