Month: April 2011

Like the death of an old friend

At long last, after six years and several hundred pounds of coffee, my AeroRost II electric roaster finally gave up the ghost. It appears to be some sort of electrical malfunction inside the device that is causing the element to fail to maintain the proper temperature and is also causing the halogen lamp to shut off/burn out.

All is not lost, however, as I have a brand new Micro TostaCaffe and a cool-down pan on order. Hopefully, it will be here soon, and I can get back to the business of roasting.

DLH

The last of the Coatepec and a nearly perfect dark roast

Today was something of a sad day as I roasted the last of my stock of Genuine Mexican Coatepec (it is no longer available), but on the bright side, I nailed the dark roast I was trying to achieve with it. The finished product has definite hints of chocolate, caramel, and  (I know this will seem strange to some) freshly tilled earth. It’s beautiful, and I’ll miss having it.

On the bright side, I will be replacing the Coatepec with a similar coffee (Mexican Altura). Unfortunately, it’s a lot more expensive than the Coatepec I’ve been roasting, but it will be there for southern Mexican coffee fans.

Speaking of new coffees, I will be adding two new varieties to the mix soon as well: Mexican Chiapas FTO and Mexican Turqueza Estate (sense a theme here?). We’re also experimenting with new blends to add to our current very popular House blend.

Stay tuned, there’s always more coming.

DLH