Better coffee. One cup at a time.

Author: John (Page 29 of 30)

Can Kids Drink Coffee?: Challenging the Assumptions

Does coffee stunt your growth? That is what my dad would always tell me about drinking coffee when I was young. Recently, I was having a discussion with my wife about some friends of ours, they give their kids coffee. Naturally, I was perplexed and a little worried. Can kids drink coffee? Should kids drink coffee? My wife insisted it was a thing. There are people out there giving kids coffee.

I was curious so I did a little research. Here is the history of kids and coffee and my opinion of the age old question: “Can I give coffee to my children?”

Disclaimer: It is always best to discuss dietary issues with your pediatrician. I am not a doctor, just a blogger with google at his disposal. If you want to give your child coffee, call up your doctor and ask what their opinion is.

The Vilification of Coffee (Coffee is not for Kids)

According to an article on the Smithsonian website, it all started with C. W. Post in 1895. After several other business ventures, Post, of cereal fame, created his first product in the breakfast sphere. It was call Postum. Postum is a coffee alternative beverage that is comprised of roasted wheat and molasses. If you are interested in trying it (And who wouldn’t be?), Postem is still available for sale. Continue reading

How to Choose A Coffee Scale (And Why You Should Add A Scale To Your Brewing Arsenal)

I am a numbers kind of guy. I like to keep records, measure and tweak things. Procedural inconsistencies, especially when it comes to coffee brewing, bother me. I like to have processes in place that help me to consistently produce the same cup of coffee (And then incrementally change things to improve that cup of coffee). Besides upgrading to a quality burr grinder, using a digital coffee scale when brewing is one of the best ways to keep some key variables consistent.

I know that there are some free spirit coffee brewers out there that don’t want to shackle themselves to an experience that is more like a science experiment than their usual calming manual coffee brewing ritual. I’m okay with that. If you want to keep your brewing process organic and free from measuring and controlling all the details, a digital coffee scale might not be for you. For the rest of us, a coffee scale is an inexpensive addition to your brewing gear that can really help you dial in your ratios and processes.

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