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CafeAntonio invites you to MySpace

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"Taylor The Latte Boy" by Kristin Chenoweth

There's a boy who works at Starbucks
Who is very inspirational
He is very inspirational
Because of many things.
I come in at 8:11
And he smiles and says, "how are you?".
When he smiles and says, "how are you?",
I could swear my heart grows wings

So today at 8:11,
I decided I should meet him.
I decided I should meet him in a proper formal way.
So today at 8:11
As he smiles and says, "how are you?"
I said "Fine, and my name's Kristin",
And he softly answered, "hey".
And I said, "my name is Kristin,
and thank you for the extra foam"
And he said his name was Taylor
Which provides the inspiration for this poem.

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh, Taylor, the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him

So I'd like to get my nerve up
To recite my poem musical.
He would like the fact it's musical
Because he plays guitar.
So today at 8:11
Taylor told me he was playing
In a band down in the village
In the basement of a bar.

And I saw him flip the lever
To prepare my double latte,
But for me he made it triple,
And he didn't think I knew.
But I saw him flip the lever,
And for me he made it triple,
And I knew that triple latte
Meant that Taylor loved me too.
I said, "what time are you playing,
and thank you for the extra skim".
He said, "keep the $3.55",
because this triple latte was on him.

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh, Taylor, the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him

So many years my heart has waited
Who'd have thought that love could be so caffienated?

Taylor, the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him.
I love him, I love him, I love him.

The Coffee of Jabez Podcast: Episode 5

My Morning Routine:
Preparing Coffee for My Family

This morning I prepared three cups of coffee for my parents and myself using a Proctor Silex (http://www.proctorsilex.com/) Drip Coffee Maker (with manual switch; pull-out, flat-bottom brew basket; and shower head).

Here's what I used for today's breakfast brew:

Boiled water for pre-heating

3 pre-heated coffee cups

18 ounces of fresh cold water

6 tablespoons of ground organic coffee (Bon Cafe)

Blade Grinder (blender attachment)

Measuring Cup

Measuring Spoon

Mobile Blogging Down South

Hi guys! Since I'll be in Dumaguete next week and I won't be coming back any time soon, I decided to make a mobile blog or moblog since I can't bring this laptop that I'm using. Keep posted and I'll tell you about my adventures in Dumaguete City.

The address of the new blog is: http://www.dumaguetebeanscene.blogspot.com or you could just click the title of this post.

I'll be using my Nokia 3100 for blogging and my sister's broken Sony-Ericsson Z520i for taking pictures and videos.

Family, friends, and readers, I'll keep you updated! Take care and God bless! Please pray for my trip.

Tales from the Crema

There has been a slight change of plan. No longer will I pursue and wait for Starbucks since it's been awhile since my last interview and the call for the next interview is simlpy taking way too long. That much waiting is bad for my health and my skills are getting rusty. The BER months have come and September is about to end. No way will 2007 end with me w/o a job!

Looking for a job is hardwork (or maybe I'm just too picky). I would like to say thanks again to the people who funded and trained me to become a barista. I'm sorry guys, but I'm still here blogging without a job. I can't wait for Starbucks anymore. It's time to move on.

I'll be packing my bags for Dumaguete and I'll be leaving next week. Goodbye San Pablo City, Laguna and hello Laguna, Dumaguete City (part 2!). Yes, I'll be in Cafe Antonio again, back with the good'ol Pinero family and their friends. I'm looking forward to honing my skills there and helping them out.

I don't have a laptop (I'm using my mom's for my blogging) and you won't be hearing from me for awhile. I hope I can have Internet access every once in a while so I can update you regarding the coffee scene down south. Cafe Antonio just recently opened a branch in a call center down town.

Well, see you! God bless us all!

Sharing Coffee

Sharing Coffee

from Let Me Tell You A Story

by Tony Campolo

If you need some good stories, just come to Philadelphia and wander around the streets downtown. You will meet many wonderful people and have many varied experiences. You will certainly come away enriched by some strange encounters.

One day, about the noon hour, I was walking down Chestnut Street when I noticed a bum walking toward me. He was covered with dirt and soot from head to toe. There was filthy stuff caked on his skin. But the most noticeable thing about him was his beard. It hung down almost to his waist and there was rotted food stuck in it. The man was holding a cup of McDonald's coffee and the lip of the cup was already smudged from his dirty mouth. As he staggered toward me, he seemed to be staring into his cup of coffee. Then, suddenly, he looked up and he yelled, "Hey, mister! Ya want some of my coffee?"

I have to admit that I really didn't. But I knew that the right thing to do was accept his generosity, and so I said, "I'll take a sip."

As I handed the cup back to him I said, "You're getting pretty generous, aren't you, giving away your coffee? What's gotten into you today that's made you so generous?"

The old derelict looked straight into my eyes and said, "Well...the coffee was especially delicious today, and I figure if God gives you something good, you ought to share it with people!"

I thought to myself, Oh man. He has really set me up. This is going to cost me five dollars. I asked him, "I suppose there's something I can do for you in return, isn't there?"

The bum answered, "Yeah! You can give me a hug!" (To tell the truth, I was hoping for the five dollars.)

He put his arms around me and I put my arms around him. Then suddenly I realized something. He wasn't going to let me go! People were passing us on the sidewalk. They were staring at me. There I was, dressed in establishment garb, hugging this dirty, filthy bum! I was embarrassed. I didn't know what to do. Then, little by little, my embarrassment changed to awe and reverence. I heard a voice echoing down the corridors of time saying "I was hungry; did you feed Me? I was naked; did you clothe Me? I was sick; did you care for Me? I was the bum you met in Chestnut Street...did you hug Me? For if you did it to the least of these, you did it unto Me."

Wonderful story isn't it? I had this Tony Campolo book for a very long time and I haven't touched it yet. But when I did, this was the very first story I saw and read. Perfect timing indeed! God bless us all.

The Coffee of Jabez Podcast: Episode 4

Foaming Milk: The Unconventional Way
THE SHAKE & HEAT METHOD



This isn't the way baristas would foam their milk since real foam is made using the steam jet attachment in an espresso machine. Anyway, this is still fun and makes decent foam if you don't have an espresso machine. You can also make foam using a plunger pot or french press by pumping on the warm milk repeatedly until it foams up. Remember to use non-fat or skim milk. Fresh, full cream, and whole milk will not foam using this "shake & heat method".

Making the BLD Blend

Well, I've been asleep all day yesterday and I'm very glad to be back typing my thoughts once again. So here's what I've been up to last weekend. I was invited over by a group called BLD (Bukas Loob sa Diyos) to make a coffee blend which they could sell for a fundraiser. Making a blend is really tough and I know expert blenders go through millions of cupping sessions before they approve the perfect blend for them. In our case, we had one night to make a decent blend.
I bought under a kilo of Italian roast beans thinking that a dark roast would never go wrong. I had a couple of imported flavored coffees with me which I figured would go well with the beans I bought. After hours of computing, weighing, and horrible math, I figured that this blend would be just right. We mixed and grinded, mixed and grinded. The fragrance of the ground coffee was awesome and it filled the whole house. Cupping was crucial. How would this coffee taste? I tasted it first and my evaluation was it was bold and slightly acidic. Len, the girl in the middle of the picture, thought it was bitter. But hey, all brewed coffee tastes bitter to a non-coffee drinker. Haha! I told her that it wasn't bitter but acidic. Toni (left) and brother, TJ (right) thought that it was just ok since brewed coffee realy tasted that way. And so we called Len's evaluation as the "Len Standard".
The truth is, most Filipinos have the "Len Standard". We usually put a lot of sugar and cream into our coffee that's why we don't know how real coffee tastes like. Filipinos use instant coffee a lot too--coffee that were made to suit the Pinoy tastebuds.

I told them that the pefect cup of coffee has 2 tablespoons of coffee in 6 ounces of water. That proportion was too strong indeed for non-coffee drinkers. And so I told them that they could adjust the propotions according to their own taste.

It dawned upon me that it is up to the people to make their own perfect cup of coffee. Everybody has different tastes and preferences. For Filipinos, the perfect cup has to be sweet, mild yet gives a kick strong enough to help them stay awake.

As of now, I haven't heard from the BLD people. Did they sell the coffee? Hehe. We made 34 packs for 60 bucks a pack (8 tablespoons). I sure hope they did!

The Coffee of Jabez Podcast: Episode 3

A Low-Tech Way to Prepare Coffee

BREWING COFFEE W/O A DRIP COFFEE MAKER (STEEPING)

Let's Drink to That!

My sister just gave me (via my parents) six kinds of coffee from Singapore last weekend. I hope you could come here in San Pablo some time and visit me so we can sample these amazing coffees.

The coffees are as follows:

- UCC (Ueshima Coffee Company): Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee - probably the most expensive coffee in the world! One cup of Blue Mountain Coffee in UCC costs about 3oo bucks! About 90% of this coffee is bought almost exclusively by the Japanese. UCC is a Japanese-owned company. It is also the only coffee transported in oak barrels (because coffee is usually packed in jute bags). Let's see what the hype is really all about.

- UCC: Kilimanjaro Coffee

- Cafe de Moulu de Mexique

- Mama Musetti Amaretto-Flavored Coffee

- Lavazza Qualita Rossa Caffe Espresso

- BonCafe Organic Coffee

Drink up!

Kofiholics Anonymous (KA) - O Bakit ka Nawala?!

Back in high school, my batchmates and I go to a special place called Kofiholics Anonymous or KA almost every Friday night. It was a given destination after having Bible study at Tita Glo and Tito Gene's home (where I used to stay as a boarder). We continued doing this until
it closed down in 2005, only 4 years after opening in 2001. A very short existence indeed, I don't even know why it closed.

I had my first shot of espresso at KA. And I also had my first Americano at KA. Coffee and cake were my "study food" whenever I go to the aircon section of the cafe to study for my Math11 alone in the afternoon. It was perfect!: books, coffee, cake, and math (not exactly my favorite subject, I got a TRES on that subject). Yeah, I had my moments at KA...

I was so fond of the place that I agreed with my Spoonbridge bandmates, Yell and Retz, to play some nights at the cafe. We were 2nd year college students at that time, no longer high school kids. I think this was in 2004. I used the experience for a paper I was writing for our SOC 100 (Social Organizations) class. The class required us to work somewhere, and being able to play in a band in a cafe was the best job in the world. We played on Tuesdays or Thursdays, I think, at 7 pm.

We played 3 or 4 times I think, we texted everybody we knew and made them come and watch us. Hehe. Hakot crowd! We would play about 15 to 20 songs for a show. We had a very nice time playing there, we were paid with food or gift certificates.

And what made it better is that I got a perfect UNO for my SOC 100 paper entitled "Banda dito, Banda Doon". Hehe, nice one! I was able to get a perfect grade for something I really enjoyed doing.

When KA closed down, it became difficult to find a place where you can just sit down with your friends in a quiet place and have a Chocolat--one of our favorite drinks. There was LB Square, but the atmosphere is just very different.

I like KA's facade, from the outside you can only see its door, a small glass door. When you come inside you'll see a small staircase leading you to the smoking area and then you see everything. Paintings, artwork, books, a band playing on the small platform. Oh my, bakit ba to nawala!

After KA was gone I looked for cafes that can offer the same experience or somehow simulate the ambiance. Wala! Other cafes in elbi were just too small.

Yeah, sayang talaga. Miss ko na magdinner dun kasama batchmates ko. Neil, tanda mo pa yung hindi mo nakuha yung spaghetti mo? Hehe! Memorable indeed!

Hey, if you have your own KA story, please feel free to add at the bottom of this article on the "comments". Thanks and good day!

Help! My Coffee Tastes Bitter!

This isn't included in the list of blog topics, but I suddenly had this urge to write about BITTER COFFEE. Many people tell me that coffee without sugar and/or creamer taste bitter. Is coffee really bitter by itself? Is bitterness a characteristic of coffee?

The answer is: of course not! Why would anyone drink and enjoy something bitter?

So why is your coffee bitter? Here's a checklist:

1. You put BOILING water on your coffee. Water used for coffee should be "off the boil"--meaning you have to wait for a few minutes after the water boils.

2. Your coffee is OLD and has deteriorated. Your coffee becomes bitter, stale, or flat. No flavor. Bad taste. Coffee should be consumed immediately (within a week)

3. You bought POOR quality coffee. This means you bought coffee beans with an uneven roast, uneven grind, etc.

4. You made your coffee the WRONG way. Wrong proportions dude and wrong method of brewing. Too much coffee, less water.

5. You have mistaken ACIDITY for bitterness. Acidity is a good characteristic of coffee. Acidity can be described as sharp, bright, tangy, or mild. Or any other appropriate adjectives.

Already did the right things but still have bitter coffee? What coffee are you drinking?! Please tell me.

Don't MASK the flavor! Taste it, describe it, enjoy it!

Coffee Speak V: All About Flavored Syrups!

Ever heard of fancy flavors like Amaretto or Curacao? What the heck are these? "Well this sounds good, can I have that Praline syrup on my latte?" Hehe

I was browsing my coffee files in my room and found my binder with my coffee class handouts from Heny Sison. I saw the syrups section, "Well this looks interesting!" So let me share to you half a page of these exotic-sounding syrups.

Amaretto - I once had an amaretto-flavored creamer my sister bought for me and it instantly became a perfect match for my coffee. It tasted like almond extract. Well I was right. According to the description, Amaretto "comes from apricot pits and herbs and yields a pleasant almond flavor." So this means if you want an almond-like taste, go for the amaretto.

Anisette - The syrup actually comes from the anise, you know the weird dried-up, cookie-looking spice or herb, I don't know what it is, but I see it on the grocery. It's used for cooking, watch Iron Chef. The description says that the Anisette is "an anise-based syrup (of course), very sweet, and similar to licorice." Mmm...licorice! Ever tried a licorice stick or candy?

B-52 - "A combination of Kahlua, Irish Cream, and Grand Marnier"...whatever that is. Have you tried this B-52? Tell me about it.

Blue Curacao (pronounced: CURE-A-SOW) - "Flavored with green peels of under-ripe oranges." I have no idea what under-ripe oranges taste like. And the adventure continues...

Creme de Cacao - We hear this a lot, usually in bars more than cafes. It's a "blend of cocoa and vanilla beans." Woah, you can't go wrong there!

Creme de Cassis - "Black currant-flavored syrup." I've tasted black currant juice but a syrup? In coffee?

Creme de Menthe -"Peppermint-flavored." Sweet, definitely. Too much will overpower the drink.

Grenadine - Finally, something familiar! "Pomegranate-flavored." Yep!

Irish Cream - What's more familiar than Irish Cream, right? It's actually a mixture of "coconut and vanilla cream-flavored syrup." "Slightly tangy too." I wonder what's so Irish about coconut? Hmmm...origin of the name anyone? Maybe Wikipedia has an answer. Go... (www.wikipedia.org)

Kahlua - We hear this a lot too, it's actually a "Mexican coffee flavor." I thought it was Hawaiian.

Praline - Praline is actually chocolate made with butter, I'm sure you've had a praline chocolate at some point in your life. It's described as, "a syrup made from nut kernels boiled in sugar, with a slight hint of vanilla."

Last one...

Maraschino - We've all heard of Maraschino Cherries. It's always mentioned on cooking shows. You know, the cherries found in bottles in groceries. The cherries actually come from "Dalmation Marasca", thus, the name. The syrup is extracted from the "cherries and its pits."

That's it for now. There are a million (exaggeration) syrups in the world used for coffee. Syrup people, with all their talent and creativity, can extract syrups from almost everything! Of course from food or any edible thing, you can't use syrups from paper or tires. Hehe, anyway...please join me in my quest of tasting these amazing syrups. Please tell me if you tasted one from the list I made. OK thanks!

God bless y'all!

Cafe Antonio -- You Gotta Be There When You Visit Dumaguete!

Last July, I had a one-week OJT in Dumaguete City at a cool coffee shop called Cafe Antonio (http://www.cafeantoniocoffee.com/). Before I saw the place, I was expecting to see a small shop, just like most of the cafes over here. You know, small, quaint, cozy cafes with small counters and couple tables. And of course, I was wrong. Cafe Antonio was definitely unique, it's on the second floor of an old Spanish house! The facade doesn't reveal the interior of the place which is made of thousands of bricks that really looked cool and rustic. I went inside and it was packed with people, mostly students from Siliman University. I quickly noticed that there were swings that served as chairs--swings as chairs in a cafe?! Pure genius pare, pure genius!

It was a huge place, it looked like a really classy restaurant, a bit intimidating of course. I saw the owners at the counter together with the cafe staff and their friends having a nice time. I didn't know anyone and I couldn't understand a thing! But it didn't matter, my host, Atty. Rolly Pinero (and tita Rene Pinero at their home), led me to the counter and I went inside and stationed myself near the LaSpaziale espresso machine. He introduced his sons, who are also the managers, Edison, Rayvin, and Rochris. There was also the amazing barista El Karlito and the cashier, Kristel.

Strangely, I immediately felt at home. It was a dream come true. The ambience was unbeatable. You have to go there to understand. Words cannot describe it tsong! Coffee artworks are displayed all over the place by owner, Dixon Peralta. There's a sala set, a piano which anyone can play, a canvass where you can paint, and an open area where you can pass the time on a swing. Here's more, the PRICES of the FOOD are INSANELY cheap! Insane! Insane! You can look at their complete menu on their Friendster account(www.friendster.com/cafeantonio). I kept thinking, "If Cafe Antonio was in Los Banos, this would be the most happenin' place in town!"

Yeah, recommendations, first you have to try to their coffee. The Cafe Antonio Housblend has a great flavor, it is distinctly sweet, perfect for the Pinoy palette. Brewed coffee is served like an Americano--a shot of espresso with additional hot water. The beans are freshly ground. You can also watch the barista make your coffee. Try the espresso made with their Houseblend beans. It has a sweet finish and it delivers a "oomf" to your mouth. When I drink their espresso, I wince in pleasure and then I look at the sky and close my eyes, hehe. You can also watch the barista do cool latte art on your cappuccino or latte. And some etching too on your caffe mocha. You must also try the Black Forest Frappe and the famous Blue Crush and Granita Blush. They have great cakes too and full meals. Pair your frappes with the cakes, perfect combination! Oh yes, you have to try the Espresso ala Mode! One of my favorites!

If ever the owners are there you could talk to them about coffee. They are very passionate indeed about their cafe and they know a lot about the industry. They just celebrated their first anniversary when I went there. So, believe it or not, it can get better, so much better.

I really can't synthesize my whole experience at Cafe Antonio for you but if ever you visit Dumaguete City (which is in Negros Oriental), I don't know why you'll be there, maybe for a vacation or to visit some friends, OJT, practicum, thesis, whatever reason! Hehe, I hope you drop by at Cafe Antonio and at least order a brewed cup of coffee together with some cake.

Cappuccino vs. Caffe Latte

The question: What's the difference?!

Today's blog entry will try to help you make the decision whether to order a cappuccino (ka-pooh-chino) or caffe latte (ka-feh lah-tey) when you order in your favorite cafe.

SIMILARITIES:
1. ESPRESSO SHOT. Both of these drinks are espresso-based. Meaning that a standard serving of a cappuccino and caffe latte has a SHOT (1/2 -2 oz) of pure coffee goodness sitting comfortably at the bottom of your cup.

2. MILK. Both of them are served with MILK (whole, fresh, lowfat, skim, half and half, etc.). For some cafes, lotsa milk! It's sooo milky you'll get an upset stomach. That's because the "casein" in milk and the "oil" in coffee aren't the best of friends.

3. FOAM. Both of them have FOAM -- you know, the microbubbles that fluff-up the top of your drink.

DIFFERENCES:
1. PRESENTATION. A cappuccino is served on a 6-7 oz. cup...CUP...CUP! The sexy-kind of cup, the one with a narrow base and a wide mouth. But this cup is relativeley hard to find so other cafes just serve them in regular cups or mugs, so forgive them. But the IDEAL serving size of a cappuccino is just like the one I described as a sexy-kind of cup.

A caffe latte, on the other hand, is served on a 7-8 oz. GLASS...GLASS! Again, most cafes don't serve lattes on a glass, but IDEALLY, serving a latte in a glass enables the drinker to see how much milk is in the drink. LATTE means MILK, so the drinker would be happy to see how MILKY the coffee has become. It is also used to distinguish from a cappuccino.

When you go to cafes that serve their cappuccinos and lattes this way, applaud them, and tell them "Muy bien amigo!" Then shake the barista's hand.

2. PROPORTION. A cappuccino has 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 foam in a 6-7oz. cup. Equal proportions dude. However, if you order a WET cappuccino, you get more milk; a DRY one has more FOAM.

A caffe latte has steamed milk filled to the BRIM of the glass. It's a milky drink indeed...LATTE. Sometimes cafes put just a WHISPER of foam para cute ang presentation, hehe or baka nagkamali ng pag-steam ng milk, sumobra ang foam! Para di sayang ang gatas, hehe.

3. GARNISH. This is very important for the identity of the cappucino. CINNAMON is dusted on top of a cappuccino just to say, "Hey, I'm a cappuccino, not a latte!" A latte, however, has latte art on it. You know, the leaf or heart design. But that doesn't mean you can't put latte art on your cappuccino! Kanya-kanyang trip din yan!

So what? Would you like a cappuccino or a latte?

If you're into warm milk, go for the latte. If you like both coffee and milk at the same time, go for the cappuccino. By the way, you can get the barista to put 2-3shots of espresso on your drink if you don't want the milk to overpower your drink.

That's it!

Hehe, I just remembered, I ordered a large cup of cappuccino one time at a certain coffee shop (I won't say the name of the store) and, to my surprise, the amount of foam was tremendous! I didn't finish it, the cup was so big, I can barely taste the coffee. I sprinkled cinnamon and cocoa, but it did not work.

If you don't know what to order, just say..."BREWED". It works!

Good day!

How Pinoys Like their Coffee

Filipinos like their coffee SWEET. That's what I have learned for the past 4 months of serving coffee in our home and anywhere else I had the opporturnity to serve. Like everyone else, I used to put sugar, milk or creamer into my brew. And now I know why: Sugar and Milk mask the bitterness and staleness of a year-old coffee. It also hides the flavor of instant varieties. Or we simply don't like the taste of brewed coffee. Maybe. We all have our reasons.

"Jabez, maglagay ka ng sugar"..."maglabas ka ng gatas"....."lagyan mo ng creamer".....

I get that quite a lot before because I usually serve my coffee as is, BLACK.

So I asked myself, "How can you appreciate the flavor of coffee if you put sugar and cream?" That's almost not coffee anymore. How would you know if your coffee is a Brazil, a Sulawesi, or an Ethiopia?

But of course, I had to be understanding. But I kept on thinking how I would I be able to serve coffee without sugar and cream. So I experimented in my "lab". Hehe

The black coffee was not working and I couldn't get people to appreciate the body, acidity, aroma, and those kinds of stuff in coffee tasting. "This wouldn't worK," I told myself. And I understood because it didn't work for me before. It took me quite a while to appreciate black coffee.

1

And so I listened to the demands of my guests and finally served sugar and milk alongside their coffee. I didn't mix it for them, I let them do the mixing.

2

After that phase, I decided to mix the coffee, sugar, and milk for them. The response was much better this time.

3

After that phase, I pre-mixed equal amounts of chocolate powder, milk, and sugar and put 1 teaspoon of the premix into their coffees. That was less hassel for me and a better-tasting coffee.

4

And right now, I'm in the stage of adding just sugar to their brew.

Slowly but surely, people would be able to appreciate coffee as it is.

In the final analysis, Filipinos still prefer their 3-in-1 coffee over brewed coffee. But Pinoys also love their Barako (Coffea liberica) freshly brewed. But we still add sugar to it.

There's nothing wrong with adding milk and sugar really. Even I put some when I drink my coffee at lunchtime.

For those who are looking for coffee that is naturally sweet without the additives, checkout Latin American coffees like Coloumbia or Brazil. It has nutty and chocolaty characteristics. You can also try the Kalinga Blend at Mountain Coffee in Tiendesitas. It's so sweet you can drink it like chocolate milk. Mmm...

If you have tasted coffees that have delighted you in any way, please tell me so we can see if Pinoys really do like their coffee SWEET.

Thanks!

Future Topics:

8/29 - Cappuccino vs. Caffe Latte

8/31 - Cafe Antonio Houseblend Review

9/02 - Coffee Speak 5 - Your Daily Guide to Coffee Lingo

9/04 - The Infamous Instant Coffee

9/06 - Pinoy Coffee Myths

9/08 - Pairing Coffee with Food

20 Packets of Coffee Distributed Last Night

Yeah, puyat!

Last night, I distributed 20 packets of my Special Batchmate Blend to my high school batchmates during our dinner at LB Square. Thanks for the get-together guys! Iba talaga kayo, feels like home!

Total packets distributed since last week: 73!

Note: I grinded the coffee beans 2 hours before I left for Los Banos.

The blend contains an equal amount of arabica and robusta beans with a hint of barako (liberica) and a dash of Hawaii's Lion Coffee: Chocolate Macadamia Flavored Coffee (http://www.lioncoffee.com/). A few received the Special Batchmate Blend with Italian Espresso Roast.

Here's how to prepare your coffee (just to make it clear):

1. Empty your packet of coffee into a mug or a cup (a 6-7 oz. cup). The packet contains 2 tablespoons of coffee

2. Boil some water then let it cool for a while (boiling water makes the coffee taste bitter)

3. Pour 6 ounces of hot water on your coffee grounds. You will notice that the grounds would float and create some kind of foam

4. Leave it there for 4 to 5 mins and let it STEEP. Do not stir

5. Scoop out the foam or use a strainer

6. The perfect cup of coffee is made of 2 tablespoons of coffee and 6 oz of water. So what you have just prepared is the perfect cup. If you want more coffee just add hot water. BUT remember that water dilutes the taste of coffee.

7. Enjoy!

Thanks everybody! I'll be looking for more opportunities to give away free coffee for everybody to enjoy! God bless!

Coffee Kids: Grounds for Hope

There's this website I found at www.coffeegeek.com, it's called Coffee Kids (www.coffeekids.org). "Coffee Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping coffee-farming families to improve the quality of their lives." Here's what's written on their home page:

Coffee & Compassion
As you sip your morning coffee or enjoy that afternoon espresso, do you ever think about where it comes from? Around the world, millions of people literally dedicate their lives to growing coffee. Unfortunately, the blessings of coffee don't always filter down to the people who grow it. Coffee farmers earn as little as a penny-a-pound for their harvest, and even during the years when crops do well and prices are high, the children of coffee growers go without much that we take for granted.

The Coffee Kids Story
My name is Bill Fishbein and I own a coffee shop in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1988, I traveled to Guatemala and came face to face with the reality of coffee and poverty. When I returned home, I joined friends to start Coffee Kids as a way for coffee drinkers and coffee related businesses to give something back to the families who grow coffee. If you enjoy coffee and care about the people producing it, then you should join Coffee Kids. I invite you to browse our web site, learn what we do, and become a Coffee Kids member today.

Source: http://www.coffeekids.org/

Is there a similar organization in the Philippines? If there is, please inform me and I'll be willing to help or make a donation (when a get a job!) I'd also like to support the cause of Coffee Kids. If you know someone who has the heart and cash (hehe) to help coffee farmers and their children, please refer them to this website: http://www.coffeekids.org/

Thanks and God bless you all!

The Story Behind "Mocha"

For regular readers of The Coffee of Jabez, you may know by now what a "caffe mocha" is. For those new to this coffee education blog, a caffe mocha is an espresso-based drink with chocolate syrup, steamed milk, and foam layered in a clear Irish mug or any kind of mug.

But the term "MOCHA" is widely used to refer to COFFEE and CHOCOLATE mixed together. Interestingly and historically, this is actually correct!

During the 17th century, Europeans (English, French, and Dutch) and most of the world got their supply of coffee from Yemen in the Port of Mukha. Since coffee came primarily from this port, Europeans soon called the imported coffee, MOCHA. The commodity was named after the place of origin (similarly, this is also what happened to the term "CHINA" which is still used today to refer to fine porcelain).

Coffee was widely known first in Europe before chocolate, since chocolate was only drank by nobility (specifically in Spain). So when the Europeans (English, French, Dutch) first tasted chocolate, it reminded them of their MOCHA. This is because of the similar characteristics and flavor profiles of COFFEE and CHOCOLATE.Because of this, the term MOCHA was used for both coffee and chocolate.

And yes, this is the reason why coffee and chocolate go well together. They enhance each other's flavor creating a full and rich experience in the mouth.

These days, MOCHA is used to refer to the mixture of both coffee and chocolate together with milk and whipped cream. You see, it's amazing if you know the history behind your drink!

You can make your own MOCHA at home just by brewing a cup of coffee and then adding your usual powdered chocolate drink with milk! Prepare one today and remember the history behind this amazing drink, CAFFE MOCHA!

Good day!

References:

An Introduction to Coffee by Pacita U. Juan and Ma. Regina S. Francisco, 2007

Coffee by Philippe Boe, 2001

www.wikipedia.com

Highlander Coffee Supreme

I bought two 250-gram bags of Supreme Blend for 19 Singapore dollars after my barista workshop at Highlander Coffee last month.

This blend definitely has an amazing taste, unlike the other blends I've tasted before. I couldn't quite figure out where the beans came from but I'm guessing that it has a good amount of Latin American coffees because of its pleasantly mild taste. Phil Ho, the owner of the cafe, told us that it came from different regions like Latin America, Africa, and Indonesia. But I failed to ask him the proportions.

Anyway, if you're looking for a great breakfast coffee, this is for you. I've been looking forward to it every morning. Sadly, I only have one bag left and its in danger of deteriorating so I have to consume it at once.

I applaud the uniformity of the roast and the size of the beans. Very high quality indeed. Masterfully roasted, very impressive! It gives an assurance to the drinker that he will get a quality cup just before grinding and brewing the beans!

My mom enjoys the coffee blend too and when she asks me to make coffee she specifically asks for Highlander. I hope I can order for a regular supply. I would also like my friends to taste this blend. It's a different experience, unique but not overpowering and not too foreign. And one more thing, I don't usually put milk in my coffee but today I tried it with this blend and it was great.

Welcome to my New Blog!

This is www.thecoffeeofjabez.blogspot.com, I made this blog for my friends who are non-Friendster users. Straight-up coffee education would be the essence of this blog and unlike my Friendster blog (www.thecoffeeofjabez.tk), which includes updates on my personal life, this blog lets you see videos on the sidebar. Hope you enjoy your stay here!

*I just copied and pasted my previous coffee-related posts from my Friendster blog, para may laman naman to, hehe.

Searching for good espresso in Singapore -- SUCCESS!!

An E-mail from the guy from www.coffeegeek.com

Posted Sun Aug 19, 2007, 3:54pm Subject: Re: Searching for good espresso in Singapore -- SUCCESS!!
Mark_C Senior Member
Joined: 5 Jan 2004Posts: 25Location: SingaporeExpertise: I love coffeeEspresso: ZaffiroGrinder: Mazzer Mini

I have managed to try straight espresso or espresso drinks (usually a small, double latte) at a number of cafes and restaurants in the past several weeks since arriving in Singapore, and Highlander Coffee is by far the best cafe that I have visited. No one else is even close, and, in fact, no one else is making anything that's worth drinking unless you're desperate. Highlander is a relatively small cafe though with a more spacious cupping room in the back, and it has a pleasant atmosphere. Their lattes are typically single-shot for a small cup and double-shot for a large cup, but that's too much milk for me and so I ordered a double in the small cup. I like to watch the barista make the drinks because it's interesting how often you can guess the quality of the drink just by watching them work before they even start the pull.

The Highlander barista looked like he was being attentive to detail, the pours were coming out nicely and shut off at the appropriate time, and, lo and behold, he even poured some latte art. I always take latte art as a positive sign, though of course the proof is in the cup.First sip, and I was in heaven. I admit that this is coming from a guy who hadn't had anything decent for more than a month (I had a few stops en route to Singapore from Seattle), but nonetheless it was a very, very good drink. I told both the barista and another man who was assisting me in buying a French press that I was new from Seattle and that it was the best espresso I had found in Singapore.

The man who was helping me, who turned out to be Phil Ho, a co-owner, said "Oh, you're the guy from coffeegeek!" What an audience that coffeegeek has!Phil then offered me an espresso shot that he pulled in his cupping room in the back, and it was also excellent. At this point, my wife and kids had come inside and we sat down and had a nice snack and two more double small lattes. After 5 shots in 45 minutes I was a bit wired, but I was making up for lost time! All in all, Highlander Coffee is definitely worth seeking out.Here's my wrap-up of the cafes and restaurants that I've visited thus far:

Starbucks -- (I've been to 4 locations downtown, in Orchard and in Holland Village) -- pretty much the same as in the States, though the service is noticeably slower. Say what you want about the quality of Starbucks (and I'm no fan), but, viewed as a business, it is an extraordinarily efficient operation in the U.S. Not so in Singapore. Howard Schultz would be appalled.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf -- (visited in Orchard and Holland Village) -- pretty much the same as Starbucks. Okay if there's nothing else, but not worth seeking out.

Spinelli -- (visited Orchard and Raffles Place stores) -- also the same as the last two. I take it that the roaster is somewhat prominent in the Singapore coffee scene, but the skills of the baristas aren't at the same level. Mediocre.

Caffe Beviamo (Tanglin Mall) -- I had high hopes for Beviamo, but nothing special here either. I only went once, but what I had was just okay though maybe slightly better than the big chains mentioned above.

Leo's Espresso Bar (Raffles Place) -- This is a cool little establishment mixed in with a bunch of food stalls in the basement of the OUB Centre. I like the style and atmosphere of the place, and the first time I was there I struck up a conversation with an expat manager (owner?), maybe an Aussie though I'm not yet adept at judging accents. Though he wasn't working the machine, he personally made me a very nice double, small latte (my definition of "small" is maybe 6-7 ounces of milk, smaller than the Starbucks et al definition). It wasn't terrific, but it was good enough and the best thing that I had had in Singapore up until that time.

Given my desperation, I was pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, I went back two more times after that and different baristas prepared the drinks...back to average stuff. Yet another example of an establishment that has sufficiently-good equipment, beans, etc, but the quality of the baristas just isn't there.

Da Paolo Gastronomie (Holland Village) -- an upscale Italian deli/market with terrific food, but terrible espresso. I've had several there, and one of the times was okay but the last time I watched in horror as the barista started the shot then went off to do something else. The machine kept running for literally about a minute...having blonded about 45 seconds earlier. I kept trying to tell another woman to please shut it off, but we seemed to be having language difficulties. In any event, total swill. Worth seeking out for the food, but avoid the espresso.

Hediard Cafe (Orchard) -- great little French cafe and store serving amazing brunch. Ordered a double latte and, given my low expectations for espresso in restaurants, it was not half bad. I wouldn't go here looking for great espresso, but if you go for the great food and pastries (and you should, though it's not inexpensive), don't hesitate to order a coffee or an espresso drink.

Highlander Coffee -- see above. That's all for now. As I said above, Highlander is the only place that I've found so far that is worth a special trip, and I expect to be a regular. I'll post if I find any other places worth recommending.

Coffee Speak IV: Your Daily Guide to Coffee Lingo

Hey good morning people!!! Here's a few "coffee terms" for you before I leave for LB:

DOPPIO - This simply means 2 SHOTS of espresso on your espresso-based drinks. Sosyal no?

MOCHACCINNO - This is a MOCHA (see Coffee Speak 1, August 13)made in a CAPPUCCINO-way. So instead of putting whipped cream on top, you put foam. Interpretations may vary though, yep!

FRAPPUCCINO - This is basically the term patented by Starbucks for an ice-blended drink. Comes in many flavors and usually topped by whipped cream, depends on the customer.

FRAPPE - Traditionally, a frappe has ice cubes or crushed ice made of frozen espresso. Brewed coffee is then poured into a tall glass together with the ice. Usually topped with whipped cream.

FLAVORED SYRUPS - These give flavor to your coffee drinks. These are the tall bottles you see in cafes with the labels "TORANI" or "DA VINCI". It comes in many many many flavors like praline, hazelnut, vanilla, cheesecake, etc.

OK, that's it for now, GTG!

Coffee Speak III - The Different Types of Grinds

Good morning coffee lovers! Today, we will talk about the different types of GRINDS. What are GRINDS anyway? Yesterday, we talked about ROASTING the BEANS. To make coffee, we have to GRIND the ROASTED BEANS first to produce what we call COFFEE GROUNDS! Each GRIND requires a specific brewing method.

1. Type of Grind: COARSE GRIND/ Brewing Method: FRENCH PRESS/PLUNGER POT or STEEPING in a Saucepan - Coarsely ground coffee resembles very small pebbles, perhaps like rock salt to make the visualization more clear. This requires a LONGER contact time with hot water to extract the brew. So the best brewing method for this grind is the French Press. The French Press is a little expensive so it's best that you try steeping the coffee instead. In steeping, you boil water in a saucepan then let it cool for a few minutes (maybe 3 to 4 mins). Add the coffee and let the coffee and hot water remain in contact for about FOUR MINUTES. Scoop out or strain the floating sediments from the brew.

2. Type of Grind: MEDIUM GRIND/ Brewing Method: Automatic Drip Coffee Maker - Here's a common grind that is usually found in supermarkets. It's a little smaller than the coarse grind. Imagine coarse sand on the beach. This is best brewed in your home drip machine or what we know as the coffeemaker. Ask your parents how to use the machine but remember our proportions: 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 oz of water.

3. Type of Grind: FINE GRIND/ Brewing Method: ESPRESSO MACHINE - This type of grind has a powder-like consistency. "Espresso" means "fast" in Italian, this means that contact time with water is fast also. The espresso machine literally forces hot water into the finely-ground coffee and produces a SHOT of espresso in about 25-30 seconds. Please do not use this grind for your drip machine.

4. Type of Grind: TURKISH GRIND/ Brewing Method: TURKISH IBRIK - This grind is literally baby powder-fine and is used for making Turkish coffee. You won't be making this but it's good that you know, hehe. This is the finest ("fine" as in small, not "fine" as in good) grind of all.

So there you have it! The four types of grinds!

Coffee Speak II - The Different Kinds of Roasts

Good morning! By now you must have heard of the terms "roast" and "grind" during the course of your journey into the world of coffee. These two important factors are crucial in making the perfect cup of coffee.

ROAST - We all know that coffee comes from the bean of a coffee cherry. After it has been processed, it comes out as a GREEN BEAN prior to roasting. ROASTING is reponsible for the BROWN to DARK BROWN color of coffee. Roasting is an art and master roasters roast coffee in small batches to ensure the uniformity of the roasts (a good batch has a uniform color).

There are different kinds of roasts:

1. LIGHT ROAST/CINNAMON ROAST - The color of the beans in this kind of roast is very light, almost barely roasted. This kind of roast produces poor quality coffee and very high acidity and caffeine. But this is preferred because it produces large volumes of coffee per bag. So ginagamit to sa pang daya, para bumigat yung binebentang kape, ok? Wag magpadaya! Be careful!

2. MEDIUM ROAST/FULL-CITY ROAST - This kind of roast is usually used for our breakfast coffees. It has good acidity and a clean finish. You would usually find this roast in supermarkets. Buy this kind of roast, it's good for drip coffeemakers and for everyday coffee. It has a well-balanced flavor. This roast possesses the classic coffee-brown color.

3. DARK ROAST/ESPRESSO ROAST - This roast has a dark color, very dark. And it is used for espresso machines. It has low caffeine and low acidity, has a bittersweet flavor and a full body. This produces very good quality coffee. Cafes usually use this kind of roast for all their espresso-based drinks.

4. ITALIAN ROAST/FRENCH ROAST - This is the darkest roast of all. The terms Italian and French are interchangeable, depending on how the roaster calls it. But REMEMBER, it doesn't mean it came from Italy or France! It's just a term for the kind of roast. This has the lowest caffeine and acidity of all roasts and has a charred and smoky flavor.

*NOTE: There are many other terms used for roasts like Spanish, Continental, City, etc. But the roasts mentioned above are the commonly used ones.
Tomorrow, I will talk about the different kinds of grinds. Every grind requires a specific brewing method or coffeemaker. Hope you learned a lot today!

God bless!

Coffee Speak - Your Daily Guide to Coffee Lingo

The world of coffee uses a lot of terms that usually intimidates the customer. The Italian-sounding terms does sound a little intimidating and confusing. Just ask someone who has been to Joe's at elbi, haha! So here's a list of terms to guide you as you order your coffee.
A standard coffee shop usually sells its 4 standard espresso-based drinks:

1. ESPRESSO - Basically a dark roast of finely ground coffee that is brewed in an espresso machine which uses pressure to force hot water quickly to the coffee grounds. This produces a syrupy, highly concentrated and flavorful shot of pure coffee enjoyment. This is served in a shot glass (1 1/2 to 2 oz), so don't expect a large cup! This has LESS caffeine than a brewed cup of coffee, contrary to popular belief. You could add up to three shots to your drink, more than that is dangerous to your health!

2. CAPPUCCINO - We have been saying "cappuccino" all our lives without really knowing what the drink really is. A cappuccino has a SHOT of espresso at the bottom of the cup followed by steamed milk and then a DOLLOP (a huge scoop) of foam. In a 6-7 oz cup the proportions should be 1/3:1/3:1/3. Cinnamon is usually added on top to distinguish from a latte. A cappuccino can be either WET or DRY. WET has more steamed milk while DRY has more foam.

3. CAFFE LATTE - Like a cappuccino, it has a SHOT of espresso at the bottom of a 7-8 oz cup or glass. Then steamed milk is filled to the brim and a WHISPER of foam is added or no foam at all. LATTE means milk, the French counterpart is CAFE AU LAIT (cafe-Oh-LHEY).

4. CAFFE MOCHA - Basically it is a like a latte with chocolate syrup at the bottom of the cup. Steamed milk is added and then a SHOT of espresso (the espresso will float between the chocolate syrup and the milk creating a nice presentation). It is then topped with a DOLLOP of whipped cream instead of foam.

*The word "caffe" is Italian for coffee.

Now you know the basics. It's now time for more TERMS! Yeah!

One of the more popular and "sosyal" coffee terms I hear is the word "MACCHIATO". So what is it?

MACCHIATO - An espresso-based drink that is "marked" with foam or steamed milk "marked" with espresso. Macchiato is Italian for Marked just to set things straight. Imagine a white bond paper being poured with black ink. So this means it's an espresso that has little foam.

ESPRESSO CON PANNA - "Con Panna" means "with cream". So it's a shot of espresso with whipped cream.

AMERICANO/LONG BLACK/BREWED COFFEE/BREW OF THE DAY - A shot of espresso (up to 3 shots) with hot water added to fill a mug or a large cup.

RISTRETTO - This a shot of espresso "restricted" to 1-1/2 oz. In other words, it is about a half ounce lesser than a normal shot of espresso.
Other terms used for coffee beverages:

HALF AND HALF - Half cream and half milk added to coffee

SKINNY - Low-fat milk

NO FUN - A latte with decaf espresso

NIENTE - A cappuccino with decaf coffee and non-fat milk, translated to "WHY BOTHER!"

FOAM - Micro-bubbles of milk produced while steaming milk using a steaming wand--a device attached to the espresso machine. This is put in coffee to insulate and to protect the drinker from the hot coffee.

That's it for now. If you have questions or need help on how to order coffee, please feel free to comment. I'll see if I can answer your question. I can still do this, I have no job yet, haha!
Good day!

Try Houseblends and Single-origin Coffees

Cafes are there for several reasons. One reason is that (if they're truly passionate about coffee) they want you to taste their houseblends. A houseblend is a mix of beans (arabica and robusta) that is unique to the coffeeshop. That means that every cafe has a different tasting houseblend. The blend may contain a 30:60 or 50:50 proportion of robusta to arabica beans or a mix of different arabicas from different places (example, 20% from Columbia, 30% from Sumatra, 50% from Brazil, etc.). A houseblend may contain about 3 to even 8 different beans. This creates a far-out experience for the coffee-drinker.

My last post encouraged you to buy and drink local coffee to help our coffee industry, this time I urge you to visit coffeeshops (both local and foreign) to teach yourself to appreciate the diversity of flavors that coffee has to offer.

Another far-out experience for coffee-drinkers is trying out single-origin coffees.

Buying local coffee doesn't mean limiting yourself to drinking that coffee alone (we have local arabicas and robustas, FYI). Drinking coffee from different origins every once in awhile will let you experience and appreciate the different flavors of coffees around the world. And coffeeshops have single-origin coffee. For example, Starbucks has a wide range of single-origin coffees (Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Sulawesi, etc.). If ever you visit a Starbucks store, make sure that you ask for what coffee they have available. Also check out the single-origin beans that they're selling.

So go ahead, try a houseblend or a single-origin coffee from your nearest cafe! The coffee may be expensive but this will certainly be a unique experience for you to enjoy!

Help the Economy, Drink Local Coffee

I truly believe that our country has a lot of potential for growth and we will, someday, rise from poverty and live abundantly. One of the major resources that we must tap to assist our economic improvement is our coffee. I believe that by buying and drinking local coffee we can actually help our economy by creating businesses and providing jobs related to the coffee industry. I envision that someday our country will be a coffee-drinking nation whose people would be proud of their brews and blends.

So how do we make this happen? How can we participate? Let’s go to some facts and coffee basics first.

Trivia: According to the book, An Introduction to Coffee by Pacita Juan (CEO of Figaro), the Philippines USED TO BE the FOURTH largest PRODUCER of coffee in the 1800s. From 1886-1888, the country was THE WORLD’S SOLE SUPPLIER of coffee! Amazing!

As we can see, the Philippines obviously has the potential to become a coffee empire. This is possible because:

We are one in only 53 countries that produce coffee

Coffee trees grow in countries near the equator (countries in Latin America, Africa, and
Asia). This is what they call, “THE COFFEE BELT”.

Good coffee gets its qualities from the quality of soil and climate. The
Philippines’ VOLCANIC soil and climate is perfect for coffee-growing.

The Philippineshave a rare coffee species that isn’t grown commercially. And we know what that is…Kapeng Barako (or Coffea liberica)

There are TWO coffee species that are grown commercially worldwide, the ARABICA and the ROBUSTA. The arabicas are grown in higher altitudes and have less caffeine while the robustas are grown in lower altitudes and have more caffeine. Getting it so far? OK!

The coffees that you drink in specialty coffeeshops are usually 100% Arabica beans. This is because of the lower caffeine content and better aroma. Otherwise, some coffees that they serve are BLENDS, meaning that it’s a MIXTURE of arabicas and robustas (ex. 50:50) or arabicas from DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

Moving on…
We know that coffee comes from a bean which comes from a COFFEE CHERRY produced by coffee trees in coffee plantations and farms.

So what is our dilemma? What’s wrong with the Philippines?
There’s an article in Smile Magazine (the inflight magazine of Cebu Pacific) about the Civet Coffee or Coffee Alamid, you know, SHIT COFFEE! Well it’s not actually poo but a coffee cherry “processed” inside the stomach of a civet (a cat-like creature). The cherry comes out now as a dirty-white bean, but it doesn’t look disgusting. OK enough of that, according to the article:
“Nowadays, more than 90% of the coffee Filipinos drink is the low-grade INSTANT variety.”
That is the problem. We are INSTANT COFFEE drinkers. We would say we like coffee but we actually drink the 3-in-1 kind. I was guilty of that too. Somehow we cannot relate with coffee apart from the instant variety. This is hurting us people! We should WANT REAL COFFEE! Beans that are ground just before brewing!
Let us help the coffee industry and our economy by creating a DEMAND for REAL LOCAL COFFEE. You know what I mean; I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or anything toward their favorite instant coffee brands.
According to the book An Introduction to Coffee,
“Today, we are a net importer of coffee. We consume over 60, 000 metric tons of coffee but only produce 30, 000 tons!”
Can you believe it? WE IMPORT 60, 000 tons of COFFEE??? I’m not saying it’s bad, but 60, 000 tons?!!? That's too much!

I’m not a fan of economics and business or anything that has to do with profit or money but here’s what I want to do: I’ll teach you to buy and make your own brewed coffee at home. We can help the economy if each one of us would do our part.

MAKING COFFEE AT HOME
There are many ways to make coffee and there is no right or wrong method but there certainly is the best way. But sadly, the best way costs a lot. Just so you know, excellent coffee can be made using the ESPRESSO MACHINE (which costs as much as a car) or the simple FRENCH PRESS of PLUNGER POT (which costs about 2000 bucks). Ang mahal! BUT there is an alternative method (if you have a coffeemaker just use that, if not try this):

Buy freshly roasted coffee beans from your supermarket. Ask them when the beans were roasted and delivered. Then grind it at home IF you have a blade grinder (usually this comes as an accessory with your blender). If you don’t have a blade grinder, buy freshly ground coffee. Ask the grocery to grind the beans for you or you can look for coffee grounds in packs with a one-way valve (a small circle with small holes in front of the pack).

Prepare 6 ounces of cold purified water. If your tap water tastes bad please don’t use it. Coffee is 90% water so make sure you can get the best tasting water that you have.

Boil the water.

Open your bag of grounds or beans and get two tablespoons of coffee. Close the bag and store it in an air-tight container and put it in a cool, dark place. Coffee’s enemies are moisture, air, and light.

When the water boils, turn off your stove and let the water sit for about 3 to 4 minutes. This is what you call “water off-the-boil”.

Put the two tablespoons of coffee on the water and let it STEEP for 4 minutes. Steeping means letting the water absorb the coffee.

OK so far?

After four minutes you will notice the coffee grounds accumulate on top pf the water. Just scoop it out with a spoon.

Oh yes, I forgot! While you’re doing all of this prepare your coffee cup or mug ahead of time and pour piping hot water into it, this will keep your cup warm. A warm cup means your coffee will stay warmer for a longer time thus creating a better coffee-drinking experience.

Remove the hot water from your cup first then pour the coffee.

Six ounces doesn’t make one cup so if you want u could add hot water later. REMEMBER: coffee first before adding more water!

*To make good coffee, you need to get your proportions right. For a cup of coffee, use TWO TABLESPOONS of ground coffee and SIX OUNCES of water. For two cups, 4 tablespoons and 12 ounces and so on. Make sure that you get this right to make a perfect cup.
Following this process would make good coffee and be sure to be precise in your measurements. Add sugar, cream, or milk if you like but to appreciate he TRUE FLAVOR of the coffee, drink it first AS IT IS. You can add the sugar, cream, or milk later.

Thank you very much for laboring to read through this. I hope this will make your coffee-drinking a very special experience. And with this, I hope that as we mature in our coffee preferences, we might demand and desire better coffee from our local producers.

WE WANT LOCAL COFFEE!!!

Let us help our economy by drinking local coffee!

Happy Lord’s day!