My favorite mail order coffee
My favorite mail order coffee
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Post #31 - January 18th, 2006, 6:26 pmkit wrote:I am with you on the flavored coffee
In general, I agree completely. But I've lately become addicted to adding a little dried pepper flakes to the ground coffee that goes into my drip coffeemaker.
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Post #32 - January 18th, 2006, 6:53 pmI can see chiles in coffee. Like putting anchos in cocoa to make Aztec drinking chocolate.
I just listened to an interview with the winner of the American Barista Championship. One of the trials is to submit a 'signature drink'. Her's was a cap with cane sugar, white pepper, and sage infused milk. Savory. Interesting.
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #33 - January 18th, 2006, 9:00 pmKit --
So was it sweet maria's beans you roasted? I don't have a great source for Kona - any you would recommend?
Can't wait to try it.
QCONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #34 - January 18th, 2006, 9:49 pmYep. Sweet Maria's. I did get an un-named 'estate' Kona from another supplier. Same price as SM, ~$16. The beans were yellow, different sizes, and had no Kona flavor. Tom just got two more besides the sold out Kowali which is probably the best Kona I have had. I ordered, but haven't gotten, Mountain Thunder and Moki's Farm (which I JUST scored the last available pound). Rancho Aloha is not yet on the market but has a lot of people drooling. It is one of the highest farms so the season is later. Stay away from Kona Joe's.
As to where to find them roasted... I don't know. I thought Intelligentsia might have some but I don't see any listed. If you can't find any, let me know.
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #35 - January 18th, 2006, 9:59 pmI'll take a look around and see if I can find anything worth trying. If not, I'll drop you a line...can't think of what I have to trade (save a whole bunch of liqueurs) that would be of interest....
Eight years ago I went to Alan Wong's in Honolulu and drank some fine estate Kona...now if only I could remember what it was!
The Kona my company produces is awful. So bland, you might just convince yourself you are drinking air.
Kit, what do you think of this website?
http://www.kona-coffee-auction.com/#roastCONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #36 - January 25th, 2006, 10:14 amKit --
Picked up some of the Rancho Aloha the other day - via the website above you can order directly from them. They roast their coffee dark, which does obscure some of the more nuanced flavors, but it is delicious - I can only imagine how great it would be fresh roasted from green.
They seem to have tons of it available. "Tons" is relative, I guess.
Can't wait to hear how yours is!CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #37 - January 25th, 2006, 1:39 pmThat is a really useful site. Good find! I ordered 2 lbs of green from Rancho. It is amazing that most of these farms are under 5 acres.
Kona should be roasted City+ to Full City. They should not be oily at all.
Here are some good pictures of the roast colors.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.html
I have been comparing the three that I have. While I know they are Kona, I don't think I could differentiate them. Good thing I am not a judge.
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #38 - January 25th, 2006, 2:50 pmAlas, they took it to Full French, which is a little dark for my tastes. Thanks for the link to sweet marias. I've only seen Agtron numbers describe roasting degree - I'd call it a 25. (Kenneth Davids' website has a guide to Agtron).
Kit, I'm getting close to buying a roaster -- what a pernicious influence you have!CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #39 - January 25th, 2006, 3:14 pmI just got four pounds from Coffee Maria (Guatemala Antigua, Indian Mysore Nuggets (both C roasted), Ethiopian Harrar, and Sweet Yellow Brazil (both RC roasted)). I've only had the Indian Mysore and Guatemala so far. The former is, uh, interesting (jury's still out for me); the latter just about perfect. The ordering and delivery were good, but CM packages in fold-top bags, not vacuum sealed. That's great if you want to drink all four pounds in a couple days, not so great if you're trying to lose your edge like I am. Based on only a few pots of CM, I still prefer Terroir, but CM looks to be a very good, much cheaper alternative.
Also, I just finished a bunch of La Colombe (Phocea, Nizza, and Beaulieu) and none of it was as good as I had recalled, and so not nearly as good as Terroir.
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Post #40 - January 25th, 2006, 9:10 pmI read about the Agtron scale from one of Davids' books. I guess I roast between 45-65 to get between City+ and Full City+. I can hit the desired roasts with temperatures better than color. Color is not a good indicator since some beans will be lighter or darker at the same temps. But temp is a better indicator of the chemistry inside the beans.
You will love roasting. I have not been doing it long but have learned a lot and am having a great time. You may want to subscribe to Sweet Maria's homeroasting list. There is an unbelievable amount of knowledge there. Then you can decide how to approach it. A $5 popcorn air popper from a yard sale to a $700 Hottop and all things in between.
Plus, you can get those harvests from small farms the big guys can't get and roast them perfectly. One danger.... there is no going back.
I've only had the Indian Mysore and Guatemala so far. The former is, uh, interesting (jury's still out for me);
I had a monsooned Indian once. Tasted like a basement. Try some cardamom and hot milk in the Mysore. That's the way they drink it, I think.
The Guatemalan Huehuetenango is was my wife's favorite until I got these Hawaiians. Umm....chocolate...
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #41 - February 16th, 2006, 2:59 pmThis month's food and wine magazine declares the following:Food & Wine wrote:TOP U.S. COFFEE BARS
La Colombe Torrefaction
Great pastries and people-watching; silky cappuccino (130 S. 19th St., Philadelphia; 215-563-0860).
Ritual Coffee Roasters
Mission District hipsters love the French-press coffee here (1026 Valencia St., San Francisco; 415-641-1024).
Ninth Street Espresso
Owner Ken Nye pulls some of New York's best espresso at this East Village spot (700 E. Ninth St., New York; 212-358-9225).
Aloha Island
All Kona coffee, all the time, from the owners' Big Island plantation in Hawaii (153 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills; 310-786-8257).
Ruta Maya
Terrific coffee exclusively from Chiapas, Mexico, plus great live music (3601 S. Congress Ave., Austin; 512-707-9637).
Murky Coffee
This Capitol Hill spot is a hangout for politicos and staffers (660 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, D.C.; 202-546-5228).
Blue Bottle Coffee Co.
A 10-by-10-foot space that's more a stand than a shop, it grinds and brews terrific beans to order (315 Linden St., San Francisco; 415-252-7535).
Jack's Stir Brew Coffee
Owner Jack Mazzola has invented a coffeemaker that stirs the coffee grinds as it brews, giving each cup an even, smooth taste (138 W. 10th St.; New York City; 212-929-0821).
Gimme! Coffee
Ithaca, New York-based coffee fanatic John Gant air-roasts his beans so the roast level is perfectly uniform (495 Lorimer St.; Brooklyn, New York; 718-388-7771).
Café du Monde
Housed in a French Quarter landmark building, founded in 1862, it is still known for its coffee-chicory blends (1039 Decatur St., New Orleans; 504-587-0835).
Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company
Zoka's head barista, Phuong Tran, is the current United States Barista Champion (2200 N. 56th St.; Seattle; 206-545-4277).
Espresso Vivace Roasteria
Husband-and-wife owners David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan started Vivace with a single street-side cart; now they're a Seattle institution. Their espresso is known for its gorgeous crema (901 E. Denny Way, Seattle; 206-860-5869).
Coffee & Art
The friendly neighborhood vibe and flawless espresso drinks here are augmented by a wide menu of panini (411 15th Ave. East, Seattle; 206-325-6520).
Metropolis Coffee Company
Father and son owners Jeff and Tony Dreyfuss run a virtual entertainment center at their coffee house with rotating art displays, music and a film series (1039 W. Granville Ave.; Chicago; 773-764-0400).
and that the best boutique roasters are:
Stumptown, Portland www.stumtowncoffee.com
Terroir, MA www.terroircoffee.com
Barefoot, Silicon Valley www.barefootcoffeeroasters.com
Counter Culture, Durham, NC www.counterculturecoffee.com
and...
Intelligensia, Chi-ca-go www.intelligensiacoffee.comCONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #42 - November 29th, 2006, 4:02 pmHey, its Rancho Aloha time of the year. Just got an email from Bruce Corker, of Rancho Aloha, whose coffee won the gevalia kona coffee award last year.
Dear Rancho Aloha Customer:
We are in the midst of the 2006 Kona coffee harvest. The new crop of
Rancho Aloha coffee is now available and we invite you to order.
THE 2006 CROP REPORT: Excellent quality coffee with Kona’s noted
characteristics of rich floral, aromatic flavors and bright acidity.
However, this will be a short crop. Production throughout the Kona
region is predicted to be down by 1/3 to 1/2 from last year’s levels.
We request that you have holiday orders to us no later than December
10.
Because of crowded roasting schedules, we will not be able to assure
holiday deliveries for orders after that date. We will be off-Island from
December 19 through January 3, and will not be processing coffee orders during that time.
To order: Visit www.RanchoAloha.com
Aloha and Happy Holidays,
Bruce and Lisa Corker
Rancho Aloha
PO Box 417
Holualoa, HI 96725
Just ordered my green beans.....CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #43 - November 30th, 2006, 8:06 amWhich roaster did you get?
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #44 - November 30th, 2006, 9:23 ami-roast 2 -- i've noticed from a few runs that it can be pretty inconsistent.
what are you using?CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #45 - November 30th, 2006, 1:30 pmI had the IR1 and it broke after the warranty but Hearthware sent me an IR2 at a discount. It is sensitive to ambient temps and the amount of chaff. I drilled a hole through the top to thread a thermocouple into the bean bed. That is the only way stop the roast at the precise temperature.
I program the unit at 395 for 10 minutes. That slows the time between the first and second cracks to make a more even roast. FC will take between 7.5 and 8 minutes.
If the replacement wasn't such a good deal, I would have sprung for a Gene Cafe.
Brazilian Yellow Bourbon has become a staple in my house.
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #46 - November 30th, 2006, 3:00 pmoh, that's a great idea, about drilling the hole. I've noticed some of the beans I've used (a recent guatemalan, though I can't remember exactly which one) produced a huge amount of chaff. Tell me about the thermocoupler you are using -- I'm not very technical, so any and all details will help.CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
www.cakeandcommerce.com
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Post #47 - November 30th, 2006, 7:15 pmI bought the one from Sweet Marias. http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.roastkits.shtml
You know those holes around the outside of the top? There are little ones and 4 big ones. Drill a hole straight through one of the little ones and through the metal chaff collector. You can then thread the thermocouple wire into the beans.
You want 454F? Hit the cool button on cue. Works great. Any K-Type probe works in this unit. I bought a metal one off eBay for $2.
The onboard thermometer is useless. In spite of its shortcomings, the IR is the best roaster for the price.
If you need pictures, let me know and I will email them to you.
Kitduck fat rules
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Post #48 - November 30th, 2006, 11:38 pmHI,
I went over the eBay to see what you are talking about. These K-type thermocouples, I presume you buy the sensor and the readout to program. Cool idea.
Thermocouples are also used to determine processing times for home canned as well as production food products.
Regards,Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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Post #49 - December 1st, 2006, 12:41 pmYou don't really even need a data logger or program. A lot of K-type multimeters will read temps. The probe that comes with a lot of digital thermometers is just a wire. I cut the ends off an old thermometer probe and threaded the wire through it.
Kitduck fat rules
