Learning resources for specialty coffee professionals and enthusiasts including glossaries, guides, articles, eBooks and more covering different aspects of the specialty coffee supply chain.
"You are exploring a new cafe with a friend, arrive at the register to order, and share a moment we are all familiar with – what’s on the menu in front of me? How do I order here? And what do all these words mean when all I want is a cup of coffee? As coffee continues developing and surging forward in popularity, a growing challenge for cafe owners and patrons alike arises in how to make sense of a coffee menu. Here are some tip and tricks in crafting the perfect coffee shop menu."
Read"As you all know, everything’s closed down for a little while to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, and the Crown is doing its part by staying closed. In the meantime, I have a lot of time on my hands. I’ve been curious about all the different drippers and brew gadgets we have all over the Crown, and now is the perfect time for a deep dive into and review each of them! I’ll be using as many different devices as I can get my hands on, posting a quick review of each one, and sharing my favorite recipes for you to adapt and use at home! Today I’ll be starting with three pour-over devices: the Hario v60, the Kurasu Origami, and the Fellow Stagg."
Read"As you all know, everything’s closed down for a little while to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, and the Crown is doing its part by staying closed. In the meantime, I have a lot of time on my hands. I’ve been curious about all the different drippers and brew gadgets we have all over the Crown, and now is the perfect time for a deep dive into and review of each of them! I’ll be using as many different devices as I can get my hands on, posting a quick review of each one, and sharing my favorite recipes for you to adapt and use at home! Today I’ll be continuing with three pour-over devices: the Saint Anthony Phoenix v70, the Clever Dripper, and the December Dripper."
Read"As a barista working at a well equipped café, I can’t imagine myself brewing or pulling an espresso shot without a scale. It tells us exactly how much water and coffee we are using, and it enables us to be consistent with each brew as well as to each other. During this pandemic, we are all trying to stay home, but we must have our daily caffeine! Not everyone has all the tools at home. So, here are some tips on how you could brew an excellent pour over of coffee without a scale."
Read"The good news is that cold coffee is extremely easy to make, even if you have limited tools and equipment. Here are a couple methods you can use to make cheap, delicious, and easy cold coffee at home."
Read"Last month I spent a few weeks playing with the rate of extraction, and came up with some interesting findings. Notably, I learned that the majority of extraction happens within the first 90 seconds of brewing; by that point most of the solids that are going to wash out of the coffee bean and into the brew already have. This experiment also drove home the importance of sensory analysis to dialing and brewing; relying on a refractometer will not give much indication of how delicious the cup of coffee is."
Read"What really happens during extraction? There are some things we know, and some things that are still a little muddled. This week I did a few experiments in hopes of tightening up our understanding of how extraction works."
Read"Home preparation is one of the amazing things about coffee that sets it apart from similar specialty food industries like cocoa, beer, or wine. If you drink coffee at home, you are probably doing at least a little work, like grinding the beans or pouring hot water. This kind of preparation work simply isn’t expected of you if you were to unwrap a chocolate bar or pour a glass of Chardonnay. There’s also a lot more science and technique involved in making coffee than you might expect! Many people struggle to make great coffee at home; recreating a great cafe experience of a cafe can be difficult. So, if you’re brewing and could use a few tips, understanding the lexicon of coffee preparation can dramatically improve your skill-set and results. Let’s take a look at some common terms and concepts."
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