Why We Bought a Nuova Simonelli Espresso Machine....

Of course I knew the history of Nuova Simonelli.
It started 70 years ago and for very long the machines were very Sci Fi looking.

They started to build in advanced technology in very early stages and the one i bought second hands was also very special for its days of fabrication.

The machine did never work properly, but this way I was getting in touch with the Belgian importer CDS. They were very professional and aware of the needs of the market.

When the WBC decided to go for Nuova Simonelli Aurelia as their machine of preference, i started to dig into this machine.
The soft infusion system sounded a bit suspicious to me, although the ease of handling, quality build and fantastic steaming made me enthousiastic after all.

The problem for us was more into the looks. When the WBC Aurelia was launched we were pulling our shots on a La Marzocco Linea and compared to this machine the Simonelli looked a little bit too shiny and plastic and neon.

After drinking great espresso on several Aurelia's we had an installment of the basic Aurelia at Vinyl and Coffee in Antwerp.
Very convincing and also reasonable in price and service.

2 years later and we already installed 5 Appia machines. These were very easy to steer, not very expensive and gave very good results in the cup, with fantastic steaming on top.

Deciding on a new machine for our main bar at the Federal Reserve we were at first not very reluctant to install a Simonelli though.
Two other machines grabbed our attention.
First one was the Kees Van der Westen Spirit.

Yes, this one looks very similar to our Mistral. Reason is simple. Kees is the original designer of the Mistral, but sold the project to La Marzocco.
A brilliant piece of equipment!!!
Why not the Spirit?
Still looking for decent follow up on the technical front, it felt a bit too early to get us going with Kees.

Second option was the newest babe from La Marzocco, the Linea PB.
We've always been big fans of La Marzocco, the people behind it, the Belgian distributor and most of all the community surrounding it.
La Marzocco Italy was very enthousiastic to launch their newest piece of technology at Caffenation, but there wasn't a way to get it in before the end of September, and therefor we decided to make a short stop with the Nuova Simonelli Aurelia II T3.

Yes, a different look and actually a different machine all together.
A couple of things :
PID : This innovative digital pressure switch is a very accurate tool determing the precise temperature. The Barista can control and program it directly from the display.
SIS : A Soft Infusion System which guarantees a soft infusion able to make more stable brews, It compensates errors in dosing and tamping.
And this works; Sunday night I made two consecutive double shots the last 20 minutes of the Level 1 class. Mostly they run different because of old ground coffee in the grinder, colder discs and a machine that did not run for 2 hours, but not the T3. 2 times 27" exactly!!! Very impressive.

And some extra new features like cool touch steam wands, milk lights and a reverse mirror (stolen from Slayer) to have a good look at your shots when using the naked portafilter.

It is a 2-group. Normally not big enough, but when it goes down for training and later on to a client we think a 2-group is the logical choice.
Plus, machines with such a steaming power, big cup tray and steered with 380v electricity can easily handle a 2000 kilo's of coffee on a yearly base.

So, don't hesitate and come have a peek at the newest of the newest, at Caffenation.

Joke vraagt het aan ..... Roel Craen

Joke vraagt het aan Roel Craen, 1 van de 4 Bretel Broeders.

1. Hoe werd je gebeten door de koffie-bug?

    In een ontbijtbar in Chiapas, Mexico, waar ik mijn ontbijt amper nog kon zien
omdat er in diezelfde ruimte ook koffie werd geroosterd, zonder afzuigkap!

3. Voor wie zou jij wel eens een koffie willen maken?

    Tom Waits en Iggy Pop. Met sigaretten.

4. Wat was de beste koffiebar die je reeds bezocht? (world wide)

    Bonanza (Berlijn)

5. Heb je een favoriete koffie-zetwijze?

   Troebele Ethiopier uit een French press.

6. Wat was de beste kop koffie die je OOIT hebt gedronken?

    Dronken, bij Bonanza in Berlijn.

7. Wat is voor jou de ultieme latte-art-uitdaging?

    De snor van frank Zappa.

8. Bestaat er een ideale koffie-soundtrack?

    Pianosonates van Ludwig van Beethoven.

9. Welke ‘koffie-creatie’ weiger je te maken?

    Café amaretto.

10. Wat is je tweede passie na koffie?

      Italiaanse charcuterie.

12. Wat mist Antwerpen nog op vlak van koffie?

      Zwart.

Heart Roasters video

http://www.heartroasters.com/http://www.heartroasters.com/

Joke vraagt het aan .... Jeff Verellen

of aan .... werelds beste Aeropresser.
Na een eerdere zilveren en gouden plek op het wereldkampioenschap Aeropress veroverde Jeff vandaag opnieuw de titel.
Eerder deze maand deed hij het niet minder met deze antwoorden op de vragen van Joke.

Oh ja, voor diegenen die Jeff nog niet kennen.
Sinds de start van de Caffenation Roastery is hij onze head roaster en in zijn vrije tijd trouwens een begenadigd Barista.

1.Hoe werd je gebeten door de koffie-bug?

   Dat gebeurde in Bar Mexico op Piazza Guiseppe Garibaldi te Napoli.

    

2. Wat maakt barista zijn zo’n topjob?

    Ik ben zelf geen barista, maar ik zie koffie als een internationale taal; je kan er evengoed aan de andere kant van de wereld mee gaan werken.

3. Voor wie zou jij wel eens een koffie willen maken?

    Roeland Lenaerts.

4. Wat was de beste koffiebar die je reeds bezocht? (world wide)

    Tijdens het BBC in New York: Marlon + Sons.

5. Heb je een favoriete koffie-zetwijze?

    Aeropress of dubbele ristretto op de espressomachine.

6. Wat was de beste kop koffie die je OOIT hebt gedronken?

    Thunguri AA uit Kenia.

7. Wat is voor jou de ultieme latte-art-uitdaging?

    Overextractie is een paradox :)

    

8. Bestaat er een ideale koffie-soundtrack?

    Mike Mareen: Love spy (live in Russia 2005) 

    Al die Jazz-muziek vind ik te treurig… 

10. Wat is je tweede passie na koffie?

      Nog eens koffie.

11. Heb je een koffie-ambitie?

      nOg meer koffie proeven, drinken en branden!

12. Wat mist Antwerpen nog op vlak van koffie?

      Een nieuwe Linea met soft-pre-infusion bij Caffenation.

LGB 2.2 : Colombia Villa Esperanza/Ethiopia Sidamo Gr 2

Most of the coffee grown in Colombia is approved by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC). Since 1927 its members have worked together to deliver social and environmental programmes and to ensure Colombian coffees meet a certain quality standard.

The thing is, that standard is good, but not always incredible. 

And at Caffenation, we're on the lookout for the spectacular. So we asked ton loads of samples and finally came up with this coffee from the Huila area. 

And a FNC coffee, from the Villa Esperanza Association. 

Villa Esperanza earned Rainforest Alliance certification in 2005, and in the years since the group has grown to include 22 small holders. 

At Villa Esperanza, not only do growers take an active role in environmental matter (for example, the group has spearheaded the construction of water treatment facilities), but they also get involved in how the coffee tastes. 

For proof, look no further than the local cupping lab. 

This coffee is as sweet as butter scotch and has great velvety mouthfeel. It is comparable with another Virmax (the exporter) coffee we bought last year; El Meridiano, but less spicy and sweeter. 

Yes, we are not talking about spices and acidity.

That's why we start blending and did go after a good companion for this jewel.

And concluded this years Grade 2 Sidamo from Bagersh (our steady exporter of Ethiopian coffee) was just what we needed.

This early lot got a nice smoked flavour with a nutty side, nice body and spices like toasted sesame seed. 

Very proud about the result.

Mostly it's not the most difficult task to blend a new great seasonal blend. The most difficult part is to have a blend that stays fresh, complex and interesting over a longer period. 3 months should be the goal, but very often we have to change the line up after 2 months already.

Not be afraid though, cause new stuff is arriving fast these days. We're in the middle of a ton load of fresh crops and sublime Kenya Peaberry, Washed Organic Yirgacheffe and bright Guatemala coffees are ready to take over by the end of June, beginning of July. 

Cheers,

Rob

Falcon Green Coffee Buyer Mike Riley

An interesting view on the coffee trade by Mike Riley from Falcon, Specialty Green Coffee Importers.
(This is the company we bought this great Colombia Villa Esperanza from) :

The market is reaching low levels so this is a great time to buy coffee as cheaply as possible and to increase margins. Happy days... unless you’re a coffee farmer.

At the time of writing this blog the Arabica market has closed at 135.65 cents per lb. These are seriously low levels for coffee farmers since, for many, it means they will be selling their coffee below the cost of production.

During my recent trip to Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica I asked the various farmers we work with to tell me their cost of production. The range I was given was around 150 to 180 cents per lb. Of course top quality coffees command a quality differential above New York, but in El Salvador for example this stands at around 20 cents a lb. So breakeven is absolutely border-line for many farmers and those who farm below SHG altitude will certainly be facing tough times unless things improve soon. Of course this is before we even factor Roya (leaf rust) into the equation for our friends in Central America and with yields falling those costs of production are going to rise by 20 to 40% or even higher in some cases. Unhappy, uncertain days!

Through experience, we recognise the incredible difficulty, stress and suffering that marginal and low prices bring about and as such, all our commercial activities are focused on creating business models that help our partners negate this risk. While we will always pay well above the cost of production, we are also aware that buying even 50% of someone’s crop does not guarantee their survival unless those farmers are working with other like-minded buyers.

The coffee crisis, a period of depressed prices between 1999 and 2005, was responsible for human suffering on a massive scale across the coffee producing world. It brought about malnutrition, the abandonment and loss of farms, mass illegal immigration, the increase in illicit drug production and countless other untold stories of hardship.

At Falcon Speciality we believe that farmers must always be paid a price that covers his/her cost of production and we do this by several means:

•   We pay outright prices – fixed at a level above the cost of production and inclusive of a healthy margin for the farmer.
  
•   We will utilise our futures book on behalf of the farmer if the market level is favourable for them.
  
•   If the quality is high enough we will buy Fair Trade coffees which protects farmers from a falling market by
  guaranteeing them a minimum price aligned to the cost of production and an additional social premium.
  
•   Whilst always seeking out speciality coffees of great quality, we believe that certifications such as Rainforest Alliance, Utz and Fair Trade have principles embedded in International Labour Law (ILO) and as such the coffee workers’ rights are respected. Such certifications also include environmental standards
  designed for sustainability of agricultural land and its natural eco systems.
  
•   We support community projects and NGOs that are committed to quality improvement and consequently
  price improvements for coffee farmers – TechnoServe being one such example.
  
•   As a qualified social auditor with 5 years of auditing experience on coffee farms around the world – I will
  visit and audit farms where necessary to ensure they meet our ethical standards.
  

Roasters who buy our coffees will benefit from all of the above points in order to meet their own ethical criteria. Our aim is to create positive social impact through all of our business transactions. Indeed each of our coffees has its own story – please feel free to engage with us to discuss any of these issues and how they relate to the coffees you buy from us.

We believe that there should be no losers in the coffee chain – especially the farmers and their staff - without them, there is no future in coffee. 

Joke vraagt het aan .... Charlotte Briers

Jarenlang was Charlotte een van onze meest gevierde klanten te Hopland.

Nu ben ik telkens weer een gelukkig man als ik een versie portie 'beans' in de Vinyl (zo heet dat in de volksmond) kan gaan droppen en 'ons' Charlotte haar Barista shift heeft.

Na vele jaren voor de bar, blijkt ze nu echter ook achter de bar, en de mooie Simonelli bij Lars, de juiste persoon op de juiste plaats. 

Kom het zelf checken in de Volksstraat te Coffee&Vinyl. 

Hier haar antwoorden op Joke haar vragen :

1. Hoe werd je gebeten door de koffie-bug?

    Uit noodzaak om s’nachts door te kunnen studeren wegens uitstelgedrag.

2. Wat maakt barista zijn zo’n topjob?

    Je kan wanneer je maar wil een zak of ton koffiebonen openen en de zAlige geur opsnuiven!

3. Voor wie zou jij wel eens een koffie willen maken?

    Tom Waits.

4. Wat was de beste koffiebar die je reeds bezocht? (world wide)

    De ‘oude’ Caffenation in Hopland.

5. Heb je een favoriete koffie-zetwijze?

    Op een zondagmiddag met een plaat van Miles Davis.

6. Wat was de beste kop koffie die je OOIT hebt gedronken?

    Afroman in Caffenation.

7. Wat is voor jou de ultieme latte-art-uitdaging?

    Een beer. En dat eerder kunnen dan Kobe van Kolonel Koffie.

8. Bestaat er een ideale koffie-soundtrack?

    Mike Pecidin: Burnt Toast and Black Coffee (in loop)

    

9. Welke ‘koffie-creatie’ weiger je te maken?

    Een deca soy latte met slagroom.

10. Wat is je tweede passie na koffie?

      Muziek.

12. Wat mist Antwerpen nog op vlak van koffie?

      Een koffiebar die 24 op 24 uur open is.