Archive for February 13th, 2006

Solar powered coffee roaster

I grew up in Oregon, and know firsthand that that state has its share of crazy ideas. The latest is a solar powered coffee roaster. Oregon may have a reputation for being cloudy and wet, but the reality is that east of the Cascades is an entirely different climate, and that’s why Michael and David Hartkop set up their roaster in sunny Bend. I admire the creativity, but view this method with great skepticism. I take a scientific approach to my coffee roasting, precisely controlling the temperature profile and times using my iRoast 2 roaster. The solar method seems so less precise, and yet…I admit I haven’t actually TRIED any of their coffee. Who knows, maybe they’re able to produce comparable results? You can read about it in the Bend Bulletin.

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Coffee in Columbia

The New York Times has a neat article about coffee in Columbia. It talks about the eco-tourism aspect of it, the country in general, and includes interesting tidbits such as the fact that Columbians, while they may grow great coffee, are apparently not so good at brewing it! Of course, that’s often a matter of personal taste, but the absence of espresso machines only solidifies that belief. Read it here.

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