Many folks who enjoy drinking really good coffee can remember the cup that did it for them. For me, it was a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee--Bella Donovan--that I had picked up within 48 hours of it being roasted. James Freeman lived about a mile from our Oakland, CA apartment and he was roasting small batches of coffee and selling it at the Berkeley Farmers' Market and out of his house to get it to buyers before the 48 hour window closed. That was five years ago. These days, if I'm going to brew a cup at home (with my trusty press pot) the coffee I'll be grinding is most likely going to be from Gimme! Coffee. Their organic Mexican medium roast is my favorite. (Unfortunately they are currently sold out which is why I sent a friend on a mission to Manhattan to procure one of the few worthy substitutes--some Nicaraguan beans roasted by Stumptown Coffee Roaster).
If you've been reading this blog since the beginning then you know how much I love Gimme! Coffee. I dream of them opening a cafe in Armory Square. Gimme! founder and CEO, Kevin Cuddeback is probably tired of hearing my pleas for them to set up shop here. Luckily, Gimme! can be found at places like Sugar Pearl at the Regional Market in the Summer and Fall at the Sundance Farm stand.
A couple of months ago, as a prelude to a farm dinner at Stick and Stone Farm near Trumansburg, Kevin gave a tour of the Gimme! headquarters. Imagine a barn-like structure filled with bags of beans, roasting machines, and a room off to the side where Kevin explained the roasting process and pulled espresso shots. Now when I see Gimme! being written up in magazines like Saveur for roasting some of the best coffee aold in the States I can picture the amazing place where the magic happens.
Gimme! carefully chooses beans working with growers and suppliers to obtain the best possible. They'll call out for samples from suppliers and evaulate the beans for acidity, intensity, balance, and cleanness (of taste) among other attributes. Bags of coffee beans weight 150 pounds and a container shipment will contain 300 bags of coffee. A broker is usually involved to help negotiate the details of shipping and financing.
This is Kevin Cuddeback explaining the roasting process. It is a relatively simple process as those who roast their own beans at home can attest. But for an operation like Gimme! it is all about scale. They roast in 40 pound batches for about 12 minutes in an hot air roaster. The end temperature of the roast depends on the bean being roasted--all influencing the result in the cup. The peak time to grind and drink your coffee? Within 6-7 days of roasting. Look for the roast date on their bags of coffee. "After 21 days it is toast" says Kevin.
There is no end to the advice and information available for brewing coffee or pulling espresso. if you're going to spend good money on premium beans it is probably worth doing a little research. Coffee Geek and the brewing instructions at Stumptown Roasters are where I go for info and inspiration.
It seems you had a very good experience with you.In my home my mom used to prepare coffee powder from coffee beans herself.But really its very difficult.Also that coffee is too tasty.
Posted by: coffee bean roaster | February 06, 2009 at 01:03 AM