New espresso blend ordered

Oh goody goody! New espresso is on its way! What will it be and where will it be from? We know but you faithful readers will have to wait until the weekend (assuming UPS doesn't reschedule the delivery like they are prone to do). The beans are slated to arrive on Fri. so keep an eye out for a new review coming soon.

I am also hoping to make some biscotti from THIS delicious sounding recipe from Jen. Thanks for posting that and for the sweet things you said about us! I have my fingers crossed these will turn out better than my last batch. REALLY crossed as I am completely out of biscotti and that is a crying shame.

Biscotti, biscotti...who's got the biscotti

Biscotti...the perfect accompaniment to a cappuccino. Crunchy, soft, chocolatey, not chocolatey, nutty, not nutty. However you take your biscotti there is no doubt that you have several to choose from. There is, of course, BeBop Biscotti right here in Bend. Their myriad of flavors such as "Chocolate Peppermint Crush," "Cranberry Pistachio," and "Hazelnut Zebra" (to name a few) are sure to delight any palate. For me, I find them a tad too soft for dunking but I do love eating them on their own. Then we move on to Nonni's which is a brand that can be found in most grocery stores. They are perhaps one of my favorites. The texture is just right for sliding in and out of some yummy espresso/milk concoction and the flavor of even the "plain" style is delicious. Just this past weekend "He" and I hit World Market in search of end tables only to find ourselves planted directly in the food section. Seriously, it's just fun in there. I saw some of the "Costco" style ginormous bags of biscotti but having already been exposed to that stuff, we passed. It's not bad but it doesn't have much taste. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw some biscotti labeled "Splendido" by Zazi Baking Company. We went for the Hazelnut Chocolate Chip and we get why the package has a "Top Biscotti Honors" seal on it. This stuff is good. It's a tie between Zazi and Nonni's in the taste and texture department. I can't choose one. And if I had to choose I would eat one of each...with each cup of cappuccino I drank. But I don't think my thighs would like that.

I have tried making biscotti on my own...with the snazzy KitchenAid stand mixer that "He" and the kids got me for Christmas but they were...well...they were edible and my tongue was definitely not complaining, yet they were soft (despite baking them twice). Plus they were a tad too buttery for me. Almost like shortbread yet lacking that wonderfully dense feel to them. So we ended up eating a few and pitching the rest. It was a Martha Stewart recipe and while she has never let me down before I wasn't impressed this time. Maybe it was operator error. Nevertheless, in addition to finding that perfect cappuccino in Bend I am also determined to find the perfect biscotti. Yes, yes, I know there are other goodies to eat with coffee and believe me, I do partake of those as well, but biscotti will always be my number one snack I reach for when I'm drinking some joe. So if you find some good biscotti drop me a line and I will check it out!

Thump Coffee Cafe Review

So "He" and I finally got a chance to swing by Thump and check it out. Cute little cafe near Staccato's. They do not roast their own beans but they do serve Stumptown coffee, which is a favorite of ours. This time we opted for two cappuccinos. Both were served with spooned foam and the foam itself was pretty "peaky"--like meringue. Granted, I love me some microfoam but this was pushing it. At least the espresso was decent. It seemed a little overextracted, maybe, yet still left us with no aftertaste--the signature of Stumptown.

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: Foam was too thick but it's better than Bellatazza's cappuccino. No crappy aftertaste, thankfully, and not a bad cuppa all around. I might go there again and I would recommend it to others seeking a good cap.

HER SIDE: I agree with "He." Overall I liked it, especially compared to some of the cappuccino's served around here, yet not sure I can say that it's better than Bellatazza's 100%. I'd have to taste them both at the same time but I do love that I don't get that bitter aftertaste. I detected a hint of overextraction...maybe...could've been the lunch we had just eaten clouding my tastebuds, but nevertheless I would hit this joint again in a heartbeat.

No pics, sorry--maybe next time. Their website is still a job application but maybe that will change soon. I do like their purple La Marzocco machine, though. That's pretty freakin' cool.

Nastiest coffee evah

A couple weeks ago I had my dad pick me up some coffee from Costco as I needed it for a project and didn't want to waste good coffee. Plus it was cheap...$3.33 a pound. Nice. I don't remember what the name of it is (will update when I do) but it was labeled as a French Roast. The beans themselves were black as oil and the poor tops were cracked. When we opened the bag instead of being greeted by that inviting aroma that I'm used to I thought I was standing in a cow pasture. It stank. My dad, "He," and I all recoiled in horror. Hell, even the cheap Millstone coffee I've used in the past smelled a thousand times better than this. For a minute I thought about not even using it as I didn't want to subject anyone else to the horror, but then I remembered that it would be in an area where no one would have their nose hairs burnt off. After touching the beans our fingers smelled like cigarettes, I kid you not. How anyone drinks this stuff is beyond me. And no, I did not test it out. I was too afraid it would kill me and then the paramedics would all keel over trying to save me ala Grey's Anatomy as of late (that show pisses me off these days).

Backporch...again - "She"

I found myself back at the always jumping, almost impossible to find a table, Backporch Coffee Roasters recently and ordered myself an Americano. Sadly I had to get it "to go" instead of partaking of the ceramic but was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of tasting like paper cup it actually tasted like coffee! And it was gooood. My tastebuds may have been a little skewed thanks to the chocolate chip cookie I had earlier, yet I thought I actually tasted a hint of sweetness and a bit of chocolate. Dare I say I am turning into Miles? That may be a bit premature. Either way it was nice to have a good cuppa even in da paper cuppa. Wow. That was lame. Nevertheless I am committed to sitting my butt down there sometime soon and actually drinking the espresso the way it should be. I have no doubt it will be even better than what I've already had

The guys and gals of Backporch are gonna have to expand or something though. Man are they ever slammed. Warms my heart, it really does, to see so many people "get it"...they "get" good coffee. Not that I expected any less of fellow Bendites mind you, but given we have at least 7 Starbucks in this small town (pop. less than 73,000) it does sometimes make one wonder.

In other news we're currently deciding which espresso blend to try next. There are so many ones out there that we both want to try so it will be a tough decision, albeit fun. We are still working on the ginormous amount of beans from DoubleShot. We both wish there was a way to get a smaller amount for trying it out first and THEN get the big gallon can but not sure they have it set up that way (I didn't order it). Despite drinking espresso everyday, sometimes twice a day, it's taking awhile to work our way to the bottom and I so don't want to see this stuff go to waste. It's too good for that.

I may find my path crossing Thump coffee today if my meeting doesn't run too long, that is. If so I will report back with the findings. If not then "He" and I may hit Thump this weekend. We don't have to work, thankfully, and I am determined not to schedule any meetings, shoots, etc. so that we can all relax and enjoy ourselves! And drink lots of coffee.

Microfoam vs. "Bubble" Foam - by "She"

Foam is foam, right? Not quite. Hopefully you've had the privilege of being served a cappuccino with true microfoam and not the airy, big bubble foam that plagues most cafes in the States. Microfoam is dense, creamy, rich, and oh so good. It is mixed in with the milk so that when you pour it into your espresso the drink becomes smooth and perfect. "Bubble" foam is usually spooned, not poured, onto the top and doesn't add much to the espresso flavor. In fact when they spoon the "bubble" foam on top they usually don't add much, if any, milk to the drink. A cappuccino is a milk drink and as such there should be milk in it--not just foam.

The difference between getting perfect microfoam and "bubble" foam is in the milk, temp, and technique. We use whole milk as it produces (when frothed correctly) a nice ratio of milk to foam. It is possible to use 2% and lower yet from what I've read it's harder to get the dense microfoam. I can't speak from experience on this point so if you want a lower fat milk try it out and let me know.

Here are some pics to show the difference between "bubble" foam and microfoam. These come from CoffeeGeek.com which is a great resourceful site! Learned lots from there already.

First, the "bubble" foam--CoffeeGeek.com describes this as looking like dish soap--I agree. I have also seen bigger bubbles in cappuccinos before.


Next, the microfoam--it's not the best pic but you can see the bubbles are tiny, tiny, tiny and it's dense. THIS is what you want!


I think once you taste true microfoam you will yearn for it. I could be wrong, but for me microfoam enhances my cappuccino...it makes it what it is. I loves me some microfoam.

Italian cappuccino

In following up with the pics I posted yesterday, I figured I would add a picture of a yummy cappuccino taken in Italy. This was our last true Italian cappuccino as we left the following morning. It was consumed in a little cafe right down the street from our hotel and was made by a barista who looked like John Travolta. Bellisimo

Latte Art and DoubleShot goodness - by "She"

Normally I prefer a nice thick foam on my cappuccinos but it is fun to play with the latte art. Here are a couple of "leaves" I have made recently. I think I'm getting better (as evidenced by the second one) but still have a looooong way to go...

First decent one


Second attempt--with my left hand as my right arm was/is broken


And now for some DoubleShot Coffee Company Ambergris goodness

Pulling--tough to shoot w/a broken arm and timing


Finished shot


Lots 'o foam, just the way I like it. Creamy, thick, and very complimentary to the already wonderful taste of the espresso.

Thump - Bend, OR

Look out Bendites--another coffee shop has popped up in downtown Bend. Thump Coffee had their grand opening last weekend. Neither of us has stopped in yet...hell, we just found out it existed while reading The Source. The website is currently a place to download a job application so we're not real sure what the cafe is all about as of right now. One of us plans to get down there, if not both of us, soon and see what they have to offer. The Source ad listed it as a place to sample coffees from "around the world." Not sure if they mean your typical beans like Kenyan, Ethiopian, etc. or what. Another confusing bit of info was that they serve Stumptown coffee. That's cool, we like them, but is it Stumptown Kenyan or Kenyan that they've gotten from somewhere else, for example?

Questions, questions. Answers coming soon.

Bellatazza - Bend, OR - by "She"

When we got back from Italy, and before we bought our own machine, Bellatazza was a place that I visited fairly regularly. I had tried some of the huts closer to our house in hopes of finding a decent cappuccino but didn't have much luck. They seemed to be the only shop (at the time) who could produce a pretty good cuppa. Last night I had a meeting with a client in Bellatazza and stopped on my way to out to pay my respects and buy some joe. Went for the 12 ozs. cappuccino, which is a crime really because even with a double shot it's just not "right," and still liked it. Maybe not as much as before, yet it held its own. Course with all the milk it was hard to tell. I will say that when you get one "not to go" it is served in a smaller cup (if memory serves) and the taste is a lot different.

Too bad the cafe is so small. Always hard to find a table in there but summertime is fabulous in the front courtyard.

DoubleShot Ambergris Espresso Blend

Okay, first it must be said that I really love listening to Brian's podcasts. The first time I heard one was when "He" and I had to go to Portland and "He" played some for me. Apparently a big coffee giant was going after Brian's company and it really opened my eyes to how selfish, insane, and silly big commerce can be. From that moment I vowed never to set foot into another large coorperation coffee joint again--"He" did too. I digress...so we had been wanting to try some of the "gallon can" espresso for awhile and finally ordered some. Brian was out of beans but sent some to us as soon as he could. Thankfully it was right before the weekend as we were jonesing for some tasty coffee and neither one of us wanted to wait until Monday. When it arrived we opened the paint can and inhaled the lovely scent of really good beans.

DoubleShot describes the Ambergris Blend as such: "A well-balanced, exceptionally smooth shot that comes on with an intial burst of chocolate and fruity aromas. A blueberry sweetness counterbalances the explosion of acidity at first sip, subsiding into a buttery pool on the palette. Flavors of caramel and muted vanilla linger on. Strangely reminiscent of the eccentric junior high home room teacher who wafted Jungle Gardenia perfume all the way down the hallway."

That last part is nice, baby.

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Still waiting because he's slow this week (a.k.a. been tied up playing Rainbow Six online)

HER SIDE: Man, I love this blend. I loved it from the moment I stuck my nose deep into the can and smelled the beans. Granted, I don't have quite as defined a palate as most, I'm sure, but I know what I like and I like this. It ranks right up there with the Stumptown Hair Bender and it pulls like BlackCat--very gooey, yummy, makes you yearn for more. I did notice that it is not nearly as acidic as some but then maybe that's my pulling technique and/or tasting skills becoming stronger. Either way put this one down as one of my top 10 favs thus far.

Backporch Coffee Roasters Brazil & Espresso Blend

No website for these guys yet, but the above pic will take you to their blog where you can learn more about them. They are newer in town and both "he" and I were excited to see a local roaster popping up. I went in one day to be served by Dave, one of the owners, and he was very happy when I ordered a straight double shot--nothing fancy. Unfortunately I had to get it to go and I remembered why I hate getting anything coffee to go--paper cups. What I could taste of the espresso was nice yet I mainly tasted paper cup. This is, obviously, not Backporch's fault and "he" and I have decided that we should just find an alternative to paper cups and save the world from having their yummy coffee "ruined." Just as soon as we finish the whole world peace thing...

I was able to get some of their espresso blend, then when we went back for more they were running low as it was Christmas and man were they packed! Sad for us but we were very happy to see they had no beans to spare. Dave told us later that he had to come back on Christmas and roast more beans as they sold out completely. Sweet--well, except for the working on Christmas part. For that second sampling we were told to try the Brazil as a straight shot. Now, normally we like a blend but since we didn't have much choice and are always up for trying something new, we went for it.

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: (Espresso Blend) Good flavor, nice pull, good stuff.

HIS SIDE: (Brazil) Eh...not so much for espresso. The Kenyan Peabody is excellent but our other grinder sucks so I get way too much "powder."

HER SIDE: (Espresso Blend) Ditto to his side. I am impressed with this one for sure. Not to mention the fact that this stuff was FRESH! Roasted exactly two days before we bought it. Can't get any better than that.

HER SIDE: (Brazil) It passes for when I'm out of a true espresso blend but I definitely prefer a blend over a straight. I think this would make excellent coffee just haven't had a chance to try it that way yet. It should be noted that I burnt my tongue for the first tasting so it wasn't the best way to try a new bean but subsequent tastings yielded the same results--good coffee but kinda boring espresso.

Stumptown Hair Bender Espresso Blend

We had been reading about these guys ever since we started getting serious about espresso, so imagine our excitement when we had to drive to Portland and knew the highlight of our trip would be going to one of their shops. We specifically picked a hotel near there which ended up being a good thing as when we arrived there was a sign on the door saying they were closing early for their Christmas party. We had 15 mins. to drink down one of our tastiest cups yet. Well worth it--we just plan to spend more time there when we go back. Of course we didn't leave empty-handed. We bought a pound of the Hair Bender and lovingly transported it back home where it was ground up fresh and brewed to near perfection. The one thing "he" and I noticed was that after we drank our cuppas at Stumptown neither one of us had that "bitter tongue" thing going on and instead had a very pleasant aftertaste that lingered for quite awhile. Just recently we discovered The Sparrow Bakery serves Stumptown coffee so we plan to break in and steal all their beans as soon as we create our masks. (Note: that is a joke people)

Stumptown describes their Hair Bender Espresso Blend as such: "This blend consists of five different coffees from the three major growing regions of the world. Rich, complex and full of body, Hair Bender makes a spectacular cup. We use this blend for espresso in our cafés and roastery."

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Much stronger coffee flavor than any we've tried thus far. This is one of my favorites. I was surprised at the aftertaste and will be buying more of this soon.

HER SIDE: Way less bitter/acidic than our others have been. Either we're getting better at pulling or this is just idiot-proof espresso. No matter, I'm digging this blend and will be hounding "him" to buy some more.

Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso Blend

Anyone who reads coffee/espresso enthusiasts forums will run across this delightful blend. When we initially got our machine and grinder we used whatever espresso they had sent with it so we could practice pulling, getting the settings right on the grinder and machine, and just plain learning. Black Cat was our first truly good blend in which we started sampling with. Compared to the other beans this one pulled thick and showed perfect tiger striping. The taste did not disappoint either. We would happily buy more of this!

Intelligentsia describes the Black Cat Espresso Blend thusly: "A combination of coffees from Latin and South America, the Black Cat blend is a result of our fanatical quest to build the perfect espresso blend. Exceedingly heavy in body with dominant notes of chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit, this blend is complex and powerful with a lingering sweet finish. Black Cat produces a sublime shot of espresso, and is equally dazzling for traditional coffee."

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Compared to what we've had in the past, this stuff puts it to shame.

HER SIDE: They weren't kidding when they said it pulled "gooey." It was so thick and creamy that I almost thought we did something wrong given our previous attempts. The taste was nice but I think our technique ruined a lot of it given we were still working on timing and ran out of beans before we got that all down. I would love to try this again when we know what we're doing.