Nordic Barista Cup Talks - Kyle Glanville: Evolving As You Grow from Nordic Barista Cup on Vimeo.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
My favorite things (so far) of 2011
1. weight-based grinders: Baratza has been a quality company for years now, and they've stepped things up even more with the addition of the Esatto accessory, a programmable weighing system that works with the Maestro, Maestro Plus, and Virtuoso grinders. Also integrated into the Vario grinder, is a built-in version. No more need for weighing coffee before you put it in the grinder! Brilliant. I'd now like to see commercial espresso grinders with it (hint, hint).
2. Chemex Kone, by Coava: the chemex is already the most gorgeous of brewing methods (minus the occasional siphon), and with a metal filter...fogetaboutit. If you don't have one, buy one, immediately. You will thank me later, so will your house guests.
3
. Artazza Walnut Tamper: A tamper is like a baseball cap: some just seem to fit, and some don't. For me, this was the easiest tamper I've ever used to achieve a level tamp every time, and the most form-fitting, ergo espresso tool I've laid a hand on.
4. Kalita flat-bottom pourover: Its great to see diversity in the pourover world, and paired with a long-spout kettle, this will probably change worlds. I've still got a lot of love for the glass v-60 by Hario, but the Kalita products are an exciting addition to a booming method that every barista is using at home or in the shop.
5. Less appearance-based baristas and a return of smiles: it used to be the case that if you were a good barista, you were known by your portafilter arm tattoo and your snazzy vest and tight pants. These days, thankfully, there has been an reduction of appearance-based baristas, who were good, but often only so they could appear like professionals, instead of actually immersing themselves in the study of coffee farming practices and coffee knowledge. This has led to a re-welcoming of the average-looking barista who knows their coffee. Believe it, or not, good coffee tastes just as good when made from a style-less sartorial heathen, than when made by a moustache-thriving tight-panter. I am excited for coffee scientists wearing t-shirts and mustering occasional smiles at customers.
6. the reemergence of the Portafilter Podcast: we were lost for a couple years there...sure glad you guys are back. If you've never heard this podcast, get ready to live: portafilter podcast
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Denver Coffee Review
There's a great new site if you're a coffee lover in the Denver area: www.denvercoffeereview.wordpress.com
The site is a serious look at Denver shops, good and bad. The reviews are made by a few industry professionals, including baristas, owners, and roasters from around the state.
The site is a serious look at Denver shops, good and bad. The reviews are made by a few industry professionals, including baristas, owners, and roasters from around the state.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
World Barista Championships - Live now
Follow this link to watch the finals on now, from Colombia: LIVE STREAM
Friday, March 18, 2011
10 things your barista wishes you knew
10. Yes, I did go to school for this. I only mention the word 'Starbucks' for sake of framing my story: Starbucks sends certain "baristas" through a 2 week training about how coffee is grown, and how to prepare certain menu drinks. The total coffee learning portion of this equals about 20-25 hours (including hands-on training). For many good coffee shops--I'm talking third wave specialty shops here--these hours wouldn't even qualify you to be a dishwasher or barback. I know several coffee companies whose educational system involves more than what would be required for a bachelor's degree at a state university. There is an insane amount of science and precision involved in preparing coffee.
9. Buying a bag of whole bean coffee, and then having it ground is a waste of money. Save up for a grinder...no, not the $15 one at Wal-Mart. You need a burr grinder, and you need to save the grinding for right before you brew the coffee. The moment you ground the coffee, is starts a much more rapid degradation process, losing almost half of its flavor within 30 minutes.
8. The Cup of Excellence. This is a competition where coffees are rigorously judged, and the winning coffees are auctioned to the highest bidder. It is a great way for producers to get a livable wage for their good work, as well as a way for consumers to drink what professional tasters (called 'cuppers') have deemed a top coffee in a given country.
7. There is a growing gap in knowledge between baristas and consumers. Don't let this happen. Sharpen up your knowledge with the wealth of coffee information out there. Check out BrewMethods.com for brewing recipes from the worlds' top shops, Stumptown for information about some great coffee varietals, Has Bean for a free 10-day online coffee class, Coffeed for the more intricate and scientific coffee discussions, Home Barista for home espresso info including machine reviews, and Sprudge.com for amazing arabica alliteration accounts, aka news.
6. The coffee descriptors "smooth," "bold," and "strong" are old hat and confusing. Coffee has more possible flavor characteristics than wine. Its time to upgrade. Here are two great threads on terminology and the ongoing discussion about said topic: Nate's top 5 abused coffee terms and Coffeed's "what is bold?" post.
5. No we will not serve your espresso to-go. Its a quality thing, and a culture thing. It is meant to be drunk immediately, thus making it in a paper cup is wasteful and shows that the barista does not want the customer to enjoy their drink properly. Espresso is, in large part, a beverage of immediately decreasing small bubbles, called crema. The layer of crema contains a large amount of the flavors for that espresso, and if left for more than a minute, are dissolved and flavor potential is lost.
4. Bigger isn't better. Rather than ordering a 16-20 oz coffee once in the morning, order a 6-8oz cup, and then another later. This will be better for your appreciation of the coffee, as well as for your body's ability to properly use caffeine. My routine is this: 6oz coffee around 10am, espresso at noon, and occasionally another 6oz cup or cappuccino around 4.
3. If you need your coffee in under a minute, you don't need quicker coffee, but a slower lifestyle. Good things take time.
2. No one is getting rich off of your cup of coffee. There are literally 100 + people involved in the making of one pound of coffee. That's 100 people that need to be paid, not to mention equipment, packaging, buildings, ect. Coffee prices are going up, generally. This is actually a good thing. As it is now, many farmers do not make enough money to feed their families, and are forced to pursue other crops. We are talking extreme poverty here, in many cases. If the prices don't go up, no one will be drinking coffee in 5 years because no one will be able to afford to grow it. For more info about why low-quality coffees forced the coffee prices down in the 1970's and why specialty coffee is a better model for the world, read God in a Cup.
1. Cream was made for bad coffee. Remember in the 90's when you started adding cream to your coffee to make it bearable? Coffee has changed since then. Good coffee actually exists now--coffee that will make you smirk when coming face-to-face with cans and green logos. Any trace of dairy mutes the natural nuances of a coffee, thereby making it flavorless and dull. If you go to a shop who cares about their product (for a list, click on the google map to the right) you aren't doing yourself a favor by adding cream. Lose the habit, and skip the dairy. Its like this: ketchup belongs on hot dogs, not fillets. There is nothing more depressing to us than to see a customer order a $7 Cup of Excellence coffee only to see them pour cream into it without even trying it. Let old habits die. Drink it black.
9. Buying a bag of whole bean coffee, and then having it ground is a waste of money. Save up for a grinder...no, not the $15 one at Wal-Mart. You need a burr grinder, and you need to save the grinding for right before you brew the coffee. The moment you ground the coffee, is starts a much more rapid degradation process, losing almost half of its flavor within 30 minutes.
8. The Cup of Excellence. This is a competition where coffees are rigorously judged, and the winning coffees are auctioned to the highest bidder. It is a great way for producers to get a livable wage for their good work, as well as a way for consumers to drink what professional tasters (called 'cuppers') have deemed a top coffee in a given country.
7. There is a growing gap in knowledge between baristas and consumers. Don't let this happen. Sharpen up your knowledge with the wealth of coffee information out there. Check out BrewMethods.com for brewing recipes from the worlds' top shops, Stumptown for information about some great coffee varietals, Has Bean for a free 10-day online coffee class, Coffeed for the more intricate and scientific coffee discussions, Home Barista for home espresso info including machine reviews, and Sprudge.com for amazing arabica alliteration accounts, aka news.
6. The coffee descriptors "smooth," "bold," and "strong" are old hat and confusing. Coffee has more possible flavor characteristics than wine. Its time to upgrade. Here are two great threads on terminology and the ongoing discussion about said topic: Nate's top 5 abused coffee terms and Coffeed's "what is bold?" post.
5. No we will not serve your espresso to-go. Its a quality thing, and a culture thing. It is meant to be drunk immediately, thus making it in a paper cup is wasteful and shows that the barista does not want the customer to enjoy their drink properly. Espresso is, in large part, a beverage of immediately decreasing small bubbles, called crema. The layer of crema contains a large amount of the flavors for that espresso, and if left for more than a minute, are dissolved and flavor potential is lost.
4. Bigger isn't better. Rather than ordering a 16-20 oz coffee once in the morning, order a 6-8oz cup, and then another later. This will be better for your appreciation of the coffee, as well as for your body's ability to properly use caffeine. My routine is this: 6oz coffee around 10am, espresso at noon, and occasionally another 6oz cup or cappuccino around 4.
3. If you need your coffee in under a minute, you don't need quicker coffee, but a slower lifestyle. Good things take time.
2. No one is getting rich off of your cup of coffee. There are literally 100 + people involved in the making of one pound of coffee. That's 100 people that need to be paid, not to mention equipment, packaging, buildings, ect. Coffee prices are going up, generally. This is actually a good thing. As it is now, many farmers do not make enough money to feed their families, and are forced to pursue other crops. We are talking extreme poverty here, in many cases. If the prices don't go up, no one will be drinking coffee in 5 years because no one will be able to afford to grow it. For more info about why low-quality coffees forced the coffee prices down in the 1970's and why specialty coffee is a better model for the world, read God in a Cup.
1. Cream was made for bad coffee. Remember in the 90's when you started adding cream to your coffee to make it bearable? Coffee has changed since then. Good coffee actually exists now--coffee that will make you smirk when coming face-to-face with cans and green logos. Any trace of dairy mutes the natural nuances of a coffee, thereby making it flavorless and dull. If you go to a shop who cares about their product (for a list, click on the google map to the right) you aren't doing yourself a favor by adding cream. Lose the habit, and skip the dairy. Its like this: ketchup belongs on hot dogs, not fillets. There is nothing more depressing to us than to see a customer order a $7 Cup of Excellence coffee only to see them pour cream into it without even trying it. Let old habits die. Drink it black.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Phoenix, the next Portland?
I was immensely impressed by the growth of the third wave coffee scene in Phoenix over the last year. I've been to thousands of coffee shops in my day, and my favorites reside here. For the ones you should visit, see the map to the right. I really love Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe. They are probably the most cutting edge shop in Phoenix, roasting some of the best beans in the world, including many from the Cup of Excellence competition.
I also really really love Royal Coffee Bar. Their old shop downtown was one of the most inspiring environments I've ever stepped into, and their two new shops are no different. I can honestly say that as soon as I set foot in the new shop at the Phoenix Public Market on Pierce st. I wanted to hug someone around me, immediately. This is a perfect mix of stellar coffee and a modern/homey woodsy mix of design that makes my heart warm. See pics below.
Another amazing shop in the area is Giant Coffee, serving Four Barrel from San Francisco. If a furniture designer/interior decorator married a world barista champion/surfer, this shop would be the child. Really good, tons of light, pleasing environment.
I also really love Liberty Market's E-61 Espresso bar in Gilbert, Sola in Scottsdale, Press Coffee, and Lux Coffee.
Friday, January 28, 2011
The world's greatest epic coffee road trip that is epic.
Today I packed up the bags in Denver and headed out in search of the coast, and in search of the coffee shops that are changing the international standards and fascination of coffee in a world ripe for coffee salvation. My goals: encourage the third wave community, build the interest in higher-grade coffee/espresso preparation, and meet the country's most inspiring figures in coffee. Three days in....a great success. More to follow.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Happy Coffee Hosts US's Top Roasters
Denver gladly welcomes the scene, an espresso bar featuring different roasters from around the States, especially such notable roasters like Heart (Portland), Intelligentsia (LA/Chicago), Coava (Portland) just to name a few. This step in coffee hasn't to this point existed in Denver, but thanks to Dustin Fuchtman, Happy Coffee's manager, you can now have your choice of espressos, all amidst the city's choicest bikes at Salvagetti.
The first shop in Denver to house a notable out-of-state roaster was Aviano (serving Intelligentsia), which I will always love and appreciate, but Happy Coffee is a great step in an exploration of great coffees to hit the state. No where else in Colorado (or most other states for that matter) are you able to sample 3 espressos, all unique and beautiful, and all hand-picked to force your smile. Its an exciting time right now for Denver. Crema Coffeehouse also just added an out-of-state roaster, Herkimer from Seattle. Its time to get out there and make espresso a regular part of your daily routine. I am excited about the possibilities of drinking coffees that I only hear rumors about, and you should be too. Denver is a great city for coffee, and only recently have Denverites had such a great opportunity to immerse themselves into the 'third wave' coffee scene. Denver welcomes you, Happy Coffee, with a giant bear hug. So, ride up, walk up, or skip up to the morning coffee window at Salvagetti and taste what your palette has been longing for.
Map.
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