Brotherhood of the Bean

Tired of wondering where else you can go for caffeine other than Starbucks or Caribou?  Check this out:

http://www.delocator.net/index.php

Simply go the website, type in your zip and it gives you a list of independant coffee shops in your area.  And if you know of one not listed, you can add it.  There’s also a link for use with your cell phone!

Pretty cool little site.  I used it and found a number of places I had no idea existed.  For those die hard Starbucks fans (why are you reading this anyway?) they also list local Starbucks.

Back in 2006 Brotherhood of the Bean did a review of the Tassimo pod coffee system.  It held the special distinction of being the lowest rated item to ever be reviewed earning a 2/5 rating, and if I recall, was really more like 1.5 out of 5.0.  You can understand my hesitation to go anywhere near Tassimo again.

Tassimo was on the brink of announcing something big, something no other pod coffee system could claim to have — Starbucks Coffee pods.  And since it had been a few years, I thought they might have improved the system since my last time seeing it here in the Brotherhood of the Bean test center.

And I have to admit, I was rather interested in seeing what the Starbucks pods from Tassimo would taste like in the Tassimo.  With Green Mountain Coffee buying Keurig, it seemed about par for course that Starbucks would get into the pod coffee game, its surprising in fact that they didn’t venture into the pod system market already.  Too much time spent putting independent coffee houses out of business I guess.  But I digress…

The box that arrived from Tassimo was huge - “Did they really make significant changes to what I remembered as being a generally small pod coffee system?” I wondered.   Not so I would soon find out.  What they had done was create some very eye catching, and big packaging for to showcase the Starbucks union.

The intended effect was obviously to help you envision the Tassimo in your kitchen.  It was a nice touch that they included what is a very heavy duty Starbucks coffee cup.  Surprisingly enough, I found myself scratching my head at their choice of coffee cup to include.

The Tassimo was and still is designed primarily for the stock run of the mill coffee cup.  The included Starbucks cup is larger than what can fit in the default space provided by the Tassimo.  To use the cup, one must remove the cup holder as if it was a tall cup.  While not a big deal, I just found it slightly ironic that the cup included didn’t fit the stock configuration.

Big deal you are thinking, just take the stock holder out and put it in big cup mode.  Right on I would say, except for the fact that the pedestal that is used for normal sized coffee also serves as a reservoir for the system to drain its cleaning water into.

Take out the pedestal, and there is no place for the water to go.  The unit is obviously designed to brew a large cup, and then immediately put the pedestal back for the cleaning cycle water to clear.  In my opinion I think Tassimo would have been better served either making the cleaning process a manual event that is initiated with a control panel, or something that is triggered after the use of a dairy creamer pod.

After making 4-6 cups of coffee, the pedestal was filled with this much water drainage.

Its certainly not a deal killer by any means, and I commend Tassimo for striving to keep a clean system, but for myself, and understand that I realize this is entirely user specific, most of my cups that I use would require that I remove the pedestal.

With Tassimo’s built in bar code scanner I would think this might be a possibility for future versions to include.  Use a Tassimo dairy creamer pod, automatically have the system clean itself.

Speaking of the bar code scanner Tassimo makes good use of it to let the system know exactly how the coffee, tea, etc. should be made.  The downside is of course, that Tassimo controls exactly how much coffee should be brewed.  Thankfully there is a manual mode.

Size does matter, the smaller your coffee maker is, the less room it has to hold water,  the less room it has for heating elements, etc.  This equates to two things:

• More Frequent Reservoir Refills
• Longer Wait Times Between Cups of Coffee

As such the Tassimo does require more frequent filling and does take longer in between cups of coffee than any of the other pod coffee systems we have reviewed to date.  In a multi-coffee drinking household this could become irritating over time.

One of the things that I liked about the Tassimo was the clear view into the viewing chamber at the top.  Unlike most pod coffee systems, the Tassimo pods are put in upside down so that the bar code reader can read in the appropriate information.

Functionally it serves as a way to watch and see when the pod has fully drained.   I didn’t find that to be particularly critical to the brew process, but it is interesting to watch.

So, how was the Starbucks?

That’s really what you are after, you can admit it, its alright.  The offering of Starbucks pods will no doubt boost Tassimo’s sales immensely.  Untold legions of Starbucks drinkers with little time to brew a full pot of their blessed brew will be happy to hear that the Tassimo Starbucks pods deliver, single serve Starbucks is here for the masses.

Brew a cup and it smells like Starbucks, my wife — an admitted Starbucks fan –  swooned.   It was rather disturbing to be honest.  I was reminded of countless cups of over roasted coffee consumed in Starbucks with my wife (strictly my opinion).

The key is the user of a larger pod for Starbucks than Tassimo uses for some of its other coffee pod selection.  Tassimo appears to be using a pod that is similar in size to that used for their non-dairy toppings (for cappuccino, etc.).

The use of the larger pod affords the Starbucks coffee pods additional volume that directly translates to a fuller, stronger coffee.  In the limited size, and fast brewing world of pod coffee systems, more coffee is never a bad idea.

Ultimately, the coffee a system brews should play a large part in the decision making process.  Pod systems are a bit of an enigma when it comes to what they can do, because the choice of pods they offer are much more restrictive than using a traditional coffee pot.

Despite its drawbacks, Tassimo is the pod system that offers Starbucks.  If you are a die-hard Starbucks fan, this pod system is for you — because its the only pod system that can give you Starbucks (aside from using say the Keurig K-Cup, which is a manual process).

I’d like to thank the fine people at Tassimo for giving Brotherhood of the Bean the opportunity to have a second look at the Tassimo and sample their new Starbucks coffee pods.

One of the things I love about being in the 9rules Network is the community of bloggers it encompasses. While reading the Bright Meadow blog today I stumbled across a flickr picture she ran across.

Lokesh Dhakar’s guide to coffee is easy to understand and something I think most people would welcome seeing in their favorite coffee house.

NOTE: This is from a little over a year ago.  I mean to post it after I wrote it, but forgot, and it just sat in cyberspace.  All info is still valid. 

So there I was, in New Glarus Wisconsin last weekend. Started out with a couple local beers at a restaurant, continued on to a local brewery tour, and went on to Oktoberfest. Needless to say after a couple hours of that, I was half in the bag, and the wife was none too happy. So we’re walking to our car, and spot the CoffeeHaus. The wife quickly agreed to a cup of joe, hoping it would sober me up a little.

We both got our preferred drinks; hers a foofy drink, and me a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso. I was happy to say that it did the trick of at least making me feel more alert, if not more sober. The coffee was good, but more than that, the coffee was a good price. Normally for my drink at Starbucks, I think I pay around $3, but at the CoffeeHaus, it was much cheaper; I don’t totally remember the price, but remember thinking that this is a much more reasonable price to pay.

So what the hell is my point? I really don’t know, except that if you’re ever in New Glarus for the beer (and it is really good) stop at the CoffeeHaus for a good cup of coffee at a good price. Very friendly people and they get their beans from Victor Allen, who does a lot of roasting in the Madison area.

I have been away from home for almost three months, and away from my roaster and green beans, which means I’ve had to deal with other people making (roasting) my coffee. The problem with that is that most of the time, it sits on a store shelf for much longer than it’s actually good for, so it’s not very fresh. In addition, most of the time I haven’t had my Chemex coffee maker.

Now that I have my Chemex, I decided to search for a local roaster. I didn’t have my hopes up, but lo and behold, I found one about 15 minutes away. Turtle Creek Coffee Roasters is located in Columbia, SC, in a small industrial park. It’s owned and run by Mick. During my last trip to pick up coffee, he showed me around and told me how he grew from hobbyist, to roasting in the garage, to finally getting his own place. Mick is very knowledgeable about the whole roasting process as well as the huge variety of beans throughout the world. It was really interesting to talk to him.

His “shop” is where he roasts, packages, and sells out of. It’s a one man show, but he manages to do a great job keeping everything together, when he’s not delivering to the local restaurants.

So far I’ve tried the Panama and Daterra beans that he offers, and have enjoyed them both a lot. He sells to the general public as well as the local restaurants and businesses, so if you’re ever in the Columbia area, give Mick a call and try some of his fantastic coffee. When you’re there, ask for a sample of the coffee flavored candy he carries.

[Rating: 4/5]
“Open the pod bay door HAL” Dave asked the insane computer. “I’m sorry Dave, I am afraid I can’t do that.” HAL responded. Up until a few years ago, the only thing I associated pods with was science fiction and green peas.

Then came Apple and its iPod. Overnight the world became “pod” crazed and we saw the emergence of various other pod-isms. The coffee would soon find itself drawn into the pod world, and coffee as we knew it changed forever.

Single-serve coffee systems came onto the market with amazing speed. Sadly, quality suffered greatly. And in no time, the single-serve coffee dream was relegated to nothing better than SANKA or any of the other instant coffees (at least in my opinion).

Tassimo, Flavia, Senseo, all struck out in previous reviews. Of the three, Flavia fared the best, at least being palatable. Barely.

As you can guess, I came to view all single serve coffee makers with a certain disdain, if not contempt. The simple bean, the glorious French Press, the dignified espresso was so much better, even contemplating single serve seem ludicrous. Yes, my coffee snob-o-meter was at an all time high.

Then, something happened. This summer we visited friends in Vermont, and among other tourist activities (Ben & Jerry’s Tour), we visited the Green Mountain Coffee store just outside of their factory.

This alone was an impressive experience, between the multi-media room coffee display and the heady aroma of coffee that permeated the air like a rich caffeine perfume, I was in heaven.

Before I knew it, I had several bags of coffee in my hands. How could I pass up such an opportunity after all, I could see the factory in the distance where the coffee was freshly roasted.

As I turned to my son who just had to show me something of life or death importance (in this case, a doodad of some sort) I found myself staring at three Keurig single serve pod coffee makers.

I quickly came to realize that Green Mountain had quite the variety of pods they offered for the Keurig. Wheee! I thought, another single serve coffee maker destined to disappoint.

“Would you like to try a cup?” a friendly faced employee asked me with a smile on her face. “Sure!” I replied.

As she started to show me the inner workings and relative ease of operation, I learned that Green Mountain recently bought Keurig. They found its quality to be of the highest standard and decided to buy the company outright.

By now the coffee was ready and as she handed me the cup. The aroma was fresh, and the taste was… pretty damn good! I made a note to give the Keurig a more in depth review at a later date.

Fast forward a few months, and an email to Green Mountain, pretty much regaling what you have just read and I was informed that a Keurig B60 Special Edition and some pods were on their way to the Bean for review.

Before we get to talking about the pods and coffee, let me touch upon a few of the more unique features of the Keurig.

Brews at 192 - Degrees that is. It is largely held that 191-192 degrees is the optimum temperature to brew coffee at. Make no mistakes, at this temperature the coffee is piping hot and burn inducing, but it makes sense that it brews at this temperature to get the most out the coffee pods.

Easy to Operate Pod Chamber - Lift the handle and a compartment for the coffee pods tilts toward you and waits patiently for the pod to be dropped in. There is an added bonus here in that since the pods are plastic they can be easily lifted out immediately after brewing, care should always be taken of course, but in all the cups I have brewed I have never had any discomfort.

Three Sizes, No Wait - The idea is simple, put a pod in, press a button and coffee comes out. The Keurig model I tested keeps it simple with three coffee cup size buttons, small, medium and large. So simple, yet so effective.

I found myself using the medium button the majority of the time. It seemed to be the right amount, and I suspect, but can’t confirm that the coffee pods are designed to give the best results at the medium setting.

Speed - Power the Keurig on and it starts heating its internal water, think of the Bunn and Mr. Coffee units our parents used that you essentially always had water in the chamber ready to rock. Its no wait coffee once you press the button, which is nice when you are in a hurry.

Timer - Well it won’t make a cup for you on its own, but it will power on so that you can groggily throw a cup under the brew chamber and press a button. A minor detail, but very welcome.

That’s enough about the unit, lets switch gears and talk about the coffee pods. I mentioned earlier that they are small plastic cups that have a foil seal on top. When a pod is placed in the unit and it is closed holes are pierced in the top and bottom of the pod.

Each pod has its own mini-filter that prevents the grounds from coming out during the brewing process. For those who want to use their own coffee, Keurig offers a refillable K-Cup. While I did not personally test one, at least one person I spoke with indicated that it was somewhat of a pain to use. Regardless of mess, its a nice option to have available.

Coffee — Any good?

Surprisingly enough… Yes! Looking at the pods I found myself wondering how they could possibly produce decent coffee. But they do. Keep in mind I still think traditional brewing methods are far superior, but in a pinch the coffee is not that bad.

My wife for instance, loves that she can just brew one cup at a time. When I took the unit to some associates to try, she was more upset than I have ever seen her over loss of coffee. Not one, but two of my friends have gone out and bought a Keurig after having coffee from the review unit.

From my experience the medium and dark roasts seem to give the richest results, the light roasts tend to be very light. This could be a result of the cup brewing or it could just be a very light roast. Not unpleasant, but not as good as the darker roasts in my opinion.

Variety is something that the Keurig has going for it, jump on their website and a cavalcade of pod choices jump out at you - Green Mountain, Caribou, Gloria Jean’s to name a few. I have no problem ordering coffee online, but what I like is that Keurig coffee pods are available at local stores such as Kohls and Bed Bath & Beyond.

In closing, I have to say I was very impressed with the Keurig B60 Special edition. If you are in the market for a single serve coffee maker, I would look no further. For the coffee aficionado it would makes a nice “addition” to your coffee bar for times when you need it a fix quick.

Let’s be honest, in the competitive world of coffee having an attention grabbing name is crucial.

Faced with hundreds of choices and an olfactory overload walking through a coffee isle, many times a coffee choice comes down to the name that sounds the best.

When I first heard about “Bad Ass Coffee” I knew they had a name that would compel people to try their coffee.

I found myself instinctively wanting to buy it just to offer some bad ass coffee to my friends and family.

But like anything, what appeals to some infuriates others. That is the case in Arizona where a recently opened “Bad Add Coffee House” is causing quite the stir.

The Arizona Republic reports one such residents feelings:

“We all have small children . . . and we don’t want to swear around them,” Surprise mom Heather Sutton said. “Now, you drive down the street, and there’s a swear word on someone’s sign.”

Despite the fact that Bad Ass Coffee is based on a Hawaiian Legend, and used in the context to refer to a donkey, the collective wail to “Save the Children!” is being heard around the world (hey, it did make the internet).

Heather Sutton’s comments make me wonder if she understands that the word “ass” has another meaning other than its more derogatory reference to a derrière? Maybe this sign is a good opportunity for her and other residents to talk to their children, and teach them something about words with multiple meanings?

Some other words they might talk about could include — bitch (female dog), gay (happy), fag (cigarette), and why not touch upon the offending “ass” word while they are at it?

In the case of the “ass” word there is a great teaching guide they can use, its called the Holy Bible which uses this offending word seventy-six times (King James Version). Just how sensitive have we become as a society?

I have to say that I really enjoyed the Arizona Republic’s article. Apparently this is not the first time residents have responded to the word ass — Ass Kickin’ Hot Sauce has just learned to ignore the residents since coming to town in 1989.

Councilman Gary “Doc” Sullivan knows that this will not be the last time the residents get up in arms over a name, a dog grooming business has recently applied for a business license. Its name? Doggy Style.

Who knows, maybe it will invoke thoughts of Snoop Dog instead of its other meaning.

So many times when I think about the cultural aspects of coffee I tend to focus on the atmosphere, the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, and the possibility of making new ones.

Call it “Cultural Coffee Consumerism” — the act of consumption is the primary focus and for the most part we remain disconnected from the coffee making process aside from any interactions we might have with the barista.

You and I both know how satisfying a coffee house experience can be to all those involved. Its an opportunity to reconnect and share, and an opportunity to meet new people. But is this all that the coffee experience has to offer?

What about the act of making coffee? What social benefit does it give if any? Does the act of making coffee add anything to the overall experience for either the coffee maker or the coffee consumers? I believe it can.

This weekend we had a friend of ours over who loves to cook. She does the kind of cooking that makes your eyes flutter, decadent culinary treats the avoid terms like “low fat” and “healthy”.  On the menu was stuffed French toast and egg casserole.

My contribution to this event was going to be freshly made cappuccinos. I happily dove into the task at hand and found myself getting emotionally invested in the act of making coffee for our guest cook,  my wife and mother-in-law.  Just knowing how much they would enjoy the cappuccinos caused me to enjoy the act of making the cappuccinos for them.  I was having fun, and I felt a warm glow inside.

I’ve felt this same kind of glow before when volunteering with my wife at a homeless shelter. I think there is just something about doing something for another person out of the goodness of your heart that can make a person feel amazing.

So I took my time, and made some of the best cappuccinos I have ever made for all of us and I had fun doing it.  Take my advice, have some friends over for coffee.

Make it a special event, do something interesting, become emotionally invested in serving coffee for your friends — you might just be surprised how it makes you feel.