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Dear readers, this week we would like talk a little bit about coffee roasting! As some of you know, the coffee cherry is picked and then roasted before it actually makes it to the bags of coffee that you purchase from the shops. Coffee beans can be roasted in different ways such as light, medium, and dark, and the flavour of your coffee largely depends on the roasting process. “it is for the home brewer, perhaps the most important stage of the entire chain of events that takes us from farm to cup” “roasting the coffee beans.. this keenly observed and succinct process that gracefully traverses the line between science and art..” As you may be thinking, this is a very complex process that requires skill and diligence. After the coffee is picked from the farm, the roasters will buy it. Many roasters, but not all, will take into consideration the sustainability and ethics of the farm. Roasting coffee requires much skill and can very easily be messed up, this is why the roaster needs to be someone who possesses a great deal of skill. “..a bad roaster or an average roaster… can very easily corrupt even the finest specialty beans” The method of roasting a bean can change and manipulate the flavor dramatically which is why roasters will go through years of roasting and experimenting and trying different methods and styles until they come up with something that they like! “…the growing realization that coffee is enormously complex has only really cemented a feeling of acceptance as to how powerless we are to truly affect and select its attributes on a molecular scale.” Coffee roasting can take anywhere from 7-20 minutes generally speaking, and the main idea is to generate a flavor through applying heat to the beans. The water contained in the beans will slowly start to evaporate, this is the drying process. Then the beans will become so dry that they go through a stage called first crack. Think of a snail that has become too large for its shell that it pops off! The coffee can actually be consumed at this point but depending on the roast style, the process can be continued and roasted more. The longer you leave the coffee in the roaster, the more nutty, charred, and smokey the flavor becomes. The darker roasts are often used for espresso. There is so much more to this process, but hopefully this was a helpful intro into the coffee roasting process. We hope that you feel inspired to do more research and to learn a little bit more about all that goes in to the process of having a delicious cup of coffee! Have a blessed weekend! TMPC information sourced from The Curious Barista's Guide to Coffee by Tristan Stephenson. Published in 2019 by Cindy Richards. 
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The life of a coffee bean is a very long journey from seed to cup. We found a neat way from Flight Coffee to see every step, and the next time you enjoy a cup of everyone's favorite beverage, remember all the steps it took to get there! Check them out at www.flightcoffee.co.nz. Written by Alyssa Telecky  Community on the Corner Artistic and welcoming, Two Charming Finches cafe sits next to the train station on Blackwood street in our little suburb of Mitchelton. If you’re looking for a comfortable spot for a meeting, study spot, or casual conversation, this spot is a lovely option. A selection of beverages and brunch foods are offered, in a trendy yet family friendly atmosphere. The owner, Mia, of New South Wales, opened the cafe in December 2017. The cafe’s vintage vibe is comfortable and well put-together; mustard yellow chairs around simple wooden tables, simple art and greenery stand out against the dark wood floors and white walls. Small plants in colorfully painted pots line the railing of the patio outside, simple vines wind around the ceiling beams and colorful furniture invites you to relax and enjoy a quiet morning cuppa. The coffee served at Two Charming Finches is a blend from Wolff Coffee Roasters: a mix of Brazilian, Guatemalan, and Mexican beans. The soy flat white I ordered arrived with latte art--a small heart (but I observed the barista creating more detailed rosettas as well). Not a coffee fan? Milkshakes, juices, soft drinks, and tea are offered as well. Pastries are fresh and warm in the early morning and served promptly on colorful dishes. For those who prefer vegan and gluten free options, there are multiple choices: I can recommend the blueberry-chia muffin and banana bread. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, a restroom out back, and free wifi are conveniently provided during open hours, 6:30am-2pm on weekdays, and 7am-2pm on weekends (the cafe is closed every Tuesday). The prices are very reasonable. A shelf in the corner holds children’s books and toys with a couch and coffee table near by for families who stop in. Care for the environment and the community is evident at Two Charming Finches (even the cafe’s name represents the owner’s love of animals and nature). Mia and the staff appear well-acquainted with the community, addressing many customers (including myself) by name. Bringing a personal takeaway mug is recommended to lessen waste, and a discount is given for those who do. A local middle-schooler’s drawings are featured and sold on a shelf inside. The cafe’s active Instagram page advertises that there will be a Jumble Sale in June with proceeds benefiting brain cancer research, in memory of Mia’s sister. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about getting there and dancing in the rain,” is some encouragement written on the wall behind the front counter. From businessmen to young families, the people of this neighborhood will find their experience at the corner cafe to be a positive one. Two Charming Finches is definitely an addition worth welcoming to the community of Mitchelton with its air of both playful creativity and genuine care for the world. I have highly enjoyed each of my visits to Two Charming Finches, and would recommend it to anyone who finds themselves on Blackwood Street in need of a smile and some quality caffeination.
As a 'barista in training' when it comes to making coffee there is a lot of new words, smells, flavours, ideas and concepts that I suddenly need to understand."The slowest part of coffee extraction is not the rate at which compounds dissolve from the particulate surface. Rather, it’s the speed at which coffee flavor moves through the solid particle to the water-coffee interface, and this speed is increased with temperature." Uhm what..? I'm always looking for inspiration and information as to how I can make good coffee without fully understanding the whole science behind it. And today I was stumbling over this little chart that just makes the coffee aspect of my life a little bit easier. Not only because we need to understand the difference between coarse and fine coffee grinds for different brewing methods, but because it compares the size of the grinds with something that we actually understand - like salt. So here it is. Hopefully making your coffee tasting better at home!  (Chart found on en.ilovecoffee.jp)
Each month we scour the web for interesting coffee finds to share with you. This month, we came across this simple but interesting infographic about what's going on in your cup of coffee! Topics of address include the health benefits of drinking coffee, chemicals to be aware of, and why caffeine might be better for you, to name a few. |
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