PureArabica

Sound Familiar?

2007-04-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

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A Quick Look At This Past Year

2006-12-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

So, this year has been a year of great change for me.
This past year started out with the closing of my coffee house. That was difficult to say the least. The heartache of losing something most people only ever dream of having combined with the relief of not wondering if I won't be able to make rent... again.

I then started managing two coffee houses for a friend of mine at I.E Coffee Roasters. Cliff Young(The Roast Master General) was a great sounding board for my frustrations and a great source of encouragement. Cliff single handily revolutionized the coffee culture in Redlands and I can't wait to see what his next venture will be.

From there I started a roasting apprenticeship at the Coffee Klatch. This has been one of toughest transitions of my life. I love working bar. I'm passionate about working bar. Being a roaster leaves little to NO time for any bar work. I wasn't hired to be a barista, I was hired to become a roaster. I knew learning the skill and artistry of a coffee roaster would only take time. What I didn't anticipate was how difficult making the mental transition from barista to roaster would be for me. That was a frustrating, emotional journey that tried my character and commitment deeper then anything I've been through... so far. But, I've grown to really like roasting. I don't consider myself a barista anymore... I'm a coffee roaster.

I'm excited about this upcoming year. Heather and I are supposed to start training for the Western Regional Barista Comp as well as the USBC. Fun, considering I'm not a barista anymore;) I'm also looking forward to meeting new people in the coffee industry. Every year I meet people through coffee who are just as passionate, if not more so, then I am. A few of the people I met this year, who I will stay in touch with as long as I am in the coffee industry and probably beyond, are: Chris Deferio, Chris Baca, Scott Lucy, Justin Teisl, Joe Pallo, Tony Serrano, Mike Lanz, Ellie H-M... and so many more.

I hope all of you have a blessed year.

Seattle Baby!!

2006-10-30T18:10:00.001-08:00

Coffee Fest Seattle

The Clover, again, was the star of another coffee convention. With six Clovers on the showroom floor, it was hard not to get a cup of Clover coffee. Zoka, Olympia Coffee Co. Portland Coffee Roasters, Batdorf and Bronson as well as the Clover booth were offering an array of coffees all served from the Clover machine. It’s an amazing machine to watch to be sure, it’s just as interesting as watching a barista pull a shot of espresso. Claims made by the company reps, are pretty broad. I was told that by adjusting the grind size, the steep time and the screen size the Clover can imitate brewing methods such as: the French Press, Vac Pot and Cone Filter. While this may be true, everyone at the show seemed to be making coffee with the same parameters. 70 micron screen size, around 40 second dwell time and a grind size fit for drip/cone filter coffee. Now, I have by NO means spent enough time with the Clover to make a great evaluation of it, but from what I tasted, I can say that it produces a cup of coffee as clean as a paper cone filter, with the body of a moka pot or a french press. As good as the coffee from the Clover was, nothing I had would make me feel as though I was tasting coffee for the first time. It’s hard to explain exactly how the Clover affects the flavor of the coffee. The best way I can describe it, is that it brings out more of the subtle nuances of flavor that are easily missed when cupping or brewing as a press pot, but it tones down the intense flavors you pick up when you cup or brew a press pot. It brings more of a balance to the flavors in the coffee. This can be good or bad. For a coffee that doesn’t cup with good balance it can be very beneficial, bringing out the delicate flavors that slip past the palate towards the end of tasting experience thereby prolonging the flavor the coffee. But, for a coffee like the Ethiopian Adado, which cups amazingly well, it became harder to pick up the intense flavors of pineapple and peach that are so prevalent on the front end of the flavor when cupped or brewed as a press. At first, I was convinced, this could be a great substitute for the usual method of cupping coffee, but after partaking from the Clover and then immediately cupping the same coffees with the traditional cupping method, I felt as though I tasted more of the true raw flavor of the coffee when done traditionally. Maybe with the right coffee and more refined palate, the Clover is the single greatest breakthrough in the coffee industry since Achille created the modern espresso machine, but for me, so far, it’s just one more great method of making coffee.

For me, the highlight of the weekend was spending time so many people who have an outstanding passion for coffee that I just can’t find in SoCal. They’re the people who make this industry, this community so great and such a birthplace of knowledge and growth with the sharing of ideas and theories without selfishness of pride or secrecy. The people I was fortunate enough to spend time with and made this event worth the trip are: the 3 Chris’, Scott, Justin, Tony, Sarah, Hiroshi, Reid, Shiloh, Mike, Terry, Brian, Jeff, Nick, Phil, Phil’s friend (sorry), the group from Esi, Visions, Clover, Espresso Parts NW, Pallo, Barista Magazine… I could go on, but I’m tired and in an airport just about board a plane to go home. These are just a few of the people who are trying to better this industry and make it something more, not just to beat the corporate giants, but to be the best at what they do. This is not just a part time job for them, this is a career that we all take very seriously and are willing to go to great lengths to see it improved. I’m proud to be in this industry and they are the reason why.

Scratch That... I'm Going To Seattle!!!!

2006-10-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

My Mother and Sister In-Law gave me some airline miles to help pay for the majority of the travel cost and Heather Perry, my other boss, is letting me crash on the couch in her hotel room. It's working out perfect!! After two years of trying to go to this show, I'm finally going. I'm so stoked. The only thing that could make this trip better would be if my wife and daughter could come.

The barista jam went good. I only took a couple of photos, I'll get them up soon. Cafe Calabria did amazing job organizing the event, and there facility is amazing! There espresso lab had room for 5 espresso machines, 7 grinders a motorcycle and still had room to spare. We had an improve latte art competition and I came in second. This was my first jam and for sure won't be my last. I love training, so to be able to help a few people understand a little more about espresso extraction and milk steaming just makes my day. To see it click in their minds and see their eyes get a little wider with understanding... it's a great feeling. See ya'll in Seattle.

Some Day... I Will Make It To Seattle's Coffee Fest

2006-10-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

For the past couple years I've been trying to go to Coffee Fest, in Seattle. And, for the past couple of years something has come up to prevent me from going, and this year is no different. Unless someone wants to donate money for airfair and a hotel room or airfair and room on the floor of your hotel room, I will be missing the show. No coffee from the Clover, no latte art competition, no visiting any of the coffee houses I've only heard about and worst of all no visiting with other professionals I've only talked to online in chat rooms. I'm so bummed.

Things are picking up on the roasting end at the Klatch. We are trying to create a "Christmas Blend" of sorts, using some of the amazing Ethiopians we have in stock. Sidamo Hache, Addiss Katema, Addiss Ababa and the Adado are all amazing coffees. I thought it'd be easy to take 2 or 3 amazingly good coffees, combine them, and make an amazingly good blend. But, its not. It's as if the best attributes of each coffee cancel each other out. Most all of the blends that we've tried have been very flat in flavor and really dissapointing over all. None of them have been as good as each of the varietals by themselves. Blending is truely an art form all its own.

This weekend is the SoCal Barista Jam, being hosted by Cafe Calabria, in San Diego. I'm going down Sunday to check it out. Never been to a "Jam" before, kind of exciting. My boss, Mike Perry, is teaching a cupping workshop and will using some Ethiopian Hache, which I roasted, for the class. I must say, I'm a little nervous about a bunch of people cupping coffee that I roasted.

2006-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

I Love Shots.

2006-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

My First Barista Competition

2006-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been in a latte art competition, but never a full fledged barista competition. It's called The Ultimate Barista Challenge.
Just picture Iron Chef with baristas and coffee.
I competed in the latte art challenge, frappe challenge and cocktail/mixed drink challenge.
I won the frappe match and went on to challenge Ultimate Barista Ryan Dennhardt of Baristas Daily Grind in Kearney Nebraska. I had a wonderful blended drink called the Cherry Cordiall. It's Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, Cherry Preserves, Pure Almond Exract, Cherry Syrup I made, Chocolate Syrup and 2 shots of espresso. That drink got me to the final round and got a great reaction from the judges. So... why didn't I win? I changed my drink the night before the finale =( POOP on me!!! I decided to try a Banana's Foster type drink instead. Bryers Vanilla Ice Cream, a ripe banana, brown butter, brown sugar, two shots all topped by a caramel whipped cream. Unfortunately my brown butter solidified, ice cream was basically melted and the drink just was not sweet enough. Ryan beat me with a Black Cherry frappe. POOP on me!!! The judges told me, if I had made my cherry drink, I would've won. That makes me feel better and worse at the same time. At least Matt Plantt from the Rancho Klatch won his event and beat Ryan with his cocktail drink. Good job Matt.
This will not be my last competition for sure. I can't wait to do this again.
Here's a few pics from The Ultimate Barista Challenge.

Much Smoother

2006-08-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Things have been going very smooth lately.
My week without "The Boss" went really well. Heather was taking orders from customers and taking online orders and feeding me the roastlist. I was humming along, roasting like a maniac. It was the busiest week I've seen so far, yet we finished a day early. Three day weekend!
I'm much more comfortable at the roaster now.
...next comes training for barista competitions.
More to come.

I'm getting There

2006-07-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

This past month has been a whirlwind of learning.
I've gotten past the point of doing things just because I'm told to do them. I'm now doing them because I understand why they need to be done. I never knew roasters even kept track of weight loss percentages, and now, I see it as such a vital part of roasting. If we didn't keep track of it, we'd pretty much be roasting blind.

I'm still struggling a bit with profile control at the end of small batches. I tend to panic and over adjust the temperature, so I need to work on that for sure. But, I must be doing something right. Mike has had me roasting and blending almost all our espresso batches and he's even let me roast some our rarest and most precious coffees i.e. Ethiopian Bella Kara, Panama Finca Hartman, and even some of our new Yirgs., the Sidamo Hache(AMAZING), Addis Katema and a Wild Forest that we're really falling in love with.

Mike is leaving at the end of this week. He'll be gone for a week and a half. You know what that means. I'll be roasting everything!!! No safety net, no teacher looking over my shoulder, no one to ask, "Does this look right?” I'll be flying solo. I can't wait. I think.

On a side note. I've fallin in love with cycling. I know what most of you thinking, the tour just ended and all the hype has you in a cycling freenzy! No. You're wrong. I've been in love with cycling for the last three years, now I've decided I want to get involved. I want a bike. A bike that will help me climb mountains, get into better shape and enjoy the area I live in a bit more. I live in Redlands, a cycling meca of sorts. Home to the Redlands Bicycle Classic, its a great place to ride. Just wanted to share. I want a bike.

Our Fingers Are Crossed

2006-07-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

We've been cupping so much this week, it's been amazing! Today we cupped four different roast profiles of a Panama from Finca Hartman and earlier this week we had been cupping different profiles of the #1 Cup of Excellence winner from Bolivia.
http://www.cupofexcellence.com/
"Why all this cupping?", because we're sending both of these wonderful coffees to this guy...
http://www.coffeereview.com/ Ken Davids is one of, if not the most, respected reviewers in the country when it comes to recomending a great cup of coffee. Because he is so respected, he is also feared by many a coffee roaster. If you look through a few of his webpages you will see Coffee Klatch several times. This means there's a bit of an expectation to do well. We sent both of them off today and should hear back in a few weeks to find out how did.

Back To School

2006-06-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

For the 2 people who probably read this thing, when I last left you, I was faced with a fork in the road.
Well... I made a lane change. I am no longer with Grounds For Enjoyment. I have taken on the position of apprentice roaster/wholesale manager at The Coffee Klatch. I felt bad about leaving GFE with two days notice, but I did what I had to. Employers need to keep their word to their employees. That's all I'm going to say.

I regret not spending more time with Cliff, the company’s founder and head roaster. I feel I could've learned a lot about roasting and coffee in general from him. And, my other regret is leaving the employees in such a weird position. Now they have to train their new manager. Ugh.

So, I started at the Klatch this past Wednesday. Wow!! This wasn’t one of those, "...stand back and observe for a few days while we teach you how to do some basics." This was in-your-face training. I watched Mike, the owner, plot out a batch of coffee we were roasting and then he handed me the pen, paper and timer and I was off!!

You may ask yourself, "If he's roasting coffee, why does he need a pen and paper?" Well, when roasting coffee, every batch roasted has to be tracked as far as the temperature it reaches, how quickly it reaches such temperature, and other elements. So in actuality, while I'm roasting a batch of beans, I'm also plotting out a graph and taking detailed notes about all that's going on. It's crazy. Seriously.

So I was handed the tools I neede, pen, paper, and timer, and was instructed to 'go to it'. I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but at the end of each batch Mike would come over, check the graphed plot, check the color of the beans a few times and then out they came. It was exhausting too. I haven't been this sore in a long time. My body feels like it s been lifting weights two days straight. Did you all know coffee came in 150 lb. bags? And we don't have a forklift!!

Today, I did much better. I'm getting the hang of plotting and time management. I'm not up to three batches an hour (what a quality roaster can do), but I'll get there soon.

Honestly, can anyone remember back to the first time they took the portafilter out of the machine? How awkward it felt in your hand. You can see it on the faces of new hires going through barista training. That’s kind of how I feel. AWKWARD. But, I'm thrilled to have this opportunity. This is just another step in the coffee process, and so far... I'm liking it a lot.
Peath Out Nepolean,
nick

Long Time No Post...

2006-06-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it's been 3 months since my last post. Not that anyone reads this thing.

So, the new job is going well. Kind of. I'm trying to work out kinks with my boss and it's tough. I'm managing two stores and only getting paid what a good barista should make. I constantly feel like I'm on the edge of my patience, like when you were a kid ridding your bike on the sidewalk. Then you start to veer over to where the edge met the grass. I keep trying to go straight ahead, but it’s like I'm leaning one direction and trying to turn the other only to have my front tire fall into the groove and send me hurtling... I don't like hurtling. It has the very word "hurt" in it. I don't want to hurtle.
I'm faced with a decision; to either bite the bullet and keep working for half of what I'm worth, or go somewhere else. Yep... it's a fork. In the road. A chance to make the right decision and grow or the wrong decision and still grow. That’s the encouraging part. Regardless of what happens, I will grow from this.

I'm standing on this right now;
Colossians 1:9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;

Coffee Fest was last week. I'll post some pictures as soon as I get my Mac back.

New Job Starts on Wednesday

2006-03-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

I should be starting my new job this Wednesday.
I'll be managing two coffee houses. One in Highland and the other by Cal State San Berdo. The company will be Grounds For Enjoyment (GFE). I'm really excited, it’s a great opportunity for me to work with several new people and share my passion about coffee. I've already met a few of the employees and everyone seems really nice. I can't wait to get started; I'm getting kind of bored.
The SCAA conference is coming up to. It's in Charlotte NC this year. I'm dying to go, but I don't know if I'll make it this year. Coffee Fest in Vegas seems more likely.

It's weird not going to the shop. I feel like I'm on vacation and will soon be going back. The shop has had such an impact on my life; it'll take me awhile to get out of "Say What mode" and into "Moving Along mode".

Currently reading "Desiring God" by John Piper

Closing Time

2006-02-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

After two years in business, we are officially closing our doors.
We've had a great time getting to know everyone and appreciate your support and prayers.
This is by no means a failure. We've learned a ton and made several life long friends, and because of that we are exceedingly greatfull.
Nick

HOLLOWEEN

2006-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

2006-01-28T09:47:00.002-08:00

2006-01-28T09:47:00.001-08:00

2006-01-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

2006-01-28T09:46:00.001-08:00

2006-01-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

Magazine add??

2006-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last Post September, 19!?!?! Long time ago...

2006-01-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

It's been too dang long since my last post! Not that tons of people are eagerly awaiting the next few words I write, but still, it's a journal of sorts, and I've been slackin'.

Let's see, what’s been going on the last few months?
Thanksgiving was good. We made the traditional trip to four houses for diner, including our own (my wifes family is huge).

Christmas was great. We went to six houses for Christmas, including ours (my wifes family is huge). Went to Bakersfield to see my aunt and uncle and a couple cousins. Then we made a trip to Sacramento to visit some friends of ours. We left Sac. the day before all the flooding began (whew).
Gifts - My wife and I received a video camera from both of our parents. That was great considering we don't have any video of Lilly, except from what my digital camera can do, but those movies suck. This is fantastic. I gave Shar a few things for cooking (22qt. Turkey Roaster, a couple of new cookbooks, Le Creuset pieces) Temperpedic Slippers and like 8 pairs of supper cushy socks. Lilly got several new outfits and a few new toys. She had a great time trying to open gifts and playing with ribbon and bows. She's so cute.

My wife is amazing by the way. She was able to buy me a new guitar this year. Not just any guitar... a Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top. This will mean absolutely nothing to the majority of you reading this, but take my word for it, there few, VERY FEW, guitars that are made better, or have as good a tone as these.
Here's a picture from Andersons website: copy and past in address bar
http://www.andersonguitars.com/cfPages/showSingleGuitarGallery.cfm?passedID=2&finishID=29&bodyWoodID=16
Thank You Shar
I also got a few new shirts, a jacket, a sweater, a case of strings for my acoustics and some pajamas.

Didn't do anything for new years. I'm boring like that.

To-Go Art

2005-09-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Ready To Get Busy

2005-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

We are located about 1/2 mile from La Sierra University. They are a huge part of our customer base and have had the longest summer(in my opinion) in college history. But, to my joy and delight, they're returning to class next Monday. This week all of the freshman are on a retreat to welcome them to the college and introduce them to a few of the counselors that work on campus. It's also an opportunity for a few of my "loyal" customers to brainwash the "noobs" into knowing about how good our shop is and how crapy the competition is. We are expecting a much higher percentage of students this year than the previous. We have coupons going into the freshman welcome packs. One of my best friends is designing another coupon that he'll distribute to the students mailboxes, and this Friday, I'm playing acoustic guitar at the first youth meeting of the school year. They always give me a plug when I'm there. I love this school. I love the friends that I've made at this school. Without the support of the students we wouldn't be in business. Good Stuff.

New Art

2005-09-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

Black Cat at Stell Coffee and Tea in Redlands

2005-09-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite cafes to go to, when I'm not at mine, is Stell Coffee and Tea in Redlands.
And, it just so happens, one of my best friends of ten years works there. So, I thought I would spread the love of my winnings from Intelligensia and split the first bag of Black Cat I received from Matt.

These shots were pulled using a stock 4 group LM Linea.
Ignor the dirty steam wand. We did this between a couple of drink orders.

Mike!

Viva Bar... Is that trade marked?

Mike poured this beuatiful triple rosetta while we there.

WTF??!!

2005-09-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

What the F?!?!
Spamers be on a rampage yo!!
No more comments, IM me;)

Black Cat pics

2005-09-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Me and Black Cat

Naked Cat Shot

Sweet Ristretto

Sweet Victory

2005-09-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

I won some coffee for an article I wrote for Home-Barista.com.
Four pounds of Black Cat from Intelligentsia and six 12oz bags of the coffee of my choice from Counter Culture Coffee. I'm so stoked! I've heard so much about the Black Cat on line, but I've never had the opportunity to taste it. Well, no longer!! I received my first bag today, and let me tell you it's not just hype. It's fabulous!! I loved it. I know there are different flavor profiles that can be pulled out of espresso, depending on the grind, amount packed and amount poured. But, my favorite flavors are by far the dark/bitter sweet choc., dried berries, pepper, anise, and thick syrupy mouth feel. Ooohh. I'm tingly all over!! The Black Cat delivers on all these levels. I didn't really care for it in the triple basket with the naked portafilter, but I did like it in the 17gm basket over packed slightly and poured to approx. 1.5-1.75oz in 24 seconds. It seemed like any longer then 24 seconds and it would go blonde immediately for a ristretto. For a lungo it held up well to about 28 seconds at 2-2.5oz. I have yet to try it in a milk based drink, but I'm confident the thick flavor will have no trouble cutting through. I'll post pictures soon.

What's Going to Happen?

2005-08-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, here's the deal.
Our lease is up in April. I do not have plans to renew. The management, however, are a little slow when it comes to doing anything. One of my neighbors was paying rent and doing business in his spot without a lease for almost 8 months. My plan is to at least stay through May in order to keep the 24 hour LSU Finals Week going all the way through the school year.

It's a difficult realization to be sure. We have been approached by developers who are offering us a unit right on the corner in the same shopping center we're in now. They have also offered the unit to Starbucks but would like to see a small business go in before a big box fast food chain like the *bucks. But, the renovation cost as well as the rent increase, make it a very difficult move to fathom. We would need to cover the cost of remodeling two units into one, redecorating, building, buying new equipment to accommodate the space and hiring several people to cover the sifts required. And, while it would be on the corner, on the commute side of the road no less, it's still in a crappy, poor part of town crawling with vagrants and druggies! Our business would need to increase 5 times over in order for us to scrape by. Not plausible.

We also have some customers who are interested in investing in our business. They are not, however, interested in the corner unit. They want to look into the other side of the 91fwy where a new Ralph’s Shopping center will be going in. Or, possibly a kiosk some where. Or, even a coffee truck(think roach coach, but nice). I kinda like the idea of the truck for special event catering, park dedications/events, farmers markets etc. But, it would be a freaking coffee truck! Not exactly the specialty coffee culture I've come to know and love. Although, on my requirements of "Job Selection", making money would probably win over work environment... like a truck.

I've also been in contact with a few coffee houses in the area that I like and wouldn't mind working for if it came down to it. I'd really like to find a place that would teach me how to roast. I'm very interested in that. But, I also love being behind the bar. But, I digress. I hate saying that. It sounds like such a cliché'. I just digressed again! Dang it!!

nick

New Art

2005-08-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

New Art

2005-08-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Greatest Quiz Ever!

2005-08-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Holy Crap!!

The greatest personality test ever!!!
http://www.buttafly.com/starbucks/index.php

I'm Always Surprised by Customers

2005-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Guy walks up to the counter, "Give me one of those cold, strong coffees... with a little bit of milk, and the ice."
"A coffee over ice with room for milk?", I respond.
"NO! The strong coffee that drips" he says, clearly agitated.
"Oh, an iced latte?", I said hopefuly.
"I don't know what you call here! It's milk, ice and strong coffee that drips out of that machine!", as he said this he gestured over to my espresso machine. I immediately realized he wanted an iced latte.
"I'm sorry", I said. "There's just a lot of different ways you can make milk, ice and coffee... that drips."
He got pissed at me?

"Communication works for those who work at it." - John Powell

So True

2005-07-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

And you may find yourself
one quiet morning, faced with an unfamiliar sight.
And you may find all your VentAire bottles,
in every color, washed and ready to be reassembled, all at the same time.

And you may find yourself
taking advantage of the rare opportunity--finally--to rematch the bottles with their original tops and bottoms.
And you may tell yourself,
This is not the geekiest thing I've ever done.
And you may tell yourself,
This is not to humor my beautiful wife, who doesn't get all worked up if the bottles don't match.
And you may ask yourself,
Where does that highway go?

Then you may find yourself
Intentionally mismatching the bottles and tops for aesthetic effect, pink goes on green, purple on yellow, dark blue on light blue--no, that's boring! it should go on the--
And you may ask yourself,
Well...how did I get here?
And you may ask yourself,
Am I right? Or am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself,
My, um, goodness!*...what have I done?

I Passed!!

2005-06-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Some of you know I recently went to Coffee Fest Las Vegas. While there I took a barista certification test. This is the first time certification has been offered by coffee fest and they made the certification process very difficult. So difficult, some of the instructors had to take the test a few times to pass.

There were about 120 people who went through the process, and below is the complete list of people of who past:


First Name	Last Name	Company Name	City	State	Date Certified
Harish	Patel	Barista's Cafe	Tracy	CA	6/5/2005
Todd	Reddeman	Mocha My Day Mobile Espresso	Alpharetta	GA	6/5/2005
Nick	Griffith	Say What?! Coffee House	Riverside	CA	6/5/2005
James R.	Gorring	Espresso Creations LLC.	Brillion	WI	6/5/2005
Rene J.	Ramos	Brewing Grounds Cafe Inc.	Leonardtown	MD	6/5/2005
Brian M.	Gallagher	Brewing Grounds Cafe Inc.	Leonardtown	MD	6/5/2005
Linda	Carlson	Avenue Espresso	Tumwater	WA	6/5/2005
Stephanie	Homer	Seaside Coffee Roasting Company	Seaside	OR	6/5/2005
Brian	Davey	Espresso Parts Northwest	Olympia	WA	6/5/2005

Thats me!! Third one down. I'm so stoked. Congrats to everyone who passed. That test was not easy!
Nick

Latest Art

2005-06-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

More On Coffee Fest - Las Vegas

2005-06-07T01:03:00.000-07:00

I love conventions. I love walking up and down the isles, hearing all of the salesmen, seeing demonstrations, sampling, sampling, sampling. I like the fact that most of the vendors are trying to put their best foot forward and win you over as a possible customer. You should, as a possible customer, be treated like gold. Full attention from someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the product they are representing is an exciting opportunity for me, a possible buyer, to see a product in action being handled by someone who is properly trained and getting the most from that product.

Then, there are the companies who send young pretty girls to represent them, who have as much knowledge about a product that a 3x5 card will allow. These companies make me ill. I'm not that stupid or shallow to drop 8K on a machine because you have a Britney Spears clone in a low cut top talking about the automatic milk frother works. PLEASE!! Get a freaking clue!! Or the espresso salesmen who don't know how to properly pull a shot of espresso!! I'm not going to buy espresso from you if you serve me an 8 second pour and expect me to be blow away by the rich flavor. And really, I saw way to many portafilter lying on drip trays when not in use. Who the hell trained these guys and sent them out to represent their company? And the owner of Astra, who handed me an 8 second shot poured by his new Super-Auto. I handed it back to him and said, "Sorry, that was a little too fast for me. It's too bitter".

And, zero representation from the BGA. Are they trying to make it as wide spread as possible? Even the SCAA booth didn't have ant info concerning the BGA. How serious is this guild?

Coffee Fest - Las Vegas

2005-06-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

It’s Monday, 1:10am and I’m writing this listening to the chatter of 28 college students who are “studying” for their finals this week. Coffee Fest – Las Vegas just finished up and I’m replaying the events over and over again in my mind, trying to remember every detail, every persons name, every new product… but I’m getting dizzy trying to remember it all. I’ll start slow.

My weekend began with the, “Hands on Barista Training” workshop. It was about what I expected, “This is a steam wand”… “ This is a portafilter” ooo’s and aww’s coming from some of the people in the crowd. It was basically everything one would cover while training a new employee. Very basic, but very thorough. Tommy, the lead instructor, was very knowledgeable and very capable of breaking down a lot of information into bite sized, easy to chew bits of information that anyone could grasp a hold of. The other instructors, James, Erika and the “tall guy” (sorry, I forgot your name… please note the time above) were also very capable trainers.

Along with the “Hands On” portion of the training, was a small booklet briefly covering the origin of coffee, the trading of coffee, the growth and development of brewing, the evolution of the espresso machine as well as the evolution of the espresso bar, important books that have come out contributing to the industry and a brief segment stressing the importance of community and customer service. Good stuff.

In all, it was a very thorough introduction to the coffee industry. Being that this was the first time Coffee Fest has offered this type of training, I understand that it is in its birthing stage. However, I would love to see a 3 day training program that covers a lot more.
“Hands On Barista Training” is a good “day one” class, but there needs to be an extension for the barista who has been in the business awhile and wants to expand their knowledge on different levels. Offer something along the lines of, “Machine Maintenance and Setup”, and cover basic repair/part replacement, how to set the boiler pressure, how to adjust the pump pressure, shower screen replacement, group head gasket replacement etc. basic stuff that a “Pro” barista should know. How about a class called “Finishing Touches” Cover presentation of espresso beverages, choosing proper cups, the importance of latte art, looking professional behind the bar etc. These are small things that can make a big difference in setting your café apart from the others. How about, “Signature Drink Building” (self explanatory). I would just like to see a more in depth certification program.

I met some really cool people while there.
David Morris of Dillanos Coffee
David Heilbrunn(spelling?) of Coffee Fest
Wally of Wally Biscotti
Reid & Gavin of Zoka Coffee
Sheri of Cup of Excellence
And I finally got to meet Terry Z. of Espresso Parts Northwest. One of the coolest guys ever.

All of these people are absolute class acts. Very nice, humble and willing talk and share with anyone who was willing to listen.

I can’t wait to go to the next Coffee Fest. I’m debating between the show in Colorado or the show in Seattle. Hmmm… Seattle it is! See you there.

Opprotunity Knocks

2005-05-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

Shar and I have been approached by a husband and wife investor team to design, plan and opperate a cafe. restraunt, and bed and breakfast in Winslow, AZ. They own the building which we would be renovating, and they own a house within walking distance of that building. They would consider us full partners, not employees.

This is a huge opprotunity for us. It's also the biggest descision we've ever had to make. If we say yes, it's a 4-5 year commitment, and we have to consider possibly selling our shop in Riverside, CA. Not to mention we would be leaving our friends and family. If we say no... everything stays the same.

It seems like to good of an opprotunity to pass up, but with change there comes fear and indecision. We're just praying for clear direction.

Arrrrgggggghh!

2005-05-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, Friday morning I'm in bed, halfway between awake and asleep, a twilight sleep if you will. It's 4:40am, 5 minutes before my alarm will sound... and then it happens. Do you like AC/DC? I love AC/DC and one of my favorite songs from them is called, "Thunderstruck". Great track. Building guitars, great vocals, thundering drums... its just one of those "Ultimate" rock songs. Good stuff. So, when you are in "twilight sleep" the slightest little thing can startle you awake. A car driving by, your spouse stirring next to you, even a little whimper from your sleeping baby.

I, however, was awakened by God farting. When I was a kid, that’s what I used to think thunder was... sorry. At least, I think it was thunder. You see, immediately after waking up, I was distracted by what felt like FIREY PAIN making its way from the middle of my right shoulder up to the base of my head knocking the wind out of me. After getting my breath back, I was trying not to scream out in agony. I was letting out little gasps of air trying not to wake my wife(less then a foot away) and my little girl(4 ft. away), but my wife heard my gasps and whimpers and asked me what was wrong. I couldn't talk. I barely got out, "...neck... hurts...".

Finally, I caught my breath. I tried to sit up, "Ahhhh!". I lay there in pain. The first thought that came to my mind was, "How am I going to play at First Service tonight?". Then I thought, "How am going to work?". Followed by, "What time does my chiropractor get to his office?" and then I thought, "Was that thunder?".

My mind came back to my immediate situation of trying to get out of bed. I tried again to sit up, "Ahh!". Not going to happen. This was going to take more planning then I initially thought. I had to role onto my right side and then prop myself upright. It worked. I took a hot shower, got dressed and then drove to the shop with an ice pack draped across the back of neck and shoulder.

After driving to work at 6am, I wound up driving back to my chiropractor at 8:30 and then back to work at 10:30. Not only was I still in pain, but I was tired too. I took it easy the rest of day and, somehow, I was able to play guitar at first service. I probably shouldn't have, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm still not 100% but, I'm getting better.

Using the "Naked Portafilter"

2005-04-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

This seems to be a topic that has dominated a lot of the coffee forums in the past year. Some have said it's a passing fad or trend. Others have said it will revolutionize the way espresso is extracted, and that things will change forever, from this moment on. I doubt it.

While this portafilter mod is a fantastic training tool, and is capable of yielding some of the best tasting, most flavorful, complex, thickest, sweetest shots you'll probably ever taste... I highly doubt that it will revolutionize the industry the way that some would hope.

As far as I know, you can't use the portafilter in competitions, so that's one strike right there. Why would world class baristas start using a tool that cannot be used in competition?
You can't split shots with it.
It uses more espresso grounds, costing the cafe owner more money.
You have to retrain your staff how to use it.
And, you get complacent while using it. The naked portafilter is so forgiving when it comes to extracting espresso, you could dose unevenly, tamp unevenly, tamp with not enough pressure, to much pressure, your grind could be off and still you would pull better tasting shots with it then you could with a standard portafilter. This leads to sloppiness. You start to pay attention to detail less and less and that's not good. Mediocrity is not our goal. Last I checked, this alleged "third wave" of professional baristas, is setting a standard that far surpasses all previous generations of coffee jockies when it comes to knowledgeabilty about coffee, preparation and all around professionalism. If we come to rely on the naked portafilter as a crutch, that would undermine the goal of this new generation. We cannot let innovation lead to complacency.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it shouldn't be used in the professional field. I just want to make sure it's not being abused. At my shop we use two naked portafilters and one standard double spout poratafilter. It's challenging. We use different techniques for the two portafilters, so we really need to watch our consistancy and make sure we serving only quality espresso to our clients.

So what good is it? Up until now, we could only examine the used grounds(puck) from the portafilter and look for signs of channeling. Have you ever tried this? After, hopefully, expelling the spent puck in one piece(good luck), you have to look very carefully for holes in the puck. Really, the best way to determine whether channeling has occured, is to look for your shot going blonde very early. Usually, within 15 seconds. But, with the naked portafilter, you can easily see if you are dosing unevenly and creating a low spot in basket. Not only that, but you can see on what side you are dosing unevenly. The espresso will clearly come out of the basket lopsided. Being able to see this makes it much easier to correct improper dose/tamp techniques.

How do you use it? From what I've head, because of the use of the triple(21gm.) basket, after you have dosed the espresso into the portafilter, creating a small mound, you should gently push the grounds down so as to fill all the gaps and voids that remain in the espresso basket. Then go on to use Schomers packing technique
( http://www.espressovivace.com/article2p1.html ). After trying this technique, I noticed a problem. Everyone has a different idea of how hard "gently" is when pushing the grounds into the voids of the basket. So, at my shop, I implemented a variation of several different doseing techniques to try and create a consistant process when using the new portafilter.

This is how we do it.
While grinding, pull the dosing lever a few times, filling the basket about one third of the way up. Tap the portafilter "gently" on the forks, to settle the grounds in the bottom of the basket.

Dose a couple of more times, tap on the forks again.

Turn the grinder off. Finish the dosing by pileing a small mound of espresso a little bit higher then the basket wall.

Then, place your fingers level across the top of the basket, swirl them around pushing the remaining grounds towards the bottom corners of the basket.

This is what swirling looks like in pictures =)
Then finish with Schomers technique(east,west,north,south).

To tamp. Place the portafilter on the countertop. Make sure the basket is level.

Place the tamp on top of the grounds and with the top of the tamp handle in the middle of your palm, fingers wrapped around the handle (make sure your wrist and forearm are at a 90 degree angle to avoid injury) push down with______ pounds of force. How much force you tamp with is up to you. As long as you are tamping LEVEL, and the grind is set properly, you really can't go wrong. Play around with it. See if your particular blend/roast of espresso tastes better at 30lbs of pressure with a 24second extaction, or 60lbs of pressure with a 35 second extraction time. After your initial tamp, tap the side of the portafilter with the handle of the tamp. Tap it gently enough to knock the excess grounds from the sidewall of the basket, but be carefaul not to crack the puck. Then, tamp with 20lbs of pressure twisting the tamp to polish the top of the espresso. Repeat 20lb tamp and polish.
However you decide to dose and tamp, your end result should look like this.

It's a little blonde, I know, but I was trying to focus my camera.
The stream should be right in the middle. If its not, you dosed unevenly. You will get drops of espresso for the first part of the extraction, but it should turn into one steady stream.

I hope this little blurb contributes something to our pursuit of knowledge and perfection in dealing with espresso.
Nick

"I have read and agreed to all the conditions of the Contest" - Nick Griffith

I know so little... on paper.

2005-04-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

It blows my mind. I've been in this industry for a total of 4 years, been in the food industry, catering events for 15 - 1500 people, for 10 years, owned my own cafe for a year and a half and I still have a ton to learn!!
I never gone through a training program. Never been certified as anything and yet here I am. I serve the espresso in Riverside, and I've really only ever trained myself through techniques I've read about online. Thank you David Schomer and CoffeeGeek.
But still... I want to have that certificate saying, "I have been professionaly trained by the worlds best", to be hanging my wall. I wanna be vouched for! I wanna be a "Made Man" in the coffee world.
Maybe I should go through the Barista Guilds Training program. If I do, should I go through the begginer coarse,"This is called a "steam wand"..." Ugh.

Best One... So Far.

2005-04-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Black and White

2005-04-17T18:54:00.001-07:00

Rosetta

2005-04-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

rosetta

2005-04-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tight Little Leaf

2005-04-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

Coffee Fest - Seattle 2005

2005-04-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

This week several of the worlds top baristas are gathering in one place to talk about one thing... espresso. They are talking about grinding and dosing techniques. Tamping techniques. The lastest and greatest breakthroughs, as far as equipment goes. I'm sure people will be talking that new 5 group Kees at Stumptown. They will all be enjoying each others company, and each others espresso.

Am I in Seattle for this grand occasion? No. I'm enjoying the company of my family.
My parents - who just got back from Hawaii.
My daughter - who is one month and one week old.
And my precious wife Shar - who I enjoy spending time with because she relaxes me and reassures me and comforts me the way nothing else can.
I wouldn't trade this week for anything.

But, next year, you better believe I'm going to Coffee Fest.

My first post here.

2005-04-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

So this is my first post here. Not sure how much different it'll be from xanga, but it seems alot cleaner, I dig the setup.
More posts to follow.
Nick