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I am keenly aware of the devout feelings that coffee drinkers have towards their brown beverages. I'm making a series of designs along those lines, and was advised by a fellow eGulleteer that some of you might brainstorm and help me out. The first of my designs can be seen on these products. I'm working with old-fashioned clip art, and have several other things in mind. But I love that one graphic so much that I am considering using it again with different words. If anyone feels inspired to lend a phrase, feel free. My intro to that section of my website says, "Might as well face it, you're addicted to Joe." Feel free to confess, divulge, or trumpet your love of the little brown bean. Edit to note: I have even created left-handed and right-handed coffee mugs.

I cracked open my bag of Community Coffee-Chickory Coffee this morning. The last time I had it was back in 1997 in NOLA when a guy named Joe Canizaro sold $140M worth of real estate in downtown NOLA to my client. But I digress.... Mr Mayhaw, I tried to raise this in your blog and think it was lost, but what exactly is chickory and why do y'all mix your coffee with it? When I tried it this AM, it was..well a little herbacaeous tasting. Not unpleasant by any means, just different. Can you 'splain?

OK i got my Freshroast Plus 8. I fired it up on several occasions and passed out my beans to get several different coffee drinkers opinions. Everyone said, the coffee was great, but it was not as "strong" as they like it and is there a way to make it stronger. Every time I make coffee in my Cuisenart Grind 'n' Brew drip, the coffee is extremely clear. It has zero bitterness and tastes very good but a little weak. Is this a function of roasting time? Does fresh roasted coffee need to have a larger number of tablespoons per pot? Is this just the way it tastes? Is it the type of bean I am using? Is this why people go the presspot route? I really do enjoy it but would like to make it a bit stronger. Msk

My 3-4 year old Capresso has started leaking water and its warming plate has become unsightly due to covering having been scraped off. It has made pretty good coffee but I don't think I want another Capresso. I paid about $180 for it. I want a 10 or 12 cup drip, automatic timing feature nice but not necessary, gold filter preferred, and hot brewing temperature very important. I occasionally make a 4 cup pot, so some adjustment for smaller pot would be good. I grind my beans in a separate Capresso burr grinder which is still grinding well. I would prefer to pay in the $80-$130 range for the coffeemaker. I am suspicious of the Krups and Braun top sellers that their brewing temp is not up there where it should be. I have heard some mention that Kitchenaid makes a good coffeemaker. Any brand and specific model suggestions appreciated. Will not consider Mr. Coffee or any of that ilk. Thanks for your help!

Hi everyone! I have been having a problem with my at-home coffee for a while now and I figured you could put it to rest. I live with my boyfriend and he has a regular 12-cup Proctor-Silex coffeemaker, the kind you have to put a filter in. It is nothing special but it gets the job done. He just bought it last year and we use it pretty much every day. We grind our own coffee that's roasted weekly for us by a friend of ours. Now, I usually put on about 4 or 5 cups of coffee and drink them over a period of an hour or so while looking at eGullet My boyfriend, who gets up early for his 1st shift job, makes a whole pot and takes it to the newspaper with him in a big carafe to share with the people who work there. By the time I have reached my 3rd or 4th cup, I have a weird SCUM floating on my coffee. It does not affect the taste of the coffee (I am heathen, and don't mind slightly "burned" coffee flavor). If I stick my finger in the cup, the scum doesn't separate, it just moves off to one side to make room for my finger. After a while, the scum will start to break up into little floaties which disperse themselves throughout the cup. It is very disturbing. Is it because of the continued heat applied to the coffee? Or is it this particular coffee? The first time I noticed it, I cleaned the coffee maker, and I have cleaned it regularly since, but the scum doesn't go away. My boyfriend doesn't get the scum when he takes the coffee to work in the carafe, and I have noticed that when we run out of good beans and have to buy something shitty to last a few days we don't get the scum either. Or is it something totally unrelated, like I don't know how to wash my coffee mugs correctly? Sorry for the long post, but I am really sick of the phantom scum. Thanks.

Here in Birmingham, folks where all in a tizzy when we got our first Startbucks. 5 million local locations later, including 2 with drive-thru service, a wide-eyed, highly caffeinated city asks the scalding question: Is all this Starbucking a good thing? I mean, after all, there are other options, right? Most cities, yes. But here in the Ham options are limited. You can get a good cup of coffee, but inconsistency reigns at local coffee houses and what you experience is largely a product of who happens to be scheduled. Oh the agony of walking several blocks only to see that today's barrista is one the bad list. Ok, this might be a small exageration. Fine. But we were all wishing for a Starbucks in Birmingham and now we have them everywhere. So, are we happy? Sure. But what about the rest of the country? Is Starbucks good for the coffee world or the evil java empire?

I feel there should be a thread on this already, but can't find one... I like to grind the contents of one cardamom pod in with my coffee beans for a warming spiced coffee that isn't too much fuss to prepare. The extra flavor without any sweetness is a bonus, too! Next?

OK, so I am checking out this forum and see a nice banner ad for this company specialtycoffee.com. Has anyone tried this company? Reading their website, I really like their attitude. I normally order from Peets, but am tempted to give them a shot when my coffee runs low...

I did a quick search on Coffee topics and couldn't find a specifically related theme. I know there have been postings referencing favorite brands but they’re couched in other topics. Specifically, I’m looking for a new espresso. I’ve got a FrancisFrancis X5 and a krupps burr grinder. Confession time: I actually like Starbucks espresso blend. Well I should say I used to like Starbucks blend. Lately it seems to taste nasty and flat with poor crema. Confession #2: the espresso pods seem to be fine. I thoroughly cleaned my machine, tried different pulls, and varied the tamp pressure and grind size all with no noticeable effect. I haven’t, however, tried bottled water yet. I also installed a dishwasher about the same time the espresso started to go down hill but, similar to the bad water possibility, the pods brew okay. My only conclusion is that the beans are probably pretty old by the time I get them. I’m buying them at a store not by mail. I store the beans in the freezer in a mason jar. I don't usually let them come to room temp before grinding like I should, but I let the grinds warm up before I use them. I’m not a huge fan of Illy which I had to use for a year while “paying off” the FranFran. I also tried Pete’s a couple of years ago without much excitement. I have ardently followed the discussions on home roasting but am not there yet in terms of counter and storage space. Any recommendations or suggestions?

Just when I thought I had settled on coffee equipment, someone threw a wrench into my plans. I was orginially going to go with the automatic Fetco 31AAP as recommended by a number of people. A highly respected source, a previous Fetco diehard, is now recommending this Bunn. Actually, the Bunn he recommends the CDBCF 35, but it's not shown - the only difference is the amps and it's 240V. It seems a bit larger than my needs - the Fetco 1.5L should be fine. However, according to this source -- okay, Terroir -- making less than a full pot does not detract from the quality? True? Another thing stated contradictory to other statements - I was under the impression that the better/more efficient the brewer, the less coffee you needed. According to Terroir, not so. He claims the recommended amt. of coffee is about 3.9 ounces per half gallon of water. If my arithmetic is correct, that comes out to close to the standard formula I see for home brew - 7 grams per 5 oz. coffee. Thoughts?

I did a coffee cupping today in order to choose a roaster for my cafe. Maybe I did something wrong, like too much at once (?) - my palette started to deteriorate to the point that by the end, all the beans started to taste the same. I tried 4 vendors who gave me samples of 3 to 5 roasts each. I did my best to limit myself to 2 sips of each one. Anyone else have this problem? I made sure to drink water in between coffee tasting - any other tips? I've still got one more vendor to try (Hi Owen!), but I was able to easily rule out 2 of the 4 vendors. It boils down to Gimme Coffee and Terroir plus the one I still need to try. One of the reasons I eliminated one of the vendors was because the samples weren't sent in vacuum packed bags. Is that a valid reason to take away points? Regardless, I also thought the coffee wasn't at the same level as the two I chose. Also, this took like forever. I cleaned (not super thoroughly - I did the super thorough cleaning at the onset) the grinder before grinding every single coffee - that's a lot of cleaning. The grinder is a Rocky Rancilio, making it somewhat of a pain. Did I go overboard? Any other thoughts?

I am getting ready to head out for the Thanksgiving holiday in a couple days and just realized that the home we are going to does not drink any caffiene. I am planning on bringing tea for myself but my boyfriend is a big coffee drinker. As there are not really any places near where we are to grab a latte in the morning I was wondering if anyone knows of any "instant" coffee / expresso that is not absolutely horrible? I know about Nescafe but am not sure if it is vile or not. Are there any other brands out there that anyone knows about? Tomorrow I am going to head out to Whole Foods and the Metropolitan Market (here in Seattle) to see what they have to offer. Does anyone have any knowledge about this type of product? Cheers ~ Della

On the back of the can of fine grind (red label) illy coffee it says "caffeine content less than 1.5%" Does anyone know what this means or how it compares to other coffees? The illy rep says that their coffee has less caffeine.

I have been experimenting with using a heavy cast iron rounded skillet that is used traditionally in the Middle East as a bedouin coffee roaster, usually over an open fire. Results have been fantastic for very dark roasts (espresso, and Arabic coffee) but not so much for lighter roasts where i am getting a lot of unevenness in the roast. Can i get advice from people who are doing stovetop roasting what they are doing to get more evenness in the roast? i am stirring constantly but that does not seem to be enough over the 8-10 minutes of a medium roast... it seems to be fine over the 12-14 minutes of a dark roast though.

I'm a cycling nut from the Heartland as well as an avid coffe drinker. So I'm curious to know if anyone has tried this coffee: http://www.chrisking.com/store/coffee_beer..._directory.html King Cycle Group (KCG) is a high-end cycling parts manufacturer in Portland, OR. Folks at KCG openly say that while they love to ride, they do so primarily so that they can enjoy more sweets, munchies and fine coffee drinks. So I have to wonder: is the Machinist's Blend any good?

"Msk" posed a good question in another thread and I believe it deserves some space of its own for discussion.... Wow. This is wide open and there are so many. Plenty more are sure to be forthcoming but here's what I look for and want to know.... ==================================================== What To Look For: 1) Is the portafilter being left in the grouphead of the espresso machine when it's not in use? The thermal mass of the brass portafilter asembly is crucial in retaining heat so the brewing temp does not drop off as the water is forced through the grounds. If you walk into a cafe and see the portafilters sitting on the counter separately from the machine, waiting to be filled and used... fuggedaboudit - chances of getting really good espresso are nil. 2) Do they make a practice of grinding large amounts and leaving the doser filled with already ground coffee? Not good. Grounds sitting in the doser will literally, within an hour or so, start getting flat and losing the potential for creating good crema and superior shots. If they grind to fill the doser every ten to fifteen minutes or so during the morning rush, it's fine but if you walk in at a slow time during mid afternoon or evening and they don't grind the coffee right then for your shot - chances are you just won't get a good shot. Some of the very best cafes use timer assemblies that grind the right amount of reach shot and the beans for every shot are ground when you order the drink - this is the best. 3) Does it appear that they're tamping and doing it well? Usually the mark of a place that cares enough to try for good results. In some places you may see a LaMarzocco Swift grinder - this is the one where the barista actually locks the portafilter onto the grinder and hits a button. In this case the barista does not tamp. The grinder automatically grinds the right amount and tamps. Some purists believe that hand tamping is the best but a Swift can actually do a better and more consistent job than all but the best baristas. A relatively inexperienced barista with a well maintained and tweaked espresso machine and a Swift can produce very good results indeed. 4) Is the steam wand nice and clean and does it get wiped down and purged after each pitcher of milk is steamed? If you see a milk crud encrusted steam wand it's safe to assume that, at the very least, they don't do a good job of steaming milk. More important - it speaks to the big picture. Lack of attention to a crucial process detail like this generally indicates that the owner/manager/staff either doesn't know or doesn't care enough about milk preparation to do it correctly and more likely than not.... that attitude extends to espresso preparation. 5) Is the barista continually adding milk to pitchers that have sat around for extended periods of time on the counter or re-steaming milk that has sat around for awhile? During a busy morning or evening rush it's a resonable practice to steam in the same pitcher for awhile and keep adding more cold milk but the use old milk/warm milk/re-steamed milk means the same thign as the previous comment - lack of attention to process control. What To Ask: 1) Do you roast your own beans, how often is this done and how fresh are the beans you use? They should not be using beans more than ten days past roasting date. 2) If you don't roast them yourselves, where do they come from? In some areas you may find cafes using five pound bags of the popular Italian bar blends like LaVazza. Beans like this can make very good espresso but they have to be coming from a trusted source that monitors dates and has good turnover. Good microroaster beans will still be better in nearly all cases. Other cafes will buy from reputable microroasters. I know of a place in Brooklyn that buys from Caffe Vivace in Seattle. One of Vancouver BC's better local cafes actually has their beans shipped in from Chicago IL in the US! (Intelligentsia Roasters) 3) How many ounces in your double shot? If they say 1.5 to 2 ounces and they really deliver this amount - chances are good that they're trying to do it right. Perhaps they won't be hitting it on every shot - nobody does - but it likely means they understand what's needed. ==================================================== These are only a few but in my experience if any of the above don't meet the right criteria.... chances are slim that you'll get really good espresso.

While researching coffee online I've learned that espresso refers to a method of making coffee and that it has nothing to do with the coffee itself, whereas I'd previously always thought that espresso referred to a type of coffee or coffee bean. However, I repeatedly see comments that imply that there is a difference in the coffee itself when comparing espresso vs. "regular" coffee (i.e. in the thread about Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts.) So my question is: Shouldn't good coffee be good coffee, regardless of whether it is made by the espresso method or the "regular" method? And likewise, bad coffee would be bad coffee regardless? Why else does it matter which brewing method is used?

For the past year or so I've been drinking yerba maté more than coffee and can attest to the differences between caffeine and the mateine in this South American beverage. I still love coffee, but can expect an edgy ride when I drink a few cups of coffeeshop-strength brew. With maté it's different; I feel a lift to the body and the brain without any sleep deprivation or crash -- and I can drink six teapots' worth or more. And if you believe what mate purveyors claim, the stuff is full of antioxidants among other health benefits. A few natural-foods stores sell small portions of maté at a steep price; I've found it's better to order large quantities on eBay. The best deals I've found were for Cruz de Malta. I bought it in large shipments, and it is decent, but I've had better. Can anyone recommend an affordable but high-quality brand? Or does anyone have anything maté-related they want to share? I have been trying to get my small-town coffee shop to stock it to no avail.

Recently a Bad Ass Coffee opened up in Jacksonville. I checked out their website and it says they only use 100% Kona! Being a Kona fan I was thrilled. So, has anyone tried BAC, and what did you think? Thanks for any input. Chad

This was inspired by jgoulds question on another thread. I just drink espresso (or espresso and milk drinks), not brewed coffee. I read about all sorts of beans that get great reviews, but they are not roasted specifically for espresso. Do some of them make great espresso? How does one decide whether a particular bean might make great espresso (other than trial and error)? Is there a style of roasting or land of origin or taste factor described in a review that might lead me to be relatively confident that I would recognize it's great traits in a cup of espresso instead of a cup of brewed coffee?

I picked up my grinder last night - can't wait to use it this weekend! The regular price was $125. The sale price was $99 and they threw in a free bag of coffee. A sign in the store said the sale was going on through March 16, 2004.

Today on The Splendid Table, there was a repeat broadcast of 2 stories about fair trade coffee. The first is about the impact of fair trade on actual farmers. The second discussion is between Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Kevin Knox. Knox gives a little more background & depth to the fair trade movement. I hope it provokes further thought/discourse. (The two stories are about 1/2 way through the show) NPR's THE SPLENDID TABLE

Reposted from New Jersey board: There is a new tea room in Denville called Ambrosia's Tea Room. Tea comes in teapots for $3.75. Scones are $4.00 (I think), $5.00 with Devon creme and strawberry jam. Very good scones compared to the Starbucks a block away. I had the house blend which was quite good. Black, green and herbal are available. I haven't had a change to try the tea sandwiches (cucumber, smoked salmon, egg salad). There is a soup of day, salads, and coffees for the non-tea drinkers. I posted an entry on the Restaurants forum in NJ.com and I'm not affiliated with the place in any way. I love tea rooms and this is the first for the area. (The Tea Hive in Newton is nice but a good drive away). It's in an office building (2nd floor) so it doesn't look like a tea room from the outside but the inside is comforting in a modern way. Website: www.ambrosiatea.com Address: 26 Bloomfield Ave., Denville, NJ 07834 Phone: 973-586-0700