New Reg Barber Ripple Tamper

NO, THIS IS NOT A SPACE SHIP.
It is fresh in, our Rippled Reg Barber 58mm Flat Tamper.
It's a bit too early for final judgement, but the first days of working with this spectacular tamper have been a big success.
We have the two different ones in stock. The Ripple and the C Ripple. This last one is the one on the photo and has a flat circle around the rings. I don't know yet why.

For us the two biggest advantages are, of course, the very nicely packed coffee in the filter basket. The Antwerp Barista's adore the looks. And the second advantage is the speed. We have the idea it works faster than a traditional one. Could this be?
Soon more....

Meanwhile we have here the first tests from Tamper Expert Kiril at Espresso Run.

And the Reg Barber site.

And for ordering ; ESW.

Tulip by Sammy Piccolo

I want to welcome Sammy Piccolo back in competition. First the Canadian title and then up to the so-diserved WBC one.

Here you see him, on slippers!, pouring fantastic latte art. His style is ...... like he doesn't care. Awesome.

Photo's from the Efico Lab

Coffee Kid Nicaragua

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Originally uploaded by Coffee Kids 1988

This girl is enjoying a drink made by Stephen Morrisey! Isn't it fantastic Coffee Kids is offering help and good times to so many people from those poor coffee family's in Latin America?
And Stephen giving a helping hand.
Big applause.

For more coffee kids info : click the Coffee Kids link at the link list.
For more Stephen Morrisey : click the Square Mile link.

Amsterdam Espresso

Small picture from a small bar in a small street in Amsterdam city.

Second cup is a surprisingly cosy espresso bar in a city where people drink lots and lots of coffee, but with a quality level that's below everything. Here at the Heisteeg 5 they try to do things differently. They work together with the Golden Coffee Box, which is a major specialty coffee player, located in Baarn, the Netherlands. This company is promoting their Brazil Fazenda Santa Terezinha Organic fiercely. I can understand. It's, although very expensive, a recommendable and nice coffee, but I can't understand why Second Cup takes this one as their main bean, to prepare all drinks with. For me the espresso was ok, but not very memorable. The price (€ 1,60!), size, temperature and type of cup was perfect, but the taste was boring, too bitter and not very detailed. Of course there could have been a lot of reasons for this. Mostly it's the (too dark) roast, lack of freshness, a dirty machine or warm grinder burrs that's shows this kinds of taste. This morning it was very quiet and the bar just opened....
Unfortunately I didn't see his milk texturing. That's for next time. Or for you, dear reader .... let me know.

The milk texturing at the Coffee Company is known for me since long. This market leader did a decent job years ago, but there where we know day by day better how to control our extractions and pour sweet latte art, the CC's quality seems to go downhill day after day after day.
At the Berenstraat the espresso was barely drinkable. Very bitter and a fucked up aftertaste.
But that's nothing compared to the cappuccino Isabel ordered. For every drink they take the same pitcher over and over again. This dirty 1 liter pitcher got some warm milk left overs on which to pour a bit of cold milk. And then they start to stretch it all up again, and stretch, and stretch .... till it reaches 80 degrees or something!!
Hello!?? This is 2008 in a market leading espresso bar in a big city. Are they copying Starbucks? It looks like.
We knew they have the strange habit to make all cappuccino's dry. For me a cappuccino is the perfect marriage between coffee and milk. Here at the Coffee Company they first pull two of those bitter espresso's in a big glass and scoop some warm foam on top. Basta. The result was a disaster. Sorry, but this was totally undrinkable.
Isabel thought the percolator coffee at the breakfast table in our hotel this morning was superior to the CC one. How do these people stay in business?

Time for Inspire Coffee or someone else to attack the city. From my part ; I'm ready to help. I have some successful food and beverage expertise in this city and find it very painful to see that this nice and international city, 8 years after I left, is not making any progress quality wise.

Kellogg's Cappuccino Cruesli

I found this Muesli in the local supermarket the other day.
I can't say I was waiting for this product, but bought it anyway. Maybe I was hungry?

At home I took a big bowl, some Kellogg's Extra Crunchy Muesli Cappuccino with coffee and chocolate taste, poored it over with cold whole milk and grabbed a spoon.
The mouthfeel was not very nice, as with most Cruesli's.
The taste of coffee came through, but not to my liking. Of course it tastes chemical and of course it's not a replacement for a cup of coffee and/or a chocolate bar. At least not for me.

The biggest disappointment were those chocolate coffee beans. First it took me 3 minutes to find one and then the chocolate was inferior in quality and nothing of a coffee bean inside. Nowadays you see these more and more, and sometimes they can be delicious, but this one ..... not!
A missed chance for the Rooster. Better stick to your local Roaster!

Vacuum Packed Guatemala

DSCF3336
Originally uploaded by edwinfvh

Green vacuum packed coffee's seem to become standard in nowadays specialty coffee land.
On the latest Trabocca spot list we find vacuum Kenya. Years before Daterra of course launched it all.
This photo is taken at the Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala where Edwin and his men work their asses of to keep all the greens out of jute.
Since we had major problems, mostly with Latin American Arabica's, to keep freshness over time ; I'm curious how much longer we can keep the fresh 'new crop' taste this way.

To see the whole photostream : click here.