
News, Stories and more
Our Blog
View BY :

Holiday Coffee Collection
Brewing Coffee
Just like in our coffee grinding blog, there are some basics we have to go over first. So, before we get into how to brew your own “just cup”, let’s go over those basics. I’d also like to thank the many Thanksgiving employees who contributed info from past articles so that we could have this educational piece on brewing delicious coffee: Jacob Long, Marchelo Bresciani and Paul Katzeff.
1. Coffee to Water Ratio
“What? I’ve just been pouring copious amounts of grounds into a filter and adding a few cups of water.” I’d like to think we’ve all been there. At least I have, before I started working at Thanksgiving Coffee Company. But hopefully we caught you early enough to steer you in the right direction. 😉
Using the correct amount of coffee will ensure that your coffee is brewed to strength, without over-extracting or under-extracting the coffee to compensate for an inappropriate dose. While we do recommend weighing 2 grams of coffee for every fluid ounce of water, we understand that not everyone has a scale at home. And if you don’t, just estimate about 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee for every 5 ounces of water used to brew.

2. Grind Size (yes, this again)
s one of the most important steps in coffee brewing. In general, a finer grind will produce a more intense brew and a coarser grind will produce a less intense brew. At the same time, a grind that is too fine will produce an over-extracted, astringent brew, and a grind that is too coarse will produce a weak, under-extracted brew lacking flavor. In pour-over methods, grind size also affects the rate of extraction, as water will pass more slowly through a finer grind, and more quickly through a coarser grind. We strongly recommend burr grinders over blade grinders. For more information on this, see our last blog “How to Grind Coffee“.

3. Water Temperature + Quality
This one is a little bit more straight-forward. Water temperature dramatically affects the extraction of coffee’s flavor during brewing. We recommend brewing with water at 200° Fahrenheit for best results. Using fresh, clean, chlorine-free water is essential.

4. Coffee Freshness and Storage
Coffee is very sensitive to heat, moisture, and oxygen. It should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For best results, grind coffee fresh, just before brewing.
Staling is caused, in order of most harmful to least harmful
- Exposure to air (Oxidization)
- Exposure to heat
- Exposure to moisture
- Exposure to light
…and, if you address the problems of Air, Heat, and Moisture correctly, then Light will have little effect on your coffee. Read more about storing your coffee here.

5. Cleaning
This is the last one – of the basics – and it’s pretty easy. Because coffee contains numerous oils that build up over time, we recommend thoroughly cleaning your brewing and grinding equipment after each use. This guarantees the best, freshest cup of coffee every time.

So… we covered all the basics. I know it’s a lot, but we still have all of the brewing methods to cover from stovetop espresso to cold brewing. Stay tuned for part two, and we’ll help you discover which method is best for you and why.
Coffee Tips : How to Brew Coffee - Part I
Part I: First, we're going back to the basics. Learn some of the crucial preparation steps before you choose which brewing method is best for you.
read more-
Coffee From Us ~ To You
Thanksgiving Coffee's Sales and Delivery Crew are full of knowledge handed down by our founders, (Joan and Paul Katzeff), and the valuable team their son, Jonah Katzeff CEO, has assembled to serve our community. The coffee they deliver and the coffee support they give you are built on the unique relationship with the family farms and small co-operatives that Thanksgiving has cultivated with generations of coffee farmers. This kind of connection is earned through hard work and dedication, and that is exactly what our sales and delivery team are full of. Let me introduce them to you. See if you can notice a theme. (Hint, positive co-workers).
Don Arnold - Direct Delivery Coordinator
Don has worked at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2000, longer than anyone, not naming Paul or Joan. That means 22 years and still going. He likes that there are no layoffs, unlike his old job at the local Saw Mill. He loves the free coffee every employee gets, and all the great co-workers. When he is not at work he likes to watch and play different sports, and video games, and hang out with his wife.
His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Rap. Don's favorite coffee is Ethiopia Natural and he likes to drink his coffee with a scoop of hot chocolate.
Shane Powers - Online Sales Administration
Shane started working with Thanksgiving Coffee in 2021. He loves being part of an organization that values the community, its employees and customers, and their impact on nature and humanity. He also loves the rich history of Thanksgiving Coffee's active shaping of the specialty coffee industry. When he is not at work Shane likes to spend a lot of time in nature and wading through the shallow tidal zones of the Mendocino Coast.
He has a wide range of musical likes, from 70's and 80's. He especially loves great music that defies category (Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead/Thom Yorke, Moses Sumney).
Shane has really been loving the mellow complexity of the Costa Rica – Las Lajas coffee lately. He has tried just about every method of brewing, but at home, he always preferres a simple pour-over.
Brian Potter - Direct Delivery
Brian has been working at Thanksgiving Coffee since 2020. He likes working here because of his co-workers, his schedule, and he likes to drive! When he is not at work Brian likes to hunt, fish and be outdoors, and anything that is fun. His favorite music to listen to is Rock and Country.
Brian's favorite coffee is the Upsetter. He likes to brew it in a coffee maker and takes it black most of the time.
Kelsey Price - Sales Representative
Kelsey began working with Thanksgiving in at the beginning of 2022. She likes the positive environment, and how everyone she works with is authentic, kind and caring. When she is not at work she likes to spend time at the river, in the forest, camping, fishing, laughing with friends, family game nights, going for long walks with her dog, thrifting, and enjoying life.
Kelsey likes everything when it comes to music! As for her favorite coffee, she says that "The Upsetter and Kenya Peaberry are tied for first." At home she uses a French Press or makes cold brew in a big mason jar. She goes back and forth between black or some ½ & ½.
Nathan Nies - Delivery
Nathan has been working with Thanksgiving Coffee for 10 years, however he was a serving account at The Bus Stop before that. If you add both of those together you get a grand total of 20 yrs. He likes working here because of the Mission. He says that there are few other companies that have the goals, as well as the bonafides in the industry, to say they have made the kind of positive impact on the culture, farmers and environment as Thanksgiving Coffee Company has.
When not at work he enjoys reading, roleplaying games, woodworking and the odd bit of trouble. His feels you can't go wrong with some classic psychedelic rock, electro-swing or celtic fiddles when listening to music. Nathan is a fan of our Costa Rica medium roast coffee, which he likes to brew in a pour over and drink it black.
Coffee is our medium, community resilience is our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers is our goal.
Sales and Delivery of Thanksgiving Coffee
read more -
Our team that gets the coffee to you
The arms and legs of the company are found in our Production Team as they move smoothly between the freshly roasted beans, to the final customer packages. This zone is buzzing with movement from the fresh batch of beans rushing down the gravity feed shoot to a new coffee barrel. The Production crew mixes the different roasts and portions carefully to produce the great flavorful blends. When needed, they take the whole beans and grind them to the right specifications to be brewed to their highest potential. The crew then takes all this tasty roasted coffee, box it up, and ship it out to you, our customers. Here they are.
Palmer Evans – Production Supervisor
Palmer Evans has been with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for seven years. He enjoys the people he works with and likes what the company stands for. When he is not at work he does what his kids want to do… Play video games, spend time with family and their dogs.
Palmer enjoys rock music, but he can listen to just about everything except bag pipes…. “Never could get into those”, he says. His favorite Coffee is Kenya Peaberry, however, he does like mixing Kenya Peaberry and the Ethiopian Gedeb together 50/50. “Its SUPER fruity”. He likes to brew his coffee using a French Press.
Celia Garrido - Shipping
Celia Garrido has worked with the company for over 21 years. This position has been a huge part of her life. She has worked here for so long that she watched her kids grow up and the company grow at the same time. It has been a fun and interesting job in her eyes. She likes to be here because she finds the environment positive, interesting, and she likes making our customers happy.
When Celia is not working, she likes to be home and care for her grandbaby, as nothing else compares to her Christina. She likes to relax, doesn’t really like to cook too much anymore, mostly it is all about her grandchild.
Her favorite music is romance and Cumbia, and her favorite bands are Panco Barraza and Julio Jaramillo.
Celia’s favorite coffee is Byron’s wash from Nicaragua and her second favorite is the FairTrade Beaujolais blend. She brews it in a drip coffee maker at home and likes to add a chocolate creamer or just milk.
(No Photo Requested)
Sonia Sosa - Production
Sonia Sosa has been with the company for two years. She likes the location of the company in town and appreciates the kind people that she works with.
When Sonia is not working, she likes to take walks, to rest, and watch TV. Her favorite music is Mexican Reggaeton. She also likes Karol G - Provenza. Sonia’s favorite coffee is Mocha Java and brews it on a drip coffee maker. She takes her coffee with milk.
Xavion Bishop – Production
Xavion Bishop has worked with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for about a year and counting. He says that the production team relies heavily on teamwork. If you need any form of assistance, there will be someone to give you a helping hand, no matter what. When he is not working here, he enjoys dabbling in 2-D art.
Xavion’s favorite music is Samba. His favorite coffee is Kenya Peaberry. He was not a coffee drinker before working here so he is still relatively new to the coffee world. Due to this lack of knowledge, he usually takes his coffee black to learn the intended flavor of the beans.
Here are the coffees our production crew like, want to try one?
Production Crew of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
read more -
The Next Generation Is Here
Persistently bold in their visionary approach to coffee, the founders of Thanksgiving Coffee, Joan and Paul Katzeff, led an industry toward equality and justice. Their leadership established ethical sourcing directly from small-scale farmer cooperatives which in turn inspired the first Fair Trade model. The company is built on the interconnectedness of coffee farmers, the coffee they produce, and the health and wellbeing of our shared environment.
For 50 years, Thanksgiving Coffee Company has chosen to actively use coffee as our force for good for the planet. Our leadership inspires this goodness to ripple out to all the people we work with. Our relationship with coffee is what gives the company the perseverance and fortitude to stay in business through all of life’s challenges, and it is literally what gets us up in the morning, no really!
The next generation of Thanksgiving Coffee Company’s leaders are here. Stepping into the role of CEO, the founders’ son, Jonah Katzeff, helps guide us with his lifetime of coffee knowledge.
Together we continue to work with coffee as our medium, community resilience as our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers as our goal. “Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup” is our motto, and it is as true as ever. A new generation with a regenerative vision, I invite you to meet our leadership team.
Jonah Katzeff - CEO
Jonah has worked at the company for the last 9 years. However, since it’s a family business, he has worked at the Company on and off for most of his adult life. Jonah enjoys the challenge of running a small business as it keeps him on his toes! He works with a lot of great people who genuinely care about the company and our customers. He likes how we produce a quality product that impacts a lot of people in positive ways all over the world. This is a good feeling. There is always more to learn in the world of coffee, and in business. Jonah enjoys this process and is grateful for the opportunity to lead Thanksgiving Coffee in its next phase
A few of his favorite musical artists are Zhu, The Polish Ambassador, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Rufus Du Sol, Sofi Tukker, Modest Mouse, and Leon Bridges.
He generally drinks light to medium roast blends. A few of his go-to coffees are FTO Mocha Java, Paul’s Blend, and FTO Beaujolais. He loves our Kenya, Ethiopia Gedeb, and Panama Geisha single origins for special occasions. During the week he drinks coffee from our staff’s coffee brewer in the tasting room, and occasionally enjoys making a cappuccino. On the weekends he makes pour-over at home. Most often he drinks coffee black but isn’t above a bit of milk or half + half in his coffee.
Jacob Long - Director of Coffee
Raised in Fort Bragg, Jacob has worked at Thanksgiving since June of 2007. First and foremost he is enthusiastic about all aspects of coffee, from how it is grown and processed, to how it’s roasted and brewed. He is also excited by having the ability to work with one of the finest coffees in the word, and maintain the quality of the coffee at a company that is 50 years old and has a reputation for quality. In his spare time he likes to forage for wild mushrooms, fish, spend time with his family, and stay busy. His favorite music is reggae, punk, and a little bit of everything else. Old style reggae, rock steady reggae is what he likes the most.
Jacob takes his coffee black. He likes to brew it with a full immersion process either with a Soft Brew or a French Press. He prefers light roasts from Ethiopia, the favorite is a wet processed Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region.
Joe Seta - Sales and Marketing Manager
Joe joined us as Sales & Marketing Manager in 2022, but this is his second time around with Thanksgiving Coffee. He was the Manager of the Mendocino Bakery for 3 years, which Thanksgiving owned and operated (from 2009-2012). He is passionate about our products. He was a customer for years prior to becoming an employee, especially via our blend for through KOZT - The Coast FM, "The Roast from the Coast". Without coffee, radio shows aren't nearly as interesting. :)
Joe is a former professional recording engineer and producer for artists including Rickie Lee Jones, Dwight Yoakam and K. D. Lang. He has a broad appreciation for many styles of music. He likes classical performers like Leonard Bernstein, rock artists from Steely Dan through Rage Against the Machine, and many more.
His current favorite is the Panama Gesha with its brilliant high fruity notes, soft but balanced acidity with a firm low end for a light roast. The primary brewing method he uses at home is the French press (and an antique grinder!), but he also has a decent home-level espresso maker with a steaming wand.
Jennifer Brown- Office Manager
Jennifer Brown came to Thanksgiving Coffee about two months ago and is one of our newest employees. She has joined us as our office manager and helps with accounts payable and receivable. She likes that Thanksgiving is a company with purpose and makes the world a better place, one cup at a time.
When Jennifer is not working with us, she likes to read, write, cook, and spend time with her children. Her favorite music is from movie scores. Jennifer's favorite coffee is anything made by Thanksgiving Coffee Company and she likes it strong with a good flavored creamer.
Coffee as our medium, community resilience as our passion, and the health and happiness of our farmers as our goal.
Leadership of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
read more -
Celebrating 45 Years with Down Home Foods!
We’ve been in the coffee biz for a long time now and it’s time to pay homage to those who have been with us since the very beginning of it all. As you may or may not know, Thanksgiving Coffee was founded in 1972 by Paul and Joan Katzeff – you can read our full story here (it’s really quite interesting) and Down Home Foods has been around for quite awhile as well! Here’s to Down Home Foods! Thank you for offering Thanksgiving Coffee to your customers for over 45 years!
Down Home Foods is a small family-owned market in Fort Bragg offering fresh meals from sandwiches to samosas to baked goods, a juice bar - you'll want to try the Down Home Blend for sure - locally-sourced breads, deli-sliced meats and cheeses, handmade merchandise, organic beauty and hygeine products, bulk pantry items, snacks and so much more. Honestly, I could spend hours in Down Home Foods. AND, if they don't have something you're looking for, they can often order what you need to arrive at the shop. We're so lucky to have Down Home Foods here on the Mendocino Coast.
115 S. Franklin St., Fort Bragg, CA
Try one of our June featured coffees!
20% off this month only.
Like us on Facebook and follow along on Instagram for frequent updates, promotions, giveaways and more!
Celebrating 45 Years: Down Home Foods & Thanksgiving Coffee
read more -
Roasters of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
In the heart of our company, keeping everything going, is our Roasting Crew. Their tasks are to transform the green beans we gather from the finest coffee farms and coops in the world, and turn them into the remarkable coffee that you brew into your cup, and they do this every day! The process is a living breathing commitment to every batch of beans as they turn in the barrel of the roaster. With over 1600 chemical compounds in a single coffee bean, artisan roasters use variations of temperature and time to create the unique flavor and find the perfect roast color to determine the flavor of the coffee. I invite you to meet the roasters of Thanksgiving Coffee Company.
Resulting Awards from our Roastmaster and Crew:
2019 Good Food Award
2017 Macro Roaster of the Year
Award Winning Coffees
Jacob Long - Roastmaster
Raised in Fort Bragg, Jacob has worked at Thanksgiving since June of 2007. First and foremost he is enthusiastic about all aspects of coffee, from how it is grown and processed, to how it’s roasted and brewed. He is also excited by having the ability to work with one of the finest coffees in the word, and maintain the quality of the coffee at a company that is 50 years old and has a reputation for quality. In his spare time he likes to forage for wild mushrooms, fish, spend time with his family, and stay busy. His favorite music is reggae, punk, and a little bit of everything else. Old style reggae, rock steady reggae is what he likes the most.
Jacob takes his coffee black. He likes to brew it with a full immersion process either with a Soft Brew or a French Press. He prefers light roasts from Ethiopia, the favorite is a wet processed Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region.
Jon Baumeister- Roaster
Jon was also raised here in Fort Bragg and has worked with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for 17 years. What keeps him here is the coffee, and roasting the coffee. He likes the beauty of the coffee beans and how you never roast the same way twice. “There are different light roast, medium roast, dark roasts, so you’re always working at a set point and different coffees take a different temperature to get to the set point,” says Jon. He likes the challenge and how you really have to be focused on each variety of coffee, and what it needs in the roasting process. He also likes the people who work here and finds the owners, Paul and Joan, are very fair to their workers. When he’s not at work, Jon likes to garden and spend time outdoors. His favorite music is Rock and Roll, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival along with old groups from 60’s-70’s, 80’s Rock and Roll, and some Country.
Jon’s favorite coffee is Upsetter. He likes light roast coffees, especially SongBird Guatemalan, and Rwanda. Jon takes his coffee with milk or cream and is happy with a drip brew.
Steve Channel - Roaster Maintenance
Steve is a local of Fort Bragg, CA and has been with the Company for 10 years now. He say’s, “I just love the place” His father helped to start the company back in the early 1970’s. He used to work in the lumber industry and once that went South ad closed, Paul (Katzeff) offered him a job.
Steve likes to work with wood, and read in his spare time. His favorite music is “Solid Gold” from the 70’s and 60’s Rock and Roll.
Steve’s favorite coffee is a blend of Rwanda and Gedeb. He drinks it black and likes to brew it using a French Press.
Josh Long - Roaster
Josh was raised in Fort Bragg and has been a roaster with Thanksgiving since 2015. He likes to pick mushrooms and fish when he is not in the roasting room. He likes all kinds of music, but if he had to listen to one for the rest of his life it would be classic rock. He is motivated to work hard and maintain a good quality of life. He appreciates Joan and Paul for creating such a good place to work.
Josh takes his coffee black and likes to brew it “cowboy style.” He puts the ground coffee in a bowl, pours the boiling hot water in, lets it steep and pours the brewed coffee off the top. No filter, no fancy pot. His favorite coffee is a washed Ethiopian, Gedeb.
Roasters of Thanksgiving Coffee Company
read more -
Right Now We Are Seeing History in the Making.
In the confluence of purpose and action, our community is coming together for Tribal sovereignty and reconciliation through the Pomo Land Back movement. This is an opportunity to learn about and support the Northern Pomo People of Mendocino County. This is an opportunity to regain alignment with nature, with our community, and the indigenous people of these lands.
The parallels between the Indigenous Forest and the Indigenous People are striking. Much like the ancestral old growth Redwoods, only a fraction of the original Pomo people are still alive. Populations of Pomo tribes numbered between 13,000 - 20,000 in the early 1800s. By the 2000 census, only 5,092 Pomo were left. Likewise, only 4% of the original Redwood Forests exist, while the other 96% have been logged to extinction.
Mendocino County is home to 10 surviving Pomo tribes. All have experienced countless forms of discrimination, forced assimilation, relocation, and legal termination. It is time for the cycle to pivot. We can do this together through regeneration, cooperation, and collaboration.
What we do to the forest, we do to the people
The Pomo Tribal Leadership has identified Jackson Demonstration State Forest (JDSF) as the focus of the Pomo Land Back movement and has gathered the support of 50 California tribes across the State. This has never been achieved before. Tribal Chairman Michael Hunter is ready to lead the way for healing and has asked Governor Newsom for co-management of these forests. With the help of a strong local coalition of environmental organizations, the logging has been stopped for now.
"Our responsibility is to past... present... and future generations of all life."
The way forward is to rematriate the forest and move into Indigenous stewardship. Following the lead of matriarch Priscilla Hunter, Tribal Chairman Michael Hunter is gathering the community together to bring healing and restore the biodiversity to our forests and rivers.
The 50,000 acres of Jackson State Demonstration Forests (JDSF) has been managed by Cal Fire since 1949. It is full of ancestral sacred sites, and is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the State. With the co-management plan the tribes will guide the State agencies to implement their place based knowledge and create a real demonstration forest for future generations. This irreplaceable knowledge is the expertise that has been cultivated over millennia by the tribes who have inhabited these forests.
Indigenous experts hold the wisdom of interdependence with our surroundings and how to live with the cycles of growth that will support all life. This traditional ecology knowledge (TEK) system was brutally interrupted at the time of colonization. The forest is suffering the loss of these practices and experiencing the harsh consequence of a dysfunctional system that breeds greed and exploitation.
I invite you to be a good steward of the Jackson State Demonstration Forest and learn about the Pomo Land Back movement. Together we create a new era of justice for our First Nations People of Mendocino. With Pomo leadership, Cal Fire has an opportunity to truly demonstrate what a healthy forest and healthy ecosystem is for generations to come. This is a win, win, for people, policy, and the planet. Native-led co-management of JDSF is the strongest medicine for our forests and community as a whole. I urge you to learn how you can support the stewards of this amazing forest.
To join the movement and learn more go to www.pomolandback.com.
Further Resources:
Pomo History - Encyclopedia.com
The Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness CouncilRedwood Forest Returned to Tribes
Halt Logging Northern California
The Bee Bold Alliance is a project of Thanksgiving Coffee that works to find sustainable solutions for our future generations by restoring biodiversity and supporting our local food systems. In collaboration with Tribal Chairman Michael Hunter and his family, we are building a resilient community for all life. www.beeboldalliance.com
Give 20% to the Bee Bold Alliance when you buy the Bee Bold Cause Coffee in Dark and Medium, or Decaf. We have raised over $21,000 to support biodiversity and local food security to date.
Pomo Possibilities
read more -
Pi(e) Day
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432664821339…
Nope, that’s not the pi(e) that we care about. The pie we care about is filled with sugar and fruits, and wrapped up in a warm yummy crust. We’re talking about pie. It may be Pi Day (3/14), but we’re celebrating good old pie today.
You can find Thanksgiving Coffee at two different pie shops in Northern California, Petaluma Pie Company and Kemmy’s Pies! Both of these companies are blow-your-mind good, and use organic, local, wholesome ingredients. Plus, they can serve you a cup Thanksgiving Coffee alongside a slice of your favorite pie.
Visit Kemmy’s Pies in Willits, in the Skunk Train Depot, and Petaluma Pie Company in downtown Petaluma, in the Helen Putnam Plaza.
Petaluma Pie Company is open from 9am to 7pm on 3/14: 125 Petaluma Blvd. N. Petaluma, CA 94952
Kemmy’s Pies is open from 6am to 2pm on 3/14: 299 E Commercial St, Willits, CA 95490
Pi(e) Day
read more