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Duncan Coffee Company: Houston, TX
I received an email today from a Mills Duncan.
It reads,
Please add my web site
And just as simple… Done!
This company has been roasting since 1918. That’s quite a long time! It’s been kept in the family ever since.
You’ll find a link to the Duncan Coffee Company under “Houston” on the Roasters tab up top.
Tuesday Evenings with Texas Coffee People, 7pm Chats
I have been surprised at the kind of information and knowledge sharing that can go on in a live chat session. It’s amazing how much of a difference real-time communication can make in the detail and quality of shared information.
It is for these reasons, as well as an attempt to foster the Texas Coffee Community farther than on a localized level, that we have decided to organize a meeting of the minds.
Every Tuesday evening at 7:30pm(cst), the TX-Coffee.com forums chat room goes live for open discussion.
Aaron is scheduled to be present, as is Dan. Naturally, I will be on as well.
Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in on the fun, or merely observe if you prefer.
Click Here to visit the chat room. It may help to orient yourself before Tuesday.
I hope to see you there!
Home Espresso Animation (taken from H-B)
I was surfing Home-Barista.com earlier today and came across this entertaining video.
I got a good chuckle out of it, so I thought I’d share with the Texas Coffee Community.
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyDxg43jW5s]
Cups & Cones : Austin, TX (Now Hiring)
I received an email this morning from Cups & Cones in Austin to let everyone know that they are now hiring.
Cups & Cones, a newly opened coffee and ice cream cafe in Austin, TX, is hiring baristas. The store is located across from the entrance to the UT Golf Club in the Shops at Steiner Ranch.
They are using Blue Bell ice-cream and coffee from Texas Coffee Traders (home of 2007 SCRBC finalist Ron deYoung).
They opened in September of this year, according to their website.
Located at:
Cups & Cones
2900 N. Quinlan Park Rd.
Suite 290
Austin, TX - 78730
www.cups-and-cones.com
Phone: 512-289-7880
E-mail: KLeeNordin@Cups-and-Cones.com
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Turkey Day!
Don’t forget to complement your holiday desserts with a great cup of coffee, preferably from the new crops!
The “Ultimate Coffee Cup” ?
Has anyone else seen this?
KEY ATTRIBUTES
• 12 fl. oz. (36 dl) volume
• Lead-free
• Microwave and dishwasher safe
• Designed by award-winning artist David Pier
• Made of the finest translucent high-fire vitreous porcelain
• Saucers double as lids and enable artful stacking
About the Design:
“After thousands of years of ceramic history you might think there isn’t anything significant left to try in the design of cups with handles. The fact that unusual mugs usually are awkward to use would reinforce this idea. However, after years of designing ceramics, I realized that all conventional coffee cup designs were determined more by the manufacturing and design processes than by the needs of the coffee cup user. What does a perfect cylinder have to do with the shape of the human hands or lips? It is merely a simple shape that is easy to make on a lathe, turntable, or in a CAD program.” …more.
Cup ergonomics? A worthwhile endeavor?
What do you think?
I think it’s kind of nice to see the concept of “quality” applied to more than just use of material in regards to cups. We talk about coffee quality in more depth than simply the quality of the green or the quality of the roast.
If nothing else, it is definitely an eye catcher.
The “Ultimate Coffee Cup” ?
Has anyone else seen this?
KEY ATTRIBUTES
• 12 fl. oz. (36 dl) volume
• Lead-free
• Microwave and dishwasher safe
• Designed by award-winning artist David Pier
• Made of the finest translucent high-fire vitreous porcelain
• Saucers double as lids and enable artful stacking
About the Design:
“After thousands of years of ceramic history you might think there isn’t anything significant left to try in the design of cups with handles. The fact that unusual mugs usually are awkward to use would reinforce this idea. However, after years of designing ceramics, I realized that all conventional coffee cup designs were determined more by the manufacturing and design processes than by the needs of the coffee cup user. What does a perfect cylinder have to do with the shape of the human hands or lips? It is merely a simple shape that is easy to make on a lathe, turntable, or in a CAD program.” …more.
Cup ergonomics? A worthwhile endeavor?
What do you think?
I think it’s kind of nice to see the concept of “quality” applied to more than just use of material in regards to cups. We talk about coffee quality in more depth than simply the quality of the green or the quality of the roast.
If nothing else, it is definitely an eye catcher.
The “Ultimate Coffee Cup” ?
Has anyone else seen this?
KEY ATTRIBUTES
• 12 fl. oz. (36 dl) volume
• Lead-free
• Microwave and dishwasher safe
• Designed by award-winning artist David Pier
• Made of the finest translucent high-fire vitreous porcelain
• Saucers double as lids and enable artful stacking
About the Design:
“After thousands of years of ceramic history you might think there isn’t anything significant left to try in the design of cups with handles. The fact that unusual mugs usually are awkward to use would reinforce this idea. However, after years of designing ceramics, I realized that all conventional coffee cup designs were determined more by the manufacturing and design processes than by the needs of the coffee cup user. What does a perfect cylinder have to do with the shape of the human hands or lips? It is merely a simple shape that is easy to make on a lathe, turntable, or in a CAD program.” …more.
Cup ergonomics? A worthwhile endeavor?
What do you think?
I think it’s kind of nice to see the concept of “quality” applied to more than just use of material in regards to cups. We talk about coffee quality in more depth than simply the quality of the green or the quality of the roast.
If nothing else, it is definitely an eye catcher.
Training, Caring, and Management
I have a question for the readers out there in the Blogosphere.
Which is the more dominant issue? Ignorance, or apathy?
Now, let’s extend this question farther. Is this weight heavier on the barista or on the management/ownership of retailers?
I realize that may sound a bit unclear, so here’s an example.
1:An owner cares about quality, but cannot seem to instill the same care for craftsmanship into their employees, so the quality suffers. 2:An owner doesn’t care at all, but the majority of the barista staff care a great deal, yet lack the training to “make it happen”.
Which seems more likely the case, and is it more likely that either of these two is the case compared to total apathy?
More often than not, I find baristi who care quite a bit about coffee quality. Maybe not to the extent that we’d all like to see, but still.. they care. They applied for the job because they like coffee, so it would make sense that they have a desire to learn more about it, and/or to excel at their craft. In the same situation, I find owners and managers who just don’t have the same desire, or who lack the training themselves, and thus, cannot adequately train their staff.
Assuming the latter is the case, Is the issue a lack of training, or is it something else?
MANY of the recognizable names in the industry (aside from those who started out at a major player like Intelligentsia, Stumptown, CounterCulture, etc..) started out by doing research, self-teaching, and discovery on their own. Is this to be expected of the AVERAGE manager/owner? What about the AVERAGE barista?
Consider this an introspective look at the state of the industry on an average. Not on the cutting edge, not on the progressive front, but as a random sampling mean of the retailing side of the Specialty Coffee business.
What are your thoughts?
Sacred Grounds: Pampa, TX
I received an email today from a Pamela Mathis on behalf of Sacred Grounds.
She writes:
Hi
I have a small independent coffee house in Pampa Texas. I’d like to know how to obtain a listing on your site. We do not have a website as of yet, but the idea is in the works.
We are
Sacred Grounds Coffee Studio
2145 B. North Hobart
Pampa Tx 79065
806-662-9118
We offer a full line of coffee and espresso based beverages as well as fruit smoothies and italian sodas. Just beginning to offer sandwiches.
Thanks so much for your help.
Pamela
Sacred Grounds can now be found in the list of Retailers. Thanks, Pamela!
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TX-Coffee Partners
EspressoTrainer.com