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Cold Brew On the Cheap

Here we detail how to make cold brew coffee without any sort of fancy (expensive) equipment. It’s summertime and getting warm. That means it’s time for smooth and delicious cold brew coffee. While there is more than one way to make cold brew, we at Hood River Coffee Roasters prefer to cold brew as opposed […]

TESTIMONIAL

Some background seems in order. My wife and I together consume about one pound per week of coffee beans. That’s about three each 10-cup carafe’s per day. (Our doctors are not aware of this.) We start with whole beans and grind each batch just before brewing. Unused beans are kept frozen. Unserved coffee is stored in a non-heated vacuum flask and keeps well for several hours. We’ve been using almost exclusively beans from Hood River Coffee Roasters (HRCR) for over 20 years.

We bought our first bag of HRCR coffee while being good tourists in Hood River. We knew nothing about the company then, but were attracted to the gold colored packaging. (That packaging is, sadly, no longer available.) One pound of beans (not 12 ounces) brought a new coffee tasting pleasure to us. We immediately called to try to get some beans shipped to our home in Washington. Remember this was before web pages and smart phones. Business was by corded telephones and USPS mail plus UPS deliveries. During those days customer service (Mark and Peggy, aka owners) was outstanding. Service is still exceptional today even though ordering is modernized if you prefer that. Note: Mark and Peggy actually answer e-mails from customers! No farmed out responders in Asia exist to cut and paste irrelevant canned responses.

In the twenty plus years of doing business with HRCR, we moved eight times, including three times in Montana. Only one coffee shipment was ever lost, and that was quickly re-filled by Peggy. We even dove (as in over our heads) into the restaurant business in Montana and featured their coffee. Peggy and Mark were more than generous with tips on how to prepare the best tasting coffee for our customers. The “rules” are different than for personal enjoyment.

I’m not a technical coffee connoisseur so bear with me. I just want coffee that tastes good, smells good and makes me feel good afterwards. Lots of HRCR beans can do this. I often change beans depending on the mood I’m in.

I’ve always been impressed with the consistency of the flavors of roasted beans HRCR sells. Six years ago we had the pleasure of touring their roasting facility. The quality control was far more complicated and rigid than I expected. (I taught Chemical Engineering Process Control classes for six years at WSU in Pullman.) Seemingly small things like room air humidity do affect the roasting process. The ultimate test of proper roasting is a “cupping” procedure that Mark and Peggy have mastered. Peggy has even taught the concept to others in Central America. What this means is that bag after bag of my favorite Mount Adams Blend is going to taste the same regardless of the year I purchase it. The same quality control will be true for any bean someone else prefers. The roasting details change from bean to bean and year-to-year, but consistent taste is a pre-requisite before bagging.

I could go on describing what I like about my favorite eight or so beans, but coffee enjoyment is a very personal thing. You just have to try a few and pick your own favorites. I’ve tried every regular and decaffeinated bean HRCR sells. They are all excellent. To me, some are more excellent than others. Your choices will differ.

I must add that my all time favorite beans came from Honduras. They aren’t currently available, but Peggy promises me they should be fairly soon. (The 50-50 blends of regular and decaf, we have not tried.)

Early on, I compared HRHC prices with other coffee sellers. The prices were always competitive and even dropped at times when world coffee prices were down. Now I pay little attention to the prices. I trust Mark and Peggy to give me a fair deal. They always have.

There you have it: Exceptional coffee beans, outstanding customer service and very fair pricing. Try them. You’ll be glad you did.

Robert R

Small town, WA
Robert R.-Small Town, WA

TESTIMONIAL

I first met Mark online in a discussion about customer service at least ten years ago. After I read what he wrote, I knew that Hood River Coffee Roasters would be a pleasure to do business with. Of course, the product had to be high quality too. After my first order, I knew I was hooked. The variety is excellent and the pricing is very competitive, usually a bit less expensive than I would pay elsewhere. I also drink tea on occasion, and I found their teas to be equally excellent. I hesitate to call it a business, as it is obviously a labor of love. On vacation, I found myself in the area and stopped by unannounced. Mark was in the midst of an information exchange with one of his coffee growers who had flown in from Central America. I was impressed by their desire to constantly improve their product. As a small business owner myself, I do find added satisfaction in being able to support another small business rather than a large conglomerate or multinational. It’s not like I have to sacrifice to do so, as I always get a great product at a competitive price with excellent service.
Barry Siegel MD – Memphis, TN

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Cold Brew On the Cheap

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