The CoffeeGeek Podcast: Recent Episodes

Mark Prince

The CoffeeGeek Podcast covers everything and anything in the world of consumer and professional coffee and espresso. Guest interviews, round tables, Emails, Voicemails, important news, product reviews, coffee tastings and more await you with each new episode. Remember, Coffee is culinary, and it's never about the buzz.

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Intro - Tom’s Diner, Suzanne Vega (0:06)

If you’re in town this weekend, be sure to visit the Canadian Coffee and Tea Expo and Canadian National Barista Competition, September 24 – 25. (1:25)

Interviews (2:03)

Tom Owen, Sweet Maria’s (3:08)

Tom is profiled in the September/October issue of Imbibe Magazine.

  • Sweet Maria’s web site: unpretentious and all about what’s in the cup, where thousands of home roasters got their start (3:23)

  • Exotic coffees: the story of St. Helena coffee, the perception of coffee as culinary, and the growing demand for specialty coffee (5:50)

  • Sweet Maria’s purchase of Best of Panama 2006 coffees, including the Hacienda la Esmeralda Gesha at the record-breaking price of $50.25/lb (12:56)

  • Sweet Maria’s home roaster mailing list and the development of coffee communities (18:21)

  • Coming soon to Sweet Maria’s: Late harvest Esmeralda Gesha to be offered at about $16/lb and a fantastic dry processed Yirgacheffe Idido Misty Valley (28:22)

Karen Foley, publisher of Imbibe Magazine (43:39)

  • The Tom Owen profile (44:34)

  • Imbibe’s coverage of coffee and readers' response to Mark’s article on french press coffee (48:00)

  • Mark’s espresso article in the September/October issue and a contest for future articles (see entry rules below) (51:49)

  • Coming up in the next issue: holiday drinks and gift guides; an article on Prague; coffee origins by Richard Reynolds (1:01:11)

  • The response to the magazine from the coffee communities and other beverage-related communities (1:03:03)

  • Comment on Imbibe at their new blog or order a subscription through their web site (1:08:14)

Mystery Guest Interview! (1:12:26)

  • Cafés and coffeehouses in the ‘50s and ‘60s (1:13:45)

  • Milk (1:19:25)

  • Mark’s secret shame exposed: Maxwell House instant, pre-ground Folger’s, and blade grinders (1:23:23)

  • “If I want blueberries in my coffee, I’ll put blueberries in my coffee!” (1:32:22)

  • The 20 oz cup (1:33:56)

Outro – Tom’s Diner, Michigan and Smiley (1:46:02)

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Show Notes

Black Gold, Superautos and More with Mark and Beata

This episode brought to you by 1stincoffee.com, your one-stop shop for anything and everything espresso or coffee related!

Intro - Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega (0:11)

New coffees we’ve tried lately

  • West Coast Roasting’s Espresso Torro (4:04)

  • Intelligentsia’s Kid O is back! (7:21)

  • Ecco Caffè’s Bolivian 2005 Cup of Excellence and Daterra Espresso (7:57)

  • Novo Coffee’s wild forest coffees (9:53)

Black Gold – Mark and Beata’s review (11:07)

  • Starbucks’ portrayal in the movie (12:27)

  • The rise in the New York “C” price (14:04)

  • Tadesse Meskela of the Oromia Coffee Farmers’ Coop and building schools in Ethiopia (16:53)

  • A few criticisms (19:18)

New espresso machine news!

  • La Marzocco GS3 – delivery dates have gone out (23:04)

  • Krups’ new superauto coming out this fall (26:34)

Contest results! (37:18)

  • Haiku contest winner: Jeremey Barrett of Sugar Land, Texas (37:43)

  • Zoka DVD contest winner: Travis from Bellingham, Washington (email us by 9/12!) (39:31)

News about CoffeeGeek (40:16)

  • A fix to the forum search functionality is in the works (40:22)

  • The Marketplace, a place for advertisers to announce their latest products, is coming (41:19)

  • The annual Holiday Gift List is returning (hopefully) in mid-November (43:05)

Mark’s latest magazine articles

  • City Food, Restaurant coffee and Mark’s challenge (45:15)

  • Imbibe Magazine, Espresso 101 (51:43)

Wrap up (53:53)

  • Next podcast: the Imbibe Magazine episode

Outro – Tom’s? by Michael Stipe

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Show Notes

Massive Email Show with Beata, Live to Tape! Featuring two prize Giveaways!

Two prize giveaways are buried in the show - the excellent "Zoka Way" Instructional DVD for home baristas, and an autographed copy of "Cafe Haiku" – listen to the podcast for details on how to win! Deadline is August 31, 2006, and entries should be sent to beata.s at coffeegeek dotter com.

The questions:

- What is a “sweet” shot of espresso? (2:00)

Mark talks about supertasters, the characteristics of a sweet shot of espresso, and what might cause excessive bitterness.(4:03)

- I need a grinder for $100 to $120 US, can you recommend some options? (7:39)

Mark suggests a Solis Maestro Classic or Solis Maestro Plus for that price point, but his real recommendation is – don’t skimp on a grinder! (8:31)

- I get iced coffee at Ritual Coffee, it’s everything I wish iced coffee could be! Could you explain how to make this? (10:30)

Mark describes two devices for cold brewing made by Hario and Toddy and gives his recipe for iced americanos. (11:22)

- Where can I get a replacement for the frothing tip on my Francis! Francis! X1? (16:11)

The frothing aid tip is proprietary and can’t be removed easily, but Mark discovered that there is a way to produce latte art quality microfoam with the froth aider. (16:50)

- How can I develop my ability to accurately taste coffees and describe what we are tasting? (19:32)

Mark suggests the Le Nez du Café kits from the SCAA, if price is no object, or a simpler method: visit a farmers’ market. (20:27)

- Do you have any ideas for home roasting single origin coffees for espresso? (23:40)

Mark, who is anti-single-origin espresso, suggests creating an espresso blend using different roast levels with the same coffee. (26:35)

- A suggestion for a future podcast – discuss coffee house culture in other cities, especially Montreal. (30:22)

Mark names streets in Montreal known for their really cool cafés and recommends one café in particular: Caffe Art Java. (31:20)

- Why use anything but a perfectly flat tamper? (33:10)

Mark discusses the theories behind convex bottoms, Euro curves, American curves and the C Flat, and his work with Reg Barber on a new tamper design. (33:49)

- Where does Kona stand in the world of specialty coffee? (37:51)

Mark buys Kona directly from Smith Farms, but cautions that the name Kona doesn’t guarantee quality. Too delicate for an espresso blend, Kona can be memorable when brewed in a vac pot. Find a small farmer and buy green from them direct. (38:48)

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Show Notes

Today’s Special Guests: Stephen Morrissey and Jen (0:33)

  • Stephen is a barista trainer and apprentice roaster for Bewley’s in Dublin and Jen is his lovely girlfriend! (2:56)

  • Stephen’s assessment of Ireland’s current café culture and where it’s going (4:54)

  • Stephen lists some good cafés in Ireland: Avoca Café, Bewley’s, Karl Purdy’s cart, Donnybrook Fair, and Dunne and Crescenzi; and Mark talks about Danny, an altie in England who operates a propane-run 3-group Gaggia lever machine on his coffee cart (8:40)

  • Stephen’s first modelling job – for Mark’s upcoming Imbibe Magazine article (12:50)

  • Stephen’s reaction to home espresso machines and the Solis SL-70 in particular (13:42)

  • Steaming milk, froth aiders, crema enhancers, and consumers today (14:52)

  • Latte art and drink quality (17:46)

  • Mark says Marzocco the dog can activate the steam wand on a La Marzocco!

  • Places Stephen’s checking out while he’s here: Wicked Café and Intelligentsia Coffee (22:37)

  • Jen’s impressions of the café scene here as opposed to Ireland and wireless vs. non-wireless (24:25)

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Show Notes

Intro (0:40)

  • Where are episodes 40 and 41? (0:46)

  • This episode sponsored by Whole Latte Love! (1:29)

  • Leave us voicemails! (2:20)

Today’s Special Guest:

Arthur Wynne (3:36)

  • From carpentry to coffee, Sydney, 1997-1998 (4:23)

  • The move to Ireland and Bewley’s, 2004 (7:12)

  • The coffee scene in Dublin today; how it compares to the rest of Europe and Australia (9:52)

  • James Hoffman’s WBC signature drink(14:59)

  • Bern: WBC accreditation (16:55); the show floor, meeting coffee people (18:15); the city of Bern (22:25)

  • Latte art championship: how Arthur learned, his first good pour, his strategy for Berne (23:25)

  • What Mark loved about Bern – meeting people with a passion for all things coffee (30:09)

  • Arthur and Mark’s latte art tips for consumers – talk to your barista, texturing milk, the process step-by-step (31:29)

  • Whole Latte Love’s latte art contest (40:32)

  • Is the double shot basket a crutch? Amp up your skillz with a single shot basket! (42:30)

  • Alcohol and coffee: Nuts and Berries, Seduction di Mezzanotte, coffee and tequila, espresso martinis, Irish and Spanish coffees (46:52)

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Show Notes

Andrew Barnett of Ecco Caffe, Nick Cho of Murky Coffee and the portafilter.net podcast, and Mark broadcast in the wee hours from the Piazza della Repubblica, Firenze (Florence), Italy. (2:57)

The trio discuss Bern and its café culture as compared to North American culture (4:56)

About the 2006 World Barista Championship where Nick emceed, Andrew and Mark judged (8:40)

  • Reflections on the non-finalists (11:43)

  • Jhonni Gonzales of Guatemala (13:02)

  • Tatiana Elizarova of Russia (14:19)

  • Luciano Marcolino of New Zealand and David Makin of Australia, whose coffee was used by his hotel (15:34)

  • And props to finalist James Hoffmann of the UK (18:44)

Back to Bern, the hotel and café culture… (20:17)

Andrew talks briefly on judging and the WBC finalists (25:26)

About their visit to the La Marzocco factory and La Marzocco’s hospitality (27:59)

Mark’s reflections on a memorable trip and their visit to Torrefazione in Milano (32:24)

Wrap-up: final sentiments, Coffeegeek-branded merchandise, and thanks again to our primary sponsor, Rocket Coffee Roasters for helping to make the trip possible (38:35)

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A show that was live to tape from Berne Switzerland, originally recorded on May 17, but published on June 1

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I can't believe we crammed this much into a show just over an hour long - WBC talk, calls to Australia, a new magazine's launch, interview with a publisher, voice mails, and even a Beata segment. Crammed!

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Show Notes

Intro: Beata and Mark – Live to tape once again! (3:39)

2006 SCAA Conference Recap (7:16)

  • Rob Stephen, podcasts and forums, and the SCAA Town Hall meeting

  • The Clover 1S: How Mark finally found body and pleasing aftertaste in a Clover cup, thanks to Oliver at Batdorf and Bronson's booth an their Colombian CoE coffee! (13:15)

  • Social parties, Mark’s "mission"; also lots of pulled pork and fried chicken (23:56)

  • The USBC and Matt Riddle, the Renaissance man (Congrats, Matt!!!) (26:42)

Ambush Interview! – Doug Zell, Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea (28:07)

  • Intelligentsia’s presence in barista competitions in general and the 2006 USBC (29:20)

  • About Matt Riddle (32:18)

  • The Intelligentsia blends used at the competition (35:23)

  • Matt’s media appearances (37:27)

  • Next: the World Barista Championship (40:39)

  • Major props to Billy Wilson! (42:26)

  • About Intelligentsia’s soon-to-be-opened third location (45:35)

  • Elevating coffee, from seed to cup (47:26)

  • Cool cupping spoons (50:13)

Mark explains the "Cobra Kai" references everyone's saying these days (53:51)

SCAA Financial Situation (55:21)

  • Background of the situation (55:56)

  • Town Hall meeting (58:09)

  • Beata reads questions and answers from the meeting: how much money was lost; criminal/civil action; relationship of involved persons with the SCAA; financial position of guilds; donating specifically to the guilds; how "first responder" funds were used; how far back theft occurred; why more is not heard about actions taken by the board; the status of the criminal investigation (58:31)

  • Mark’s suggestions: guild donations being more direct and the SCAA doing regional events (1:08:07)

Changes on the CoffeeGeek web site (1:09:20)

  • Hiring a new content editor (1:09:31)

  • More new articles (3 or so a week) from industry folks and regular columnists (1:11:31)

  • Beata’s suggestions for new content (1:14:34)

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Show Notes

Interview with Rob Stephen, 2006 SCAA Conference Chair

How Charlotte was chosen as the location for the 2006 conference (2:29)

Conference attendance (5:06)

The culinary track and conference programming (5:58)

What the Conference Chair does (8:31)

Getting back to the business of coffee (11:38)

The business growth track (14:13)

Mark asks Rob some hard questions regarding the future of the SCAA:

  • About regional events and diversifying revenue sources; setting the stage with more transparency and new avenues of communication (17:18)

  • Where will the SCAA be in terms of satisfaction by next year’s conference? (26:51)

  • A brief interlude as Nick Cho crashes the podcast… (28:19) (that bastard! ;))

  • Looking to Long Beach (29:38)

  • The SCAA's Chronicle (print and PDF newsletter) to return (30:43)

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Show Notes

Coffee on Television: Black Coffee

  • Three-episode documentary series on coffee, produced in Canada, rated "best ever watched" by Mark and Beata (2:56)

  • More about Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki, who opened the first café in Vienna and contributed so much to coffee culture (4:13)

Brasil Cup of Excellence Cupping

  • Brief recap of the cupping - $175 raised for Coffee Kids! (10:42)

  • Susie Spindler will try to provide extra samples of the COE coffees to Mark so that more COE cuppings to benefit Coffee Kids can be held in the near future. Watch the Western Canada forum on CoffeeGeek for invitations near the end of April for the Colombian CoE cupping. (11:57)

  • Four more cuppings planned for June/July (14:39)

Mark Answers Email! (15:48)

  • Jeffrey, a Kansas CoffeeGeek-in-Training, asks for Mark’s opinion on fluid-bed and drum roasters. Mark discusses home roasting technologies and how different types of roasters affect coffee. (15:58)

  • Mike from San Francisco asks for Mark’s thoughts on Starbucks’ Black Apron coffees. Mark talks a little about Starbucks vs Doubleshot Café, then explains why Starbucks doesn’t currently use CoE quality coffees for their Black Apron program. (22:56)

  • Alexandra in Montreal asks about having a CG podcast episode devoted to a discussion of fair trade practices and related changes in the coffee industry. Mark suggests ways that consumers can help support farmers. (28:37)

Preview of the 2006 SCAA Conference (35:12)

  • Cool things: More Italian equipment manufacturers; the topic, Quality Tools for the Specialty Trade, focusing on tools to make coffee profitable for retailers; and the Culinary Track, including pairing foods with coffee and french press brewing/coffee variety in restaurants (35:31)

  • Huge show floor, lots of parties, discounts at restaurants in Charlotte, on-location recordings, and a dual podcast with the portafilter.net crew! (40:26)

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Intro – Vancouver Coffee Scene Roundtable (1:31)

  • Michael, Mark’s neighbor and coffee enthusiast, (email him if you have an opening for a barista)

  • jakethecoffeelover, CGer and author of http://coffeaarabica.blogspot.com

  • Sean Strugnell aka strugs – CGer

  • Matt, barista at Elysian Room, 5th and Burrard, Vancouver

  • Peter, barista at Wicked Café, 7th and Hemlock, Vancouver, and author of pullingshots.blogspot.com

Review of Aerobie Aeropress (2:57)

  • Metal filter vs nylon filter vs paper filter (4:00)

  • The engadget pvc do-it-yourself, the Depresso, and experimentation (5:36)

  • Comparison with the Clover (8:42)

Review of the Clover (10:17)

  • Discovery Coffee: newest Clover in Canada (10:30)

  • The Clover’s effect on body and adjusting the Clover for optimal brew (11:00)

  • Use of the Clover in the café (18:08)

Back to the Aerobie: Future experimentation, blind cupping, and bloom (19:50)

Review of the Vibiemme Domobar (21:43)

  • HX machine with E61 group and 2 liter boiler

  • Fast steaming machine, very stable

Home Machines (24:57)

  • Sean’s Wega Lyra; Peter’s Krups Novo; Michael and Jake’s Gaggia Espressos

Fave Coffeehouses and the Café Scene (32:45)

  • The group’s favorites include Prado, JJBean, Continental, Elysian Room, Wicked Café, Victrola, 2% jazz

Wrap-Up (42:27)

  • Thoughts on Chris Tacy leaving the coffee scene

  • Funny stories about Jake

  • A few comments about portafilter.net podcast

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Show Notes

Newbie Show: Today’s guests, Beata Siwinski and Julie! (1:52)

Beata and Julie ask Mark their coffee questions:

When did people first start drinking coffee? (3:29)

  • A brief history of coffee: Mark describes the discovery of coffee and the rise of coffee’s popularity throughout Arabia and Western Europe (3:50)

  • A very brief history of espresso: Mark describes the development of modern espresso and the first spring-loaded piston espresso machine in 1947 by Achilles Gaggia (9:08)

When were cappuccinos and lattes first created? (12:13)

  • History of the cappuccino: Mark traces the creation of the cappuccino from the French café au lait in the mid-1800s to the development of the steam wand in 1910. Some discussion about Caffe Reggio (NYC)'s claim to inventing the drink.

The Coffee Scene in Italy

  • Espresso, cappuccino, lattes and cafe correcto: Julie’s coffee experiences in Italy (14:29)

  • The Italian café scene: not so many laptops (16:31)

  • Features that Mark, Julie and Beata would like to see in local cafes (18:11)

Why are some coffees stronger than others? Should you add salt to get rid of bitterness in coffee? (27:01)

  • Different tastes reflect differences in coffees and differences in roasts

Will there be more newbie podcasts (perhaps about the importance of proper grind)? (31:30)

  • Yes!

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Show Notes

Cup of Excellence Brasil Auction, Part II (9:02)

Interview with Andrew Barnett of Ecco Caffè, Santa Rosa, California, international juror for Cup of Excellence (10:14)

  • Andrew on what COE is all about and his involvement with it (11:42)
  • The Brasil auction: what $50/lb may do for coffee; marketing to the consumer (15:48)
  • Andrew's impressions of the winning coffee; how COE coffees are scored (19:49)
  • Lot #1: Fazenda Santa Inês; farmer, Francisco Dias Pereira. Highest scoring coffee in any COE with a score of 95.85; received Andrew's top score of 97; received two scores of 100. Purchased by Michel's Espresso, Instaurator and Caffè Artigiano. Mark and Andrew discuss the price of the coffee from the consumer perspective (21:14)
  • Lot #2: Fazenda São Benedito; farmer, Antônio José Junqueira Villela. Sold for $7.80 per pound; purchased by The Roasterie, Stumptown, Ecco Caffè, Kaffa, and Maruyama. (30:43)
  • Lot #3: Sítio São José; farmer, Luiz Roberto Ribeiro. The farms that produced the top three coffees are neighbors. (33:02)
  • Lot #23 purchased by Ecco Caffè, 49th Parallel Roasters, Intelligentsia, and Golden Coffee Box - Fazenda Santa Terezinha; farmer, Paulo Sérgio de Almeida. (37:01)
  • coffeegeek.com will join COE at the benefactor level (41:01)
  • Coming soon to Ecco Caffè: a coffee purchased with the Small Axe Alliance from the Bolivian COE (41:41)

Susie Spindler, Executive Director, Cup of Excellence (45:40)

  • Susie on what COE is all about and her involvement with it (46:58)
  • How consumers can find local COE coffees; how to get their roasters involved in COE (50:08)
  • Benefits of standard COE membership include access to the auction system, priority on international juries, and access to a searchable database of winning farms (51:24)
  • Building bridges between roasters, farmers and cultures (53:06)
  • The Brasil auction: what $50/lb may do for coffee; scoring of the first place coffee and the stigma of coffee from Brasil among specialty coffee roasters (57:51)
  • Marketing coffees to the consumer as a culinary treat: raising the expectations of the consumer (1:04:38)
  • Disparity between scores and prices of the first and second place coffees (1:11:52)
  • Visit the COE web site to learn more. (1:15:00)

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Show Notes

A Barista in Ethiopia: Angie Lof, Head Trainer at JJBean (2:03)

  • Ethiopia Trip: the Harrari; women in Ethiopia (2:37)

  • Cultural highlights (5:13)

  • Chat use in Ethiopia and coffee farming (8:37)

  • Coffee: Ethiopian coffee ceremony (12:46); visit to coffee plantation in Harrar (21:51); coffee cherries (24:34)

  • Kenya Trip and coffee (30:43)

  • Results of the Cup of Excellence Brasil Auction and coffee prices (32:18)

New York Times Article on Grinders (42:11)

Guardian Article mentioning the CG Podcast (45:02)

Cup of Excellence Brasil Auction, Part I

  • Interview with Instaurator, who in association with Michel’s Espresso and Caffe Artigiano, paid a record-breaking price ($49.75 US) for a Cup of Excellence coffee (45:21)

  • Breaking down the cost per cup (49:00)

  • The price of coffee and the wine analogy (52:53)

  • Interview postscript – Cup of Excellence (56:47)

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The News with Jeanette Chan (1:52)

  • Kenyan coffee farmers in debt (2:00)

  • New Orleans-based PJ’s coffee reopening locations closed by Katrina (2:38)

  • Coffee lowers risk of breast cancer in certain women (3:10)

  • Starbucks wins trademark infringement suit in China (4:32)

  • Lakewood, WA couple charged with forcing their niece to work as a slave at their espresso stand (5:25)

  • Culprit in string of espresso stand robberies in Washington state apprehended (8:24)

Phuong Tran, 2005 US Barista Champion (9:29)

  • Phuong’s café: Lava Java, Ridgefield, Washington (10:05)

  • Phuong’s road to the USBC (10:43)

  • What the competition consists of (14:47)

  • What barista competitions are all about (19:21)

  • How to improve barista competitions (22:03)

  • Rumors of a competing body to the World Barista Championship (WBC) (26:59)

  • Phuong’s experience at the Nordic Cup: cow milking; triangle tests; milk tasting tests; signature drink team competition; coffee brewing test (27:32)

  • The 2005 WBC (34:50): Mark’s view on Phuong’s finish (36:02); the finalists (congrats to Sammy Piccolo on his new baby boy!) (37:31); a behind the scenes look (38:42); Phuong’s training (43:53); Phuong’s signature drink, the Crimson Sage (47:23)

  • Judging and the sensory skills test (54:38)

  • The Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition (58:39)

  • Vancouver café crawl: Caffe Artigiano, JJBean, Prado, Wicked Café, Elysian Room (59:31)

  • Mark and Phuong compare shots and discuss flair vs consistency (1:02:26)

  • Phuong’s thoughts on what could be done differently at the USBC (1:07:57)

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Show Notes

Introduction (0:00)

  • Hoops and Yoyo from Hallmark, Merry Christmas (to the tune of “Finiculi, Finicula”)

Beata and Mark recorded this podcast from the beautiful Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, where they spent the Christmas holiday. (1:04)

Coffee on Holiday (2:27)

  • Newbie Segment: Beata shares her real-world experience with making press pot coffee during the trip, demonstrating the importance of grind (3:41)

  • Mark and Beata discuss the reasons that most coffees do not include “roasted on” dates on their packaging. Mark’s tip for this podcast: demand coffees with roast dates! (5:33)

Podcasts Past and Future (13:35)

A quick look back at this year’s podcasts and a glimpse of the future:

  • Videos: possibly product walk-throughs and/or how-tos (but not video podcasts at this point). Anyone in Vancouver have good video editing skills and equipment? (14:16)

  • Improved podcast audio quality (thanks to the incredible generosity of Ira at Samson) (20:09)

  • More podcasts with Beata! Potential topics include press pot coffee, Vietnamese coffee and Viennese coffee how-tos; summer drink recipes; etching; trade show reports (23:28)

  • If you received any really unusual coffee-based holiday gifts, Mark wants to hear about it – send him an email, and he may read it on the podcast. (29:08)

CG Podcast Giveaways! (29:35)

  • Please send suggestions for contests that will be super easy and not time consuming for Mark to administer, but at least a little difficult for listeners. Prizes include Grindenstein knockboxes, an Aerobie Aeropress, and possibly a Baratza Virtuoso grinder!

Outro (31:58)

Thanks to everyone for listening! We hope everyone had a great Christmas/holiday -- happy Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, happy Festivus, and joy, happiness and prosperity in the New Year!

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Show Notes:

This is the first of two pre-Christmas shows. In this podcast, Mark lists his top recommendations in all things coffee and espresso for the folks on your gift-giving list!

Information on the following products and more can be found in the Coffeegeek review and consumer review sections of the web site. If you’d like to support the Coffeegeek web site, please use Coffeegeek’s amazon.com affiliate link.

Introduction

Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby, Alexkid Remix - from the Merry Mixmas - Christmas Classics Remixed CD (0:13)

Coffee Makers (3:53)

  • Krups Moka Brew: A hybrid between a drip coffee maker and a moka pot. Unfortunately discontinued, but that means it can be found at a good price. Available at: amazon.com, ~$60; and zaccardis.com, $50. (4:12)
  • Capresso Drip Coffee Machines: The best series out there. (5:26)
  • The Capresso MT500 is beautiful. Nice filtration system, efficient thermal carafe. Brews at the proper temperature. $170-180. (6:04) The Capresso CoffeeTEC is essentially the MT500 with an auto-frothing system. $200. (6:43) The Capresso CoffeeTEAM is the only grind and brew system Mark recommends due to its conical burr grinder. All available at 1stincoffee.com. (7:09)

Grinders - The Central Core of Good Coffee (8:11)

  • Bodum Antigua: Decent grinder, the lowest priced one that Mark recommends. Available at: amazon.com; zaccardis.com; 1stincoffee.com. $50-$70. (9:22)
  • Solis Maestro Classic/Solis Maestro Plus: Well designed; the Plus has better features. Grinds into a bin or portafilter. Classic, $100-$110; Plus, $150. (9:59)
  • Baratza Virtuoso: Just released 12/15. Beefy burr group design; no float in burrs. Powerful DC motor. $200. (10:32)
  • KitchenAid Proline: Extremely even grind; perfect as cupping grinder for this price range. Looks great, although Beata thinks it’s a bit industrial. $150 (on sale) to $200 at amazon.com. (12:03)
  • Rancilio Rocky: Fantastic grinder. Well built, very quiet, doserless model also available. $270 (black or white) to $300 (stainless steel). (12:59)
  • Mazzer Mini: Full-blown (albeit slow) commercial grinder, fantastic build quality, infinite adjustable grind, the ultimate grinder for the home espresso enthusiast. $400. (13:27)

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Show Notes

Introduction (2:45)

  • Co-Host Brad Ford, Co-owner of Wicked Café, Vancouver, distributor of Intelligentsia Coffee in Canada

Nick Cho (5:17)

  • Will he run as for a position on the SCAA Board?

SCAA Talk – Retailers and the SCAA (8:37)

  • Mark gives a primer on the SCAA and describes the components of the organization. (8:37)

  • Brad and Mark talk about what retailers want and need from trade organizations like the SCAA. (15:16)

  • Mark details four things the SCAA could do to stop the churn of retailer membership: increase communication; provide retailers with continually updated consumer education tools; offer training/informational products to retailers on the business side of coffee; and organize small regional events. (18:57)

  • Mark and Brad discuss how the SCAA could interact with SCAA consumer members. (25:44)

  • Mark announces that the CG podcast may host a debate in January between the candidates for SCAA second vice-president (should someone choose to run against Mark Inman). (29:40)

Ambush Interview! (33:17)

  • Doug Zell of Intelligentsia Coffee briefs Mark and Brad on the coffees they will be tasting later in the show. Doug also talks about how they acquired the Tres Santos Micro-Lots and about restaurants that are now offering customers a menu of Intelligentsia micro-lot/Cup of Excellence coffees to choose from.

Coffee Tasting

  • Rwandan Musasa (45:23): Medium body with an initial kick, berry notes, a bit of acidity and smooth finish. Mark’s first pick among the three when served with cream.

  • Cruz del Sur, Peru (48:20): Intelligentsia’s new exclusive coffee. The Peru buying trip with Geoff Watts is described on the Intelligentsia web site. Sweet juicy tomatoey flavor; cream brings out chocolate notes.

  • Tres Santos Micro-Lot, Almaguer, Colombia (50:26): First pick for both Brad and Mark as black coffee. Sweet with a red licorice aftertaste and a lot of intensity. With cream, Mark describes it as a cacophony of fruit.

Restaurant Coffee (56:15)

  • Mark offers to record a how-to podcast on amping up restaurant coffee service on location at the fabulous Aurora Bistro, Vancouver. Mark and Brad look at ways restaurants can elevate coffee service, including offering press pot service, offering a selection of four or five quality coffees paired to desserts, and expanding the job of the sommelier to include coffee. Equipment and cost issues are discussed and Mark lays out his dream setup for restaurant coffee service.

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Show Notes:

Mark talks briefly about the new mics he's been using, from Samson, which are really good quality. Mics used are the CO1 and the CO1U (USB condenser mic).

Details about the La Marzocco "Open House event featuring the GS3 prototype machine with amazing temperature profile control.

  • held at Elysian Coffee and Tea

  • Used coffee supplied by Intelligentsia (thanks Doug!

  • Also, Mark pulled a "barista" shift at a charity event the day before, for the Starlight Foundation.

  • GS3 really held up. 70+ drinks made at the charity event in 3 hours, and many at the open house.

  • Mark details a speed test he did on the GS3, building 18 espressos (9 double shots) in 10 mins - 16 were serve-able.

  • Feedback was awesome.

  • Mark declares that "the machine is no longer a variable to worry about" when it comes to the GS3

Second segment - a Rant on Quality vs. Labels in coffee.

  • Mark talks about how way too many cafes are bandying about terms like "shade grown", "bird friendly", "relationship coffee" and "fairly traded" without much to back it up.

  • Suggests that the top 10 or 15 quality roasters in the US should start up a new council of ethics and quality for coffee, modeled loosely on the 1950's Comics Authority Code.

  • Mark suggests that shade grown, fairly traded, etc, is being used to imply quality tasting coffee, when it's not - it's becoming the new "gourmet" coffee term.

Third segment -Emails!

  • Mark reads some ridiculous claims on a Canadian website claiming coffee needs to be aged at least 15-30 days (after roasted), but ideally 4-6 months after roasted before drinking. Suggests trying it yourself to see if it's true or not.

  • Email asking about what ratios of ground coffee to water. Mark suggests starting with 7g of coffee per 120ml of water (4oz), then experiment.

  • Question about rating grinders purely by the specifications. Mark suggests finding out about the usability and real life production of grinders - reading some of CoffeeGeek's 753 Consumer Reviews of Grinders is a good start.

  • Question about temperature curve (cooling water) used in brewing press pot coffee.

  • Mark gets his pronunciation corrected.

  • An email suggesting coffee "recipes" (ie, blending, but with a twist).

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Show Notes

Coffees and Machines in the CG Lab!

  • Coffee from Double Shot Coffee, who also have a podcast. Great coffee.

  • On the test bench - the Vibiemme Domobar Super, the Krups XP4020, and finishing up the Detailed Review on the Isomac Super Giada

  • The La Marzocco GS3 has arrived. Mark babbles, because he's so excited. Several threads on CoffeeGeek (thread one, thread two) talk about the machine.

Tasting Batdorf and Bronson Coffee with Mark and Beata.

  • Three limited edition blends, called latitudes.

  • Ethiopian Yirgacheffe "Kello" was Beata's first pick as a black coffee, and it shows massive blueberry as it cools down and a tiny bit of cream is added.

  • Panama Esmerelda Jaramillo was Beata's first choice with milk. It is a very acidic coffee that gets better as it cools, finishes with "table red wine" acidity. With a bit of milk, brings out big caramel, or a combo of vanilla and spice. Putting sugar in this (if you use milk) would be a criminal act.

  • El Salvador Siberia is a surprise - Mark, who doesn't normally like acidic coffees, picks this one as his first choice. Amazing finish, very complex, pecan really starts to jump out. With milk, it goes chocolate spice.

News and updates with Jeanette Chan

  • Jeanette and Mark talk about the CoffeeFest trade show, dink booth operators (some rude dude selling artsy coffeehouse tables), all the trinkets and stuff at the show.

  • Some talk about the Clover espresso machine

  • More talk about the La Marzocco GS3

  • News, including beer coffee, (yikes), cancer fund raising in coffee, and much more.

Enjoy!

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Show Notes

Intro, song by Small Fish, called "Coffee Shop" from the Podsafe Music Network.

Emails

  • Joe explains how Co2 transports oils, lipids and aromatics in ground coffee to your cup.

  • Jason writes in about the OneSixtyBlue restaurant in Chicago doing coffee right.

  • Mark explains why Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters is CoffeeGeek's official coffee supplier.

  • Jason also asks about if its okay to freeze coffee, because George Howell said so. George only talked about freezing green coffee.

  • Ottawa listener writes in about Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa also doing good coffee.

  • Donald writes in about vac pots. Mark tells a bit, and promises an entire podcast on vacpots.

  • Liam from Belfast writes in about espresso being a "whole life experience"; Mark talks about God shots and the ever moving bar of quality.

  • Drew writes in asking about refurb machines and the Capresso C3000.

  • Email about Starbucks and super autos.

  • Audio mail about finding a good tamper for a Krups combo machine. Mark talks about the Staub Tamp

  • Audio Kudos, Mark talks about the role of the podcast

Mini Round Table with Instaurator.

  • you'll have to tune in to find out what was talked about. It's good stuff! And more to come from Instaurator!

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Show Notes:

Intro music: The Groove, by Audiopharm, from Podsafe Music Network

Introduction, props going out to the EatFeed podcast, and a plea from Mark for them to start doing the show again.

Comments on new audio setup for the CG Podcast (including what appears to be one bum microphone :( ). Let us know how you like the audio: podcast@coffeegeek.com.

We're on Sirius Radio this week! Thanks to Tim Henson of the Distorted View show for featuring our podcast in his guest appearance, taking over for Adam Curry on Sirius!

News with Jeanette Chan. Heaps of it! ;)

  • contact Jeanette at news@coffeegeek.com or visit the Resources section at CoffeeGeek.

  • Too much news to list - go to the Resources section to see it all.

  • Nice discussion by a professor on equating a jar full of stuff (incl. coffee) with life.

  • Discussion on Maxwell House "lowering prices for consumers" and how Kraft Foods should instead keep prices level, pay farmers more, and increase the quality of their drink.

  • Discussion on Starbucks not going into black neighbourhoods, but Mark talks about how Starbucks is becoming McDonalds, and how the Washington Post parroted coffee blogs and CoffeeGeek.com by saying so.

  • 90 second rant on premade, prepackaged coffee beverages

Coffee Evaluation

  • Coffees evaluated from CoffeeEmergency: the CBX Dark Espresso and the Panama Berlina Organic.

  • Evaluation with Beata and Mark

  • Jeanette phones in comments on the Panama

  • Instaurator (Inny from Australia) and Mark evaluate the Panama.

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Show Notes

Opinion / Editorial

  • Hines Public Market Coffee - closing? Not closing? Wolf!

  • KitchenAid Proline Grinder controversy followup.

Emails:

  • Murky Coffee not offering espresso blends for sale? (update: apparently not - maybe Nick will answer why); wants to know what beans are "espresso" and what are "coffee". Mark explains all.

  • What is the difference between steam driven and pump driven espresso machines.

  • What coffee brewers brew coffee at proper temperatures. Answer, not many, but Mark mentions some specifics, including the Capresso MT500, the Capresso CoffeeTec, and the Technivorm coffee maker.

  • What is the proper way to drink espresso. Mark mentions Chris Tacy's segment in the Portafilter Podcast; discusses that there is not just one proper way to drink espresso.

Interview with Ken Davids

  • Discussion about Ken's early involvement in the business of coffee

  • Discussion about Ken's books, Coffee, a Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying, and Espresso: Ultimate Coffee, and Home Coffee Roasting.

  • Discussion about Ken's favourite roasters and coffee blends.

Two more interviews from Ken coming down the road.

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Episode Notes:

  • Promo played on Daily Source Code (www.curry.com)

  • Promo played on Distorted View Daily (www.distortedview.com) - Adult content

  • Big shout out to GrapeRadio.com for their all about port episode.

Listener Emails

  • Reader "gets it" on grinding, asks for tips on the Mazzer Mini

  • Reader asks about long term storage of roasted Coffee. Mark says just say no. Mentions Derek Powazek's blog where he gets one thing wrong.

  • Reader asks about Solis SL-70, asks for tips on avoiding "blond crema".

  • Restaurant espresso feedback from last episode - Mark suggests a grass roots effort to politely demand better coffee and espresso from fine dining restaurants.

  • Reader talks about caffeine levels in various consumer items - Mark talks about caffeine levels in espresso and brewed coffee

  • Reader writes in and asks if you can "cheat" the large C02 amounts in just-roasted coffee by leaving ground coffee sitting for a while.

News with Jeanette Chan

  • news articles can be found on CoffeeGeek in the Resources section Jeanette can be reached at news@coffeegeek.com

  • News on Cancer Fundraiser involving coffee

  • Disease resistant coffee in Africa

  • Dunkin Donuts Robber Stopper keeps his coffee intact

  • Dude on horse rides through drive through window at a Timmy Ho's, and gets charged!

  • Specialty coffee consumption is up - SCAA mentioned. Mark goes on a rant tear about the SCAA. Says the real reason why specialty coffee consumption is up is the Internet and the myriad of coffee information sites.

  • Starbucks knockoff in Ethiopia. Go Fake Starbucks!

  • 90 second rant, Jeanette talks about department store espresso machines.

Close out talk, News about upcoming podcasts

Mark plays a song written by Sandy Andina, a CoffeeGeek member.

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Show Notes

  • No roundtable again. It's a bitch to edit.

  • Discussion on Restaurant Coffee, and how the best restaurant in the US (French Laundry - website) doesn't even "get it", serving illy pod espresso.

  • Suggestion that somelliers at fine dining establishments learn about high end coffee and espresso, take advanced barista training courses, and add it to their repetoire.

  • Talk about port wine, and how it is the "espresso" of the booze world (apologies to whiskey and wine drinkers).

  • Mark's picks on the best bargains in port wine right now

  • Listener emails answered:

- How to know you're getting a good shot of espresso in a cafe

- How important the quality of espresso is in milk drinks

- More on ristretto as a "crutch" drink

- Coffee brewers for the physically disabled.

Enjoy folks! Next wednesday, news with Jeanette Chan and maybe a round table ;)

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Cool intro music sent in by Martin Boiselle

No roundtable yet - editing nightmare

Audio Question - what's Mark's opinion on the Thor Tamper (www.thortamper.com)

Long discussion on the Thor Tamper and why tamping is important.

News with Jeanette Chan (and guest Beata Siwinski!) news@coffeegeek.com

  • "CoffeeGeek Resources" for more info

  • Detailed Article about farms working to get fair wages for their labourers

  • Coffee Carts make big business

  • Failed attempt to sneak a sheep article in ;)

  • Proposed Nairobi sales of Coffee

  • Discussion: Tully's Losing money. Mark talks about the Tully's trainer being a last minute USBC entrant.

  • Discussion - a new balance brewer on the market (www.espressovero.com). Mark gives a tiny primer on vac pots and balance brewers, and says the Espresso Vero offerings are too expensive. Mentions Hario (www.hario.com).

  • 90 Second Rant - messy coffee!

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Funny intro, created by Louis Counter www.brokendrumrecords.com

Send your creative intro (30 seconds to 2 minutes) for the show to podcast@coffeegeek.com

Iced Americano Recipe:

  • 12 oz glass, fill with 4 oz water, four ice cubes

  • brew double shot of espresso

  • pour into glass, stir

  • add sugar water and milk or cream to taste

Hosting Mp3s on Liberated Syndication. Check out our blog at Libsyn

Passed 1,000 regular subscribers, and an average of 1800 downloads per show (and climbing)

Discussion about how the CG Podcast is made

  • Sony ECMMS907 Microphone

  • Sony VGN-T250 Notebook Computer

  • Audacity used to record.

  • File saved as OGG Vorbis, 8 quality, then converted to a 32-40kbit, 44.1khz Mono MP3 file

  • iTunes used to create ID2 tags, insert "album art"

Rant about email to CoffeeGeek - averaging nearly 200 a day now.

Mark asks listeners to do their legwork first before emailing questions that are not podcast related

  • use Google

  • research our CoffeeGeek Forums for answers to your questions

  • use our Consumer Reviews section to find out about machines.

Mark doesn't want to discourage emails, but asks that you do some research on your own first before you email him.

Primer on CoffeeGeek Site - Forums, Guides section, Resources Section, more.

Teaser on the forthcoming gargantuan Espresso Guide

Machines undergoing final processes for their Detailed Reviews

  • Innova Arc Espresso machine, from Morala Trading in Ottawa, Canada (>$400 Cdn)

  • Innova Dream Espresso machine, also from Morala Trading, about $650 Cdn

  • Jura Capresso S9 Super Automatic, from 1st in Coffee

Also mentioned, Solis SL-70

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Show notes:

Introduction

Little Bond Clip

Talk about Danny, the England Espresso Guy

Farmers Markets rock - can be hidden places to find good espresso

Listener Mail

What are CoffeeGeeks' fave drinks?

Why doesn't Mark like ristrettos?

Audio Question - including segments that cover definitions of basic terms in coffee and espresso

News Segment

Quick news - company with organic coffees; roasting company beats folgers, dean & deluca in blind taste test; Drink lots of coffee and reduce type 2 diabetes.

Discussion news - Jamaican Blue Mountain - scammers worried about scams? Kopi Luwak discussion - yes it is real, and Mark talks about how he got 5 pounds; Cafe Culture and "hanging out" making a comeback?

90 Second Rant: Magazines and TV never show good design incorporating espresso and coffee makers.

news@coffeegeek.com

Coffee and Espresso Tips for Newbies

Beata wonders why the macchiato she gets at Mark's house or at good cafes is different from the macchiato Starbucks makes

Mark details the basic drinks made with espresso, including americano, ristretto, cappuccino, latte, mocha, cafe au lait (technically, a moka pot based drink) and more. Rants quite a bit ;)

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Intro - what is the podcast all about

Coffee as a passion, and not as a fuel

Read Usenet: groups.google.com and search for alt.coffee

Portafilter.net shoutout (www.portafilter.net)

Vote at PodcastAlley.com for the CG Podcast

Mail Call Segment

Mail 1 - what about a $100 setup.

Get a grinder. Get good coffee. www.bodum.com (Bodum Antigua)

Finding cheap prices: www.froogle.com

Yama Vacpot: www.baratza.com

Mail 2 - Coffee as a ritual for beginners

Pointer to "Newbie Revelations" Newbie Revelations

Mail 3 - Recommend a machine to me.

Two machines mentioned - Gaggia Carezza, Solis SL-70

Mail 4 - How many beans in a cup

Mini Review, Reg Barber Tamper

Review / Interview with Matt, Prado Cafe www.pradocafe.com

Reg Barber all metal anodized tamper, www.regbarber.com

Highly recommended.

Roundtable Discussion with Alistair Durie (www.elysianroom.com), Sammy Piccolo (www.caffeartigiano.com), Mark Prince and Aaron DeLazzar (Coffee Missionary)

Camping coffee. Mentioned products: Peugeot Grinder, Zassenhaus Grinders, Press Pots

Cafes with culture: Victrola Coffee (www.victrolacoffee.net),

Shoutout to Tonx' website (www.tonx.org)

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The fifth instalment in the CoffeeGeek Podcast features an expanded news section from Jeanette Chan; a new segment we're tentatively calling "Advanced Coffee and Espresso Techniques for the Coffee Newbie"; this week we talk about good coffee on a budget.

This is definitely a consumer-oriented podcast. The roundtable I was hoping to have in this issue will wait until the next podcast.

MP3 format 9.0mb, 39:03 (mm:sec) 32 kbps bitrate, 24 kHz sample rate, mono channel.

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Show Notes

  • Intro;
  • Email Reading;
  • News update and discussion with Jeanette Chan and Mark Prince;
  • Part 2 of our interview with George Howell, covering freezing green coffee, news for home roaster and more.

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Show Notes:

  • Introduction;
  • George Howell (Terroir Coffee) Interview, Pt.1;
  • Howell's start in coffee;
  • How Coffee Connection grew;
  • Selling to Starbucks;
  • What he's done after;
  • Closing comments.

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Our very first podcast! Managed to find this file buried deep in a backup drive!

Show Notes:

  • Introduction
  • Interview with Vince Piccolo
  • From the Lab Report on the KitchenAid Proline Grinder
  • Roundtable with Alistair Durie and Sammy Piccolo
  • News Roundup, including results from the Canadian Barista Competition.

Most of this was recorded last week prior to the Canadian Barista Champs that went on yesterday and today.

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