One of the benefits of having an amazing sponsor like Prima Coffee is that occasionally they ask us to help them test new products. Even better is when that new product is a piece of equipment we’ve been dying to try since we first heard of it. …
Acaia Coffee Scale
These New Products Have the Coffee World Buzzing
Acaia Lunar Espresso Scale
Good coffee doesn’t happen by accident. When it comes to quality, precision is critical. Nowhere is this more evident than espresso. Even a half gram difference in dose or yield can have a marked effect on flavor. For espresso, we’re big fans of the American Weigh Sc-2Kg. It’s small, cheap, fast, and accurate, but it has one Achille’s heel: even a small amount of moisture will destroy it. I’ve seen many a barista ruin a scale with a careless steam wand purge or a sloppy pouring technique. But the latest product from coffee tech start-up Acaia promises to be a “barista-proof” scale. In addition to being waterproof, the Lunar offers…
The Top Ten Coffee Gifts for the Home Barista in Your Life
The holiday season is upon us, and you need relevant gift ideas. Whether you’re looking to find something special for the caffeine-addict in your life or a hint to drop around your rich relatives- we’ve got the coffee gift guide to meet all of your consumerist needs.
1. The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann
Coffee professionals have long lamented the absence of an authoritative, single-volume introduction to coffee. Coffee luminary James Hoffmann’s The World Atlas of Coffee aims to change that. Hoffmann is a former world barista champion and the founder of one of England’s most esteemed coffee companies, and he claims writing the book was his most challenging endeavor yet. After reading it, we understand why. The World Atlas offers concise, clear explanation about coffee varieties, farming practices, brew methods, and history. Perhaps most impressively it has a profile of every major coffee producing country, from America to Zambia. This book belongs in every coffee drinker’s library….
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee with a French Press
Cold brew coffee has never been hotter. Most of the major brands have ready-to-drink cold brew sold by the bottle or carton. Many cafes are now offering cold brew on tap or even on nitro.
As we’ve written before, Japanese iced coffee is our favorite way to drink coffee in the warmer months, but there are many reasons why cold brew is a great summer treat. For one, cold brew tastes a lot better with cream and sugar than other iced coffee methods. Sure, you might be a coffee snob, but you probably have a friend who likes a little dairy in their coffee. Cold brew is also a great way to use older coffee which would taste stale brewed hot. But, most importantly, cold brew is ridiculously easy to make. In fact, it’s quite possibly the the easiest way to make coffee ever. As an added bonus, cold brew is perfect for larger batches of coffee and it keeps for several days (which solves the age old dilemma, “How can you make coffee before you’ve had coffee?”).
Cold brew is quite possibly the the easiest way to make coffee ever.
The most delicious cold brew we’ve ever had was brewed with a Yama Kyoto dripper. But unless you have $250 burning a hole in your pocket and a overabundance of counter space, you’re probably looking for a simpler option. The good news is that you probably already have everything you need to make delicious cold brew. So, without further ado, here is the official Compass guide on How to Make Cold Brew Coffee with a French Press. …
The Best New Coffee Products You Missed At SCAA
The annual trade show of the Specialty Coffee Association of America can cause even the more seasoned coffee professional to have an existential crisis. Do I watch the Barista Competition or Brewers Cup? Do I check out the single group Slayer or the nine group Synesso? Do I try to get my photo taken with James Hoffmann or Tim Wendelboe? Can I get my photo taken with James Hoffmann and Tim Wendelboe? The questions go on, and they’re overwhelming.
Lucky for you, our friends and partners at Prima Coffee shot plenty of video footage and captured some of the best new coffee products you might have missed at SCAA 2014. …
