Summer drink recommendations

When the sun strikes, the desire for warm coffee slightly disappears

The summerly atmosphere with the warm sun and the blue sky kinds of limits the desire for a freshly brewed hot cup of coffee and thats a shame, because I will strongly suggest that coffee is enjoyed all year. Surely I can sympathize with the people who thinks warm coffee is for winter and fall time, because it isn't very appealing sitting in the sun with a smoking hot coffee in the hand.

Neverthelless CC will be glad to give some advice and inspiration to mix some extremely summer friendly drinks, which will be appreciated both by the guests and the consumer.

Sunny side up for my geographical area, Århus

The weather forecast for my local area, Århus, showed a lot of sunny and warm days, which lead to the inspiration of putting together my own top three of summer coffee drinks. There is nothing like some warm days and sunny days, when having experienced some long winter nights, but surely I need my daily fix of caffeine and therefore is preparing these drinks in the morning hours or when entering the home after a long day at work.

My personally favorites have been formed when writing most of the articles for this blog, because I have been trying out some of the coffee related drinks, which isn't what mostly coffee enthusiast have tried, for an example the Fresh Red, which is produced by the South African company called Redespresso.

Fresh Red drink made of the Redespresso powder and fresh orange juice 

1. The South African firm produce some ground Rooibos powder, which thereby turns it from tea to espresso ready. The redespresso shot compared to a normal espresso shot is more smooth, thick and packed with exotic flower notes, which makes it very pleasant to drink.  

Imagine these extraordinary flavors mixed with some fresh iced juice, which makes a brilliant fusion along with the fruitiness of the redespresso shot. This drink is served ice cooled and is therefore a stunning beauty on a warm holiday day, when you are out enjoying the sun.  

This mixture is perfect if you seek something similar to juice, soda or some lemonade, because it possesses some great fruity flavors and some sugar sweetness from both the juice and the redespresso shot. 

If you would like to see how the drink is correctly mixed, click the link: Fresh Red.

Ice Latte, espresso shot mixed with milk and caramel sirup

2. The classic within the world of coffee is the iced latte, which includes all the pleasant flavors from the coffee and some added sweetness from both the milk and caramel sirup. This drink is great in the summer period because its served cold, which is similar to all the drinks described in this article. 

The drink is quite easy to make, but requires an espresso shot which can take some time to extract if you include the heat-up-time of the espresso machine. It also includes some caramel sirup, which could be excluded, but it definitely exalts the drink - but the sirup can be a item which you haven´t present in your kitchen range.  

The recipe of this drink; take a normal size glass and fill it with some freshly made ice cubes. Pour some milk into the glass, remember to leave space for the espresso shot and blend the milk with a small amount of the caramel sirup. Mix the milk, ice and sirup using a table spoon to cool down the ingredients and apply the extracted espresso shot. Finish the drink by stirring a couple of times and maybe add some more ice, if the cubes have been strongly reduced. 

This drink is optimal if you want to enjoy a cold and creamy brew, with the ability of filling some of your hunger during the sunshine hours.       

Cold brewed coffee

3. The flavors of the cold brewed coffee is stunning, its a mix between a soft drink and a iced coffee. The sirupy from the drink is extremely pleasant and I could only imagine that it would be perfect when summer fully arrives or taken to the beach. The mainly flavors is in general caramel which by the way is very prominent and some notes of orange in the aftertaste. 

This brew method requires some very good planing if you should have it brewed when a summer day hits the country, in Denmark a summer day can arise between a series of rainy days, which makes it hard to schedule. Nevertheless when brewed its fantastic to keep in the fridge and being able to pull out some freshly brewed cold sirupy coffee.

Hope you enjoyed this preview of my top three cold brewed coffee drinks - keep up the summer spirit and don't bail on the coffee while enjoyed the holiday. 

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// Hendrup

Barista training, part 2

Espresso extraction

After the first introduction to the Peter Larsens way of business and a small visit to the roasting facilities; we were put into two teams for hands-on Barista training. The two major categories were cupping/brewing methods and espresso extraction/latte art, which should leave us the qualities of becoming a real Barista.

Our team were the first to attempt some espresso extraction training and hereby pouring some great latte art afterwards. We were set off with a little demonstration of how to brew a proper espresso shot, which didn't leave me with any new way of extraction a espresso shot, just summarizing what I´d already know. If you aren't comfortable with the mystery of brewing a espresso shot, here is a simple step-by-step guide below;

- Preheat the espresso machine, at least ten minutes before producing a shot 

- When the portafilter is nicely warm, clean it with a towel for excess coffee grounds 

- Distribute the ground coffee with the side of your hand and tamp it easily with your tamper
(Do not knock on the side of the portafilter, because this will maybe cause channeling) 

- Rinse some water through the brew head and ensure that its clean from excess ground coffee 

- Place portafilter into brew head and begin the espresso extraction 

- The ratio should be around 20-25 sec. for a espresso shot
(If your shot is running too quick, then grind finer - if too slow, grind coarser)

Pouring frothed milk into the espresso shot

When the proper espresso shot is extracted; the next step is to produce the optimal frothed milk (Milked filled with tiny air bobbles). This method is also very simple, when applied with some experience - but for those whom are new to the art of frothing milk properly, it could be quite a challenge. I will put a small description below of the entire process, so you will have an idea of the general steps.

- Take a pticher, preferred if the size of the pitcher matches your drink(s) 

- Fill it with cold milk; if you have chosen the correct size of the pitcher the correct amount of milk will be just below the spout. (The milk should be as cold as possible, because when merging with the hot steam it will caramelize, because of the heat chock.) 

- Place the steam wand under the surface of the milk and then fully open the steam valve. 

- Take the pitcher down a couple of centimeters until the tip of the steam wand reaches the surface of the milk, creating a whirlpool. (This will create a sound of like when frying bacon) 

- Always keep your hand palm onto the side of the pitcher to judge the temperature - when the temperature reaches the limits of acceptable heat towards the palm, dip the steam wand under the surface of the milk. 

- Keep the steam wand tip below the surface of the milk until you have reaches a milk temperature between 60-70 degrees.

Frohting milk by creating a whirl pool

When you have completed these steps above, you will be able to pour some fine latte art, but this step is also the hardest to master, because it will force the above steps to be absolutely right. If your frothed milk is just a little bit of with for example larger air bobbles, you aren't able to draw anything in your espresso shot.

Check out my previous blog post, regarding some ways of pouring latte art; Latte Art.

Likewise check out, some of the things learned in the cupping room; Cupping and Filter Effects.

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// Hendrup

The pursuit of the transparent coffee

Brewed almost transparent coffee

At the Barista training we discussed the new developments on the market of coffee, in other words the evolution within the coffee field - and their have been spun some rumors regarding if its possible to brew transparent coffee.

The world of gastronomy is focussing on a new phenomenon called molecular gastronomy, where the chefs is in the pursuit of tricking your observations versus your taste experience; by disguising already known flavors in absurd shapes and thereby tricking your brain to believe thats its something completely else.

One of the steps; frozen brewed coffee

If you project this paradigm within the high class of gastronomy upon the world of coffee, it will cause some disturbance because there haven´t been any attempts of tricking your brain into the believe that its not coffee your about to drink from any restaurant or on home basis.

But if you could master this wouldn't you enjoy to trick your guests by serving a cup full of transparent water with the full coffee flavors and aromas? Well, I thought it would be a blast, so I decided to check if it were possible at all.

Thawing the coffee

At the Barista camp, we talked about the possibility of producing transparent coffee in your own home environment and there were some positive vibes upon this challenge. The solution/recipe should be to brew the coffee like you normal would by drip, Aeropress and so on - and afterwards place the brew in the freezer.

When you shall serve your drink, then take your brewed coffee out off the freezer 24 hours before and let it thaw; using this method the black/brown colors of the coffee should be pulled downwards in the pitcher, leaving a transparent brew with the flavors intact in the top of the pitcher.

NOTE: the picture above showing some colors changes of the brewed coffee, leaving the colors of the coffee at the bottom of the pitcher and a more transparent brew at the top, besides the ice cube.

The result pursuing a transparent cup of coffee

The result of this method were clearly an improvement in color changes of the brew - but its nothing at all close to a complete transparent brew and therefore its not possible yet - still the flavors and aromas were intact and a pros is that the freezing had excluded the bitterness of the coffee.

Nevertheless I will give it another try, were I will freeze the brew twice, maybe causing a greater color change then achieve with only one attempt in the freezer.

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// Hendrup

Sulawesi Kalossi Grade 1

Sulawesi Kalossi cupping

Sulawesi produces only around 70.000 bags of coffee each year at around 760 - 1070 m. above sea level. The coffee beans are graded 1 to 4, with 1 being the best quality and usually possessing the best cup characteristics.

Sulawesi lies to the north of Timor and the town, Kalossi is slightly to the south of the town of Rantepao in the growing region of Toraja. The coffee trees are grown on small plots around the villagers houses and the entire family engages in the picking and processing. The coffee beans is even grown on the rice paddies that provide the staple diet. Coffee servers as a cash crop that supplements the family income.

" Good, traditional processed Sulawesian coffees display a deep, rich flavor profile similar to that of the best Sumatras but also exhibit an even greater tendency to display either idiosyncratic bottom notes (earth, humus, mushrooms, leather, pipe, tobacco) or nays taints (intense mustiness or compost pile ferment). Of all the worlds fine coffees, traditionally processed Sulawesis probably most reward the skill and discernment of a good green coffee buyer. Wet-processed Sulawesi is cleaner, lighter-bodied, and both less interesting and more predictable than traditionally processed Sulawesis. Virtually all specialty coffee from Sulawesi is grown in the Toraha (also called Kalossi) region." Quote Kenneth Davids

Green Kalossi bean versus light roasted

The history of coffee cultivation in the northern parts of South Sulawesi is a mystery. Its not known when the inhabitants started to cultivate coffee and how exactly the coffee plant arrived. Its only known that coffee was cultivated before the colonial period, hundreds of years ago. The most famous part of the coffee area in Sulawesi (previously called Celebes) is Toraja, which is the center of the coffee production area and located near the highest points of the Sesean Mountains.

Torajan people are descendants of Indochinese (possibly Cambodian) oceanic traders, who crossed the sea to settle in the Sulawesi highlands and take up agriculture. They are a very independent ethnic group, which has managed to maintain their cultural identity, reflected in their language, social manners and religion, called Aluk To Dolo - the way of the Ancestors.

They build their homes, called Tongkonan, in the shape of their original boats. Great craftsmanship and eye for detail is noticeable in these buildings. This detail and precision is also reflected in their coffee crop. Toraja is known for producing one of the best Arabica coffees in the world and is grown on the island of Sulawesi.

The Sulawesian coffee is a medium size bean, which is easily roasted - I normally prefer larger coffee beans, cause they are more suitable to achieve a great color similarity, but these beans are quite easy to roast into a perfect color similarity.

Nevertheless note that the beans in the upper picture share almost the same size, considering that one is roasted and one is green - therefore I might have roasted these a little light, causing them not to fully "crack".

Sulawesian coffee brewed on the Hario v60

I can honestly say that I very much enjoyed this particular cup of coffee, but its far from my favorite beans, which are more smooth (buttery) and includes notes of berries or citrusy. This cup contains a more rich, full body with a great mouthfeel which is mostly aromatic and herbal. The acidity is almost not present and I think thats very promising, since I have roasted these beans very light (12,5 min - at 240 degrees on Gene Cafe), so they would be sweeter when giving a dark roast.

It all is very fine so far - but the thing that doesn't get me going is the scent and taste of earth, which kind of leaves my mind off to other subjects, which shouldn't be mentioned here. Nevertheless this penetrating earthiness is not suitable for my taste, but makes this coffee very unique and gives it a special character. I will indeed remember this coffee as a must-have experience, because it kind of puts the different coffee notes in perspective and also the local history gives the cup an extra charm.

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// Hendrup

Barista training, part 1

The Peter Larsen factory

I have been on a small visit to the danish coffee roaster firm, Peter Larsens kaffee, which is the oldest coffee company with over 100 years of coffee roasting experience. The firm was founded in 1902 by Peter Larsen, who at that time were a local businessman from Viborg, Denmark. The coffee roasting firm is selling its products mainly to the detail business, were they keep a commercial grinder in each supermarket, so the consumer can grind the roasted coffee beans fresh in the store.

I have been in contact with the firm to assist as a Barista in events like festivals and such - example Roskilde festival and therefore were supposed to take a friday out of the calendar to get a full Barista training. This blog post will describe a little of how it went down.

Expobar Diamant espresso machine with two brew groups

Vi first off went through some practical things regarding the firms mission, vision and other boring stuff - before we came for the real intriguing coffee learning-by-doing session. There were a little espresso machine set up in the practice room - a Expobar Diamant, shown in the picture above. This beautiful two group espresso machine could produce some excellent espresso shot and very consistent dry steam for frothing milk, as shown in the Barista training, part 2.

The purchased green coffee beans ready for roasting

We were also shown around the roasting factory and above is their storage of green beans - imported from all parts of the world. This firm is only producing blends, but is roasting blends from premium coffee beans - meaning they buy some of the most expensive beans and mix it with others. This will provide a blend were you have underlined the best from each bought bean.

Each type of coffee bean was stored in its own silo and when time for roasting mixed with the other chosen coffee beans into a large chamber. The beans mixed in this chamber were sucked into their giant roaster, who could roast 250 kilos at a time! At the end of the roasting cycle, the beans were put into a cooling tray were they were sprayed with cold water.

Packing the coffee product

When the beans was done roasting it was sent to the product packaging department - where the whole beans was sealed in co2 valve bags, like shown in the picture above.

Next blog post - Barista training, part 2 - will focus on the hands on Barista training, which we received.

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// Hendrup

Hario v60, filter effects

Weighing the right amount of coffee --> 12 gr.

The perfect cup of coffee is a road trip through many variables, that should be considered - because tiny things could destroy the entire cup. If you are one of the smarter people, who have invested in the Hario v60 or Chemex, you might think that its a clear sky from there - but you may not realize that the paper filter, used in brewing coffee have a taste (a pretty disgusting taste, actually ... like chewing on newspaper) and beside the papery taste a very dry aftertaste is also applied.

You are properly wondering how much flavor a paper filter could add to your cup and if it could really ruin the entire cup? Well, having tried the method which neutralize the paper filter taste, you don´t want to go back! Paper filters have soluble solids in them which are extracted during the brew process and this papery taste makes it into your cup. We are so used to the taste that we don't even notice it in our coffee anymore.

BUT, if this filter taste was removed, we would notice the lack of paper taste in our brew, and we could get that much closer to attaining the perfect cup of coffee.

Water flow through the filter --> dry filter draws the yellow coffee color

The removal of the papery taste can be done quite easily, so don't worry at all. The best way, if using a drip-brew machine, is to place your filter in the coffeemaker (Don't add any coffee grounds yet), add some water to the machine and start the brew cycle. You can use a small amount of water, about half a cup to a cup should remove the paper taste perfectly. The goal is to get some very hot water running through the filter to remove the paper taste; dump the water after it cycles and start brewing your coffee like normal.

If you on the opposite hand are brewing by hand, meaning the use of a v60 or Chemex - just pour some water onto the paper filter, without having added some ground coffee and let the water rinse through the filter. Dump the water and add the grounds to the soaked filter and start your brewing ritual.

In this experiment, some of the variables have been excluded, because I have used the same coffee bean and amount to brew both cups and its also brewing at the same brewing method, with same temperature and amount of heated water. I have adjusted 12 gr. per cup, considering 60 gr. of ground coffee per. liter of brewed coffee.

Filter view of the different methods

NOTE: Cold water does not work, because the filters soluble solids (fibers, etc.) much like ground coffee beans, have a quicker extraction time the hotter the water is - example; a french press filled with hot water takes about four minutes versus filled with cold water, the brew time is about 8-12 hours.

I usually use the Hario v60, when producing a cup of filter coffee and when I pour hot water onto the filter, I can clearly see that the water that drips into my mug has a yellow tint and tastes very papery. Sometimes I forget to rinse the filter, especially when I just woke up - and when I toss the brew and get it right second time, I can taste a huge difference. Try this for yourself - make a cup of coffee the usual way and then do the rinse and make note of the yellow tint in the water. I bet if you use this rinsing technique you will experience a big different in taste regarding your own home brewed cup of coffee.


In the following days, I will publish a post regarding why its important to preheat your cup before extracting coffee into it - but for now this rinse method both clears the filter flaws and preheats the cup, perfect!

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// Hendrup

Cupping; first look

Freshly ground coffee for cupping

Coffee cupping also known as coffee tasting is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of the brewed coffee. This is a profession, a coffee tasting and selecting job; meaning that all available coffee from shelves at the local supermarket or the special coffee shop is chosen by coffee tasting professionals. These hired experts decides which flavor, notes and aroma the specific coffee possesses and thereby judging the quality, uniqueness and price of the bean.

Its mostly a professional practice, but can be performed informally by anyone or what the professionals calls master tasters. A standard coffee cupping procedure involves deeply sniffing the aroma of the ground coffee, then slurping the coffee - distributing it throughout the entire mouth. The coffee tasters attempt to measure different aspects of the coffee´s taste, listed below;

The Body - the texture or mouthfeel, such as oiliness. 

Sweetness - the perceived sweetness at the sides of the tongue. 

Acidity - a sharp and tangy feeling at the tip of the tongue, like when biting into an orange. 

Flavor - the characters in the cup 

Aftertaste - the notes that reveals itself after consumption

The first step is to freshly ground some coffee beans into a cup of porcelain or glass; hereby you are able to lift the cup and toss the ground coffee a little, so it lifts a little - sending some fantastic aromas from the cup. These aromas can be recorded by smelling directly into the cup while tossing the ground coffee around in the cup - use the aroma and taste wheel to describe the scents; Aroma and Taste wheel.

Pouring heated water upon the ground coffee

When you have explored the different scents that the coffee grounds is providing, then slowly pour heated water upon the coffee. This will start the brewing process and completely change the former located scents from the coffee.

Before you go to the next step; the coffee should extract for about four minutes to achieve the optimal flavor and aroma extraction.

Ground coffee, oils and co2 gas leftovers from the brewed cup

When the brewing period is coming to its end, there will be formed a  top layer of ground coffee, oils and co2 gasses, which is leftovers from the coffee. This top layer is also a good indication for a premium and fresh coffee.

Removing the brewing leftovers with a spoon

To remove the leftover layer, take a spoon and gently remove the oils, ground coffee and co2 gasses by using the spoon in the surface of the brewed coffee.

NOTE: When firstly removing the top layer of leftovers, be sure to smell the escaping scents - because these will have changed sufficient from the previous aroma testing.

The general reason for removing these elements/components from the coffee is to ensure, that you will be able to reach and taste only the brewed coffee and therefore non-effected from the leftovers.

Brewed cup for cupping

After you have removed the brewed leftovers, the coffee is ready for cupping. NOTE: If your coffee is still very hot, you might have quickened the previous steps, therefore let the coffee cool down to "normal" coffee drinking temperature. If the coffee is too warm, you can't explore the tastes and aromas hidden in the coffee, because it will be sealed behind the heat.

Aroma and taste exploring using a spoon

When the coffee has reached its right temperature, grap a table spoon and start tasting. Its important that you ingest the coffee as quickly as possible, so the different flavors of the coffee is distributed/spread to the taste buds within the mouth.

Coffee Cupping Sheet

If you want to keep records of the different coffees that you have tried, maybe you should fill a coffee cupping sheet, shown above, pr. coffee. The sheet will bring you through the important steps like the aroma, sweetness, taste, mouth feel, bitterness and aftertaste, which is used to describe the overall impression of a coffee bean.

Hope you will explore this way of testing aroma and taste of the different available coffees of the world.

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// Hendrup

Crew review; Rocket r58

Seattle Coffee Gear have finally received the newly introduced model from the Italian espresso machine manufacture Rocket; its the new r58 model and look at the video linked below to see how it went.

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// Hendrup

Explore the taste and aroma of your coffee

Taste and Arroma descriptopn wheel

I have been to a Barista Training in Viborg at the Peter Larsens coffee roasting factory, where I was presented with this important guiding tool, when cupping your coffee. The wheel is separated in two major categories; taste or Aroma.

How do you describe coffee flavors? When it comes to our senses, describing what we perceive in words is pretty difficult. How do you describe the color red or blue to someone? Or the feeling of hot or cold? Describing the flavor of coffee is a similar challenge; Coffee beans have over 800 flavors characteristics that our senses can detect, which is actually almost double that of wine which has about 400 discernible flavor characteristics. Most people would not consider coffee to have more depth of flavor characteristics than wine, but its true. Similar to wine, in order to communicate the characteristics of coffee flavor, a common set of terminology is generally agreed upon.

Cupping - A professional coffee tasting ritual
The activity of tasting coffee to rate or judge the flavor characteristics and quality of a coffee is called "cupping" and a professional coffee taster that performs this coffee tasting ritual is called a "copper".

With cupping, the coffee is ground into an small porcelain or glass cup, and hot water is poured on top of the coffee. The coffee steeps for a few minutes as the grinds rise to the top, forming a crust. The crust is broken with a spoon and the copper evaluates the coffee´s aromas. After the coffee cools down a little, the copper slurps the liquid and evaluates the coffee flavor.

The cupper is only interested in the taste evaluation, not actually consuming or swallowing the coffee, and spits out the coffee into a container. During a cupping session, the copper will typically evaluate many samples of coffee. Here are some of the terms used in cupping, and generally agreed upon by the coffee industry at large, to describe the flavors and characteristics of coffee.

The basic taste characteristics of coffee
Flavor - while flavor is somewhat subjective on how we perceive taste, there are terms that tasters use to communicate the common or distinctive taste characteristics of coffee. For example, "winy" is a desirable flavor, reminiscent of a hint of red wine. A coffee may have a "nutty" taste or a "bitter" component. Some coffees have a hint of "berry" or "citrus". In a more general ensue, flavor is the overall perception of the coffee and is also a balance of the acidity, body and aroma of the coffee. Se the additional terms below that describe the different coffee flavor characteristics in more detail.

Acidity - this does not refer to the degree of acidity. As a taste characteristics, acidity refers to the sharp and pleasing aftertaste, often referred to as the liveliness of the coffee. In coffee, acidity is a highly desirable quality that describes the brightness of flavor. Acidity ranges from low (smooth) to high (lively). A coffee without any acidity to generally undesirable and is referred to as flat.

Body - refers to the taste sensation as the coffee flavor settles on the tongue. Body is a desirable quality that describes more the feel of the coffee in your month rather than the flavor. It is the heaviness, thickness and viscosity of the coffee that contribute to the sensation of richness. The coffee oils extracted during brewing contribute to the sensation of body and richness. An espresso or french press brew will produce a more full bodied coffee, while a conventional drip machine will produce a lighter bodied coffee, because the paper filter removes the desirable flavor oils. A coffee with full body has a richness of flavor and aroma. A thin, watery tasting coffee with little flavor is said to lack body.

Aroma - is the smell of the coffee; because of the way our sense of taste and smell work together, the more complex or subtle taste characteristics of coffee actually come from the smell or aroma more than the taste or palette. Without our sense of smell, we would be left with just our taste buds, which are only capable of detecting the four basic taste sensations of sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The more subtle nuances of coffee flavors such as floral or winy come more from the aroma or smell of the coffee. Official coffee tasters, called cupels will also smell the coffee grounds to judge or classify the flavor characteristics of the coffee.  The smell of the coffee grounds is referred to as the fragrance or bouquet.

Finish - is a more recent term brought over from the wine tasting world. Finish describes the sensation in the palette after you have swallowed the coffee (or spit it out as cupels do after every taste). Some coffees will develop in the finish. That is, they leave a pleasurable taste and(or feel in your palette that lingers. And that lingering taste sensation can change in noticeable ways from the initial sensation and taste when the coffee is in your month.

Additional coffee flavor terms

Bitter - One of the four basic tastes that is detected on the back of the tongue. A darker roast can exhibit some bitterness; a balanced level of bitterness can add to the fullness of the coffee flavor and is a desirable sensation. Too much bitterness is unpleasant and can be the result of over-extraction. 

Bright - refers to a coffee with good pleasant acidity. 

Buttery - the flavor oils when present and more pronounced in the coffee create an oily sensation in the month that resembles the rich smoothness of butter. Brewing methods such as the french press allow more of the flavor oils to extract into the coffee, while other methods that use a paper filter will remove the oils from the coffee. 

Earthy - an earthy or musty flavor, not neccesarily unpleassant. 

Floral - a pleasant aroma or flavor that is reminiscent of flowers.  

Fruity - an aroma or flavor that resembles fruit, typically cherries, citrus or berries, generally a positive attribute.  

Harsh - refers to the unpleasant taste sometimes considered similar to raw weeds. This is more a characteristic of Robusta coffees. While an undesirable quality, some coffee drinkers prefer a hint of this harshness in their blend. 

Nutty - a distinctive aroma or flacor reminiscent of roasted nuts. 

Smooth - a coffee low in acidity. 

Sour - one of the basic four tastes that is detected on the sides of the tongue toward the back. A light roasted coffee can exhibit a sour characteristic.  

Spicy - a plesant aroma or flavor that resembles a certain spice, sweet or savory in character. 

Winy - is a desirable flavor reminiscent of a hint of red wine. The interesting sensation derives from a contrast between fruit-like acidity and a smooth body. Coffees from kenya are an example of winy flavors.

I will definitely use this tool when performing some home cupping; at that time I will report how it went.

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// Hendrup

Newly bought items

Four kilo of fresh green coffee beans 

I have just purchased some lovely green coffee beans from my local coffee shop and is very exiting to get to review these four different beans. I have chosen some beans located in extremely different environments, these are following;

Costa Rica Cumbre Tarrazu

Nicaragua Shg Santa Rita Estate

Sulawesi Kalossi Grade 1

Zimbabwe AA Plus Pezuru

Therefore there will be posted reviews of these specific beans in the nearest future, great sunday to all!

// Hendrup

Does coffee make you sober - when drunk?

Drunk guy properly wishing coffee could make him instant sober

"The myth about coffee´s sobering powers if particularly important to debunk because the co-use of caffeine and alcohol could actually lead to poor decisions with disastrous outcomes.

People who feel tired and intoxicated after consuming alcohol may be more likely to acknowledge that they are drunk.

Conversely, people who have consumed both alcohol and caffeine may feel awake and competent enough to handle potentially-harmful situations, such as driving while intoxicated or placing themselves in dangerous social situations." quote from the lead researcher Dr. Thomas Gould  

There has been a thorough test with mice, that indicates coffee may make you feel that you are coming to your senses - but this is only an illusion, because in fact the consumption of coffee when drunk, makes it harder for people to realize that they are under the influence of alcohol.

"The bottom line is that, despite the appeal of being able to stay up all night and drink, all evidence points to serious risks associated with caffeine-alcohol combinations." quote from the lead researcher Dr. Thomas Gould 

Be alert next time you consume coffee after a great party night, because it might trick you in believing that you are perfectly sober and ready for a road trip of other dimensions.

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// Hendrup

How to froth milk with a Bodum French Press

Cafe latte, with a serious amount of frothed milk 

Producing the right amount and quality of frothed milk for the cappuccino can be a difficult challenge and a great debate, because there are multiple solutions and approaches for achieving the velvety, smooth and delicious frothed milk.

My opinion on this subject is towards the espresso machine way of frothing, because the steam produced is caramelizing the milk and therefore making it more sweeter and richer compared with heating the milk in a pot. Besides if you are able to create a whirlpool in your pitcher; tiny air bobbles will be incorporated perfectly into the milk.

Nevertheless my girlfriend introduced me to this frothed method using a french press to create the proper micro foam. She had seen the method on one of the blogs she´s following; her interest for blogs also got my passion for the world of coffee online into this blog your reading right now.

The metal filter used to incorporate tiny air bobbles into the heated milk 

The method is includes some preheated milk, perhaps heating it in a pot to the correct temperature - meaning heating the milk just before it starts boiling, max. 75-80 degrees. If the milk starts boiling it will affect the flavors by adding a burned rice pudding note, which can't be recommended.

Pouring heated milk into the french press 

After you have preheated the milk; pour the milk into the glass container of the french press - in my case the Bodum french press glass container. Use the french press filter to create micro foam by pressing the filter in a vertical direction.

Vertically pull of the filter to create micro foam 

This method is very effective to incorporate air into the milk, but the air which is merged with the milk is cold and therefore the heated milk quickly becomes lukewarm - especially when pouring the drink and about to take the first sip, the micro foam fells cold against the lips.

I will suggest this method if you haven´t got anything else, which could come in handy - I would certainly not produce my morning latte by this method, due to the long process and first heating the milk and second creating micro foam - and thats just the milk! Also you end up with a wide range of kitchen products that needs a serious cleaning afterwards.

Coffee on the road

Primus thermos, my own road buddy

Im mostly surfing the roads in the weekdays, because of my primary job as a consultant in Denmark. Therefore I require a special need for bringing along good quality coffee with me, due to the poor coffee Im presented with in the different shops Im visiting. Normally I will brew a proper filter coffee using the Hario drip brewer directly into my Primus Thermos, this will provide a stabile temperature to the coffee while traveling.

Mypressi Twist - portable espressomachine

The thermos is one way of keeping a freshly brewed cup drinkable throughout the day, but there is also other solution which only requires boiled water, ex the Mypressi Twist v2 as shown in the above picture. The Mypressi Twist is a portable espresso machine, creating nine bars of pressure from CO2 capsules, therefore you can always be certain of the correct pressure. The Mypressi have received impressive reviews from a lot of coffee enthusiasts calling it a must have on the go.

The Mypressi Twist will cost around 1.200 DKK ($200) and is quite expensive if you only intend to use it once a month. BUT if you are traveling by airplanes, you can't bring the CO2 capsules along with you, so you must buy them in the country that you visit, which is a huge disadvantage.

Handpresso, air driven portable espressomachine

The Handpresso is a competitor to the Mypressi, because its both portable espresso machines. The difference between the two brewing machine is that the Handpresso only requires pressured air, which is creating by pumping the brewing device. Therefore there is a manometer attached that shows exactly how mush pressure is creating, therefore the Handpresso is always ready to be used, but also requires boiled water.

Hopefully I will be able to bring a review of these two portables machines.

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// Hendrup

Nespresso, what else?

Mr. George Clooney - Nespresso front figur

Some days ago I ran into a Nespresso coffee demonstration in a local electronic shop, providing service, counseling and of course selling both their capsules and espresso machines. I couldn't resist the opportunity of chatting with the Nespresso promoter, because I have always wondered what all the Nespresso fuzz was about? I mean; coming from a household where I roast my own beans, its hard to get that the majority of households machines is a Nespresso machine, but maybe its because its easy and simple. It couldn't be because of the superior flavor I supposed; so with these prejudice I went for a nice chat.

First off a little background information: Nespresso patented their own harvesting, roasting, packing and extracting system for about twenty-five years ago. They hereby ensured that the picked coffee was only from "Grand Crus" green beans providers and roasting after their own coffee-experts opinion. This coffee is then ground and sealed into a hermetically aluminum capsule, like shown in the picture below, which is said to seal and keep the 900 volatile flavors intact. In my world of coffee, I keep my roasting coffee beans sealed in a CO2 valve bag, which has a expiration date of three weeks to a month in my mind. The reason why I set the expiration date so low is simply that I can taste the flavors escaping, so can the Nespresso capsule really keep these, against all odds?

In my opinion roasted coffee extracts CO2 gasses, which should be allowed to escape from the coffee because it would simply rotten the beans if not. Also these capsules should have an expiration date of a hole year, which is a lot ! Think of how many groceries you keep in your kitchen, which have a expiration date of an entire year and still is thought of as fresh?

Nespresso capsule

The Nespresso promoter used a Livanto capsule to extract my espresso, which should have a full round body with a roasted caramel flavor. The Livanto mixture of coffee beans came from both south- and central America and is a pure mix of only Arabica beans.

Nespresso also states that they only used the worlds best "gourmet" coffee, which only consist of 10% of the worlds entire harvest of coffee beans and among these 10% are only 10-20% good enough for Nespressos quality demands. Nespresso themselves calls it for a treasure hunt, which can lead their coffee experts to the edges of the world.

Extraction and brewing a cafe latte

The machine used for this Livanto extraction is shown in the above pictures and holds a patented extraction system providing a 19 bars of pressure to extract all of the coffee flavors. Nespresso states that this patented extraction system ensures the consumer a incomparable compact and fine nuanced crema every time, hmm.

The machine could provide the espresso shot and also frothed the milk, therefore my opportunity of getting a first class latte, I hoped. If the espresso extraction is first to be commented, the shot came in three different characters judged only by the appearance. First off came a rich brown color that looked just like good strong coffee, but some seconds later it turned into a more transparent extraction looking like it ran out off ground coffee. I could only imagine that the bitterness of the espresso was extracted in this part, but I haven't tried it straight so I wouldn't actually know.

The machine first frothed the milk into the cup and afterwards extracting the espresso shot onto it, this is actually the opposite of when Im producing a latte, but the flavors should definitely be the same - only difference is that its more convenient to make some latte art, when pouring onto the espresso shot. Nevertheless the milk was the part that really didn't do the trick for me, because the machine didn't manage to caramelize the milk and therefore just heating it. Likewise the air bobbles incorporated into the milk was actually quite large leaving the milk quite non smooth and dry. This of course didn't match the espresso shot, which traditionally made just merge in a complete fusion of fantastic flavors and depth.  

Used Nespresso Capsule

The general flavor was incredible flat and boring, but very hot indeed! It was like I only could taste strong coffee mixed with some hot extreme low fat milk, was didn't suit my taste at all. I think that the Nespresso supply of capsules and machines is more of a lifestyle instead of a question of quality and flavor. The capsule machine just fit perfectly into our stressed everyday life and stressed people haven´t got the time to taste what they actually are drinking, it should just be kept simple, easy and reliable.

I sincerely prefere a quality cup and I thought a millionaire like George Clooney did too, considering all the millions of dollars he´s keeping on his bank account. He could try investing in a more do it yourself espresso machine or perhaps hire a butler/barista to service him, but maybe its just a question of making more money for him.

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// Hendrup

Nerdy Bird; Rocket r58 update

Close up at the Rocket r58

Rocket r58
The Rocket r58 semi-automatic espresso machine is creating a stir among quality espresso consumers around the world as they eagerly await the launch. Rocket have always used commercial/professional components and technically meticulous construction and continues that tradition in the release of the r58.

The r58 features a two water intake opportunities of plumbing the machine directly to the water source or using the internal 2.5 L reservoir with the flip of a switch. The advanced Rocket r58 also features an intriguing electronic PID remote-comtrol box, a very quiet iso-mounted rotary pump and a commercial-grade Sirai pressure stat. The pump pressure can be adjusted externally, allowing you to fine-tune extraction rates.

The Italian espresso machine manufacture produce a machine with a robust body construction incorporating stainless steel, that ensures a life-time of quality service. You can expect a excellent performance and quality drinks from the Rocket r58´s E-61 brew-group, super quiet rotary pump and dual-boilers with long-life elements.

Features; Brewing
Commercial E-61 Brew Group
The Rocket r58 has a professional quality nine-pound E-61 brew-group made of chrome plated marine brass to ensure proper heat stability. The espresso extraction is aided by a pre-infusion process to preserve coffee flavor and aroma; hot water is constantly circulated between the boiler and brew-group to ensure proper brewing temperature. The r58 dual boiler comes with a commercial portafilter as well as single and double-shot filter baskets.

Pre-Infusion
The Rocket r58 has a dual pre-infusion system, consisting of a mechanical pre-infusion system with progressively working piston and a static pre-infusion chamber, resulting in consistent flavorful, aromatic and crema-rich ectractions.

Silent Rotary Pump
The Rocket r58 model has a quiet, commercial grade rotary pump with external pressure adjustment controls, allowing users to fine tune pump pressure while viewing the dedicated pressure gauge. The internal architecture of the machine is configured for best efficient reducing pump noise and creating a very quiet rotary pump machine. Coupled with the twin PID controls, dual boilers and Sirai commercial grade pressure stat it delivers superb temperature controls and stability.

Pressure Gauges
The Rocker r58 has two full, round manometer displays that allow users to easily monitor both pump and boiler pressure allowing the Barista to fully understand the extraction parameters.

Electronic Controls
The boiler and reservoir water levels are monitored by sensors that will alert the user if the machine needs to be refilled, and shut it off if ignored; this feature helps to prevent a dry-boil and prolong the life of the machine.

Twin PID (Propertional Integral Differential) controllers are located independently at the boilers to monitor and maintain boiler temperatures and can be with an electronic remote-control box with digital display that plugs in via a cable to the side of the machine, thereby keeping the classic look of the r58 without adding a digital LED interface to the polished front panel. The remote can also switch the hot water/steam boiler on or off, and switch between using the on-board water reservoir or the directly plumbed water supply.

The brewing boiler PID controls will maintain temperature with a deviation less than 1 degree, therefore you can tweak the temperature settings with confident precision for the particular coffee bean you are using and extract the maximum potential flavor.

Dual Copper Boilers
The lead-free copper 0.58L brewing water boiler and the 1.7L hot water/steam boiler, which has thick brass end plates for increased heat retention are wrapped in special thermal-insulating blanket material that provides increased heat retention and thermal stability resulting in greater energy efficiency. The overall boiler design optimizes the boiler-capacity to heater-power ratio resulting in a very fast heat up time.

Both boilers have 1400W heating elements made from special long-life material (5 times longer life than normal elements). The boilers operate completely independent, turning on and off according to the needs of each, and can be on at the same time; however, even though they both have 1400W elements, when on together they will not exceed a 1550W power consumption rate.

The electronic PID remote-control can toggle the hot water/steam boiler on and off. This mode is useful for those that only drink espresso and do not need steam or hot water and want to conserve energy.

Cup watmer
The insulated coper boilers also heat the cup warmer located on top of the machine. Heat is released through holes in the top of the machine, ensuring that your sups are warmed. There is a hatch cover at the rear of the tray allowing you to fill the water reservoir without removing it from the machine.

Plumbable
A deducated control swtich allows you to alternate between drawing water from the 2.5L reservoir or plumbed water lines. The large water reservoir is removable for easy refilling and maintenance.

The popular r58 dual boiler from Rocket

Features; Frothing & Hot Water
No-Burn Stainless Stell Steam Wand
Rocket´s patented cool-touch technology ensures that the steam wand is safe to use (only the nozzle gets hot). The wand has a two-hole tip and is engaged with a large ergonomic controls knob at the top of the wand. Below the steam wand is the steam pressure gauge . the machine is at steaming pressure when the gauge measures around 1 bar.

Stainless Steel Hot Water Nozzle
The hot water nozzle is located to the right of the brew group and features another large ergonomic control knob like the steam wand. You can dispense hot water for tea, a cafe Americano, instant soup or hot chocolate, drink mixes or hot cider.


Specifications

• Brewing Boiler capacity; 0.58L (19.6 oz)

• Steam/Hot water Boiler capacity; 1.7L (57 oz)

• Boiler elements; 1400W

• Temperature control of boiler; Electronic control by PID sensors inside the boilers for precise temperature control.

• Certofied commercial safety valve.

• Dimensions; 12.2"W * 17.32"D * 16.14"H

• Weight; 29 kg (64 lbs.)

• Bodywork; All stainless stell (AISI 304)

• Brewing head; Commercial brewing head (weight 4.05 kg - 9 lb.)

• Water reservoir; 2.5L (84.5 oz)

• Origin; Italy

Included Accessories

• Full size commercial one and two cup filter handles and baskets

• One blind filter

• Rocket metal tamper

• Microfiber towel

• Group cleaning brush

• Full training guide and instructions (CD and manual).

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// Hendrup