What's the best Espresso Cup?

Those who follow me on twitter
@caffenation
noticed my enthousiasm on an espresso served at Panorama, Gent, last week.

It was a 4cl shot. Made with a 20 grams of LGB espresso. Running time appr 27 seconds. (didn't weight it wet).
Chris used the naked portafilter on a classic Linea machine at 91,5 degrees (i guess) and an Anfim Super Caimano grinder.

Back behind our Linea PB Saturday I tried to copy the flavor and noticed too many sours.

After thinking back at all the variables I decided to change cups.
We usually use these cups :

A doppio espresso cup I would call them.
Looks good, tastes good.

6 months ago Chris and I were able to buy in a big load of Nuova Point tulips. He already used them, but I never gave them a real chance, upto now.

Oh my god! Gone was the metalic start and thin body. Welcome moderate acidity, siropy mouthfeel and full lingering body. And an after taste never to forget.

I knew after 10 years in the business that there was still a lot to learn, but a change in flavor between two solid made cups, being so enormous.....

Of course it's not only with the small tulips the espresso tastes this good.
The Verona espresso cups from D'Ancap were great as well, but then the more open and wider cap cups again didn't work out.

We keep on  using the doppio cups for macchiato's, so everyone who wants to taste the difference in between the two may walk in and test the two cups side by side.
C u at the bar.

Kleine Antwerpse Koffiebar hotspot volgens New York Times - ATV.be

Kleine Antwerpse Koffiebar hotspot volgens New York Times - ATV.be

Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise

Maybe a good idea for Halloween?

LGB 4.1 : Ethiopia Sidamo, Panama Bouquete Lerida, Costa Rica Tarrazu Monte Canet

New LGB blend for the last quarter of 2013 : • 50% Ethiopia Sidamo Organic Sidama Union • 25% Panama Bouquete Lerida Estate Lot #5 • 25% Costa Rica Tarrazu Monte Canet Estate After a succesfull 3.1, with 50% Yirgacheffe Organic, we stay with  the same kind of recipe.  The Ethiopian part is an organic Sidamo from the Sidama Union.  Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) was founded  in 2001 to represent coffee producing cooperatives located  throughout the Sidama Zone of southern Ethiopia. Originally, the  Union consisted of 39 cooperatives which represented over  70,000 farmers. Today, SCFCU has grown to represent 46 cooperatives and  over 80,000 farmers (small holders) making SCFCU the second  largest coffee producing cooperative union in Ethiopia. Nearly all  coffee produced by our member cooperatives is shade grown in  low densities under the canopies of indigenous trees and enset  (false banana), a staple food crop. Expect tea like aromas, citrus  and fruit. Mixing in a Panama is not the easiest of tasks, but those beans from  the Lerida estate have such a smooth and buttery mouthfeel, we  blend them without problems. This Lerida mix is a typical clean Bouquete coffee from 10 different  lots thate were mixed at origin. We also have a microlot in  the warehouse, but this one is just fine with the Costa Rica. Maybe  we blend Lot 5 in the next LGB version.  The bean is a Caturra-Catuai combination and gives the blend a  floral and wild touch. Last but not least we have the Caffenation classic, Costa Rica  Monte Canet, for body and roughness. Caturra and Catuai beans again, but also a bit of geisha!

All Caffenation Coffees from 1 year Online Shop

I'll note them by Origin :


Ethiopia :
Limu Grade 2 (crop 11/12)
Limu Grade 2 (crop 12/13)
Yirgacheffe Negele organic
Yirgacheffe Hafursa organic
Yirgacheffe Grade 2 (crop 11/12)
Yirgacheffe Grade 2 (crop 12/13)
Yirgacheffe Kochere Natural processed
Yirgacheffe Q-Grade
Yirgacheffe Konga Natural processed
Yirgacheffe Boginda Natural processed
Sidamo Grade 2 (crop 12/13)
Sidamo Oromio Coop organic
Sidamo Amaro Gayo Grade 3 organic
Mokka Harrar Longberrry Grade 4

Kenya :
Chomo AA
Ngunguru
Mukurwe AB
Karagota PB
Zahabu AA
Zahabu PB
Guama AA Top
Mihuti AA+

Rwanda :
Vunga
Gisenyi
Kogimuwaka

Panama :
Lerida Estate
Don Pepe Estate

Three Africans Blend : Kenya Karimukui, Burundi Ruhande, Ethiopia Boginda

Three Africans Blend : Kenya Zahabu, Ethiopia Kochere, Ethiopia Hafursa

Mexico :
Finca Corral de Pidra, Coe Lot #5
Finca Lagunilla

Costa Rica :
San Rafael
Lomas Al Rio Fully Washed
Lomas Al Rio Honey Processed
El Beneficio
Finca Licho Natural processed
Monte Canet Estate
Candelilla Estate Honey Processed

Nicaragua :
Los Placeres Pacamara

Malawi :
Pamwamba AAA

Tanzania :
Utengule AA

Zimbabwe :
Pezuru

Papua New Guinea :
Kimel Estate

Colombia :
Armenia Medellin
Tolima Planadas
Tolima Corderilla Central
Huila Villa Esperanza

Burundi :
Mahonda
Kibuye

Guatemala :
Hueheutenango Finca Isnul
El Platanillo Egipto

Ecuador :
Vilcabamba Estate

Enough to your liking.

Some were (just) conventional coffees, but most Specialty.
For the next year we'll upgrade some more and want to focus on 86+ and even 90+coffees. This means exceptional clean cup Single Origin coffees with a story.
Probably we'll have some returning, but still for sure over 40 different coffees on a yearly basis!

Interesting in tasting them?
It's very simple :
Caffenation Online Shop (for Belgian adresses only)

For the Dutch market you can still adress yourself to our dealer : Beanoteca.

(other countrys and professional can always mail us on
caffenation@specialtycoffee.be
and we'll deal with it straight away)

New Kenya (Mihuti AA+)

Every 2 or 3 months we launch a new Kenyan coffee.

For this one and all other coffees; only 1 adresse :
caffenationfiltercoffees.wordpress.com

The Kenyan discription is underneath this link.

Living in Belgium and interested in having some of these coffees at home :
visit our online shop :
specialtycoffee.be

Decaf or not Decaf ....

Liquid CO₂ decaffeination

In 1989, the Hermsen Company in Germany obtained a patent describing a decaffeination process with liquid CO₂. The moisture content of the green beans has to be 45% to 55% and the CO₂ has to be saturated with water, then decaffeination can be realised at very low temperatures (20-25°C) and at pressures between 65 and 70 bar. The separation of caffeine takes place by decompression below 60 bar in a separator; the caffeine-water mixture is reported to be very clean. The extraction time is about 60 hours, but due to the extremely low temperature the quality of the decaffeinated beans is said to be close to that of non-treated coffee. Practically all sugar inversions, Maillard and thermal decomposition reactions are avoided, particularly if careful low temperature moisturization and drying conditions complete the scheme.

The decaffeination of roasted ground coffee with liquid CO₂ has been published in a patent from HAG. Moistened roast coffee is put in a pressure vessel which is connected in a cycle with another pressure vessel filled with a strong acid ion exchanger. To minimize the extraction of coffee aroma components, the temperature of the circulation CO₂ is kept between 15 and 30°C and the pressure between 50 and 80 bar. After 2 to 3 hours the decaffeination is completed; the caffeine is almost selectively absorbed in the ion exchanger. Cleaning of the ion exchanger and recovery of the caffeine can be achieved by a desorption step with supercritical CO₂. Remaining roast coffee components in the CO₂ steam can be separated at the end by CO₂ evaporation and aroma adsorption on the roasted coffee. The perceived quality of the coffee decaffeinated in such a manner is said to be equivalent to non-treated coffee in terms of flavour and aroma.