Kelsey Makes Coffee

12 Frequently Asked Coffee Questions!

The coffee industry is huuuuge. Think about the amount of people who drink coffee everyday. Then think about the baristas who are making those people coffee, and the producers who grow that coffee. Among all these people, there are a lot of questions, facts, and myths circling, and I get asked a lot of these on the daily. I thought there would be no better way than writing it all down in one handy article!

Q: What kind of coffee is espresso?

Oftentimes, bags of coffee are labelled as an “espresso,” which would lead you to believe that it is a certain kind of coffee, right? Actually, espresso is a brew method where you grind the coffee extremely fine and pack it tightly into a device called a portafilter which you then insert into an espresso machine. The machine forces highly pressured hot water through the grounds creating a very small concentrated cup of coffee. And the thing is, you can use whatever kind of coffee you would like for it!

Q: Does espresso have a more caffeine than normal drip coffee?

This question is actually kind of tricky, because the answer is both yes and no. Some people believe that if you get an espresso or an espresso based drink like a latte, you will be consuming more caffeine than if you were to get just a regular coffee. That is actually false because those drinks only contain around 2 oz. of espresso which is roughly equal in caffeine content to a drip coffee (around 120 mg). However, because espresso is a concentrated type of coffee, if you were to compare the caffeine in 8 oz. of espresso vs. 8 oz. of drip coffee, the espresso would have much more caffeine. But drinking 8 oz. of espresso is not recommended!

Q: Does light roast coffee have more caffeine than dark roast?

There actually is an ever-so-slight difference in the amount of caffeine between the two. When coffee is roasted, it loses mass as the moisture in it evaporates, and the darker roasted it is, the more mass is lost. So, if you were to weigh out 100 g of light roasted beans and 100 g of dark roasted beans, there would be more dark roasted beans which also means more caffeine. However, the difference is so small, especially when we’re talking one cup of coffee, that it does not make a difference.

Q: What is the difference between and light roast and a dark roast?

Roasting is all about the process of caramelizing the natural sugars found in coffee. And light, medium, and dark roasts all refer to how long those sugars are caramelized in the roaster. Light roasts are not roasted for very long and tend to have a more bright, acidic taste, and overall is more delicate tasting, whereas dark roasts are roasted for a few minutes longer and tend to have a heavy body and more chocolaty notes and probably taste like what you think of traditional coffee tasting like. Many dark roasts, if roasted too long, can start to take on bitter flavors from the burnt sugars that are the culprit for many people saying they don’t like coffee.

Q: What is a single origin coffee vs. a blend coffee?

A single origin coffee contains beans from just one country such as Brazil or Colombia, and a blend is a combination of beans from different places! Blends commonly get a bad rap in the specialty coffee industry, but there is actually nothing wrong with them when done right. Some companies use blends as a money maker by filling it with cheap beans, but more and more cafes are starting to use blends as a way to mix good beans together to create interesting and complex flavor profiles. Single-origins are also often a great choice and a way to see how beans from different parts of the world vary in flavor.

Q: What makes coffee decaf?

Contrary to what a lot of people seem to think, beans do not become decaf by roasting them! It is actually a process done while the beans are still green. The most common method is called Swiss Water Process. It is a little bit of a confusing process, but essentially, green beans are soaked in hot water which removes the caffeine as well as a lot of the other flavors, and becomes a green coffee extract. This extract is then filtered through charcoal which catches the caffeine but leaves all the good stuff behind that needs to be added back into the coffee. But instead of using the original beans, you use a whole new batch of green beans and soak them in the decaffeinated extract, so that the only thing that dissolves in the new batch is the caffeine. This leaves you with a decaf bean that still has all its flavors and is ready to be dried and roasted. One other fun fact about decaf coffee is that it is never 100% decaf, there are always some trace amounts left.

Q: What are those flavors on the bag? Does the coffee really taste like ______?

Sometimes you can get flavored coffee, but the bag will definitely specify that the coffee has added flavor to it. At a specialty coffee shop, you will most likely see flavor descriptors on the bag and those are actually called tasting notes! They are subtle characteristics found in the coffee that are usually described by coffee roasters and tasters. You can learn more about tasting notes in my post, How to Taste Coffee.

Q: Is it better to get coffee already ground or to grind it yourself?

Simply put, coffee is always going to be best when ground right before brewing. However, another key part in getting good tasting coffee is having an even grind size. You don’t want some grounds looking like gravel and some looking like sand. A lot of home grinders are not capable of producing an even grind, but if you get your coffee ground at a coffee shop they will be using a good, industrial burr grinder. I would say that if you have it in the budget to buy a good grinder, go for it, but there is absolutely no problem with getting it ground at your local coffee shop.

Q: How many calories are in coffee?

Believe it or not, your cup of coffee is actually 98% water. The actual coffee solubles that are in your cup make up about 2 calories! Make sure to note that this is black coffee, and if you add cream and sugar or flavors, you need to check the nutrition facts on those to get a final calorie count. One packet of raw sugar contains 9 calories and an ounce of half & half contains 39 calories.

Q: What is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?

There are so many cafes around the world doing coffee in so many ways that these names have gotten a little bit lost in translation along the way, especially the cappuccino. If you ask me, and I have done my fair share of research on this, the only real difference in these two drinks is the amount of steamed milk you put in them. A latte is a 12 oz. drink that contains a 2 oz. shot of espresso and is filled the rest of the way with milk, and a cappuccino is a smaller version of that at 6 oz. total with a 2 oz. shot of espresso and the rest of the way with milk. Many people argue that a cappuccino should be foamier, but the smaller the amount of milk you steam, naturally it will have a little more air to it and will in the end seem a bit foamier than a latte.

Q: How do you pour latte art?

Most people ask me this as I am pouring their drink, after explaining to me that they can never get latte art in their coffee. I always feel a little bad breaking to them that latte art can only be accomplished with espresso and steamed milk, which means you need an espresso machine. (Those milk frothing devices don’t cut it.) However, if you do have an espresso machine with a steam wand, there is hope! Practice makes perfect and if you need tips you can find them here!

Q: What exactly is cold brew and how is it different from iced coffee?

Iced coffee is made the same way as brewed drip coffee, the only differences being that you use more coffee and then brew it over ice to water it down. Cold brew however, is made by steeping coarse ground coffee in room temperature for about 12 hours. Hot water tends to pull the more acidic flavors out of the coffee, whereas using room temperature water creates a very smooth cup of coffee. But at the end of the day, they are both types of iced coffee when you drink them!

Bonus question! Is drinking coffee black the best way to drink coffee?

I get this all the time where I work. Unfortunately a lot of people in the specialty coffee industry have created a stigma around specialty coffee and that it can only truly be enjoyed if drank black. This is simply not true. You should be drinking coffee how you like it! And if that is with cream or sugar or both, that is 100% okay! Coffee is for everyone, not just some snooty baristas. And I, for one, am all for everyone drinking better coffee, even if they aren’t drinking it black.

I hope these helped answer some of your most pressing coffee questions and maybe even taught you something new! Please comment below if there are any other burning (or should I say roasting? Yeah, no that was a bad joke) questions I can answer!

Coffee Processes: What are They and How do They Affect the Coffee?

Before coffee comes into the form of the delicious caffeinated beverage in your cup, it goes through a long string of different places. It starts off as a cherry on a shrub and is handpicked by farmers and is next “processed.” But what exactly is a process when it comes to coffee and what does it have to do with the end product?

The process is whatever method is used to essentially remove the cherry from the seed, which is more popularly known as the coffee bean. There are five main ways to process coffee: washed, sun-dried/natural, honey, wet-hulled, and anaerobic. Each process is done in different ways and each has a specific was it affects the final product.

Washed

Washed coffee is the most popular and most-used method worldwide. It is popular among coffee connoisseurs as the method that highlights the bean’s naturally occurring flavors. Washed coffee begins its process very soon after the ripe cherries have been harvested. The first thing that happens called pulping. Cherries go through a machine called a depulper which forces the seed to be squeezed out of the skin of the cherry, which is then discard. The seeds are left with a layer of sticky fruit substance on them called the mucilage. The seeds are left to ferment for 1-3 days which allows the mucilage to break down and become easier to remove.

Once the fermentation process is finished the actual washing begins. The seeds are placed in some type of vessel that allows water to be filled and drained. The first washing removes a large amount of the mucilage and other matter on the seed, and the coffee producer will agitate the seeds to help this process even further. The amount of times the seeds are washed is up to the farmer. There are also some farms that are reducing the amount of water used to wash the coffee by using machines rather than fermentation to remove the mucilage. The final part of the process is to dry the beans to a moisture content of around 12%. This is done by spreading the seeds out in a even layer on a large drying bed. They are usually left out 1-2 weeks before they are ready to be placed in bags until exported.

As mentioned before, washed is popular because of its ability to allow the true flavors of the coffee to shine. It brews the most “clear” cup of coffee, whether it highlights the aroma, acidity or body.

Sun-dried/Natural

The natural process is done in parts of the world that do not have easily accessible clean water to process with, yet it has gained popularity as it has become known for its natural fruity sweetness once brewed. Instead of the cherry being removed in the beginning of the process, the cherry is left on until the very end. Once the coffee is picked, it goes straight to the drying beds where it is allowed to dry for up to 30 days. During the drying phase it goes through a fermentation process, but it is much less controlled than with washed coffee, which is why some do not like this process as much since the flavor can vary so much. Once the coffee is fully dry, the cherry, mucilage and parchment are removed and the seeds are ready to be packaged for export.

Natural coffee can easily be one of the best coffees you’ve ever had or the worst. When a natural is good it will be beautifully fruity, floral and sweet. However, because of uncontrollable the process is, it can also produce a coffee that tastes dirty, or leaves an almost silty feeling on your tongue.

Honey

Honey process is somewhere halfway between the natural and washed processes. It is a variable process with different names for those variations known as: Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey. The reason for the name honey is that some water is used in this process to wash different amounts of the mucilage away, still leaving the seed somewhat sticky. In addition, it also has a tendency to actually taste like honey. The different variations signify the amount of mucilage left on the seed, yellow being the least amount left, and black being the most. Each one also has a little bit of variation in the drying times depending on how much mucilage is left. From there, the seeds are finished the same way as the other processes.

Honey process was created to mimic the sweetness of a natural process without getting the overpowering fruit flavors in the cup.

Wet-Hulled

If you have ever had Indonesian coffee, than you have had wet-hulled coffee. They start off nearly identical to washed process coffee, depulped, fermented, and set out to dry. However, where washed coffee is dried to around a 12% moisture content, wet-hulled is stopped at around 24%. At this point, the parchment is carefully removed, and then the coffee is set back out to dry to the final 12%.

Wet-hulled coffee tends to taste strong, with little sweetness or acidity. It also tends to take on earthy flavors, and some say that it often tastes a little bit like tobacco.

Anaerobic Fermentation

The last process is one that has been gaining more attention over the past few years, but is still harder to find. The way anaerobic fermentation has been described to me is to think of it through the same lens as craft beer. Like washed coffee, the skin is pulped, but then the seeds with their mucilage are placed into tanks to ferment, but the biggest difference is that they are sealed off to create a lack of oxygen. This promotes the growth of a different type of bacteria (lactic acid).

This method produces an array of different flavors, from fruits to chocolate to spices. It is considered to be an “art” as far as coffee processes go, and tends to be a higher priced coffee.

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How to Read a Coffee Bag

Throughout my time working in coffee shops, I am often asked by customers what type of bag of coffee they should get, and how can they know they will like it? Most specialty coffee shops include a lot of information about the coffee on the bag. This is great for at-home aficionados, but can be intimidating to anyone just trying it out for the first time or who might not be interested in all the facts about the bean, but just want to know if they would like it.

Yirgacheffe by Peach Coffee Roasters for example.

I’ve chosen to use a bag from the company I work for as an example, because each piece of information is very clear, and we can identify each one.

Country/Region

The first thing you most will most likely see, and typically is the most prominent, is the country and region where the coffee was grown. Something to note, however, is that if this information is not on the bag, it is most likely a blend of coffees from different parts of the world. This is why a lot of coffee you see at the grocery store does not include this information. Some of the most popular coffee growing countries are places around the equator, such as Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and many more.

Coffee that comes from a specific country also typically has a specific characteristic to it that comes from it being grown in that place, however location is not the only factor in the taste of the coffee. It can also have to do with the process the coffee has, which we will talk about more next. But as an example, most people know Ethiopian coffee to be naturally sweet and fruity whereas a Colombian coffee is typically more smooth and nutty.

Process

There are four ways to process coffee: washed, natural, honey, and anaerobic. Washed and natural are the two most common processes. A process is how the coffee is handled once it has been picked, and how they get it from a cherry to the seed (or coffee bean.)

We’ll start with natural since that is what our example bag is. Natural process is when the coffee cherry is picked and set out to dry on large drying beds, with the whole cherry fruit still intact. Over time, the cherry and the juices dry out, and the seed soaks up a lot of these sugars. This is what gives natural coffees their sweetness and fruity or floral notes.

Washed processing is when the coffee is picked and the entire cherry and mucilage is washed away from the seed. This process allows the flavors of just the bean to come through, which is why a lot of specialty roasters choose predominantly washed coffees.

Honey process is somewhere between washed and natural, and is less common. It is usually done in Central American countries. Honey process starts off like a washed, with the cherry skin and most of the mucilage being removed. But a little bit of the fruit is still left on and then is set out to dry. This is to try and cut back on the fruitiness of naturals.

Lastly, anaerobic process is new to the coffee world, so the process is a little bit confusing, and anaerobically processed coffee can be harder to find. To put this process simply, the coffee goes through a controlled fermentation, think almost similar to the process of making beer.

A great resource for learning more about these processes is this video series by Cafe Imports. I’m a big visual learner, and because it is something that is more difficult to describe, seeing these coffee processes in action helps you fully understand them.

Variety

There are two species of coffee plant: Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is the most popular type of coffee to drink, and almost exclusively what you will find at any specialty cafe. Within the Arabica species there are a number of varieties. These can be compared to the varieties of wine.

In our example, the variety is called “heirloom,” which oddly enough, is actually not a variety, but is there because we are not sure of what the variety is. A lot of Ethiopian coffee tends to be in this category.

However, there are many known varieties of coffee, including: Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Gesha, and more. Some of these varieties are known for their distinct flavor trends. For example, Gesha is prized for being a very delicate and tea-like coffee. However, just because a variety has a tendency to taste a certain way doesn’t mean it will. Growing conditions play a huge part in the end quality and flavor of the coffee.

Tasting Notes

Tasting notes always seem to be the thing that throws people for a loop. After all, the country and type of plant are fairly easy to understand once you know what they are, but how does a coffee taste like honey-nut cheerios or redcurrants? Most people think it must be flavored. But tasting notes and flavored coffee are very different. So if you’re looking for flavored coffee, it may be harder to find among specialty coffee shops.

Tasting notes are keyword descriptors used by coffee professionals to describe the nuances of a certain coffee. Usually, it is based on a flavor wheel and can be broad or very specific, and can even include mouthfeel.

Some common broad descriptions are words like: nutty, fruity or chocolate. A lot of times there will be some more detailed words like a specific fruit, nut, or spice. In terms of mouthfeel, common descriptors are: smooth, juicy, heavy or acidic.

What you need to know about tasting notes is that just because the bag says a certain thing doesn’t mean that’s what you will taste. At the end of the day your coffee is still going to taste like just that, coffee. Most coffee professionals who write those tasting notes have been cupping coffee for years and have a palate that has been built up to taste these minute details, like sommeliers are to wine. In additon, everyone’s tastebuds are different, and you could taste something else!

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How to Roast and Taste Coffee with Joshua Puckett

Joshua has been the Head Roaster at Peach Coffee Roasters since March 2019 and handles all production roasting for their wholesale and retail customers.

1. How did you get your start in specialty coffee?

I got my start with specialty coffee actually going to Guatemala on a trip and experiencing the whole process first hand. Everything from the trees to the drying process to the roaster to my cup of espresso. From that point on I was blown away and I have been hooked on the process of making coffee and how it brings people together.

2. How long have you been roasting?

I’ve been doing production roasting for almost a year now but I’ve been roasting for around three years.

3. What do you look for when choosing green coffee?

First and foremost, I look for consistency. How consistent a green sample is tells a lot about how it may taste. Secondly, when I choose coffees, taste is my next biggest priority. Consistency contributes to this by showing whether or not every cup is going to be similar or repeatable, both in the roasting process and brewing. In taste I look for complexity in flavor and taste. At Peach we try and find the best coffees that we can from a specific source and highlight that.

4. Do you find that quality of the green bean is more important than the roast?

Roasting can do one of many things, It can improve coffee flavor but it also can hide defects in the coffee by roasting darker. I think no matter how well you roast, the green is going to be the catalyst for how good the cup of coffee is going to be.

5. Could you run us through what an average roast looks like?

An average roast goes through three different stages: drying, Maillard, and development. Drying happens while the coffee is still green, using the heat from the roaster to bake out the water and dry the coffee. The Maillard reaction is when the coffee begins to yellow and the beans are around 300 degrees. This is when we start caramelizing the sugars that are in the bean and begin taking out the excess of acids that is in the green bean and balancing it with the caramelization process. The last stage is the development, this is also typically known as first crack, where the bean pops from the expanse of energy and heat that it is carrying. This part helps us determine the color and roast level to try and get a nice balanced cup of coffee.

6. What process do you go through when roasting a new coffee for the first time?

For me I typically sample roast it using a consistent process that I do for every coffee. This sample roast helps us to see if there are any defects in the cup, as well as see the age of the bean and see how this coffee might roast in a bigger batch as well as what we could possibly use it for. When I do a production sized batch I first try and use the knowledge I already have about the coffee to estimate what adjustments I might need to make and what time and heat levels I might like for this bean.

7. What do you look for in the coffee after the roast?

After the roast I typically look for smell, color, and of course taste. I usually let it sit for about eight hours at least before I cup it for the first time. Waiting helps to see how the coffee was roasted and see if there are any improvements I can make to make it better.

8. How can one improve their palate for tasting coffee?

Practice, practice, practice. I truly believe that everyone can taste the delicate nuances of coffee, but taking the time to do so just takes time and experience. I really enjoy cupping with a flavor wheel beside me to help put words to what I’m experiencing, as well as trying coffees with different foods that might remind me of the coffee.

9. What tips would you give to someone just starting to roast?

If you’re just starting to roast, the best advice I can give is to fail well. Learn from the things that you change and adjust in the roast to know how that might affect the taste of the coffee. Learning from those experiences are the best and quickest ways to learn how to roast and understand what you envision for the coffee. You have to learn what bad roasts and bad coffee taste like before you can move forward to better cups.

If you are interested in trying some of Joshua’s coffee, it can be purchased through peachcoffeeroasters.com.

How to be Your Own Barista | Making Better Coffee at Home

Due to current circumstances regarding the COVID-19 Situation, we all are about to be spending a lot more time at home. So I thought what better time to learn how to make yourself the best cup of coffee at home!

There are a multitude of different methods you can use to brew coffee all depending on your desired equipment price range, effort level, and of course, taste preference. In this post I will be covering some of what are, in my opinion, the best ways to brew, as well as offering some of my favorite product recommendations.

Drip Coffee

Ah, the good ol’ coffee maker. Most of us are already familiar with how this one works, and you may love it or you may hate it. For me, I hated our coffee pot when I was growing up. My parents brewed it strong, and I usually ended up drinking flavored creamer with a splash of coffee. Little did I know, you can actually make GREAT coffee with a regular drip coffee brewer.

You see, to get the best results out of your coffee you must make sure it is “dialed in.” Simply put, that you are using the right amount of coffee grounds and water for whatever size output you are looking for. My personal preference is to use 1:17 ratio, which means that you use 1 gram of ground coffee for every 17 grams of water. However, if you won’t be using a scale, a good rule of thumb is about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of ground coffee for every 1 cup of water.

From there, it really comes to programming your brewer as instructed. I like to use a brewer that is pretty simple and really only has on on/off button. Below are my two favorite brewers at the moment. The biggest thing to look for with a drip brewer is one that evenly disperses water over the coffee in several areas. Most brewers have one single opening where the water comes from, which then causes the coffee to be over-extracted where the water hits directly, and under-extracted everywhere else. This is what we want to avoid, as that is how you get a bitter or sour cup of coffee.

This Bonavita brewer is what I use on the daily and love. It is a very simple and easy to use machine, and a great value.

This brewer by Breville is more of a splurge, but is the basically like cafe style brewer that you can have in your own kitchen.

Chemex / Pour-Over

Pour overs are the first manual brewing method we will look at. Basically the same concept as drip coffee, but instead of letting a machine do it, you control your own outcome. This is probably the most popular home brewing method among coffee professionals.

The biggest difference between a chemex and a regular pour-over (such as a Kalita Wave, mentioned below) is the type of filter you use. Chemex requires a cone filter while Kalita is a flat bottom filter (like drip.) When it comes to your filter there is not a better one to choose—it is all based on your personal preference. The difference between them is how long the coffee grounds are in contact with the water. Since the cone filter creates a funnel, the coffee tends to be stronger because the water takes longer to travel through all the grounds, but you want to be sure to use a larger size grind so that it does not become clogged at the end and over-extract your coffee! Flat bottom filter makes it easier to get an even extraction and tends to produce a lighter and less bitter cup of coffee so it is usually recommended for beginner home brewers.

To brew a pour-over, you will also need a gooseneck kettle and a scale. Begin by boiling water and then allowing to cool for 30 seconds. As the water boils you can measure (and grind, if you have a grinder) your coffee. The 1:17 ratio also applies to pour-overs. Pre-wet your filter and dump out the extra water. This is to get rid of any papery taste. Place your carafe on the scale and tare it. Place your grounds in the filter and start pouring the water over it in circles, making sure to saturate all the grounds. For the first pour, only pour twice the amount of coffee you are using, for example, if you are using 30 grams of coffee, pour to 60 grams on your scale. This is called the bloom, which allows the grounds to release carbon dioxide and begin the extraction process. From there, you will continuously pour your water in until reaching the total amount, if we are using the 30 gram example again, which makes 16 oz of coffee, you would pour to 510 grams. This process should take between 3 and 4 minutes. Below is the link to my favorite pour-over device, the Kalita Wave! There will also be a list of accessories at the end of the post.

Kalita Wave Dripper | Kalita Wave Carafe | Kalita Wave Filters

French Press

The french press is an extremely easy to use, and surprisingly versatile brewer. You don’t need any additional equipment, although a scale always comes in handy, and you can brew traditional hot coffee, use it to make cold brew, and even use it to brew loose leaf tea. If sustainability is a factor to you, the french press is also a great option because it requires no paper filters.

To brew hot coffee in the french press, measure out your coffee and start boiling your water. Since french press is typically meant to be a stronger coffee, a 1:15 ratio is a good measurement to use. You begin by placing your grounds in the carafe and then saturating with water and allowing it to bloom, similar to the pour-over, but it does not have to be quite as precise. Continue by pouring the rest of you water to the top, and then giving it a few stirs to insure the grounds are fully saturated. Then you will place the lid on and steep the coffee for four minutes. Once that is done, just press down the top, forcing all the grounds to the bottom and enjoy your coffee! But make sure that if you are brewing more than one cup, you pour it into a different server because the coffee can continue to extract if left in and will become bitter the longer it sits.

To make cold brew, measure your coffee as normal, but this time fill with cold water. Put on the lid and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, press and pour!

Aeropress

The Aeropress may just be the quickest and easiest way to brew a cup of coffee, but it comes with a bit of a learning curve.

To brew the aeropress, I use this method by Stumptown Coffee: https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/brew-guides/aeropress

I personally think for this method, it is easier to learn by watching rather than reading, which is why I have included this link. While this is not my go-to method, I know people who swear by it. Because it small and lightweight, it is also a fantastic option for the outdoorsy people out there who like to drink coffee on their hikes or camping trips.

Accessories

Here’s where things get fun. You can go as crazy or as minimalist with coffee gadgets as you want, but there are three things that I think help take your coffee to the next level.

Scale

If you will be using either a pour-over method or a french press, a scale will help you get get precise, and if you start getting really into hand-brewed coffee, will help you play around with different ratios. If you won’t be hand-brewing, however, a scale will still come in handy in measuring your dose of coffee, which still will help you produce the best cup. Below is my absolute FAVORITE scale. It is a fantastic price, and it includes a timer which is a lifesaver if you are hand-brewing.

Gooseneck Kettle

A kettle will make your life so much easier when it comes to coffee, or even tea. The only method you really need a gooseneck kettle for is the pour-over, but it can be used by every other method as well. The gooseneck is essential for creating a smooth, concentrated stream and is easier to control. You can get kettles that go on your stove top to boil, or ones that come with their own heating element. I would recommend the latter as it saves you a whole lot of time. However, if you’re on a budget, stove top kettles will do you just fine.

Stove-top Kettle | Hario V60 Bueno Kettle

Electric Kettle | Stagg EKG Electric Kettle

Grinder

A grinder will make a huge difference in the quality of your at-home coffee! The longer coffee has been ground, the surface area exposed to air is much larger, allowing the coffee to lose its flavor faster. A grinder also ensures that you are using the right size grind for whatever brew method you choose. For example, for Aeropress you would want a lot finer grind than for Chemex. The best kind of grinder to get is called a burr grinder, which evenly grinds your coffee.

And if you are trying to save money you can also get a manual burr grinder, but keep in mind it takes time, and some muscle!

And there is also the option of the electric hand grinder. This type of grinder is not a burr grinder but a blade grinder, and therefore does not do the best job of getting an even grind. But many people already have grinders like this on hand and they are cheap and easy to find.

If you do opt for this option, popular coffee YouTuber, James Hoffman, has an excellent video on how to get the most even grind using a blade grinder, which you can watch below!

I hope these suggestions and tips have inspired you to try brewing yourself a cup of coffee at home, or improve your skills while social distancing. 🙂

If you have any questions or ideas please comment and let’s talk about it!

Happy Brewing!

An Interview with Landon Bonner, Co-Owner of Peach Coffee Roasters

Opening a small business is no easy task. I recently sat down with Landon Bonner, co-owner of Peach Coffee Roasters in Johns Creek, GA, to ask him about some of the ins and outs of owning and operating a small business and talk about what is currently going on in the specialty coffee industry in Atlanta. Landon has been in coffee since his days in business school. While working as a consultant for a Georgia coffee shop, he met David Pittman, who he would eventually co-open Peach Coffee Roasters with.

Question #1: Could you describe a typical workday?

Answer: Well, it’s changed a lot in the first year that we’ve been open. In the beginning, you’re really doing a lot of the day-to-day work. Just trying to get the systems in place and have a good working rotation so you can hand those off at another time. Now my day is back in administrative. Kind of planning and evaluating what the next steps for growth would be in the company. And I’m really just meeting with a lot of potential clients.

Question #2: What about your job do you find most enjoyable?

Answer: Probably the people I work with along with the people that I meet. The food and beverage industry honestly has a lot of genuine people in it that are very creative and kind of fit my mold, personality-wise. A lot of very genuine, nice people from humble backgrounds.

Question #3: How many hours a week do you typically work?

Answer: Probably fifty to sixty, but you don’t really even count it. From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep you’re thinking about it. You might not be directly doing something pertaining to work, but you’re always thinking about it.

Question #4: Which seasons of the year are the toughest for Peach, or coffee in general, if any?

Answer: Probably the Fall season heading into the Winter. It’s usually the busiest time for food and beverage. It’s where the most need for workers are, just for the time slots. And with our production side of it too, our partners are also getting busier, so they need more coffee. It can really become an overwhelming task. You kind of forget planning and forget all the admin stuff, and just focus on fourth quarter. Strictly work. Everyone is working. And then you regroup at the end of that in the first quarter of next year when things slow down to say, “Okay, back on planning pace, where are we at?”

Question #5: How would you describe the culture of your company?

Answer: I would say that it’s really taking on the personalities of the people that work here. It’s very relaxed. It doesn’t seem to be a lot of pressure on people. There are certain stresses day-to-day depending on what someone’s responsibilities might be. But overall, I think the culture really reflects the people here. People enjoy the work and who they are working with, and that’s been my hope. I want everyone to feel like this is just as comfortable as their own home. Because I know that’s what I hope for myself when I come in every day. I’ve worked with places where it feels quite the opposite and it’s very toxic, and I tried my best to put people in a place that I think will best compliment what I’m trying to achieve.

Question #6: Is the specialty coffee field growing, shrinking, or staying the same?

Answer: It’s probably growing within itself. I would say the pie that coffee is has always been the same size. But now the quality of the pie is changing, so for example, twenty years ago it was 95% all commodity, where it’s just like Folgers, Folgers, Folgers, and 5% everything else. Now it’s that Starbucks is its own quality, and specialty coffee is now growing so we’re really seeing the bigger players make huge investments into specialty as well. Because they understand this is what the consumer wants from a higher quality standpoint.

Question #7: What developments on the horizon could affect future opportunities for Peach?

Answer: I would say internally, as far as business planning, we’re doing a few things online that we would hope to bring in more revenue stream in that direction. What’s nice about that is it doesn’t require anymore overhead than we already have, which is kind of the beauty of online retail sales. And then in wholesale development, we have a couple different leads that I think could really change things here. We’re really trying to take the next steps to make one or two more people here full-time, as well as just make everything here more sustainable. That’s the positive, but I’d say a negative is on the outside. I would say there are uncontrollable factors. We don’t know what—it’s unforeseen what it might be like in five years from now as far as coffee goes in our weather conditions, with all the global warming stuff. So that’s always a risk factor in this industry, and that goes for all agriculture. As far as business-wise, directly here in Atlanta, it is very competitive. New roasters are popping up every year. This area is still growing too, so that’s probably even more room for people to get into the game. At the same time, we’re due for an economic recession, so you really want to brace yourself so you can survive. Because there will be other competitors that won’t make it, it’s just going to happen.

Question #8: How do most people enter the coffee scene?

Answer: I would say they usually got a job at Starbucks or something and they got into coffee. That’s probably the most popular route, the one that I hear the most. As far as the barista level goes, interesting enough, and I think this is missed on a lot of people in the industry, is that some of the people who are the business owners who start something or invented a new piece of tech in our industry don’t have any coffee knowledge at all. They’re just someone who really enjoys coffee and was doing something else—one guy I knew was like a top sales executive For IBM, and he was like, “I’m going to open my own coffee business,” and he’s been doing that for twenty years now. Another one, Acaia Scales, that guy is just a computer programmer—that’s it. And he likes coffee but it’s just a hobby, and he was just like, I know the tech to make a better scale, so I’ll make a better scale. I hear that a lot. It’s probably one of the most common things for the higher up stuff. That’s why I always think that the lower end of the spectrum, the people down there need to learn a skill set beyond coffee. Because that’s how you’re going to get to the management, the ownership, the executive position.

Question #9: What qualifications do you seek in a new hire?

Answer: I don’t really care if they come in with or without coffee knowledge. A little coffee knowledge always helps because you can kind of just throw them to the wolves a little bit. But really, it’s the personality—do you get a good feeling when they’re talking to you? I’m not necessarily going to give someone a negative if they’re nervous because that happens. But you can just have this feeling, based on their tone, if they’re arrogant or if they’re overconfident. I don’t really care for people like that. In this industry, it tends to give off a bad impression. You’re in service, so you’re supposed to appease others, not the other way around, so I try to look for that. And then also their desire to want to learn more is important. It’s hard for me to work with people that are stagnant in themselves. I want people to believe in themselves and move forward with their life, always looking to grow.

Question #10: Why do people leave the coffee industry?

Answer: It depends what level they’re at in the field. I’d say if you’re more on the lower end where you’re a barista or an assistant roaster or a warehouse worker, the work is just not sustainable as a career path. I would tell anyone that thinks otherwise that they’re kidding themselves. There’s just no way you can build a family on that. So that’s why we’re trying to build something here where you might enter in that level, but if you’re here for x amount of years, you can grow in the company to something else, or have enough skill set leaving this company to give yourself a better opportunity somewhere else. That’s my biggest hope for everyone. I don’t want to see anyone choose to be a barista for ten+ years, that’s just not sustainable.

Question #11: Who are the most important local people in the industry today?

Answer: Local to Atlanta, Sarah Frinak comes to mind. She is in sales for Ally Coffee, which is an importer out of South Carolina, but she kind of roams the entire southeast. She knows everybody and anybody in coffee in the southeast, especially in Atlanta. She helps put together a lot of the events here that the industry like to throw together. And then also probably David Lamont, who is the southeast rep for La Marzocco. Having him just down the street is a big plus and advantage, and just establishing that relationship. Both those people would go out of their way to help you in any kind of way, and they both come from very humble backgrounds. It’s really nice to work with genuine people like that.

Question #12: If you could start all over again, would you change your career path in any way, and why?

Answer: I don’t know if I would change anything, maybe certain decisions along the way. But I think the path would still be the same. If anything, I had a lull of time between opening Peach and my last job that I probably could have used a little bit more aggressively than I did, just to get as much experience in that timeframe as possible. It was kind of slow developing. But overall, I’m really satisfied with where my life has taken me; I’ve met a lot of really great people, so it’s hard to say like, “Oh, I wish I could have made more money or I wish I would have done this or had a bigger house,” or something like that. I think that’s kind of silly and I’m really glad for where I am.

That was all we had time for when I met with Landon, but there is no doubt a lot more knowledge he could share with us about anything specialty coffee or small business. Now that you know a little more, what questions do you still have? Leave them in the comments, and I can meet with Landon in the future to find out more!

How to Pour Latte Art

I don’t know how many times I have been at work, pouring someone’s cappuccino or latte, and they are amazed at the design I pour for them. Even when it’s art that I don’t think is my best, people are usually impressed! Back in my early days in coffee, I was obsessed, like most baristas, with perfecting my latte art. And since I find myself explaining it on the regular, why not post about it?

Photos by Joshua Puckett (@original_juckett on Instagram)

What you’ll need: an espresso machine with a steam wand, coffee ground for espresso (freshly ground is preferred!), a milk pitcher, and a milk of your choice! Keep in mind, however, that whole milk will result in the best latte art due to the higher fat content. Another thing to note is that latte art is only possible with coffee brewed as espresso. So how does it work? Let’s start with espresso.

Espresso contains three distinct sections: the heart, the body, and the crema. A good shot of espresso (or technically double-shot, as most cafes do) should be about 1.5-2 oz and there should be a distinguishable color variation starting with a dark brown color at the bottom and getting lighter on the top, with a lighter layer of foam on the top. The heart and the body are beneath this layer of foam, and contain the more bitter notes of the coffee, as it is the most extracted portion of the grounds. The crema is the layer of foam on top, which contains the brighter and more acidic notes of the coffee, and is also what allows us to pour latte art.

Now, let’s talk milk. There are all kinds of milks on the market today, and latte art can be poured with any of them. Alternative milks, such as almond or oat milk, require a bit more technique to steaming and pouring, and skim milk almost never looks good as latte art (although it can look decent with a lot of practice). In this post, we will be focusing on whole milk, as we mentioned earlier it’s the best to work with because the higher fat content creates the best milk foam.

The most important factor in creating the best latte art is the steaming. The key is in the microfoam. Milk, once steamed, should be perfectly integrated throughout with tiny bubbles of air, giving it a lighter texture. The top of the milk should look smooth and glossy, with no visible air bubbles, resembling a can of white paint. (I know, not the most appetizing descriptor, but definitely accurate!)

To begin steaming the milk, you’ll want to fill the pitcher to just below the spout. Insert the steam wand just under the surface of the milk. in the middle of the pitcher. The depth of the steam wand in the milk is essential at the beginning because that is when you are adding the air into it. Once you begin steaming, you will hear a chirping noise that some say resembles the sound of paper tearing. This is the steam wand coming above the surface of the milk and is what adds the air in. But remember that you are not moving the pitcher in any way, it is only because of the fact that the steam wand is close to the surface. Once you have heard about five chirps, you will submerge the steam wand about 1/2 inch into the milk so that air will no longer be added. It is important that the air is added first because once you submerge the steam wand, the rest of the time is spent incorporating that air throughout the milk as it heats up. One other note about this stage of steaming, is that to best incorporate the milk, you will want to create a whirlpool within the pitcher. You can either use a thermometer to keep track of the milk, and stop when it reaches 155 degrees, or when the pitcher is just over being too hot to the touch for a few seconds.

Notice the whirlpool and lack of bubbles.

To achieve the best latte art and flavor, you will want a freshly pulled shot, and milk that was just steamed and not allowed time to set. If the espresso is an older shot, the crema disintegrates over time, leaving little for the milk to rest on, so that your latte art will be difficult to control and will most likely have a mind of its own, going every which way in the cup. If the milk is allowed to set, it will separate into a layer of liquid warm milk on the bottom and foam on top. If you attempt to pour latte art with milk like this you will find that all the liquid milk will come out first and pour into the coffee, and the milk foam will come out last in a big unappealing plop.

So, you have a good shot of espresso, and some silky steamed milk. How do you turn it into a design? To preface, it will take time and practice, but there is technique involved. You will want to have your milk pitcher in your dominant hand. With the hand that is holding the latte cup, tilt it towards the milk pitcher at about a 45 degree angle. Pour a small amount of the milk in and stir in into the crema until it is a solid tan color (no streaks of darker crema, about 3 swirls of the cup). This will help give you latte art better contrast and also improves the flavor by making it even. Next, pouring straight into the middle of the cup, from about 3”-5” away, fill the cup half way.

Next is without a doubt the trickiest part. As you begin to pour your art, bring your pitcher all the way to the cup, where the tip of the spout is basically touching the espresso, this allows the milk foam to sit on top of the crema and create a design. The best art for beginners is to pour a heart. To do that, with your pitcher lowered, focus the pour in the middle of the cup, keeping your pour steady. As you continue to pour, you will have to start tilting the latte cup back into an upright position. Once it is upright, and the drink is almost full, you are going to pull you milk pitcher back away from the cup as it was before while pouring. As you are bringing it away from the drink drag the milk stream through the center of the dot you just poured. With the milk being further away, it creates more pressure and forces the milk underneath the crema, which in turn, creates the point at the bottom of the heart.

That is the basics of how to pour latte art! From there, it is mostly practicing and getting into a pattern of muscle memory. Once you are pretty consistent with a pour, it won’t be too hard to start branching out and trying new things. Happy Pouring!

How to Taste Coffee

I know what you’re thinking, “You don’t have to tell me how to taste coffee, I’ve had plenty of experience.” Or maybe you think that you can just taste it like everything else we eat or drink. And well, you’re right. You can taste coffee like that. But not all coffee is created equal, and learning to taste those differences is what I am here to tell you about.

In the world of coffee, tasting coffee is done in a way known as “cupping.” The purpose of a coffee cupping is so that there is a standardized way for anyone in the coffee industry around the world to taste coffee the same way. The reason for that is because there are so many variables that can affect the taste of coffee. Anything from the amount of grounds you use, to the brew method, and even the temperature of the water can affect the flavors we perceive.

Specialty Coffee Associated flavor wheel surrounded by varying coffees.

Now, how does one set up a cupping? When having a cupping, coffee professionals use bowls around 7 fl oz. The standard grind size is most accurately measured by using a sieve, and testing how much coffee falls through, but simply put it should be a medium fine grind. The amount of coffee should be measured at 1.63 grams for every ounce of water, and your water should be brought to a boil, then allowed to cool for a few seconds. Coffee cuppings typically have at least a few different coffees to taste. You would begin by setting up your bowls with same amounts of each coffee in them. You would then prepare your water and pour it over the grounds until it hits the rim of the bowl. Once each bowl is filled, a timer is set for 4 minutes.

Once the time is up you will “break the crust.” Using a special coffee cupping spoon (pictured below), you must scrape across the hardened coffee ground crust that has formed, which releases the aroma of the coffee. Once you have done that for all the coffee, using two cupping spoons, gently scoop out the rest of the grounds until you have a clean cup of coffee. Now begins the process of actually tasting the coffee. Taking your spoon, scoop up a bit of coffee, bring it to your lips and slurp. You heard right, slurp, it’s not considered rude in this setting. This allows the coffee to cover all of your taste buds. And that’s it! You’ve cupped coffee!

The first time you go to a coffee cupping, you may still not quite understand how to taste coffee. You may be confused as to why that one guy was saying he tasted floral notes of jasmine or chocolate covered hazelnut. Why does he taste that and you still just taste… coffee? Coffee is absolutely an acquired taste, and when tasting coffee it can be hard to attribute flavor notes in the coffee with everyday foods. I have been in specialty coffee for two years and I am still learning how to taste coffee. It is so complex that people even become licensed Q-Graders, which is the coffee equivalent of a sommelier. Something that can help you learn to taste specific flavor notes in coffee is the Specialty Coffee Association’s Flavor wheel.

As you can see, the flavor wheel is broken up into categories, such as cocoa, spices, or fruity. This helps you to more easily narrow down what type of flavor you are tasting, and keep working your way to something more specific from there. And just as cupping is a universal way to taste coffee, the flavor wheel is a universal way to describe coffee. Because you may taste a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but a coffee farmer in Brazil may not know what exactly that is.

If you really don’t believe me that your coffee could taste floral and tea like, or chocolaty, or even like blueberries, I recommend searching for your closest specialty shop. Many shops offer public cuppings once a month, or every few months, to introduce people to all the interesting variations coffee can have! Or perhaps you want to try it from the comfort of your own home, in which case I would recommend looking for an Ethiopian coffee from your coffee roaster of choice to brew up however you prefer. No matter how you choose to taste coffee, have fun with it and remember that whatever you taste in coffee can be unique to you and your tastebuds, so don’t worry if you don’t taste exactly what the roaster labels as the notes. The most important thing is that you drink it how you like it!

5 Reasons You Should Support Specialty Coffee Shops

Most of us our familiar with specialty coffee in some way or another, even if you don’t know it. Ask anyone and their definition of it may be when you get a pretty design in your latte, or when they have to pay more than $5 dollars for it. What most people don’t know is that specialty coffee, and coffee in general, is a massive industry. And there’s a lot more to it than your barista pulling shots of espresso. What if I told you there were benefits to heading to your local coffee shop, and dare I say spending a dollar or two more on your morning cup? Let’s take a look at some reasons to reevaluate your daily morning drive-thru routine.

Support Coffee Farmers

How many times have you thought about how the coffee that is in your cup came to be? The reality of it is that regardless of whether you are drinking specialty or commodity coffee, many hands were involved in the process of getting it to its final form. The difference is how were those hands treated along the way?

A huge priority throughout the specialty coffee industry is supporting the farms, many of which are small family businesses. Currently, many coffee farmers live in poverty, receiving very little for their tedious crops, which only have one harvest. Specialty coffee is fighting to pay coffee farmers what they deserve by building direct relationships with them. This cuts out the middlemen, known as “coyotes”, who typically will buy coffee at the cheapest price they can to resell for profit. While there are a few cases where middlemen may be beneficial to the farmers, direct trade relationships build trust and ensure quality through mutual education between farmers, buyers, and roasters.

Support Local and Small Businesses

Quite simply, help support the livelihood of your neighbors! Local coffee shops help create community and also help your local economy. By supporting these specialty shops, you are supporting the income of those who own it and work there, rather than giving another few bucks to a corporate chain who won’t know the difference.

Health Benefits

Specialty coffee shops pride themselves in their roasts and the excellent cups of coffee they produce. Baristas love it when they can introduce someone to a cup of black coffee that tastes great completely on its own. And guess what? Black coffee is practically calorie-less. That’s because black coffee is really 98% water.

However, not everyone is able to drink just coffee, and that’s okay. Many specialty shops focus on providing healthy options to spice your drink up. Most places include milk alternatives, such as oat or almond milk. And many shops you’ll go to make their own flavored syrups in house, which cuts out the preservatives in prepackaged syrups.

Support Sustainable Practices

Another priority among many in the specialty coffee industry is creating sustainable practices. Part of that is in what we previously mentioned, helping farmers and producers by building towards better livelihoods. There is also work being done to create sustainability on the farms to improve the environmental conditions in which the plants grow. Moving along the supply chain, many cafes around the world are working on ways to reduce their consumption of single use plastics. For example, at the cafe I work at, we have switched to all compostable to go cups and straws. We also partner with a few locals who take other compostable goods that are thrown away in store, such as napkins, leftover food, stir sticks, and also coffee grounds, which are great for fertilizing plants. There are other cafes around the US who have entirely dropped paper and plastic to go cups at all, and offer a reusable cup program.

Higher Quality = Better Taste!

Last but not least, once you taste specialty coffee, you will instantly realize the change in taste from store bought or fast food coffee. One of the biggest differences when it comes to coffee quality is between the two species of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. Many of the cheap brands of coffee in the supermarkets are made out of, or are some percentage of, Robusta. Due to its higher caffeine content, it is a much more durable plant than Arabica, and therefore can bought for a lot cheaper, but it is known for its bitter and unpleasant taste. Arabica, on the other hand, is what is known for its varying tasting notes, ranging from fruity, to nutty, to chocolaty or floral. But not only does the type of bean come into play. Roasting the bean is very important when it comes to caramelizing the sugars in coffee beans, bringing it to those sweet flavor notes, and avoiding the coffee being underdeveloped or burnt. When it comes to baristas, they have been trained on the process of “dialing in”, which is finding the best recipes to brew coffee whether it be a pour-over, french press, or espresso.

The coffee industry is huge, and there is even more (like, a lot more) to it than just mentioned here. The coffee industry is also still changing every day, and specialty is part of that wave. This is just a snippet of how one of our small, daily actions can have a larger affect on those around us. So whether you’re interested in just trying a better latte, helping to provide better incomes for coffee professionals, or taking a step to be more eco-friendly, I urge you to stop by your local coffee shop next time you need your caffeine fix!