So, how does the coffee bean get from the plant to your cup?
The vast majority of specialty Arabica coffee cherries are harvested by hand. It takes about 4,000 cherries to make one pound of roasted coffee. (Since there are usually two beans per cherry, that is about 2,000 beans per pound.) A peaberry, which occurs when only...
Gauging quality of Coffee Arabica beans: Sticks and stones – and quakers?
Last time we talked a little about the origin of coffee beans, and how they’re used in mass production of coffee versus what we do, which is small-batch roasting. In recent years there’s been a shift among the more “refined” canned coffee companies to use Arabica...
Coffee: A (Not So Brief) History, From Dancing Goats to the Fine Art of Roasting
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world, next to oil. So, how did it become such a “hot” commodity? This history lesson begins in Arabia sometime between the 4th and 5th centuries,with a goatherd named Kaldi. One day Kaldi noticed his goats were a...
Good Things Come to those Who Procrastinate
The 12 Days of Christmas in Review If you’ve been following along for the past two weeks, you’ve likely seen our 12 Days of Christmas – ideas for the coffee and tea lovers on your holiday list, selected by the clever elves at A&E. Here’s where paying attention...
Flavor and Aroma: Using the Flavor Wheel to Describe Coffee
Many professionals in the coffee industry, including A&E owner Emeran, use the process of coffee cupping to assess a particular coffee. The cupping practice uses a standardized process of tasting the coffee in order to observe its particular tastes and aromas...
A&E Staff Updates: Onward & Upward!
As A&E continues to grow, our staff continues to evolve and grow with us. It’s an exciting time! Check out what some of the staff has been up to of late: Sam: Sam will be taking on more responsibility by taking on the Wholesale Sales and Training program while...