The topic du jour at CoffeeKrave this morning: Moka pots. More specifically, who loves them, who hates them and do they really make espresso? (Given the subject at hand, perhaps I should say Moka pots are the topic del giorno at CoffeeKrave this morning.) As for me and my house, I have never been especially fond of the Moka pot. I do have grudging respect for them. Having been challenged with this assignment, I believe I can maintain a certain level of objectivity. (Fingers crossed.) Related: Check out our French press guide Moka Pots: Espresso and “Espresso Approximations” A few words of introduction before we jump straight into...

“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.” — Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Looking for a sweet coffee gift for your Valentine angel . . . ? Just in time for Valentine’s Day, our top 14 suggestions for coffee-related tokens of your affection: 1. To present your love (and your coffee) in form Talleyrand himself would appreciate: A vintage Ibrik 2. For the beginning home roaster: A green bean sampler from Sweet Marias 3. To say: “My love will last beyond February” – a coffee subscription from Counter Culture Coffee   4. An artistic infographic: Know Your Coffees 5. To keep love hands-on and fresh:...

To brighten up your Monday, we offer this list of a few (ten, to be precise) of our favorite coffee infographics. Have a favorite you don’t see here? Send us a link in the comments below! 1. The Compendious Coffee Chart – detailing 22 (!) different coffee production methods.   2. Social Media Explained…With Coffee – coffee as a vehicle for explaining the differences between social media platforms.  3.The Medical Benefits of Being Addicted to Coffee – We love the design. We love the subject matter (naturally). But, we would love this infographic even more if it referenced its sources. (We are of the firm belief that...

If you count yourself among those wishing for better coffee in the office, we remind you (in the words of Star Trek Captain Jean Luc Picard): “Wishing for something does not make it so.” Instead of accepting the acrid taste of liquid cinder (associated with the “burner effect”), we urge you to question the dominant office coffee paradigm. Be an active advocate for better brew. “Half (50%) of the American workforce buys coffee regularly at work, spending more than $20 a week on coffee, an average of approximately $1000 a year. Better coffee in the office might help cut back this expense. Nearly one quarter (22%) of American ...

“I’m a firm believer that understanding is developed through the act of comparison.” —Geoff Watts, Director of Coffee, Intelligenstia Coffee Coffee tasting—what is it and how does it work? As with other types of food and drink tastings, the objective of a coffee tasting is to compare the qualities of different samples of the product in question. As part of an ongoing process, coffee tastings allow the taster to build a mental Rolodex of flavors and aromas to facilitate future comparisons. The full definition is a bit more nuanced. To lay the groundwork for appreciating that complexity, we need to start with a key delineation:...

Back in August, we presented piece on Zen and the art of home coffee roasting, which included an overview of the process and links to the best of the tutorials around the web. We wanted to re-visit the topic, with a more in-depth look at getting started. Here we answer the three primary questions presented to us by newbie roasters: What equipment do I need? Where do I buy green beans? Where do I turn for help/guidance/therapy when I run into a glitch (or two or three)? Roasting Coffee at Home | What equipment do I need?   Roasting can be accomplished with a multitude of tools. As this roundup of homemade roasters demonstrates, the...