musings of a ragamuffin

Recently I finally made it up to the recently opened Seven Lamps, in a shopping center adjacent to Lenox Square Mall. It could be easy to miss this spot, as it’s tucked away in a corner behind the Dantanna’s that’s being renovated at the moment. Once you find it, though, it’s a cool little corner spot, and a great hidden treasure for Atlanta’s diverse food and drinks scene. (In full disclosure, Seven Lamps is a customer of Batdorf & Bronson, and they purchase our Dancing Goats Blend and received training from our trainer, Chandler Rentz, on their espresso program.)

When you first come up, you’re greeted by a nice outdoor seating area, which will be great in the Spring and Falls here. Once you enter a nice bright glass entryway, you come into the space, which is warm with woods and a giant wall filled with provisions. To the right of the provisions wall sits the open kitchen. To the right of your entrance you’ll see a nice long bar that looks out over the spacious and well-stocked cocktails bar and espresso machine. One thing I noticed right away when looking at the bar were all the fresh fruits they use, from lemons, limes, oranges, to grapefruits, and Cap’n Crunch on the top shelf.

Arianne Fielder, who holds the bar down at Seven Lamps, has put together a stellar drink menu that includes everything from classic cocktails, to “beer-tails” (including a fascinating drink named “Snow White” which includes Aviation Terrior Gin, Berentzen Apple, Savannah Bee Co Honey, Lemon and one of my favorite beers, the Hitachino Nest White), to “drinkable desserts” and even house-made jerk sodas! They also stock a great lineup of craft beers (including my all-time favorite Delerium Tremens), and a great list of wines.

For those looking for coffee, they have a full line-up of coffee and espresso drinks. While there, it was insisted that I try their Cafe Tacuba, which includes Corzo Anejo Tequila infused with Batdorf & Bronson’s Dancing Goats as espresso, Drambuie, orange and Mexican molé bitters. This drink was delicious, and honestly, I wish I could have drank more of it than I did. Very well balanced drink that highlight both the espresso and Mexican molé bitters. 

As far as food, Chef Drew van Leuvan leans towards a lot of pasta dishes, so you’ll find a great selection of handmade pasta like Idaho Potato Gnocchi with Maine mussels, sweet Georgia shrimp, Sapelo Island Clams in a tomato thai broth, and a Black Linguine with braised rabbit legs, and a white bolognese. There are also regular entrees like “#1 Tuna “Ala Plancha” with wood-grilled baby bok choy, white grapefruit and capers”, and a “wood-grilled hanger steak with marinated cranberry beans, spicy pearls, and citrus.” They also have iced oysters on the half-shell, including Bluepoints and Kumomotos.

In other parts of their food menu, they features artisan cheese plates, and a “salted, cured and whipped” section including rillette and a Mortadella Mousse. There are also savouries and small plates, including a great looking “warm fennel and potato vichyssoise”, and “braised rabbit and pork fritters, pickled ramps and gribache.” Current vegetables include: Broccoli with garlic, Hakeuri turnips, and seasonal mushrooms. 

And ending the menu, they’ve got a nice lineup of desserts to pair with the coffee and espresso drinks. Options include a “Warm, Figgy pudding” (which comes with sticky toffee and a fennel ice cream), a “Winter Citrus Clafoutis” and a “Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta”, which comes with a grapefruit champagne granita and Tarragon shortbreads. There’s also a selection of dessert wines, and even two floats to finish up the menu including a “Mexican Coke Float” with lime and vanilla ice cream, and “Four Roses” with Dr. Paz syrup and vanilla ice cream.

As you can see, there’s a really good menu here, and it would take multiple visits to even get a inkling of the great culinary potential that lies in the corner of the shopping center that holds Seven Lamps. Just the drink menu alone needs multiple visits with all the great concoctions they’ve come up with. I find myself not knowing where I’d start, although it brings me comfort knowing that there aren’t bad options. If you find yourself for need of a great new place to try, find yourself in Buckhead, or want to visit a place that has some great adventurous cocktails like ones that include Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, saffron-infused honey, housemade kimchi, rosemary-infused sorghum, then Seven Lamps is the place for you and has the potential to become one of Atlanta’s go-to spots for food and drinks. 

You are so much more than your job title.

You are so much more than your past.

You are so much more than where you’re at now.

You are so much more than than self-doubt you suffer from.

You are so much better than that.

You are so much well-off than you think.

You are so much more responsible than you think.

You are so much more loved than you think sometimes. Or all the time.

You are so much more able to do amazing things than you think.

You are so much less knowledgeable than you could be still.

You are so much ready to put your past behind you, to put your faults in perspective and to allow grace to shape you, change you, and mold you into something more beautiful.

You are so much to the world.

You are so much to your community.

You are so much to your friends.

You are so much to your family.

You are so much to God.

You are so much to me.

You are.

I have a friend from Ethiopia who is a student at Emory University here in Atlanta. Her name is Yemesrach Tadesse, but I call her Yeme for short. Yeme is here studying Economics and Anthropology, and I met her at an event I led at Emory’s Michael Carlos Museum, “Africa and Coffee”. Yeme  told me her story of how she ended up in an American university, and why education was so important to people in Ethiopia, and she spoke of it with a passion and commitment that inspired me. 

She has become so passionate about it, that she started an organization called “Action 4 Words”, which helps to build schools, classrooms, and provides textbooks to children in Ethiopia, around Jima and Addis Ababa. I was blown away when I was asked to come serve our Ethiopian coffee at one of her fundraiser events, when I heard her share her vision and see their work. She and some of her team head to Ethiopia each Summer, to visit with, help with projects, and dream bigger dreams of how they can reach people all around the area Yeme grew up. Yeme is a hero to me, a real inspiration, and I just met her by chance at an event.

We’ve become good friends since. Last year I hosted an Ethiopian Coffee and Culture Night, that raised thousands of dollars for her project and helped build a school there. So incredible. Such an amazing story from someone still so young, with her whole future ahead of her, and to see her passion for her own people and giving back even as she finishes her own studies here. Amazing.

I have another friend, Jeff Shinabarger, who started an organization here in Atlanta called Plywood People. Jeff and I met on Twitter, and were introduced through another mutual friend, and I knew right away I like this guy, and could see amazing servanthood and leadership. He gave us a tour of his facility near Tucker, a warehouse where they take billboards that have been taken down, or I should say the vinyl graphic you see as the billboard, and they create wallets, bags, and other things out of it.

Who’s they? Well, they are legal refugees who’ve been forced out of their country by conflict. While at Plywood People, they are taught English, given support and counseling as they transition into American culture, and more importantly, given dignity. These folks are not looking for a handout, they’re looking for a hand up. They are hard workers, and desire to become a part of the American fibre. At Plywood People they are given the tools they need to be successful long term, and given real purpose. 

Jeff is one of the most passionate and down to Earth guys I know. He is extremely tenacious, yet humble. In everything he does, he screams servanthood. Jeff is a mere 33 years old. Yeme is a mere 22 years old.  Yet both of these people are doing amazing work that is changing our world. Both of these people are making immeasurable positive change that will last generations. Both of these great people are doing work that others won’t, and for the most noble reasons, a love of people. 

And as I’ve thought about these two all day, the thought that comes to me is this: Every single one of us has the potential to change the world. Every single one of us has the potential to create and be a part of things that make lasting impacts on society and our planet. That means you, that means me, everyone. Age is not a factor. Location is not a factor. You can help make positive change right where you are. Volunteer at your local food bank. Offer to tutor kids in a subject you’re great at. Become passionate about a cause and get engaged. 

If there’s no real momentum towards that cause where you are, start it. The largest waves on an ocean start from a small change on the water’s surface. Yep. Think about what you can do, and do it. You can’t imagine the affect you can have. I’m sure Yeme or Jeff didn’t think about it, they just knew they needed to do something. The guys in Jars of Clay visited Africa in 2004, and after seeing the need for clean water and HIV/AIDS medications and treatment, started Blood:Water Mission in 2005. Dan Haseltine, lead singer of Jars of Clay and the catalyst (along with the other members) to start the project, was just 32 years old when Blood:Water Mission was started. 

And yet, from Blood:Water’s website, “2012 was a year to remember. Blood:Water Mission projects served 50,000 people through 100 water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda. The Tumaini Clinic in Kenya and the New Life Medical Center in Uganda both expanded their services this year - testing 4,000 people, enrolling 230 HIV clients, and treating 15,000 patients this year. Water projects have expanded to currently producing 4,000,000 gallons of water every day!”

I am inspired by these people, who’ve already made huge impacts, and will continue to do so. I’m challenged even more to change my world from where I’m at, with my skills and abilities. What will you change? What impact will you make? I don’t know yet, but I can assure you that you have the ability and passion to do it. And I can’t wait to see and hear about it. Change your world. Live a life that has impact and intention. You’re only here for a brief moment in time. 

 

Did you notice the update Facebook just pushed out a few days ago for iOS? Did you read what it did? Chances are, if you’re like me, you just hit “Update All” and moved on with your day. I did notice something when I took a look at the update notes, something about adding voice messages and pictures to messages. Didn’t think a lot about it, but tried it out tonight. 

Start a message with someone, just to the left of the enter text box, there’s a + sign. Click on the + sign, and you’re greeted with new choices. You can either add a photo from your photo library, take a picture and add, or add a voice message of up to 60 seconds. Hit Send, and there ya go! You now have the ability to add photos and voice messages in the Messaging feature!

Are you aware how much amazing coffee there is out on the market today, and how accessible it is? There are roasters all over the country roasting delicious coffees that are leaps and bounds better than that you might find on a grocery store shelf. So, you might ask yourself, why can’t I find a lot of this really good coffee on the shelf of your local Kroger, Publix, Albertson’s or Wegman’s. I know I’ve wondered that myself at times. Well, it’s actually simple and complicated at the same time.

The primary reason is, it’s awfully hard to maintain the integrity of a fresh product when you lose control over it. Once a grocery store purchases a roaster’s coffee, they are free to leave it on the shelf as long as it takes for that bag to be sold. That could be a couple of days, it could be a month, heck, I’ve seen coffee a year or more old from major specialty roasters. The grocery store is not going to discard the coffee just because it’s old, after all, they bought it and need to recoup their money for it. This is the main reason specialty coffee retailers don’t position their coffees on regular grocery store shelves.

Now, there are scenarios where it does happen, and is successful. At Batdorf & Bronson, we sell in local Whole Foods stores, and handle it like this: we deliver it, rotate it, and take old coffee of the shelves ourselves. We put our roast dates on the bottom of our bags (as roasters should), and encourage our customers to look for roast dates. At Whole Foods, customers who buy our coffee can be assured it’s fresh because we handle it ourselves. But, there are only 7 stores in our immediate area. There are 50 Krogers in our area here. There would no way to monitor that successfully. At smaller gourmet or specialty grocery stores, it’s much easier to manage.

One more reason is, that grocery store coffee can be a real scent wonderland, beckoning folks towards the scent of hazelnuts, chocolate, and Irish Cream, and because flavored coffees are always located immediately next to non-flavored coffees, there are opportunities for the aromas to permeate the bags and affect the carefully roasted single origin coffee you are paying $15.00 for. And that brings me to another reason why you don’t see a lot of specialty coffee in grocery store shelves. Grocers like to get the coffee at the lowest prices possible (ex. WalMart), and this drives down prices which makes someone in the middle lose money, either the farmer or the roaster.

It can also be a challenge to have your coffee (priced at $15-$20) next to coffee that’s $5 a tub, or $8.99 a bag, because it’s not really apples to apples, it’s more like apples to crabapples. With no real context, specialty coffees can seem overpriced. Without a real education to average coffee consumers, they won’t know or understand the price difference, and alas, the coffee will sit on the shelf even longer. Which is one reason I view my job as so important, I don’t want coffee sitting on shelves, I want it being enjoyed every morning. Educating customers as to the difference between an $8 bag of Folgers Gourmet Roast and a $15 bag of Batdorf & Bronson Guatemala Finca El Valle is something I take joy in, and that moment where they taste the difference is something that motivates me daily.

So, the next time you wander through your local grocery store and wonder why you can’t find your favorite local roaster on the shelves amidst the Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks Coffee, Folgers, and Green Mountain, you’ll now better understand, and consider it a good thing, actually. Besides, we all know that the best place to buy fresh roasted coffee is your local, independent coffee shop, because along with the whole bean coffee you’re looking for, they’ve got a nice cup of fresh roasted and fresh brewed coffee waiting on you!

So, I thought about something very interesting a little earlier. Someone sent me a message that said they were amazed “we were just doing it.” And if I’m honest, I’d say, I’m amazed, too. I can think of two times in the past six months I jokingly posted, “Thank God I’m not gluten-free”, yet here I am, having cut almost all gluten out of my diet. We don’t eat any bread, any grains, any dairy, or any sugars outside of what naturally occurs in fruits and coffee. (With the exception of the occasional craft beer.) I’m amazed that I just “did it”, too. I didn’t know I could do it. I never thought about it, we just did it. 

And the funny thing is, when this started, I had a lot of stuff going on personally, a lot of stuff I didn’t have any control of, like finances. Lots of things I couldn’t do anything about. I had some family stuff come up. I’ve been discouraged, but still pressing on. And yet, with the change in my diet it was something I could control. It was something I could do, regardless of what was going on elsewhere. And, it hit me today.

Instead of worrying about the things I can’t control, instead of fretting over that which I don’t have the power to change on my own, focus on what I can change, which in this case, was my diet, but it could have easily been my attitude, my love for my community, any number of things. I often think we spend so much time being unproductive on the things we can’t change, that we miss doing the things we can. We spend so much time wasting it, that we miss out on making best use of it. At least that’s the lesson I took away from it. 

Well, that and the lesson that no matter what you think you’re capable of, you’re always capable of so much more. I tend to downplay my own skills and abilities, because I think of all the people that are better than me. But what I’m capable of is a different animal. I can look back and think of some of the things I’ve done and been able to do and say, “wow.” I would have never thought I’d have lost a 12 pound bowling ball from my stomach in a month. I never would have thought I could cut out the stuff from my diet I have. Obviously I was capable of more than I thought. The weight loss is proof. Our changed diet is proof. 

So, if I could encourage you in any way, it would be with those two things. 1. Don’t focus on the things you can’t change, focus on the things you can, and do it.

2. No matter what you think you’re capable of, you’re capable of so much more. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone into more than you thought you could do. You may surprise yourself with what you can do. 

One thing that April and I most love is hosting friends at our house here in Atlanta. We love it for lots of reasons, but it’s always refreshing to us. We value community greater than most everything, and spending time with friends, building depth in relationships is incredibly valuable to us. Since we don’t have children, we have more free time on the weekends and most nights. Over the past three years, we’ve hosted probably a hundred friends or more. Our friends have lovingly named it “Hotel Dominy.”

Another thing we love doing, is giving couples a weekend to relax and rejuvenate, especially if they’ve already got kids. We love showing folks Atlanta, the sights, the sounds, the food, the drinks, and yes, the coffee. It’s something we’ve been able to do for lots of couples, and it’s always been great. We especially love hosting our friends from some of the places we’ve lived, because we certainly miss seeing them. 

Another thing we’ve been able to do is spend weekends with couples who work in coffee, a weekend outside of coffee, where coffee isn’t the focus. This is important because you need to have context of your life and relationships outside of your career. We’ve had great times hanging with coffee folks and just talking family, food, friends and fun. And they love not having to talk about brewing methods, recipes, and latte art competitions. 

We’ve also hosted folks during coffee events, or for training sessions at the Batdorf Atlanta Roastery. Every year, we host folks here during SERBC, and have hosted up to 10 folks in our small condo. Honestly, we love doing this, because it becomes like a cool, really small community for that three or four days. We also host folks who want to come to Batdorf Atlanta’s Roastery for sessions on espresso, manual brewing, latte art, and competition prep with Chandler Rentz, our Lead Trainer. 

April has a genuine gift of hospitality, and hopes to one day open our own bed and breakfast, so hosting folks is natural for her. She loves to cook for folks, something that makes visits for our friends also less expensive. And for me, building better community, getting to know folks outside of their careers, and just being a better friend is what I get out of it. So, if you get a chance to come spend a weekend with us, I hope you will. We’d love to host you. 

Below are just some of our guests, from some of these weekends. We cherish these weekends, their memories, and our friends. 

Well, the 28 Day Transformation Challenge is finishing up Sunday. I have to say, I’m glad, and kinda sad. Sad? Yeah. I mean, it almost feels like the training wheels will come off Sunday, and we’ll have to ride on our own. April and I have totally changed the way we eat, and the foods we eat in this short time. Instead of snacking on junk food, we snack on fruits, nuts and veggies. Instead of sweet tea everyday, we’ve replaced it with water. Instead of cake, brownies, cookies or pie, we’re eating fresh fruit. 

“So, what are you gonna do now that it’s over?” Lots of my friends have been asking me this very question. Well, I’m gonna eat real food, and lots of it. “Real” food being the keyword. Gone are the days of the cheapest, processed foods and meats. Now, we’re eating healthier alternatives. April’s excited about adding cheese back into our diets. She’s excited about adding honey into her diet. Me? Craft beer, an occasional burger, and lentil soup. I’m actually going to keep going with it as long as I can. I’ll keep almost all added sugar out. I’m going to come as close to eliminating bread from my diet. And I wasn’t eating or drinking a ton of dairy anyway, but occasional cheese will come back in. 

How do I feel? Well, I feel tons better! I feel healthier, my face looks thinner and more clear. I feel like I have more energy. I am more motivated to workout. I’m more motivated to change the way I eat for my future health. I’m excited about where I’m headed. April’s excited, she said her pants are getting loose, and she’s wearing shirts she couldn’t before. Me? Well, I’ve had to go up a notch on my belt. I’ve got one pair of jeans that are not just too big, I’ve had to put them up in my closet. I’ve lost good weight off my stomach. It’s made a huge difference.

Considering that I’ve not really worked out as much as I wanted to, or as often, I’m amazed. Which is exactly why I’m going to keep going, because if I could lose without working out as much as I wanted, I can only imagine what it will look like in a month after working out more. I’m committed, because I’ve seen the change already, and I know more is on the way. This was not and is not, a New Year’s resolution. This just happened around that time. This is about challenging myself to do more, to see if I can really do it, and the more change I see, the more it motivates me. 

So, where did I end up at the end? Well, I feel tons better. My clothes are fitting better. I’ve lost 12 pounds total. And I’m excited to keep going. I’m not a quitter, and I love a good challenge, so that’s just what I’ll do. I’d like to personally thank Jenn Purdy at FitWit, as well as Fiona Sites-Bowen, as they’ve inspired, educated, and motivated us to eat better and live better. Their FitWit program is a great mixture of eating better and fun workouts, and I highly recommend it. There’s a reason they’re so popular and well-reviewed. 

And here’s the results of my measurements at FitWit’s weigh-in Feb. 2nd.

(BTW, the second measurement is Waist.) 

Anonymous asked: I see the lunch menu and I see pastrami but not a regular corned beef sandwich. Can one get that? Thanks.

I’m sorry, I don’t know, but would guess so.

Today was a Friends and Family soft open for the new venture from amazing husband and wife team Jen and Ben Johnson (of West Egg Cafe fame), Shelley Sweet, and former Bocado chef, Todd Ginsberg. First off, it’s a very beautiful space in a very new development right across from the CDC, and just down the road from Emory University. As far as traffic goes, this place is going to be VERY busy. The inside has glimpses of the beautiful design of the Westside’s West Egg, but has an elevated “classiness” that makes it stand out against it’s big brother. 

It is absolutely stunning, from the pictures of Ben and Jen’s family on the walls, to the white tile (also at West Egg), to the nice hanging globes in what looks like chicken wire. There is a nice wall with cool black booths, in which mirrors are mounted on the wall above (just like West Egg.) There’s also a nice long bar, and a cool deli section, where fresh pastries and other sundries can be found, like the coffee bar at West Egg.

But, that’s where similarities end. The menu is Jewish deli mostly, with classic Jewish deli dishes like very tasty and juicy pastrami sandwiches, classic Reubens, and matzo ball soup. I recognized the Double Burger Stack right away, as the Burger Stack at Bocado (from which Todd came) is my favorite burger in Atlanta, and knew I had to try it. Thankfully I was also able to try some pastrami from Jay, our production guy at Batdorf Atlanta who joined me. I chose the mixed greens as my side, and they were very delicious with a lemon and herb vinaigrette. 

I ended the meal with a Cortado, featuring the General Muir Blend by Batdorf & Bronson, which was perfect in size, flavor and texture of milk. My friend Carl Black, who also joined me, had a Macchiato which was delicious. They have a new 2 group Linea, seasoned veteran baristas, and will do really well with coffee here. Add their delicious pastries and cookies, and you’ve got a really nice place for lunch or coffee and pastry! I can’t wait to go back!

Home brewers have always gotten a bad rap from more experienced coffee lovers, because it could never replicate the consistent and balanced brews of a good commercial brewer like the Fetco and Bunn brewers you find in your local independent coffee shop.

Home coffee could never be as good as your local coffee shop for two reasons. 1. The water in most of the cheaper home brewers like the ones you find for $20 at your local Target don’t get the water hot enough. The optimum temperature for extracting coffee is between 195-205. Anything outside of this makes the flavor suffer. 2. Most folks are still using those cheap $20 blade grinders, which chop the grinds up into very inconsistent sizes. Under the blade, fine powder, on top, more course grinds. This leads to very inconsistent brews. Replacing the blade grinder with a good burr grinder like the Baratza Encore makes all the difference in the world, and helps you on your way to better coffee.

If you’re not interested in manual brewing coffee, like using the Clever, Chemex, Aeropress, or pourovers like the Hario V60, Beehouse, or Kalita Wave brewers, then you have very few choices for electric brewing that does get to the proper temperature. The standard for many years, has been the Technivorm Brewers. They do a great job of heating the water up to the proper temp, and have a great spray head to evenly distribute the hot water over the grounds. The biggest con for this brewer has been the price, as it retails for around $300.

There are two relatively new brewers that also heat the water up to the proper temp, and are made to please even the most critical coffee palates. First, the Bonavita Brewer, which in design resembles the Technivorm in simplicity. It retails for around $150, and we carry it at our Dancing Goats Coffee Bars and on our website. The Bonavita doesn’t have lots of features, just a simple on/off button. It uses regular Melitta-style #4 cone filters like you’d use with the Clever. 

Second, is the new Behmor Brazen. If you’ve never heard of Behmor, you’ve never delved into the home roasting industry, because that’s where they’ve made their mark for years with the 1600 home roaster. Now, they’re throwing their hat into the home brewing arena with the Brazen. The Brazen has lots of features, including adjustments for altitude and full temperature controls. It also has programming for delayed brewing and other things. It has a great, large spray head too. Plus, it looks very well made. The water reservoir is stainless steel with indented markings for water amounts. 

Today we did a taste comparison between the Behmor, Bonavita, and we also brewed a batch off the Fetco CBS-2031e for safe measure - to see if these new home brewers come close to the commercial brewers in taste. I had nine people who participated, including two of Batdorf Atlanta’s roasters, four coffee industry folks (including myself), and three of our customers, just lovers of coffee. I think it was a very well balanced panel. 

Now, for the particulars: The coffee amount used was 65 grams of coffee for 8 cups (cup being 5oz. as per both instruction manuals.) The water temperature was 208 in the Behmor, 205 in both the Fetco and Bonavita. The coffee used was Batdorf & Bronson’s Guatemala Finca El Valle, a perennial favorite. All were brewed at the same time. I measured time, and each person recorded Taste, Overall Balance (including body and acidity) and Overall Notes. Each person had a separate sheet for each brewer to record notes. Coffee was sampled blindly, with no one knowing which coffee came from which brewer. Scoring was from 1-5, with 5 being best, 1 being worst. 

Now, for the results. 

The Bonavita scored an average of 3.38 for taste. It scored an average of 3.38 for overall balance. Notes written included: Good brightness, dark sugars, sweet, buttery, heavy body, clean, very well-balanced, nice aftertaste, nice mouthfeel, rich flavor, sweet finish, chocolate flavors, nutty. 

The Behmor actually got brewed and scored two ways, because it comes standard with a gold mesh filter, and to make it fair I brewed one batch with a paper filter so they were all brewed with paper filters, too. The Behmor scored an average of 2.72 for taste when brewed with the gold mesh filter, and an average of 3.28 for overall balance. Notes written included: Nutty, high acidity, sour aftertaste, most bitter, flat flavor, tangy, sour, sweet start and sour finish, medium mouthfeel. Everyone agreed the coffee brewed with the gold mesh filter wasn’t very good. 

So, again, to be fair, I brewed it with a paper filter. It scored much higher, with an average of 3.93 for taste, and 3.25 for overall balance. Flavor notes included: Much sweeter, more balanced acidity, softer and smoother than the previous brew, spicy, nutty, bold, cinnamon, slightly bitter finish. 

The Fetco scored an average of 3.38 for taste, and 3.38 for overall balance. Notes included: Bitter, sour, bright, crisp acidity, sharp citrus tones, dry aftertaste, citrus flavors, tea-like taste, caramel, hints of fruit, sweet finish, nutty, toasty. 

As you can deduce, there are now home brewers that brew coffee that tastes as well as, if not better, than some commercial brewers. The Bonavita and Behmor (using a paper filter) both did very well, and are great brewers for any home. Advantage? Well, they balance out. The Bonavita is $50 cheaper, but has less control over some of the variables. The Behmor has more controls, including great temperature controls and adjustments, but is $50 more than the Bonavita. In the end, either one is going to suit you well.

I tend the think the Bonavita is going to be the best all-around brewer for most homes looking to upgrade their home brewer, if they’re not interested in manual brewing. It’s the perfect balance of great coffee, ease of use, and lower price makes it more accessible. It scored very well, and had a great balanced cup. The Behmor is a great brewer for prosumer use, people either working in coffee, or more experienced coffee folks who are looking for even more control over brewing their coffee. It’s great to see home brewers do this well in a comparison, and more proof that these are great times for folks drinking coffee at home.

UPDATE: 1/29/13.

Today I went back into the lab to measure a couple of things I didn’t get a chance to yesterday and figure out why it took the Behmor so much longer to brew a pot of coffee than the Bonavita. Today, I brewed in 6 cup batches, (each cup is 5oz), which is about what a normal household might brew. Yesterday I was brewing in 8 cup batches, or 40oz. Today, I used 48 grams of coffee, which lines up with their recommended 8 grams per 5 ounce cup. I was measuring both time and temperature today, and we tasted them to note the differences. Joining me in tasting today was Aaron, our head roaster, Brad, and Matt, our other two roasters, Mike Ferguson, and a couple of other folks. There was a clear difference in taste between the two.

So, let’s get to the data:

For the Behmor Brazen, it takes 3:20 to bring the room temperature water to 205 degrees. Total brew time for a 6 cup batch was 9:43. The end temperature was measured with two calibrated thermometers, taken just after brewing was finished. The end temperature was 162 degrees.

For the Bonavita Brewer, it takes 25 seconds to start brewing, and the total brew time for a 6 cup batch (30oz.) was 4:25. The end temperature was 170 degrees. 

You may ask yourself, why does it take the Behmor twice as long to brew the same amount of coffee. It’s actually very simple. The Bonavita uses an internal boiler displace system, like you’d see in a commercial pourover brewer. You pour water in, the water that has been heating in the boiler is used to brew the coffee with and is displaced by the colder water. The Behmor doesn’t have an internal boiler, instead, a reservoir on the top boils the water before brewing. Hence the additional time to heat the water from room temperature. 

As far as the taste goes, with both using paper filters, 48 grams of coffee, ground on the same setting, the same amount of water, the Bonavita had more body and bright flavors. But our roasters loved the variable controls of the Behmor and the ability to change temperatures for different coffees. 

In this new era of social media, it seems there are a lot more critics ready and waiting to share their thoughts on everything, from the meals they eat, to the hotels they stay at, to the way the cable company treats them. And now more than ever, average folks opinions actually have the ability to sway other’s buying decisions on a larger scale. If you think about it, the way it used to be, if you didn’t like a meal, you maybe told a few people, and there was a small chance they’d tell a few, that’s where that feedback ended. But with social media, one tells all on a site like Yelp, and maybe on their Facebook or Twitter pages, to potentially thousands of people.

With all that power moved to consumers, you can imagine it’s not been without it’s detractors. After all, this ability gives anyone a voice, whether for good intentions or bad. Anyone who has that one bad experience of the night is the first to post it up, even if all other experiences were great that night. And that can be not very fair for a restaurant or coffee shop. There are lots of examples of whiny Yelp users, writing the most ridiculous of reviews, if you only thought of these reviews, it would be enough to write the whole site off. But the problem is, these aren’t the only kinds of reviews on the site.

I am a third year Yelp Elite member. What does that mean? Well, it means that I write a lot of good reviews that help a lot of people make more informed decisions with their money. I write reviews to help my friends avoid wasting money at places they eat, drink coffee, or stay at hotels. I don’t use my status as an Elite member for any gain, I don’t tell any of the places I go to, and I don’t care to. It’s just a title. I value the ability to help my friends, and give them my thoughts on these places, they’re asking me anyway! I write fair reviews that I hope are helpful to these businesses, and I’ve received great messages from businesses that are doing a great job, or those that took the feedback seriously and are working on fixing the problems. It can be a very constructive thing. 

So, what do I mean when I say that Yelp and TripAdvisor can be great things for businesses? Well, I am writing a lot of very positive review that will encourage my friends to check some of these places out. Isn’t that positive? I write lots of positive reviews for hotels on TripAdvisor, so my friends and friends of friends can have a great stay when they are out of town. After all, in most instances they’ve not been to these places, I have. I know the best areas to stay. I know if the hotel’s too far from town, or the doors slam too hard around you all night so you can’t sleep. This is a positive thing. This is good for business!

Even if you’re a business and you’re getting bad reviews, that’s great! What? Well, that means you have a good amount of feedback from your customers that you can take and put into perspective and context, to see if there are things that you can do to correct them and make your business better! Listen, everyone can’t just be whining! There has to be some valid feedback in those negative reviews that you need to hear! If you see in the reviews that lots of people complain about your coffee being too hot, then check the temp of your coffee. It may be too hot. If it’s not, maybe figure out a way to communicate to your customers what your standards are and why. 

I check the Yelp reviews of the Dancing Goats Coffee Bars here in Atlanta frequently. If there are reviews that are more negative, I leave them a note letting them know I am glad they left the feedback and am passing it on to the Managers. If it’s good, I leave a note letting them know that I appreciate them taking the time to leave good feedback, but if at any point they do have an issue to let me know, so I can pass it on to the Managers. I view Yelp as a valuable tool for our business, and a positive thing overall. 

And like with ANYTHING you read on the internet, you don’t just read one thing, you read them all to get a sense of customer sentiment. I don’t read just ONE review of a business and make my decision of whether or not to do business. That would be foolish. What if the one review I read was a disgruntled employee? I read lots. When I schedule a trip out of town for work, I research the hotel I’m going to stay at for several hours. I check TripAdvisor, Expedia, Orbitz and Hotels.com. I read lots of reviews to gain an overall sentiment. With restaurants, I read lots of Yelp reviews, as well as Atlanta Journal reviews and Creative Loafing reviews. 

So, can you see how these review sites are good? I sure can. You also have to think that when you are doing well, you have tons of people telling the world how great you are. That is a positive thing, it’s free advertising! You have thousands of people saying nice things about what you do! With TripAdvisor, these are reviews from normal people, and when normal people I can see the picture of, give great reviews, I have to say it carries weight. That’s a positive thing! 

If you’re a business, you need to view Yelp and TripAdvisor as positive things. Because they are, and should be! Yes, with all websites there’s bad apples in with the good. Look past that. Look at all the good. Use it for your businesses advantage as free advertising! Use it as a tool to help make your business the best it can be. Use it to connect with your customers on a deeper level, to help build community. Because that’s the potential of social media for your business. It really does have the potential to help you if you know how to use it. 

I don’t remember when it happened, but somewhere, along the way, I lost the sense of empowerment and wonder that comes with dreaming big dreams, with muting sensibility, with setting forth to climb large mountains with no hesitation. And that’s sad to me tonight, as I ponder it. I remember, I heard you could promote concerts with artists, you know, bring them in and book the venue, schedule the caterer, and volunteers to help. So, I booked a show with a national touring band that was hot on the college music scene. I remember signing my name to the contract, a contract that held me responsible for thousands and thousands of dollars. I remember signing it with no hesitation at all. I also remember the concert selling out in a matter of weeks.

I remember everything coming together as I had planned, my team worked perfectly to our plan, worked hard, and everything went off without a hitch. So, I did another show with another artist. And then another. Then, I booked a show for the fabulous 40Watt Club in Athens. And then, an almost sold-out show with Jars of Clay at the Classic Center. And each time I signed the contract, now, up to $14k, I never winced. I knew I could do it. No part of me thought it wasn’t possible. I knew the market, I booked the correct venue, I organized well. More importantly, the teams I organized worked their butts off, and made the events a success. 

Last week, I thought about my experience in promoting concerts, and the thought that came to my head was, “I must have been outta my mind!” Now, there’s no way I would sign my name to a contract guaranteeing $12k. I don’t have it. I don’t know how I’d get it. I’d be scared to even try. I’m sure I could do it, I’ve done events in the past year that had lots of people, lots of moving parts, and I certainly didn’t do them by myself, these things are impossible to do by yourself, but the parts I played I did well. I just think I’d be scared to commit, for fear of failure. I wasn’t scared like this when I lived in Augusta, or Athens. I am now. 

Today, I was writing down some goals for myself for this year, both personally and professionally. I realized that my goals were safe. I realized that in my goals, I wasn’t swinging for the fence, I was merely hitting for a single. And it hit me, I had lost my sense of wonder and imagination for what’s possible. One of the things I was raised hearing from my Mom was, that anything is possible if you work hard. And I’ve certainly worked hard, and have had successes. In high school, I worked two jobs at a time. In college, I once worked three jobs at a time, including the school’s Financial Aid office, a local sports shop and a telemarketing gig. To buy our first home, I worked a full-time job, and delivered pizzas at night to eliminate debt so we could buy it. 

So, tonight, I rewrote my goals. I went out of my comfort zone, and I planned big things. I also thought about the work that it will take, and it doesn’t scare me, it actually excites me. I’m ready to take it to the next level, and I’m ready to make sure that my professional goals match up with my personal goals. I’m also ready to continue to work on bettering myself, my attitude, and my marriage. 

What about you? Do you find yourself holding yourself back by your own fears and doubts? I know I have. 

Eight days ago, I started the 28 Day Transformation Challenge with FitWit. It’s 28 days of both physical challenges and diet changes that are said to lead to a healthier body in just a month. I accepted the challenge right away, as I knew I wanted to be healthier, I wanted to lose some weight, and I was curious as to what the fuss was about with FitWit. I have several friends that have done FitWit’s camp and they absolutely loved it. So, I committed to it, not really knowing what to expect. 

I’ll start with the diet. The diet you’re asked to follow is loosely based on the Whole30 and Paleo programs. What’s that, you ask? Well, no dairy, no grains, no sugars, no legumes and nothing processed. You can eat all the meats, veggies and fruits you want. When I first took a look at the list, it didn’t seem that hard, honestly. I don’t have to have bread with each meal, can do without the sweet tea, and figured the no dairy wouldn’t be that bad, either. Eight days into it, going gluten-free and no sugars, has been interesting. It certainly causes you to think about what you were eating before, and what you’re eating now. You become more aware of what’s in what you’re eating and you see the crap that companies are putting in your food. Nitrites, high fructose corn syrup, so much junk. 

So, how am I doing with it? Well, I will admit being tired of eating sweet potatoes already, sandwiches wrapped in lettuce are still weird, and I miss simple things like A1, the occasional craft beer and corn. I feel fine, and keep in mind that last week I was still recovering from the brutal flu I had. Going out to eat is a real chore, you have to research it before you go to see if they have things you can eat. Then, you may have to ask the server to leave certain things off. It’s more of an inconvenience than anything. Have I lost weight? Well, sure. How much? Well, you’ll see. 

What about the FitWit workouts? Well, I attended one on Thursday, and despite being honestly scared, did okay. I’m still battling a very sore back/rib cage from coughing when I had the flu, and I wasn’t back at 100% when I went, but I worked out a solid hour with them. Learning the various kettle ball exercises and cardio, I was able to hang with them for the most part, but did get to a point when at least for me that night, enough was enough, and the solid rain we were doing it in didn’t help. I will say that the leaders are super-encouraging and friendly, and Casey, whose my leader, has been very supportive. I’d definitely recommend FitWit for this kind of program. I hope to rejoin them when I return on Monday, as I’m carless at the moment and can’t get there and back. 

What will I take away from this? Well, thankfully I didn’t go gluten-free because of a specific health issue, the things I’ve done were by choice. That means I can put some of the things I’ve taken out back into my diet after the 28 days. Does that mean back to old bad habits? Well, no, it doesn’t. I’ve learned an awful lot about what good food is, and how bad bad food is, and I’ll let that lead me in the future. I will certainly cut back on bread and sugars, especially at night. I’ll certainly look for foods that aren’t so processed with words I can’t even pronounce. I’ll make sure the lessons I’ve learned matter. 

I’m also grateful April chose to do it with me, she’s been very helpful in coming up with meals, cooking and planning out our menus. She didn’t have to do it with me, and has cut her beloved Cokes out among everything else, which I never thought I’d see. She’s been great, and told me today she’d even lost some weight (which made her happy.) So, kudos to starting out 2013 with healthier diets and bodies! (Did I mention I could really go for a big burger? (With the bun.))

It’s 2013, and you’re probably making lots of resolutions for the new year. Personally, I’m making goals, and if you need a good goal or resolution for 2013, might I suggest this one: Makeover your home coffee for 2013. It’s very easy to do, and I’m going to show you how. This is not only easy, but very affordable, coming in at less than one of those Keurig machines, and the coffee for it is cheaper, as well. More affordable, better quality, more delicious, it’s a win-win-win.

Start with a good burr grinder. I recommend the Baratza Encore grinder, which can be found for around $100, and Baratza often has refurbs for a tad less. One of the biggest pieces to good coffee at home, most often overlooked, a burr grinder crushes the beans into more uniform pieces, created a more consistent extraction. Ever notice how your blade grinder chops up the beans into very fine powder and big chunks all at the same time? Ever notice how hot the grinds get? This is all bad for brewing better coffee. So, upgrade your grinder, and you’ll instantly upgrade your coffee life.

Pick up a kitchen scale that measures in grams. Measure your coffee out in grams, instead of scoops or cupfuls and you’ll immediately make a more consistent cup of coffee. Scoops or cupfuls will give you different amounts each time, especially with many sizes of beans, measuring by weight is easy and consistent! I use ones by AWS Scales, like this one http://www.americanweigh.com/product_info.php?cPath=50&products_id=2728, and these can be found around $20-$30. 

Then, take a look at the water you’re using to brew said coffee. Most folks just use tap water, and if you want to get the best tasting coffee out, you’ll need to use the best tasting water you can use. I recommend filtered water, like the kind you get with a Brita filter, or the PUR system. Personally, we use a Brita fridge shelf unit, and it does make a difference. So, clean up your water, and you’ll taste the difference. Also, make sure you’re using the proper temperature for brewing coffee. Coffee is best extracted at between 195-205, so make sure you’re using the proper temperature water, as well!

Next, pick up a great brewing device, like the Clever Dripper. I always recommend the Clever, because it provides most folks with the easiest and most consistently good cup of coffee at home. It’s very easy to use, clean-up is very simple, and it’s very inexpensive at around $15-$20. I put together a little video on how to use it here: https://vimeo.com/34145557. Clean up is very simple, as you simply pull out the filter with spent grounds, and you can compost both, rinse the Clever out with hot water, and it’s done. 

Great filters are also needed. I recommend the oxygen rinsed white filters you find in stores, as opposed to the natural filters you see. The natural filters give off a distinct paper taste that greatly affects your cup of coffee. 

Lastly, you really do need fresh roasted coffee, ground just before you use it. That means most coffee you can buy at the supermarket won’t cut it, because most all of it is older coffee, and fresh coffee makes a HUGE difference in the taste of your morning cup. I recommend you never buy coffee without knowing when it was roasted, and knowing it was roasted within a few weeks of your buying it. Atlanta is loaded with great, fresh coffee, as Batdorf & Bronson roasts here on the Westside, and fills coffee shelves all over Atlanta, from it’s Dancing Goats Coffee Bars, to Star Provisions, Whole Foods, West Egg, Belly General Store, really all over. Check the bag, look for a roast date, make sure it’s fresh. Open the bag, does it smell good? If it doesn’t, there ya go, it’s probably not gonna make a great cup of coffee. On bags of Batdorf & Bronson’s coffee, the roast date is on the bottom. Fresh roasted coffee, ground just before you use it, makes all the difference in the world. I recommend you start with a great coffee like the Guatemala Finca El Valle from Batdorf. 

And that’s it, it’s really a simple makeover, but makes such a huge difference! And let me know if you have any questions, or would like to see this in person, I’m always happy to help!