Thursday, June 26, 2008

How Long Does Coffee Last

Whole bean coffee that is not roasted does not have a shelf life. Once it is roasted the expectancy begins. Many coffee fanatics will give you different opinions on how long coffee will last once it has been roasted. I have heard that it can last as long as 2-3 months before it is ground. However, ground coffee only has a 2-2 1/2 week life expectancy.

My own research on this subject is that whole bean coffee taste the best 1 day after it’s roasted date and up to 2 weeks before it begins to loose its flavors. However, flavors begin to evaporate from the time it is roasted. My tip is to purchase 1/2 lb to 1 lb at a time and make sure you drink it within the first week. Otherwise, it just does not taste the same. If you are use to Folders or Maxwell House coffee and never been introduced to quality coffee, then even the store bought Starbucks off the shelf (2 month roast most likely) will taste good to you. If you want to try my coffee or any coffee and drink it the first week, you’ll be hooked!

One quick piece of advice: never freeze your coffee? If you want to know why, post a comment and I’ll explain. 

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A Sweet Offering

“No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils.” ~Henry Ward Beecher (quotegarden.com)

How true! I just wish those who don’t like coffee but love the smell of it would be lured into trying a cup of quality coffee! I think people who don’t like the stuff have never tried the good stuff!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Friendly Grounds Coffeehouse in Santee, CA

A new coffeehouse just opened in Santee, CA off of Mission Gorge Rd. This coffee shop is unique in that it is run by a local church. They gave it the name “Friendly Grounds” because they wanted a friendly community coffee shop that will be a place for people to have good fellowship, coffee, music, counseling and prayer. They wanted to live out the Gospel message that Jesus died for sinners instead through having a local business.

I checked it out over the weekend, and I must say...I was surprised with what I saw. The coffeehouse staff were very friendly, so their core values seem to be passed down to the employees. When I told the barista I wanted coffee and told him I did not want cream, both employees behind the counter smiled and said, “That’s the way to drink coffee: black!” They then began to chat telling me a few other coffees I might like that are strong and rich! The coffee could have been a little more hot, but at least it did not burn my mouth like Starbucks does!

Friendly Grounds is a very large coffeehouse with lots of tables, a conference room (for local businesses or church groups), a prayer or Bible study room, leather couches, a couple of big screen TV’s and a play area for the kids. The only thing I really did not like about the whole experience was the lighting. The night before I went into the place, I noticed the coffee shop, and it looked like a BIG ice cream parlor! The lighting was so powerful that it did not give the inviting and warm feeling most coffee shops tend to give out. So, if I could offer one piece of advice, more people will show up and even stay awhile if the owners could put more recess lighting or even more lamps. Besides that...Friendly Grounds is off to a good start. They also just made the decision to open their doors at 5am to catch the traffic folks.

Located
Next to the Santee Public Library off of Carlton Oaks & Carlton Hills Rd. 

Monday, December 17, 2007

Tipped Coffee Quote

“Good conversation is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” (-Anne Morrow Lindberg)

borrowed from my famous Uncle Damien Howard: View The Most Amazing Blog Ever

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Tips on Making Good Espresso

One of the key factors for making good espresso is making sure you first have the right machine. A good espresso machine for your home should have at least 15 pumps of pressure and heats the water to a perfect temperature (does not boil water, which will destroy good coffee).

If you have the right machine, the process of making a good espresso or americano is simple. Grind freshly roasted beans right before you make your cup (fresh up to 2 weeks). The final step is to time the brewing process for 15 seconds. If you turn off the espresso filter valve after 15 seconds, those first 15 seconds of espresso in your cup will be perfect, not bitter.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Monday, October 01, 2007

Blending Your Beans

Try something new when ordering your freshly roasted coffee beans! Try mixing a darker with a medium or lighter roast. I think you’ll be surprised at the unique (but good) taste. If you need a suggestion, just send me an email. 

Monday, September 10, 2007

Espresso Mia

Another great coffee place in San Diego that you must try when in the area is called, “Espresso Mia!”

Espresso Mia
1920 Fort Stockton Dr # B
San Diego, CA 92103

It serves excellent coffee. I would suggest the Americano with half to 3/4 water (in other words: it would be stronger). The service is good, and the community (Mission Hills) around there love the place. The food that I have tried is not very good. I once went in for a sandwich when I was in between appointments, and it was not the best. If you want a good sandwich, don’t go to a coffee house unless it markets that their food is the best.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Coronado: 1134 Cafe

If you have not had a chance to visit San Diego, put it on your list! Make sure you stop by the “island” of Coronado and stop by the 1134 Cafe on the main street (Orange Ave). The setting is fantastic and so is the coffee. 

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Bean Wear Blend

If you have not tried our Bean Wear Blend, your missing out. Remember, we are a marketing company, not a roaster. However, what we do well is provide or direct you with the best of quality we can find. Our Bean Wear blend is our suggestion to our local roaster. When you order from us, the coffee is then roasted and shipped within a 24 hour period (once the order has been placed).

It is amazing how freshly roasted coffee taste compared to the supposedly fresh coffee you get at your local supermarket such as Vons or Safeway. Buying from us or a local roaster is the only way to go to get the best flavor and taste. 

Friday, August 03, 2007

Morton’s Steakhouse Coffee

If you are looking for a really nice place to dine and have quality steak, Morton’s Steakhouse is the place to go! You would think that if their steak is $40-60 (just the steak) that their coffee would be extremely gourmet. In my opinion, the coffee at Mortons is not very high quality but it is very fresh and above average. For the price, Mortons needs to make it just a little stronger and richer, but it really is pretty decent. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Denver Area Coffee Shop

I recently came across a coffee shop in the Denver area called, “Dazbog Coffee.” There are about six locations in Colorado. I saw a guy wearing one of their shirts recently at a part in San Diego and ask him a few questions about the coffee house. From his “testimonial” it is the place to go! The shirts are very creative and seem to be well received by the public. I guess the coffee is pretty good too. I would love to hear feedback from others who have gone to the shop and their results!

Here is the website

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Coffee Shop Marketing

One of the things Bean Wear is in the planning stages is helping Coffee Shops around the U.S. market their businesses. The new website is in the making, and we will be offering advertising opportunities and also personal marketing assistance. In other words, if you are a coffee shop owner in need of ideas to grow your business, stay tune for help. In the mean time, we are here to help. We can help create a website, logos, marketing advice, etc.

If you have comments, questions or ideas of how we can help you, let us know as well!

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Dunkin Donuts

I just returned from a family vacation in the Northeast: Boston, New Hampshire and Maine. There is still one major coffee shop that rules the Northeast, and it is NOT Starbucks. Dunkin Donuts reign up and down each highway I drove. Most of my east coast friends who live in my city, San Diego, have talked positively about the Dunkin Coffee. When I go back east, I make it a point to try it. During my 10 day trip, I had Dunkin coffee twice!

My conclusion about Dunkin Donuts coffee is quite simple: 1) It taste great if you eat a donut and sip your coffee together. 2) It is better than Starbucks (for what it’s worth) 3) It taste terrible without a donut 4) It taste even worse when it is lukewarm. I experienced all four conclusions during my two trips to Dunkin!

One last thing that disturbed my east coast visit this time was that there did not seem to be a lot of locals that really knew a lot about a perfect cup of coffee. The ones I met enjoyed the stuff but just did not have much to compare besides Starbucks and Dunkin. We need to market independent coffee shops in the northeast more than ever before!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Pacific Bean of Pacific Beach, CA

Thanks to a good friend of mine, Jason Bennett, I was introduced to a local coffee shop in my town called, “Pacific Bean.” I had a brief meeting with the owners, and we area going to try to design some shirts that will help market the Pacific Bean coffeehouse. I am looking forward to working with the owner, Sean. Until everything is all settled and the shirts are in the store, please feel free to stop by and have a cup of coffee if you are in the San Diego area. More to come soon about the Pacific Bean.

Pacific Bean
1886 Garnet Ave Ste A
San Diego, CA 92109

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Coffee Comic Strip For 2nd Week of June

We just received this great coffee comic strip that we thought we would post on our website. After you read it, I’m sure you will just roll your eyeballs!

View Strip