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The postponed market stash that still got sold

Complimentary cup of Roastel for an UpMarket vendor with each bag purchased.
Free shipping with the purchase of 3 bags

We prepared bags of coffee for UpMarket on Sunday 2nd May 2021, but due to COVID restrictions the event had to be postponed for the safety of all.  We decided to use our ecommerce platform to not only get the product out to customers, but to also make a simple gesture to fellow vendors at the market. Many of them start market day with a cup of Roastel, so we proposed that for every bag sold from this stash, a vendor would receive a complimentary fresh brew at the next market.

All the bags sold. Our vendor regulars are covered.

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Expert Tips for the Perfect Home Coffee Corner

Published on March 12, 2021 by Mike Cahill

Many of us like to start our days with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and with all of the at-home brewing tools available these days there is no wrong way to go about it. However, not having a dedicated space to brew and keep your equipment can be a big mistake in terms of your home cleanliness. And while nothing can fully replicate the feeling of stepping into your favorite coffeehouse we’ve reached out to the coffee experts from Sacramento to Miami to help you create the most authentic experience possible with the ultimate home coffee corner.

Take advantage of unused space

We recommend you use an area of your home that isn’t currently utilized, adding value to your home. Functionally, water supply is a key element to consider. Create a unique space that fits exactly your requirements and needs, but is also cozy and stylish. Lastly, try to keep up with current trends and make your design available on social media since projects like that can be inspiring for a lot of people. – Aura Espresso Room

Diversify your coffee makers

There are a lot more ways to make coffee than just your standard coffee pot. If you don’t want to brew a whole pot every time, make room on your coffee corner for a single-serve Keurig. Or, if you want more to broaden your horizons past drip coffee, grab a Nespresso for espresso shots (bonus tip: pair it with a milk frother for making lattes). Looking for a caffeine punch to start your day, try Elevate Coffee’s Rude Awakening High Caffeine K-Cups. – Elevate Coffee

Have a varied mug collection

There is something endearing about a tastefully eclectic collection of mugs in even the sleekest of kitchens, and guests love the personal touch. Search for diner, vintage floral, hand-spun clay, State mugs, or choose another theme, and ditch matching mug set altogether (so 2001)! To avoid clutter, just be sure you’re curating the best, not collecting the most. – Runabout Coffee

Quality coffee is a must

Fresh roasted, top-quality beans are best for an unmatched aroma and an immersive coffee-making experience. And for those beans, a solid burr grinder is critical for consistency, no matter the brew method of your choice. – Roastel

For us as coffee lovers, a coffee corner at home is essential. Whether you actually have additional space or very little space, there’s always a way to re-create some of the magic of your favorite coffee house. But let’s just say you can’t buy additional furniture or trendy farmhouse cabinets to create some coffee corners. Easy fix, to us it actually starts with the right selection of high-quality beans that remind us of artisan coffee houses where you can get amazing coffee. 

So, replace your off-the-shelf standard coffee beans with high-quality artisan roasters. Yes, they might be a little pricier but trust us when we say it’s all worth it. We just recently tested one of the highest quality artisan coffee brands out there and that cup of coffee from your artisan roaster will make any place in your house feel like your little coffee corner. – Coffeescanner

Incorporate a cart

Use a cart to set the stage for your coffee corner.  Visually it grounds the space as being designated for coffee while showing off those great cups and machines you have. Bonus: shelves below hide clutter while keeping must-have items close at hand.  If the shelves are open, baskets do the job and add charm at the same time. – Texas Coffee Club

A quality grinder is key

The perfect coffee corner is what every coffee connoisseur dreams of creating one day. Some dream of an expansive home espresso machine set up, while others strive to craft the perfect pour-over. Whether you choose espresso or brew, Round Mountain Coffee believes that buying a quality grinder should be your first priority when it comes to crafting the perfect coffee corner. A grinder is the key to dialing in the perfect coffee corner in any home. – Round Mountain Coffee

The number one thing I would recommend to people brewing at home is to invest in a decent burr grinder.  It doesn’t take up much space and it’s not that expensive.  You can either find one at your local coffee shop or online.  This also means you’ll have to start buying whole bean coffee instead of pre-ground! – Solid Coffee Roasters

Keep it simple

Creating the perfect coffee corner in your home begins and ends with a clear space that your guests will know how to navigate without much direction from you. In order for everyone to feel like their own barista, organize and label your coffee “blendz” so others will know what to anticipate in their brew. – Hustle Blendz

A nice balance between comfortable and productive for us would be a rustic stained wood table with an accent piece chair combination. Be sure to include a cushion on the chair for comfort, and get a table big enough for sufficient lighting. Bright pictures and prints make for a nice splash of color and set a great mood! – Elegant Coffee

Choose the right equipment

To create a wonderful, versatile home coffee corner, I suggest stocking it with your favorite equipment plus all the extras you need to create a barista-worthy cup. For me, the barista basics are a home burr grinder, a pour-over machine (drip or manual; if manual, I also recommend getting an electric gooseneck kettle), ceramic or non-transparent, air-tight containers to store the coffee, small baskets to hold coffee filters and latte art stencils, a frother, coffee flavoring syrups, and topping shakers (e.g., cinnamon, coco, and vanilla). I also suggest planning for the inevitable spills and splashes that come with coffee brewing by installing a waterproof backsplash, a dark countertop, and a little ‘cleaning drawer or basket’ that holds a table brush, which is great for sweeping up coffee grounds, and dark wipes to quickly clean up spills. – Queen Bean Coffee Company

We have a relationship with La Marzocco and recommend throwing one of their Linea Mini’s in there to make that coffee corner a working espresso bar, which will bring the cafe experience into your home, without necessarily having the know-how. We also offer online barista classes that will help you hone in your skills and put them to good use. Or maybe you want to do a pour-over set, which in that case, we’d recommend getting some high-quality, sustainable Torch coffee so that you can taste the intention behind each farmer we work with. Whether it’s our smooth Guatemalan Geisha from Nilton Perez who comes from a century-old line of coffee farmers or perhaps our naturally-processed, fruity forward Ethiopian coffees. These are just a few of the choices you have between all of the farmers we have direct relationships with. – Torch Coffee Roasters

Declutter your space with wireless brewing tools

Your deep connection to coffee is what led you here in the first place, so when considering how to design and outfit this sacred space, look to honor that connection by not cluttering it up with cables and wires! Many manual brewing tools, and especially manual espresso makers like our Flair, come without cords and are by all rights functional art, and therefore uniquely suited to that end. Additionally, displaying your coffee paraphernalia not in rotation on a live edge floating shelf placed above the bar makes for an amazing way to further showcase your cherished brewers and ceramics while maintaining that clean aesthetic you were dreaming of. That being said, if there are electric appliances calling out to you, consider an appliance garage to achieve a similar clean aesthetic when they are not in use! – Flair Espresso

For a speedy and compact home setup

You can make great quality espressos and americanos with an Aeropress Go! You’ll need a way to boil your water, but you’ll be drinking your coffee in less than a minute. – Little Dog Coffee

Originally published on Redfin

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Parang Blend

The story behind the third edition of Roastel Parang Blend.

Go straight to the product page

Nearing the end of the year, we usually attend back to back weekend markets where we get to meet and chat face to face with our dear customers. We found that folks were interested in a bold coffee, a blend that had a little extra kick for the hectic season, and flavourful to enjoy with the traditional, seasonal goodies like black cake, butter cookies, pastelles and more.

Parang Blend, South of France

We also realised that many people were travelling abroad or visiting for Christmas and wanted something special, something local to take with them. So we set out to create a unique blend using regional coffee and coffee grown in Trinidad. The local coffee brings more caffeine with a deep profile and the regional coffees add a bit of smoothness and spice. It turns out that this coffee is perfect to keep a parandero going and we named it “Parang Blend”!

Throughout 2018, customers asked for the Parang Blend but we insisted that it remained seasonal. Behind the scenes though, we wanted to create something special for the latest release and entered into two exciting collaborations.


Long time friend and parandero Krisy D

We approached long time friend and parandero, Kris (Krisy D) to “put the parang in the Parang Blend”. Kris and Hanson, friends for nearly 30 years, adapted Kris’s 2014 hit “Whole Year Paranging”. With a chorus, half of a verse, and Shalimar drafted for melody, we knocked on the door of friend and producer, Javed of Studio360. He provided much needed guidance and quickly pulled it all together. Music video here.


Story collector and coffee painter, Neala Luna

Soon after the musical adventure began, we had a conversation with story collector, Neala Luna. We received two of her pieces, painted with coffee, earlier in the year and like those, the Parang Blend packaging also had to be a keeper. From a simple idea, this aspect of the project evolved into a label that could be re-purposed into an ornament, bookmark, keepsake and the list can very well go on.

So this is the Parang Blend, 2018. We’re still rolling out deliveries to our retail partners and it’s also available right here on the website and at the events we attend (well…until December 2018 of course!)

Find Parang Blend:
Product link
Upcoming Events
Roastel Stockists

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Mocha Cold Brew Latte (from concentrate)

Our cold brew concentrate makes it easy to indulge in this low acidity latte.

Makes one 8 oz cup

What you will need:

  • 2 oz Roastel cold brew concentrate
  • 1-2 Tbsp simple syrup  or honey (optional)
  • 5 oz milk of your choice
  • A milk frother, french press or whisk
  • Grated dark chocolate/cocoa nibs

Directions:

Begin by frothing the milk in a measuring cup. If you’re using a hand-held frother or a whisk, agitate the milk until it has a velvety texture and has increased in volume by about an once. You can also froth the milk in a french press by aggressively pumping the milk until the velvety texture is created. Swirl and gently tap the measuring cup/french press on a kitchen towel to get rid of any big bubbles in the milk.

In an 8 oz glass, pour in the cold brew concentrate. Add simple syrup if desired.

Slowly pour in the frothed milk, first from a height of about six inches, gradually lowering the pouring cup/french press to create the thick foamy top.

Drizzle the grated chocolate/cocoa nibs and serve with a spoon.

* We usually use a drinking chocolate bar which already has spices such as cinnamon, but you can easily add spices of your own for a twist on the recipe!

Don’t forget to tag #roastel when you try this yourself!
The concentrate is available here for purchase.


 

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Classic Italian Espresso Blend – The Story

My first encounter with fresh roasted coffee was at my first job in the food and beverage industry in London, England. There was a brand new, fully automatic coffee machine and beans were delivered fresh, every three weeks. The aroma was remarkable and the drinks were so rich in flavour.

Italian Cafe. Original photo by Hanson Harribans.

 

I’ve been fortunate to experience the beautiful espresso culture in Italy, and it was only natural that espresso would feature in the Roastel lineup. This was also fueled by most café and dining experiences in Trinidad, where there is top priority on the food, but a mediocre espresso is served (to put it mildly). Aside from a lack of equipment, untrained staff and general laziness toward coffee, the main culprit is stale beans and the use of pods, even with well-known brands of Italian origin. The Roastel espresso would have to pack a punch while maintaining a moderate amount of sweetness.

 

Roastel Classic Italian espresso shot, beautifully extracted with ease on a Breville Barista Express

 

It’s a bit of a roaster’s secret that some Robusta beans are used in espresso blends. That was an immediate win for Roastel, as we strive to promote our local, Trinidadian coffee as much as possible and we don’t subscribe to the narrow-minded notion that Robusta has no place in specialty coffee. These beans not only increase the caffeine content of the espresso shot, but they also help to create fantastic crema with an emulsification of oils to help deliver the multi-layered, creamy taste of a successful espresso blend.

Classic Italian (Espresso Blend) in foil-lined, zip seal bag with degassing valve.

 

We imagine that cafés and restaurants will slowly adapt as the local coffee culture grows toward quality, but in the mean time, the coffee drinkers who have experienced proper espresso have fiercely latched on to our Classic Italian blend. It’s also regularly served as a pour-over coffee at events that we attend. Although designed for mokapot (stove top) and espresso machine use, this blend shines with every brew method we’ve tried.

– Hanson Harribans (Roastel Roaster)

View/purchase the Classic Italian Blend here

 

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The guide to delicious French Press coffee

The French Press – simplicity, sophistication and a beautiful cup of coffee.

Using a French press to prepare fresh roasted coffee may differ somewhat from the directions that came with your French press. We’ve found the following method produces excellent French pressed coffee.

Brewing characteristics: Sturdy body, full flavour, but fine grounds could end up in your cup.

Preferred grind: Coarse on a conical burr grinder (Flat burr & blade grinders will produce more fine grounds, but can definitely be used.) A coarser grind means reduced surface area for extraction and as a result, the French press method uses more coffee than others.

Preferred roast: Light medium to medium-dark (Dark roasted beans tend to be very brittle and produce more fines.)
Here’s a selection of our recommended French press coffees.

General Ratio for optimal flavour:

2.5 grams of coffee to 1 oz of water.

This ratio allows for peak flavour development, but based on your preference, you can adjust accordingly. 

* If the numbers above confuse you, as it does with us sometimes, we have a tip:

TIP:  for an 8 oz cup of coffee:
BEANS: Use 2 tablespoons
GROUND: Use 3 tablespoons

 

STEP ONE

Coarsely ground coffee

Bring filtered water (enough for your cup plus a little more) to a boil. Now is a good time to grind your coffee if you’re starting with whole beans. A coarse grind is preferred so that fewer fine particles escape the filter mesh.

 

STEP TWO

Fresh roasted coffee “blooms”

With your ground coffee in the press, pour the water to just cover the ground coffee.
Fresh roasted coffee will still be degassing and you’ll notice the coffee start to “bloom”. We don’t want these gases to affect the taste of the coffee, so let it sit just a bit.

 

STEP THREE

Give the mixture a few stirs with a wooden spoon or palette stick and add the rest of water.
Metal spoons GREATLY increase the chances of cracking the glass and we want you to be happy!

Rest plunger on top (Don’t plunge yet). Let the mixture steep for 4 minutes. No shortcuts. 4 minutes.

 

STEP FOUR

Plunge all the way. Although it’s pretty in the press, immediately pour the coffee into your cup or a carafe. Letting the coffee stay in the press will result in over-extraction and a generally undesirable taste. At this point, the coffee is not piping hot as with other brew methods, so if you like it hot, waste no time. If it’s fresh roasted, we’ve found temperature to be quite forgiving and we can take our time and enjoy.

 

CLEANUP

Cleaning a French press may seem daunting, but it’s really straightforward. Remove and wash the mesh and all the components of the plunger. Add some water to the carafe and swirl a bit to help get all the coffee grounds out. Carefully wash and avoid knocking the glass carafe on anything. Dry and store safely until it’s coffee time again!

Shop coffees here
Purchase French presses and other coffee gear here.

 

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Roastel’s Harmony Blend

Taking Trinidad & Tobago coffee into a new realm.

harmony 3At the 5 June, 2016 Trinidad UpMarket event held at The Woodbrook Youth Facility, Roastel Coffee’s “Harmony” blend was introduced. The local artisan/craft markets always offer a great opportunity to get immediate feedback on new and developing products.

We honestly did not know what the response would be to this variegated coffee with a wild taste profile.

By midday, Harmony was sold out. The response was overwhelming, we imagine due to the unique look of the coffee and the strong presence of local T&T coffee beans. This is clearly evident of a renewed “buy local” trend.

Roasting our own coffee has created opportunities to develop roasts and blends previously unheard of in Trinidad and Tobago coffee culture. We have achieved tremendous range with this flavour profile by delicately contrasting a lightly roasted Peruvian bean with a dark roasted Rio Claro Robusta. With the aim of using as much local content as we can, we’re moving full steam ahead in our journey to provide fresh, premium coffee and to create a new wave, coffee culture in our lovely T&T.

Hanson Harribans
Coffee Roaster
Roastel Coffee

 

Cupping Notes: 

Dark roasted Trinidadian Robusta meets a very light Peruvian roast, creating a wide taste spectrum, from a crisp mouth feel to a rich roasted finish.

Blend: Harmony
Origin: Peru & Rio Claro, TT
Altitude: 3,000+ ft & 30 ft
Other: Shade Grown
Species: Arabica & Robusta
Roast: City & Vienna
Organic: Peru
Fair Trade: Yes
Farmers: APROCASSI – Cooperativa de Servicios Multiples & Harribans family.

Harmony Shopping Link