I am curious to see how all of you handle customers asking for no-foam. I just cringe every time I get that in an order, but I don't want to insult customers - What is your advice?2nd question, is it necessary to rinse your portafilter after every use? I thought it was, but one of my coworkers disagrees. She thinks that the small amount of grinds left in the bottom and around the edges doesn't make a difference in taste or quality. Again, I disagree.Thanks for your input!
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Even if we decided not to have any cafes recently, we were asked to set up a cafe in a big office building, in Beijing area, with the most attractable conditions in the market.Yes, we decided to take it for such a good condition and also a chance to educate people how good an esresso and coffee drinks can be tasty. As the market need more cafes where people can find good coffee drinks, we can do it slowly and one by one. It seems that there will be more people knowing what a good coffee drink can be and where to find it. We shall have more and more chance to set up our own cafes, in such a big city. Or, maybe also for other cities.Chinese clients are new to taste coffee, and need longer time to get used to it. It takes more longer time to know what is good or not. For this reason, we have waited for years and at last, it is started.About months ago, a Singaporean market runner offered a good place and condition to the runner of *$s for northern China, and one of our trainees in 2002 was their chief of coffee operators, baristas. What they do is obviously a copy of *$s, and as you can imagine, what it will be. In my understanding, *$s is really succeeded in commercial and marketing, but not products of coffee drinks. The most important can be the time of end of 1980s, which no one can copy at all.My comments:As my business experience, the one who can win the game with *$s is only the one who has stronger conditions than *$s in some way, to compensate the time which *$s owned. A simple copy of the original can make no sense, I believe. Such things had been seen so many in different fields of the world market.Forget about the different opinions of espresso and its quality, let's concentrate on the marketing and the business side of the coffee market. It could be happened around the world.Blenz Coffee, came to Beijing of China, five years ago. Their first cafe was closed due to the poor business and poor organizaiton. They have only a copy of *$s, but worse than it. So, they are not able to open their own cafes, but receive only franchisees as investers. They are limited only in Beijing and Guangzhou, but almost not seen in Beijing, at least not in the downtown. For Guangzhou, there are not many cafes use prof. machines, so we have to educate local investers and to change the situation.For other cafes, from different countries, no osunds can be heard, neither good comments from clients.Welcome to comments and discuss about the business of coffee market around the world.
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Posted by Jason Dominy on April 10, 2008 at 8:00am
This past weekend found the wife and I in Atlanta to help out with the Skill Building Workshop. I volunteered as a station instructor in the espresso labs headed up by the incredible, the legendary Ellie Matuszak. Nick from Stockton Graham helped out, as well as David LaMont, from Counter Culture-Atlanta. (On a side note, David used to frequent the coffeehouse I ran in downtown Athens, GA.) These workshops cover Intro to Espresso and Hands-On Espresso, and I highly recommend them for anyone beginner to intermediate. They are a great resource that give you the building blocks you need to be successful making quality espresso everyday. There were people there from Pittsburgh, Colorado, New York, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and several other places I can't remember.Whilest there, I visited a couple of cool shops, one I have been to before, one a new one. I went to Octane, one of my favorite shops out there hands-down. What they do is so cool, it should come with gloves to keep your hands from frostbite. Plus, I walk in the door, and who do I see? Millrock Latte Art Champion Ben Helfen and last month's Barista Magazine covergirl M'lissa Muckerman. The Dynamic Duo. So, I got one of M'lissa's kick-butt lattes, emblazoned with art from above, and we shot the crap while I drank up. These really are some of the nicest, coolest people in coffee, and it was great to see them there.I also got to see newcomer Loren Anthony's shop Breueklyn Mojo. It's a great family run shop that has a great vibe. Loren's one of the most cheerful people, and they have a really cool thing going there. She's a graduate of ABC, and poured a great rosetta in a paper cup. It was great to see her and hang out, and I hope you can get out to her shop if you're in Atlanta.Here's a few pics from the trip. Enjoy.Read more…
Posted by Jason Duncan on April 10, 2008 at 3:22am
So, it appears this blog is turning into a question (from me) and answer (from the gallery! Thanks!) section of my page. Sorry about that! I do have another blog, A Thought Over Coffee that has better content if you are interested.Ok, back to my thoughts here. I have a friend/client that is a busy corporate guy that is looking for a super automatic machine for his Oklahoma City office. He is not there all the time and wants something that will do a cup at a time - grind beans, the works.He has asked me about it and I just do not know much about this market. Does anyone know of a great one that works well and is top quality?i would love to send him a few options - across a range of price levels - so that he can take a look at them and make a decision.Thanks for your help - AGAIN!
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Itzel Guadalupe is a member of a youth training group and the radio production workshop sponsored by AUGE, a Coffee Kids partner in Cosautlán, Veracruz, México.
"I have been a part of the youth training group since 2006. I began by participating in a survey that we conducted and other topics. Itzel of Cosautlan in the area of Teocelo. The idea was to learn what the youth enjoyed and liked to do, to know what they think, where they are from, what they study, what they see for their future, to learn why they emigrate or stop studying.
"After that, I got involved in other groups with the trainers including music, theater, painting and dance. I’m currently working in radio production and training. There I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the production of radio spots for a world campaign to prevent AIDS for which we won the UNICEF/OneWorld Radio Prize in 2006. We went to Mexico City to receive the prize.
"I have also participated in a Mesoamerican Network of Youth that they conduct every year on a national level. It was a wonderful experience and it’s interesting to participate in the workshops and meet other youth from other regions, states and countries that have similar ideas and a different vision for the country. And it’s rewarding to meet other young people who not only think about having fun, but also think of the future.
"Another part of the work I do at my school. As a part of my social service, I spend time teaching women from the savings groups in my community to use computers. That way they can track their savings and loans using Excel in the computer that AUGE donated.
"I have enjoyed working with AUGE because from them we have learned and had many experiences that will serve us well in the future."
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Dear all...I have some 15 to 20 free 3-day SCAA trade show passes for anyone that haven't registered yet ($75 value) ... you have to do it before april 25 to obtain access for free, so let me know if you want one and I will email you the code to register...my email is csc (at) consejocafe.org.svTo register just go to https://www.smart-reg.com/WEB-REG/SCAA08/ and click on SCAA member or non-member and enter the processing number.cheers,Luis
First, thanks Terry for posting about the spot on TreeHugger, awesome! Keeping in the green theme, I wanted to post about another cup option. Composting cups can be great, but why not take your own cup to your daily java jaunts in style? Instead of the old thermos style mug with political stickers and sharpie doodles, any barista would LOVE to pour you your soy latte into a "I'm Not a Paper Cup" double-walled porcelain masterpiece with silicone lid that fits tight. These cups can also be put in the dishwasher next to your Bodum insulated drinkwares, and your Terra Keramik cappuccino cups.
So, if you want to bring your own cup in style, and maybe receive that 25 cent discount at the local indy coffee shop, pick up an I'm Not a Paper Cup before SBUX buys the company! :)
- Matt
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As some of you may have already seen, Starbucks has plans for tomorrow. With Howard back at the reigns it seems he is pushing to bring the original ideals of the very first Starbucks stores back. As you can see on their website they are promoting a big change tomorrow, 04.08.08.
Thru a couple sources, I have read online that they will be implementing their original logo and original brown color scheme on some in-house print materials and cups. Have also heard they are planning on including the roast dates on coffee and I imagine espresso whole bean.
Another release I have heard is in the works is their "Pike Place Roast" which I imagine is a new house blend of sorts? Supposedly, with this "new" coffee they also plan to implement a shorter (30 minute) holding time for their brewed coffee.
The other day here in Portland, I walked by a Starbucks in a busy neighborhood here in Portland and was a bit shocked to see this sign on each of the doors:
This is at a location that is a block away from coffee bars including Peet's, Caffe D'Arte and numerous Stumptown accounts. Are they serious? They have their two super automatic machines pulling the "best" espresso in Portland?
So what does all this mean? Obviously, we are seeing a recognition from Howard, that the quality based independent retailer is major competition. For years indy coffee houses have been raising the bar with education, quality coffee, and consumer awareness. Another aspect they are planning on focusing heavily on is customer loyalty. With substantial offers to card holders, the big green also sees the huge value in developing regular customers, like us independents try so hard to do.
This is all in addition to their purchase of the Clover, which I have heard is being called "fresh pressed" coffee in a couple cafes in Seattle, and can be ordered in ceramic cups, while the coffees being explained in detail to order.
I plan on following what goes on tomorrow, the next week, month, etc. very closely. As this industry becomes more and more competitive, it will be so key for all of us to have our finger on the pulse of where we are headed. Many of us are already doing many things right, but to succeed in many markets, everything must be perfect.
I am interested in hearing what others think about how this will effect the short and long term future of the industry. Can Starbucks really reposition themselves as the "neighborhood" coffee bar, which is quality driven?
- Matt
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Daterra Coffees - Talk & TastingMay 7, 20086:00 pm to 8:00 pmCafe Grumpy, Chelsea, NYCFeatured coffees will include :2007 Daterra Reserve2007 Daterra BSCA Taste of the Harvest Magnum Reserve Yellow Bourbon2007 Daterra Opus One ( naturally grown low caffeine coffee )Talk and photos will be presented by Andreza Elaine Marzarao andIsabela Pascoal of Daterra . Focus will be on artisan coffeeproduction and sustainability at Daterra .Andrew Barnett of Ecco Caffe will roast coffee and espresso for thetasting and introduce Andreza and Isabela .Daterra is located in Brazil's Cerrado region and has become legendaryamong coffee and espresso aficionados for award winning quality .Spearheaded by coffee visionary Luis Norberto Pascoal, Daterra isworld renowned for state of the art and sustainable growingpractices.
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Congratulations to our very own Nik Orosi who is the 2 time Croatia Barista Champion! This will be the second time Nik will compete in the World Barista Championship, to be held this year in Copenhagen Denmark. Nik is well known in the barista community for his unique competition routines and his huge heart. Nik has also shown interest to host a barista in Zagreb, Croatia as part of a barista exchange, what an opportunity.
Again, congrats to you Nik, and the best to your family. I hope to post more info as I receive it. Maybe we'll even hear from Nik this weekend.
- Matt
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It's always nice to witness good design when it comes to coffee and tea accessories and I found a couple gems today.
For any cafe offering a more traditional sit down coffee or beverage service, you may want to feast your eyes on this smart tray. You may think you have super hero memory powers, but why not make sure with a Notes Tray from Koziol. Just watch out for chalk residue on your demitasse.
Also, Koziol offers a line of very cool coffee and tea accessories including an array of espresso, cappuccino and latte porcelain cups banded with insulating plastic. The simple design resembles a cupping bowl in appearance, but watch out, the lack of a handle may cost you some points if competing in your next professional barista competition.
Read more…
At the minute, my cogs are turning at a ferocious speed. And whilst it's normally concentrating on the coffee, at the minute, it's concentrating with what I put in the coffee, both to create new, and inventive drinks at work, but also to start developing a signature drink for when I try and compete.One drink, we poured at work yesterday was a bizarre one. We tried it with a couple of different soda's, but the completed drink consisted of filling an 8oz tumbler with ice. Half filling the glass with an aeropress of a brazilian/guatemalan blend, and topping it up with lemonade... and as I said, it was bizarre, but quite pleasant. We also tried this with gingerbeer, but it was less exciting.We have also been trying chili drinks a lot recently. We did it by grinding dried chili's using a hand coffee grinder, and boiled it with brown sugar to create a thick spicy syrup, we then steamed the milk with this in, and poured it into a 6oz or so cup, with chocolate abyss mocha sauce, and espresso. it was very nice, and very warming. And after drinking many of them, me and the guy tasting them woke up with a numb left arm..... a touch concerning.Another drink that we are selling now is going very well. We call it the Espresso Libre, and it consists of muddling half a lime in a boston shaker, adding a cup of ice, half a bottle of Fentimans Cola, and adding a single espresso, and then straining it into a glass. It's fantastic, a lovely taste, very refreshing... and if you accidentally pour it with dandelion and burdock instead of cola, it smells exactly like Hoi Sin sauce, and tastes the same to.finally, here is a growing list of flavours I mean to continue playing with.Tarragon100% venezualan black cacaoCoconut MilkBlack or pink peppercornsChiliSagemaybe some kind of aniseed flavour, fennel, liquorice root, aniseed, or something of the sort.
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Times ago, I suggested our standards of coffee drinks, but ..., as you may know.There are some one or organizations who may want to make it. But, finally, I am thinking that who and how to define the Standards of Coffee Drinks?Yes, the market!If someone, even by chance, can make something that the market would take, it can be done and accepted by the market. But, if not, it must be disappear as you can imagine.Till now, how much do we know about coffee, and espresso drinks? Everyone have to think about it.OK, I can do nothing but just wait and see.
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Happy to see that BaristaExchange.com has been featured in Imbibe Magazine's "uncorked" section in their Mar/Apr Issue. If you havn't already checked out Imbibe, it's a great addition to everyones beverage magazine subscriptions also including Barista Magazine and Fresh Cup.
Imbibe is the magazine of liquid culture. It is a completely new way of looking at drinks—as a distinct culinary category, deserving in-depth exploration of history, ingredients, preparation, artistry and consumption. From wine, spirits and beer to coffee, tea and everything in between, Imbibe celebrates the world in a glass.
- Matt
Wal-Mart, the undisputed king of crappy labor practices, introduced three new Fair Trade Certified house-brand coffees yesterday. Let me just repeat that in case you're stuck in a stupor of shock--Wal-Mart introduced three new Fair Trade Certified house-brand coffees yesterday. Wasn't any easier to swallow the second time around, was it? Yeah, didn't think so.In the wake of this highly suspect announcement, the fingers are a pointin' and the charges of hypocrisy are a flyin'. US labor groups are shining a light on what seems to be a pretty obvious PR ploy on the part of Wal-Mart, stating that the retail giant shouldn't be able to reap the positive consumer perception benefits of sustainability while denying their own employees living wages and decent health benefits. And global labor watchdogs are none too pleased either as they've found evidence of sweatshop produced items sold in Wal-Mart stores.But not everyone is exclaiming j'accuse! TransFair USA is super happy about the new Wal-Mart fair trade house-brand coffees, and Greenpeace USA is all a twitter over the corp's broad environmental goals.But the real question is, what do you think?Link (via Coffee Talk)Post originally published by Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee.
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So I've finished my roasting apprenticeship and now am getting the ball rolling towards opening my own roastery in Savannah, GA! I'm currently going through the frustrating, time consuming, and sometimes ridiculous ordeal of all that goes on on the business side of getting things started. Looking at spaces, finding web designer, licenses and what not. All is going well so far. We'll see how things develop. Peace.
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For all the coffee bar owners out there! I wanted to tell you all about a newer class that we are offering at the ABC school called Coffee CFO. This two-day workshop is lead by Chris Legler, whose vast experience and knowledge of finance specifically tailored to the coffee industry, brings an unrivaled expertise to your business. Chris’ expertise includes financial management, roasting coffee, business ownership and a great understanding of business operations.
Chris has held executive positions in finance and administration, marketing, retail operations and strategic planning. He was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company and has held positions of increasing responsibility with Starbucks Coffee Company, Sony, British Petroleum, Blockbuster Entertainment and Eddie Bauer.
Read Chris' complete bio and read about Chris and the Coffee CFO class in Bruce Milletto's Blog.
Money back guarantee!
If you feel you have not received information worth at least double the cost of the class, we will write you a full tuition refund check — no questions asked.
Class includes a Financial Workbook to help you assess the financial health of your business and increase profits.
Optimize the overall profitability of your coffee businessIndividual entrepreneurs and small chains often don't have the financial resources to hire a Chief Financial Officer, even though financial management is one of the most important components of running a successful business. Our Coffee CFO course will give you the tools you need to manage the financial side of your business and the confidence and skills to take it to the next level.
This two-day course will take a comprehensive look at how to optimize the overall profitability of your coffee business. Creating a successful business involves understanding how to increase long-term profitability through sales growth while managing your costs at an optimal level. Also knowing how to manage your available cash is crucial to managing the growth of your business.
This course will start by learning how to analyze current sales. This can be key to developing marketing initiatives as well as product offerings that will grow your revenue. You will also gain a better understanding of the costs of your beverages and other products. This will help you determine pricing structures as well as where to focus your energies.
Managing labor to an optimal level will help drive your sales while maintaining an affordable cost structure. The class will spend time looking at the complexities of labor.
Understanding the capacities and current asset utilizations can help your company free up cash flow that can be used to expand your business. This workshop will examine ways to increase your cash flow by examining inventory returns, equipment investments, systems investments and human capital. This includes how to evaluate a new site from a financial prospective including sales and cost projections as well as common items to look for in negotiating with landlords.
The course will wrap up with an all important view of prioritization of your financial needs. Planning the course through simple budgeting will allow you to better achieve the goals that you have set. A well thought out plan will also point out where improvements are needed.
Next class date is May 10-11!
For more inf go to the American Barista & Coffee School website, or call us 800-655-3955.
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BiteClub.com CEO Blogs about Barista Exchange
I met Sonny Mayugba at the Food and Restaurant/Bar Show in Las Vegas, also in conjunction with the Coffee & Tea Expo/SWRBC ... a.k.a. The world's biggest FRAT PARTY. :)
While I was walking to our booth the first morning of the show I spotted the Bite Club booth. Wow, I thought, I jumped on this focused social network train at the right time! They had some really cool buttons and promo materials which I grabbed and then later in the day went back to introduce myself. Their booth was packed, and they had multiple people live blogging during the show, I remember doing an interview, but not sure if it ever surfaced.
Sonny is the bite club CEO and it was hilarious, because we were dressed identical with a modern long sleeve shirt and dark sweater vest, the usual uniform for a dot com entrepreneur these days. We talked about Bite Club for a while before I told him about Barista Exchange and it was interesting to hear basically the same mission statement and thought process, but in regards to two different industries. I was intrigued by his site and checked it out that evening. It has some really cool features to it, like a Digg.com version of rating things called Bite it! It is also divided up into many groups and search oriented sections.
Long story short Sonny joined the site a while back, as he is a true Coffee Enthusiast, and just today wrote a really great blog about Barista Exchange, and I wanted to reciprocate.
So, make sure to go check out BiteClub.com - I look forward to working closer with Sonny and BiteClub to share in this crazy online social networking revolution.
- Matt
Hi all, I am excited to tell you about The Espresso Quest, the new book by Instaurator.
The Espresso Quest is an exciting tale of an espresso lover’s quest to find the pure joy experienced in a perfectly prepared cup of espresso coffee.
In the Espresso Quest, Instaurator weaves in tales of how he became enlightened to that perfect espresso, and how his journeys - and people he met along the way — helped him realize that espresso is not something that can be prepared by following a set of rules. Instead it requires passion – of the grower, roasters and barista — to ensure the coffee bean is brought to its purist state.
Join Instaurator as he dives into the intricacies of growing, processing and brewing espresso, revealing how each are necessary to understand if that perfect little cup is to find a place in your heart. Throughout the book he shares memories of his first true perfect espresso, then takes the reader on his journey to seek that sublime taste time and again. Along the road, he recounts his observations, discussions and first-hand experiences in the world of espresso coffee. Through it all, Instaurator emphasizes “Let taste be your guide.” His quest is sure to incite many more passionate discussions about how to best experience that ultimate espresso.
About Instaurator
Instaurator is a coffee and business consultant with a world renowned reputation for his coffee tasting and management expertise. He has been a specialty coffee roaster for 26 years and has established roasting businesses in Vancouver Canada, Tokyo Japan and in Sydney Australia.
He established his own wholesale specialty coffee factory and retail chain of coffee shops now known as Danes Gourmet Coffee, prior to founding Michel’s Espresso in 1999 which has 350 espresso bars. By 2006 Michel’s was rated as the leading coffee chain in Australia by BIS Shrapnel.
As Chairman of the Australian Coffee & Tea Association he was instrumental in establishing the barista training standards currently used by Government Registered Training Organizations nationally.
Reviews:
“The Espresso Quest gives eloquent voice to the passion that drives coffee professionals and enthusiasts”
— Mike Ferguson, Former Chief Communications Officer Specialty Coffee Association of America.
“The book is fantastic. The photos are incredible.”
— Barista Magazine
“The book is beautifully illustrated with photos showing the coffee industry from seed to espresso cup.”
— Roast Magazine
“The Espresso Quest is one man’s journey to find the smooth, rich and complex flavor of a flawlessly prepared espresso. Whether you’re a fan of a perfectly poured espresso, or have yet to acquire a taste for one, you’ll be sure to have an espresso epiphany after reading Instaurator’s book.”
— Laura Everage, former Managing Editor of The Gourmet Retailer
You can PRE-ORDER the book if interested | Ships May 15Read more…
As some of you may have already seen, Starbucks has plans for tomorrow. With Howard back at the reigns it seems he is pushing to bring the original ideals of the very first Starbucks stores back. As you can see on their website they are promoting a big change tomorrow, 04.08.08.
Thru a couple sources, I have read online that they will be implementing their original logo and original brown color scheme on some in-house print materials and cups. Have also heard they are planning on including the roast dates on coffee and I imagine espresso whole bean.
Another release I have heard is in the works is their "Pike Place Roast" which I imagine is a new house blend of sorts? Supposedly, with this "new" coffee they also plan to implement a shorter (30 minute) holding time for their brewed coffee.
The other day here in Portland, I walked by a Starbucks in a busy neighborhood here in Portland and was a bit shocked to see this sign on each of the doors:
It's always nice to witness good design when it comes to coffee and tea accessories and I found a couple gems today.
For any cafe offering a more traditional sit down coffee or beverage service, you may want to feast your eyes on this smart tray. You may think you have super hero memory powers, but why not make sure with a Notes Tray from Koziol. Just watch out for chalk residue on your demitasse.
Also, Koziol offers a line of very cool coffee and tea accessories including an array of espresso, cappuccino and latte porcelain cups banded with insulating plastic. The simple design resembles a cupping bowl in appearance, but watch out, the lack of a handle may cost you some points if competing in your next professional barista competition.
For all the coffee bar owners out there! I wanted to tell you all about a newer class that we are offering at the ABC school called Coffee CFO. This two-day workshop is lead by Chris Legler, whose vast experience and knowledge of finance specifically tailored to the coffee industry, brings an unrivaled expertise to your business. Chris’ expertise includes financial management, roasting coffee, business ownership and a great understanding of business operations.
Chris has held executive positions in finance and administration, marketing, retail operations and strategic planning. He was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company and has held positions of increasing responsibility with Starbucks Coffee Company, Sony, British Petroleum, Blockbuster Entertainment and Eddie Bauer.
Read Chris' complete bio and read about Chris and the Coffee CFO class in Bruce Milletto's Blog.
Money back guarantee!
If you feel you have not received information worth at least double the cost of the class, we will write you a full tuition refund check — no questions asked.
Class includes a Financial Workbook to help you assess the financial health of your business and increase profits.
Optimize the overall profitability of your coffee business
Individual entrepreneurs and small chains often don't have the financial resources to hire a Chief Financial Officer, even though financial management is one of the most important components of running a successful business. Our Coffee CFO course will give you the tools you need to manage the financial side of your business and the confidence and skills to take it to the next level.
This two-day course will take a comprehensive look at how to optimize the overall profitability of your coffee business. Creating a successful business involves understanding how to increase long-term profitability through sales growth while managing your costs at an optimal level. Also knowing how to manage your available cash is crucial to managing the growth of your business.
This course will start by learning how to analyze current sales. This can be key to developing marketing initiatives as well as product offerings that will grow your revenue. You will also gain a better understanding of the costs of your beverages and other products. This will help you determine pricing structures as well as where to focus your energies.
Managing labor to an optimal level will help drive your sales while maintaining an affordable cost structure. The class will spend time looking at the complexities of labor.
Understanding the capacities and current asset utilizations can help your company free up cash flow that can be used to expand your business. This workshop will examine ways to increase your cash flow by examining inventory returns, equipment investments, systems investments and human capital. This includes how to evaluate a new site from a financial prospective including sales and cost projections as well as common items to look for in negotiating with landlords.
The course will wrap up with an all important view of prioritization of your financial needs. Planning the course through simple budgeting will allow you to better achieve the goals that you have set. A well thought out plan will also point out where improvements are needed.
Next class date is May 10-11!
For more inf go to the American Barista & Coffee School website, or call us 800-655-3955.
Hi all, I am excited to tell you about The Espresso Quest, the new book by Instaurator.
The Espresso Quest is an exciting tale of an espresso lover’s quest to find the pure joy experienced in a perfectly prepared cup of espresso coffee.
In the Espresso Quest, Instaurator weaves in tales of how he became enlightened to that perfect espresso, and how his journeys - and people he met along the way — helped him realize that espresso is not something that can be prepared by following a set of rules. Instead it requires passion – of the grower, roasters and barista — to ensure the coffee bean is brought to its purist state.
Join Instaurator as he dives into the intricacies of growing, processing and brewing espresso, revealing how each are necessary to understand if that perfect little cup is to find a place in your heart. Throughout the book he shares memories of his first true perfect espresso, then takes the reader on his journey to seek that sublime taste time and again. Along the road, he recounts his observations, discussions and first-hand experiences in the world of espresso coffee. Through it all, Instaurator emphasizes “Let taste be your guide.” His quest is sure to incite many more passionate discussions about how to best experience that ultimate espresso.
About Instaurator
Instaurator is a coffee and business consultant with a world renowned reputation for his coffee tasting and management expertise. He has been a specialty coffee roaster for 26 years and has established roasting businesses in Vancouver Canada, Tokyo Japan and in Sydney Australia.
He established his own wholesale specialty coffee factory and retail chain of coffee shops now known as Danes Gourmet Coffee, prior to founding Michel’s Espresso in 1999 which has 350 espresso bars. By 2006 Michel’s was rated as the leading coffee chain in Australia by BIS Shrapnel.
As Chairman of the Australian Coffee & Tea Association he was instrumental in establishing the barista training standards currently used by Government Registered Training Organizations nationally.
Reviews:
“The Espresso Quest gives eloquent voice to the passion that drives coffee professionals and enthusiasts”
— Mike Ferguson, Former Chief Communications Officer Specialty Coffee Association of America.
“The book is fantastic. The photos are incredible.”
— Barista Magazine
“The book is beautifully illustrated with photos showing the coffee industry from seed to espresso cup.”
— Roast Magazine
“The Espresso Quest is one man’s journey to find the smooth, rich and complex flavor of a flawlessly prepared espresso. Whether you’re a fan of a perfectly poured espresso, or have yet to acquire a taste for one, you’ll be sure to have an espresso epiphany after reading Instaurator’s book.”
— Laura Everage, former Managing Editor of The Gourmet Retailer
You can PRE-ORDER the book if interested | Ships May 15
