Seattle Coffee Gear Blog » Coffee & Tea

Brewin’ with Brandi: My Sinful Valentine

Kat — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:01:09 +0000

Everyone has a different definition of sin — that’s what gives the world all its lovely shades of gray, right? Right.

Up in these parts, we asked Brandi to revive our Valentine’s Day 2011 recipe to showcase one of our definitions of sin: Lots and lots of chocolate. This mocha incorporates a touch of strawberry and amaretto, giving it a rich, sumptuous flavor that will have you running to the nearest confessional.

Crew Review: Bonavita Kettle

Kat — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:56:43 +0000

One thing we really love about the Hario Buono kettle is its spout — carefully curved and thin, it provides great control when preparing pour over coffee. So when we got our hands on Bonavita’s electric kettle that features a gooseneck spout, we were thrilled!

Watch Gail go through features and specs, boil up some water and then demonstrate how well the kettle pours. To see it in action with an actual pour over, take a look at Allison’s Chemex filter tete-a-tete.

Brewin’ with Brandi: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Mocha

Kat — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:14:58 +0000

Smooth, silky white chocolate is set off by the delicious, roasted (and salted!) flavors of Monin’s Macadamia Nut syrup in Brandi’s newest concoction. Watch as she prepares this scrumptious treat!

Ingredients

1/2 oz Monin White Chocolate sauce
1/2 oz Monin Macadamia Nut syrup
2 shots of espresso
7 oz steamed milk

Directions

Combine sauce and syrup, mix well. Add the shot and stir to incorporate. Top with steamed milk and garnish with a lil’ whipped cream. Mmmmm!

Experimenting with Cold Brew Coffee

Kat — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:16:48 +0000

Do you really need a fancy, specially-designed gadget to brew up a batch of cold coffee? Or can you just use your trusty ol’ press pot? While we carry a couple of different cold brew options (from Hario and Sowden), we wanted to see if using one of them (namely, the Sowden) produced a better, worse or similar cup to making a cold brew with a La Cafetiere french press.

So we put Allison to the test! Watch as we brew up a batch in each, using the same grind and coffee-to-water ratios, allowing them to sit over night and then giving them a taste test. We also compare how much sediment appears in the cup. So exciting!

Brewin’ with Brandi: Cinnamon Roll Latte

Kat — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:36:19 +0000

This week, Brandi takes one of our favorite breakfast treats and turns it into … our new favorite breakfast treat!

Watch as she whips up this delicious, cinnamony (what? It’s a word) latte, perfect for an early morning java jolt.

Ingredients

3/4 oz Monin Vanilla syrup
3/4 oz Monin Cinnamon syrup
2 oz espresso
8 oz steamed milk
Cinnamon powder – for garnish

Directions

Combine syrups together, pull shot and mix well. Add steamed milk and then garnish with a dash of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Brewin’ with Brandi: Peanut Butter Cup Latte

Kat — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:18:34 +0000

You’ve got your chocolate in my peanut butter! No, you’ve got your peanut butter in my chocolate! This reference to squabbling ’80′s era candy commercials is clearly revealing our vintage.

Around these parts, there is a deep love for Monin’s Peanut Butter syrup. But while Brandi and others adore this flavor, Kat just can’t hang with it. Watch as Brandi tries to influence us with her chocolate and peanut butter concoction — will Kat finally fall under this syrup’s spell?

Ingredients

1 oz Monin Dark Chocolate sauce
1/2 oz Monin Peanut Butter Syrup
2 oz espresso
10 oz steamed milk
Whipped cream & frozen peanut butter cup chunks – for garnish

Directions

Combine sauce, syrup and espresso together in serving cup. Add milk and stir well to combine. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of frozen candy. Enjoy!

Recipe: Baklava!

Kat — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:26:09 +0000

Are we the only ones who want to exclaim ‘baklava’ like it’s a passionate drinking toast or the kick off signal for a three-legged race? The sweet and nutty flavor of this Central Asian treat inspired our twist on a lovely cup of morning java.

Ingredients

3/4 oz Monin Honey Sweetener
1/2 oz Monin Amaretto syrup
9 oz drip coffee (we used Velton’s Twilight Blend)
1 oz half & half
Pinch o’ ground clove

Directions

Combine the sweetener and syrup together, mix well. Add coffee and half & half, stir. Sprinkle with ground clove and enjoy.

Coffee Tasting: Middle Fork Roasters

Kat — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:35:58 +0000

Another new roaster in SCG town! These guys are a small outfit located in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood, founded by Matt Parish in 2009.

While we haven’t had a long history of love for dark roast coffee, we do appreciate their approach and have selected their Full City Espresso, Tough as Nails and Back Pedal Brew blends.

Watch Gail & Allison pull shots and whip up pour overs to taste these delicious new (to us!) beans. Enjoy!

Coffee Tasting: Caffe Umbria

Kat — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:37:28 +0000

Introducing a new roaster on SCG’s block, Caffe Umbria! They feature some of the first dark roasts that we started carrying (oh, my!) as well as some excellent ESE pods for you convenience-lovers out there.

Watch Gail & Allison craft pour overs and shots to taste the Gusto Crema espresso blend, Terra Sana Organic espresso blend and Arco Etrusco drip blends.

Recipe: Eggnut Latte

Kat — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:39:37 +0000

If you’re an eggnog fan, you most likely wait all year long for the seasonal addition of your favorite brand on the dairy case’s shelves — and you probably can’t wait to whip it up with a little espresso! We found this recipe which is a bit of a twist on the standard eggnog latte; we hope it will be a welcome addition to your nog-related recipes.

Ingredients

1/2 oz Monin Roasted Chestnut syrup
1 shot of espresso
4 oz eggnog

Directions

Mix the syrup and the shot together; top with eggnog and stir. Garnish with a sprinkle o’ nutmeg. Joy!