Author: TJ

TJ is the Marketing Director for Camano Island Coffee Roasters. TJ is a wannabe coffee snob, who enjoys writing and photographing coffee, reading books, watching movies with his wife, and hiking with his dogs.
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Where does your coffee come from? – Papua New Guinea

Where Does Your Coffee Come From? – Papua New Guinea

Ever wonder where your coffee comes from? At Camano Island Coffee Roasters, we love our Papua New Guinea Light and Medium roasts, and we also love the beautiful island nation just north of Australia.

Papua New Guinea coffee plantations were first planted 120 years ago. Historical records attribute the arrival of coffee to New Guinea as a result of German settlers bringing the crop to the island. By 1899, Arabica coffee bushes were showing that they liked the unique climate of New Guinea. However, the industry did not start picking up momentum until the 1920’s, when improvements in shipping contributed to coffee more easily being exported. Now Papua New Guinea has coffee plantations in 15 out of 19 provinces, and coffee export is one of the nation’s strongest industries.

Arabica and Robusta Coffee

At least 95% of the coffee grown in New Guinea is of the Arabica variety. Grown at high elevations, this coffee is of very high quality. The small amount of Robusta produced in New Guinea is grown in the Sepik lowlands and around Milne Bay. Most of the coffee exported is in the form of unroasted, green beans. Only 1% of the coffee exported is already roasted and ground. This is because green coffee keeps better for shipment than those that have already been roasted. Once coffee is roasted it should be enjoyed soon (that’s why we get the coffee so quickly to our Coffee Club members.)

Coffee Provinces of New Guinea

New Guinea coffee growing regions are split into three distinct provinces with each being home to 2-6 coffee grower groups. The provinces are the Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, and Simbu. With more than 210,000 hectares of coffee bushes, there are a lot of great coffees being produced in New Guinea.

Production by Province and Secondary Crops

The Western Highlands has the highest level of coffee production followed closely by the Eastern Highlands. Simbu grows more Robusta beans and has less production. While coffee beans are by far the biggest cash crop, farmers also grow sweet potatoes, bananas, vegetables, and spices for local consumption. Banana trees are often what shade coffee bushes, so they make a great choice for a secondary crop for their food value mostly because bananas do not command a high price.

Striving For Sustainable and Organic Practices

New Guinea coffee growers have observed that there is a high demand for quality shade grown coffees. Although New Guinea only produces 1% of the world’s coffee production, consumers are demanding more coffee choices. With more people than ever realizing what an impact they can have on the environment with their purchasing and consumption habits, the demand for fair trade coffee grown in a sustainable manner is growing drastically every day. Farmers are making efforts to double production due the increased demand for coffee grown in the best possible way.

Profiles in Flavor

Camano Island Coffee Roasters Medium Roast Papua New Guinea coffee is medium bodied with chocolate undertones. A sweet flavor and crisp, clean finish make this a great choice any time of the day or night. In fact, this roast is one of our customers’ favorites! For those that wish for a more subtle flavor, we offer this coffee in a light roast as well.

New Guinea Coffee for Your Home or Business

Purchasing Organic Free Trade New Guinea coffee helps farmers earn a good living for their families. If you have a business, consider adding New Guinea coffee to your waiting and staff rooms. Restaurants near business districts can lose business if they don’t have great coffee. Camano Island Coffee Roasters can arrange for a regular coffee subscription of delicious New Guinea coffee as well as our other great varieties. With our automatic shipment plans, you can be assured that you never run out of your favorites. At Camano Island Roasters, we believe in giving back to the farmers we buy our coffee from. That is why part of every Coffee Lovers Club shipment goes to help coffee farmers obtain interest-free loans and the support they need to own their land so they can make sustainable decisions without corporate influence.

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Picking The Perfect Coffee to Compliment Your Meal

Picking The Perfect Coffee to Compliment Your Meal

If you think that any type of coffee is appropriate to round out your meal – whether you’re having steak, pad thai, or pasta – then you are missing out. Different coffees are unique in flavor, so they will pair better with some foods than others. You wouldn’t serve a desert wine with your smoked salmon, so to avoid an unfortunate flavor clash, here is a handy guide to pairing Camano Island Coffee Roasters blends with your meals.

A Relaxing Brunch

The next time you have a free Sunday, why not celebrate by inviting a few friends over for brunch? Instead of offering just decaf and regular coffee, mix things up a bit with a variety of blends to complement the different foods you serve. Place an urn of African Reserve next to the fresh fruit, Brazil Dark Roast next to the smoked meats, and Papua New Guinea Light Roast next to the eggs. African Reserve has hints of blueberry and maple syrup that will expertly compliment the berries, the spice of the Brazilian Dark Roast will boost the smokey flavor of your meats, and the light roast of Papua New Guinea won’t overpower your scrambled eggs. Soon, all your friends will be excited to try new coffees with you every weekend.

Decadent Dinner

Planning a special dinner can be time-consuming, but can be incredibly rewarding when you show your friends a whole new way to enjoy their favorite morning beverage. Go above and beyond by offering your guests not only great food, but great coffee, too. Heavy meat dishes and rich stews can go well with darker roasts, where lighter dinners such as a spicy Thai stir fry may be more enjoyable with a light roast from Papua New Guinea. You can even use coffee to marinade your meat, giving your steak, chicken, or chops a unique, smoky flavor.

Deserts

A fruity desert would pair well with a light to medium roast coffee. With its fruity flavor and hints of blueberries and maple syrup, African Reserve is a great choice to pair with your desert course. Rich chocolate desserts, such as chocolate mousse, will taste divine with a dark roast from Brazil, and crème brûlée will dance on your tongue when paired with the citrus undertones of a light roasted coffee from Guatemala. When combined, coffee and dark chocolate desserts are an antioxidant powerhouse, so if anyone looks at you sideways, tell them you’re just thinking of your health.

Learning To Enjoy Coffee Like A Fine Wine

Wine tastings are a popular social and gastronomical activity; people love getting together to discuss complex flavors, and how the growth and processing of the grapes have affected the taste. Coffee tastings can be a very enjoyable experience as well, with the added benefit of no hangover afterward! Consider getting some friends together and trying a large selection of different coffees. Serving a variety of finger foods will give you and your guests the chance to see what pairings work best. You may be surprised to find just how much the flavor of the coffee varies depending on what you are eating with it. Many people don’t ever try more than one or two types of coffee, which is a real shame considering how many rich, diverse varieties are out there.

Health-Conscious Coffee: An Organic Gift

Pairing organic, shade-grown, fairly traded coffee with your meals is a great way to enhance both taste and your health. Camano Island Coffee Roasters has a large selection of 20 different roasts available, there are roasts and varieties perfect for any occasion. Getting multiple roasts in your monthly order is a great way to have different coffees on hand, so you can pair them with your meals perfectly. If you love pairing your food with great coffee, join our coffee lovers club today!

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Where does Sumatran Coffee come from?

Where Does Sumatran Coffee Come From?

When Sumatra is mentioned many people have to think for a minute to realize where it is — if they know at all.  Sumatra is located in Indonesia, and is part of the Sunda Islands. In Sanskrit, Sumatra means “Island of Gold,” so it should come as no surprise to you that Sumatran farmers grow truly exceptional, world-class coffee, worth its weight in the mineral from which the island takes its name.

Perfect for Medium to Darker Roasts

Coffee growers in Sumatra use a unique method of processing their coffee known as wet hauling. This means that coffee has a higher than average moisture content when it is bagged and exported to its destination. The process of wet hulling also known as Giling Basah. Growers remove the outer layer of the coffee but leave the wet pulp. The coffee beans are allowed to rest for one day with the pulp on them, before they are washed and dried until all beans have a 30-35% moisture level. This is much higher than coffee from most other regions.

Because of this unique process, the flavor profile of Sumatran coffee is well suited to darker roasts. Those that enjoy the unique coffee of Sumatra describe it as earthy, with very low acidity. Low acid coffee is great for people who find stronger blends too harsh on their stomachs, and with its signature nutty sweetness, Sumatran coffee can be enjoyed both at breakfast, and after dinner. Coffeeresearch.org describes this coffee as one of the heartiest and most complex blends in the world, making it a must for every bean enthusiast.

Sumatra Regions

The coffee growing area of Sumatra is divided into two distinct regions. The District of Lintong Nihuta is known for growing its coffee on a large plateau. Sidikilang is an adjoining region that produces Arabica coffee beans as well, although not in as high a volume as Lintong.

Lintong is home to Lake Toba, a very deep natural lake located in the crater of a super volcano that last erupted about 70,000 years ago. Imagine drinking coffee farmed from 70,000-year-old volcanic ash! Gayo is located near Lake Tawar and produces some superb high elevation, shade-grown coffee, cultivated at heights of an outstanding 3300-4800 feet. Most coffee producers in Gayo are small holders, too. All Sumatran coffee is usually processed on the farm, which shows in the quality of the final product. Larger estates use mechanical means of picking coffee, whereas small holders pick by hand. Hand-picked coffee is considered of higher quality because farmers can afford better attention to detail and sorting practices.

Camano Island Coffee Roasters’ Sumatran coffee is double picked, which means it is hand sorted 3 times to find defects. That is why we are able to say that our roasts are grade 1 quality – the highest quality available.

Adding Sumatran Coffee To Your Home

Camano Island Roasters produces Sumatra coffee in a dark or medium roast. The dark roast is described as rich and complex by coffee aficionados while the medium roast has a distinctly fruity complexity.  Sumatra coffee makes a great unique gift for a fellow coffee lover who likes to try new things, or just a gourmet addition to your everyday routine.

Supporting Sustainable Agriculture

Coffee helps those living in rural areas to cultivate a crop that thrives through sustainable agricultural methods. Fair-trade Sumatran coffee creates an economy where workers receive a living wage, under their own steam. Sumatra has many small coffee farms, meaning that farmers are very involved in the production of quality coffee because they can dedicate a lot of attention to a small holding.

When you purchase Sumatran coffees from the Camano Island Coffee Roasters, you are buying one of the best coffees online while supporting sustainable agriculture in Sumatra. All of our coffees are fair trade, meaning that we purchased the beans for a price that is fair to the farmer that worked so hard to get it to you. Camano Island Roasters is always checking in on the origin of the coffees we sell to make sure that we are buying coffee that is produced sustainably and with high quality in mind.

When you try one roast style, you will want to try the others — what can we say? Drinking Sumatran coffee is like drinking liquid gold.

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Why You Should Consider Low Acid Coffee

Why You Should Consider Low Acid Coffee

Introduction

We all love coffee. It’s a great pick-me-up on those difficult Mondays or late evenings at work. Brewing it has become part of your everyday routine, and no breakfast feels complete without it. Coffee is proven to lower your risk of heart disease and loaded with antioxidants.

But coffee, like most soft drinks, teas and anything with sugar, is acidic.  This acid can occasionally be detrimental to your health.

That’s why you should be drinking low-acid coffee, like our many roasts here at Camano Island Coffee Roasters. But where does this coffee acid come from? Why can it be bad for you? And finally, how does Camano Island Coffee Roasters create low-acid coffee?

It’s all about the bean

A coffee’s acidity originates with the beans themselves, but there are several factors that may affect the acidity of a particular roast or brew. Coffee is inherently acidic. That acidity, combined with the caffeine the plant produces, serves as an all-natural defense against insects. If a coffee plant has lower caffeine levels, it will usually have a higher acidity to help combat the insects.

While coffee will always be acidic, how the plants are grown and harvested can also have a major effect on how acidic your cup of Joe tastes. Coffee plants grown at higher altitudes and in direct sunlight will produce beans higher in malic acid, giving your coffee a sour taste. Beans harvested too early can have high concentrations of citric acid, a naturally occurring acid commonly found in lemons, limes and oranges. This concentration typically goes away when the beans are properly matured.

Of course, non-organic beans can occasionally have even higher acidity levels due to unnatural additives and pesticides used during the growing process.

That is why at Camano Island Coffee Roasters we’ve focused on low-acid roasts. We avoid high acidity by only purchasing organic, shade-grown coffee that is properly matured. This shade means the beans are exposed to more consistent growing conditions, and, therefore, the plant feels it needs to produce less acid.

Why it matters to you

Most coffee drinkers love the taste and subtleties of their favorite roasts, but overly acidic coffee can overwhelm the taste you love. Sour and bitter flavors are the results of acid, and can ruin a cup of coffee. Also, as the coffee cools the acid tends to separate from the rest of the drink, resulting in a shimmering film on the top of your coffee. The first sip of cooled coffee can taste especially bitter as a result. Low acid coffee tastes great even as it cools.

Coffee acid isn’t bad for you in reasonable amounts, but it can have some adverse effects on your health in excess. Drinking overly acidic coffee can result in some stomach disruption, leaving you feeling nauseated. Regular coffee drinking can result in more adverse gastrointestinal side effects including acid reflux disease.

The acid in coffee can also damage your smile. Over time, the acid can wear on your dental enamel, causing abrasions that can allow coffee and food to stain your teeth. Drinking Camano Island Coffee Roasters low-acid coffee and following your morning cup with a swig of water to rinse helps mitigate all of these negative side effects.

Try Low-Acid Coffee On Us

Does your morning cup of coffee leave you dissatisfied and with a bitter taste in your mouth? A quality roast of low-acid coffee can make all of the difference, and has some great health benefits in the long run. That’s why we only roast organic, shade-grown and low acid coffee at Camano Island Coffee Roasters.

Want to give it a try? We’re offering a free pound of our low-acid coffee when you join our Coffee Lovers Club. There are plenty of great varieties to choose from, and they’ll be delivered to your door fresh. No more coffee that’s been sitting on store shelves for months.  To find out more, click here.

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A Big Thank You From Jeff

A Big Thank You From Jeff

An update on our new referral program

You guys have been awesome! Last month we announced our new referral program and the response has been incredible.
We’ve had a bunch of new Coffee Lovers join the club.
Thanks to folks like you we’re able to spread the joy of delicious organic and shade grown coffee with your friends and family
And, more importantly, we’re helping our farmers around the world.

It’s never been easier!

  • Simply tell your friends and family about the Coffee Lovers Club.
  • We’ll give them $20 off their first shipment.
  • They simply write your first and last name in the referred by field.
  • After they join, we’ll give you a quick call to congratulate you on earning $20 towards your next shipment.
  • It’s that simple.

Learn more about our sharing tools

CLICK HERE!

Why the Never Pay For Coffee program?

Over the years our company has grown by word of mouth. One of the challenges we encountered was tracking all of our referrals and making sure our members were recognized for sharing Camano Island Coffee with their friends and family.

As some of you know we set about the huge task of rebuilding our e-commerce system. This was a painful process. But, now that it’s complete we’re now able to track the referrals that you the Coffee Lovers Club member have been making all along. Essentially, we now get to reward you for doing what you’ve been doing — sharing.

What is the Never Pay For Coffee program?

For every friend you refer to the Coffee Lovers Club we will give you a $20 credit to use toward future club shipments.

And, we also give $20 off the first shipment of every friend you refer.

So basically, you’re friends will think you’re awesome for saving them money!

Thanks again for sharing Camano Island Coffee with your friends and family. Together we can save our friends from bad coffee and help coffee farmers around the world.   Thank you,
Jeff Ericson
President

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3 Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn

prevent-coffee-heartburn

Three Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn

All too often, I hear people say “I can’t drink coffee because it gives me heartburn!” Yes, acid reflux is a real problem that many people experience after drinking coffee. However, not all coffee is created equal!  Many people associate their heartburn problem with coffee as a whole, not realizing that there are very specific reasons that a particular brand of coffee causes it.

In fact, by following these 3 Ways to Prevent Coffee Heartburn it’s quite possible to drink coffee and be worry-free about heartburn and acid reflux.

1. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Getting a Safe Amount of Caffeine

A big player in the cause of acid reflux is overcaffeination. When your caffeine intake is too high, the muscle that connects the stomach to the esophagus is relaxed.1 When this happens, an opening is created for stomach acid to come up into your esophagus, which causes acid reflux. Ew! That’s pretty gross.

So how do we make sure we have a safe amount of caffeine? Most experts agree 600mg per day (4-7 cups) is overcaffeination.2 For some — such as pregnant mothers, it’s advised to be 200mg (about 2 cups).3 According to Health Canada — the federal health department in Canada — 400mg (just over 4 cups) is a safe daily caffeine consumption rate.4

By making sure the coffee you drink has safe caffeine levels, you can prevent coffee heartburn and enjoy your nice hot cup of coffee without the dreaded consequence of acid reflux. Keep reading to learn the best ways to avoid hyper-caffeinated coffee.

2. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Only Drinking Shade-Grown Coffee

Did you know there is a difference between Shade-Grown coffee and Sun-Grown coffee? It’s not surprising if you don’t – it’s not something you hear a lot about. Why? Because Sun-Grown coffee is of poorer quality, and much cheaper to produce!

Many grocery-store coffee blends use sun-grown beans to reduce costs. But, coffee isn’t supposed to grow in direct sunlight. By being exposed to the strong rays of the sun, it grows faster — hence being much cheaper — but it then contains more acidity and bitterness. By clear-cutting the forests and planting coffee in rows like corn it also removes the nutrients from the soil without replacing them and creates soil erosion.

Because they have less acidity, Shade-Grown beans are much less likely to cause problems with coffee heartburn. You should always look for coffee that is labeled as Shade-Grown, to ensure you’re getting the smoothest cup without the jitters and to prevent coffee heartburn.

3. Prevent Coffee Heartburn By Only Drinking 100% Arabica Coffee

In addition to drinking shade-grown coffee, you should also consider only drinking 100% Arabica beans. So what’s the difference between Arabica and regular coffee? Well, there are two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. (Again, it’s not surprising that you may not know this, because it isn’t advertised by the masses.) Robusta beans are cheaper because they grow at lower altitudes, and they’re more hardy making them resilient to pests. But, the tradeoff is Robusta beans are more bitter and contain twice the caffeine content of Arabica beans.

What does this have to do with preventing coffee heartburn? The extra caffeine in Robusta beans makes you more susceptible to acid reflux and heartburn.

So what’s the solution? Drink 100% Arabica coffee – you’ll taste and feel the difference, and won’t ever want to go back to Robusta beans.

Many people give up coffee because of acid reflux and heartburn. But you don’t have to! Just remember to avoid hyper-caffenation by only drinking 100% Arabica, Shade-Grown coffee.

And if you don’t believe me, check out these testimonials from our customers here. They’ve discovered that Shade-Grown and Arabica beans are the solution to prevent coffee heartburn. Try our 100% Arabica and Shade Grown coffee and see if it works for you. You’ll be glad you did!

Bonus: Preventing Coffee Heartburn when you’re pregnant:

Check out this great blog post, Is a Cup of Joe a No-No During Pregnancy? from our friends at Mom Loves Best.

What Are You Waiting For?

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Brew Guide: French Press

Brew Guide: French Press

The exact origin of the French Press has been subject to much debate. Folklore says it was an elderly frenchman in the 1850’s, while the Italians claim to have produced the most functional model in the early 1900’s. Of course, the fight to take the credit is understandable, as French Press is one of the most-loved brew methods around the world. For this brew, we used a Bodum 32oz. french press.

Brewing with a French Press is easy, and will take you about 12 minutes.

What You Need

  • French Press
  • Coffee
  • Water
  • Wood Stirrer
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Grinder

Amounts 

  • 4 tbsp coffee & 16oz water
  • 8 tbsp coffee & 32oz water
  • 32 grams coffee & 473 grams water
  • 64 grams coffee & 946 grams water

Grounds

To start, we suggest a ratio of 2 tablespoons of grounds for every 8oz of water. The coffee should be ground on the coarsest setting – a #9 on an industrial grinder. If your grounds are too fine, you will get “muddy” coffee in your press.

Water

Heat your water until it’s boiling, and then remove from the heat source for 30 seconds before pouring (boiling water will burn your grounds and ruin your drink!) – The best temperature for brewing is between 195-205 degrees.

Adding Grounds

Drop the grounds into the french press, and pour enough water over them until they are fully covered.

Bloom

Pause and let the coffee bloom for 45 seconds.

Adding Water

Continue to pour the rest of your water into the press. You can now let it brew for 3-5 minutes (personally, we think 4 minutes is the perfect time, but it’s all about your own taste preference).

Breaking the Crust

Once the time is up, use a small bamboo paddle or chopstick (not metal – you don’t want to crack the glass) to break the crust and give the grounds a quick stir.

Now you can put on the lid and press! There should be a small amount of resistance, but not much. If it is difficult to push down, your grounds are probably a bit too fine. If it seems way too easy to press, perhaps your grounds are too coarse.

Enjoy!

Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy your marvelous cup of delicious french press.

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Cake, Coffee, & a Volcano

Cake, Coffee, and a Volcano

It was unusually dark in La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala. It was strange. There were few people to be seen. I asked the agent at the departure gate,

“”Where is everyone?”

“”Sir, all of the flights have been delayed due to Fuego Volcan erupting. It is very angry today.”

I thought to myself, why did you let me check in and go through security? But I bit my tongue.

“”Any idea when we can fly again?”

“”Well, we hope to have a flight come in, in a couple of days. We’re sweeping the runway right now.”

I walk over to the 20ft tall windows and look out. I see about 50 people with brooms — hand sweeping the 1,930,600 feet of runway.

I think to myself, this is going to take forever.

I had spent the last 5 days in Guatemala working with my friend, Luis — short, gentle man with a quiet confidence – the air of a man who knows what he’s doing. He runs the largest bakery chain in Guatemala — La Holandesa. Luis has worked with us for years in helping to build Agros villages and generationally change people’s lives throughout Guatemala.

A year ago I shared in detail our model of prosumerism — the Coffee Lovers Club. Luis loved it. We talked about sustainably changing people’s lives, not just writing a charity check. We talked about catalytic philanthropy and finding the one thing that can have a cascading effect in transforming people’s lives.

We talked about the many travails the people of Guatemala face. During our conversation Luis continued to come back to single mothers. So we agreed single mothers must be our catalyst of change.

But what is the catalyst of change in the single mother’s life? It quickly became obvious — childcare.

“I take care of single mothers whose husbands have left them. But what if I sponsor daycare through the Catholic Church so these single mothers can go to work and provide a future for their little ones?”

Luis could have written a check to help single mothers with things like food, clothing, and education, but he saw the power of prosumerism — evidenced by Camano Island Coffee Roaster’s Coffee Lovers. He had seen first hand the impact thousands of people pulling together around coffee could make in the lives of his fellow countrymen. So he decided to use prosumerism too.

“I’m going to take this prosumerism to Guatemala. We can only create lasting change with prosumerism.”

And so he did.

Luis talked with the local Catholic ran daycares. He offered to provide free childcare to single mothers. A portion of the sales from Holandesa bakeries would go back to these daycares to help cover the costs. In addition, Luis worked with his management team at Holandesa to provide as many jobs to single mothers as they could.

I told Luis, “This is incredible what you and your Holandesa prosumers have been able to do with the money they already spend on bread and cakes and pastries.”

“Jeff, I saw this success from your Coffee Lovers. Their example has encouraged me.”

While eating a delicious slice of Chocolate wrap cake, Luis further explained to me what many of our Coffee Lovers already know. Simply writing a charity check isn’t enough. It’s just not sustainable. Creating a sustainable future is using funds from an everyday purchase to fund the solution to a problem. It’s providing the same service or goods but using part of the revenue to fix a problem.

With jobs and daycare these single mothers can now provide nutrition and education for themselves and their children. These are single mothers who are not part of an Agros village. These are the single mothers within the inner city. These are the single mothers who have no where else to turn.

We’ve seen with our Agros villages how using entrepreneurial principles can lead to generational change. Many of our villager’s children are now graduating from college. They’re becoming school teachers like Maria. They’re becoming doctors. They’re becoming entrepreneurs.

Jose was doing 120 kilometers an hour — hitting every pothole between Guatemala and El Salvador. For 6 hours we screamed through jungle, and bumped around on dirt roads until we arrived in San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador. When we rejoined the realm of cell service I noticed I had a missed call. It was Luis.

“Luis how are you? We’ve made it to San Salvador.”

“Jeff, you have to see some of our bakeries in San Salvador before you leave. Ask Jose to take you.”

I’m thinking to myself all I want to do is get a shower and go to sleep before I hopefully catch my new flight in the morning, but Luis’s passion was infectious.

“OK Luis. Jose and I will check them out. Let’s see some more prosumerism.”

And off we went.

One part of this story I haven’t quite explained is why I visited Guatemala in the first place. The idea was for us to take some of our coffee and smoothie systems to Holandesa Bakery. With some streamlined operations, Luis and I believed we could increase revenue and by default share our Coffee Lover’s message of “Prosumerism As Sustainable Change” with more people. The work being done here in El Salvador is just a small piece of that.

As I was there visiting what must have been the 20th bakery and eating the 20th slice of Chocolate Wrap cake by this point in the trip, I thought what an incredible opportunity. Here we were, now in El Salvador, a country ravaged by civil war. And we have the opportunity to share the prosumerism of our coffee lovers.

Thanks to you it’s not just about coffee or even Agros. It’s about prosumerism being shared in war-torn regions — in the inner city — with single mothers who happen to serve up delicious cake and even tastier coffee.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff Sig 3

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Brew Guide: Chemex

Brew Guide: Chemex

The Chemex was invented in 1941 by German scientist Dr. Peter Schlumbohm. What began as an experiment with basic laboratory tools came to be one of the most classic brew vessels in history. In fact, the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and many other museums have the Chemex on permanent display because of it’s rich history and beautiful design. The Chemex might look more like a high school chemistry beaker, but trust us when we say this beauty will give you the smoothest cup of coffee.

Brewing with a Chemex is easy and only takes about 12 minutes.

What You Need

  • Chemex
  • Pre-folded Chemex Filters
  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Grinder

Amounts:

  • 4 tbsp coffee and 3 cups water
  • 6 tbsp coffee and 6 cups water
  • 8 tbsp coffee and 8 cups water
  • 10 tbsp coffee and 10 cups water
  • 32 grams coffee and 444 grams water
  • 48 grams coffee and 880 grams water
  • 64 grams coffee and 1182 grams water
  • 80 grams coffee and 1478 grams water

Grounds:

Grind your coffee on a coarse grind – for industrial grinders, a #9 setting – to get the best cup of Chemex. If your grind is too fine, it’ll back up the filter and cause it to rip. We learned this the hard and messy way!

Water:

Bring your water to a boil and then remove from heat. Never pour boiling water straight onto coffee grounds – it will scorch them and give your coffee a burnt flavor. Allow the water to cool for 30 seconds (the temperature should be between 195-205) before you proceed to the next step

Filter:

Chemex filters are a bit unusual. As much as you’ll want to, don’t unfold it all the way. Instead, pull just one edge away from the three others. Now your filter will resemble a normal pour-over filter. There will be one edge on one side, and three on the other. Set it into the Chemex with the crease sitting in the pouring channel. Cone filters you use for pour-over, like a #4 or #6, won’t fit properly in a Chemex and are too thin to properly filter for Chemex. Only use Chemex filters.

Use your hot water to give the filter a quick rinse, which removes any papery taste that the filter might add to your coffee. This hot water will also heat the carafe – keeping your coffee hotter for longer. Dump out the excess water before beginning your brew.

To add grounds, measure your desired amount and pour them into your filter. Gently shake the Chemex to level out your grounds. You’re now ready to start the brewing process.

Begin pouring the water over the grounds in a circular pattern, until the water has barely covered the grounds. Let it bloom for 30 seconds.

After the bloom, continue pouring water in a circular motion until the water is about a quarter-inch below the top of the Chemex. Be careful to wait for the water to filter through before pouring more. It’s easy to get carried away and pour too much water. Continue to pour until you’ve used all your water.

Grab your favorite mug and discover a new bold take on your favorite Camano Island Coffee Roast.

Video Tutorial

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4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health

4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health

“Coffee’s bad for you! Don’t drink that stuff!” We all know that one person who insists coffee will cause you health issues further down the road. Next time that ‘friend’ harasses you about your love for coffee, tell them about the 4 Ways Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health .

1. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health By Increasing Your Memory

If you’re anything like me, you forget things all the time. But recent research reports that you might be in luck – coffee can help your memory!

Michael Yassa, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins comments on a recent study, “We’ve always known that caffeine has cognitive-enhancing effects, but its particular effects on strengthening memories and making them resistant to forgetting has never been examined in detail . . . We report for the first time a specific effect of caffeine on reducing forgetting over 24 hours.”1

So how did the John Hopkins researchers come to this conclusion? First, they asked their participants to study a series of images. Then they gave some of the participants caffeine and others a placebo. They then sat through a boring 24 hours. Many yawns later they tested the participants memory of the images. They found the participants who took caffeine could remember more images than the participants who took just the placebo.2

For the next round of testing the researchers made it trickier. As if looking at pictures and trying to remember them wasn’t hard enough. For the next round of testing they used a variety of images — some the same, some new, and some similar but not the same. Those sneaky researchers.

Dr. Yassa gives us his take, “If we used a standard recognition memory task without these tricky similar items, we would have found no effect of caffeine. However, using these items requires the brain to make a more difficult discrimination – what we call pattern separation, which seems to be the process that is enhanced by caffeine in our case.”3

Of course, while these studies do promote the benefit of caffeine, you always want to be careful that you don’t consume too much of it. To prevent caffeine overload, we recommend always drinking Arabica, shade-grown coffee beans. When beans are grown in the shade they grow slower — developing less acidity. This results in a smoother, less bitter cup of coffee. 

Additionally arabica beans contain half of the caffeine content of other beans. Shade-Grown coffee is the best way to enjoy a safe & healthy dose of caffeine while still finding a way to improve your brain health with coffee.

2. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health by Preventing Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1.2 million people in Europe alone with an estimated 75,000 new cases diagnosed each year.4 But there is hope. In addition to new drug therapies, caffeine has been shown to have a noticeable effect on treatment and prevention of Parkinson’s.

Research from as far back as 1968 points to caffeine in coffee having a positive impact on preventing and reversing some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s.5 In fact, a study conducted in 2000 found that men who drink 4 or more cups of coffee per day have a five-fold reduced risk for developing Parkinson’s Disease.6 Another study found the risk reduced from 24% – 32% for every 3 extra cups of coffee consumed per day.7

There’s a lot of research out there that gives us hope, but how exactly does coffee help prevent or reverse Parkinson’s disease? Caffeine reverses Parkinson’s disease by inhibiting the damaged receptors in the brain. These are the same receptors that control motor function. When damaged they create the tremors most associated with the disease. So basically the caffeine in coffee works to increase motor activity while at the same time reducing motor deficits like tremors caused by Parkinson’s Disease.8

In short, you’re doing your future self a favor by drinking that cuppa joe every morning! But one more thing to keep in mind: organic coffee. Coffee is one of the most absorbent crops on the planet. It’s also sprayed with more pesticides than any other crop on the planet outside of Tobacco. Make sure to choose organic and after one sip you’ll see why.

3. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health by Helping You Avoid Stroke

There are many good practices and lifestyle choices you can make that keep you at a minimal risk for stroke, and coffee is one of them! There haven’t yet been many in depth studies done on the connection between coffee and stroke prevention, but the research & statistics currently available on the matter are quite impressive, particularly among women:

“A research study out of Sweden revealed that women who consumed more than a cup of caffeinated coffee daily reduced their risk of stroke by 22 to 25 percent.9

Scientists have yet to pinpoint what exactly it is about coffee that has such a strong effect, but I suspect we’ll see more studies on that in the coming years. I don’t know about you, but until then, I’m content drinking my organic coffee knowing that something about it is reducing my risk of a stroke.

4. Organic Coffee Improves Brain Health By Helping You Slow Down Alzheimers

Last but not least, caffeine in coffee seems to be helping to prevent Alzheimer’s disease too. A study conducted over a 21 year period showed a 65% decrease in onset of Alzheimer’s Disease for people who started drinking 3 – 5 cups of coffee per day.10

Some reports are even showing that caffeine in coffee can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease in patients who already have some form of mild dementia. 11

So the next time your friend looks at your hot cup o’ joe and says “You’re going to regret that!”, tell them they’re missing out on an easy and tasty way to improve brain health with coffee.

I mean, really, If preventing memory loss, Parkinson’s, strokes, and Alzheimer’s is as simple as a few cups a day – why wouldn’t you want to drink delicious organic coffee?!

Sources

1.http://hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory

2.IBID.

3.IBID.

4.European Parkinson’s Disease Association (2011) ‘EPDA Annual report 2010-2011.’ Available at: http://www.epda.eu.com/welcome/

5.Nefzger M.D. et al. (1968) A retrospective study of smoking in Parkinson’s disease. Am J Epidemiol, 88:149-158.

6.Webster Ross G. et al. (2000) Association of coffee and caffeine intake with the risk of Parkinson disease. JAMA, 283:2674-2679.

7. Costa J. et al. (2010) Caffeine exposure and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. J Alzheimers Dis, 20 Suppl 1:S221-38.

8.<>a href=”http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-and-parkinsons-disease/”>http://coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-and-parkinsons-disease/

9.http://www.caffeineinformer.com/prevent-a-stroke-by-drinking-caffeine

10. Eskelinen M.H. et al. (2009) Midlife coffee and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: a population-based CAIDE study. J Alzheimers Dis, 16:85-91.

11.Cao C. et al. (2012) High blood caffeine levels in MCI linked to lack of progression to dementia. J Alzheimers Dis, 30:559-572.