tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361Thu, 24 Oct 2024 21:52:55 +0000The blog of Willy Pettersson, Master Taster for Gevalia Kaffe -- a passion for all things coffee.http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)Blogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-4434460681583311042Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:15:00 +00002008-01-10T11:17:01.584-05:00As I mentioned in my first post after our trip to Kona, Gevalia introduced a second competition this year to the Kona Coffee Competition: the Crown Competition. The Crown Competition was open to all farms that had large enough crops to submit 3,000 lbs. of coffee to be considered for an exclusive Gevalia Kona Coffee. This year, there were 11 entrants, and the winning coffee was ‘Ono Kona Coffeehttp://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2008/01/gevalia-crown-competition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-5333349550849363313Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:11:00 +00002007-12-18T09:18:55.356-05:00One of the most rewarding parts of my job is traveling to the world’s coffee production regions. This year’s trip to Kona was particularly memorable, as it marked David’s first tour of a Kona coffee farm.Greenwell Farms was the first Kona farm we visited. Tommy Greenwell has been a friend for many years, and his grandparents began farming coffee at Greenwell Farms in the early 1900s. Amazingly, http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/12/kona-coffee-farm-experience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-837282150841600168Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:12:00 +00002007-11-26T09:13:34.286-05:00David and I have just returned from our week in Kona. It was David’s first trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, and my eighth, and we had a marvelous time. We were shown tremendous island hospitality by everyone at the coffee festival and by our friends like Trent Bateman and Tommy Greenwell, two of Kona’s coffee growers. Over the next few times I write to you, I am going to share our experienceshttp://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/11/kona-2007-gevalia-cupping-competition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-5436091723938388997Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:09:00 +00002007-11-05T13:22:12.866-05:00In a little more than a week, David and I will be working hard to choose next year’s Kona coffee for Gevalia. After last year’s competition, in which over 70 farms participated, we are very excited to sample this year’s Kona crop. From the moment our plane touches down in Kona, we will be on the move, visiting Kona farms and catching up with our friends, the growers. We will also become http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/11/leadup-to-kona-current-climate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-5973813540320829352Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:26:00 +00002007-10-29T16:36:36.348-04:00As every coffee drinker knows, maintaining the freshness of beans or grounds is essential. People are always sharing with me their methods for storing coffee, and I am often asked for my recommendations for storing coffee. And I always give the same advice: it is necessary to maintain optimal temperature and air conditions.As any coffee drinker can tell you, there is nothing worse than the http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/10/kona-at-home-how-to-store-this-years.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-6112039143537451388Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:56:00 +00002007-10-22T18:57:26.018-04:00This will be my ninth year serving on the judging panel at the Kona Coffee Cupping Competition in Kona, Hawaii. Although I cup coffee every day in Sweden for Gevalia, the cupping experience at Kona is truly unique. While I employ a consistent method to tasting all blends and beans, the charged atmosphere of the Kona Competition requires that a particular and undivided attention be given in a http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/10/cupping-kona-subtleties-involved-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-149581615972556598Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:24:00 +00002007-10-13T22:25:21.493-04:00At Kona, it is always very exciting to cup the world’s most exclusive coffee bean. Kona coffee grows only on the volcanic slopes of the Kona region in Hawaii, which certainly limits the acreage on which coffee can be grown. In my travels, there is one constant theme: people always share stories about their favorite cup of coffee. While each story is unique, the storytellers share a devotion http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-sense-of-responsibility-to-millions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-2654108152959539876Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:15:00 +00002007-10-01T09:18:40.845-04:00In the Kona region of Hawaii’s Big Island, there is no greater honor for a farm than to be named as producer of the winning bean at the Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition. Last year, more than 70 farms competed by submitting their Kona coffee samples within the competition’s rules for consideration. Over the two-and-a-half days I spent working with my fellow judges in cupping over 600 cupshttp://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/10/importance-of-competition-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-1825743713277376780Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:26:00 +00002007-09-24T17:29:18.103-04:00As you can see from my last two posts, I love the Kona region, the coffee it produces and the farmers who dedicate themselves to this special coffee’s successful cultivation year after year. It’s my particular honor to serve as Panel Chairman at the 2007 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition November 7-8, 2007. It’s my ninth year serving as a judge for the competition, and I am also proud that Gevalia http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/09/2007-kona-coffee-cupping-competition_24.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-656645365363044162Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:03:00 +00002007-09-17T11:04:03.407-04:00In my years as a Master Taster, I have traveled to coffee regions around the world to hand-select premium beans for Gevalia coffees. In every region, I work closely with growers, whose knowledge of and commitment to their coffee crop is a key ingredient in creating superior coffee. Just as I feel it is my responsibility to taste cup after cup in order to deliver the best to the customer, http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/09/lifetime-of-knowing-growers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-8119777906772954304Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:35:00 +00002007-09-24T17:31:08.472-04:00The Kona coffee bean can only be designated as such if it comes from the one place in the world where it is grown – Kona, Hawaii. As we discussed last week, the volcanic nutrients make Kona’s soil a unique and highly hospitable location in which to grow coffee. In addition to the soil nutrients, Kona’s successful cultivation also depends on a specific combination of sun and water. Kona’s climate http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/09/kona-nurturing-bean-from-field-to-cup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-24061776275899503Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:25:00 +00002007-09-07T13:25:12.764-04:00I wanted to share this video with you so that you can learn a bit more about cupping. I hope you enjoy this and find it helpful. There are other videos at the bottom of the blog for your enjoyment as well.http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/09/on-cupping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-5873865020078103194Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:38:00 +00002007-09-04T11:47:55.860-04:00As many of you know, I have been Master Taster at Gevalia for 40 years. I am honored to contribute to the company's rich history, and I thought you might be interested in learning more about our heritage.Gevalia was founded in 1853 in Gävle, Sweden, where we still have our factory and where all coffee tastings are performed. Our founder, Victor Theodor Engwall, was a successful importer devoted http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/09/history-of-gevalia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-8534899628865994065Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:05:00 +00002007-08-27T16:19:44.481-04:00As I prepare for my trip to Kona in November, I am paying close attention to the weather in Hawaii, especially hurricanes, which may affect the crop. I have been assured by the growers in Kona that Hurricane Flossie caused no damage, and my team continues to monitor the weather closely.My relationships with coffee growers across the world’s production regions are essential to ensuring the http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/08/history-of-kona-and-its-farmers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-8269348508450264836Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:41:00 +00002007-08-20T17:47:17.899-04:00I am often asked how one attains the title of Master Taster. And I always respond in the same way: coffee is an art for which one must feel passion.I began my professional career as a photographer, which was my profession for seven years. Although I enjoyed it, I knew it was not my permanent career and continued to explore other fields. In the early 1960s, I trained as a First Tenor with the http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/08/passing-torch-tradition-of-gevalia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-1126627413900055458Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:47:00 +00002007-08-13T11:50:41.398-04:00How many of us search for the “perfect cup of coffee?” From people I talk to around the world, it seems the answer is all of us. In over three decades traversing the globe in search of the best beans for Gevalia, I have found, much to my delight, that there are several ways to make the perfect cup of coffee. “Perfect” can come from many sources, and from a single bean or a blend. Here are my http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-favorite-regions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-1004272790701858636Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:00:00 +00002007-08-14T13:20:58.971-04:00It’s amazing how much work goes into your cup of coffee. The harvesting, preparation, shipping, roasting, cupping and packaging all play important roles in coffee production, but none is more important than working with a superior bean from the outset.Most people are always taken aback when I show them raw coffee beans. This is because they’re green, and in our minds, coffee beans are the deep http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/08/background-of-beans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-8552565559596230646Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:31:00 +00002007-08-09T11:41:18.290-04:00One of the questions I am asked most often is: “How do you cup coffee?”“Cup” is another word for “taste,” and as I will explain, cupping coffee is always done under the same circumstances regardless of bean type or blend elements. The beans are purchased and shipped to us here in Gävle, Sweden, the home of Gevalia, located two hours outside of Stockholm. When the beans arrive, they are checked http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/07/cupping-101.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5174639351540470361.post-5133457242568848987Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:47:00 +00002007-08-09T11:39:27.615-04:00From the moment I cupped my first cup of coffee 40 years ago, I knew I was meant to be a Master Taster. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with extraordinary colleagues and growers, traveling the globe searching for the best beans, and tasting the most extraordinary coffees available. I am preparing for my journey this November to the Gevalia Kona Coffee Cupping Competition in http://mastertaster.blogspot.com/2007/07/willy-pettersson-man-with-golden-tongue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Willy Pettersson)2