Learn how to brew the perfect cup of Joe at CoffeeCon in Warrenville
As a nationally recognized coffee brewing expert, Kevin Sinnott knows how to make a perfect cup of coffee.
His mission now is to show the rest of us how to do it.
Sinnott, who has been writing about coffee since the early 1990s, runs a website and has released two books. On Saturday, he is going to launch the next step in his coffee brewing awareness campaign: a coffee convention.
CoffeeCon 2012 will celebrate coffee from a consumer perspective. Planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the IBEW training center, 28600 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, the event will include coffee tastings, demonstrations and expert speakers.
Sinnott said he hopes everyone who attends comes away with a better understanding of coffee and how to brew it.
“The goal is that they are going to wake up on Sunday morning and actually be able to make a better cup of coffee,” he said.
Sinnott, who lives in Warrenville, years ago came up with the idea of doing the event in the city. He said he was determined that it be a consumer event — not a trade show.
“There's so many things at trade shows that aren't interesting to consumers,” Sinnott said. “I'm not interested in cash register software or how to inventory beans.”
Instead, CoffeeCon will give attendees the opportunity to see and compare different coffee beans and coffee-making equipment. The list of exhibitors includes coffee roasting companies and coffee shops that will let the public sample various types of coffee and brewing methods.
“I think people will be surprised just how different a coffee from one region of the world is from another coffee,” Sinnott said. “And more interestingly, how the same coffee brewed in one coffee maker will be very different brewed in another.”
Consumers will be able to attend the event and sample coffee for free as long as they preregister at the coffee-con.com website. Otherwise, admission is $10 at door.
But even at $10, Sinnott said he considers the convention to be bargain for coffee lovers.
“Some of these coffees are like $40, $50 a pound,” he said. “You'll be able to drink your $10 of coffee in about 15 minutes if you pick the right booths.”
For anyone looking to get an education about coffee, there will be lectures and hands-on coffee brewing classes throughout the day. National coffee experts scheduled to participate include George Howell, who will host a tasting lab; and Jim Schulman, who will teach the “Everything Espresso” class.
CoffeeCon also will have live entertainment, contest prizes and other surprises, including a flash mob coffee song medley.
About 1,000 people are expected to attend. Sinnott said he anticipates the event will appeal to everyone from coffee connoisseurs to those who simply like coffee.
Even if the only thing you know about coffee is how much cream and sugar you prefer, Sinnott said you're more than welcome to attend Saturday's event.
“Coffee is, first and foremost, something you should enjoy,” Sinnott said. “It should not be, to me, a form of puritanism. That's not what this event is about.”
If you go
What: CoffeeCon 2012
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25
Where: IBEW Local Union 701, 28600 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville
Cost: Free if you preregister, $10 at the door
Info: coffee-con.com