Step into the office and the intoxicating smell of fresh-roasted South American coffee permeates the room.
After six years, Ted Abrams, president and CEO of Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Co., is acclimated to the aroma. With 70 different coffees, 24 flavored coffees and 50 varieties of teas, Joffrey's offers the coffee aficionado a smorgasbord of flavors.
"Sampling coffee is very much like drinking wine," Abrams said. Beans come in different sizes and shapes and from countries around the world.
Joffrey's started in Tampa's Drew Park in 1984. The founders wanted to form a chain of coffee shops across the country where people could buy top-end coffee, sit and relax and chat with friends.
http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/02/18/smallb1.html?page=1
The perfect cup of coffee - by Angie Atalla, CBS News Tampa Bay
The drink of choice to start your day is probably... coffee! This morning, we check in with some local experts and learn how coffee makes it way to your cup and how you can brew the perfect cup of joe.
Tampa-based Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company has been roasting specialty coffee since 1984. They blend, roast, package and ship their coffee in their Tampa headquarters. President & CEO Ted Abrams says the company uses the top 10% of the world's supply of coffee to create 125 different types of coffee.
So, here's how to make that elusive perfect cup of coffee. Vice President of Sales & Marketing Jose Ward says the right blend is a tablespoon of coffee for every 3 ounces of water or cup you want to make. Your coffee should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature. The fresher your beans, the better. Ward says, for the freshest tasting coffee, grind your beans and use them within 2 weeks.
And here are a couple of interesting things to look for when it comes to coffee. Coffee beans which have an oily "sheen" are fresh. Watch out for beans which look "dry", they may have been on the shelf for some time. Also check the filter once your coffee is brewed. If there are what looks like bubbles (similar to a "soap sud" texture) in the brew basket, those beans are fresh!
If you click on the 1st Video you will see Ted Abrams, CEO and 2nd Video story you will see Jose Ward, VP of Sales & Marketing.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=72777
