Trove Coffee

Keep Those Resolutions!

New Year’s Resolutions are easy to make and hard to keep, but a simple cup of coffee just might be the key to your success this year. In today’s fast-paced world of smartphones and instant information, the most difficult challenge for a lot of us is to take a few minutes out of every day to unplug. A morning routine that includes even just fifteen minutes of reading, writing, reflecting, or meditating can work wonders on your mood and the rest of your day!

The best thing to have on hand for those quiet moments is a hot cup of coffee or tea. Although coffee and tea are not just morning drinks, there are certain characteristics about them that make us identify them with our morning routines. Adding coffee or tea to your morning routine can help by making you focus and ensure that your resolutions for self-improvement and reflection falls into line as well. Associating coffee or tea with your new morning routine makes it that much easier to fall into each and every day!

Connect Over Coffee and Tea

After the holidays more of your day probably involves interacting with fewer people on a personal level especially when your days consist of work and school. That feeling of disconnectedness is widespread with many Americans feeling emotionally disconnected at the beginning of the new year. Fortunately coffee and tea are the perfect tools to create more social connections with others at work, school, and on the go.

They really give us a good reason to tear ourselves away from our screens, make more human interaction, and start a real conversation with new people or old friends. You will find that a cup of coffee or tea is always better when there’s someone there to share it with and some good conversation. So phone a friend, schedule a meetup, and relax on a weekend to catch up in real-time. And if you frequent a café and see the same baristas every morning, don’t be shy about asking how their day’s been going and getting to know them.

Take Some Time For Yourself Too

We’re always in a rush, and every year, every day, every hour that goes by seems to go by quicker. Of course, it’s difficult to fit everything we want to do into our day, but just because we have a busy schedule doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make time for reflection. If you are the type to eat lunch at your desk and find that you’re scrambling all day to accomplish everything, try to find at least fifteen minutes out of every day to take yourself out for a coffee or tea date, and set aside a quiet moment to sip and think without any other distractions. Trove Coffee might just be the right place for it all!

Translated as drowned in Italian, the Affogato is a drink and a dessert all in one that’s made for coffee lovers everywhere. Although it is no longer new, it remains a simple yet delicious treat that is easily enjoyable any time of the year and is especially delightful on hot summer days. The combination of the strong, hot espresso with the cold, sweet ice cream is heavenly and can be whipped up in only a matter of minutes. How is it that something so easy to make is so divine? Let’s dive into what makes this treat special.

 Well to begin, it’s crucial that the bowl or cup this concoction is served in is ice cold and that the ice cream has softened as little as possible so that the ice cream remains solid when the espresso is poured over it. While brewing the espresso add a couple of scoops of your favorite ice cream to your bowl or cup and once the espresso is done brewing, pour the shots directly over the ice cream. Enjoy this fantastic combination of hot coffee and cold ice cream in every spoonful immediately as it does melt quickly!

 There's something about an affogato that makes it such an ideal dessert whether you’re a coffee or ice cream lover. There's not much involved in making one, just two ingredients that create something wonderfully complex and effortlessly complementary to each other. Given the small list of ingredients used, you'd think there would be a little variation in this dessert. I've had different experiences with affogatos around town, but regardless they’re always good. The worst one I’ve had arrived as a melted mess, forcing me to sip it like a soup.

 However, the best one you could try is served at Trove Coffee because we follow the instructions as stated above. Made with a freshly brewed doppio of our very own espresso that’s poured over locally sourced Edaleen ice cream. A purist will choose vanilla ice cream, but we’ve also got coffee-flavored ice cream available for true coffee lovers. Next time you’re out and about on a hot summer day stop in and treat yourself to something simple, inexpensive, yet so fulfilling, you won’t regret it.

 When it’s made it is correctly, it’s a complete taste sensation.

Tea is more than just drinking a hot cup of leaves and water. Tea is a sensory experience that involves an appreciation of culture, tradition, and flavor. The tea experience is enriched by the stories of how each tea leaf was cultivated and processed to produce delightful aromas. Tea has been around for about 5,000 years and was first discovered in China. It has since become an essential part of the human diet and is one of the most consumed beverages around the world!

Brief History of Tea

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover tea when they traveled through and resided in China during the 15th century. Tea was then introduced to Europe in the 16th century and 100 years later it became the staple drink of Britain in the 17th century. Tea has been at the center of numerous world changes from colonization under the East India Company to the events of the Boston Tea Party.

Tea consumption on the opposite side of the world was generally used as part of spiritual and community events. In South America, yerba mate tea was believed to be the drink of the gods, offering consumers deep insight into their own beings as well as the world around them. China and India produced over 60% of the world’s tea by 2016, but over the centuries tea production has increasingly moved from hand manufacturing to machine production.

Types of Tea

There are two main types of tea which are true teas and herbal teas. True teas are derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, commonly known as the tea plant. This includes black tea, green tea, white tea, and oolong tea. The tea plant is one that grows in a host of climates, which can lend different flavors to each unique brew.

Herbal teas are different because they’re caffeine free and are not made using any leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead, herbal blends are made using spices, flowers and the leaves of a variety of fruits and herbs. Herbal teas are often made using true tea leaves for distinct flavors, known as herbal infusions.

The Spice Hut Tea and Spices

Since the beginning, we’ve been partnered with local Bellingham tea company The Spice Hut. They are known for their spice blends and loose leaf tea medleys sourced from the finest ingredients. The quality and flavor of the products they create in their flavor workshop are among the best in the world.

Together we are committed to consistently providing customers with the highest quality tea at the best value to ensure that everyone can enjoy a delicious cup, whether hot or iced. With its range of flavors, aromas, and health benefits there is something to offer for everyone. Whether you prefer sweet, spicy, mild, or bold; Trove Coffee has you covered!

Learn more about everything tea related or visit The Spice Hut and browse through their catalog of tea.

Attention Chai Lovers!

Trove Coffee is proud to introduce The First Sip of Chai, a collection of beautiful chai tea concentrates from our friends at The Spice Hut. Our baristas use these concentrates to craft delicious beverages at Trove. Now you can stop in and pick up a bottle from our retail shelves so you can enjoy these high quality chai concentrates at home. These blends are beautiful iced or hot, as is or with your own special additions like simple syrup or your favorite alternative milk (think coconut, hemp or oat!). Just measure out about half concentrate, half milk of choice and you are on your way to beverage nirvana.

Find your flavor

Vanilla Earl Grey – Bergamot and vanilla together in sweet harmony. London fog time anyone?

Pumpkin Spice – Assam region black tea blended with pumpkin, cinnamon and YUM!

Vanilla Chai – Sweet creamy vanilla meets spicy chai flavors.

Masala Chai – The traditional Indian chai! Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, orange and clove. In one word, perfect.

About The Spice Hut, makers of The First Sip of Chai

We love our local partners here at Trove Coffee and The Spice Hut is a long time Bellingham staple for all things spice and tea. Here’s what they have to say about themselves…

“The Spice Hut creates spice blends and loose leaf tea medleys sourced from the finest ingredients worldwide. The quality and flavor of the products we create in our flavor work shop in Bellingham, Washington are among the best in the world. We are committed to consistently providing our clients with the highest quality products at the best value to insure that the greatest number of individuals have the opportunity to enjoy our merchandise.

The Spice Hut is a certified minority women owned business, and has been in operation since 2004. […] Our distribution center is the epicenter of all of The Spice Huts new creations as well as the last stop in our production process, meaning that from start to finish we hand prepare and package all of our product at the same location before shipping. This single center method of preparation lets us directly oversee all outgoing orders and insure freshness and product quality.”

Start Your Morning Off Right with Armored Aztec

You’ve probably met someone who swears by keto coffee or maybe that person is even you! If you’ve never heard of keto coffee however and are wondering what it is, we’re here to tell you a little bit about it. While caffeine can make you alert and also boosts your metabolism, it’s often times a short-lived feeling. Just like the food you put into your body, the quality of your coffee and the ingredients that go into it matters too. A regular cup of coffee can spike your energy then drain it quickly, but this can give you an advantage!

Keto coffee is not your average cup of coffee, it was created by Dave Asprey as a way to burn fat and boost energy in the mornings. After years of fiddling with a coffee recipe, Asprey arrived at a creamy and energy igniting beverage that has become popular in recent years among keto diet advocates. Asprey introduced his concoction in 2009, suggesting people drink the beverage instead of eating breakfast, promising that it reduces appetite, promotes weight loss by triggering ketosis, and has “massive impact on cognitive function”.

Recently we’ve introduced our own version of this coffee beverage for you to try for yourself. Trove Coffee’s very own Armored Aztec consists of mainly coffee, MCT oil, ghee, and cocoa, all made from scratch! It has a little spice kick from a dash of cayenne as well. It’s designed to be a great alternative to breakfast when you may not have the time to eat in the morning and can also help to increase your energy. It’s very high in calories and fat which is why it’s recommended that it replaces a meal and not drunk with a meal, which would lead to consumption of excess calories.

Our Armored Aztec is not a just fatty cup of coffee that’s intended to attract overwhelmed customers looking for the next big diet shortcut. It’s a hyper-efficient and power packed breakfast that’s meant to be a substitute for your high carbohydrate meal. Of course, our Armored Aztec is higher in fats than normal, but eating the right kind of natural fats can kick your food cravings. Fats can make you feel full quicker, which means you may find yourself eating less by adding more high quality, ketogenic fats to your diet. Try Armored Aztec today!

Brief History of the French Press

Let’s take a look at the brewing device that is perhaps the most popular and most used method across households in the US today. Many of us have one at home, or at least know somebody who does. The French Press coffee maker is a wonderful invention because it’s very affordable, easy to use, and produces delectable cups of coffee too. So, what exactly is French Press Coffee and what is its origin? Well, the history of the French Press goes back many years, but there is some disagreement as to who invented the design that most models are based on today. Regardless, the first patent for a coffee making device that resembles the modern French Press was issued to a man by the name of Attilio Callimani in 1928.

Many claim that the person responsible for the creation of the French press was a man from France who attached a fine screen to his coffee pot to avoid getting grounds in his cup when he poured it. A similar device started being used around France in the 1800s until word eventually got around about this new brewing method. Once the device arrived in Italy, the Italians modified it slightly, named it a cafetiere, and it was later patented by Callimani. In 1958, a man named Faleiro Bondanini devised a new and improved version of the French Press device that had an enhanced type of filter and was more effective at keeping coffee grounds out of a poured cup of coffee.

The Modern French Press

Today the French Press can be considered an entry-level method of brewing coffee. It’s relatively easy to use for beginners and known by people who may not be into specialty coffee either. Whether you view it as a simple method or not, there are certain steps that can be taken to create an extraordinary cup of coffee. Take into consideration the small details that go into brewing such as the freshness of the beans, the consistency of the grind, and the temperature of the water you use during immersion. It’s also best to pour any remaining coffee out of the pot once it’s done brewing. Many people claim that the best way to brew French Press coffee is done in borosilicate glass because it’s highly durable and quite reliable.

The borosilicate glass French Press has a great and long-lasting reputation as well because it’s the same type of press that was initially distributed by Bodum in the 1950s. Stainless steel models are just as good, but they’re often a bit more expensive than the ones with glass carafes. No matter which type you choose, using a French Press to brew is superior to using an electric coffee maker because of the outstanding flavor and quality of coffee that it produces. The main advantage is that it retains more of the natural oils from the grounds and these oils are what gives coffee its finest taste. Millions of people around the world still prefer to use the French Press over other methods of brewing because of how intuitive it is. Stop by Trove Coffee today and try our delicious French Press coffee! We promise you won’t be disappointed.

Want to learn how to brew French Press coffee at home? Check out the video below for an in-depth tutorial!

In the US, cold brew has only recently become the popular choice of coffee drink, but it’s hardly a new style of coffee. Not to be confused with iced coffee, in which hot or chilled coffee is served over ice, cold brew is a noticeably different product. Cold brew is more than a slowed down version of hot coffee it’s essentially a preparation. Coffee grounds are steeped in room temperature water for up to 24 hours to produce a concentrate which can be diluted with water and then served over ice. Hot water brings out the acids in coffee, a characteristic that baristas refer to as brightness. Cold water on the other hand doesn’t, but will still get a full range of mouthfeel and sweetness out of the beans. The absence of acidity in cold brew is even more distinct when compared to the iced coffee from a few years ago.

Cold brew today is a sweeter, less acidic beverage that provides a satisfying coffee flavor in a refreshing new way that is perfect all year. This may be news to most, though it’s something the Japanese have known about for centuries! Known as Kyoto coffee in Japan, cold brew has been popular there since the 1600s. It was apparently introduced to the Japanese by Dutch traders from Indonesia, who may have developed it to produce large quantities of ready to drink coffee that could be easily transported by ship and served later. The Dutch and Japanese may very well have been among the first people to brew cold coffee, but other theories point towards Latin America. In a sense, the origin of cold brew is an evolution of the practice of making a coffee concentrate.

Many people consider hot coffee as the default brew of choice, but coffee has been enjoyed cold for centuries now. Especially before electricity was introduced, cold brewing coffee could have even been the standard way of making coffee. Not only is it a practical beverage to make because it requires very little manual labor it can bring out certain flavors and characteristics of coffee better than a hot coffee can. At Trove, we’re glad to see the US reviving this old yet established way of enjoying coffee and eager to see what coffee shops will invent with cold brew in the near future. If you’re looking for a delicious cup of cold brew look no further than Trove Coffee! Made with a Brazilian/Mexican blend and post blended with an Ethiopian Jimma push profile, our cold brew offers a very cherry chocolate profile that consists of bright notes of wine/fermented fruit.

Trove Coffee is proud to be an official drop site for Toys for Tots again this year!

Please join us in their mission of gifting holiday toys to local children in need!

Please drop your new, unwrapped toys to Trove Coffee by December 13th

Open every day 7am – 7pm

228 N. Samish Way, Bellingham, WA 98225

360-393-4953

Trove Coffee is proud to provide maintenance on an engineered rain garden on State Street in downtown Bellingham! We are so excited to be a part of something benefitting our community and waterways. We also have a private rain garden at Trove so stop on by and ask us about our rain garden at Trove and how we strive to do our part in keeping Bellingham beautiful!

Rain gardens help treat and infiltrate stormwater, which would otherwise flow untreated into the nearest body of water.

Good for our community

Good for waterways

Check it out next time you’re downtown!

I’m sure by now you’ve noticed students working from quaint café corners, earphones plugged in, and typing away on their laptops. If you’ve ever wondered why young professionals turn to coffee shops for studying instead of doing it at home, you may be on to something. There’s a reason why college campuses are home to various coffee shops. It turns out that a lot of research suggests the link between productivity and coffee shops runs deeper than you may think!

Here are a few reasons why you should consider studying at a coffee shop:

Background Noise:

Researchers have found that moderate levels of ambient noise, typically found at coffee shops, can enhance performance on creative tasks compared to complete silence. Minor distractions such as those present at bustling coffee shops can actually stimulate the brain to think abstractly.

*For more information about the effects of ambient noise on creative cognition check out this great article written by authors Mehta, Zhu, & Amar.

Increased Concentration:

Caffeine ramps up your brain’s energy levels meaning enhanced memory, ability to focus, problem-solving, and general cognitive function. A nutrition study on caffeine found that 200 milligrams of caffeine prompts the brain to identify words and phrases more quickly. The same study also found that coffee consumption led to improved short-term memory and an increased ability to solve reason-based problems.

* For more information about this study go online and check out Caffeine: Not Just a Stimulate, published by nutritionists in Skokie, Illinois.

A Sense of Belonging:

The final reason you’re more productive in a coffee shop setting is not based on research, but more on personal experience. Upon walking into a charming cafe, there is an inexplicable feeling that you’re somehow part of a tradition of like-minded thinkers. Being surrounded by others in a dynamic environment can make you feel better about yourself and help you work harder.

With its alluring aroma and succeeding jolt of alertness, coffee serves as the daily wake up call for many because it helps them power through their work. A coffee-fueled brain works overtime to help you learn faster and can improve information retention. It’s no surprise that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world and even the smallest cup can make a significant difference. As long as you don’t overdo it, drinking coffee and being in a coffee shop setting can significantly increase your productivity!

There’s a lot of plastic out there!

According to a recent article from National Geographic “Some 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans each year from coastal regions. That’s the equivalent of five grocery bags of plastic trash sitting on every foot of coastline around the world”. Much of the discarded plastic that pollutes our water is made of up single use plastic items like packaging material, plastic straws and water bottles. Because of this many organizations, cities and individual households are making changes to the way they approach single use plastics. On July 1st of this year, Seattle became the first US city to ban single use plastic straws and utensils in food service.

You can help reduce the amount of plastic out there. Next time you stop by your favorite coffee shop say no to a straw unless you truly need it. Ask if the cafe offers “for here” cold cups (we use pint glasses at Trove coffee) or scrounge up your trusty Hydro Flask/Yeti/Stanley tumbler. Every little bit you do while out and about to reduce your plastic consumption counts!

Looking for ways to reduce your plastic use at home? Here are 5 tips to help cut plastics out of your home life.

Pack your lunches without plastic: You can find cloth, stainless steel and other non-plastic packing options locally at The Food Co-op , Whole Foods, and Fred Meyer as well as online. There are lots of fun lunch bags out there to show off your personal style, or try making your own at home for a fun DIY project like this from DIY blogger Tanya.

Buy in bulk: There are so many pantry items that can be purchased from the bulk foods section of your favorite grocery store, just bring your own container and fill er’ up! Great bulk buy options include granola, pastas, popcorn kernels, dried fruit, rice, and nuts.

Say no to plastic straws: With more options becoming available in stores and online you have lots of choices for plastic alternatives…think bamboo, stainless steel, glass or paper straws (when you get a straw at Trove Coffee you can rest assured knowing it is 100% commercially compostable).

Consider bar soaps and bar shampoos: An excellent option to cut out plastic containers that fill the bathroom counters, companies like Lush make a variety of bar based cleaning options that cut back on wasteful packaging.

Carry a reusable water bottle, coffee cup and growler: You know you have some empty items lying around in the back of your cupboard (we sure do!). Take these reusable versions with you next time you shop for a party, hit up your favorite study spot or take a trip to the park. More places are now offering water bottle fill stations or a discount on your brew if you bring your own mug (ask your barista about our “own cup” discount). It’s not just water and caffeine that can be put into a reusable container, don’t forget growler fills of beer, cold brew and kombucha too!

Doing our own small part to help

Here at Trove Coffee we have used compostable items since the day we opened for business. Trove was founded by folks who care deeply for our planet and the health and happiness of our future generations. When you come to our cafe you can feel good knowing that all of our single use cups (both hot and cold), straws, sleeves, and utensils are all 100% compostable.

From Maui to Bellingham, her coffee love affair continues at Trove...

Say hello to our new cafe manager, Cassandre Huschke!

She’s got style, she’s got class, but most importantly she can make a damn fine cup of coffee! Cassandre got her start in coffee on the island of Maui where she lived before moving to Seattle, WA. Seattle is where she says her love for good coffee grew and her addiction to the java bloomed. Cass moved to Bellingham after living in Austin, Texas for a time. She brought her husband, Adam and their two dogs, Louie and Pede Pua’a with her in their super cool tiny home! In her spare time Cass likes to go on long walks, surf, paint and construct small empires with Legos. Her hair color is ever changing, but she’s always got a smile, and probably a cup of coffee in her hand. She was made for Bellingham and we are so happy to have her leading our team! If you aren’t sure what to order when you stop in, Cassandre will help guide you through the vast world of options including pour overs, americanos and cold brew.

Come say hi, and put her espresso to the test!

Barista Level: Expert Favorite Drink: In-house cold brew with coconut and cream Hidden Talents: Chameleon Hair, Telepathy