All posts filed under: Coffee

A beginners guide to ‘cupping’ coffee

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Coffee cupping is very much a labour of love with many rewards. Even after seven years of cupping, I am still like a kid in a candy shop when approaching the cupping table. The ritual of inhaling aromas and slurping on flavours like a little boy with no manners brings a smile to my face and an excitement of the mysteries that are about to unfold. Cupping coffee can transport you to a farm half way round the world or lead you to exciting new origins or offerings you never knew about. What and why Cupping coffee is a system of classification based on a handful of learned skills – skills that once learnt can reveal many answers to roasting and brewing questions not to mention can be a lot of fun too. Whatever your level – you need to develop a good vocabulary in order to understand and communicate the sense or feelings you get from a coffee. Don’t be afraid to invent your own words and phrases – it is important to write …

The rise of new wave coffee in the middle east

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For the first time ever, The speciality coffee association arrived in the Middle East to take part in The Gulf food show. This move shows the sharp rise of the modern coffee house in The Middle East and the Arabic willingness to continue strong traditions alongside modern coffee fashions and techniques. In a three part article, FNND tracked down local coffee roasters, baristas and industry folks based in the united Arab Emirates to find out the reasons behind this Middle Eastern coffee Renaissance… 1.  Hi, so, can you tell me how popular is the syphon brewing method in the region and why? The syphon has a long way to go in this region, It has become really popular in Japan and Korea. Over here the ibrik reigns supreme. Glass tubes, glowing elements, bubbling water in glass bulbs. The siphon looks impressive because it’s a very theatrical piece of kit but there is a real skill to making coffee on it and it is most important to know what type of coffee best suits the syphon …

Coffee Shops in Amsterdam I – Sweetcup

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Sweet Cup cafe , Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 101, 1017NJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tucked away from the main streets at 101 Lange Leidsedwarsstraat is a gem of a coffee house. The owners and operators of this place are a super friendly and laidback couple called Paul and Lisa who are both passionate about coffee.   They are pretty good at hospitality too, which all goes to make you feel like you can kick back like you’re in your mates kitchen whilst sipping a proper brew. After a good old fashioned chin wag and a pat of the resident doggy, we tried the espresso. It is very well made on a small La Marzocco Linea. Paul is new to roasting and he admits that he is still learning but hes keen to not follow trends of the crowd but to keep his ears and eyes open to everything. It shows – the short shot of espresso was simple at first taste but then quickly developed into a creamy, lactic mouthfeel with spicy cocao flavours – delicious! Paul revealed …

Top tips for brewing coffee at home

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The recent rise of the independent neighbourhood coffee roaster means that more and more people have access to high quality, freshly roasted coffee. But, once you have chosen a delicious coffee to sample and got it home – what do you do with it? FNND has an easy guide for you to get started… The Coffee Fresh roasted coffee is essential to a superb cup of coffee. And purchase your coffee in small amounts. The Grind INVEST IN A GRINDER, you can thank me later, and belive me – you will be thanking me… grinding your own coffee has the biggest impact on your cup. DO NOT buy those silly little grinders with spinning blades, they are a waste of time and money. A burr or mill grinder is preferable because all of the coffee is ground to a consistent size. If you normally grind your coffee at home with a blade grinder, try having it ground at the store with a burr grinder. You may be surprised at the difference! Do not underestimate the importance …

The truth about Kopi Luwak coffee

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FNND finds the truth about the worlds most expensive coffee… The civet cat poo coffee (kopi Luwak) – It tastes bad, it’s a stupid idea, it’s a waste of money, and its completely unethical – stop this madness and invest in coffee that is properly produced by a farmer and an agronomist… Kopi Luwak: Cut the Crap! is a social media campaign designed to create sufficient weight of public opinion to lead to the ban on the sale of kopi luwak throughout the world. The campaign targets everyone one involved with the coffee trade, from those who buy a cappuccino on the way to work all the way back to the coffee estate or plantation. Above all, Kopi Luwak: Cut the Crap! is promoting awareness: It believes that if consumers know the truth about the trade, they will probably never buy kopi luwak / boast about it / joke about it or drink it… And certainly no-one would pay the super-premium prices that are demanded for it. Prices that reflect the supposed ‘scarcity’ of the coffee and the ‘difficulty’ collecting it… …