What Not

We order the finest green coffee beans from several coffee brokers both in Wisconsin and in California.  We choose a variety of coffees to try to satisfy all our customers needs and to ensure that the farmers growing the beans are getting a fair price while the environment and worker conditions are being considered. 

At EVP we use only Arabica beans.  These are a higher quality bean that grows at a higher altitude and produces less beans per plant each year.   These beans grow slower which results in a more concentrated flavor. Robusta beans, which are cheaper and easier to grow are used in most store bought coffee.  These beans grow at lower altitudes, produce more beans per plant and contain more caffeine.  These beans are considered a lower grade and are not found in most gourmet coffee shops.

Roasting

     There are two basic methods used to roast coffee:  the traditional drum or barrel roasting technique and the air roasting technique. The drum roasting technique is considered the traditional way of roasting coffee beans with a concept similar to that of a dryer.  The beans circulate within the cylinder and are roasted.  Roasting can be uneven and some beans that remain in direct contact with the cylinder are scorched.  This is a much less controlled method and involves many years of experience to develop skill in roasting. Each drum has it's own flavor and characteristics based on it's history which can produce a distinctive additional taste on top the coffee's own flavor.

The final temperature of each roast can vary from light (Scandinavian) to very dark (French Roast). The lighter the roast the higher the caffeine content...Surprised? At EVP we prefer a medium roast for its versatility and so as to preserve as much of the original flavor of the bean as possible.

Brewing

Brewing good coffee is easy if you can consider a number of different variables:

Water:  Brewed coffee tastes only as good as the water you use to brew it. Start with cold, fresh and filtered water.

Grind:  The correct grind makes a huge difference in making a great cup at home. Ask your EVP barista the exact grind for your coffee maker and then consider a burr grinder for home.  These grinders chew up the grind and then empty the ground coffee as they go. Regular home grinders can burn the coffee with over and irregular grinding and produce a bitter cup. If you use up your coffee within a few days you can have it ground at EVP but this coffee will lose most of it's aroma and flavor within 3 days (even in an airtight container). Our rule for storage is this:  Always use an airtight container.  If you will use it within 7 days, then store it in the refrigerator; if more than 7 days, then store it in the freezer.

Coffee Makers: Plenty of variability here. Cone filters (rather than flat bottomed) tend to get the most out of your coffee.  French Press also gets plenty out of your beans but is a little messier. Try not to keep your coffee on a burner after it is brewed to avoid burning it.  A glass-lined thermos or carafe is best.    

We feel that air roasting our beans, buying the best equipment, and hiring and training attentive and caring baristas combines to produce the most consistently fantastic product.  We simply want to serve the best coffee we can for each and every person.