Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

What I Learned from My First Tea Ceremony

After taking in a brief moment of a tea ceremony in Thailand, I finally had the chance to participate in the full experience recently in Malaysia. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti In the years that I worked as a barista in a café, tea always played a marginal role in […]


Unique Collection in Switzerland Offers a Look at Coffee’s Rich History

Anita Vietri’s Coffee Culture Collection chronicles the brew’s journey through 1,500 artifacts. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Anita Vietri In the rich tapestry of coffee culture, there exists a hidden gem—an extraordinary collection that chronicles the captivating history of our beloved brew. Today, we meet Anita Vietri, an ardent coffee enthusiast and […]


3 Elements Coffee: Supporting Veterans, One Cup at a Time  

The Australian roasting company helps to create opportunities for veteran communities.  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of 3 Elements Coffee  Brisbane, Australia-based 3 Elements Coffee, founded by Navy veteran Terry McNally in 2016, has a mission to support the transition of ex-military personnel into the commercial workspace. To help achieve their goal and raise […]


Understanding the Process: Anaerobic Processing

We continue our series on fermentation with a look at the anaerobic process, which has quickly become a favorite in cafés worldwide. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Bram de Hoog for Ally Coffee A simple cup of well-brewed coffee can have endless variations of flavors and aromas. These are closely linked to […]

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Understanding the Process: Anaerobic Processing

We continue our series on fermentation with a look at the anaerobic process, which has quickly become a favorite in cafés worldwide. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Bram de Hoog for Ally Coffee A simple cup of well-brewed coffee can have endless variations of flavors and aromas. These are closely linked to […]


Unique Collection in Switzerland Offers a Look at Coffee’s Rich History

Anita Vietri’s Coffee Culture Collection chronicles the brew’s journey through 1,500 artifacts. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Anita Vietri In the rich tapestry of coffee culture, there exists a hidden gem—an extraordinary collection that chronicles the captivating history of our beloved brew. Today, we meet Anita Vietri, an ardent coffee enthusiast and […]


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE…


Torr Launches the Hive Cafe Countertop Coffee Concentrate System

Commercial cold coffee equipment company Torr Industries recently rolled out a countertop-friendly version of its signature Hive Brew cold coffee system, called the Hive Cafe. The northern California coffee company…

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

3 All-Women Coffee Roasting Companies that Are Changing the Game

The world of specialty coffee is still largely governed by men, but these all-female specialty-coffee roasters are helping to close the gender gap. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Feature photo courtesy of Lot Zero/7Gr As is the case for many commercial sectors, the world of specialty coffee continues to display gender disparity along the entire […]


How to roast anaerobically fermented coffee

Among the many different kinds of experimental processing methods, anaerobic fermentation is perhaps the most popular and intriguing. Interest in this processing technique is only growing, with more and more anaerobic fermented coffee available in cafés and roasteries around the world. Moreover, of all the advanced processing methods, this particular technique has one of the […]


Test Drive: The Linea Micra Espresso Machine from La Marzocco

Ready to find out how La Marzocco’s Linea Micra measures up? Read on for our full Test Drive review!  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Vasileia Fanarioti  The Linea Micra espresso machine by La Marzocco is the newest addition to their impressive line of home espresso machines. I was lucky to get my […]


How to Make the Best Coffee at Home By James Hoffmann: Book Review 

James Hoffmann’s new book, How to Make the Best Coffee at Home, is finally out, and is the perfect guide for both professionals and amateurs. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti James Hoffmann is one of the most recognizable people in the world of specialty coffee. His YouTube channel is both informative […]

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

We check in with the Cup of Excellence executive director to learn his current coffee-brewing habits.

BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Featured photo by Emre via Unsplash

Brewing coffee is, for many coffee professionals, more than just a job.  

They usually brew coffee every day, both for themselves and their customers. Perhaps they do it with the purpose of trying out a new “hot” roastery in town. Perhaps it’s to check the roast profile on a fresh batch, or to share a new video on social media.

But they don’t just brew coffee when they work. On the contrary, many coffee professionals do it even when they are at home relaxing, or when they are traveling. 

The coffee bar inside Rockaway Roastery. There are swivel bar chairs, a naturally shaped wood countertop and La Marzocco machine. A bowl of oranges sits on the counter.
Inside Rockaway Roastery. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

Darrin Daniel at Home in Portland

Darrin Daniel, executive director of both the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence, splits his days between Portland and Rockaway Beach, Oregon. He also spends a lot of time on the road. 

When he’s at home, he usually brews using a Kalita Wave flat bottom or a Chemex.  

“This is almost always the case,” Darrin shares. “I recently opened a café (Rockaway Roastery) along with my wife on the Oregon Coast, so lately I’ve been going out to our coffee shop in Rockaway Beach and making a small 6 oz. cappuccino or macchiato, using a PB two-group La Marzocco.” 

A Kalita Wave pourover device. It sits on top of a Stumptown Coffee diner mug on a kitchen counter in front of a toaster.
The Kalita Wave. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

But he also loves visiting other specialty-coffee shops. When he’s in Portland, he says, “I do head to coffee shops, and I usually order the same drinks I mentioned.”

On the Road

Darrin definitely loves brewing his coffee and, whether he’s visiting friends or family, or headed somewhere on a trip, he always travels with his coffee gear. 

Having to choose the coffee tools he can’t travel without, Darrin has clear ideas. “Obviously the Kalita brewer and the Comandante grinder … which is usually enough to take care of me perfectly. Sometimes, if I want to have some fun, I add the AeroPress, too.” 

Darrin Daniel reliably brings along his coffee gear when on the road. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

But traveling isn’t just about brewing coffee in a hotel room, or at some coffee event: Traveling is also about exploring the local coffee scene. 

Coffee people usually check out the situation of the specialty-coffee they will find at their destination before the trip. This may involve consulting specialized websites, asking other coffee professionals for suggestions, or even creating a map of places to visit on an upcoming trip. 

For Darrin, on the contrary, this usually is not necessary. “Unless I am going somewhere where there’s a member of our organization I want to check out and support,” he says, he doesn’t often check out cafés while traveling.  

A photo of a white camp coffee mug on the rocky coast of Oregon. The waterfront is in the background, with tall evergreen trees in the distance.
The Oregon Coast. Photo by David J. Boozer via Unsplash.

Go Commercial?

But what about Darrin’s relationship with “commercial” coffee? If there are no specialty-coffee shops around, is it OK for him to just have a “regular” cup of coffee? 

“I’d rather do without it, to be honest. I have found many coffees on the commercial side to have secondary or primary defects, so they are really undrinkable. Plus, as I said, I never travel without my coffee gear!”

As a final suggestion on the best way to brew coffee on the go, Darrin leaves us with a simple tip—perfect for every coffee lover out there, no matter the level, or the brewer of choice. “Practice makes perfect!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.

The post Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

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