Most don't know murky started in Georgetown! (just yesterday I was strolling up Wisconsin, just past R.Lauren there's a small outfit selling knockoff purses out of a doorway, and the black awning still has a faint but readable "murky" on it). murky has consistently good baristas. I live near Dupont,...

That is right: a rigorous study of this question would have to define standards precisely. One benchmark could be a standard coffee machine that uses a standard #2 paper filter, having whatever surface area and volume that it has. Test x grams of coffee, such that there are 10 grams per 6 oz of wate...

I noticed a difference after sealing the (roasted) beans overnight, and I generally seal them back up after I've pulled my shots. Humidity certainly could be the central issue. When I open the bag of espresso, the humidity in the bean would be equal to whatever was in the bag; once transferred to th...

Recently I started storing whole beans bound for espresso in an acrylic storage container with a rubber valve and pump, such that it's possible to suck most of the air out. The valves were first marketed for keeping wine by removing the air from an opened bottle of wine, and the containers are also ...

It may be my tongue, but it seems like the cup gets sweeter as I get to the bottom of it. The second oz or so is always sweeter than the first. Perhaps the initial part of the pull settles, and has less of the acrid or bitter components? With some blends, the second oz

We should suggest that Steam have its baristas take Murky's barista training course. I think Nick Cho could make some serious money if he were to leverage his competition wins to create a barista certification, try to get Washingtonians to recognize it, and make it such that the better restaurants a...

Indeed the reason tea enthusiasts and presspot folk insist on starting with cold water is because it's more oxygenated, which does have an impact on flavor

I wonder how long until the accelerating pace of espresso-machine innovation puts us in a world where some of us ashamedly admit the days we used an HX! I, too, on my path to find better coffee, used the Krups steamtoy (a Gusto). In my defense, it was a gift. Nonetheless, it was a significant step in

The June 2002 issue of Scientific American contained an excellent article by Ernesto Illy on the component chemicals in coffee, as well as the rate of incorporation of these components, to compare various infusion methods. {link} As a bonus, the article includes a super-close-up picture of crema, an...

I maintain my stainless by applying mineral oil from time to time, and keeping it polished by lightly going over it with microfiber. I apply a very thin coat of mineral oil with microfiber, and then polish with a clean microfiber. For streaking, I find Goo-Gone Gel works extraordinarily--apply, ligh...