Kicking Horse Coffee Beans

I am still learning about the different coffee beans from around the world, and how they are roasted. I once saw an article (in MacLeans, I think ) on how coffee fiends were buying unroasted beans and trying their hand at roasting beans by altering an old school air blowing popcorn makers (the kind you could probably find in your parents basement stored away in a dark corner) and plugging it into a fifty foot extension chord. It told you to listen for the first and second cracks, how to adjust the heat and how you could change the flavour by adding different ingredients to the roast. It sounded so easy, but I have yet to try it. Until that point, I am stuck buying whole beans like everyone else.

My favourite bean without a doubt is from 49th parallel. It is the bean to beat so to speak in Vancouver. It has a beautiful full bodied flavour with a smooth finish. The crema is thick and lovely shade of honey brown. In short it is a beautiful thing. It is sold in many locations around Vancouver but at about $15 a pound, I can't help but look around for a more economical option. There is no way that I would go so low as a supermarket name brand at about $7 a pound. I have tried several supermarket brands and I have thought that the flavour was flat, bitter or burnt. The beans were old and stale and probably pretty unevenly roasted.

I have tried other beans that could be considered the micro-roasters of coffee beans. The brand I most commonly buy is Kicking Horse Coffee.It is an independent company roasting since 1996 from Invermere BC and uses Fair Trade Organic coffee beans. My favourite roast is the Espresso roast (followed closely by the Kick Ass - and that not just for it's name either). The flavour is a little bit tangier and sharper and has a deep roasted flavour in the finish. It is still about $14 in stores, but can often be bought for $10 when on sale.

If you get a chance buy a bag, grind it up and pull it through your machine.

Kicking Horse Espresso Roast whole bean coffee - 4 shots out of 5 not just for the flavour but also for the value when you get it on sale.