Cascara has been gaining popularity in coffee circles in the past few years and with Starbucks releasing their own Cascara Latte, soon the term cascara will become commonly known to many that frequent cafes or read coffee websites. Cascara is the dried outer skin of a coffee cherry. In Spanish cascara means peel or fruit skin. […]
About Michael Allen Smith
Kalita Wave Coffee Brewing Tutorial
In 2013 I organized a trip for the Coffee Club of Seattle to visit the coffee scene of Olympia, Washington. While there we visited two locations of Olympia Coffee Roasting, where they were making outstanding pour-over coffee using the Kalita Wave Dripper. It was this trip that inspired me to get one for myself. Kalita […]
Can you brew coffee with a piece of aluminum foil?
Masaru Nishioka from Japan has created some very interesting items on his YouTube channel, but the one that will be the most interesting to us is how he came up with a way to convert aluminum foil into a coffee dripper. Yes, he figured out how to brew coffee with a single sheet of foil. […]
Espresso Tamping Visual Tutorial
If you wish to consistently make great espresso, you will need to have an excellent tamp. This visual tutorial will serve as an initial guide to get you started. Follow the steps below and practice. With practice, your espresso shots will get better and better. Excellent form and consistency is your goal. Let’s get started. You […]
Step By Step Bonavita Immersion Coffee Dripper Tutorial
The French Press makes rich delicious coffee, however, it has two drawbacks. The first is the sediment. To minimize the sediment, I made a practice of not pouring all the coffee in the mug and never drinking the last few sips. But occasionally I’d forget and my last sip of the coffee would be bitter […]
Cold Brew Coffee is Not Rocket Science
It is that time of year again when coffee shops start selling over-priced cold brewed coffee. Paying $4 or $5 for a cup of cold brewed coffee is ridiculous once you know how easy it is to make your own. Cold brewing a coffee concentrate is not rocket science. Place ground coffee in contact with […]