Dale Harris, World Barista Champion 2017, was invited to the CMCR Barista Academy in Singapore last Monday to share his experience as ambassador for Eversys. He started off with a thought-provoking question for the audience, which was whether consumers are paying for a moment, a product, or an experience?
One would argue that an automated machine would remove the theatrics of a barista, while the coffee produced may not taste as good as a semi-automatic or fully-manual machine.
The Eversys Cameo was featured during the sharing and participants from different parts of the industry, including baristas, roasters and technicians had the opportunity to try out the Eversys and brew some espressos to taste. The responses gathered from the participants were largely positive. One of the biggest takeaways for the event was participants having a renewed look towards the quality a fully automated machine is capable of producing.
If the coffee tastes great and it is so easy to operate, what is the hurdle that deters the industry from adopting the use of an automated machine?
Dale shared that it is the assumption from consumers through their first impression of the machine. The current designs of most automated machines are boxy and do not have the “classic” aesthetics of a machine associated with “artisanal crafted” espresso. Coupled with the fact that most consumers, probably at one point of time, had coffee made with an automated machine either at home or in the office and the results were not the most desirable. That first impression is one of the bigger contenders that deters consumers from wanting to try coffee from an automated machine. If the future designs of fully automated machines can have its components built into a more “traditional” looking machine, maybe, the consumers’ perception towards automation would change.
The second take away from the event was the shift from automated machines in coffee chains into semi-automating machines seen in specialty coffee shops. Where baristas have more control over the brewed coffee. With consumers associating quality with the barista taking over the machines for better control, it is not surprising to see consumers being wary about seeing a fully automated machine in a specialty coffee shop. The main driver has to come from businesses and baristas, sharing with consumers how automation does not equate to a loss of quality but rather value adding to the coffee’s improved taste experience through consistency.
Having a fully automated machine does not necessarily remove the barista from its role of being an ambassador of coffee. It actually increases the value of a barista because the machine is not able to adjust to taste. A fully automated machine also takes away the repetitive work of a barista, allowing them to connect with consumers by things that matter more through making recommendations; interacting with the customer; checking on service; sharing coffees; and the many other possibilities yet to be discovered.
We extend our gratitude to all individuals who attended and dedicated their valuable time to participate in this engaging discussion. Events of this nature exemplify our commitment to fostering meaningful interactions within the coffee community, facilitating the reciprocal exchange of insights and expertise. Our sincere appreciation goes to Dale, Fabian (of Eversys) for coming down, as well as to Carmen, You Quan, and the CMCRi team for orchestrating the event flawlessly. Our hope is that this session sparks a real interest in exploring the world of automation in the specialty coffee industry.
If you’re interested to find out more about how the Eversys can support you in reaching your business goal, please reach us here.
Photography and words: Ker You Quan
From Team CMCR
Essentially, every device will put some constraints on you as a barista. For example a pourover will constrain you to a reasonably short brew time (as water is constantly leaving the device), while a syphon will constrain you to using fairly hot water in order to stabilize the top temperature. The filtering method will mainly impact the body of the brew. A metal filter will let through a fair amount of sediment and oil into the cup, leaving you with a full body, but potentially a bit of graininess or roughness in the texture. A paper filter will clean up the body, removing sediment and providing clarity, while a cloth filter will be cleaner still. When people ask me what the best brewer is, I always ask “Well, what do you want to do with your coffee?”
Enter the Clever Coffee Dripper (CCD). In terms of the brew style, it is what’s known as a “steep-and-release” brewer. Although it looks like a pourover, the valve in the bottom means the coffee can be constantly immersed in all of the brew water, before a short drawdown phase, giving it more in common with immersion style brewers such as the humble plunger. Because of this, the brewer is very easy to use and also very repeatable. The valve makes it possible to tweak certain parameters in isolation from each other. In a Kalita, for example, changing the grind size will also change the brew time. With the CCD we can tweak these separately, along with temperature and agitation levels, to dial in the coffee super quickly and get drinking. We’re also able to avoid some variables which are difficult to control, like the pour rate and amount of agitation during pouring. By removing these from the equation we can get more consistent results at home or between a bunch of different baristas in a shop.
To sum up, the CCD is a very accessible brewer. It’s easy to use, but also a powerful and versatile tool in our search for the perfect cup. Time to get clever.
Great brewed coffee should be complex, satisfying and clean. But most of all, it should be easy to repeat! Here’s a good starting point for a rockin’ Clever Coffee Dripper (CCD) brew:
1. Bring your kettle to the appropriate temp (~94°C).
2. Insert filter paper into CCD.
3. Use hot water to thoroughly rinse filter paper and preheat device.
4. Grind 15g of coffee at a medium coarseness (18-22 on a Baratza grinder).
5. Place CCD with pre-wet filter paper on the scale, add ground coffee and tare the weight.
6. Pour 50g of 94°C brewing water over the first 15 seconds. This allows the grinds to release the gas they contain and makes it easier to integrate them in to the brew while pouring.
7. Wait 15 seconds before pouring another 200g of brewing water over 15 seconds (during 0:30-1:00) in a steady circular motion.
8. At 2:15, drain into a carafe or pot.
9. After all liquid has dispensed, discard the used filter paper and rinse CCD.
10. Sit back, relax and sip your deliciously brewed coffee.
To get your hands on a Clever Coffee Dripper for home, you can grab one from our online shop. If you’re keen to rock one of these tools in your cafe, then just mention it when you place your next order and we’ll pop one in with your next coffee delivery.
This article was originally published on the Five Senses Coffee website: Clever Coffee Dripper Brew Guide.
]]>You may be more familiar with cold drip which is a common sight in Australian cafés these days. However, cold brew (which has its historical roots in New Orleans) is definitely on the rise. The coolest thing about cold brew is that it doesn’t require any specialised equipment to make it. It can be made in a plunger or a jar, although best results might be achieved using something like the Toddy Cold Brew System, which also makes it easier to prepare in bulk. Here at the Academy, we’ve really been loving cold brew for the ease of preparation and the consistency of the results. A cold drip will require monitoring to ensure the drip rate stays steady, whilst a cold brew is quite happy just chillin’ in the fridge. One big thing you lose though is the visual appeal of the device itself. Most cold drippers look great and can really help sell the coffee, while most immersion brewers look a bit more ‘practical’. For a closer look at how to make cold drip coffee, check out this sweet video: Cold Drip Step by Step video by our head trainer, Andy Easthope. However for this article, we’ll be focusing entirely on cold brew.
Slow it down
The first thing to know about cold brew is that it takes a long time to make. This is because without heat, the extraction rate is radically reduced. You know how sugar is harder to dissolve in cold water? Well, it’s the same thing with all the flavour elements of coffee, but inside the beans. The cold brewing process will also change the nature of the extracted flavours. Generally you’re going to see a reduction in acidity and bitterness – although with the right coffee and technique, some remarkably fruity brews can be achieved. We will also miss out on all that astringency and bitterness which can come with cooling down hot coffee, particularly espresso, meaning this drink can be enjoyed black without having to add milk and ice cream!
Getting ready
Ok, we’re almost ready to go; we just need a few things.
Ok, let’s brew this thing
I’ve kept this guide intentionally open as this is such an easy, flexible brew method for cafés and home baristas alike. We had a lot of fun experimenting with grind, brew time, temperature, agitation and different coffees and I encourage you to do the same! However for clarity and ease of reference, I’ve included a simple, step-by-step recipe below.
Ingredients
Recipe
This article was originally published on the Five Senses Coffee website: It’s called cold brew.
]]>Was I surprised to not find many hardened 'facts' about the flat white on the internet? Not at all! And, in an era in which we rely so much on Google to give us the 'all the facts', it's no wonder customers are easily confused. One titbit of info that was news to me was that a food historian gave Sydney coffee drinkers in the 1980's the credit for coming up with the term 'flat white.' He says it was as simple as the coffee being 'flat and white' in contrast to a 'long black' and a 'short black.' To that claim, I say that it sounds like a very logical Australian thing to do. End of naming story.
There were, of course, a couple sentences which started with statements such as, 'A true flat white ought to have...' There were also some claims that it 'should' be served in a 150ml-160ml cup. One internet writer even went as far as to say that it 'must' be served over a 'single or double ristretto' which kind of surprised me. Regardless of what I think to be true, the reality is that there is no 'original recipe' for a flat white. It started as a trend and doesn't fit perfectly into any box. (But isn't that what we all like about coffee?) However, it isn't all intangible and elusive; there are some 'realistic expectations' for customers when ordering a flat white. These expectations are based on current trends (i.e. what cafés are now serving) which then help define the drink. It really is no use saying, 'It should be served in a 150ml cup' if that means that 90% of cafés are serving it in the 'wrong' way.
The neat thing about trends is that they are always changing — and I actually think we are on the cusp of another shift. The truth is that speciality coffee people start most of the café trends which have anything to do with amplifying and differentiating the coffee experience. They push the boundaries and take the time to educate their customers (for which they are often criticised) but in the end, because their ideas are sound and based on taste, eventually other cafés follow suit — all the way down the chain. And when finally the whole industry is on board, it's time for another change: enter the next trend here.
Here is where I think the flat white is now, and where it is going in the future.
Name: That's easy! It's not changing and it's probably the only thing you can be certain of.
Flavour expectation: It's currently one of the milkiest drinks on the menu, equal to or slightly stronger than a latte. I do think this will change in the future. I predict that speciality cafés will slowly ditch the latte glass and replace it with a similar or slightly larger bowl, more like the American-style latte. This would mean that we may also see flat whites really live up to their 'wiki definition' of being different to lattes by being served in a 150ml cup. Then they would become a stronger tasting drink. (Smaller cup = less milk = same coffee = more flavour.)
Cup Size: Let's be honest here — the average flat white (I would like to highlight the word 'average' here) is served in a 180ml-210ml wide-brimmed bowl. It's a milky drink and very much a replica of the rest of the world's lattes, hence why I think it hasn't really taken off anywhere else. It's a bona-fide 'double-up'! As I mentioned above, as lattes move to cups, flat whites may move to smaller cups. Let's wait and see, hey?
Coffee: This is a tricky one as there are now so many different styles of coffee service. One shot is not necessary equal in value from café to café, not to mention the fact that some use a double shot and some use a single as a standard base. Is it a short and tight pour (ristretto), longer and faster pour (espresso) or somewhere in between (add in your own ideas)? The style of shot, combined with the style of coffee and the style of roast, means there is potential for a wide range of results. I guess this is where your own subjectivity comes in. Cafés create what they think is best, and you buy what you think is best. They will never get it 100% right, but nor will you, so don't expect every single coffee experience to wow you. Take some time to find the local café that suits you best.
Milk: We always say 'no foam' but it's actually better described as a thin layer of foam. Just enough to give it a slightly creamy texture when you bring it to your lips, but not enough to feel like a babychino! An easy visual cue of good FW milk is when the top layer is glossy, with a nice layer of wet foam consisting of tight bubbles which you can barely see immediately after it's poured.
Temperature: Same as for all your other coffees, the temperature should be 70 degrees Celsius max. Not scalding hot! If you want to burn your lips, order a long black and skull it the moment it hits your table. I mean, I just don't understand the milk burning argument. I just get these vague memories of burnt milk and oatmeal as a kid and I can't relate to people wanting that flavour. I know it's a sore spot for some, but that's my two cents worth and I'm sticking to it.
In summary, you can expect a single/double shot ristretto/espresso base in a ceramic cup anywhere from 150ml-220ml, with a thin layer of foam (if your barista is good) and, potentially, a pretty piece of latte art on the top at a very reasonable 65 - 70 degrees Celsius.
So you'd better think twice before you throw your hands up in horror, and understand that there are no RULES. Just enjoy it!
This article was originally published on the Five Senses Coffee website: The Truth about the Flat White.
]]>It doesn’t take much for a day to turn from smooth to turbulent when you’re working in a café. I guess it is just part of the rollercoaster ride that defines the hospitality lifestyle! one of the things that can start the slippery slope towards anxiety is a coffee pour that just doesn’t add up — or a question posed by a customer that you just can’t explain.
Here we’ll take a look at some typical espresso-related problems that can be easily solved by a bit of basic troubleshooting.
As you can see, most of these problems can be easily avoided with fresh coffee, proper storage, and adequate technique. The use of a temperature stable, multi-boiler machine is also important, for a single boiler heat exchange machine will naturally fluctuate in temperature and result in an inconsistent flavour. Multi-boiler machines are more stable and consistent with the water temperature they deliver.
If all else fails, give us (or your local technician) a call. When the problem goes beyond general troubleshooting, your technician will be able to make a more detailed assessment of things such as your pressure gauge and grinder burrs. It’s all in the pursuit of great coffee.
This article was originally published on the Five Senses Coffee website: Espresso Shot Troubleshooting.
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