• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Coffee Compass

Your Guide for Craft Coffee

  • Home
  • About
  • Archive
  • Map
  • Contact
  • Shop

Archives for May 2017

Interview: Marlee Benefield of Gather Coffee

May 23, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Marlee Benefield

Most of the interviews we’ve done here at The Coffee Compass focus on the baristas and roasters who make your coffee. But there’s a whole group of farmers, importers, educators, and consultants that are behind the scenes, improving the quality of your morning cup. Today we interview Marlee Benefield, cofounder of Gather Coffee, a coffee consulting company that offers Q Grader courses, roasting classes, and a variety of other services.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started in specialty coffee? 

After traveling to, and living in, some coffee-centric countries (Indonesia, Turkey, Uganda), I started to see coffee in a whole new way. Not just as a beverage, but as a plant, as a livelihood, as a catalyst for relationships, and as a profession. When I returned home from living in Turkey, I began working for Equator Coffee. It was mostly just a clerical position, but they were open to any employee joining the cupping table and learning more about coffee. It was my first experience with true specialty coffee and I was hooked. Several months later I was hired by Willem Boot to work at Boot Coffee. Working there was an invaluable opportunity and I learned more about roasting, cupping, importing coffee, sales, teaching and consulting than I ever imagined I would.…

Read More »

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Gather Coffee, Marlee Benefield

Three Ways to Use the December Dripper to Brew Better Coffee

May 15, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

We, like 779 other Kickstarter backers, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our December Dripper. The adjustable flow rate pour-over device more than tripled its goal, raising a cool $58,251. With an estimated arrival time of late June, we have some time before the December Dripper is making our morning cup, but in the meantime our sponsors at Prima Coffee gave us a chance to take a peek at a pre-ship sample. After a few brews we have a few thoughts on how this new brewing technology might be utilized to produce tastier coffee. …

Read More »

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: December Dripper

Come for the Doughnuts, Stay for the Coffee at General Porpoise Doughnuts

May 3, 2017 By Michael 2 Comments

Rodgers and Hammerstein. Martin and Lewis. Riesling and Thai food. Some pairs are timeless. And yet no duo is so ubiquitous as that most quintessential of American breakfasts, coffee and doughnuts. General Porpoise Doughnuts in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood might have perfected that pairing.

In a city with a specialty coffee shop on every block, it helps to have a concept that sets you apart. General Porpoise’s concept is succinct and to the cream-filled-point: a small selection of house-made yeast doughnuts and a simple but perfectly executed coffee menu….

Read More »

Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: coffee, doughnuts, Seattle

Primary Sidebar

Get Fresh Content

Sign up for Free Updates from
The Coffee Compass.

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021