Coffee Common at a Glance

It was such a joy spending yesterday at Coffee Common. Below is a slideshow and gallery of the rest of the pictures I took. Hopefully it gives you a better idea of what it was like! Check out Coffee Common’s Google+ page to see the “hangouts” or video discussions they’ve been hosting about coffee, and follow them on Twitter here.

The Coffee Guy

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A Few Pics from Coffee Common

I spent the morning enjoying the company and community at Coffee Common. I met some amazing baristas and learned several new brewing methods that I’m anxious to find out more about. I also got a great chance to talk to Brent Fortune, Co-Founder of Coffee Common. Check out another project that Brent is a part of: BrewMethods.com.

Here are some pics I snapped while there.

BoiseCoffee is going to Coffee Common!

World-class baristas and roasters. Excellent coffee brands collaborating. Lessons on how to brew great coffee. Heaven? No, but close. I’m talking about Coffee Common.

Coffee Common brings together world-class baristas and roasters with shared values, to create unique experiences that introduce people to the nuanced joys of exceptional coffee. We believe that great coffee is, at its best, a collaboration of an empowered coffee farmer, an artisan coffee roaster, a dedicated barista, and an enlightened consumer. We believe that great coffee requires study, experimentation, craftsmanship, and humility.

When I heard Coffee Common was coming to New York City, I immediately marked it on my calendar. I’m going to college about an hour north of NYC, and this was the first widely-publicized coffee event that I’ve heard of coming to the city in the recent past. Needless to say, I’m super stoked.

Coffee Common was hosted in London in July and from the pictures and videos, it looked to be a huge success. It’s on again – this time being hosted at “A Startup Store” on Tenth Avenue and 19th St. in the Big Apple. It’s taking place this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which means day 1 has already come and gone.

I’m making the short train ride over on Saturday and will be spending nearly the entire day learning tips and tricks on how to make exceptional coffee from some of the best in the industry. While there, I’ll take pictures and video and will do a recap post upon returning. I’m looking to not only expand my abilities, but also to meet some great people and share the joy of our mutual passion: superb coffee.

Coffee Common is being hosted by Google+, and as a result they are posting livestreams, or “hangouts,” through that social media service. What does that mean for you? You can join in on the fun all throughout this weekend! Check out the streams on Coffee Common’s Google+ page, here.

Also, follow my twitter (@BoiseCoffee) for regular updates on the event, as well as pictures throughout the day on Saturday.

Stay classy!
The Coffee Guy

Reblog – Pressing Matters: Tips For Using the Aerobie Aeropress

I’m a huge fan of the Aerobie Aeropress. I haven’t come across a more simple machine that makes anywhere close to the quality of espresso that my Aeropress delivers. A simple Google search reveals that I’m not alone in my praise of the Aeropress.

I came across the blog “We Hunt & Gather” through the writer’s twitter page after he followed me. The title of his most recent post sold me the minute I read it. I asked him if I could reblog it, and he gave me permission. Below you’ll find the entire post, and a link to the original. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Coffee Guy

PRESSING MATTERS: TIPS FOR USING THE AEROBIE AEROPRESS

For a month now I’ve been the proud owner of an Aerobie Aeropress, that strange, over-sized syringe like coffee brewer. I had been weighing up buying one ever since the coffee shop I worked in started stocking them, but I couldn’t bring myself to purchase such an ugly piece of plastic. I don’t think it helped that every time I had to demonstrate how they worked to a customer, the penis-enlarger scene from Austin Powers replayed through my mind.

Finally I gave in and with the Aeropress in one hand and a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans in the other I headed home to brew my first cup. Despite the internet being awash with good reviews for the product, and there even being a World Aeropress Championship, I was still surprised at just how good the results were. In fact I think you’d really struggle to brew a bad cup.

I’m not going to give any specific recipes or instructions here, as there are plenty out there, (nods to the internet’s horizon line) and to be honest I change my method pretty much weekly. Besides, being able to experiment with how you brew is half the fun of the Aeropress.

Instead I thought I’d share a few tips that I’ve picked up.

Invert It Brewing with the Aeropress upside down with the plunger in and the filter cap off means that you can have more control over the brew time. You dictate when the coffee starts to drip through the filter, letting you brew for longer.

Brew with Water First Brewing a cup without putting any coffee in heats up the Aeropress, rinses the filter of chemically tastes and heats the mug up – the perfect preparation.

Get the grind right Despite the box saying repeatedly that it makes espresso style coffee, you shouldn’t use coffee ground for an espresso machine. Instead use a grind slightly coarser than filter. A finer grind will result in a stronger brew whilst coarser will give you a weaker one.

Re-use the Filter Each filter can be used several times, just rinse off, place back into the Aeropress and push the plunger down on top, keeping it flat whilst it dries. When you come to use it next you won’t even need to rinse it again.

Source link: http://wehuntandgather.tumblr.com/
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