Erin is our Regional Trainer, responsible for training all our New York City staff in espresso prep, coffee knowledge, and quality control.
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It’s 2:00 pm on a Wednesday afternoon in lower Manhattan, and Erin K. is getting ready for his closing shift. His first task is to “dial in”, which means adjusting the grind particle size so that his shots have the correct visual parameters, and of course, taste awesome.
There have been many shops in Phoebe Aceto's life: there were the Gimme Coffee shops (in Trumansburg and on Cayuga Street) where she worked for 5 years as a barista and a trainer. There's also the tattoo shop, Model Citizen, where she can be found "bringing the pain" while apprenticing with owner, James Spiers. Then there's her mom's kitchen shop for her catering business, in downtown Trumansburg, where Phoebe grew up; there's also her dad's instrument shop. In any event, the question, "Where's Phoebe?" can often be answered in two simple words: "The Shop." Now open at 312 East Seneca Street, just up from the Commons, this new coffee shop venture certainly is aptly named.
I was reading up about wet processing on James Hoffman's site, jimseven, and thought I'd share. James, a former World Barista Champion, gave a lecture at a barista jam in Easton, PA a couple of years ago - he was charming and down to earth, and of course extremely knowledgeable about coffee. 
Maybe you've decided to take our advice. You're standing in your kitchen with a bag of sweet Hartmann Honey. Maybe you read Jeremy's (RIP) awesome post about grinding and decided to go ahead and purchase a modest burr grinder for home. You've chosen Moka Pot as your method of extraction, and have the grind size and dose exacted to your taste preference. But what about your water?
It's no small feat, this brew. From farm to ship to roastery to your kitchen counter, there are many variables at work which can make or break it. Does the prospect of controlling all variables overwhelm you? Does this photo overwhelm you? We're here to help. Photos
It's easy to forget that the beverage, grounds and beans that we sling and drink every day come from an agricultural commodity like any other. Well, not exactly like any other - it does hold the distinction of being the second-most traded commodity after oil.
Update: Our newest decaf, Colombia La Serrania, is decaffeinated using a different solvent derived from sugar cane molasses. 
Brewing for espresso enables one to experience a coffee with a fuller range of dimension - the pressured water can pull out many more flavors and aromas from the grounds than gravity brewing. This also means that if your grinder is dirty, you will certainly taste it in an extraction.
NERBC/MARBC came and went last weekend over in Pittsburgh. Here in the picture above we have the six NERBC finalists waiting to hear the results. A lot of yins have been asking me for the breakdown, so here yins go:Northeast Regional Barista Competition Winners:
3rd: Sam Penix, Everyman Espresso, New York, NY
2nd: Nik Krenkl, Taste, Newton, MA
1st: Amber Sather, Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Atlantic Regional Barista Competition Winners:
3rd: David Flynn, Peregrine Espresso, Washington, DC
2nd: Allie Turner, Murky Coffee, Washington, DC
1st: Katie Duris, Murky Coffee, Washington, DC
Photo credit: Liz Clayton
I spent my holidays in south Florida, where the coffee pickings were slim - it was a good thing I brought a French Press and some Deep Disco. I was awake enough to fill my Florida tourist days visiting rescued manatees Hugh and Buffett at the Mote Aquarium
(this place is rad) and biking around the beach in shorts. Shorts. It
was like an alternate universe where the sun sets at 5pm in the
summertime. Photos
The Moka Pot has been brewing coffee on household stovetops for over 70 years. Using steam pressure, it yields a strong brew with a heavy body, similar to press pot extraction. It even produces a small amount of crema.
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If you go on over to the Costa Rica La Union page and check out the bag label, you'll read the descriptors snap peas, jasmine and alfalfa flowers. During recent cuppings, I've also perceived cocoa, fresh earth and peaches.
All 30 baristas from Gimme's four upstate New York retail stores hit the Upstate Training Lab this past Tuesday and Thursday for a tasting of our Nicaragua Linda Vista Cup of Excellence coffee. They learned about the Linda Vista farm, French Pressed the coffee and talked at length about the Cup of Excellence auction. Latest PhotosThe Gimme blog is a collaboration that gives voice to people across our company. Opinions expressed by our authors are uncensored, and are not necessarily the opinions of Gimme! Coffee. If you need a company statement, or any other type of response, please contact us.
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