Well my search for new coffees has lead me to a source of torrefacto coffees. These are Mediterranean style blends that are roasted with SUGAR. My question: I have never used them, might they damage my grinder? Any other thoughts on these coffees?

I've had no experience, but I've seen reports. The process is getting very rare in 1st world countries. The sugar caramelizes to almost black, and adds bitterness. But it covered the visible roasting defects in low quality coffees and gave them that shiny Starbucks look instead. It is now used mainly in Central America for roasting triage coffees.

It is also a popular style of coffee in Spain where it is used to add sweetness. A sugar water mist is sprayed on the bean just before roasting, if memory serves. It is usually blended with other coffees but you can buy 100% Torrefacto coffee. They won't hurt your grinder. But, I would imagine that it would be almost impossible to get a bag that has been fresh-roasted to your order.

thanks for the grinder bit. I knew that the technique was basically about putting lipstick on (coffee) pigs. I kind of have a prejudice that "fresh roasted" is overrated, particularly for espresso. This isn't sushi. A lot of microroasters can't cup or roast and no amount of freshness will make them worth my bother. That being said, as an espresso lover, I will try almost anything at least once, including torrefacto, since I have found a source online for it.

Hi Kendall, I refer to your note about torrefacto mix. I had so far best espresso away from home in Spain and it was 25torrefacto/75natural Colombian. Is it difficult to buy it over the net? I live in London.

Hi.

Torrefacto is a blend of about 20% sugar roasted beans with normal coffee. It is blended after the roast. They sell it in the US here but don't expect it to be very fresh

http://www.tienda.com/food/products/cf-04.html

http://www.tienda.com/food/products/cf-16.html

Cheers

cerradodude wrote:I kind of have a prejudice that "fresh roasted" is overrated, particularly for espresso.

Really? What is this opinion based upon?
Given that it is clearly something that few if any people agree with you on - I think it would be worthwhile to explain your perspective.

cerradodude wrote:A lot of microroasters can't cup or roast and no amount of freshness will make them worth my bother.

Really?
If I were to make a list of all the people who I truly respect as cuppers, almost all of them (at least 90%) work at companies I would describe as "micro-roasters" (ie Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Terroir, Ecco, Kaffa, Square Mile, Coffee Collective, Tim Wendleboe Coffee, etc).

What do you base this opinion on?
Again - given the controversial nature of your statement - I think it's only fair to ask you to explain your statement in more detail.

malachi wrote:Really?
If I were to make a list of all the people who I truly respect as cuppers, almost all of them (at least 90%) work at companies I would describe as "micro-roasters" (ie Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Terroir, Ecco, Kaffa, Square Mile, Coffee Collective, Tim Wendleboe Coffee, etc).

Not to quibble with the general thrust of your post, Chris, I don't regard any company that has a bunch of cafes and that roasts hundreds or even thousands of pounds each week as a "micro-roaster." In dollar volume or in number of pounds roasted yearly, companies like Intelligentsia (and many others we like here) are really relatively "big" businesses. Only in comparison to a company like Starbucks, would these companies be "small," or deserving of the descriptor, "micro-roaster."

"Specialty Roaster," "High Quality Roaster" yes, but "Micro-roaster," no.

ken

fair play

Ken Fox wrote: ... companies like Intelligentsia .. are really relatively "big" businesses ... "Specialty Roaster," "High Quality Roaster" yes, but "Micro-roaster," no.

I've seen both Intelly's and Green Mountain's roasting facilities. Intelly roasts no more than 1/20th of Green Mountain's volume, maybe less. Even if you disregard their lucrative Keurig capsule business, they are still roasting about 5 times the amount of whole bean coffee. Green Mountian is one of the smaller of the publicly traded specialty roasters, smaller, last time I checked, than Caribou, Diedrichs, Dunn Bros, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Peet's etc. and not even a drop in the bucket compared to Starbucks.

Intelly is one of the largest of the 20 to 30 or so roasters and greenies who bid on auction coffees and do direct trade in micro-lots; but that is a vanishingly small part of the coffee trade, in terms of volume, although, I hope, larger in terms of influence on drinking trends.