The Reading Room

So, 2011 is six days over, but I just saw this post today about the coffees that James Hoffman drank in 2011 (plus the cool picture) and thought that it might be interesting to revisit what I’ve had the past...

After blogging about my espresso off of my new Elektra Karrde asked the excellent question about if there are not diminishing returns in espresso machines in terms of price and I replied that yes I thought there were and that...

/files/u5804/Captain_s_Torani_collage.jpg" height="249" width="431" /> Some of you may remember that right before the holidays I ordered a few unusual coffee-related items I thought might be coerced into some kind of uneasy union, namely Captain’s smoked applewood cold brew and a...

I wrote previously about needing to find a good decaf coffee due to my wife being pregnant, and due to one of those strange changes of taste from pregnancy she is disgusted by tea. Now while I have had previous...

Time for a report on coffee on the Elektra T1! Okay, I have posted a little bit about the T1 that Roaste helped me get, but I have not said much about the espresso.  This is because I know that...

This is the sixth post on the coffees I’m working my way through. Up this time is Higher Ground’s Black Warrior Riverkeeper roast.   The bag is pretty snazzy as you can see and it does include a valve. One...

http://www.coffee-a-roma.com.au/shop/images/uploads/vario_burrs.jpg" height="390" width="332" />  I have blogged in the past on Roaste about the Baratza Vario and the problem that I have with it:  http://www.roaste.com/CoffeeBlogs/sontondaman/something-wrong-my-Vario  Basically, what happened was after a period of use (about six months) I notice that...

I am sure everyone that makes espresso at home probably has that one useless accessory that is just taking up valuable kitchen space or more importantly was just a waste of money. For me that one accessory without a question...

http://foter.com/img/photo/7/coffe-stains-5_l.jpg" class="foter-photo" style="display: block; width: 100%" /> Photo Credit: sotdina /Foter My mailbox has collected it's usual share of odd stories of coffee in the news, so I thought I'd share a few this morning. My personal favorite out of...

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/400816_10150448334768931_79226893930_8598979_1354457895_n.jpg" /> I closed my roaste store a couple weeks ago to move my operation to Stoudt's Wonderful Good Market near Reading, PA,home of fine artisan breads and cheeses, and a celebrated micro-brewery.  I've moved in there, I'm back here,...

Coffee stimulates digestion through multiple mechanisms , caffeine, acidity, and compounds that trigger gastric acid. For most people this is harmless. For some it causes stomach upset, acid reflux, or bloating. Understanding why helps you adjust how and when you drink coffee without giving it up.

So Starbucks is at it again, this time raising their prices see here. Pretty interesting that there would be some coffee in the news today in the Wall Street Journal. The above article that I liked from them is talking...

Old habits die hard. I have been in the habit for three years now of scanning Craig’s list nationally for good deals on espresso equipment.   It paid off once in particular with a Super Jolly grinder that was like new...

 Organic coffee is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Here is what the USDA label means, what it does not cover, and whether it matters for flavor.

A while back I tried to make cold brew and the result was undrinkable. I know that some people swear by the results, and since then I’ve had the pleasure of drinking some good cold brew. So I decided last...

I have to admit that I do not normally take sugar or any other sweetener in my coffee most of the time. About the only time that I do sweeten my coffee is when I pour it over ice and...

 Choosing the right travel coffee mug comes down to 5 things: insulation, lid type, size, material, and ease of cleaning. Here is what to look for.

I believe it’s cathartic to discuss the silly things you’ve done with your coffee. We all make mistakes! The key is to laugh them off, learn from them, and humbly but fearlessly move on. In that spirit, here are a...

For many, the new year means coming up with resolutions for making it a better year than the past one. Then there are those of us who refuse to bother with making more rules for ourselves, rules which more often...

http://www.pcfastlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/starbucks-via-ready-brew.jpg" width="480" height="357" /> Let me be first to clarify: I did not buy this coffee, it was given to me  about a month ago when I went to visit my parents. Ever since I have heard about the Via...

This one has been a pretty refreshing coffee to have after going through a lot of dark roasts. It's nice how after having a lot of chocolate/carmel coffees to get something a little brighter and this medium roast by Paradise...