9 Bars...espresso and coffee culture in Phoenix AZ

2007-02-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

Sumatra Blue Batak on the left

2007-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

2007-02-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

2006-12-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

So true..so true

2006-12-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2006-11-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

2006-11-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

Arizona Chain Reaction Fall Festival

Think Independently ~ Buy Locally

Over 250 shots of espresso poured!

Trevino rockin' the 'spro

2006-10-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Never get tired of seeing my name on incredible bags of coffee, never!

2006-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Coffee Vein and Rocket Coffee Roasters present:

Arizona Barista Jam 2007

January 7th - 8th 2007

Overview:
The Arizona Barista Jam will be open to professional Baristas, coffee professionals and cafe owners only and focused on professional coffee technique and knowledge.

This two day event provides compelling content and exciting learning and networking opportunities for both professional Baristas and food and restaurant professionals.

Purpose:
To provide training, camaraderie and inspiration to Baristas and to raise the quality espresso bar at local cafes. Build a community of passionate and committed Baristas and cafe owners and generate interest and participation in competitions.

Location:
The Coffee Vein
1545 N. Stone Ave
Tucson, AZ 85705

Date:
January 7th and 8th, 2007

Time is 10am - 6pm both days

Attendance:
Any professional practicing Barista, coffee professional or coffee house owner can attend.

Admission:
$20 per person for the entire event.

2006-09-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Call me a geek, but I love to see the company name printed on a bag of coffee! Especially when it's a exemplary Cup of Excellence coffee.

Roasted up a batch today and couldn't wait to try it as a French Press.

Cupping Notes:

Good acidity, medium body with a fruit reminiscent of a burgundy wine. Very floral with rose and lavender and a sweetish caramel finish.

2006-08-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

single origin

I've been playing around with a few coffees for the express purpose of evaluating them on their strength as single origin espresso. There is not a coffee I roast that doesn't get run through as a SO shot, but that is purely for my own experimentation. Notes are taken and filed away for future reference, some as a simple "yuck" others with more detail. The roast level may not be optimum for that particular coffee as an espresso because it may be a production roast specifically done for use in French Press or a Fetco drip but I still get a good idea of how that coffee would taste with a roast degree more suited for espresso.

This week has found me with a number of coffees sent to me by various importers, brokers, roasters, professional cuppers and directors of coffee buying/development at my request. The response was overwhelming and many times an excited, "I've got the perfect coffee for single origin espresso I'd love you to try" was heard. A huge thank you to all who sent me beans, you know who you are!

Before I go any deeper into my findings, I better explain that this isn't an argument for or against Single Origin espresso or espresso blends. It's purely a exercise in understanding how many different coffees perform as SO's on a grand scale. Am I going to bore my readers with every cupping note, every discovery, every flowery prose and descriptor? No, I'll save you that. I will however tell you about my eureka! moments, occasional exemplary shot and stuff that just blew my socks off.

I will update this post as time and energy allows with my discoveries and get it started with this...

Brasil Fazenda Vista Alegre [Traditional Dry]
In keeping with my above promise, I'll cut to the chase...EXCEPTIONAL!
buttery smooth, sweet and beyond expectations

more to follow....

2006-08-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today I'm cupping some Indian coffees from Karnataka Plantation.

The Maya-Lot #6007 proved to be my favorite, but not by much. Karnataka describes it as; Earthy, complex, spicy with medium body. I found it to be, clove, cinnamon and tobacco with medium body and clean finish. Overall I scored it a 86.

Running a close second was the Kimaya-Lot #6028. Karnataka's cupping notes for this one are, Heady perfume, spice, big body of butter and caramel. Mild finish. My cupping revealed a sweet, flowery aroma, heavy clove and light caramel and light body. Overall I scored it a 84.

Overall I wasn't overly impressed with any of these. At least not enough to buy any. Another thing I kept finding was the majority of Karnataka's cupping notes were nowhere near mine. For example the Kohinoor-Lot #6024 is described by Karnataka as having deep chocolate notes. I found no chocolate but rather a not unpleasant but weird peanut flavor dominating.

They do get big points for including a engraved, silver cupping spoon. The samples also arrived allready roasted which was a bit of a surprise. The roast level was fine for cupping and they did a good job of it. It did make cupping this set a bit less of a job.

They still continue to provide a mind numbing array of printed material with everything they do. Lots of different size full color glossy cards, pamphlets, just too much. One other thing I find maddingly irritating is the closeness in similarity of the different coffees names. All small things and just my own personal bent.

2006-08-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Blood & Guts

Had the side panel off the machine for some fiddlin' and the camera handy

A shot of the new Finca Vista Alegre Traditional Dry

in a word, delicious

2006-07-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

So, I thunk to myself...does this waste of webspace have any meaning to anyone other than my two (2) readers?

Probably not, but since I'm using bandwith I might as well get a bit personal.

Here's the deal.....

I am getting ready to open a espresso bar. YES! , you heard it here first. So sick and tired of so called "good to excellent" dumps here in our area. SICK & TIRED!

My vision is to elevate coffee to a culinary art, it's rightful place. This is not a pipe dream, this is not wishful thinking, it's REALITY!

The location of this aspiristic endeavor is Downtown Glendale, AZ.

COFFEE is a CULINARY ART!!!

Ever try sipping a lightly roasted Harrar Oromia Coop coffee while eating a handful of freshly picked blueberries, how about a clove and leather Indo Sumatra enjoyed with a bowl of ripe cherries? Yes, coffee and food are a sweet marriage, and if you are picking up on my fruit and coffee pairings...well 'tis the season!

I went off on a tangent. Excuse me if you will. My point is that coffee, exemplary coffee, roasted to it's shimmering perfection can hold it's own and compliment any food. Seasonal not withstanding!

Look for Rocket Coffee Roasters Espresso Bar

coming to a space early in the fall of '06- tax and titles extra, lease due on signing, all manufactures warranties do not imply, we will not be held responsible if you are not happy, but we do suggest you keep on smilin'. Life is too short for bad coffee and please, please support us, we need it!

2006-07-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Interesting development concerning the Cup of Excellence program. I've copied an email I've received with the news below.

Dear Larry Jones,
We are pleased to announce that The Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc, (ACE) and The National Coffee Association (NCA) have entered into a formal strategic alliance devoted to the advancement of high quality coffee through The Cup of Excellence® program. Our two organizations share a love and appreciation of coffee and an understanding that a greater knowledge of the variables that affect quality, and a focus on creating consumer appreciation of differing flavor profiles will benefit the industry as a whole.
Cup of Excellence has grown immensely from a single experimental project in 1999 and is now the premier competition and auction program in the world- it is on the cutting edge of quality selection, it supports the development of an enhanced infrastructure, assists cuppers and quality control technicians to fine tune their existing skills and provides an opportunity to excite roasters and their customers in their own coffee discovery process. The Cup of Excellence program has enjoyed strong support from specialty roasters worldwide due to its strict focus on quality and the fair and transparent financial reward it has provided to the winning farmers.
The National Coffee Association created in 1911 is the oldest coffee trade association in the US and represents the US coffee industry with a significant focus on government relations (domestic and international), public relations, market and scientific research and education. The NCA's positive media campaigns have resulted in the good news about coffee and health being publicized worldwide. The majority of its members are small and mid size companies. Log on to www.ncausa.org for more information.
Working with the producer committee of the NCA who's mission statement is to foster positive relationships between coffee producers and the US industry, the Cup of Excellence program will be able to strengthen the bridge between quality producers and US roasters and help create higher volume sales and often longer term relationships for producers recognized by the Cup of Excellence program. The two organizations will work together to enhance Cup of Excellence benefits to the coffee industry, find creative solutions for the program logistics and utilize the NCA Fall educational conference to offer the latest in quality selection techniques to US roasters.
We are excited about this opportunity to strengthen the Cup of Excellence program and its benefits and wish to thank you for your continued support.
Regards,

Susie Spindler

I'll ponder this for a day or two and then share my thoughts. As always, I welcome your comments, observations and feelings, so post 'em!

2006-07-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

some random images...

no...that's not me

that's not me either

there I am... conducting a "coffee history and tasting" at one of my accounts, Cuppers Coffeehouse in Prescott

2006-07-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

I was down in Tucson yesterday visiting one of my favorite coffeeshops in Arizona. They also happen to be an account and run my "Classic Espresso" at the bar. We are working very closely to formulate a "House Blend" for regular drip coffee.

These folks have got it together! They have a true passion for coffee and excellent service, a desire to continuously improve and meticulous preparation in everything they do. A true "Specialty Coffee" house!

Other coffeeshops owners in Arizona should take notice, the Coffee Vein has raised the bar for quality. I am working very hard with them to insure their rightful place as the "showcase" for Rocket Coffee Roasters coffees and the standard to which all coffeeshops in Arizona and beyond are measured.

If you go;

The Coffee Vein

1545 N. Stone Ave

Tucson, AZ

"Trevino" - Arizona's tallest barista

They love their machine at the Coffee Vein!

2006-07-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

Green Coffee Buying Club Roasting Olympics

Sponsored by

Rocket Coffee Roasters

Congratulations to all the competitors!

Overall Champion

Joe Pace

Drip Blend Winner

John F

Espresso Blend Winner

Curtis

Single Origin Winner

Joe Pace

Competition was fierce in this three round no holds barred roast off! Competitors squared off and brought their best to the table. Plenty of trash talking was heard, lot's of good coffee was held to excruciating standards and by all accounts a good time was had!

If you have the skills, the desire to compete and want to enjoy some world class coffees roasted by world class folks and get in on the next GCBC Roasting Olympics, head on over to the Green Coffee Buying Club for details.

2006-07-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

latte' art

2006-07-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

hangin' with big boys

from the alterra coffee throwdown

2006-07-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that I was chosen to be interviewed for the 1st ever Arizona Coffee Podcast! I talk a little about the Best of Panama, CoffeeGeek, Synesso espresso machines and a few other things. It's short (less than 7 minutes) and sweet.

Check it out....

Arizona Coffee Podcast Episode #1

2006-07-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4th!

and Canada Day to our neighbors up north!

2006-07-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

2006 El Salvador Cup of Excellence

The auction was held last week and we were at it again. Rocket Coffee Roasters teamed up with another great group of roasting companies and went after the #4 coffee in this years auction.

This coffee is from the finca of Santa Sofia and scored a 91.2 (out of a possible 100). Here are the cupping notes from this particular lot,

Jury Descriptions: complex (10), bright acidity (23), clean (19), honey (10), sweet chocolate (20), soft sweet apple (8), clear finish (12), sweet gingerbread (4), consistent (17), rich body (12), maintained good structure (7), citric (3), cinnamon (4)

Please Note: If a number appears in brackets next to a description it indicates the number of jurors that agreed with that particular decription.

This will bring a total of three (3) Cup of Excellence coffees to Rocket Coffee Roasters lineup so far this year, plus we also have our Best of Panama Kotowa Duncan which is receiving rave reviews!

2006-06-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

another shot...

photo by Chris Tingom

I had the pleasure of a visit by Mr Arizona-Coffee.com himself, Chris Tingom. He stopped by the Rocket Coffee Roastery yesterday to do a semi-interview for the first ever AZ Coffee Podcast. We had a blast pullin' shots from the Synesso using the "naked" portafilter and a LM 21 gram triple basket. We also French Pressed a pot of the Best of Panama coffee and once we were completely caffienated, we got down to business and recorded the podcast.

2006-06-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

mmmm...tasty!

2006-06-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

SYNESSO in da' Hizizzille!

It's here, the machine of my dreams, a true technological marvel and it's name is Cyncra.

This machine is truly a coffee geeks shining wet dream! In the hands of an experienced barista, using great coffee, this baby is capable of producing shots of espresso unrivaled by any other machine on this planet, maybe beyond.

A couple more photo's you can drool over...

I'll of course be bringing you updates on this beauty as Rocket Coffee Roasters continues to elevate the quality of espresso in Phoenix, AZ and BEYOND!

2006-06-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Nicaraguan Cup of Excellence auction was held this week. Rocket Coffee Roasters was present again! Our latest acquisition is a beautiful coffee from the farm of Santa Isabel, winners of two previous programs. This is an outstanding certified organic, washed coffee of the Caturra variety.

The International Cupping Panel's notes;

burgundy wine, roses, lavender, floral, caramel, citric note, round, dark but complete

This coffee will be in very limited supply and look for it on our website,

www.rocketcoffeeroasters.com in the coming months!

2006-06-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's here!

And it does not disappoint! I picked up the Best of Panama auction coffee yesterday from the freight terminal. Threw down a 8 lb batch this morning and cupped it fresh off the roast. Sweet, clean, caramel and beautiful! Another day or two of rest and we'll see what else this remarkable coffee has to offer.

The flame from the roast

2006-06-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

A little Papa New Guinea in the cooling tray

taken 20 seconds into 2nd crack, it was a very even roast even though it doesn't look it in the photo

2006-06-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Missoula MT. (June 14, 2006)- 33 Honduras Cup of Excellence® winners auctioned their exemplary coffees during a four hour worldwide Internet auction held on the Cup of Excellence® website. Bidders logged on from Taiwan to Vancouver hoping to purchase one of the coffees chosen during the last international cupping competition held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The top 12 coffees averaged $5.27/lb.- multiple times what the farmers would receive on the New York “C” market. At $3.33, the average price per pound for all 33 was higher than the previous year’s auction indicating much more interest worldwide in Honduras specialty coffees. Susie Spindler, the Executive Director of the Cup of Excellence® program indicated that, “Most of the top few coffees were very close in score during the international competition process, as little as a .5 difference in points. It is nice when all of these high quality coffees receive a premium at the auction, not just the #1 coffee,” she said. “In fact, two other coffees received a higher price than the winning coffee, which was a large lot. This just proves that roasters worldwide are very different about the flavor profiles they will a pay premium for,” she continued.
The coffee lots were split evenly between buyers from North America, Europe and Japan. 14 companies from the USA, 9 companies from Japan, 14 companies from Europe and 2 companies from Canada purchased the 33 winning coffees. 632 bags of approximately 152 pounds each were sold for a total price of well over $300,000.
Of particular interest to some of the bidders was young Jose Geovany Martinez, who took 3rd place in the competition. He is carrying on the family tradition of producing exquisite coffee. His father, Gregorio Martinez took 1st place in the 2004 Cup of Excellence® competition and since that time has handed the farm down to his son, Jose. Japanese roasters Maruyama Coffee and the Mikatajuku group purchased this winning coffee in 2004 at a significant premium and picked it up again at this auction.
This is the 24th auction for the Cup of Excellence® program and is the first of the Central American auctions. Nicaragua’s best will be sold June 22nd, 2006. El Salvador and Guatemala are scheduled for the weeks that follow. For more information or for a complete list of buyers and winning farmers log on to www.cupofexcellence.org. The program is owned by the non-profit Alliance for Coffee Excellence Inc., in partnership with coffee producing countries.

Rocket Coffee Roasters was hard at it again! We went after what we believed to be the "sleeper" of this particular auction, the #29 coffee. A wonderful coffee from Finca El Suptal from the Copan region. Farm owner Jose Romero brought this exemplary coffee to this years auction and I'm glad he did! Our cupping notes were right in line with the International Jury and reads as follows;

honey, sweet , floral notes, citric and peach, milky chocolate, mild pleasant, floral, smooth, lively but mild acidity

Look for this coffee on our website in the coming months!

2006-06-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

Coffee Fest 2006 - Las Vegas

I'm back from Vegas after attending this years show. A good turnout by most accounts and a lot of fun! I was pretty busy at this particular show, had many people to see and a number of classes to attend. Highlights were a Roasting Workshop held by Terry Davis of Ambex and a Cupping Lab taught by Kathi Z. One of my wholesale accounts in Henderson, NV was having problems with their espresso machine and I had to make a trip out to see them on Saturday evening and get them back up and running.

My "classic espresso" blend was well represented at the show as Jim Pinnich from 1st Line was running it thru the machines at their booth. The good folks at Cirqua Water systems were serving up my Ethiopian Sidamo to people at their booth.

I had a great time at this show but it's good to be back home!

2006-06-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

Honduras in da' House

2006 Cup of Excellence samples

'nuff said...for now

2006-06-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Our graphic artist Sheila "ShePower" has done it again!

Sneak peak of the new coffee bag labels, now here's the deal...

if you want to see one in person, ya' gotta buy some coffee!

2006-05-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

May 30, 2006Panama’s Best Coffees Set New Records in Online Auction
Famed Hacienda la Esmeralda Sells for Over $50 a Pound
LONG BEACH, Calif. U.S.A. (May 30, 2006)--- Panama’s number one coffee, from Hacienda La Esmeralda, once again set an online coffee auction record when it sold for over $50 dollars a pound during an online auction on May 30th. Hacienda La Esmeralda placed first in the “Best of Panama” cupping competition in April with a score of 94.6 out of 100.
Competition was active on many of the lots offered during internet auction, which lasted 10 hours as several bidders were after the small lot of five 60-kilo bags of Hacienda La Esmeralda, as well Bambito Estates and Carmen Estates, which placed second and third in the competition, respectively. When the auction closed, Hacienda la Esmeralda had sold for a stunning price of $50.25 a pound. Commercial-grade coffee is currently trading in commodity markets for just over $1 a pound.
The online auction was hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). In addition to Hacienda la Esmeralda, thirty additional lots totaling over 33,000 pounds of high scoring coffee from the “Best of Panama” were also sold in the online auction, fetching prices from $1.50 to $14.20 a pound.

What does this mean for you fans of Rocket Coffee Roasters?

No, I did not lose my head and go for the La Esmeralda... Over $33,000 for 5 bags of coffee?

I think it's great for the farmers and Panama coffee as a whole, but that is just way out of my meager means!!! The good news is....

We won the coffee we were actually after in yesterday's auction!!!

Organic Cafe' Kotowa Duncan

A Bourbon Typica Caturra, Catuia & Certified Organic gem of a coffee grown at an elevation of 1,700 m or 5,550 ft. This is a incredible coffee, sweet with good acidity and a butterscotch flavor mixing with dried apricots. Lush tropical landscapes, fertile volcanic soil and an abundance of care help make this coffee what it is!!!

Rocket Coffee Roasters is extremely proud to offer this coffee to our customers and you may look for it on our website in the next couple of weeks!

2006-05-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

I started a group for professional roasters living and working in the Southwestern U.S. and we are hoping to hold our first meeting sometime in September of this year. I won't bore you with the details of the group, but will say I'm looking forward to it!

Coffee Fest is around the corner, and Roast Magazine and the Southwest Roasters group will be present and I am hoping to firm up some of the details for our Sept. meeting at the Roasters Speakeasy as well as meet some of our members of the group.

2006-05-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

YUMMY

What do we have here? Seems to be a box full of green coffee samples from this years 2006 Best of Panama Auction.

This is one of the true joys of my job at Rocket Coffee Roasters! Getting to experience the very best of the very best coffees from around the world.

2006-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Mark Prince - Head CoffeeGeek is traveling Europe for the SCAE (Specialty Coffee Assoc. Of Europe) Show. He was a judge in the World Barista Championships held in Bern, Switzerland and is going on a whirlwind tour of Italy. Mark is checking out the La Marzocco and Elektra espresso machine factories and just living a coffee fanatics dream.

Rocket Coffee Roasters is the Premier Sponsor for CoffeeGeeks WBC, World of Coffee and Italian Coffee articles and podcasts.

You can check out Mark's progress, articles, reports and great photo's that he's publishing from these links....

The City of Bern and Coffee Culture

Gearing up for the WBC...

Enjoy these great articles, check back on CoffeeGeek for new reports and keep your eye's and ears open for his podcasts detailing his adventures!

2006-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Rocket Coffee Roasters is a Coffee Sponsor for the

Western Barista Guild Jam

What does that mean? Well, Rocket Coffee Roasters espresso blend will be used during the espresso workshop and our single origin coffees will be used during the various cupping classes and cupping workshops. So here is the rundown on what's going down...

The Barista Guild focuses on enhancing coffee quality, promoting quality and cultivating a sophisticated “public face” for the industry.
The purpose of a Barista Guild Jam is to foster community between Baristas and retailers within a particular region as well as the Barista community and the Specialty Coffee Industry worldwide. These events, which, officially sanctioned by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Barista Guild of America (BGA), offer all participants a high level of training and education that will expand their knowledge and skills. At BGA Regional Barista Jams, experts from the Specialty Coffee Industry address topics of interest for Baristas and retailers of all levels, including but not limited to espresso and milk preparation, cupping and tasting coffees, coffee origin appreciation, equipment maintenance, coffee roasting and Barista Competitions. All skill levels are welcomed and encouraged to attend these exciting educational events!
The Barista Guild Jam is June 3rd and 4th 2006 in the ever so lovely Bay Area. Our gracious hosts the Professional Culinary Institute have given the Barista community their 20,000 square fot culinary school facility for the event. PCI is located in Campbell, CA in the south bay.

2006-05-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

"classic espresso"

Our new espresso blend!

We have been hard at work in the espresso lab here at the roastery and our new espresso blend is the succesful culmination of our efforts. This classic espresso blend is compromised of four different coffees, all of them of the highest quality Arabica. Humongous amounts of crema and a buttery smooth, big body, this espresso is honey sweet with dominating chocolate, spice and dried fruit notes. This is a well balanced blend that is powerful and complex yet finishes clean. A truly superb shot of espresso!

oh yeah...and dig our new label designed by Sheila, our resident graphic artist and all around "powerchick"

2006-05-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Kenya AA

From the Machure region - Thika Estate

A beautiful Kenyan! Cups like a classic with it's shimmering acidity and flavors ranging from black currant and plum to coccoa and dark honey. This particular coffee has more body than I normally would expect from a Kenyan but it is pleasing with a soft grace. This is one coffee that you should not miss out on! Keep an eye on my online store www.rocketcoffeeroasters.com because I should have this available within the week.

2006-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Viva Mexico

Wow, I'm blown away by this new Mexican Hildago Pluma from Oaxaca! The dry aroma is all chocolate with a hint of vanilla. The flavor is sweet and nutty with caramel and milk chocolate. The body is very full which is surprising for a Mexican coffee and the acidity is well balanced.

This coffee is amazing in a French Press! Absolutely stunning! I tried it as a single origin espresso and was pleased with it's clean, clear sweetness. I've been roasting it to a City + and will try a roast at City on Monday. Life is good!!!

2006-04-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took delivery of a few new coffees for Rocket Coffee Roasters. Among them was this incredible Panama Piedra de Candela from the Finca Hartmann. This coffee is among those up for auction in the 2006 Best of Panama internet auction held by the Panama Specialty Coffee Association.

You can read more about the Finca Hartmann here; http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/hartmann/index.html

Rocket Coffee Roasters will have this coffee for sale beginning next week. This coffee is in limited supply and is sure to go quickly.

Other new coffees are a Papa New Guinea - Red Mountain and a Mexican Hildalgo Pluma.

2006-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

coffee meets grinder

2006-04-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

My new toy?

Maybe...I'm trying to negotiate a fair purchase price on this 12 kilo San Fransican roaster. If I succeed it will bring the number of roasters at the roastery to four. Currently I use a 10 kilo Ambex for production, a 2 kilo Ambex for my sample roaster and a 5 kilo Probat which I'm refurbishing at this moment.

2006-04-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

A New Zealand company is using some unusual tactics to grab customers' attention. The Brazil cafe commissioned a company to create specialty branded trash cans to promote their coffees. The trash cans are shaped like coffee cups, complete with protective sleeve and stir stick, and shout "Coffee taste like crap?" insinuating that coffee drinkers should ditch their sub-par beverages and head for a Brazil location, to which the cans helpfully point the way. Located in a popular Auckland neighborhood with many independent cafes as well as corporate chains, the cans that were placed outside a Starbucks had their slogans removed by Starbucks employees who were unhappy about them. There is little doubt that the company wasn't a big fan, either.

2006-04-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to announce that Rocket Coffee Roasters is now a full member in the Cup of Excellence program! This proves Rocket Coffee Roasters commitment to quality and sustainability as we are the only member of this program in the State of Arizona.

Here is a brief excerpt from the Cup of Excellence website ...

The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction.

To read more about this excellent program you may go to the Cup of Excellence website by clicking on this link http://www.cupofexcellence.org/

Look for 2006 Cup of Excellence Colombia coffees roasted to perfection by Rocket Coffee Roasters coming soon!

2006-04-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

How about that? Rocket Coffee Roasters is the "Official Coffee" of Arizona Coffee. I guess we are making a dent in this huge coffee wasteland known as Arizona! Now if the local coffee shops could get a freakin clue, actually try and learn about their core product, coffee, and start worrying about quality instead of the bottom line and the allmighty dollar, then I'd feel we are making real progress!

That's it, peaceout, I'm heading to Charlotte for the SCAA show!

2006-03-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Arizona - Coffee.com a very good website that reviews and covers the coffee scene in AZ, celebrated it's first year. Chris Tingom, the man behind this growing resource had a get together at LUX, a popular downtown coffee house. I attended and had a great time plus was served one of the best espresso I've had in the valley, and believe me, I've tried a lot of them! I had a nice chat with owners of LUX and am happy to see they share my passion for excellence in coffee! Arizona is not a educated coffee Mecca yet, but we are getting closer!

You can follow this link to read more about it... http://www.arizona-coffee.com/

2006-02-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

scene from Fellini's 'Orchestra Rehearsal'

Gaggia 4 group lever machine, grinder hopper full of roasted coffee and an Italian Barista...

2006-02-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Roasting coffee in Bali...

2006-02-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed."Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you."Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

2006-02-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

There is a terrific new resource for the home coffee roaster! A place where wonderful green coffee from all over the world is made available to the hobbyist roaster.

It's the Green Coffee Buying Club, or the "GCBC" as it's fondly referred by it's members. It's a co-operative style arrangement that allows members to buy small amounts (usually 5-15lbs) of green coffee beans.

How does it work?

The motto here at the Green Coffee Buying Club is"Splitting bags of green coffee, and have fun doing it."The goal here is to get green coffee at less than retail and/or to get some coffee you may never see retail because it is so special. We always strive to find not just the best prices, but the best quality. Almost all will be specialty grade arabica that adheres to some of the highest standards in the coffee world. So on to the details.Those who are offering green coffee are referred to as distributors, those wanting green coffee are called buyers. Each distributor will have his own conditions, but basically it works like this:A certain coffee will be offered up by a particular distributor under the forum section "Green Coffee Offerings". He may already have the coffee, or he may be taking commitments before buying a bag. In any event, if you are interested in getting some coffee from him, he will usually give details on how to let him know (email, the private message system here, etc.). The payment for coffee, time frames, shipping, etc., is all worked out between you and him. Most accept PayPal and ship via common carriers. There may be other details like pound minimums, maximums, etc. but it is the buyer's and distributor's personal responsibility to work out all the details.

excerpted from greencoffeebuyingclub.com

So if this sounds like your thing, check them out at www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com

2006-01-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

Southwest Roasters Group

coffee - knowledge - mentorship - fun

This is a great group of professional coffee roasters living and working in the Southwest - people willing to share and exchange ideas, committed to expanding/increasing their knowledge of coffee and providing quality coffee to the consumer. Plus it's a lot of fun!

ok...official shoutout to my peeps!

2006-01-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

This 1989 La Marzocco Linea 2 group was taken out of a local coffeeshop. As you can see, this machine is in very poor condition. It was pulling shots and steaming milk right up to the time I replaced it for the owners with a new one.

The La Marzocco is an incredibly good machine, in my opinion, one of the best. I have a certain fondness for the LM's and that is the reason this machine will be going to the bench for restoration and maybe a little hot-rodding.

This project is not for the faint of heart as it is going to require a complete strip down and rebuild and I'm not sure what I will find when I open it up. The first step will be descaling the boilers. I'll post notes and pics of my progress.

Stay tuned...!

2006-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Roadshow by Fresh Cup magazine came to Arizona last weekend. A industry trade show of sorts, with training classes and seminars, the event was well attended.

The major players in the Arizona coffee scene were there as well as a number of industry types from around the country.

I sat in on one of the morning seminars that was instructed by the owner of a local coffee roasting company and was surprised by the lack of knowledge and mis-information that was being thrown about. I should have just gone to breakfast instead!

I did see some old friends in the industry, Bill from Espresso Wrench in Tucson, David from Red Rock Roasting Co. in Albuquerque, the crew from Zoka and my good ol' buddy Terry Davis, the president of Ambex Roaster Manufacturing in Clearwater, FL.

Sadly the only good shot of espresso I had the entire time I was there came not from any Arizona coffee company but from Zoka coffee roasters out of Seattle.

2005-12-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone the very best this season and in the coming New Year!

From the crew at Rocket Coffee Roasters to you!

2005-12-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

A pour from Joe's

2005-12-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Matt's "Ceasar" Blend

2005-12-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

I'm involved in a little "roast off" competition that got started on a coffee forum I belong to:

http://www.opencoffee.net/news.php

I think there is at one least pro roaster besides myself that is participating. It's a great way to try other's coffee/espresso roasts. My entry was the "Open Blend" a dark espresso roast. I have been working with a local espresso bar to develop a blend for milk based drinks only. You know, the 20 oz latte crowd. Anyway, this "roast-off" is a great way for me to get feedback on new blends from a group of coffee educated folks.

What did the group think about it? Go check it out for yo'self.

2005-12-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a pour of Matt's blend

2005-12-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

Espresso? What?

"Cowboy coffee" is loosely defined by many as a "handful of ground coffee dumped into a kettle of boiling water and boiled until the majority of grounds sink to the bottom of the kettle". A whole slew of tricks and tips were invented and lot's of differing methods evolved. All manner of things were added like egg shells (I forgot the reason for that) and different fillers to help keep up supplies in lean times.

It was and still is a terrible way to make coffee but that's how it was done. It may have been tasty and a little comforting to have a cup of "cowboy coffee" on a cold rainy morning back in "the day" but there is no reason to walk into any restaurant or coffeeshop today and be served coffee that is of the same or lesser quality. Yet you still can, in far too many places.

if you like "cowboy coffee" tell me why!

2005-12-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

What do you think?...

"why is the quality of coffee and service so lousy in Arizona and the Southwest in general"?

That is a question I hear all too often. How do you think AZ/Southwest stacks up in terms of good coffee and espresso? What is your idea of good coffee?

In the coming days I'm going to try and answer that question. I'll rip off the cover so we can expose the inner workings and find out why things are as they are when it comes to coffee in the Southwest.

2005-12-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is it....a view of the coffee and espresso scene through the eyes of a professional coffee roaster. We will take an ongoing, in depth, under the hood look at coffee, not just in the Phoenix, AZ area but globally!

I invite you to join in and participate, add your comments, add something of worth or just sit back and lurk. Welcome!