We very proud of  Jannicke M. Johansen, a Norwegian Barista.  She received second place in an International Espresso Blend Barista Battle. The event was held in Oslo, Norway, and was co-hosted by Solberg & Hansen, and Tim Wendelboe.

The event featured 5 American Roasters and 5 Norwegian Baristas.  Our Seasonal Espresso was put head to head against: Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Espresso,  Heart Coffee Roasters’ Guatemala Puerta Verde, Ecco’s Guatemala El Tambor, and Ritual’s Sweet Tooth Espresso Guama, Kenya. Jannicke featured our Finca Las Mercedes Don Roberto Espresso Reserve from El Salvador in her second place finish.   You can read all about the event on the Solberg & Hansen Blog or by following this link  http://blog.sh.no/index.php?a=79 .

The most important factor to a great cup of coffee, is the extraction.  Ideal extraction is achieved by using a proper dose, accurate volume of water, accurate time of extraction, and appropriate grind for the brew method you are using.  Even if you use the proper dose, volume, and time the extraction properly, the coffee can still taste bitter or over/under extracted if you do not have a proper grind.   Consistency is key to a great brew.

Blade grinders will limit your ability to develop a consistent/even grind.  The blade moves in a circular chopping motion, and even though some blade grinders have settings that allow you to choose your preferable grind, they have a tendency to leave an uneven result.  As a result, blade grinders are virtually non-existent in a cafe setting, and are only used for at home, non-commercial use.

Burr grinders are important for great results.  The rotating burrs deliver a grind that is even all the way throughout with no inconsistencies.  This allows you to take the time to dial in the proper grind for ideal extraction.  Burr grinders also give you the capability to make very subtle adjustments to develop the perfect flavor profile for your brew method.

We offer a variety of burr grinders that give you amazing, professional quality coffee, right at home.  These deliver the same great results as commercial grinders, at a fraction of the cost.  These grinders may not be ideal for volumes and volumes of customers, but for you and your family, they deliver perfect results.

Available Burr Grinders

Barazta Maestro, Maestro Plus, and Vario

We have three Baratza Grinders available.  The Baratza Grinders are some of the most eye pleasing grinders on the market.  The beauty isn’t skin deep though, on the inside is the heart of a great grinder.  These grinders include an increased range of adjustment, an innovative calibration system, a powerful DC motor, and other improvements.  Baratza grinders are exceptional at producing consistent grinds.  The grind is adjustable by rotating the hopper between 40 different grind settings on the Maestro and Maestro Plus, allowing you to accurately dial in the grind for your brew method.  The Maestro Plus model has an innovative 60 second timer implemented into the switch, a front mounted pulse button, and a brushed-satin metal base.  The increased weight of the Maestro Plus gives it increased stability.   If you have an espresso machine, you will enjoy the convenience of being able to insert your portafilter directly under the dispensing chute to collect coffee as it is dispensed.

The Baratza Vario offers a sleek contemporary design, small footprint, and adjustablity for any style coffee.  We are incredibly impressed with the versatility of this grinder.  The macro/micro grind adjustment has over 230 different settings and programmable grind time allowing you to grind on demand the amount coffee you require.  The right hand lever lets you choose the type of grind you want, and the left lever lets you fine tune your grind within the range you’ve selected for a perfect grind.

Hario Mini Mill Slim

These small grinders are perfect for people on the go, or anyone who doesn’t want to listen to those noisy motorized grinders in the morning.  The ceramic burrs on the Mini Mill are durable and easy to maintain.  These small grinders are fully adjustable and deliver great results.

-
(more…)

As a coffee trainer I have dealt with everything from long term baristas to completely new baristas, sometimes in the same sitting.  The base knowledge of each trainee coming in can vary and there is a lot of conflicting information out there about coffee so it got me thinking about what every barista should know. I think this will end up turning into an ongoing list but I think these are some of the fundamentals that have been commonly misrepresented. If you have further questions, please feel free to call us or write us!

1. What espresso is and isn’t

What espresso is-

Definition- When a restricted amount of pressurized hot water is forced through fine ground coffee the water extracts proteins sugars and oils into a delicious couple of ounces of thick caramel colored liquid.

Espresso more refers to a method of brewing that will result in a small concentrated coffee beverage. The consistency is syrupy and dense and, if properly aged and prepared, should have a thick head of rusty golden colored crema.

What espresso is not-

-E’x’presso

-a specific kind of coffee bean

-a specific roast profile (usually expected to be dark)

-always a blend

2. Quiet milk is happy milk

There are a variety of ways to steam milk poorly, but they typically fall into two categories. While they have different visual and tactile results, they share a common trait- they are both pretty noisy. The best result lies in between. It shouldn’t be completely silent, but you should only hear occasional bursts of air for the first half of the steaming process and then it should become more and more quiet. The result? Silky microfoam!

3. Grind size is everything

The wrong grind size could be compared to a great many things, but I think tuning a stringed instrument is one of the best analogies for it. You can have the best technique in the world as a musician, but if your strings aren’t set to the right pitch, then none of that matters-it will still end up a little bit off. Also, humidity, temperature and barometric pressure can cause the wood of the instrument to swell and shrink throughout a sitting which means that the strings will stretch and slacken minutely causing the pitch to shift around, needing to be chased.

The same is just as true for espresso, factoring in climate, pressure, age, blend, roast profile etc. On any given day it’s normal to have to make over a dozen small changes to your grind setting to keep the coffee in its ideal flavor range. Even if you are positive you are dosing the same, distributing properly, and tamping level and at the same pressure, if the grind is off so is the flavor. The best solution? Start tasting a lot of espresso and getting to know the telltale signs of over and under extraction.

-Holly Bastin

Coffee Trainer for PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.

For more information on training click here

Our Hunapu comes from a highland valley near the colonial city of Antigua, one of Guatemala’s premier tourist attractions due to its heritage and scenery.  Antigua is situated between three impressive volcanoes, Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego. The unique dry climate, magnificent landscape, and excellent volcanic soil  provide optimal conditions to produce some of the best coffees in the world.

Hunapu is a name established by Beneficio Bella Vista for a group of small producers that got together to separate their Bourbon varietal cherries and offer one of the best Antigua coffees available. The name Hunapu derived from the natives name for the Agua volcano.

The Hunapu Bourbon is the result of the hard work to separate 100% Bourbon varietal fully ripe cherries and deliver them to Beneficio Bella Vista, where the traditional washed process is used during the wet stage and fully sundried to bring out the best of the Antigua Bourbon profile.

The Hunapu has strong chocolate notes, a fine complex acidity with a tender orange aftertaste and a unique roundness characteristic of a high altitude Bourbon.

Our exclusive Passport line of coffees gives you the opportunity to taste the best the world has to offer. All the travel, cupping, and know-how we have is poured into spotting these rare coffee gems and bringing out the best in each.

First
For our Passport offerings, we specifically seek out coffees that are rare, exceptional, or have a limited offering.

Then
We roast them to the peak of perfection, in small batches, and on specific roast dates to ensure freshness and quality.

And Then . . .
We ship directly to you. You’ll be able to taste each mastered step of PT’s Passport coffees from tree to cup.

SOLD OUT!  More expected in coming weeks. What a great day for Hawaiian coffees!  Our Micro-Lot of Rusty’s Hawaiian just arrived and we plan to launch it next week. We are now accepting pre-orders for this exceptional coffee.

Lorie Obra next to a sign that denotes her family farm. The farm is named in honor of her late husband, Rusty.

For years customers have asked why we don’t carry Kona Coffee on our offering sheet, in our store, or on our website. I’ve always had the same answer. “The samples of Kona coffee that I’ve received  just don’t cup well enough to justify the price that is paid for a coffee carrying the Kona Coffee brand.”

I tell customers that “we make every attempt to offer coffees that are worthy of the price, not just the name.” Kona Coffee has had a tremendous reputation for years. But in recent years the samples I have received and tasted on our cupping table just didn’t measure up. So despite the pressure to offer a Kona Coffee or Kona Coffee Blend, we chose to stay the course and only offer coffees of exceptional quality.

Coffee cherry harvested by Lorie at her family farm in Hawaii.

Today, we are very proud, a coffee we’ve now carried for 2 years from the Hawaiian Islands placed 1st place in a Blind Cupping competition. I noted when we first bought this coffee that we had finally found a coffee worthy of the price from the Hawaiian Islands. Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee is an outstanding coffee that is grown and harvested by Lorie Obra in the District of Ka’u. Lorie takes incredible pride in the coffee she grows and processes and is always willing to go the extra mile to make it exceptional.

So this blog post is for you Lorie: CONGRATULATIONS from your friends at PTs Coffee Roasting Co.!

Lorie strives to make her late husband proud and produce not just a coffee crop, but one that is exceptional. Today her dream was realized in a blind cupping competition. We are proud to work with you Lorie and look forward to working with you for years to come.
For more info see the local stories about the competition.

Our Micro-Lot of Rusty’s Hawaiian just arrived and we plan to launch it next week. We are now accepting pre-orders for this exceptional coffee.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Jeff Taylor

PTs Coffee Roasting Co.

As of Monday, July 19^th you will see some new names added to our blend offerings, while some will seem to disappear. No worries though, fundamentally these coffees aren’t changing…just getting a fresh look and feel. The coffees you have come to know and love will still be available, but here’s a run down of their new identities-

Thunder Road

Formerly our Rolling Thunder, this blend’s new identity is in homage to Jeff’s favorite musician- Bruce Springsteen. Hearty and smooth, this blend is still “The Boss”.

Ol’ 93

You will have known this blend as Moka Java, a classic blend of opposites. Sweet and earthy, this is our rendition of the oldest coffee blend in recorded history, and the new name reflects the year of our inception as PT’s Coffee.

Farm Girl

Bright but balanced, this blend has been loved by many. Previously our Sunrise Blend, the Farm Girl is still sweet and sultry and filled with character. We are currently out of this blend but it will return soon!

B-ville House Drip

This take on an approachable and well rounded drip coffee has been previously known as Coffeehouse Blend. Still a Direct Trade offering, this standard is still what we serve daily in our original café- Barrington Village, which has been coined “B-Ville” as our term of endearment for it.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email at info@ptscoffee.com or call at 888-678-JAVA!

Fazenda Ipanema in Sul de Minas is located near the cities of Alfenas & Machado. It has become one of the premier sources of all preparations of Brazilian Coffee in both Europe and the United States. One of the Ipanema coffees received the Cup of Excellence Award in the 2002 Cup of Excellence competition.

The Farm was established in 1970 and has embraced old growing techniques and modern quality controls, which have resulted in an excellent and consistent coffee. The Furnas Reservoir on the farm provides the coffee with a thermal protection from some of the potential damage of frost.

Fazenda Ipanema gained UtzKapeh certification for its environmental and social practices. Utzkapeh Certification certifies that the farm maintains the environment, food safety standards, education and training for the workers and their families as well as health care and cultural diversity on the farm. These criteria are in place for seasonal as well as permanent workers.

Prepared with washed, semi-washed, and natural coffees, this blend was trial run for three years before it reached its current make-up. When perfectly roasted and ground its low acidity, accentuated body and sweetness comes across due to the balance achieved by using the three coffee components, having an extremely pleasant aftertaste.  With distinct acidity, its creamy and velvety body brings you a pronounced orange honey finish.

LONDON (March 1, 2010) – Colombia has been selected to host the 12th annual World Barista Championship, which will be held in combination with the 2011 EXPOESPECIALES conference in Bogota.

Seven countries vied to host the 2011 event. “Choosing a winner from the very competitive site proposals we received was an extremely difficult task for the WBC board,” commented WBC Executive Director Cindy Chang.

The World Barista Championship (WBC) event is the annual destination for barista champions hailing from more than 50 countries. In each national competition and dozens of local and regional preliminary events, baristas prepare espressos, cappuccinos and original signature drinks to exacting standards for a panel of international judges.

“We are delighted to host the 2011 Championship,” said Luis Muñoz, CEO of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC). “It will be an opportunity for baristas and visitors to keep discovering the world of Colombia Coffee, and also to support our domestic coffee consumption program.”

“The barista movement is worldwide,” said Ric Rhinehart, Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which co-owns the WBC alongside the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe. “We are delighted to see the event take place in a coffee producing country for the first time in its history.”

About World Barista Championship UK Ltd.

The World Barista Championship is the preeminent international coffee competition. Founded by the Specialty Coffee Associations of America and Europe, the event organization promotes excellence in coffee, advancement of the barista profession and engages a worldwide audience with an annual championship that serves as the culmination of regional and national events held in more than 50 countries.

The 2010 World Barista Championship will be held June 23-25, 2010 at Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. For more information, visit the WBC website at http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com.