October 2007

Coffee-related products / K-Cups/Keurig brewers: alternatives

Keurig reusable coffee filter for single cup brewers

Some time ago, I wrote a post on refilling K-Cups, the single-serve coffee “pods” used with the Keurig single-cup coffee brewers.  I hate the idea of sending the plastic, foil-topped cups to the landfill.  An internal memo provided to me by a representative of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which owns a large share of Keurig Corp. and manufactures K-Cups, stated “the environmental impact of the K-Cup waste stream is one of the most significant environmental challenges we face.”

The company does offer a product which completely avoids the throw-away K-Cups: the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter. Let’s take a look at this product.  (Update: this review refers to the older version, but the concept is the same. I’ve since written a table of K-Cup alternative products, with links to all my reviews, updated in December 2018).

What it is
The My K-Cup is a simple three-part contraption: a mini gold filter basket that fits into a filter holder with a lid. The filter holder corresponds with the removable assembly in the Keurig brewers that hold the disposable K-Cups. I thought perhaps it would be difficult or annoying to swap out this assembly for the My K-Cup, but either pops right out and the other pops right in. Simple.

How it works
Very straightforward. 1) Fill the filter basket with ground coffee. 2) Set it in the bottom holder, twist on the lid. 3) Pop out the assembly in your Keurig brewer, and pop in this holder assembly. 4) Push the brew button.

The math
There is, of course, a bit of finesse involved in step 1 above.

First, a standard measure for coffee is 2 tablespoons per 6-ounce cup of coffee. Since “tablespoons” (and coffee scoops) vary, we’ll go with the equivalent recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, 10 grams per 6 oz cup. I realize I’m mixing metric with English measurements. Most people have kitchen scales, which are able to measure weight in grams. And most average-sized coffee mugs are between 6 and 8 ounces. Once you know what 10 grams looks like, and how much water you typically use, you’ll know how to make your coffee.

So, the package insert says that the My K-Cup holds 2.7 tablespoons of coffee. I won’t use a conversion formula to tell you what the equivalent is in grams, since I’ve not found one with the proper translation of volume to weight for coffee. I simply used my scale, and the My K-Cup holds right around 14.5 to 16 grams of coffee.

Usage tips
The instructions say not to pack the My K-Cup filter. The water would not flow through the coffee, grounds would overflow into the holder, and they would clog the hole at the bottom of the holder. Likewise, very fresh coffee (which I hope you are using) “blooms” as the hot water causes a release of carbon dioxide. That can also cause overflow and cloggage.

So use care to only fill the filter to just under the plastic rim. Actually, probably the worst aspect of the whole My K-Cup experience is filling this little filter with coffee grounds. It’s easiest with a spoon, but still sort of a pain.

A very fine espresso grind may clog the filter and cause the same problem. I experienced this because I thought I would get more flavor from a very fine grind, and it made a mess. It will require some care to find the correct grind that will allow enough extraction but not cause clogging or overflow.This probably varies with the coffee and roast strength, not to mention the grinder. Start with a grind somewhat finer than a drip grind. Go with as fine a grind as possible that doesn’t cause brew failure.

Results

Compared to a drip machine, the Keurig provides a slightly cooler brew temperature (the max is 192F) and a shorter length of time the grounds are in contact with the water. Therefore, the 15 grams of coffee in the My K-Cup would work best with smaller brew sizes (under the large 9 ounce choice offered on the brewers).I did some tests, using the same coffee and same grind with the My K-Cup, a drip brewer, and the Aeropress small batch coffee maker. Not surprisingly, the Aeropress offered the most rich and intense flavor. But the My K-Cup does make a cup quite comparable to a typical drip machine.

And if you are so pressed for time that you are using a Keurig brewer in the first place, my bet is that you neglected to clean your old drip machine on a regular basis. This is a huge, overlooked advantage of a Keurig brewer: it doesn’t get dirty. You will certainly want to wash the My K-Cup filter and holder (or the assembly for the disposable K-cups) with soapy water on a regular basis, but overall it’s much less work than maintaining a drip machine.

Conclusion
The My K-Cup is the sustainable choice — when used with a sustainable bean, of course — for use with a Keurig brewer. Still, it will probably not satisfy those who want a strong, really flavorful cup (especially a big one). I think Green Mountain has achieved good results with some of their K-Cup  varieties, although I’ve yet to have any K-Cup that compared to a decent bean in a French press preparation. It would probably take a lot of experimentation to get consistent, really satisfying, beyond-the-ordinary coffee using a variety of beans with My K-Cup. This sort of defeats some of the convenience of a Keurig brewer, but still preserves the speed, energy efficiency, and coffee waste minimization advantages of these machines.

Coffee reviews / Latin America

Coffee review: Paradise Roasters Panama Carmen Estate

Plainspoken Coffee. A Coffee Review for Ordinary People by Ordinary People, #28.

It’s taken too long to get around to reviewing coffee from one of the most well-known coffee farms in the world that is marketed as sustainable, Panama’s Carmen Estate. Although often available from a variety of roasters, this review will feature a top boutique roasters. Let’s look at Paradise Roaster’s Panama Carmen Estate 1750 Reserve.

Carmen Estate is located in Chiriqui province near the town of Paso Ancho (you can input these coordinates into Google Earth or Maps for the exact location: 8.823611, -82.631944). It is Rainforest Alliance certified, and 60% of the property is native forest. It is not certified organic; I know they use some non-organic soil amendments such as calcium. They grow cataui, caturra, and typica varieties, which are represented in this lot.

Carmen Estate has won the following honors:

  • 2003, Best of Panama Cupping for Quality competition: 3rd place (88.05 pts)
  • 2005, Best of Panama Cupping for Quality competition: 3rd place (92.54 pts)
  • 2005, Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality competition: 1st place (90.75 pts)
  • 2006, Best of Panama Cupping for Quality competition: 3rd place (89.71 pts)
  • 2006, Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality competition: 2nd place (88 pts)
  • 2007, Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality competition: 2nd place (88.96 pts)
  • 2007, Best of Panama Cupping for Quality competition: 5th place (89.35)

Paradise’s 1750 Reserve is a special micro-lot from the top elevations of the farm (one might assume at 1750 meters, but I’ve read elsewhere it’s from even higher), although the “lowest” elevation of the farm is about 1450 meters — higher than the top locations of many farms.

I have to say, the Miguel Meza, head roaster at Paradise, sure knows how to roast coffee. I may have had some coffee from them I wasn’t crazy about (although none come to mind), but it was never the fault of the roast. He can really read a bean.

This was a light roast, with a truly room-filling, delicious aroma when ground. In the French press, it had all the best characteristics of a classic Central American: very sweet, with understated candy-like caramel tones, a hint of chocolate, and a light body, although not quite as bright and acidic as some Centrals. It was nicely balanced, and consistent as it cooled. Some of its delicate subtlety was, as expected, lost in a drip preparation. This is a great warm-weather coffee, as reviewers felt it was light and refreshing, perhaps even a little on the delicate side. It’s one of those very enjoyable coffees that you can drink all day. As we’ve said many times, it’s hard to really describe a classic Central, but this is as good as they come. It just made me feel….happy.  3.75 motmots.

Review of this coffee from Coffee Cuppers here.

Fair and Direct Trade

Fair Trade news

This blog focuses on sustainable coffee specifically as it pertains to the environment. I’ve written some about Fair Trade, because there is a connection between poverty and environmental degradation. But Fair Trade is complex, and the issues surrounding Fair Trade coffee alone are numerous. There are many blogs that focus exclusively on Fair Trade, and C&C will continue to deal more with science and leave the economics to the others. But October is Fair Trade month, and there have been several interesting articles on Fair Trade in the media lately. I’d like to just point out a couple.

  • Fair Trade in bloom — New York Times. Discusses the increase in consumer demand for FT products, and how many big companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Specifically highlighted are Sam’s Club and its Brazilian supplier, Cafe Bom Dia. I’ve already written about Cafe Bom Dia. It is an enormous operation. It’s hard for me to believe Bom Dia cannot pay their farmers more than FT prices. I think the Times article is worthwhile to read along with last year’s piece by the Organic Consumers Organization, Wal-Mart’s attempt to sell the “cheapest Fair Trade coffee in America” generates skepticism.
  • Fair Trade coffee price unchanged after 10 years — National Post (Canada). After a recent increase of US$0.05/lb in the social premium (which goes to communities for schools, clinics, etc.), the minimum price for FT coffee paid to the cooperatives is $1.31/lb. When FT pricing was established, coffee was trading around $0.60/lb. Today, when I checked the market price (“C” coffee futures on the NYBOT), it was trading at $1.36/lb, and yesterday’s composite indicator price (how calculated) for arabicas was around $1.40/lb.The FT price is indexed to the market price; it rises to $0.05/lb above the market price if it reaches the FT minimum. I’m not sure which “market price” FT is based upon (I’m pretty sure it’s the C market), or when or how the new FT price is triggered. However, when coffee prices are rising, due to any number of factors including poor weather, the gap closes between the FT and market prices. Then there is less incentive for co-ops to become FT certified (which costs money), diluting FT’s power until prices fall again. Rising prices aside, the FT is not indexed to inflation or (falling) value of the US dollar. This is a challenging time for FT and farmers, and it will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.