The Reading Room

Coffee Brew Mini Series: Troubleshooting Coffee Temperature
      Yesterday, we talked about the importance of getting the temperature right for great coffee. Before we talk about troubleshooting your coffee temperature, let's do a quick recap on what we know about coffee and brewing temperature.  ...
Coffee Brew Mini Series: Brewing Temperature Guideline
      One of the questions we hear a lot is "what's the right temperature for brewing coffee?" Depending who you ask, you'll hear an assortment of ranges cited as the "perfect brewing temperature." Before we get there, though,...
Coffee Appreciation Week Pt. 3: 5 Things to Do with Coffee Besides Drink It
    We'd never suggest that you waste good coffee doing anything but brewing it perfectly and enjoying it, but we understand how sometimes you end up with coffee you're just not going to drink. For us, it's usually a...
Coffee Appreciation Week Pt. 2: How to Host a Vertical Coffee Tasting
      Every coffee has many different faces, and a vertical coffee tasting is a good way to introduce yourself -- and a few friends -- to several of those faces at once. All you need is some friends,...
Coffee Appreciation Week Kickoff: 5 Ways in 5 Days
    Back in January, we resolved to help you increase your appreciation of coffee. That's why we're declaring this week to be Coffee Kind Coffee Appreciation Week, with a lineup of activities to help you see coffee in a...
Portola Coffee Lab Hosts Big Western This Weekend
What will you be doing this weekend? We know that we'll be spending part of the weekend watching #bigwestern on Twitter for updates on the Big Western Regional Barista Championship. The event is one of the regional qualifiers for the...
Cafe au Lait Pots de Creme with Meringue Toppers
      Cafe au Lait Pots de Creme with Meringue Topping Recipe from: Coffee Kind Whether you're looking for a special indulgence to reward yourself for a job well done or need a fabulous ending for a company dinner,...
Coffee Grinders Pt. 4: 5 Steps to Improve Your Coffee with Your Grinder
    If you've been following along in our coffee grinder series, you've learned why your coffee grinder matters, how to choose a coffee grinder and what your grind should look like for different brew methods. Now, let's talk about...
Coffee Grinders Pt. 3: A Visual Guide to Grind Size
    Continuing this week's Coffee Grinder Series, we've discussed the "whys" of buying a coffee grinder and the "whats" of searching for one. Today, we show you what to set your grinder to.   There is no standard measurement...
Coffee Grinders Pt. 2: 5 Things to Consider When You Buy
      In the first part of our coffee grinder overview, we talked about why you need a high quality coffee grinder to make a great cup of coffee. Now that you understand what makes the coffee grinder so...
Coffee Grinders Pt. 1: What's the Big Deal?
      Ask any coffee expert how to improve your coffee, and the first thing they'll tell you is to buy the best coffee grinder you can afford. Laying out a couple hundred bucks -- or more -- for...
Passion House Coffee Inspires Chicago Charcutier
    A couple of weeks ago, we featured an interview with Chicago's Passion House Coffee Roasters. This morning, we were delighted to find another Passion House fan who is doing some very interesting things with his favorite coffee. Mark...
World Nutella Day: Enjoy Your Coffee with Awesome Nutella Cupcakes
      Today is the day that the world celebrates the chocolate-hazelnut goodness that is Nutella. We figure chocolate tastes good with coffee. Hazelnut tastes good with coffee. Nutella is bound to taste good with coffee. These moist, choco-nutty...
My Coffee Valentine: Sweet Gifts for Coffee Lovers
    We may be biased, but when we smell romance in the air, it has the distinct aroma of freshly roasted and brewed coffee. Maybe it's the memory of that first hours-long getting-to-know you coffee date or the delicious...
Coffee Resolution Series #5: Learn More About Coffee
    We're wrapping up our Coffee Resolution Series with a look at the many other fascinating aspects of the coffee world and ways that you can educate more than just your palate. Coffee holds a unique place in the...
The Definitive Irish Coffee How-To
    This year, National Irish Coffee Day falls on Saturday, January 25, and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than by learning to make this caffeinated classic the right way. Here's everything you need to know...
Customize Your Coffee: Five Steps to Your First Coffee Blend
    Professsional coffee roasters often spend years learning about the qualities that go into a stellar coffee blend, but just as you don't have to be a professional pastry chef to make a tasty cake, you don't have to...
Coffee Resolutions Series: #4 Develop Your Palate
      Are you ever frustrated trying to taste the "juicy apricot notes" or "deep spicy cocoa undertones" described on the coffee label? Professional coffee tasters go through training to help them develop their palates and acquire a common...
Five Ways to Celebrate National Coffee Break Day
      January 20, 2014 is National Coffee Break Day. While it happens to fall on Martin Luther King Day this year, we know that a lot of you are in the office anyway -- and if you're not,...
2014 Good Food Awards: Congratulations to 1000 Faces and Metropolis Coffee
Each January, the Good Food Awards honor the very best foods -- both in taste and in sustainability -- in 10 categories and across five regions of the U.S. One of those categories is, of course, coffee. When this year's...
Yes, You Can: Drink Great Coffee at the Office Pt. 2
    //assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png" /> In the first part of our great office cofee series, we talked about ways to improve the quality of the coffee for your entire coffee. Unfortunately, not everyone has an understanding, coffee-loving boss. That doesn't mean...