Note from Margaret: It’s a pleasure to bring you this post from guest contributor, Kieran MacRae! Kieran is based in Scotland, and he writes about coffee at Above Average Coffee. Visit his site at https://aboveaveragecoffee.com Travelling is one of the great life journeys that you should not pass up if life offers it to you. […]
Brewing
Experiment: Bleached vs. Unbleached Chemex filters
When I started doing pourover coffee at home, I ran into the question of whether to buy bleached or unbleached filters for my V60 and Chemex (and indeed, it’s also a question to consider if you have an automatic drip coffeemaker). I began my manual coffee journey with unbleached filters. Why? Well, it was partly […]
Advice: Anatomy of a “good” espresso shot
A friend recently purchased an espresso machine and asked me to help teach him how to use it, as he does not know what “good” espresso is supposed to taste like. This got me thinking about how to describe the taste of a properly pulled shot of espresso to someone that has never had one. Let’s talk about orange […]
How to make cold-brew with an AeroPress
Note from Margaret: I’m thrilled to welcome Benji Walklet as a guest contributor to Coffee Cantata! Benji runs The Coffee Concierge, which is a fantastic resource for all things coffee – machine recommendations, coffee reviews, and cool experiments like this one. Check out his writing (and videos) at http://www.thecoffeeconcierge.net. In the world of coffee, there […]
Online coffee tutorials
Whenever I want to learn a new skill (like how to clean a dishwasher, how to tie a fancy knot, etc.), I invariably consult Google and YouTube for help. Online tutorials can be extremely helpful, but they’re only as good as the people posting them. I have run into videos that range from being simply unhelpful to […]
Experiment: Making cold-brew coffee with a french press
I don’t drink iced coffee. Even during Texas summers when it is humid and over 100 degrees F, I just don’t feel right unless I have hot coffee in the mornings. Call me crazy, but I like savoring a cup and tasting the flavors change as it moves from hot to warm to cooled off. […]
How to make a delicious cappuccino at home on a budget
Cappuccinos (and lattes, and mochas, etc.) are delicious, but they are rather expensive. There’s a reason for that; they are all espresso-based drinks, and espresso machines are NOT CHEAP. Commercial espresso machines can easily run over $10,000. You’re also paying for (hopefully) top-quality beans and the time and expertise of your barista. But is there […]
Some general rules to follow to get GREAT coffee at home
Coffee is a daily ritual for many of us, myself included (obviously!). It might surprise some people to know that I typically don’t drink very much coffee each day; each morning I’ll have 8-12 oz of a brewed coffee or a double espresso if I’m pulling espresso shots. That’s about it. If I’m drinking such […]