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Welcome to Badgett's Coffee eJournal
"All the Coffee That's Fit to Print"tm
Issue No. 64 May 17, 2002
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In This Issue:
1. Welcome
2. Some Words from Our Sponsors
3. Ethiopia's Oldest Coffee Industry
4. A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe
5. Coffee Fest Training Sessions To Introduce New Coffee
Concepts
6. Coffee Patents Looking for Promotion
7. Navigating the Sea of Terms - A Coffee Buyers Primer
8. Fundamentals for "Reaching Espresso Nirvana"
9. Links to My Friends
10. Feedback
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1. Welcome
If everything goes as planned, this journal (BCE) will come to
you looking a little different next issue. We are changing our
listserver to improve the appearance and readability. You will
see a little color, maybe a few graphics, and you will be able
to click to an article instead of having to scroll and scroll
and scroll until you find the articles you want to read.
If you do NOT want your BCE in html, you have the option of
Plain Text, as you are now receiving. Please send me an email
with TEXT in the subject field and I will make the change. New
subscribers will be offered the option when they subscribe, but
since I am transferring the existing subscription list to the
new server the changes from html (default) to text on a case-by-
case basis.
Long issue this week, but there is some really good coffee info,
so take a breath and read it as you have the time.
Anyone going to Coffee Fest in Atlantic City? You might want to
print the schedule of seminars to take with you and plan ahead
so you can optimize your time. I suggest going in teams and
attending as many seminars as possible to get the full benefit.
I ll be there so find me so I can shake your hand and thank you
for subscribing. Remember, I m the tall, dark, and handsome
young man with a blue baseball cap with Badgett s Coffee
eJournal on it. (I lied about all but the cap.)
A recent study shows that 32% of consumers change their email
address every year and only 10% contact their correspondents
with the change. If you are looking for someone whose email has
bounced, or if you want to notify others of your email change,
go to www.returnpath.net for assistance.
My goal with this journal is to promote good coffee. I want to
learn, educate, and entertain. I publish every other Friday via
email and readers include coffee consumers, home roasters,
coffee geeks, retailers, growers, roasters, equipment dealers,
and anyone else who shares our passion for our most wonderful
beverage. If you want to learn more about the fascinating world
of coffee, this is the place. I don't sell anything and
subscription is free.
If you want to advertise here or submit an article please
contact me for the ad rates.
mailto:robertbadgett@comcast.net
Past Issues (1-57) may be viewed at www.badgettcoffee.com
DISCLAIMER: All information contained here is obtained by
Badgett's Coffee eJournal from sources believed to be accurate
and reliable. Because of the possibility of human and mechanical
error as well as other factors, neither Badgett's Coffee
eJournal nor its publisher, Robert L. Badgett, is responsible
for any errors or omissions. All information is provided "as is"
without warranty of any kind.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, click here: www.badgettcoffee.com
If you have problems with subscribing or unsubscribing, please
contact me directly. mailto:robertbadgett@comcast.net
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2. Some Words From Our Sponsors
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Custom Imprinted Coffee Mugs
Fast Delivery - Competitive Pricing
For Details Call Doxpress: 800-999-3676
http://www.formsonline.com/coffee.htm
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CoffeeWantAds
Post your CoffeeWantAds FREE for the world to see. Buy, sell, or
promote anything coffee-related. Beans, equipment, parts, jobs,
advice; this is the place to promote! CoffeeWantAds is a free
classified ad service and is for both commercial and residential
coffee-related ads. You may post your ad by going to
www.badgettcoffee.com and hit the link to CoffeeWantAds. Most
folks do not like wordy ad copy so keep your ad simple, and like
a ristretto, short and sweet. You may include an image and a
website url. You may also password protect your ad and change it
as often as you like. What a price! What a deal!
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Coffee Books: 28 great titles: Go to www.badgettcoffee.com and
click on Coffee Books for some good deals on great books.
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"A man's dreams are an index to his greatness." Zadok Rabinwitz
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3. Ethiopia's Oldest Coffee Industry
It all started in Ethiopia. Here lives the myth about Kaldi's
dancing goats, who were the first to discover the little red and
juicy berries on the wild coffee trees. And from here, in the
centuries to follow coffee spread throughout the entire world.
While the Kaldi story dates back some one thousand years,
Ethiopia today is still as exotic as mysterious as it was then.
One can find Kaldi's goats in the streets of the capital Addis
Ababa, a city bursting with a mixture of modern development and
ancient human history. And dating back to the start of the Kaldi
legend, this North African country has continued to produce some
of the best coffee in the world and now the industry is working
on making it even better. But two decades of civil strife and
socialist rule under the former strongman Mengistu left
infrastructure in ruins, coffee farms in bad shape and in urgent
need of rehabilitation, and the industry further burdened by a
heavy tax system.
Ethiopian coffee
Ethiopia produces primarily arabica coffee (some 225,000 tons)
from wild trees in the provinces of Djimmah, Sidamo, Lekempti
and Salo in the west and Southwest. Ethiopia is believed to be
one of the two birthplaces of the coffee bean (the other more
established source being Yemen). Addis Ababa, its capital is the
chief interior coffee market. The primary names for Ethiopian
coffee beans are Abyssinian, Djimmahand Harrar that is also
known as Harar and Harari. Harrar is the most noted coffee of
Ethiopia grown in plantations near the ancient capital of Harar,
which is both a city and province in the country. Coffee now
known as Harrar used to be sold as either long berry Mocha or
Abyssinian long berry and is usually exported through Djibouti
or Aden. These coffees are described by connoisseurs as winery
or fruity. The beans except for those in Sidamo are generally
dry-processed. Yergacheffe is a more fragrant example of Sidamo
and a wonderful stand-alone coffee. The coffee of Ethiopia, one
of the countries where coffee is a native plant, faded in
popularity for a while. The Harar of Ethiopia varies greatly but
when it's great, it is spectacular with the sweetness and
smoothness of classic Yemen Mocha.
http://www.newafrica.com
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"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can
learn in no other way." Mark Twain
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4. A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe
-Words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman
B"H
Make Up Your Own Mind
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Lack of clarity can be a blessing.
If everything were spelled out -- exactly what you are supposed
to do, when, how, with whom and for how long -- what room would
be left for your sense of accomplishment?
This is why the details of a person's mission in this world are
held back from him: Out of G-d's great kindness, so that this
little creature can decide on its own, and take credit for it.
Brought to you by http://www.chabadonline.com/magazine
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"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."
Auguste Rodin
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5. Coffee Fest Training Sessions To Introduce New Coffee
Concepts
Coffee Fest Atlantic City will feature a strong emphasis on
training sessions included in admission at the New Atlantic City
Convention Center, June 7-9, 2002. Chris Rosica of Rosica
Mulhern and Associates will present the Key Note address,
"Building Your Brand, Market Share and Profits in Today's
Economy," Friday at 8:45 am. New topics to the show will
include a retail roasting workshop, "Specialty Teas as a(nother)
Profit Center," "Biology of Your Espresso Machine," "Ideas To
Consider When You Open Your Second Coffee Location," and
"Merchandising and Effective Display for Maximum Profit."
Coffee Fest Training Sessions are open to all trade show
attendees and exhibitors, and will take place between 9 a.m. and
12 p.m. in breakout rooms. The educational programming will
feature presentations and demonstrations from industry
specialists on topics such as tasting and choosing coffee, how
to open a coffeehouse and barista techniques of professionals.
Offered as part of Coffee Fest Atlantic City, training sessions
create an opportunity for both exhibitors and attendees to get
in touch with the latest trade show trends in the specialty
coffee and tea industries and is included in the $25 Coffee Fest
trade show admission price (pre-registration is $15). The
lectures and demonstrations to be presented have been selected
based on their level of interest among participants expected to
attend Coffee Fest Atlantic City. Seating for all training
sessions is first come first served.
Friday, June 7, 2002
8:45am - 9:50am Key Note Presentation
"Building Your Brand, Market Share, and Profits In This Economy"
Chris Rosica - Rosica Mulhern & Associates
8:45am -11:00am Special Attraction "Retailer Roasting Workshop"
Terry Davis -Ambex
10:00am - 10:50am What Makes an Espresso - Espresso?
Dr. Joseph John - Josuma Coffee Co.
10:10am - 11:00am Specialty Teas as a(nother) Profit Center
Linda Smith - Divinitea
10:20am-11:10am Everything You Wanted to Know About Espresso
Pods But Were Afraid to Ask
Cyrus Milikin - ABCD, Inc.
11:00am - 12:00pm Granita Machine Troubleshooting & Maintenance
Ahmed Hussain - The Granita Guru
11:10am - 12:00pm Designing and Opening Your Coffee House
Tom Palm - Design & Layout Services
11:20am - 12:10pm Coffee Retail Success Strategies - Ask The
Experts
Bruce Milletto & Ed Arvidson - Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup
12:30pm & 3:00pm Cupping Workshop
Paul Partica - Barrie House Coffee & Tea
Saturday, June 8, 2002
8:45am -11:00am Special Attraction "Retailer Roasting Workshop"
Terry Davis - Ambex
9:00am-9:50am Professional Barista Techniques - Espresso
Extraction/Milk Steaming
Keith Hayward - Tommy Thwaites - Dillanos Coffee
9:10am-10:00am Smoothies - The Healthy Alternative, Let s Check
the Financial Possibilities
Karl Lovas - Dr. Smoothie
9:20am - 10:10am Marketing Your Coffee Business
Ward Barbee - Fresh Cup Magazine
10:00am-10:50am The Fundamentals of Barrier Bag Filling and
Sealing
Mark Howley - Pacific Bag
10:10am - 11:00am Biology of Your Espresso Machine
Don Ramsey - Espresso Specialists
10:20am - 11:10am Frozen Blended Drinks, Achieving, Consistency,
Speed & Profitability
Cheri Hays - Caffe D'Amore
11:00am - 12:00pm Designing and Opening Your Coffee House
Tom Palm - Design & Layout Services
11:10am-12:00pm Profit Boosting P.R. (Public Relations)
Kate LaPoint - To the Point Business Imaging
11:20am - 12:10pm How to Make Profits in the Specialty Coffee
Business
Ed Arvidson - Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup
12:30pm & 3:00pm Cupping Workshop
Paul Partica - Barrie House Coffee & Tea
Sunday, June 9, 2002
8:45am -11:00am Special Attraction "Retailer Roasting Workshop"
Terry Davis - Ambex
9:00am - 9:50am Professional Barista Techniques - Espresso
Extraction/Milk Steaming
Keith Hayward - Tommy Thwaites - Dillanos Coffee
9:10am - 10:00am Ideas to Consider When You Open Your Second
Coffee Location
Bob Johnson - Kaffe Magnum Opus
9:20am - 10:10am Designing and Opening Your Coffee House
Tom Palm - Design & Layout Services
10:00am - 10:50am Merchandising and Effective Display for
Maximum Profit
Donna Liebmann - Millrock
10:10am - 11:00am Specialty Teas from Around the World
Linda Smith - Divini Tea
10:20am - 11:10am How High is Up? Frozen Beverage Sales
Potential
Ahmed Hussain - The Granita Guru
11:00am - 12:00pm Biology of Your Espresso Machine
Don Ramsey - Espresso Specialists
11:10am - 12:00pm Service Please! The Last Words of a Lost
Customer
Ed Arvidson - Bellissimo Coffee Info Group
11:20am - 12:10pm Installing a Coffee Roaster In Your
Retail/Wholesale Operation
Terry Davis - Ambex
12:30pm Cupping Workshop
Paul Partica - Barrie House Coffee & Tea
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News Bulletin from The State of New Jersey: The state has
reached its quota of left turns so any new streets that require
a left turn will have to install a jug handle or a traffic
circle.
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6. Coffee Patents Looking for Promotion
MELVIN L. LEVINSON, Inventor Microwave Ovens/Cooking since 1962
It took me over 40 years to discover that there is a better way
to make a "perfect" cup of coffee. I seek young enterprising
individuals or companies to tell the world that there is a
faster, better way to prepare richer more-flavorful coffee.
Since I am 77 years old, I have past the stage where I can do
more than enjoy a good cup of coffee. If you like to make money
promoting and licensing my innovations, please contact me.
US Patent No. 5,800,852 METHODS FOR MAKING COFFEE, RICE, SOY
AND/OR TEA BEVERAGES USING A TABLE-BLENDER AND A MICROWAVE-OVEN.
The invention combines the utility of a table blender and a
microwave oven. In combination they may be used to better
prepare many foodstuffs as soy milk, rice milk, soup, coffee,
tea and herbal teas. For example, the removable jar and blade
assembly of a table blender, containing a brewing coffee or
steeping tea, is removed from the blender motor, placed in a
microwave oven and heated until hot. Then, the jar, containing
the hot brewing beverage, is returned to the blender motor where
the brewing is completed. Taught are 1) grinding and
pulverizing coffee-beans, coffee-grounds, and tea-leaves in a
liquid, 2), with an electric mixer, brewing coffee and steeping
tea in water or in a milk product, and 3) filtering a brewed
coffee or tea out of the blender jar through innovative filter-
covers. The need for percolators, French Press, drip coffee
makers, espresso machines, et al, is obviated. The common half
horsepower electric motor of the table blender provides
beverages with more body and flavor than does the repeated
dunking of a tea bag or the enormous pressure of an espresso
machine. Domestic, commercial and industrial food preparation.
This invention has independent utility or can be employed with
other of inventor's inventions available for license that
improve, simplify and speed food preparation.
US Patent No. 5,925,394 "METHODS FOR DENATURING AND WHIPPING
INTO A FOAM CERTAIN DENATURABLE PROTEINS FOUND IN MILK PRODUCTS,
EGG PRODUCTS AND MEAT PRODUCTS" Certain denaturable foodstuffs
can be whipped into a stable foam product. These foodstuffs
include milk products such as whole milk, skim milk, cream,
half-and-half, evaporated milk and reconstituted powdered milk;
and egg products including whole eggs, egg yolks, egg whites and
reconstituted dried egg products. The food products are
denatured and whipped into a foam. The denaturing results from
heating, altering the pH, and/or adding denaturing agents such
rennet. The products include, for example, alcoholic and non
alcoholic, whipped milk products, with coffee, tea, chocolate or
fruit juices. Novel products as a true "alcoholic ice cream,"
that would require a liquor license to sell, are taught.
Domestic, commercial and whipped egg products, and whipped meat
products alone and in various combination industrial food
preparation. This invention has independent utility or can be
employed with other of inventor's inventions available for
license that improve, simplify and speed food preparation.
US Patent No. 6,231,909 (March 15, 2001) "FAT-HOMOGENIZER,
BEVERAGE FROTHER, KITCHEN APPLIANCE TO PREPARE COFFEE, TEA,
MILK, EGG, SOY, AND RICE FOODSTUFF" A hand-operated kitchen
appliance to prepare coffee, tea, soy, rice, and egg beverages,
froths and desserts, methods for its use and products there
from. The kitchen appliance homogenizes saturated and
unsaturated fat into skim milk, milk, cream, soy, rice and egg
to produce enriched beverages, froths and desserts. MICROWAVE-
ROASTING OF GREEN COFFEE BEANS, SOY BEANS, RICE GRAINS AND
SIMILAR BEANS AND GRAINS PROVIDES MICROWAVE-ROASTED SNACKS AND
BEVERAGES. Beverages, froths and desserts are prepared frozen,
chilled or heated with and without a foam topping both alcoholic
and non-alcoholic. Fast semi-permanent, nylon-mesh filters
and/or common metal filters replace slow, costly, disposable
paper coffee filters. MICROWAVE ROASTED SOY MILK AND MICROWAVE
ROASTED RICE MILK are desirable alternates to common soy and
rice milk products. Domestic, commercial and industrial food
preparation. This invention has independent utility or can be
employed with other of inventor's inventions available for
license that improve, simplify and speed food preparation.
Melvin Levinson
Email: prowhip@optonline.net
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Rabbi Pliskin's Daily Lift
Daily Lift #29 Materialism And Peace Of Mind
Many people mistakenly think that peace of mind is dependent on
external possessions. Rabbi Simcha Zissel cited the following
story:
A wise man lived in dire poverty. To save him suffering, the
king gave him a large amount of silver and gold.
To the king's amazement, the wise man came the next morning and
said: "Here is your gold and silver. Please take it back because
I don't want it."
"Why would you return my gift?" the astonished king asked.
"My master," replied the wise man, "my entire life I have always
had peace and tranquility. I have never pursued wealth and have
always been satisfied with the basic necessities of life. Due to
my modest demands I have always had more than what I needed. My
mind was free to engage in my studies. But yesterday when I took
the silver, my mind started worrying about what I would do with
the money. Perhaps I should invest in real estate; perhaps I
should begin a commercial venture. My mind was in such turmoil
that I was unable to sleep. I found myself so preoccupied with
the money that no other thoughts entered my mind. Please take
the money back. I had more peace of mind before!"
Today, ask yourself: Is my pursuit of materialism in any way a
source of anxiety?
(see Chochmah Umussar, vol.1, p.5; Gateway to Happiness, p.80)
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7. Navigating the Sea of Terms - A Coffee Buyers Primer
Mark Inman, Roastmaster, Taylor Maid Farms
Fair Trade, Shade-Grown, Certified-Organic. These terms
have become "buzz words" for coffee drinkers around the world.
Unfortunately, most of the media paints a very simplistic
picture of these terms and their environmental or social
significance. As a fourteen-year veteran of the coffee trade,
specializing inCertified-Organic and Fair Trade coffees, it
disappoints me to see the media use these terms to simply sell a
"juicy story." Granted, it would be difficult to dilute these
complicated issues down to an easily digestible sound bite,
conveniently packaged into a marketable seal for the mindful
consumer. However, I believe the cure to the ills of the ongoing
coffee crisis lie in a change of consumer perception rather than
the support of one seal over another. Aside from imparting the
vital importance of the current seals, I hope to convey the
artistry of specialty coffee and, more importantly, to raise
issue with the low value consumers place on this intensely hand
crafted product.
It's All in the Details
Shade-grown and Bird-friendly
These terms are almost interchangeable and refer to the
conditions under which coffee is grown. Traditionally, the
coffee varieties of Bourbon and Typica were grown under a canopy
of shade, which protected them from the harsh sun. This canopy
was multi-storied, closely resembled a rustic forest, and
provided habitat for a myriad of flora and fauna. With the
industrialization of the coffee production model, coffee farmers
have become dependent on systems using full-sun hybrid varieties
with high-chemical inputs and mechanized harvesting methods.
Gone are the days of having to harvest coffee around all those
other pesky trees, plants and critters. With this agricultural
shift came massive deforestation, population decline of
migratory birds and other key species.
Shade-Grown coffees support these important issues in
farming today. It ensures that multiple species have habitat,
that the coffee varieties are predominately heirloom and not
hybrid and that there is preservation of the dwindling tropical
rainforests. Sadly, Shade-Grown coffees only address one aspect
of the complex coffee picture. The seal is criticized for its
failure to address the viability of proven organic strategies,
the use of agrochemicals, or whether the coffee trees come from
genetically modified root stocks. Finally, the purchase of
Shade-Grown coffee does not address important socioeconomic
issues.
Fair Trade
Fair Trade addresses primarily the price points at which
coffee is sold and traded on the world commodity market. Coffee,
like oil, pork bellies, and frozen concentrated orange juice is
traded on a market based on speculation and futures. When frosts
hit Brazil, analysts might predict a short supply, which in turn
causes a spike in the coffee market and prices go up. When there
is oversupply in the market, as is the case today, the prices
fall. When market prices fall below $1.00/Lb., as it has been
for the last three years, farmers face the choice of starvation,
loss of land, or urban migration replete with the usual bleak
array of living options. Fair trade ensures a "floor" price
that allows farmers to make minimal profits in such low markets.
Fair Trade farmers receive a guaranteed minimum of $1.26 for
non-organic coffees and $1.41 for Certified-Organic coffees.
Like Shade-Grown and Certified-Organic coffee, Fair Trade
is a work in progress and not a panacea for the present crisis.
The limitations of the Fair Trade program is that only
cooperatives, democratically operated along detailed guidelines
laid down by Transfair USA, can apply. However, many traditional
coffee farms are not co-ops. They can be privately owned or run
in a tribal or communal setting. Such structures may produce
premium coffee using strict environmental guidelines, pay decent
wages, provide humane working conditions for its workers, but it
cannot earn the Fair Trade label and premium.
Despite their claims to the contrary, the guidelines of
Transfair USA do not adequately address issues surrounding the
environment, biodiversity, species preservation or whether or
not the coffee trees come from genetically modified rootstocks.
Certified-Organic
Organic farming is truly more about relationships than
simply "chemical-free" farming. The checks and balances that
result from an organic system comes from the interaction of a
wide variety of life forms. From bacteria and rhizomes below the
ground to pollinators and flowers above the ground to a bear
crapping in the woods on the ground, organic agriculture is more
a system of relationships than a means to a marketable seal.
Organic coffee farming ensures that shade-friendly
varieties of coffee are planted. Chemically dependent, full-sun
hybrids or genetically modified coffee trees cannot (by law) be
used. The purchase of Certified-Organic coffee ensures it is not
grown using any of the common pesticides, herbicides and
fungicides used on coffee, many of which are banned in the
United States. Similar to Fair Trade, Certified-Organic coffees
offer a premium to farmers (around 40 cents above the
commodities market) and during low markets, Certified-Organic
farmers are able to turn profits. Small family farmers who
participate in cooperatives produce most of Certified-Organic
coffee available to roasters. The purchase of Certified Organic
coffee creates the ability for small farms to compete against
larger coffee interests. In many third world countries, the
division of wealth is wide (a few wealthy, many poor and almost
no middle class), therefore purchasing Certified-Organic,
similar to the Fair Trade system, helps to close the gap.
The fly in this system's ointment is that some farmers can
come up short with Certified-Organic depending on geographic
location. For example, despite similarities in growing practices
and overall crop quality, a farmer in Costa Rica or Sumatra
could be receiving premiums far above the organic Fair Trade
floor price. On the other hand, if you are a farmer in Mexico,
Peru or Bolivia, you might see prices at or a little below the
non-organic Fair Trade minimum. This is where both supply and
demand play a role in determining the price for the same amount
of work.
Multi-Certification
Double and triple certified coffees are a combination of
the above certifications. Multi-Certified coffees close the
loopholes that make individual certifications weak. For all the
reasons stated above, the current recommended purchase for
maximum benefits are Certified-Organic, Fair Trade coffees.
Changing Our Perception Of Coffee
Media exposure has raised the global consumer's awareness
of the growing crisis in the world coffee market. What do these
low prices mean to you, what does it mean to the environment,
what does this mean to the people who grow the world's premium
coffee beans?
Be it Starbucks, Peets or Green Mountain, most specialty
coffee companies purchase within the top echelon of quality
coffee-namely from the top 10 percent. Ultra-premium coffee
companies such as Taylor Maid Farms, Batdorf and Bronson and
Intelligentsia are purchasing within the top 3 percent. The
consumer has been getting the deal of a lifetime for the past 20
years! Consumers have been able to taste the finest coffee
available for less than 25 cents a serving; that's right, you
are able to go to a supermarket or cafe, purchase the most
superlative coffee the world has to offer, go home and brew
yourself a cup for .25 cents. What quality of wine, chocolate,
cognac or cigar do you believe you would get for .25 cents a
serving, how about .40?
And why is that? Specialty coffee is one of the finest hand
crafted products in the world. Like wine, there are "old vine"
or heirloom varieties of coffee. Such trees need special
attention, making mechanization close to impossible, and offer
different tastes and aromas depending on which region or
elevation that variety is grown. Coffee requires 10 times the
hand attention of wine production, 5 times more than chocolate
and cigar production. In fact 36 humans touch your pound of
coffee before you grind and brew it.
The coffee crisis is not so much about a global glut on
coffee (most of this coffee you would never consume) as much as
it is about the public's perception of specialty coffee.
Americans were raised on bottomless cups of insipid brown water
that cost around 3 cents per serving. We awoke to the sweet
sound of the breaking vacuum seal of 2lb. cans of Folgers or
Maxwell House that our parents purchased for 2.99. Coffee was
the stuff of breakfast that you used to wash down toast. It was
not "gourmet" by any stretch of the imagination and it was
certainly not the type of beverage you would have waited in long
cafe or drive-thru lines.
But times have changed, more Americans are waxing poetic
about their Java estate, Nicaragua Segovia, or Ethiopian
Yirgacheffe. More Americans are drinking espresso-based
beverages than in any other point in our country's history. In
their minds, coffee consumers are beginning to understand the
complexities of coffee, yet in their wallets they still carry
the memory of the price of a 2lb can of Maxwell house.
Supermarkets have jumped on the "coffee boom" bandwagon of
selling specialty coffee, now being responsible for 74% of all
specialty coffee sold, yet they still will not allow coffee
companies to offer products for over 10 dollars a pound. Why?
Does their wine department set a price cap on a bottle of wine?
In reality, specialty coffee should be selling to the
consumer for over $20.00/Lb. This increase (only changing the
price per cup from .25 cents to .40 cents for home use) would
eliminate the chain of poverty and destitution that plagues so
many farmers worldwide. It would allow farmers to actually earn
a living being a farmer (interesting concept) rather than being
the charity cases they are made to be. If we invest more in the
quality of their products, in return, the consumer receives a
more environmentally and socially just cup.
Fair Trade, Shade-Grown and Certified-Organic are simply
verifications for consumers that minimum-controls are in place
to ensure balanced agriculture and social elements. Labels are
not the complete answer to the plight of the farmer, you are. If
you, the consumer are unwilling to pay more for coffee, then
farmers worldwide will abandon the notion of specialty coffee,
turn to a mechanized system where coffee will be grown on flat,
monoculture fields in full sun to meet your acceptable price
point. That future is up to you.
www.taylormaidfarms.com
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"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket
fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who
hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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8. Fundamentals for "Reaching Espresso Nirvana"
For Traditional (Handled), Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines
Reprinted with permission of 1st Line Equipment LLC,
http://www.1st-line.com/
Note: The following does not fully apply to superautomatic, hand
lever, or steam power-generated espresso machines that "may"
operate under different principles and guidelines for proper
operation .
Part II: The "Science"
In this section, we will cover the following areas that pertain
to the "science" for "reaching Espresso Nirvana"
The Fresh Roast of The Coffee Bean
The Fineness of The Coffee Grind
The Dosage
The Tamp Pressure
The Brewing Temperature
The Brewing Pressure
The Fresh Roast Of The Coffee Bean
The most important ingredient to any espresso, cappuccino, or
latte is the coffee bean and its degree of roast. As you are
well aware, there are many different types of coffee beans
originating from many different countries with roast masters
applying their own degree of roasting techniques and roast
times. Coffee beans from a single coffee farm can be known as
"estate coffees". Coffee beans from a single country origin are
known as varietals. Blending, as preferred by roast masters, is
the mixture of 2 or more "estate coffees" and/or varietals to
produce their own signature coffee blend. Each estate coffee,
varietal, and blend would change in flavor characteristics when
the degree of roast changes. Just as wine changes flavor with
age, coffee beans change in flavor with different roasting
times.
According to roasting professionals, there are four (4)
different types of roasts that are suitable for proper espresso
extraction. In order of increasing darkness of roast, they are
full city roast, vienna roast, espresso roasted, and french
roasted. The main reason to utilize coffee beans with these
roasts is that the flavor and crema production of your espresso
is highly dependent upon the oils formulated within the coffee
beans during and after the roast. Any roast lighter than full
city roast may not properly caramelize the coffee beans to
produce enough oils for your espresso. As the roasts become
darker, the oils tend to move to the surface of the coffee beans
as you would see a "glossy" surface or see/feel the oils on
them.
Another important factor in the roasted bean is freshness.
Freshly roasted beans will provide superior tastes and
aromatics. Stale beans or those laying around for a while will
not allow you to achieve the fundamentals for espresso nirvana
no matter how much you master them.
Ultimately, it is important to experiment with different coffee
beans (estate coffees, varietals, and blends) with varying
degree of roasts to find the best one that suits your palette!
Most importantly, it is best to use coffee beans within 7 days
of the roasting date!
The Fineness of The Coffee Grind
One of the most important parameters to proper espresso
extraction is your coffee grind.
Fineness Of The Coffee Grind
The most important aspect of grind fineness is ability to grind
very, very fine (like nutrasweet) and consistency. The
consistency of the grind is directly attributable to the design
and performance of your grinder. There are three types of
grinders - hand grinders, blade grinders, and burr grinders.
Hand Grinders
Some, not all, hand grinders can grind fine enough and
consistently for espresso extraction. The process of hand
grinding involves the laborious task of turning the grinding
handle many times. The advantage is that this slow process of
grinding does not produce any heat that would affect negatively
affect your coffee grind.
Blade Grinders
Blade grinders are identified by a whirling blade that "chops"
the coffee beans. Grinding long enough, the coffee beans will
result into a coarse grind more suitable for drip coffee.
Grinding even longer, the coffee beans sometimes can turn
slightly finer. However, the finer grind is not suitable for
proper espresso extraction. The reasons are 1) the coffee grind
will not be consistent, and 2) the high-speed blade will create
excess heat which will adversely affect the oils in the grind of
the coffee bean.
Burr Grinders
Burr grinders typically consist of two opposing grinding burrs -
one stationary and one attached to the motor wheel. There are
two types of burrs - conical and flat. Conical burrs are
designed to produce greater consistency in the grind fineness.
However, the type of burr becomes irrelevant as one chooses a
high quality "flat" burr grinder that typically houses larger
burrs closer to the commercial type.
Burr grinders typically have the advantage of lower heat
generation due to the lower speed of the burrs. In addition,
differeent degrees of fineness are achieved by changing the
setting which changes the distance between the grinding burrs.
The greater the distance between the grinding burrs, the coarser
the grind. Oppositely true, the lesser the distance between the
grinding burrs, the finer the grind. The equidistance of the
grinding burrs achieves the consistency needed for proper
extraction of your espresso.
The settings on burr grinders will differ from customer to
customer. First, all electric burr grinders have relative
settings. This means that a setting of "6" on one particular
grinder will not be "precisely" the same as a setting of "6" on
another unit of the same model grinder.
Second, each type of coffee and the darkness of roast will and
may require different settings to adhere to the fundamental
rule. In the former instance, beans from two different farms,
countries, or blends will have differences in the grind fineness
from one to the other in acquiring the fundamental rule. The
reason is that different beans have varying degrees of hardness.
In the latter instance, a darker roast will require a courser
grind when compred to a medium roast to achieve similar
extraction times and volume (however, the taste will be
different). Lighter roasted espresso beans should be ground
finer than darker roasts. The main reason a finer grind is
required on lighter roasts is that lighter roasted coffees do
not have the coffee oils on the bean surface. Therefore, a finer
grind is needed to expose those oils on a greater surface area
that results from a finer grind. Darker roasted coffees tend to
have oils at the surface.
Therefore, experimentation (not frustration) is essential in
locating the best setting for your coffee beans.
Finally, burr grinders should always be adjusted when the
grinding burrs are in motion. This is especially important when
adjusting from a coarse setting to a finer setting. The reason
is that coffee grinds will always be between the two burrs, and
this ground coffee will not allow you to properly adjust the
grinder to a finer setting. The end result is a more consistent
grind and less chance of the burrs becoming dulled or gummed.
The Dosage
The amount of coffee (known as the dosage) you place into the
filter basket (on traditional filter handle machines) will also
affect the "fundamental rule". The industry standard in the
United States is 7 grams of coffee roasted and ground for the
single espresso shot and 14 grams of coffee roasted and ground
for the double espresso shot. This standard is an industry
guideline. This means that the guideline can be adapted and
changed to one's personal need to achieve the crema rule and
taste profile desired.
Typically, adding an amount greater than 7 grams of coffee will
result in a longer extraction time since the "extra" coffee will
increase the path the water needs to travel - this creates
greater resistance. Less than 7 grams would result in a quicker
extraction time since there will be less coffee to create the
resistance needed for a proper extraction.
The Tamp Pressure
Tamping is essential to proper espresso extraction. Proper
tamping would result in creating enough resistance for the water
to pass through the coffee grind, in creating even distribution
of resistance, and in easy removal of the ground coffee from the
basket after extraction.
Tamping is the application of applying force to compact the
loose coffee grind in your filter basket into a "puck". A
special tool known as the "tamper" is utilized to tamp the
coffee. For some machines, the tamper is built into the machine,
while in others; the back of the measuring spoon is utilized as
the tamper.
The tamper consists of a tamping plate (which made from either
plastic, wood, aluminum, or stainless steel), a stem, and a
handle. There are two types of tampers - flat or curved. Flat
tampers are typically utilized when the filter basket is
straight edged on the bottom of the basket and curved tampers
are utilized when the filter basket has a curved edge on the
bottom.
In the market today, there are two types of home model espresso
machines that impact the technique needed to acquire proper
tamping pressure. The first type are home model espresso
machines that have pressurized handles or filter baskets. Please
note that either the basket or the handle is pressurized, but
not both on any machine. This type of machine design compensates
for "tamping error" by allowing the design of the filter handle
or filter basket to create the required pressure needed for a
proper extraction of espresso. Machines of this type include the
Capresso line, the Solis crema SL line, and the Saeco line.
Other machines, such as Gaggia, sometimes include pressurized
disks that serve the same purpose. The second type is a machine
that has standard, non-pressurized filter handles or baskets.
All traditional, commercial machines, as well as many home
models, are of this type. Tamping pressure is much more critical
on these machines since the resistance to create a proper
extraction relies more on the tamping pressure and fineness of
grind due to the fact that the "pressurized handle or basket" is
non-existent to create the pressure. Here are the different
techniques for each type of espresso and cappuccino machine.
General Technique For PRESSURIZED Filter Handles and Baskets
The general technique for tamping in a pressurized filter handle
or pressurized filter basket would be less than 30 pounds. In
other words, only a very light tamp is needed. The proper tamp
can be accomplished with the hand tamper, with the tamper built
into the espresso machine or grinder, or with the back of the
measuring spoon. Please note that to firm of a tamp will not
allow the water to come through the coffee grind or will result
in a very long extraction time (usually exceeding 27 seconds)
General Technique For STANDARD Filter Handles and Baskets
The general technique for tamping in a standard filter handle is
to apply about 30-50 pounds of evenly distributed pressure into
the coffee ground dosed into the filter basket. The technique
should be completed with a slight twist to result in a slightly
polished finish on the surface of the tamped coffee. The 30
pounds of tamp pressure is a guideline and an area for
experimentation as some of our customers have used less tamping
pressure and others have tamped to 50 pounds of pressure. Some
1st-line equipment customers have used a bathroom scale to
measure tamp pressure. By using a scale to measure pressure, you
can change one of the other parameters to achieve the
fundamental rule.
The Brewing Temperature
The optimal brewing temperature, as measured at the point where
the water contacts the coffee grind, is 190-204 degrees
Fahrenheit. The temperature of the extracted espresso will vary
from 150 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The
temperature loss is attributable to the ambient temperature, the
brew group temperature, and the temperature of the cup.
Therefore, it is important to preheat the brew group and the cup
prior to extracting espresso. The brew group can be pre-heated
by pulling an "empty shot". In other words, the filter handle
and basket should be placed on the brew group (or grouphead)
without any coffee and hot water from the machine should be run
through and into the cup that needs to be pre-heated. We have
found a temperature loss of up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in
circumstances where customers do not preheat the brew group, the
filter handle, the filter basket, or the cup. Also, do not make
the mistake of rinsing your filter handle and filter baskets
with cold or hot faucet water. This can also reduce the
temperature. It is best to wipe the handle and basket clean with
a cloth or paper towel.
In addition, the closer the spouts of the filter handle to the
base of the cup, the less the temperature loss due to room
temperature.
The Brewing Pressure
The optimal brewing pressure for pump-driven espresso machine is
8 to 9 bar or atmospheres. Most machines show pressure "ratings"
of greater than 9 bar. Please note that these "ratings" indicate
the "maximum" pressure that can be produced by the pump. It does
not mean better espresso! Quite the contrary! Over 9 bar
pressure can produce very bitter tasting espresso.
Since most home model machines do not have gauges to monitor the
brewing pressure, you may wonder how you if we are at the
optimal pressure. The answer is very simple. We will know if we
are at the right pressure by comparing our results to the
fundamental rule - double espresso shot = 2 to 3.0 fluid ounces
in 23 to 27 seconds
The pump pressure is regulated by the resistance in the filter
basket - the resistance of the espresso bean finely ground and
tampered into the filter basket or the resistance created by the
pressurized filter handle or basket.
A greater resistance in the filter basket will result in a
greater pressure created by the pump. Too much pressure, the
espresso will take longer than 27 seconds to extract. This is
called over extraction and will result in a very bitter flavor.
In addition, the home model espresso machines we sell have an
expansion relief valve - when there is too much pressure (that
over 11-12 bar), this expansion relief valve will open to
relieve the excess water pressure and divert it to either the
machine's drip tray or back to the water tank. The purposes are
to avoid pump damage and lessen the chances of over extraction.
A lesser resistance in the filter basket will result in a lesser
pressure created by the pump. Too little pressure, the espresso
will take less than 23 seconds to extract. This is called under
extraction and will result in a very weak, water down coffee. In
this case, the resistance in the coffee puck needs to be
increased by changing one of the above variables - coffee grind
fineness, amount of coffee grind, or tamping pressure. By
grinding finer, increasing the amount of coffee grind, and/or
increasing the tamping pressure, the resistance will become
greater to extract at the right pressure.
Therefore, the resultant brewing pressure is a direct result of
the resistance in the filter basket. Now, that we have covered
the science, we should morph your knowledge into the arte!
Reprinted with permission of 1st Line Equipment, LLC,
http://www.1st-line.com/
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"Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong
to live as well as think." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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9. Links to My Friends
Visit the links page on our website to get the latest links to
both coffee related and unrelated sites of interest. You may now
add your link at www.badgettcoffee.com. Check it out. You might
find some old friends and make some new ones.
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"But peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It
lies in the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest
all our hopes on parchment and on paper, let us strive to build
peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace in
the hearts and minds of all of our people. I believe that we
can. I believe the problems of human destiny are not beyond the
reach of human beings." John F. Kennedy
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10. Feedback
Tell me what you think. What do you want more of..less of...what
would you change, add, or delete?
mailto:robertbadgett@comcast.net
ISSN: 1534-4614 - Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA
This journal was made from 100% post-consumer, recycled, non-polluting,
and
non-trashcan filling electrons.
(c) Copyright 2002 Robert L. Badgett. All Rights Reserved.
