Coffee beans are the foundation of a coffee shop — its soul, its core. If a coffee shop — a specialty coffee shop, no less — can’t even get its beans right, why bother opening one? Many coffee shops carry just two or three sad, half-dead beans and still call themselves specialty coffee shops. That’s… more→
After reading a few pages of Out of Africa, you immediately feel a strong urge and longing to go to Africa, to Kenya—and not just that, but to go right now! This very moment, not a second to wait! To see the incredibly beautiful landscapes and magical animals described in the book, and the unique… more→
You buy some beans. You take a look — the recommended resting period is one to two months, meaning you shouldn’t drink them for a month, and then you’ve got another month or two to finish them. Then you notice you’ve bought several bags of different varieties. So basically, the stuff is in your hands,… more→
How do you drink coffee if you have a sensitive stomach — or when your stomach is acting up? Especially pour-over or other black coffees. First, obviously, don’t drink it on an empty stomach. Ideally, have something in you — at least a third of a full meal’s worth, like within an hour of a… more→
The nature of coffee makes it impossible for any single coffee shop to dominate. That’s why every specialty coffee shop is unique. And I don’t mean that in some inspirational, touchy-feely sense. I mean it literally. Coffee is a highly unpredictable thing—whether in growing, storing, or brewing. It also requires a certain level of technical… more→
I often wonder, why do we go to coffee shops to drink coffee? We understand coffee, we brew our own coffee, and our homes are comfortable. So why do we still go to coffee shops? Why do we so often go to coffee shops alone to drink coffee? I think it must be because: Like… more→
Coffee is wildly unpredictable. How unpredictable? You go to a café and have a really good cup of beans. You come back next time — same beans, same barista — and chances are it tastes completely different. Not as good. Maybe even bad. Or worse, it never tastes good again. I’ve been through this myself… more→