tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.comments2024-01-11T03:13:22.344-08:00Coffee ContrarianKevin Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comBlogger377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-18998682889575255842017-09-01T08:50:45.467-07:002017-09-01T08:50:45.467-07:00Dear Kevin,
thank you very much again for this ad...Dear Kevin,<br /><br />thank you very much again for this advice. I ended up getting a bag of this La Minita, and it's completely blown me away - one of the best coffees I've ever had, and it's opened up a new world for me in terms of what coffee can do. Your comment also got me to get the Clever brewer out again, and I don't know what problem I had with it before, but it's been working beautifully for me with this coffee.<br /><br />Unfortunately they were out of the Ethiopian natural by the time I ordered, and I tried the washed version instead, which I've found to be OK, but nowhere near as good as the La Minita. I'm hoping to order some more of their coffee in a few weeks, anyway.Tobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02045373076509877047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-27293504276036457562017-07-29T11:53:09.583-07:002017-07-29T11:53:09.583-07:00Hi David -
Thanks for writing.
It seems to me ...Hi David - <br /><br />Thanks for writing. <br /><br />It seems to me that the Reserve Roastery project is what remains of the old product-driven passion, and while it's a tiny part of the business there are some great coffees being offered there, albeit at pretty obscene prices. Still with Mr. Schultz giving that project his full attention I expect great things to happen. <br /><br />Yes, the Teavana debacle on top of the precious tea debacles (killing the great whole leaf tea program, which happened under my watch, then the buying and squandering of Tazo) shows that Howard should have stayed with what he told me when he made me get rid of our great teas and pawn off all the tea customers on Upton: "if they want tea, let them go to China" (and yes, this is a verbatim quote). <br /><br />Good luck!Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-59415775556026392342017-07-28T21:17:51.975-07:002017-07-28T21:17:51.975-07:00Kevin,
Thanks for another informative post. I lik...Kevin,<br /><br />Thanks for another informative post. I like reading your impressions of vastly different coffees such as the two from Batdorf & Bronson you've most recently profiled.<br /><br />As I've commented before I'm a store manager at Starbucks. From reading what you've written in the past I get the sense that there was a real spirit of adventure at Starbucks in the early years. It seems like the sourcing of rare, exotic and exquisite coffees was a reality back then and just a slogan now. Today we are more interested in playing it safe with consistently unremarkable coffees meant to be doused with dairy and sweetener. For this reason I enjoy when you write about unique coffees that are rare if not mythical these days. <br /><br />Thanks again for the post. I'm not sure if you've read the news that Starbucks is closing all Teavana stores but I'd love to get your take on what you think the future of specialty coffee and tea is some time.<br /><br />DavidAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-67752588164430663562017-07-28T21:02:50.928-07:002017-07-28T21:02:50.928-07:00Kevin,
I'm so happy to have another post from...Kevin,<br /><br />I'm so happy to have another post from you. I'm even happier to have a recommendation from you for a coffee that embodies all you speak about. Thank you for keeping this blog alive. I look forward to more insights from your considerable experience in the industry.<br /><br />David<br /><br />P.S. I bought your book a while back and I found it incredibly useful in furthering my knowledge of coffee.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-54789338755557145432017-06-30T11:49:41.155-07:002017-06-30T11:49:41.155-07:00Hi Kevin,
It's been around 3 years now that I&...Hi Kevin,<br />It's been around 3 years now that I've been reading your blog and I simply want to say thank you.<br />I'm in the coffee business for around 15 years and still consider myself a student; your writings have been one of my favorite online teachers :) <br />I'm on my way now to Crete, for a week, with the wife and kids and am taking my Clever with me. The same Clever I bought following one of your posts.<br />So... thanks for sharing and for still writing.<br />DanAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08995800955400994593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-40672432864344027882017-06-30T10:47:17.027-07:002017-06-30T10:47:17.027-07:00Hi MJ!
"Sweetness" has a pretty long hi...Hi MJ!<br /><br />"Sweetness" has a pretty long history of use among professional cuppers, while "balance" is purely a consumer marketing term - and a good one!Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-69089451676139628532017-06-30T09:36:13.900-07:002017-06-30T09:36:13.900-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.MJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15699077990131220687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-65486517658031516212017-06-30T09:35:36.113-07:002017-06-30T09:35:36.113-07:00If Sweetness is defined by professionals as "...If Sweetness is defined by professionals as "a perfect symmetry of acidity, flavor and body," then what's the definition for Balance? MJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15699077990131220687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-72340511036674994002017-06-28T23:06:17.860-07:002017-06-28T23:06:17.860-07:00Wonderful, thank you - I will be in the US in a co...Wonderful, thank you - I will be in the US in a couple of weeks and I will do my best to get hold of this and give it a go, and I'll report back when I do. Perhaps I'll even get my old Clever dripper back out again (I haven't used it in years, after a few experiences with it not draining properly).<br /><br />Also, thanks for keeping this blog going - I'm a complete ignoramus when it comes to coffee, but I always find your posts fascinating.Tobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02045373076509877047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-39627271989665739772017-06-28T15:06:45.895-07:002017-06-28T15:06:45.895-07:00Hi Toby!
You can't go wrong with this lot of ...Hi Toby!<br /><br />You can't go wrong with this lot of La Minita from Batforf & Bronson, that's for sure. Vacuum pot would be my first choice for such a refined and sparkling coffee, followed by Clever Dripper or other good drip pot. Aeropress works great too but I'd go with the company's own recommendation: one Aeropress scoop or about 12 grams of beans per 6 oz. cup, quite fine grind (~Melitta), using below-boiling water with a quick stir and less than two minutes of infusion time (basically just however long it takes to stir, add more water up to the meniscus and gently plunge). Would love to hear what you think of the coffee. Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-14821580378317216012017-06-28T11:58:40.953-07:002017-06-28T11:58:40.953-07:00As someone who got into coffee via the third wave ...As someone who got into coffee via the third wave coffees that you don't like, but was very impressed by your Upton Tea recommendations, I'm minded to try this - any particular brewing tips? From this comment:<br /><br />http://coffeecontrarian.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/in-praise-of-plushness.html?showComment=1463766130857#c3427376433983943195<br /><br />I'm wondering about using an Aeropress for 5 minutes on a French Press grind?Tobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02045373076509877047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-70007567920439553532017-06-27T11:35:48.887-07:002017-06-27T11:35:48.887-07:00Thanks Patrick and same to you! Thanks Patrick and same to you! Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-12377542844690864062017-06-27T11:12:51.268-07:002017-06-27T11:12:51.268-07:00Whatever you plan to do, I wish you luck and happi...Whatever you plan to do, I wish you luck and happiness!Patrick Boothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13909066337238588435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-17471650610936227972017-06-27T10:55:53.766-07:002017-06-27T10:55:53.766-07:00Thanks Patrick!
Yes it has been awhile and I'...Thanks Patrick! <br /><br />Yes it has been awhile and I've thought about just retiring the blog. Living in Mexico most of the year means I'm even further removed from current goings-on in coffee retail than usual. Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-87634320744363902492017-06-27T07:44:17.055-07:002017-06-27T07:44:17.055-07:00Excellent posts, Kevin! Glad to see you posting a...Excellent posts, Kevin! Glad to see you posting again!Patrick Boothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13909066337238588435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-19162628891650632372016-08-24T18:25:12.148-07:002016-08-24T18:25:12.148-07:00Totally agree with you.
My families roasted cof...Totally agree with you. <br /><br />My families roasted coffee for 46 years now. I'm currently a 2nd generation roaster going on 15 years at our company. <br /><br />There is an unfortunate nature people have (especially in regards to espresso blends) to think that dark is the only way to go. <br /><br />Our Espresso Blend has always been at #11 on the chart, yet all it takes is some uneducated or misinformed person to insist that espresso has to be 12-14. <br /><br />I'm sorry if I sound negative, it just becomes frustrating trying to educate people on how roasting dark destroys the origin characteristics of many of the various coffee's around the world only to have the remark "well coffee is coffee" come out. <br /><br />It actually is a disservice to alot of the micro lots out there that are being abused by bad roasting habits.<br /><br />Why bother buying a washed Ethiopian limu that should cup on the light spectrum to taste like kefir lime if your going to burn all of that unique taste and end up with the typical dark roast taste, aka licking an ash tray....<br /><br />Not to say there aren't coffee's that perform well dark, but that is few and far between...<br /><br /><br />My biggest stress in the industry is the constant comparison to the ________ brand from Italy vs locally fresh roasted product. <br /><br />Some times I believe it would be easier explaining quantum physics than it would be to explain the timing in which one should be purchasing/drinking coffee.<br /><br />I cannot for the life of me figure out (aside from being brainwashed by branding) how anyone could drink stale imported coffee vs locally roasted.<br /><br />Anyway, I hope you the same good luck and good journey/fortune as a fellow keeper of the flame. <br /><br />KOTFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14658022233830334927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-91360582195136439392016-07-01T07:29:22.759-07:002016-07-01T07:29:22.759-07:00I just wanted to very belatedly thank you for this...I just wanted to very belatedly thank you for this post - it got me away from my usual sheng puerh drinking to trying some of these black teas, and I've been blown away by them. If you ever post an update of more recent picks I'll be very interested (my personal recent favourite has been the ZK52 Keemun Xiang Luo).Tobyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02045373076509877047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-59011828601484787742016-05-25T16:06:08.489-07:002016-05-25T16:06:08.489-07:0064 fl. oz. (a half-gallon) or more puts you square...64 fl. oz. (a half-gallon) or more puts you squarely into commercial rather than residential brewer territory. A plumbed-in Bunn, American Metal Ware or Fetco brewer with all of the bells and whistles would be my first choice. Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-90756698003010060432016-05-25T13:12:40.918-07:002016-05-25T13:12:40.918-07:00Noticed you've had good things to say about th...Noticed you've had good things to say about the Technivorm and Bonavita brewers, but unless I'm missing particular models, these seem to top out at 40-50 oz of brewed coffee. What would you suggest as an auto-drip for someone looking to brew a little more, say in the 75-100 oz range?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11801722388067835891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-34273764339839431952016-05-20T10:42:10.857-07:002016-05-20T10:42:10.857-07:00Hi Jordan,
I'm not a fan of Pike Place (start...Hi Jordan,<br /><br />I'm not a fan of Pike Place (starting with the fact that the full name is "Pike Place Roast," indicating that the marketing department idiots have so thoroughly taken over the place that no one understands the difference between a roast and a blend) and of course ending with its incredibly bland flavor (already offered by House Blend and many other ill-advised creations). <br /><br />Brewing is another story though, and batch brewing at Starbucks or anywhere else that has the good sense to use well-calibrated Fetco or AMW brewers is far superior to the wretchedness of single-cup pour-over, for reasons doubtless well-known to you (contact time between grounds and water for drip needs to be 4-6 minutes, flat bottom filters work far better than cones, brewing into a pre-warmed insulated container beats the hell out of glass, etc. etc.). For that matter I'll take Starbucks espresso over any Third Wave coffee in Seattle, not only because it's properly roasted for their pour but because they still use a 14 gram dose for a ~2 fl. oz. double shot rather than overloading the portafilter with cinnamon-roasted whatever and then exacerbating that error by pulling an über-ristretto shot. <br /><br />Tony's Carmelita Blend in particular was the best coffee I had all last summer in the Pacific Northwest, and I look forward to visiting them up in Bellingham. <br /><br />Thanks again for your comments and kind words, and enjoy that gorgeous part of the country. We'll be up there in a few weeks ourselves. <br />Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-13884324718041280932016-05-20T10:18:59.878-07:002016-05-20T10:18:59.878-07:00Always nice to read your posts Kevin.
I've b...Always nice to read your posts Kevin. <br /><br />I've been vacationing this past week and periodically drinking the house blend (Pike) at Starbucks. It's somewhat roasty tasting but always fresh and hot. There's something to be said for batch brewing if done right and I think Starbucks understands that part of the equation.<br /><br />I can personally recommend Tony's coffees (Cafe Carmelita and Tony's Blend in particular) as I've been enjoying them for several years. <br /><br />I wish you the very best in Tucson....JordanJordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01405949973018245097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-38750942317655529652016-05-20T06:42:31.078-07:002016-05-20T06:42:31.078-07:00Thanks Jack!
I too frequently check out the offe...Thanks Jack! <br /><br />I too frequently check out the offerings of roasters I know do a good job with sourcing. In some cases folks who used to offer moderate roasts have joined the lemming-like rush to see just how light they can go, but there are certainly companies out there (Batdorf & Bronson, Tony's in Bellingham come to mind immediately) who still offer full city roasts. <br /><br />I'll hope to have some good things to share from Tucson in the future. Thanks again for your comments, and best wishes. Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-72226436072610642802016-05-19T16:11:20.096-07:002016-05-19T16:11:20.096-07:00It's been too long between posts. Happy to hav...It's been too long between posts. Happy to have you back. Your comments are always very insightful. I too have been disappointed lately with the offerings from third wave roasters. One of the reasons I got into home roasting years ago was to get away from the burnt offerings that had become popular. Now we have the opposite. Even though I'm a home roaster I do occasionally buy roasted coffees from some of the "better" roasters to calibrate my senses. Fortunately I have found cafes that truly understand coffee preparation. Unfortunately I have had a lot of sour pourovers too. I'll take coffee from a properly calibrated batch brewer any day. I wish you success in your endeavours in Tucson.<br />Best regards.... JackAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16674696368604458746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-43121408691150301242016-03-03T07:00:23.974-08:002016-03-03T07:00:23.974-08:00Hi Dan,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. It&#...Hi Dan,<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughtful comments. It's such a pleasure to hear from someone who really knows Peet's and lived through so much change there. <br /><br />I'm drinking a cup of their new Big Bang blend at the moment, and of course I agree with you wholeheartedly. Peet's continues to buy large quantities of phenomenal coffee, and while I don't know all of the players on the green coffee side there anymore I have the utmost respect for Doug Welsh and of course Elliott Jordan on the tea side. I know from my own experiences at Starbucks and Allegro how challenging it is to be a product-driven person in a company that goes from being product driven to marketing driven. <br /><br />While I'm not a fan of any number of boneheaded innovations at Peet's in recent years I will still happily drink their Sulawesi, Kenya, Ethiopia Super Natural, Aged Sumatra and any number of limited edition offerings over any of the godawful cinnamon-to-light-city roasted stale swill on offer from the leading Third Wave purveyors. <br /><br />As Jim Reynolds himself pointed out years ago, the best (and now only) way to experience what Peet's is capable of is through mail order, where the best coffees are still roasted to order and sold at realistic prices. Unfortunately you can't reliably buy anything else - from brewing equipment to chocolate to (sadly) tea - but the the coffee is still phenomenal and as you say the roasters understand their craft and practice it at a level that few can appreciate. <br /><br />Thanks again for your comments, and every good wish. And yeah - here's hoping some of the Peet's know-how, especially about roasting, rubs off on Stumptown. Kevin Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151736463964404979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3804228947196894311.post-7633804112144679802016-03-02T20:41:20.362-08:002016-03-02T20:41:20.362-08:00Kevin,
I just discovered your blog after searching...Kevin,<br />I just discovered your blog after searching around for anybody that understood Peets. I was at the company shortly after they went public in 2001. I stayed at the roastery till just after they pushed Jerry and Jim out in around 2006. They were tumultuous times to say the least. I was the Lead Machine Technician(installed and maintained roasters and packaging equipment) and started the quality control lab for the packaged coffee. <br />I was in love with the coffee, and still really can't enjoy any other roasts like I do Peets. I moved to Oregon after leaving Peets and was introduced to Stumptown, as all the coffee shops in my town were serving it. After nearly ten years of either ordering Peets or being disappointed, I just started home roasting so I could get something roasted beyond full city. As I started looking for information on roasting all I seem to find is talk about light roasted Central American coffee, as if that is the pinnacle of coffee. <br />I don't agree with most of the things that have happened at Peets in the last 15 years, and Alfred is most definitely rolling over in his grave, but I know they still source amazing coffees, and the roasters are still hand roasting on their old Probats, some of who have been there close to 25 years now(the roasters, not the machines!). <br />I know this is kind of a rant, but I just wanted to say I hope Peets can be a good influence with Stumptown, with sourcing and roasting, so more people might enjoy the style Alfred brought to us. <br />Thanks for your insightful blog.<br />Dandpstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11171553143832500508noreply@blogger.com