The biggest variable from day to day, I’ve found, is my tamping. Getting exactly the same tamp, around 30lbs of pressure, is quite hard to reproduce day after day, particularly before that first shot in the morning. Frankly, even after a year of practice, I’m still not very consistent.

Enter the Espro Tamper. This little tamper, in addition to having a healthy weight and solid feel, has a trick to take the guesswork out of tamping. Hidden inside is a spring that gives with 30lbs of pressure, so as you push down, you get some resistance, and then it “gives,” letting you know exactly how hard to push. It’s a great training tool to help you develop muscle memory, but it’s also just a great tamper for everyday use and helps minimize at least one of the variables, letting you focus on getting the perfect grind and dose.

When my friend bought me one earlier this year, I liked it so much, I bought one for my other espresso machine as well. My only complaint so far is that I’m used to knocking the side of the portafilter with the tamper base to help even out the grounds, and that’s a no-no with the Espro as it might mess up the spring. It also seems to quickly mar the edge of the base, which could slightly alter your tamp, so best to stick with the no-knock recommendation.

Like any tamper, the Espro Tamper comes in a variety of sizes, and there is a great sizing chart on the Espro website. I have a Solis & a Saeco machine, both of which take the 53mm tamper, despite the note on the site that says that the 52mm may work better for the Solis. The Espro also comes in a flat and a concave version, depending on your personal preference. Like most good tampers, the Espro Tamper isn’t cheap, running about $75-90US depending on where you find it.

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 seem to have it in abundance. The idea of a fruity iced “tea” from boiled rhubarb sounded too great to pass up. I keep putting the tea in quotes because technically, this isn’t tea at all. It’s just a rhubarb infusion. But, like most herbal teas, served cold, it accomplishes the same task of quenching thirst with a nudge of flavor. The infused rhubarb reminds me a lot of African Rooibus (or red bush) tea, with maybe some extra hints of hibiscus.

To make, simply wash the rhubarb stalks off well, and cut into three inch lengths and place in a heavy bottomed pot. Add about 1 cup of water for each stalk of rhubarb, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook, stirring occasionally, for about one hour. Strain, and add sugar to taste while the infusion is still warm. Then, refrigerate until cold. Serve with ice, and garnish with some mint and a freshly sliced strawberry.

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 order the Ethiopian Harrar, PNG, or Hacienda las Nubes that were already in my basket!). They are green beans, after all, so they’ll last a while.

I’m quite pleased with the Rwandan purchase. The coffee, an Arabica Bourbon, is grown in rich, volcanic soil at a relatively high altitude and holds onto it’s milk chocolaty tones even when it’s roasted a bit dark. Each cup I’ve pulled has given me god-like shots, heady with crema. Other reviews I’ve read recommend the bean more for press coffee than espresso, as there is a bit of a sharp edge to the pulled shots. With a touch of velvety steamed milk, I thought the sharpness wasn’t a problem, but others might.

Even better, Rwanda is a country in dire need of recovery, and supporting the small farmers (like this co-op) is a great way to help. There is a fantastic article on coffee and farmers in Rwanda at Project Rwanda, who have started up a great coffee-bike program. This program gives small farmer’s access to bicycles which greatly reduces the time it takes for the coffee to get from the fields to the washing stations. Each hour between picking and de-pulping means that bacteria can start to break down the beans. With bikes, what takes farmers six to twelve hours to deliver, can start to take only two to four hours. The result? Coffee that can command a better price for the farmer and another great single origin to boot.

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 fruit only has one. These beans have a more rounded shape, rather than the typical flat-on-one-side bean and depending on the coffee type, are either prized for their rich, more intense flavor or simply discarded as bad beans. In the case of the crop from Vista Hermosa, they definitely fall into the prized category.

You may recall, I had some problems with my first purchase of Huehuetenago beans from Zach and Dani’s in getting the roast right. Perhaps it’s a year of experience, but these beans gave me no trouble at all. Roasted a bit dark, the sweetness of these beans really pops through with flavors of chocolate and caramel, and just a lingering touch of melon. In fact, in 2004, Vista Hermosa won the Guatemalan Exceptional Cup award with their coffee. They remain consistently one of the best coffees out of Guatemala and are used for the sample coffee at Ana Cafe from the Huehue region.

The Vista Hermosa estate is a sustainable growth operation that produces shade-grown and organic beans, and is thought to be one of the best places of employment in the region. They even have a blog that is up to date with their latest coffee news.

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 restock on some of my favorites and to try a few new origins.One of my most exciting purchases was a bean from Puerto Rico via Burman Coffee Traders. Burman is still one of my favorite places to order beans in the state. The beans are great, there’s a good selection of Fair-Trade options, the packaging is minimal and the beans are shipped quickly. And, this order was no different.

The beans I purchased were Hacienda las Nubes, lot 90 which arrived to Burman on 12/06. These are no ordinary green beans and the price clearly reflects the quality… $15.99 per lb rather than the standard $5.00 per pound for most of their beans. The Burman site recommended roasting to the second crack to bring out the full flavor, which I did.

Hacienda las Nubes, meaning Farm of the Clouds, is grown in very small batches and triple sorted, by hand, to ensure only the best beans are sold. The flavor reflects this amazing care in growing… it is complex with strong spice notes of clove and cinnamon and the fruitiness of cherry. When I did a small cupping, I almost thought I was sniffing some smooth tropical rum. There’s so much going on with this coffee, it’s a shame to drowned it in milk. A macchiato is a much preferred choice… just a touch of milk to enhance rather than smother the crema.

A one year subscription is $25 in the US, and back issues are available for order on the website.

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 half pound of home roast or your favorite beans from a local roaster is a beautiful gift, especially when wrapped up in a decorative jar. I love using classic Ball canning jars or jars with a hinged lid. Look for glass containers with a good rubber seal to help keep the flavor in the beans. Be sure to find out if your recipient has a grinder… if not, you can pre-grind the beans for them as long as you know how they will be brewing them. Grind finer for espresso or French Press.

Also, be sure to label the type of beans, noting the date that they were roasted.

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 other “experts” in the room. Getting caught up in that will keep you from being open to what you are smelling and tasting. You are new to the experience, but not new to tasting things. Trust yourself.

Second, try to find a group of other “newbies” or go to a very small cupping if you can. I found that I moved really slowly trying to really consider what the flavors and aromas were… slow enough that it probably would have bothered experienced cuppers as the last few cups were a bit past their prime when I got to them. Luckily, for my cupping, it was just me and Neal Brown, the roaster… and he was very patient with me.

Grab a napkin. You will get coffee grounds on your nose if you are doing it right. You really need to get right down in there in the cup, so a ground or two is inevitable. Just have a hanky in hand before someone tries to take your photo.

If you can, use a cupping sheet with words printed on it. It’s easier to identify an ambiguous flavor and place the name “pruney” or “leathery” when the words are visually sitting in front of you.

Slurp! When tasting the coffee, try to make as much noise as you can. You’ll get the most flavor from the spoonful, and you’ll look like you know what you are doing.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions… in advanced coffee cuppings, the participants usually keep mum about their interpretations. But, as a newbie, most people will give you some leeway. Find out what other people get and ask them why.

One cup does not a cupping make. When you taste a single cup of coffee, it’s fairly hard to put it on a scale by itself. Tasting coffee side by side is a revelation… suddenly, the difference between Sumatra and Ethiopian is like the difference between day and night. Fruity flavors are their most clear when you’ve just tasted a cup without them.

Go again! If you are like me, your first cupping will only make you crave a second and to dive in and want to learn more. I even ordered myself a little guide to learn more about how to classify aromas and flavors… the Ted Lingle The Basics of Cupping Coffee from the SCAA website.

Try it at home! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to cup at home. You just need some small cups, a spoon, hot water and some beans. If you home roast, it’s a great way to test your roast times without having to worry about whether or not you are getting a good pull.

My most sincere thanks to Neil of Brown’s Coffee for such a great intro into cupping! Neal is an artisan roaster in Seattle who roasts up some fantastic Fair Trade Organic beans. His Super Ethiopian blend is so fruity, it’s practically blueberry juice… and his Crema King is to die for. Neal ships his beans nationwide.

In the past two years since Pim (of Chez Pim) created the event, food bloggers have raised funds for the American Red Cross (aid for Tsunami victims) and UNICEF. This year, the money raised will be donated to the United Nations World Food program, to help feed those who are in need. What could be more fitting.

This year my food blog, Cook & Eat, is donating a Coffee Lover’s Package (UW11).

It starts off with a jar of my kick @$$! blend of home roast that will get your morning rolling with a bang. It’s a blend of Intelligentsia coffee (Tres Santos) with a handful of Kaapi Royale Robusto, which contains 4x the normal caffeine and gives crema like you wouldn’t believe with a beautiful bittersweet finish… perfect for espresso or a French Press. Your beans will be roasted just before they are popped into the post, so they will be perfectly fresh on arrival. Plus, you get to serve up your new brew in a new set of Rosanna espresso cups. I have a set of these gorgeous demitasse, each with their own graphics. And to top it off, I’ll include an 8×10 signed, matted and framed print of one of my photos, like this one featuring the Rosanna cups:

(As the winning bidder, you will be able to choose your photo to print from (almost) any of my photos posted on Flickr.)

There are also tons of other great prizes to bid on! Just check out Chez Pim for the list… (or, go to Becks & Posh for the West Coast round-up)

Then, here’s what you should do…

1. Go to the donation page at (http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII/)

2. Make a donation, each $10 will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. My coffee package is prize code UW11. Please specify which prize or prizes (by code) you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. Do tell us how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code -for example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for UW11 and 3 for UW02.

3. If your company matches your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

4. Please also check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we could contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

5. Check back on Chez Pim on January 15 when we announce the result of the raffle. (The drawing will be done electronically. Our friend the code wizard Derrick at Obsession with Food is responsible for the wicked application that will do the job.)

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