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  • Running a coffee cupping at home

    Preparing your table

    Setting up a tasting session at home does not require expensive laboratory equipment. You only need a few simple tools that are likely already in your kitchen cupboards. Gather three or four small glass cups or ceramic bowls that hold about six to eight ounces of liquid. It is important that all the vessels are of identical shape and volume to keep the parameters consistent. Along with the cups, place two deep spoons — ideally soup spoons or traditional silver cupping spoons — and an extra mug filled with hot water for rinsing them between samples. This physical layout allows you to move quickly from one cup to the next without transferring flavors.

    Select three different types of coffee to compare side by side. Tasting a single variety in isolation makes it difficult to notice subtle characteristics, but placing different varieties next to one another immediately highlights their unique profiles. You might choose coffees from different regions, such as Central America and East Africa, to create a clear contrast. Keep the identity of each sample hidden by writing a small code on the bottom of each vessel, turning the session into a blind evaluation that removes any personal bias toward a particular label or origin.

    Grinding and smelling

    Before adding any liquid, you must prepare the beans. Grind exactly nine grams of coffee for each cup using a medium setting that resembles coarse sand. Once the dry grounds are in their respective vessels, take a moment to evaluate the dry aroma. Gently shake each cup to release the volatile aromatic compounds, then lean close and inhale deeply. Professional tasters refer to this initial step as “the dry sniff” to establish a baseline. You might notice hints of toasted nuts, baking spices, or dried fruit before any moisture touches the grounds. Record your immediate impressions, as these dry scents will shift once the brewing begins.

    Adding water and breaking

    To begin the wet phase, you will need a clean kettle filled with good coffee brewing water heated to just off a boil, around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the hot liquid directly onto the dry grounds in each cup, filling them right to the brim. Ensure all the grounds are fully saturated. As the hot liquid interacts with the coffee, a thick layer of wet grounds will rise to the surface, forming a dense crust. This crust traps the aromas underneath, creating a pocket of intense heat and gas. Let the cups sit undisturbed for exactly four minutes. This quiet interval is crucial for a complete and uniform coffee extraction to take place.

    At the four-minute mark, it is time to break the crust. Bring your nose right down to the rim of the first cup, take your spoon, and gently push the floating layer of grounds toward the back of the vessel three times. As the crust breaks, a concentrated burst of steam will escape, releasing the wet aroma. The surface of the liquid during this step looks dense and velvety, bearing a fleeting resemblance to the cezve foam that crowns traditional unfiltered preparations. After breaking the crust on all samples, use your two spoons to skim off the remaining floating foam and oils from the surface, leaving a clean, dark liquid beneath.

    Slurping and assessing

    Wait another nine to ten minutes for the liquid to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature. Attempting to taste the coffee while it is boiling hot will only numb your palate and obscure the subtle flavors. Once the liquid is warm but no longer hot, dip your spoon gently into the top layer, taking care not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the cup. Bring the spoon to your lips and slurp the liquid sharply into your mouth. This rapid inhalation aerates the coffee, spreading it evenly across your entire tongue and the roof of your mouth.

    As you taste, focus on basic sensory categories: acidity, sweetness, body, and finish. Some cups may feel heavy and round, while others might feel thin but crisp. “The magic of this method is its utter simplicity,” as a veteran coffee roaster once remarked, because it strips away all the variables of paper filters and pressure. As the cups continue to cool down to room temperature, taste them again. You will find that some coffees reveal a pleasant sweetness as they cool, while others might become unpleasantly bitter… this temperature evolution is often the most revealing part of the entire process.

  • Where film grain comes from

    What the emulsion holds

    Film grain begins as a physical structure in the emulsion, not as noise added by a camera. The emulsion is a thin gelatin layer carrying microscopic silver halide crystals. Light changes some crystals during exposure, forming a latent image too small to see. During development, those exposed crystals are converted to tiny deposits of metallic silver. The deposits gather into irregular clumps; their size and spacing create much of the visible texture in a monochrome photograph.

    Crystal populations differ from one emulsion to another. A faster emulsion often relies on larger crystals or more efficient crystal designs, so a short exposure can produce more obvious texture. Slower emulsions tend to hold finer detail when there is enough light, though scene contrast and processing matter too. There is no single grain size across a frame: clumps overlap, and the eye reads their pattern rather than measuring individual crystals.

    Development makes it visible

    Development turns the latent image into something visible by reducing exposed crystals to silver. It does not create grain from nothing, but the chemistry and the way it is used affect the image’s contrast and apparent texture. Temperature, time, and agitation all matter. Keeping those conditions consistent makes comparisons useful; changing several at once makes it hard to tell what caused a difference.

    Exposure also changes how grain reads. Thin shadow areas may contain little image information, so raising their brightness in a print can make texture look harsher. A well exposed negative gives tones more room to separate. At first glance, a small image may look smooth… until a larger print reveals its pattern. A useful shorthand is “grain is structure, not dust.”

    The viewing size matters

    Grain is a relationship between the negative, the enlargement, and the distance from which you look. For a quick comparison, making contact sheets from one roll lets you see which frames have the most visible texture at the same small size. An enlarger lens then projects the chosen negative onto paper, and each increase in print size spreads the grain across more of the image.

    Compare the same frame as a small print and an 8 by 10 inch print, viewed from your usual distance. Then move closer. You may notice that the image seems smooth at first and resolves into clusters near the paper. Sharp focus makes those clusters easier to see; a soft print can disguise them, along with fine detail. That is a useful reminder — apparent grain belongs to the entire viewing setup, not just the emulsion.

    Control the impression

    Format and exposure affect how much enlargement a picture needs. The larger negatives used by some folding cameras can show the same grain less prominently in a print of a given size. Careful incident light metering helps keep exposure consistent from frame to frame, especially when the subject moves between bright and shaded surroundings. Consistency makes the texture easier to judge.

    If grain feels too coarse, try a slower emulsion, give the shadows enough exposure, and make a smaller print before changing anything else. If you like the texture, let it remain visible instead of smoothing away every trace. On a cloudy afternoon, a lightly textured print can give a plain wall or a dark coat a sense of surface. The best test is a print held in ordinary room light, not a tiny image inspected from inches away.

  • Pizza dough with a long rise

    The value of slow fermentation

    Making pizza at home often suffers from a common rush. Many recipes promise quick results in under an hour, but the resulting crust is usually tough, difficult to stretch, and tastes flat. By shifting the timeline and allowing the mixture to rest in a cold environment for two to three days, the entire character of the crust changes. The long rest allows natural enzymes to break down starches into simple sugars, which caramelize beautifully in a hot oven. “Time is your best ingredient,” says my neighbor who ran an artisanal pizzeria for two decades. Without a long resting phase, the dough simply lacks the depth of flavor and the extensibility required for a thin, airy crust.

    When you pull the dough from the refrigerator after forty-eight hours, you will notice tiny bubbles beneath the surface and a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma. This slow method demands patience, but it reduces the physical effort needed later. Instead of fighting a springy sheet of dough — which keeps snapping back to its original size — you will find a relaxed, supple disk that yields easily to the gentle pressure of your fingertips.

    Formulating the simple mix

    The ingredient list is brief: flour, water, salt, and a minuscule pinch of commercial yeast. Because the rise occurs over several days, you only need about one-quarter of a teaspoon of yeast for three medium pizzas. When writing down the formula, using baker’s percentages helps keep the ratio of water around sixty-five percent of the total flour weight, ensuring a manageable moisture level. This moderate hydration produces a dough that is easy to handle without sticking excessively to your counter.

    Unlike the tender structure of a soft sandwich loaf, pizza dough requires only four basic components to achieve its characteristic crispy yet chewy rim. We want to avoid any added fats or dairy that might soften the crumb. A simple combination of standard white flour and tap water is all it takes to establish a strong network of proteins that can trap the gases produced during the long rest.

    Mixing and portioning

    To begin, stir the flour, salt, and yeast together in a large bowl before adding the water. Mix with a sturdy spoon until the dry patches disappear and a shaggy mass forms. If you prefer using automated appliances for the initial mixing phase, you can run a brief cycle without relying on standard bread maker settings designed for heavy loaves. The goal is simply to wet the flour thoroughly; the cold refrigerator will do the rest of the work over the next few days.

    Once the mixture is uniform, let it rest on the counter for twenty minutes, then shape it into a smooth ball. Divide this ball into three equal portions, weighing about two hundred and fifty grams each. Place each portion into a lightly oiled container with enough room to expand, seal the lids tightly, and place them directly into the back of your refrigerator.

    Stretching the relaxed round

    On the day you plan to bake, remove the dough containers from the refrigerator at least two hours before stretching. Cold dough is stubborn and will tear if handled too soon … it needs to reach room temperature to regain its flexibility. Dust your work surface with a light coating of semolina or flour, and gently turn one round out of its container.

    Use your fingertips to press down in the center of the ball, pushing the air bubbles outward to form a defined border. Never use a rolling pin, as this flattens the delicate pockets of gas that create a light, puffy rim. We want to avoid a sticky, rich texture like a brioche dough, aiming instead for a smooth, slightly tacky surface that holds its shape as you gently drape it over the backs of your hands to stretch it to a twelve-inch circle. Place the stretched dough onto a wooden peel or an inverted baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add your toppings, and bake immediately on your hottest oven rack.

  • Descaling your coffee machine

    Understanding mineral buildup

    Every drop of tap water that passes through your coffee maker contains dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. Over time, as water is heated to boiling temperatures, these minerals precipitate out of the liquid and cling to the internal surfaces of your machine. This chalky white deposit — known as limescale — acts as an unwanted layer of insulation around the heating element. As a result, the machine must work much harder to heat the water, which can lead to lukewarm coffee and eventual electrical failure. Unlike dealing with French press sediment in your cup, mineral buildup inside an electric machine is completely invisible until it causes a breakdown.

    The signs of severe scale accumulation are easy to spot once you know what to look for. You might notice the brewing cycle taking twice as long as it did when the machine was new, or the pump making a strained, high-pitched hum. “The heating element is the heart of the machine,” says veteran repair technician Marcus Thorne, “and scale is its slow enemy.” When scale blocks the narrow water paths, the temperature drops, resulting in sour, under-extracted cup profiles that ruin your morning routine.

    Selecting the right descaler

    Many household guides suggest using white vinegar to clean coffee equipment, but this approach has significant drawbacks. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which can leave behind a stubborn, pungent aroma that takes dozens of rinse cycles to fully remove. Furthermore, vinegar is highly corrosive to certain internal copper and brass fittings. Specialized commercial descaling powders and liquids typically use a blend of citric and sulfamic acids, which dissolve calcium efficiently without leaving a lingering smell.

    Your choice of equipment dictates your maintenance routine. While a simple stovetop espresso maker requires little more than a rinse with warm water, electric pump-driven machines have complex internal valves that clog easily. Investing in a dedicated descaling solution ensures these delicate parts remain undamaged. It is a small expense that preserves the lifespan of a much larger investment, keeping your daily setup running at peak thermal efficiency.

    Executing the flushing cycle

    To begin the process, empty the water reservoir completely and remove any charcoal water filters. Mix your descaling solution with warm water according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then pour it into the reservoir. Turn the machine on and run half of the solution through the brew head or steam wand. Turn the power off and let the machine sit idle for about twenty minutes; this allows the acid to chemically break down the hardened calcium layers inside the boiler.

    After the resting period, turn the machine back on and flush the remaining solution through. The water trickles slowly, then coughs, and finally… a steady, clean stream emerges. Once the reservoir is empty, rinse it thoroughly with fresh tap water. You must run at least two or three full reservoirs of clean water through the system to guarantee no chemical residue remains to ruin your next beverage.

    Establishing a regular schedule is key to avoiding sudden machine failures. If you live in an area with hard tap water, plan to perform this maintenance every two months. Waiting for the machine to finish its flushing cycles requires some patience, much like waiting for the degassing coffee process to finish before you brew your freshest beans. This simple routine ensures that every extraction is heated to the precise temperature intended, preserving both your machine and the quality of your morning cup.

  • Black Friday 2018: 40% off annual plans until Monday

    For Black Friday 2018 we are taking forty percent off every annual plan, from Friday 23 November through Cyber Monday, 26 November 2018. The discount applies at checkout with no code and covers the Starter, Team and Agency tiers. Existing customers on monthly billing can switch to annual during the same window and keep the discount for the whole year. The offer ends at midnight Pacific time on Monday and will not be extended. Questions about the 2018 promotion go to the usual support address.

  • Recap: our booth at Web Summit 2018

    Web Summit 2018 in Lisbon wrapped up last night and our small team is back with sore feet and a full notebook. Over three days we spoke with roughly two hundred visitors at booth C-14, most of them founders looking for a simpler way to keep a company site healthy without hiring an agency. The most common question was about pricing for teams under ten people, which we answered with the November 2018 plan sheet. We also ran two short demos on stage two. Thanks to everyone who stopped by; the follow-up emails go out on Monday, 12 November 2018.

  • Company retreat 2018: photos and notes

    The 2018 company retreat took place in the first week of September 2018 in a rented farmhouse two hours from the office. Six people, three days, one whiteboard. We decided the 2019 roadmap, agreed to stop supporting the legacy importer by December 2018, and ate far too much bread. Photos from the September 2018 retreat are in the gallery below, and the raw notes are attached for anyone who wants the detail. The next retreat is pencilled in for September 2019.