The Reading Room

Coffee & Pie
http://images.dailyexpress.co.uk/img/dynamic/35/285x214/157779_1.jpg" style="padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px" id="il_fi" height="214" width="285" /> In the full riot of summer I've been cranking out at least one fruit pie a week. I beg you, please try a pinch of cardamon in your Peach...
Iron Brew Coffee - Some Special Coffee!
/files/imagecache/image_230/files/Iron-Brew-Cerrado-Gold-Coffee.jpg" width="177" height="230" align="right" /> I am holding a bag of very special coffee in my hands thanks to the efforts of the good folks at Iron Brew Coffee Company.  This roaster makes their coffee available to all of us...
When Your Coffee Price Goes Up, Who You Gonna Blame?
The coffee news analysts have been predicting for months that your cup of coffee is going up in price. Daily, reports come out about the crop here and there, whether it’s better or worse than previous years. Are the two...
Aliens got my java. It's payback time!
I was thinking the other day, if I was an alien, what would be the one thing I'd come to earth for? Well, for me (and this is totally subjective…) the answer is clear - coffee!  Now I am not...
Would You, Could You in a Balloon?
Some people read a Dr. Seuss book like "Green Eggs and Ham" and think well, isn't that cute and then forget about it.  Apparently others take this childhood story and make it their inner guide.  We all know about the...
My Portafilter Is Too Modest
After reading the exploits of another blog in which the owner celebrates the brazen brass and chrom nakedness of his portafilter (the bottom is chopped off so the filter basket is exposed) I decided to take a closer look at...
Degrees of dress for portafilters
Before I got my current Gaggia Classic, for a brief time I was messing around with a used Gaggia Carezza that I bought for a song on craigslist. It came with a homemade naked portafilter, which of course I still...
This Labor Day, Consider the Coffee Farm Laborer
/files/u2500/blog_coffee_picker.jpg" title="coffee field workers get no Labor Day" alt="coffee field workers get no Labor Day" height="100" width="75" /> In the US we take our one day per year holiday dedicated to the worker for granted. Coffee growing countries have no...
Specialty Coffee Shop in the Sky
Coming soon to an airline near you - someday, maybe - if other airlines follow the lead of Japan Air Lines (JAL). It’s happened: a major airline has now introduced a café for coffee connoisseurs which promises to serve gourmet...
Want to Trade a Tulip For That Coffee?
I thought prices of coffee were rising because of a shortage of beans due to increased demand in new markets but that might not be the case. The real reason seems to be speculator greed - the same kind of...
How Much Is Too Much?
Thanks to ROASTe's facebook page contest I took some time to think about my espresso and coffee consumption.  More to the point, the most I have consumed in one sitting that I can recall.  I did have a day in...
In Vietnam, the Bud Transplant May Mean More Coffee
With coffee demand increasing at a steady rate, and some regions reporting smaller harvests, farmers are trying to find ways to increase yields. One of the most promising methods is that of bud transplants, the subject of experimentation in Vietnam....
Pumpkin Pie discovers the planking craze!
/files/u33/Planking_for_Roaste2.jpg" height="299" width="448" /> Iron Brew Coffee's- Pumpkin Pie spiced up this weekend by discovering "planking!" This new internet game has players (all shapes, sizes, and now gourmet tastes!) engaging in an activity consisting of lying face down in unusual...
British Specialty Coffee Craze - Too Much for One Coffee Drinker
As the coffee culture in Britain becomes more widespread, some traditionalists may have a hard time accepting the changes. Writer John Walsh is one such coffee drinker, and this week he reviewed the history of coffee’s growth in popularity and...
When Confusing Coffee Claims Contradict Each Other
ROASTe has reported many health claims for coffee in our news articles, because more and more research teams are investigating what coffee has to offer us nutritionally. At the same time, some researchers are reporting negative effects of coffee on...
Bonkers for Boneco?
Bonkers for Boneco you ask? Nope, more than likely you are asking yourself what is a Boneco that I should go bonkers for.  The Boneco is a unique compact self contained pout over coffee system. All you need is hot...
Kopi Luwak isn't all real
We've been deluged by new merchants in Indonesia trying to sell Kopi Luwak through ROASTe. So far we haven't taken one of them. And we've heard the scoop on the exposition in availability of Kopi Luwak. It isn't pretty. It...
Why Gourmet Coffee is Different
Every day millions of Americans pull into 7-Eleven, Mobil Stations,  Wawa, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's etc. and buy lousy coffee. Or at the supermaket they throw another can of Folger's, Maxwell House, Cafe Bustelo or other canned swill into their...
The Perfect Nap – Coffee Please
If you find yourself needing more and more coffee to get that “energy jolt”, you’ve developed a tolerance to your daily brew. If you want to reduce your tolerance and daily volume of coffee, you’ll want to read about strategic...
No Denying the Dienes
The mill I am posting about today shares similarities with mills already discussed before but it has been a while. This is the first time I pulled it off the shelf to clean and grease the inner workings so some...
Briel Chamonix - What Does It Mean?
I am not sure what this French sounding word translates into, but a recent visit to the espresso machine graveyard also known as my local Goodwill Outlet (where stuff that regular Goodwill stores can sell ends up) turned up this...