Coffee’s On!
The Coffee Bean International blog—featuring insights, news, and stories, covering everything coffee from tree to cup.
Rwanda Cup of Excellence® Competition - Part 2
We are mid-way through the Cup of Excellence competition here in Rwanda, and I wanted to take an opportunity to share some details of the event. Read more »
Rwanda Cup of Excellence® Competition - Part 1
One of the most anticipated coffee events of 2010 is about to happen – the Cup of Excellence® competition being held in Rwanda at the end of August! I’m honored and thrilled to have been selected as one of the handful of international cupping judges for this competition, proudly representing Coffee Bean International. Read more »
Roaster Restoration – Part 2
Bishops’ Hats and Scally Caps
For over twenty years, I’ve longed to get my hands on a Whitmee coffee roaster. Due to their extreme scarcity and cost - whenever one did come onto the market in the UK, it carried a price beyond my means - the dream eluded me. I contented myself instead by diligently researching and collecting heavy-duty ‘Monitor’ roasters built here in the U.S. and amazing open-drum and open-flame ‘Uno’ roasters manufactured in England.
Why Whitmee? Read more »
Coffee Aisle Lessons from the Underwear Legend
Living in England, a friend advised me “you have to buy new underwear at Marks & Spencer. Everybody buys their underwear at Marks & Spencer.” Where I came from it was uncommon to buy underwear at the same place you shopped for your fruits and vegetables, but with a recommendation like that, where do you think I bought my next underwear?
Marks & Spencer gained fame for its underwear by standing out for its pure and simple quality. Read more »
Weather Gets Warmer, Coffee Gets Colder
As the weather gets warmer, sales of hot brewed coffee and tea often drop. Retailers can counter the drop in hot beverages by building a solid iced coffee program and capitalizing on a key growth opportunity. As a specialty coffee roaster, Coffee Bean International® recommends that, whenever possible, our customers promote an iced coffee program that utilizes the same high-quality, artisan-roasted coffee that they promote in their hot coffee program. Read more »
Reflections on Peru
When you think of Peru you may think of the Andes Mountains, Macchu Picchu, smiling, ruddy-cheeked people in multi-colored garb but maybe not of extraordinary coffee. I didn’t. Then, I tasted coffee from the San Ignacio region, and now I can imagine nothing else when I think of Peru. The cup is bursting with ripe fruit notes and has a rich, creamy body and bittersweet cocoa notes. After singing these praises you can imagine how excited I was to meet the farmers who grew this noteworthy coffee. Read more »
Roaster Restoration – Part 1
Salvation of a Steampunk Roaster
I’m the first to admit that I’m passionate about coffee – and in particular, coffee roasters. That probably explains why I decided years ago to collect coffee roasters, and now find myself owning seven of them (not counting my three sample roasters, of course…they’re so petite!) in sizes ranging from a husky half-bagger all the way down to a diminutive three-pound countertop beauty.
Some guys collect cars. I round-up roasters. Same disease, different symptoms. Read more »
Trade Down in Coffee? No Chance!
Last month, when I was standing at our booth at FMI, the rep from the plastic bag company to our left walked over to our espresso bar, put milk and sugar in her cup of Project Direct™ direct trade Peru San Ignacio, looked at me and proclaimed, without prompting, “Coffee’s coffee, right?” Read more »
Great coffee is Public Domain
Built on the belief that coffee should be an experience, not just a routine, we are proud to announce our flagship coffeehouse, Public Domain. Public Domain brings our new line of small batch roasted, seasonal coffees, world class baristas, a pour over brew bar and the innovative new espresso machine, the Slayer, to downtown Portland. Read more »
From the Roaster: Paul on Public Domain
A few years ago (ok, 20 years), Coffee Bean International chose to move from being a retail/wholesale roaster to purely wholesale. I believe the primary reason may have been that we didn’t want to compete with our retail customers. As the lead roaster and coffee buyer at the time, this move made life a bit easier. We no longer needed to deal with the retail side… Read more »
