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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Brew Guide: Espresso

Brew Guide: Espresso

Espresso was invented as a way to make coffee expressly, as people were in a hurry and didn’t have time to wait 10 minutes to brew their morning pot of coffee. However, over the years, espresso has become more about the taste than the speed. The rich, strong flavor is something that coffee drinkers around the world look forward to every morning.

Espresso is a tricky brewing method and takes roughly 4 minutes to complete.

What You Need

  • Coffee
  • Espresso Machine
  • Portafilter
  • Cloth

Grounds

Grind your coffee on a fine grind – #1 on an industrial grinder. For a double shot, you’ll want 15 grams of coffee, which is equal to a smidge less than 2 tablespoons.

Adding Grounds

Put the grounds into the portafilter so it forms a little mound on the top. Grab your tamper and press down firmly. Remove the tamper and use the handle to give the side of the filter a quick tap to remove excess grounds, then press again. Give it a quick twist before you remove it so the top is nice and smooth.

Pulling Shots

Insert the portafilter into the machine, making sure that it’s fully locked into its proper position. Place shot glasses or a mug below to catch the shot. Press the button and watch as the shot begins to pour. The best shots take anywhere between 25-33 seconds from pushing the button to finish.

Machine Care

Once you’ve pulled your shot, make sure you properly care for your machine and equipment. Carefully take the portafilter out, remove the used grounds, and give it a quick wipe down with a towel. You should also quickly run some water through the group head on your machine to rinse away any grounds that are stuck in the screen. Place the filter back into the machine for storage, and give your shot glasses a quick rinse.

Bonus tip: If your shots are running too slow, try easing up on the tamping pressure. If they are too long, try tamping harder. If this doesn’t solve your problem, try adding slightly less grounds to the portafilter for a faster pour and adding slightly more for a longer pour. These adjustments will greatly affect the taste of your shots!

Enjoy!!!

Whether you made a latte, americano, or some other fabulous espresso drink, enjoy sipping Camano Island Coffee Roasters – you’ve earned it.

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Brew Guide: Woodneck Coffee

Brew Guide: Woodneck Coffee

Woodneck brewing originated in Japan in the early 1900s. It’s unique flavor comes from the use of a cloth filter and the slow brewing process. We recommend the Woodneck to those who are truly dedicated to the craft of home-brew – it requires patience and precision to get the bold, sweet cup it’s known for.

This brew is intermediate, and takes about 12 minutes.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Coffee
  • Water
  • Woodneck
  • Cloth Filter
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Grinder

AMOUNTS

  • 3 tbsp coffee and 8 oz water
  • 5 tbsp coffee and 13 oz water
  • 24 grams coffee and 236 grams water
  • 40 grams coffee and 385 grams water

GROUNDS

You’ll want to grind your coffee on a medium grind – a #6 for those who have their coffee ground on an industrial machine.

Starting Tips

If you have a new Woodneck cloth filter, make sure you remove the cloth filter from its frame and soak it in boiling water for 5 minutes before beginning to brew.

Water

Heat your water until it’s boiling and then remove it from the heat source. Woodneck brews best with an unusually low temperature of water – around 175 – 185 degrees. Let your water cool for about 1 minute before you begin the brewing process.

FILTER

Place the filter onto the the wire frame, set it over the carafe and pour boiling water through the filter. The main purpose of this step is to warm your vessel prior to brewing to keep your coffee hotter for longer.

ADDING GROUNDS

Once you’ve dumped the water out of your woodneck, place the grounds into your filter. Give it a gentle nudge, so the grounds settle flat.

POUR TO BLOOM

Begin pouring water in a very slow, circular pattern, starting at the edges and working your way towards the middle. When the water has barely covered the grounds, stop and let it bloom for 45 seconds.

CONTINUE POURING

To continue the brew, pour half of the remaining water in the same slow circular fashion as before, and then wait for it to fully filter through. Finally, pour the last round of water very slowly until the filter is full and wait for your brew to finish.

FINAL STEPS

Once it has all filtered through, you can set the filter aside. To properly care for your cloth filter, give it a thorough rinse and store it in a small dish of water in your fridge.

ENJOY

Now enjoy your strong, bold cup of Camano Island Coffee.

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Brew Guide: Pour-Over

Brew Guide: Pour-Over

Over the past few centuries, many different inventors and coffee companies have developed their own unique method to Pour-Over coffee. By changing the size of the hole and the pattern of the interior ridges, companies have developed different Pour-Over models that all produce their own unique cup of coffee. For this brew, we used a German “Cilio” pour-over with a size #4 filter.

Pour-Over is extremely easy, and should only take about 10 minutes.

What You Need

  • Pour-Over
  • Filter
  • Coffee
  • Water
  • Wooden Stirrer
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Grinder

AMOUNTS

  • 3 tbsp coffee & 12 oz water
  • 4 tbsp coffee & 16 oz water
  • 5 tbsp coffee & 20 oz water
  • 6 tbsp coffee & 24 oz water
  • 24 grams coffee & 355 grams water
  • 32 grams coffee & 473 grams water
  • 40 grams coffee & 591 grams water
  • 48 grams coffee & 709 grams water

Grounds

To start out, measure out your Camano Island Coffee and set your grinder to a medium-fine grind. Also, that’s #5 or autodrip on an industrial grinder.

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 degrees) before you proceed to the next step.

Filter

Place your filter inside your pour-over, set it on top of your mug, and use hot water to give it a quick rinse. This gets rid of any papery taste the filter might add to the coffee, and warms your mug up, too. Dump out the excess water.

Adding Grounds: Drop the grounds into the filter and give it a small shake so they are distributed evenly.

Pouring: Grab your kettle and begin pouring the water in a slow, circular motion outward from the center. Only pour until the grounds are slightly covered with water, then stop.

Bloom: Let the grounds bloom for 45 seconds, then use a small wooden paddle or chopstick to give the grounds a quick stir. By stirring the grounds you are ensuring they are evenly covered with water, which helps create an even extraction.

2nd Pouring: Continue to pour water in the same circular motion over your coffee until you’ve used all of your water. Remove Pour-Over once the drip has slowed to a near stop.

Enjoy!

You can now enjoy your fresh cup of Pour-Over coffee.

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Brew Guide: Turkish Coffee

Brew Guide: Turkish Coffee

Coffee is a huge part of Turkish culture. In fact, traditional houses include special “coffee rooms” specifically for brewing and drinking coffee. In the 17th century, the Turks were spending more time drinking coffee than going to the mosques to pray, so the government made coffee illegal. This, however, didn’t stop the Turks from drinking coffee, and to this day it remains a rich part of their culture.

This brew is difficult, but only takes about 7 minutes.

What You Need

  • Coffee
  • Ibrik
  • Sugar (Optional)
  • Grinder or Turkish Grinder
  • Water

Tools

The ibrik comes in many sizes. A finished cup of turkish is considered 3oz, so the amount of water you use depends on the size of your ibrik and the number of cups you’re serving. You should never fill the ibrik past the neck. Technically, one cup is a tad bit more than 3oz, but we’re using that measurement just to keep things simple.

Grounds

For every 1 cup of water, you should use 1 tablespoon of turkish-ground coffee, which is extremely fine. The best way to get this fine of a grind is to purchase a turkish grinder, but you can also get a similar grind by putting your grinder on the finest setting possible. You’ll find most industrial machines have a turkish setting.

Water/Adding Coffee

Put the water into your ibrik and place it on medium heat. Wait roughly 2 minutes, and then add the grounds into the ibrik. Do not stir the grounds.

Sugar is added by some people who know they prefer it in their brew. If you would like to do this, add sugar on top right after you add the coffee. We recommend a teaspoon to start and you can adjust accordingly next time you brew based on your preferences. Again, do not stir.

Brewing

Once the coffee starts sinking and the sugar begins to dissolve, you can give the coffee a few quick stirs and turn down the heat just a bit. Your coffee will soon begin to bubble a bit on the surface. When you see small bubbles, make sure you turn down the heat even lower. Keep a close eye on your brew – don’t let it boil. A froth will start to rise to the surface. When it does this, remove from heat and let it settle. Once the froth has gone down, put it back on the heat and let it rise once more. Some prefer to let it rise and fall 3-4 times, but we recommend only twice.

Pouring

Take care when pouring your turkish coffee from the ibrik –  Give it a quick initial pour to get the foam, then slow down so most the coffee grounds will stay in the bottom of the vessel and not fall into your cup.

Enjoy

Let it sit for a minute or two, so any grounds that might have slipped into your cup can settle at the bottom. Sit back and enjoy.

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Brew Guide: Syphon Coffee

Brew Guide: Syphon Coffee

The history of Syphon began with a french woman in the mid 1800s, who designed a beautiful coffee brewer that was intended to be displayed at dinner parties during the brew. Over the years, companies across the globe have designed and sold their own versions of the Syphon. The stovetop and burner versions, both of which are manufactured in Japan, are the most popular versions available today. For this brew, we’ve used the Hario 5 cup Syphon.

Syphon brewing is rather advanced, and takes roughly 12 minutes.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Coffee
  • Syphon
  • Coffee
  • Filter
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Burr Grinder
  • Water

AMOUNTS

  • 3 tbsp coffee & 15oz water (3 cup syphon)
  • 4 tbsp coffee & 22oz water (5 cup syphon)
  • 8 tbsp coffee & 40oz water (8 cup syphon)
  • 24 grams coffee & 443 grams water (3 cup syphon)
  • 32 grams coffee & 650 grams water (5 cup syphon)
  • 64 grams coffee & 1182 grams water (8 cup syphon)

GROUNDS

You’ll need 1 tablespoon of coffee for every 5 ounces of water, ground on a medium grind (a #6 grind on an industrial machine).

FILTER

To start, you’ll want to assemble your filter. We used a cloth filter on our syphon, but other options are available as well – such as glass, paper, or metal/mesh. If you are using a cloth filter, make sure to soak it in boiling water for a few minutes before your first brew. Drop the filter into the top chamber and use the chain to properly hook it on at the bottom.

ASSEMBLY

Fill the “bulb” or lower chamber up with water to the designated fill line and assemble the syphon (don’t forget to put the lid on the top chamber). Slide your Syphon over the heat source. We are using the small wick burner that came with our Syphon, and have filled it with denatured alcohol (a clean burning fuel), which can be purchased from your local hardware store. You’ll need the wick to be tall enough that the flame touches the bottom of the Syphon.

BEGIN BREW

As it heats, the water will start to move up the chain to the second chamber. When all the water has reached the top, pop off the lid and check the temperature. Adjust the heat source accordingly, so your water is approximately 190 degrees.

ADDING GROUNDS

Place the grounds into the chamber and use a bamboo paddle or chopstick to give it a quick, gentle stir. Replace the lid and let the coffee steep.

BREWING

For a smaller syphon (3 cup), wait 45 seconds. For a larger one (5-8 cup), wait just over 1 minute.

FINISHING BREW

Give the coffee another quick stir and then remove the syphon from the heat source. Soon, the coffee will begin to be pulled back down into the bulb. You will know this process is complete when the grounds have formed a small mound in the upper chamber.

ENJOY

You can now remove the top components and use the bottom carafe to serve your coffee. Enjoy.

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Brew Guide: Iced Chemex Coffee

Brew Guide: Iced Chemex Coffee

There are a lot of ways to make iced coffee, but the Japanese Iced Coffee method is our favorite. It’s quick and easy. And, for cold-brewing, it gives you the brightest, fullest flavor possible. The full flavor is possible because brewing with hot water extracts maximum flavor while cooling instantly protects the flavor from acquiring off-flavors due to oxidization.

Making Iced Chemex is an intermediate brew, and takes about 14 minutes.

What You Need

  • Chemex
  • Pre-folded Chemex Filter
  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Ice
  • Gooseneck Kettle
  • Grinder

Amounts

  • 2 tbsp coffee for 4oz water and 4 oz ice
  • 4 tbsp coffee for 8oz water and 8 oz ice
  • 8 tbsp coffee for 16oz water and 16 oz ice
  • 16 grams coffee for 118 grams water and 118 grams ice
  • 32 grams coffee for 236 grams water and 236 grams ice
  • 64 grams coffee for 473 grams water and 473 grams ice

Note: For getting the proper volume of ice, we’ve found a 16 oz cup of ice is equal to a weight of 8oz. Remember this ratio if you’re measuring your ice without a scale.

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.

You need equal parts ice and water. We used 8oz water and 8oz ice in our Chemex. Make sure you measure out your proper water and ice amounts before beginning.

Grounds

Additionally, you’ll want 4 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee (Set an industrial grinder to a #9, or “French Press” setting.

Before unfolding your Chemex filter place your Chemex filter over your sink and pour hot water (not from your pre-measured amount) over the filter. This will remove the papery taste from the filter.

Ice and How to Use the Filter

Dump your ice into the Chemex, and unfold your Chemex filter. 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.

Add Grounds and Bloom

Add the grounds into the filter and begin pouring your hot water over the grounds until they are covered. Let the grounds bloom for 30 seconds.

Continue to pour the rest of your 8 oz of water over the grounds in slow, circular motions. The ice will begin to melt – that’s okay.

Once the water has fully filtered through, remove the filter. Take care when pouring your iced coffee – the ice tends to slide out quickly.

Sit back, and enjoy your refreshing brew of Chemex iced coffee.

Here’s a quick video as well:

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Brew Guide: Moka Pot

Brew Guide: Moka Pot

Moka Pot was invented in 1933 when Italy’s economy wasn’t doing so swell. It was marketed as an affordable way to enjoy daily espresso at home, and thereby avoiding cafe prices. Today, many people still use the Moka Pot, and it’s known as one of the best ways to get “Stovetop Espresso.”

Moka Pot is a simple brew that takes about 15 minutes.

What You Need

  • Moka Pot
  • Coffee
  • Kettle
  • Grinder

Amounts

The amount of coffee you need depends on the size of your Moka Pot. You’ll want enough to fill the funnel filter of your pot without packing down the grounds. Moka Pots come in all shapes and sizes, so measure how much water fills the bottom half of your pot before beginning.

Grounds: Grind your beans on a medium grind, which is a #6 or Drip Flat on an industrial grinder.

Water: It’s not recommended that you boil your water directly in the Moka pot, because it might give it a metallic taste, so heat it in a separate kettle before beginning. Carefully pour the boiling water right into the bottom of the Moka Pot, filling it until the water line is even with the screw on the side.

Assembly/Adding Grounds: Put the grounds in the funnel filter, using your finger to even it out and remove excess coffee. Place the filter on the base, and screw the top half on. Caution: the base will be hot from the hot water, you might want to use a towel or hot mitt while you do this step.

coffee

Begin Brew: Open the lid and set the Moka Pot onto your stovetop on a medium setting. To avoid burning your pot, don’t turn the burner any hotter than medium. Also be careful not to have the handle directly over the flame, as it could melt if it gets too hot.

Continue Brewing: After a couple minutes, steam will start to push the water up through the grounds and into the top chamber. As soon as this starts, place the lid onto the pot. (Note: Sometimes if the grounds are too coarse, the water will shoot up out of the pot. If this happens, be careful that you don’t get burned and try a finer grind the next time you brew).

coffee

Finishing the Brew

Once the lid is on, wait nearby and listen. When you hear a gurgling noise, remove the pot from heat – your brew is finished!

Enjoy: Pour into a separate mug and enjoy. If you find stovetop espresso too strong, dilute with a bit of hot water or cream. Lastly, be cautious when handling and cleaning your moka pot, as the metal will be extremely hot.

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Why Relief Isn’t Enough

Why Relief Isn’t Enough

Most relief work may be providing food to starving children in the Sub-Saharan, or medicine and shelter to families after a natural disaster, but what happens next? Is it enough to simply give a band-aid and call it good?

Absolutely not.

We go through an ineffectual cycle. Disaster strikes, we rush to the poor’s help, then once they can survive, we leave. But then disaster strikes again and we start this cycle all over again. What if the poor could do more than survive after the emergency subsidy leaves? What if they could thrive?

The Power of Rehabilitation

With the power of rehabilitation, the poor can learn to thrive. It’s been said the poor are invisible. Whether that’s the homeless vet begging for some change at the next intersection or the single mother in rural Guatemala struggling to provide.

Thriving can only be gained when the poor become visible. When we recognize them as human — when we include them as part of the team instead of a burden to “take care of.” What I mean by this is giving them a chance to bring value. And, more than that, teaching them they have value. Teaching them they can do something to provide for themselves, their family, and the poor around them. Rehabilitation gives hope. It plants the seed of hope that makes a person say, “I don’t want to be here anymore, I can do something different.”

When our partners, Agros, come to a village they provide workshops for villagers to begin their path to sustainability. They provide the tools and techniques to cultivate a coffee crop, education on banking loans, and how to prevent coffee tree diseases. Hope is more than just a feeling, it’s transformational change.

Development

Once the poor have hope and educational resources, they start the work of building a future. This is development. Too often development never begins. Instead we bail the poor out. We give them handouts to feel good about ourselves. This destroys the poor.

The poor need independence. The poor need the joy of working for themselves — to build their own future. They need the pride of ownership. They needs to be given the opportunity to build for themselves.

By giving a single mother this opportunity we are not abandoning her. We come alongside her, and admire her work. We purchase her goods. We help her get to market. But in all of this, the poor is the main builder of development. She builds her own future. She no longer needs a handout.

Development becomes generational. Not only does a coffee farmer now have pride in his own work, he has the lessons and the hope learned in rehabilitation to pass down to his children. He saves his profits. He sends his kids to school. And, now his children come back as teachers, doctors, or agronomists.

This wouldn’t be possible without you.

Thanks to coffee drinkers like you families can receive not only relief and rehabilitation but also build development for themselves. Thanks to the power of your prosumerism we can bring the poor’s products to market. They are no longer poor thanks to you. What a joy to be a part of this cycle of sustainability. Do more than relief.

Thanks,

Jeff

P.S. If you have not joined us, go ahead and pick a free pound of coffee on the house and join the Coffee Lover’s Club to be a part of the cycle of sustainability.

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The Beauty of Benevolence

The Beauty of Benevolence

Charity checks may sound wonderful – but they don’t do enough.

It’s easy to write a check without thinking twice. You feel good about yourself in the moment but what happens next? People need sustainable tools – not just temporary relief. Why give a handout when we can fix the problem?

Why Charity Isn’t Enough

Every year, thousands of charitable organizations try to tackle poverty and hunger. However, poverty and hunger are still rampant. Why? Because relief only provides a temporary fix. When disaster strikes again, people react and write charity checks. There’s a better path – benevolent capitalism. This path leads to a “hand up” not a handout.

Give a Hand Up Not a Hand Out”

To create sustainable development, people need investments in lasting infrastructure more than temporary aid. We must walk hand in hand with our farmers and provide the tools they need to support themselves and their families. Our partner, Agros, gives our farmers a “hand up” through coffee-growing workshops, bank loans, and education. And, it’s only possible by your thoughtful purchase of coffee. That’s benevolent capitalism.

Benevolent Capitalism Makes The Invisible – Visible

People don’t want handouts – they want to be heard. They want to be pulled from the shadows of poverty and given a voice. Benevolent capitalism is a hand up, not a hand out. With capitalism comes profit. However, profits shouldn’t mean greediness. I don’t keep score of the profits – I keep score of the triple bottom line.

The Triple Bottom Line:

1) Do good for the environment

2) Do good to the people around you

3) Do good business in creating profit

As the old phrase states, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” We like to take that phrase one step further: empower the man to own the pond and you transform him and his family generationally.

Thank You.

People like you, are making a real difference every day just by drinking Camano Island Coffee. Farmers who were told not to dream, can now dream and bring themselves out of the shadows of poverty. You change lives with every sip of coffee – and for that, I thank you. If you haven’t already, Join the Coffee’s Lover’s Club. Your first pound is on us.

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A Special Announcement: Expansion To Korea

A Special Announcement: Expansion To Korea

I am delighted to share a special announcement with you. Camano Island Coffee is moving into South Korea! Five years ago, we began selling our coffee through churches and private sellers. Through these connections, it quickly became apparent that Korean coffee drinkers wanted to change lives through prosumerism. As a result, “Camano Coffee Korea” will open a few coffee shops and kiosks in Seoul, South Korea.

3 Things You Should Know About Coffee In Korea

1. Why Asian Culture Is New To Coffee

As I’ve traveled to Asia over the years, I saw how their perception of coffee differs from America’s. I find it fascinating that America has a unique ‘coffee pot mentality’. What does that mean? In nearly every American household, there’s a coffee pot. We grab our coffee on the go and put it in our travel mugs. It’s a rare moment when we sit down to relax.

In Asia, they have a ‘tea pot mentality’. What’s the difference? Koreans view drinking tea as a peaceful activity, meant to help ease the mind. You will find a teapot in nearly every household. I realized that buying coffee and brewing at home was not a familiar concept to the Asian culture, until recently. Over the last few decades the coffee craze has become popular in Asian culture. Coffee shops are popping up all over Seoul. Though some have formed as kiosks, reflecting the American ‘on the go’ mentality, many take on a more ‘homey’ feel. This got me thinking: we could bring Camano Island Coffee to the Korean ‘at home coffee shop’ experience.

2. The “At Home” Coffee Shop Experience

Chairs lined with tables, loud jazz music blaring through the speakers, and a constant chatter of people does not reflect a Korean coffee shop. Instead, you will see Korea’s take on an authentic ‘meeting spot’ coffee shops designed as houses. In these cafes, you can walk into a living room, sit down on a sofa and listen to soft music.

Now, Camano Island Coffee has become a part of the Korean “at home” coffee shop experience. Customers can buy coffee for their home or buy espresso drinks in our shops and kiosks. Each cup they drink directly supports your Agros farmers and continues to make a difference.

3. Just Like You, Korean Coffee Lovers Want to Make A Difference

I just love that we can take prosumerism to Korea and here’s why: because of coffee lovers like you, we’re able to expand across oceans and continue spreading generational change for our farmers. Transformational purchasing is not strictly an American idea; people around the world want to make a difference.

We all have the power to change the world and buy responsibly. Our Korean friends now join us to make a powerful impact with every dollar spent. Thanks to you, we’re able to spread prosumerism and continue breaking the cycle of generational poverty.