Seriously?
This is your contribution to the discussion?

Nice.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I can understand annoyance and frustration with certain design and functionality elements, but complaining about "generic description" and "espresso recommendations"? As one of the unwashed, I've had no problem selecting, paying for and receiving coffee from several of the vendors on this list. If you have issues with a site's design or implementation, there's always the phone.

Between last October and May, I've managed to work in Heartbreaker, Toscano, Red Line, Big Truck and Hayes Valley. BTW, this line from the Hayes Valley description is what sealed the deal: "The shots are gorgeous: achingly heavy with voluptuous red-brown crema, and the silky, somewhat dangerous-looking viscosity of a power-steering stop-leak product once used on our (now departed) heroically battered 1983 Peugeot."

Their brewing recommendations:
Boiler Temp: 203
Dose: 21g in a double basket
Extraction time: leisurely 35 seconds
Yield: scant 1.5 oz
Preparation Method: Espresso

Then again, if others have managed to order without incident and be happy enough with their results to suggest the coffee for review, it could just be a PBKAC.

malachi wrote:Seriously?
This is your contribution to the discussion?

Yes. I sample 15 to ~30 coffees over the course of a year, almost all on line purchases. This past Sunday, I spent the better part of a couple of hours trying to find something from the list that looked interesting AND in the style I prefer. NONE of the visited sites came anywhere close to providing enough information to order. One site I visited covered the Quantity and Grind selectors with a misplaced picture. Didn't work in Firefox 3,4,5 on Linux or IE 8,9 FF 4 on Windon't. Probably looks great on a phone. When I have to turn off images to access the control, I'm outta there. I did email them, no response...

Sherman wrote:there's always the phone

Find it here and I'll buy you pound. http://www.cartelcoffeelab.com/az/?page ... hopp_pid=3
Try CONTACT. Blank page Any PBKAC is on the development side

This description is about as Wilbur Milquetoast as they get : "One of the more unique espresso blends on the market, the BME offers an interesting shot of espresso, but really shines in milk. With caramel notes, milk chocolate, and grapefruit, you will not forget this coffee in a macchiato or true cappuccino. Enjoy!" "an interesting shot of espresso, but really shines in milk" is often a euphemism for "whatever origin flavors existed in this low quality coffee are roasted out"

H-B is an internet community committed to excellence. Rewarding mediocrity is counter productive.

cafeIKE wrote:Find it here and I'll buy you pound. http://www.cartelcoffeelab.com/az/?page ... hopp_pid=3
Try CONTACT. Blank page Any PBKAC is on the development side

This description is about as Wilbur Milquetoast as they get : "One of the more unique espresso blends on the market, the BME offers an interesting shot of espresso, but really shines in milk. With caramel notes, milk chocolate, and grapefruit, you will not forget this coffee in a macchiato or true cappuccino. Enjoy!" "an interesting shot of espresso, but really shines in milk" is often a euphemism for "whatever origin flavors existed in this low quality coffee are roasted out"

H-B is an internet community committed to excellence. Rewarding mediocrity is counter productive.

When I visit Cartel Coffee, I get a "Site Under Development" page with location, hours, and email.

H-B is many things to many people, for sure. Rewarding mediocrity? If your measure of quality product is by the site, rather than the coffee, then don't patronize them. H-B is, as the tagline reads, "Your guide to exceptional espresso", not the 2011 iteration of Websites That Don't Suck. To malachi's point, if the coffee is good, I'm willing to overlook a site redesign or the occasional dead link.

The link that was originally posted is dead, for sure. Thanks for pointing that out - I've edited the link to point to the homepage. From the looks of it, the site is in the middle of a redesign, and the HB link points to the old site. That said, it's not uncommon for a site that's going through transition, but no reason to go on a wild rant. A smaller operation, less marketing-savvy move? maybe, but that's about all I'd ascribe to it. A basic search brings up the contact information.

Good macchiatos and cappuccinos are enjoyed by many here, as are tight single ristrettos. The description reads as a preference for the former, and if I were looking for a milk-drink blend, I'd consider trying a bag.

Claiming that a blend is of lesser quality because of how it's described or designed without having tried it is ignorant, plain and simple.

So far, you haven't bought any because the site design is crummy and the descriptors aren't to your preferred taste or drink. You can't tell them how crummy it is because the link to an old version of their contact page doesn't contain the necessary information. The wording tells you all you need to know, and you'll pass judgement on the strength of these observations.

I don't agree with your decision and think that you might be passing over some potentially good roasters, but that's your call to make, for sure.

Mea culpa. It's not a 404. The page is live, just devoid of any contact information. Sorry for the poor choice of words and unintentional 307 .

Where's the list of last year's winners? (I"m new here). And have you ever done a thread or list on decaf? (not that that's a priority - but trying to convert a certain person).

cafeIKE wrote: H-B is an internet community committed to excellence. Rewarding mediocrity is counter productive.

Excellence in COFFEE.
Not excellence in freaking web sites.

You might be consuming a little too much caffeine these days... Just sayin'

malachi wrote:You might be consuming a little too much caffeine these days... Just sayin'

You cannot get to excellence without excessive consumption of espresso Just sayin'