There was a time when I used to like the taste of dark roasted coffee, but over the years that roasty bold flavor that I used to enjoy began to taste bitter and ashy. Recently, I decided to revisit my old dark roasted friend to see if we could improve our relationship. I wanted to solve the […]
About Michael Allen Smith
Meeting Up With The Green Coffee Buying Club
While researching the economics of home coffee roasting, I wanted to learn more about a green coffee buying cooperative. Green bean coffee cooperatives are groups that pool their money together to buy sizes of unroasted coffee that are usually only available to commercial roasters. Fortunately, I knew that INeedCoffee contributor Chris Arnold was active with […]
Make Concentrated Cold Brew Coffee With the Penguin Coffee
In the past few years, I’ve seen cold brew coffee makers get better and better. How does a method of coffee brewing that requires no electricity get better? After all, making cold brew coffee is really just a few steps. Soak ground coffee in water for a day and then filter out the grounds. How […]
Moka Pot Coffee Dispenser Review
To be honest, I don’t often brew coffee with my Moka Pot. It seems like too much of a hassle. Getting the perfect amount of coffee in the filter without packing it too tightly or without making a mess on the counter with loose grounds is something that gets old real fast, especially when you […]
Stovetop Espresso Brewing Tutorial
This is a quick tutorial on the stovetop espresso maker. It is also known as a Moka Pot and is sold under the name Bialetti. Let’s get started. #1 Fill the Bottom Chamber with Water Fill the bottom chamber with cold water. Stumptown Coffee advises pre-heating the water, so the coffee doesn’t cook on the stove. […]
Third Wave Water Review: Can Mineral Packets Make Better Coffee?
Around 2005, I took a tour of Stone Brewing in Escondido, California. During the tour, I learned that one of the first steps they take when making their ales is to strip all the minerals out of the water and then rebuild the water using a custom mineral blend. The custom blend was designed to […]
