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Roasting on the Ikawa – Updates & Comments (Part I)
Flashback to April 2017, SCA Expo in Seattle. (For context, The Crown -- the building -- is still nearly 2 years from completion.) At Expo, one of the buzzworthy booths was a funny-looking small-batch electric roaster called Ikawa. You’ve surely heard of them by now, the Bluetooth-enabled device...
Some Real Talk on Geshas
Chris Kornman, Education and Lab Manager of The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room briefly discusses the fabled Gesha coffee variety, the evolution of the plant's genetics and flavor profiles in anticipation of some new Crown Jewel releases. For more information on coffee plant types,...
Burundi: Passionate People and Exquisite Flavors
Editor's note: This article first ran in Coffee, Tea & I Magazine Vol 72 (Download a PDF here) and is reprinted with permission. Burundi: Passionate people and exquisite flavors The clay is red as bricks, stark against the lush greens of banana trees, tea leaves, and coffee plants. The colors...
When Café met Mezcal in Oaxaca
by Doris Garrido They say that in Oaxaca the mezcal is taken with coffee! -Lila Downs - Mexican singer Mezcal is an agave-based distilled drink from Oaxaca, as well as other states in México. I've found many stories about how mezcal was born but for this article, I am going to talk about the one...
January 2020 at the Crown: Classes & Events Digest
Coffee Tasting: What is Honey Process? Jan 3, 2020 01:00 PM (PST) The first free, open-to-the-public coffee tasting of the new year, we'll try some Honey process coffees. Go to event site Intro to Coffee Jan 11, 2020 02:00 PM (PST) A beginner-level class for enthusiasts, we'll demystify the...
Announcement: Royal Coffee is a Data Donor for the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide
12/23/19 update: The 2019 Specialty Transaction Guide is published and can be downloaded here. We are encouraging everyone to read it and consider donating data if they are in a position to do so. 2/20/20 update:Chris Kornman provides some key takeaways from the 2019 Specialty Transaction Guide...
Tana Toraja: Notes from Sulawesi, Indonesia
I recently returned from a trip to Sulawesi with the Consulate General of Indonesia, where we visited coffee production areas and gained further understanding of the supply chain and current issues facing coffee producers. Read on to learn more about this unique production area in Indonesia, and...
Royal Coffee Holiday Schedule for Warehouses and Popular Carriers 2019 – 2020
Dear Royal Customer, The 2019-2020 Holiday season is nearly upon us! To help plan ahead, please see the list of important closure dates for our U.S. warehouses and most popular carriers for below. Please keep in mind that shipments during the entire 9 business day period of 12/23/19 – 1/2/20 are...
Opinion: Are Bees Responsible for Better Quality Coffee?
Foreword by Chris Kornman The story of Alfred Klein and Royal Coffee is a long one, best heard in the words of Don Alfred himself, and that of Royal’s cofounder Bob Fulmer. Bob and I struck up a brief conversation about the coffees and the farm a couple of years ago, which led to, among other...
Are Low Prices Fueling Displacement? A Closer Look at Coffee and Emigration
Editor's note: This article first ran on October 8, 2019 in Daily Coffee News. It is republished here with permission. Are Low Prices Fueling Displacement? A Closer Look at Coffee and Emigration If farmers can’t — at minimum — break even with their costs of production, they will very likely...
Coffee Leaf Rust: Past, Present and Future in the Fight Against Fungus – Part 2 of 2
Editor's Note: This article first appeared in Roast Magazine's July/August 2019 issue, and is reprinted here with permission. You can view the original piece in a free online preview here and download a pdf of the article, courtesy Roast Magazine. Coffee Leaf Rust: Past, Present and Future in the...
Upcoming Classes & Events in October
October starts off with a bang! The first day of the month is International Coffee Day; celebrate all month long with us by attending some of the events below. As always you can check out the whole calendar on The Crown's Events page -- there you can sign up or find extra information about the...
How to Use the Quest M3 Roaster
Roasting on the Quest M3s: An Update A year down the road, and we are still roasting on the Quest M3s roaster, now set up here at The Crown in our roasting lab. We've had classes for our baristas and the public to learn to roast on this machine, and we've released more than 50 Crown Jewels replete...
Upcoming Classes & Events in September
Back to School - Crown Style! We've ramped up our classes and events as we head into Second Summer in the Bay. As always, check out the full schedule on The Crown's Events page. Public Tasting - Guatemalan Coffees Friday, September 6th from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Join us for a free event to taste...
Coffee Leaf Rust: Past, Present and Future in the Fight Against Fungus – Part 1 of 2
Editor's Note: This article first appeared in Roast Magazine's July/August 2019 issue, and is reprinted here with permission. You can view the original piece in a free online preview here and download a pdf of the article, courtesy Roast Magazine. Coffee Leaf Rust: Past, Present and Future in the...