The Reading Room

Any one want to buy a tamper? You do if you buy a new espresso machine. Sure, I hear you now saying "wait a minute Eric, My machine comes with a tamper." You are right it does come with it's...

There has been a lot of talk lately about the value of a good portafilter basket because a company called VST introduced a carefully constructed, but more expensive basket for espresso.   This post is not to discuss VST baskets,...

My first personal coffee blog Long before I thought of blogging here on Roaste along with the other bloggers already here, I kept a blog of sorts that I have found invaluable over time.   For every coffee I bought...

After having taken a couple of fantastic coffee voyages, I'm pretty sure I know exactly how I'd set up my ideal caffè- right down to the big black square-rimmed glasses each barista would be forced to wear (if they wear...

As I'm sitting here sipping on a cappuccino with milk perfectly steamed into microfoam and poured into a decent rosetta, it got me thinking is this art nescessary for my enjoying of an espresso based drink?  Come to think of it,...

Bodum shot glasses are they worth it? I bought a pair of Bodum insulated shot glasses thinking I would love them since they look great, will keep the shot warm, and have a good size lip on them.  In truth...

The Roaste team recently asked what our most memorable experience with coffee was. Whether sitting down for a cup with family or relaxing on a tropical excursion and awakening to birds serenading your sunrise, we all have enjoyed a particular...

As a teenager my only relationship with coffee was what was poured into a dark brown mug at a fast food ( Hardees ) store.I thought I liked coffee and felt grownup when I could finish the whole cup. This...

It is important to keep espresso machines and grinders clean because it has a large impact on taste.  If you have rancid coffee oils in your group, for example, you have to assume that the coffee will taste bad.  A...

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtgB1IN8cdUcOiJbzgQVssoKPsBo2D3eIQ0Nzcvs8Vgy7X4NtS3A" /> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRxS7Q64xUQ  Black Coffe Most people know this song as a signature piece by Peggy Lee, but Ella makes it her own, as usual.

I thought I would dedicate this post to a product I would love to have, but have had a hard time justifying buying (ie can’t imagine buying), so if any of you are dying to give a random stranger an...

Are cows really sacred? Does the emperor really own a new set of clothes? Are the top priced coffees worth the premium they command? I wish I had the answers to these and other burning questions but I do not....

Never did I think that coffee would supplant Gatorade as a running essential.  I've been consuming some form of coffee, whether it be espresso or drip, just before a run for what seems like years now.  I figured it'd be...

When you pull a shot of coffee you might want to pull a single, a double or even a triple.   Each type of shot is pulled from a different basket – not surprisingly a single, a double, and a triple...

Espresso machines have tanks that are usually hidden from sight and that can build up scale from hard water.  One could avoid this issue by using only distilled water, but distilled water does not produce coffee that tastes as good...

      National Coffee Day - September 29, 2011       In celebration, ROASTe is introducing our premier all-American coffee! /files/u2500/wsletter_Pete_Licata_from_Honolulu_coffee_co.jpg" width="263" height="350" title="Pete Licata, champion barista" alt="Pete Licata, champion barista" />  Thursday September 29 is the annual US celebration of...

Cleaning your equipment – grinders Cleaning coffee equipment is essential to performance and taste.  I am always surprised at how many people are shocked when they find out that they should clean their burr grinder regularly. One option is to...

Essential equipment for espresso – the digital scale. The New York Times recently headlined their food section with an article asking why every serious cook does not use a digital scale given how cheap and useful they are.  The question...

As I sit here sipping a delicious creamy cappuccino made on a Ponte Vecchio Lever machine with a single origin Tarzania peaberry (an excellent choice for espresso as well as prepared in aeropress), it got me thinking a bit about...

I shot this video a while ago to promote my ebay item. This was a La Pavoni Euripicola vintage late 1980s. It was an all chrome machine intitially acquired through ebay for a cheap $150 as a none working machine....

The tittle is a bit misleading, I know! The aeropress is a great coffee maker but it also can make pretty bad cup of coffee if you the barista don't pay attention. Today, for the first time I managed to...