My Two Beans Worth Coffee Blog

Caffeine Addiction

2009-06-15T18:48:00.001-07:00

I know it's true, and probably you know it's true too; caffeine is addicting. Some people say if they try and quit drinking coffee they get terrible headaches, and that's why they can't quit. But no such excuse for me as I can go a day without my regular 3 to 4, or is it 5 cups of coffee a day and never get a headache.

I start the day, EVERYDAY, with my cup of home-brewed latte-cum-flat-white. As much as I hate it, on work days I then drink 2 to 3 cups of the ridiculously bad office coffee with nasty powdered creamer added because there's no way I'm going to pay for a Starbucks across the street that tastes just as bad, and I am just feeding my addiction anyway, right?! And then as soon as I walk in the door after riding my bike home from work, it's straight to the espresso machine on my counter top so the machina can warm up while I take the dog for his walk. Dog walked, garden watered, followed by the reward of a cup of espresso-based whatever-I'm-in-the-mood-for. Blissful!

So it was with relish that I read this blog post by Anne Aitken Worth entitled The Caffeine Effect. When you think about it, caffeine is such a powerful drug - we know from our own experience of it; be honest now. But like all drugs used for pleasure, it is best used without going overboard. I mean, have you ever experienced the restlessness and anxiety that comes of O.D.-ing on caffeine? As much as I love my coffee, I hate it when I cross that line, that hand-trembling, anxiety-ridden line of more caffeine than is good for me.

But just like smokers who can't quit and know they could do so much more with all that money going up in smoke, my regular deliveries of un-ground green and roasted beans from an array of suppliers just keep on coming, and would be one of the last things in life that I could kiss goodbye.

Espresso Coffee Recommendations NYC

2009-06-08T18:15:00.001-07:00

Here are several recommendations of espresso coffee shops on Manhattan from Australian, Monica Glare, living in NYC and writing for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Glare gives top recommendation to TriBeCa-located "La Colombe", 319 Church Street. The writer claims this is the spot where you'll find the best coffee in New York.

For Greenwich Village espresso hits, check out Jack's Stir Brew Coffee, 138 West 10th Street.

When it comes to the West Village she recommends Joe, 141 Waverly Place described as "another intimate cafe, hidden in the labrynthine West Village streets, Joe is popular with the thirtysomething crowd."

In NoHo, check out Think Coffee, 1 Bleecker Street Raw "with unpolished floorboards, huge wooden beams, blackboard coffee menus and marble-top tables make for a French cafe-meets-hippie feel at this new cafe-wine bar."

In NoLita, Glare recommends Gimme! Coffee, 228 Mott Street in the heart of NoLita.

East Village recommendation is Abraco Espresso, 86 E. 7th Street which this Aussie describes as "Melbourne-style hole-in-the-wall cafe [which] has enjoyed good reviews since it opened in 2007."

Finally, for those living or hanging out in Gramercy park area, 71 Irving Place Coffee & Tea Bar, 71 Irving Place which is described as an "atmospheric cafe with its mood lighting and French bistro-style chairs [offering] lots of 1850s Gramercy charm.

Monica Glare's post "Baristas Worth Every Bean"

Coffee in a Can

2009-06-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

Not talking cans of unground beans here, but rather ready-to-drink cans of coffee. When I lived in Japan in the early 1990s one of the things I actually enjoyed where the cans of ready-to-drink coffee found in the ubiquitous coin-operated dispensers found on roadsides and alley ways all over the country. Now Coke is joining forces with Italian coffee purveyor illy to sell cans of coffee the world over.

Coke's illy issimo drinks, which include an espresso, a latte macchiato and a cappuccino beverage, cost about $2.69, or about 15 percent more than the Starbucks drinks, the company said. It is targeting upscale locations such as Whole Foods Market Inc.

The drinks will soon launch in Japan, which the companies said accounts for three-fourths of the roughly $17.4 billion market for ready-to-drink coffee beverages.

Source: Reuters

The Bad Coffee Blues

2009-05-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Don't get on the wrong side of Lane Nichols who blogs for Wellington-based "The Dominion" newspaper. Rue the day you "cock up" (mess up) his order for a "Long black, poured halfway. Make it strong." Nichols is obviously "one of us" as evidenced by his comments:

But send out an over-extracted, lukewarm double espresso with no crema and I'm likely to explode in a furious caffeine-depleted rage.

I guess you could call me a coffee snob.

Way to go, Lane!

Read Lane's full post on the Bad Coffee Blues. (Translation of Kiwi-English not provided!)

Best Beans for Espresso

2009-01-20T21:49:00.001-08:00

I ran across a question posted to Yahoo Answers recently that read something like "I just got an espresso machine for Christmas. What are the best beans to use"? The answer was "Any dark roast. French roast would be good".

I don't think the person who posted the answer really had a clue and expressed the common misconception that espresso roasts are dark. The fact is that French roast would be about one of the worst roasts to use for espresso. I know; I've tried them myself. You definitely won't be getting any crema out of French roast and altogether it will be a very unsatisfactory outcome and for the beginner at home something that is likely to put them off home espresso brewing completely not knowing that the wrong beans were recommended.

Actually, most of the best espresso roasts are light to mid-roast. What is known as "city roast" is a mid-roast and is the type of roast that is used for the best espresso-based drinks that come from the best coffee shops.

Dark roasts get to the point where the oils of the bean are being forced out through the outer hard shell of the coffee bean because of the extra roasting time and heat. The beans are dark, shiny, and wet looking. If that's how your beans look, then you won't be getting any crema out of them. Use them for filter coffee of French press/plunger coffee. Beans that you use for espresso, even if a darker roast, should look dry without any evidence of the oils having come to the surface of the bean during roasting.

Here are some of my coffee bean recommendations for espresso at home. And if you're really adventurous, then I have a whole series of posts on roasting green coffee beans at home for espresso drinks.

Good espresso-brewing at home for 2009!

Christmas 2008 Coffeemaker Recommendations

2008-11-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

In the latest edition of the Consumer Reports Magazine (January 2009) the organization reviewed and rated various kinds of coffeemakers. No espresso machines were in the tests, but 8-12 cupp carafe models, 12-cup brew stations, 8-10 cup grind and brew models, and 1- to 2-cup to-go models were.
I have added the recommended models to our store so that if you're in the market for a coffeemaker for yourself or someone on your Christmas list then they are all in one easy to locate spot for you.

Two models that got recommendations seem to not be currently available at Amazon.com, so do not appear in the store. They are the Mr. Coffee JWX27 and the DeLonghi Multi DCF-212T.

Click here to research the coffeemakers that were recommended by Consumer Reports. Happy Christmas shopping!

The Golden Rule of Perfect Espresso

2008-07-14T20:32:00.001-07:00

The Golden Rule: Don't send your crema down the drain!

By now you've probably studied my 9 steps to making perfect espresso coffee and the separate section on making perfect crema. In the section on making perfect crema, I made reference to "The Golden Rule" that you see frequently quoted, which is: "Extract 2 to 2.5 ounces of coffee into your cup in 20 to 30 seconds from the moment you turn on the pump."

I have a completely different Golden Rule for making perfect espresso coffee that I am going to share with you now.

New Zealand where I grew up has an even more deeply entrenched "espresso coffee culture" than the United States, and there is one significant difference in how espresso coffee is made in New Zealand cafes and coffee shops. That key difference is this: in the United States the espresso is typically brewed into a pitcher and then poured into the cup.

In New Zealand, and many other countries for that matter, the espresso is brewed directly into the cup from which is will be drunk. This one simple difference makes a huge difference in flavor. Why? The crema!

Crema is the caramelized coffee sugars and coffee proteins that float on top of a well-brewed espresso coffee, and carries with it immense aroma and flavor. If you've had espresso and not liked it, it may have been because the "barista" didn't do a good job of making the espresso and literally threw most of the crema down the drain! How so? Quite easily; by using the technique popular in the U.S. of brewing the espresso into a pitcher and then pouring it into the cup, most of the crema is left clinging to the sides of the pitcher, to be washed down the drain. What a crying shame! But it happens millions of times all over the U.S. every day in every Starbucks, and other coffee chains you frequent. Why do they do it?

Espresso crema - the liqueur of coffee.
Crema consists of caramelized coffee sugars and coffee proteins. It will be formed only when you brew your coffee at the right pressure and right temperature. Read here about how to make perfect crema.

Here's an illustration of what I mean. I brewed an espresso into a glass demitasse cup so you can clearly see the caramel-like foam on the top called "crema". Sometimes it may even appear milky-white when looking down on it, hence the name "crema".

Then I poured the espresso out into another cup. Look at all the crema left behind on the sides of the demitasse cup! The same thing happens when the coffee is extracted into a stainless steel pitcher and then poured into a cup.

Why do American coffee shops wash cream down the drain?

So that's my Golden Rule: Make your espresso directly into the cup from which you are going to drink it! Don't be guilty of washing your crema down the drain. You'll be amazed at the difference in flavor!

How to Make Perfect Espresso Crema

2008-07-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Crema is the essence of good espresso coffee. I like to think of it as the Holy Grail of espresso coffee. Without it you might as well pour it down the drain, and in fact at the cafe where I was trained as a barista, MacFarlane's Caffe in Inglewood, New Zealand, that's exactly what we had to do; no crema or bad crema and we had to start again. Down the drain it went. The test was to drag a teaspoon through the crema and if it didn't close up again and completely cover the surface of the coffee, then it was not good enough. So don't forget: espresso coffee without good crema is not good espresso.

There are several elements to "extracting" espresso coffee and achieving rich, creamy crema.

The beans. Some beans will never produce crema, even some that are sold as espresso roast. The best espresso roasts use primarily Arabica beans, which originated in Ethiopia, but have spread throughout the coffee-growing world. Some Robusta beans are typically included in the blend because of their ability to generate crema. Most people imagine espresso roast beans to be dark, but it all depends on the roast. You can get both light and dark espresso roasts. The beans in an espresso light or mid-roast tend to be quite dry and shrunken when compared to dark roasts which are plump and oily. If you are buying your beans from a good source, they should be able to describe for you the crema-producing qualities of the beans.

The grind. It seems everything has to be just so when making espresso and producing good crema. The next thing is the grind. Basically you are aiming at not allowing the water to pass through too quickly, but not making the grind so fine that your machine won't be able to force the water through without straining. This is achieved in two ways: the fineness of the grind of the beans, and the tamping of the beans in the portafilter. To achieve good crema, for a double shot, extract 2 to 2.5 ounces of coffee into your cup in 20 to 30 seconds from the moment you turn on the pump. You will see this referred to in various places as "The Golden Rule". (I have a completely different Golden Rule for perfect espresso you should read about.) A single shot should still take 20 to 30 seconds, but now you will want 1 to 1.5 ounces of coffee in your cup.

The flow of the coffee when being extracted should be steady and even, coming from both holes of the portafilter. If your coffee beans are ground too coarsely, the flow will be too fast and no crema will be produced.

On the other hand, if they are ground too finely, the flow will be too slow, or hardly any flow at all and your pump will be straining. To a certain extent, you can make up for the grind being too coarse by tamping the coffee harder, or if the grind is too fine, by tamping more gently. With a bit of trial and error, adjust your grinder setting until you achieve the correct flow and perfect crema production. You need to use a conical burr grinder that grinds the beans to an even consistency and which has multiple variable grind setting. Here is my recommendation for a conical burr grinder.

Tamping. Tamping is the process of pressing down on the ground coffee in the portafilter with a tool known as a tamper. The tamper should fit snuggly into the filter basket. Tamp with even pressure of about 30lbs. How do you know what 30lbs is? Get out your scales and put them on the counter and practice so that you get the feel for how hard you need to press down. Tamping is aimed at achieving an even and consistent flow of the water through the coffee. If the coffee is packed unevenly, the water will find its way through gaps in the coffee, flowing too quickly through them for there to be a good extraction; most of the water will flow through the more loosely packed coffee, and not flowing through some of the coffee in the filter basket at all. In fact it is possible to bang out the coffee after the extraction is finished and see whole areas of coffee that are completely dry. You can't make good crema without tamping your coffee before the extraction.

Correct brewing temperature. The temperature of the water has to be hot enough to caramelize the sugars in the coffee to make the crema. The optimal temperature range is around 92 to 96 degrees Celsius (198 - 205 Fahrenheit). The best machines use a metal for the boiler that has good heat retention, such as brass. Also, many machines offer separate boilers for coffee brewing and steam generation. This is because the water used for steaming has to be heated to a higher temperature than is the optimal temperature range for brewing the coffee.

Correct brewing pressure. Effective brewing requires pressure of at least 130 psi, which some domestic machines just don't seem capable of. The pressure rating for your machine will be quoted in "bars". Many of the cheaper domestic machines achieve 8 bars of pressure, which is a stretch when it comes to achieving good crema. Get a machine that is rated about twice that. Sometimes these machines are described as "semi-commercial", but don't you believe it; consider this the minimum standard for your home espresso machine.

At the beginning, you will have to accept a certain amount of trial and error. Practice, practice, and practice some more. Vary everything: the grind, the amount of tamping pressure you use, and your beans.

With just a little bit of practice, provided you are using good fresh beans, you too will be pulling the perfect espresso shot with a rich layer of crema floating on top. Yum!

How to Make Milk for Espresso Coffee Drinks

2008-07-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Typically the milk is prepared in a stainless-steel pitcher or "jug" as it is called in some countries. You need the pitcher to be large enough to accommodate the expansion in the volume of the milk as you steam it. Choose the size of the pitcher based on how many drinks you are going to prepare. If you are going to prepare several drinks, you might consider preparing more than one batch of milk, or at least "recharging" what is left by adding more milk to the pitcher and preparing more. The fact is that once you have poured off milk for the first two drinks, you will be left with milk that is not sufficiently volumized to make a good drink and pleasing your guests.

In steaming the milk you are setting out to "volumize" it by adding tiny air bubbles to the milk, what are called "microbubbles". (Another expression you'll hear that means the same thing is "stretching" the milk). Place the tip of the steamer of your espresso machine just a little below the surface of the milk. Your aim is to suck air into the milk by forming a whirlpool near the top of the milk. Do not have the tip of the steamer above the milk or so close to the surface of the milk that the steam is blowing air into the milk: you are wanting the air to be sucked into the milk.

Do not move the pitcher up and down in an action that takes the steamer head in and out of the milk. Unfortunately, this is something that you'll see happening at quite a few coffee shops, and when you see it you can be sure the "barista" is poorly trained and you are about to be served an inferior drink.

Tilt the pitcher slightly so that the air being sucked into the milk is hitting the side of the pitcher near the bottom and is making the milk rotate so that the heat is being distributed and all of the milk is being brought into contact with the steam as it circulates around the pitcher.

By the time the milk has come to the correct temperature for your drink, it should be volumized to the extent that it has approximately doubled in volume. As I said before, make sure you leave sufficient room for this expansion to occur when you start out otherwise you will have to stop the steaming process before it is at the right temperature.

The milk should have been volumized by the addition of tiny "micro-bubbles" of air. It shouldn't be full of large bubbles which is what will happen if you lift the steam tip above the surface of the milk and blow into the milk. If however there are a few larger bubbles on the top of the milk when you are done, you can remove them by banging the pitcher on your counter top to break them

That's the basic preparation of your milk. However if you are going to be making a "flat white" or macchiato you have one more step to follow. That is to fold the micro-bubbles from the top into the milk at the bottom using a spoon or by swirling the milk in the pitcher until it becomes one consistent velvety and rich mixture. Use this milk for the preparation of flat whites and macchiato coffee. But here's what I do to save all the messy clean up when steaming your espresso milk: I use an Aerolatte whisk. Using the steamer in your home espresso machine can be a bit of a hassle. For a start, you need to have a machine that has a separate boiler for the water used to steam the milk. The reason for this is that to make steam, the water has to be heated a lot hotter than the water that is used to brew your espresso. If your machine has only one boiler for both brewing the espresso and steaming the milk, then don't use the machines steamer. (I give you an alternative below.) Some machines I found also cause the pressure in the espresso side to increase to the point that you get "blow back" when you remove the filter cup from the machine and coffee grounds will be blown all over your kitchen. (This was a fault of the "Briel" espresso machine I owned for a while; other than that fault, it was a good machine though. When using the steamer you also need to be meticulous in keeping the steam head clean of milk so that the the tiny hole that the steam comes through doesn't become blocked with dried milk, not to mention obvious health and hygiene reasons that demand you keep the steam head clean, milk being such a wonderful breeding medium for bacteria

For all these "drawbacks" I personally have dispensed with using the steamer at home, and use a wonderful little gadget called an "Aerolatte", which is basically a battery-powered whisk. I use a plastic mug in which to heat the milk in the microwave oven; 1 minute is the perfect time for bringing the milk to the right temperature in my case. You then use the Aerolatte to achieve the same volumization effect talked about above. Again, position the whisk head sufficiently below the surface of the milk for it to cause a vortex that sucks air down into the milk. I works perfectly, and all it takes to keep the whisk clean is to run it briefly under some running water after each time you use it

You can buy an Aerolatte at Amazon.com. You can get them in several finishes. The one I have at home is the matt black. I recommend getting the stand that goes with it too so you can keep it conveniently next to your espresso machine.

How to Make a Flat White

2008-07-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Flat White is an espresso-based drink common in New Zealand and Australia. I'm not sure if this terminology is used elsewhere in the world, but I offer it since it is an exceptional espresso-based drink, rich and velvety in the mouth, and my personal favorite. I find that it appeals to my American friends when I make it for them, which is surprising in a way since Americans are used to espresso-based drinks that have a high proportion of milk to espresso - flat-white has a much lower ratio of milk to espresso.

In making a flat-white you are essentially making a latte, but pouring less milk to start, and then placing less of the micro-foam milk on the top, hence the word "flat" in the name. Whereas a latte has about half to one inch of micro-foam on top depending on preference, a flat-white has only about 1/4 inch of micro-foam on top. As I said before, the milk to espresso ratio in New Zealand and Australia is much less than is typical of espresso-based drinks in the United States.

Make sure you learn how to prepare the milk for your espresso-based drinks. When preparing your milk for a flat-white, blend or fold the micro-foam into the rest of the milk either with a spoon or by swirling the pitcher. The milk should be velvety and wet.

Flat-White lends itself well to making what is referred to as Latte Art. With a bit of practice you can make patterns such as leaves and hearts. But first of all just perfect making a great flat-white; it tastes as good however it looks when well made. Even without the pattern, the drink should look rich and inviting since the espresso, crema, and velvety milk all combine to make for a rich and inviting palate. It's a work of art to see, let alone drink!

Here's an answer, by the way, to a question asked by a nibbler789 at StumbleUpon.com: What is the difference between a flat white and a cappuccino?

Now that I've wetted your appetite for a flat white, make them at home. To get going you will initally need to make an investment in some appliances, so here are my recommendation for a home espresso maker and coffee grinder

If your thing is latte or cappuccino, etc., I have posted other how to make Espresso Based Drinks.

LA Mill Coffee

2008-06-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Saw a show on the local Southern California PBS station last night, KCET, about LA Mill Coffee in Silverlake. It was on the Huell Howser "Visiting" series which is a show that features the places and faces of California.

Seems like this is a place worth checking out, with a big emphasis on quality and standards in food and coffee that would make any coffee snob proud. They don't even have filter coffee which is like a donut without a hole in the U.S. of A. Also did not see any sign of paper cups, another very good indicator of quality and standards. Even filter coffee is made one cup at a time. S

ome of the styles of coffee brewing seemed a little gimmicky, like the Japanese "syphon" method, but a place that's willing to spend about 10 to 15 minutes of a staff time devoting a crew member to brewing your coffee in a chemistry set complete with Bunsen burner shows commitment to the customer. No doubt you pay for it, though.

Espresso shots are made with the care and precision necessary to turn out quality, and no "barista" is permitted to work the espresso machine before they have undertaken 100 hours of training. So next time I'm in the area, I'll check it out. Anyone out there been already and got any comments to post? Go ahead.

The LA Mill Coffee is located at 1636 Silverlake Blvd in Los Angeles, and their website is http://www.lamillcoffee.com/.

Adjust Your Roasting Profiles for Summer

2008-06-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm reiterating a previous post I made on this topic - as the temperatures rise going in to summer, you need to adjust your roasting profiles to account for the higher ambient temperatures. It makes a big difference I have found.

All the profiles I saved during my earlier series of posts are way too long now and I have had to start the cool down manually on my i-Roaster to prevent the beans from burning.

I just opened a bag of Ethiopian Natural Harrar beans. These are one of my all-time favorite beans and I don't want to spoil them by over-roasting. I have them on a profile of 385F for 5 minutes, 430F for 2 minutes, and a final 465F for 2 minutes right now. The temperature in the shade of my patio where I do my roasting is currently 77F.

If you find your beans are getting too dark you can interrupt the profile on your i-Roaster at any time by pressing the Roast/Temp button. This will start the 4 minute cool cycle.

One other thing I read some time ago that helps with the cooling cycle is to loosen the top of the roaster (the piece that has the grille that the air is forced to on the top) so that the air can escape more easily and help with the cooling. Don't do this inside, though, as you will get the chaff all over the place. It ends up on my deck but that is easily taken care of with my leaf blower.

The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

2008-04-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a blog post about the health benefits of our favorite addiction. Jake, whose name rhymes with cake we are told, is a professional triathelete, and I'm sure such people are driven not only to excessive exericse, but also to finding out all there is to know about health, fitness, and the effects of the stuff that they shove into their ever-hungy mouths. And Jake has the facts, figures, and diagrams to reassure us what we've always wanted to be reasurred about: coffee is good for us in so many ways, and we'll all live longer, healthier and happier lives for being coffee addicts. As Jake tells us: "habitual coffee drinkers are half as likely to die of heart failure as those who don't fill their mug daily. And while caffeine spikes blood sugar, a java habit may help you dodge diabetes."

Thanks, Jake! I'll drink to that!

Tanzania KNCU Green Coffee Beans

2008-04-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

I was so happy with the 5lb sampler pack of green organic coffee beans the I bought from Seven Bridges Cooperative at Amazon.com which I featured here in my series about roasting green coffee beans at home that I subsequently bought their 9lb sampler pack. Some of the same beans as before were included of course, but some were new. I am just finishing up the 1lb of Tanzania KNCU beans. Described on the label as recommended for medium to French roasting, I have been roasting them using the first preset on my iRoast-2 home roaster. This results in a medium "city roast".

The espresso produced is excellent. Rich in crema and sweet and citrusy with a little acidity. Absolutely no bitterness at all. A friend from whom I brewed a cup on the weekend commented "This is the best coffee you've ever made" so it gets an independent vote as well.

I just searched the Seven Bridges storefront at Amazon but didn't see it listed - perhaps it was only available in a short run or only as part of the sampler pack. I think the sampler packs are variable in their content so it's a bit of a crap shoot, but you get to try some beans that you no doubt would never get to try otherwise.

Anyhow, if you ever see Tanzanian KNCU beans anywhere, grab a pound or two.

Don't Overdo Colombia Popayan Beans

2008-04-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I have been making my way through a 1lb bag of Green Colombia Popayan Beans lately and have found that it's very important not to over-roast them. These beans are characterized by bitterness whichever why you roast them, but the longer the roast, the more bitter they become. Definitely not a bean for straight espresso shots in my opinion, but great for espresso drinks with milk. Roast them "city style" and avoid ending up with a dark roast and you should find something you can enjoy.

Adjust Your Roasting Profile for Ambient Temperature

2008-03-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

My recent series on roasting green coffee beans at home took place during the winter months here in Southern California. I take my iRoast-2 home roaster outside onto the patio since if I use it inside it sets off the smoke detectors! You can buy a venting attachment but I don't have a range hood that vents to the outside, so that's a no-go for me.

Anyhow, with the arrival of warmer spring weather I noticed a big difference in the darkness of the beans using the same profile I have favored throughout the winter. The roasts have resulted in very dark beans, akin to French roast. The beans are also sweating oil which also is indicative of a dark roast.

So if you're like me and roasting outside, take into acount the ambient temperature when you're roasting. Small differences in the temperature makes a big difference to the outcome of the roast using the very same profile.

Happy roasting at home and saving money!

Ethiopia Natural Harrar Green Coffee Beans Roasting Test

2008-03-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

May I start out with "Yum!" These are really delicious beans, great for roasting as a "city roast" and making delicious espresso-based coffee drinks.

The beans are organic green coffee beans supplied by Seven Bridges Cooperative. The label recommends the beans for Vienna to Espresso roasting. I roasted the beans in two separate batches using the following customized profiles saved on my iRoast-2 home roaster:

Custom Roasting Profile #3
385F for 7 minutes
430F for 2 minutes
465 F for 2 minutes

Custom Roasting Profile #4
385F at 6 minutes
430F for 3.5 minutes
465F for 2 minutes

Obviously the second profile will result in a darker roast. I preferred the light roast, however (#3), although both were very satisfactory.

The coffee was superb on all counts: excellent crema and fantastic well-balanced flavor. The espresso was slightly bitter and acidic and very pleasant to drink. The flavor combined well with milk in a flat-white making for one of my favorites supplied in the sampler pack.

I have only one bag left in the sampler pack so I am getting ready to order larger bags of my favorite beans that I have identified over the course of this roasting coffee beans at home series. In taking a sneak peak for these beans at Seven Bridges storefront at Amazon.com, however, I found that they weren't currently offering these beans. Boo hoo! I also noticed that the sampler pack I have been working with noted only 2 left in stock!

Anyhow, keep a look out for these magnificent beans. Let's hope they show up again.

Roasting Peru Norte Organic Green Coffee Beans

2008-03-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Peru Norte beans supplied as part of the sampler pack from Seven Bridges Cooperative are recommended on the label as being suited to medium to dark French roast. I roasted the beans using profile 4 in my iRoast-2.

The beans produced less than good crema which broke up quickly. The flavor of the espresso was strongly acidic, and when used as the base for an espresso drink with milk the flavor had no highlights to recommend it.

I'll leave this one to those who use filter-drip coffee-makers.

Seven Bridges Cooperative has the following comments on its website about the Peru Norte beans:

Certified organic, shade grown, and Fair Trade. This coffee is very high grown in northern Peru, where many of the the organic coffee growers have been certified organic for over 2 decades. Grown from heirloom arabica typica cultivars which require a heavy shade cover to thrive. This area is also home to many rare birds such as the critically endangered White-winged Guan and the Peruvian Plantcutter. Bird guano is used in the coffee plantation as organic fertilizer. A wonderful South American coffee: a soft acidity, a very smooth medium body, a pleasing sweetness, and finishing with a subtle smokey flavor. Well suited to medium and dark roasts.

El Salvador San Mauricio Pipil Review

2008-02-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

I bought these El Salvador San Mauricio Pipil organic green coffee beans from the Seven Bridges Cooperative at Amazon.com as part of the Seven Bridges Cooperative 5 Lb. Organic Fair Trade Green Coffee Sampler. The label on the package recommends the beans for medium to French roasts.

The beans are fairly large and also because of the roasting recommendations made on the label I used a slightly longer roasting profile, saved profile #4 in my iRoast-2:

385F at 6 minutes
430F for 3.5 minutes
465F for 2 minutes

The roasted beans generate an average to good amount of crema, but the crema breaks up farily quickly. The taste of the espresso is distinctively bitter.

When used as the basis for an espresso-based coffee drink with milk, the taste is quite pleasant, with strong flavors of chocolate and caramel.

I recommend these beans for milk-based espresso drinks. They would also blend well with beans that produce better crema output, such as the Nicaragua 5 Junio, or the Colombian Popayan.

If your palate is adapted to bitter espresso shots, then this is a good one for you but allow for the fact that the crema will not persist on the shot for long.

Shop for all the equipment you need to roast green coffee beans and make perfect espresso at home

Sumatra Takengon Green Bean Roasting and Taste Test

2008-02-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

These beans come from the highland slopes of the Gayo Mountains near Laut Tawar in the Takengon region of Northern Sumatra. The beans are quite large; in fact, one of them got jammed in my grinder. (See my review of the Solis Maestro conical burr grinder).

Because of the size of the beans I roasted them on a longer profile (stored roasting profile #4 in my iRoast-2:

385F at 6 minutes

430F for 3.5 minutes

465F for 2 minutes

The resulting roast was a dark City roast.

The beans produce good crema. The flavor of the espresso is characterized by strong but pleasing acidity and a total lack of bitterness. This is the kind of espresso I love to drink after a big dinner that has been accompanied by an ample supply of wine! When used to make an espresso-based drink with milk such as a latte or a flat-white the result is an excellent flavor with the sweetness of the milk complimenting the acidity of the beans perfectly.

My overall recommendation for these beans is "excellent" and I highly-recommend them.

I bought these beans as part of a sampler pack of green fair-trade organic sold by Seven Bridges Cooperative at Amazon.com. Buy the Sumatra Takengon Green Beans or the 5 Lb. Organic Fair Trade Green Coffee Sampler from Seven Bridges Cooperative.

Seven Bridges Cooperative says of these beans:

There are over 200 small coffee producers who contribute to this very important OCIA certified organic coffee production. The farmers and communities of this remote region face a number of environmental and socio-economic challenges, including soil erosion, deforestation, low and unstable incomes. The organization, production, technical assistance and higher prices for certified organic coffee help these remote farmers by being able to generate a better income for themselves and improve the economic basis in the commmunities. The organic Sumatra Takengon semi-washed coffee is full bodied, slightly fruity, and clean with a sweet finish. This coffee is great as a varietal, blender and perfect for espresso.

Starbucks Closing All Stores for 3 Hours

2008-02-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

All U.S. Starbucks Stores Closing for 3 Hours February 26th from 5:30pm Local Time

Facing up to the reality that point-and-click machines may have resulted in a less-well-trained barista workforce, Starbucks has announced that it will be closing ALL stores in the U.S. for three hours on February 26th from 5:30pm local time to allow for three hours of refresher-training for staff. The stores will reopen at 8:30pm.

The removal of the Starbucks' caffeine fix from loyal customers is necessary to stave off increasing competition, even from McDonald's which is preparing to launch its own specialty coffee shops under the brand name of "McCafe". Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz, in announcing the surprising all-store closing stated that the refresher for all 135,000 U.S. employees is a push to "renew its focus on the customer".

My recommendation for Starbucks is to throw away all the dial-up point-and-click espresso machines and retrain all staff what it really takes to make a good espresso shot. Of course you know how to do that already by havning studied the extensive online-training in making espresso coffee drinks that I have provided here at EspressoCoffeeSnobs.com.

Nicaragua 5 de Junio Green Coffee Beans Test

2008-02-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here sipping a flat-white made with the organic green Nicaragua 5 de Junio beans that came in the Seven Bridges Cooperative green bean sampler pack.

The label on the bag recommends these beans for Medium to Full City.

I roasted the beans using my iRoast-2 home coffee bean roaster using the following profile:

385F for 7 minutes
430F for 2 minutes
465 F for 2 minutes

The roasted beans are mid-to dark brown, and the color is consistent through the bean, meaning a Full City roast.

The beans produce above average crema. The espresso liquor has distinctive bitter overtones.

These beans are quite comparable to the Colombian Popayan beans I previously tested in that they produce excellent crema and exhibit bitterness as the overriding taste, though these beans are not as distinctive in flavor in the way the Popayan beans are.

Roasting Green Colombia Popayan Beans

2008-02-02T22:08:00.001-08:00

Latest up for my iRoast-2 tests of the green coffee beans I purchased at Amazon.com in the Seven Bridges Cooperative green coffee bean sampler pack were the Colombian Popayan beans.

I’ve settled for using the one roasting profile now:

385F for 7 minutes
430F for 2 minutes
465 F for 2 minutes

This profile seems to work perfectly in achieving a “Full City” roast. Not too light, not too dark, and evenly consistent in color to the center of the bean.

You’ve got to prefer your coffee bitter to like these beans. I have actually bought roasted Colombia Popayan beans in the past, from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters I think. For my taste, they are a little on the bitter side. However, they sure do generate good crema; definitely above average. So they probably make a good target as a blend with something that is not as bitter but not as good at producing crema. For example, the delicious Bolivian Cenaproc beans which I wrote up in a previous post: Roasting Green Bolivian Cenaproc beans.

So to sum up:

The above roasting profile seems to work very well for achieving a “full city roast” using the iRoast-2.
If you prefer bitter highlights in your espresso coffee , then the Colombian Popayan beans are for you.
These beans produce above-average crema
These beans might be a great bean to blend with sweeter-tasting beans that don’t produce crema as well, such as Bolivian Cenaproc beans.

Happy home roasting! I’m having a lot of fun, learning to master my iRoast-2 and getting to try such a wide range of coffee flavors from around the world.

Green Bolivian Cenaproc Beans

2008-01-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

Latest up for my tests were Bolivian Cenaproc beans. Once again, these are organic green coffee beans, shade grown and certified USDA organic supplied by the Seven Bridges Cooperative in their green bean sampler pack.

The green beans have a very distinctive earthy smell. As far as size goes, they are what you probably consider your normal coffee bean size, unlike the previous beans I have tested which were all small beans. I used the roasting profile that is saved to slot #3 on my iRoaster 2, which is:

385F for 7 minutes
430F for 2 minutes
465 F for 2 minutes

Note: All roasting profiles using the iRoast 2 end with a 4 minute cooling cycle.

The color of the roasted beans was indicative of a medium roast. When ground the color of the ground beans was consistent with the external color of the beans. The roast could be classified as a "Full City Roast".

Crema production is average. I noted that if you didn't use beans that were freshly ground then crema production was poor.

However, flavor is superb! This is my favorite so far in terms of taste, and in taste tests with friends who have not liked many of the roasts I have tried on them from Seattle suppliers, this one gets a thumbs up as not being bitter.

I'm almost at the end of these beans, so keep an eye out for my next update; there are still several varieties left in the sampler pack.

All the equipment you need to going with making superb espresso coffee drinks for a fraction of the price you will pay at a coffee shop can be viewed and purchased online here at my Coffee Store.

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Brazil Poco Fundo Green Coffee Beans

2008-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

As reported in my previous post, I was about to roast some Brazilian Poco Fundo green coffee beans. I used the following profile, which is saved as #3 in my i-Roast 2:

385F for 7 minutes
430F for 2 minutes
465 F for 2 minutes

The roasting profile seemed to work out very well for these beans, which are on the small size. The color was medium to dark-medium. The beans when ground were the same color as the exterior color of the beans, meaning I had pulled off the perfect "Full City" roast.

The beans produced acceptable crema, though less than was produced by the previous beans I was testing, Timor Maubesse beans. The flavor was on the sweet side, and they made a very pleasant espresso-based drink. (Try my favorite, a flat white). If I had to choose between this, the Poco Fundo from Brazil and the Timor Maubesse from Timor, I would prefer the Maubesse.

Next up are Bolivian Cenaproc beans. Once again, organic green coffe beans, shad grown and certified USDA organic.