Starbucks French Roast "Taste Drive"

Yesterday's featured bag of coffee beans for sale at Starbucks in my grocery store was a Hawaiian blend in a blue bag called Kopelani Blend .  I put a one pound bag of these in my cart and sampled a cup as I shopped.  I decided to put these back and go with French Roast instead.

I decided that the Hawaiian blend was better suited for summer, and summer is a few months off here in Iowa.  The Hawaiian blend had some sour notes that didn't make me look forward to drinking it on my morning commute on snowy roads.  Plus the bag of French Roast was $2 less expensive than the Hawaiian blend.

Starbucks French Roast Coffee Beans, 16 oz bag

One way to avoid sour notes is to go for a dark roast.  Starbucks French Roast is indeed a very dark roast- just look at these beans!  The beans are black and have lots of oil that has been brought out by intense roasting.

Starbucks French Roast Coffee Beans- Black and Oily!

As you would expect, Starbucks French Roast has an intense smoky flavor.  The very dark roast brings out some sweet flavors as well.  I would say this roasting takes the beans right up to the line between bold and burned, which is the right place to stop the roast for a dark French roast.






I plan to use Starbucks French Roast to blend with other lighter roasts to make my own custom blends.  This is sure to provide a nice sweet and smoky background for any blends I make with medium and lighter roasts.  If you want to learn more about making your own coffee blends at home from different kinds of beans, check out my free book about making great coffee:






Copyright © 2018 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend "Taste Drive"

My latest new coffee to experience was Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend from Iowa City, Iowa.  "A cup so good, you'll sing," says the bag.  If this isn't enough, the bag also boasts "100% Co-op grown beans roasted to dark delicious perfection".

Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend

Upon opening the bag, I could see that one of the claims on the bags was true: this is a dark roast.  Not smokey dark, but roasted to full city roast.

Bluebird Extra Chirps Blend Beans

This coffee has a nice creamy consistency without adding anything to it.  The flavor is sweet, slightly smokey.  These are quality beans with a good roast to bring out the flavor.  I wish I knew the origin of these beans, but the package did not reveal the source, and an internet search came up empty.  All I know is that these are "Premium Arabica" beans.

I picked this up a local Hy-Vee grocery store within a few miles of Iowa City.  I am not sure how widely this brand of coffee is distributed, but it is worth picking some up if you see it.


Copyright © 2018 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Welcome to Coffee Maker Journal!

Welcome to Coffee Maker Journal!

Welcome to Coffee Maker Journal
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Coffee Maker Journal is a blog about making and enjoying great coffee.  Learn tips to make better coffee, and found out about the latest in coffee makers and coffee equipment.

Subscribe to Coffee Maker Journal to receive occasional tips on making coffee and enjoying coffee.  As a bonus, you'll receive a list of the Top 10 best-selling whole coffee beans when you sign up!

Subscribe to Coffee Maker Journal: 

We will not sell or share your email address!

Popular Articles

What is the Best Temperature for Coffee?

How Many Calories are in Coffee?

Coffee Drink Names and Definitions

How to Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

Popular Topics

Coffee Makers (8 articles)

Making Great Coffee (12 articles)

Coffee Maker Journal Store

Check out the Coffee Maker Journal Store to find recommended equipment to make great coffee at home.

If you are interested in coffee, explore Coffee Maker Journal to find tips on making and enjoying great coffee.



Copyright © 2017 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Peet's Major Dickason Deep Roast "Taste Drive"

Peet's Major Dickason "Taste Drive"

Peet's Major Dickason "Deep Roast" Coffee

I picked up a bag of Peet's Major Dickason's Blend for Thanksgiving.  This is not a dark roast- this is a "deep roast".  I am not sure what deep roast means, but I assume this is a very dark roast like a french roast.  I was worried that the roast would be too dark and smokey, but this is great tasting coffee with lots of complex flavors.

This blend has coffee beans from several points of origin including Pacific and Latin American beans.  The flavor is smooth and sweet, not bitter at all.

I think this is an ideal holiday coffee, something special to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings.


If "deep roast" is not your thing, here are some other great whole bean coffees to try.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Peet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe "Taste Drive"

Peet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Peet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

If you're a regular reader, you know I have been on a Peet's kick for a few weeks.  I have recently reviewed Peet's Costa Rica Tarrazu and Peet's Guatemala San Sebastian coffee beans.

Up next is Peet's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe.  This is perhaps the smoothest and creamiest coffee I have ever had.

Coffee originated in Ethiopia.  This selection comes from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia and is a dark roast.  This coffee has great floral and citrus notes.  If you want to taste coffee from the premiere growing region in Ethiopia, give this one a try!




Check out the Coffee Maker Journal Store for more great whole coffee bean selections.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Peet's Costa Rica Tarrazu "Taste Drive"

Peet's Costa Rica Tarrazu

Peet's Costa Rica Tarrazu

I like this even better than Peet's Guatemala San Sebastian!

Peet's Costa Rica Tarrazu is smooth, sweet, and chocolaty.  The description says "lemon-pristine", but I did not taste lemon or strong fruity flavors.  It is bright and spicy with a bit of cinnamon flavor.

This is a great dark roast single origin coffee with lots of flavor and a pleasant smoky aftertaste.  This coffee is grown on the Poas volcano at high altitude in Costa Rica.  If you want to escape to Central America for a few minutes, this coffee will transport you there.



Check out the Coffee Maker Journal Store for more great whole coffee bean selections.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Can Coffee Beans Be Too Fresh?

Freshness Window For Coffee Beans

Are These Coffee Beans Too Fresh?

Many coffee aficionados, including me in my latest book, recommend to get the freshest coffee beans that you can find.  Is this good advice?

For most people, choosing the freshest beans they can find is the right advice.  If you can choose beans that were roasted a week ago vs beans that were roasted two weeks ago- take the freshest ones that were roasted a week ago.

But what if you have a local roaster or can roast your own beans.  Is it possible that beans that are "too fresh" aren't as good?  The answer is yes, you can get beans that are too fresh.  There are discussions on this very topic on these threads at Coffee Geek and Reddit.

After roasting, coffee beans off-gas a lot of CO2 and some CO.  That is why the bags of whole coffee beans have a vent- otherwise the bag would puff up and maybe even pop!  Right after the beans are roasted is when the off-gassing is at a maximum, and grinding the beans speeds up the off-gassing even more.  When the beans are ground, it increases the surface area and breaks the cell walls so gasses come out even faster.

Brewing very fresh beans can result in less flavor than you'll get if you let the beans rest for a few days.  The high amount of gas coming off of the very fresh grounds can prevent flavor extraction.  The flavor can be more watery and "grassy" than it will be after the degassing has settled down.

Coffee beans have a freshness window.  The peak window for most coffee beans is from a few days after roasting out to a few weeks after roasting.

I will still recommend to buy the freshest coffee beans you can find.  Most people are not getting their beans directly from a roaster or roast the beans themselves, so there is no risk of getting very fresh beans that were roasted only a day or two ago.

If you do somehow get beans that are too fresh, you coffee may not taste great for the first couple days.  If you get stale coffee beans, your coffee will never taste great and will only get worse every day.  I'd take the fresh beans every time.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Peet's Guatemala San Sebastian: "Taste Drive"

Peet's Guatemala San Sebastian: "Taste Drive"

Peet's Coffee Guatemalan San Sebastian

Guatemalan coffee is known for having a lot of flavor, and Peet's Guatemala San Sebastian is a good one.  This estate-grown single origin coffee is raised in volcanic soil at 5,000 foot altitude in the Antigua Valley of Guatemala.  This variety has a unique chocolate flavor along with nutty flavor and high acidity.

Peet's Coffee Guatemala San Sebastian- closeup of coffee beans

This specific variety of Arabica coffee is an heirloom variety known as "Bourbon".  This coffee has a complex flavor that will make you anticipate your next cup.  This is a dark roast to brings out the smokey and sweet flavors of this great coffee bean.

If you have not tried Guatemalan coffee, try some Guatemala San Sebastian to experience the complex flavors that make Guatemalan coffee great.

Check out the Coffee Maker Journal Store for more great whole coffee bean selections.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Starbucks Red Eye: "Taste Drive"

Starbucks Red Eye: "Taste Drive"

Starbucks Red Eye, Venti

In my new book about making great coffee, I stated that I can make great coffee at home for 60 cents, and even for a million dollars it would be hard to find a better cup of coffee anywhere.  A bold statement, I know.

I decided to put this to the test.  Unfortunately, my budget was not up to spending a full million dollars, but I bought an expensive coffee at Starbucks to take on a "taste drive".

At the Starbucks in my local Barnes and Noble, I asked if I could get a pour-over with 1/2 house blend and 1/2 dark roast.  The answer was that they did not have pour-over equipment at that location.  One of the baristas in back offered that they could make me a Red Eye.

What is a Red Eye?

This sounded interesting.  I don't think Red Eye is even on the official Starbucks menu.  A Red Eye is a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso added.  The barista thought this would give me the blend of dark and medium roast flavors I was seeking.  I ordered up a venti (20 ounce) Red Eye made with house blend and a shot of espresso that cost $3.14.

My first impression was that it was served too hot.  I couldn't taste much and had to let it cool down a bit.  I often find that coffee at coffee shops is served too hot.  I think this is done on purpose so customer's won't complain about getting cold coffee.

After cooling, I found that the Red Eye had pretty good flavor.  The shot of espresso added some of the dark, smokey flavor that I wanted.  Without looking at any nutritional information, I can tell you that a Red Eye has A LOT of caffeine!  I was wide awake all day.

My conclusion is that a Red Eye at Starbucks is a good way to wake up and is a good-tasting cup of coffee.  I still like my great coffee at home better, though.  The price of $3.14 is OK for an occasional treat, but I wouldn't want to do that every day.  I will count this experiment as the cost of doing business.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

A Cheaper Coffee Grinder

When Your Coffee Grinder Breaks...

Mr. Coffee Burr Grinder with Bean Storage

The other day, my coffee grinder failed, and it threw my day into chaos.  I had a nice Mr. Coffee burr grinder with a built-in storage container for the coffee beans.  It had worked well for about 3 years, but something broke and it would no longer grind.  I tried emptying it and cleaning it, but still no luck.  I suspect that one of the safety switches that prevents the grinder from running if everything isn't closed had failed.

The reason losing my coffee grinder was so chaotic is that it happened in the morning, and I didn't have any coffee grounds around.  I thought about trying to crush some coffee beans by putting them in a zip-lock bag and hitting them with a meat tenderizer, but that seemed like a lot of work.




I ended up stopping at a coffee shop on the way to work.  This is so expensive compared with making coffee at home that I rarely do this.  Plus, I can make better coffee at home.  Not to mention that I had to wait about 30 minutes longer than usual to get my coffee.  Chaos!

You can see why getting another coffee grinder was number one on my list of things to do.  Since I was pretty unhappy with my old grinder since it failed on me, I didn't want to get another one just like it.  If fact, I was ready to try something simpler and cheaper.

What I ended up with was also a Mr. Coffee product, but it is a simple blade grinder without a coffee bean dispenser.  The coffee bean dispenser on my old coffee grinder would sometimes get jammed up, so I was ready to try one without built-in bean storage.  I have glass coffee bean jars from my days using a hand grinder years ago, so I already have a good place to store beans.

My Replacement Coffee Grinder: Simple blade coffee grinder for $17

The cost of the cheaper grinder was $17 instead of $35 for the burr grinder.  My main concern with getting a blade grinder is that I worried that the blade would heat up the beans during grinding and damage the flavor.  So far, I have not found this to be a problem.  This model has an adjustable timer based on how much coffee you are grinding.  You just hold the grind button down, and the grinding automatically shuts off after enough time has passed for adequate grinding.

I have tried both light roast Kona and dark roast French Roast with my new coffee grinder, and both taste great with no loss or distortion of flavor from using a blade grinder instead of a burr grinder.



It takes a bit more effort to scoop the coffee beans into the grinder, but this provides an opportunity for me to make custom blends of coffee from different kinds of coffee beans.

One nice feature of the Mr. Coffee blade grinder is that it has a "chamber maid" feature.  Someone had fun naming this...  The dispenser for coffee grounds has some built-in scrapers, and you can twist the housing to easily get all of your coffee grounds to pour out.  Otherwise, you would need to use a brush to remove all of the coffee grounds that stick to the sides of the dispenser cup that holds the grounds.

So far, simpler is better.  I have had no trouble with my new coffee grinder and hope it will last for many years.  I decided that saving $18 and having a simpler piece of equipment was the way to go.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Custom Blend Whole Coffee Beans at Home

Make Your Own Custom Coffee at Home!

I have started blending whole coffee beans at home to create my own blends.  I really like the smokey flavor of dark roast, but I also like the nutty flavor and citrus notes of light roast.  Why not have all of these flavors at once in the same cup of coffee?

I bought a bag of French Roast dark roast whole coffee beans and a bag of Kona Blend light roast whole coffee beans at Target.  They were marked way down to $5.49 for a 12 oz bag, so I decided to give Target's Archer Farms store brand a try.

Dark Roast and Light Roast Coffee Beans to Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I poured an equal amount of dark roast beans and light roast beans in a bowl and stirred them with a spoon until they were evenly mixed.

Custom Blending Coffee Beans at Home
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Next, they went into the coffee grinder, 5 scoops to make a 16 oz cup.  Finally, the freshly ground beans went into my Melitta Thermal Coffee Maker's cone filter and I filled the water tank with filtered water from my refrigerator.

The result...  Some of the best coffee I have ever had!  I have been drinking my 50/50 dark-light custom blend for about a week now.

This is an easy thing to try at home.  All it takes is two different kind of coffee beans and a coffee grinder.


Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Biodegradable K-cups: Paper instead of Plastic...

Biodegradable K-cups

I got a tip from a reader about an interesting product- it is a K-cup for Keurig machines, but it is made of a paper coffee filter material instead of a plastic cup like a typical K-cup.  This product is made by the Rogers Family Coffee Company and the brand is San Francisco Bay Gourmet Coffee.  They are currently selling for about 36 cents per cup, which is a pretty good deal for a quality K-cup.
This packaging concept for K-cups is a neat idea for two reasons.  First, it seems like this design would have better potential for flavor extraction since hot water can flow more easily through the coffee grounds.  Reviews of the strong and good flavor of this coffee seem to support this.

Biodegradable K-cups- Good Coffee, Less Chemicals

San Francisco Bay OneCup, Fog Chaser, 80 Single Serve Coffees

Second, the paper filter material is biodegradable.  The standard plastic K-cups are made from a plastic that is not recyclable.  This type of plastic is known as #7 plastic which is a mix of various types of plastic.  The paper filter is biodegradable, which means recycling is not a problem.  Plus, some people are concerned about BPA and other chemicals leaching from the plastic cup into the coffee.  With a paper filter, you don't need to worry about this.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Selecting a Good Coffee Cup- Coffee Tastes Better in the Right Mug

Finding a Good Coffee Mug

You might not think the cup you use to drink makes much of a difference.  Most of the focus is on making great coffee in the first place.  Very little attention is paid to the coffee mug itself.

What kind of coffee mug is best for drinking coffee?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I realized that the choice of coffee mug makes a difference to me when I found myself hunting for my favorite mug before I would pour my coffee each day.  When my favorite brown mugs are not available, I fall back to using the red mugs.  My next (and last) choice is the yellow mugs.  The yellow mugs look nice and are fine for drinking tea, but I don't like drinking coffee with them.  With the yellow mugs, the coffee does not stay as hot, and it seems to have a weaker flavor.

Why Is a Good Coffee Mug Important?

My favorite style of coffee mug is a large brown ceramic coffee mugs that my wife picked up at Pier 1 Imports.  I didn't use the new mugs for a few years because I assumed they were for special occasions.  One time my wife said I could use them and I really liked the size of it and how it seems to keep coffee warmer than my other ceramic mugs.

The best coffee mug
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Since all of my mugs are made of ceramic, how could one ceramic mug keep coffee warmer than others?  I think the size and shape are the keys to this mystery.  The Pier 1 mugs are very large and hold my 16 oz of coffee all at once.  Having a lot of coffee in the mug provides thermal mass to keep the coffee warm longer.  The ceramic is fairly thick, perhaps adding slightly more insulation value.  Also, the shape of this mug seems to reduce the surface area of the coffee, slowing transfer of heat relative to other mug shapes.

How Can a Good Mug Make Coffee Taste Better?

How can one mug make coffee taste different than another?  I can think of a couple reasons.  One is that the shape of the mug can really accentuate the smell of the coffee.  My large brown mug has space at the top when filled with 16 oz of coffee so my nose is right near the coffee and that wonderful flavor is focused right on my face each time I take a sip.  Another way the mug can affect the taste of coffee is residual flavors.  I have had old plastic mugs that provided some "plastic" flavor and really held on to stale coffee flavors.  Even ceramic mugs can hold stale flavors depending on the glaze.  My new mugs have really slick glaze and are easy to clean completely so the only flavor you get is fresh coffee.

This coffee mug is too small- coffee gets cold fast
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

A few weeks ago, I went into Pier 1 with my wife- mostly to try to stop her from buying things- and I saw that they had my favorite brown mugs on clearance.  I think they were $1 each or something.  I bought all of them- literally all of them.  They only had 5 of so left on the shelf at that point.  My wife was somewhat stunned when I started grabbing the mugs from the shelf since she had never seen me buy anything at Pier 1.  So now I can have my coffee in my favorite mug every day.

A couple years ago, I upgraded my travel mug that I take with me in my car when I drink coffee while driving to work.  My old coffee mug would sometimes leak and that was no good.  I got a Contigo thermal mug that does not leak.  You can turn it upside down and it still will not leak.  It has a spring mechanism to hold coffee in and a trigger to release coffee when you want to take a drink.

Contigo thermal travel coffee mug- it does not leak!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I prefer drinking coffee from a ceramic mug.  Having the top open allows me to smell the coffee and feel the warm steam rising from the mug with every sip.  I have tried taking ceramic mugs in the car with me, but it is not safe to try to drive with an open container of hot liquid in my hand.  The Contigo is probably as good as it gets for a travel mug- it keeps coffee hot and fresh for a long time, and does not leak.

If you want to try a different coffee mug, here are some features I would recommend:

• Get a large mug so you can put a lot of coffee in it and still have some room at the top to smell the coffee and feel the warmth from it as you drink.
• Get a mug that is shorter and wider to help keep the thermal mass of the coffee less spread out, reducing surface area exposed to room temperature.
• Get a mug that has a neutral color inside so you can see and enjoy the color of your coffee.
• Go for a thicker mug that will help keep coffee warm.
• Get a big handle so you can easily control your sip.

Copyright © 2015 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Ideal Coffee Temperature for Brewing and Serving Coffee

Ideal Coffee Temperature Experiment

What is the Ideal Temperature for Coffee?

Measuring the Ideal Temperature for Coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Brewing temperature is important for great-tasting coffee.  Brewing at too high temperature can result in scorched tasting coffee.  Brewing at too low temperature can result in weak flavor.

The serving temperature is also important.  Coffee that sits on a burner that is too hot can make good coffee taste scorched.  Coffee that is too cool does not taste as good.

I think almost everyone would agree that temperature is important for brewing and serving coffee- but what is the ideal temperature?

Measuring the Temperature of Great Coffee

I decided to use my Christmas present to find out exactly the ideal brewing and serving temperature for coffee.  My present is a non-contact infrared thermometer.  It has dual lasers to identify the area of measurement and a nice digital display with the precise temperature measurement.  This is a really nice instrument, and as you can imagine I lots of fun measuring the temperature of all kinds of things around the house.

Measuring Coffee Temperature in the Cup at Serving Temperature
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I used my Melitta thermal coffeemaker as the ideal temperature source.  This coffeemaker makes great coffee, and the reviews emphasize that this coffeemaker is especially good at brewing and serving at the ideal temperature for coffee.




I measured the coffee temperature in the following places:

1. In the coffee cup, just after pouring
2. In the thermal pot, just after brewing
3. In the filter basket, just after brewing
4. On the surface of the burner

Measuring Brewing Temperature of Coffee- Coffee Grounds in the Filter Basket
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Ideal Coffee Temperature

Here are the temperature measurements:
The cup of coffee, ready to serve was at 138 F
The coffee in the thermal pot was at 152 F
The grounds in the filter basket were at 158 F
The burner was at 205 F

Note that these temperatures may not match what is shown in the photographs since I made the measurements in the photos later after the coffee has cooled down a bit.  Also, it was difficult to aim the non-contact thermometer correctly and hold my cell phone to take the picture with my other hand at the same time...

So, the ideal brewing temperature for coffee is 158 F / 70 C

The ideal serving temperature is not so clear.  Some people would think 138 F is not hot enough- some restaurants serve coffee at 200 F.  I would say the ideal serving temperature for coffee is a matter of taste.  At 138 F, the coffee is still hot and I can taste a lot of the subtle flavors in the coffee.  The problem with serving at 138 F is you need to drink it pretty fast because it starts to seem cool when it gets much below 138 F.  I think 200 F is too hot- you can't really taste the coffee.

One discovery from making these temperature measurements was that the burner is at over 200 F / 93.3 C.  So, even in the excellent Melitta thermal coffee maker, you might want to pour the coffee from the thermal carafe fairly soon after brewing to avoid scorching it.


I tried leaving coffee in the pot for a few minutes after brewing was complete and noticed that it heated up to 147 F.  It makes sense that the coffee would heat up since it is sitting on a burner at 200 F.  It seems that you can pretty much choose your coffee temperature by controlling how long you leave it on the burner.  Pour it immediately, and the coffee is at 138 F.  Leave it in the carafe and it will heat up, reaching 205 F after perhaps 15 minutes.

I'm going to pick 158 F as my ideal temperature for serving coffee.  Ideally, you could keep the coffee at the ideal brewing temperature and serve it at that temperature.

Copyright © 2014 Dr. Penny Pincher. All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

How to Warm Up Cold Coffee?

Problem: Cold Coffee

Today, I made a great cup of coffee as usual.  I used my coffee grinder to make fresh coffee grounds from whole bean coffee.  I used filtered water, and brewed my coffee in a coffee maker with a cone filter for maximum flavor extraction.  Here are details on how to make a great cup of coffee.

I got distracted in my workshop, and found that I had about 1/4 cup of cold coffee.  I like my coffee hot.  I have tried heating up cold coffee in the microwave, but it tastes terrible.  What can I do to warm up cold coffee without making it taste bad?

Update June 1, 2015:  I tried some further testing of heating up coffee in the microwave- I found that if the coffee is still fresh (less than an hour old) and if you don't microwave it too long that it still tastes OK.  Still, I think adding hot water is the best way to heat up coffee, but briefly microwaving it can work too.

https://twitter.com/Dr_PennyPincher/status/605351211273842689

My coffee got cold- how can I warm it up?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Solution: How to Warm Cold Coffee without Making it Taste Bad

When I end up with cold coffee that I want to warm up, I make a sort of "Cafe Americano".  I heat up a small amount of water to boiling, and add the boiling water to the cold coffee.  This does make the coffee a bit weaker, but the flavor is still good, and the coffee is hot again.

Put a small amount of water in a coffee mug

Heat the water in the microwave

Add the hot water to your cold coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I use an amount of water slightly less than the amount of cold coffee.  For the cold coffee shown in the pictures, I microwaved the water for 1:30 to get it boiling a little, and then poured it into my cold coffee.  It was a little weaker than the original coffee, but still drinkable.  Give this method a try next time you end up with cold coffee that you want to warm up.

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend- A Great Light Roast

Huckleberry Roasters Reivew

A small package arrived at my house a few days before Father's Day.  My wife scooped it up and it disappeared.  I suspected that this could be a Father's Day present, but I couldn't be certain.  The package was the size and shape of a small book, and my wife gets a book once or twice per month.

Huckleberry Roasters
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

It turned out that this package was my Father's Day gift.  I should have guessed it was coffee since this is an obvious gift choice for me.  I usually get 16 oz packages of coffee, and since the box was smaller than this, I just assumed it was something else.

What I got was 10 oz of Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend.  This is a light roast, and I have been drinking mostly medium or dark roast lately.  I peeked at the invoice- the cost was $15 for 10 oz of coffee, which works out to $24 per pound.  So this would be the most expensive coffee I have ever tried.

At $15 for 10oz, Huckleberry Roasters Coffee Costs About $24 Per Pound
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

According to the description of the blend, they change the formula based on a rotating blend of Latin American beans that are available.  This makes sense to me, so they can keep the quality up as different types and qualities of coffee beans are available on the market.  The visible appearance of the beans made it clear that this was a light roast, and they were not oily.  I was ready to give the Blue Orchid Blend a try.

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

This light roast packs a lot of flavor.  Some light roasts have a bit of a sour flavor, and this one has some citrus notes, but overall has a great coffee flavor.  This roast has some complexity, you can tell that it is not a single origin blend.  It has some of the chocolate and nutty flavors of a darker roast.  I would certainly try Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend again, or perhaps a medium or dark roast from Huckleberry Roasters.

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend (Light Roast), with flash
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Huckleberry Roasters Blue Orchid Blend (Light Roast), no flash
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

This coffee costs more than twice as much as Starbucks whole beans or other whole bean coffee that you can buy for about $10 to $12 per pound.  Is it twice as good?  I'll leave this as an exercise for the reader...

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Custom Coffee- Blend Your Own Coffee

Make Your Own Custom Coffee Blends

1) Blend Hot Coffee To Make A Custom Coffee Blend

Blend Hot Coffee To Make Your Custom Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The first time I realized that you could blend hot coffee was years ago at a small coffee shop.  I ordered a large coffee, expecting to get a house blend that was a medium roast.

The barista asked if I wanted a light roast or a dark roast- those were the only options.  I didn't pick one of those choices, instead I said I was looking for a medium roast.

The barista said, "no problem, I can make you one."  She proceeded to fill a cup 1/2 full of light roast and then topped it off with dark roast.  I was a little surprised, but gave it a try and it was pretty good.

The coffee was not really a medium roast, since it contained no medium roast coffee.  It was a mixture of the dark, smokey flavor of a dark roast and the lighter, citrus flavor of a light roast.  This was interesting- as simple as it seems, I never thought to mix hot coffee to make my own blend.

A variation of this is Cafe Americano, which is prepared by blending a shot of espresso with hot water to make a cup of coffee.  Sometimes I get a decaf made this way.  It is always fresh and always good.  Also, you don't have to wait for an entire pot to brew.

Lately, when I get coffee at the coffee shop at work, I make a blend of 3/4 cup of Seattle's Best Level 3 decaf and 1/4 cup of Level 4 which is a dark roast.  At this coffee shop, you pump your own coffee, so it is easy to try different hot coffee blends.

2) Blend Coffee Beans Or Coffee Grounds To Make Your Own Coffee Flavor

Another way to make your own coffee blend is to mix coffee grounds or coffee beans to get the coffee flavor you want.  My Mom blends Butternut coffee grounds with a couple other brands in a certain proportion.  When she lived out of state for a few years, she could not get Butternut at the local stores, so she would buy large quantities of it when she came back to visit.  This was the only way she could keep her blend the same, just how she likes it.

Blend Light Roast, Medium Roast, and Dark Roast Beans to Make Your Custom Coffee Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Some people like to blend other flavors into their coffee grounds, such as chickory to make New Orleans style coffee.  My sister-in-law likes flavors like hazelnut flavored coffee.  Flavored coffee has flavoring added into the grounds or beans.  To me, flavored coffee tastes like chemicals and is hard to drink at all.  I once gave her a perfectly good bag of expensive coffee grounds because they were butterscotch flavored and I didn't notice this when I bought it.

I blend different coffee beans together sometimes, usually when I only have a few coffee beans left in a bag.  I have made some really good tasting blends.  My favorites are mostly medium roast with some dark roast beans mixed in.

Another popular blend is to mix regular coffee with decaf coffee.  A mix of half regular coffee and half decaf is known as "half caff" coffee.

Blend Coffee Beans or Coffee Grounds to Make a Custom Coffee Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Recommended Reading
Here is my article on coffee terms- learn more about coffee terms such as Cafe Americano.

Learn about coffee alternatives and coffee substitutes that have less caffeine than coffee.  There are many options for low caffeine or caffeine free coffee beyond decaf or half-caff!

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal

Why Does Decaf Coffee Taste Bad?

Why Does Decaf Coffee Taste Bad?

Decaf Coffee- It Doesn't Taste As Good As Regular Coffee!
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I guess saying that decaf coffee tastes bad is a bit of an overstatement.  I would say decaf coffee is drinkable, but it is not as good as regular coffee.

If you believe the decaf coffee advertising material, you would think decaf should taste like regular coffee.  But it doesn't.  The green coffee beans must be processed to remove most of the caffeine.  This is a very invasive process and changes the flavor- and not for the better.

What Does Decaffeinated Coffee Taste Like?

I drink one 16 oz cup of regular coffee brewed from fresh ground coffee beans every morning, and then switch to decaf.  I drink several cups of decaf every day.  Usually a couple of Keurig k-cups of decaf varieties such as Dark Magic, Tully's, Newman's Own or Donut Shop.  It is not fair to compare coffee brewed from fresh ground beans with Keurig coffee- fresh ground beans make better coffee.  It is also not fair to compare regular coffee to decaf coffee- regular coffee tastes better.

Keurig k-cup decaf coffee
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I also buy ground decaf coffee or whole bean decaf coffee to brew at home.  This makes for a fairer comparison between regular and decaf coffee.  Regular coffee tastes better, even comparing similar roasts and coffee preparation methods.  Regular coffee has a richer, fuller flavor.  Decaf has more of a burned flavor and is missing some of the complex flavor of regular coffee.  It's sort of like the difference between listening to music in stereo, and then listening to the same song in mono.  Both sound similar, but the one in stereo is much more satisfying.  Why does regular coffee taste better since you can't taste caffeine?

Why Does Decaf Coffee Have Less Flavor?

The process of removing caffeine also impacts the flavor of coffee.  When coffee is decaffeinated, green coffee beans are processed to extract most of the caffeine.  In the old days, chemical solvents were used.  Some of these solvents were toxic and these are not commonly used anymore.  The two common methods of coffee decaffeination today are:

• Water Extraction: Hot water is used to extract caffeine, but also extracts flavor compounds.  Water containing flavor compounds is used to try to replace the flavor in the "Swiss Water Process".
• Supercritical Fluid CO₂ Extraction: Carbon Dioxide is used at controlled temperature and pressure to penetrate the green coffee beans and dissolve the caffeine so that it can be extracted.

I think the flavor of decaf coffee is negatively impacted by the processing needed to remove most of the caffeine.  There is potential for a variety of coffee trees to be grown that produce decaf coffee beans with no processing required to remove caffeine.  This could be accomplished through finding coffee plants with a natural mutation, or through genetically modified coffee plants that have the chemical pathway to produce caffeine disrupted.

Wouldn't It Be Great If You Could Grow Decaf Coffee?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

How to Get the Best Decaf Coffee Possible

Given the shortcomings of decaf coffee due to the processing required to remove most of the caffeine, what can you do to get the best possible cup of decaf?  Follow the same principles that are used to make a great cup of regular coffee:

• Use fresh decaf coffee beans
• Choose lighter roasts for decaf- these will have a better chance of producing good flavor
• Grind the beans just before brewing
• Use filtered water
• Use a coffee brewer with a cone filter
• Use a coffee brewer with a thermal carafe to avoid adding burned flavor

Copyright © 2014 by Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved. Coffee Maker Journal