[Reader]

Originally Posted by Yellow band

Ho Ho, some one who speaks my language.

Tell the truth, a Burr grinder, is actually a slicer!.....good coffee is never ground, it's sliced.

I too, am a cupper. I used to host cupping parties, where I'd roast and everyone would sip, swirl it around in their mouth, swallow if they wanted, spit it out....rinse and repeat. When attendance started to dwindle, I got the hint, just because that was *fun* to me....not so much for every one else. So, I did my roasting thing by myself, and took notes. Some beans like more heat, some beans require longer roasts, some combinations taste better with each other. For example, anything grown in South America make
great combination beans for espresso. Espresso is a roast by the way.

I have a Zach and Dani's roaster. They have since sold their name, but the roaster remains the same. I have a first generation and a second generation. It does a great job of controlling the smoke. (it has something like a catalytic converter on it) It puts off alot of heat. In the better weather, I roast out on the deck.....

Funny you mentioned travel mugs. I am a bit nutty about
travel mugs. I'm always looking at them. I have the same
attraction to nice slim aluminum thermos's too. I fell out of my kayak on the river this morning, the kayak took on water, I don't know how I didn't snap my leg in half, and I had a total melt down because the espresso kit got away.
a whole other story ( we were going to have an espresso break on the river)

I buy from Sweet Maria's on line. She's pretty good about telling you when good beans are available. I just picked up a 20 pound sack of Coasta Rican tarrazu. Purchasing green beans in bulk, coffee or espresso is about .05 cents a cup. (fifty cups
or espresso's to a lb)...how can you not want fresh coffee.
I'll drink water before touching starbucks.

I have a Mr. Coffee espresso machine.....and I think I have a Mr coffee coffee maker....it's almost never used. Once you've had my freshly roasted espresso....thats all you'll ever want. (seriously)

Every time we visit any of our friends, I always take coffee. I pay special attention to when some one says they like a particular roast, I make sure they get that. Recieveing this coffee is better than wine. And I'm not kidding.

Target sells the syrups. So we keep them on hand for the people who just haven't made that step to real espresso.
What ever you want, the beans are always fresh, and the shop is always open.

When you roast your own beans, the beans shed a skin. Store bought coffee grinds those skins into the coffee, you can tell by the sheen on top of the coffee. I take a hand help vacuum and carefully extract all of those skins, so my coffee is smooth as can be. ZERO bitterness.

When is the next cupping party?? I adore coffee and I hope to be a coffee snob one day myself!

PS-Please don't ever call me a ho.