KitchenAid's Craft Coffee Line: Specialty Coffee for the Modern Home Kitchen

Growing up, I remember how my mom would always use her KitchenAid Stand Mixer to help her make the most decadent chocolate cakes, and I think she still uses the same one up until this very day a few decades later. So imagine my surprise when I found out that KitchenAid, a global leader in premium kitchen appliances known for their precision and durability, recently rolled out the KitchenAid Craft Coffee line. 

The goal was simple, KitchenAid wants to bring the specialty coffee house experience into the home with six premium coffee appliances that were inspired by careful techniques that are used by baristas to brew a perfect cup. This way, you can consistently enjoy the nuances flavors and aromas of specialty coffee at the comfort of your own home, with just the press of a few buttons. 

"Our product designers spent the past few years extracting lessons from some of the most time-tested and barista-approved brewing methods for craft coffee," says Brandon Mock, a Product Designer on the KitchenAid Craft Coffee team. 

Here are a few reasons why you should have at least one of these six craft coffee appliances at home...

The Giving Cafe and Bloom Coffee: A Cafe Where You Can Give Back

The Giving Cafe, or just TGC, is a new cafe along Sheridan Street, Mandaluyong (near the more popular Pioneer Street) that seeks to make a difference to the local coffee community. It functions as a social enterprise, where a portion of the proceeds from select dishes supports the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence geared towards helping the coffee farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet. 

The cafe is being run by Henry and Sons, a total coffee solutions company that has been around for years. With over 50 years of coffee experience that offers unique crop-to-cup coffee solutions, if there's a company that would know how to run a cafe, it's Henry and Sons. 

They also recently rolled out Bloom Coffee, where you can support a specific issue that's troubling La Trinidad coffee farms but let's delve more on that later. 

Here's a look into the new social enterprise...

The Northern Taste Coffee Co's New Website Makes It Easier to Get Fresh Coffee at Home

One of the glaring weaknesses of The Northern Taste Coffee Co during the last time I wrote an article about them was their website. Now, they fixed their website admirably by making it a lot more user-friendly so that it's easier for you to get freshly-roasted coffee beans delivered straight to your doorstep.

For a more detailed review of The Northern Taste Coffee Co, check out The Northern Taste Coffee Company: Affordable, Freshly-Roasted Philippine Coffee.  

Let's go over some of the great aspects of their new website and just how easy it is now to place an order...

The Northern Taste Coffee Company: Affordable, Freshly-Roasted Philippine Coffee

Freshness is one of the most important characteristics to watch out for when shopping for your next bag of coffee beans. I can't stress just how important freshly-roasted, whole coffee beans are especially because coffee tends to lose much of its flavor after a month from roasting and a few seconds after grinding. As coffee lovers around the Philippines get better coffee education, a number of roasters have been moving online in an effort to get freshly-roasted coffee in homes around the country. The Northern Taste Coffee Company, by far, sells the most affordable coffee beans of the bunch!

All the coffee that the company sells comes from North Luzon in Cordillera Administrative Region. So that's coffee from Benguet, Sagada, and Kalinga. All the single origin coffee beans are hand-picked to ensure the quality of each coffee bag delivered.

You can check out their website for their selection of coffee beans, but if you'd like to know my two cents then continue reading on...

Refinery: Serving Brunch and Specialty Coffee You're Sure to Love

Refinery is one restaurant and cafe that my friends have been raving about, so I made it a point to drop by and try the place out myself. It's been on my radar for a while because I am always on the lookout for great specialty coffee spots around Metro Manila. The very moment I walked in, the place had a stark similarity with Single Origin in Bonifacio Global City. I wonder what happened there. 

Well, here's more on my Refinery experience...

Maximus Athlete's Shop Cafe: Metro Manila's First Cycling Cafe

Maximus Athlete's Shop Cafe is a specialty cafe and a specialty retail shop for cycling, swimming, and running all rolled into one. They just recently opened on February 2016 along Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City in hopes of breaking away from traditional sports retail stores and typical neighborhood cafes. Located inside the Sparta Complex, the Maximus Athlete's Shop Cafe hopes to be a hub where athletes and fitness buffs can enjoy outstanding great, good food, and top-quality coffee. 

Putting up a specialty cafe wasn't initially part of the plan, but after going on a coffee crawl across Los Angeles, shop owner and cycling coach Andy Leuterio said that if he were to serve coffee then they might as well serve only the best - similar to the rest of the cycling, swimming, and equipment that he sells at the specialty retail shop. With that, they took up coffee classes at EDSA Beverage Design Group so that they can start serving their patrons specialty coffee.

If you're looking for a list of the brands they offer, check out their Facebook page. Here's a bit more about what makes Maximus Athlete's Shop Cafe stand out. 

Restock Curiosities: The Perfect Marriage of Coffee and Art

Restock Curiosities is another Makati hidden gem that's tucked away in Guijjo Street, San Antonio Village. This cozy little cafe (yes, it's a tiny space) is known for quality specialty coffee that's paired with beautiful pieces of art around the cafe's interiors. It's been a haven for Metro Manila's art and coffee enthusiasts, but hasn't been as popular or accessible as Makati darlings Toby's Estate and Yardstick.

As a specialty cafe, Restock only uses the freshest coffee beans roasted by Magnum Opus Fine Coffees. It is, after all, from the same owner and several partners.

Drop by Restock and you will find the perfect marriage between coffee and art. I had a wonderful time while I was here, so here's what you can expect.

Luna Specialty Coffee: Showcasing Good Coffee and Creative Filipino Favorites

Luna Specialty Coffee is a specialty cafe that showcases Filipino delicacies with their curated coffee and breakfast offerings. They first opened their doors at the NAC tower in Bonifacio Global City in 2013 and were doing quite well that they opened a second branch in the more crowded Bonifacio High Street in just 2 years after. 

I plan on coming back to try their food items, but here's an article by spot.ph that offers a glimpse of the creative twists they gave Filipino food. If you're a coffee and music lover, be sure to drop by their Luna sessions every Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm. 

In the meantime, let's talk about their coffee. 

A Simple Way to Test If Your Coffee Is Fresh [Video]

By now you should know that if you want to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, you should only buy freshly-roasted coffee beans and consume it all within 2-3 weeks of roasting. When you brew coffee that's beyond 3 weeks of its roast date, there's a good chance that your coffee is already stale and you lose those delicious aromatics you would otherwise find in a freshly-roasted cup. If you have an Ethiopia Konga or Yirgacheffe that no longer tastes has that fruity taste of fresh berries, you know you have stale coffee.

Where Can You Find Hario Coffee Products in the Philippines?

Hario is a leading producer of coffee equipment worldwide and for good reason. Baristas and coffee enthusiasts alike trust the quality of coffee equipment made by Hario and you can find thousands of cafes brewing specialty coffee using Hario gear. 

The Hario V60, for example, remains to be one of the best pour-over cones you can get your hands on. The Hario Mini Mill is also one of the most popular coffee hand-grinders on the market today. The Hario Buono Kettle is what you'd normally see being used in countless pour-over demos on Youtube. 

Hario products are very popular worldwide but unfortunately they're not so easy to find in the Philippines. Here are the best places where you can get your hands on some quality Hario products.

Frank & Dean Cafe x Kitchen: A Cool Brunch Cafe and Bar in Bonifacio Global City

Frank & Dean Cafe x Kitchen is a new specialty cafe in Bonifacio Global City that serves a tasty cup of coffee during the day and transforms into a cool, vibrant bar at night. They also serve some really good western brunch platters - albeit a bit expensive. I love the vibrant interiors of Frank & Dean. It feels like a great place to have a nice brunch or to unwind after a long day's work.

I've tried some of their food and here's what you can expect from Frank & Dean.

Dipdenza Coffee: A Cozy Cafe in The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City

Dipdenza coffee is a cozy little cafe tucked in The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City. They offer a wide selection of coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, desserts and sandwiches in their beautiful little space in Fort Strip. Let me make one thing clear, in my opinion they're not a specialty cafe. Having said that, while their coffee is alright the cozy little cafe is certainly a winner if you're looking for a place to hangout or relax. 

Single Origin: A Cafe With Excellent Specialty Coffee, Craft Beer, and Delicious All-Day Breakfast

Single Origin Cafe is a popular new player in the Philippine specialty coffee scene. As the name suggests, Single Origin offers single origin coffee from around the world. They are the exclusive distributor of Lamill Coffee in the Philippines - a specialty coffee roaster based in the United States. They also have a wide array of craft beer shipped from all around the world that you can choose from. 

The food here is a bit pricey, but I think the quality of food is worth the hefty price tag.

An Instant Guide to Making Coffee [Video]

The creative folks at &Orange Motion Design decided to come up with a video that gives us a quick guide to making coffee using 6 brewing methods. I applaud them for making such a cute video, but even though the grind sizes were accurate, I don't think I agree with most of the brewing times shown in the video. Well, not unless they also show the brewing temperature you should aim for.

If you need a refresher on why I believe all three should be considered, here's my article on brewing parameters.

Muni's Kickstarter Campaign Hopes to Bring You the Finest Coffee from the Philippines

Philippine coffee has been improving by leaps and bounds in both taste and quality over the years to cater to the booming local specialty coffee scene - and world is beginning to take notice. It started out with Kalsada's successful Kickstarter campaign where they were able to raise $18,056 to bring Philippine coffee to the international stage.

Personally, I love Kalsada's Baldino Family (Pineapple Papaya), Mang Jose (Chocolatey- nutty), and Auntie Asthrine (Bell Pepper and Cocoa) coffee beans because of the bright, unique flavors they provide in a tasty cup of coffee. These are really some of the best Philippine coffee beans and I'm sure business in Seattle is booming for Kalsada right now. In the same manner, Muni Coffee Shop is planning to bring some of the finest Philippine specialty coffee to the London coffee scene. Pretty exciting, right?

38 Ways You Can Make a Delicious Cup of Coffee

If you're as confused as I am about the different ways baristas can prepare your coffee, here's a handy infographic that details what's in the perfect cup you're looking for. So if you asked for a Flat White expecting latte art, you might be surprised when the barista serves you a white drink with no foamy goodness (it shouldn't have any). So maybe ask for a Cappucino or Latte instead?

Why don't you impress your friends by ordering a Breve for a smooth flavorful cup or a Red Eye if you really need that caffeine fix. Here are some of my thoughts on the above chart. 

The Curator Coffee and Cocktails: Bringing the Best That the World of Coffee and Cocktails Has to Offer

The Curator Coffee and Cocktails is a specialty cafe known for delicious coffee and cocktail creations, friendly and personalized service, and cozy ambiance. I've been to a number of specialty cafes in Metro Manila, but The Curator really takes service up a notch. The baristas here really go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home – freely talking about coffee and their passion for a quality cup.

It's even written down in their website:

"Life’s too short for bad coffee, your liver’s too precious for bad booze and, more importantly, your time’s far more precious for service that doesn’t make you feel like you’re family. 

That’s what we’re here for."

If you are looking to satisfy your coffee obsession and possibly make a new friend in the process, this is definitely the place to be.

Specialty Coffee Gear: Porlex Tall Hand Grinder Review

The Porlex Tall Hand Grinder is an affordable coffee grinder that is great for travel or home use. The stainless steal body means that it's very durable and it also makes it quite easy to clean. It comes with ceramic conical burrs that won't rust and should stay sharp for a very long time. The grinder is also very light (265g including the handle) so you can easily bring it with you wherever you go.

There are a number of reviews online, but I'm going to take the more objective perspective of someone who isn't trying to sell you anything. A good coffee grinder is arguably the most important tool in your array of home-brew gear, so you need to get it right. A lousy grinder means bad coffee.

Eight Brewing Parameters You Should Tweak to Make That Cup of Coffee Even More Delicious

If you’re a serious coffee geek like the we are – with a home brew bar and a stash of freshly roasted coffee beans always at your disposal – you can improve the quality of the coffee you make by calibrating the parameters in which you brew coffee. Three important brewing parameters that people love to talk about are Roast Type, Coffee-Water Ratio, and Grind. There are, however, a number of brewing parameters hardly being discussed but are just as important to making a delicious cup of filter coffee.

This article won't cover each parameter with too much depth, but I will give you further reading as appropriate. Here's an overview of eight important coffee brewing parameters you should consider when brewing your next cup;

Let Michael Phillips from Blue Bottle Coffee Teach You How to Brew an Amazing Cup of Coffee

There are a number of good videos online that show you how you can brew a great cup of coffee at home. If you want to understand the intricate details of the coffee brewing process, however, online videos lack depth. They'll show you the steps but leave out some much needed information on the science of brewing coffee. To really understand how you can brew an amazing cup, you might need to attend a coffee brewing workshop from a local roaster - which can turn out to be expensive. 

Michael Phillips, the Director of Training for Blue Bottle Coffee, recently released a Skillshare class entitled "From Plant to Cup: Brew an Amazing Cup of Coffee" designed to help home coffee enthusiasts brew quality coffee at home. In this class, he covers everything you need to know for home coffee brewing -  from basic coffee theory, recipe creation, the brewing process, and coffee tasting. It's easily one of the best Skillshare classes out there. The best part about it is it's also free!