Tag Archives: hand crafted

Growing our Bean Knowledge

Recently we were talking coffee with friends, and I realized how quickly both our passion and knowledge have grown. Okay, probably Zack more than me. But we are married, so we share everything!

Moving to Norway two and a half years ago, coffee was a nice drink, one that we liked to make a pot of fairly often. We had already come to the point where we drank it black. But our world had not yet opened up to the wonderful world of hand brews, pour overs, and slow coffee.

Terms like V60 and Aeropress were not yet in our vocabularies, and we knew little of the importance of things like water temperature, filter color, blooming, and pouring techniques.

We still have a long way to go. We are learning more about the types of beans and the roasts that were prefer. We are discovering more about roasting methods.
Have you ever had unwashed beans? Quite unique.
We have not begun roasting at home, although I would not be shocked to see Zack go that direction one day.
And to be perfectly honest, I am not sure I will personally ever be at the level where I can identify the specific notes as I sip a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Perhaps a proper cupping course is in order.
But we really do enjoy coffee. Finding just the right beans. Learning new techniques. Trying new things.
The process of preparing a Hario or Aeropress is a large part of the overall experience. It really has become more than just drinking the coffee. And the gear is cool. And meeting people with a similar passion is fun. Exploring new shops has become a part of every vacation, day trip or business travel.

We really do enjoy the coffee culture.Are you a coffee lover? Do you enjoy a particular drink or a special brewing method?

Alternative Coffee

Can I just say how much I love this man of mine? I wrote a little about him last week for our anniversary (that blog post can be found HERE).I think most people that know Zack would agree that he is laid back, easy to talk to, friendly, funny, and passionate. If he likes something, he’s all in. He doesn’t typically do things half way.

Yeah, when Zack has an interest in something, he tries to learn as much as he can about it. And coffee is no different. In the past couple of years, and particularly the last year or so, he has been delving into the world of coffee. He hasn’t made it to the level of roasting at home as some of our friends have, but he has gotten quite enthusiastic learning about non-traditional coffee processes.

This weekend, he had the opportunity to show some of our friends a bit of what he has learned so far. It was fun watching him as he worked with his V60 and AeroPress, and shared a recent batch of cold brewed coffee as well.

If there is one thing that is quite common in Norway, it is an enthusiasm for coffee. So perhaps Zack is living in the right place…

Not sure if you can see it well in the pics, but
he is sporting a really cool coffee shirt we picked
up in Gothenburg last week at Da Mateo.

Kaffetur 7 / Coffee Tour #7: Tim Wendelboe, Oslo

If this blog series were a countdown to the best of the best coffee shops, I would likely have to save this for #1. Or at the very least, in the top five.

But as I am attempting to skip around and mix things up a bit, and because I’m not one to keep a secret, I must tell you about some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.

I’ve mentioned Grünerløkka before. Artsy, trendy, urban, hip… okay it is actually way too cool a place for me to be. But call us rebels, because despite lacking our cool-kid cards, we tend to hang out there most anytime we are in Oslo.

In the midst of pricey secondhand stores (did you know that the word vintage instead of used means you can charge more money), trendy restaurants, sidewalk cafes, parks and über-cool boutiques sits Tim Wendelboe.

Tim is, at least in our humble opinion, one of the Coffee Kings.

The coffee is carefully selected. Tim travels often to find the best beans from select farms. It is roasted in-house. And when I say in-house, I mean in a quite small shop sitting on a corner in our favorite neighborhood.

Don’t go in expecting to find ample seating, as there are only a few seats.

Don’t look for an old school coffee machine, because you won’t find one.

And I personally would not recommend Tim’s for those who like a little coffee with their milk and sugar.

But if you are a coffee purist, I highly recommend a visit.

 

For more information, visit https://timwendelboe.no