View entire thread: Opening a coffee shop
Posted by evolve on 2008-01-20 04:17:03 Post Subject: Opening a coffee shop
Hello,
I''m from Serbia and want to open a coffeeshop here that serves American coffee.
Can someone please help with budgeting? maybe show me sample budget of what goes into a coffee shop budget.
Thanks
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Posted by evolve on 2008-01-20 04:17:03 Post Subject: Opening a coffee shop
Hello,
I''m from Serbia and want to open a coffeeshop here that serves American coffee.
Can someone please help with budgeting? maybe show me sample budget of what goes into a coffee shop budget.
Thanks
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View entire thread: American coffee-culture & The future of coffee
Posted by coffee_research on 2007-10-10 06:46:37 Post Subject: American coffee-culture & The future of coffee
Hello, we are doing a research for Technical University of Delft and we would like to ask you some questions about American coffee culture and the future of coffee. Because we are not able to visit the USA, we would like to ask you to do this survey. The survey will take about 10 minutes. We would like to thank you in advance, you’ve been a great help. (N.B. This interview is only intended for women)
http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/15876g2d29a
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Posted by coffee_research on 2007-10-10 06:46:37 Post Subject: American coffee-culture & The future of coffee
Hello, we are doing a research for Technical University of Delft and we would like to ask you some questions about American coffee culture and the future of coffee. Because we are not able to visit the USA, we would like to ask you to do this survey. The survey will take about 10 minutes. We would like to thank you in advance, you’ve been a great help. (N.B. This interview is only intended for women)
http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/15876g2d29a
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View entire thread: barista need in advice
Posted by edmond on 2006-02-07 09:49:40 Post Subject: barista need in advice
Hallow my name is Eduard and I am barista and I to take part in CCI’s Work and Travel Program it will give me the opportunity to work in united States during summer 2006.I working for one year as barista in the one of the biggest coffee house nets in Moscow .And I am looking for barista job in USA for this summer. It will be very interesting and important for me like barista, to practice myself in American coffee house. And get a new knowledge in making specialty coffee drinks and to now more about coffee. Who can tell the name or may be e-mail (web site) coffee house where can work international student like barista?
for advices
edye@list.ru
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Posted by edmond on 2006-02-07 09:49:40 Post Subject: barista need in advice
Hallow my name is Eduard and I am barista and I to take part in CCI’s Work and Travel Program it will give me the opportunity to work in united States during summer 2006.I working for one year as barista in the one of the biggest coffee house nets in Moscow .And I am looking for barista job in USA for this summer. It will be very interesting and important for me like barista, to practice myself in American coffee house. And get a new knowledge in making specialty coffee drinks and to now more about coffee. Who can tell the name or may be e-mail (web site) coffee house where can work international student like barista?
for advices
edye@list.ru
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View entire thread: 85 Coffee Pods, over 100 K-Cups
Posted by ACSJava on 2007-09-20 18:11:22 Post Subject: 85 Coffee Pods, over 100 K-Cups
Hello, thought I would let everyone know that American Coffee Services, a coffee provider with over 60 years in business, has an online store, selling all types of gourmet and ground coffee.
We specialize in K-Cups and Coffee Pods, for single-serve coffee lovers everywhere!
Check us out at http://www.acsjava.com.
Thanks,
Pete
American Coffee Services
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Posted by ACSJava on 2007-09-20 18:11:22 Post Subject: 85 Coffee Pods, over 100 K-Cups
Hello, thought I would let everyone know that American Coffee Services, a coffee provider with over 60 years in business, has an online store, selling all types of gourmet and ground coffee.
We specialize in K-Cups and Coffee Pods, for single-serve coffee lovers everywhere!
Check us out at http://www.acsjava.com.
Thanks,
Pete
American Coffee Services
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View entire thread: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Posted by ElPugDiablo on 2007-01-08 17:57:00 Post Subject: Re: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Hi,
I was hoping some of the experts here could help me out. My mother-in-law asserts that regular coffee "used to taste better and mellower" before the mid-eighties, and that now most regular coffees tend to be more bitter. We're talking regular bargain coffees here, like Maxwell House and Eight O'Clock and the stuff they serve at places like Dunkin Donuts.
Is there anything that changed in the American coffee industry in a generalized way that could account for her observation? Change of bean? Process? Etc...
Thanks.
- alphadog
I am not sure if I have the whole picture, but this is my understanding of the history of American coffee....back in 1976 and 1977 green beans price went through the roof, peaked over $3 a pound. In order to reduce cost roasters started to put robusta beans into their coffees, initially just a bit, but I think over times they became mostly robusta. So yeah pre-robusta American supermarket coffees were better than current supermarket coffees. Another thing also happened, some roasters mixed in flavors to cover up the bad taste, and started this flavored coffee thing that is still with us today.
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Posted by ElPugDiablo on 2007-01-08 17:57:00 Post Subject: Re: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Hi,
I was hoping some of the experts here could help me out. My mother-in-law asserts that regular coffee "used to taste better and mellower" before the mid-eighties, and that now most regular coffees tend to be more bitter. We're talking regular bargain coffees here, like Maxwell House and Eight O'Clock and the stuff they serve at places like Dunkin Donuts.
Is there anything that changed in the American coffee industry in a generalized way that could account for her observation? Change of bean? Process? Etc...
Thanks.
- alphadog
I am not sure if I have the whole picture, but this is my understanding of the history of American coffee....back in 1976 and 1977 green beans price went through the roof, peaked over $3 a pound. In order to reduce cost roasters started to put robusta beans into their coffees, initially just a bit, but I think over times they became mostly robusta. So yeah pre-robusta American supermarket coffees were better than current supermarket coffees. Another thing also happened, some roasters mixed in flavors to cover up the bad taste, and started this flavored coffee thing that is still with us today.
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View entire thread: single cup brewing with an espresso machine?
Posted by chooton on 2007-07-09 12:35:30 Post Subject: single cup brewing with an espresso machine?
Any feelings about using your espresso machine to brew single cups of coffee? By this I am thinking would you replace say your drip brewed Ethiopian harrar with an americano using single varietal beans? Pro's and Con's? Is this what they do in Europe to make "american" coffee?
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Posted by chooton on 2007-07-09 12:35:30 Post Subject: single cup brewing with an espresso machine?
Any feelings about using your espresso machine to brew single cups of coffee? By this I am thinking would you replace say your drip brewed Ethiopian harrar with an americano using single varietal beans? Pro's and Con's? Is this what they do in Europe to make "american" coffee?
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View entire thread: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Posted by alphadog on 2007-01-07 20:19:30 Post Subject: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Hi,
I was hoping some of the experts here could help me out. My mother-in-law asserts that regular coffee "used to taste better and mellower" before the mid-eighties, and that now most regular coffees tend to be more bitter. We're talking regular bargain coffees here, like Maxwell House and Eight O'Clock and the stuff they serve at places like Dunkin Donuts.
Is there anything that changed in the American coffee industry in a generalized way that could account for her observation? Change of bean? Process? Etc...
Thanks.
- alphadog
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Posted by alphadog on 2007-01-07 20:19:30 Post Subject: Change Of Regular Coffe Bean In The Eighties?
Hi,
I was hoping some of the experts here could help me out. My mother-in-law asserts that regular coffee "used to taste better and mellower" before the mid-eighties, and that now most regular coffees tend to be more bitter. We're talking regular bargain coffees here, like Maxwell House and Eight O'Clock and the stuff they serve at places like Dunkin Donuts.
Is there anything that changed in the American coffee industry in a generalized way that could account for her observation? Change of bean? Process? Etc...
Thanks.
- alphadog
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View entire thread: Types of coffee that blend well together?
Posted by MSGRLLC on 2005-09-12 10:23:51 Post Subject:
Crayf--
If it were me, my first two choices would be the Costa Rican and the Guatemalan. With our Kona blend, we use Guatemalan for its subtle yet easily blended quality. For this reason, I would choose Costa Rican as well...these two central American coffee blend very well, their tastes are complimentary and they will not take from the taste of the Kona bean in the blend.
Just my opinion, but one that you may find works well for you too.
--Jeff
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Posted by MSGRLLC on 2005-09-12 10:23:51 Post Subject:
Crayf--
If it were me, my first two choices would be the Costa Rican and the Guatemalan. With our Kona blend, we use Guatemalan for its subtle yet easily blended quality. For this reason, I would choose Costa Rican as well...these two central American coffee blend very well, their tastes are complimentary and they will not take from the taste of the Kona bean in the blend.
Just my opinion, but one that you may find works well for you too.
--Jeff
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View entire thread: Substitute for SB Gold Coast?
Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-07-10 20:25:32 Post Subject:
SB's website mentions its a blend of "Indonesian and Latin American" coffee. Not having cupped it myself, its difficult to comment. For sure you should try some of your local roasters and see what they can deliver. Anything with North Sumatran (Lintong or Mandehling) is going to give you big, bold, sweet, earthy and somewhat currant-ie cup characteristics. If you find a roaster who blends with some central American Arabica- you should get a nice balanced blend with the body and sweetness of the Indonesian, combined with the nuttiness and aromas of the Central American arabicas.
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Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-07-10 20:25:32 Post Subject:
SB's website mentions its a blend of "Indonesian and Latin American" coffee. Not having cupped it myself, its difficult to comment. For sure you should try some of your local roasters and see what they can deliver. Anything with North Sumatran (Lintong or Mandehling) is going to give you big, bold, sweet, earthy and somewhat currant-ie cup characteristics. If you find a roaster who blends with some central American Arabica- you should get a nice balanced blend with the body and sweetness of the Indonesian, combined with the nuttiness and aromas of the Central American arabicas.
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View entire thread: Coffee Economics at Origin-
Posted by Alun_evans on 2008-08-14 19:25:35 Post Subject: Coffee Economics at Origin-
From the news wires. I am not too familiar with the Central and South American coffee agricultural systems. I assume that because most growing areas are not as inaccessible as they are here, and in Africa, fertilisers are an important part of the micro-system. In Indonesia 'organic'- using natural means of fertilising the land- is part and parcel of the industry here by default.
The thinning trees of El Salvador's coffee orchards are the most visible signs of strain on an industry that should be booming.
Coffee prices are near their highest since a global coffee crisis earlier this decade, but growers say fertilizer costs are rising even faster, hurting their ability to nurture plants.
In Latin America, home to some 60 percent of global production, farmers say output will suffer.
"With fertilizer prices so high, we haven't been able to fertilize, and we'll feel the effects in the next harvest," said Luis Roque, an agronomist at the UNEX coffee exporting company that grows arabica beans in El Salvador.
Gazing at the coffee trees lining the slopes of a nearby volcano, in the town of Santiago de Maria, Roque points at stunted branches of usually robust trees, where thinning leaves show sub-standard nutrition.
Fertilizer prices, stable for almost a decade, have skyrocketed in the last year on high demand and as oil and natural gas prices rose.
Governments in Latin America are paying attention because coffee is a major source of export revenue for many countries in the region, where the green trees and red cherries typically adorn many steep mountainsides.
With less nutrients, trees will bare fewer beans than usual next year, likely pushing up prices of the world's second most traded commodity after oil.
Prices for common phosphate fertilizers have increased five-fold in the past 15 months to an unprecedented US$1,230 per tonne. At that level, farmers must use close to a third of what they earn per pound of coffee just to pay for fertilizers.
In Colombia, the world's third largest coffee producer famous for its high-quality beans, the government has earmarked $50 million in fertilizer subsidies this year.
"The government has been very conscious of the situation. It is supporting the farmers with fertilizer subsidies on a per-hectare basis," said Jorge Lozano, head of the Association of Colombian Coffee Exporters.
Poor countries like Nicaragua supply some farmers with lower-priced fertilizers sold at cost to the country by their oil-rich, political ally Venezuela.
The support is welcomed by small farmers still recovering from a protracted period of slumping prices between 2000 and 2004 that saw some abandon their estates and many more to stop investing in crop maintenance.
Prices have since recovered, reaching multi-year highs this year, but operating costs are erasing profits.
"What has been recovered in prices to a great extent has been lost because of the increasing costs," said Nestor Osorio, the head of the International Coffee Organisation during a recent visit to El Salvador.
The pinch on production, farmers say, will be felt in coming years, when trees produce less for lack of nutrients.
"There will be a good harvest (next year). . . but the one after that will be affected. It will be quite compromised," said Paulo Gontijo, a coffee specialist at the agricultural research firm Epamig in Brazil's main coffee state Minas Gerais.
Brazil, the world's leading coffee producer, is expecting a bumper crop in 2008/09 because of the biennial upswing in production.
The fertilizer problem is global, and is hitting both high-quality Arabica producers and growers of Robusta, beans that are mostly used in blends.
No 2 producer Vietnam said its 2008/09 harvest would fall well short of industry estimates at 15 million bags, largely due to droughts and high fertilizer costs.
In Costa Rica, which has one of the region's most sophisticated coffee industries, overall production costs rose 20 percent this year compared with the previous harvest, the local coffee institute said in a study.
While labour and other inputs were more expensive, the largest jump came from fertilizer, pesticide and fungicide prices.
"Producers have not yet realized the extent of the problem, they still have stocks (of fertilizers) in their warehouses," said Rodrigo Vargas, who heads one of Costa Rica's largest growers groups.
"I see lower yields coming," he said.
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Posted by Alun_evans on 2008-08-14 19:25:35 Post Subject: Coffee Economics at Origin-
From the news wires. I am not too familiar with the Central and South American coffee agricultural systems. I assume that because most growing areas are not as inaccessible as they are here, and in Africa, fertilisers are an important part of the micro-system. In Indonesia 'organic'- using natural means of fertilising the land- is part and parcel of the industry here by default.
The thinning trees of El Salvador's coffee orchards are the most visible signs of strain on an industry that should be booming.
Coffee prices are near their highest since a global coffee crisis earlier this decade, but growers say fertilizer costs are rising even faster, hurting their ability to nurture plants.
In Latin America, home to some 60 percent of global production, farmers say output will suffer.
"With fertilizer prices so high, we haven't been able to fertilize, and we'll feel the effects in the next harvest," said Luis Roque, an agronomist at the UNEX coffee exporting company that grows arabica beans in El Salvador.
Gazing at the coffee trees lining the slopes of a nearby volcano, in the town of Santiago de Maria, Roque points at stunted branches of usually robust trees, where thinning leaves show sub-standard nutrition.
Fertilizer prices, stable for almost a decade, have skyrocketed in the last year on high demand and as oil and natural gas prices rose.
Governments in Latin America are paying attention because coffee is a major source of export revenue for many countries in the region, where the green trees and red cherries typically adorn many steep mountainsides.
With less nutrients, trees will bare fewer beans than usual next year, likely pushing up prices of the world's second most traded commodity after oil.
Prices for common phosphate fertilizers have increased five-fold in the past 15 months to an unprecedented US$1,230 per tonne. At that level, farmers must use close to a third of what they earn per pound of coffee just to pay for fertilizers.
In Colombia, the world's third largest coffee producer famous for its high-quality beans, the government has earmarked $50 million in fertilizer subsidies this year.
"The government has been very conscious of the situation. It is supporting the farmers with fertilizer subsidies on a per-hectare basis," said Jorge Lozano, head of the Association of Colombian Coffee Exporters.
Poor countries like Nicaragua supply some farmers with lower-priced fertilizers sold at cost to the country by their oil-rich, political ally Venezuela.
The support is welcomed by small farmers still recovering from a protracted period of slumping prices between 2000 and 2004 that saw some abandon their estates and many more to stop investing in crop maintenance.
Prices have since recovered, reaching multi-year highs this year, but operating costs are erasing profits.
"What has been recovered in prices to a great extent has been lost because of the increasing costs," said Nestor Osorio, the head of the International Coffee Organisation during a recent visit to El Salvador.
The pinch on production, farmers say, will be felt in coming years, when trees produce less for lack of nutrients.
"There will be a good harvest (next year). . . but the one after that will be affected. It will be quite compromised," said Paulo Gontijo, a coffee specialist at the agricultural research firm Epamig in Brazil's main coffee state Minas Gerais.
Brazil, the world's leading coffee producer, is expecting a bumper crop in 2008/09 because of the biennial upswing in production.
The fertilizer problem is global, and is hitting both high-quality Arabica producers and growers of Robusta, beans that are mostly used in blends.
No 2 producer Vietnam said its 2008/09 harvest would fall well short of industry estimates at 15 million bags, largely due to droughts and high fertilizer costs.
In Costa Rica, which has one of the region's most sophisticated coffee industries, overall production costs rose 20 percent this year compared with the previous harvest, the local coffee institute said in a study.
While labour and other inputs were more expensive, the largest jump came from fertilizer, pesticide and fungicide prices.
"Producers have not yet realized the extent of the problem, they still have stocks (of fertilizers) in their warehouses," said Rodrigo Vargas, who heads one of Costa Rica's largest growers groups.
"I see lower yields coming," he said.
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View entire thread: european coffees?
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-01-09 15:43:03 Post Subject:
Your assessment is correct; there is a substantial difference in the average quality and taste of coffee found in Europe, particularly the Nordic countries and Italy, to what is found on in the average American coffee shop or restaurant. There are a number of factors that contribute to the difference in quality, including but not limited to, the blend and roast of the coffee itself.
Where in California are you located? I suggest that the best way for you to learn about the proper preparation of coffee will be to visit a competent local coffee retailer or roaster / retailer that offers consumer education classes. Beyond this, you may consider joining the Specialty Coffee Association of America www.scaa.org as a "C" or Consumer member in order to take advantage of the training materials and resources available through that group or read some of the step-by-step how-to's offered on www.coffeegeek.com.
Best of success,
Andrew
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Posted by cafemakers on 2007-01-09 15:43:03 Post Subject:
Your assessment is correct; there is a substantial difference in the average quality and taste of coffee found in Europe, particularly the Nordic countries and Italy, to what is found on in the average American coffee shop or restaurant. There are a number of factors that contribute to the difference in quality, including but not limited to, the blend and roast of the coffee itself.
Where in California are you located? I suggest that the best way for you to learn about the proper preparation of coffee will be to visit a competent local coffee retailer or roaster / retailer that offers consumer education classes. Beyond this, you may consider joining the Specialty Coffee Association of America www.scaa.org as a "C" or Consumer member in order to take advantage of the training materials and resources available through that group or read some of the step-by-step how-to's offered on www.coffeegeek.com.
Best of success,
Andrew
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View entire thread: Blue Mountain espresso?
Posted by koenji on 2006-05-13 20:46:29 Post Subject: Blue Mountain espresso?
My Italian girlfriend and I normally drink Illy from our espresso machine.
We're no experts but we like good coffee.
Through reading this forum we would like to try some Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Is Blue Mountain tasty as espresso or better as american coffee?
thank you
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Posted by koenji on 2006-05-13 20:46:29 Post Subject: Blue Mountain espresso?
My Italian girlfriend and I normally drink Illy from our espresso machine.
We're no experts but we like good coffee.
Through reading this forum we would like to try some Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Is Blue Mountain tasty as espresso or better as american coffee?
thank you
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View entire thread: PR: Turkey's Leading Coffee Roaster Selects Cafemakers
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-05-04 09:01:51 Post Subject: PR: Turkey's Leading Coffee Roaster Selects Cafemakers
Kamuela, HI (PRWEB) May 4, 2007 -- John's Coffee, Turkey's leading specialty coffee roaster and retailer , has contracted American coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC for guidance with strategic growth and quality assurance initiatives.
"Istanbul has been the center of coffee trade between East and West for centuries," says Cafemakers President Andrew Hetzel. "We are honored that Turkey's recognized top specialty coffee roaster has selected our company to assist them to continue their rapid business expansion into the Middle East and Western markets."
Under terms of the agreement, Cafemakers will provide retail-consulting services, retail staff training, strategic planning for wholesale coffee roasting capacity increases and wholesale coffee roasting quality control processes.
“We believe Cafemakers will be a valuable asset to us in accomplishing our vision to be the world’s leading specialty coffee roaster & retailer,” acknowledges John’s Coffee Managing Director Arda Bestas.
About John's Coffee
John's Coffee is Turkey's largest specialty coffee roaster, an ISO9001 certified company with wholesale distribution and retail outlets in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. More information about John's Coffee is available online from their website at www.johnscoffee.com.tr
About Cafemakers, LLC
Based on the Big Island of Hawaii, Andrew Hetzel and his team at Cafemakers, LLC provide strategic planning and quality control services for retail and wholesale specialty coffee businesses worldwide. Information is available online at www.cafemakers.com .
Press Contact:
Andrew Hetzel
+1 (808) 443-0290 – Tel
+1 (808) 443-0190 – Fax
www.cafemakers.com
# # #
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Posted by cafemakers on 2007-05-04 09:01:51 Post Subject: PR: Turkey's Leading Coffee Roaster Selects Cafemakers
Kamuela, HI (PRWEB) May 4, 2007 -- John's Coffee, Turkey's leading specialty coffee roaster and retailer , has contracted American coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC for guidance with strategic growth and quality assurance initiatives.
"Istanbul has been the center of coffee trade between East and West for centuries," says Cafemakers President Andrew Hetzel. "We are honored that Turkey's recognized top specialty coffee roaster has selected our company to assist them to continue their rapid business expansion into the Middle East and Western markets."
Under terms of the agreement, Cafemakers will provide retail-consulting services, retail staff training, strategic planning for wholesale coffee roasting capacity increases and wholesale coffee roasting quality control processes.
“We believe Cafemakers will be a valuable asset to us in accomplishing our vision to be the world’s leading specialty coffee roaster & retailer,” acknowledges John’s Coffee Managing Director Arda Bestas.
About John's Coffee
John's Coffee is Turkey's largest specialty coffee roaster, an ISO9001 certified company with wholesale distribution and retail outlets in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. More information about John's Coffee is available online from their website at www.johnscoffee.com.tr
About Cafemakers, LLC
Based on the Big Island of Hawaii, Andrew Hetzel and his team at Cafemakers, LLC provide strategic planning and quality control services for retail and wholesale specialty coffee businesses worldwide. Information is available online at www.cafemakers.com .
Press Contact:
Andrew Hetzel
+1 (808) 443-0290 – Tel
+1 (808) 443-0190 – Fax
www.cafemakers.com
# # #
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View entire thread: Fresh Green Beans
Posted by coffeenote on 2007-07-17 21:49:28 Post Subject: Fresh Green Coffee
<i>How can you tell if green coffee beans are fresh or have been stored in a warehouse for a year or more?</i>
Wow, no answers yet so I'll take a shot
1. Look at the color, should be, well, green. Past crop coffee starts to fade
2. Become familiar with the growing seasons of each country. If you get Central American coffee in a warehouse in US in Oct/Nov, its likely to be nearly a year old.
3. Ask the importer...get a copy of the bill of lading if you think he could be scamming you
4. Taste the coffee -- if it tastes good, who cares how long its been sitting there. If it tastes bad, ditto
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Posted by coffeenote on 2007-07-17 21:49:28 Post Subject: Fresh Green Coffee
<i>How can you tell if green coffee beans are fresh or have been stored in a warehouse for a year or more?</i>
Wow, no answers yet so I'll take a shot
1. Look at the color, should be, well, green. Past crop coffee starts to fade
2. Become familiar with the growing seasons of each country. If you get Central American coffee in a warehouse in US in Oct/Nov, its likely to be nearly a year old.
3. Ask the importer...get a copy of the bill of lading if you think he could be scamming you
4. Taste the coffee -- if it tastes good, who cares how long its been sitting there. If it tastes bad, ditto
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View entire thread: Looking for connections
Posted by MatthewK on 2006-03-29 10:09:15 Post Subject: Single Origin Latin America
When offering Latin American coffee r other coffee for that matter consider Fair Trade Coffee. We roast 100% Certified Fair Trade Coffee from many countries in Latin America. We roast in Small batches and cup each one for quality assurance. We are looking to expand our retail sales, maybe this could be a perfect fit. Feel free to contact me. We have Single Origins, Blends and our Famous Espresso. Hope to hear from you.
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Posted by MatthewK on 2006-03-29 10:09:15 Post Subject: Single Origin Latin America
When offering Latin American coffee r other coffee for that matter consider Fair Trade Coffee. We roast 100% Certified Fair Trade Coffee from many countries in Latin America. We roast in Small batches and cup each one for quality assurance. We are looking to expand our retail sales, maybe this could be a perfect fit. Feel free to contact me. We have Single Origins, Blends and our Famous Espresso. Hope to hear from you.
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View entire thread: Which Beans Should I try to roast first?
Posted by ourcoffeebarn on 2006-04-24 22:19:22 Post Subject:
I would suggest a good Central or South American coffee. Try a Guatemala Antigua, Nicaraguan,Panama Boquette or a Columbia Supremo. I think you should try a few different beans too, not just one or two and decide you don't like it, because you might find a variety that you really like and is easy to roast to your liking too!
Remeber to keep it fun!
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Posted by ourcoffeebarn on 2006-04-24 22:19:22 Post Subject:
I would suggest a good Central or South American coffee. Try a Guatemala Antigua, Nicaraguan,Panama Boquette or a Columbia Supremo. I think you should try a few different beans too, not just one or two and decide you don't like it, because you might find a variety that you really like and is easy to roast to your liking too!
Remeber to keep it fun!
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View entire thread: Caffine on-the-go
Posted by ceh on 2006-09-26 16:03:32 Post Subject: Caffine on-the-go
Interested in a portable, go-anywhere coffeemaker?
Where would you bring it and what would it look like? Are there specific locations where coffee is hard to come by but much needed?
Can the characteristics of American coffee culture be easily described or are the nations coffee habits too diverse to generalize?
I’m part of a small team of students at TU Delft investigating American consumer coffee habits. We’re developing a portable coffeemaker designed to meet the needs of Americans in transit. If you’re interested in helping us out by completing a short survey, please contact me at ceh@mit.edu. Thanks.
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Posted by ceh on 2006-09-26 16:03:32 Post Subject: Caffine on-the-go
Interested in a portable, go-anywhere coffeemaker?
Where would you bring it and what would it look like? Are there specific locations where coffee is hard to come by but much needed?
Can the characteristics of American coffee culture be easily described or are the nations coffee habits too diverse to generalize?
I’m part of a small team of students at TU Delft investigating American consumer coffee habits. We’re developing a portable coffeemaker designed to meet the needs of Americans in transit. If you’re interested in helping us out by completing a short survey, please contact me at ceh@mit.edu. Thanks.
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View entire thread: the perfect brew
Posted by ace85driver on 2005-12-30 15:40:02 Post Subject: the perfect brew
Hello,
I'm brand spakin new and very glad I found this site. I love the taste, feel, smell, and body of rich coffee. I have been all over the world and the first thing I think of when stepping off an aircraft is having the local blend. I'm disappointed with American coffee and have yet to tast a blend that even come close to a random cup of joe I could buy in SA, but that's a whole other story.
The reason for my post is I am having a problem brewing a good cup of coffee. I have a conventional coffee maker, Faberware FSCM100 (nothing special.) I can't seem to get a good brew, it just doens't taste strong enough no matter how many spoons of coffee I add. The machine is clean but it does use one of those re-useable strainers. I like my coffee dark/rich but I can't seem to recreate a semi-Caribou dark roast at home.........any suggestions?
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Posted by ace85driver on 2005-12-30 15:40:02 Post Subject: the perfect brew
Hello,
I'm brand spakin new and very glad I found this site. I love the taste, feel, smell, and body of rich coffee. I have been all over the world and the first thing I think of when stepping off an aircraft is having the local blend. I'm disappointed with American coffee and have yet to tast a blend that even come close to a random cup of joe I could buy in SA, but that's a whole other story.
The reason for my post is I am having a problem brewing a good cup of coffee. I have a conventional coffee maker, Faberware FSCM100 (nothing special.) I can't seem to get a good brew, it just doens't taste strong enough no matter how many spoons of coffee I add. The machine is clean but it does use one of those re-useable strainers. I like my coffee dark/rich but I can't seem to recreate a semi-Caribou dark roast at home.........any suggestions?
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View entire thread: espresso mix is bitter..please help!!
Posted by NW JAVA on 2007-03-03 17:07:26 Post Subject:
Why try to make a silk pure out of a sows ear? If you notice the deterioration of the coffee why have you continued to use it? Cheap? That's not the way to keep or win customers. Don't you have any local coffee roasters? if so: find one you like and have the best freshest AMERICAN coffee available. Your customers don't want you to "fix" your coffee thaey want the BEST coffee.
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Posted by NW JAVA on 2007-03-03 17:07:26 Post Subject:
Why try to make a silk pure out of a sows ear? If you notice the deterioration of the coffee why have you continued to use it? Cheap? That's not the way to keep or win customers. Don't you have any local coffee roasters? if so: find one you like and have the best freshest AMERICAN coffee available. Your customers don't want you to "fix" your coffee thaey want the BEST coffee.
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View entire thread: Buy By Bunn
Posted by CafeBlue on 2007-02-02 14:16:58 Post Subject:
The silex is over-extracting the coffee during a 12 minute brew cycle. The over-extraction makes the brew darker, but also more bitter and more acidic. Some components of the ground coffee are better left behind in the spent grounds than extracted into the cup (if one seeks best taste).
Many residential brewers are designed to over-extract the grounds in response to consumers under-dosing coffee (and grinding too fine for drip brewing) in their attempts to economize. Scrimping on coffee grinds quantity to save a few cents per pot generally yields poorer cup quality. The exception may be for low quality commercial grade coffee that tastes harsh - an under-dosed weaker brew may yield a more palatable cup.
Since you are accustomed to the over-extracted taste, you may not choose to switch. A faster brew cycle (3 to 5 minutes is optimal) will yield a rich cup with cleaner, crisper, taste that is not harsh and over-extracted (unless the grind is too fine) truer to the taste the roaster intended and describes on the package.
The Bunn brewers can make an excellent cup (they usually have higher brew water temperatures). This type of brewer is designed along "old school" and "specialty coffee" concepts, which use higher ratios of ground coffee to water than many American coffee consumers have become accustomed to. The recommended ratio is 2 tablespoons ground coffee per cup. The basket filter design requires a deep enough bed of coffee for proper extraction - usually an inch to 2 inches deep, depending on the brewer.
If you decide to bail on the better quality Bunn brewer, perhaps a cone shaped filter brewer will give you the over-extracted taste you are accustomed to, while giving you a faster brew time. Most cone filter brewers make a better tasting cup if you make half or 2/3 pot size rather than brewing a full pot and really over-extracting the brew. I also find that a regular drip grind yields better results than the "melitta" grind which is too fine.
Best of luck. Please let us know what you are satisfied with after all this.
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Posted by CafeBlue on 2007-02-02 14:16:58 Post Subject:
The silex is over-extracting the coffee during a 12 minute brew cycle. The over-extraction makes the brew darker, but also more bitter and more acidic. Some components of the ground coffee are better left behind in the spent grounds than extracted into the cup (if one seeks best taste).
Many residential brewers are designed to over-extract the grounds in response to consumers under-dosing coffee (and grinding too fine for drip brewing) in their attempts to economize. Scrimping on coffee grinds quantity to save a few cents per pot generally yields poorer cup quality. The exception may be for low quality commercial grade coffee that tastes harsh - an under-dosed weaker brew may yield a more palatable cup.
Since you are accustomed to the over-extracted taste, you may not choose to switch. A faster brew cycle (3 to 5 minutes is optimal) will yield a rich cup with cleaner, crisper, taste that is not harsh and over-extracted (unless the grind is too fine) truer to the taste the roaster intended and describes on the package.
The Bunn brewers can make an excellent cup (they usually have higher brew water temperatures). This type of brewer is designed along "old school" and "specialty coffee" concepts, which use higher ratios of ground coffee to water than many American coffee consumers have become accustomed to. The recommended ratio is 2 tablespoons ground coffee per cup. The basket filter design requires a deep enough bed of coffee for proper extraction - usually an inch to 2 inches deep, depending on the brewer.
If you decide to bail on the better quality Bunn brewer, perhaps a cone shaped filter brewer will give you the over-extracted taste you are accustomed to, while giving you a faster brew time. Most cone filter brewers make a better tasting cup if you make half or 2/3 pot size rather than brewing a full pot and really over-extracting the brew. I also find that a regular drip grind yields better results than the "melitta" grind which is too fine.
Best of luck. Please let us know what you are satisfied with after all this.
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View entire thread: Beans, for instants ....
Posted by MakoShark on 2008-06-26 16:54:05 Post Subject:
Perhaps it's the way you metabolize instant, as opposed to brewed. I don't know how it would be different. Learning about how the instant is made doesn't make me want to experiment.
If you're the only one in the bakery drinking American coffee, maybe you should get one of those Sensio brewers, or maybe a K-Cup from Green Mountain or Timothy's. You can brew one at a time that way.
By the way, has your business partner made Ecuadorian coffee the way the people there drink it? It's boiled milk with Nescafe and lots of sugar. Yum!
Mako
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Posted by MakoShark on 2008-06-26 16:54:05 Post Subject:
Perhaps it's the way you metabolize instant, as opposed to brewed. I don't know how it would be different. Learning about how the instant is made doesn't make me want to experiment.
If you're the only one in the bakery drinking American coffee, maybe you should get one of those Sensio brewers, or maybe a K-Cup from Green Mountain or Timothy's. You can brew one at a time that way.
By the way, has your business partner made Ecuadorian coffee the way the people there drink it? It's boiled milk with Nescafe and lots of sugar. Yum!
Mako
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View entire thread: Aeropress question for experienced users.
Posted by supercoffee on 2007-11-05 13:13:31 Post Subject: Aeropress question for experienced users.
Hi everyone, I got fed up with the terrible coffee here at work, so I researched these forums and decided to buy an Aeropress. So, I just tried it out using some decent Starbucks coffee, and I''m not sure if I like it or not. The reason why I''m confused is because I''m only a beginner coffee connoisseur, that is, i know what crappy office coffee is, but I probably can''t tell the difference between good and great coffee. Also, until now, I liked using a little cream and sugar in my coffee, I don''t if you''re \"supposed\" to do that with good coffee. So here are my questions:
1) What''s the Aeropress coffee supposed to taste like?
It''s definitely different than even using the good coffee grounds in the Bunn machine we have at work. I followed the instructions, and I added water to what I pressed to make 5 oz of American coffee. The taste was definitely smoother, but I''m also wondering if \"smooth\" just means diluted. Normally, coffee (without cream and sugar) has a pretty sharp, bitter taste to it. Now, I don''t know if that''s because I normally drink poor to medium quality brews or what. I mean, I need a reference here of what a good cup of American coffee tastes like? Is Starbucks good coffee?
2) Does Aeropress give the same caffeine kick as normal coffee?
I also can''t tell if I''m getting the same kick out of this coffee as usual. I have a pretty high tolerance to caffeine and I need a lot of it to feel an effect. And I''m a pretty energetic person in general so I sometimes don''t know if it''s the caffeine or just me. One way I can tell if it''s coffee is if my body gets hot and I sweat a little. I don''t think I''m getting that from this Aeropress brew I just made.
Maybe I just need to learn to tell the difference between good and bad coffee. Is it smooth or diluted? Is bitter bad? Does caffeine strength correlate to smoothness or bitterness? Do true connoisseurs use sugar or cream? Is there a coffee shop I can go to as a reference to see if I''m making good coffee or not?
Thanks.
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Posted by supercoffee on 2007-11-05 13:13:31 Post Subject: Aeropress question for experienced users.
Hi everyone, I got fed up with the terrible coffee here at work, so I researched these forums and decided to buy an Aeropress. So, I just tried it out using some decent Starbucks coffee, and I''m not sure if I like it or not. The reason why I''m confused is because I''m only a beginner coffee connoisseur, that is, i know what crappy office coffee is, but I probably can''t tell the difference between good and great coffee. Also, until now, I liked using a little cream and sugar in my coffee, I don''t if you''re \"supposed\" to do that with good coffee. So here are my questions:
1) What''s the Aeropress coffee supposed to taste like?
It''s definitely different than even using the good coffee grounds in the Bunn machine we have at work. I followed the instructions, and I added water to what I pressed to make 5 oz of American coffee. The taste was definitely smoother, but I''m also wondering if \"smooth\" just means diluted. Normally, coffee (without cream and sugar) has a pretty sharp, bitter taste to it. Now, I don''t know if that''s because I normally drink poor to medium quality brews or what. I mean, I need a reference here of what a good cup of American coffee tastes like? Is Starbucks good coffee?
2) Does Aeropress give the same caffeine kick as normal coffee?
I also can''t tell if I''m getting the same kick out of this coffee as usual. I have a pretty high tolerance to caffeine and I need a lot of it to feel an effect. And I''m a pretty energetic person in general so I sometimes don''t know if it''s the caffeine or just me. One way I can tell if it''s coffee is if my body gets hot and I sweat a little. I don''t think I''m getting that from this Aeropress brew I just made.
Maybe I just need to learn to tell the difference between good and bad coffee. Is it smooth or diluted? Is bitter bad? Does caffeine strength correlate to smoothness or bitterness? Do true connoisseurs use sugar or cream? Is there a coffee shop I can go to as a reference to see if I''m making good coffee or not?
Thanks.
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View entire thread: Fresh Green Beans
Posted by coffeenote on 2007-06-03 21:21:27 Post Subject:
Both good answers
Also you can check on the harvest season for each country, for example most Central American coffee earliest harvest might be Oct/Nov but better coffees from higher altitude may not be harvested until the new year. By the time it gets to you, could be say March or April or a few months later.
You can be sure if you have a high altitude central coffee in say December it is almost certainly from the previous year. This is not to say it isn't good, and much depends on storage conditions, but the coffee may have had more snap 6 months earlier.
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Posted by coffeenote on 2007-06-03 21:21:27 Post Subject:
Both good answers
Also you can check on the harvest season for each country, for example most Central American coffee earliest harvest might be Oct/Nov but better coffees from higher altitude may not be harvested until the new year. By the time it gets to you, could be say March or April or a few months later.
You can be sure if you have a high altitude central coffee in say December it is almost certainly from the previous year. This is not to say it isn't good, and much depends on storage conditions, but the coffee may have had more snap 6 months earlier.
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View entire thread: need information on coffee industry
Posted by garrett9 on 2005-11-10 23:31:05 Post Subject:
Fuck it. Too much information , not enough cash
i decided to forget about the north american coffee shop industry idea
thanks anyways for the replies
..... now i have to find another industry
kill me now
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Posted by garrett9 on 2005-11-10 23:31:05 Post Subject:
Fuck it. Too much information , not enough cash
i decided to forget about the north american coffee shop industry idea
thanks anyways for the replies
..... now i have to find another industry
kill me now
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View entire thread: Bean samplers on web?
Posted by Alun_evans on 2004-06-26 20:04:19 Post Subject:
Hello Sid...good to see you onboard. The basic problem for US based citizens is the very strict new laws that have been implemented by the FDA, US Customs and Homeland Security Act. For any type of food item to be imported into the USA the exporter at origin must have registered and complied with FDA's criteria as laid out in the Bio-terrorism Act. This is a piece of legislation designed to keep nasties out of the US food-chain. OK...thats just the start. Food product arriving in the USA then needs to be declared and in many cases physically inspected. Inspection costs are not free...and are normally charged back to the shipper. I have seen cases where 20' containers have taken 3 weeks to get from a US sea port through to delivery- costs are around $800-$1000 for inspection costs. In your case you would not be looking at these kind of costs....
However it makes sense for all serious American Coffee drinkers to look locally at present. I certainly am not taking the risk of shipping any of my product to the USA....I am proud of the freshness of what's roasted here...I do not want clients to be disappointed because of delays in deliverying to them. Some recommendations......??? Maybe do a google search
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Posted by Alun_evans on 2004-06-26 20:04:19 Post Subject:
Hello Sid...good to see you onboard. The basic problem for US based citizens is the very strict new laws that have been implemented by the FDA, US Customs and Homeland Security Act. For any type of food item to be imported into the USA the exporter at origin must have registered and complied with FDA's criteria as laid out in the Bio-terrorism Act. This is a piece of legislation designed to keep nasties out of the US food-chain. OK...thats just the start. Food product arriving in the USA then needs to be declared and in many cases physically inspected. Inspection costs are not free...and are normally charged back to the shipper. I have seen cases where 20' containers have taken 3 weeks to get from a US sea port through to delivery- costs are around $800-$1000 for inspection costs. In your case you would not be looking at these kind of costs....
However it makes sense for all serious American Coffee drinkers to look locally at present. I certainly am not taking the risk of shipping any of my product to the USA....I am proud of the freshness of what's roasted here...I do not want clients to be disappointed because of delays in deliverying to them. Some recommendations......??? Maybe do a google search
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View entire thread: Pseudo Blue Mountain
Posted by BeanGrinder on 2005-02-06 09:17:57 Post Subject: Pseudo Blue Mountain
I was talking with a fellow coffee professional Friday about a certain blend his roaster sells - seems they carefully blended Central and South American coffee flavor profiles to produce a single taste that is remarkably like Jaimacan Blue Mountain...but at a fraction of the cost.
Has anyone successfully attempted this? What beans would you use? Sounds intriguing! Let's tackle pseudo M/J blend next!
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Posted by BeanGrinder on 2005-02-06 09:17:57 Post Subject: Pseudo Blue Mountain
I was talking with a fellow coffee professional Friday about a certain blend his roaster sells - seems they carefully blended Central and South American coffee flavor profiles to produce a single taste that is remarkably like Jaimacan Blue Mountain...but at a fraction of the cost.
Has anyone successfully attempted this? What beans would you use? Sounds intriguing! Let's tackle pseudo M/J blend next!
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View entire thread: Pseudo Blue Mountain
Posted by pstam on 2005-02-09 06:55:59 Post Subject: Re: Pseudo Blue Mountain
I was talking with a fellow coffee professional Friday about a certain blend his roaster sells - seems they carefully blended Central and South American coffee flavor profiles to produce a single taste that is remarkably like Jaimacan Blue Mountain...but at a fraction of the cost.
Has anyone successfully attempted this? What beans would you use? Sounds intriguing! Let's tackle pseudo M/J blend next!
You can easily buy the coffee ground of Blue Mountain Style coffee from Melitta in market. I do not think they would tell you what beans they use. It is something like a secret, commercially.
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Posted by pstam on 2005-02-09 06:55:59 Post Subject: Re: Pseudo Blue Mountain
I was talking with a fellow coffee professional Friday about a certain blend his roaster sells - seems they carefully blended Central and South American coffee flavor profiles to produce a single taste that is remarkably like Jaimacan Blue Mountain...but at a fraction of the cost.
Has anyone successfully attempted this? What beans would you use? Sounds intriguing! Let's tackle pseudo M/J blend next!
You can easily buy the coffee ground of Blue Mountain Style coffee from Melitta in market. I do not think they would tell you what beans they use. It is something like a secret, commercially.
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View entire thread: Honduran coffee
Posted by MSGRLLC on 2005-09-06 11:38:05 Post Subject: Honduran coffee
Cuppers in the past have been quick to judge Honduran coffee as less valuable and poorer quality than other Central American coffees, including Guatemalan and Costa Rican. This, I must say, has been the mistake of cuppers worldwide. In the past few years alone, Honduras and its coffee farmers have gone to great lengths to reach the "par" level of coffee production that say, Colombia, has acheived. Today Honduran coffee is as good as or better than other Central American coffees. which has in turn made it a diamond in the rough.
Anybody interested in cupping some delicious, shade-grown, bird-friendly, estate-grown Honduran coffee should please contact me for more details. Our finca prides itself on not only the best coffee and equipment for processing, but also aiding in the economic and social development of the Honduran people.
Please call Jeff at 303-868-4454 or email MSGRLLC@comcast.net for more information or if you are interested in the best Central American coffee available today.
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Posted by MSGRLLC on 2005-09-06 11:38:05 Post Subject: Honduran coffee
Cuppers in the past have been quick to judge Honduran coffee as less valuable and poorer quality than other Central American coffees, including Guatemalan and Costa Rican. This, I must say, has been the mistake of cuppers worldwide. In the past few years alone, Honduras and its coffee farmers have gone to great lengths to reach the "par" level of coffee production that say, Colombia, has acheived. Today Honduran coffee is as good as or better than other Central American coffees. which has in turn made it a diamond in the rough.
Anybody interested in cupping some delicious, shade-grown, bird-friendly, estate-grown Honduran coffee should please contact me for more details. Our finca prides itself on not only the best coffee and equipment for processing, but also aiding in the economic and social development of the Honduran people.
Please call Jeff at 303-868-4454 or email MSGRLLC@comcast.net for more information or if you are interested in the best Central American coffee available today.
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View entire thread: White Russian Latte
Posted by Marcy on 2005-03-21 22:05:27 Post Subject: Re: White Russian Latte
I had a customer come in my shop and order a White Russian Latte. Can anyone give me the ingredients.
I know there is White Chocolate Sauce and what else? I asked the customer if they knew what was in the drink and they didn't have a clue. I looked it up in my book of recipes for drinks - but no luck.
Thank you
Hi there
It's my first post here so I hope that I start off on the right foot
One of my favourite cocktails is Black Russian which consists of Vodka & Kahlua. A White Russia is a Black Russian plus milk. The next time you see a bottle of Kahlua, look on the back for the recipe.
In coffee terms, I would imagine that a Black Russian special coffee would be 1-2 part(s) coffee to 1 part Vodka & 1 part Kahlua. For a White Russian which technically already contains milk, I imagine it to be a Black Russian + Latte Macchiato. If I were to make it, I would first pour the Vodka, then the Kahlua, then the foamed/steamed milk on the back of a spoon so that it sits on top of the alcohol, wait 30 seconds, then pour in the espresso. It should hopefully make a pretty layer in the glass.
In this part of Europe, there's not much of "syrups" going in the drinks yet; however, I understand that the majority of North American coffee houses tend to be non-alcoholic, so I hope that they have those flavours in the non-alcoholic versions.
Cheers,
Marcy
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Posted by Marcy on 2005-03-21 22:05:27 Post Subject: Re: White Russian Latte
I had a customer come in my shop and order a White Russian Latte. Can anyone give me the ingredients.
I know there is White Chocolate Sauce and what else? I asked the customer if they knew what was in the drink and they didn't have a clue. I looked it up in my book of recipes for drinks - but no luck.
Thank you
Hi there
It's my first post here so I hope that I start off on the right foot
One of my favourite cocktails is Black Russian which consists of Vodka & Kahlua. A White Russia is a Black Russian plus milk. The next time you see a bottle of Kahlua, look on the back for the recipe.
In coffee terms, I would imagine that a Black Russian special coffee would be 1-2 part(s) coffee to 1 part Vodka & 1 part Kahlua. For a White Russian which technically already contains milk, I imagine it to be a Black Russian + Latte Macchiato. If I were to make it, I would first pour the Vodka, then the Kahlua, then the foamed/steamed milk on the back of a spoon so that it sits on top of the alcohol, wait 30 seconds, then pour in the espresso. It should hopefully make a pretty layer in the glass.
In this part of Europe, there's not much of "syrups" going in the drinks yet; however, I understand that the majority of North American coffee houses tend to be non-alcoholic, so I hope that they have those flavours in the non-alcoholic versions.
Cheers,
Marcy
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View entire thread: Advice about hardware / expresso machine
Posted by mrgnomer on 2006-06-27 21:30:51 Post Subject:
Cool. I think good coffee is an art and sharing it is a great thing to do.
I've always been fascinated by coffee but unfortunately the traditional North American coffee culture doesn't promote excellent coffee. It's rare to find qualtiy coffee.
I'm very glad to have discovered excellent coffee through surfing around and checking out coffee web sites and forums. There seems to be a coffee culture gathering momentum in North America with excellent roasters and excellent cafes offering excellent products to an increasingly discerning and appreciative public.
I like the dedication of David Schomer and his Cafe Vivace. Coffee, specifically espresso passions like his are spreading the awareness of what very good coffee is all about. If you get into coffee to provide something exceptional to a public used to having to settle for coffee chain dishwater I'd imagine the start might be slow but you'll get a following if you hang in. Cafe Vivace is an institution to me.
Hope your venture grows. So you don't want to spend too much money now, that's understandable. Espresso can be expensive, equipment wise but good coffee in low volumes I guess doesn't have to be. There's a good article on the Coffeegeek forum about keeping a cafe going written by a business consultant who I believe specializes in cafes. The most important factors on the top of his list which determines the success of a cafe is consistency in a qualtiy product and reinvestment to maintain quality. Trying to save money by cutting costs to the product loses business and ends up losing money. With coffee and maybe more so for espresso, what you put in is more often than not what you get out. It's definitely true for espresso in terms of barista skills and equipment.
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Posted by mrgnomer on 2006-06-27 21:30:51 Post Subject:
Cool. I think good coffee is an art and sharing it is a great thing to do.
I've always been fascinated by coffee but unfortunately the traditional North American coffee culture doesn't promote excellent coffee. It's rare to find qualtiy coffee.
I'm very glad to have discovered excellent coffee through surfing around and checking out coffee web sites and forums. There seems to be a coffee culture gathering momentum in North America with excellent roasters and excellent cafes offering excellent products to an increasingly discerning and appreciative public.
I like the dedication of David Schomer and his Cafe Vivace. Coffee, specifically espresso passions like his are spreading the awareness of what very good coffee is all about. If you get into coffee to provide something exceptional to a public used to having to settle for coffee chain dishwater I'd imagine the start might be slow but you'll get a following if you hang in. Cafe Vivace is an institution to me.
Hope your venture grows. So you don't want to spend too much money now, that's understandable. Espresso can be expensive, equipment wise but good coffee in low volumes I guess doesn't have to be. There's a good article on the Coffeegeek forum about keeping a cafe going written by a business consultant who I believe specializes in cafes. The most important factors on the top of his list which determines the success of a cafe is consistency in a qualtiy product and reinvestment to maintain quality. Trying to save money by cutting costs to the product loses business and ends up losing money. With coffee and maybe more so for espresso, what you put in is more often than not what you get out. It's definitely true for espresso in terms of barista skills and equipment.
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View entire thread: I'll take a double nonfat expresso, please.
Posted by MrBox on 2006-05-31 14:28:20 Post Subject:
next time your in a shop ask for a biscotto.
biscotti is plural
Red Eye: a cup of American coffee with a shot of espresso in it. Also known as Shot in the Dark, Eye Opener or Depth Charge.
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Posted by MrBox on 2006-05-31 14:28:20 Post Subject:
next time your in a shop ask for a biscotto.
biscotti is plural
Red Eye: a cup of American coffee with a shot of espresso in it. Also known as Shot in the Dark, Eye Opener or Depth Charge.
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View entire thread: I'll take a double nonfat expresso, please.
Posted by davidsbiscotti on 2007-10-25 12:36:22 Post Subject:
next time your in a shop ask for a biscotto.
biscotti is plural
Red Eye: a cup of American coffee with a shot of espresso in it. Also known as Shot in the Dark, Eye Opener or Depth Charge.
Biscotti come in many variants; in different regions of Italy, biscotti are prepared or flavoured differently. In Tuscany they are often eaten with vin santo, though in other parts of the world (particularly the United States) biscotti are considered an essential part of the espresso bar experience. Wikipedia.
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Posted by davidsbiscotti on 2007-10-25 12:36:22 Post Subject:
next time your in a shop ask for a biscotto.
biscotti is plural
Red Eye: a cup of American coffee with a shot of espresso in it. Also known as Shot in the Dark, Eye Opener or Depth Charge.
Biscotti come in many variants; in different regions of Italy, biscotti are prepared or flavoured differently. In Tuscany they are often eaten with vin santo, though in other parts of the world (particularly the United States) biscotti are considered an essential part of the espresso bar experience. Wikipedia.
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View entire thread: Am i the only person who prefers Robusta over Arabica?
Posted by lbrault on 2006-01-25 22:40:59 Post Subject: Oh yeah Robusta
The advertising cartel of south american coffee producers would have us all believe that only Arabica beans are good. Anybody who has had good Vietnamese Robusta will never go back, although I still enjoy Aribica now and then. It's all good if the time is right. I drink Passiona naturally low-caff coffee in the evening, it's better than decaff and quite good taste even compared to the premium blends.
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Posted by lbrault on 2006-01-25 22:40:59 Post Subject: Oh yeah Robusta
The advertising cartel of south american coffee producers would have us all believe that only Arabica beans are good. Anybody who has had good Vietnamese Robusta will never go back, although I still enjoy Aribica now and then. It's all good if the time is right. I drink Passiona naturally low-caff coffee in the evening, it's better than decaff and quite good taste even compared to the premium blends.
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View entire thread: I found a great new coffee company online!!!
Posted by espressolane on 2004-08-08 12:35:46 Post Subject:
TransfiarUSA is a member of the FLO (fair trade labeling organization). The FLO is headquartered in Germany. Any organization using the “fair trade certifiedâ€
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Posted by espressolane on 2004-08-08 12:35:46 Post Subject:
TransfiarUSA is a member of the FLO (fair trade labeling organization). The FLO is headquartered in Germany. Any organization using the “fair trade certifiedâ€
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View entire thread: I found a great new coffee company online!!!
Posted by ralphshade on 2004-08-16 13:36:03 Post Subject: RE: No reply.
Kind of presumptuous to say that there was no reply after such a short period of time, don't ya think?
Actually, I was trying to formulate a well-thought out response to what I can only describe as a bit of a rant. Here goes;
"TransfairUSA does not certify any producers. They are one of the US auditors for FLO.
The fees and royalties paid to transfair are for the auditing functions for chain of custody. Transfair pays a portion of the proceeds to FLO for its license, as do all others who use the label. Transfair is an information and data collection processor and redistributors.
They ride the coattails of other organizations. "
I don't think you can say that TransfairUSA rides the coattails of other organizations, since as you state, the are an auditor for FLO. In fact they are the authorized agent for FLO in the US. They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.
"No individual farms are certified, Only cooperatives or groups are eligible for certification.
The term “farmersâ€
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Posted by ralphshade on 2004-08-16 13:36:03 Post Subject: RE: No reply.
Kind of presumptuous to say that there was no reply after such a short period of time, don't ya think?
Actually, I was trying to formulate a well-thought out response to what I can only describe as a bit of a rant. Here goes;
"TransfairUSA does not certify any producers. They are one of the US auditors for FLO.
The fees and royalties paid to transfair are for the auditing functions for chain of custody. Transfair pays a portion of the proceeds to FLO for its license, as do all others who use the label. Transfair is an information and data collection processor and redistributors.
They ride the coattails of other organizations. "
I don't think you can say that TransfairUSA rides the coattails of other organizations, since as you state, the are an auditor for FLO. In fact they are the authorized agent for FLO in the US. They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.
"No individual farms are certified, Only cooperatives or groups are eligible for certification.
The term “farmersâ€
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View entire thread: Probatino VS Ambex YM-2 or 5
Posted by topher on 2004-04-20 13:32:51 Post Subject:
Yo CG! I finally checked out your website..nice! Your prices are awsome! I aslo like how you blend Kauai with your Kona for your Kona Blend..I hate when people throw in central or south american coffee and destroy the Kona! Also what Ethiopian are you using?
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Posted by topher on 2004-04-20 13:32:51 Post Subject:
Yo CG! I finally checked out your website..nice! Your prices are awsome! I aslo like how you blend Kauai with your Kona for your Kona Blend..I hate when people throw in central or south american coffee and destroy the Kona! Also what Ethiopian are you using?
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View entire thread: I found a great new coffee company online!!!
Posted by espressolane on 2004-10-10 13:42:56 Post Subject: Re: RE: No reply.
Actually, I was trying to formulate a well-thought out response to what I can only describe as a bit of a rant. Here goes;
I am not sure why you would call my reply a rant, you asked for my opinion and thoughts. I replied with facts and opinions.
"TransfairUSA does not certify any producers. They are one of the US auditors for FLO.
The fees and royalties paid to transfair are for the auditing functions for chain of custody. Transfair pays a portion of the proceeds to FLO for its license, as do all others who use the label. Transfair is an information and data collection processor and redistributors.
They ride the coattails of other organizations. "
I don't think you can say that TransfairUSA rides the coattails of other organizations, since as you state, the are an auditor for FLO. In fact they are the authorized agent for FLO in the US. They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.
Yes, I can say that FTO and TransfairUSA ride the coattails of other organizations. The FTO, and by that TransfairUSA have taken up activities in areas that have been long assisted by USAID, OCIA, Smithsonian, Rain forest alliance and a host of others. These groups have been working in these regions longer than FTO, and doing good work to help the people. They have set a number of things in motion, that FTO and others are getting the benefit from. Talk to these groups, you might just be surprised at what they have to say.
“They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.â€
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Posted by espressolane on 2004-10-10 13:42:56 Post Subject: Re: RE: No reply.
Actually, I was trying to formulate a well-thought out response to what I can only describe as a bit of a rant. Here goes;
I am not sure why you would call my reply a rant, you asked for my opinion and thoughts. I replied with facts and opinions.
"TransfairUSA does not certify any producers. They are one of the US auditors for FLO.
The fees and royalties paid to transfair are for the auditing functions for chain of custody. Transfair pays a portion of the proceeds to FLO for its license, as do all others who use the label. Transfair is an information and data collection processor and redistributors.
They ride the coattails of other organizations. "
I don't think you can say that TransfairUSA rides the coattails of other organizations, since as you state, the are an auditor for FLO. In fact they are the authorized agent for FLO in the US. They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.
Yes, I can say that FTO and TransfairUSA ride the coattails of other organizations. The FTO, and by that TransfairUSA have taken up activities in areas that have been long assisted by USAID, OCIA, Smithsonian, Rain forest alliance and a host of others. These groups have been working in these regions longer than FTO, and doing good work to help the people. They have set a number of things in motion, that FTO and others are getting the benefit from. Talk to these groups, you might just be surprised at what they have to say.
“They serve the function that they have been hired for in the US.â€
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View entire thread: Gaggia Syncrony Digital Review 10/09/2004
Posted by BAW on 2005-05-20 08:36:42 Post Subject: Gaggia & Fresh Coffee
I am probably the king of procrastinators. I have been researching superautomatics for quite awhile and when someone has a negative comment I decide I don't want that one. But finally I purchased the Gaggia and I have been very happy with it.
As Skelm said the key to a good cup of coffee in any machine is that the coffee is freshly roasted. While I haven't tried some of the premium brands mentioned in this thread, I am under the belief that the best way to get fresh roasted coffee is to roast it yourself. You don't need to buy an expensive roaster either. I purchased a couple of the old Westbend Poppery II popcorn air poppers a couple of years ago on EBAY and have been roasting my own since. It takes a little practice as roasts develop quickly with an air popper but to me it is well worth it.
It was also previously mentioned that you can pretty much use any premium coffee for expresso. For the most part I believe that is true. But I also beleive you can improve the cup by getting or creating expresso blends. Blending is not a science and is in fact often used to mix lower grades with premium grades. I am no expert on blending but I plan to experiment. However, a good start from what I read would be 40-50% Brazilian coffee, 25% -35% Columbian, and 25% -35% central american coffee to add brightness. Robusta beans are also used but remember they contain twice the caffeine.
While I plan to experiment with blends I started with a expresso blend I purchased from a green bean supplier and I defintiely noticed the difference from the single batch of premium beans I had used first.
They are many sites that provide green beans but I prefer sweetmarias.com as they provide cupping evaluations and a lot of information on how to roast the bean you may decide to purchase. For the expresso blend I just bought I paid $25 (plus shipping) for 5 pounds.
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Posted by BAW on 2005-05-20 08:36:42 Post Subject: Gaggia & Fresh Coffee
I am probably the king of procrastinators. I have been researching superautomatics for quite awhile and when someone has a negative comment I decide I don't want that one. But finally I purchased the Gaggia and I have been very happy with it.
As Skelm said the key to a good cup of coffee in any machine is that the coffee is freshly roasted. While I haven't tried some of the premium brands mentioned in this thread, I am under the belief that the best way to get fresh roasted coffee is to roast it yourself. You don't need to buy an expensive roaster either. I purchased a couple of the old Westbend Poppery II popcorn air poppers a couple of years ago on EBAY and have been roasting my own since. It takes a little practice as roasts develop quickly with an air popper but to me it is well worth it.
It was also previously mentioned that you can pretty much use any premium coffee for expresso. For the most part I believe that is true. But I also beleive you can improve the cup by getting or creating expresso blends. Blending is not a science and is in fact often used to mix lower grades with premium grades. I am no expert on blending but I plan to experiment. However, a good start from what I read would be 40-50% Brazilian coffee, 25% -35% Columbian, and 25% -35% central american coffee to add brightness. Robusta beans are also used but remember they contain twice the caffeine.
While I plan to experiment with blends I started with a expresso blend I purchased from a green bean supplier and I defintiely noticed the difference from the single batch of premium beans I had used first.
They are many sites that provide green beans but I prefer sweetmarias.com as they provide cupping evaluations and a lot of information on how to roast the bean you may decide to purchase. For the expresso blend I just bought I paid $25 (plus shipping) for 5 pounds.
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View entire thread: Best Supermarket Coffee Brand??
Posted by timeggers on 2004-10-03 03:17:37 Post Subject:
As far as pre-ground goes Maxwell House is by far the best. As far as whole bean all I have access too is Millstone. Which if bought whole bean and then ground just before brewing is slightly better than pre-ground coffee. All in all the only way to get good coffee in the cup is to buy freshly roasted coffee and consume it before it can go stale. That's why I am going to start home roasting. I am not satisfied with the mass market coffees. Too many corporations have been taking advantage of the American coffee ignorance, an ignorance I once had! However thanks to forums like these and other internet resources many Americans (like me) are discovering all the wonderful things that coffee can contribute to our lives. Not to mention our taste buds!
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Posted by timeggers on 2004-10-03 03:17:37 Post Subject:
As far as pre-ground goes Maxwell House is by far the best. As far as whole bean all I have access too is Millstone. Which if bought whole bean and then ground just before brewing is slightly better than pre-ground coffee. All in all the only way to get good coffee in the cup is to buy freshly roasted coffee and consume it before it can go stale. That's why I am going to start home roasting. I am not satisfied with the mass market coffees. Too many corporations have been taking advantage of the American coffee ignorance, an ignorance I once had! However thanks to forums like these and other internet resources many Americans (like me) are discovering all the wonderful things that coffee can contribute to our lives. Not to mention our taste buds!
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View entire thread: coffee beans from an animal's bottom?!!
Posted by jokerman on 2006-10-13 19:03:18 Post Subject:
I fully agree that taste is up to the person. Thanks for the info. To be honest and perhaps that is very obvious, my knowledge of coffee is not that broad. I got into different coffees about a year ago. Part of the reason I jumped on this site is to see what else is out there beyond the scope of the basic American coffee shop choices.
I don't get into wine, but like coffee I appreciate the background that goes into the of making my personal cup of coffee. From the type of soil on down it is a very interesting process. I am here in Kentucky in the USA. Our pride and joy as far as drink is Kentucky Bourbon. I have always been fascinated with how it is distilled. Trying the different kinds of bourbon's is like that of finding a good coffee. Hey, my favorite flavored coffee is Ky. Bourbon coffee, go figure. But anyway, thanks for the insight for this rookie coffee lover.
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Posted by jokerman on 2006-10-13 19:03:18 Post Subject:
I fully agree that taste is up to the person. Thanks for the info. To be honest and perhaps that is very obvious, my knowledge of coffee is not that broad. I got into different coffees about a year ago. Part of the reason I jumped on this site is to see what else is out there beyond the scope of the basic American coffee shop choices.
I don't get into wine, but like coffee I appreciate the background that goes into the of making my personal cup of coffee. From the type of soil on down it is a very interesting process. I am here in Kentucky in the USA. Our pride and joy as far as drink is Kentucky Bourbon. I have always been fascinated with how it is distilled. Trying the different kinds of bourbon's is like that of finding a good coffee. Hey, my favorite flavored coffee is Ky. Bourbon coffee, go figure. But anyway, thanks for the insight for this rookie coffee lover.
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View entire thread: How do you take your coffee?
Posted by singforsupper on 2005-03-23 13:08:15 Post Subject: I don't drink American coffee
I quit drinking american coffee 4 years ago. I take espresso shots straight or an occasional latte.
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Posted by singforsupper on 2005-03-23 13:08:15 Post Subject: I don't drink American coffee
I quit drinking american coffee 4 years ago. I take espresso shots straight or an occasional latte.
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