Coffee Blog
Branch Street: The Next Steps
Is it too late for Resolutions? We don’t think so. The start to 2019 was a swift one, which didn’t leave much time for us to publicly state our goals for the year going forward. Each year, we set some expectations and goals that we hope will help push us forward as a company. It…
Top 30 Coffees 2018
Top 30 Coffees 2018: We made the list! Every year, Coffee Review compiles a list of the best coffees of the year. This year Branch Street made that list. Named to the #25 spot is our roast of Kenya Konyu! This is a huge honor, and we are grateful for the award. Today, the focus…
Coffee Brew Ratio Revisited
The Coffee Brew Ratio Many articles are available that cover the coffee brew ratio. It has become generally accepted in the specialty coffee industry that the 2:1 ratio is best. For the most part we have found this to be true. Over the last three years, the majority of our espresso recipes have been within…
Acidity Extraction in Espresso
This article will concentrate exclusively on acidity extraction. If you have not already read our previous posts, please check out our article about pressure profile theory for a general overview of pressure profiling and the Sweetness Curve. It would be a good idea to also read a bit about the history of pressure profiling in our…
Pressure Profile Theory, and Espresso
Pressure Profile Theory There is a lot of information available on the internet about espresso brewing. It is an amazing time to be in the coffee industry with so many major recent advancements. Among these advancements is exploration into espresso brewing pressure, and its effect on flavor. However, there is very little information relating to…
Pressure Profile for Espresso
Espresso Pressure Profile: 3 months We are now 3 months in. Using the La Marzocco Strada EP has been a complete game changer for our shop. We will continue to update our findings as we begin to explore the possibilities of this machine. All of our experience to this point is based on subjective observations, not scientific…
Growing Family
Branch Street Means Family, Part 2 Growing Family This is second part of Sam and Megan’s story about their growing family. Be sure to read their first part, Branch Street Means Family We have committed to joining Sam and Megan in their journey of adoption. If you would like to help as well, a GoFundMe page has been…
Branch Street Means Family
Branch Street Means Family We are taking a departure from our usual coffee related writings. Over the past three years, Branch Street has grown to become more than a coffee shop to us. We have met amazing people who have gone from “regulars” to friends, and our team has transformed into what can only be…
Espresso on the Strada EP
La Marzocco’s Strada EP It has been just over three years since we opened our doors in Boardman. In that time we have been continually looking for ways to increase our quality, and expand our offerings. As we continue to learn more about coffee roasting brewing and extraction technology, we want to share our progress…
The True Beauty of Latte Art
When I first embarked on my career in coffee, my mentor had a deep aversion to latte art and the culture that promoted it. His view was that he was no good at it, and the flavor of his coffee and milk was the most important part. The drawing on the top of the drink…
Interview with Matt the Owner
BIO OF YOUR UNIQUE LIFE Name MATTHEW CAMPBELL How you got into coffee I was first introduced to specialty coffee when a co-worker brought me a cup of freshly roasted Costa Rican from a newly opened shop near our job. It was kind of an “aha” moment for me, realizing that coffee could be…
How Does Your Coffee Rate?
Coffee is everywhere. It is ingrained in our culture, and our daily lives. From fast-food drive-through to your kitchen, chances are that you aren’t far from it. As part of Coffee Props, our main focus is on that small percentage of coffee that is considered “Specialty Coffee.” Specialty coffee is defined as the best of…
Coffee Shop Water Chemistry
Branch Street Coffee Roasters Water Specs: Calcium: 80ppm Magnesium 25ppm Carbonate (KH) 55ppm This falls into the “Ideal” brew zone according to the “Water For Coffee” book. Making these changes to our water allowed us to dial in our roasts to the ideal water chemistry and make our offerings more approachable to our target market…
Catching Waves
For the most part, as humans, we like to have structure and organization in our lives. We categorize ourselves, each other and just about everything around us. From periodic tables and flow charts, to filing cabinets and libraries, we keep it tidy. Why would our coffee be any different? Third wave coffee. We’ve all heard…
Barista as a Career
Working in coffee as a barista has a certain romance to it. Crafting drinks, getting to know regulars and hanging out in a cool, hip environment certainly has its draw. As a barista, you are the center of attention, you orchestrate the experience of the guest, and you (hopefully) do it all in a cool…
Automatic Home Brewers
One of the most frequent requests that we get involve recommendations for home auto-brewer machines. There are several things that go into a question like this, and many of them involve budget, desired features, size, and style. Many of our other blog posts deal with the components of making a great cup of coffee (grind,…
Water and Chemistry
*Since we wrote this article, a new product has come on the market. Third Wave Water is a complete water solution in a convenient packet. The instructions are simple; just buy a gallon of DISTILLED water, and add one packet to that gallon. Mix until dissolved and use as your brew water. Check it out:…
Cascara
Cascara: A new take on an old drink. This weekend we released a new product; something that we have been working on for several weeks. As far as we know only a few cafes in the nation are offering cascara on their menu, and of those that have it only a fraction of them are…
Fair Trade
If you’re a frequent consumer of specialty coffee, chances are you have come across several certifications and registration programs. Some may include Fair Trade, Organic, Bird Friendly, Shade Grown, Rainforest Certified, and others. What exactly do these mean, and how concerned should you be about the presence or lack of certification? Certifications are great, and…
Weight a Minute
It’s a corny title, I know, but it covers two things that are intricately related. Weight and Time. As with any prepared food product, a recipe is an important part of preparation, and a requisite for repeatability and consistency of flavor. Variations from this recipe will result in different results, and coffee is no exception…
Peru
Peru
At the end of August 2017, we will be heading to South America, to visit several small coffee farms. This will be our first origin trip, and our first attempt to bring home something that is truly unique. In the next few weeks, we hope to secure outstanding single-farm coffee, trading directly with the producers…
Peru Retrospective
It has been a week since my return from Peru, and although it was good to get back to the normal routine of roasting and brewing, a small part of me wishes I was still visiting farms and getting to know the true source of the coffee we work with every day. Being able to…
We’re In It Now
“We’re in it now.” I knew a little bit of Spanish. Two years in high school as a primer, and living in a heavily Hispanic area in New Jersey helped to at least be familiar with some basic language structure and speech patterns. A half-hearted attempt at language learning software a few years back also…
Norandino Coffee Mill
The flight to Piura was uneventful, and we met up with Elmer, the partner of Farm to Roast, and our Peruvian guide for the trip. We met our driver for the trip, Robbie, who warmly greeted us and loaded up our gear into his truck. After introductions and exchanging pleasantries, we departed the airport and…
El Calambre
El calambre. It translates to “cramp” in Spanish. It might as well have become my nickname after the first day on the farm. It was our first day heading into the mountains, and we woke up early to get a head start. We left the city of Jaen and drove north on the highway into…