Do You Know Why Easter Uses Eggs?

No really, I was asking a serious question because I have no idea why the Easter Egg is used for this holiday.  A rabbit does not lay eggs...


However, while we are on the subject of easter eggs, were you aware that there is one somewhere on the Anchor Bay Roasts website?  If you find it you will be entered into this month's drawing for FREE coffee.  BTW, there has only been one person who has found it this month so odds are really in your favor.


Good Luck!

Honestly...

The coffee that I roast is not for everyone - It is expensive and it is not at all convenient.  I know it, you know, and even my 7 year old knows it.


But then again, a Lexus or BMW is expensive and those companies are bold enough to expect their owners to go through the inconvenience of firing uncle Wilbur's Backyard Auto Care service so that they might have their cars properly maintained in their further expensive Service Centers.


As I think about it, I do individually roast single-origin coffee fresh per customer, I do package each order in proper ratio to each customer's specific brewing style, and I do spend a bunch of time roasting each small batch order because I will not make or sell in bulk.  So I guess that while my coffee is more expensive than the stale stuff in the grocery store and more inconvenient than simply tossing a bag into your cart, at the end of the day there are still quite a few people who prefer to drive a Lexus or BMW.


So no, the coffee that I roast is not for everyone.

anchorbayroasts.com

Coffee Like a Great Lake - Improve Your Coffee Part 3

I remember a television show when I was a kid called "That's Incredible" where a guy said that he could identify each of Michigan's Great Lakes by the flavor of the water.  The man claimed that each of the Great Lakes were notable because of the impurities in their water.  And when he was given samples in a blind taste test - sure enough he identified them - 5 for 5.

I say all that to point out that the water that we make coffee with should be filtered-water.  I first learned this lesson when my brother-in-law made coffee using filtered water and I noticed a significant difference in the taste.  Then I really noticed a difference when I used water gathered in a snow storm in my Michigan Snow Coffee trial - it was not good.  It was because of both of these experiences that I can honestly say that you can improve the taste of your coffee by improving the quality of the water that you use.  If you doubt me just make your coffee with

Do I Sell Flavored Creamers?

I was asked this while talking with someone about doing a coffee demonstration for them.  While I was not offended nor insulted I just told the client honestly, "If you are going to add flavoring to my coffee, you might as well save yourself some money and buy something inexpensive at the grocery store."


When I say this, I am not trying to be catty or snobbish but the reality is that the coffee that I sell is not cheap and if someone is just going to put flavoring in it anyway they can save themselves a few bucks and add the flavor to cheaper coffee -   The result would be the same.


The point of Anchor Bay Roast is to help people to experience the coffee that they drink - not the flavors that they add.  Coffee, especially freshly-roasted unadulterated single-origin coffee, has a wonderful flavor and many wonderful characteristics to experience in it.  Tasting coffee (properly called cupping) is akin to wine tasting in my world.  Each cup is to be recognized as a unique experience but helping people to experience their coffee is impossible if they put additives in the coffee that I prepare and serve to them.


Lots of people do not really believe me when I tell them this but good coffee does not need creamer, sugar, and or other flavors to be added because God already put all the flavor necessary in the beans that He created.  All we need is good coffee - And good coffee is often most difficult to come by.

Please Allow Me To Introduce...

I am sorry I forgot to do this earlier...


Please allow me to introduce myself,  my name is John and I roast coffee.  While I will not be so bold as to proclaim my coffee as the best in the world - it is still a very good experience.


Why is it good?  Because while the common coffee bean is a very sturdy product (remaining good after 2 years in its green state if stored in a dry and cool location) it still goes stale in just 2 weeks after being roasted.  This means that the stuff that you purchase is usually stale and often altered in order to maintain its consistent brand flavor.  With my fresh-brewed single-origin coffee it rarely tastes the same from pot to pot but it is always fresh and very yummy (if I am allowed this small boast).


My company is Anchor Bay Roasts and I would like to help you experience your coffee.

www.anchorbayroasts.com

The Coffee Goddess

I needed to roast some coffee for myself today and my daughter wants to learn the art - so I started her on her training.  She roasted her first batch of beans today to a Full-City roast- a Rwandan Bugisu.   This is not my favorite bean and I certainly would not serve it to customers, however it is a perfect bean for learning how to roast with.


She is pictured holding her first batch.  She learned how much bean to put in the roaster, how to assess its color and listen for its two-separate cracks.  As I write this she will not let me forget that we still yet need to grind and brew a cup for sampling.  


Ahhh, my little snob is blossoming...


Please visit anchorbayroasts.com and find this month's easter-egg for your chance to win FREE coffee.  This is the good stuff too, none of the bland stuff.  I figure that when you taste fresh single origin coffee that all other coffee you drink will suffer in comparison.

October Easter Egg

There is an easter egg on anchorbayroasts.com.  


If you locate it you will be eligible for a FREE 2.5oz package of coffee (That's one 12-cup pot).  There has been just one person who has located it so far so your odds are good if you find it.


Last month's easter egg was a bit tricky but this one is right out in the open for everyone to see.  If you cannot find it it is simply because you are not reading the pages.  (oopsies, was that a hint I just let slip?)


Happy hunting!

Coffee Sale...

Hi there.  Today (10/11/2011) I am offering 5 - 12c pots of coffee (12.5oz) for just $15.00 + shipping!


The coffee is a Mocca Sanini from Yemen - and it is fabulous.  The very moment that you first smell this brew you will be returned to the days when you stood over the stove and smelled your grandma cooking chocolate pudding.  As this cup cools you will experience a note of cocoa in the taste like a baker's chocolate - not sweet but rich.  This bean is nutty with a strong earth tone and begs to be experienced.


Email me now to taste this delightfully-and-artfully-crafted fresh-roasted single-origin coffee.

Coffee Like ?- Improve your Coffee Part 2

I wanted to come up with a snappy metaphor for coffee grind that worked but I just couldn't think of one this morning.  I'm sure that I will think of one later in the afternoon but for now - I have nothing...


Another key to improving your coffee at home is to understand the grind that you use.  If you use a process of brewing that steeps or washes your grounds with hot water then you may use a grind that is more course.  However, if the hot water that you use is simply running through the grounds once then you want a grind that is finer.  And further still, if you use a brewing process that mostly blasts steam through your grounds you want to go with a grind that is more akin to dust.


Most people who grind their own coffee at home use a hand-held blade grinder.  The problem with this type of grinder is that the final grind is not very consistent and the blades tend to heat the beans and further cook them. However, if you would have further control over the grind that results then you will want to look into a burr-mill grinder.  These are a few dollars more but certainly worth it if you are seeking a better cup of coffee.

October Easter Egg...

There is an October easter egg on the www.anchorbayroasts.com website.  If you find it you will be entered in the drawing for the FREE pot of coffee.  The egg is obvious so the only reason you would not be able to locate it is because you really are not trying.


Good Luck!