Christmas Traditions: Kenya

Pilau

This week we continue our series exploring the Christmas traditions of some of the countries that we have imported coffee from this year.


Today I'd like to focus on Kenya. Christmas celebrations begin early in Kenya. People begin to visit their families a month before Christmas and there is a lot of travel out of the urban centers out in to rural communities. Most people are taking time off work at least once, or sometimes taking more then one vacation this month.

All this travel means that the busses are getting pretty packed since most people travel on busses!

Kenyans love to eat at Christmas. Chickens, sheep, goats and cows are slaughtered by the hundreds to prepare for the celebration. In you live by the coast you will have your fill of Pilau, which is a staple food in that region.

Whatever you're eating make sure you wash your hands! Kenyans eat with their fingers, rather then forks and knives!

As Christmas approaches people will begin to attend prayer services. It is common for people to even attend all night prayer vigils to bring in Christmas.

If you want to celebrate christmas like a Kenyan just remember these three things:

1. FAMILY
2. FOOD
3. FAITH

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Traditions: Guatemala

This year we will be exploring how people celebrate Christmas in a few of the countries where we get our coffee from. Part of getting to know your coffee is getting to know the people that you get it from.  Christmas is a big deal in most of the countries we import coffee from, and so we want to take a moment to honor those traditions.

Today I'd like to focus on Guatemala. Not only does Guatemala produce some of the best and brightest coffee on the planet, it also celebrates christmas a bit different then we do here in the United States.

Nine days before Christmas there is something called a "posada procession" that begins. In this ritual statues of Mary and Joseph are carried around seeking shelter. They are let into a new house every night for nine days. As they are carried drums are played and fireworks are lit as there is a celebration around the statues. When they arrive at the destination there is a carol that is sung and a set of ritual questions are asked. Eventually Mary and Joseph are let into the house. They are placed in the "nacimiento"(a Latin American nativity scene) where they will remain until the next night when the procession will continue to the next house.

The procession is quite the party. There is punch and tamales for everyone. People have a dance party together when Mary and Joseph are finally let in.

On Christmas eve, not only are Mary and Joseph let it, but Jesus is added to the nacimiento. When this happens the biggest part of all happens.

There is a large German population in Guatemalla so Christmas trees have made their was into the nacimiento. At the final house presents are left under the tree on Christmas morning for the children as gifts from the Christ Child. Gifts for adults are not opened until new years day.

On Christmas Eve there is a Midnight Mass that follows the posada and after the mass there is a full supper!

6 Ways to Guide Your Shop's Culture

If you want your coffee shop to survive for more then two years you NEED to have an inclusive culture. Having a inclusive culture can bring in new people, and help you to expand your markets. Having a restrictive culture will eventually burn out and close in on itself. This does not happen naturally; it takes time, money, and energy. The first step is what we talked about last week. Last week we talked about how to evaluate WHAT your coffee culture is saying to outsides. If you missed it check it out!  Knowing your culture is important, but you can't stop there. Learning how to form culture is where the real power for transformation comes from.

Six Ways to Guide Your Culture

This week I would like to give you 6 things you can create that will help you guide the culture toward where you want it.

1. Structures 
Make sure the structures you have in your shop are open to new people. Structures are the practices that inform the culture you develop. If you only hire hipsters you will only have hipster clientele. If you only have white people in management positions, you will have trouble making minorities feel at home. If you play music that's inappropriate for children, you will not have young families buying your coffee. If you notice a wall that is keeping people out consider taking actions to tear them down.

2. Systems and procedures 
Systems are "how we do things around here." It's important to set up systems that set you apart from the rabble, but still invite newcomers in. You should have procedures that respect both the coffee and the clientele. Use fresh roasted coffee, weigh our your coffee, measure your temperatures, keep things fresh, buy locally, use ethical coffee, and invite your customers into what you are doing. Present your systems in a way that is easy to understand, and which is available for them to explore and share with others.

3. Rites and rituals 
One powerful thing you can do for your customers is create rites and rituals, and honor the ones that occur naturally. This can happen lots of ways. Create a regular schedule so people will be able to better create a relationship with their barista. Offer classes and cupping that being people into your coffee making procedures. Create yearly, monthly, and even daily traditions that people can count on. Have fun with this one. I have created ceremonies that I perform from time to time that honor coffee and those gathered around the cup with me (these can be great ways to share the values and commitment of your shop).

4. Physical space 
Treat your space like you would a cup of coffee. Use all your senses and look for the subtle details. Look out for things that make you look unprofessional, sloppy, unwelcoming, too sterilized, too grimy, or just incompetent. Make sure the space smells good. Make sure your shop has a comfortable climate. Hire a designer to help you out. Get consistent branding. Show people that you care about them by caring about your shop!

5. Stories from the history of the shop, the space, the neighborhood and the coffee world 
Gather stories! Talk about the barista who showed up 2 hours early to get the shop open on time during the blizzard of 2009, talk about when your loyal customer used your shop for a school project, talk about every story you can collect that can give people an idea of what you want your coffee shop to be about. Try to tell a story to a new customer every day.

6. Formal statements
Do you have formal statements that guide where your shop is going? You should! Every coffee shop should have a mission statement, a list of values that you try to honor in everything that you do, a vision for where your shop is going, a general strategy that states where you are going, and a list of concrete very specific goals. Bring a group of people in your culture together and start forming these documents. Make them EASY TO MEMORIZE and ARTICULATE THEM in everything that you are doing. The mission and vision will start to catch over time, and people will have a more concert idea of what you are doing to accomplish your goals.

Discovering Your Coffee Culture?

cul·ture/ˈkəlCHər/ Noun: The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. 

Coffee nerds know how to taste coffee. We know how to grind the coffee just right, use the perfect amount of water, smell, and slurp the coffee. We know how to pinpoint fine nuances in beans, and detect which flavors point to country of origin, roast degree, and processing method. HOWEVER, often coffee nerds are not very good in detecting what the culture of their coffee shop communicates.

Far too often coffee shops that have the best tools to bring people GREAT coffee have a culture that EXCLUDES those they could be teaching. This is almost never the intention of a coffee shop. After all who wouldn't want more customers? The problem lies in the reality that too often people don't recognize the culture of their coffee shop.

Asking a culture to describe their culture is like asking a fish to describe their bowl. They will point out everything in the bowl EXCEPT the water.

Culture surrounds all we do, and is one of the FIRST thing that someone notices when they walk through the door of your shop, however it's invisible to the people most empowered to change it.This doesn't have to be the case. Although we can never enter our coffee shop as an outsider, what follows are six questions you can ask about how your coffee shop runs that will help you figure out what your culture is screaming to everyone but you.

1.  Do you encourage your staff, and yourself to pay attention? 
   You should have a system in place that encourages people to always look at the culture and setting in your coffee shop critically. Make sure your staff know how to look critically and report honestly, and make sure you pay attention at all times. Talk to people around you, and look for who is sticking around and who isn't coming back. Pay attention to why.
2. What is the reaction to critical incidents?
   When there are problems, or even positive incidents that come up evaluate how are they handled. Make sure you take time for critical thinking about what in your culture may have contributed to the incidents. Put yourself in the shoes of all people involved. Put yourself in the shoes of as many customers as you can. Take note of what they might see in the situation.
3. How do you allocate resources?
   Your wallet speaks volumes about what is valued in your culture. If you spend money on things geared for the coffee elite, but don't invest in things to help the average person understand people will notice. If you don't spend any money on things to make your coffee better people will notice. If you don't spend money on making the space inviting people will notice. Go over everything that you spend, and ask why you bought it. Then think about as many customers as you can and ask what they would think about the purchase.
4. Who is put up as a role model in the culture?
   Create a list of your dream team of people you would love to work with. Figure out what about these people is attractive to you. Are these traits that form a culture that is welcoming to outsiders? Figuring out what you view as impressive will point out what might make people feel they are treated as unimpressive. Evaluate if these are good cultural values.
5. How and why are people rewarded? Do you have any systems of rewards set up for customers? Do you have any systems of reward set up for employees. This is more then just punch card programs. Think about what sorts of things give your patrons and staff social capitol in the shop. What gives people a voice? What gives people power? Are the things that reward people focused on welcoming people in, or do they exclude people?
   
6. Why were people hired?The people you choose to hire are one of the strongest ways culture is formed. What were you looking for in your hires? When you look at applications what things stand out to you? Do these values put the customer first? If they don't your shop might look like the video I have posted at the bottom!

Hopefully these question will have helped you recognize the culture of your coffee shop. Next week we will talk about how to create the culture you want.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Coffee Snobs from Frankie Shaw

Chosing a Coffee Caterer

This week we continue our series on serving coffee to large groups of people on a budget.  The scenario last week discussed one possible option, where a person was trained to make coffee in conjunction with their role as a greeter, service desk attendant, or a similar role.

This week I would like to explore another option: catering.

Hiring a coffee shop or roaster to make your coffee can be a great option. This is probably the best option for a group that only meets one in a while. A good coffee caterer will allow you to supply great coffee to your event without having to spend thousands on coffee equipment and training staff or volunteers, however there are many coffee caterers out there that won't do a much better job then you would do on your own.

How can you know that your coffee caterer will do a good job?

First: Know your options

There are basically three kinds of coffee catering

1. Coffee Shops that make the coffee in their shop
2. Coffee Shops that make coffee in your context
1. Using their equipment
2. Using your equipment
3. Full espresso bars that create custom espresso drinks at your event

Think about what you will need to have in order to make your event the greatest success.  Having a fully functional espresso bar at your event can be very impressive, but it's also very expensive. Simply picking up coffee from a coffee shop doesn't have the wow factor, but it's the most cost effective option. You will have to make that decision yourself.

Second: Know your coffee

The coffee that is being served can be an indicator of how much your caterer cares about the quality of their coffee. Ask them the following questions:

1. When was the coffee being served roasted? (It shouldn't be served over a week and a half after roasting)
2. Where was the coffee grown? (if they know the country: good. If they know the farm: better. If they know the micro-lot: best)
3. What have you done to assure that the coffee has been bought in an ethical way (it doesn't need to be "fair trade" to be ethical, but they should be able to explain how their coffee buying habits are just.)

 Third: Know their system

There are some things that a caterer can do that are warning flags about the quality of their operation. Here are a few examples of things to look out for:

1. Their coffee should be fairy local. They need to be able to get their coffee shipped to them in enough time for it to still be fresh. This wouldn't be an issue if you use a roaster to cater your coffee. (If they are having it shipped directly from the roaster with 2 day shipping across the country it would still be ok, if it's from Italy or somewhere over-seas it's generally stale).
2. Make sure they are storing their whole bean coffee well.
1. Airtight container
2. Room Temperature
3. No direct sunlight
3. Make sure they are storing their brewed coffee well. If they aren't serving their coffee as they make it, make sure that the coffee is not being stored on a hot pad, burner, or in a percolator. Ideally a preheated "air pot" or another well insulated container.
4. If they are creating espresso drinks at your event make sure they are grinding their coffee individually for each drink, and never resteaming any of the milk

Fourth: Make your expectations clear. The more you communicate with your caterer about the event and your expectations, the better your event will go. Make sure you contact the person who is in charge of managing catering and talk to them about how they do things. Let them know what you are expecting, and make sure you are on the same page.


FYI: If you live in Chicago our partner shop "Ipsento" caters our coffee at many events. Contact them if you're interested call (773) 904-8177.

Making Coffee For Big Groups: Part III

This week we continue our series on how to make coffee for large groups. One way to make better coffee is to turn a greeter or information person into a "barista".

A barista is the person who makes your coffee in a coffee shop. Although technically you would need an espresso machine and an experienced espresso wizard for you to have a "real" barista, having a dedicated coffee person can be a GREAT way to make better coffee and create an environment where people feel welcomed.

Having a dedicated coffee person means you don't have to invest in a huge coffee maker, but can simply be making coffee consistently with quality small coffee brewers. This will guarantee the coffee is always fresh, and will also make sure that people are making connections in your gathering or meeting without the awkwardness of a forced interaction.

If your meeting is happening weekly you can have 4-5 volunteers that rotate once a month in this role.

The total cost of implementing this is very low. All you will need is:

• A Handful of Volunteers
• A Brewing System That Can Make Good Coffee (you may already have this)
• A Place to Brew Coffee 
• Access to water, a trash can,  electricity, and coffee
• Ideally this place would allow for coffee to be made, while still interacting in meanigful ways with people who come to get coffee
• A Kitchen Scale (To Know Why Click Here)
• Some Training to make sure the coffee being made is of the highest quality
• You can get some of that just by reading this blog
• You can take one of the classes we offer HERE

If this idea doesn't appeal to you, don't worry we'll have more ideas next week!

How NOT to serve your group coffee and why

Last week we examined the difficult situation that many leaders find themselves in where there is a large group of people that need coffee, but not a consistant enough need that purchasing a high end commercial system merits the investment that would be required.

I have spent years facing this problem and I can tell you from experience that there are a number of options that people use that are not ideal. The coffee that is used is often poorly made, poorly stored, and poorly obtained.

Cheap coffee reflects a cheap organization. It communicates to those who attend your events that they are not worth the time or the money to offer quality hospitality and can also communicate a lack of ethics since most people now know that the cheapest coffee is often purchased at the expense of poor farmers and laborers.

The amazing thing about coffee is that it doesn't cost very much to improve. Unlike other products you can get some of the best coffees in the world without a huge investment. Taking your coffee from terrible to GREAT doesn't require a lot of money, just a little thought and care.

One of the first things to do, if you want great coffee, is to STOP doing some things that are BAD for your coffee. The following is a simple list of things NOT to do.

1. DON'T use a system the heats the coffee
   There are a lot of systems that keep coffee hot by continually heating the coffee. The longer the coffee is exposed to heat the more the flavors that make your coffee great will be turned into bitter flavors of scorched oils. Avoid percolators or keeping your coffee on a burner. INSTEAD either serve your coffee as soon as it's done brewing OR store it in a preheated themas or air pot. 
2. DON'T buy your coffee in bulkCoffee doesn't stay fresh for very long. If you go out and buy your coffee once a month, EVEN if it were roasted the day you buy it, your coffee will be stale by the end of the month. That doesn't even take into account the fact that most coffee that you can buy in the grocery store are stale before they even make it on the shelf. INSTEAD buy your coffee the morning of your event from a local roaster and only buy as much as you need for the day.
3. DON'T use pre-ground coffeeCoffee starts to oxidize much faster when it's ground. It only lasts a few hours once it's ground. Ideally you should have a quality burr grinder that you can use before you grind every cup or pot. However this is expensive. A cheap way you can get around this is to have the roaster of coffee shop you work with grind the coffee for you right before the event. Having an employee of volunteer pick up the coffee and have it ground on their way to the event is a great way to assure you have fresh ground coffee without spending a bundle.
4. DON'T buy coffee just because it's cheapCheap coffee often reflects loose ethics. The coffee you buy is a moral decision. I am amazed at how many groups I have gone to that talk a lot about social justice but serve coffee that reflects a disregard for ethical buying practices. Do your research, it doesn't cost anything to get informed. Your coffee should be:
1. Bought at a fair wage
2. Environmentally responsible
3. Concerned with the workers who do most of the leg work
4. Sustainable
Anything less then this is irresponsible

Getting Coffee for a Large Group: Part 1

Last week my pastor had the bright idea that I would make coffee for some of the people at my church. I love making coffee, and so I loved the idea. They were having a meeting with about 50 people or so in attendance, so I thought to myself:

"how can I make good coffee for all these people with the inconsistent, unreliable equipment at the church?"

The solution I came up with was to bring a bunch of my own equipment (along with some of our whole bean Coffee which I purchased for the church), and make each cup individually. It look a lot of work, but at the end of the day it worked really well. Everyone got what they wanted: a great cup of coffee, and a lot of fun learning and talking to each other.

Thinking back on the experience I thought that it points to a big hole in the coffee world: Large Group service structures for coffee.

A church is a place that generally has a HUGE need for a ton of coffee ONE HOUR a week. Churches aren't the only places that have this kind of demand bubble. Any organization that hosts large events knows the difficult of supplying coffee for these sorts of things. Most places can't afford the kind of equipment required to make quality coffee on a large scale so they have to explore other options.

Many groups resort to using options that save them money but wind up making the coffee so bad that I sometimes wonder why they bother at all.

THERE IS HOPE!

In the next few weeks I will be exploring ways you can get GREAT coffee to your group without breaking the bank.

Having quality coffee is not impossible for anyone. With a little bit of work and creativity you can bring new life to any gathering with quality coffee. Stay Tuned!

Third Wave Coffee Philosophy

Today we continue our series looking at the three waves of coffee in the United States.

If you remember First Wave coffee is focused on getting coffee to the most people through, commercials, convenience and consistency. It pressures people to drink coffee by highlighting the conventions.
On the other hand, second wave. is about getting coffee that pleases the most people. This is achieved by creating a cup of coffee that focuses on the consumer. Through customization, creativity, and community.


Third wave coffee is focused on the coffee and trying to get the coffee to be treated like a fine wine.
This is driven by crafting with care, culinary art,  and conceitedness


This is about getting coffee that pleases the most annoying people.
This is where I live and where Coffee Ambassadors lives, so don't be offended we implicate ourselves.


Third wave has done a lot of great things for coffee in the world, but the fact remains that in many ways the philosophy that drives much of third wave is a latent sense of superiority. The focus is not on the consumer at all, but on the coffee and the barista that makes it.

Below I have posted a video from one of our friends in the third wave. I really like the video itself, but I want you to notice a few things.

• One phrase in the video that really shows what the philosophy of third wave is when he sets his methods apart says "most people who are preparing [espresso] don't give it [my kind] of respect."
• Notice the personal pronouns. This video uses I and We a lot but doesn't use "you" at all except when he is describing what is "wrong" with the coffee.
• Notice how he sets himself and his coffee apart from the rest of the coffee community saying they serve "a different kind of coffee then what most people are used to"

 

FIRST WAVE	SECOND WAVE	THIRD WAVE
Convenience Commercials Consistency	Customization Creativity Community	Crafting with care Culinary art Conceitedness

A Look at Second Wave Coffee Philosophy

Today we continue our series exploring different "waves" of coffee. Last week we looked at some of the ads at the height of "fist wave" (Folgers, tasters choice etc) coffee consumption. They demonstrated a keen awareness of the power of CONFORMITY. Their power was showing people that they could be "normal" or "successful" if they simply had the right coffee.

 This week look at the philosophy of SECOND WAVE coffee (this is your typical Starbucks or Caribou Coffee). If you watched our video that gave an overview of these forms of coffee you will remember that SECOND WAVE coffee is driven by CUSTOMIZATION.

They focused on coffee that PLEASED THE MOST PEOPLE, not just that was made available to the MOST PEOPLE like we see in first wave coffee. To compare the two:

FIRST WAVE	SECOND WAVE
Convenience Commercials Consistency	Customization Creativity Community

I think that the ad for Starbucks highlights the driving force of second wave marketing.

Examples of First Wave Coffee Philosophy

If you watched our video a couple months back on different coffee "waves" you will remember that coffee culture in the United States Has gone through three "waves" in the last 100 years.

Today I would like to give some examples of how coffee in the first wave worked. First wave coffee is driven by brands like Folgers, Maxwell House, and Tasters Choice.

You may remember that "first wave" coffee was driven by:

• Consistancy
• Commercialization and
• Convenience

It's goal was to get coffee to the most people, and it did a good job of it. Notice the ads below... They are selling coffee as part of a lifestyle rather then as something that can help show the unique you (second wave) or something that has value in itself (third wave).






In the video above almost nothing is said about the coffee itself, but it connects drinking coffee to a lifestyle that OTHER people have. It basically says "drink coffee and you can be like the people you wish you were." This is a typical first wave philosophy.




In This video the lifestyle is almost oppressive. It basically says drink Folgers or you will be a failure as a wife. It uses broad social pressure to push a brand. Like the first ad it pushes you into homogeneity with society as a whole.

We will explore Second and Third wave coffee in future posts

America must be drinking our coffee

Five tips to make a better cup of coffee at home

Before I teach a group about coffee I generally ask them what they would like to learn. Some are interested in history, and others are interested in the science, while still more would like to learn more about how coffee is grown. One thing has always been of interest to every group I have ever taught.

People want to know how to brew a good cup of coffee at home

There are dozens of methods people use to brew coffee at home and within each method there is almost an infinite number of possibilities to how you will make a great cup. Making coffee is like being invited onto a playground, there are lots of places to play and lots of ways to play once you get there, but their are also rules and boundaries that will help you feel more at home and have a lot of fun.

The following are 5 tips I have found help people make coffee better no matter how they like to brew it.

Tip 1: Only Buy Enough Coffee For a Week or Two
Coffee only stays fresh for about 2 weeks after you buy it. If you only go through a half a pound in that amount of time only buy a half a pound. I generally only buy enough to last me one week since I know that I will have to wait a few days after the coffee is roasted for the beans to be at their prime brewing time (coffee releases gasses after it's roasted, giving it a few days to rest can help you get a better cup too.) The best way to get coffee is from a roaster (like us) that way you know you are getting it fresh!

vs

Tip 2: Get a Burr Grinder

If you want the best cup of coffee at home the first step i recommend it to buy a good burr grinder. Grinding your coffee before you brew it will help your coffee stay fresh longer then getting it pre-ground. Unlike a blade grinder, a burr grinder grinds coffee at a uniform grind, which means you will have a more even extraction and a better balanced cup of coffee.

 VS 

There are many on the market. I would personally recommend the Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder - Baratza 585 the Baratza G 285 Maestro Conical Burr Grinder is also good and about half the price. If you really want to make a larger investment the Baratza 885 Vario Espresso Coffee Grinder can do a great job with drip as well as espresso. If you want a cheaper option or something that's good for travel check out the Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder or the Hario Coffee Hand Grinder Skerton. Don't bother with cheap electric models like the Mr. Coffee BVMC-BMH23 they have cheap burrs that don't do a much better job then a blade grinder.




Tip 3: Store Your Coffee Somewhere Dark, Dry and at Room Temperature
Your coffee has enimies: light, oxogen, and moisture. This unholy-trinity of forces will breakdown your beans and give them an unpleasant flavor. The best way to avoid this is to store them in an airtight container away from sunlight. DO NOT store your coffee in the fridge. Since coffee absorbs the flavors around it you will find that your coffee with have flavors of last nights dinner in it, and you probably don't want that. I use a porcelain container with a rubber seal which I keep on my counter. Don't use the bag the coffee came in. Those bags generally are not air tight after you open them.
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Tip 4: Use a Gram Scale
Weigh out how much coffee you are using and how much water you are using. Weight is much more accurate then volume when it comes to coffee. Instead of eyeballing your water or your coffee scoop get a gram scale and make sure you are using the right amount of coffee and the right amount of water. For every 1 gram of coffee I use I use 16-17 grams of water. This ratio works in almost every brewing method for a "drip" style of coffee. A gram scale is a great investment to make. I believe every kitchen should have one. I use mine for all my cooking.

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Tip 5: Record What You Do
Keeping a coffee log is a great way to help you hone in on what you like and don't like. Buy a notebook and keep track of what you are doing with your coffee. Keep track of where the coffee is grown, where it's roasted, how it's processed, what kind of plants they used, and when you tried it. You can also keep a record of how fine you ground your coffee, how long the brew process took and what flavor notes you tasted when you drank the coffee. The more you record the more you will be able to see patterns in what you like, and the more you will be able to remember what you've had. Keeping a journal of your coffee can help make coffee more then something you drink, but something you treasure.

Coffee 101 cliff-notes edition

What is 3rd Wave Coffee

Here is a video I made to help explain the history of coffee in the United States in the 20th Century

Is Coffee Good For You?

This month there was BIG news in the coffee world. A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health indicates, among men drinking at least 6 cups per day, the adjusted risk for overall prostate cancer was 18% lower vs that in nondrinkers.

However before we start jumping up and down there are a few things to notice.

1. The number of cups that people were drinking. Folks were drinking 6 cups of coffee a day. This is TWICE the average consumption of coffee that most Americans have.
2. This study shows health benefits are only for MEN. There another study that states that coffee can have an increase in the risk of breast cancer among WOMEN who drink more the 4 cups a day (although other studies have indicated that coffee consumption has no effect)
3. This study is not definitive. "It is premature to recommend that men increase coffee intake to reduce advanced prostate cancer risk based on this single study," Dr. Wilson and colleagues conclude. "In addition, the effects of coffee consumption on other aspects of health must be considered in making consumption recommendations," they add. "However, our findings are potentially important, given the lack of identified modifiable risk factors for advanced prostate cancer."

So is there any reason to drink coffee from a purely "better health" point of view?

Yes!

• Recent studies seem to indicate coffee drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia. 
• There are also antioxidants in coffee which can make you healthier! In fact according to a study by Dr. Joe Vinsonm,"Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close."
• The tannins in coffee may reduce the cariogenic potential of other foods. Pretty niffty huh?

Are there anythings that can harm your health as a result of coffee?

Yes!

• Coffee can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal organs, causing gastritis and ulcers.
• Coffee contains cholesterol (this can be reduced if you use paper rather then metal filters)
• Coffee also interferes with the absorption of supplemental iron so it should not be drunken often if you are anemic.

All in all coffee is a pretty healthy drink, but it does have risks too. Before you go out and start drinking 6 cups a day to prevent cancer you should make sure you've considered what that could do to your body!

Watch the USBC LIVE: RIGHT NOW!

Hey everyone, if you want to have some fun today the US Barista Competition is going on!

Watch the competition with some live commentary from me and others from around the country!

 It's a great time! ALSO we want to wish our roaster Jonathan Jarrow great success... He is competing as the Regional Champion from the Mid-West in the brewers cup!

Schedule for Today 

(times may be off by a half hour or so... this is Central Time)

Jacque   
  DesMarais    12:48   

Park   
  Brannen    1:07   

Joe   
  Marrocco    1:26   

Ryan   
  Willbur    1:45   

Sam   
  Purvis    2:04   
 

Sarah   
  Dooley    2:23   
  

Lorenzo   
  Perkins    2:42   

Jared   
  Truby    3:01   

  Ryan   
  Knapp    3:20   

 Ian  
  Levine    3:39  

Nikolas   
  Krankl    3:58   

Devin   
  Chapman    4:17   

Chandler   
  Rentz    4:36   

Pete   
  Licata    4:55 

Find Your Grind

Live From Rancho Ebenezer

A fence we are building for  Rancho Ebenezer

Grown at an elevation of 5,000 - 5,500 ft., our Honduran coffee is grown on the slopes of the San Matias mountains. The farm began with donated saplings to sustain Ranch Ebenezer, a home for orphans and disadvantaged children. In 2001, the home was built to give the children an escape from the city. Coffee represents a second chance at life and also a huge part of their country’s culture.

Tim, Liz, and I are here on a mission to help the farm get better quality coffee, and work alongside the outreach to the children here.We brought with us a great team of people from Chicago who wanted to learn and work with us while we are up here. It's been a lot of fun getting to know everyone.

Me: sorting through Green Coffee

I'm writing you today from the top of a mountain. Hiking up these mountains is a WORKOUT... the air is thin and I feel soooo out of shape, but it's good. The temperature is great it's not hot or cold. It's T-Shirt weather while the sun is up, and sweater weather at night. It's beautiful and so nice to be away from the sound of traffic. The farm has banana trees and orange tree but the main non coffee fruit that is grown is Blackberries. They make tea and jam here from the black berries.

At lunch Tim and I met with an employee of the Government who works to help farmers. We submitted some coffee from the farm into the Cup of Excellence competition (which is a really big coffee competition). I spent last night going through green coffee trying to find the best beans for the submission.

The scenery here is pretty nice. We are on a mountain and pretty secluded. We look out on misty mountain forest all around us. We are in the dry season but everything is still pretty green and wet. It's humid here. Because of the humidity here it takes a long time for the coffee beans to dry to a stable level (around 10% moisture content). We are working to create basically a little green house to dry the beans in. This will help the beans dry much faster and help the farm be more efficient. When I'm not working on the drying station I have been building a fence. The fence is a boundary marker, and a fire breaker.

Honduras Update

Today we have almost finished the coffee drying station. It's looking pretty great! We'll try to get photo's up of it once it's done...

A banana tree on the farm

We tried out our roast profile on the roaster here and it was a HIT. It's a lot of fun talking to the people who bring us such great coffee every year, and to learn from each other!

Tomorrow we are planning on bringing some of the green coffee from the farm into town to enter it into the Cup of Excellence. If the Ranch's coffee wins this award it will literally change the lives of the kids who live here.

Photos From Honduras

Tim Taylor and I (Billy Kangas) are in Honduras this week at the farm we source coffee from. It's pretty awesome so far. We'll keep you updated on all our projects as the week goes on.

Here are some Photos!

Here is some coffee getting the chaff knocked off of it!

 Tim and I are smelling some greens

 

Shade Grown Coffee Trees on the farm

MORE TO COME!

The Internet is pretty hard to get out here :-) 

What filter should I use?

When it comes to coffee filters there are generally three options:

1. Paper, 
2. metal, 
3. and cloth

People have tried other things (animal skin, glass, ceramic, etc) but today paper, metal, and cloth are king. All of these have upsides and downsides

Paper

Most people who brew coffee today use paper filters. Paper filters have a number of advantages. They give the best clarity and are always fresh. Since they are only used one time they are able to have a very small holes and still manage to make the coffee quickly. Other brewing methods suffer because they can get clogged more easily.

Metal

There are various metal filters on the market there. Gold tones, which are stainless steel that has been enhanced with gold plating, are the most common. However there are other filters like the Coava Kone and Disc. As well as the filter found in your everyday french press, and that found in a percolator. Espresso machines and stovetop moka pots also use a metal filter, but that is for a high pressure extraction so it works quite a bit differently. 

Metal filters are popular among those who believe the paper filter adds a paper taste to the coffee, and also absorbs some of the coffee oils taking some of the taste away from the coffee. However in oder to let the coffee flow through them they need to have larger holes. This results in silt getting through. This takes away from the clarity of the cup and gives the coffee a heaviness but not necessarily a good body. To avoid this, there are some who filter their coffee first through a metal filter and then through a paper filter.

Cloth

Cloth filters are similar to paper filter, but are reusable. I used to work for a shop that used muslin they bought from a fabric store with a brewer. The theory was that the cloth would get saturated with the coffee oils and then it wouldn't take away the oils from the coffee. The filters did get pretty gross eventually and you'd have top replace them. I still really like the coffee that we made using this method.

The problem with having cloth is that is retains flavors from previous brews. This can add unwanted elements into the cup. Using a cloth filter can also add the flavor of the cloth in many cases. If you ever try this method keep in mind that the lower the thread count on the cloth the more silt you will get in the cup. This method does not produce the same clarity that is found in paper, but is more clean then a metal filter.

My Opinion

I personally prefer paper. I don't like having the fine grinds, it gives the coffee a false body, and one takes away one of the main things I love in a cup of coffee, the clarity.

Paper has if faults, but most of them are negligible if you get high quality filters and pre-rinse them. The cups I have had that have been able to maintain clarity and body have mostly been with paper, and I feel nothing is better at bringing out the acidity of a coffee, which is something I love to taste.

The main thing is that you do what makes the coffee YOU like. Test it out on your own.

Our sister cafe - Ipsento - getting some attention...

Just thought you all might be interested in what's going on at the old headquarters...

Coffee Classes!

Take a look!

Video: The legend of Kaldi!

Here is a little video I made for you all to explain the legendary origin story of coffee. Take a listen. There are a number of other very interesting stories about where coffee comes from (though none are as famous as this one).

Bonus points to any reader who can tell us another coffee story

• in the comments section 
• or on twitter.

 

Welcoming 2011

Happy New Year! It's 2011 and there is a whole year of exciting coffee news and events ahead of us. I thought that it would be helpful to post a list of some of the most important coffee events happening in the upcoming months. There are a many other events that will be happening too, many of which don't have dates yet. Keep your ears open for "Barista Jams", "Throw downs", coffee festivals, and competitions in your own area. Make sure you come and check us out over at ipsento if you come by the North Central Barista event!

January
NORTH WEST REGIONAL BARISTA COMPETITION
Tacoma, WA | January 28-30, 2011 | MORE INFORMATION 


February
NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL BARISTA COMPETITION
Chicago, IL | February 18-20, 2011 | MORE INFORMATION 


March
South West Regional Barista Competition

Los Angeles, CA | March 4 – 6, 2011 | MORE INFORMATION

April
SCAA Exposition: The Specialty Coffee Event of the Year
Houston, TX | April 28-May 1, 2011 | For more information, please visit www.scaaevent.org