Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feed_logo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Manual Coffee Grinders with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/17/manual-coffee-grinders-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:


manual coffee mill

A manual coffee mill.
Photo: Erin Meister

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

If a coffee appreciator buys small amounts of whole beans on a regular basis and has them ground fresh in the store -- and a coffee lover grinds those small batches at home just before using them -- then a coffee fanatic puts a little elbow grease into it, hand-cranking the burrs that chop the beans to bits seconds before brewing.

Just like when great-grandpappy had to go out back to turn over the engine on his Model T, folks would turn the lever on top of a wood-and-metal box-shaped grinder (like these) to start prepping their morning joe. But even without getting axle grease on your palms in order to start the car, you too can connect with your coffee in the same way your great-grandfolks did. Not only that, but after a while you'll have awesome guns to show for it.

If that doesn't make you want to become that coffee fanatic, keep reading after the jump.

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]]>burr grindercoffeecoffee grindercoffee millcoffeemeistergrinderhand grinderhand millHandGrinderErin MeisterTue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 ESTWater, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Brewhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/10/water-water-everywhere-but-not-a-drop-to-brew/#commentsFiled under: , ,

water in the coffee

Brewing coffee. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Since brewed coffee is more than 90 percent water, it only makes sense to use the perfect H20 for the job, right?

But what is the "perfect" water for coffee? Are we talking about highfalutin fountains that'll bleed you dry, or straight-from-the creek agua with turtles still in it? Will a Brita filter suffice? Read more after the jump.

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]]>brewing coffeecoffeecoffee watercoffeemeisterfiltered watertap waterTapWaterTDSwaterwater for coffeeWaterForCoffeeErin MeisterTue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTGetting Robust(a) with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/03/getting-robust-a-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

unripened coffee beans

Robusta vs. Arabica beans, unripened on a coffee bush.
Photo: INeedCoffee / CoffeeHero, Flickr.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

 I know you thought we were through with the genus-species-kingdom stuff after high-school biology, but did you know there are two different species of coffee plant? Well, there are: Arabica, or high-altitude grown gourmet coffee, and Robusta, or the more environmentally tolerant (and much cheaper) sort of coffee often found in instant crystals and behind bodega counters around the world.

But is the latter really more "robust" than the haute Arabica? Find out after the jump.

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]]>arabicaarabica coffeeArabicaCoffeebeanscaffeinatedcoffeecoffeecoffee beansCoffeeBeanscoffeemeisterrobustarobusta coffeeRobustaCoffeetwo types of coffeeTwoTypesOfCoffeeErin MeisterTue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTFine Dining, Bad Coffee with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/27/fine-dining-bad-coffee-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , ,

cappuccino

A typical cappuccino. Photo: Karen Roe, Flickr.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

Ah, the triumphant leaning back in your chair after a great meal at the season's "it" restaurant, pushing away the licked-clean plate and wishing you could loosen your belt in polite company. "Why sure, we'd love to see the dessert menu. And I'll have a cappuccino."

But then the cappuccino comes. It's got bitter, thin espresso topped with stiff, dry peaks of overdone milk covered in heaps of cheap cocoa powder. And, well ... it's not worth the $6 they're charging for it.

Does it have to be this way? Can there be such a thing as truly great restaurant coffee? Find out after the jump.

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]]>baristascappuccinocoffeecoffeemeisterrestaurant coffeeErin MeisterTue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTA Breathtaking Brew with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/20/a-breathtaking-brew-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

A Japanese siphon pot in Portland. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

If some of your favorite things are "Gossip Girl," health-care-reform debates and game 7 of the World Series, it sounds like you might be drawn to the dramatic -- which says to me that maybe you'd like to try brewing coffee in an über-theatrical Japanese siphon brewer.

Ah, yes: the blazing heat, the cauldron-like bubbling, the unpredictable drop of the finished java and the clean, dynamic coffee flavor. It couldn't be more dramatic if it were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

How does it work? Find out after the jump.

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]]>coffeecoffee brewingcoffeemeistersiphonsyphonvacuum potVacuumPotErin MeisterTue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTCoffee (and Vino!) Varieties with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/13/coffee-talk-sounds-a-lot-like-wine-talk-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under:

Wine labels on coffee bags.
Wine labels on coffee bags. Photo: biskuit, Flickr.
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series for the caffeine-addicted.

As oenophiles know, variety is everything.

OK, not everything, but definitely something. And the same goes for coffee.

Much as wine grapes come in different cultivars (as anyone who prefers a Cabernet Franc to a Cabernet Sauvignon can tell you), coffee can be born to one of thousands of types, both heirloom and hybrid, which can have an impact on a coffee's productivity, appearance and, certainly, flavor.

While much is made of the variety of a particular grape (or apple, for fruit fans; or rose, for gardeners; or rice, for starch lovers), a large percentage of coffee farmers don't grow any one single type on their land, and many can't even be sure how much of their farm is one variety or another. Largely for this reason, any coffee that can be identified, with certainty, by its type is often cause for celebration among bean heads. The famous Esmeralda coffee I mentioned last week, for instance, is special in part because it comprises an exotic, transplanted Ethiopian variety called Gesha or Geisha (likely named for a spot in Ethiopia -- many African coffee varieties are christened for their proximity to certain villages or regions, such as Harrar and Sidamo).

Read more about coffee varieties after the jump.

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]]>coffeecoffee beanscoffee varietescoffee varietiescoffee varietyCoffeeBeanscoffeemeisterCoffeeVarietescounter culture coffeeCounterCultureCoffeecultivarsstumptownStumptownCoffeevarietiesErin MeisterTue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:00 ESTBreaking the Bank with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/06/breaking-the-bank-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

How much are these beans worth? Photo: Erin Meister.
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Kobe beef, aged single-malt Scotch, a $1,000 pizza -- there's seemingly no limit on how much a foodie will spend on the ultimate taste experience.

So how about a nice, steaming hot cup of coffee ... for $10, or more?

Not unlike its more respected buddy made from fermented grapes, exceptional, rare and just plain wacky coffees have begun to fetch higher prices all over the world. Panama's now-famous farm Hacienda la Esmeralda, for instance, has been commanding record prices for its green beans, setting world records for auction sales in 2004 ($21/pound), 2006 ($50.25/pound) and 2007 (a whopping $130/pound).

But is it a matter of simply being impressed by the price tag, or is there something to these top-shelf beans? Read on to find out.

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]]>coffeecoffeemeisterEsmeraldaSpecialexpensive coffeeExpensiveCoffeegeisha coffeeGeishaCoffeehacienda la esmeraldaHaciendaLaEsmeraldaKopiLuwakPTs coffeePtsCoffeeErin MeisterTue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 ESTLucky Clover with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/lucky-clover-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Well, what do you know? Clovers really are lucky.

Of course, I'm not talking about the four-leaf kind, though that type's pretty rare, too. No, I mean the Clover coffee maker, a high-tech gadget that dropped jaws all over bean circles a few years ago, with its deeply sophisticated, digital one-cup-at-a-time brewing (not to mention the $11K price tag).

At first, the machines were the pride of the serious coffee lover, with independent cafés snapping them up as a way of showcasing artisanal coffees one by one, instead of losing them to the murky depths of an insulated thermos. But when Starbucks bought the Clover technology last year, the funky-looking little metal boxes were suddenly less and less available to your average café owner, becoming proprietary to the green mermaid.

So why is this lucky? Because it started a revolution. Or, more accurately, a renaissance. Read more about getting lucky with cup-at-a-time coffee after the jump.

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]]>cafe grumpyCafeGrumpycloverclover coffeeclover coffee machineCloverCoffeecoffeecoffee brewingCoffeeBrewingcoffeemeisterstarbucksErin MeisterTue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:00 ESTThe CoffeeMeister Talks Coffee Filtershttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/22/the-coffeemeister-talks-coffeefilters/#commentsFiled under:

An unbleached filter in a Chemex brewer. Photo: Erin Meister.

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Aside from beans and water, the coffee-brewing puzzle almost always requires at least one other element: a filter. Just about every method or machine utilizes them -- French press plungers have fine-mesh screens, espresso machines use perforated metal baskets, electric drip-coffee makers require the ubiquitous accordion-fold filters and even preground coffee pods come in their own little brew packs to keep the grounds at bay (that is, out of your teeth).

Understanding your filter situation can actually be a bit confusing, since there are myriad varieties available in a host of sizes, shapes and materials. Trying to make sense of the coffee-filter section at the market is not unlike trying to find the right replacement mop head (there's about an 80 percent chance of failure).

Read on for more about coffee filters.

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]]>chemexcoffee filtersCoffeeFilterscoffeemeistererinmeistermanual brew systemsManualBrewSystemsmelittareusable filtersReusableFiltersErin MeisterTue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:00 ESTHome Espresso Machines with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/15/home-espresso-machines-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,


rancilio silvia espresso machine
A Rancilio Silvia
home espresso machine.
Photo: Jay Ritmista, Flickr
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Hooked on espresso? Yeah, me too. But not because we need it, right? It's because we love it. It isn't just a caffeine fix -- it's an act of passion. It's a foodie's delight.

Brewing espresso at home is a luxury enjoyed by few but might be more accessible than you think: Decent equipment starts at a basic splurge level before moving into "coffee has taken control of my life" exorbitance -- I swear!

Here's a guide to finding a machine that fits your needs (and your bank account).

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]]>brewing espressoBrewingEspressobrewtuscounter culture coffeeCounterCultureCoffeeerin meisterErinMeisterespressoespresso at homeespresso doseespresso machineEspressoAtHomeEspressoDoseEspressoMachinegaggiahomemade espressoHomemadeEspressola marzoccoLaMarzoccomaking espressoMakingEspressomokarancilio silviaRancilioSilviaErin MeisterTue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:00 ESTDecaffeinated Pride with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/08/decaffeinated-pride-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

coffee, decaf coffee, decaffeinated coffee, green coffee, unroasted coffee
Unroasted decaf coffee beans. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

I say nuts to baristas who turn their noses up at decaf. As far as I'm concerned, decaf drinkers are the salt of the earth, and I think it's high time they get their due.

Just think of it: There are millions upon millions of regular-coffee guzzlers who'll down 20 ounces of swill just to get a fix, but I see decaf devotees as folks who pursue coffee just for the sheer love of it. It's gotta be love, since the buzz isn't the main draw. Not only that, but poor decaffers are often stuck with the dregs: Stale coffee left sitting in an urn for hours, espresso poorly made by way of utter dismissal and even snide service from pro-caffeinators.

Well call me naive, but I just gotta stick up for the (probably pretty tired) underdog. Though the FDA has long considered caffeine a "safe" substance (though it is, strictly speaking, a kind of drug), try telling that to the folks who toss and turn all night as penance for a 6 p.m. cuppa. (And I can definitely sympathize.) Or worse yet, people who are allergic to the stuff!

But how does the buzz get out of that little bean? Click through to find out.

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]]>coffeecoffeemeisterdecaf coffeeDecafCoffeedecaffeinatederin meisterErinMeisterswiss water methodSwissWaterMethodErin MeisterTue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:00 ESTA CoffeeMeister Q&A with Career-Change Cafe Ownershttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/01/a-coffeemeister-qanda-with-career-change-cafe-owners/#commentsFiled under: ,

alex clark and aaron hagegorn
Alex Clark and Aaron Hagegorn of New York's Ost Café. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Sometimes it seems like owning a coffee shop is on everybody's bucket list: Travel around the world, write the great American novel, retire and open a top-notch café. Last year, Alex Clark, 26, and Aaron Hagedorn, 33, checked that last one off, abandoning their steady (if somewhat boring) financial-sector 9-to-5s in midtown Manhattan for predawn mornings and late, overcaffeinated nights helming Ost Café in Gotham's Alphabet City neighborhood.

The friends traded in their office desks for Ost's beautiful corner location in an ever up-and-coming part of town -- complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of sunlight -- in order to live the proverbial dream as small-business owners... but do they think it was worth it? Leave it to the CoffeeMeister to find out.

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]]>aaron hagegornAaronHagegornalex clarkAlexClarkcafecoffeecoffee shopcoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterost cafeOstCafeowning a cafeErin MeisterTue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 ESTCafecito with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/cafecito-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

cafecito, cafe Cubano, Cuban coffee, coffee
A cafecito (with a Hemingway Special chaser). Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Doesn't the heat make you daydream about being someplace else?

Someplace tropical and friendly, where the heat is part of the romance -- bellying up to a Havana lunch counter, enjoying the languid spinning of a lazy ceiling fan, the cool droplets crawling down the side of a sweating glass, the tinny tenor of cantador Beny Moré. And, naturally, a coffee.

You're thinking, "Coffee?! Who daydreams about coffee while sweat is making tracks down your spine?"

Me, that's who.

Brutal summer days are made for cafecito -- the thick, strong Cuban-style espresso brewed with sugar that's best when belted first thing in the morning. It may look like a regular ol' espresso, but the extra sweet kick might just jump-start your day a little quicker.

A muy tropical cafecito video, after the jump.

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]]>cafecafe cubanocafecitocoffeecoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeistervideoErin MeisterTue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 ESTCoffee, Seed to Cup, with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/18/coffee-seed-to-cup-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

hills
Coffee beans drying. Photo: william.neuheisel, Flickr

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Hey, wait a sec! Are you really about to dump out the rest of the too-big coffee you ordered this morning, drank a third of, forgot about and let get lukewarm? Come on, pal -- you think this stuff grows on trees?

Well, actually, it kind of does -- except they're more like bushes. And the beans that we enjoy roasted, ground and percolated in the morning are actually seeds, not beans: They're more like a cherry pit than any legume you put in your famous Super Bowl Sunday chili. And much like every other fresh fruit or vegetable we enjoy, the beauty and deliciousness of a coffee is fleeting, seasonal and really labor intensive.

Read more about coffee's journey from seed to cup after the jump.

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]]>coffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterErin MeisterTue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:00 ESTTest Your Coffee Knowledge with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/12/test-your-coffee-knowledge-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

coffee, cup of coffee, java
Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

There are a lot of awesome jobs out there, but if I may say so, I think I've got one of the best: Getting paid to taste, learn and teach about coffee. (Great for the palate, maybe not so great for a night's sleep.) But as much as I've been able to learn while busily caffeinating New York City, there's always more to be discovered. Coffee's so fascinating, it could be its own Trivial Pursuit category. I thought I'd share five of the best facts I've picked up along the way about our favorite little buzzin' bean, for you to wow your coffee-loving friends with.

5. Espresso has less caffeine than a cup of drip coffee ... sort of. A 7-ounce cuppa joe averages about 150 mg of caffeine, while a 1.5- to 2-ounce shot of espresso yields roughly 100 mg (data varies from source to source). But yes, strictly speaking, drip coffee does have more caffeine per total volume -- but not per ounce. Espresso wins that round, hands down.

4. Coffee is one of the most complex things we consume. Clocking in with nearly 1,000 aromatic compounds (and more being discovered all the time), coffee runs laps around even red wine, which contains about a third as many.

Three more after the (jittery) jump!

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]]>coffeecoffee factscoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterfactsliststhe coffeemeisterTheCoffeemeistertriviaErin MeisterWed, 12 Aug 2009 15:00:00 ESTAffogatos with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/04/affogatos-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: , ,

affogato
Affogato al caffé. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is part of a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Picture this: New York City, August, 2009. It's hot -- I mean really hot. Like, stick to the seats on the subway hot. You're feeling mighty low and mighty steamed, and all you want is a belt of something quick and cool to keep you moving. Something that'll put the spring back into your step.

You know what you need, buddy? A caffeinated dessert. An affogato al caffé.

When you finally get one and it does the trick, turn your re-energized self toward Italy and give 'em a salute: Not only did our friends on the boot give us both the espresso and gelato that make up this icy indulgence, but they did us one better by putting them together. The resulting dessert, often shortened to simply affogato -- literally "drowned" in Italian -- is heavenly in its traditional form (a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with freshly brewed espresso), so even tiny tweaks (chocolate ice cream) or additions (Frangelico) can make it sublime.

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]]>affocato al caffeaffogatocoffeecoffeemeisterespressogelatoErin MeisterTue, 04 Aug 2009 13:00:00 ESTToo Much Caffeine with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/too-much-caffeine-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/too-much-caffeine-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/28/too-much-caffeine-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

vintage ad
A vintage couple gets the jitters

There's nothing like the calming warmth of a shot of espresso -- that old friend you count on to get you going.

But like the passive-aggressive pal leaving catty notes on your Facebook wall, your morning joe can turn on you in an instant, especially if you have one too many.

I've only been betrayed once, but it was enough to permanently slow my caffeine binge habits: The moment I swallowed the offending shot, my heart started pounding, I saw double, my hands started sweating and I stumbled blindly towards the door of my favorite café, trying to sneak out unnoticed. (It is not ideal for a CoffeeMeister's reputation to be crumpled on the floor of a café in a fit of caffeine-induced hysteria).

It's easy for people to forget -- or deny -- that caffeine is a drug, but the facts say otherwise: Like its distant cousins cocaine and nicotine, it's an alkaloid, though there aren't typically state-funded "quit cappuccinos" campaigns. The stimulating stuff's natural function is as a built-in pesticide for plants like coffee, cacao and tea.

Contrary to the paralyzing effect it has on crawling critters, it sends us skipping back to our desks at 3 p.m. with a renewed sense of joie de vivre. Sadly, however, too much of a good thing is bad news indeed.

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]]>60 cups of coffee60CupsOfCoffeecaffeinecaffeine intoxicationcaffeine overdosecoffeecoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterErin MeisterTue, 28 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTQ&A: Barista Amber Sather Talks to the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/23/qanda-barista-amber-sather-talks-to-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/23/qanda-barista-amber-sather-talks-to-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/23/qanda-barista-amber-sather-talks-to-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

amber sather
Barista Amber Sather
Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. Check out her series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Everybody thinks their neighborhood barista is the best. The difference is that New York-based espresso doyenne Amber Sather really is one of the best, as her Barista Championship titles attest (Sather's taken home first place in two Northeast regional barista competitions and third in the national event, among others).

Though many folks don't know they exist, barista championships are no joke to coffee professionals: You must prepare four espressos, cappuccinos and signature drinks of your own design to a panel of judges under extreme pressure.

The sassy Montana native moved to New York City a year ago, leaving a barista-trainer position with Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea in Chicago for a spot on the team at Brooklyn favorite Café Grumpy, where she trains baristas and passes cup after caffeinated cup to sleepy locals.

After the jump, Sather chats with the CoffeeMeister about barista competitions, her idea of the perfect café and more.

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]]>amber satherAmberSatherbaristabarista competitionbarista competitorcoffeecoffeemeistererin meisterErinMeisterErin MeisterThu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:00 ESTThe 'Perfect' Cappuccino with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/the-perfect-cappuccino-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/the-perfect-cappuccino-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/the-perfect-cappuccino-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,

cappuccino, coffee
A well-made cappuccino. Photo: Erin Meister
Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is the tenth in a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Like Brooklynites arguing over the perfect egg cream, baristas do sometimes spar about the perfect cappuccino: What's the precise coffee-to-milk ratio? Should it be "bone dry" with stiff foam that peaks like fresh meringue? How is it different from a latte? What makes it so special, anyway?

Like many other things about coffee, the cappuccino even has a charming (and much debated) origin story that adds to its mystique: It's said the drink was named for the monks of Capuchin, whose thick hooded cowls are reminiscent of the creamy caffeinated treat. Maybe that's why some people treat a great cappuccino as a religious experience?

More about the proverbial "perfect cappuccino" after the jump.

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]]>cappuccinocoffeeErin MeisterTue, 21 Jul 2009 14:00:00 ESTVintage Coffee Videos with the CoffeeMeisterhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/16/vintage-coffee-videos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/16/vintage-coffee-videos-with-the-coffeemeister/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/16/vintage-coffee-videos-with-the-coffeemeister/#commentsFiled under: ,


Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. Check out her series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Vintage coffee ads are some of my favorite things: I incessantly scan YouTube for them. The treasures I find are sometimes educational but always 100 percent charming.

Like the one above. It's probably best that the Folgers team eventually went with a snappy jingle in place of this type funny-slash-cringe-inducing piece of work, but you never know. I mean, almost anybody can tell you what the best part of waking up is, but can they also tell you that the way to lure your husband back from the clutches of "those girls back at the office" is to make a decent pot of coffee?

Jim Henson, men who walk on the ceiling and more ads after the jump.

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]]>advertisementsadvertisingcoffeecoffee adscoffee advertisementscoffee commercialsCoffeeAdsCoffeeAdvertisementsvintage adsvintage commercialsErin MeisterThu, 16 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST