Mikepedia

a personal compendium

Coffee To Go: Panera Bread vs. Bruegger’s

Sep 28

Posted by Mike in Brewing, Coffee | 5 Comments

I recently compiled a report for a statistics class that compares coffee from Panera Bread and Bruegger’s.  The whole point of this report was to find out which establishment more consistently served their coffee at a proper temperature (160° F according to the SCAA) throughout the day.  I thought that since my blog is mostly coffee related that the findings would be of interest.

View the report in PDF format here: Coffee: The Perfect Cup

If you happen to like the report, or think that it sucks, sound off in the comments.

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Is Coffee Good For You? Bad For You?

Sep 25

Posted by Mike in Coffee | 2 Comments

Is Coffee Good For You? Is it Healthy?

Is Coffee Good For You? Is it Healthy?

Few would argue that coffee is known as the drink of productivity.  In every workplace that I’ve been a part of there has been some sort of apparatus to brew and serve coffee to employees.  Furthermore, in my experience the coffee has always been available year round, free of charge everywhere that I’ve worked.  I don’t think this is uncommon.  There is definitely something in our minds that associated working, productivity, and coffee.

But is daily consumption of coffee unhealthy?  Some people say yes. They point to caffeine addiction with a scowl on there face.  I came across this article called Health Benefits and Risks of Coffee and its Sidekick Caffeine.  It makes some great points arguing that coffee is healthy and helps with productivity.  I suggest that anyone who enjoys coffee (and you probably do if you are reading this blog) take a look at the article.  Being informed is always important.

As I was thinking about this whole topic, I came up with a 5 point list of ways to enjoy your coffee while keeping it healthy at the same time.  I think more value comes from enjoying great coffee than being addicted to the low quality stuff.  Here is what I came up with:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Coffee Review: Starbucks Reserve Gálapagos San Cristóbal

Sep 20

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | No Comments

Starbucks Reserve Galapagos San Cristobal

It does look "Juicy and Fresh" like they say

The last couple coffees I’ve reviewed have been from Starbucks, ranging from decent to lame to great.  I can’t wait to review some more coffee from local roasters, but my ears perked up when I heard that Starbucks was launching a new line of high-end coffee.  Marketed towards “Coffee Geeks” like myself, Starbucks’ first offering from its “Reserve” label is Gálapagos San Cristóbal.

The island of San Cristóbal only exports 5,000 bags of coffee a year.  Compared to Starbucks’ normal distribution this is quite small, so the coffee is only being offered in select stores.  (They are releasing the next batch of “Reserve” coffees in October, so keep an eye out if you are interested — they sell out very quickly)  I assume that most coffees from this new line will be limited releases.  Galapagos San Cristobal is a wet processed, washed coffee with medium acidity and body.  This bourbon varietal is grown at much lower altitudes than normal, but the climate on the island creates the proper growing conditions nonetheless.

For a cool $12.50 + shipping a half pound of the coffee arrived at my door within a week.  Upon opening the bag, it smelled very fresh and sweet.  Roasted in the mid-range  of a dark roast, the coffee had plenty of oil showing on the beans.  Right away I was wondering what this coffee would really taste like.  Starbucks describes it as “Juicy and fresh with highlights of green herbs balanced by soft cocoa and spice”.  Let’s find out how it really tastes…

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Coffee Review: Starbucks Anniversary Blend

Sep 6

Posted by Mike in Coffee, Tasting & Reviews | 5 Comments

Starbucks Anniversary Blend | Coffee Review from Mikepedia

Is There Anything to Celebrate?

I love autumn. As the air begins to cool, a coffee with a more full body along with spicy and earthy tones becomes more appropriate than a light and crisp summer time brew. Sure, I drink all types of coffee all year round, but there is just something about a full, rich coffee that is paired in my mind with memories of apple orchards, pumpkin flavored delectables, and spiced cider.

Starbucks offers their Anniversary Blend around this time every year. It’s made with aged Sumatran beans to supposedly add a spicy flare to the blend. As Starbucks is known for, Anniversary Blend is roasted extremely dark.  Their description of the blend says that this coffee correctly embodies the overall spirit of Starbucks and celebrates all their years of business.

I wonder, is there really anything to celebrate with this dangerously dark roasted coffee?

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The Coffee Problem: Is It Fresh?

Aug 30

Posted by Mike in Coffee | 4 Comments

Fresh Coffee

Is your coffee fresh?

The act of brewing coffee is something that can be continuously varied; water temperature, fineness of grind (or lack thereof), origin of coffee beans, brewing method, and all of the contraptions, gizmos, and apparatuses used to control each of these factors are candidates for tweaking.  Coffee beans need to be high quality, properly picked and washed, etc…

The Problem.  All of these particulars can be in place, but in the end you can still have a horrible cup of coffee if the beans aren’t fresh.  As soon as coffee is roasted it begins dying, losing its precious flavor.  One of the largest battle that the coffee connoisseur will fight is that of freshness.  It’s hard to find a decently fresh bag of coffee at “specialty” stores like Starbucks or Caribou, not to mention a more easily accessible outlet like a grocery store.

Recently, I’m starting to think I’ve found a solution the freshness problem.  Aside from home roasting (which I would like to get into) what one needs is a local roaster.  This roaster needs to be close enough, inexpensive enough, and the coffee has to be delicious to be economically viable.  Enter Whole Foods. Read the rest of this entry »

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How I Review Coffee

Aug 24

Posted by Mike in Brewing, Coffee | No Comments

I created a new page on the site called How I Review Coffee.

I think when reading a review of a coffee it is important to know exactly how the reviewer went about it.  My reviewing process is always changing, and in the future I would like to develop a rating scale.  For now, it is what it is!