The New OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... ...more Certification
As you may know, the federal government has gotten involved in defining what constitutes organic food and certifying organic farmers, handlers and processors. They introduced a new USDA Organic label that all certified organic products can display. The rules took effect this October 2002 and are the result of a lot of effort by folks in the natural food and environmental movements. They are a step ahead at least in so far as giving producers guidelines and oversight, and letting consumers know what is in the products and produce they buy. Unfortunately this government involvement brings bureaucratization (how’s that for a word!) and is not a purely positive development for a number of reasons. One, the guidelines require companies to pay for certification, which involves up front cost and in some cases an ongoing % of gross receipts in addition to annual re-certification. Second, this means a lot of additional record keeping and accounting, and no one needs more of that. Some folks will choose to not certify just because it is too expensive and requires too much work. Some worry that it really will benefit the largest food producers — what they call “industrial organics”- who can use the USDA Organic sticker on organic TV dinners. Calling something “organic” has become just another marketing tool and usually allows for a healthy mark-up (healthy for the seller, not necessarily the buyer) over non-organic.. So even with certification procedures I guess I wonder what stops a person from lying and saying something is organic even when it isn’t. I don’t think the certification process will catch those determined to abuse the system. I think of the case of the coffee roasterA machine for roasting coffee. Or the person operating it! The basic requirements for a coffee roaster are a heating element that gets suitably hot and a mechanism... ...more here in the Bay Area who some years back was busted for selling Mexican coffee as KonaKona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii: Kona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island... ...more and charging Kona prices. Obviously supporting organic production is a good thing: everyone can agree that having an incentive to use fewer pesticides in the field and fewer chemicals in food processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... ...more is good. But the process shouldn’t penalize those typically smaller companies that can’t afford the certification and can’t do the record keeping. I know a chuck of my ambivalence about Fair TradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability.: Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach... ...more coffee comes more from the burden of the extra accounting and deadlines for reporting than anything else. Despite all this, we have begun the certification process and we will try it for a few years and see if it is worth the hassle. We’ll continue to choose coffees the old-fashioned way — by blind cuppingCupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest.... ...more — and try to keep folks as informed as possible about the origins of each coffee.
The Farther You Go, The Less You Know
Every time I start getting full of myself, thinking I really do know a lot about coffee, something comes along to knock me on my rear. It happened last year in PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... ...more when I was served an incredible espressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... ...more in a small town in the mountains, and they told me it was 100% wet-processed Panamanian coffee. How could you ever make a potent, full-bodied espresso from a fully-washed Central American coffeeCentral American coffee is known for its "classic," balanced profile.: Central American coffee is known for its "classic," balanced profile. Centrals are primarily wet-processed since the climate is... ...more, and not have the acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... ...more bite into your cheek when you drank it? Recent coffee samples have been really set my head spinning. Firstly, we received a JamaicaJamaica coffee can be excellent mild, lush coffee... sometimes. Like Kona and Puerto Rican coffee, it is soft, mild, clean and well balanced when it is good.: Ah... ...more Blue Mountain that was pretty darn good, an originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not... ...more I had given up on, and from a mill I had given up on. This week we received a Kauai EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... ...more PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... ...more sample that, roasted to a Full City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... ...more stage, is a real nice cup! That comes from a farm that uses high-tech mechanical picking (something I didn’t believe would ever produce good cup quality), and previous samples I had rated somewhere between cardstock and corrugated. The biggest change-around has been among the decafs: I didn’t think water-processing was ever going to produce a decent cup, especially a bright high-toned cup, and relegated it to the Indonesians. We stocked the Indonesian Komodo blend and the SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... ...more, low-tone coffees, for quite some time. But now there is a new decaf Water Process (WP on our list) plant in MexicoMexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in... ...more, not Swiss Water (SWPSWP means Swiss Water Process is a patented water filtration decaf method, not a chemical solvent method. The plant is in Vancouver, Canada. ...more) but the same process. And the coffees they are producing are outstanding. One reason is that we are sending down top-notch estate coffees to be decaffeinated. The results …uh, well ,,,I just can’t explain why they cup so good! One minor warning: SWP coffees have a shorter shelf life in the green form, perhaps 9 months -we have always kept our stock small and fresh. The new WP decafs are yet unproven in their durability, so to be safe keep your supply on the light side, and I will cup these as they age.
The Move That Was
We are finally more or less settled into our new place — though it is always a work-in-progress as we keep changing things. With daylight savings time we will have to add lights to the warehouse so we can keep working after the skylights grow dim. And we are quickly filling up all the extra space — though it’s a big change from stepping all over each other back at the other tiny place. It does means Tom and I have to holler at each other like Ma and Pa Kettle about 20x a day. But that’s okay — I have a good loud voice! -Maria
Sweet Maria’s Coffee Inc.
1455 64th Street, Emeryville CA 94608
web: www.sweetmarias.com
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Sweet Marias Green CoffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... ...more Offerings on 10/29/02:
This list is always superceded by the current list on our web page! http://www.sweetmarias.com
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... ...more Auction Lot-Diamante Tarrazu $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Costa Rican Tres Rios -La Magnolia $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Costa Rican La Minita Tarrazu $6.80 $12.92 $30.26 $108.80
GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more Coban Tanchi $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Guatemala FincaSpanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... ...more El Injerto ’02 $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Guatemala Huehuetenango -Finca Huixoc $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Guatemala Org/FT Huehuetenango $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... ...more SHG Organic Marcala $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Mexican Chiapas Strictly Altura ’02 $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Mexican SHG Organic/FT Loxicha $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Mexican Oaxaca – Fino Rojas $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Mexican Oaxaca Pluma El Olivo $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other... ...more SHG Nueva Esperanza $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
Nicaragua Organic/FT Segovia ’02 $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
Panama Boquete -Finca La Berlina $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Panama Auction Winner -Mama Cata $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $84.70
Panama Boquete -Finca Maunier $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture... ...more SHG St. Adelaida Estate $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... ...more Mogiana 17/18 SS/FC $3.90 $7.41 $16.97 $60.06
Brazil Cooxupe Prima Qualita $4.00 $7.60 $17.40 $61.60
Colombian Narino Vintage $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Colombian Organic Mesa De Los Santos $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Colombian Organic Quindio $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... ...more Org-FT Chanchamayo $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Ethiopian Harar Longberry Lot 3174 $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Ethiopian Sidamo DP $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe -Lot 957 $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... ...more AA Kiawamururu Auction Lot ’02 $5.75 $10.93 $25.01 $88.55
Kenya AA Karumandi Auction Lot ’02 $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
Kenya AA Kii Auction Lot ’02 $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $83.16
Tanzanian Southern PeaberryThe Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... ...more $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... ...more Budadiri AA-S Specialty $4.10 $7.79 $17.84 $63.14
YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... ...more MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... ...more Ismaili (Hirazi) $7.90 $15.01 $36.74 $126.40
Yemen Mokha Mattari $7.20 $13.68 $33.48 $115.20
Yemen Mokha Raimi (Rimy) $6.90 $13.11 $30.02 $110.40
Yemen Mokha Sana’ani -Haimi $7.20 $13.68 $33.48 $115.20
ZimbabweZimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... ...more AA+ Salimba $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Indian Monsooned Malabar Coehlo’s Gold $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Indian Pearl Mountain Peaberry $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... ...more -Kimel Plantation A $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Papua New Guinea -Kinjibi Est, Peaberry $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... ...more Toraja Gr. 1 -Lot 1942 $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Sulawesi Sulotco -“Old Toraja” $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $84.70
Aged Sumatra MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee... ...more $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $89.32
Sumatra Iskandar Triple-Pick $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
Sumatra Mandheling DP Gr.1 $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
TimorTimor-Leste (East Timor) is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, annexed by Indonesia and liberated in a referendum several years ago. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started... ...more Organic Aifu ’01 $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
HawaiiThe Kona district on the big island of Hawaii produces the best coffee from this state - clean, sweet and mild. : Ah, Hawaii... what a nice place.... ...more Kauai Estate Peaberry No. 1 $6.45 $12.26 $28.06 $99.33
Jamaica Blue Mountain -Mavis Bank $19.40 $37.25 $90.21 5 lb limit
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s Espresso Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso Blend $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... ...more Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Roasted French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
African Highland WP Decaf Blend $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $84.70
Brazil Prima Qualita WP Decaf $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Colombian MC Decaf -Narino del Abuelo $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Colombian Santa Isabella WP Decaf $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Ethiopian MC Decaf- Ghimbi $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Guatemala WP Decaf -Injertal Estate $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Indonesian Komodo Blend Org SWP D $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $90.86
Kenya MC Decaf -German KVWA decaf plant in Germany specializing in the methylene chloride solvent method. KVW stands for Kaffee Veredelungs Werk: A decaf plant in Germany specializing in the methylene chloride... ...more $5.25 $9.98 $22.84 $80.85
Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
Sulawesi Toraja WP Decaf $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Sumatra WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Uganda RobustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... ...more -Nanga Farms $4.00 $7.60 $17.40 5 lb limit
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Sweet Maria’s
Coffee RoastingThe application of heat to green coffee seeds (beans) to create palatable material for brewing a great cup!: Coffee roasting is a chemical process induced by heat, by... ...more
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Coffee BrewingThe process of making an infusion of water and roasted, ground coffee. In the most basic sense, hot water is added to coffee ground to produce a drink.... ...more
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Central America: Costa Rica | Guatemala | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | El Salvador
South America: BoliviaBolivia has always been a coffee origin with great potential, the potential to have a unique Specialty coffee offering with unique cup character.: There's no better way to... ...more | Brazil | ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... ...more | EcuadorEcuador has everything it takes to grow great coffee. Positioned between Colombia and Peru, the interior mountain ranges have plenty of altitude, weather patterns, and ideal soil for... ...more | Peru
Africa/Arabia: BurundiBurundi coffee bears resemblance to neighboring Rwanda, in both cup character, but also the culture surrounding coffee. Burundi is a small landlocked country at the crossroads of East... ...more | CongoKivu is the general name for East Congo (Kinshasa), covering a very broad geographical area, and the lake of the same name that divides them. It borders on... ...more | EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more | Kenya | RwandaA Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the India Ocean where French colonists grew it. Some history from the... ...more | TanzaniaIn terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is... ...more | Uganda | ZambiaFrom the country formerly known as upper Rhodesia in a country now named for the Zambezi River, Zambian coffees range from Kenya-like brightness to subtle, balanced coffee with... ...more | Zimbabwe | Yemen
IndonesiaUSDA is (obviously) the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA also had coffee plant breeding programs in the past and one variety they distributed to Indonesia and was... ...more/Asia: BaliCoffee from the Indonesian island of Bali was formerly sold mainly to the Japanese market. Perhaps it is the changing face of world economics that finds the first... ...more | IndiaS-795 is a variety based on the " S-Line" coffees of India, and stands for Selection 795, It has a very fine cup, one of the best in... ...more | JavaThere are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety... ...more | Papua New Guinea | Sumatra | Sulawesi | Timor
Islands/Blends/Others: Hawaii | Puerto RicoPuerto Rican coffee has the typical"island profile". These coffees, which include Jamaica and Kona, have a soft cup, not acidic, balanced, and mild. : I have tried other... ...more | Jamaica | Dominican | Chicory | Saint Helena | Sweet Maria’s Blends
Decafs: Water Process, Natural Decafs, MC Decafs, C0-2 Decafs
Robustas: India | Uganda Archives: 2008-2009 | 2007 | 2005-2006 | 2003-2004 | 2001-2002 | Pre-2000 Review Archive
This page is authored by Tom Owen and Sweet Maria’s Coffee, Inc. and is not to be copied or reproduced without permission.
Green Coffee Beans 70+ Selections Hearthware I-Roast 2 Fresh Roast Home Coffee Roasters – Two Models Gene Caffe Drum RoasterA roaster with a rotating drum that provides agitation to the beans, while a heating element (typically either electric or gas) provides heat. The metal drum conducts heat... ...more
BehmorA popular electric drum roaster designed for home use, with variable batch sizes (from 1/4 pound to 1 pound) and a smoke-reduction system. It has been modified and... ...more 1600 HotTopA home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat and airflow profiling, and an external cooling tray.: A home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat... ...more Drum Roaster Stovetop Popper Roasting Espresso Equipment & Accessories
Nesco Home Coffee Roaster TechnivormThe Technivorm is a Dutch-made electric drip brewer for the home that is known for it's good design, and good results. You can find them for sale on... ...more Electric Brewers Chemex Coffee Brewers Coffee Bags: for green and roasted
Zassenhaus Hand-Crank Mills Nissan & Zojirushi Travel Cups/ Bottles Vacuum Brewers: Cona, Yama Coffee Cleaning Supplies
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Miscellany and Sweet Maria’s T-Shirts Electric Coffee Mills: Mazzer Mini, Maestro, Rancilio Rocky, Bodum Manual Drip Brewing
Our Weekly Roasted Coffee French PressA simple coffee brewer also called a Press Pot: grounds and hot water are added to a carafe, allowed to sit for several minutes, and then a filter... ...more Coffee Brewing IbrikA pot for making turkish coffee with wide bottom, narrow neck, and long handle."Ibrik" is the Turkish word for this coffee pot. It is usually made out of... ...more: Turkish CoffeeA strong preparation of coffee, finely ground, and often prepared in an Ibrik over a heat source like a gas stove. Traditionally it was placed in hot sands... ...more Brewing Mokapot: Stovetop Espresso
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