The Reading Room

Traditionally, the fermentation process for pulping coffee beans has been used. It begins by soaking the beans and then removing the water, which carries the hydrolyzed mucilage; this is a natural process in which the flora in the coffee bean...

A coffee blend combines beans from two or more origins to produce a flavor profile that no single origin can deliver on its own. Most coffee sold commercially is a blend. Most espresso is a blend. The goal is consistency, complexity, and balance , characteristics that vary too much in any single-origin lot to guarantee across harvests. This guide covers why roasters blend, what makes a good coffee blend, how to read a blend, and the logic behind Blackout's three house blends.

/files/u3/iStock_000007628238XSmall_0.jpg" width="283" align="right" height="387" />"When she returned with the steaming coffee, I had just read the last page. Isabella sat down opposite me. I smiled and slowly sipped the delicious brew. The girl wrung her hands and gritted her teeth,...

Do you prefer whole bean Ethiopian Organic Sidamo light roast, or Candy Cane Flavored Decaf ground?To purists, they're at opposite ends of the spectrum./wp/wp-content/uploads/files/uploads/lexus.jpg" width="250" vspace="10" hspace="10" height="168" align="left" title="If Ethiopian Sidamo were a car" alt="If Ethiopian Sidamo were a...

/files/u707/iStock_000008004636XSmall.jpg" alt="Hazelnut Syrup" title="Hazelnut Syrup" align="left" border="0" height="240" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="161" />Before we get to the main thrust of this post, I want to say a few words about the importance of coffee freshness.  Again and again, the experts drone...

Most Colombian coffee comes from family-owned farms averaging 1.5 to 2 hectares. Here is what life and work actually looks like on a Colombian coffee smallholding.

Decaf coffee removes 97% or more of caffeine from green coffee beans before roasting. The method used , Swiss Water Process, CO2, ethyl acetate, or methylene chloride , determines how much flavor is preserved. Most bad decaf is the result of a poor decaffeination process on low-quality beans, not an inherent problem with decaf. This guide covers how each decaffeination method works, what it does to flavor, and how to find decaf coffee that actually tastes good.

/files/u707/iStock_000006960135XSmall.jpg" width="311" height="200" align="left" border="0" vspace="10" hspace="10" />I am ecstatic right now as I type this.  The reason is that I just cheated.  Not sure why, but I just typed into Google, “How does Kenyan coffee taste?”  You see, I...

Women manage a significant share of Colombian coffee farms. Here is what women-led Colombian coffee farming actually looks like: organic transitions, native forest, and community teaching.

Drip coffee is the most common brew method in the US, and most home drip machines produce a mediocre cup , not because drip is inherently inferior, but because most machines run water too cool (below 195°F) and too fast. The SCA Golden Cup standard requires 195 to 205°F water temperature, a 1:18 to 1:15 brew ratio, and a 4 to 8 minute total brew time. This guide covers the parameters that matter, why most home machines miss them, and 6 adjustments that improve drip coffee without buying new equipment.

/files/u707/yowza.jpg" align="left" border="0" height="249" hspace="15" vspace="15" width="249" />For this week’s post, I decided to try another single-origin coffee.  Inside the specialty coffee shop, I asked the clerk what single-origins she had.  Ooh, how about this nice Brazilian roast I have?,...

It has been a busy end of 2009. I love beginnings and 2010 is promising. I am sure it will bring us opportunities to make it a better year. I started the year drinking Antigua coffee. The colonial style city...

Looking for topics this week, I stumbled upon this NYTimes.com blog post called Robusta Economy by Oliver Schwaner-Albright.  In a coffee bean nutshell, the post declared that if there’s one thing diverse roasters could agree upon, it was that “Arabica...

/files/u707/IMG_4196_0.jpg" alt="My new French Press" title="My new French Press" align="top" border="0" width="300" height="400" /> It’s been hyped more than Apple’s new iPad.  Well maybe that’s not true, but among coffee snobs aficionados, the pressure is palpable: if you want to...

 Colombian coffee is one of the most balanced, versatile origins in the world. Learn what shapes the flavor, which regions to know, and why freshness makes the difference.

Siphon demonstration on how to make exceptional coffee at home A gourmet coffee demo like no other, Frank Lanzkron Tamarazo, owner of acclaimed Chazzano Coffee Roasters in Ferndale, Michigan, brings us into a professional coffee brewing and tasting session. Learn...

Last week, I volunteered at a booth at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.  The booth belonged to the Hawaii Coffee Association and its purpose was to promote Hawaiian coffees.  Few other booths were dedicated to coffee at the...

/files/u707/IMG_4189.jpg" border="0" align="top" height="256" width="384" />In both biscotti’s posts so far, I’ve reviewed single-origin coffees; not specific brands or crops, just coffees that came entirely from one of the world’s main coffee growing regions.  So far, I’ve sampled coffee from...

Coffee tasting notes are not additives. They describe the natural flavors inside the bean. Learn what the most common terms mean and how to start tasting them yourself.

/files/u707/IMG00019-20100106-1105.jpg" align="top" height="222" width="333" />You mean I get to blog about coffee?  For real?  Where's the cameras - c'mon, who put you up to this?Oh, OK.  You were serious.  Let's begin.First, a smidge of background.  For a long time, I...

The endless blue ocean that is the Arafura Sea meets Papua with a violent shudder of breaking surf on rocky beaches. Papua simply rises out of the water like some strange prehistoric animal. Ponderous, enormous, mysterious. The mountains climb endlessly,...