Coffee Cool: The Chemex Pour Over
The Chemex Pour Over Coffeemaker is a brewing device that brings to mind all manner of cultural references, from the mad scientist with his bubbling beaker to the captain of cool himself, James Bond. So, what makes a Chemex so cool? Invented By A Chemist The Chemex Pour Over was invented back in 1941 by a bona fide, PhD toting chemist. Peter J. Schlumbohm, a German born scientist, was a prolific inventor with a robust scientific career, but it was his interest in using chemistry equipment to create the perfect cup of coffee that informed his most popular invention of all. His prototype for the Chemex used a glass lab funnel and an Erlenmeyer flask–Walter White fans, take note!–and Schlumbohm eventually modified these pieces to allow for an efficient brewing and serving process that has gone on to win fans all over the world. The final product has gone on to earn recognition from a number of art and design museums around the country, and was noted internationally as a highlight of American design. Embraced By 007 Himself While the Chemex has enjoyed lasting popularity from the time of its invention right up to our current pourover loving age, some say that it was the character James Bond who gave the Chemex the official stamp of coffee cool. In the 1957 novel, From Russia With Love, Bond professes his love for the Chemex process thanks to the strong, black coffee the device can brew with only hot water, a filter, and the strong, laboratory grade glass beaker. Many modern coffee drinkers agree. In kitchens and coffee shops, fans...
Cultivating Community: Creating Your Own Home Coffee Salon
Here at Stringbean, we love coffee for so very many reasons: the delicious aroma, the rich taste, and the way it brings people together for conversation and community. Creating a home coffee salon can be a great way to save money and strengthen your social connections, so ditch the solo laptop coffee shop scene for an afternoon, and enjoy a satisfying cup in the company of friends. Making the Connection A recent article in The New York Times posited that our coffee drinking rituals can tell us much about our social connections, our finances, and even our values. According to the article, one reason that people continue to frequent their daily coffee shop, despite the obvious dent these daily drinks make in their wallet, is that regular exchanges with a barista can combat the loneliness that’s become all too common for city dwellers. Seeing the same friendly face behind the counter is definitely a positive coffee ritual, but it can also be great to take a break from the quick hustle and bustle of a counter transaction, and curate something a little more locally grown in your own living room. Having friends or family over for coffee on a weekday morning can be a great way to catch up and start your day. Brew up a carafe, offer a range of milks and sweeteners, and enjoy the company and conversation while you all share in a little caffeine boost. Coffee after a homemade dinner is also a great way to re-energize after a big meal, and the shared ritual of taking a cup of coffee for the road can...
Top Coffee Tunes from Jivin’ Django Furtherbean!
Stringbean Pete’s ramblin’ cousin Django Furtherbean is back at the Java Jive to liven things up with some hot tunes to groove to while sippin on a freshly roasted brew. Got a fave coffee song that Django missed? Post the link to our Facebook page and we’ll make sure Django gives it a listen! Summer means birds and boogying, beach sand between your toes, hot coffee out on the stoop in the sunshine, and singing a song to let your lungs know your still alive after the long ghost of winter has finally slunk into hiding once more. Serenade the whole dang world as you sip your next cup! Life’s too short not to sing songs and drink the best joe you can find, so why not sing a satchel of songs about that delicious elixir itself? And now, ladies and germs, Django’s top coffee tunes (drumroll, please!): Frank Sinatra – “The Coffee Song“ Old blue eyes will wake ya up with this upbeat finger snapper. They got a zillion pounds of coffee in Brazil, huh Frank? Seems like enough to “give you a kick,” don’t it? k.d. lang – “Black Coffee“ Ooowee! This Canadian crooner really puts the fire beneath the kettle on this ol’ tune. Forget the cream and sugar, just brew me up a pot of the strong stuff! Mississippi John Hurt – “Coffee Blues” Forget about whiskey, forget about tea, he’s gotta have his “lovin’ spoonful.” Hard to tell if the old bluesman is talking about his best gal or his best cup of coffee in this tune, but the stripped down guitar and vocals are...
More Than a Feeling: Fair Trade by the Numbers
At Stringbean Coffee, you already know how we love to groove on the good feeling we get when we roast up a fresh bag of Fair Trade Certified Coffeeô! Today in the Java Jive though, we’d like to drop a little more knowledge on our fans and friends to remind you that choosing Fair Trade isn’t just about feeling good, it’s actually a choice that makes a major impact for farmers the world over.
Espresso Granita
Disco Inferno Espresso Granita Espresso Granita, a coffee-lover’s dream! This simple, yet decadent recipe arouses the palate with the distinctive taste of Stringbean Coffee Disco Inferno, while refreshing the senses with a cool summer treat. Loaded with flavor, one serving won’t be enough! Ingredients 2 cups hot espresso or very strong coffee (Stringbean Disco Inferno Espresso Blend) ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup chilled heavy whipping cream Bittersweet chocolate shavings Preparation Stir espresso, ½ cup sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour into a 9 x 9 x 2” metal baking pan. Freeze for 1 hour. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork. Cover; freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Using fork, scrape granita vigorously to form icy flakes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover tightly with foil; keep frozen. Give it a quick scrape before serving. Topping Beat cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Divide granita among bowls or glasses. Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings. Eat some, share some. Espresso Granita – Mmm! Yield-Makes 6...
Spotlight on Rwanda: Stringbean’s Special Reserve
For this summer’s Stringbean Special Reserve, we’re selling freshly roasted beans from the Abakunda Kawa Rushashi women’s coffee cooperative in Rwanda.
The Nose Knows: The Smell Of Freshly Roasted Coffee
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans; that’s why Pete started roasting in the first place! At Stringbean, we roast in small batches using an old school, non computerized roaster.
How Do YOU Brew?
Welcome to a special interactive edition of the Java Jive! Today, we’ll talk about a few grinding and brewing tools out there, but we’d really love to hear your take on how you make each cup of Stringbean Coffee! Visit our Facebook page and comment to let us know how YOU brew! Groovy Grinders We all know Stringbean Pete loves roasting his beans to perfection, so you know there’s no need to add any additional heat to your beloved beans when you grind them up for your daily cup. That’s why Pete recommends the Bodum Bistro grinder, which features a motor at the bottom of the gadget so it’s less likely to transfer heat as it grinds. Looking for something a little more budget-friendly? We also recommend Mr. Coffee’s reasonably priced Automatic Burr Grinder. Like the Bodum Bistro, this electric grinder is designed to grind beans uniformly with “burr” plates as opposed to slicing them into small pieces with blades. The result is a more consistent grind and a smoother cup. Brew a Little…Or a Lot! If you’re a single shot sorta gal or guy, you may already be a fan of Bialetti’s Moka Express. With a simple, old-school design that dates back to the early 1930s, this stovetop pot comes in a range of sizes to brew up single espressos or a whole batch. Perfect for espresso grind coffee, some aficionados balk at the “espresso” label since the Moka Express won’t actually provide the true espresso crema, but you will get a fast, cheap, and potent brew that’ll do your beans justice. Another great, no-frills approach to a...
The Agriculture of Good Coffee
Opening a new bag of freshly roasted beans is one of the best ways to get your day going, don’t you agree? It’s wild to think about the journey each of those little beans has taken from coffee tree to your breakfast table. Like good wine and fine cheese, coffee is a delicious product that is created through an equal partnership of human labor and prime environmental conditions. At Stringbean, we add a healthy dose of good vibes in every roast, and today on the Java Jive, we thought you’d bring you a little more insight into the agriculture behind each bag of coffee we roast. The Humble Bean…Is Actually a Seed! The aromatic coffee beans we roast have been processed especially for roasting and drinking, but each little bean, if unprocessed, can actually be planted. The seeds produce plants that typically take a few years to produce flowers, and then fruit. You may be surprised to learn that coffee plants actually bear bright, beautiful red fruit! This fruit (called cherry) is picked and processed to get to the real gem, the “bean” inside. The harvest typically comes once a year and lasts between 3-6 weeks. After the harvest, the beans are carefully washed and dried, and all of the pulp, as well as the dry outside layer of the bean, is fully removed. The beans are then sorted depending on size and quality, and prepped for exporting. At this stage, the “green coffee” is now ready for roasting. According to the National Coffee Association, about seven million tons of green coffee is produced every year. Dry Times for...
3rd Wave Coffee & Bananas
Not hip enough for 3rd wave Hey cats and kittens, it’s your old guitar pickin’ pal Django. What in the heck is 3rd wave coffee? After visiting several spots off the highway and lots of shakes later I’ve realized it’s a lightly roasted coffee to ultra lightly roasted coffee that risks the sugars not fully developing, leaving you holding a mug of astringent, sometimes grassy, even grapefruit tasting coffee. Mmm!? Pete says fruity notes are more common as are the levels of caffeine (darker roast cooks off more caffeine). What are you bananas? When banana shopping most folks would agree the yellow ones taste the best (I do), the green bananas aren’t ripe or developed yet and the black squishy ones are overdone. What’s the happy medium? The medium, a perfectly ripe yellow bananas, er’ kind of like coffee. Coffee roasted to right before the 2nd crack (the moisture being cooked or roasted from the coffee bean) up to and into the 2nd crack seems to appeal to most folks. 3rd wave coffee is more than a hipster trend, it’s here, but it’s not for everyone. My cousin, Stringbean Pete, king of cool is way under tattoo’d and too old to be a hippity hipster, but hey he’s still got that tattoo’d vested shirt. Last week he conjured up a bourbon cold brew that was barrel aged. It was beyond delightful. It left my toes tappin’. While there’s been crazy stories of proclaiming no cream at the paying customers request (the first thought that comes to mind is that of the Seinfeld’s soup nazi … no soup for you!) to crazy brewing techniques. It’s bizarre...
The Groovy Godfathers: An Ode to Ben & Jerry
Today on Stringbean Coffee’s Java Jive, we’re giving it up for one of our biggest inspirations, the groovy godfathers themselves: Ben & Jerry!
Make Fair Trade Coffee More Than a Fair Weather Friend!
At Stringbean Coffee Company, we’re all about locally roasting coffee in small batches from Fair Trade Certified™ coffee beans.
Stringbean Unveils New, Vintage Coffee Roaster
Choo-Choooooo! Looking like a steam locomotive rolling down the track, Stringbean Coffee Company is keeping its Soul Train churning with a new, vintage roaster. Peter Cohen, owner/operator of Stringbean Coffee, one of 21 coffee roasters in the St. Louis-area, has expanded his roasting capabilities with a second, beautifully refurbished San Franciscan roaster. And, this one-of-a-kind gem is as much a work of art as it is a piece of machinery. This San Franciscan SF-25 (twenty-five pound batch capacity) was originally made about 20 years ago by Coffee/PER for a friend of the manufacturer’s owner at the time, Sherman Dodd. Coffee/PER, once located near San Francisco and now operated in Fallon, Nevada, is known for its “premium components and quality workmanship.” They’ve been constructing artisan roasters “built to old world standards” for 20 years, which makes Stringbean’s San Franciscan one of their first. This classic, old-school, artisan roaster was manufactured using 100% American-made muscle and steel. Best of all, this particular SF-25 has been cured and seasoned by experience. Its history begins with its still-original drum, made from a piece of mild, steel pipe milled on a WWII-era, Navy ship lathe. Mr. Dodd believed this material was more forgiving and less brittle over time than drums made of cast iron. The SF-25 was also built without the computerized functions found on many of the newer roasters. Rows of natural gas flames provide its heat source. Meticulously engineered and executed, the San Franciscan is best suited for craft-style roasters with years of experience. “It’s a very intuitive machine,” Cohen explained, “built on an old-school, traditional platform that’s ideal for the artisan...
Latest Addition: Malawi Peaberry, Not Your Average Bean
One of the world’s most sought-after coffees roasted by St. Louis’ premier artisan roaster is set to hit retail shelves this month. Stringbean Coffee Company’s wildly successful Malawi Peaberry Special Reserve has returned and will now be featured as a regular member of Stringbean’s everyday roster. Starting April 1, Stringbean’s Malawi Peaberry will be available online and in stores, year-round! This charming, slow, dark-roasted, African coffee offers a sweet, delicate flavor profile with hints of apricot and fig. It possesses bright, crisp acidity, full, mellow body and a soft, sophisticated finish. Displaying the floral, fruity style typical of prized East African coffees, Stringbean’s Malawi Peaberry makes a delightfully unique and refreshing cup. The secret of this coffee’s remarkable taste (aside from Stringbean’s music-infused roast) is the unusual peaberry itself. The “peaberry” bean is a rare but naturally occurring (about 5% of the time) abnormality. A coffee cherry normally has two sibling seeds (or beans) inside that develop with flattened, facing sides, but the peaberry is an only-child. It develops without another seed to flatten against, which explains its unusual pea-shape. One of Mother Nature’s happy accidents, the peaberry, like Stringbean Pete himself, is not your average bean. Connoisseurs debate the perceived superiority of peaberry coffee, but most agree there is something unique about it. Kenneth Davids of the Coffee Review has said he’s, “not sure peaberry tastes better than normal beans from the same crop, but it does taste different,” adding, “peaberry is more buoyant and more brightly acidy, more complex in the upper aromatic ranges of the profile but somewhat lighter in body than comparable, normally shaped beans.”...
