Relevant

Fresh Beans, Inc. has stopped making the venerable Fresh Roast Plus 8.  In it's place they are introducing two new roasters that have larger batch size and better heat and air flow.  Named the Fresh Roast SR-300 and Fresh Roast SR 500, they are a major improvement over the earlier model. 

Tim  Skaling at Fresh Beans sent us a pre-production SR 500 and we've had a chance to try it out.  Here's what we think so far:

Both the SR 300 and 500 have the same maximum batch size--120 grams or about 5 ounces of green coffee.  That's twice as much as the old Fresh Roast Plus models.

Not only is the answer "Yes, you can" but it is also "Yes, you should"!  There are a few old hard-heads out there who might not agree, but over and over we hear from people who say their first cup of home roasted coffee is the best cup they've ever had.  We certainly think so!

Home coffee roasting does not require a lot of special equipment, it doesn't take a lot of time, and it won't break the bank.

We publish a free email newsletter, The Captain's Coffee News.  We send it out on a very irregular basis--either when we have something to say, or more likely, when ever we get around to it!  The one thing we try to NOT do is send out spam, so we only send the newsletter to people who have told us they'd like to receive it.  If you'd like to learn more about roasting, grinding and brewing, coffee and health, and get the latest installment of The History of Coffee, just send us a note to:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll put you on our mailing list. 

Blessings,

Priscilla

Shipping costs in the last few months have soared.  We understand that money is tight right now, and to help a little, we are offering flat rate shipping via UPS Ground.  We call our special the "Captain's Flat Rate Special".  Our charge is based on the total weight of your order.  Here is the schedule:

1-19 pounds.......$8.94
20-39 pounds...$14.94
40-60 pounds...$21.94

A lot of us are down right Un-American. We refuse to carry credit card debt!  For us, the invention of the debit card which took the funds directly and immediately out of our checking account seemed like a good idea and a prudent way to make purchases that required a credit card.  While debit cards may be great at places that can "swipe" the card, they may not be such a good thing for internet purchases.  Here's why:

For a long time we've felt that our traditional cupping score tables have done you a disservice and  really didn't provide you with the information you wanted to make a decision about whether to try a new coffee.  Since we only deal in specialty grade coffees, all of the scores for the coffees we offer are going to be in the 88+ range.  Besides, what exactly is the difference between 90.8 and 91.2 anyway?