Unlike other programs where you get a free drink for every so many purchases, at Benetti’s you get a point for every dollar that you [...]]]> At Benetti’s, we have a customer loyalty program that we feel is pretty aggressive. Now, we have added two new reward options – espresso brownies and “The Usual Button.”

Unlike other programs where you get a free drink for every so many purchases, at Benetti’s you get a point for every dollar that you spend. This includes food. Just like collecting tickets at that pizza arcade place, you can spend your points however you like. You could keep purchasing drinks and one day take home a free pound of coffee.

Now, you can redeem 125 points and take home a pan (8) of our new espresso brownies, baked right in the shop. (We’ll need a heads up to get them ready.) You can decided whether or not to share them.

The Usual Button is designed for that customer who enjoys being a regular because the barista’s know exactly how they like their favorite drink. For 500 points, we will put your custom drink as you name it in our cash register and every barista on staff will have to know it’s recipe. So, you or your friends can get your drink by name. Plus, it will be cool to see the drink name on the receipt.

Spending 500 points on something like that may seem crazy, but have you met some of our regulars?

Here’s the complete schedule of rewards:

• 15 pts Free 12 oz. Drip Coffee or Tea
• 25 pts Free 12 oz. Latte (one flavor) or Cafe au lait
• 40 pts Free 12 oz Blender, Smoothie or 20 oz. Latte (one flavor)
• 100 pts Free Pound of Whole Bean Coffee
• 125 pts Free pan of espresso brownies
• 500 pts Custom drink added to our cash register
• 750 pts Custom Labeled Coffee Blend!

The Nicaragua Java that was on the shelf last month was an example of a [...]]]> Lately, we have found ourselves roasting some Latin American coffees that challenge the typical characteristics of these regions without straying too far from their roots (pun intended.) The Costa Rica Herbazu Naranjo is another example of such a coffee.

The Nicaragua Java that was on the shelf last month was an example of a plant that was normally grown on the other side of the world, finding it’s way to Central America, producing a unique blend of flavors. The Herbazu, however, is an example of a coffee that is processed on the estate itself, instead of being processed at a cooperative mill.

Cafetalera Herbazu is a well-known farm in the Lourdes de Naranjo area of the West Valley region. The Barrantes family was one of the early pioneers of the independent, small mill coffee farm movement in Costa Rica. This farm consistently produces award-winning coffee and they have no problem selling it. We were happy that our importer was able to get their hands on some.

The Herbazu plantations are at an altitude of 1,500 – 1,700 meters above sea level, and they only cultivate Arabica varieties, specifically the Strictly Hard Bean type. The beans are very dense and result in a full-bodied flavor and outstanding acidity. Their coffee plants receive a lot of sunlight, twelve hours a day in fact, which is unique in Costa Rica. The processing method, which is called pulp natural in other countries, is called “honey” among Costa Rican farmers. In this process, the coffee cherries are allowed to ferment for a time with the seeds inside, and then the fruit is removed through a washing process.

This coffee has the potential to be very bright, almost approaching some African coffees. Our roasting approach mellows this just a little bit to bring showcase the classic balance of a good Costa Rican coffee, while maintaining a sweet acidity.

Don’t forget, shirts are just $6 and you don’t have to buy a ticket or go to the game to order a shirt!

Over the weekend, we were able to check off a few more tasks on our La Marzocco Linea rebuild project (PL3).

We finished separating all of the electronic components from the plumbing pieces so that we could clean and de-scale all of the waterworks in the machine. We did a test batch of the [...]]]>

Over the weekend, we were able to check off a few more tasks on our La Marzocco Linea rebuild project (PL3).

We finished separating all of the electronic components from the plumbing pieces so that we could clean and de-scale all of the waterworks in the machine. We did a test batch of the citric acid bath with a variety of copper and stainless steal tubing and fittings.

The process went quite smooth and quicker than expected. Of course, none of the test pieces had a large amount of scale build-up. We will tackle those in the next round.

The citric acid (purchased at a local health food store) seems to work best when hot. So, we used the food warmer that used to hold soups at the shop. It worked wonderfully. However, we will have to engineer something different for boilers and heating elements, as they are too large to fit in the food warmer.

After all of the de-scaling is finished, we’ll be using a wire wheel to polish a few select pieces.

Next: Descaling the group heads and the boilers.

presented by the Raytown Area Chamber of Commerce