A Nice Cuppa

Getting a great shot of espresso at home is no easy feat. There are so many different variables, from the beans, how they were roasted, the grind, the dose, the tamp and even the ambient humidity that day. A great shot from the same batch of beans may be terrible the next day if you […]

I stumbled upon this recipe the other day in a Martha Stewart Good Things book that I picked up at a used bookstore. My rhubarb is already starting to shoot up like a weed, plus rhubarb is one of the very few local, organic fruits you can find in season this time of year, so […]

I am an impulse shopper. I had already filled up my online shopping cart with plenty of beans to try from Burman Coffee Traders, when the Rwandan co-op beans caught my eye. After a bit of research, I decided that another pound of green beans wasn’t going to hurt (I certainly wasn’t going to not […]

One of my latest happy finds is the 1lb bag of Vista Hermosa beans that I got through Burman Coffee Traders. You can order the standard green beans, or just get a bag of the peaberries. Peaberries form when something interferes with the growth of the cherry, and instead of producing two beans, the […]

Last fall, I had so much green coffee at home, I thought I’d never make my way through it. But, a funny thing about consumables… they do get consumed! And, a few weeks ago, I excitedly realized that my green coffee bean supply was starting to dwindle. It was time for a new order, to […]

Looking to learn even more about coffee beans and the industry? Check out Roast magazine, a trade rag focused on making the best possible cup. A few sample articles include cupping basics, blending techniques, roasting light and a fantastic article on which beans produce the most and best crema. The current issue discusses the effects […]

Didn’t get a cool new mug for Christmas? Head over to United Brands, and check out their mugs by San Francisco music pioneer and designer Patricia Ryan. Modern meets earthy meets retro, these large (17oz) mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe, and pieces of art in their own right.

The great thing about giving coffee beans as a last minute gift, is that they are at their freshest! In fact, if you are giving coffee as a gift, you should wait till the last possible minute so that the beans were roasted within 3 to 10 days. That’s good news for procrastinators like me.
A […]

Considering a coffee cupping? If you’ve never been to one before, like me before last weekend, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

First, leave your self-conciousness at the door. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to your tastes and perceptions, but it’s easy to feel unsure and intimidated by […]

Yay! It’s Menu for Hope time again! Very likely one of my favorite blogging events from last year. Foodie-shopping and doing something great for so many lives… doesn’t get much better than that.
In the past two years since Pim (of Chez Pim) created the event, food bloggers have raised funds for the American Red Cross […]