I don’t consider myself an expert (yet), but I am frequently finding the need to share and record my coffee related opinions in some manner. I hope that part of this blog can serve as both a simple knowledge repository as well as the home for my opinions. Some of the topics I want to cover are -

Roasting

As in life, balance is king. A coffee that is roasted to either end of the spectrum is unpleasant to drink, while coffee roasted to contain high and low notes can be simply delicious. Finding this balance is the pursuit of the coffee roaster.

In my own pursuit I have much to learn. Time and temperature seem at first like simple ingredients, but the amount of viable combinations of the two for a mere 9-12 minute roast is staggering (better start drinking). This section can help me log pitfalls and avoid future mistakes, as well as develop rules for creating spectacular roasts.

“Beauty is in eye of the beholder,” and likewise, good coffee is defined by the mouth drinking it. At my current workplace, there is an extremely wide range of taste, from “I can barely grind these beans” sweet to “it’s basically grill charcoal” bitter. Neither of these roast preferences are technically wrong (unfortunately good chemists aren’t paid to quantify this), they demonstrate that one person’s dream cup is perhaps unique. I can gladly offer my opinion.

Latte Art

My interest in coffee began with a desire to learn latte art. I loved to watch videos of baristas pouring beautiful designs. I wanted to learn how to do it myself. So, in my college apartment, I began with a moka pot, a french press, and small pot. Now, cranking out cappuccinos on the lab’s Slayer feels like a dream compared to my old humble setup. Three years of making latte art and I am still constantly improving. I hope I can share some of my experience with others.

Where to go?

An inspiration for starting this blog is exploring the local scene. Boston has plenty of options for so-called “third-wave coffee,” so this blog is a good excuse to get out and develop an opinion. Spoiler alert: most places are bad. But boy-oh-boy am I happy to tell you why. Check out my Cafe Reviews series to find out what’s hot and what’s not.