How to Brew at Home: AeroPress

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The AeroPress is one of the most innovative brewing methods to come along in coffee in a long time. It combines elements of a French Press with many similarities to an Espresso Machine. The result is a smooth cup of coffee with very low acidity. I have been using my Aeropress at home since March and it has quickly become my favorite brewing method for a quick, delicious cup.

Suggested Items for Brewing

What You Need

To brew a great cup of coffee with an AeroPress we recommend these items:

  • AeroPress Coffee Brewer
  • Mug with a sturdy base
  • Any type of kettle to heat water (We like Gooseneck Kettles)
  • A coffee grinder (Burr grinders work best)
  • A common kitchen scale
  • A bag of coffee (We’ll be using our new Eduin roast)

History

The AeroPress was invented by Alan Adler. Adler is an engineer and inventor with over 40 patents under his belt. In 2004 he began studying the coffee brewing process and the design of current coffee makers to create a new way of brewing. By November 2005, Alder was ready to unveil his design and take the coffee world by storm.

Brewing

  1. Remove plunger and twist on filter and cap.
    AeroPress Assembly
  2. Grind 20 grams of coffee per cup on a very fine setting.
    Fine Ground Coffee
  3. Use the funnel to fill Aeropress with grounds and shake to level off.
    Pour Grounds in AeroPress
  4. Heat water to 175 Degrees and fill slightly above the number of cups you plan on brewing.
    Fill with Hot Water
  5. Stir for about 10 seconds and let brew for 2 minutes.
    Stir for 10 Seconds
  6. Insert plunger and slowly press down. This step should take about 30 seconds or more.
    Press Down Slowly

Results

Like I said above, the AeroPress is like an Espresso Machine because the result is only a few ounces of highly concentrated coffee. You can drink it as is or add some more hot water to make it like a traditional cup of coffee. Add hot milk to make a latte or add the coffee to a smoothie for a caffeine boost.

Versatility 

The AeroPress can brew more than just coffee. It can also be used to brew Cold Brew and even Tea. Over the Aeropress has become very popular in the specialty coffee world, even hosting its own Championships for brewing. They post the winning recipes on their website for all to try at home.

Why AeroPress?

I love my AeroPress because of its simplicity. It’s easy to set up, use, and clean. It’s great for mornings when I’d like a coffee without all of the hassles of making a Pour Over. The flavor is always full and consistent. It is a great brewer for home or when you’re on the go. I highly recommend an AeroPress for any coffee fanatics looking to add another brewer to their collection or to anyone looking for a hassle-free brewer.

Updates on Achilles Coffee Roasters and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

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ATTENTION ALL ACHILLES CUSTOMERS

*UPDATED 5/1/20*

ALL SHOPS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN:

Ash Street Roastery
703 Ash Street
(619) 738 – 8652
Hours
7:30 AM – 2:00 PM

KITCHEN HOURS:
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

The Rey
800 B Street
(619) 230 – 5979
Hours
7:30 AM – 2:00 PM

KITCHEN HOURS:
7:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Park 12
100 Park Blvd
(619) 915 – 6151
Hours
Weekdays
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Weekends
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Kitchen is open anytime the store is at Park 12.

We are now taking online orders for pick up. Head over to achillescoffeeroasters.square.site and we’ll have your order ready in 15 minutes or less. We can also be found on Ritual, DoorDash, and GrubHub.

 

Due to increasing concerns over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we will be taking several precautions to protect the safety of customers and our staff. These precautions are based on suggestions by the CDC, local government, and what we feel is the right thing to do.

These include:

  • All customers must be wearing mask to enter buildings or order. As of May 1st the City of San Diego is requiring everyone to wear a mask when entering a public building.
  • No more dining in. Customers are still welcome to come in and order their favorites, but we ask that you take the order with you. If possible, please use the Ritual app to order. We are working to get on other order & delivery apps.
  • All food & drink will be made to go. We will not be reusing any plates, cups, or mugs in an effort to limit contact. This includes customers bringing their own mugs, though we will still honor the discount if you have a mug with you.
  • Removing the self-serve stations. All items are still available by request, but must be handled by our baristas for safety reasons
  • We are encouraging the use of card or contactless payment methods. We have no intentions of banning cash, but would appreciate your cooperation.
  • Increased cleaning & sanitation. This is something we already pride ourselves on, but a little extra never hurts. If you would like your table or seat to be cleaned before use, we will gladly do that for you.

Follow our Instagram or Facebook, along with this blog post for any further updates. We intend to continue serving the community for as long as the city allows us.

How Else Can you Support Us?

If you can’t make it into the store there are plenty of other ways to support us. Our Web store offers monthly coffee subscriptions, free shipping on any orders over $40. We also extended our free delivery to cover most of San Diego. The following zip codes can receive free local drop off:

91902, 91908, 91909, 91910, 91911, 91912, 91921, 91932, 91933, 91941, 91942, 91943, 91944, 91945, 91946, 91950, 91951, 91976, 91977, 91979, 92037, 92038, 92039, 92092, 92093, 92101, 92102, 92103, 92104, 92105, 92106, 92107, 92108, 92109, 92110, 92111, 92112, 92113, 92114, 92115, 92116, 92117, 92118, 92119, 92120, 92122, 92123, 92124, 92132, 92134, 92135, 92136, 92137, 92138, 92139, 92140, 92142, 92143, 92145, 92147, 92149, 92150, 92152, 92153, 92155, 92158, 92159, 92160, 92161, 92163, 92165, 92166, 92167, 92168, 92169, 92170, 92171, 92172, 92174, 92175, 92176, 92177, 92178, 92179, 92182, 92186, 92187, 92191, 92192, 92193, 92195, 92196, 92197.


We hope these efforts have been enough to slow the spread of the Coronavirus, but only time will tell. We can’t wait until we can high five and sip cold brew with all of our customers again, but we must take this seriously. Thank you for supporting small business.

Achilles Coffee Opens 3rd Downtown Location in Park 12 Building

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Achilles Park 12 - Now Open
Achilles @ Park 12 is now open!

Achilles Coffee Roasters opened the doors to its third location on Monday, October 28th. The expansion is a part of the new Park 12 – The Collection apartment complex in Ballpark Village. Lead by property developer Greystar, the $400 million revitalization project hopes to bring new life to the community with 718 apartments and 45,000 square feet of retail space.

The new location will feature the largest selection of pour over coffee in San Diego, an expanded kitchen menu, and indoor/outdoor seating options. The updated menu boasts new items like waffles, acai bowls, and more salad options.  We still have all of the old favorites like the Hillcrest breakfast sandwich, the Ocean Beach toast, and Coronado sandwich.

Waffles at Park 12
New Menu Items Like Waffles

Achilles Coffee started as a coffee cart in 2015. Its first location and roastery opened on Cortez Hill in 2016. Followed quickly by its second location, an outdoor cafe, attached to The Rey apartment complex in 2018. Founder, Chad Bell, has no intention to slow down now.

The new location will be open weekdays from 6 AM-5 PM and weekends from 7 AM-5 PM. Kitchen hours are 7 AM – 3:30 PM daily.

Achilles Coffee Roasters
100 Park Plaza, Suite 175
San Diego, CA 92101

Climate Change and Coffee – Is Your Morning Cup in Danger?

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Climate Change Could Threaten Your Morning Cup of Coffee

Climate change is affecting everything from polar bears, coral reefs, sea levels, the intensity of storms and even your morning cup. Coffee is a fickle plant and doesn’t grow just anywhere. The majority of the world’s coffee is grown in the Bean Belt, a narrow region around the equator. Recent reports estimate half of the land in this region, suitable for coffee production, is under threat as a result of climate change.

In the U.S. alone, 60% of adults consume coffee at least once a day. And around the world, the coffee drinking population is on the rise. Between increased global demand and smaller crop yields, your morning cup of coffee could get very expensive if the industry doesn’t adapt and make changes.

Effects of Climate Change on Coffee Production

Reduced crop yields are a result of drought in some regions and increased humidity and precipitation in others. For example, increase moisture leads to the proliferation of pests like the Coffee Berry Borer and diseases including ‘la rosa’ or stem rust. Coffee Borer Beatle Climate Change and Coffee ProductionCoffee rust hit central American coffee production in 2012-13. As a result, prices for consumers in the U.S. jumped about 33% from 2011 – 2013.

Coffee production is dependent on predictable cycles of rainfall, dry periods and temperature changes. Coffee typically flowers when there’s a dry period followed by significant rainfall. Generally, a dry period of three months is necessary to stress the coffee plant and produce flowers. However, a shorter dry period and extended rainfall can result in reduced flowers. Fluctuations in weather patterns such as precipitation, temperature, storms, strong winds, and other extreme weather patterns can negatively affect the quality and production level of crops.

In a recent study among Colombian coffee producers, 91% reported changes in the flowering and fruiting cycles of coffee plants. 75% noticed an increase in pests, and 59% reported an increase in crop disease. Margins for farmers are already extremely thin. Even one crop failure can mean the difference between profit and loss.

Coffee Industry Response to Climate Change

In 2013 Starbuck’s Coffee purchased 600 acres of fertile coffee land in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. The farm is used as a field laboratory to test and study effects of climate change. The company is growing new varietals of coffees and testing their resistance to climate variations.

Various industry-funded organizations have started working with farmers around the globe to provide solutions, such as efficient irrigation systems, safe water and the use of solar. These programs improve livelihoods and at the same time help tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions. In the next few years, the term Carbon neutral coffee could gain traction in the coffee industry lexicon.

Climate Change Harvesting Coffee Beans in Costa RicaFarmers have already begun to grow coffee at higher elevations in order to mitigate changing weather patterns. Others plant trees to provide shade during heat spells and to prevent soil erosion. This is often referred to as ‘shade grown coffee’.

World Coffee Research (WCR), an industry-funded organization, has an $18 million coffee monitoring program that covers 1,100 farms in 20 countries. Its efforts include testing new coffee varietals and agricultural practices like the aforementioned ‘shade grown coffee.’

Big industry players such as Starbuck’s, Keurig and Illy Caffe understand producers need support to ensure the health of the entire industry. There is no benefit in hoarding the results of their research. As a result, the data and information garnered from their research is made public. This includes research from Starbuck’s Alajuela plantation.

The Future of Coffee

Global coffee demand is forecast to double by 2050 as a result of a growing population and growing middle-class coffee consumption in Asia and Africa. Although coffee prices and global coffee production are relatively stable, we are only a severe drought or extreme rainy season away from turmoil.

As coffee drinkers, we can make a difference with our purchase decisions. Are we drinking coffee sourced from a sustainable producer? Is the producer paid a fair price for coffee? These are just a couple factors to consider that can make a difference, even if a small one, to ensure we are drinking our morning cup well into the future.

Coffee Cultivators of Papua New Guinea

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Coffee Cultivators

Papua New Guinea is a popular coffee cultivator in the specialty coffee world. Coffee from Papua New Guinea, PNG, as roasters refer to it, have a bright and delicate acidity. PNG’s typically have a less earthy profile than other Southwest Asian Archipelago coffees such as Sumatra and Sulawesi. The country predominately uses wet washing processing methods. Additionally, Papua New Guinea creates a standard for the fermentation process that follows washing. This makes for a highly unique flavor. With coffee production up to over 1 million 60-kg bags a year, Papua New Guinea has maintained itself as a high profile coffee cultivator.

Multi-influenced Coffee Culture

In the 1800s, the German administration introduced coffee to Papua New Guinea for experimental and botanical observation. However, Arabica coffee production for export in Papua New Guinea only began to emerge later in the 1930s. Seeds were imported from Jamaica’s Blue Mountain region for cultivation. Therefore, these seeds created the first plants for export production in Papua New Guinea. Geographically, Indonesia is within close proximity to the country. Indonesia and the island of Sulawesi, both coffee producers, have had great influence on the bean profile in coffee from Papua New Guinea. Moreover, nearly half of households in rural areas are involved in production of coffee. Therefore, making coffee a huge part of the country’s economy.

Profiles of PNG

Within Papua New Guinea’s 19 provinces, 15 of them cultivate coffee. The major growing regions of Papua New Guinea include Morobe, Eastern, Simbu and the Western highlands province. These few regions all cultivate at high altitudes and account for about 90% of production in Papua New Guinea. With the country being so small, the regions produce similar characteristics such as rich soils and ideal coffee-growing climate. Moreover, the size of the country is actually beneficial creating consistency in the beans. Traditionally, coffee from Papua New Guinea has moderate acidity with a smooth, but robust flavor. This comes from the mix of influence from Indonesian Sulawesi coffee and Jamaican beans.

Cultivating Sigri PlantationAchilles Coffee Roasters Coffee Cultivators of Papua New Guinea

Achilles Coffee Roasters uses green beans sourced from the Sigri plantation in Papua New Guinea. Located in the Wahgi Valley in the Western Highlands, Sigri is considered to produce high quality gourmet coffee. All coffee at Sigri plantation grows at an elevation of 5000 feet and undergoes an intensive wet factory processing method. Papua New Guinea maintains a standard for the fermentation process in all coffee. Producers allow the beans to ferment for three days following depulping. However, Sigri allows a full extra day of fermentation, making a highly distinctive cup of coffee. Sigri plantation is profound for their esteemed quality control concerning each, individual bag of beans.

Quality Control in Wet Processing Methods

Concerning coffee production, Papua New Guinea focuses on their processing methods. For this reason, they export 99.9% in green beans alone, with Germany and the United States being the largest buyers. After coffee cherries are hand selected, they are depulped using a wet processing method. Following the wet washing, the fermentation process takes three days. Within fermentation, cultivators wash the beans every 24 hours. Enhancing flavor, beans dry out in the sun for different periods of time. The green beans are then sifted through and graded with distinctions as AA, A, and X. All coffee within the country follows the specific standards for the wet washing and fermentation processes. This ensures quality control within all green beans throughout Papua New Guinea.

Coffee cultivators such as Papua New Guinea have perfected the perfect bean profile through quality control. Through high quality plantations such as Sigri plantation in Waghi Valley, Papua New Guinea will continue to hold a top spot in the world of coffee production.

Costa Rican Coffee – An Introduction for Coffee Lovers

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Introduction to Costa Rican Coffee

Coffee drinkers worldwide recognize Costa Rican coffee for robust flavor profiles created from a mixture of favorable growing factors. Following natural gas, coffee is the second most traded good in the world. As of 2011, over 45 different countries export coffee. Surprisingly, Costa Rican coffee beans makes up only 1% of the global coffee trade.

 

Origins of Costa Rican Coffee

All coffee has origins stemming from Ethiopia where Arabica was born. Through trade in the 1700s, coffee began to make its way into Europe and then the rest of the world. As far as Costa Rican coffee, a naval officer in 1723 obtained a seedling from a coffee plant from King Louis XIV of France. Amazingly, this single seedling made the voyage to the Americas and has since parented every coffee tree in Central America.

Although now, there is a lot more variation due to different growing regions. Seeing how quickly the coffee industry was growing, The Costa Rican government gave farmers free seeds to help boost the economy. As well as seeds, the government also gave plots of land to anyone willing to cultivate the plants. Because of the government’s push in the industry, farmers throughout Costa Rica began to harvest coffee. Of the entire population of Costa Rica, 10% is involved in coffee production and coffee makes up 90% of produce from the country.

Major Coffee Growing Regions of Costa Rica

There are 8 different coffee growing regions throughout Costa Rica that comprise the small 1% of the global coffee trade. The regions include: Tarrazu, West Valley, Central Valley, Tres Rios, Brunca, Guanacaste, Orosi, and Turrialba. Growing in such diverse regions of the country, each coffee creates a very distinct flavor profile. These profiles are variable depending on factors like latitude, altitude, soil type, rainfall, temperature, and processing methods. Of the different regions, coffee from Tarrazu and West Valley account for approximately half of Costa Rica’s coffee production.

Achilles Coffee Roasters Costa Rican Coffee

Favorable factors

Grading all green coffee beans within the global trade is important to maintain high quality. In Costa Rica, green beans are primarily graded by altitude, which affects the hardness of the bean. Higher altitude regions produce harder coffee beans, which are viewed as more preferable. The Costa Rican grading system uses the classifications: Strictly High Grown(SHG), Good Hard Beans(GHB), and Medium Hard Beans(MHB). Strictly High Grown beans grow at an altitude higher than 1,200 meters above sea level. Good Hard Beans grow between 1,000 and 1,200 meters above sea level. Lastly, Medium Hard Beans grow at an altitude between 500 and 900 meters. The Tarrazu region produces 95% of its harvest graded as Strictly Hard Bean, the highest quality grade.

Costa Rica at the Forefront

Throughout Central America, coffee from Costa Rica is known to have some of the best flavor profiles due to the high altitudes. Another interesting reason why Costa Rican coffee beans maintain such a high standard of quality, because it is illegal to produce Robusta beans. Achilles Coffee Roasters sources Costa Rican coffee beans grown in the Central Valley region which has an altitude of about 900 to 1500 meters above sea level. In addition, the Central Valley is where coffee was first introduced to Central America, making the coffee plantations some of the oldest within Costa Rica. Beans grown in this region create a profile influenced by the soil’s tropical acidity creating a bright, citrusy flavor with nutty undertones. You can get some of our very own single origin Swami’s roast of Costa Rican coffee beans here.