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19 Responses

1. Starbucks Pike Place Roast - Thumbs Up or Down? | Gourmet Coffee Zone - Daily Blog Says:
   April 14th, 2008 at 8:01 am

   […] the way, are you stuck on one and only one coffee? If so, I recommend our “coffee tasting course” now […]

2. Shawn Says:
   May 20th, 2008 at 8:02 pm

   I’m looking forward to learning new coffee tastes. I’ve found that strong (excessively strong) coffee has a bitter after taste, personally unexceptable to the palette. Just as fine wines are selected for the proper foods, I feel that fine coffees must be matched to the occasion. I do truly believe that a good cup of coffee should bring a “Ohhhhhhh” and a pause. There are much better roasters then mass produced mega coffee giants.

3. Mark Harris Says:
   May 21st, 2008 at 7:18 am

   Shawn,

   Nicely put.

   One of the big rewards for me with our coffee tasting program is the simple opportunity to introduce folks to new and different coffees.

   It’s great fun!

   Yes, yes … a special coffee should evoke “a coffee pause” moment.

   And there are those coffee tasting “ah ha” experiences too. The first time you taste a classic Ethiopian Harar and you’re able to detect that trace of “blueberry” fruit, you just have to stop and say … “oh my”!

   There’s a much broader range of coffees and tasting experiences than most people realize. We see more and more folks every day showing a genuine interest in exploring the coffee experience in more depth.

   Judging by the number of people just like you that join us here, I think a lot of people are ready for taking coffee to the next level.

   With a little bit of palette training, learning about the coffee tasting vocabulary and what to look for in great coffee, I think you’ll be surprised and pleased with what you discover.

   The roasters do play a very significant role introducing and bringing great coffee forward. It always amazes me how much depth and knowledge the premier artisanal roasters like 49th Parallel, Paradise, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture Coffee, Ritual, and others bring to the table.

   We’ll be talking about many of these roasters and their coffees. It’s a great way to learn about some very special coffees.

   Thanks for sharing, glad to have you on board.

   Mark

4. Fausto S. Castrolima Says:
   June 6th, 2008 at 7:47 am

   Hi Mark, thank yo very much for the first letter of the coffee tasting ecourse, I enjoyed it al lot. I have never been in Starbucks but now I will go there to taste good strong international coffee or may be double lot of esspreso coffee. I am impressed about the information you mentioned in your text I did know that coffee had 800 different componets, it is incredible!. I am sure that I am going to learn pretty much with your coffe tasting ecourse.
   Best regards.
   FSCL

5. Mark Harris Says:
   June 7th, 2008 at 5:40 am

   FSCL,

   Great to have you join us for the coffee tasting course.

   If you don’t mind sharing, tell us where you’re from? We have many international coffee fans from countries all over the world in the Gourmet Coffee Zone community.

   I’m assuming you have a Starbucks in your town? Probably a pretty good chance, there are over 15,000 Starbucks stores throughout the world today (with about 7,000 or half of the stores in the US).

   Not sure you’ll find the strongest coffee at Starbucks these days. At least no longer in the US. See http://blog.gourmet-coffee-zone.com/2008/05/26/starbucks-pike-place-roast-update/
   Starbucks has replaced the everyday bold strong brew with something a little milder called Pike Place Roast. Be interesting to find out if the same is true in the international stores?

   You definitely won’t find the best espresso in your local Starbucks. But, by all means, give it a try to find out and establish a basis for comparison. Then, see if you can find or track down a specialty coffee house or store in your town where they have a passion for great coffee and skilled baristas on board that really know how to pull a great shot. You might have to hunt around a bit.

   Cheers, and thanks for the comments.

   Mark

6. jim gortner Says:
   July 28th, 2008 at 5:26 am

   Mark,
   Great job in making coffee talk understandable and interesting. Most coffee books and articles talk down to the reader or have a trendy geek approach that puts off the average joe that coffee businesses rely on. Thanks!

7. Anupama Says:
   October 24th, 2008 at 10:06 am

   Mark,
   Its great to be part of the ecourse. Me, when i tasted coffee for first time, i was mad. It was bitter. I had passion for coffee, but i never knew about coffee tasting. Later on, i felt great, unknowingly, i developped a passion to taste coffee.Day by day, i started to feel excited to know more and more about coffees. You know, Indian coffees are wonderful. Am not exposed to coffees all around the world. Indian coffees are wonderful. Indian coffees are high grown, shade grown coffees which are grown at 5000-6000ft high. India grows Arabica as well as Robusta. Most Indian coffees are used as base coffees for different blends. They have a characteristic flavor, amazing body and wonderful acidity. As the coffees are high grown, they are well balanced. India has got three speciality coffee, Monsooned Malabar, Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold and Robusta Kaapi Royale, each are unique in its own characteristics. I guess you should be knowing about Indian Coffees….!! But its like, how great the coffee is, how good the coffee is, its in the hand of Roast master who has to bring out its characteristics… There is much and more about Indian coffees…. Its really great feeling to be part of the coffee world. Thanks Mark.

8. Anupama Says:
   October 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am

   Actually mark, in India there is no star bucks and i have not travelled out of India. I want to taste star bucks, but i have not got opportunity to taste their coffee. India, has got big coffee chains like Cafe Coffee Day, Barista coffee, Coasta Coffee and few other small coffee shops. To taste a very good coffee, basically, i feel its in the hand of each of every one from seed to cup….!!

9. anupama Says:
   October 29th, 2008 at 10:04 am

   hi mark,
   I have a question for you.. There are lot of espresso machines in the market right…A blend is it designed or developped according to the machine or machine is designed according to the coffee? Is all the machines available in the market of different categories, are they one and the same ? if not where they differ from each other exactly? In regarding to capacity or software used or technology or where exactly?

10. Mark Harris Says:
    October 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Anupama,

    So glad you’re enjoying the coffee tasting course so far.

    You have terrific enthusiasm, and when it comes to espresso, you’ve hit on a particular coffee passion of mine. You ask a number of good questions about espresso machines, blends, technology, … more than I have room to answer here in a single response, actually.

    In fact, once you get going, you almost have to write a book about the subject, there is so much to say and learn.

    But let me take your first question about blending beans suitable for great espresso. And I’ll also steer you to several pages on our web site that talk about espresso machines in a little more depth.

    First, you’re on the right track about espresso blends. Many people have the misconception that there is a special or specific coffee bean produced to make espresso. Not really the case.

    In fact, you can make espresso from many different coffee beans (some will be great, and some will be awful).

    More accurately, espresso refers to the method of extracting a strong, concentrated pour of coffee by forcing very hot water (close to boiling temperature) under high pressure (9 to 10 atmospheres) through a lightly compressed bed of finely ground coffee. The result is accompanied by a unique phenomena called “crema”, a layer of tan colored rich foam that is indescribably great when it’s done right.

    And while we’re on the subject, let’s dispel the misconception that there is something called an “espresso” roast. There are dark roasts, Italian and French, and medium roasts, and light roasts, but really nothing officially called an espresso roast, although how often have you seen a package of roasted coffee beans labeled “espresso roast”.

    Darker roasts are popular for making espresso, but the truth of the matter; you can achieve some spectacular espresso results with medium roasted beans and medium/dark roasts.

    Which brings us to the blends. Some of the best and most popular espresso products offered by the premium coffee roasters are blends. This is actually where the mastery of the artisan roaster comes into play.

    The roast master blends several coffee beans together (sometimes even beans roasted to different levels) to create the best combination for espresso. For example, in our coffee tasting course, I mention a typical espresso blend often starts with a Brazilian for the base (yellow or red bourbon) for good crema, and adds a Central American to raise the acidity and brightness, and an Indonesian (Sumatra or a Sulawesi) for extra body and richness.

    You can certainly try your hand at espresso with single origins, and I encourage everyone interested in espresso actually do so. It’s part of the learning experience.

    In fact, it’s become somewhat of a fad in recent years at a number of premium specialty coffee houses to offer single-origin espressos.

    But, in my humble experience, I think the better espresso results come from the masterful blends - both a combination of beans and roast levels that best compliment the espresso process.

    As for the espresso machines, let me point you to a few pages on our site.

    http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso.html - a bit of espresso history and background

    http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-technique.html - how to make great espresso

    As for an espresso machine recommendation, yes there are hundreds of options available from the low $200 USD up to $10,000 USD or more for commercial grade equipment.

    With all of the choices, we still like to recommend the Rancilio Silvia. It’s up to almost $700 USD today, but still makes a fantastic entry level espresso machine that will push you to learn the proper technique, and understand how to control the espresso process. As with all espresso machines, there’s a learning curve. It takes practice. But that’s half the fun!

    The rest of the fun is enjoying a great shot of espresso you pulled yourself!

    http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-machines.html - Rancilio Silvia

    And remember, it’s all in the grind. Achieving great espresso results is almost impossible if you don’t get the grind right. But that’s another discussion …..

    Thanks for your comments, keep ‘em coming.

    Mark

11. Mark Harris Says:
    October 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    @Jim Gortner,

    My bad, I missed your comment a while back. Thanks so much for the nice words.

    Really, with millions of folks enjoying coffee these days, and making the effort to expand their enjoyment, why wouldn’t we want to bring everyone into the conversation?

    After all, it really is interesting stuff!

    BTW, Steeple Gallery looks like a charming place to visit. http://www.steeplegallery.com … an art gallery, coffee house and live bluegrass jam sessions. Now that’s a coffee combination!

    I’ll make an effort to stop by if I get to that neck of the woods.

    Mark

12. anupama Says:
    October 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am

    Dear Mark, actually i could not get exact answer for my question. What ever you have said, is perfectly right. Like about espresso machines, espresso roast. blending part etc. But my actual question is, for example lets take rancillio silvia, or any other machine, is it some thing like blending is done according to machine and its technicalities or according to market or whether machines are done to suit a particular coffee or blend? And is it some thing like, blend will differ depending upon each and every machine? All the espresso machines, work on similar mechanism, i.e., pressuirzed extraction… There are different categories of machines in the market…like single group, double group, three group, four group etc. There is again a astoria and lamorzacco, which are both two group or three group..the later one is costlier than prior one..so what makes the difference…?

13. Mark Harris Says:
    October 30th, 2008 at 9:06 am

    Anupama,

    OK, let me try and answer a few more of your questions directly. I think it really does take a book

    Is blending done for the machine or are espresso machines designed to suit a particular coffee or blend?

    Answer: Espresso machines are not designed for a particular coffee bean or blend. Nor are coffee blends designed for a particular espresso machine. I think this will only confuse you to try and make this kind of connection or correlation between coffee beans and blends and espresso machine design.

    I hope you took a look at the page on our web site I provided - more details about espresso machines. This should give you a better idea about the different classes and category of machines.

    http://gourmet-coffee-zone.com/espresso-technique.html

    If I can help a bit more with your questions about the different classes and categories of espresso machines.

    Consumer level machines.

    • Price range ~ $200 to $1000 USD
    • Most affordable for consumer home market, but less capability
    • Single group head (not producing high volume of espressos per hour)
    • Smaller boiler, need more recovery time between shots, temperature control can be a challenge
    • Smaller boiler also means you are limited to steaming a smaller quantity or volume of milk at one time, and usually takes longer to steam
    • You can learn to produce great shots of espresso with a consumer machine, often steeper learning curve to ramp up on proper technique. But a perfect way to learn the fundamentals, something every great barista has to cover.

    Prosumer machines

    • price range ~ $1000 to $2000 USD
    • single group head
    • More capability, but still designed for the consumer/home market. A small commercial operation or restaurant can use a Prosumer machine if the volume isn’t too high (number of espressos per hour you have to produce)
    • Usually has somewhat larger boiler, which enables a bit more stable temperature control, faster recovery between shots, more steam volume for steaming milk, etc.
    • Should be more rugged and durable design for somewhat heavier usage.
    • Requires technique as always, but can be a little more forgiving, can be a little easier to produce more consistent shots once you get the hang of it.

    Commercial level machines

    • price range ~ $5,000 to $15,000 USD and up
    • multiple group heads - 2, 3 or 4 so you can produce more espressos simultaneously, at the same time. In a commercial application, it’s about handling the volume of espressos per hour that you have to produce (so you don’t keep your customers waiting forever).
    • larger boilers - able to produce higher volume of espressos per hour, much less recovery time between shots, ample steam capacity to steam larger quantities of milk in faster time, more boiler capacity also means better temperature stability. Lot’s of ample steam volume also helps produce better steam results, hit that ideal micro-foam consistency for latte art, etc.
    • Technology - PID is common (progressive integral derivative temperature control). The deal is, temperature control is tricky. To produce consistent espresso, shot after shot, you want to narrow in on a tight temperature range at the group head. PID technology does a good job of keeping the temperature consistent (say around 200 to 204 degrees F) at the group head for optimum extraction. Note, you can find PID on some prosumer level machines, but adds to cost. Without technology like PID, the barista needs to master the technique of “temperature surfing” (flush after shot, time the recovery interval manually, perhaps look at the boiler and group head pressure if you have the guages, better if you have a group head temperature guage but not always equipped). And there is one guy who actually offers a PID attachment for the Rancilio Silvia - requires a mod to the machine (these are remarkable engineering accomplishments brought to market by some very dedicated and passionate home enthusiasts).

    So to net it out a bit more. The primary characteristics that separate the different categories of machines mostly deal with the following:

    • Volume and capacity of the machine to handle more espresso shots and steamed milk per hour in a busy commercial environment.
    • Durability of the machine to hold up under heavy use in a commercial environment (typically don’t need this ruggedness for a home consumer machine).
    • More advanced technology like PID in the more expensive systems to provide better temperature control and insure more consistent results, shot after shot.
    • There is also the aspect of manual, semi-automatic and fully-automated (computer controlled, one-button crank out the espresso). Both for the home/consumer market, and the commercial environment such as a restaurant perhaps, some like the fully automatic computer controlled machines, because these systems require less skill and training to learn how to produce good espresso results. However, when you let the computer take over, you generally forfeit some control. A true barista with passion will almost always choose and prefer the semi-automatic systems (and some die-hards will only go for the manual machines), that let you drive and retain control.

    Hope that helps.

    So, the big question. Are you in the market for an espresso machine?

14. anupama Says:
    October 31st, 2008 at 10:45 am

    No, am not in the market for espresso machine. But am basically interested about espresso machines and techincalities. To say, research kind of thing about machines which are in the market. Me, rather than pulling the shot, at this point of time, interested to understand internal features of the machines. So, in that enthusiasm happened to ask you this particular question… Can you just brief me, about roasters too…! Like what are the main parts of a roaster, difference between commercial and a house hold roaster… Who are the big players right now in the market? Where can i get the detailed information about roasting machines and technology?

15. Diena Says:
    November 13th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    I just signed up for the Coffee Tasting eCourse and am excited about it. I want to be able to add my own evaluations to my website. I’m anxious to start, but I want to be prepared. What kinds of coffee will I need to have in order to complete this course? I appreciate your answer.

16. Mark Harris Says:
    November 14th, 2008 at 7:26 am

    Hi Diena,

    Welcome aboard. Glad to have you join our coffee tasting course. We cover the characteristics of various coffees, single-origins and blends throughout the course, learning about tasting vocabulary, roasts, and the differences between coffees from the different regions as we go.

    Let me refer you to this page on our site about coffee bean varieties. I’ll give you a hint. We start with a South American, an Indonesian, and an African to show some the differences and contrast between these regions.

    Mark

17. Hand Drip Coffee Maker - A Coffee Brewing Question | Gourmet Coffee Zone - Daily Blog Says:
    November 14th, 2008 at 11:58 am

    […] Here’s a great question about coffee temperature and brewing coffee with a hand drip coffee maker from one of our subscribers to our Coffee Tasting Course. […]

18. Diena Says:
    November 17th, 2008 at 5:31 am

    Just read the newsletter on basic coffee characteristics. I’ve heard of these terms before, just as I’ve heard about wine tasting characteristics. I’m hoping that, the further I get into this course, I’ll understand a “fruity” flavor, etc. At this point, I know the terms, but can’t really define or distinguish them by taste.

19. Mark Harris Says:
    November 18th, 2008 at 4:51 am

    Diena,

    I think you’ll find there are a lot of similarities between the practice of “tasting wine” and “tasting coffee”. In either case, there is a “tasting vocabulary” that we collectively try to agree on, and reach a consensus on what these terms mean.

    The best approach is just to practice “tasting” coffee. That’s what we try to do with the coffee tasting course. I think you’ll find that the more you “taste” coffee, exploring and looking for the characteristics you’re reading about, the more it will open up for you.

    Some of the coffee tasting aspects will literally jump out at you with a certain coffee, and others are more subtle, like the hint of “blueberry” fruit tones in a good Ethiopian Harrar.

    Enjoy the coffee, and thanks for your comments.

    Mark

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