Kent, Finley and I recently high tailed it to Portland for the evening to attend Stumptown’s “Meet the Producer” event, featuring El Salvadoran coffee producer, and Cup of Excellence winner, Aida Batlle. Stumptown’s senior green coffee buyer, Aleco Chigounis facilitated the conversation between Aida and the audience, shedding light on his own tremendous knowledge of [...]

Anyone familiar with Stumptown Coffee Roasters knows they source outstanding coffees. What you might not know is the ongoing effort Stumptown’s green coffee buyers and roasters make to select these coffees. In a traditional sale of green coffee beans, a roaster purchases green coffee from a broker or middle man, and the roaster has no [...]

If you’ve been by the shop in the last month, you may have noticed that we remodeled part of the back bar. We removed a large freezer and sandwich table and then extended the back counter all the way to the back door of the shop. We also added cabinetry above the counter and a [...]

In honor of our featured cup this month, Hair Bender Espresso Blend, we thought we might address what espresso actually is!

With the return of Guatemala Finca el Injerto, Stumptown’s first Direct Trade relationship coffee, it seemed like a good time to share a bit about what Direct Trade is and how the producers of Finca el Injerto embody the attributes of a Direct Trade coffee producer.  It starts with the efforts of Stumptown’s green coffee [...]

With the return of Guatemala Finca el Injerto, Stumptown’s first Direct Trade relationship coffee, it seemed like a good time to share a bit about what Direct Trade is and how the producers of Finca el Injerto embody the attributes of a Direct Trade coffee producer.

You might think we’re talking about the cool, rainy season that we just can’t seem to shake around here, as being “coffee season.”

Previously, we described in depth the press pot (aka, French Press) brewing method, its ease of use resulting in a great cup of coffee. This exploration prompted us to change our format for a few upcoming public coffee tastings. Instead of our usual cuppings, comparing different coffees from around the world, we will compare the [...]

Each brewing method brings out different characteristics in the coffee. We examine a handful of brewing methods, such as drip coffee, press pot, Hario pour over method and siphon brewer.

Each brewing method brings out different characteristics in coffee. We examine a handful of brewing methods, such as drip coffee, press pot, Hario pour over method and siphon brewer.

One of the easiest ways to brew a delicious cup of coffee at home is to use a press pot, aka, French Press.

Last month Kent, Hazel & Finley attended a Stumptown organized panel discussion with coffee producers from Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Kenya. We took away a handful of learnings that will stay with us and shape how we work with their coffee once it reaches our shop.

We love learning, and we tend to attract staff and customers who also love to learn, improve and grow. We view each drink as an opportunity to improve upon the skill and attention we poured into the previous drink. There’s endless learning in perfecting the craft of coffee preparation, and there’s endless learning about the origin of the coffee beans themselves.

High-quality Arabica coffees like those you enjoy at thump come from the tropical, high-elevation climates of Latin America, Africa and Indonesia. Stumptown Coffee Roasters has established numerous Direct Trade relationships in the former two growing regions . . .

We are pleased to offer four new models of high quality Baratza coffee grinders for home use. This is one purchase that can make a significant difference in the quality and enjoyability of the coffee and espresso you brew at home.

Just in! Our old friend Guatemala Finca El Injerto (bourbon varietal) has come home to us!  This is the Guatemalan coffee and farm with whom Stumptown established its first Direct Trade relationship, a buying practice that has helped change how the coffee industry does business with coffee producers and has elevated Stumptown to the status [...]

Iced toddy has returned and we’re ready for hot weather to accompany it! We spent nearly a month testing different beans, blends, brewing times and water to coffee ratios. Somehow toddy was on your radar because many of you came asking for it before we were done perfecting it. Well, we’re especially proud of what [...]

In March, six of us from thump — and Finley — traveled to Portland to watch the U.S. National Barista Competition and visit some notable coffeehouses.

The staff at thump are rallying for a road trip to Portland this weekend to watch the United States National Barista Championship, attend some trainings, and tour some coffeehouses. We’re finalizing the logistical details for sending everyone and still keeping the shop open to serve you! Presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), [...]

You may have noticed the addition of a third espresso grinder on the bar. Our new Mazzer Robur E, affectionately named “Darth Vader,” is a state-of-the-art bad boy who means business! With the intent of adding another grinder for single-origin espresso, we went on the quest to research and discover a grinder that would also [...]

This month, Thump’s featured coffee is El Salvador Kilimanjaro Direct Trade, Organic.  This coffee is produced by Aida Battle, a female coffee farmer who Stumptown recently invited to Portland to speak at their “Meet the Producers” series.  (See the December thumpology for more info. on our fieldtrip to meet Aida.) El Salvador Kilimanjaro is a [...]

On November 18, Hazel, Kent and Finley zipped over to Portland and back for an evening “Meet the Producers” event, hosted by Stumptown. The guest of honor, Aida Batlle, is a rarity in the coffee producing industry — a woman(!) managing not one, but three, of her family’s coffee farms. We tasted her award winning [...]

Last month, Kent and Hazel took a field trip to Portland for the opportunity to meet two of Stumptown Coffee Roaster’s premier direct trade coffee producers, Guatemalan Cup of Excellence winners Mercedes and Arturo Aguirre Jr, of Finca El Injerto and Luis Pedro Zelaya of Semillero, Antigua.

September was a month of cool trainings. Kent broke away for a few days to go to the Seattle Coffeefest, an annual trade show where thousands of people gather to learn, teach, debate, buy, and sell everything related to coffee.