Now, I'm neither an astrology detector nor an expert. What is the next pork belly? How meat trends start, sizzle and ultimately fizzle outĪnother used a rag to wipe the loopy cursive advertising April's monthly special - 'The Taurus,' an iced mocha topped with whipped cream and crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans - from the menu board and replace it with 'The Libra,' a dark and white chocolate double-shot latte. One employee was replacing leftover spring decorations, like Easter rabbit cutouts and pastel-colored tissue flowers, with plastic Halloween skeletons and rubber bats. The magazine rack by the counter was filled with alt-weeklies and newspapers that had been delivered in April. In many ways, walking through the doors that first morning back was like stepping into a time capsule. I first noticed this in late 2020.įollowing almost six months of lockdown, my local coffee shop reopened to the public that October. I'd also treat myself to something sweet, like Mamaw Emily's strawberry cake or a simple cannoli.Īcross the food and beverage industry, chefs and creators are increasingly looking to the stars for inspiration when it comes to menu-writing, cocktail crafting, food packaging and marketing. I'd order a spinach, artichoke and feta pie from Giordanno's, then make myself an Endless Sunrise cocktail with tequila, Cointreau, crème de cassis, orange juice and a slice of lime. We occasionally test ones with the mesh and it's nearly impossible to roast coffee in it, the direction of the hot air doesn't sufficiently agitate the coffee, and chaff can get stuck under the mesh and start a fire.If I ate according to my zodiac sign this week, I'd start with a champagne and rose-flavored lollipop, as well as a cup of coffee, preferably a 'subtle and delicate' blend like ReAnimator's Ethiopia Agaro. If you decide to purchase a popper from another retailer, be sure that it is not the one with mesh at the bottom of the roast chamber. So, Caveat Emptor! (Let the Buyer Beware!) Do we sound ambivalent about selling these? We are. Unless the machine is DOA (Dead On Arrival), we cannot accept any returns or honor any refunds.Īll poppers are different and you might need to add an extension cord, or roast in a cooler place (or vice versa) to slow down or heat up the roast. Please keep in mind that we are selling this as the best popper we know of but it won't last forever. The manufacturer's warranty will be voided when you use it for anything other than popping corn. Hot air popcorn poppers are not made for coffee roasting. So, with that said, we are offering a hot air popcorn popper for use as a home coffee roaster. Although using an air popper is a good way to get started, we don't consider them to be up to par with machines actually made for coffee roasting. Consecutive roasts are possible but not recommended, as they can lead to your popper overheating and burning out the internal elements. Roasting with a popper is very much a DIY method that can require creative modifications, but we think you will get better results in comparison to using a frying pan or a stovetop popcorn popper.

This model made by Nostalgia has all the features that one should look for in a popper and won't break the bank.Īny electric popcorn popper you use for roasting coffee will eventually wear down due to the amount of time the motor and heating element need to stay on, but thus far our tests with this machine have proven that it will probably last a while. For this reason, we decided to offer hot air popcorn poppers on Sweet Maria's. You can find poppers online or at department stores, but they can be hit or miss since they have different designs and are built differently. The hunt for an affordable air popcorn popper that works as a coffee roaster has become increasingly difficult. It was discontinued years ago and has only been available in thrift stores and on eBay.

Our all-time favorite popper-roaster, the West Bend Poppery 2, is becoming harder to find. Also every roaster we sell ships with a Tip Sheet. Be sure to read the details page on using a hot air popper before you roast - there are two videos there to show the process so you know what to expect.

Nostalgia coffee