The Thinking Cup Blog — Coffee

Are you familiar with the term coffee cupping? Coffee cupping is the practice of evaluating coffee based on a number of specific qualities—similar to a wine tasting. While professional coffee tasters or “Master Tasters” perform this ritual with the refinery one would expect of someone with an exceptional level of coffee education, the average consumer can take a few notes on what to look for when evaluating a good cup of coffee. Here are the five areas one should analyze when evaluating the quality of a good cup of coffee: Aroma – Coffees can have a broad range of aromas,...

If you’re hoping to find one of the best coffee shops in Boston, but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve created a quick guide discussing things you should look for. Do you hear a grinder running? If you don’t hear a grinder running for each drinking, especially if the majority of drinks on the menu are espressos, it’s a bad sign. A barista that doesn’t ground fresh coffee for each cup is likely brewing stale grounds for their espressos, which is not something you want to drink. Does the coffee shop strive to promote coffee education to those who want...

Do you know, why Boston is often called Beantown? The beautiful city of Boston earned its nickname many years ago because of the city's love of coffee. It may seem amazing, but it's true, Boston's association with coffee had existed since the 1600s, when Dorothy Jones of Boston was issued the first license to sell coffee as reported by a few sources. Actually, The Boston Tea Party was scheduled in 1773 in the Green Dragon—a café. Apparently, Bostonians cherish their coffee, and thus majority find themselves on an endless search for the best coffee in Boston. Beyond any doubt Boston...

Coffee lovers in Boston are continually searching for better ways to enjoy their favorite drinks. One new brewing method may possibly have the appropriate answer. Oftentimes, when coffee and water is combined for an active brewing, water is pushed through the coffee in one form or another. However, an interesting new brewing system named the American Press which recently surfaced does the exact opposite. While grounds are sealed in a filter basket, they are manually pushed through water during the brewing process instead of the reverse. While using the American Press to brew, factors such as input ratio, water temperature,...

In Boston or the U.S. at large, It's one thing for adults to kick start their day with a cup or two (or three or four) of coffee, but is this practice safe for our kids? Drive by any coffee shop here in Boston, and you'll find an alarming new coffee trend: Half the people standing in line with you for your normal morning double-double are teenagers! And most of the Third Wave Coffee lovers tend to be a bit on the younger side. Although that's not the issue here, the fact is, the age of some of Boston's best...