coffee shop guide

I am planning to visit the best coffee shops available…well, I would like to say all around the world but first the ones around Newcastle and Hungary! I’m planning  to write about my experiences in posts. Here is a short guide how to decide wether a coffee shop is worth visiting or not:

There is not always a chance to check behind the espresso machine while you are waiting for your coffee but if you have you will know a lot before you even sip into your cup! There are a few things every barista must do:

– Clean the group handle (portafilter) between two shots. This means after they knock out the coffee cake they have to use a towel, cloth or brush to make all of the bits disappear from the basket. Why it is important? Because an unclean bascet effects the extraction and the taste. In a bad way!

you have to see something like this: 

– Tamp

It is a very important step in espresso making! Why? Because coffee will be under pressure in the group handle and water will try to find the easiest way to get out. Yes, water is lazy but everybody wants things to be easy, right? So you need an  even coffee bed then the espresso will extract how it should be.

– Flush the water from the group head

You don’t want anything dirty in your cup, right?

– Clean the steam-wand

If you have a cappuccino, latte or flat white (or anything with steamed milk), the steam-wand should be always clean. Well, it must be clean all the time anyway…Baristas have to let some steam out from the wand before they start the milk and then they have to wipe it after they’ve finished.

This video shows how to make a decent cappuccino (incl. the right milk steaming steps)

So if you see these steps then you can be sure that’s a place where they care about your cup! Sure, there are extra things: nice equipment (good machine, grinder), quality coffee beans, etc. But everything starts with enthusiasm and well trained staff!

To quote some great coffee people:

Life is too short for bad coffee!