Inside The Bean

Church to open fair trade coffee shop (The News Journal)
Silverside Church in Brandywine Hundred will open the Fair Trade Coffee Shop on May 9. The shop will offer healthy, homemade treats and Fair Trade chocolates on occasion and will display work by local artists. Bags of Green Mountain Roasters Fair Trade coffee will also be for sale.

Two Hours of Joint Solitude

Solitude in a Cafe? Chris Pluger offers this short essay of an exploration of the reasons why we go to cafes - even if it is to "be alone".
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How to Make Coffee in a Drip Coffee Maker
Next in my series of illustrated instruction pages. If you’re used to buying your coffee at the local coffee shop, you might not have used your own drip coffee maker…

A Different Type of Coffee: +Kfe Magazine Debuts (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Among exotic aromas and luscious flavors of Latin American coffees, +Kfe launched Friday, March 31st, in Costa Rica. +Kfe is the first magazine dedicated exclusively to Latin America’s differentiated coffee sector.

Forza coffee shops plan strong move in South Sound (Tacoma News Tribune)
In the five years since he switched from hitting the streets as a Gig Harbor police detective to running a specialty coffee franchise, Brad Carpenter’s heard it all. (OK, here’s the place for the cop and doughnuts-and-coffee jokes. Got that out of your system now?)

How to Make Espresso in a Moka Pot
Using a stove-top moka pot is a quick and simple way to make espresso at home. It’s not complicated either. This illustrated set of steps will have you making espresso…

Kenya: Coffee Farmers Cry Foul (AllAfrica.com)
Coffee farmers from Meru have accused the Government of failing to initiate reforms in the industry.

How to Use a Pour Over Brewer

Want to make the perfect cup of drip brewed coffee? You don’t need no fancy $150 digital wunderkind - a simple $4 manual drip pourover device will do the trick!
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Top Ways to Make a Bad Cup of Coffee
Sure, making coffee is a simple process. But there are plenty of things that can ruin your brew. Here is a handy list of ways to make a bad cup…

Coffee! Tea? Not me
My office is filled with weaklings. These are people who are afraid of running a short hundred mile marathon.

SERBC Barista Competition 2005

Dan Kehn reports from the South East Regional Barista Competition for 2005, with photos from Jay Caragay to sate your appetite!
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Happy Valentine’s Day
Everyone’s favourite chocolate holiday. You can always get romantic with a warm coffee cocktail or a cup of hot chocolate. Or if you’re looking for a decadent dessert, I have some recipes that might suit the occassion: • Chocolate Truffle…

Would Sugar by Any Other Name be as Sweet?
Do you like your coffee black or with a touch of sweetener. Or maybe a lot of sweetener? Most coffee shops offer those little packets of white sugar, but some fancier coffee houses may also offer brown sugar or even…

Discordant Symphony
Discordant Symphony poem.

What Kind of Tea are You?
I just realized that I only had a personality quiz for the coffee drinkers, and that’s not fair to all the tea-lovers out there. So, take this quick 8-question quiz and find out which kind of tea matches your personality….

Review of Thai Tea Syrup
My latest product review is for Thai Tea Syrup from CurrySimple.com. It’s just a simple syrup made from tea concentrate, but it sure offers a lot of flavour. Use it for either quick iced tea, or a cup of instant…

Brewing Turkish Coffee

CoffeeGeek serves up a primer on how to brew using one of the oldest continuing methods of making a fine cup of coffee - the Turkish (or Greek!) way.
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Inanimate Objects Comics #24
The 24th Installment of Inanimate Objects.

Teas of India
You may think of China first when it comes to tea growing regions, but don’t forget India. Many excellent black (and green) teas come from from India, and the different growing regions in that country produce unique flavours that are…

Beginner’s Guide to Cupping

Geoff Watts of Intelligentsia Coffee gives you a primer on how to cup coffee at home! Using simple tools, and with a beginner’s vocabulary, you can evaluate coffee like the pros!
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White Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti
Winter is still hanging over us, and I’m starting to crave more warm treats. My coffee alone isn’t enough, so I’ve whipped up a batch of biscotti to dunk. So far, my favourite recipe has been this White Chocolate and…

SCAA 2006 Charlotte Preview

A preview of the largest specialty coffee related tradeshow in the world - the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 2006 Conference and Trade Show happening in Charlotte, NC, on April 7th through the 10th, 2006.
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One dead in Toronto coffee shop explosion (AFP via Yahoo! News)
A “very suspicious” explosion in a coffee shop killed a man in the Canadian city of Toronto, police said.

Review of Postum
Postum is an all-grain coffee substitute. If you’re looking for a caffeine-free replacement for your daily cup of coffee, you might want to see my thoughts on Postum….