Antwerp Barista

Monday, March 10, 2008

Jammin' on Sunday Eve

See all people staring at me talking about the Kenya AA. And the cupping table ready for take off.

Larissa, Liche, Nathalie, Jan, Addie, Roel, Michael, Kris, Yves, Andries, Mama Eva, Bart I and II, Caroline, Annelies and my charming assistant Katrien were all excited about last weeks Barista Jam.

We had a regular Santos, Yirgacheffe, Guatemala SHB and Togo Robusta to cup. No better way to teach about the difference between arabica and robusta as sending the people to the cupping table.
It was two hours of coming together, talking and drinking coffee and having good fun. As our world champion mentioned earlier this week ; that's what it's all about.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Espresso of the week : Puerto Rico

Espresso/Lungo of the week is the Washed Puerto Rico, Yauco Selecto Estate 17/18 AA

As i wrote last year : Very heavy body, some sweet bitter caramel, nice tanginess, dark and complex flavors and very clean aftertaste resting on the top of the tongue.

Our number 1 of 2007, but not that high level this year. Is the roast less? Too old greens? Still very good though.

More to know about this wonderfull bean : click it.

Notice on the photo our vintage Fiorenzato T80 grinder.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Latte Lingo Part III

You have all these very typical names and expressions in our (coffee) world.
In part 1 and 2 i already mentioned some stuff, but today it's about the weirdest abbreviations and names.

Going over the menu we notice a lot of remarkable things. What for Lingo you hear us screaming or writing down?...

Cor = Cortado
Mac = Caffè Macchiato
Cap = Cappuccino
CC = Cappuccino with chocolate
Soy Pooh = Soy based latte with honey on top
Art = Double shot latte
DSL = Double shot latte
Radi = Strong lungo radicale
Forte = Double shot iced mocchacino
Macho = Mocha
Bouchée = White chocolate mocha
Nutty Latte = Latte with a shot of hazelnut syrup
Perfecto = Latte with ice cream
Bitter Moon = Mokka Harrar shot with cinnamon and dark chocolate
Al C(apone) = Lungo with cacao powder and cream on top
Flat = Latte with (almost) no foam
Vienna = Cappuccino with dark cacao powder and cream
Soy Decaf Latte Hot = Extra hot decafeinated soy drink latte
Dolce = Iced Latte with cream and cinnamon sugar
Kids ... = Smaller and decorated version of whatever
Mellow Man = Cappuccino with marsh mellows
Soa = Iced Italian soda
Soy 70 = Soy based extra dark chocolate drink
Iced shock = Iced chocolate drink
MC = Milky Caramel or milk chocolate drink with ice cream and caramel
WW = Warm white chocolate drink

Of course some of these names are just fantasy names. Others are very typical for the world wide coffee industry in the year 2008.

For part 4 we tell you more about typical verbs and habits. Looking forward?

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Faema History

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FAEMA (Italian acronym: Fabbrica Apparecchiature Elettromeccaniche e Affini) primarily engaged in the production of espresso machines, was founded in 1945 by Carlo Ernesto Valente, in Milan, Italy. Faema was to become synonymous with the postwar production boom in Italy, by actively pursuing technological innovation as the company's driving force.

In the 1950s, Faema began with horizontal boiler, lever piston machines, which were typical of the time. In 1961, however, Faema released the E61, an espresso machine introducing many 'firsts' which are still commonly found in most espresso machines. The most significant was the delivery of pressurized water through a mechanical pump at approximately 9 BAR, replacing the piston-lever designs of the 1950s. Faema got around the problem of running heated water through the pump, by running cold water through the pump, through a heat exchange tube through the steam boiler to flash heat the water, before entering the diffusion block and through the ground coffee to create an espresso. Faema also introduced a new grouphead that was kept warm by circulating water from the boiler through the grouphead in a thermosyphon circuit. The grouphead was activated by a lever, which when partially open, allows the release of pressure created from the municipal water line. That pressure soaked the coffee with brew-temperature water, allowing for a smoother extraction. When the lever is fully raised, the pump is activated and the coffee is extracted at full pressure.

The implications of the technological innovation of the E61 was nothing short of revolutionary, and allowed Faema to acquire a significant espresso machine market share within years. Faema recently reintroduced a replica model for commercial use.

Another impact of the E61 is in the home espresso machine market. A generic replica version of the E61 grouphead, coupled with the heat exchange boiler has become popularized in Europe, North America and Australia. While the aesthetic appeal of the E61 group is cited as a reason for its popularity, the grouphead paired with a heat exchange boiler also created a new level of home espresso quality for consumers.