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 

Can you imagine a Holiday without Coffee?

Gift Sets!

For many people coffee is an essential part of their holiday traditions. I know that we here at Coffee Ambassadors couldn't imagine a Christmas morning without a warm cup of coffee. That is why we are pleased to offer coffee gift sets to help bring a little cheer to your holiday season, and to the coffee lover in your family!

+Stocking Stuffer Price: $16.00 More info ►	+Coffee and Truffles Set Price: $30.00 More info ►	+A Bit of Everything Set Price: $60.00 More info ►
+Coffee Press Set Price: $70.00 More info ►	+The Everything Set Price: $110.00 More info ►

Christmas traditions

Coffee and Christmas have gone together for a long long time. Here are a few Christmas traditions, and fun Christmas facts associated with coffee:

• In the 19th centuries there were families who roasted coffee together at Christmas. Coffee was a special treat that brought the family together.
• If you are a fan of the Ballet "The Nutcracker, you may notice coffee is consumed in the drawing room scene. This is because coffee was considered a Christmas beverage in the Victorian era
• The book "The Ultimate Christmas" talks about the aroma of coffee setting the stage for a perfect holiday. Give it a try!
• Maxwell house had an ad campaign in the 1940s that used the centrality of Coffee at Christmas as a major selling point for their coffee
• For many families talking over coffee is a more precious tradition then eating the holiday meal itself. Coffee helps bring people together in meaningful ways
• Italian Christmas cookies are actually designed to be dunked in coffee

What Christmas or other holiday traditions do you have with coffee?

Brew Methods: Clever

People often wonder how they should make coffee at home. There are literally dozens of different methods of brewing coffee, and each one has it's advantages, disadvantages, and particularities. This week I would like to talk about a brewing method that we think of as one of the best ways to brew.  Introducing: the Clever.

The Clever is a neat little device that steeps the coffee until you place the whole dripper on a cup. The cup triggers a valve to open allowing the coffee to pour into the cup. This allows you to control the steep time, and gives you the ability to create a cup of coffee that has significant body, without loosing out on having good clarity.

There are lots of ways people make Clevers. Each way highlights a different aspect. Today I would like to post how our sister store Ipsento does it. If you are using our coffee this is a good place to start, since Ipsento uses Coffee Ambassadors' coffee too! If you are interested in how other people use the Clever, let me know and I'll post some other parameters.

1. Heat:  Pre-Heat the filter as placed in the Clever with hot water.

2. Weigh:  Measure out 21 grams of coffee, grind on a slightly courser setting than the traditional pour over brew method.

3. Pour/Stir/Lid:  Boil water and let it sit for 15 seconds (reaches 206F), Start the timer and begin pouring 360 grams of water over the 21g of coffee, give a slight stir during pour and cover with a plate.

4. Stir/Drop/Stir/Lid:  Once the timer reaches 1 minute and 10 seconds stir the coffee then at 1:15 place on top of your pre-warmed mug and stir again and replace the plate.

5. If your grind/water temperature/coffee freshness and quality is correct then you

should have an excellent cup of coffee in around 3 minutes total. Some coffees will

do better with a finer or coarser grind, and of course the water chemistry plays a

huge factor in the whole brew ratio.