As working baristas, we are often asked, "So, how many coffees do
you drink in a day?" However, this is actually a surprisingly difficult question for us and we are likely to answer with an anticlimactic 1 or 2. A better question to as is, "How
much coffee do you drink a day?" to which we answer with a predictable, "A
lot!"
This is starting to sound like a riddle, right? But there is a simple explanation:
Unlike most other brewing methods, when making espresso there is no set "recipe" to follow.
You see, in
brewing methods such as
French Press or
Pour Over, ground coffee simply sits and soaks in hot water, exposing each particle (and thus extracting) for the same amount of time, and then is gently separated using some form of filter. Because these brewing methods are so gentle, it's pretty easy to achieve the same outcome every time, enabling you to set and follow standard measurements.
But it's a little different with espresso where highly pressurized water is forced through finely ground and tightly packed coffee, pushing out the oils and gasses. And with such a forced extraction, coffee particles become volatile, exaggerating the smallest of variables into major factors; such as
roast date, weather conditions (humidity and temperature), equipment temperature, and the list goes on.
Read more...
That's right! Enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee when you buy a pound of any coffee that is currently featured on our in store
pour-over menu, free! Here's the deal:
Our pour-over menu consists of three coffees that we think are
extra special. Often the coffees being featured will be new, having
unique or outstanding flavors, and even select beans of limited supply. By brewing these coffees fresh by the cup using the
Clever Dripper we hope to share them with you, highlighting their most delicious points and giving them a chance to really knock your socks off!
Read more...
Photos
Ladies and gentlemen! For your entertainment, with us today are two coffee grinders rivaling for the Title: Best Home-use Coffee Grinder! (Not an actual event.)
Being judged on overall performance as well as taste, these two grinders must out-do each other in every way. But before the competing begins, let's take a moment and get to know the two contestants: a blade grinder and the Hario Grinder.
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Photos
When a building-wide, freak power outage struck 228 Mott St yesterday just after sunset, panic broke out amongst the coffee-seeking, snow-storm-refugees at Gimme! "No Coffee?!"
But there was hope..
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Photos
What is "mouthfeel", and why is it so important?
Mouthfeel is a term used to discuss the physical and chemical interaction of a food or liquid with the mouth. What makes mouthfeel important is how dramatically it can cause a person to react to a food or drink, despite the taste. To explore this concept and how it relates to being a Barista, we put ourselves to the test!
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Photos
Hello All! This last week in our NYC Lab, we took one coffee and brewed it using several different methods. Our goal in this experiment was a) get to know this coffee in a few different ways, and b) to explore the differences/similarities between different brewing methods.
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Photos
For me, November came and went, as pumpkin pie making season. In one short month I went from making my first pumpkin pie, to my seventeenth! Lucky for me, there was an absolutely spectacular coffee in my cup to keep me fueled!
Finca Trinidad! from Guatemala!
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Photos
As autumn nears it's end and mitten season just around the corner, I often seek warmth in a delicious hot beverage from the espresso bar.
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Photos
That's right folks! After a few month hiatus, NYC Gimme! Coffee locations are excited to welcome back our barista training program!
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