Archives for November 2017

U.S. Specialty Coffee Consumption on the Rise According to This Cool Infographic

November 30, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

American consumption of specialty coffee continues to rise, and the Specialty Coffee Association has a snazzy new infographic to prove it. The infographic is based on research by the National Coffee Association, which has been tracking American coffee consumption trends for over sixty years. Specialty coffee consumption numbers were up in every category, but the daily consumer saw the biggest increase, with 41 percent of those surveyed saying they drank specialty coffee every day. In 2001, that number was only 14 percent of Americans. Heather Ward, SCA Market Research Manager, observes,

Overall, this information demonstrates the continued consumer desire for more and better tasting coffee. We are acknowledging it through different measurements of consumption and based on these trends, there are no significant signs of slowing.

Every Baratza Coffee Grinder, Ranked

November 27, 2017 By Michael 2 Comments

Baratza

When it comes to consumer coffee grinders, Baratza is the only manufacturer we recommend across the board without hesitation. The company has a wide array of grinders that are loved by coffee professionals and home enthusiasts alike. We’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on all of their products (minus their newest version of the Sette, the 30 AP), and we ranked each grinder based on its features, grind quality, and price….

The 2017 Coffee Compass Holiday Gift Guide

November 21, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

As November draws to a close, it’s time once again to start thinking about what Christmas presents you’re going to get the coffee lovers in your life. Sure, you could get that cheap grinder you found on sale at your local department store, or you could get them something they actually want. Lucky for you, we have the inside scoop on the latest, hippest, trendiest coffee swag around.

Breville Precision Brewer

Many of the best cafés in the world are moving away from pour-overs and towards really delicious batch brew. Simply put: making a perfect cup of coffee isn’t rocket science. You just need to control some basic variables like water temperature, ratio, and grind size. Breville’s new Precision Brewer aims to give consumers the same amount of control as a commercial coffee brewer. The Precision Brewer utilizes a PID for state of the art temperature control. An adjustable flow rate means you have the customization of a pour-over, with the convenience and repeatability of autodrip. Is the Precision Brewer’s $299 price tag a little steep for you? At $153 the Bonavita BV1900TS is still our best coffee maker for the money.

Coldwave Coffee Chiller

It might be winter in the Northern Hemisphere, but it’s never too early to start thinking about iced coffee. The Coldwave Coffee Chiller, quite simply, is the only iced coffee maker you’ll ever need. The device uses 90 frozen cylinders to rapidly chill hot coffee in a matter of seconds. Chilling hot-brewed coffee allows for a full extraction without any dilution. More refreshing than cold brew, sweeter than Japanese iced coffee. We speak highly enough of this device.

Drift Magazine Subscription

They might say print media is dying, but we believe there will always be a place for gorgeous periodicals like Drift. Each issue of the journal focuses on a different city’s coffee culture. From Tokyo to Havana, whether it’s Third Wave or traditional, Drift is telling stories that no one else is. Issue six on Mexico City is preordering now.

Customized Push Tamper

Yes, we did have the PUSH Tamper on our holiday gift guide last year. But now you can get them customized with your café’s logo, your name, or anything you else you want to put on your tamper. The PUSH Tamper continues to be the tamper of choice for many elite barista competitors, but now there’s another reason to pick one up: a recently published journal article shares research that suggests the PUSH Tamper helps reduce repetitive stress related injuries.

December Dripper

There’s never been more pour-over devices on the market, though we find most are simply reinventing the wheel. The December Dripper is a notable exception. With an adjustable flow rate that allows brewers to more precisely dial-in their brew times, the December Dripper offers the control that coffee nerds crave. We use our Kickstarter edition almost every day, but the second edition features an improved silicon gasket for better performance.

Brew

Gift-giving is more of an art than a science, but there is one universal rule that applies in all times and places: you can’t go wrong with a beautiful coffee table book. Brew by Brian Jones is the approachable guide to craft coffee we wish we had written. Brian Jones is something of a personal hero of ours. His popular blog Dear Coffee, I Love You was one of the main inspirations to start this very website. The illustrated brew guides make this a great present for aspiring enthusiasts, while the stunning design ensures even the most seasoned coffee professional would like to have this on their shelf.

Precision Milk Pitcher

Perhaps the great irony of being a working barista is that you spend more time steaming milk than actually making coffee. And considering baristas spend so much time with a milk pitcher in hand, it’s shocking more thought hasn’t been put into design a proper one. Even our favorite brands are notorious for having irregularities from pitcher to pitcher. Matt Perger and the rest of the team at Barista Hustle set out to rectify that. The Precision Milk Pitcher has a laser-welded handle that is guaranteed to be perfectly aligned with the spout. Perhaps our favorite feature: there’s no gap in the handle for gross milk gunk to accumulate in. Barista Hustle is currently taking preorders for the Precision Milk Pitcher, which is due to arrive before the holidays.

Onyx Coffee Snapback

Arkansas’s Onyx Coffee Lab had something of a year in 2017. At the 2017 US Coffee Championship, Onyx took top honors in the roasting and brewers cup competition, and owner Andrea Allen took home the second place trophy in the barista competition. While any of their blends or single origin microlots would be a fine present, we’ve had an eye on one of their stylish snapbacks for a while, if you’re inclined to get your favorite coffee bloggers a little something for the holidays.

Ancap Cupping Bowls

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to improve your palette in 2018? Then you need to start cupping. For over 100 years cupping has been the standardized process that coffee farmers, green buyers, and roasters use to evaluate quality. It’s also one of the best ways to improve your tasting abilities. We’ve used a lot of different cupping bowls, but our favorites are Ancap’s. Made in Verona from Italian porcelain, these cupping bowls are elegant but durable. Customers of Ancap USA can have custom logos added as well.

Crema.co Coffee Subscription

There are a lot of coffee subscriptions to choose from, but only one that is an official sponsor of The Coffee Compass. Unlike most subscriptions, Crema.co allows you to queue the coffees you want as often as you want them, meaning, you’re not going to get stuck with any bags you didn’t want. With over 20 specialty coffee roasters, you’re bound to find something you love. One of the most memorable coffees we drank last year was we recieved through this subscription: a special lactic acid process from La Palma y El Tucan in Colombia, roasted by PT’s.

Five Books You Should Read Before Opening a Coffee Shop

November 13, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

It’s a common dream: walk away from that monotonous, soul-crushing nine-to-five and open a coffee shop. But before you go all in on your dreams, it might be a good idea to make sure your dream is in fact to run a coffee shop. Although there is no replacement for hard work and experience, these five books will give you some insight into how to make a very difficult business model work….

Taf Coffee: Athen’s Temple to Specialty Coffee

November 13, 2017 By Michael 3 Comments

The first thing any visitor to Athens notices, of course, is the Parthenon. The ancient temple to Athena sits atop the Acropolis and is visible from almost any place in the old city. A few kilometers away, on a quite side street, is another sort of temple, only instead of wisdom, pilgrims come seeking a cup of coffee.

My recent visit to Taf Coffee in Athens was something of a redemption story. …

Is the PUSH Tamper Better for Barista Health? Science Says Yes

November 9, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

A new wave of hockey puck-shaped espresso tampers have been all the rage for a couple of years, but it seems there may be more going on than just the latest barista trend. A recently published article in The International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics argues the tamping posture of baristas using flat espresso tampers allows for more …

Five Lies About Decaf You Probably Believe

November 6, 2017 By Michael 6 Comments

There have been few beverage categories as vilified as decaffeinated coffee, and for no good reason. Decaf drinkers, after all, might be considered true coffee purists, who drink coffee not for it’s stimulating effects but its delicious flavor. We’ve found a shocking number of people believe these five lies about decaf.

Decaf Tastes Bad

In fairness, most decaf is pretty terrible. But that’s probably not the fault of the decaffeination process. Most decaf is made with cheap, commodity-grade coffee that, quite frankly, was pretty terrible before it was decaffeinated. Modern decaffeination techniques are pretty sophisticated. Programs like Cafe Imports’s Origin Select Decaf have proven that if you start with excellent, specialty-grade coffee, decaf can taste fantastic.

Decaf is Made With Dangerous Chemicals

Decaf is usually made with chemicals that have scary names, like Ethyl Acetate or Methylene Chloride, but don’t worry, your cup of decaf isn’t going to kill you. Ethyl Acetate is a naturally-occurring ester of ethanol and acetic acid. It occurs in fruit, wine, and is often used in perfume. Any residual Methylene Chloride is completely burned up in the roasting process. Still not convinced? Water-process decaf, while more expensive and less efficient, can be certified organic.

Decaf is Caffeine-Free

The decaffeination process removes the overwhelming majority of the caffeine from coffee, but a 8 oz. mug of decaf can still have up to 5 mg. of caffeine. If you’re really sensitive to caffeine, you might want to consider switching to a naturally-caffeine free beverage like chamomile tea.

Baristas Never Drink Decaf

Baristas at quality-minded cafés have to taste a lot of coffee throughout their shift, which means by the time their break rolls around, the thought of any more caffeine can be physically repulsive. Likewise, professional coffee tasters usually spit when doing quality control, but a lot of caffeine is still absorbed. So don’t be surprised if that cup of coffee your barista is quietly nursing between rushes is actually decaf.

Dark Roast Has Less Caffeine

Okay, this myth isn’t about decaf, as much as caffeine levels in regular coffee, but it’s very prevalent (and odd-numbered listicles get more clicks for some reason). Although roast degree affects levels of organic acids like citric acid and malic acid, caffeine levels are not affected.