This particular roast style was new to me until Mike Perry explained it to Aaron and me. The “American” roast is what most specialty roasters use in this country; the burners are turned on low, staying within a given temperature range from the get-go, and once the initial development time is met, the temperature is increased until first crack. With the Norwegian roast, the burner is off during the whole initial development time and applied in high force until first crack in order to make up for lost time. We roasted and tested both roast styles and between the three of us, decided we liked the “American” roast style better; this is probably because our palate is used to its flavor characteristics as both produce quite unique flavors.

Britt Peterson

Most of the time when Mike was here we worked on espresso blends, but he also gave us some insight on drip coffee blending and a system which I plan on using. He told us an important key to this process is to know what each individual coffee tastes like on its own. So, we started off roasting each coffee of interest with 2-4 different roast profiles in order to provide different flavor characteristics. Next, we set up a cupping to include all the different coffees and took notes on each. Then we start taking a spoon of this, a spoon of that, and a couple spoons of another to create a blend while continuously tweaking the blend until we like it. This process is great because it allows you to test many different blends and ratios all at once and give you immediate results.

Britt Peterson

So, I think I am still recovering from last weekend when I was basically saturated with caffeine. Mike Perry, from Klatch Coffee in California, paid us a three day visit for espresso training. We spent all day on Thursday roasting every coffee we were interested in putting into an espresso blend, and doing at least two different roasts of each to see what we liked better. Following all the roasting, we tested each as an individual shot and then with milk, taking notes on the flavor characteristics and giving them a score based on how well we liked them. After tasting each coffee as a shot, we then started combining different ratios and combinations of each to try as an espresso blend. Once blended, we pulled shots of each, took flavor notes, and then tweaked them to get just the right taste and balance. It took a toll on my body, but the whole process and experimenting with the coffees was a great learning opportunity!

Britt Peterson

Now available is Paradise Roasters Indian Liberica Coffee. Coffea Liberica makes up another species of coffee, on a much smaller scale than the more popular Arabica and Robusta coffees. Therefore it is not usually imported into the U.S. We were lucky enough to nab this gem which is not only delicious as a drip coffee but also as an espresso. Need a pick-me-up? Liberica is a perfect choice. It has about 3 times more caffeine than Arabica coffee! So, order today because we’ve only got a limited quantity!

Britt Peterson

Although grinders are automatic and do the majority of the work for you, that is not to say you should ignore the look and taste of your espresso, which are heavily influenced by your grinder.

Every time you use your grinder for espresso, you should dial in. This means you need to make sure the grinder is set for the correct coarseness or fineness. The first shot you pull should be a tester…meaning time the shot and judge your espresso’s appearance and taste. If the shot is running too slow, hardly dripping out of the portafilter, adjust the grind finer. There is a turn disc on the grinder with arrows pointing in opposite directions of fine or course. It usually only takes a couple of notches over to do the trick. Next, purge any grounds leftover in the holding chamber in order to start with a clean slate. Keep repeating this process until the espresso is up to your standards, adjusting for either courser or finer grinds. Once you are dialed in, especially if you are the predominant user on the machine, you will not have to continuously dial in every shot as it should be set from the last use. Things like the freshness of the coffee or the type of coffee beans would be reasons to check and make sure all the specs are in line for your shot.

Britt Peterson