The Reading Room

This is the second in a series of blog posts about heat exchanger machines.  This post, however, is really about why it is hard to build a good but also cheap machine. (And therefore why what at first seems like...

A heat exchanger espresso machine uses one boiler to brew and steam simultaneously. Here is how HX machines work, why they appeal to serious home baristas, and how they compare to single and dual boiler alternatives.

Today, inspired by Wakeknot’s recent batch of blending posts I made a blend of Paradise Roaster’s Expresso Nuevo and Deep Cello’s Black Tie. The result was...well before we get to that I want to make something clear. It was obviously...

It's 5:40 AM, 20 degrees out, it's been snowing and sleeting throughout the night, I've reluctantly crawled out of my sleeping bag, and I'm about to have the best worst cup of coffee of my life.  /files/u15603/DSCN1799.jpg" width="448" height="336" border="0"...

I cannot wait to get back to San Francisco! It’s only a couple weeks away and I am just dying with anticipation. The restaurants, the sights, the bars, and yes the cafes. Saturday I’ll hit the Blue Bottle stand at...

It was quite warm in Oklahoma City yesterday, and despite missing Boston I was in the mood for an iced coffee, one of my favorite way’s to cool off. In Boston it seems like in the summer everyone is drinking...

For some reason I got nostalgic for Boston today; maybe it’s because it’s the fall and I love Boston in the fall. Walking through the Public Gardens, Boston Common and Newbury Street when its crisp and chilly outside is something...

It’s about time I review the Clever Coffee Dripper; after all I use it at least as much as my French press and very often I prefer the results. I’ve had a great deal of success with this device and...

“It’s that Time of Year, when the…” Wait wait wait- I’m sorry, we’re not QUITE into the snowy days of December just yet! We meant: “Stirring and Stirring and Stirring the Brew!” Or was it Broom? It’s the season when...

Seasonal coffee shifts with the weather: bright and light in warm months, bold and rich in the cold. A year-round guide to matching your cup to the season.

Bonsai on a lever – Today I decided to try out Velton’s Bonsai Blend on my lever machine.  I had a hunch that I would like it on the lever.  There were a few reasons for this.  The first one...

Some of my blog posts are instructional, these are more just impressions of today's coffees as I continue to mix it up (quite literally). This is day two of my experiment with my wife’s brewed coffee blend.  I blogged yesterday...

Boulevard Coffee Roasting Company has been in operation for nearly 30 years in the Sacramento area. They roast daily, primarily for area businesses and for use in their cafe. The cafe is located in an unassuming strip mall in Carmichael...

So earlier in my blog I posted a review of the Tassimo espresso system. Since then I’ve posted reviews of the espressos you can get from the machine and even a latte than you make by first running an espresso...

It was so grey and cold and gross last week that I just needed to get out and go sit in a nice warm and toasty café and read a book. Unfortunately no place in Oklahoma City can live up...

Coffee body is the weight and texture a cup leaves on your palate. Learn what body is, what affects it, and how to taste it in your own cup.

Well, I’ve reviewed the Tassimo system and didn’t like it, but today I’m feeling a little drowsy/sleepy and think I need an espresso. I can’t really run out to get one (and there isn’t really anyplace near my work that...

Since the Skerton is the grinder I use most often I end up constantly making adjustments to my grind setting to accommodate whatever brewing method I have in place. If anything, I think that this is what will motivate me...

Mixing coffee roasts lets you balance bright light roast with bold dark roast in one cup. Learn why it works, how to mix at home, and how to dial the ratio.

Good coffee storage keeps beans fresh for 2 to 4 weeks after roasting. Bad storage cuts that window in half. Five things degrade it fastest: oxygen, moisture, heat, light, and grinding too far in advance. This guide covers the correct container, where to store it, the degassing window, whether to freeze beans, and how long coffee actually stays fresh.

The coffee bloom is the foam that rises when hot water hits fresh grounds. Learn what it is, why it happens, and how to bloom for a cleaner cup.