The Reading Room

Gulping down the good stuff.
One of the New Year's resolutions that was raised by another coffee fiend was to try and sip their coffee in the morning as oppose to mindless drink the brew down as they get ready for their day. So I...
More Cleaning: Descale That Boiler!
When I first got my La Pavoni Europiccola last March (almost our anniversary!), I was living with my parents while waiting to hear back about grad school. They live in one of the better suburbs of Syracuse, and have pretty...
Red Bird Espresso
I was looking back through my tasting notes today trying to see if there were some coffees I haven't had in a while which I should be ready to order as soon as my grinder arrives. One real stand out...
Coffee Maker Buying Guide: 5 Types and How to Choose the Right One

The right coffee maker depends on what you prioritize: convenience, cup quality, volume, or cost. There are 5 main types , drip machine, single-serve pod, French press, pour over, and AeroPress , and each produces a different result. This guide covers what each one does and how to choose.

A Morning Disaster!
Morning is hardly my favorite time of the day mainly because I like to sleep in. It is precisely because of this that in the morning, I especially need coffee. Usually, when it comes to making coffee, the aeropress is...
Iced Coffee: 3 Methods, How Each Works, and Which One to Use

Iced coffee is not just hot coffee poured over ice. Three methods produce completely different results: cold brew, Japanese iced pour over, and iced drip. Each uses a different extraction approach, takes different time, and delivers a different cup. This guide covers how each works and which to use.

Amazingly Cheap Coffee, diner style.
One of my favorite places to get a cup of coffee is at a diner one busy morning. The reason being that not only is there something just nice about getting coffee with friends or family over breakfest, but also...
Starbucks aims to hit the mark, well the Target anyway.
Starbucks aims to hit the mark, well the Target anyway. I blogged the other day about Starbucks starting to serve drinks like wine and beer at their shops and how this surprised me a little, but how it made sense...
5 things I've learned after 2,000 cups of coffee
Since we started ROASTe, I've sampled probably 250+ coffees and consumed about 2,000 cups of coffee.  Prepared by every conceivable method -- Aeropress, Chemex, Clover, hand-lever espresso machine, super-automatic espresso machine,  siphons, french presses, the ordinary drip coffee machine and...
The Coffee Indulgence Doesn’t Have To Cost More Than Your Couch
If you have a job in America, the chances are 50/50 that you are still indulging in the simple pleasures such as coffee from a shop. Half of all American workers buy coffee during the work day, spending more than...
The Occasional 'Barista'
One of my jobs is as a cook/butcher, but occasionally I'm asked to work our coffee bar. In the late afternoon, between the shift change for our baristas there is a small rush. During these times, I have been asked...
Using your Auto-Drip manually.
Anyway so today I saw that someone had lost the use of their auto-dripper, and unfortunately it was their only device for brewing coffee. However, one of the best things that a person can have to use to make coffee...
The Upgrade
Yesterday I talked about my coffee learning experience thus far: Education through going to coffee shops, drinking and asking questions. Eventually, I also bought a Rancilio Silvia and Cunil Tranquillo to keep on learning and expand my repertoire. As I...
Boxes of Goodies
It's always a wonderful thing when you get that fresh bag of coffee in the mail. Sometimes, though, your shipments of treats and goodies all converge and wind up on your doorstep at once. And what an extra special occasion...
Caffeine in Coffee: 5 Things That Determine How Much Is in Your Cup

 How much caffeine is in your coffee depends on more than the roast level. Coffee species, dose, brew method, grind size, and water contact time all affect caffeine content. These 5 factors explain what actually determines how much caffeine ends up in your cup.

"Camping" coffee?
My drip coffee maker stopped working. Waah! Since I do not have any other coffee makers (my french press broke) I was not sure what alternatives I had. I remembered reading articles about "camping" coffee so looked online and deciced...
What a Week!
It's been a heck of a week here at Chez Chamie. The roommate landed in the hospital last Tuesday when he woke up in the morning with no sensation in his lower leg. Turned out that the stent from an...
Is a Coffee Subscription Worth It? What to Know Before You Subscribe

 A coffee subscription delivers fresh-roasted beans on a schedule you control. Here is what to look for, what questions to ask, and how a subscription compares to buying coffee one bag at a time.

A shout to Brown Coffee Co.
I am surprised that there has not been another blog post about this recent addition to the roasters here at Roaste, Brown Coffee Co. I know it seems like there is always a new roaster starting to sell here, but...
How often do you change coffees?
Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/i/339e1298-c93f-4180-8d1c-a8cb3c8846e2&... mce_href="http://www.widgetbox.com/i/339e1298-c93f-4180-8d1c-a8cb3c8846e2&... Creator Pro</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/" mce_href="http://www.widgetbox.com/"&... free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com" mce_href="http://www.widgetbox.com"&a...! Not seeing a widget? (<a href="http://support.widgetbox.com/" mce_href="http://support.widgetbox.com/"&... info</a>) How often do you change coffees in a week? I notice one...