ideometric

I like this idea from a temporary cafe in Japan: you get what the person in front of you ordered. As a concept it’s fun, but working something like that into a normal brick and mortar cafe might be tougher — generally you’d just want to go in and get whatever you want, no hassle. But I could see it working at specific low-volume times as a quirky way to encourage interaction with strangers in line and pop the antisocial laptop bubbles people get stuck in.

I like the design of this Melitta pot for pouring water over a manual drip coffee filter. You’d buy something like this for the spout design, which makes it easier to control and maintain a steady pour over the coffee grinds.

So far I’ve only been able to find a wood-handled version for $90 in Korea, and a synthetic handled one for $45 in Japan. Maybe if I’m feeling spendy I’ll get one someday.

“Hand-drip” coffee is really popular in Korea and Japan, but less so in the American cafes I’ve visited. Instead, machines like the Clover or siphon pots have gotten the most attention from both customers and press.

However, there’s something about the performance of drip coffee that I find appealing, especially when taken to the extremes of technical fanaticism that the Japanese (and subsequently Koreans) have gone. Most coffee geeks here in Asia seem to obsess over the intricacies of pouring methods, timing, etc. as if this is the height of coffee production. It is indeed more active and engaging than a french press, and the careful pouring styles have a finesse and theatricality that I appreciate in the coffee ritual – even if it might be a bit superfluous to the results in the cup.

Saw this at Lotte mart today, I kind of like it. But I’m not sure I like how narrow the glass is compared to the size and design of the base — creates a little disproportionality that I don’t like. I wonder if there’s a better example of the concept? Maybe if the glass part widened to be the same size as the base…

Caffe Artigiano in Korea has a new location near Gwanghwamun  subway station on Line 5 (광화문역). Take exit 7 and head West (I think that’s a left). The tiny, unassuming espresso bar is a minute or two walking distance.

The space is dominated by a huge four group espresso machine. They have a grinder that automatically doses and tamps, which seems to ensure shot quality. Haven’t tried any milk drinks yet.  Sadly they only have paper cups, no demitasses for espresso. This is a tiny space for grabbing a drink to go, not for lounging.

See my post about their Gosok Terminal cafe here.

The question of how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee is more complicated than it seems. One question I get a lot is: doesn’t espresso have more caffeine than a regular cup? I’ve read mixed answers, but this article in the Atlantic suggests that, given an all arabica blend (preferable), the caffeine content would be considerably lower than a cup of coffee.

So drink up.

A modified technique for using a French Press / Press pot.  Good idea, gonna have to try it out. Cleaning a french press after using it is the worst part, and this seems like it’d make it easier. Not sure exactly how it’ll affect the flavor in the cup.

I want to experiment with the possibility of offering individually pressed cups of coffee, rather than drip coffee at the cafe I’m volunteering at here in Korea. Hand-drip is pretty popular at a lot of places, probably because it’s been big in Japan for a while (they go nuts about technique and the kind of water pot you should use, although I’m not sure how much difference it makes). But I haven’t seen French press offered anywhere.

Photos taken at the 7th Annual Seoul Int’l Cafe Show

There were tons of people and lots of free samples at the Korea International Cafe Show and Barista Championship. I drank way too much coffee as anyone who saw me later that day can attest.

If you’re wondering what it’s like to see a barista championship, well, imagine going to a cafe and watching other people enjoy the drinks. It kind of sucks.

Luckily there was a concurrent Cafe Show and “Fancy Food Festival” to keep people occupied. These Japanese siphon brewers were quite popular. Big crowds enjoyed the spectacle and drama of coffee making that looks more like a science experiment. It’s too bad there aren’t any explosions involved. Someone should work on that.

Unfortunately none of the espresso really tasted that great. Nor did the coffee really stand out compared to what I’m used to in the States, or even from the better cafes in Korea. The water was always too hot, or the beans over-roasted, or the proportions wrong, etc. But at least they’re trying, and with this much interest one hopes that quality will spread as competitors up their games.

Best of all, everything was free. Either I walked past the ticket booth without realizing it, or they thought I was press because I put “writer” on my name badge and walked around with my camera.

My never ending quest to find quality coffee and espresso was rewarded this weekend after some research turned up Caffe Artigiano, a Vancouver chain with a franchise in Seoul.

I had an espresso, or three. They were solid shots with good extraction, if a bit on the watery side, though I may be used to ristretto shots. In fact, this is the first real espresso I’ve found in Korea. Definitely gonna head back. The space is very large, and interestingly filled with bags of Intelligentsia coffee (though you can’t buy it; I asked…).

Caffe Artigiano is located at Gosok Bus Terminal (고속버스터미널) on the 7 & 3 lines. It’s partially underground outside the Central City shopping complex, but I forget what subway exit it’s next to (we walked around for an hour going the wrong way trying to find it, luckily my friends are good sports haha).

Website: www.caffeartigiano.co.kr

A psychology professor at Yale University found that holding a hot cup of coffee leads people to judge a stranger to be a warmer person, in terms of such traits as generosity and kindness, compared with a group of people who held a cup of iced coffee.

The implication touched on in the article is that physical/environmental cues – warmth, etc – play a significant role in the consumer/user’s behavior and perception, and should be incorporated into design goals.

In other words, get your date a latte.

Cool — coffee trade show coming up, “Korea Int’l Cafe Show.” Maybe I can finally buy a coffee grinder. It also looks like they’ll have some barista competitions, which will be good for finding cafes as well.

I really want to get an espresso machine and grinder now. Maybe at the least, take some lessons.

LA Mill, which generated a lot of buzz earlier this year when it opened its first upscale cafe in Silver Lake, CA, has a presence in Korea of all places. I came across their site while searching for good coffee options in Seoul. Too bad 1lb of beans costs 32,000KRW (~$30).

At first I thought it might be some roaster ripping off their identity and old website design, this is the land of counterfeits after all, but a quick email to LA Mill confirmed the affiliation.

Still looking for cheaper quality options…

Photo taken @ Blue Bottle Cafe , San Francisco

Killing time at work. I came across this in an old newsletter from Sweet Maria’s.

With great coffees, there is a transformation as the cup cools, and flavors that piqued your interest when hot, change, mutate, or disappear as it cools, with new flavors that might have escaped your awareness emerging. In short, I like cold coffee. I like warm coffee. I like the whole “cooling down” process!

Some coffees, particularly South American, actually taste better to me after they’ve cooled and are barely luke-warm. It’s counter-intuitive, but when I make coffee for friends and co-workers it’s always something they notice – woah it still tastes good, maybe even better, and it’s been sitting on my desk for an hour.

A couple times a week now, I’ve been making coffee at work here in Korea — the land of instant mochas and powdered lattes that taste like caffeinated cancer in a cup. I just now hand-ground and pressed a cup of some Ethiopia Misty Valley from Blue Bottle in San Francisco (thanks Jessie!). My co-teachers love the smell; when I tried to throw away my coffee grounds, they insisted that I leave them out in a bowl.

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“…recently, research has found coffee drinking linked with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers, and preventing the development of cardiovascular disease”

“some compounds, such as the antioxidants found in coffee, may be healthy.”

Now I don’t feel so bad. Source

Found this video illustrating the steps required to make espresso, made by Mark Prince from Coffeegeek.com. I’ve thought about getting a job at a cafe just to learn (and feed my addiction)…

One of these days, when I have the counter-space and $$$$ burning a hole in my pocket.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso machine – $580 and Rancilio Rocky Grinder – $315

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A few photos (I didn’t take) of Yri Cafe, one of the coolest spots I came across in Korea. Filled with art books and magazines, sketchbooks at the tables covered with doodles and poems from whoever sat there before you, and often host to performances, art exhibitions, etc. It fits in well with the bohemian vibe surrounding Hongik university.

The interior is what drew me, as I’d come across their website before visiting the country. Red & chrome chairs, stained and scuffed wood floors, exposed ductwork, rough cement walls, melted candles, artwork on display, shelves of books and other media. Every color, texture, surface, and object — every detail — combining to create a space that begs for exploration. The kind of environment where you’d have to try to be uncreative, try to be uninspired. I think there was even a tree trunk sitting in there. It’s a nice change from the typically boring cafes in the states.

I’m not the only one inspired, check out the user submitted photo gallery on their site. There’re also pretty active message boards, but my Korean isn’t good enough to decipher those. Makes me wonder what kind of community exists around this place, and how it might be reinforced by its virtual manifestation.