tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57001218600128310302024-02-18T20:43:56.501-06:00The Espresso VeinA systematic investigation into every aspect of coffee: farms and beans to the machinery and drinks. There is no plan, just knowledge. This is pure coffee enlightenment.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-66022141920794960862011-10-25T09:28:00.000-05:002011-10-25T09:28:38.521-05:00The Espresso Vein is Relocating.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Espresso Vein is moving to a Wordpress site! You can find further posts at <a href="http://www.theespressovein.wordpress.com/">www.theespressovein.wordpress.com</a>. I decided to move the blog over there because Wordpress has more options and a more professional appearance. See you over there!<div><br />
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</div></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-63656567325850177692011-10-05T20:37:00.001-05:002011-10-05T20:37:36.078-05:00Photos of my Coffee LifeNot much by way of text needed here. The little boy is my son, Levi. The three coffees are Java, Kenya, and El Salvador- all of which I roasted. I'm just getting you caught up on my life with coffee, spanning the last couple of months. Enjoy.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGu7oopYnEMbLD2CGmxx_YCYg1dh3LcMCzNNb3Av9wwnz6Yix1DrBMq3RfM-OtIIUWUSnDWXnFD1Z_0_sPNjPLSbX69CzNMhQ3yL9uxOPQKQ5Uycqb6p8-Ls52VQOtOd6yWFaOmennCz9/s640/blogger-image-1232163372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGu7oopYnEMbLD2CGmxx_YCYg1dh3LcMCzNNb3Av9wwnz6Yix1DrBMq3RfM-OtIIUWUSnDWXnFD1Z_0_sPNjPLSbX69CzNMhQ3yL9uxOPQKQ5Uycqb6p8-Ls52VQOtOd6yWFaOmennCz9/s640/blogger-image-1232163372.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6VKmdNrS9p1IzSjerXHojANdVhXVBvFhAqgwfhTvG4wvyiSibrVp-pJVeZkPw1Qaw_FEiAonU-YR2maAueoZus17VWSGqMsTZbtOHNQBj3b5ZnwIxFB3Lwb8jMvqYsk-rNEQftmrvybB/s640/blogger-image-47448644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6VKmdNrS9p1IzSjerXHojANdVhXVBvFhAqgwfhTvG4wvyiSibrVp-pJVeZkPw1Qaw_FEiAonU-YR2maAueoZus17VWSGqMsTZbtOHNQBj3b5ZnwIxFB3Lwb8jMvqYsk-rNEQftmrvybB/s640/blogger-image-47448644.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWK3viPUtwjx_yz3eUbLjDvfb3uNIelGCYQIcuKy98u5UIkRaAPlASBL03MRMFPbZbwH6BoXrpZPmMXQKrKllBRm6gZtStP3Zi4DyUVWoelf4Gdx5ailxFgtllguLTqlM7NskVL98ei27/s640/blogger-image-1665088962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWK3viPUtwjx_yz3eUbLjDvfb3uNIelGCYQIcuKy98u5UIkRaAPlASBL03MRMFPbZbwH6BoXrpZPmMXQKrKllBRm6gZtStP3Zi4DyUVWoelf4Gdx5ailxFgtllguLTqlM7NskVL98ei27/s640/blogger-image-1665088962.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56VCvGk63o4FnVp5mxWooNaM0mzkoEQRkrJlhLqjMXLZOkE-DTeU5obua6i7KsN7t52hWmkSjt70MYJTdxFd0afOE6Bb5AVlpUSDASN2tiXV14p1gHkgCH6P2Ru-JA4VAH6ezaPk5Fh84/s640/blogger-image-1597045994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56VCvGk63o4FnVp5mxWooNaM0mzkoEQRkrJlhLqjMXLZOkE-DTeU5obua6i7KsN7t52hWmkSjt70MYJTdxFd0afOE6Bb5AVlpUSDASN2tiXV14p1gHkgCH6P2Ru-JA4VAH6ezaPk5Fh84/s640/blogger-image-1597045994.jpg" /></a></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-13560307338559407682011-09-19T20:41:00.001-05:002011-09-19T21:41:55.787-05:00Alive and WellI know, you thought I had died. Well, I haven't died and frankly, I'm a little offended you didn't even consider calling to console my assumed widow. Joking aside, I've made quite a few changes to my life since my last post.<br />
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I'm in Cincinnati now, working for the first specialty coffee shop to open in the city, Rohs Street Cafe. It's fun, but really only a hobby on the side. I'm attending Cincinnati Christian University working on earning a Masters of Divinity (MDiv, an all-purpose ministry degree, which I am chronicling at www.mdivhighlights.wordpress.com). In addition, I'm working to plant a new church near the city called Sunset Christian Church. In case you're interested, the church's website is sunsetchristIanchurch.org. So, yeah, I've been busy with a couple of things for the last couple of months, sorry for neglecting you.<br />
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Here's a quick pic of my current home coffee bar setup below...<br />
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I hope I can keep up a little better with coffee posts than I have, but no guarantees. If you like, you can keep tabs on photos related to my coffee passion on my instagram page, just search for "baristapreacher". <br />
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I'll post again soon, God willing.<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWmux7cLnVFpU3udQPR-dxEBoNbYh4vtSHhp1QCXel3n5bBxVwE7dhsLmDMNkepDe6bbFSoD6jGlSxl9lXVIjgR96V024ducOTeao0N6fyTNaMyegYeoSgegBtKPDeZCHrkCgWKA7PjXj/s640/blogger-image--547269917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWmux7cLnVFpU3udQPR-dxEBoNbYh4vtSHhp1QCXel3n5bBxVwE7dhsLmDMNkepDe6bbFSoD6jGlSxl9lXVIjgR96V024ducOTeao0N6fyTNaMyegYeoSgegBtKPDeZCHrkCgWKA7PjXj/s640/blogger-image--547269917.jpg" /></a></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-28716977901617333032011-03-29T09:11:00.000-05:002011-03-29T09:11:20.568-05:00Ignoring the Obvious<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjQ84xAQTm9V_hFRVn7NusS907bHaDwzMcdPEZk4DUqt61-4xAtg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjQ84xAQTm9V_hFRVn7NusS907bHaDwzMcdPEZk4DUqt61-4xAtg" width="149" /></a></div>I should have known this. Starbucks sells its coffee everywhere- seriously, this stuff has infiltrated just about every settlement in America (and is working abroad) with over 20K people. Retail stores line our interstates and fill our bookstores. Starbucks will even sell their coffee through stores that are not Starbucks (another obvious statement). The three local HyVees (regional grocery store), Patricia's (local grocer), three Walmarts, and numerous no-name coffee stops all sell this larger-than-life "specialty" coffee brand. <i>Brand</i> is exactly what it is.<br />
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By force of brand, Starbucks has produced an instant coffee called "Via," which is touted as being exactly the same as Starbucks' whole bean flagship product.<br />
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Can this claim even possibly be true? Well, no.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7o401sTxfOSOiOuB7G0L7s-ajZN0YvfLuMk_0uYlmChQ_ubxGvA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7o401sTxfOSOiOuB7G0L7s-ajZN0YvfLuMk_0uYlmChQ_ubxGvA" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After reading the <a href="http://www.coffeereview.com/article.cfm?ID=181">Coffee Review</a>'s article regarding Via, I felt compelled to forward the information; I felt the need to share one point in particular. It is not often that I read something about the coffee industry that is simply brand new to me. When discussing large companies and their practices in marketing, the phenomenon of finding something new is even more rare. Today it has happened while reading the Coffee Review's article:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">Unfortunately, [none of Starbucks' touted instant-coffee] innovation appeared to help much in significantly differentiating the Starbucks VIA products from the best of the competing instants... these Starbucks offerings and the instant VIA versions is, of course, plainly mistaken. </div></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; margin-top: 6px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR9h_Fz08SbchTUQ-dYPw6L1Xd2ab83fkvNca7-ur-mOSU0mkAA6Q" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR9h_Fz08SbchTUQ-dYPw6L1Xd2ab83fkvNca7-ur-mOSU0mkAA6Q" width="168" /></a>This claim must be a great if secret embarrassment for many of the dedicated coffee professionals at Starbucks. Perhaps the marketing people put something in Howard Schultz’s drink. Naturally we purchased whole-bean versions of the Starbucks Colombia and Italian Roast and tested them against the VIA versions. <i>Whole bean Colombia 84; VIA Colombia 78. Whole bean Italian Roast 80, VIA Italian Roast 68.</i> Ratings aside, the blunt sensory differences between the VIA instants and their whole-bean counterparts were inescapable. We used supermarket versions of the whole bean Colombia and Italian Roast for our comparisons, by the way. <u>Coffees sold at Starbucks stores are usually produced from higher quality green beans and could stand out even more dramatically compared to their VIA counterparts.</u><b> </b>(my emphasis added)</div></span></blockquote><br />
It was this last line that really took me aback. <i>I should have known this</i>! Of course the best coffees are reserved from Starbucks' own stores! This, if noticed by the average consumer, would drive the buyer directly to the retail outlet to buy their coffee, which in turn, would provide Starbucks Corp. with a greater slice of the profits. This is because when Starbucks sells its coffee bulk to grocers and the like, they must sell at wholesale discount- this allows for the middle-man company to profit in selling the outside product. Duh!<br />
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What I think is the saddest part of this story is that over the years, I have not been able to distinguish the "good" Starbucks coffee via its retail stores from the "less-good" Starbucks coffee via third-party outlets. Again, the statement that even the best of Starbucks is usually mediocre is obvious.<br />
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It seems like I rant and bash Starbucks quite a bit. I do. It is important to point out the beginning of the Coffee Review's article:<br />
<blockquote class="" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmr1tLL5wJv7SHVe9G3l3wbAfLEMHZsubAocIpD_ksf1d7UQXBdQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmr1tLL5wJv7SHVe9G3l3wbAfLEMHZsubAocIpD_ksf1d7UQXBdQ" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"> <u>Snobs are people who make judgments for non-intrinsic reasons</u><b>.</b> Like brands for example (Starbucks is great, Starbucks sucks), or market ideologies (corporate coffee is bad, coffee from tiny stores with a roaster in the back are good), or on the basis of various other untested assumptions. We try to be anti-snob at Coffee Review by tasting coffees blind and honestly reporting on our findings, even when the findings run counter to assumptions among some of our readers or preferences of long-time drinkers of certain kinds of coffee. We may not be right, of course, because last I checked there is no god certifying cupping results, but we’re honest and try to be transparent.</span></blockquote><br />
I like this point of view. Honestly, I just have not had a cup of coffee from Starbucks that has been any good. Seriously, I cannot point to a time when I have been truly pleased. This is why I have an intrinsic disdain for their coffee. The ball is in their court, I suppose.<br />
<br />
Lord, help me. Deliver me from snobbish behavior and mindsets, not just in regard to coffee, but in all areas of my life. Help me to be all things to all men so that I might save some. Keep my head deflated and on straight.</div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-69679884096612712222011-03-19T00:38:00.001-05:002011-03-19T00:40:44.373-05:00Another "I told me so" Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I called it again. Crap retail coffee prices soared this week. Giant roasters like Maxwell House, Folgers, Nescafe, and the like are feeling the pressure of increased coffee prices lately, and their retail prices exhibit this inflammation. Take this excerpt from <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/17/us-coffee-kraft-idUSTRE72G97220110317">Reuters</a> for example:</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="focusParagraph"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="focusParagraph">(Reuters) - Kraft Foods (<span id="symbol_KFT.N_0"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=KFT.N" style="color: #006e97; cursor: pointer; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">KFT.N</a></span>) said on Thursday it upped the U.S. prices for many of its coffees this week, raising Maxwell House by 22 percent, the biggest of four hikes in the past year as roasters face soaring markets.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="midArticle_1"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The increase follows a February hike of 10 percent by rival J.M. Smucker Co (<span id="symbol_SJM.N_1"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SJM.N" style="color: #006e97; cursor: pointer; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">SJM.N</a></span>), which owns Folgers, and will test consumers' willingness to pay ever-higher prices for their java.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="midArticle_2"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Kraft has raised prices by roughly 56 percent since May 2010.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="midArticle_3"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Retail price increases can help lift futures as sellers believe companies will be willing to pay higher rates. However, many in the coffee industry do not expect price gains to affect demand as the popular drink is still considered an affordable luxury, equating to an increase of mere cents per cup.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="midArticle_4"></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Kraft's latest price hikes took effect on Wednesday and came after arabica coffee futures fell from a 34-year high this month.</span></div></blockquote>I really should take my own advice every now and then. Maybe buy some stock and sell it high before the next ridiculously large price increase for nasty coffee? How much more is the American populace going to tolerate before they begin to experiment with specialty grade coffee priced (by now) only marginally higher than the ugly stuff?<br />
<br />
Abandon that junk. Make the switch to decent brews. Check the side bar "The Best I've Had" for some places to start looking for better coffee. Want to know how much <a href="http://www.vidacoffeeco.com/">my coffee shop</a> has raised it's prices since October 2010? Zero. I'll be back soon to talk more.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZuPmuKRr5k85E535Il3N8NOJpwZEWt4WqhhF7UJIyaDEyz8-t" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZuPmuKRr5k85E535Il3N8NOJpwZEWt4WqhhF7UJIyaDEyz8-t" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not any more... even the cruddy stuff.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Lord, thank You for the kick in the pants every so often. Obvious signs help. Keep my head deflated and on straight.</div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-81518592075496498122011-03-05T13:14:00.000-06:002011-03-05T13:14:06.739-06:0033 Coffees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">What a fantastic idea! I've been using much less efficient methods of tracking my coffee consumption for years; I've used spiral notebooks, my iPhone, computer note-taking program, this blog, etc, etc, etc. Nothing has really worked effectively. <a href="http://www.33coffees.com/">33 Coffees</a> may have the answer for me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.33coffees.com/images/photo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.33coffees.com/images/photo01.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Keeping track of coffees we consume is a very simple idea, but has many varied applications. We can see what we think we like to drink and what we actually do like. We can see where we buy our coffee, how much we buy, and what preparation methods we like to use. Tracking our consumption can show us what time of the day we drink coffee. Taking detailed not of harvest date, roast date, varietal, country, region, and farm will make us much sharper tasters. It can also provide a handy format for keeping cupping forms on us at nearly all times.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.33coffees.com/images/photo04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.33coffees.com/images/photo04.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>I was turned onto this little booklet by <a href="http://cleanhotdry.com/">cleanhotdry.com</a>, who is affiliated with <a href="http://www.crema.ca/">Crema Coffee Bar</a>. Very solid product at only $4 a pop. If you worried about shipping, it's about $2 extra. I highly recommend this product for any coffee lover drinking hand-crafted beverages or multiple varieties of coffee a week (or if you know someone like this... it's a great cheap gift option).<br />
<br />
Lord, thank You for curiosity and the inherent desire to know. Keep this alive in me for many years to come. Keep me humble and interested in Your will in my life.<br />
<br />
</div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-69058317183696252282011-02-13T09:47:00.001-06:002011-02-13T09:48:57.527-06:00It's a Roaster's Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit;">Maybe you have and maybe you have not heard that coffee prices are soaring. They are. Mucho dinero is being paid for specialty grade coffee nowadays. In many cases, specialty roasters have absorbed the price increase to protect their customers. At the current rate of increase though, roasters will </span><i>have to</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit;"> let some cost pass to you, the consumer, in the near future. </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prices for Fair Trade certified coffees have a base floor at $1.31 per pound. Today's market price for "c grade" (coffee that is high enough quality to be considered specialty) $2.5225 per pound. Wow. Here's a chart on coffee's price flux over the past year:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://markets.money.cnn.com/commodities/modules/chart.asp?symbol=1046650&duration=365&comparisonSym=1046650&_=undefined" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://markets.money.cnn.com/commodities/modules/chart.asp?symbol=1046650&duration=365&comparisonSym=1046650&_=undefined" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #333333; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For <a href="http://www.hasblog.co.uk/why-i-hope-the-c-price-continues-to-go-up-and-it-doesnt-effect-me-or-you-yet">Hasbean</a>, the coffee pinch has caused a need to explain to its customers:</span></div><blockquote style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a scenario today the market is at 2.54 (which at time of writing it is). I want to buy a contact for coffee today then I will pay 2.54. But should I want to protect myself against what I think its a rising market I can buy coffee for a premium to the market, for this case we will say 7 cents, that will cover the costs of insurance and keeping it in the warehouse so paying $2.61.</span></blockquote><blockquote style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the market drops I get left with coffee contract costing 2.61, but have protected themselves against swings so can offer a stable price to customers. But should the market rise, I can either use that contract still or sell it and make a profit.</span></blockquote><div style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The specifics for fluctuating coffee prices can be found on <a href="http://money.cnn.com/data/commodities/index.html?iid=EL">CNN's Money Watch</a>. Most of us aren't coffee roasters, at least not commercially. We don't track coffee's price by the pound. We can, however notice price increases every 2 weeks-month, or however often we return to the coffee aisle at the grocery store. My argument for buying specialty right now is found in an unlikely <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/10/markets/coffee_prices/index.htm">place</a>:</span></div><blockquote style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"></span></span><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The ripple effect:</b> As retailers start paying more, the coffee you drop into your shopping cart may very soon start costing you more at the register.</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;">Supermarket chain Publix said it has left some coffee prices unchanged to remain competitive. But the grocer has boosted prices on some brands, including a container of Folgers Classic Aroma Coffee, which used to cost $8.99 and is now being sold for $9.99.</span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;">One bright spot: While you may be paying more at the grocery store, your daily cup of joe at the corner coffee shop may be spared because pricing decisions are made by each shop individually.</span></span></div></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">So, in this [coffee] tight economy, you may just be better of buying premium beans. The cheap stuff is getting pricier anyway. Lord, thank You for the interconnectedness of life and people. It's an amazing thing to see just how significant other people's lives are to our own. I pray we take this reality to heart and live it out daily, placing others at the front, since their lives are integral to ours. Keep me head deflated and on straight. </span></span></span></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-24437800323821675172011-01-31T18:20:00.001-06:002011-01-31T21:36:10.118-06:00What Goes Up...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the price of specialty coffee rises and hovers around $2.40 per pound, some coffee consumers tighten their belts... or perhaps more fittingly, shrink their morning consumption. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/coffee-advances-to-highest-price-since-1997-in-new-york-on-supply-concern.html">Bloomberg</a>'s latest report on the subject was enlightening:</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coffee rose to the highest price since 1997 in <a density="sparse" href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/new-york/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0033cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">New York</a> and reached a 28-month high in London on signs that supplies will fail to keep up with demand.</span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;">“The market expects a reduced mid-crop in Colombia due to rain in 2010, and now rainstorms in <a density="full" href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/brazil/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0033cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Brazil</a> that may impact production are being focused on,” said Keith Flury, an analyst with Rabobank in <a density="sparse" href="http://topics.bloomberg.com/london/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #0033cc; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">London</a>. “With outlook tight, any potential reduction in the harvest is likely to result in notable price movements, and the increases in the last couple of sessions reflect this.”</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This sort of rise and fall of production, and correspondingly, of prices, is perfectly natural and expected. There are those out there who blow their "climate change" whistles too loudly and proclaim that our precious morning brew is in imminent danger, citing rainier seasons in producing countries as proof. Reality check: it rains heavier some years than others. Just like everything else in this fickle world, coffee production changes frequently. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In times like these, many feel that preparing for the lean seasons during times of bounty would help mitigate high prices in times of shortage- like the epic Biblical tale of Joseph in Egypt storing up grain. I doubt they're suggesting we somehow store up green coffee seeds for 7+ years. They say, would it not make more sense to create a system within the Intercontinental Exchange (<a href="https://www.theice.com/productguide/ProductDetails.shtml?specId=15">ICE</a>) that buffered the price? Set the price of coffee at a reasonable level for stable buying and selling. In bountiful years, the regulated price would be overly kind to the farmers, since high production brings with it increased supply, and normally, lower prices due to lower demand pressure. In lean years, the regulated price would protect buyers from painfully high purchase prices- almost the level we are achieving now. Regulated prices would also keep speculators out of the market, and therefore make coffee only about the growers, roasters, and consumers. Sounds good, right? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nope. Won't work. Here's the rub: When a farmer works his butt off and grows a truly fantastic crop, he should be rewarded with a fantastic price for his beans. Organizations like <a href="http://cupofexcellence.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx">Cup of Excellence</a> exist solely to determine the best coffees from each origin in each season. This reward system, paying more for better coffee, is the only way to motivate a farmer to produce better crops. Think about it, if you were to get paid the <i>exact same</i> amount every year for every pound of coffee you produce, would you not produce more and sacrifice quality to obtain higher production? The whole system is idealist and unrealistic. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, times of bountiful production that leave farmers underpaid (nobody delights in poverty-level pricing, thus enters <a href="http://www.transfairusa.org/">Fair Trade</a> pricing) are buffeted by times like the present- those of lean harvests and record-setting prices. As a reference, the TransFairUS base price for coffee is $1.26 per pound. Coffee has been hovering around $2.50 for a while now as is described here by Bloomberg:</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arabica coffee for March delivery advanced 5.35 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $2.5035 a pound at 8:24 a.m. on ICE Futures U.S. in New York after reaching $2.5075, the highest level since June 1997. Robusta coffee for March delivery climbed $58, or 2.7 percent, to $2,187 a metric ton on NYSE Liffe in London after touching $2,204, the highest price since Sept. 25, 2008.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though there are some unsavory elements to the system, such as speculators that in large part, merely drive prices for purchasers upward, the system is inherently logical and realistic. The plight of farmers is not easy, and I think through organizations like TransFair and through direct trade relationships that some roasters make with farmers (paying higher than market price for higher than average quality beans), the living standard for coffee farmers can increase. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, Kenya's government <a href="http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=68681">bailed out</a> some of its coffee farmers from massive debts. "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 6px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 6px;">Co-operatives minister Joseph Nyaga says cabinet has agreed to waive the debt which has continued to bog down coffee farmers in the country in order to give them a fresh lease of life." This news combined with the fact that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">"The $2.50 area seems to be a level where people are willing to take a <a href="http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/SOFTS-Arabica-coffee-turns-lower-off-13-1/2-yr-high-2011-01-31T202321Z">little profit</a>" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">and sell, Kenyan growers should see a pretty profit coming their way to get this new life rolling. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the life lesson here is that when times are good, we should enjoy it, but be saving for the tough times to come- because they will. Prices are high now, but they'll return and probably sooner rather than later. After all, what goes up, must come down.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lord, thank You for change. A static and unchanging life would be boring. Help us to enjoy the changes, knowing You will be there with us all the while. Keep my head deflated and on straight. </span></span></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-40681107677374340242011-01-22T09:30:00.000-06:002011-01-22T09:30:23.987-06:00Use it or Lose it?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've noticed that when it comes to fine skills, if you do not use them, you will soon lose them. This principle definitely translates to the preparation of great coffees, too.<br />
<br />
A year ago, when I stopped working as a barista at <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/">Kaldi's Coffee Roasters</a>, I began work on starting a new coffee shop on the University of Missouri's campus in Columbia, Missouri. After nine months of footwork and ground-breaking, <a href="http://www.vidacoffeeco.com/">Vida Coffee Co</a> was born. This endeavor created in me many new skills through experiences I had not had prior.<br />
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When Vida opened at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year in August, I took the position of Head Trainer and coffee orderer (Vida is supplied by <a href="http://www.northwestcoffee.com/">Northwest Coffee Roasters</a> in Saint Louis). I got back behind the bar for the first time in a year. I expected to pick up a portafilter, grind, dose, and tamp just like I had used to do. I thought unconciously, "I know how to grind perfectly, dose precisely 19-20 grams of espresso (for a double shot pull), and tamp at exactly 20 pounds body weight." These are all actions essential to pulling great shots of espresso- and this is all before you even have any water meet the ground coffee! I had assumed that since I had been able to do these actions hundreds of times, identically, and without fail, thanks to Kaldi's impressive training methods, I would be able to recall this same training a year later. I was wrong.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Drip-Coffee-Carafe-Cup/dp/B0000YWF5E?ie=UTF8&tag=espres-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Chemex Drip Coffee Carafe - 6 Cup" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0000YWF5E&tag=espres-20" /></a><br />
Not only was it surprisingly difficult to replicate what I had used to be able to do easily, I could not perform other tasks that I had always considered simple- such as steaming milk or manual pouring the correct amounts of water into a <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000YWF5E" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Drip-Coffee-Carafe-Cup/dp/B0000YWF5E?ie=UTF8&tag=espres-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Chemex Drip Coffee Carafe - 6 Cup</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000YWF5E" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />. You would think that the lesson would have become clear then- if you do not use your skill, you will lose it- even in specialty coffee preparation.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, I received a new popcorn popper in the mail for roasting coffee at home. The last one I bought was super-charged or something. It took good grean means and burnt them into charcoal, or worse, Italian roast, in two minutes flat. My replacement works better. The problem with insanely fast roast times is that the beans do not have a chance to roast thoroughly all the way through. They become "tipped" and undrinkable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs120.snc4/36383_407949545765_346499530765_5032870_3181866_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs120.snc4/36383_407949545765_346499530765_5032870_3181866_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, with my new roaster, I felt invincible again. I roasted a practice batch of machine-harvested Brazilian coffee to make sure that the popper performed. Since it did, I switched to my favorite coffee of all time, Organic Honduras Marcala. I picked it up through <a href="http://www.sweetmarias.com/">Sweet Maria's</a>. I had about a pound and a half left from September- right on the edge of it's lifetime- so, I roasted what was left. <a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs100.snc4/36383_407949550765_346499530765_5032871_2181697_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs100.snc4/36383_407949550765_346499530765_5032871_2181697_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
It is significantly less-amazing. The beans looked a bit yellower than they had a few months ago, so I chalked that up to their added age. I began the roasting process and noticed at once that the beans were not behaving in the same way as they had previous. First crack almost never came. Months ago, first crack came at about 3 minutes in, then second at around 4 minutes and 15 seconds. I used to stop the roast at 3'55". This round had to last clear into 6 minutes. Even then, the coffee looked under-roasted. And let me tell you, it <i>definitely</i> tastes like it too! It was terribly astringent through my chemex. After another two days of aging, I tried it through my mokka pot. It was a bit better, but not dramatically. This morning, as a last ditch attempt, I brewed the Marcala through the French Press- my least favorite method. It worked the best yet, salvageable. "Salvageable" is not what I want what was my favorite coffee EVER to measure up to. Embarrassing.<br />
<a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs495.ash2/76819_1471398907120_1298040125_31177188_33162_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs495.ash2/76819_1471398907120_1298040125_31177188_33162_n.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Honestly, I think that the age of the coffee had something to do with the outcome. The change in popper could play a part in the slew of variables as well. Nevertheless, I feel that my two months out of the roasting game bore negative effects on the product as well. So, again, if you fail to use your fine skills, you could very well lose them. Fear not though, I have worked through my "roasters-block" and produced a very nice Tanzanian coffee, again, sourced through Sweet Maria's.<br />
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A great program idea that many specialty roasters are starting up is coffee education events. These are short tutorials or brewing exposes for both their baristas and interested customers. <a href="http://www.theroasterie.com/">The Roasterie</a> in Kansas City and Kaldi's in St. Louis held similar events just last night. Here's a graphic for Kaldi's event:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/Portals/0/banners/Simply-Coffee-Web-Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/Portals/0/banners/Simply-Coffee-Web-Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> And The Roasterie's event:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs058.ash2/36271_491194552868_122368347868_6150170_8195165_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs058.ash2/36271_491194552868_122368347868_6150170_8195165_n.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>I encourage you to attend events like these if you wish to develop and maintain a strong skill of tasting and/or preparing specialty coffee yourself. If you're in Columbia, stop by Vida Coffee Co, or give me a call and we'll do something similar.<br />
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Lord, thank You for the ability to learn, especially from our mistakes. Please help me to learn more every day and sharpen my skill to use it, somehow, for Your glory. Keep my head deflated and on straight. <br />
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</div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-68023047911998907512011-01-16T19:49:00.001-06:002011-01-16T19:51:32.861-06:00My Body is Just a FilterI don't usually do this, but the perfection of what I have run across causes me to act outside of the norm. I searched for "coffee comics" and came up with a lot of not very funny crap, with a few exceptions. There was one that stuck out in particular, though. This comic isn't necessarily hilarious, but fits me perfectly. I AM this comic strip. I do not know what other stuff this particular writer has, but this comic stands alone. Enjoy:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqs-KDr4IRlISoKo-msHC2zABNA4zaULvUTpdWvmKQzGbP6nNpqLWcTI4t3H8nr6QotcMiz6riANKD3PQuioGvdhNmbP3mMFAg_z1wQvzlqDxROZ7-S2G6-oQbjFhUX4xyVrG5D5WNWVBB/s1600/mybodyisjustafilter.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqs-KDr4IRlISoKo-msHC2zABNA4zaULvUTpdWvmKQzGbP6nNpqLWcTI4t3H8nr6QotcMiz6riANKD3PQuioGvdhNmbP3mMFAg_z1wQvzlqDxROZ7-S2G6-oQbjFhUX4xyVrG5D5WNWVBB/s400/mybodyisjustafilter.gif" width="400" /></a></div> There were a few other decent ones out there:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W_Nlxp2qw5oS28N9kHJuYbcs91CR4BTM66habAdChYetVDFeDMR72WR3KSosEFXTH-j1wVz46QmGKpbcBjx3JIpIQiAoTL5i6ujqx1dup0hPtH4MoJ31SLO-mD-sljHtkG6-WRPs0UPJ/s1600/coffee+and+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W_Nlxp2qw5oS28N9kHJuYbcs91CR4BTM66habAdChYetVDFeDMR72WR3KSosEFXTH-j1wVz46QmGKpbcBjx3JIpIQiAoTL5i6ujqx1dup0hPtH4MoJ31SLO-mD-sljHtkG6-WRPs0UPJ/s400/coffee+and+tea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK_otqbnTpqt_-7SKDqkocUQBgcZnZl6jxCDfsm2jppwCtfVsVF-SBKiY6nJpjbmckRZdmnD0-IQkkLoyJ_wwJwGhJCEViGi6syLUAVOOiUjDjPZ_lQKAbZ5CdsopQBh8P8SER2YOMkzP/s1600/helpitsdecaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK_otqbnTpqt_-7SKDqkocUQBgcZnZl6jxCDfsm2jppwCtfVsVF-SBKiY6nJpjbmckRZdmnD0-IQkkLoyJ_wwJwGhJCEViGi6syLUAVOOiUjDjPZ_lQKAbZ5CdsopQBh8P8SER2YOMkzP/s400/helpitsdecaf.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wn_Pg2VMCNTFvBeI1ytSZZ6QPGiWWv3lQFdu7-3GPEmzL3478dcJMHF_ZRSh-nTc2Jr6Cm1_X8GS4f2Hg-kv2PxqdemDxDCa6TmFyO80sV2aTgA7xZCphEUwokE-eazK2dZUk7JpM1uN/s1600/ohyesplease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wn_Pg2VMCNTFvBeI1ytSZZ6QPGiWWv3lQFdu7-3GPEmzL3478dcJMHF_ZRSh-nTc2Jr6Cm1_X8GS4f2Hg-kv2PxqdemDxDCa6TmFyO80sV2aTgA7xZCphEUwokE-eazK2dZUk7JpM1uN/s400/ohyesplease.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And so that you haven't looked through this entire post without some tidbit of meaningful prose, here's this last image... Since it is somewhat intelligent, it isn't a comic, sorry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFWBo_ODJfBiDCk_1tauZXFEOhfJ61pG0fH6RXGoS2AR-_dBHwqVRgl__Cs6GhAvPTkpnjXAOXi2gafE5u8h9kRkt-5XeSVie7GkwxlCkNTqJOpLODy19v96VODG9cbauOgyeHAkTUx1D/s1600/giveamanaspro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFWBo_ODJfBiDCk_1tauZXFEOhfJ61pG0fH6RXGoS2AR-_dBHwqVRgl__Cs6GhAvPTkpnjXAOXi2gafE5u8h9kRkt-5XeSVie7GkwxlCkNTqJOpLODy19v96VODG9cbauOgyeHAkTUx1D/s400/giveamanaspro.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>Lord, thank You for humor and art. I pray You bless baristas with both. Keep my head deflated and on straight.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-5265612757144288872011-01-12T18:46:00.002-06:002011-01-12T18:51:07.017-06:00My Review of Ethiopia Koke Yirgacheffe<div class="hreview"><div class="item">I decided it was time for a good, old-fashioned coffee review. It just so happens that Kaldi's Coffee Roasters recently had a new coffee reviewed at the Coffee Review. Being that I am a verified reviewer for the CR, I targeted it as well. If you're close the the St. Louis area (or a city in Missouri for that matter), find one of their cafes and check this coffee out. Enjoy. <br />
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<a href="http://www.coffeereview.com/">Originally submitted at Coffee Review</a><br />
<div><div style="margin-top: 0pt;"></div></div><a class="url fn" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5700121860012831030&postID=526561275714428887" style="display: none;"><span class="fn"></span></a></div><br />
<b class="summary">An Ideal Yirgacheffe</b><br />
<div>By <b>The Espresso Vein</b> from <b>Columbia, MO</b> on <b><abbr class="dtreviewed" style="border: medium none; text-decoration: none;" title="2011112T1200-0800">1/12/2011</abbr></b></div><div class="prStars prStarsSmall" style="background-image: url(http://images.powerreviews.com/images/stars_small.gif); background-position: 0px -144px; height: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0pt; width: 83px;"></div><div style="display: none;"><span class="rating">4</span>out of 5</div><b>Pros: </b>Thick body, Attractive aftertaste, clean, Balanced Acidity, Roasted nut palate aroma<br />
<b>Cons: </b>Not best total immersion, A tad too dark<br />
<b>Best Uses: </b>Chemex, V60<br />
<div class="description" style="margin-top: 1em;">After trying this coffee French Pressed, Chemexed, through a V60, and AeroPressed, I concluded that this coffee performs the best when contact with water is the most limited- the V60's product was what I described in my review. The Koke brewed through the Chemex was also good, but not quite as good as the V60- the body in the V60 was a little heavier than the Chemex, more like a nice whole milk rather than 2%. The heavier body added an unusual complexity to the Koke that I noticed and missed in the Chemex. The French Press produced an ugly, astringent cup. The AeroPress did not produce a desirable aftertaste with this coffee- it left me thinking that I didn't really NEED another sip. Overall though, with pour-overs, this was a very good cup. I agree with the rating.</div><div style="margin-top: 0.5em;">(<a href="http://www.powerreviews.com/legal/terms_of_use.html" rel="license">legalese</a>)</div></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-58033312619399105232011-01-08T20:23:00.000-06:002011-01-08T20:23:58.548-06:00Missions & Coffeevangelism, Unite!My AeroPress and Hario Mini Mill performed well! I took them with me to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Villa+Uni%C3%B3n,+Coahuila&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Villa+Uni%C3%B3n,+Coahuila,+Mexico&gl=us&ei=thEpTbPYDMqvngechPmMAQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CCcQ8gEwAg">Villa Union</a>, Coahuila, Mexico for the last 6 days. I had no idea if I would be able to even make coffee on this year's <a href="http://www.mizzoucch.org/CCH/Home.html">Mizzou Christian Campus House</a> mission trip. I had weaned myself completely off of coffee in preparation- I wanted to be of some use while there if pure water/ means for boiling were not available. When we arrived, I saw a mountain of purified water stacked against a small cinder-block shed awaiting us; necessito numero uno, el checko. The next miracle appeared shortly thereafter. I saw a fully functional propane powered stove WITH a small pot in the sleeping quarters (hallelujah). Ten minutes into our week-long mission, I knew large-scale success was inevitable- Where there is coffee (and the Lord), there is a way. <br />
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Every morning I busted out my AeroPress at 7am, and ground my Costa Rican coffee, from the Helsar de Zarcero farm, from <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/">Kaldi's Coffee Roasters. </a>I became known as "Hombre del Cafe," the "Coffee Man." The ladies from the church there at the Villa Union Iglesia de Cristo asked me to prepare a cup for them on the last day, which was a big honor (they thought the coffee was "muy fuerte" or "very strong" and tasted divine). <br />
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During the 25 (or so) hour drive back to Columbia, Missouri, we stopped at several gas stations and McDonald's restaurants. As one of the few drivers on this expedition, I thought staying awake was a priority; staying alert was not a job for something as insignificant as gas station or fast food coffee. Around 6:30 this morning, I asked the gas station attendants at one Oklahoma truck stop if I could simply use a styrofoam cup and hot water to make my own coffee. They told me it'd cost 49 cents. This was a rip-off, but a sale nonetheless. Around 10am, I bought a number two at Mickey D's on the Kansas Turnpike, near the godforsaken cesspool known as Lawrence, Kansas. Instead of taking the standard 'coffee' with the meal, I opted for a different beverage- no, not the $1.30 extra charge orange juice either. Rather, I asked for hot water. I whipped out the grinder and AeroPress again and made my own brew right then and there at the soda fountain counter. I caused a scene at both locations, but specialty coffee can do that sometimes. I'm sure most thought I was acting out a bit, being a tad dramatic, and overly zealous about coffee. I see it differently.<br />
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I am committed deeply to very few things. My faith, my family, my employer(s), and great coffee. I was on a mission trip of two kinds: Christian service and charity as well as Coffeevangelism. I would like to think I effectively practiced both on that trip, and hope to continue the practice daily hereafter.<br />
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I'm bummed I didn't take any pictures now that I'm blogging about it, but I'm more of a man of action, rather than detailed notation. Surely somebody on Facebook took a picture at some point. If so, I'll link to it. <br />
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Traveling? Get yourself a Hario Mini Mill <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=espres-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001804CLY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Hand Grinder as well as an AeroPress.<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=espres-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000GXZ2GS&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> While you're at it, think about buying some solid coffee to take with you. There are many great specialty roasters out there (check the right side of my page if you don't know where to get started). Personally, if I had been able to roast my own (I couldn't since the last popper I bought was a dud) coffee, I would have. <br />
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This mission trip wasn't my first with coffee and I hope it isn't my last either. Coffee seems to be a cross-cultural bonding mechanism that nearly everyone can appreciate. It certainly gave me an inroad with the people we were serving in Villa Union. I think that most people who work in coffee would second my experiences- coffee unites.<br />
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Lord, thank You for the safe and successful journey to Villa Union. I pray the church there can fill the new sanctuary we build as well as use the baptistry that is now in place. Also Lord, I thank You for creating such an awesome drink that assists in the process of meeting people as well as keeping travelers safely alert (if not in need of more restroom breaks). Keep my head deflated and on straight.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-28456741781801656252010-12-31T15:03:00.003-06:002010-12-31T16:02:59.049-06:00A Coffee Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQXELB-DchPowywi64zh82GcHoUCo0VHwQXgv2-sJkIBrel4vAt" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQXELB-DchPowywi64zh82GcHoUCo0VHwQXgv2-sJkIBrel4vAt" width="320" /></a></div>What I expected, happened. I was blessed with a shower of coffee-related goodness over the Holy Days ("holidays"). Holidays are risky though, since 99% of people bestowing these blessings have <i>zero-negative zero</i> coffee knowledge. The things I'm interested in aren't the run of the mill, ground coffee, flat-bottom filters, or generic coffee mugs. I'm interested in <i>special</i> coffee supplies and goodies. I try not to cheat, you know, tip them off too much, but the danger is often too high to leave the choosing to them- so I hinted. I am SO happy I did.<br />
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I had already accumulated 7 different brewing methods, so even if my family and friends <i>did</i> happen to get on the right track, odds are I'd have the item already. So, when my mom asked what I wanted this year, I didn't pull any punches- I straight up sent her links to the items on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>... and yes, I admit, that's a little more than hinting.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTU5yE3YocHh4MU-kJMirbycI6Pb6Myr_g9bu9q6mvYX48hfbX4aQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTU5yE3YocHh4MU-kJMirbycI6Pb6Myr_g9bu9q6mvYX48hfbX4aQ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very nice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>First, I received an awesome <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bialetti-Express-6-Cup-Stovetop-Espresso/dp/B000CNY6UK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293828209&sr=8-1">Bialetti Moka Pot</a>. This contraption uses steam pressure to force 200 degree water at about 2-3 bars of pressure through semi-course coffee grounds, producing a very stout cup. If performed correctly, the coffee produced will have a body similar to a french pressed coffee, but a taste like that of an Aeropressed coffee. Not sure what those are? Check my blog history or search for those terms in the search bar a the top of the page. Now that I have the six-cup version of the moka pot, I'd recommend a larger one, especially if you've got to share with someone else regularly. My wife is ALWAYS needing a cup of her own... mooch! Here's a video of the moka pot, though some of the preparation techniques are a little shabby and are not necessarily recommended. I'll have to post a how-to later. If you need know-how right away, check <a href="http://brewmethods.com/">brewmethods.com</a>, as usual.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/rAM_u64RMK8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rAM_u64RMK8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rAM_u64RMK8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000N4XSEI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKLdtwmiZV9JKsDYilyPUhjxehtAtLut0DEAk2cvudq1TPeMoU" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKLdtwmiZV9JKsDYilyPUhjxehtAtLut0DEAk2cvudq1TPeMoU" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truly, a decent gift nonetheless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Okay, so that was bar far, the biggest gift. I've already posted about the two coffee mugs I received- they were not run of the mill mugs either, these were very personal and much appreciated. From my younger brother-in-law, I received a surprisingly fitting single-cup brewer with travel mug. Before you get too excited, these were Melitta brand- the bane of specialty coffee filters' existence. Of course, he did not know this, so this gift was remarkably thoughtful and appropriate. My wife received one as well. I did try to use it while he was there, but I cannot get over the intense PAPER taste that the contraption leaves on my coffee. I was using a nice Kona blend from <a href="http://www.theroasterie.com/">The Roasterie</a> in Kansas City, where my older brother-in-law is working as a barista- this coffee being his gift. So, even with a fantastic coffee in use, the brew still tasted like a newspaper took a whiz in it. I DO NOT recommend <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS4bUG_9AY2pgBzWjhBcL9FTPWiu0OIcyRc4Ur6kUvHa6thLeJJ0A" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS4bUG_9AY2pgBzWjhBcL9FTPWiu0OIcyRc4Ur6kUvHa6thLeJJ0A" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paper-tasting coffee filters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Melitta filters for uber-specialty coffee peoples. Instead, use <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000N4W2SG" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chemex-Unbleached-Square-Coffee-Filter/dp/B0000CF3HB?ie=UTF8&tag=espres-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Chemex Unbleached Square Coffee Filter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000CF3HB" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> or <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003DCY8IM" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-White-Filters-Brewer/dp/B001U7EOYA?ie=UTF8&tag=espres-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Hario Coffee White Paper Filters Size 02 for V60 Brewer, 100 Count</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001U7EOYA" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> for similar single-cup brewers. These filters have been treated especially for coffee brewing and do not leave that awful God-forsaken paper taste in you mouth when used. Of course, rinse your filters with a dose of hot water before inserting the coffee, no matter what type you're using. Notice though, I said these Melitta products were not a good choice for the uber-coffee nerds in your life- not a bad choice for everyone. Melitta stuff is sold EVERYWHERE. It's cheaper and simple to use. Therefore, it can be a great introduction to specialty coffee for those just getting into it. That's why we regifted these to others in our family that have already told us they have used them and enjoy it.<br />
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Lastly, I received an unaffiliated Visa gift card from my wife's grandmother this year. With it, I purchased the Hario<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=espres-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001804CLY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> "Mini-Mill Slim." This is a great hand grinder. I had my doubts due to its size, but it really has performed. I am planning on taking it with me on my trip to Mexico. This thing is truly tiny. It's about 7 inches tall total. The handle is removable and the grind setting is highly adjustable. Here's the kicker- it has <i>no English</i> included in the directions. This means that guys who had planned on ignoring the directions out of manly spite are now forced to figure it out due to lack of available information. Their wives <i>must</i> sit idly-by and watch them scrunch up their noses and match their wit and brawn against this tiny grinder's fairly confusing grind settings.<br />
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The grinder has something like a wing-nut under the black upper portion that is screwed right and left to fine-up or coarsen the grounds. The range available was shockingly varied. I achieved something as course as basically halving the beans, to a powdered sugar Turkish grind. Be warned though, grinding takes time and energy. Don't get me wrong- I've very pleased with it.<br />
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I also purchased yet another popcorn popper for my home roasting, but for some crazy reason, the popper roasts the coffee SUPER FAST! It's completely unusable. All I achieve is an Italian roast in two minutes flat (basically charcoal). It's not even a decent charcoal either, the beans are tipped so that the inside of the coffee is barely roasted at all. What a waste. I don't even like popcorn. I have weaned myself off of coffee for my trip to Mexico, where suitable pure water may not be available. I am certain that I am being punished with that dud roaster for my disloyalty- the coffee gods are jealous and will not be mocked.<br />
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With that, Lord, I thank You that You are just and merciful- far more-so than the "coffee gods" I've cooked up. I pray You would protect me as I go to Mexico this next week. it's not the safest place to be at the moment, but then again, neither was Judea/Palestine when You came to earth... or now for that matter. Keep my head deflated and on straight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSws6nDdreDKhBPnRr8ITgQU6f24YGXGCJ_Vz0-uJaSSsaNeIvwg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSws6nDdreDKhBPnRr8ITgQU6f24YGXGCJ_Vz0-uJaSSsaNeIvwg" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just dreadful.</td></tr>
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Post Script:<br />
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I also received a packet of Nescafe instant coffee. This "gift" did not even warrant being included on the actual "A Coffee Christmas" post. Icky.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000N4XSEI" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001O0R46I" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=espres-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003DCY8IM" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-3383700760373982712010-12-21T08:29:00.000-06:002010-12-21T08:29:41.341-06:00Coffee Capstone CompletedMy <a href="http://history.missouri.edu/">History</a> degree has been completed at Mizzou! Easily one of the most difficult experiences of my life, not because history is somehow arduous for me, but because the assigned work combined with other assigned work, plus my LIFE, really made for a strenuous ending to the degree program. One element of the capstone project that made it more bearable though was that I had the opportunity to choose what topic I wanted to research within the subject assigned. The <a href="http://history.missouri.edu/people/koditschek.html">professor</a> who acted as my slave driver for my project was very encouraging- and as you may have guessed, quite demanding.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTl5zHnJjCZaMJX10PB17cwjg0Q-2-hFc3q_Rypq5iRnypa9YBA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTl5zHnJjCZaMJX10PB17cwjg0Q-2-hFc3q_Rypq5iRnypa9YBA" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A neighborhood in London with a particularly high concentration of coffee houses. Read the paper for more information!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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"The British Coffee House: 'Penny University' or 'Seminary of Sedition'?" was finally completed after consuming around 300 hours of my life- that's around 13 days. This paper turned out to be long enough to qualify for "Honors Thesis" status, but since I did not apply for this recognition before I started, you cannot apply retroactively. So, it's merely a REALLY long "regular" thesis on a fascinating time in coffee's history. I'm going to post the paper here for you to read and enjoy. I promise the read is worth it, but I know few of you will try to digest the 40 thick pages of coffee enlightenment. For those of you who are really interested, the bibliography will be very useful for you. Most of the texts referenced there are WAY to dense for the average reader, not to mention outdated, but there are a few good ones for introduction: <a href="http://www.nasw.org/users/markp/images/unc-grounds.jpg"><i>Uncommon Grounds</i></a> by Mark Pendergast as well as <a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTySZEiGrde5rkMUZGP42NORfHGxUtjMYiJOEkLxXn36vVOZG-U"><i>The Coffee House</i></a> by Markman Ellis.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRg7Rqgls0FHwJ4ZOwmMvB-GPSvPvdUm7iUjjhe8wbezBnWraCc" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRg7Rqgls0FHwJ4ZOwmMvB-GPSvPvdUm7iUjjhe8wbezBnWraCc" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hotly debated claim... </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Here's a crude representation of the text on Google Docs: <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3rOZP2xLKA8NzY3NzQzY2YtNGI3MS00ZWEwLWFlNmEtNzExZGZiNjQyNmQx&hl=en&pli=1">"The British Coffee House"</a><br />
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In case you're interested in the other massive paper for the semester: <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3rOZP2xLKA8Y2IxNmNjNTAtNGYwMi00MTdhLTk4YjYtZTMyNmQzMDE3OTk3&hl=en">"Christianity Reduced"</a><br />
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I have a feeling that, like last year, Christmas gifts will be dominated by a coffee theme, both incoming and outgoing. I'll post on this soon.<br />
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Lord, thank You for Your Son, begotten, and not made, of the same substance with the Father, mutually eminating the Holy Spirit who shares Your divinity in the same way. You sacrificed for me, with no gain to be had Yourself. I pray that would be a template for my own life. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-41683604170699099812010-12-04T19:37:00.000-06:002010-12-04T19:37:08.873-06:00Coffee Stout<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp_hUxqLIIVoeC4QmobZOzKjJ8AmtBhoql6dTNpTVbBImrZHL3i2AWEPiDxOl0ZrYvfCR4EQMjhyphenhyphenqHxu4-VOGJNmniUe1DmKNMuLmsYsVVmp13QDuNEEuc8PsYARy6KYdUUmjDXRYIYB4/s1600/106_3259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp_hUxqLIIVoeC4QmobZOzKjJ8AmtBhoql6dTNpTVbBImrZHL3i2AWEPiDxOl0ZrYvfCR4EQMjhyphenhyphenqHxu4-VOGJNmniUe1DmKNMuLmsYsVVmp13QDuNEEuc8PsYARy6KYdUUmjDXRYIYB4/s400/106_3259.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably the single tastiest beer I have ever had. I'll give you one guess why...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiotiC3IOOwddyv0by65qf6_14PTP47HA19jMYm9kaDoaXdTbllsRoy3i_mYoyw_MwkmGKXf6qvAL1VxUK83jk6DRCAZ9BiJj6x0ZKpOWtKb0tl9M2AUE8FC9jD8tMrOOs_acYRQKnzrme/s1600/106_3261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiotiC3IOOwddyv0by65qf6_14PTP47HA19jMYm9kaDoaXdTbllsRoy3i_mYoyw_MwkmGKXf6qvAL1VxUK83jk6DRCAZ9BiJj6x0ZKpOWtKb0tl9M2AUE8FC9jD8tMrOOs_acYRQKnzrme/s400/106_3261.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oatmeal Stout was a fantastic beer on its own, but now that it has been paired up with Espresso 700 from Kaldi's, Schlafly really looks to be going places. What a great idea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Why aren't more brewers doing this? From what I can tell, this is a beer perfectly crafted for the professional barista. Most baristas I know really love beer, especially stouts- probably because they have so much in common with coffee, as far a taste profiles go. I'll be looking for more of this soon. Schlafly has some truly great <a href="http://www.schlafly.com/beers.shtml#seasonals">seasonal beers</a>- very inventive. Their regular beers are alright too. Kaldi's also has some great seasonal coffees products, a couple worth mentioning in particular: <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/ProductDetailCoffee/tabid/87/CategoryID/223/List/1/Level/a/productid/500/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName">Fair Trade Rwanda COOPAC</a> and <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/ProductDetailCoffee/tabid/87/CategoryID/220/List/1/Level/a/productid/499/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName">Costa Rica Helsar de Zarcero</a> are both sublime. But, relevant to this post in particular, <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/?TabId=87&CategoryID=49&List=1&Level=a&productid=16&SortField=ProductName%2cProductName">Espresso 700</a>, which often-times gets overshadowed by its flashier cousins, the single-origin rock stars mentioned above. Want to treat yourself this Christmas season? Have yourself a merry little 6 pack of Schlafly Coffee Stout and pound of Kaldi's Coffee.<br />
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Lord, thank You for such great flavor experiences. I pray for more of the same. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-46314679586980092812010-11-29T10:39:00.000-06:002010-11-29T10:39:22.830-06:00cleanhotdry: RoastingThis is such a beautiful video on roasting, I felt <i>compelled</i> to repost this here. You <u>will</u> enjoy this video.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17231710" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/17231710">Roasting</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/jtgi">John Giannakos</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Everything from <a href="http://cleanhotdry.com/">cleanhotdry</a> is always really well done. Some opinions expressed there are a bit different than mine, but I have never seen a blog with better presentation.<br />
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Lord, thank You for beauty and the ability to appreciate it. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go. Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-56417178151406791022010-11-12T18:04:00.002-06:002010-11-12T18:04:25.182-06:00Cupping Burundi Kayanza Bwayi<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9tHVuyomXNffhdh237GKWMVssG8fToEj_Xj6osYUrjakzHi6ux5Y6iYaDD4LZDPkkFXaaCz9Zk5-5JE3o2lWMYWqQcQrZ3p5ZU5bQsSlgCPw2K7tUW2pOB9zVLwZTVI350wLRZYGpOYH/s1600/106_3240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9tHVuyomXNffhdh237GKWMVssG8fToEj_Xj6osYUrjakzHi6ux5Y6iYaDD4LZDPkkFXaaCz9Zk5-5JE3o2lWMYWqQcQrZ3p5ZU5bQsSlgCPw2K7tUW2pOB9zVLwZTVI350wLRZYGpOYH/s320/106_3240.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Preview</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">It was about time that I cupped this fantastic coffee. But, if I was going to cup it, I might as well do a bit of investigative sampling at the same time. So, I roasted this same varietal four different ways, do different roast levels: Full City @ 4'25", City+ @ 4', City @3'45", and City- @ 3'30". Pictures can be found </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2066947&id=1298040125&l=399cc63571">on my Facebook page</a>. I apologize for not posting the pictures here, but if you have terrible internet speed you feel my pain and share my burden. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">What's to come:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9yXGDbSbfp2fZUvt4CBpIXqXz3GdIFNSBtnvOB55cUFhzquH-efWlMazfHakx2-8uJ79tqbfGlCDAoT2UnoDCgqXOJKUtqQdWc0bX8KtYeke9CKPvVfcrXcEP4EIu0Y_msoH_KewUoaH/s1600/106_3248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9yXGDbSbfp2fZUvt4CBpIXqXz3GdIFNSBtnvOB55cUFhzquH-efWlMazfHakx2-8uJ79tqbfGlCDAoT2UnoDCgqXOJKUtqQdWc0bX8KtYeke9CKPvVfcrXcEP4EIu0Y_msoH_KewUoaH/s320/106_3248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A first for me, both for roasting and tasting. India's seem to be very rare.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrgmFUCqGXvdEnSK5lh_O5xuXo9cNZ9qnA22BQxnONPGrJ0dy6VjXN6pZrT89WWW8Gr_ggXibe8NAkLf21_sv84JCwG2_MC_HTonNHLegnVKR0U_cBH8d1bRIpP5G3d99MQ5dYQ4JM_j5/s1600/106_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrgmFUCqGXvdEnSK5lh_O5xuXo9cNZ9qnA22BQxnONPGrJ0dy6VjXN6pZrT89WWW8Gr_ggXibe8NAkLf21_sv84JCwG2_MC_HTonNHLegnVKR0U_cBH8d1bRIpP5G3d99MQ5dYQ4JM_j5/s320/106_3250.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another first. Tanzania's are almost always sold as pea-berry, but there is no reason that a "flat-bean" cannot be equally exceptional. This ought to be a great learning experience. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkFhIvwpTnFx_aABzpMbApYq4rcyMTM3B8UUQDI_49fuB_6JyFGitUG2ROXxVI3gx1h0iSISIu8TFrgXHSXKmi8I8TdUkIPyLBms34eRv5mez1t4p_vEOiO2IquIeEdmt8m_sjy3H_mQ1/s1600/106_3251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkFhIvwpTnFx_aABzpMbApYq4rcyMTM3B8UUQDI_49fuB_6JyFGitUG2ROXxVI3gx1h0iSISIu8TFrgXHSXKmi8I8TdUkIPyLBms34eRv5mez1t4p_vEOiO2IquIeEdmt8m_sjy3H_mQ1/s320/106_3251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A solid varietal here. There are very few ways to lose with this coffee. This will be a sure thing in the midst of the other two "exotic" coffees. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">For those of you waiting for my capstone paper in the History department of the University of Missouri, I'll be posting that in the next month. Its title: The 17th Century British Coffee-House: "Penny Universities" or "Seminaries of Sedition"?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">Lord, thank You for the great coffee and the ability to purchase and consume it. Bless those that have worked so hard to propagate this coffee and make it available for me. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go. </span>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-76381213022429363732010-11-06T00:12:00.000-05:002010-11-06T00:12:32.833-05:00Halloween<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs941.snc4/73487_450485216629_517221629_6052005_2849801_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs941.snc4/73487_450485216629_517221629_6052005_2849801_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pure terror</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I wasn't going to participate. I know, I know, it's a terrible thought. I'm swamped with school work as it is, so why distract myself with something like Halloween and the pursuit of the right costume? I had good intentions, but after speaking with my uncle, I was forced to change my mind. He called me a "Fuddy-duddy." What else could I do?! You can't just get called a fuddy-duddy and take it! I did make him help me brainstorm costume ideas. His best help was, "What frightens you more than anything else in the world"? That little bit of advice was all it took.<br />
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I dressed up as a cup of decaffeinated Starbucks Pike Place Roast, literally the most terrifying material item I can conceive of. The problem with this sort of a costume is that even if you add subtleties like a coffee sleeve with special boxes checked off "disgusting," "terrifying," "lava hot," and "decaf," people still think you're a fan. Take a look for yourself:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs461.ash2/73487_450485231629_517221629_6052008_6641400_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs461.ash2/73487_450485231629_517221629_6052008_6641400_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up of the front of the sleeve</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs921.snc4/73487_450485236629_517221629_6052009_4966039_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs921.snc4/73487_450485236629_517221629_6052009_4966039_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reverse side of the parody sleeve</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs941.snc4/73487_450485226629_517221629_6052007_8141282_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs941.snc4/73487_450485226629_517221629_6052007_8141282_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my thoughts, just for good measure</td></tr>
</tbody></table> As you can see, the costume was made to look very much like an actual Starbucks cup. Even with all of these small details clearly making the costume obviously anti-Starbucks in nature, I received at least 100, "Yeah! I love Starbucks!", to which I replied, "I hate you."<br />
<br />
Overall, I'd say the festive evening went well. Part of the agreement you have to sign before you can take your newborns home from the hospital is that you dress your entire family in a set of costumes that coordinate. So, in order to bring the rest of the family in on the action, my daughter was a Sweet 'n Low and my son was an Equal packet. My wife, Micalah, was the orchestrator of the coffee horror show, she was a Starbucks "barista." More photographic evidence:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs936.snc4/74981_450487306629_517221629_6052088_7135074_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs936.snc4/74981_450487306629_517221629_6052088_7135074_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">too cute</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs956.snc4/74981_450487316629_517221629_6052090_3688749_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs956.snc4/74981_450487316629_517221629_6052090_3688749_n.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equal</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs918.snc4/73124_450488621629_517221629_6052130_6468877_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs918.snc4/73124_450488621629_517221629_6052130_6468877_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">without baby bodies inside...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs956.snc4/74981_450487311629_517221629_6052089_8365913_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs956.snc4/74981_450487311629_517221629_6052089_8365913_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">coffee family of HORROR!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I figure, if we have any more kids for next year, he or she would take the role of raw sugar. The costumes were a hit, even if for the wrong reason. The Missourian newspaper snapped a couple shots of the family for their online publication of the best costumes in Missouri, so that's cool. Plus, I won second prize in the church's chili cook-off (lost to the guy who has cooked for all the mission trips for longer than I've been alive).<br />
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Lord, thank You for the time to hang out with my family and extended family in Christ. I'm sorry for inadvertently advertising for the supreme heresy, Starbucks. Forgive me of my ignorance. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-43433391384460660142010-10-17T13:30:00.001-05:002010-10-17T13:30:00.738-05:00My Review of Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna<div class="hreview"><div class="item"><p><a href="http://www.coffeereview.com/review.cfm?id=2278">Originally submitted at Coffee Review</a></p><div><p style="margin-top:0">Produced in the spectacular mountain basin surrounding Guatemala's Lake Atitlan by small-holding producers from trees of the Bourbon, Caturra and Typica varieties. Founded in 1994, Kaldi's Coffee is a quality-oriented small-batch roaster with several cafes throughout Missouri. Visit or cal... </p></div><a href="http://www.coffeereview.com/review.cfm?id=2278" style="display: none;" class="url fn"><span class="fn">Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna</span></a></div><br clear="left"><p><strong class="summary">Guatemala San Pedro la Laguna</strong></p><div>By <strong>The Espresso Vein</strong> from <strong>Columbia, MO</strong> on <strong><abbr title="20101017T1200-0800" class="dtreviewed" style="border: none; text-decoration: none;">10/17/2010</abbr></strong></div><p><div style="margin: 0.5em 0; height: 15px; width: 83px; background-image: url(http://images.powerreviews.com/images/stars_small.gif); background-position: 0px -108px;" class="prStars prStarsSmall"> </div></p><div style="display: none"><span class="rating">3</span>out of 5</div><p><strong>Pros: </strong>Balanced Acidity, Unaggressive and simple, Not Bitter, Smooth Taste</p><p><strong>Cons: </strong>Roasted Too Light, Mild aroma above 190 F, Tea-like body, Thin Or Watery Mouthfeel/Body</p><p><strong>Best Uses: </strong>French Press, Slow-brew only, V60 unfit for this coffee, Chemex or Clever approved, Automatic Drip/Filter</p><p><strong>Describe Yourself: </strong>Home Roaster, Shop Consultant, Barista Trainer</p><p style="margin-top:1em" class="description">I almost always brew with pour-overs because I like the clean mouthfeel of filtered coffees. At first, I used the Hario V60-01 on this coffee, but found it to brew too quickly and leave the coffee too light bodied and tea-like. Therefore, I tried again with a 6 cup Chemex, which has a significantly longer brew time (about 3.5-4.5 minutes). After the second round, the results were more favorable, but not outstanding. If I were judging for the Coffee Review, and I am not, I would give this coffee an 88 or 89, mostly for lack of body. Please note though, other brew methods such as French Press, or even automatic drip may have differing results. For those wanting a laid-back, Sunday afternoon brew, this may be a good choice.</p><p style="margin-top:0.5em">(<a href="http://www.powerreviews.com/legal/terms_of_use.html" rel="license">legalese</a>)</p></div>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-8368004235606341682010-10-17T08:43:00.000-05:002010-10-17T08:43:57.552-05:00Grind Size, of Course. But What About Dose?Maybe it's just me, but I have been having a lot of trouble with my brewed coffee lately. Part of the problem comes from heightened awareness of the particulars in the process of brewing. I am a perfectionist when it comes to coffee, especially when I am the one "behind the bar." The other part of my problem comes from a lack of information/thought on the issue at hand.<br />
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When brewing with a pour-over, the general consensus on the coffee weight to volume of water ratio is about 2 grams per ounce. I generally agree with this assessment. Another often talked about factor is water temperature, which is expected to be within the small window of 195-204 degrees. Here, I agree as well. Grind size is of course, paramount. Everyone knows this and adjusts accordingly (for pour overs, somewhere between "espresso" and "drip" is expected). But after following all the guidelines and suggested measures, I still find myself disappointed with some brews.<br />
<br />
Maybe some of the coffees I use just suck? This is possible, but not likely. I roast my own to my own taste (usually around the city to city+ range, a standard roast level for the American taste bud). If I'm not drinking my own, I'm drinking <a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/">Kaldi's Coffee</a> or <a href="http://www.northwestcoffee.com/">Northwest Coffee</a>, both artisan roasters in St. Louis. Though artisan, their coffees are very different. Kaldi's roasts lighter, Northwest, darker (around a full-city).<br />
<br />
When I use these same coffees in pour-over brews, I am almost always disappointed with the Northwest brews. This is the coffee the most unlike mine or Kaldi's, so some taste difference is expected. My disappointment goes beyond taste though, it is almost always linked to its characteristics affected by brewing.<br />
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The Northwest Coffee seems sharp, biting, and aggressive- way too intense for such dark roasts. I am beginning to think that using the same brewing parameters for coffees with different Agtron ratings should not be done. If we adjust grind size for roast level (I have heard this suggested many times, most recently from a link posted by <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/timwendelboe">Tim Wendelboe</a>, by <a href="http://www.deardrbrew.com/2010/08/dr-brew-explains-roast-color.html">Dr. Brew</a> from Bunn) why not also dose?<br />
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I have decreased the grams/ounce to 1.7g/oz when using these darker-roasted coffees, even coffees of my own. So far, the change has been fairly noticeable. In my coffees, the brew seems under-extracted, but the body seems to be just where I like it. Here, my problem is trying to manipulate body when I shouldn't. When brewing Northwest coffees, everything checks out just like it should. So, therefore, I do think there is something to changing the dose, and grind size, for significantly darker than average roasts.<br />
<br />
Check back soon for my post assessment of Kaldi's Coffee's newly cupped and rated coffee Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna, a 91 by the Coffee Review! Even though I don't agree with such subjective rating systems, I do appreciate the chance to try an excellent coffee.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/Portals/0/images/Products/Coffee/Origins/guat_sanpedro_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://www.kaldiscoffee.com/Portals/0/images/Products/Coffee/Origins/guat_sanpedro_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Lord, thank you for this beautiful Sunday morning. Bless the ministers around the world as they bring Your Word. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-54864662224272978852010-09-03T19:50:00.001-05:002010-09-03T19:53:55.044-05:00Coffee CapstoneI just couldn't help myself. There's been just too much news in my coffee world to keep my blog silent through it all. First off, my mother surprised me the other day with a gift she bought for 25 CENTS!!! from a garage sale.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoORgpo6kGNLUVoxedwX_kMH76T5kv6iOZsvIGZEc72zmDFkg4ierAL7EFUa-_enM41jpaUze5__arh6OBML_9agyN7YlnE1JeKO84bU28G5hyphenhyphenp6BxSWS1qUDE37Il2UqsTZlKZvK4ANJY/s1600/new+chemex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoORgpo6kGNLUVoxedwX_kMH76T5kv6iOZsvIGZEc72zmDFkg4ierAL7EFUa-_enM41jpaUze5__arh6OBML_9agyN7YlnE1JeKO84bU28G5hyphenhyphenp6BxSWS1qUDE37Il2UqsTZlKZvK4ANJY/s320/new+chemex.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 cup Chemex w/ glass lid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Wow, what a great surprise. Could my month get any better? Well, yes it could. I'm completing my undergraduate degree in History from Mizzou this fall, and to do so requires me to complete a 30-40 page research paper on (this semester's topic) the British Empire. Good news is that I can choose (with approval from the directing professor) any topic I want. I'll give you one guess as to what topic I wanted... No, silly, not the downfall of Mercantilism for a Free Trade economic system. Coffee! Today I presented this idea of researching the development of coffee as a commodity trade item within the British Empire to my directing professor. He likes it! So, now I've got the task of narrowing down my research on the topic. We'll see where it goes. Here is a little sampling of my research materials thus far:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ72J1x-isVUR0rBnKxc-J8cJwZ7BNMUEZhirCjyXCmjMaWBexF4lizAMJ3jjeHbYJD9PDarSTHk0bjIKXk2qORAqRgCtSrQXxhmvxj04AGOelOvaDzdbMSPR5ET64G4Q8QnrKkAnQIGHR/s1600/coffee+capstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ72J1x-isVUR0rBnKxc-J8cJwZ7BNMUEZhirCjyXCmjMaWBexF4lizAMJ3jjeHbYJD9PDarSTHk0bjIKXk2qORAqRgCtSrQXxhmvxj04AGOelOvaDzdbMSPR5ET64G4Q8QnrKkAnQIGHR/s320/coffee+capstone.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The book to the left was published in 1881. New scholarship is desperately needed.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>What's more, I've had a professor of mine express interest in looking into specialty coffee. He's invited me to share with him suggestions about supplies and techniques. I don't think he has any idea the ramifications of his requests. <br />
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So, it's been a good week for yours truly. We'll see what next week brings. I pray Vida Coffee Co. gets started up soon (a mere two and a half years after I started that coffee shop project). That will be my next post most likely. Lord, thank You for Your many blessings, not least among them, a great mom. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-57377250068382222782010-08-23T19:51:00.000-05:002010-08-23T19:51:54.773-05:00Blackout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnPpuz0OM-x-LcXyC7sb_1Axf1COXpFHBvhcBFRZRL72zKTIgh6mF0jMs-y8qqtxy3ehf8jfe95GZXZgatm0J9TiO3rdKFbF_SnwaJBbKHfoDAx1InGN1SaJ9sAwFfDz0YaZB7Rh5yDUc/s400/fuzzy20tv20screen20.jpg" width="400" /></div>I'm just going to go ahead and concede defeat now, that way nobody will be left hanging- myself included. I'm completing my history degree at Mizzou this semester, which means I'll be a slave to the library, my directing professor, and as always, to coffee (its caffeine especially). This may not strike you as anything special, after all, I've been working 40+ hours a week while taking 15+ hours of University credit, and being an interactive dad and husband for almost 3 years now. Well, this capstone (thesis) changes things a bit. As of NOW I have ZERO time to do anything fun or unproductive (as seen through the eyes of my new masters). This will be the last blog post until I am freed from the grip of their bondage on December 14, at 5:00pm sharp. I'll see you all on the other side (I hope).<br />
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Lord, protect my soul as it wanders through these treacherous peer-critiqued, professor dictated, and library infested waters. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-87326035312755649082010-08-19T17:21:00.000-05:002010-08-19T17:21:51.369-05:00The Coffee Collective Deterra Farm ExploitIt's not often that I simply redirect you to another person's blog, but this is one of those times. <a href="http://www.coffeecollective.dk/">The Coffee Collective</a> has just posted its trip to the Deterra Coffee farm and it is <u>very</u> insightful. Great pictures with explanations. I highly recommend this post, and so much so that I'll copy and paste and link to it <a href="http://coffeecollective.blogspot.com/2010/08/daterra-2010-visit-part-3.html">here</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIkCjI-Jtr21mLJlkAhtpNIexfn9Jr6PR89ILIWw1nsFs2wYY24Kt6nVx1H2OgQvPb2J3Uf_onsGtKj-Leqq3tcQhHYF584U8kgT-Z4847tBVGnjGvPbgCATsHE407zUZ9iQqEn6oIB3a/s320/coffeecollective.jpg" /></div><br />
Lord, thank You for those around the world who love Your creation. I'm about to start school again, so help me keep caffeine in my bloodstream. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-36934821833392405172010-08-08T22:12:00.000-05:002010-08-08T22:12:50.604-05:00Worst Cup YetStarbucks Pike Place Roast(c) at the 704 Southeast 7 Street, Blue Springs, MO 64014 location. Here's the link to the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Starbucks,+Blue+Springs+MO&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Starbucks,&hnear=Blue+Springs,+MO&ei=wW1fTNmfJsXflgex6PDhDw&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQtgMwAA">Google Maps</a> review page for the specific retail store. I'm almost certain not all Pike Place tastes THIS badly. I'm simply pointing out an extreme in my life. I believe that when one bumps into anything extremely note-worthy, good or bad, it is noted. This extremely bad cup, the worst of my entire life, has been NOTED.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="240" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Starbucks&gl=us&hl=en&cd=1&ei=WnBfTLO2Ao7UNabtpcgK&sig2=vjnNpMzpPbbm_VsG5cCoUQ&sll=39.024686,-94.272007&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=14355242833032806179&ved=0CIIBEKUG&hq=Starbucks&hnear=&layer=c&cbll=39.025014,-94.271977&panoid=xP8yTaKJCkmRl9XXoMxGWw&cbp=13,112.82,,1,1.45&ll=39.026769,-94.272008&spn=0.004001,0.00912&z=16&source=embed&output=svembed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Starbucks&gl=us&hl=en&cd=1&ei=WnBfTLO2Ao7UNabtpcgK&sig2=vjnNpMzpPbbm_VsG5cCoUQ&sll=39.024686,-94.272007&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=14355242833032806179&ved=0CIIBEKUG&hq=Starbucks&hnear=&layer=c&cbll=39.025014,-94.271977&panoid=xP8yTaKJCkmRl9XXoMxGWw&cbp=13,112.82,,1,1.45&ll=39.026769,-94.272008&spn=0.004001,0.00912&z=16&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
Lord, save those weary travelers who stop at that wretched place and order Pike Place Roast(c). Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700121860012831030.post-38139682263659628542010-07-28T09:58:00.000-05:002010-07-28T09:58:43.056-05:00New York City CoffeeHere's a quick rundown of my trip to NYC, limited to my coffee shop experiences. I hope the pictures are helpful. A quick Google search of these shops should give you the specific locations. All of the places visited came t me highly recommended, and I can forward the opinion. Some places were definitely superior to others. I'll note these performance differences in the captions of the pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our third shop visited: Cafe Regular, Park Slope, Brooklyn. This shop came after we visited Gorilla Coffee further down on 5th Avenue, on Park Place, and Postmark Cafe which is on 5th Ave and 6th St. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXczHkoIveq1i1-M0WrYYtOh4uwmOgJlDIfRA_CNoenwAZWSV9bglrlTXNsoYrMXib5cdnZe4BZ26uM0E1Catcj1Am3pBID_7J2ZZh92lg4pLP6WUBRM46xfC6ODvtn-qI4ykYkp2eJKJB/s1600/DSCI0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXczHkoIveq1i1-M0WrYYtOh4uwmOgJlDIfRA_CNoenwAZWSV9bglrlTXNsoYrMXib5cdnZe4BZ26uM0E1Catcj1Am3pBID_7J2ZZh92lg4pLP6WUBRM46xfC6ODvtn-qI4ykYkp2eJKJB/s320/DSCI0018.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of Cafe Regular. Their espresso came from Pennsylvania, exactly where escapes me. Their staff was trained in the mechanics of pulling shots fairly well, but even the owner was a bit lacking in thorough knowledge of his product. He was either uninterested in talking about his espresso's taste profile or he was ignorant of it. Either issue is a huge problem when you make your living selling the stuff. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmTYjBSlnJCmeNQ56jY_hlXzvYyMTiVNn4RV-M6MACrk5dkxrFz8sWTHiaKTyK1ZXLK6FeIltHjFnGT2uouuiLPa_x-fg8EA14yHh4yUsoJpivAbk6YirPgLhxogQ_FWT8YqwDXqItqeh/s1600/DSCI0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmTYjBSlnJCmeNQ56jY_hlXzvYyMTiVNn4RV-M6MACrk5dkxrFz8sWTHiaKTyK1ZXLK6FeIltHjFnGT2uouuiLPa_x-fg8EA14yHh4yUsoJpivAbk6YirPgLhxogQ_FWT8YqwDXqItqeh/s320/DSCI0020.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really bad shot of the shot. It tasted better than it looks here. Light and vibrant. I suspect it had a higher-than-normal African coffee content. There were clear woody tones that make me think it had some central American coffee included, but I'm not for sure (again, the owner had little ability to explain his product).</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ-3PjcZzlusmqG6bQLm3G0iz1_cZ4E1pHpBLvJhOqEdbZApScuSFuIvqTmIkyFxORpsAxPvZcq8Qbk8tqQABvrtf1qvsE1rZOpsiPE9Nyr0eJqKkV_YC6L5hJBwTIRFjN_8urXnITyQ7/s1600/DSCI0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ-3PjcZzlusmqG6bQLm3G0iz1_cZ4E1pHpBLvJhOqEdbZApScuSFuIvqTmIkyFxORpsAxPvZcq8Qbk8tqQABvrtf1qvsE1rZOpsiPE9Nyr0eJqKkV_YC6L5hJBwTIRFjN_8urXnITyQ7/s320/DSCI0024.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe Martin is a relative of Cafe Regular. Regular had two owners originally, but now Martin has moved further down 5th Avenue to a new location. I thought Martin was good, worth the money, but had a lot of technical flaws that detracted from the coffee. My double shot Americano (seen below) was pulled in reverse, water after espresso. The biggest problem was that what should normally take 25-30 seconds to fully pull took closer to 45. By the end of the time, the shot was so blonde it was screaming in agony. The Americano tasted overly bitter and abnormally intense (since 3/4 of the drink was "espresso"). </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IRhT5tNJH8E0uG73y7nnQDo9bAbxbREMj4MWTjKBAyIFZkm3ghKPfrZ9VDTqMjnR_-bWZG2rSTulDQHK7qATxtbsb0WGS_ojm5kSGuMKYseZD0GnDwUrR0oNAboUpz6V5Vhmhb-w7rKj/s1600/DSCI0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IRhT5tNJH8E0uG73y7nnQDo9bAbxbREMj4MWTjKBAyIFZkm3ghKPfrZ9VDTqMjnR_-bWZG2rSTulDQHK7qATxtbsb0WGS_ojm5kSGuMKYseZD0GnDwUrR0oNAboUpz6V5Vhmhb-w7rKj/s320/DSCI0036.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Americano, Cafe Martin. Please note the bullet hole near the center of the crema where the hot water was added last. Ouch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcgAl4Etn-1mtkHgFnxyQBfdRSRzspAlNbqKwI2RfQ4A0GWXfINXZgqOP9DpiM2mTSQlraED00478lKMDgbyuEDrg_SQi1FfisZ3oKTW26gsI8rEiPR8CcGHorRMrQ7hR84mLFPL-Xu5k/s1600/DSCI0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcgAl4Etn-1mtkHgFnxyQBfdRSRzspAlNbqKwI2RfQ4A0GWXfINXZgqOP9DpiM2mTSQlraED00478lKMDgbyuEDrg_SQi1FfisZ3oKTW26gsI8rEiPR8CcGHorRMrQ7hR84mLFPL-Xu5k/s320/DSCI0025.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very large by NYC standards. Ozzie's is a local favorite, but not really specialty coffee. Yes, they roast their own, but that does not necessarily mean it is good. It's not. This place reminds me of Columbia, Missouri's own <a href="http://www.lakotacoffee.com/">Lakota</a> Coffee.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuCVhlFEctQI8EN7srucCyW0pK3TLllrWWwGESEC4dYYyIR-NSWpYvtgxl6e75fWDiarjA-6Rza8KRVmKnlOwxxARdA1CzcTFlMWV264g67fBuev9TQOGdXtiMAT-nX_vjJvrZd8VM2uL/s1600/DSCI0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuCVhlFEctQI8EN7srucCyW0pK3TLllrWWwGESEC4dYYyIR-NSWpYvtgxl6e75fWDiarjA-6Rza8KRVmKnlOwxxARdA1CzcTFlMWV264g67fBuev9TQOGdXtiMAT-nX_vjJvrZd8VM2uL/s320/DSCI0029.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rootscafebrooklyn.com/">Roots Cafe</a> is relatively new to the scene, but more of a veteran than Cafe Martin. It's been around for over a year now. The owner, Jamey, is a great guy and knows his stuff when it comes to coffee. I met him at <a href="http://www.churchofparkslope.org/">Church!</a> a few years ago. I think he got a bit of inspiration from Church! for his shop- Postmark Cafe is a church-run coffee shop to reach out the the community in Brooklyn. I'd say Church! now has two brranches. Roots has definitely eclipsed Postmark in quality and menu variety. Roots uses <a href="http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/">Stumptown</a> Coffee, which dramatically improves the coffee quality there over its competitors. He uses a two group La Marzocco Linea, which easily covers the demand. This hole-in-the-wall place will be expanding soon due to demand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxABE9wum8Y1drG-SpOBdoJn0YSJ9OdSC3nAmF0IJE4xttSgscMEjMk7HPssjYRdNsicFeJGMwowles-gjOAVn02a2DBtzJnW2w_wxt3XZH0-kQ7Hs3QBTUWoekDWVcwfnvfDR3n-XJ_tV/s1600/DSCI0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxABE9wum8Y1drG-SpOBdoJn0YSJ9OdSC3nAmF0IJE4xttSgscMEjMk7HPssjYRdNsicFeJGMwowles-gjOAVn02a2DBtzJnW2w_wxt3XZH0-kQ7Hs3QBTUWoekDWVcwfnvfDR3n-XJ_tV/s320/DSCI0028.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of my stylish self ordering two (small is the only size available besides traditional drinks "for here") iced lattes with twin triple ristrettos. Very nice. My first Stumptown experience. Jamey threw out the first three attempts of the morning because the shots did not meet his expectations- the first shots of the day often do not make requirements. This is called "seasoning" the machine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGcqm61ErETHT8901G7qE03LCJQwnEVRuezKJZvjbyJ9VGyFshPtPGS9XLFTCuPWUknjvu9vgGIZ_-2Gjk8ZAForeY_1f0C1wJtl-rUykhNsaOyKxQ3gCkqmVxe1UlIdJije-P4GiUmvH/s1600/DSCI0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGcqm61ErETHT8901G7qE03LCJQwnEVRuezKJZvjbyJ9VGyFshPtPGS9XLFTCuPWUknjvu9vgGIZ_-2Gjk8ZAForeY_1f0C1wJtl-rUykhNsaOyKxQ3gCkqmVxe1UlIdJije-P4GiUmvH/s320/DSCI0038.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No outside photo of <a href="http://www.gimmiecoffee.com/">Gimmie! Coffee</a>, but this is me purchasing a single shot and two triple ristretto iced lattes for the subway ride to Manhattan. Gimmie! is located in Williamsburg a couple blocks from the G train stop at Metropolitan Ave. Very stylish and tasty. Recommended, but it's a bit out of the way unless you're traveling on the G crosstown Brooklyn to Queens or visa versa. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zjwhgNan7NZ-fc15Bj_fLLCehWL9-NMjawYMwQ-KaCSyCy2rzBqPNr4_SzBmA4qLHTy7nkJDeL3zCMpVYF8uIXvUt39SThK8ThgNHTzBQu6CH7MG2V5EROz_w7owJEollx129ZPKqIpZ/s1600/DSCI0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zjwhgNan7NZ-fc15Bj_fLLCehWL9-NMjawYMwQ-KaCSyCy2rzBqPNr4_SzBmA4qLHTy7nkJDeL3zCMpVYF8uIXvUt39SThK8ThgNHTzBQu6CH7MG2V5EROz_w7owJEollx129ZPKqIpZ/s320/DSCI0040.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More a restaurant than a coffee shop, Aroma surprised me with a great experience. There are three locations in NYC. We visited, quite by accident, the Midtown location while searching for fabric shops in Manhattan. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwH5EWN9j4pzI3XXfUdkurls0hdBF3d67A1oQMiro5C3sjDElE2bbVYx1q02sOVoaK7dlWQsCNfIRm8BJpO1a9rTDHuoYMYpiORcCst2l1M8jJuwoaU9Eo4_Y5WN3C838bliioOBQisI9/s1600/DSCI0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwH5EWN9j4pzI3XXfUdkurls0hdBF3d67A1oQMiro5C3sjDElE2bbVYx1q02sOVoaK7dlWQsCNfIRm8BJpO1a9rTDHuoYMYpiORcCst2l1M8jJuwoaU9Eo4_Y5WN3C838bliioOBQisI9/s320/DSCI0041.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of my lovely lady taking a small bite of the <a href="http://www.aroma.us/">Affogato</a>- one shot espresso with one scoop vanilla ice cream on top. Delicious. I'm pretty sure this is a large international chain, but after eating that ice cream on top, neither my wife or I cared much.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFfB9OIONppB_4rMvaCQRO0lSG5Z3UoC7OGlVc4DBfn6LempC2AhSWvWqiYxcdOj1HqymXAzr-vy8ahSfgcFqHhY0F9K9BXoYuMNbvIgw0kOufBymNlRvp1e5TDIJcLD2f4PCpUcPBjsP/s1600/DSCI0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFfB9OIONppB_4rMvaCQRO0lSG5Z3UoC7OGlVc4DBfn6LempC2AhSWvWqiYxcdOj1HqymXAzr-vy8ahSfgcFqHhY0F9K9BXoYuMNbvIgw0kOufBymNlRvp1e5TDIJcLD2f4PCpUcPBjsP/s320/DSCI0042.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surprisingly affordable merchandise: $4.95 for the macchiato cup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We had a great trip filled with much more than just coffee, but for the purposes of this blog, that's all she wrote. I'll end with one more picture that has almost no significance:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio53px06dgaQdsDrqCODBWmaw6odjN3zsrGfkeGwvdn_QCAbHDjv57Cp6ykQvljx3_2fpo439PRqrlPigKwV3qRMweEPEjszeKQ_cTE0-Dnx4qJe_T33GxAozSv6ZXq-CYeP3ZcAweTkiJ/s1600/DSCI0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio53px06dgaQdsDrqCODBWmaw6odjN3zsrGfkeGwvdn_QCAbHDjv57Cp6ykQvljx3_2fpo439PRqrlPigKwV3qRMweEPEjszeKQ_cTE0-Dnx4qJe_T33GxAozSv6ZXq-CYeP3ZcAweTkiJ/s320/DSCI0035.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wife and I on the public pier. You cannot see them in the picture, but there are about 30 drink vendors shouting at us from all sides. It's illegal to sell anything on the pier without a permit. Nobody had a permit, trust me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Lord, thank You for the great time. I appreciate the ability to travel and experience new things. Thank You for that freedom. Bless the Church! of Park Slope that was so welcoming to us. Keep my head deflated and on straight. Here we go.<br />
<br />
More relevant websites:<br />
<a href="http://www.churchofparkslope.org/community/postmark.htm">Postmark/Church!</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.ozziescoffee.com/">Ozzie's</a>Brian Thayerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528900137448292845noreply@blogger.com1