The Coffee Compass

Your Guide for Craft Coffee

home roasting

Gear Review: Huky 500 Coffee Roaster

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The thought has crossed the mind of every serious coffee nerd: Can I roast my own coffee? We’ve debated it enough times that when we first stumbled upon a picture of the Huky 500, we were infatuated. The device looked like something between a hotrod and a spaceship – a vehicle to a new world of coffee knowledge and experience. When we found out roasting guru Joe Marrocco owns and endorses the Huky 500, we didn’t need anymore incentive to empty our piggy banks and place the order.

The Huky 500 is fabricated by Kuanho Li in Taiwan. Mr. Li does not have a website, just an email address. Judging by the serial number on our Huky, that …

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The Top Ten Coffee Gifts for the Home Barista in Your Life

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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

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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….

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