Arizona Coffee

The Arizona Republic has an article titled “Valley coffee scene perks up with indie shops” written by Randy Cordova.

A few choice quotes from the article:

“There’s a density of people in Phoenix that is ripe for the picking,” Jason says. “There are 30- and 40-story buildings with a lot of people . . . . There are ASU students, lots of them. A lot of residential things have popped up in the area. Together, you’re talking about a big group of people.” — Jason Silberschlag

If the figures from his blog are any indication, coffee awareness is growing in the Valley. Through a recent survey, he learned that about 50 percent of his readers began browsing Arizona Coffee in the past year. That’s pretty encouraging for a 5-year-old blog.

Randy asked me what my top 5 coffee shops are:

Cartel Coffee Lab, 225 W. University Drive, Tempe

Press Coffee Food & Wine, 5410 E. High St., Phoenix

Solo Cafe, 107 E. Baseline Road, Tempe

Firecreek Coffee Co., 6501 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek

Liberty Market Espresso Bar, 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert

Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list of my favorites. There are a lot of fantastic coffee shops around Phoenix that deserve equal praise.

Thanks to Randy for the great reporting!

By Lilach Manheim from TeaGschwendner

The following article was kindly written by Lilach Manheim. I had the pleasure of meeting Lilach recently over an iced tea at a local coffee shop. Over the course of an hour I learned the basics of coffee (Lilach was very patient!). There’s so much to learn. Lilach is a great resource to have at hand with any tea question. She represents TeaGschwendner in Arizona and her experience in coffee makes her especially adept at suggesting a tea line up for any coffeehouse. The photos were taken during our visit. — Chris

Did you know that worldwide sales for Darjeeling tea exceed actual production by 400%? This is a bit similar to what happened with Kona and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, where some vendors realized they could get better prices just by virtue of the growing region, and found “innovative” methods of increasing production. Educated consumers, however, soon began to realize that some of the less expensive available product was not 100% Kona or Jamaica Blue.

Even though tea may only be a small part of your business, taking the time to research your tea vendor can really pay off. Knowing the right questions to ask can help you cut through the jargon, and read between the marketing lines. A vendor who is passionate about quality and proud of their product will welcome your questions.

There are 3 main areas that will set apart the best vendors—quality, expertise and service.

QUALITY:

What quality standards and procedures does your vendor have in place?

Sourcing. Most of the worldwide tea production is purchased by resellers through commodity auction. Tea gets to the auction from regional aggregators, who collect teas from local farms. Does your vendor source directly from the growers, or do they buy from resellers?

Shipping costs prevent many small independent tea vendors from importing tea directly, as these costs can sharply cut into profits on smaller volume orders. Much of the tea sold in the U.S. is brought in by an importer, and often goes through one or more wholesalers or distributors as well. It is very important then to understand where in the supply chain your vendor is, so that you know whether you’re paying for quality or for the costs of distribution.

Reading between the lines TIP: Half of the tea wholesalers buy from other wholesalers, but can afford to directly source a few of their more popular teas. Ask vendors if they directly source all teas, or just some.

If your vendor does directly source teas, what is the nature of their relationship with their suppliers? Which gardens do they purchase from, how did they choose them, and how long have they worked with them? Long-standing relationships with the tea growers can make all the difference in the quality of tea a vendor is able to purchase.

Quality controls: How does the vendor evaluate tea quality? What do they look for when cupping tea? Tea should be cupped at least twice: once before purchase, to determine whether tea should be added to collection, and a second time after tea is delivered, verifying it is of the same quality as the sample. Additionally, find out if the vendor verifies the cleanliness and safety of their product. Do they have the product tested for pesticides and other harmful residues?

Reading between the lines TIP: If a vendor has their teas scientifically tested, they should be able to supply you with test results for any of the teas you order.

Freshness. The enemies of tea are air, light and moisture. Most teas will stay fresh for two to three years from harvest if properly stored. In order to ensure freshness, tea must be stored properly during its entire life time and never opened until it is used or sold. Inquire about how tea is stored between the time your vendor receives it and the time they ship it out, as well as how it is packaged for resale. Packaging should be opaque to block out light, and hermetically sealed to keep out air and moisture. Additionally, tea should be marked with a best-by date, to ensure freshness.

Reading between the lines TIP: If you order tea today, when was it picked? This may vary slightly from tea to tea, but should be not much more than a year.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that tea will never go bad like coffee does. It will simply lose its full flavor. If tea has an off taste, it is a defect in the process, and can be tasted even when the tea is fresh.

EXPERIENCE:

How knowledgeable and battle-tested is your vendor?

Buying. Who is the master buyer/ master tea taster for your vendor? What is his training, and how much experience does he have?

Reading between the lines TIP: Industry recognition, awards, and organizational affiliations can provide insight into the master taster’s qualifications.

Inventory: Inventory outages, along with the average age of the tea on their shelves, will give you a good idea of how good a vendor is at judging demand and managing their inventory, and assures that you won’t be left to ride out the holiday season without a popular tea. What percent of teas were out of stock last year? Does their collection have enough depth to give you other alternatives? For example, if they were out of a particular Assam, did they have another Assam in their collection that was a suitable replacement, or another option with a similar flavor profile for you to carry temporarily – such as a blend, or even a tea from a different growing region?

Wholesale experience. Are their other wholesale customers happy? Your vendor should be able to supply you with references upon request.

Reading between the lines TIP: While written testimonials can give you an idea of your vendor’s strengths, a vendor that is truly confident in its track record should be able to supply you with contacts you can call.

SERVICES:

How will your vendor support your success?

Training. Does your vendor offer a staff training program? What does this program cover? Do they offer any further support, such as assistance in menu and service design?

Brand. What marketing and merchandising support can they provide?

Policies and logistics. What are their wholesale policies? Find out all the little details about guarantees, returns and minimum orders. Additionally, find out where their warehouse is located, what shipping will cost, and how long it will take to get to you.

…and don’t forget the tea!

Always cup tea before making your decision. If you cup coffee regularly, your palate is already well developed. While tea is different, your palate is already a pretty good judge. Compare both similar teas from different vendors to judge quality, and teas with different flavor profiles (i.e. Japan Sencha vs. China Lung Ching vs. China Gunpowder) to determine which would appeal most to your customers.

Remember, just like with great coffee, tea earns its quality during every step of its journey, from garden to cup. How you take care of it, from storing to brewing, has just as much impact on the quality as any other step in the process.

Once last note about price. Over and over, studies have shown that consumers choose quality over price when deciding on their coffee shop. When you serve your customers a premium tea, not only will you sell more cups of tea, you’ll also sell more retail tea. The difference, per pound, between a mass market tea and a hand crafted, small lot tea may seem large, but per cup it’s often only a difference of $.10 to $.30! While it is important to watch your bottom line, it is generally easier to increase sales (significantly and sustainably) by focusing on building demand, not minimizing costs. What are your customers more likely to rave about: the most affordable cup of tea in town, or the most phenomenal cup?

Final reading between the lines TIP: Is the vendor invested in your success? If a vendor has a quality product, they will view you as a long term partner, and will want to provide you with the support you need to succeed, as long as it makes financial sense.

*** The above questions are largely based on Charles Cain’s presentation “Procurement and Merchandising Strategies” presented at the 2008 World Tea Expo New Business Boot Camp***

Lilach Manheim
TeaGschwendner USA, INC
Phone: 847.229.5435 ext 211
Email: lmanheim@teamerchants.com
Website: http://www.teamerchants.com

By Jeffrey Taylor

Last month, we explored how to position your new venture against Starbucks. If you’ve decided to take the plunge and open your own coffee shop, you will need to prepare a business plan. Although most experts say you need to write it down, I believe that a good business plan starts with a 30-second commercial, which answers the perennial question:

“What makes you different and unique?”

Call it the elevator speech. You have to be able to convince your buyer, lender, partner and others why it makes sense. Here are some of the best answers I have heard:

“There aren’t any coffee shops in town and the locals desperately need one”
“Starbucks makes lousy coffee. It’s too strong and their stores look plastic and unreal.”
“Real people don’t go to Starbucks.”
“Starbucks is too expensive”.
“We have family recipes for desserts that are out of this world.”

There is absolutely no room for you being shy in business. Successful coffee shop owners need to own their “unique business proposition” and move it forward it spite of what your friends, associates, family members, lenders and naysayers will tell you about success and failure.

A business plan is a formal statement of business goals. Within the document, you need to identify all of the reasons why they can attain your goals and the method for reaching them. It should also contain background information about your organization or team members; the stronger the team the higher the probability of success.

A good business plan will also include details on how to find repeat clients, marketing, branding, advertising and promotion. This section is called the marketing plan.

A good business plan will often be developed in conjunction with a list of critical success factors contained in the strategic plan section. This allows the success of the plan to be measured using financial and non-financial measures.

Remember that business plans are decision-making tools. There is no fixed content or format for a business plan. It should be unique and reflect your personality. No one wants to invest in someone who aspires to be better, cheaper and faster than number one. People want unique. A business plan should contain whatever information is needed to decide whether or not to pursue your goal for building or buying a coffee house.

To help you with your business plan, I strongly suggest an inexpensive piece of software called Business Plan 2007. When I last looked, it cost around $100.

To be continued…

Jeffrey Taylor is a licensed Arizona Commercial REALTOR® with S. J. Fowler/GMAC Real Estate in Phoenix. He specializes in the buying, selling, leasing and managing of commercial real estate, including warehouses, mini-storage, offices, shopping centers, retail, industrial, multifamily, and executive residences. Jeffrey can be reached at (602) 708-4981 or JeffreyArizona@aol.com

Jason Haeger is a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ. He contributed this article. Thanks Jason.

Out of the Darkness and Into the Light: Appreciating Coffee for What it is

In this article, I hope to convey a new understanding of what it means to respect the coffee. I also hope to help the reader to determine what quality coffee really is.

I should specify that this is pertaining to all brew methods except espresso and moka.

Let me begin by getting straight to the point. Dark roasted coffee is not always better, and in a lot of cases, is actually a step down from the less popular lighter roast profiles.

That’s right, I said it. Extremely dark roasts can negatively effect the flavor of the very coffee being roasted, marketed, and consumed. Where did the idea that darker is better begin? Well, I have a theory.

There are a few advantages to roasting darker instead of lighter. From a consumer’s standpoint, the coffee has an increased body. Since more water is lost, a 1lb. bag contains more volume of coffee beans. Also, off-flavors are generally less pronounced, if not entirely non-existent.

From a commercial approach, consistent results are easier to achieve with a dark roast. When a new crop arrives, the beans may not be exactly like the past lot, but roasting darker can help to mask the subtle differences. A lot of customers may have the misconception that what they’re buying is gourmet; therefore, roasting dark has more marketing potential.

Most commercial coffee brands often describe their dark roast as being bold, gourmet, or coffeehouse style, while their lighter roasts remain with the generic label of mild or medium.

Many corporate specialty coffee companies tend to roast on the dark side.

This leaves most of us with the notion that dark roast means gourmet or better than light roast. This does, however, lead up to the question of whether or not lighter roasting actually is better.

When discussing bad coffee, roasting darker tastes better, but only because the off-flavors are being burned away.

The term French roast is taken from a time when the French had a contract with a single coffee producer, and the quality took a dive due to the fact that income was guaranteed either way. The French began to roast their coffee extremely dark to burn off the bad flavors inherent in the bean. This left a very dark, very oily bean with little to no origin characteristics left in the flavor. Somewhere along the line, possibly because of its European origin, most coffees labeled French roast gained favorable light in the eye of the consumer.

When discussing good coffee, however, the roasting objective changes considerably. The inherent flavors in the bean should be pleasant, not offending. The purpose of roasting suddenly switches from trying to mask the bean’s flavors, to trying to bring out the bean’s distinctive flavor.

The longer the roast, the more flavor and aromatic components are burned away. In some cases, this is necessary. There are certain circumstances that call for more roast flavors and fewer origin flavors. If you have ever had an espresso that tasted of chocolate, coffee, and nothing else, you’ve probably tasted the roast more than the bean itself.

To serve truly exceptional coffee, you must first respect the coffee you handle. This respect must continue all the way down the line from the farming, to the processing, to the shipping and handling, to the roasting, to the storage, and to the barista. Within the length of this chain lies the constant challenge and responsibility of maintaining standards for freshness.

A great barista can’t make a bad coffee good. Similarly, an unskilled barista’s technique will ruin the inherent quality of an excellent bean’s flavor. A great coffee used a month after roasting cannot display the coffee’s true colors. A bad coffee used immediately after roasting cannot somehow become a great bean.

The quality must extend down the line, from sapling, to seed, to roasting, to brewing. Quality really can be a measurable standard. Unfortunately, this scale of perspective is rarely achieved in the industry.

So, why is roasting lighter better? The reason is simple. It respects the care taken to maintain quality earlier in the chain. If the farm does a spectacular job on a particular crop, the results will be obvious. Roasting lighter will bring out the brilliant and wonderful flavors inherent in the bean thanks to the care of the farmer. This care and understanding of quality is what it means to truly appreciate coffee. There are over 500 flavor components in coffee. No-one knows how many of these flavors are good. However, even if only 20% of them are good, that’s a lot of potential for different flavors. There’s also the issue of a clean tasting coffee. Coffees exhibiting a clean taste are not muddled by processing flavors, fermentation, darker roasting, or other factors that would mask the true nature of the bean. Roasting on the light side is a skill, and the results can be spectacular.

If you were to search for a truly exceptional cup of coffee, you would want to sample a lighter roast, since this is where the actual quality of the bean can be determined. If it tastes muddy, it’s probably displaying flavors associated with processing. If it tastes chocolaty, it’s usually a result of roasting a little darker, but this is not always the case. Outside of brewing parameters, if it tastes bitter, the roast is far beyond where it should be.

For those new to specialty coffee, a chocolate flavor in a cup of drip coffee is a revelation. For those who have had a fair amount of experience, a strong chocolate flavor is often said to be uninteresting.

There are proportionally few coffee companies and roasters who actually practice in this manner. Those who are will usually put a lot of effort into sourcing their green coffee to ensure the highest quality possible. This is just another reason for seeking out lighter roasted specialty coffee.

I hope this article has inspired you to move away from dark roasts, and to move towards lighter roasts with an open mind. You could discover a new level of quality and flavor in the world of specialty coffee.

Jason Haeger is a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ.

I am extremely pleased to be able to introduce this wonderful coffee terminology guide written by Jason Haeger, a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ.

He contributed this article:

Coffee Terminology

The Specialty Coffee Industry is full of lots of jargon that isn’t normally used by the general population of consumers. I understand how confusing it can be. I remember when I first began asking about the differences between a latte and a cappuccino. I didn’t have a clue and, it seemed, that neither did anyone else.

Here is a list of different terms and terminology and their definitions in layman’s terms. If anything needs to be added, or if there are any questions I have not addressed, please feel free to leave a comment and I will add to the list as necessary.

I hope this proves to be a helpful guide.

Beverages

Americano: Espresso diluted with hot water to roughly the consistency of drip coffee. Similar to drip, but with more complexity, and the benefits of the espresso’s crema.

Cappuccino: 1/3 Espresso (2oz.) 1/3 Milk (2oz.) 1/3 soft microfoam (2oz.) This drink is always free-poured, and never spooned. If your coffee house spoons their foam, find a new shop. Sometimes topped with Cinnamon or Chocolate powder, but left alone for the purists.

Chai: A spiced Indian tea beverage with varying ingredients, but usually including ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, milk, and, of course, Tea. There are many variations of this list of ingredients, but most will contain at least this, if not anise or fennel, or maybe even black peppercorns. Pronounced “CHigh”

Cuppa: Short for “cup-of-coffee”

Cappa: (or Cappu) Short for “cappuccino”.

Espresso: A ~1oz (single) or ~2oz (double) beverage created by a high pressure extraction at ~9bar pressure from ~8 (single) or ~15 grams (double) of fine, evenly ground coffee, evenly distributed and compacted into what is known as a puck. The Espresso has three major parts to its anatomy. The Crema, the Body, and the Heart. If your coffee house’s espresso lacks Crema, it’s time to find a new shop.

Flat White: Usually ~6oz. In all. Similar to a cappuccino, but with latte proportions of foam.

Frappe: Common terminology for an iced, blended beverage. Often containing coffee. Starbucks has a well-known rendition of their own known as a Frappuccino Blended Coffee (or Frappuccino Blended Crème, depending on the recipe)

Iced Coffee: Just like it sounds. Coffee, cold, and on the rocks.

Latte: A little bit of espresso and a lot of milk, with a thin cap of foam. Generally anything 10oz. And up. Flavorings may be added to form flavored lattes. (i.e.- vanilla latte, hazelnut latte, etc..). Milk may be substituted with Soy milk for a Soy Latte. A latte made with nonfat (or skim) milk is often known as a Skinny Latte.

Latte Macchiato: A latte made by pouring the espresso in last, on top of the milk and foam.

Macchiato: Macchiato is an Italian word meaning “to mark” or “to stain”. A Macchiato is a single or double shot of espresso, marked with a bit of foam or frothed milk, usually with close to equal portions espresso and foam or frothed milk.

Mocha: Named for the drink made popular by Portuguese traders at the port of Mocha, it’s a drink made with chocolate, espresso, steamed (sometimes frothed) milk, and topped with whipped cream.

Processing and Roasting

Coffee Cherry: Coffee beans are actually coffee seeds that make up the pit of a coffee cherry. Coffee cherries are picked when they are ripe, and bright red in color. The pulp and mucus is removed, most of the time mechanically, and the coffee seeds are then either set out to dry (natural dry process), or sent to a fermentation tank where the coffee seeds are set in water, and allowed to ferment for anywhere from ~.5day or 1.5days, removing the mucilage from the seed. The coffee seeds are often sorted out by density (higher density being higher quality) at this time, as higher density coffee seeds will sink.

Coffee Processing: See Coffee Cherry

Cooling tray: The cooling tray is usually circular, and equipped with stirring arms that agitate the just-out-of-the-roaster coffee with air being pulled through the tray (and through the mass of freshly roasted beans) to halt the roast by bringing the temperature of the beans down from over 400F down to room temperature. Without forced cooling, the beans would continue to roast beyond the intended rate.

Degas: The time needed for a batch of coffee to release Carbon Dioxide for optimum flavor. More degassing is necessary for optimum espresso than is needed for brewed coffee.

Green Coffee: The coffee seed before it is roasted, and after it is processed and dried. This is the form coffee is in when it is purchased by a roasting company.

Roast Profile: The rate, timing, temperature, and homogeneity of roast rate at various layers of the bean (external and internal). Roast profiling is critical for allowing the coffee’s own characteristics to be highlighted as well as for blending different coffees to be used as espresso, or as brewed coffee.

Tryer: On a drum roaster, the tryer is the tool used to collect a sample of coffee to be observed by the roastmaster during roasting in order to track the profile and progress of the roast.

Light Roast: No oil, usually cinnamon, or a little darker in color. Lighter body, more flavor of origin and acidity comes through.

Medium Roast: Very little to no oil present. Milk chocolate in color, has added depth of body at the cost of some acidity, and possibly at the cost of some origin characteristics.

Dark Roast: Dark, almost black, with ample amounts of oil present on the surface. Almost, or all origin characteristics are gone, the body is beginning to decrease, the flavor is thin, and usually tastes of the roast, including charcoal, bitter flavors, and very low acidity.

First Crack: A roasting term. The coffee bean’s first expansion as vaporized moisture escapes. The coffee been expands to nearly double its volumetric size, and a popping sound almost like popping popcorn can be heard.

Second Crack: The coffee bean’s second expansion as vaporized moisture is released, and the bean structure itself begins to fracture. Many of the flavors of origin are burned off during second crack, while body is increased, and acidity becomes more muted, or possibly lacking entirely. A noise sounding much like rice cereal in milk can be heard as the second crack develops.

Roast levels

American: Not a very commonly used term, but should you ever come across it, you’ll know what it is. The coffee bean is cinnamon in color (and will often bare the name of Cinnamon Roast). The bean is slightly lighter in color, with an underdeveloped flavor, and very little body.

City: The roast is stopped right at the end of First Crack. Lighter body, highlighted acidity, and many origin characteristics remain.

City+: The roast is taken beyond First Crack, but is cooled before reaching Second Crack. The bean has lightly more body, slightly less acidity, with still many origin characteristics remaining.

Full City: The roast is taken to the verge of Second Crack. Body begins to increase at the cost of acidity, and origin flavors begin to become diminished, and a sweetness is introduced thanks to caramelization of sugars.

Full City+: The roast is taken just into Second Crack. Acidity and origin flavor are decreasing as body and sweetness are increasing. This stage of roast is very popular for Northern Italian Espresso.

Vienna: (also known as Continental, or Light French). The roast is taken well into Second Crack, and the beans may begin to be coated in a very thin layer of oil. (Oil will increase over time as the beans rest and degas) Origin characteristics become dominated by Roast flavors, while body increases. Also very popular for Espresso close to the Northern Italian tradition.

French Roast: (also known as Italian roast) The roast is taken towards the end of Second Crack. Flavor is diminished, body is thinned, and a charcoal flavor dominates. Unfortunately, this is typical of American espresso and most of our population’s perspective of what is considered to be gourmet.

Agtron System (Roast Level Indicator). This is an important tool adopted by the SCAA and coffee professionals alike. Its value is in creating a “standard” that is uniform across the board and not open to differing interpretations of terms such as “city – full city,” etc. There is a push by true “Specialty” coffee professionals to move the industry towards this standardization. For an overview of Agtron, follow this link: http://www.coffeereview.com/interpret_coffee.cfm

Brewing

(See “Coffee Brewing Basics” by Larry Jones)

Drip Coffee: What most American’s drink every morning. Ground coffee is contained in a coffee filter inside a Filter basket while hot water is trickled on top of the ground coffee. Gravity pulls the brewed coffee through the filter, and into a carafe for enjoyment. Most home drip coffee brewers never reach a high enough temperature for proper extraction.

French Press: Popular in England and with coffee aficionados everywhere. Coarse ground coffee is placed in a pre-heated glass cylinder and hot water just off the boil is added. The mixture is stirred, and the lid and Plunger assembly is placed on top to contain heat while the coffee and water are allowed to steep. When all of the good properties of coffee are extracted, the plunger is pressed downward through the liquid, and a fine-mesh screen catches all of the coffee grounds and forces them to the bottom of the cylinder while the freshly brewed coffee remains above. Ex: Bodum Chambord

Vacuum Brewer: Prized by their owners, this brewing system extracts all of the complex flavors and oils associated with a French Press, but with less sediment and a cleaner flavor. This is the preferred method of most coffee fanatics. A Vacuum Brewer is Comprised of an upper chamber, a lower chamber, a siphon tube, and sometimes a spirits or electric burner. The lower chamber is filled with water, and allowed to heat up. Ground coffee is placed in the upper chamber (which contains the filter, and siphon tube), which is then placed directly on top of the lower chamber with the siphon tube nearly touching the bottom of the container. The hot water becomes pressurized, and is forced up the siphon tube, and into the upper chamber where brewing is commenced. When the coffee has brewed long enough, the entire unit is removed from the heat, and the lower chamber begins to cool. As the lower chamber cools, the brewed coffee in the upper chamber is pulled down back into the lower chamber, halting the extraction. Once the lower chamber is full, and the upper chamber contains nothing but spent grounds, the upper chamber is removed, and the lower chamber doubles as a serving carafe. Ex: Bodum Santos (non-electric)

Siphon Brewer: See Vacuum Brewer (also known as Vacuum Pot, or Vac-Pot)

Pour-over: Similar to Drip Brewer, but the entire process is manually operated. Nearly boiling water is Poured over ground coffee residing in a filter in a plastic or ceramic filter-holder that will generally rest on the ridge of a coffee cup, or can be used in conjunction with a carafe. The mixture should be stirred for optimum extraction. Ex: Melitta Pour-over System

Filterbasket: In a drip brewing system, the basket in which a filter is placed, and where ground coffee is held and the brewing process takes place.

Permanent Filter: (Also known as Swiss Gold™, or Gold filter) This is a filter used in place of a paper filter, and is re-usable. A permanent filter allows more coffee oils to come through into the cup.

Extraction: The brewing process is known as Extraction. Coffee solubles are extracted from the ground coffee and into the water. This process is what creates the beverage known as coffee. Too little extraction will yield a sour-tasting cup, while an over-extraction will result in a bitter brew.

Moka: (Also known as Stove Top Espresso) While this is not espresso, it is a strong cup of coffee. There is an upper and lower chamber. The lower chamber is filled with water. Between the two chambers, is a filterbasket. To this basket is added ground coffee, that is compacted by hand. There is a top with a vertical tube to this particular filterbasket, which is then added, and the upper chamber is screwed in place on top of the lower chamber. The metal unit as a whole is then placed on a burner, be it electric, gas, or even a wood fire. As the water in the lower chamber heats, pressure is generated. This pressure forces the hot water and steam through the coffee that is serving as the ceiling of this pressure chamber, and up the tube affixed to the lid of the filterbasket. The strong coffee is then dispensed into the upper chamber, where it is collected. Steam Espresso Machines work on the exact same principles, and should not be called Espresso Machines at all. This is the classic traditional coffee found in most Italian homes.

Bloom: The foam found on top of brewing coffee formed by escaping carbon dioxide and coffee oils is known as bloom. Bloom is only found when using freshly roasted coffee. Coffee should not be used past 2-2.5 weeks of roasting, as the coffee has degenerated, and has become stale.

Espresso

Espresso: Straight from Italy, this is a beverage comprised of a little water, and the essence of what makes coffee what it is. Coffee’s very soul in roughly ~2oz (volumetric) of liquid pleasure. A portafilter contains a filterbasket which is filled with finely fresh-ground coffee (usually a blend, though not always) which is then distributed so an even density of coffee is achieved in the filterbasket. This coffee “puck” is then tamped by hand with a tamper at ~30-40lbs of vertical pressure, and polished at the end. The portafilter is then locked into the group-head on the espresso machine, and the pump is activated. Heated water at ~200F is pumped through a shower screen to ensure even distribution of water on the bed of coffee, which swells upon contact with the water. The compacted puck of coffee provides resistance to the water, which reaches ~9bar of pressure before thick honey-like liquid begins to pour from the spouts of the portafilter and into the espresso receptacle. The liquid will pour from ~20-30 seconds, the timing dependent on the resistance provided by the coffee puck. The finished product is what we know as espresso.

Portafilter: The handle with a filterbasket inserted in the non-handled end often seen in the hands of a barista either preparing an espresso, or knocking out a spent puck.

Filterbasket: A metal, cylindrically shaped container with a perforated floor in which ground coffee is placed, distributed, and tamped.

Crema: This is what makes Espresso so special. Though it is not 100% understood what exactly crema is, it is known to be a foam created by carbon dioxide contained in emulsified oils, both of which have been forced out of the bean by the high pressure water during extraction. This is part of the anatomy of espresso, and is the sweetest, most flavorful part of the experience. If there is no crema, there is no espresso, and you would do well to find either another barista, or another establishment.

Body: This is the liquid portion and mouthfeel, or texture-like weight of the drink on the palate.

Heart: This is the complex flavor found in the espresso. This is the heart and soul of the coffee.

Naked Portafilter: This is a portafilter with the spouts removed, and the bottom cut out of it, so that the bottom of the filterbasket is exposed, and in plain sight. This enables the barista to watch as the espresso shot progresses, and to check for errors in technique. Ex: A naked espresso extraction on my home machine.

“Golden Rule”: The “golden rule”, as it were, is the rule of ~2oz. of liquid in ~25-30 seconds for an espresso extraction.

God Shot: A shot of espresso that is so good, and inexplicable, that it is believed to be blessed by God. Whether or not God has anything to do with it is debatable.

Moka: Faux espresso. See Moka in the Brewing section.

Stovetop Espresso: See Moka

Camping espresso: Made just like Moka, but with the upper chamber removed, the vertical spout turned to face downwards, and a place to set the cup is in place under the curved spout. Not real espresso, but great strong coffee if done right.

Tamper: A cylindrical shaped tool, usually aluminum or steel, used to compact the coffee into a puck. Ex: EspressoCraft tamper

Doser: The chamber affixed to the front of a grinder where ground coffee is collected into the dosing chamber. Inside this chamber, are vanes that regulate volumetric amounts of coffee into sections. Each pull of the dosing lever dispenses a certain volume of ground coffee directly into the portafilter. Championship and great baristas never use the “dosing” feature of the doser, as it requires more ground coffee than can be used in one doubleshot of espresso to work correctly, and since espresso is made by grinding per shot, the doser is relatively useless. It does, however, help to relieve clumping of the ground coffee before it falls into the filterbasket.

Doserless: A type of grinder that is not equipped with a doser. Considered by many home enthusiasts to be better based on freshness alone.

Hopper: The container on top of the grinder that holds whole-bean coffee waiting to be ground.

Demitasse: Literally a French word meaning “half cup”, the demitasse is a (usually) 3oz. (volumetric) cup used for Espresso and Macchiato.

Spouts: The two (or one) spouts on the bottom side of a portafilter used to dispense the extracted espresso into a demitasse or other receptacle.

Boiler: The metal (often brass) container in an espresso machine that’s purpose is to hold, and heat water to either brewing or steaming temperature, depending on the design of the machine.

Steam Wand: The arm on an espresso machine that is used to heat and froth milk. Pressurized steam is released from the steam boiler through the steam wand, and through the nozzle on the end, and into the milk, which is frothed by the introduction of air made possible by the technique of the barista. A skilled barista can create beautifully sweet, beautifully textured microfoam.

Latte Art: Art on top of milk drinks such as Latte, Macchiato, cappuccino, and more. The ever-popular rosetta is common, as are hearts, and other designs created by Etching. Ex: A rosetta poured in a hot chocolate

Industry Politics and Environment

Fair Trade: A concept by Transfair to pay coffee farmers a fair price for their product in order to support the farmers and enable them to keep doing what they do best. Unfortunately, it’s not as clean & whistle as that. In order to be a certified Fair Trade coffee producer, a coffee farmer must be a part of a Cooperative. This means that coffees from different local farms are collected into a single lot. While this does provide for better payment to the farmers, this does have a hindrance on quality and farmers who are unable to be a part of a Coop. Becoming licensed is also expensive and takes up to 7 years (if memory serves correctly) to become licensed. It leaves the independent farmers out of the deal. There are other programs in the works that are trying to solve this problem, and take the place of Fair Trade for industry professionals.

Transfair: The organization that owns the Fair Trade label in the United States.

Sustainable Harvest International: This is a group set out to create sustainable markets for coffee on economic, environmental, and social levels.

Bird Friendly: This is coffee that is grown amongst native plants and trees. Bird Friendly coffee is often called Shade-Grown. Rainforests and coffee plantations are at odds with each other, especially in Brazil. The Bird Friendly label is an effort to help correct this problem while keeping the coffee farmers in business. Shade-Grown coffee is also known to be high in quality for flavor.

Certified Organic: Coffee is considered Certified Organic if the coffee is farmed with natural renewable resources, as well as water and soil conservation. While this is a great thing, it takes 3 years for a farm to become certified organic. This process is also rather expensive. The irony is found in the fact that if a farm is too poor to become Certified, it’s probably also not able to afford the chemicals that would make the product NOT Organic. Again, there are other efforts in place trying to do something about this for professionals in the industry. Just remember that just because a coffee is not “certified organic” does not automatically mean that it’s not organic. In fact, in most of the poorer regions of the world, it is.

SCAA: Specialty Coffee Association of America. This is the industry Association for north America. The SCAA is responsible for the United States Barista Competition (USBC), and is responsible in part with the SCAE(Europe) for the World Barista Competition (WBC). The SCAA is also the parent organization for institutions like the Barista Guild of America, and the Roasters Guild. The SCAA is in place to help standardize terms and practices in the industry.

Jason Haeger is a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ.

* Arizona Coffee Does Not Endorse Rocket Coffee Roasters or Larry Jones *

In this first introductory article I’m going to cover the basics to help you maximize the potential for a great cup of coffee. I have covered only the two most popular ways of preparing coffee, the Drip method and the French Press. I will be diving deeper into many of the points found below in future articles and will cover other types of coffee preparation.

Use fresh coffee
If possible buy your coffee in whole bean and from a quality roaster or coffee shop. Resist the temptation to buy pre-ground coffee from your supermarket. If you do not have a coffee grinder, your roaster or any good coffee shop will grind your coffee beans for you. Be sure to specify your method of brewing as different types of brewing require a fine or coarse grind as described below.

How to store your coffee
Do not store coffee in the refrigerator. Do not store coffee in the freezer. I suggest that coffee be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Putting beans in the refrigerator is not good, even if you use an airtight container. Moisture is the enemy of roasted coffee as is oxygen and refrigerators tend to be both damp and full of odors.

Water
Coffee is over 99% water and it is important to consider the origin of your primary ingredient. For the most part, the average home brewer uses water straight out of the tap. Even if your tap water tastes fine, it may contain impurities that will cause the coffee to have a flat or dull taste. Use a good bottled water if unsure of your water quality.

Brew water Temperature
Boiling water should never come in contact with fresh ground coffee. The ideal brewing temperature is between 190 to 205 degrees F. This is one of those classic reasons why percolating the coffee is always a bad idea. The boiling produces unpleasant tasting substances and destroys whatever good flavors there are in the brew.

Grind
The grind you select or how you grind your coffee will depend entirely on the method you use. In traditional drip pots and electric drip brewers, a fine grind is usually called for. In a French Press, a coarse grind is always preferred. Use a burr grinder for the task of preparing the coffee. Do not use a cheap rotary grinder that is common in many households. A rotary/blade grinder produces an imprecise mix of fine and coarsely ground coffee leading to over extraction of the fine coffee and under extraction of the coarse coffee. It is also somewhat more wasteful. Invest in a good “burr” grinder. These grinders have the benefit of producing a very consistent grind.

Time
You cannot rush a good thing. There is no such thing as a ‘fast’ coffee brewer. A good drip brewer will turn out 4 to 6 small mugs of hot coffee in about 5 to 7 minutes. The ideal rate of extraction and the brewing temperature are kind of tied together. Hotter water extracts more of the qualities you are looking for but to a point. Too hot and you have trouble, too cool and you have a thin, sour and tepid brew.

Drip brewing
The drip method of brewing coffee is the most popular due to its ease and convenience. While it does not produce French-press quality coffee, it is certainly very good if done properly. You should use two heaping tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 to 8 ounces of water. This may seem strong to some drinkers, but it is the amount required to bring out all the unique tastes that coffee has to offer.

The coffee should be ground fine because most drip brewers have a short brewing cycle. Most home grinders should be set to nearly their finest setting to get the proper grind.

The best brewers concentrate their resources on heating the brew water to the right temperature and getting it to the ground coffee in a evenly distributed way. Good brewers do not have warming plates. Warming coffee or re-heating coffee is destructive.

The best brewers on the market brew their coffee hot and into a thermal insulated carafe. Coffee is very sensitive to oxygen and will oxidize quickly when exposed to air.

After the coffee has been brewed, you should serve it immediately. If coffee is left on a heated surface for more than a few minutes, the aromatic compounds that make it taste good will begin to break down.

French Press
The French Press method yields the best flavor for non-espresso coffee because there is no paper filter to remove the large colloids that impart the coffee’s flavor. However, this method leaves a good deal of sediment in the final cup which is unattractive to some drinkers.

The French Press is a glass cylindrical pot that has a plunger affixed to the lid so when you push down on the top of the plunger, it forces a fine wire mesh through the pot to the bottom. You put the ground coffee into the pot and pour hot water over it. After the coffee steeps for several minutes, you put the lid in place and push the plunger down, forcing the spent grounds to the bottom of the pot while the brewed coffee remains above.

Done properly, this method produces a very full bodied brew. Done carelessly, it produces passable coffee that retains a certain rustic charm nonetheless.

Since you will be able to control both the temperature of the water and the length of the brewing cycle, you should use coffee grounds that are significantly coarser than what you use for drip coffee. Put two to three tablespoons of ground coffee into the press pot for every six to eight ounces of fresh water you intend to use.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of how to prepare a better cup.

Larry Jones
Rocket Coffee Roasters
602.548.2259
Roasting A Cup of Excellence

As the owner and roaster of a local coffee company, I am committed to sourcing and roasting the finest coffee. My passion for the perfect cup is equaled only by the excitement of introducing people to great tasting coffee.

Arizona is quickly becoming more informed and concerned with the quality of coffee purchased and consumed. I love being a part of this growth and hope to continue to contribute through cutting-edge coffee technology and the educational process of consumers.

Coffee is a connective force that has the ability to bring good people together and create lasting relationships.

* Arizona Coffee Does Not Endorse Rocket Coffee Roasters or Larry Jones *

Jason Haeger is a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ.

He contributed this article:

By now, most of us have had ample exposure to what is known as Specialty Coffee to understand that it is quite different than the standard generic store-bought variety one would find on the shelves of your local supermarket. Maybe it’s the atmosphere. Maybe it’s the cost. Maybe it’s the culture. Whatever the reason, America has been bitten by the Specialty Coffee bug, and we’re consuming it, literally, by the ton.

If you’re a shop owner, you have probably established a fairly consistent stream of loyal customers who come in on a daily or maybe weekly basis to buy their favorite beverage that is prepared best by you and your staff, and things are pretty good. You’re happy, your customers are happy, and your future in coffee looks promising.

If you’re a customer, you’ve probably picked out your favorite shop, and at that shop, probably even your favorite employee who makes your favorite drink good enough to be consumed in exchange for your hard-earned money. You’re happy and they’re happy. The planets are in alignment, and everything is as it should be.
In the words of my grandmother quoting a common phrase in the south, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

….wait… What’s wrong with this picture?

What would like be like if Henry Ford had followed this wisdom when he started building cars? What would modern music sound like if Les Paul had decided that his sub-par (by modern standards) too-quiet acoustic guitar that was made by “who knows who?” was good enough?

Specialty Coffee is, well, special… Right? There is a reason for going out for coffee rather than making coffee at home and it goes beyond having the equipment, or the fact that they can foam milk. There’s a distinct difference in quality. At least, there should be.

Specialty Coffee isn’t a random term that was spread about by word-of-mouth. Specialty Coffee is actually a rating on a scale that exists in the green coffee market. I won’t go into what is required for specialty coffee to be considered specialty coffee, but it should be noted that it actually IS of higher quality than brands such as Folger’s or Maxwell House. This puts Specialty Coffee retailers among the ranks of gourmet culinary retailers. Does a chef serve prime cuts of meat ground up, fired up on a range, and on hamburger buns for a prime profit margin? Of course not. He respects his craft far too much to allow such a wonderful item of food to not be recognized as what it is: something special.

Why, then, do so many Specialty Coffee retailers ignore the attention that should be given to present their product as something special? It takes more than the raw product to create a gourmet meal. It also takes more than high grade green coffee to create an exceptional café experience. It seems that all too often, I’ll walk into a cafe, order an espresso, and watch in horror as the (supposed) barista picks up the portafilter from the countertop, doses pre-ground coffee from the grinder’s doser, skips ensuring proper distribution of the grounds, barely (if at all) tamps the coffee, and then proceeds to lock the portafilter in the group head and pull a double in about 10-15 seconds. The resulting brew is sour, weak, and under-extracted. All-in-all, it does not taste like what the roaster intended his blend to taste like. The intended taste is generally very complex, sweet, and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers long after the cup is empty. If the source of the blend is a good roaster, he has spent hours, days, even weeks or months developing this blend of only the finest coffees at very precise roast levels to achieve a very specific combination of flavors that can only be experienced when the whole bean coffee is expertly handled. THIS is what brings Specialty Coffee retailers above the ranks of the average home consumer. A truly great cup of coffee should be inspirational. It should bring a sense of “wow!” to the taste buds. It should make someone who has never had Specialty Coffee before say, “Amazing! I never knew coffee could taste like THIS!”

Fellow coffee lovers, it is not fitting to allow the top 2% (That’s right, two percent!) of the world’s production of coffee to be selected, roasted, and (possibly) blended with such great care and then treated almost as a commodity to be taken for granted, and then drowned in milk, coated with sugar, and topped with whipped cream to mask the bitter flavor. This is not to say that the Mocha has no place in the industry. This is to say that the milk and chocolate should ENHANCE the beautifully complex flavor of the espresso rather than cover it up.
After all, we are serving the world’s finest coffees to those for whom we wish only the best: our customers.

If you are a consumer in the industry, seek out great espresso and coffee. Support your local shops who are striving to increase the quality of their product in any way they can, even if they don’t have it right just yet. The bar has been raised, and it will continue to rise farther. Once you’ve had a great cup of coffee, it is very difficult to go back to what you had before.

To those working in the industry, customers can tell when great care was put into the production of their drink. Even when they have had better, they can tell when the barista is giving their all and pouring their soul into the coffee, forever trying to improve. They pay a premium price for what we have to offer. We owe them a premium product in return.

Jason Haeger is a coffee professional working to bring quality coffee to Lubbock, Texas. A transplant from AZ, he is in a unique position to draw a comparison between the similarities of the growing coffee scene between TX and AZ.