Lorie Obra of Rusty's Hawaiian Coffee discusses how she got into coffee growing and her aspirations.

1. Start with fresh roasted coffee, no older than 21 days.
2. Grind the coffee beans immediately before brewing.
3. Use a coarse grind.

4. Add 9-10 grams (about 2 T) of ground coffee per 6 oz of water to the press pot.

5. Use near boiling water (at least 200 degrees F).
6. Pour the water evenly over the coffee grounds, ensuring all of the coffee gets wet.

7. Set the top of the press over the wet grounds to help prevent heat loss.
8. Let coffee steep for 3-4 minutes.

9. By pressing the filter down, push all of the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot.
10. Serve immediately and enjoy.

I'd like to say a few words on a matter that there seems to be some confusion about. One of the more common questions I receive is "How should you store coffee?", or "Do you recommend freezing coffee?". The quick answer is yes, if you aren't going to consume the coffee within 2 weeks you should freeze it.

Given that the last post on our website was satirical in nature (see "Expresso Is King"), I'd like to clarify that this post is a serious one. Freezing coffee is a hotly debated subject in specialty coffee circles. A lot of people cringe at the idea of keeping coffee around for longer than a few weeks after roasting and I think because of this freezing is looked down upon.

Coffee Freshness

What there isn't any debate about is the fact that coffee is a very perishable product. Virtually any coffee professional you could ask would agree that the ideal shelf life of roasted coffee at room temperature is a matter of weeks, if not days. At room temperature, I would suggest a 14-day window for espressos and a 21-day window for drip coffees. Bare in mind that these are guidelines, not rules. The older a coffee gets, the less flavor it has. That why freshness is key to enjoying the full potential of your coffee.

Why Coffee Changes Flavor Over Time

Coffee "staling" is a result of both chemical and physical processes. Over time, oxidation takes place which changes the many chemical compounds found in coffee that contribute to flavor. There are also physical processes taking place, such as CO2 "degassing". Probably just as important, coffee can absorb bad flavors from its environment.

How To Slow The Change

There is a simple fact of chemistry that should be the end-all of this to-freeze-or-not-to-freeze debate. Chemical changes (reactions) slow down as temperature is decreased. There are a multitude of chemical changes taking place as coffee stales, and each happens at its own rate. But the lower the temperature, the slower these changes will take place.

The Negative Side Of Freezing

There is still a right way and a wrong way to freeze coffee. If you don't freeze it right, you risk degrading the coffee even faster than simply storing it at room temperature. The real bad guy is condensation. Unfortunately, freezing introducing the opportunity for condensation to happen. Also, if your freezer has any odor at all, the coffee may absorb that. So give your freezer a good sniff before attempting this.

The Right Way To Freeze Coffee

1. Make sure your freezer is free of any odor
2. Place your unopened bag of coffee in the freezer
3. Take the coffee bag out of the freezer 24 hours before you plan on using it
4. Once the bag is opened, don't re-freeze the coffee
5. Consume the thawed coffee within 7-10 days

The key point here is don't take the coffee in-and-out of the freezer, because that will create condensation on the coffee beans which is very destructive.

Aaron Meza

Roastmaster

On Thursday, expresso surpassed espresso in being the most popular word to use when referring to espresso as measured by Google analytics tool, gwords. In recognition of espresso's defeat, Paradise Roasters will willingly stop using the word espresso when referring to espresso. Paradise will instead use the word expresso as that is recognized by more people as the correct word to use. While it is dissapointing to see such a word as espresso die, it doesn't come as a surprise. Espresso has had a hard time combatting the onslaught of expresso as is evident by expresso's rise in popularity in the news, Twitter, and Facebook, and by switching now, we believe we are doing the right thing as this word evolution (or wordvolution) occurs.

Paradise Roasters would like to extend an invitation to all other specialty roasters in discontinuing the use of espresso and using expresso in its place. Paradise would also like to propose that expresso be defined as a type of bean that is blended with other expresso beans and then roasted until they are black and very oily.

Today, we mourn the loss of espresso and welcome the new king – expresso.

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We recently unveiled our new website and hope you like the new look. There's some features that were added like the ability to check on your orders, buy gift certificates, manage your account, but there's also a big change with our wholesale prices. They're now available to anyone who orders either 6 12oz bags of a specific coffee or 1 5lb bag of any coffee. You don't need a special password or access to a hidden area of the site, because the prices are on every product page. Just select the appropriate size option and the discounted pricing will be available.

Our Sumatra La Minita "Aceh Gold" was reviewed in the April issue of Coffee Review. It placed 3rd with a score of 92 points (read the review here). This coffee has a very similar taste to the Sumatra Blue Batak that we offered a short while back. If you've been a fan of our Sumatra offerings you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

Just arrived and fresh as can be. Sumatra - La Minita Aceh Gold is a sweet, earthy coffee not unlike the Sumatra Blue Batak we used to carry. This coffee is roasted a bit darker than the Blue Batak was which gives it great body and a lasting, earthy finish.

http://www.paradiseroasters.com/sumatra-aceh-gold

There are only a few pounds left of our Burundi Bwayi Lot #5. Burundi Bwayi is dominated by a heavy body and bright, citrus-like acidity. In the background, lighter floral notes reside. As the cup cools, a gentle cocoa flavor becomes apparent. We think this coffee is pretty enjoyable at all temperatures, from right off the brew to room temperature.

http://www.paradiseroasters.com/burundi-bwayi

We have 2 new coffees available for purchase. The first is a natural-processed, micro-lot Ethiopian called "Ardi". It's a bit chocolatier than the other natural Ethiopian we currently sell, but definitely backed up by lots of fruit flavors. The 2nd new coffee is a S.O. Espresso® from Brazil called "Ouro Preto". It's perhaps the sweetest S.O. Espresso I have every tasted. Nothing too complex, just a nice creamy and chocolaty body. Great as a straight shot or with small amounts of milk. More complete descriptions are available on the product pages:

Ethiopia Sidamo - Ardi Product Page

S. O. Espresso® - Brazil Ouro Preto Product Page