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September 30, 2008 by paradiseroastersEspresso Havana Reserve
September 9, 2008 by paradiseroasters
Job Opening - Coffee Roaster
September 7, 2008 by paradiseroastersPart-time Production Roasting Position
We have an open position for a production roaster at our roastery in Ramsey, MN.
We are most interested in a detail-orientated individual looking to learn about coffee, coffee roasting, and coffee. Duties will include, but are not limited to, roasting coffee for daily shipments, roaster maintenance, and production assistance.
No experience is necessary.
If interested, please call 763-433-0626 or email support@paradiseroasters.com to schedule an interview. Resumes may be attached in the email.
Job Opening - Production Roaster
September 6, 2008 by paradiseroastersPart-time Production Roasting Position
We have an open position for a production roaster at our roastery in Ramsey, MN.
We are most interested in a detail-orientated individual looking to learn about coffee, coffee roasting, and coffee. Duties will include, but are not limited to, roasting coffee for daily shipments, roaster maintenance, and production assistance.
No experience is necessary.
If interested, please call 763-433-0626 or email support@paradiseroasters.com to schedule an interview. Resumes may be attached in the email.
~Position has been filled~
Preground Esmeralda Follow-Up
August 27, 2008 by paradiseroasters
Fresh Esmeralda
Preground Esmeralda
Even preground and sitting exposed to the air and light for a week, Esmeralda is still capable of producing a distinct cup.
Ten Tips for Making Tomorrow’s Coffee the Best Ever
August 20, 2008 by paradiseroasters10.Proper brewing technique
With the exception of a few brewing techniques, there really isn’t a wrong way to brew coffee. It’s just a matter of finding what you like in your cup, pairing it with the proper brewing method, and making a proper cup of coffee. Follow the rest of the tips below to get the most out of your coffee.
9.Do not burn
Heat is one of the many factors that kills coffee. If you want to instantly kill a good cup of coffee, burn it. Use boiling water and you’ll find yourself drinking a rather bad cup. Use around 200 degree F water.
8.Do not let sit or reheat
Just like coffee beans, a cup of coffee can go stale. Coffee only lasts about twenty minutes. If your cup is luke-warm or cold, dump it and make more coffee. Don’t reheat it. Reheating destroys the flavors and imparts acidic, bitter notes to the cup.
7.Proper grind
Different brewing methods require different grind settings because the brewing processes vary. A press pot coffee should be coarse, while an automatic drip should be finer. Get that backwards and you’ll have an odd tasting cup of coffee. Understand which grind setting is the proper one for you and grind accordingly.
6. Grind fresh
To artificially age your coffee, grind it and let it sit. You’ll have a pile of lackluster coffee grinds in minutes. It’s that simple. This is because once ground, you’ve increased the surface area of the coffee by multiples, and it’s all touching the air, oxidizing and deteriorating. It’s dying. Even if it is immediately packaged and sealed, you’ll eventually open that bag, and chances are, you won’t use it all that morning.
5.Clean equipment
Coffee mugs do not need to be seasoned. Wash it. And everything else that your coffee touches. Word of warning: don’t use strong cleaning liquids unless you like a lemony scent.
4.Fresh beans
Like most food items, coffee has a shelf life. It stales and loses its character, body, aromatics, and flavor. When possible, purchase smaller amounts of coffee that can be used within x days. If you prefer to buy in bulk to save on shipping or to avoid an extra trip to the store, keep the coffee in a dry, cool place and avoid exposing it to the air. Portion a large bag of coffee into smaller bags to avoid exposing the entire lot every morning.
3. 8-10 g per 6 ounces of water
Too little coffee and you’ll brew a cup that is overextracted (bitter). Too much coffee and you’ll brew a cup that is underextracted (weak or flat).
2. Good water
Coffee is 99% water, so it stands to reason that if you use poor quality water, your coffee will be bad. A simple rule of thumb is that if you don’t like how your water tastes, don’t use it to brew your coffee. A more complex rule of thumb is to use good water that contains minerals. Bottled (drinking or spring) water usually has the proper mineral content. Distilled or reverse osmosis water does not.
1. Buy from trusted source
Whether you buy online or from a local retailer, know you coffee by knowing your seller. Do they make transparency a priority, or do they hide behind generic coffee terms (i.e. this is our Colombian and that’s our dark roast)? By getting as much information about the coffee, you can locate the knowledgeable sellers who are more likely to invest time and energy into sourcing good coffee and roasting it to perfection, and thus, allowing you to make a better decision on your next coffee purchase.
With the exception of a few brewing techniques, there really isn’t a wrong way to brew coffee. It’s just a matter of finding what you like in your cup, pairing it with the proper brewing method, and making a proper cup of coffee. Follow the rest of the tips below to get the most out of your coffee.
9.Do not burn
Heat is one of the many factors that kills coffee. If you want to instantly kill a good cup of coffee, burn it. Use boiling water and you’ll find yourself drinking a rather bad cup. Use around 200 degree F water.
8.Do not let sit or reheat
Just like coffee beans, a cup of coffee can go stale. Coffee only lasts about twenty minutes. If your cup is luke-warm or cold, dump it and make more coffee. Don’t reheat it. Reheating destroys the flavors and imparts acidic, bitter notes to the cup.
7.Proper grind
Different brewing methods require different grind settings because the brewing processes vary. A press pot coffee should be coarse, while an automatic drip should be finer. Get that backwards and you’ll have an odd tasting cup of coffee. Understand which grind setting is the proper one for you and grind accordingly.
6. Grind fresh
To artificially age your coffee, grind it and let it sit. You’ll have a pile of lackluster coffee grinds in minutes. It’s that simple. This is because once ground, you’ve increased the surface area of the coffee by multiples, and it’s all touching the air, oxidizing and deteriorating. It’s dying. Even if it is immediately packaged and sealed, you’ll eventually open that bag, and chances are, you won’t use it all that morning.
5.Clean equipment
Coffee mugs do not need to be seasoned. Wash it. And everything else that your coffee touches. Word of warning: don’t use strong cleaning liquids unless you like a lemony scent.
4.Fresh beans
Like most food items, coffee has a shelf life. It stales and loses its character, body, aromatics, and flavor. When possible, purchase smaller amounts of coffee that can be used within x days. If you prefer to buy in bulk to save on shipping or to avoid an extra trip to the store, keep the coffee in a dry, cool place and avoid exposing it to the air. Portion a large bag of coffee into smaller bags to avoid exposing the entire lot every morning.
3. 8-10 g per 6 ounces of water
Too little coffee and you’ll brew a cup that is overextracted (bitter). Too much coffee and you’ll brew a cup that is underextracted (weak or flat).
2. Good water
Coffee is 99% water, so it stands to reason that if you use poor quality water, your coffee will be bad. A simple rule of thumb is that if you don’t like how your water tastes, don’t use it to brew your coffee. A more complex rule of thumb is to use good water that contains minerals. Bottled (drinking or spring) water usually has the proper mineral content. Distilled or reverse osmosis water does not.
1. Buy from trusted source
Whether you buy online or from a local retailer, know you coffee by knowing your seller. Do they make transparency a priority, or do they hide behind generic coffee terms (i.e. this is our Colombian and that’s our dark roast)? By getting as much information about the coffee, you can locate the knowledgeable sellers who are more likely to invest time and energy into sourcing good coffee and roasting it to perfection, and thus, allowing you to make a better decision on your next coffee purchase.
A major rule change for barista competitions…
August 19, 2008 by paradiseroastersAfter the WBC posted the 2009’s rules and regulations, I immediately took note of the fact that the rule ”extraction times must be between 20 and 30 seconds” has been changed to “extraction time (within 3 seconds variance).” Another change is that drinks within each category no longer need to be served at the same time, but can now be served at the competitor’s discretion.
Being the competitor that I am, I’ll put some thought into how these will change my routine. Obviously, I expect these rules to trickle down to the US competitions.
Open House
August 14, 2008 by paradiseroasters
Our doors are always open to visitors, but on Saturday, September 20th 2008, we are doing something a bit special.
We are having an open house from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Please stop by as we will have hands-on roasting, cupping, and espresso demonstrations. No need to RSVP, but feel free to call if you have any questions.
Paradise Roasters
6250 Bunker Lake Blvd. NW
Suite 211
Ramsey, MN 55303
(763) 466-4065
Coffee Chaff and Burlap Sacks
August 11, 2008 by paradiseroastersDiverting Waste to Become More Eco-friendly…
Coffee chaff is the protective skin surrounding the seed (the coffee bean) of the coffee cherry. When the coffee is roasted, this chaff separates from the coffee and collects in the roaster’s chaff collector. Instead of throwing away this lightweight, inedible material, Paradise Roasters bags the chaff for use in private/public composts and gardens.
Collected chaff is available at no charge to anyone who wishes to stop by and pick it up at the roastery. Quantity is limited, so feel free to call ahead to determine availability. If you would like us to ship the chaff to you, we will be happy to do so, but a shipping and handling charge will apply.
When using chaff, don’t use too much as there is a tendency for this stuff to clump and repel water. Used in proper amounts, however, chaff is perfect for acid-loving plants. During the winter months, chaff can form a protective barrier in replace of or in addition to fallen leaves.
The majority of green coffee is transported in burlap bags, and once the coffee is roasted, we have no use for the bags. But if you do, we’d be happy to give you one…or twenty. Like the chaff, burlaps bags are free. However, shipping and handling will apply to anyone who cannot pick up.
New law against lattes gone wild
August 8, 2008 by paradiseroastersMason County officials in Washington have deemed “bikini baristas” to be exotic entertainment, and thus, must either put on more clothing or shut down.
It’s curious that the crackdown here isn’t about the unsafe working environment. Semi-nude baristas working near scalding milk, pressurized steam, and hot coffee screams injury and lawsuit. 
photo by: waɪ.tiː’s
