The Reading Room

[Note: After writing this up, I noticed that a few of broseph’s past blog entries are clearly relevant. Check them out here and here!] Ok, it was 91 degrees in Baltimore the other day, and we’ll be in the upper...

/files/World-Barista-Championship-Events-Schedule20110530.jpg" alt="2011 World Barista Championship - Schedule of Events" title="2011 World Barista Championship - Schedule of Events" align="left" height="346" hspace="7" width="347" />As we finish off the Memorial Day long weekend, the world baristas are starting their next big feat, and...

/files/World-Barista-Championship-Bogota-20110529.jpg" alt="Bogota, Colombia - Host of the 2011 World Barista Championship" title="Bogota, Colombia - Host of the 2011 World Barista Championship" align="middle" height="200" hspace="5" vspace="3" width="601" />Well, it’s no secret that we’re all thrilled about the upcoming competition. Many of...

/files/u2252/1SL7860_0.jpg" align="right" height="400" width="240" />Our European friends have been enjoying one of the newer style machines for brewing pods for a while now - the Senseo Quadrante. I was very excited to find one of these in the wild wired...

There are certain benefits to saying and sometimes believing that there is nothing new under the sun. For one thing, it better equips one to humbly and often wisely excuse oneself from seriously considering the ever-changing latest. And in coffee,...

Why does unflavored coffee taste and smell the way it does? What causes us to perceive notes like blueberry, honey, lemon, or tomato when we drink it? Now I'm no chemist, but I’ve always been fascinated by how our senses...

One of the most comon questions we get at ROASTe is how to store coffee.We've tried just about everything here -- freezer, refrigerator, canisters, rubber bands around the bag, ziplocs.And we've spoken with about a dozen different roasters who sell...

There is a unique coffee processing method that provides a taste so different from ordinary coffee that it's like spotting a unicorn or Bigfoot.The cup of coffee tastes like blueberries, strawberries, melon, dried apricot, lemon....a kaleidoscope of flavor.  It's such...

Just like hemlines change in haute couture, coffee flavors change among the cognoscenti.What's in fashion now?Lemon.  /wp/wp-content/uploads/files/uploads/lemon.jpg" width="432" height="362" border="10" align="right" />I've heard if called Meyer Lemon, grapefruit, "gorgeous finishing notes of Meyer Lemon," key lime (rare) and other embellishments....

/files/World-Barista-Championship-Tumi-Ferrer-trophy-teaser.jpg" alt="Iceland's Barista Champion - Tumi Ferrer" title="Iceland's Barista Champion - Tumi Ferrer" align="left" height="481" hspace="5" width="320" /> If you’re anything like me, you probably don’t remember that moment you officially decided you like coffee. But for Tumi Ferrer, this...

I’ve had this total immersion brewer for 6 months now, and my impression of it is overwhelmingly positive. I think it's making some of the greatest coffee I've ever had at home. Here's a thorough review from CoffeeGeek (with pictures)...

Back in January, while searching desperately for a Baratza Virtuoso on clearance, I noticed that the local Williams Sonoma store had a new display called "Specialty Coffee" toward the back. It's worth looking for! I didn't have time to take...

/files/World-Barista-Championship-blog.pourover.20110522.jpg" alt="Pour-Over Brewing Method" title="Pour-Over Brewing Method" align="left" height="424" hspace="5" width="283" />We’re barely a week away from the Big Event and you may have noticed by now that many of the top baristas vying for the title have their coffee...

I mentioned these disposable pourover kits in a previous blog entry and figured I’d post more details since they’re not getting much coverage yet online as far as I can tell. In a nutshell, Kantans are the bomb. They're really...

Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know Pete, this year’s US Barista Champion, I think it’s about time we get to know a bit more about his story, leading up to the big win. With the actual...

Happy National Anniversary Day to Ethiopia and Ecuador! This week marks the anniversaries of two of our favorite coffee countries – Ecuador and Ethiopia. Ecuador celebrates on May 24, and Ethiopia follows on May 28. ROASTe salutes these two nations...

/files/United-States-Barista-Champion-2011.Pete-Licata.Courtesy.BeverageUnderground.png" target="_http://www.beverageunderground.com/barista-uses-hawaiian-coffee-to-win-us-barista-championship/" alt="US Barista Champ Pete Licata - photo courtesy of Beverage Underground" title="US Barista Champ Pete Licata - photo courtesy of Beverage Underground" align="left" height="334" hspace="5" width="451" />The US Barista Championship is “long” behind us. Well, at least a...

There’s been so much buzz the past few years about pourover brewing that I’d been curious to try it out. However, I didn’t like the start-up costs that seemed to be involved. In particular, I thought $50-60 for a kettle...

The pursuit of perfection defines us. "Coffee," broadly construed, makes this clear as day. In the land of single-serve, for example, people often ask what machine they should buy that can make both great espresso and great drip coffee. There...

/files/World-Barista-Championship-Espresso-Machine-20110516.jpg" alt="picking the right espresso machine" title="picking the right espresso machine" align="left" height="411" hspace="5" width="292" />Sure, without the baristas, there’s little point to even think about the World Barista Championship. This competition depends on additional major factors, such as the...

/files/WorldBaristaChampionship.JG_.Teaser.jpg" alt="World Barista Championship contestant John Gordon" title="World Barista Championship contestant John Gordon" align="left" height="214" hspace="5" width="320" />As the World Barista Championship draws closer, I think it’s only fitting we take a moment to get to know John Gordon, who’ll...