Clive Coffee's New Products, Brewing Guides and Coffee Industry News

Found this today – an app for your iPhone or iPod touch that is built around SCAA specs on cupping coffee. It’s called the iCupper Master Assistant. The look and feel needs a little help, but the functionality seems to be well planned and executed.

Check it out. If you’re using a Mac you might need to select iTunes as the software to open the link like I did. Or you can search for it in the app store, of course.

I’ll be posting some thoughts and ideas soon for doing a cupping at home. It’s a fun way to play around with coffee on a lazy Saturday morning.

The minimalist makes iced coffee at home! As summer winds down, take advantage of the last few balmy days with a cold, low acid iced coffee. You only need a french press to accomplish iced coffee like you’d get from a Toddy. We wrote up this guide to make it all very simply and fool-proof.

I love this method for iced coffee because it doesn’t involve buying more stuff to fill up my kitchen. You just use a french press, brew it strong and for a long time, then you have iced coffee mix that will last 10 days or so. You’ll probably want to mix with milk or cream over ice after the first day. A friend of mine adds a pinch of cardamom to get all fancy. Hats off to ya, Mitch.

Here’s to the weekend and coffee in all its forms!

It was a pleasant cafe, warm and clean and
friendly, and I hung up my old water-proof on the
coat rack to dry and put my worn and weathered
felt hat on the rack above the bench and ordered a
cafe au lait. The waiter brought it and I took out
a notebook from the pocket of the coat and a
pencil and started to write.

- Ernest Hemingway

I saw this online today and am not sure what I think about it. It seems like a fad product that could not possibly pull a good shot. Even the idea of it seems incongruent with espresso craft, which is supposed to be about slow, careful extraction of the bean, requiring time, patience, and a little bit of skill. Portable espresso? Really?

But I’m willing to be shown that this really is a great product. I haven’t seen it in person yet. Check out the clip of this thing “pulling” a shot (and I use the term loosely). Thoughts?

The Chicago Tribune reviewed 4 alternative ways to brew coffee. First up was the Vacuum Pot. The Trib was smart to recommend the Bodum Santos vacuum pot. We agree with them – it’s sleek, interesting, and makes great coffee. Check out the Trib article.

We’ve got a very special coffee coming up this week. Did we mention 100% of the profit from this roast is going to a very special cause? We’re doing a limited roast for this on Friday, August 21st. We’ll be roasting up this fine coffee and shipping it out the same day. Expect milk chocolate sweetness, balanced fruit tones of apricot and peach, and balanced acidity. It has a complex yet clean aftertaste, with slight notes of spice (Côtes du Rhône, perhaps?). The nutty taste is pronounced, with piquant filbert & walnut. This makes a delicious french press in the morning. Details to follow, but we’re donating 100% of the proceeds from this roast to a very special villa in Nicaragua for vulnerable children who formerly lived on the dump outside of Managua. Stay tuned and be sure to reserve your bag as we have extremely limited quantities. When I say limited, I mean limited. All those green beans could fit in the back of a Smart Car.

We’ve found it – a great value in espresso making. Made in Italy; solid metal construction; encouraging lack of plastic features; brass grouphead; 57mm portafilter; under $300.

Check it out!

Just opened – across the street from Clive Coffee, a new source for unproductive beverages and delightful small plates. Friendly people, large windows overlooking the river and skyline in the distance. Coudn’t ask for much more. The Dean’s Madness is a great drink of tequila or gin, muddled local blueberries, housemade tonic, and a squeeze of lime. The bartenders know their stuff, and they’ve put together a well curated selection of liquors, including lots of local booze made just up the street.  Check them out sometime.

Hello world and fellow coffee lovers!

On this blog we’ll be posting news about upcoming coffee harvests, new products, helpful articles on how to make great coffee, and other miscellany. We’ll be offering sporadic prizes to people who comment on our blog posts, so stay tuned and start commenting! We’ll be adding features to this blog over time. Please jump in with suggestions if you have any.

Best for now…