Happy January from the Green Mountains of Vermont and our Brown and Jenkins coffee roastery. If only you had been here yesterday when our master roaster, Glenn, was roasting the coffee beans for the Black Ice coffee that has become our signature dark coffee lover's roast. It's a dark roasted Ethiopian Sadamo bean from Africa. It's roasted just shy of French with a not so shy, robust, and very full-bodied flavor.
Of course, studies show that more and more Americans are choosing to brew their own coffee at home these days. So, in the past three blogs, I have given advice to help you brew the best tasting coffee you can in your own home.
A quick review:
Tip#1- Start with a clean pot (see blog on how to clean a coffee pot)
Tip#2- Use quality water
Tip#3-Choose your coffee beans carefully
And today's tip
Tip#4- Use the correct grind to make great coffee
All the tips above are simple, yet they all can make a huge difference in the way your coffee tastes. Simply put, you want to use the finest grind your brewing method allows for without seeping residue into you cup of coffee. Many industrial grinders will indicate how fine a grind you need for drip coffee, espresso or other needs. Home grinders are usually much simpler, so you'll want to select a grinder that meets your needs.
I told several customers about a $30 Cuisanart model burr grinder (over at Costco) that holds a half pound of beans in the top holding tank, has multiple grind choices, and settings to grind the perfect cup of coffee depending on the number of cups you desire. It grinds into a small reservoir cup, and you pour that into your brewer. I gave all four of my children one for Christmas, and I've had many customers buy and love this particular grinder. (Needless to say our family's Christmas gifts revolve around coffee.) Follow this link to learn about the best coffee grinder for your needs.
In my opinion, gourmet coffee is more than just a certain type of bean or presentation. It's a combination of quality ingredients and knowing what process to use. Sort of like creating a beautiful meal, creating a beautiful cup of coffee is largely based on the steps involved. At the end of the day, gourmet coffee means getting the most out of your beans.
Local Event- What do Vermonters do in winter? Well, next weekend we hold a Winter Carnival with great gourmet coffee and Pie for Breakfast! Sound too good to be true? Nope. The Winter Carnival takes place Saturday, January 30th from 9 to noon at Cambridge Elementary School. For small fee you can have pie for breakfast and a bottomless cup of Brown and Jenkins gourmet Vermont coffee to kick off a variety of winter events in the area. Just follow the link above for all the details.
Coffee Quote of the Day
Is it possible to get a cup of coffee-flavored coffee anymore in this country? What happened with coffee? Did I miss a meeting? They have every other flavor but coffee-flavored coffee. They have mochaccino, frappaccino, cappuccino, al pacino…Coffee doesn’t need a menu, it needs a cup.-Denis Leary
OK- Denis, stay tuned for future blogs on real coffee. It's true that people don't always know what they are drinking. Next month, we'll discuss our single origin coffees. Plus, you will always know what you are getting in Brown and Jenkins coffees, because I'll tell you!
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
2010 Tip #3 for Making Gourmet Coffee at Home
Good Morning Coffee Lovers from our Vermont coffee roastery. This blog is devoted to the beauty of the coffee bean. We've been talking about easy things that you can do to brew great gourmet coffee at home.
Tip #1 is to start with a clean pot (see my blog on how to clean a coffee pot),
Tip #2 is to use quality water, and
Coffee tip #3 is to choose your beans carefully.
What is important about the coffee beans you select? Well, you want to use the higher quality Arabica beans as opposed to the Robusta beans used in the cheap and low grade coffees. Arabica beans are less bitter and more flavorful.
You also want your beans to be fresh. You can store them for up to two weeks in an air tight container. Starting from whole coffee beans, instead of pre-ground beans increases the flavor and aroma of your cup of coffee because flavor is lost after 30 minutes of being ground, and then bit by bit after that. So, I recommend that you invest in a small home burr grinder and grind just enough beans for each use. Our coffee club members are able to receive freshly roasted coffee beans on their schedule.
Finally, you want beans that have the coffee characteristics you love. Everyone's taste is different, and even my own desire for what I want in a cup of coffee changes from day to day. Tune in soon for a review of the characteristics of some of our most popular beans and blends.
Coffee Quote of the Day
I’ll quit coffee. It won’t be easy drinking my Bailey’s straight, but I’ll get used to it. It’ll still be the best part of waking up.-From the television show Will and Grace
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tip #1 is to start with a clean pot (see my blog on how to clean a coffee pot),
Tip #2 is to use quality water, and
Coffee tip #3 is to choose your beans carefully.
What is important about the coffee beans you select? Well, you want to use the higher quality Arabica beans as opposed to the Robusta beans used in the cheap and low grade coffees. Arabica beans are less bitter and more flavorful.
You also want your beans to be fresh. You can store them for up to two weeks in an air tight container. Starting from whole coffee beans, instead of pre-ground beans increases the flavor and aroma of your cup of coffee because flavor is lost after 30 minutes of being ground, and then bit by bit after that. So, I recommend that you invest in a small home burr grinder and grind just enough beans for each use. Our coffee club members are able to receive freshly roasted coffee beans on their schedule.
Finally, you want beans that have the coffee characteristics you love. Everyone's taste is different, and even my own desire for what I want in a cup of coffee changes from day to day. Tune in soon for a review of the characteristics of some of our most popular beans and blends.
Coffee Quote of the Day
I’ll quit coffee. It won’t be easy drinking my Bailey’s straight, but I’ll get used to it. It’ll still be the best part of waking up.-From the television show Will and Grace
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
2010 Tip #2 for Making Gourmet Coffee at Home
Hola! Oops- That happens when I drink a cup of Glenn's most recently made batch of Mexican Altura gourmet coffee. And don't worry- the water is fine in this Mexican beverage. I know because one thing I insist on here at the Brown and Jenkins roastery, is that we start with good quality Vermont well water.
In the last blog, we discussed starting with a clean pot. Today- it's good quality water. Here in the mountains of Vermont, a lot of my neighbors get water from wells that stream down the mountains and hills. Even though that's a great starting point, many of these old Vermont homes have old and rusty pipes filled with lime and mineral deposits, just like those grimy coffee pots. Here are some simple ways to ensure that you are starting with fresh and clean water. This truly allows for the aroma and other desired characteristics of the coffee bean to be enjoyed.
Water quality and coffee
If you need to improve the quality of your water you can purchase bottled water, install a filter on your tap, or buy a filter that you fill up and keep in your fridge. The filters are the cheaper methods. You just need to replace these every few months.
Water temperature and coffee
Plus- temperature is important. The ideal temperature for water temperature is a minimum of 95 degrees because the temperature is what causes the extraction of the oils from the coffee bean.
Coffee Quote of the Day
A morning without coffee is like sleep.-Author Unknown
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
In the last blog, we discussed starting with a clean pot. Today- it's good quality water. Here in the mountains of Vermont, a lot of my neighbors get water from wells that stream down the mountains and hills. Even though that's a great starting point, many of these old Vermont homes have old and rusty pipes filled with lime and mineral deposits, just like those grimy coffee pots. Here are some simple ways to ensure that you are starting with fresh and clean water. This truly allows for the aroma and other desired characteristics of the coffee bean to be enjoyed.
Water quality and coffee
If you need to improve the quality of your water you can purchase bottled water, install a filter on your tap, or buy a filter that you fill up and keep in your fridge. The filters are the cheaper methods. You just need to replace these every few months.
Water temperature and coffee
Plus- temperature is important. The ideal temperature for water temperature is a minimum of 95 degrees because the temperature is what causes the extraction of the oils from the coffee bean.
Coffee Quote of the Day
A morning without coffee is like sleep.-Author Unknown
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, January 15, 2010
2010 Tip #1 for Making Gourmet Coffee at Home
Good Morning Coffee Friends! Here we are in the middle of January 2010, just starting this New Year with a blanket of, yet again, freshly fallen snow on our Green Mountains here in Cambridge, Vermont.
My mild brew of Carol's Blend (named for Carol Jenkins) is warming my body, and my mind. This founder inspired blend combines Columbian and Tanzanian Peaberry coffee beans. These beans from different geographic locales create an amazingly smooth and full-bodied brew. Maybe Carol named it after herself because it is a coffee that so many women enjoy.
I have decided that there is no better time to start everything clean and fresh than in January. With that in mind, I though we'd ease into this new decade with a reminder of how to clean a coffee pot and get better tasting coffee. Not to sound like your mom, although I've got the experience, but starting with a clean coffee pot really does affect the taste of your cup of Joe- whether it's a gourmet coffee bean or not!
Believe it or not, there is more than just leftover coffee lining the inside of that pot. There are likely lime and mineral deposits in there too! Never fear, there are some simple ways to rid that pot of those scummy left-overs and make your self the freshest brew possible.
Natural Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot- Use Salt to Remove Coffee Debris
On a daily basis, try using some house salt and ice cubes to clean your pot. Just swirl them around inside the pot. Restaurants use this method like a charm. Of course, you'll want to rinse the salt out of the pot.
Natural Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot -Use Vinegar for a Deep Cleaning
Once in a while, try this method to make your coffee pot look like brand new. Just fill your coffee pot with a third part vinegar and two-thirds part water. Run it through a clean filter. You may need to do it more than once if it's been a while since the last cleaning. Then run 2-3 pots of fresh, clean water through the machine and watch it shine!
Super Easy Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot - Let it Sit
Fill up your pot with hot water and a sprinkling of granular dish washer detergent. Let it sit for one hour. Swish, wipe clean and be amazed at the results. This makes our daily used pots look like new.
Next time, I'll share another easy tip to making great tasting gourmet coffee at home.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
My mild brew of Carol's Blend (named for Carol Jenkins) is warming my body, and my mind. This founder inspired blend combines Columbian and Tanzanian Peaberry coffee beans. These beans from different geographic locales create an amazingly smooth and full-bodied brew. Maybe Carol named it after herself because it is a coffee that so many women enjoy.
I have decided that there is no better time to start everything clean and fresh than in January. With that in mind, I though we'd ease into this new decade with a reminder of how to clean a coffee pot and get better tasting coffee. Not to sound like your mom, although I've got the experience, but starting with a clean coffee pot really does affect the taste of your cup of Joe- whether it's a gourmet coffee bean or not!
Believe it or not, there is more than just leftover coffee lining the inside of that pot. There are likely lime and mineral deposits in there too! Never fear, there are some simple ways to rid that pot of those scummy left-overs and make your self the freshest brew possible.
Natural Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot- Use Salt to Remove Coffee Debris
On a daily basis, try using some house salt and ice cubes to clean your pot. Just swirl them around inside the pot. Restaurants use this method like a charm. Of course, you'll want to rinse the salt out of the pot.
Natural Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot -Use Vinegar for a Deep Cleaning
Once in a while, try this method to make your coffee pot look like brand new. Just fill your coffee pot with a third part vinegar and two-thirds part water. Run it through a clean filter. You may need to do it more than once if it's been a while since the last cleaning. Then run 2-3 pots of fresh, clean water through the machine and watch it shine!
Super Easy Method of Cleaning a Coffee Pot - Let it Sit
Fill up your pot with hot water and a sprinkling of granular dish washer detergent. Let it sit for one hour. Swish, wipe clean and be amazed at the results. This makes our daily used pots look like new.
Next time, I'll share another easy tip to making great tasting gourmet coffee at home.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Where does a cup of coffee take you?
Yes, I'm physically here in the Green Mountains of Cambridge, Vermont; but, this morning I was swept away to sunny Brazil as I sipped my mug of Brazilian Bourbon Santos coffee. Yet, sometimes I'm sipping that mug in the car while I run errands for the shop, at a table with a friend, or here in the Brown and Jenkins roastery.
Where do you drink your coffee?
Maybe you spend your days playing chauffeur to your children or driving for your business. Maybe you drink your coffee with your husband or wife while reading Seven Days or the Burlington Free Press. Or maybe you live your life online and drink a cup of Blog Grog sitting in a gourmet coffee shop like ours, or right in your own home office, or cozy chair.
Let me know where you coffee takes you. Whether it's to an exotic state of mind or just traveling to Montpelier, your experience is unique! Do you have a favorite coffee mug or travel mug? Or is your car littered with disposable cups? Every coffee drinker has a story to tell. What's yours? Take a look at the weird coffee fact below to read about one Pope's coffee experience!
Weird Coffee Fact- Coffee was once considered a wicked and sinful beverage by many Christians who labeled it the Devil's Drink. Pope Vincent III was charged with ruling on this decision and so tasted the purportedly wicked liquid. Ironically, he fell in love with the rich taste of coffee and, instead of banishing it, he baptized it! It's said that he decided it would be a shame to let only infidels enjoy coffee.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Where do you drink your coffee?
Maybe you spend your days playing chauffeur to your children or driving for your business. Maybe you drink your coffee with your husband or wife while reading Seven Days or the Burlington Free Press. Or maybe you live your life online and drink a cup of Blog Grog sitting in a gourmet coffee shop like ours, or right in your own home office, or cozy chair.
Let me know where you coffee takes you. Whether it's to an exotic state of mind or just traveling to Montpelier, your experience is unique! Do you have a favorite coffee mug or travel mug? Or is your car littered with disposable cups? Every coffee drinker has a story to tell. What's yours? Take a look at the weird coffee fact below to read about one Pope's coffee experience!
Weird Coffee Fact- Coffee was once considered a wicked and sinful beverage by many Christians who labeled it the Devil's Drink. Pope Vincent III was charged with ruling on this decision and so tasted the purportedly wicked liquid. Ironically, he fell in love with the rich taste of coffee and, instead of banishing it, he baptized it! It's said that he decided it would be a shame to let only infidels enjoy coffee.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, January 8, 2010
Vermont Gourmet Coffee
Got Coffee?
Winter is definitely here in Vermont! We have lots of snow, school closings, and ski season is well underway at Stowe, Jay Peak and Smuggler's Notch. The view out the window of our roastery is like a Christmas card. Well, a virtual Christmas card enhanced by the smell of roasting gourmet coffee beans and my own mug of rich and smoky Guatemalan Antigua coffee.
We have visitors here at Brown and Jenkins from all over the country, and abroad, who share their lives with us, and we share our gourmet coffee with them. And, here in Cambridge, we are finding more and more ways to get involved and give back to this vibrant and unique community of Vermonters.
I've shared, in past blogs, some of the organizations I'm passionate about and that we are involved in here at Brown and Jenkins. Later in the year, I'll tell you about Pie for Breakfast! Isn't that tempting?
I know how lucky we are to be here in the Green Mountains where skiers and children are enjoying the snowfall, and homebodies sit by warm fires with scenic views. Whether you're in a winter wonderland, or some where warmer, let's all enjoy what we've got, and look for ways to spread the joy of 2010.
Weird Coffee Facts- I read that Cindy Crawford uses coffee beans to get rid of dimples on her thighs! Now that's a dry rub recipe I've yet to try!
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Winter is definitely here in Vermont! We have lots of snow, school closings, and ski season is well underway at Stowe, Jay Peak and Smuggler's Notch. The view out the window of our roastery is like a Christmas card. Well, a virtual Christmas card enhanced by the smell of roasting gourmet coffee beans and my own mug of rich and smoky Guatemalan Antigua coffee.
We have visitors here at Brown and Jenkins from all over the country, and abroad, who share their lives with us, and we share our gourmet coffee with them. And, here in Cambridge, we are finding more and more ways to get involved and give back to this vibrant and unique community of Vermonters.
I've shared, in past blogs, some of the organizations I'm passionate about and that we are involved in here at Brown and Jenkins. Later in the year, I'll tell you about Pie for Breakfast! Isn't that tempting?
I know how lucky we are to be here in the Green Mountains where skiers and children are enjoying the snowfall, and homebodies sit by warm fires with scenic views. Whether you're in a winter wonderland, or some where warmer, let's all enjoy what we've got, and look for ways to spread the joy of 2010.
Weird Coffee Facts- I read that Cindy Crawford uses coffee beans to get rid of dimples on her thighs! Now that's a dry rub recipe I've yet to try!
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Free Coffee Samples and Weird Coffee Fact
I am drinking in the first week of the New Year with a steamy cup of Yrgacheffe coffee, a distinctive tasting Ethiopian coffee that is bold and even spicy. Of course, I have the benefit of trying every different type of gourmet coffee bean that we roast here in our scenic spot among the Green Mountains of Vermont. But what if you want to try a coffee like this, but just aren't sure if you want to buy a whole bag? You can purchase a 2 ounce sample of any of our 83 varieties of coffee at any time.
Of course, members of our coffee club get a free coffee sample of a new coffee to try with every order they receive. So you can continue to get your favorite tried and true gourmet coffee, and try something new for free. Like a Mexican Altura or the Connoisseur's Cup Blend.
After a recent blog on giving coffee club memberships for the holidays, I had a lot of interest from folks wanting to sign up for them selves. To do that, just follow the link, and we'll walk you step by step through the process. In no time, you'll receive freshly roasted coffee on your doorstep, whenever you need it. You set the timeline. It's completely flexible, so you won't end up with stale beans, and you won't run out of your favorite coffee.
Weird Coffee Fact: A Saudi Arabian women can divorce her husband if he doesn't give her coffee. (I can't prove this is true, but refusal to give a woman coffee is likely to lead to divorce- so guys, just don't go there!)
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Of course, members of our coffee club get a free coffee sample of a new coffee to try with every order they receive. So you can continue to get your favorite tried and true gourmet coffee, and try something new for free. Like a Mexican Altura or the Connoisseur's Cup Blend.
After a recent blog on giving coffee club memberships for the holidays, I had a lot of interest from folks wanting to sign up for them selves. To do that, just follow the link, and we'll walk you step by step through the process. In no time, you'll receive freshly roasted coffee on your doorstep, whenever you need it. You set the timeline. It's completely flexible, so you won't end up with stale beans, and you won't run out of your favorite coffee.
Weird Coffee Fact: A Saudi Arabian women can divorce her husband if he doesn't give her coffee. (I can't prove this is true, but refusal to give a woman coffee is likely to lead to divorce- so guys, just don't go there!)
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, January 1, 2010
Coffee Club and Drinking Habits in 2010
Happy New Year 2010!
Where did you drink your first cup of coffee of 2010? Maybe you're enjoying it here with me as you sit down to your lap top to get your morning news. Some folks stop by a coffee shop like mine for their first cup of the day, while others pre-set their at home coffee maker the night before.
I ask because recent statistics from the National Coffee Association show that about 5% more coffee drinkers are brewing their coffee at home instead of at their local coffee shops. At 80%, this is the highest level of at home coffee consumption in the past seven years. In this economy, I applaud anyone who takes control of their finances by taking simple steps like this. Ironically, the percentages of people who still drink coffee haven't changed much at all. Just their coffee drinking habits.
This is definitely reflected in the number of people enrolled in our coffee club.
Here's another change I notice in the local and out of state visitors that frequent our roastery. More people are choosing to use our mugs, or their own travel mugs instead of the disposable paper cups. A decade ago, that was not the case. Yet another symbol of the changing times as we start 2010.
No matter where you drink your coffee, make it a new year's resolution to try something new. Try the five star Smugg's Brew that we create especially for Smuggler's Notch Ski Resort, or the mouth watering North Country Blend with its bittersweet hint of French Roast.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Where did you drink your first cup of coffee of 2010? Maybe you're enjoying it here with me as you sit down to your lap top to get your morning news. Some folks stop by a coffee shop like mine for their first cup of the day, while others pre-set their at home coffee maker the night before.
I ask because recent statistics from the National Coffee Association show that about 5% more coffee drinkers are brewing their coffee at home instead of at their local coffee shops. At 80%, this is the highest level of at home coffee consumption in the past seven years. In this economy, I applaud anyone who takes control of their finances by taking simple steps like this. Ironically, the percentages of people who still drink coffee haven't changed much at all. Just their coffee drinking habits.
This is definitely reflected in the number of people enrolled in our coffee club.
Here's another change I notice in the local and out of state visitors that frequent our roastery. More people are choosing to use our mugs, or their own travel mugs instead of the disposable paper cups. A decade ago, that was not the case. Yet another symbol of the changing times as we start 2010.
No matter where you drink your coffee, make it a new year's resolution to try something new. Try the five star Smugg's Brew that we create especially for Smuggler's Notch Ski Resort, or the mouth watering North Country Blend with its bittersweet hint of French Roast.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
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