The Reading Room

Coffee roasters this season find themselves in the midst of making a hard decision which involves guessing how clients will respond to an Arabica shortage. Ultimately, it’s the consumer who will determine whether the right choice was made or not....

I'm not sure if this clip from Bodum sends quite the message the company wants to send. Watch and judge for yourself. The new Bodum Bistro Pourover coffee machine is an "updated" version of the automatic drip coffee maker that...

Whole bean coffee stays fresh longer, tastes better, and gives you full control over grind size for every brewing method. These 5 reasons explain why switching from pre-ground to whole bean is the single biggest upgrade most coffee drinkers can make.

When you see a bag with the words Kona coffee blend on it, what does it bring to mind? Do you assume most of the beans in the blend were grown in the Kona region? What percentage? This question and...

In one of the newest news stories here on Roaste I could not help to notice the link of a S.O espresso by Paradise roasters at the bottom of the page, India Sitara. The real interesting thing about this espresso...

I got lucky this weekend and got my hands on a workable digital camera (thanks to a writing client who wants coffee how-tos with pictures), so I thought I'd practice by sharing a little amateur coffee porn. This was my...

This blog started as an answer to the question asked in a blog here on ROASTe. In short, the blogger asks if someone is ever satisfied with their espresso gear – is enough ever enough? Is enough ever enough? It...

There is an interesting side to coffee that I was really unaware of until probably two or so years ago when I started looking at getting an espresso machine, the hobby side. I think that is a fair way to...

So, I noticed this article detailing the shortage of Arabica beans on the Wall Street Journal site earlier today and thought it might be interesting to discuss in a blog post. I’m not really sure the details on Arabica vs....

Decaf coffee quality depends on how the caffeine was removed. Swiss Water Process, CO2 decaffeination, and solvent-based methods each produce different results in the cup. This guide covers what each method does to the coffee and how to choose decaf that actually tastes good.

A defect in coffee which has been called “potato taste” has surfaced in Rwanda and is threatening the coffee there. It seems pests can cause taste changes in plants. For example, the stink bug, while feeding on the plant, can...

This suddenly hit me yesterday as I was drinking my espresso, that I had not made a milk based espresso drink for myself in over a week. I had also had yesterday five shots of espresso and of those only...

http://www.coffeebreak2day.com/images/coffee-everywhere.jpg" width="450" vspace="10" hspace="10" height="451" border="15" title="not a coffee nightgown" alt="not a coffee nightgown" /> I've come to the conclusion that I've got coffee on the brain. Lately, nearly everything I see makes me think about coffee. Witness the photo...

A while back I read a blog post here talking about the Mypressi Twist. Since then I’ve researched it exhaustively and determined that I would purchase one as my first espresso machine.Ok, I didn’t so much research it exhaustively as...

India is giving its coffee farmers subsidies for green technology used in coffee farming. The request for subsidies is being considered for farmers who use eco pulpers and worm compost beds so that they will have the necessary help pay...

I ordered this coffee (using e-beans so thanks ROASTe) as a present for my brother. I posted about this coffee in another earlier blog back on December 15th and finally ordered it on December 25th.  The beans arrived on the...

Rwandan coffee grows at altitude in volcanic soil, processed through fully washed washing stations run by cooperatives. The flavor profile is floral, bright, and citrus-forward , distinct from Ethiopian and Colombian coffee in character. This guide covers where it grows, how it is processed, and what to expect in the cup.

Latte art is a skill built on 4 fundamentals: a properly pulled espresso shot, correctly textured microfoam, the right pour angle, and controlled milk flow. Get all 4 right and patterns follow. Skip any one of them and the art will not hold. This guide covers each fundamental in order.

Last week, I announced the arrival of my new espresso machine. Granted, the Espressione Squissita Plus doesn't rank up there with the Pavonis and Elektras and lovely high-end machines that others have managed to acquire, but it IS the first...

A hat tip to the UK Daily Mail for this Jimmy Kimmel video featuring his long-suffering security guard, Adelina. If you haven't seen it, it's an absolute must-watch. Take 4 minutes out of your Saturday morning to laugh. There are...

Kona coffee grows in one narrow strip on the Big Island of Hawaii. Limited supply and high production costs make it one of the world's most expensive coffees. But most products labeled "Kona blend" contain as little as 10% Kona. This guide covers what real Kona coffee is, why it costs what it does, and how to tell the difference.