phaelon56

But I think we can all agree that coffee which is scorched, burnt and oily makes both crappy straight espresso and also bad milk drinks - right? But it sure as heck allows an ounce of espresso to cut through a pile of milk. And still tastes like the dreck it truly is. And I agree with both the notion that good microfoam is pourable with no visibl;e separation and also the fact that after a certain amount of time in the cup there's a tendency for some foam to remain on the surface whilst the balance of the cup has evolved into a different texture. A phenomenon I've noted that may be all in my head but more likely has some basis in fact: assuming good espresso with ncie cream is used I have noticed that proper microfoam somehow melds with such espresso more effectively than it does with less successfuly foamed milk (i.e. larger bubbles and/or visible milk/foam separation). It's as though the whole is more than the sum of the parts. This characteristic becomes less noticeable as the drink cools and the body of the foam changes but I have noticed it. Or at least I think I have

Me too (at work) Actually... I think you and the other respondents on this topic have covered the most salient points. I'll confess to not yet having visited Italy. Here in the US the number of places serving a real quality cappuccino may be small but it's growing. And many East Coast US roasters (I'm generalizing here) tend to favor a lighter roast profile than many people associate with Seattle style coffee. But that takes us back to the terrible double edged sword of the 'bucks (actually just one edge at this point). Their rapid growth and marketing savvy has helped develop a broader interest in, acceptance of and opportunity for specialty coffee. But at the same time they've managed to misinform people about so many things. The good independent operators often have much re-education to do in order to get the message across to people. But the good news is that there may (hopefully) be a natural evolution among specialty coffee drinkers that's akin to the path many people take with wine appreciation. Starting out with something sweet like a blush or a moderately sweet white.... moving gradually up to varietals rather than blends and then moving into the reds. I like to think that such an evolution can occur with coffee but we in the business have our work cut out for us. The biggest challenge in some areas is getting people to try a cappuccino - even a properly made one. I also recognize that there are cultural differences between the US and Italy which will never change. 20 oz mega lattes with a ton of steamed milk and a small bit of bad espresso aren't going away but there's progress to be made.

No crucifix here for pod drinkers or pod advocates. I prefer either real espresso or brewed coffee (e.g. Melitta cone or vac pot) but there's nothing inherently wrong with the concept of pod coffee. But in an office of 50 - 60 people if even half of them are coffee drinkers there are a few issues with pods - not related to coffee quality. 1) cost - if you have some heavy coffee drinkers in the group you're looking at a fairly high outlay for raw materials 2) congestion / traffic jams at the machine at key times of day There are issues of the efficiency and economy of scale that IMHO usally make some form of drip coffee the optimal choice for a large office environment. I've been in a number of corporate offices, mostly in the financial sector in NYC, where they had pod type machines (these use a small plastic cartridge rather than a pod and are larger machines but the concept is similar - it brews one cup at a time on demand). The coffee was very good. But not all industries or businesses have deep enough pockets to subsidize this sort of arrnagement for their employees. As a matter of fact, when I traveled in Ireland (regrettably not known for good coffee) the only good coffee I had was served in gas station convenience stores. One purchased a small plastic cartidge of dark roast, medium roast or decaf and then inserted it into a machine that punctured the cartridge and brewed the cuppa joe. I think a vac pot is admirable but impractical for this sceanrio. And if an airpot brewer is out of the question just do what I do in our office.We have only two or three people who have a deep appreciation for better coffee. I brew about 2/3 pot on the office's Bunn pourover brewer (the ubiquitous type with the glass carafes). The moment it's done brewing I pour it off into a thermal carafe that sits on the shelf in my office and we all draw coffee from there as needed.

I've been there and done some of that usually by necessity and on occasion by choice (i.e. taking home that teriyaki steak my customer barely touched and using my food money at the bar ). But whether it was some free out-of-date prepackaged sandwiches that a convenience store was giving away out the back door or a left-over steak - I sure as heck wasn't getting food from a dumpster. Eating cream-filled doughnuts from a dumpster? Egads! It's a bit much. I have a social conscience but I'm also the product of Depression era parents. My value system happens to include a deeply ingrained belief that wasting food is sinful. Every possible scrap and piece of food I buy gets used if at all possible. All leftovers get eaten and if they'll spoil before being eaten I freeze them for later use. Just my personal take on it but I think there are better ways to make a statement about your beliefs by incorporating it into the way you live. But freeganism certainly does lower the food bills.

If you have a fair number of coffee drinkers (sounds as though you might) I suggest getting a pourover style airpot brewer (plumber in with an inline water filter would be far more convenient). Find a good local roaster who might give you a discoutn for buying 5 - 10 pounds per week. Get it ground by the roaster and sealed in 1 lb bags. Grinding by the batch is always better but for a simple and not too messy solution the 3 liter airpot is superior to and cheaper than pods. Granted, one a pot full has been sitting around for awhile it loses some drinkability but I'd take 90 minute old airpot coffee made from good beans over a fresh brewed cup of ordinary office coffee any old time. If you can't talk them into the cost of using a good local roaster you might check Costco or BJ's - they sometimes have some pretty good arabica coffee in 2 lb bags for about $10 per bag or less. But if pitching the project and pushing for highest quality offering do the math by the cup not by the pound. The coffee from a quality driven independent local roaster will be fresher and always better if they follow good practices. And only a few pennies more per cup.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with the whole notion of flavored coffees. If you saw a list of the chemicals they use to make those flavorings your jaw might drop. But it creates an additional need for those of us in the specialty coffee industry to work hard to educate our current consumers and potential customers about the benefits of fine single origin estate varietal coffee. If you take your coffee sweetened I encourage you to try a high quality specialty coffee and use a dash of flavor syrup in it (e.g. Monin or Torani). You can control the amount of flavor, it will taste less artificial and you may even find yourself using less and less of it because the better coffee tastes so good unadulterated. Just a thought....

Why can't we just go back to Imperial Gallons and further muddy the waters?

My highly biased list: Seattle: Victrola Vivace second tier Seattle (but still very good) Hines Lighthouse Washington DC area: Murky Coffee a close second in that region is Jay's Shave Ice in Timonium MD (using Hines coffee last time I was there - Murky uses Counter Culture and I like their blend a bit better) Ithaca NY: Gimme Coffee I'm sure there are some places elsewhere in North America but I have not yet been lucky enough to stumble across them. I'll be visiting Vancouver and Chicago in 2006 and looking forward to trying the Elysian Room and Intelligentsia. Italy will most likely wait for 2007.

They're far from alone in their practices. I did a service call last year for one of our occasional clients - very rich but not sophisticated - who needed some adjustments done on their super-auto espresso machine. It's in their summer house which gets used primarily on weekends in the summer. The missus just had to have the same machine they have in another facility they own (which actually does serve large groups on a regular basis and the cost can be justified). It's a $12,000 machine and they said the coffee didn't taste like it should. At the other facility they use fresh roasted espresso blend of good quality (I know because I roast it). Here they were using Dunkin Donuts beans! Duh. And buying a Ferrari will not turn me into Jackie Stewart or Mario Andretti

I agree and I think a shocking number of Rutherford people probably just get most of their store-bought baked goods from the big Stop 'n Shop at Clifton Commons. I think easy access in a central location that can draw from not only an affluent clientele is important. But these also need to be folks who are discerning and willing to spend the extra money. No offense intended to Rutherford as I lived there for four years and loved it but I think it's not that kind of town (for the most part - ghostrider being a notable exception!) That's a shame about the fish market. If you want some really good fresh seafood try the "farm market" on Rte 17 South next to the Crow's Nest Restaurant in Hasbrouck Heights (I think I have the right restaurant name). A Brazilian friend who cooks seafood 3 - 4 times per week turned me on to the fish counter that's inside that market and it's great - very fresh and very fair prices.

Mine is comprised of apple cider, a few cinnamon sticks, some star anise and small amount of brown sugar (in addition to the requisite salt). Did not simmer it and don't want any easily detectable flavors as my father will be eating some of this and he'll get very upset if there are "funny" flavors (which he thinks are very unfunny).

And at $20 a pop these are bound to improve someone's micro-economy. It doesn't even include the price of the bottle. I'll take Lexan over other plastics any time but gimme good old 18/10 stainless steel and I'll be much happier.

Despite the fact that I'm opposed on so many levels to using plastic as a vessel to brew or serve coffee... this new gizmo sure looks handy for backpackers and other travelers who need to pack light. Press-Bot

That is just SO wrong. But I look both ways to ensure I'm not spotted by any coffee cognoscenti when I pop into Starbucks for a frappuccino affrogato on those really hot summer days. So who am I to talk?

Rutherford could use one. There's only one bakery in the borough and they're "okay" for what they do but hardly high end. But I think it's a dicey proposition for a high end operation. You'd need to draw customers from surrounding areas to make your numbers. There are some decent restaurants in town that draw from many areas (I'm thinking specifically of Cafe Matisse) but I think many people want a place that's closer to where they do other regular shopping (e.g. groceries) so they can just pop into the bakery on the way home to grab something. These folks have been in Rutherford for awhile (since about 2002 - a year before I moved back to NY state). But they're focused on cakes - mostly wedding cakes - not a patisserie. Cake Crumbs

There are many, many differences between arabica and robusta beans - caffiene level being only one of them. In this country few people if any ever drink high quality robusta unless by chance it's a small component (10% - 15%) in an espress blend they favor. But the really low grade robusta from Vietnam and Brazil makes up most or nearly all of waht goes into typical supermarket coffee (Folger's, Maxwell House et al). And despite the growth in the specialty coffee industry about 85% of the coffee consumed in the US is the dreck being marketed by the big four food conglomerates). I agree that these studies need to be more specific in order for anyone to begin considering the results as having any validity.

It's too bad you don't live in or near Syracuse (I see the mention of Wegman's but that could place you in NJ, VA, PA or western NY state). I'm cooking again for the second year in a row and I love doing it but the drag is not having enough people. There are six of us in total - possibly only five - it's always better and more fun with a bigger crowd. I agree with the others - just wrangle an invite. Every friend or relative I can think of in my circle of acquaintance would love to have extra guests given the opportunity (except my crank curmudgeonly aunt who grouses even about having her own children over).

My favorites: Spotted on the side of a liquor store in Caye Caulker Belize was a sign for Green Stripe Beer. It had what may be the shortest and sweetest marketing slogan ever coined: "Drinking is Fun!" In my old neighborhood we had a sign that actually made it into the Humorous Signs page of National Lampoon Magazine: "Funeral Home and Deli Parking" In Oregon near the border of Washington I visited a combination rapid oil change / latte shop. Their sign: "We've serviced more models than Hef".

Karen: Yes it is a La Marzocco. Maesie: I'm jealous - Stumptown rocks! Have you been to a coffee cupping at the Annex yet? Megan: I assume you're talking about that coffee they usually serve in the little blue cups with the Greek design on the side. I love the concept of the carts but the coffee I tried from them... yuck! Perhaps they're not all created equal? When I worked in NYC I tried several carts on 8th Ave between 42nd and 34th but they were all terrible. Ended up getting my morning cup at Au Bon Pain in Port Authority and carrying it down the street to the office. It was way too much hassle to carry coffee into the city from NJ on the bus.

Once a week I visit my parents and pet their dog. I knew you'd want to hear about my dog But in the morning I'm blissfully unencumbered by anything other than work responsibilities. So here's how it works for me: Two or three evenings per week and once on the weekend I roast about 150 - 300 pounds of green coffee beans per day in 34 pound batches. I roast it on this gizmo: Tuesday through Friday mornings at about 8:30 I make myself a quad shot (two double ristretto shots - about 3 fluid ounces of espresso) latte with foamed 2% milk in a paper cup. I get up at 5:00 AM and begin work at 6:00 AM but don't care for caffiene that early in the day. I use the "house espresso blend", which is a staple on my early morning barista job. That drink travels with me to to my desk - where the "real" job begins at 9:00 AM- and the drink lasts until 10:00 or 10:30 AM. I make the drink on this beautiful machine: Friday night I turn on my little home espresso machine.... leave it on straight through Monday morning and drink any number of 6 oz cappuccino's in these cool little Illy cups. I can rarely handle more than two of them each morning (each has a 1.5 oz double ristretto shot of espresso) but sometimes I cave in to desire (make that most times) and have another one in the afternoon or after dinner. The espresso blend is usually one that I've been experimenting with for future use - sooner or later Phaelon Coffee will be selling it on-line but for now it's just research. My current favorite includes Brazil, organic Mexican Chiapas, organic Sumatran and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. But I've sworn myself to secrecy and I can't reveal the proportions here (despite having already done so in this forum in some previous post ). I make them on this: And the drink looks like this: Occasionally I even manage to achieve some rudimentary latte art but for me... at home... it's all about how it tastes. And it tastes good.

Or none of the above. The only thing as certain as death and taxes is the fact that if you don't like the results of the latest study on the health benefits/detriments of coffee - wait a few months and a contradictory study will come along

Malachi offers a good suggestion with the Cimbali Junior grinder. I haven't used one but have been told that it's a better grinder and about the same price as the doser style Mazzer Mini. Also - it's much cheaper than the mazzer Mini doserless. The Cimbali is 17" tall - the Mini is 16.5" with the special shortened hopper or about 18" with the standard hopper. There is a new Mazzer Mini "E" model that is not only doserless but allows you to set the dosage amount and then have the grinder automatically start, grind and stop when the portafilter is placed on or slid into the fork assembly under the doser spout. I see tremendous benefit to the concept but have not had any practical experience as to the results. Best to check the Conumer Reviews section at Coffeegeek to gain perspective on that. I use Super Jolly's at home because I got a deal on them but mine don't need to fit under a cabinet. And I don't mind using a doser - have developed a system for brushing, sweeping etc that allows me to grind by the shot with minimal mess.

West Bend makes an aluminum cheapie that seems to work about as well as any of the other brands out there but for a real investment I'd check to see if Farberware still makes the stainless steel models. Aluminum does not retain heat well and it gets a bit funky on the inside eventually. You can run Urnex through it to clean but when it comes to hot beverages I always look to stainless steel as the durable and neutral surface. The West Bend 30 cupper retails at $30 - $35 - ideal for that newly formed AA group on a budget ! (just kidding - sort of The Farberware is a 55 cupper and sells for about $150. It's actually fairly stylish and can be left out where the public can see it without fear of your gear looking cheesy.

Or you could take a cue from the page of the guys in a hotel kitchen i n Cozumel Mexico. An online friend of mine (with whom I was discussing the deplorable state of coffee in Cozumel) recalled walking by the open door of the kitchen and watching these fellows hoist up a pot of boiling water to pour across the grounds that were in the basket of the big urn style percolator. No one had clued them in to the fact that it actually perked - it wasn't just a device to keep coffee warm. They were using it as a giant manual pour-over brewer! Sadly... it was probably no worse than most of the other coffee served on the island.

My circumstances may be different than that of most. I adopted my Internet name years ago and began using it in any and all discussion forums that I participated in. There have been enough of them over time (this being one of the only that is food related) that it makes life simpler to have a consistent user name etc. that follow me from place to place. At various times I am or have been active in at least four coffee/coffee industry related forums. Having a consistently recognizable user name has been of benefit to me. I've never hesitated to append my real name or location in my sig line but can well understand why some people choose not to for reasons of privacy. And I strongly agree with the notion that many industry folks will choose not to particpate actively if they have a legitimate fear that comments they make could be read and possibly misconstrued by an owner/manager of the establishment in which they work. At the same time.... I recognize that posting with full disclosure of one's identity is accompanied (or should be) by a heightened sense of why words should be chosen very carefully before hitting the "Submit" button.