Archive for the ‘ good coffee ’ Category

Really Good Coffee at Home

Author: alexandra barrett

Jan 1

Really good coffee at home has become a serious issue for many of us who love really good coffee. There is nothing like the convenience of the best neighborhood drive thru coffee on the way to work or relaxing coffee houses for road warriors, and you will never hear me dispute that!  None the less, when I first get up in the morning at 5 or 6 a.m., I do not want to have to get dressed and  leave the comfort of home for a really good coffee. I am also more tuned in to how much I spend on coffee than I was in the past. Can you relate to that?

Having been on an extended search for coffee that I truly enjoy each and every sip of – one that makes my mouth water – I have settled on whole bean because freshly ground is so much tastier and it smells deliciously divine; filling the olfactory system before you even have the first taste with your tongue! Sexy coffee…whooo hooo! Exciting, isn’t it?

The coffee I have chosen as very reasonably priced for the deliciously robust flavor profile is:

  • French Roast
  • Whole Bean Arabica – 100%
  • Fair Trade
  • and available at Sam’s Club for (get this! hehehe) $12.78 for 2.5 lbs

How does it get any better than that?

I love this coffee! It is REALLY GOOD COFFEE.

Here is how I make and enjoy it:

First, you must boil – NOT microwave – your water. You can use gas, electric stove or an electric plug in tea pot but you must bring the water to a boil.  A tip from a real barista: Fresh filtered or pure alkaline water makes the best tasting cup of coffee. ( I use my Kangen water for coffee and it is much better tasting!)

Next, you buy the brown paper filters and a brown, plastic, Melitta single cup or larger, filter to put inside the plastic filter holder. (bulk Sam’s Club item)

Then, you grind the coffee, and though I have tried several grinders, currently, I use a Black & Decker Smart Grind that grinds enough for about 3-4 cups depending how strong you like your coffee. I do not grind ahead much because it defeats the purpose and it is so easy to do. I use two coffee scoops of fresh ground French Roast per cup. Place the filter setup on a cup.

Then pour your boiling hot water over the coffee into the brown paper filter and plastic filter holder, and wait while it drains into your favorite cup!

Half and half? Sugar? Black? Whatever your personal preference, this is a remarkably good cup of coffee and you will enjoy it completely. I promise! Every cup will be delicious every single time and will drink less and enjoy more.

Now this is so convenient that if you travel frequently, you can pack it up in its own bag and carry it with you! You will never have to start the day with a lousy cup o’ joe nor will  you  have to drive for an hour to have your first cup when on the road. It is not as convenient as the local Starbucks but I have missed the Starbucks exit many a time and longed for the convenience of my good old home brewed best!

This system has me rather spoiled and it is worth the little bit of effort. I do not much care for the popular drip method coffee pots out there that sends lukewarm water rushing through over-sized coffee grinds that have been sitting on the shelves for weeks – even when they are vacuum packed! The smell of fresh ground coffee is just as important as the taste and is an essential part of how we enjoy our coffee. The American palate for coffee has become more developed thanks to the efforts of coffee roasters like Peets and Starbucks. We paid for the education with every cup, and thank you!

So head on out to find your favorite coffee and do be so kind as to let me know what you find that works for you. Consider it research,  a project to learn more about your coffee palate.  To think I was once a Folgers girl who had graduated to Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Now that just tastes bitter to me and I can’t bear to drink it. Oh well, to each his or her own!

Make it a ritual that you enjoy!  You deserve a cup of REALLY GOOD COFFEE!

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Really Good Coffee in Seattle Was Torrefazione in 1990

Author: michael barrett

Sep 23

In 1990, Torrefazione was synonymous with really good coffee in Seattle.

In particular, it was the old Perugia blend that was the biggie. I used to love that coffee. Smooth and sweet on the front end, a snap on the back end with a great finish and after taste.

Perugia was not only really good coffee, it was excellent.

When I first moved to Seattle in 1990, I had not yet acquired a taste for a good doppio. That development was still a couple of years out and when I opened my espresso bar, I chose to use Torrefazione Italia, Perugia blend as my house espresso blend. Although I had not learned the palate nuances in espresso at that point in time, I loved Perugia every time I drank it.

Only there was a problem…

Torrefazione Italia was the ultimate coffee snob as far as wholesale coffee went. At least that was what it seemed like from my perspective and in my personal experience as a retail operator in the espresso business.Torrefazione had become the only game in town and they knew it - in terms of quality – and the company itself had developed an attitude towards newcomers in the business.

The specialty coffee business in 1990 was a very political WHO KNOWS WHO “micro-niche” that was hugely profitable and successful. And in retrospect, Seattle itself was that way when it came to outsiders. Second and third generation money was acceptable – not broke newbie entrepreneurs with lots of drive and creativity and no contacts.

When I took over an existing shop that had been run into the ground by an incompetent operator, it was hard to get a return call from Torrefazione – much less a visit from a sales rep. So after numerous attempts to place an order and speak with a rep, I finally gave up and called SBC.

As I have matured and live in a completely different business environment than the one that existed in Seattle, I have often wondered if I would have developed a personal friendship with Umberto Bizzari – the founder original roaster of Torrefazione Italia – given the opportunity.

I think so because of my passion for coffee and ultimately a very defined and developed palate. It occurs to me occasionally (when I ponder the past) that Umberto would have appreciated my understanding and love of coffee and would have mentored me because of it - in some capacity. He also would have grown to know how much I admired his expertise as a coffee man and roaster.

The specialty coffee world in Seattle subsequently shrank, contorted, shifted, expanded and was in an overall state of flux for a number of years while I played coffee there. Starbucks emerged as a marketing powerhouse who tipped the odds in the coffee card game.

After Umberto quit roasting for Torrefazione, the coffee was never the same. It must have been difficult for him – on some level – to watch his brand and quality deteriorate. It certainly was for me.

In the mid 80′s Umberto Bizzari and Jim Stewart (the founder of SBC – formerly Stewart Bros coffee) formed a mini Puget Sound coffee conglomerate and later made a bunch of money and spun off various labels to P and G for the retail grocery distribution business and ultimately sold the Torrefazione label to Starbucks.

In the chain of events that followed, Unberto’s son Emanuele Bizarri started his own espresso business Cafe Umbria – with the anchor store in the very same location as his father’s original Torrefazione location.

Fondly and with respect, I will always remember and savor (in my mind) the wonderful flavors of the original Perugia and Torrfazione Italia.

I AM Michael Barrett and I Love Really Good Coffee

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