Having run out of my favorite brand, Dead Man's Reach, I had to suffice myself with some Tony's Shade Grown Coffee, a politically correct brand that advertises its sustainability, fair trade and organic certification.

The first blend I tried was their Songbird Blend, which was a combination of a light-to-medium roast and a very dark roast. It was not my favorite blend; it was bitter and lingered unpleasantly after I'd drunk some of it. Not the best roast in the world.

The second roast I tried was the French Royale roast. Much nicer. Good and smooth, and this one actually has the "chocolatey overtones" that the flyer claimed was to be found in the Songbird blend. Very yummy, especially with four minutes of french press steeping.

Tags: coffee, review
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Heather Alexendar, Gypsy Bardic Tinker People

Don't cover the chimney completely! I forgot to mention that: you don't want to cover the chimney completely. The spoon I use is just the right size to keep the beans from popping out when they well up from the center, but if you prevent the airflow from leaving the popper it will burn out and then you might just need that fire extinguisher. If you hear the popper whirring up, you're blocking too much airflow, and that's not a good thing.

Tags: coffee, cooking
Current Mood: amused

I've been making coffee. Not just brewing it, but starting from raw beans (an Ethiopian harvest) and turning it into real coffee. Since I've had pleasant success with it, I've decided to try and write down what I'm doing.

( Cheap, good roast! )

Tags: coffee, cooking
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: The Scientific Method, Into the Machinic Phylum