PT's Cafe in Barrington Village is in the midst of a two-week silent auction to benefit barista Sara Englehardt, who recently relapsed with cancer. (Photography by Lauren Neuer and illustration provided by Food+Flicks)

PT’s rallies around barista

We are searching for an energetic student that specializes in Marketing and/or Graphic Design.

This is a Part-Time or Full-time internship that has a flexible schedule to work around class schedules.  This is a unique opportunity to diversify your experience and credentials.  There is potential for future employment in 2012.

Responsibilities:

1) Research - Graphic and Marketing concepts and proposals.

2) Graphic Design - Marketing material design and ongoing development, Photoshop/image editing, image design for website usage, brand imaging, product imaging, and customer support.

3) Marketing Strategy - Managing current email databases for focused utilization and brainstorming new ideas to help build sales online and offline

4) Office/Administrative Assistance - Assist the office staff with handling file work, organization and shipping

5) Potential for international travel

This is an unpaid internship with real potential for growth opportunities and employment.  We have hired interns in the past.  Interested applicants can contact us by phone or email.

The internship is located at our roasting facility and office at 929 University Blvd., in the Forbes Industrial Park in Topeka, KS.  For more information regarding this opportunity contact Steven at 1-785-862-5282.

A printable application form can be found here.

The New Year is upon us and we thought it would be a great time for a review of the past years coffee’s, with an update of what’s to come in 2011.  Last year was an exciting year for us at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co..  We made new coffee discoveries, in Brazil and Guatemala, and received great reviews for coffees that have become favorites for many.  The New Year brings an new excitement of new-found coffee discoveries and fresh harvests. We’ll continue our outstanding relationships with the current Direct Trade Farms and develop a few new relationships that we hope will become just as rewarding.

The Year In Review - 2010

In January our classic offering, Moka-Java Organic Blend, received a 90-point review.  And that was just the beginning of what would become our all-new Organic Line of Coffees.  If you haven’t checked these coffees out yet, you’re missing some wonderful Single Origin Organic and Blended Organic coffees.

One of our goals last year came to fruition around mid-year when some of our blends took on a new look and others got new names.  The Moka-Java Organic Blend is now called “OLD 93″ in honor of our company founding February 3^rd, 1993.  Another popular blend, Kansas Sunrise, became an immediate hit with its new name – Farm Girl Blend.  And Rolling Thunder changed to Thunder Road.  Same great coffees, just some updated branding.

In March, another of our 2010 discoveries, Ethiopia Sidama – Ardi, received a 92-point review from Ken Davids of Coffee Review.  We also developed the Ardi as a Single Origin Espresso and Robin Seitz featured it in the Midwest Regional Barista Competition and United States Barista Competitions.

2010 was a good year for espresso as well.  Through dogged determination, experimentation and discovery, we launched Flying Monkey Espresso. With a flavor profile that is gently fruit-filled and an undercurrent of licorice and aromatic wood, Flying Monkey Espresso has become extremely popular in it’s first year. In addition to Flying Monkey, Jeff Taylor, co-founder and coffee buyer for PT’s, and Holly Bastin, staff Barista Trainer, developed our first Seasonal Espresso Offering - Don Roberto Espresso Reserve from Finca Las Mercedes, El Salvador. This blend features coffees from three different Micro-Lots on the same farm, Don Roberto Espresso Reserve was a huge hit and didn’t last as long as we originally hoped it might. Boasting of two Honeyed Micro-Lot coffees and one fully washed coffee, Don Roberto introduced an all-new flavor profile to our line-up of espresso blends.

It was a slow year for us on Coffee Review as we only scored four other coffees that received 90+ reviews, unfortunately, as we transition through harvest seasons, some of them are no longer available.  Panama Elida Natural received a 93 and Guatemala Finca El Socorro Maracaturra received a 92, both are still available.  Burundi Mwurire and Colombia Los Naranjos San Agustin received 90+ reviews, but are no longer available.

Last but not least, as we rounded out the year, a unique find, and the only Kona coffee we’ve purchased in a number of years from Hawaii, scored a 94-point review.  Hawaii Isla Kona Mauka was the result of three pickers, including our friend Miguel Meza, who was sent to one of the highest farms in Kona, near 3200 feet, and close to the town of Holualoa.  We paid a premium to the pickers for only the ripest cherries and to process this coffee just for us to provide for you during the holidays. The resulting cup is remarkable and worth the effort. There is still a very small amount of this coffee available, but you’ll want to order soon as it won’t last. Jeff is working to process some more of this coffee, but we don’t have an arrival date yet.

2011 New Year Offerings

With so many exciting things happening in 2010, we are really looking forward to a great 2011.  

Introducing our newest Direct Trade Farm - Guatemala El Socorro Bourbon Espresso. This is our January Single Origin Espresso offering.  Holly believes this is the most balanced Single Origin Espresso she has seen since our offering of Ethiopia Sidama Ardi as an Espresso last spring.  This espresso has notes of Bing Cherry, Clementine Orange, and Bittersweet Cocoa.

We are anticipating the arrival of another new offering from South America very soon.  Brazil - Pocos de Caldas - Yellow Bourbon – Pulped Natural.  This coffee is produced and blended from 3 small farms in the region of Mogiana.  Pocos de Caldas is a volcanic crater, and these farms are located around the rim of the crater.  This coffee almost elevated itself off of the cupping table and insisted we purchase it last week. Keep your eyes open for this one.

The year 2011 is shaping up to be monumental in terms of quality for PT’s, but the high price of coffee is going to be an issue. Demand for Specialty Coffee worldwide is at an all-time high. So the climatic weather conditions that caused the loss of untold amounts of coffee in growing regions of Colombia, Brazil and many other coffee origins couldn’t have come at a worse time.  With demand sky high and supply at all time lows, the price is already at a 15-year high on the New York “C” market. This is the commodity market that sets the base price for coffee.  So we are very sorry to tell you our prices too will be rising in the near future. We’re doing everything we can to hold the line of prices, but this market is out of our control and it’s going to affect everyone. You’ll see prices for coffee going up everywhere, not just for PT’s coffee.  Stick with us and we’ll make it through this market and continue to provide you with the best coffees the world has to offer.

Because as we are often heard to say: “Without the love, it’s just coffee!”

The holidays are coming fast, and if you still haven’t found that special gift for that special someone, we have some ideas that take the pain and work out of last minute shopping.  We have launched two new Coffee Clubs.  Some of you may be familiar with these from the last couple of years.

Our Espresso Club takes the work out of having great espresso delivered to your door every month.  We will automatically ship one pound of La Bella Vita, Flying Monkey, or Gizmo Espresso once or twice a month for three, six, or twelve months.

Our Single Origin tour features one of our Single Origin coffees, selected by Green Coffee Buyer, Jeff Taylor, each month.  The single origin tour will eventually cover all of the coffee growin regions and eventually take you on a journey through the coffee world.

These clubs are wonderful gifts that keep giving throughout the year.  In addition to these two clubs, we have created an ongoing club order system through our webpage that allows you to schedule your coffee orders for automatic shipments.  Using your club order queue, you can automatically adjust exactly what coffee gets sent to you, and you will never have to worry about placing orders again.  Check out the new recurring order system here!.

We know that holiday shopping can be hectic, so in an effort to minimize the stress a little bit, we did some research on different shipping policies during the busy holiday season. Here are some simple guidelines to make sure that you receive your order before December 25th.  Orders placed via UPS should be placed before Friday, December 17th to garuntee their delivery before the holiday.  Orders placed via USPS will need to be placed before midnight on Sunday, December 19th.  UPS transit times depend on your location relative to us.  Please refer to the UPS shipping map above to calculate the exact time in transit to your location.  It is possible to expedite and request UPS 2-Day to ensure your orders arrival on short notice. Hopefully this information will help make sure that your coffees arrive in time for the holiday festivities! And as always, if you have any questions or special requests give us a call, 1-888-678-JAVA, and we will be more than happy to help find the shipping method that will best fit your needs.

The Good Food Awards is a celebration of food that is tasty, authentic, and responsible.  This initiative awards outstanding American producers and the farmers who provide them with their ingredients.  The Good Food Awards will be granting awards in seven different categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, and preserves.  Awards will be given to producers and their food communities from each of the five regions of the US.  The Good Food Awards seal will be found on the winning products, assuring sustainability and social good.  Winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in San Francisco.

The winners of the Good Food Award for coffee will be distinguished by exemplary flavor - sweet, clean, well developed body, balanced acidity, and phenomenal aromatics.  To qualify for entry, roasters must emphasize fairness and transparency from seed to cup, and certify that their coffee beans are grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides.

We submitted Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Mario Carnaval.  The Esmeralda qualified as a finalist in the Central Division.  The Central Division includes some of the most talented roasters in the country.  The five finalists in the Central Region are PT’s, Alterra, Allegro, Intelligentsia, and Madcap.

The judges for the coffee award are an all-star panel of experts and coffee professionals.

COFFEE JUDGES INCLUDE:

Andi C. Trindle, Coffee Buyer and Trader for Atlantic Specialty Coffee
Andrew Barnett, Founder of Ecco Caffe
Benjamin Kaminsky, Director of Quality Control for Ritual Coffee Roasters
Brent Fortune, Owner of Crema Coffee + Bakery
Chris Tacy, Founder of Godshot.org
Chris Davidson, Trader & Relationship Coffee Specialist for Atlas Coffee Importers
Colby Barr, Co-Founder and Green Coffee Buyer for Verve Coffee Roasters
Edwin Martinez, Producer for Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala
Geoff Watts, Vice President of Coffee & Green Coffee Buyer of Intelligentsia Coffee
George Howell,Founder & President of Terroir Coffee Company
Jason Long, Green Buyer for Café Imports
Jim Kelso, Director of Quality Control for Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Peter Guliano, Director of Coffee Counter Culture Coffee
Tal Mor, Head Roaster of Four Barrel Coffee
Tony Konecny, Founder of tonx.org
Willem J. Boot, Founder of Boot Coffee

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 .

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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.

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We at PT’s want to offer our hearty congratulations to the new World Barista Champion, Mike Phillips from Intelligentsia in Chicago! Mike is the first American to ever win the event and we are proud of him! The other finalists were Raul Rodas of Guatemala in 2nd place, Scottie Callaghan of Australia in 3rd place, Colin Harmon of Ireland in 4th,  Soren Stiller Markussen in 5th, and Stefanos Domatiotis of Greece in 6th.

2010 World Barista Champion, Mike Phillips

Starting on Monday, June 30th, you may notice a little change in your normal coffee buying experience. We are updating our website to give you a better shopping experience. We are trying to make the transition as seamless as possible, so hopefully you will not have any difficulties. One of the differences that you may notice is that you will not be taken directly to your shopping cart after adding an item to your cart. We hope that this new feature will help improve the flow of the ordering process. If you would like to go to your cart, there is a link in the top right corner that will always take you directly to your cart. There are also a couple of new features that we will highlight in the near future. If you take time to explore, you may find a little reward. If you have any questions about the update, or if you have any problems with you account, please contact us at 888-678-5282.