The Reading Room

Coffee Glazed Turkey
½ ounce green chili or Serrano (or less, depending on your desired level of “heat”) 4 ounces yellow onion, finely diced 1/2 ounce garlic, minced 3/4 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp coffee grounds 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt 1/2 Teaspoon crushed...
Wi-Fi and Coffee Shops: Have Laptops “Killed” Coffee Shops?
On a recent Coffee Blog by Melissa Allison, Zachary Carlsen (Sprudge.com) lamented the use of laptops in coffee shops, stating they have “killed” the coffee shop. His feeling is that coffee shops are turning into libraries because so many customers...
Add a New Thanksgiving Tradition: Coffee Glazed Turkey
It would be hard to make a case that there is any American holiday more unifying than the upcoming feast of Thanksgiving. Virtually every religious, ethnic and otherwise diverse sub-group in America can gather with family and friends at Thanksgiving...
Why Vac-Pot?
I really like using vac-pots, which are also known as siphon/syphon brewers. I'll be devoting a few blog posts detailing how to use them, take care of them, and adjust them, but before doing that I think it's best that...
Hario Skerton Modification
I like the Hario Skerton a lot and it is a great hand grinder, but if you are going to use it frequently be prepared to either buy a top bean hopper assembly from time to time (a steel burr...
Stove-top Espresso or Moka Pot
Stove-top espresso makers (also known as moka pots) do not, despite their name, technically make espresso. They nonetheless have the potential to make a sweet, intense, heavy-bodied cup of coffee that is wonderful in its own way. Here are a...
Experiments in coffee cooking
Time to experiment again. This time with meatloaf, coffee and the slow cooker. I like using my slow cooker. It makes the house smell nice and I can do other things while the food is cooking.I used: Two pounds of...
The Magical Mystery Organic Coffee Tour: A Coffee Subscription Service
A conversation was recently overheard in the coffee aisle of a large supermarket. Two ladies were contemplating the choices of coffees, whether to buy conventional products or organic coffees.  They were wondering if organic coffee was actually any better health...
Another year of great Guatemala Coffee success.
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Brewing With a Percolator - Things Are Starting to Perk Up!
I found a mint condition stainless steel Presto Percolator and being curious about this brewing method, I took it home.  The art of perk pot brewing seems all but lost since this method has fallen out of favor amongst the...
Coffee Berry Borer in Hawai‘i- what can we expect?
On September 8th, the Hawai‘i Deparment of Agriculture officially announced that the coffee berry borer (a.k.a. CBB, broca, Hypothenemus hampei) had finally made it to Hawai‘i.  While the pest has probably been in Hawai‘i for at least a year (if...
Coffee snob or coffee friendly?
I consider myself more coffee friendly.I was in a coffee shop recently with a friend and saw both examples (in the same place). The first was a couple of people who....shall we say had a “superior” attitude. They were mocking...
Visiting Flat Black Coffee in Boston
As soon as I stepped in the door at Flat Black's Dorchester branch in Boston, I immediately realized that these guys are very serious in what they are doing. The shiny red roasting machine at the back is used to roast...
An Arabica Coffee Halloween
Wherever you are, even if you’re experiencing an Indian summer and warm weather, or an early fall chill, turning that calendar page to October evokes memories and thoughts of pumpkins and what costume to wear for Halloween. The heat of...
DIY #3 - Old coffee does have uses
Time for more DIY! Recently I went to my brothers' house. They had damage due to storms a few weeks ago and were having repairs done. I volunteered to stay there while the repairs were being done (both had to...
The Whole Shade Deal: Discovering Shade-Grown Coffee
When was the last time you tried a new brew? With Columbus Day approaching on October 12, it would be a good time to find a new favorite. Columbus Day reminds us about the excitement in searching out new worlds.As...
Filtered French Press
My first French press was a small three cup model that I picked up last year. It looks nice but is really small – three very small cups might come out of this press, or one normal size 8 -...
Coffee Harvesting - The Bean of Choice
When’s a bean not a bean, a bush not a bush....how well do you know that bean you love? Do you know what it goes through just to please you?Your humble little coffee bean goes through a lot on its...
To dunk or not to dunk.
It seems that the earliest public dunking was performed by Eddie Cantor in the 1931 movie "Palmy Days", although there is evidence that Ronald Colman dunked his doughnut in coffee is as early as 1928.Prior to that, people would sink...
15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee
Coffee history: When did coffee first arrive to Hawai‘i?
Knowledge is great, even if any given piece of information has no apparent use or benefit.  After all, what we know helps define who we are and how we think about the world.  Understanding ourselves tends to lead to richer,...